VCL: Group 1 Match 1 - DavidVC04 vs ArchonFarseerGuy

[gingerninja]

Map: Fields of Bretonnia
Top Deployment: AFG
First Turn: AFG

AFG's list and tactics:

Jebediah the Morbidly Insane. Jebediah is the commander of this invasion. He is a powerful wizard, and a heartless killer who has a fearful reputation on the battlefield. VC Lord, Lvl 3(4), Sceptre de Noirot, Cadaverous Cuirass, Helm of Commandment, Summon Creatures of the Night, Dark Acolyte- 370 Lore of Vampires Spells, 1, 2, 4 and 5
Richmund the Scholar. Richmund is one of the faithful scholars who stuck around when the GLA was formed. As a reward, he was allowed to keep his corpse cart, which he has found use for. Necromancer- Invocation of Nehek, Corpse Cart, Unholy Lodestone, Black Priarpt- 170
Albert the Scholar. Albert was another one of the faithful scholars. He too, has his place in the invasion. Necromancer, Invocation of Nehek, Raise Dead, Corpse Cart, Unholy Lodestone- 170
William the Scholar. William, too, refused to flee at the face of the rebel horde. His faith warranted favour in the eyes of Jebediah. Necromancer, Invocation of Nehek, Raise Dead, Corpse Cart, Unholy Lodestone- 170

Jebediah’s Hunting Hounds. Every noble worth his salt should have a pack of hunting dogs. Jebediah is no exception, and he put his own pack to good use.
7 Wolves- 56
7 Wolves- 56
7 Wolves- 56
7 Wolves- 56
7 Wolves- 56

The Innumerable tide of Zombies. The remnants of the GLA. The first enemies encountered noticed zombie after zombie after zombie after zombie after… etc
35 Zombies- 140
35 Zombies- 140
35 Zombies- 140
35 Zombies- 140
35 Zombies- 140
35 Zombies- 140
31 Zombies- 124
31 Zombies- 124

2248 exactly (I think- could well be wrong here)
One crapload of models (not to mention the ton of wolves and zombies)
9 Power Dice plus various Bounds (10 if I get the second turn)
7 Dispel Dice (6 if I get the second turn)

One thing I really like about this force is the amount of points spent on cavalry. He can outmanoeuvre me all he wants, he's still getting tarpitted by about 300 zombies.

The two main priorities I have will be protecting my dire wolves until the opportune moment (ie, when he's stuck in combat with a ton of them), and getting magic missiles off on his marauder horsemen (and/or curse of years on his knights).

With regards to said magic missiles, if they go off, great. Most likely one smushed unit of cavalry. If he pours his efforts into dispelling them, great. Moar zombehs!

I will be deploying in a long line, with the two "small" units on each flank. They're there to absorb flankers. The Dire Wolves will go in behind a unit each (about three to a rank), and will flank their respective zombie unit as a charge grows imminent. The Necros and Vampires will also go in behind a zombie unit, to the side of the Wolves (so the back row will be staggered characters and wolves- Vampire in the middle).

The plan will be to advance in almost a fan movement, spreading out slowly, allowing my wizards to get some LoS, to allow my wolves to flank when the time is right, and to maximise coverage, meaning he should be faced with a head-on charge (really, any units that get past should be taken down by my Vampire alone).

Before I ramble on too much, Fear will be important. I outnumber him a ridiculous amount, and he only has two ItP units (but one of them's a spawn). Taking enough Fear tests at Ld8 means that he will start failing at some point. The knights should be stuck on the zombie tarpits for long enough to allow help to arrive. We shall use numbers and expendable ablative shields to win the day! Jebediah will crush these horse-lords.

DavidVC04's List and tactics

Chaos Sorcerer @ 151 Pts
No Mark; Magic Level 1; Chaos Armour; Barded Steed
2 Dispel Scrolls

Chaos Sorcerer @ 151 Pts
No Mark; Magic Level 1; Chaos Armour; Barded Steed
2 Dispel Scrolls

Exalted Hero of Nurgle @ 325 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Flail; Chaos Armour; Shield; Battle Standard; Barded Steed
Banner of the Gods
Soporific Musk

7 Chaos Knights of Slaanesh @ 330 Pts
Mark of Slaanesh; Barding; Ensorcelled Weapons; Chaos Armour; Shield;
Standard; Champion

6 Chaos Knights of Nurgle @ 340 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Barding; Ensorcelled Weapons; Chaos Armour; Shield;
Standard; Musician; Champion
Rapturous Standard

6 Chaos Knights of Nurgle @ 375 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Barding; Chaos Armour; Shield; Standard; Musician; Champion
War Banner

5 Marauder Horsemen of Nurgle @ 121 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Spear; Throwing Axes; Light Armour; Musician

5 Marauder Horsemen of Nurgle @ 121 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Spear; Throwing Axes; Light Armour; Musician

5 Marauder Horsemen of Nurgle @ 121 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Spear; Throwing Axes; Light Armour; Musician

5 Marauder Horsemen of Nurgle @ 121 Pts
Mark of Nurgle; Spear; Throwing Axes; Light Armour; Musician

1 Chaos Spawn of Nurgle
Mark of Nurgle

Casting Pool: 4

Dispel Pool: 4

Models in Army: 43

Total Army Cost: 2241

This is a great matchup for my WoC. First, all the knights cause fear themselves. Close enough to the general, the Marauders will pass the majority of their tests.

Knights with the help of other knights or marauders should buzz through zombies and wolves in no time. Without the helm of commandment, zombies will hit on 5's or 6's (nurgle mark) and wound on 5's or 6's (marauders vs. knights). Even with the helm of commandment in play, they're unlikely to do damage against the knights.

His vampire has the helm of commandment, and is the only serious magic threat on the table. But his vampire doesn't have much protection, just a 5+ armor save. My unit of knights with the BSB will be gunning for him.

The marauders first task, though, is to get rid of dire wolves with their str 4 axes. With wolves gone, the zombies will be easy to get around. To use his general's march range, he'll have to cluster his units around the general. The compact size will make picking my attack easy. Or if he does spread them out and forgo marching, then units are unsupported and easy prey again.

The marauders then go to track necromancers on corpse carts or look for supporting flank/rear charges or just keep hurling their axes.

Dispel dice will be used to stop raise dead early on and the corpse carts bound spells once in combat. Scrolls for anything nasty the vampire might have.

Also necromancers on corpse carts can't join units, so I'll be looking to take them out, too. With just three wounds and regen, they'll go down easily enough, especially when the necromancer riding it is killed first. Marauders can handle them if the knights are busy.

The spawn will attempt to join a combat where he's needed. Otherwise, he's not too big a factor this game, though he could tangle up a unit that's positioned itself to be a threat.

For deployment, uh, I'll deploy at the top of the battlefield. Seriously, though, it just depends on what he does, though I'll spread units out somewhat for mobility.

When it comes down to it, I don't think Jebediah the Morbidly Insane can spam enough zombies before my guys eliminate support units (wolves) and start buzzing their way through characters. The helm of commandment and corpse carts aren't enough against Warriors of Chaos awesome and dreadfully majestic might. GRARRR!

[avatar of khaine]

davidvc04 has this one, easily (though it pains me to say it, zombie hordes are cool)

[ArtificiallyEnhanced]

I'll go for AFG, simply because I don't think that even chaos could kill that many zombies without taking a few knocks themselves.

[GrandDukeJerot]

AFG takes it because Chaos can't do enough to win in this game, and wasted points in magic (for this game) where the VCs outnumber in Power and Dispel 2:1.

[DavidWC09]

Some things I noticed.

All chaos knights cause fear, so that's 4 units that won't be autobroken. And remember the BSB and rapturous standard. And this is even assuming that they lose a combat.

Zombies are "newly dead" and can't be joined by characters. Just where are those necromancers and vampire going to hide?

[daelrog]

AFG, that is one of the greatest lists I have ever seen... ever!

That being said I have to give this to DavidVC04 because all he has to do is reach your vampires, then it's all over. Although I'm sure, they'll be behind an ENDLESS TIDE OF ZOMBIES, I believe that at least one of the three knight units will be breaking through, not all, but at least one.

AFG, if you can convince me that you'll build, paint, and play this army I may reconsider.

[paul_Harkonen]

AFG has a fantastic list that scares me more than any swarm or horde list I've ever seen before does... However, it has one rather large weakness, and that is that the Zombies are completely reliant on the 1 VC char to be effective. As Dave detailed, he just lines up 3-4 units of chaos knights, and wades in. 1 of those units is going to cut through a zombie unit (perhaps multiple ones of them) at which point the vamp is going to explode on the charge next turn.

Dave takes this with the evilness that is chaos knights.

[Brave Sir Robin]

DavidVC04 for me, as the vulnerable vampire will be too easily killed, causing his army to crumble.

[Lore_Colten]

davidvc04 for me. those zombies are still zombies, i'm sure that even the Exalted Hero could hold out againist one of the units. (ok..maybe not..)

[Exarch Thomo]

Sorry AFG, I have to give this one to David, as cool as your list is (I would love to see a list like that in real life!) I think that David has the speed and strength to carve through your flank units and swing around behind your lines, where the only thing between your Vamp and his knights are a couple of units of wolves.