Battle Report #6
2000pts vs Trudent Realms: Control
Narrative Intro:
Wind swept through Paweldran’s hair as he rode across the front of his troops the blazing sword Yadrha lifted high to raise the spirits of his men. Elven ships bringing reinforcements to fight the Abyssal incursion had been arriving for weeks and the Abyssal horde had been pushed back from around the walls of Tor Bel-Valdar.
This had not, however, come without its own problems. Concerned at the growing elven forces mustered on the coast the Alaitoc Sea’s Trident King had sent forth recon forces who now clashed regularly in skirmishes with the elven troops along the coastline. It was one of these forces Paweldran now sought to repel.
Game Intro and Lists:
This time it’s back to facing Jeff (yes I have other friends than him and Ben and no you can’t have their names as proof) this time running his Trident Realms (I think he was trying to cheer me up by letting me kill a few things with shooting). Much like with his Forces of Nature Jeff likes to take a different approach with Trident Realms and this time was no different.
Elf List:
King (Paweldran): Horse, Shard blade, Blade of the Beast slayer Duellist (Cats): 180pts
Mage (Alenui): Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant (2), Lightning Bolt (5): 135pts
Mage (Eldroth): Lightning Bolt (5), Boomstick: 125pts
Prince (Decado): Horse, Diadem of Dragonkind: 110pts
Army Standard Bearer: Lute of Insatiable Darkness: 85pts
Drakon horde: Sir Jesse’s boots of striding: 290pts
Stormwind Regiment: Potion of the Caterpillar: 235pts
Palace Guard regiment: Healing Brew 165pts
Palace Guard regiment: Staying Stone: 165pts
Seaguard Horde: Chant of Hate: 290pts
Silverbreeze Troop: 130pts
Bolt thrower: 90pts
I decided to stick with the Seaguard list, I wanted to give the Palace Guard regiments another chance to impress. To give them the best chance possible I gave them a dedicated inspire and bane chant source in the form of an Army Standard Bearer with the Lute. I also dropped the piercing arrow from the Silverbreeze to give a couple of helpful items to try and keep the Palace Guard in the fight a little longer. The list is essentially what I used vs Jeff’s Nature in Game 4 but with the Prince with mace swapped out for the Standard bearer and a minor item tweak.
Trident Realms list:
Thull Mythican: conjurers staff, babe chant:110pts
Thull Mythican: 80pts
Naiad Envoy:Fury Aura, bastion: 90pts
Depth Horror Eternal: Healing Brew: 120pts
Depth Horror Eternal: blade of slashing: 120pts
Thull Regiment: Fire Oil: 165pts
Thull Regiment: 160pts
Thull Regiment: 160pts
Depth Horror Regiment: 130pts
Depth Horror Regiment: 130pts
Depth Horror Horde: 185pts
Depth Horror Horde: 185pts
Placoderm Troop: 105pts
Knucker: 150pts
Knucker: 150pts
Jeff didn’t disappoint with his list being an unconventional one as always (what on earth is a Thull! Never heard of it 
). There were lots of elements I was unused to so it would be an interesting game. Thull Regiments put out 20 attacks on 3+ which could prove quite a challenge as Antique Elven armour is famously terrible at withstanding high numbers of weak attacks.
Deployment and Scenario
The scenario was control.
My deployment should seem fairly familiar by now. Jeff out numbered me by 3 units and with me going first there wasn’t much point overly disguising what I was doing. Clearly fearful of the Elven shooting Jeff deployed most of his army deep incase I got first turn and he could waste a round of my shooting if I went first. This is generally a good ploy as there’s plenty of room to move up at the double turn 1 to make up ground.
I won the roll for first turn and as all the advantages seemed to be in going second I gladly gave Jeff first turn.
Trident Turn 1
To the Elves surprise the Fishy forces seemed uninterested in advancing on the Elven position. Their main focus appeared to be avoiding the Elven archers and mages threat range.
Elf Turn 1
With limited targets the elves generally busied themselves moving into better positions to attack next turn. The shooting phase was limited with the bolt thrower using its long range picking out a depth horror and a glancing blow cut across its fins.
The Seaguard could just reach the Knucker in the wood and a couple of arrows pierced it’s scales. Stunned that an attack could pierce its natural stealth and hidden location the Knucker almost fled but instead chose to wait in the woods until the elves were distracted elsewhere (I rolled a double 6 for nerve, 1 more wound and it would have been toast!).
Trident Turn 2
With the Elven shooting now in threat range the Seafolk began advancing enmass. Although one depth horror horde on the far right dropped back to create a solid line of attack.
Elf Turn 2
With the enemy now in range the game had begun in earnest. Spotting a crucial open flank King Paweldran charged a depth horror regiment supported by the Drakons in the front. A two pronged attack proved too much for the sea creatures who fled rather than get turned into sushi.
The task of thinning the incoming ranks began with the depth horrors on the far left being wavered (reducing from fearless to fury since CoK has been a big loss vs shooty armies). Shooting was spread out on the right with a few wounds on a depth horror horde and the Knucker.
Trident Turn 3
Keen to close the gap to the Elven lines Jeff started getting his troops into more aggressive positions. With the Depth Horror regiments dead or wavered Jeff peeled off two Thull regiments from the centre to reinforce the collapsing left. Clearing the (inexplicably for sea creatures) difficult terrain of a pond most units on the right would be ready to advance full speed next turn.
The Knuckers also pounced on the open ground available to them in the centre surrounding the Seaguard.
Keen to avenge the loss of his regiment the Depth horror eternal slammed into the Drakons before they could fly out of reach and inflicting a few wounds on the mighty beasts.
Elf Turn 3
Things had been going well for the elves so far but they’d only killed one unit and were still badly outnumbered with the Trident Realm’s forces now in close proximity. On the right the elves continued to shuffle positions whilst awaiting the salmon swimming upstream.
King Paweldran faced a tough decision whether to aid the Drakons against the Eternal or the Seaguard against the Knucker. He chose the Drakons as they needed to break the Eternal to get out of Thull charge range whilst the Seaguard could turn and shoot the Knucker whilst protecting their flank from the other.
Shooting saw Fireballs and Lightning Bolts rout the injured Depth Horror Horde as a storm of Elven magic was unleashed. The Seaguard struggled to see the Knucker directly in front of them clearly but the one of the volley of arrows still found its mark. Despite poor shooting from the Elves on the left a single arrow plunged through the eye of a Depth Horror killing it and it’s regiment already shaken fled the battle.
Combat saw the Drakons furiously descended back into the eternal who had just wounded them, badly injuring it before King Paweldran arrived thrusting his sword Yahdra deep into the beast’s back slaying it.
Trident Turn 4
In a crucial turn Jeff began by setting up his right flank to make things as difficult as possible for the Elves if they chose to charge in. Added to this was bastion being cast on the Placaderms giving everything rally.
On the left the Knuckers went into the Seaguard and Drakons respectively inflicting some damage but nothing more. King Paweldran was challenged by the Thull Hero and a bane chanted regiment together they managed to ruffle his hair quite severely requiring all his focus for the next turn (wavered).
Elf Turn 4
The Elves decided it was time to strike. On the left King Paweldran sacrificed himself blocking both Thull regiments from Drakons. The Drakons and Seaguard countercharged the Knuckers wavering one and killing the other.
On the right the elves committed both a Palace Guard unit and the Stormwind into the eternal hoping either they’d break it or shooting would waver the Depth Horror horde waiting to flank them. Shooting fell short of wavering the Horrors and the combined charge couldn’t phase the eternal either.
Trident Turn 5
Things were getting tight, the game could easily swing either way. On the left the Thull hero drove off the Drakons whilst the regiment broke the King. Meanwhile on the right the flanked Palace Guard were easily broken whilst the Cavalry suffered a few wounds from the Eternal.
Elf Turn 5
It was crucial the elves finished off some units to prevent them being overwhelmed. Fortunately shooting on the right cleared off the last depth horror unit and a Palace Guard flank charge on the Eternal finished it off.
Shooting had been so efficient on the right one mage could target the badly wounded Knucker finishing it off as well. Unfortunately the shooters on the left wasted this opportunity only putting one wound on the Thulls. Crucially the Seaguard horde has forgotten the golden rule of prioritising moving over shooting and had left themselves in range for a charge from two Thull heroes and a Thull unit. This could easily be a crucial error on the sailors part.
Trident Turn 6
The Seaguard’s foolishness was punished severely and the Thull’s overwhelmed them in retaliation for the damage done by their shooting. On the right disaster struck as the hindered Thulls managed huge damage on the Palace Guard wavering them. Luckily the Placoderms were unable to damage the Elven knights avoiding a nervous test for them.
Elf Turn 6
The Elves were now scrambling due to their mistakes. Victory was still a possibility as long as the Thulls could be taken out with a single round of shooting. A turn 7 would become very tense, however, with the Palace Guard unlikely to survive any more punishment.
Shooting was effective again with the Thulls comfortably dispatched by the elves’ patented magic and missiles combo. Unfortunately Bane Chant didn’t go off on the Cavalry. They then, however, exceeded expectations by doing 4 damage on the placoderms but failed to break them.
A nervous hush settled over the battlefield as if the game ended now the Elves had won. Sadly I rolled a 6 at the worst time.
Trident Turn 7
On the left the Thull hero tried to get a lucky nerve roll on the Silverbreeze but fell short. On the right the placoderms again failed to land a blow on the proud elven knights. Lady Luck could not save the Palace Guard, however, who needing double 1s fled the battle.
Elf Turn 7
My mages had made a crucial error in their positioning last turn they’d failed to account for a pivot taking the Thulls on the left just out of range of their lightning bolts. As such they had to target the Thulls on the right who had rally and inspire as well as being safe from the bolt thrower.
Astonishingly the elven mages made up for this by hitting with 13 out of 13 lightning bolts wounding the Thulls 11 times! Fortune was just being fickle, however, as the needed 6 on the nerve came up as a 5.
A win was now out of reach but the Elven Cavalry now boosted by bane chant struck out with their swords. 3 more damage was done. With Bastion in play the Elves needed a 6 to break the Placoderms and draw the game. De ja vu struck and a 5 came up again.
Apparently I wasn’t allowed to roll for a turn 8 so Jeff had pulled out a victory once again 2-1 to the Trident Realms.
Narrative ending:
Paweldran sat in his throne room as attendants listed supplies and weapons arrivals and requirements. Shame swept over the king as he contemplated the position he’d found himself in. With casualties and severe injuries endured the forces of Tor Bel-Valdar were no longer in a fit state to take to the battlefield. The other Elven troops from friends and allies now pushed back the Abyssal forces and protected the coast from the Tridebt King’s raids. The proud Paweldran was now limited to overseeing the logistics of the war as his kin claimed the glory.
I’ve decided the end this narrative arc here as short of destroying the city of Bel-Valdar I’m getting into a bit of a dead end of how to explain all these defeats
Conclusions and Recriminations:
Defeat, frustrating as it is, is a great teacher as the saying goes. There are lots of little mistakes I might not have realised if not for losing.
There are some obvious mistakes primarily not moving the Seaguard back turn 5. There was no justification to keep still when they were hitting on 6s vs Thulls even when stationary. I’d have had a really great chance to win the game if I’d just backed up. It’s a key lesson with seaguard in 3rd moving is key, shooting is secondary. The same turn I backed up my Palace Guard opening the opportunity for the Placoderms to charge the Cavalry. I should have kept this blocked as the Thulls would have had to charge the Cavalry to stop the Elven Knights flanking them next turn.
Further back there are a number of issues little ones such as mages not being in range turn 7 but also target selections. Turn 4 I double charged the Depth Horror Eternal on the right. He’s unit strength 1 with 5 attacks. My cav should have hit the Depth Horror horde getting damage on them allowing my mages and Prince to target the Thulls behind. Only facing placoderms and an eternal I’d almost certainly have won that corner and the game.
Not having inspiring in the right places also cost me. Either the mage or ASB should be with the seaguard and the other with the Palace Guard as it is I had both with the Palace Guard meaning my Seaguard lacked both bane chant and inspire when it was needed.
List Changes
I’m really happy with this version of the list. I forgot about the 5pts items on the Palace Guard (I pretty much always do) so will swap back to Piercing Arrow on the Silverbreeze as the best magic items are the ones you remember!