Forces:
Host of Caleliel (High Elves)
Caleliel (Noble) w/ Great weapon, armor of Caledor and Gem of Courage.
Sodin (Mage), level two, Jewel of Dusk and Power Stone.
Lorine (Mage), level two, Seer staff of Saphery and Power Stone.
15 Spearelves, w/ full command.
10 Archers, w/ Hawkeye.
10 White Lions of Chrace, w/ full command.
2 White Lion Chariots.
1 Eagle Claw Repeater Bolt Thrower.
Harvoff’s Host (Dwarfs)*
Harvoff (Rune Smith)
Dorvi (Thane) w/ Girmil Armor, Master Rune of Challenge, Rune of something or another, Rune of Resistance.
14 Long Beards w/ full command, great weapons and heavy armor.
15 Warriors w/ full command, shield and hand weapon.
10 Thunders w/ Musician
23 Rangers w/ crossbows, and light armor.
Cannon
Gyro-Copter
* It is interesting that I had my opponent give me the names of his characters but not a complete army list.
The Field of Battle:
We played on a six by four foot table. A building with tower was located centrally on the field with two hills in the side that I chose as my deployment zone. In the Dwarf deployment zone where two groves of trees and ruined building.
Deployment:
My opponent deployed to cover the breadth of his deployment a zone. His left flank (my right) was held by the huge block of rangers, between the table edge and a grove of trees. Then he deployed his Long Beards with his Runesmith on the other side of the same grove. Then the Gyro-copter and cannon where deployed centrally. On his left flank (My right) he deployed his Thunders to the far edge with his Warriors and Thane more centrally deployed.
For my deployment I refused my right flank and set up exclusively on the left. I set up a fire base on the left most hill, where I concentrated my Bolt Thrower, Archers, a one of my mages. to the left of that my White Lions with my Noble and one of my Chariots held the space opposite the Rangers. My Spearelves where deployed to the right side opposite the Long Beards with the second mage and the other chariot making up the right of my deployment.
(Note: We deployed using the standard alternating method, so I have no idea how my opponent failed to see how I deploying and adjust his own forces accordingly.)
Introduction:
Caleliel rolled his shoulders under his armor as he walked up to the hill’s crest. Behind him the marching column of the warriors on under his command waited. From the summit of the hill he looked north past the now abandoned human structure to where scattered groves of trees marked the foot hills of distant mountains. It was five days ago that a messenger had ridden in from the outland with word that the Dwarf host had set out toward their boarder. It did not surprise him, his and the neighboring Dwarfs had skirmished numerous time in the past year. But now its seemed that the Dwarfs had mustered the bulk of their strength and come to force of his people from the merge holdings they maintained in these lands.
A flicker of motion in the distance caught his attention, and he looked closer. It took several minutes for even his fair sight to discern the blur on the horizon. But when he saw it the space of the Dwarf host, with its banners held high overhead was clear and unmistakable. Satisfied that he had picked the right spot he set about deploying his soldiers to stop the Dwarfs.
Turn 1:
I won first turn, and ordered a general advance. My Left flank moved straight towards the Rangers, and my spear elves move forward to block any advance that would threaten my center. My Chariot on the right began to arch around the building away for the line of sight of the Cannon. Both my mages advanced to get into range of his army. Magic and shooting achieved little this turn killing only one crew man from the cannon and a single Long Beard.
The dwarf played was content to largely sit unmoving. With two exceptions; first the gyro-copter advanced daringly to the flank of my spear elves and his warriors on his left turned and marched for my position. With no magic the Dwarf shooting phase was oddly mixed. First his cannon drew a bead on m right most chariot and fire. His shot was good and his range was perfect. I had already written the unit off when he amazingly failed to cause a wound on the chariot. This failure was made up by the fact that the Gyro-copter then caused twelve hits on my spear elves and eleven wounds. I promptly made only save and watched two third of my blocking force disappear, they did however manage to stand firm. Luckily the rest of the Dwarfs shooting meet was failure and no more Asur fell.
Turn 2:
Surprised by pleased that my chariot had survived I rammed its charge home into his Rangers, who failed their fear test and stood rooted in the spot as the war machine hit home. Behind the Chariot the White Lions continued their advance. The battered spear elves back pedaled and positioned themselves as a screen between the Long Beards and my fire base. On the right my Chariot continued its lone flanking maneuver. Determined to extract revenge for my brutalized spear elves, the magics of one mage and the combined shooting of my fire base blew the gyro-copter apart. My other mage contented himself by casting Flames of the Phoenix on an 18 with three dice, on the Long Beards. The spell affect disappointingly killed only one veteran. In combat the chariot caused a healthy six impact hits that translated into the same number of dead Dwarfs. The attacks of a crew and lions caused five more deaths, however the Ranger true to the Dwarf spirit refused to flee.
This true proved to be subtly disastrous for the Dwarfs. His warrior unit again reversed its position to face the Chariot, and his Long Beards continued to menace my center. However Dwarven shooting came to nothing this turn. His cannon shot true but the round fell short and the combined efforts of his thunders managed to only inflict a single wound on the Chariot now menacing them. The combat on the right saw four more Dwarfs fall but they again refused to flee.
Turn 3:
This turn opened with the charge of the Lion Chariot on my right into the thunders, and my general and his White Lion bodyguards into the Rangers on the left. The diminished spear elves again backed up until they where at the foot of the hill where the archers stood. In the magic phase the Dwarf played failed to dispel Flames of the Phoenix (he rolled an eight with four dice), and the spell claimed the unit champion an two of his men. The rest of the magic phase saw the crew of the cannon wiped out by a Fury of Khaine spell. Shooting saw three more Long Beard fall to Elven missiles. In hand to hand the charge of my general and his bodyguard combined with the chariot saw the Ranger reduced to just four models, who then broke and where run down. Not to be outdone, the Chariot on my right, which had survived the stand and shoot reaction of the Thunders, killed eight Dwarfs with all its attacks. The Thunders broke and where run down. In one turn both flanks of the Dwarf position where destroyed.
Reacting to this the Dwarf player reformed his Long Beards to position them to engage the White Lions and my general. And the Warriors tried to cover their rear and flanks against the two Chariot not behind their lines.
Turn 4:
My General and his unit reformed and marched through the grove of tree in front of the Long Beard unit. Put Chariots moved and wheeled to get angles for supporting action in the next two turns. Flames of the Phoenix remained in play (he rolled a ten on three dice) and caused a wound on his Runesmith and killed four more Long Beards. Shooting add a further three Dwarfs to that tally.
Trying to escape my magic and shooting the Long Beard charge my General and his accompanying unit. While his Warrior unit wheeled to face the nearer of the two chariots. The charge of the Dwarfs ended badly. My White Lions saw of the rest of the unit and my General cut down the Rune Smith.
Turn 5:
I attempted to Charge the warrior unit with the Chariot bearing down on them but I was out of range. I moved my White Lion unit with my General marched to interpose themselves between the Warriors and the now exposed chariot. The Second Chariot moved toward the rear of the unit, but was and would remain to far away to influence the end of the engagement. One of my mages cast Vaul’s unmaking on the Thane removing one of its Rune. However shooting and magic had no further influence as my lines of sight where blocked by terrain any my own units.
Again my White Lions received the charge of the Dwarfs and again the results went against them. Four Dwarfs fell but armor of the Thane protected him from harm. But the strikes of the Dwarfs resulted in the death of only a single elf and they remained locked in combat.
Turn 6:
My Chariot that failed to charge last turn rammed its charge home this turn, killing four dwarfs with its impact hits, and five more with its other attackers. The White Lion unit saw off the rest of the unit, and my General deftly inflicted three wounds on the Thane, which his armor failed to save.
With his death the last Dwarf Host had been destroyed.
Conclusion:
Caleliel steeled himself and the Dwarf Thane lead his warrior unit into Caleliel‘s proud White Lions. The raw fury and anger of the Dwarfs was no match for the brutally efficient skill of his elite Woodsman bodyguard and the bodies of hewn Dwarfs littered the ground. In the heat of combat Caleliel discerned the bulk of the Dwarf hero making his way towards him through the press of combat. As his mean saw off the last of the Thane‘s unit Caleliel hefted his axe, already coated with Dwarf blood and turned to face his opposite number.
The Thane finding himself before a prepared enemy roared, part in challenge, part in defiance as around him the battle went against his race. Caleliel raised his long handled axe again the crude short handled axe wielded by the Thane. The Dwarf‘s strike seemed slow and clumsy never to the swift solid movement of Caleliel. His eyes grow wide a he realized how out matched he was. The look of surprise and fear was still upon his face when Caleliel landed a blow that struck the Dwarf‘s head from his shoulders. The Dwarf commander‘s body fell among the ruin of unit he had lead against the elves, and Caleliel raised his weapon in victory.
Remarks:
As I said earlier my opponent made a number of mistakes. His failure to deploy in response to my deployment was critical. Additionally his wishy-washy response to my movements was also telling. It also sees I was unreasonably lucky at a number of junctures, the fact that routinely my Chariots killed six plus Dwarfs a turn is incredible. My opponent’s failure with his cannon and dispel dice also hampered his chances of victory.
