SpellArcher wrote:I could be wrong but I think my opponent looks at my army, works out he's better at range and that I must come to him. This is correct. The issue is, the manner in which I come to him. We're pretty much deployed at a diagonal from each other and that favours me because as said I can attack without worrying too soon about World Dragon. Curu, when playing a similarly defensive HE list asked an interesting question. In what circumstances does the sheer power of World Dragon vs Daemons let you reverse your usual defensive strategy and go on the attack? You have to watch out for fast Daemon units bypassing the Banner unit and picking off your support. But here, I lack some of my usual fast, harder-hitting elements (Daemon Prince, Fiends) though I do have the Ambushing Flesh Hounds. It would have been interesting to see a HE deployment to tee up aggression.
The problem with the HE list here is that he has no way to make you do what it wants you to do. Which means he's leaving success up to your skill as a general. Which is not a good strategy in my view. His ranged threats are not such that they force you to fast action. It's not a full on bow-line or dwarven cannon gunline. So, you can move up more or less at your leisure. Yes, you'll lose stuff going in. But nothing that can't be compensated by some well picked combats.
If his deployment had been different it would have been a completely different ballgame. If he would have placed the WL unit on the other hand of his battle line then he would have been correct by not moving. That basically would have left you with either stay still and get shot to bits or move and run into a 2+ wardsave, S6 unit. Neither is a good prospect. In such a case, the HE player would force your hand. Now, the threat is still there, but it's too distant to do much. The longer it stays in place the fewer turns there are left to make a difference. And if you do manage to get on his flank (his left, from your pov right) you can gather enough VP to secure a small win.
SpellArcher wrote:I guess the question is, Rod, where would we deploy the Shadow Warriors? Just over 12" from the Seekers is risky because if I win turn one they charge and could well destroy the SW's. So back a bit maybe but how far back to be safe, considering an average charge of 18 1/2"? The other is, I didn't Vanguard very far because of the threat of charge from the Reavers. The 20" March was more significant.
It's probably my playstyle, but I would have had no problem with throwing the SW under the bus. Also, that could have been set up in such a way that while you could charge the SW, the seekers would have been charged in return. Also, with a deploy on the middle line, a flee (average 7'') would have taken them to just over 19'' away. By no means an easy charge, even with a M10 swiftstride unit. It's a gamble I would have taken. It prevents the vanguard move, allows you to countercharge them in the next turn. And it has a very decent chance of leading to a failed charge, with matching shuffle forward. All for a single SW unit.
In the end, it feels like he has given you the initiative. By playing / deploying differently he could have put you on the back foot from the start. Now, he can still win, but you're the one dictating the game. A much better position to be in.
Rod