Time for something different I reckon. The Empire are still a strong option for me and I'm still having great fun with the list but for Runefang II it's going to have to be something really different.
Maybe... Dark Elves?
Of course it has to be Dark Elves! Reckoning that the bandwagon is still running hot and fast I've jumped on-board, borrowed Ray's sneering pointy-ears, bashed together a dirty list and sought as many play-testing games as I can before Runefang happens and my plans for world/Wellington domination blow up in my face like a shoddy and unreliable Great Cannon.
The list is certainly very different to what I would normally be using with the Empire (or indeed any army with which I've had previous experience). The Hydra is incredible (and great fun to use!), Reaper Bolt Throwers are almost unbelievable, Shades can be good value (not that I've discovered so far but I'm hoping I can figure out how to use them), and the characters have really supplied me with something quite beyond what I'm used to fielding. Harpies are a hoot - highly highly annoying Flyers that, combined with Dark Riders, give the army some much needed "chaff" (although it's hard to think of the excellent Dark Riders in such derogatory and expendable terms) that is not only incredible fast but also remarkably punchy.
I've managed a few test games - against my own Empire list (Cannons are good aren't they?!), Daemons (Banner of Hellfire - OW!), High Elves (3 units of Dragon Princes and a Star Dragon being an entertaining feature of that particular list), Chaos Mortals (losing just one Bolt Thrower while simultaneously annihilating the enemy army bar one cowering Knight in a forest), and a very solid win over another Dark Elf army that left just 3 Witch Elves and a 1/2-wounds Hag BSB alive at the end for my opponent.
Once I'd gotten my act together and had a rethink about the army and list I was intending to use I then sought out a game against Philfy's High Elf test list for Tin Soldier 2. Alas Philfy, fearing the wrath of Ji-Dave and another 20-0 thrash-annihilation, failed to show for our game (wuss!!!) but by great good fortune I was able to get a game against Capt Soft Score instead. Nick decimated my Empire in our last encounter so I was highly motivated to get some stabby Hatey revenge. The game went VERY well except for two things:
- poor placement of the Manticore led to it almost being magically charged by Wardancers (I was lucky Nick rolled low for the charge distance) but then the Manticore was shot out from underneath the boss by 7 Glade Guard (hitting on 2s, all randomised onto the Cow, wounding on 5s = dead Cow). With the boss now on foot and in charge range of the Wardancers I had to get stuck in. Their annoying 4+ ward saved them and he eventually lost by 1 in some later round of combat and I fluffed the break test. Worse I fled a subsequent charge and was but down by some handy Glade Riders.
- The Black Guard were happily eating into the flank of a big unit of Eternal Guard until a bad round of wounding rolls saw me lose combat by 1, fail the Stubborn and of course fail the reroll. Worse Nick caught them in the pursuit and cut them down. This panicked the Hydra (who was about 2" short of an overrun into the front of the Enternal Guard from a previous combat) which fortunately managed to rally in my last turn. Sheesh.
The first incident was bad play; the second dumb luck. It happens of course but otherwise I was very happy with how the game went (won by about 550VPs - would have been by over 1000VPs if the Black Guard hadn't broken) so no hard feelings there. Still struggling to use the Cow very well. Lost the Boss/Cow, a unit of Crossbows, a unit of Dark Riders and all the Harpies. Oh yeah, and the stupid Black Guard and BSB!
MVPs would probably be the Hydra (practically untouchable - didn't take any wounds and dealt out plenty of breath-weapony goodness; also crushed 3 units in combat) or the Harpies who march-blocked, ran down a big unit of fleeing Glade Guard, and stopped the Eternal Guard from fleeing from the Black Guard. Fantastic unit - incredibly versatile, lots of fun to use. It was also nice to face a somewhat more magic-intensive list - Nick was waving around 8PD so with 3DD and 2 scrolls (and due to placement the Ring never came into play) holding him off was never a sure thing (killing off the L4 helped a lot though!!).
The army overall has provided a useful gaming experience - if nothing else I feel I have a better chance against Dark Elves should I face them in the future - knowing what they are capable of is a big advantage (and the dangerous units are not always the most obvious ones). It's also a heck of a different army to what I would normally take - I dare say quite a bit harder than my usual choices but it's nice to mix things up in this regard too.
So... Runfang 2 this weekend and an exciting tournament right from round one as I've been grudged by the number 3 player in NZ - Pete Dunn! I've never played Pete before but based on reputation alone this is going to be a great game! I understand Pete is taking Skaven so it's great to know my experience having played Asian Nick's ratties is going to pay off and I've also sought advice from other players about what to expect and possible counter-measures. It's an interesting matchup for the Dark Elves, potentially a very good one, but Pete will be flooding the board with models and it will be a struggle to get through the chaff to the good stuff and the point sinks... Hang on... Do Skaven actually have any point sink units?...
Reports to follow next week :)
The list is certainly very different to what I would normally be using with the Empire (or indeed any army with which I've had previous experience). The Hydra is incredible (and great fun to use!), Reaper Bolt Throwers are almost unbelievable, Shades can be good value (not that I've discovered so far but I'm hoping I can figure out how to use them), and the characters have really supplied me with something quite beyond what I'm used to fielding. Harpies are a hoot - highly highly annoying Flyers that, combined with Dark Riders, give the army some much needed "chaff" (although it's hard to think of the excellent Dark Riders in such derogatory and expendable terms) that is not only incredible fast but also remarkably punchy.
I've managed a few test games - against my own Empire list (Cannons are good aren't they?!), Daemons (Banner of Hellfire - OW!), High Elves (3 units of Dragon Princes and a Star Dragon being an entertaining feature of that particular list), Chaos Mortals (losing just one Bolt Thrower while simultaneously annihilating the enemy army bar one cowering Knight in a forest), and a very solid win over another Dark Elf army that left just 3 Witch Elves and a 1/2-wounds Hag BSB alive at the end for my opponent.
Once I'd gotten my act together and had a rethink about the army and list I was intending to use I then sought out a game against Philfy's High Elf test list for Tin Soldier 2. Alas Philfy, fearing the wrath of Ji-Dave and another 20-0 thrash-annihilation, failed to show for our game (wuss!!!) but by great good fortune I was able to get a game against Capt Soft Score instead. Nick decimated my Empire in our last encounter so I was highly motivated to get some stabby Hatey revenge. The game went VERY well except for two things:
- poor placement of the Manticore led to it almost being magically charged by Wardancers (I was lucky Nick rolled low for the charge distance) but then the Manticore was shot out from underneath the boss by 7 Glade Guard (hitting on 2s, all randomised onto the Cow, wounding on 5s = dead Cow). With the boss now on foot and in charge range of the Wardancers I had to get stuck in. Their annoying 4+ ward saved them and he eventually lost by 1 in some later round of combat and I fluffed the break test. Worse I fled a subsequent charge and was but down by some handy Glade Riders.
- The Black Guard were happily eating into the flank of a big unit of Eternal Guard until a bad round of wounding rolls saw me lose combat by 1, fail the Stubborn and of course fail the reroll. Worse Nick caught them in the pursuit and cut them down. This panicked the Hydra (who was about 2" short of an overrun into the front of the Enternal Guard from a previous combat) which fortunately managed to rally in my last turn. Sheesh.
The first incident was bad play; the second dumb luck. It happens of course but otherwise I was very happy with how the game went (won by about 550VPs - would have been by over 1000VPs if the Black Guard hadn't broken) so no hard feelings there. Still struggling to use the Cow very well. Lost the Boss/Cow, a unit of Crossbows, a unit of Dark Riders and all the Harpies. Oh yeah, and the stupid Black Guard and BSB!
MVPs would probably be the Hydra (practically untouchable - didn't take any wounds and dealt out plenty of breath-weapony goodness; also crushed 3 units in combat) or the Harpies who march-blocked, ran down a big unit of fleeing Glade Guard, and stopped the Eternal Guard from fleeing from the Black Guard. Fantastic unit - incredibly versatile, lots of fun to use. It was also nice to face a somewhat more magic-intensive list - Nick was waving around 8PD so with 3DD and 2 scrolls (and due to placement the Ring never came into play) holding him off was never a sure thing (killing off the L4 helped a lot though!!).
The army overall has provided a useful gaming experience - if nothing else I feel I have a better chance against Dark Elves should I face them in the future - knowing what they are capable of is a big advantage (and the dangerous units are not always the most obvious ones). It's also a heck of a different army to what I would normally take - I dare say quite a bit harder than my usual choices but it's nice to mix things up in this regard too.
So... Runfang 2 this weekend and an exciting tournament right from round one as I've been grudged by the number 3 player in NZ - Pete Dunn! I've never played Pete before but based on reputation alone this is going to be a great game! I understand Pete is taking Skaven so it's great to know my experience having played Asian Nick's ratties is going to pay off and I've also sought advice from other players about what to expect and possible counter-measures. It's an interesting matchup for the Dark Elves, potentially a very good one, but Pete will be flooding the board with models and it will be a struggle to get through the chaff to the good stuff and the point sinks... Hang on... Do Skaven actually have any point sink units?...
Reports to follow next week :)
1 comment:
"Alas Philfy, fearing the wrath of Ji-Dave and another 20-0 thrash-annihilation, failed to show for our game (wuss!!!)"
Was this before or after the supposed might of "Ji-Dave" wussed out the week before hand?
Might have to grudge you for Tin Soldier... or better yet demand a rematch at Guardcon this year!
DOWN WITH JI-DAVE!
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