Kings of War Batrep #1 - Brotherhood VS Elves 2000 Points

A few of us are preparing to play in PAW 2019 and are entering the Kings of War 2000 point tournament. Sam is trying out his new Lord of the Rings Elves he won on eBay against my Not Bretonnians Brotherhood.

We rolled Control for a mission. Basically the board is split in to 2ft squares each worth 1 point. Apart from your opponents middle square that is worth 2 points if you can claim it. Each square is controlled by whoever has the most unit strength in that quarter.

Brotherhood

Elves

BroHood Turn 1

I placed my two Flyers on my right so Sam would deploy strong against them, then fly them to the centre and look for flank charges or support failing attacks. My rough plan here was to have my main force in the centre punch through the Sea Guard horde, using the hill as cover from the Elves shooting, then swing to my right and clear up those Elves before they could move into effective charge ranges. My smaller force on the right would delay or destroy the Elves on the left flank. Then near the end of the game start moving around to claim quarters. So turn 1 I just moved forward to get into charge ranges and avoid shooting.

 

Elves Turn 1

On the right Sam's moves his Elves forward to get firing arcs with his two regiments and his Tallspear horde advances. In the centre his Sea Guard horde holds still. On the left his Dragonlord charges my regiment of Knights and his two regiments of Palace Guard advance ensuring he wont get flanked charge on my next turn.

Sam took shots at 2 Regiments of Villeins and with cover and moving and Sam's penchant for rolling ones I figured I would be fine.

I was wrong. Elves rolling to hit on 4's naturally and re-rolling 1's with Elite. Even my defence of 5 was not enough to stop the wounds building up.

BroHood Turn 2

Well my Knights were slaughtered by the Dragon in one turn on the left flank. I was so distraught I didn't even get a photo of that. Sam did tell me his rules and stats but I was hearing not listening and now I am paying the price. At this point I figure my flying squadron is going to have to cross the board and deal with him, my Villeins aren't going to be able to do that. The Dragonlord was a Heavy Flier which meant if I just charged past him I could at least keep my Villeins safe from it for a turn or 2.

Operation get behind the Villein Reconnoiterers.

On the right I lined up my cavalry to charge the horde of Sea Guard. I put my Villein Reconnoiterers out front to give my regiments as much cover from shooting as I could, I also placed one Villein Initiates regiment so it could flank charge the Palace Guard regiment next turn if I needed it.

Love me some Martyr's Prayer.

The double charge causes 12 wounds but only manages to waver the Palace Guard. Not what I needed but nothing too drastic at this point.

Elves Turn 2

On the left Sam measures the distance and realises his Dragonlord is safe form my fliers, so turns him round ready to charge my Villein Initiates in the rear next turn. The unwavered Palace Guards and the King double charge one of the Villein Initiate Regiments. On the left the elves all shuffle around to fire on the cavalry in the centre. The Tallspear Horde continues its slow flanking trudge to my rear.

The Elves all unload on the Villein Initiates threating a flank charge on the left flank.

And they're wavered. that's going to be a problem.

The King and Palace Guard Regiment manage to cause 4 wounds on the Villein Initiates.

BroHood Turn 3

At this point on my left flank I am very concerned about the Dragonlord rear charging my Villein Initiates or even my Exemplar Adjutant supporting them. But with no real way to get out of it I figure I will just have to charge through the Elves and go from there. So I counter charge the King with the right Initiates and charge the already damaged Palace Guard with the left Initiates.

In the centre I charge the Villein Reconnoiterers and a Villein Initiates regiment in to the Sea Guard horde hoping to get some wounds of them and disrupt their shooting. The wavered Initiate unit hampered getting my Brotherhood regiment in so they took position the other side of the wavered Initiates to threaten the flank of the Palace Guard or charge the Sea Guard in the centre next turn if needed. The wavered Initiates changed facing to charge the elves on the left flank if they came to the centre next turn.

The flying squadron moved to cover the rear of the Villein Initiates on the left flank. I may lose one to a rear charge but they will get a double charge on the Dragonlord if that happens.

The wavered initiates really hampered my attack on the centre and were unable to flank charge the Palace guard to the left as I had hoped.

I really wanted to charge with the Brotherhood regiment but just could not get through the wavered Initiates.

Martyr's Prayer at work, again.

Bane Chant to help the Initiates who have lost their Thunderous Charge as they're disorded due to being charged last turn.



I only manage 1 wound on the King but the left Initiates manage to destroy the Palace Guard and change facing to side charge the other Elves if they don't get mowed down by a Dragonlord.

The Exemplar failed to Bane-Chant the Initiates and I manage a respectable 11 wounds on the Sea Guard horde, but not enough to break them and the attack bounces back.

Elves Turn 3

Sam retaliates with counter charges across the board. The Sea Guard horde counter charges the Initiates. The Dragonlord rear charges the rear of the left Initiates and the King and last Palace Guard regiment charge the right Initiates. I feel this is going to hurt.

Sam steals my Martyr's Prayer tactic and reduces the Sea Guard hordes wounds.

The 2 regiments of Sea Guard on the right flank fire at the annoying Initiates and waver them again!

7 wounds on the Initiates and the Sea Guard horde manage to waver them as well!

The Dragonlord absolutely smashes the rear of these Initiates on the left flank :)

King and Palace Guard combo attack the last Initiates on the left flank put them on 8 wounds and breaking them too.

Just my Adjutant left on the left flank and Sam puts his king in the way of my flyers to protect the Dragonlord.

BroHood Turn 4

Well my left flank has completely disintegrated. I'm hoping my flyers can rescue the situation. My plan now is to clear the left flank and then move back to the centre to counter Sam's reinforcements coming from the right.....hopefully.

In the centre I try to do a bit of damage and manage a flank charge on the Sea Guard horde but with 2 units of Initiates wavered I don't have many options.

I couldn't get the Forsaken horde in to the Dragonlord so had to settle for charging the Elven King.

So many wavered!

I manage to heal 3 wounds of the Initiates with Martyr's Prayer and get a Bane-Chant on the Villein Reconnoitres.

The flank charge only gets me up to 10 wounds on the Sea Guard horde, but with the Green lady behind them they hold fast.

I manage a Bane-Chant on my Forsaker to help punch through the Dragonlords armour 5, the Forsaken horde put 9 wounds on the King.

The Forsaken horde destroy the king and change facing to deal with anything that doesn't rout from the field this turn.

The Forsaker only manages 3 wounds on the Dragonlord, but at least he is disordered and contained for now.

The flank charge by the Brotherhood regiment on the Palace Guard regiment causes 17 wounds, only a double 1 will save them.

Which Sam doesn't get. The Brotherhood regiment reform to face the right flank to help with the incoming wave of Elves.



Elves Turn 4

This was going to be a tough turn for me. I was hoping something would stand in the centre to slow the elves down for my reinforcements from the left flank to come help. If they died I did not know how I was going to be able to hold enough quarters to win the game, or even keep claim of my centre and not give Sam 2 points.

Right flank at the start of Sam's Turn.

Sea Guard horde counter-charges the Reconnoitres, Sea Guard regiment flank charges my Initiates regiment, this is gonna hurt! The Tallspear horde is flanking round the hill to claim my centre.



The remaining Sea Guard regiment fires on the STILL wavered Initiate regiment and they decide they can't take anymore and rout.

With the Green Lady and the Mage, Sam heals the Sea Guard horde of 6 wounds!

Sea Guard regiment causes 4 wounds on the Initiates, but Sam rolls a 9 on the nerve re-roll and they rout. The Recoinneters rout as well

The Dragonlord counter charges my Forsaker and does 8 wounds! luckily he manages to hold his ground.

BroHood Turn 5

Well things are looking pretty grim. I lost 3 units that turn and the Centre has completely collapsed. Worse still I haven't dealt with the Dragonlord yet so I cant just zoom over to the centre until I deal with him. At this point I'm out of options.

I counter-charge the Forsaker and charge the Forsaken at the Dragonlord, this time he will go down!

Even with Bane-Chant on the Forsaken horde I only manage to waiver the Dragonlord! I am starting to hate this guy!

In the centre I fail to Bane-Chant the Brotherhood regiment and with the Sea Guard having Phalanx I get no Thunderous Charge. I manage 6 wounds and with a good nerve roll I waiver them. That might buy me some time.

Elves Turn 5

It's turn 5 and Sam starts thinking about objectives. At this point we both think he has got this in the bag. I am definitely running out of ideas. The right flank doesn't change as the Dragonlord is wavered. Sam charges a Sea Guard regiment into my Brotherhood regiment, this gives him unit strength 5 against my unit strength 2 in his centre quarter. He leaves a regiment of Sea Guard in the top right quarter to bag him 1VP there at the end of the game. The Tallspear's horde hold position at the edge of my centre quarter to claim another 2VP at the end of the game.

The state of play after Sam's moves.

Between the Green Lady and the Mage they manage to heal all wounds on the Sea Guard horde!

The Sea Guard regiment manages 3 wounds on my Brotherhood regiment and bounces of.

BroHood Turn 6

So I need turn 7 to get anything out of this game. At the moment Sam has 4VP and I have 1VP and I have no idea how I am going to pull this one out my backside.

First things first I charge everything at the Dragonlord to make sure he dies!

I charge my Exemplar at the Sea Guard horde, hoping to at least disorder them to restrict their ability to shoot. The Brotherhood regiment charges the Sea Guard regiment because what else could they do?

State of play at the end of my moves.

The Adjutant manages to Bane-Chant the Brotherhood regiment. Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky?

The flying squadron finally kill the Dragonlord and reform to hopefully threaten the centre. Only took all game!

Exemplar manages a wound on the Sea Guard horde and shuts down their shooting. The regiment only gets 4 wounds on the Sea Guard regiment and they stand strong.

Elves Turn 6

Sam is still feeling confident he has this and I don't blame him. At this point there's not much for him to do.


Both Sea Guard units counter charge. The Sea Guard regiment has 3 wounds healed.

Amazingly everyone survives.

BONUS TURN!!

BroHood Turn 7

If I'm going to work a miracle now is the time. Sam had left his Tallspear horde out of charge range so I cannot charge them. My plan? To move my Brotherhood regiment in to my centre with the Forsaken horde. That would give me the higher unit strength in my quarter and give me 1VP. My Forsaker holds a quarter on the left giving me a total of 2VP. Sam will have his centre quarter and a quarter in the top right giving him 2VP. I'll take a draw.

To protect my Brotherhood regiment I throw the Adjutant in the way of his Sea Guard regiment. Now all I have to do is wait and see if my gambit would work.

Elves Turn 7

Sam is justifiable horrified. He thought he had the game and then I pull this nonsense out! Because of the size of the base my Brotherhood regiment I have escaped his Sea Guard and contested my centre. I got the idea from reading this article on corkscrew charges. Sam charges my Brotherhood regiment with his Tallspear horde, if he kills them he will win as we will both have unit strength 3 in my centre quarter and he will have 2VP to my 1VP. He also fires the Sea Guard regiment in the top left corner at my Forsaker who already has 5 wounds from the Dragonlord. If he dies I will lose 2VP to 1VP. I'll admit I don't like my chances.

Sam's 2 fold plan to win the game.

Sam does 4 more wounds to the Forsaker. But rolls a poor 3 on the "cowardly custard" dice and the Forsaker stands!

Sam threw the mage in to the combat too! He now has 10 wounds on the Brotherhood regiment and they have a Nerve of 15/17. He should get this.

The "cowardly custard" dice let him down again and he rolls a 6!

Sam's units bounce off and my Brotherhood regiment is wavered!

End of Game - Draw!

Well I did not deserve that! The Dragonlord was a monster and a lot harder than I thought he was! I figured I could take the charge turn 1, and moved my cavalry up to take the charge, and then counter, surround him and destroy him. Instead he barrelled through me and ruined my whole game plan! Sam did tell me the Dragonlord's stats but I was so sure no one monster could be that strong that I just blanked it completely.


I deployed my flyers on the far left right to throw Sam off and it worked. He committed 2 Sea Guard regiments and the Tallspear horde on that flank. But the Dragonlord did so well that I couldn't use that to my advantage and use my flyers to gang up on him in the centre. Instead I had to drag my flyers from one side of the board to the other to save my situation.

The Initiates wavering at the start from shooting stunted my attack for a turn. next time I will have to deploy better. I got so focussed about hiding behind the hill that when the Initiates wavered I left my units no room to manoeuvre.

The Green Lady with her Heal 8 and the Mage with Martyr's Prayer 7 is a horrid combo. They kept the Sea Guard Horde in the centre alive all game. Every time I started whittling some wounds on them he just topped their Nerve back up again. Maybe if I could have charged with the Initiates and the Brotherhood regiment like I had planned I could have had the decisive blow I was going for in the centre but alas those damn wavered initiates fouled everything up!

Good game with Sam as always and lessons to be taken away and learned. This was Sam's first game with his Lord of the Rings style Elves and I think he is in love with the army now and is planning to use them at the PAW 2019 tournament. If either of us can get them painted in time!

BOBW - Jacko