VW Tourny Round 3: Arklite vs. ArchonFarseerGuy

[timk1111]

VW Tourny Round 3: Arklite vs. ArchonFarseerGuy

Table: Table 3
Top Deployment: Arklite
First Turn: Arklite

Arklite's lists:

Mode the Median’s Average Gathering of Middlemen

(dogs of war)

Lords and heroes

Mode the median
Hireling wizard lord
Level 4
Staff of sorcery
2Xdispel scrolls
Pegasus
360 points
Spells: Second Sign of Amul, Celestial Shield, Uranon's Thunder Bolt, The Comet of Casandora (2,3,5,6,)

Money-cash the strapped
Paymaster
Barded warhorse
Heavy armour
Enchanted shield
Sword of battle
108 points


Bob the bland
Hireling wizard
Level 2
Dispel scroll
120 points
Spells: Celestrial Shield, Comet of Casandora (3,6)

Mike the mediocre
Hireling wizard
Level 2
95 pointst
Spells: Portaent of Far, Forked Lighting (1,4)

Core

Pikemen [19]
Heavy armour
Full command
239 points

Pikemen [19]
Heavy armour
Full command
239 points

Crossbowmen [10]

Crossbowmen [10]

Light cavalry [5]
Bows
Spears
80 points

Duelists [8]
Pistols
72 points

Duelists [8]
Pistols
72 points

Special 632

Beorg’s Bearmen [18]
319 points

Paymaster’s bodyguard [18]
Full command
210 points

Rare 170 points

DoW cannon

DoW cannon


Power dice: 10
Dispel dice: 6 +1 to dispel attempts +3 scrolls

Models in army: 127 (including cannons)

Warcry: BEHOLD OUR AVERAGENESS!

Tactics: a solid in the middle all rounder force nether excelling or weak in any particular area. Tactics would generally play to the enemies weaknesses. Against a slow army I would move to outmaneuver and march block them. Against a shootier army, I would press for combat. Against a combat army I would employ firepower. And so on. Lores of magic will be decided before a game starts as well as spell preferences. Though ideally the lore’s of light, death, shadow and fire will be employed.


VS.

ArchonFarseerGuy's list:

The Great and Mighty Empire Army That Needs a More Imaginative Name
Characters
Arch Lector- Van Horstmann's Speculum, Shroud of Magnus, GW- 205
Battle Wizard- Seal of Destruction- 110
Battle Wizard- 2 Scrolls- 115
Battle Wizard- 2 Scrolls- 115
All Wizards have: Portant of Far

25 Spearmen, full command, detachments of 7 Free Company and 5 Handgunners- 220
25 Swordsmen, full command, detachments of 7 Halberdiers, 5 Handgunners- 250 (ALector here- thus MR2)
24 Greatswords, full command, Standard of Arcane Warding,, detachments of 7 Free Company and 5 Handgunners- 355 (is MR2)
10 XBowmen- XX
10 XBowmen- XX
10 XBowmen- XX
10 Handgunners- XX
10 Handgunners- XX
10 Handgunners- XX
Cannon- XX
Mortar- XX
Helblaster Volley Gun- XX
Hellstorm Rocket Battery- XX

2250 pts exactly
5 PD (not important)
7 DD + 5 Scrolls, one of which can destroy a spell

VHS: Swap combat stats in challenges
Shroud of Magnus: 5++ save, MR2
Seal of Destruction: Dispel Scroll- on a 4+, the wizard loses the spell, never to cast it again
Standard of Arcane Warding: MR2

Pre game comments:

SWEET! The finest warriors humankind has to offer vs a bunch of underpaid mediocres.

What gets better is that I have an entire hill to myself. This, I plan to use to my full advantage, deploying my XBowmen Mortar, Cannon, and Hellstorm Rockets on. The Volley Gun will be placed in the centre again, should he get any fancy ideas of storming my "fortress".

To the left of the hill, I deploy a unit of Handgunners, lest the Fast Cavalry (or even the Wizard Lord) get any ambitions of rushing my ranged troopers.

To the right of the hill, I deploy my Spearmen, Greatswords, Volley Gun, Swordsmen, and remaining Handgunners in that order.

The plan is to sit back and engage in a firefight. My XBowmen outnumber his, so I should win this comfortably. My Cannon (in all its D6-wounding glory) will target his cannons and then the Wizard Lord. My shooting is significantly better than his, so if he sits back, he will get decimated.

The Mortar and Rockets are excited to see so many big infantry units. They will drop their pie plates on the Bearmen, Paymaster's Guard, and Pikemen, reducing them so I can comfortably beat them in combat (with Detachments- I hasten to add). The Handgunners will be scouting for targets of opportunity.

I can see two problems facing his list. The Bearmen, and some nasty anti-shooting magic. The first will be easily dealt with by a bit of shooting, then some cold Empire steel.

The second, I would like to point out will not be as major as some people might think. The Wizard Lord cannot join any units, and will be vulnerable to a cannon-sniping, or some shooting rounds from the XBowmen or Handgunners.

As for the magic itself, I will have to let the odd spell go, and engage in some clever dice rolling. My units are so large that direct damage spells mean nothing to me. What I'm nervous of are those anti-shooting spells (Commandment of Brass, Howler Wind, etc). It is these spells I will prioritise shutting down with my dice and scrolls. One such spell will also be the target of the Seal of Destruction. Mwarhahahaha!

Good game Arky, and may the best Empire general win!

-AFG//

[kroxigor01]

Easy massacre to AFG.

Arky only has one unit with movement higher then 4 and the centre of the board is entirely devoid of terrain allowing the many ranged units to fire for 3 turns at least, before finally being charged (if anyone is left). Arkies magic is unlikely to have any effect due to AFG's 5(!) scrolls and 7 DD. Only the Comets can really hurt AFG and he can stop both of them for the first 3 turns (I assume at least 1 failure to cast from the level 2 wizard) of the game with only scrolls!

[The Paint Monkey]

I pretty much agree. There's not a lot to reach out and touch AFG without getting hammered in return.

Major Victory to AFG That's the first I've awarded!

[kithre]

I disagree - that aggregation of cannonry and firepower on the hill will end up being a sure target for at least one Comet of Cassandora. As long as Arkite can hold the line (and to quote Sharpe - "Form line against cannon! An' Sqre against cavalry!")..

Well - there is NO cavalry on one side, and as the front of the hill is outside of the deployment zone, unless AFG wants to block LoS, there isn't much he can do to prevent the light cavalry from skirting round the short edge of the table to deflect attention from his own cannon.

Of course, the alternative is for all Arklite's mercs to just sit behind the hill and cower for a few turns....

[ArchonFarseerGuy]

Originally Posted by kithre

cannonry and firepower on the hill will end up being a sure target for at least one Comet of Cassandora

Erm, not to be nitpicky or anything, but I have 7DD and 5 Scrolls to counter that, assuming it is even cast successfully. See what the Seal of Destruction can do.

-AFG//

[kithre]

Yes, realised that... but as stated, there is a chance of getting one C-of-C out in the battle...which is going to be a shooting fest. And second sign and celestial shield will offer an element of protection to the units in the army.

However, I think this is going to be too close to call, so I will offer only a Minor Victory to Arklite...

[gingerninja]

Unfortunately for Mode the Median, he has come up against an army that is perfectly tuned to defeat his force. That shooting just can't be countered effectively, and the empire has a pretty good combat force to combine with it.

AFG for a major victory here.

ninja out

[40kenthusiast]

I'm coming to sympathize with Mode the Median, as he encounters one tournament force after another. The Empire has an overwhelming shooting advantage, and holds up alright in combat. At least there isn't a steam tank.

I think Mode's troops can limit the damage by hanging back and hiding. Ultimately an advancing Empire line starts the firefight they want, but I think the craft merks can limit the damage to a Minor Victory by the Empire.

[Arklite]

honestly, i have to agree with the general concencous myself. my army REALLY isn't designed to cope with a force like this. even with the perfect spell choices as far as i'm concerned i can't come up with a reasonable battleplan. addmittedly this is the first chance i've had to comment on this kind of thing and i can't see any real hope.

i like to call this situation an "ah crap" moment. you see the enemy army on the table and you can only play on and hope for some serious mercy. cheers for what support given though but i reckon i'll have to bide my time and hope my next match is more forgiving.

[DavidWC09]

I'm not convinced it will be a massacre, but it will surely be messy. Major victory to AFG.

Superior shooting and combat and heroes.