Have a game booked against Ray tonight and his fluffy Dark Elves. I've only played Ray once - an enjoyable game and a hard lesson for me at the Tin Solider tournament last year. He's a lovely chap not entirely averse to kicking your ass if the opportunity arises (in the niecst possible way).
A little sneaky research (sorry Ray) revealed what was in his list and got me thinking. For your amusement (at my lack of knowledge and tactical acumen) here's a breakdown:
Lord on Cold One (or horse - this was tricky to establish - either way the bugger moves) - Pendant (FluffyCon eh Ray? :-)) and Crimson Death (which sounds awfully nasty)
BSB - 1+ armour save and Great Weapon
2 x level Sorceresses with a scroll each - one might have the Seal
20 Corsairs - FC, champ has shooty handbows or something
20 Spears - FC
2 x 10 RXB Warriors
5 Dark Riders - musician (I assume), probably shooting and spears and whatnot
5 Harpies
6 Cold One Knights - FC, Warbanner
20 Black Guard - FC, Null Talisman
So how is it shaping up?
Well the first thing that strikes me is magic is pretty much out - 4PD and a bound won't cut it against that defense. It will also seriously (seriously) stretch my own meagre defense to breaking point. Key - one or both of these tarts need to die in the opening 1/2 of the game! (suicide Knights for the win!)
The Flagellents have a pretty clear goal - motor straight up the guts towards the Black Guard and tie them down for the whole game! Hopefully with judicious use of annoying detachments I can get the charge on the ItP, Stubborn blighters. I imagine the BSB will cower here and a Sorceress might too until they look like they are going to hit combat. Might even try a weak flank charge (GW-Knights) to stall them or better yet lure them sideways with a Hatred-inspired pursuit. In terms of actually killing the unit - that's way down the priority list.
There's a good shooty core to the list - 20 repeater bows is a LOT of shots (especially when you're toughness 3 with not much armour)! Even the Knights aren't safe due to the sheer amount of firepower coming out. Might try for a ranged duel as the Crossbows have the range over them. Except the Crossbows are a bit worried about letting the Dark Riders wander down a flank and hitting me where it hurts.
The Mortar - as always - is going to be a very powerful tool and could be the key to a win. Toughness 3 no likey Mortar pie-plate! The opening targets are the Spears or Corsairs - whichever one is closer to the flank I want to strike down (and/or furthest from the Elf General). I imagine the Black Guard will be in the middle flanked by the other two blocks or the Black Guard will hinge a refused flank (so I have no option but engage them and be tied up). The Mortar will cower between two of my blocks enough room to see its target but hopefully not enough to get charged by those annoying fliers.
The Cannon will sit out by itself on a lonely flank doing it'd best to be an inviting target for Harpies or Dark Riders - the Mortar must survive!
So that just leaves the blasted Cold One Knights. Urg. Aside from the Cannon obviously wanting to have a go I'm not terribly sure what to do about these. The biggest issue is the fear - I can't rely on my Knights being able to charge them. Of course if I do I'll only be up by one (outnumber - if I place a character in the Knights) and with Hatred and the Cold Ones not sucking in the manner of horses... it'll be a close run thing.
So to summarise my ingenious and totally flawless plan is:
- engage the Black Guard with Flagellents, trying to get the charge by baiting using a detachment, kill front rank and with a shedload of luck break them, run them down and panic the rest of the army off the board (the last half of that being a tad optimistic)
- shoot the bejeebus out of the Spears or Corsairs (Corsairs sound more expensive so might end up being them)
- Crossbow a unit of RXB Warriors without fear of imminent shooting reprisal
- hide the Mortar between some blocks
- assassinate a Sorceress if the opportunity arises (even if they are in a block - they'll get dragged out of the line unsupported thanks to Hatred if I'm fortunate)
- hope the Cold Ones are Stupid for the whole game and sit out on a flank making daisy chains
Actually it also occurs to me that with a 24" range on the RXBs Ray will have to come to me to engage so might hold back and make him jostle a bit.
Of course - Ray might very well have read this by the time we play and be wise to my tricks so it's probably all out the window anyway :-)
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