22 Aug 2014
Okay, my first game using triple Stone Horns. I got bit by the "Big Things Moving Fast" idea a few weeks ago, and was ready to try out a nice, new themed build. A fellow member in my local league volunteered to test it out, bringing an experimental High Elf list of his own. However, rather than serving as a proof of concept and validating either of our lists, the Fate decided to use the game to remind us that the game STILL involved dice. And BTW, this is my first report with Battle Chronicler, so I apologize for some of the pictures being off.
So, the lists:
Ogres
Lords
Slaughter Master w/level 4 of Maw (Bone Crusher, Bull Gorger, Troll Guts, Spine Marrow), Sword of Anti-Heroes, Talisman of Preservation, Dispel Scroll
Heroes
Bruiser w/BSB, Standard of Discipline, LoG (I actually had a GW on him, but completely forgot about it)
Hunter w/Warrior Bane, Charmed Shield, Opal Amulet, Harpoon Launcher, Stone Horn
Core
9x Ogres w/Full Command, Ironfists
9x Ogres w/Full Command, Ironfists
Specials
Sabertusk
Sabertusk
3x Lead Belchers w/Bellower (which they didn't have, but I played them as if they did. Costs the same as the GW, so I'll call it a wash)
3x Mournfang Cavalry w/Musician, Standard Bearer
Rares
Stone Horn w/Harpoon Launcher
Stone Horn w/Harpoon Launcher
High Elves (from memory)
Lords
Prince w/Giant Blade, Dragon Armor, Charmed Shield, Luck Stone, Star Dragon
Heroes
Noble w/Sword of Anti-Heroes, Dragon Armor, shield, Barded Elven Steed
Noble w/Sword of Battle, Dragon Armor, shield, Barded Elven Steed
Noble BSB w/AoD or the ToP, shield, Barded Elven Steed
Mage w/level 2 high (Drain Magic, Arcane Unforging), Dispel Scroll, Khaine's Ring of Fury
Core
5x Elysian Reavers w/Musician, Bows, Spears
5x Elysian Reavers w/Musician, Bows, Spears
5x Elysian Reavers w/Musician, Bows, Spears
15x Silver Helms w/Full Command, Shields
Specials
Sky Cutter
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower
Rares
Frost Pheonix
Eagle
Eagle
Initial Deployment, after Vanguard Moves, with HE going first.
The hills in the center and on the HE's side of the board are Scree Slopes, with a swamp in the center line on the right side of the board. The alter on the far right is just a bit of impassible terrain, and the forest never came into it.
High Elves 1
So, the High Elves go for a general advance, using the Reavers to tease the Stone Horns and get around the flanks. My opponent quickly realized that he misplaced the Bolt Throwers, since he'd have to block their line-of-sight with his Silver Helms if he wanted to move up. Magic was dispelled, and shooting failed to do anything.
Ogres 1
The Hunter charged the Reavers, and my opponent realized that he had misjudged the angle of their placement in that a Flee would take them off the board. He decided to hold, hoping to draw the Hunter into a bad position, but failed his Terror check. The Hunter reined his mount quickly, stumbling forward only two inches.
The rest of the army cautiously advanced, the Stone Horns passing their restraint test, and the far right Sabertusk dancing around to the side of the Reavers. Magic saw a Silver Helm picked off with bone crusher. Stone Horn 1 the pegged an Eagle with a Harpoon, downing it and panicking the Reavers next to it. His brother hit as well, but managed only a single wound on the other Eagle. The Lead Belchers fired, trying to finish it off, but the cover from the intervening hills proved too much.
High Elves 2
No charges, but the Elves are clearly positioning themselves for a nasty one next turn. The Pheonix moves to my flank, threatening the Hunter, while the remaining Eagle moves up to block Stone Horn 2. Reaver 2 rallies and repositions, while Reaver 3 fails their march-block test, so move to shoot the Sabertusk again. Magic saw the Ring of Khaine revealed, with Soul Quench putting a wound on Stone Horn 2 (not shown, sorry), but nothing else. His Bolt Throwers AGAIN miss every shot, and no wounds are dealt by the Reavers.
Ogres 2
Stone Horn 1 charges Reaver 2, noticing they're out of BSB range, causing them to fail their Terror check and flee. The Mournfangs brave the swamp (taking a ding in the process), and move to deal with the Bolt Throwers (they have to start hitting SOMETIME!). Stone Horn 2 restrains, letting my command unit charge the Eagle, dealing with it handily (though I take 2 wounds on the Scree Slope. And on the BSB and Unit Champ, no less!). And knowing what's coming, I invite the charge with Ogre 2, advancing up.
Stone Horn 2 angles to get a charge at the upcoming melee, the Hunter pulls back and angles to get a shot on the Pheonix, the Lead Belchers move over to add their fire and protect the flank of the Stone Horn 2. (FYI, the units are slightly off in the map. The Hunter, lead belchers, and Stonehorn 2 are all closer to the rear of Ogre 2, which will be relevant next turn). With nothing to redirect, the second kitty goes to play with Reaver 3.
The Winds of Magic blow hard, giving me 11 dice vs 6, and I decide to make the most of it. I throw 5 dice at Troll Guts on Ogre 2, winding up with a moderate roll (19, I think). My opponent throws all 6 dice at it, and proceeds to roll a handful of 2s. I then declare I'm casting Spine Marrow on Ogre 2, and before my opponent can say "at least I still have my scroll," I roll a pair of 6s. Resultsing miscast is a 6, putting ANOTHER wound on my BSB and unit champ, one on my SM, and killing one Ogre. Shooting then sees the Hunter put two wounds on the Pheonix.
High Elves 3
CHARGE! The Pheonix charges the flank of Ogre 2 (remember my comment? The only other charge it had was into the Hunter's forward arc), along with the Prince, Sky Cutter, and Silver Helms (who lose one to the Scree Slopes). Magic blows feebly (I think it winds up being 3 vs 2), with Drain Magic going off but being stopped by my scroll (not going to risk THAT roll!). And either all those charges kicked up too much dusk, or the Bolt Thrower crew were just watching the spectacle, but again no shots from the landed, though Reaver 3 put a wound on Mr. Fluffy (aka, Sabertusk 2)
And the bad luck continues. My unit champ issued a challenge, which was accepted by the Prince, thus locking him up. The Prince and the Star Dragon combine to trounce the poor Champion, who failed every single Regen roll, resulting in 5 points of combat res. However, he was the lightning rod for the bad rolls, as Ogre 2 then proceeded to make every other armor or Regen roll.
Needless to say, the unit held.
Ogres 3
Counter-CHARGE!!! And it get's worse. Both the Hunter AND Stone Horn 2 roll 11s, triggering their Earth-Shattering Charges. Ogre 1 charges into the Silver Helm flank (NOT ogre-charging
), and picks up another wound from the Scree. The Mournfang continue their race to the Bolt Throwers, Stone Horn 1 moves up as well, and the Lead Belchers move to deal with Reaver 3.
AGAIN the winds gust, giving me 11 dice vs 5 after channels. I throw 3 dice at Regen on Ogre 1, trying to suck dispel dice, but the spell is ignored and let through. I go for Spine Marrow on Ogre 2 with only 2 dice, which is promptly dispelled. I then throw my remaining 5 at bubble Bull Gorger, and miscast again, saving it from being Scrolled, and taking only 2 wounds (NOT on the BSB or Champ, this time
)
Only one lead belcher was able to get within range of Reaver 3, but he must have been Mr. Fluffy's owner, because he vomited out 6 shots, 4 hits, and 2 wounds, causing them to break. And then, combat...
The Hunter killed the Frost Pheonix with impact hits alone. Ogre 1 and Stone Horn 2 combined to kill 11 Silver Helms with impact hits alone. The Slaughter Master stepped up to... well, slaughter the Silver Helm Champion.
The Elves didn't go alone, though. After the impact hits, they combined to butcher five Ogres out of Ogre 2. The Elves lose combat by 2, after all is said and done, and all the units stick around.
High Elves 4
Reaver 3 rallies, but fail to kill Mr. Fluffy. The Bolt Throwers remember they're at a battle, kill one of the Mournfang, and panic the others. Magic is a non-entity.
The BSB, as the best protected, shifts to make contact with Ogre 1, but dies for his troubles, along with the Mage and the rest of the Silver Helms. The Prince finds himself occupied with the Hunter, taking a wound but dealing 2 in return, with his Dragon tearing 4 wounds out of the Stone Horn. Despite the two Noble's best efforts, only two of the remaining 3 Ogres in Ogre 2 are slain. The Nobles flee, with Ogre 1 restraining from chasing them, and Stone Horn 2 being blocked by Ogre 1. (Again, FYI, the combat between the Hunter and Prince, and the Skycutter and Ogre 2 are actually two separate combats now. Still learning the maps...)
Ogres 4
Stone Horn 1 charges the fleeing Nobles, pushing them toward the table edge. Ogre 1 charges into the flank of the Sky Cutter, and the Mournfang rally. Magic sees Bull Gorger cast on Ogre 1, but Troll Guts on the Hunter dispelled. During Shooting, the Lead Belchers advance a bit more and kill another two riders out of Reaver 3.
In Combat, Ogre 1 smashes the Cutter to kindling, then over-runs into the Prince, with impact hits dealing two wounds to the dragon. The Prince vainly issues a challenge, but the Ogres refuse, the Slaughter Master moving to the back of the unit to watch.
The Prince then kills the Hunter, while the dragon finishes off the Stone Horn. The combined efforts of the Bruiser and squad serve to kill the Prince. The dragon passes his Reaction test, but fails his break test, and rolls triple ones for his flee movement, clearly mourning his Prince. We call the game there.
After Thoughts
Always nice to see the monsters come out onto the table; they're usually hiding from the war machines. Without swift-stride, Stone Horns really need to be treated as another Ogre block; combi-charges are a MUST for this army. The Terror effect is great for charging out-riders though. Need to put the Gleaming Pennant on the MFC, since they need a bit more reliability to operate farther away.
So, the lists:
Ogres
Lords
Slaughter Master w/level 4 of Maw (Bone Crusher, Bull Gorger, Troll Guts, Spine Marrow), Sword of Anti-Heroes, Talisman of Preservation, Dispel Scroll
Heroes
Bruiser w/BSB, Standard of Discipline, LoG (I actually had a GW on him, but completely forgot about it)
Hunter w/Warrior Bane, Charmed Shield, Opal Amulet, Harpoon Launcher, Stone Horn
Core
9x Ogres w/Full Command, Ironfists
9x Ogres w/Full Command, Ironfists
Specials
Sabertusk
Sabertusk
3x Lead Belchers w/Bellower (which they didn't have, but I played them as if they did. Costs the same as the GW, so I'll call it a wash)
3x Mournfang Cavalry w/Musician, Standard Bearer
Rares
Stone Horn w/Harpoon Launcher
Stone Horn w/Harpoon Launcher
High Elves (from memory)
Lords
Prince w/Giant Blade, Dragon Armor, Charmed Shield, Luck Stone, Star Dragon
Heroes
Noble w/Sword of Anti-Heroes, Dragon Armor, shield, Barded Elven Steed
Noble w/Sword of Battle, Dragon Armor, shield, Barded Elven Steed
Noble BSB w/AoD or the ToP, shield, Barded Elven Steed
Mage w/level 2 high (Drain Magic, Arcane Unforging), Dispel Scroll, Khaine's Ring of Fury
Core
5x Elysian Reavers w/Musician, Bows, Spears
5x Elysian Reavers w/Musician, Bows, Spears
5x Elysian Reavers w/Musician, Bows, Spears
15x Silver Helms w/Full Command, Shields
Specials
Sky Cutter
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower
Rares
Frost Pheonix
Eagle
Eagle
Initial Deployment, after Vanguard Moves, with HE going first.
The hills in the center and on the HE's side of the board are Scree Slopes, with a swamp in the center line on the right side of the board. The alter on the far right is just a bit of impassible terrain, and the forest never came into it.
High Elves 1
So, the High Elves go for a general advance, using the Reavers to tease the Stone Horns and get around the flanks. My opponent quickly realized that he misplaced the Bolt Throwers, since he'd have to block their line-of-sight with his Silver Helms if he wanted to move up. Magic was dispelled, and shooting failed to do anything.
Ogres 1
The Hunter charged the Reavers, and my opponent realized that he had misjudged the angle of their placement in that a Flee would take them off the board. He decided to hold, hoping to draw the Hunter into a bad position, but failed his Terror check. The Hunter reined his mount quickly, stumbling forward only two inches.
The rest of the army cautiously advanced, the Stone Horns passing their restraint test, and the far right Sabertusk dancing around to the side of the Reavers. Magic saw a Silver Helm picked off with bone crusher. Stone Horn 1 the pegged an Eagle with a Harpoon, downing it and panicking the Reavers next to it. His brother hit as well, but managed only a single wound on the other Eagle. The Lead Belchers fired, trying to finish it off, but the cover from the intervening hills proved too much.
High Elves 2
No charges, but the Elves are clearly positioning themselves for a nasty one next turn. The Pheonix moves to my flank, threatening the Hunter, while the remaining Eagle moves up to block Stone Horn 2. Reaver 2 rallies and repositions, while Reaver 3 fails their march-block test, so move to shoot the Sabertusk again. Magic saw the Ring of Khaine revealed, with Soul Quench putting a wound on Stone Horn 2 (not shown, sorry), but nothing else. His Bolt Throwers AGAIN miss every shot, and no wounds are dealt by the Reavers.
Ogres 2
Stone Horn 1 charges Reaver 2, noticing they're out of BSB range, causing them to fail their Terror check and flee. The Mournfangs brave the swamp (taking a ding in the process), and move to deal with the Bolt Throwers (they have to start hitting SOMETIME!). Stone Horn 2 restrains, letting my command unit charge the Eagle, dealing with it handily (though I take 2 wounds on the Scree Slope. And on the BSB and Unit Champ, no less!). And knowing what's coming, I invite the charge with Ogre 2, advancing up.
Stone Horn 2 angles to get a charge at the upcoming melee, the Hunter pulls back and angles to get a shot on the Pheonix, the Lead Belchers move over to add their fire and protect the flank of the Stone Horn 2. (FYI, the units are slightly off in the map. The Hunter, lead belchers, and Stonehorn 2 are all closer to the rear of Ogre 2, which will be relevant next turn). With nothing to redirect, the second kitty goes to play with Reaver 3.
The Winds of Magic blow hard, giving me 11 dice vs 6, and I decide to make the most of it. I throw 5 dice at Troll Guts on Ogre 2, winding up with a moderate roll (19, I think). My opponent throws all 6 dice at it, and proceeds to roll a handful of 2s. I then declare I'm casting Spine Marrow on Ogre 2, and before my opponent can say "at least I still have my scroll," I roll a pair of 6s. Resultsing miscast is a 6, putting ANOTHER wound on my BSB and unit champ, one on my SM, and killing one Ogre. Shooting then sees the Hunter put two wounds on the Pheonix.
High Elves 3
CHARGE! The Pheonix charges the flank of Ogre 2 (remember my comment? The only other charge it had was into the Hunter's forward arc), along with the Prince, Sky Cutter, and Silver Helms (who lose one to the Scree Slopes). Magic blows feebly (I think it winds up being 3 vs 2), with Drain Magic going off but being stopped by my scroll (not going to risk THAT roll!). And either all those charges kicked up too much dusk, or the Bolt Thrower crew were just watching the spectacle, but again no shots from the landed, though Reaver 3 put a wound on Mr. Fluffy (aka, Sabertusk 2)
And the bad luck continues. My unit champ issued a challenge, which was accepted by the Prince, thus locking him up. The Prince and the Star Dragon combine to trounce the poor Champion, who failed every single Regen roll, resulting in 5 points of combat res. However, he was the lightning rod for the bad rolls, as Ogre 2 then proceeded to make every other armor or Regen roll.
Needless to say, the unit held.
Ogres 3
Counter-CHARGE!!! And it get's worse. Both the Hunter AND Stone Horn 2 roll 11s, triggering their Earth-Shattering Charges. Ogre 1 charges into the Silver Helm flank (NOT ogre-charging
), and picks up another wound from the Scree. The Mournfang continue their race to the Bolt Throwers, Stone Horn 1 moves up as well, and the Lead Belchers move to deal with Reaver 3.AGAIN the winds gust, giving me 11 dice vs 5 after channels. I throw 3 dice at Regen on Ogre 1, trying to suck dispel dice, but the spell is ignored and let through. I go for Spine Marrow on Ogre 2 with only 2 dice, which is promptly dispelled. I then throw my remaining 5 at bubble Bull Gorger, and miscast again, saving it from being Scrolled, and taking only 2 wounds (NOT on the BSB or Champ, this time
)Only one lead belcher was able to get within range of Reaver 3, but he must have been Mr. Fluffy's owner, because he vomited out 6 shots, 4 hits, and 2 wounds, causing them to break. And then, combat...
The Hunter killed the Frost Pheonix with impact hits alone. Ogre 1 and Stone Horn 2 combined to kill 11 Silver Helms with impact hits alone. The Slaughter Master stepped up to... well, slaughter the Silver Helm Champion.
The Elves didn't go alone, though. After the impact hits, they combined to butcher five Ogres out of Ogre 2. The Elves lose combat by 2, after all is said and done, and all the units stick around.
High Elves 4
Reaver 3 rallies, but fail to kill Mr. Fluffy. The Bolt Throwers remember they're at a battle, kill one of the Mournfang, and panic the others. Magic is a non-entity.
The BSB, as the best protected, shifts to make contact with Ogre 1, but dies for his troubles, along with the Mage and the rest of the Silver Helms. The Prince finds himself occupied with the Hunter, taking a wound but dealing 2 in return, with his Dragon tearing 4 wounds out of the Stone Horn. Despite the two Noble's best efforts, only two of the remaining 3 Ogres in Ogre 2 are slain. The Nobles flee, with Ogre 1 restraining from chasing them, and Stone Horn 2 being blocked by Ogre 1. (Again, FYI, the combat between the Hunter and Prince, and the Skycutter and Ogre 2 are actually two separate combats now.
Still learning the maps...)Ogres 4
Stone Horn 1 charges the fleeing Nobles, pushing them toward the table edge. Ogre 1 charges into the flank of the Sky Cutter, and the Mournfang rally. Magic sees Bull Gorger cast on Ogre 1, but Troll Guts on the Hunter dispelled. During Shooting, the Lead Belchers advance a bit more and kill another two riders out of Reaver 3.
In Combat, Ogre 1 smashes the Cutter to kindling, then over-runs into the Prince, with impact hits dealing two wounds to the dragon. The Prince vainly issues a challenge, but the Ogres refuse, the Slaughter Master moving to the back of the unit to watch.
The Prince then kills the Hunter, while the dragon finishes off the Stone Horn. The combined efforts of the Bruiser and squad serve to kill the Prince. The dragon passes his Reaction test, but fails his break test, and rolls triple ones for his flee movement, clearly mourning his Prince. We call the game there.
After Thoughts
Always nice to see the monsters come out onto the table; they're usually hiding from the war machines. Without swift-stride, Stone Horns really need to be treated as another Ogre block; combi-charges are a MUST for this army. The Terror effect is great for charging out-riders though. Need to put the Gleaming Pennant on the MFC, since they need a bit more reliability to operate farther away.
), however I'm going to run them at least once more, hopefully against a competitive list, to see just how bad things go. The two leading contenders to replace the MFC are: