Battle report: Skaven x High Elves tournament list (Moscow)

Daniel Krbecek aka Raia [CZ] Skaven Army, 2000 points Warmaster Armies ----------------------------------------------------------------  240 -  6 Clanrats  220 -  4 Stormvermin  280 -  4 Plague Monks  125 -  5 Rat Swarms  440 -  4 Rat Ogres  125 -  1 Doom Wheel  125 -  1 Screaming Bell  160 -  1 Grey Seer      -  1 Orb of Majesty (30)  215 -  3 Hero      -  1 Sword of Fate (5)   70 -  2 Warlock      -  1 Wand of Power (10) ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2000 - 25/13

Alexander Mitasov aka Wargamer [RU] High Elf Tournament Army, 2000 points Warmaster Trial Armies Compendium 2009 ----------------------------------------------------------------  240 -  4 Spearmen  150 -  2 Archers  160 -  1 Silver Helms      -  1 Banner of Shielding (50)  270 -  3 Reavers  285 -  3 Chariots  140 -  2 Giant Eagles   55 -  1 Elven Bolt Thrower  210 -  1 General      -  1 Orb of Majesty (30)  380 -  2 Hero      -  2 Dragon (200)      -  1 Sword of Cleaving (10)      -  1 Sword of Might (10)  110 -  1 Wizard      -  1 Scroll of Dispelling (20) ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2000 - 16/8

Scenario: none, length up to 8 turns

Deployment:

1.      Skaven full army,

a.      One huge brigade. Screaming bell and Grey seer in centre. Rat ogres, stormvermins and plague monks on both sides. Rat swarms in first lines o farmy. Clanrats around the Screaming bell. Two plague monks are turned to rear of army to cover screaming bell against eagles.

2.      High Elves full army

a.      Left wing – strike – all of cavalry and chariots,

b.      Center – shooting brigade – archers with bolt thrower

c.      Right wing – spearmen and eagles.

Roll for beginning of battle win Alexander. But he wanted Skaven to go first.

1^st Skaven turn

Grey seer knows that skavens shouldn’t go much forward because there is a danger from High Elves cavalry wing. So one order, one move. Rat swarms go ahead of army as a shield against HE shooting.

1^st High Elves turn

Only shooting brigade moves forward. No magic. No shooting.

2^nd Skaven turn

Same as first turn – skavens only move forward. We don’t know what we should expect from High Elves.

2^nd High Elves turn

Only two orders to shooting brigade success. Other brigades stay at positions because false orders.

So brigade fires at the nearest enemies – Rat swarms (one stand is lost, but stay on place because they cannot be driven back).

3^rd Skaven turn

This is a right time to start battle. Grey seer needs to beguile the weaker part of High elves army – spearmen and archers before High elves strike cavalry force achieve their targets. “Go ahead, go ahead” screams Screaming bell. Huge brigade is splitted into three parts – right wing is stronger expecting to be charged by cavalry. Left wing stay because false order.
After first move:

Warlock move the damaged rat swarm unit before High elves shooting brigade. 

After second order = “defended” positions accomplished:

3^rd High Elves turn

Initiative move. Two spearmen units charge.

Other two spearmen units must be ordered twice – success. Cavalry finally move. Reavers even three-times. Eagles move to the village to be ready for next turn charging.

Reavers’s shooting drive back Rat ogre unit with one stand loosing. Shooting brigade of archers and bolt thrower smashes the damaged rat swarm unit.

What unexperienced Grey seer didn’t expect – both of heroes riding dragons accompanied spearmen charge.

Here it is before fight.

And after.

Strength of terrifying dragons is known. Grey seer choose to kill whole units instead of being pursued. Two units of rat swarms disappeared concurrently with two units of clan rats. But there are some losses on spearmen side too – two stands of one spearmen unit.

4^th Skaven Turn

Counter attack begins.

Everyone who can charge by initiative. Even rat swarms are added.

Second order for left wing false. So general must move with plague monks covering screaming bell and after using of Orb they succeed. Both units with dragons are charged without penalty from terrifying opponent (plague monks and screaming bell abilities )

Both of scaven warlocks and Grey seers try to send Death of frenzy spell. But only one which succeed is dispelled by scroll. Without the magic whole counter-charge didn’t be strong enough to crash the units with dragons. Both spearmen units with dragons left only one stand. Do not luck for skaven, very bad rolls to hit.

On the other side of battlefield the scaven hero leads brigade of Rat ogres to charge into the reavers.

And they succeed. After a few rounds of combat rat ogres killed last unit of reavers. Reavers are spread and disappear. Surviving last stand of Rat ogres with hero try to find cover in the ruins.

4^th High elves Turn

High elves general ordered to surround right wing of skavens.

The strongest brigade of elves – Silver helms and chariots stand in open against rat ogres and plague monks. But last order to charge don’t succeed because penalties of too far from their commander. Chance for skaven!

Shooting of high elves destroy the last stand of Rat ogres with hero in ruins of temple and drive back remaining units into the wood.

Both heroes move to other (full) units of spearmen and charge weakened rat clans. Eagles charge from the village.

After combat with dragons there are 3 units of spearmen with one stand remaining.

Eagles destroyed clan rat unit and finished the break point of skaven army. Skavens fled from battle in panic.

High elves have won.

Evaluation:

13 destroyed skaven units (5 rat swarms, 4 clan rats, 1 stormvermin, 1 doom wheel, 1 plague monks, 1 rat ogres) + dead hero = 715 points.

3 destroyed high elves units (3 reavers) and 3 units of spearmen in one stand = 360 points.

Skaven player evaluation:
It was almost 6 from 8 needed to break point + two dragons = 810 points => not enough luck for me. I had weak center of my army formed only by swarms and clan rats. They were easy target for terrifying dragons. So it will change for next battle.

High Elves player evaluation:
Lady luck was a bad girl for both of us, but for skaven it became critical in some point. I think, Daniel should add more specialised units: second Doom Wheel, some Jezzails, maybe some Gutter Runners to give command penalties for enemies. Swarms are good, but they are too soft without any armor. To say about tactics, skaven can be more aggressive with their command bonus from Screaming bell. Heroes increase their CV to 9 and can move brigades as good as a Grey Seer.
I played many times againt Dwarfs and sometimes I took command of Dwarven army. If your army consists only of infantry, you must have something with treat-range more than 20cm. If you do not take any shooters or warmachines, you need very good armor or terrifying creatures. Or a lot of luck.