Yesterday I faced Frank’s Wood Elves with a Blood Dragon army:
Blood Dragon Vampire Count lvl 2 on a barded Nightmare
Enchanted Shield
Strength of Steel
Sword of Might
Heart Piercing
Red Fury
Blood Dragon BSB with heavy armour on a barded Nightmare
Cursed Book
Necromancer lvl 2 on a barded Nightmare
Book of Arkhan
Dispel Scroll
Necromancer lvl 2 on a barded Nightmare
Black Periapt
Dispel Scroll
5 Ghouls
5 Ghouls
5 Dire Wolves (one necro here, behind vampire unit)
5 Dire Wolves
5 Dire Wolves
5 Dire Wolves
14 Skeletons with light armour and standard/musician (the other necro here)
9 Black Knights with barding and full command
Banner of Doom
(both vampires goes here)
11 Black Knights with barding and full command
Banner of the Barrows
1 Banshee
1 Black Coach
I got the necromancy spells 1, 2 (count) 1, 4 and 1, 5 on the necros.
Frank had (from memory)
Alter Highborn with light armour and a great weapon
Amarinthine Brooch
Hail of Doom Arrow
Helm of the Hunt
Noble BSB
Lamentation of Despairs
Spellsinger general, lvl 2
Calaingor’s Stave
Dispel Scroll
Spellsinger
Dispel Scroll
Dispel Scroll
2 x 10 Dryads
11 Glade Guards
2x 5 Glade Riders with musician
5 Wild Rider with full command
War Banner
5 Wild Rider with full command
Banner of Dwindling
3 Treekin
1 Treeman
He kept Treesinging and fear causing spells.
Terrain was mostly a little pond with small trees and what looked like a Bretonnia shack for in-breeders dividing one deployment zone, as I won the roll I gave that side to him. Frank put down his free forest center-right, and I decided to try and dominate the left side of the table and deployed with that in mind. A Ghoul screen in front of my knights, Coach to the far left, Skellies to my right and everything else behind the screen.
Frank had Treekin, Treeman, and characters central right, Wild Riders and Glade Riders and Dryads on each flank.
Wood Elves are stupidly hard to overcome with VC, I had no expectations to win this match so I focused on getting at least a draw, but hoped for a minor victory.
Frank won the roll to go first and off he went.
1.
Wood Elves
No wild moves though, he approach tentatively, aware of the charge range of my knights and the threat of Gaze. Glade Riders on the left moved in towards the center. Magic uneventful, shooting killed 3 Ghouls from a unit, no panic.
Vampire Counts
No charges, the Ghoul screens moved formed long lines to let the knights through, and I moved the Coach and knights and Skellies forward. A necro left Skellies and joined Wolves. I think I drew out two scrolls in the magic phase.
My pale lady managed to topple a Glade Rider from his horse.
2.
Wood Elves
No charges. Dryads, Wild Riders and Glade Guards on the left pulled back, right wing pushed forward to try and get to my flanks. In the center, Treekin and Treeman broke cover and moved up some more. Highborn moved behind them, and I suspected he would either go for the Banshee or save the (inevitable) HoDA to take out a necro.
Magic stopped.
Shooting uneffective, a couple of Ghouls died.
Vampire Counts
I thought long and hard about charging Glade Riders with Barrow knights, but I wasn’t sure I could keep the Treekin away from my flank with Ghouls, so I decided not to. I tried to charge in my general’s knights on the Glade Guards, who fled. Black Coach moved forward to threaten Dryads and Wild Riders, or force them to charge. A single surviving Ghoul from one unit moved forward and parked in front of the Treekin, the other Ghouls in front of the Treeman, both units positioned so there would be no fresh EITW targets presented to Frank if I fled.
Skellies moved sideways a little to avoid the threat from incoming Wild Riders. A Wolf unit stayed behind to set up possible flank charges.
Magic reinforced my armoured Skellies to 24 and a Gaze drew out the last scroll. 12 Zombies raised to the right of my Skellies, protecting their flank. No Banshee targets.
3.
Wood Elves
Dryads charged my Coach, Treekin charged and caught my Ghoul, ended up just to the side of my Skellies. Glade Riders from the right charged and killed my other Ghouls, and ended up just behind and to the side of the Treekin. Glade Guards rallied on the table edge. Treeman moved towards my knight units. Other Glade Riders moved forward towards my knights, probably to block charges later. Left Wild Riders marched up 18” between the Coach and Doom knights, threatening my support units behind my lines.
Magic uneffective.
Frank let the Hail of Doom rain over a unit of Wolves with necro, but made sure to kill a Wolf before that so my Necro would get his fair share. But when the sky was clear again he was still alive with one wound, even though his Wolves were all dead. Glade Guards apparently had rubber arrows, no kills.
In combat the Dryads couldn’t dent the Coach which managed a wound back, so it was a draw.
Vampire Counts
Skellies could barely charge the Treekin, I had to clip them on a corner since the Zombies to my right prevented a better wheel. I decided to leave the Black Coach alone and concentrate on the center, so my Doom knights reformed, now looking at the flank of the would-be interfering Glade Riders. My Barrow knights moved back. I sent Wolves to speed bump the left Wild Riders. Zombies angled up towards right Wild Riders so that a possible overrun wouldn’t take them into the Skellie flank. Wolves moved up behind them to set up flanks.
Banshee moved a full 12” move beside the pond, to scream on the Highborn. She was in a good position now, covered from LOS behind some trees and a building.
In the magic phase I managed to Danse my Doom knights into the Glade Riders, who held, and I raise 10 Zombies behind the Treeman.
The Banshee couldn’t hurt the Highborn, but she was in place to go for the BSB with her next move.
In combat, my Count killed the Glade Riders and I decided to overrun into the Treeman. It was a calculated risk, but I hoped to put a few wounds on it and I had some plans for good use of Hand of Dust…
Treekin lost combat against the Skellies but held. Black Coach took a wound, down to starting number again.
4.
Wood Elves
The Alter Highborn charged in to help the Treeman, and immediately was caught in a challenge against my Count. Both counted as charging this turn, so it would be down to initiative to determine who strikes first. Left Wild Riders charge Wolves, right Wild Riders charge my raised Zombies. Glade Riders behind the Treekin moved back a little.
Frank started to Tree-sing the forest with the wizards and BSB closer to the fray – I didn’t think about the crucial 12” range so I didn’t bother with scrolls to stop him, which obviously could cost me dearly. Soon that forest had the BSB within reroll distance of the Trees. It was probably the most important Wood Elf magic phase in the game. As self punishment I dropped a die from as high I could, right on the back of my hand at the table. I hardly felt it – a good sign.
Shooting was uneventful, the Glade Guards couldn’t dent my Barrow knights, and the Glade Riders had no viable targets.
In combat, the Highborn struck with his 6 S6 attacks, but I saved the two wounds he managed comfortably on 3+. I returned the favour and inflicted 4 wounds, killing the Highborn with one point to overkill. The Treeman made 2 unsaved wounds on the knights, but not before I hanged two wounds on it. However he made his stubborn roll on 8. The Treekin in the awkward combat lost again but held. The Zombies to their right were totally crumbled by the Wild Riders who neglected overrun. The left Wild Riders killed all Wolves, and didn’t overrun. The Coach killed a Dryad for no wounds in return so it was another draw, and back on starting wounds again.
Vampire Counts
Dire Wolves to the right charge the flank of the Wild Riders. Other Wolves prepare to take one for the team by diverting the left Wild Riders for another turn. I decide to not charge in the raised Zombies on the Treeman, and Dryads were approaching fast from behind, they would pop my knights through CR by slaughtering Zombies in a multi-combat. Both necros join the Barrow knights who are blocked from the combats to the right, (couldn’t fit) so I turn them and move towards the flank of the left Wild Riders.
Banshee swoopes in to chill the bones of the pesky BSB.
In the magic phase I Vanhels the knights into the Wild Riders, Frank uses up his last dice to stop the Book and the spell but to no avail. With a supposedly evil smile I cast Hand of Dust on my Count.
The Banshee really found her voice now, killing the BSB while he was having his picnic in the forest. The shocking rudeness of it!
In combat my Count did what he had to do, and killed the lumbering pile of boards with a single delicate touch of his hand.
The Treekin ran out of luck and broke from my Skellies, who caught them and chased off the Glade Riders behind. The Glade Riders fled through the forest but no wizard panicked. Skellies ended up 2 millimetres from the Spellsingers.
Barrow knights killed all but one Wild Rider and ran them off. Dire Wolves killed a Wild Rider but they held, with help from War Banner. The Black Coach wasn’t going anywhere in the Dryad combat.
5.
Wood Elves
Glade Riders flee off the table. Characters leave the forest, Wild Rider champion move into combat. Surviving Dryads on the right moved back (but not before killing my 10 Zombies, hmm something’s off here with the turn sequence). Nothing happened in the Black Coach combat, Wild Rider champion killed some Wolves and the rest crumbled.
Vampire Counts
Dire Wolves charge the other flank of the Wild Riders. This time they do better, kill some and run down the remaining. Barrow knights move down to get flank charge on the Dryads.
In the magic phase I Danse them in, and going for a greedy sweep of the board I try to raise Zombies to Danse into the flank of the Glade Guards, but suffer my first miscast followed by snake eyes. So a necromancers goes to hell, followed by 3 Black Knights. Fortunately not enough to put them below half strength.
Banshee chase after the Spellsinger general but can’t hurt her.
Barrow knights and Coach crush the Dryads.
6.
Wood Elves
Spellsinger tries to get away, blasting Treesinging into the forest, but I dispel everything. Dryads move from my Doom knights.
Vampire Counts
My Banshee finally stops the heart of the WE general with a high pitched scream.
And that was it – massacre to the Blood Dragons! Frank had his Glade Guards, one Spellsinger and 10 Dryads left. I had lost 10 Ghouls, 15 Dire Wolves, a necro and a half.
I obviously lost track of the turns somewhere, sorry for the mess.
It was really a good feeling to get the massacre against Wood Elves, Frank’s list wasn’t the hardest out there but at least now I know it can be done!
Congratz on your win! It's always nice to see Trees fall :D .
Your list is one of the best VC can put out against them; Coach, two large knight units; lots of wolves. And still, a win is never sure when facing WE.
I find it strange you decided to charge the tree with your count. It was lucky he forgot about the HoD; because if not for it, your count would have probably died.
Gatz on the win dude.. I hate fighting WE... if I do necro + CoMS they can hit me from a distance.. if I take a banshee all their basic troops can hit be from a distance... they just cut me to pieces.
I think wasting the HoDA to take out a necro instead of the Banshee was the biggest mistake he did, looking in the rear view mirror.
The big tree would have taken down my Count eventually, but 5 attacks hitting on 5's and wounding on 3's, with me saving on 3's (and the chance to heal back) - chances are he would have failed his stubborn 8 test before that. And I still had 5 attacks hit on 3's and wound on 4's with just a 6+ save on his part, just counting my Count (BSB, knight champion and normal knight could attack too) and it was down to 4 wounds after my initial impact. With average rolls I would have killed it in two more rounds of combat. So I don't think it was as risky at it seems, charging the big log.
This list is decent against WE yes, though not as good as the Death Lord™ :)
Well done. My count has faced the big tree on a few occassions and really - the treeman would die before vampire. No doubts about it.
