The Elven way: A Tale of Gaming updated 13/10/23 Game 22 v New Twilight Kin

List analysis:

Having had a few games with the Seaguard shooting list build I’ve been working on I’ve reached a point where I’m pretty happy with how it’s working. So I thought I’d give it some analysis.

Mages:
Lightning Bolt, boomstick:
125pts
Lightning bolt, bane chant, inspiring talisman: 135pts

No brainier for any shooting list. I need to decide exactly how to use them but generally paired up with the seaguard and Drakons for a strong flank seems the best plan. They’re definitely flexible and can be split up so that’s good.

King: Shardblade, Blade of the Beast Slayer, Sabre-toothed hunting cats: 180pts.

I love this guy. Very expensive but very effective. My opponents hate him. Great odds of putting 4-5 wounds on a def 5 or 6 monsters. Great chance of getting 10 hits on individuals. He needs to be used right to maximise his effectiveness but he’s a prime target for my opponents now which can leave scoring units unscathed to go on and win the game. At this price and this utility i don’t want him doing blocking duty too often which make it important I use other elements like the Prince and the Silverbreeze to be set up to perform these roles for me.

Prince: Diadem of Dragonkind: 110pts

Not sure on this guy. I think blocking Prince is a good idea with the king not really wanting to do it. I’m not sure if using Diadem gets in the way of this. Mace of Crushing would certainly be a good improvement to his blocking abilities As he’s not reliably getting the critical wound without it. He’s got good use out of diadem so I definitely think he’s adding value as is. I think I need to try prioritising using him as a blocker piece with the Seaguard and Drakon flank and see if diadem still feels effective.

Another unit is also an option 20 points more buys another fast blocker in a Silverbreeze Troop or a forest guard troop is 105pts. I do like having him as another warmachine hunter threat, however, and he’s good at shielding the mages from individuals.

Army Standard Bearer: Lute of insatiable darkness: 85pts

This guy does what he’s supposed to do bane chant is a bit unreliable without the elite re-rolls anymore. My main thought is a foot king might just be a lot better. He can do blocking is more survivable and his damage is equal or better to bane chant and has a 360 degree charge. I’d need 15pts which means dropping piercing arrow (no problem) and duellist from the mounted King (Not keen to do this tbh as I’m vulnerable to individuals but I could) or diadem drops off the Prince to Mace of Crushing which also frees up points for extra items. Or I could drop bane chant for more reliable items on the Palace Guard units (maybe brutal and fury?, could even put a war bow on the ASB).

Seaguard: Chant of Hate: 290pts

These are a definite include with the way the list works but they’re no longer the centre piece. I need to improve my use of them accepting moving them needs to come before maximising shooting with them most of the time. Vicious is good but also expensive a cheaper option (like brutal or piercing arrow) or even another expensive one like nimble or crushing Strength 1 might be better use of points.

Palace Guard Regiments: 320pts

I’d love to a) have these guys with items and b) remember I have those items during the game (point b) would be helped in physical games where I have the unit cards). As it is they’re still a little lacking and are at risk of getting swapped out for a horde if I don’t need a 5th character unlock. As it is I quite like the flexibility and I’m getting better at using them effectively in recent games.

Drakon Horde: Strider (1): 290pts

They’re great. I could do with supporting them a bit better so they don’t end up with too many wounds before big combats and I need to keep inspire and bane chant available for them more frequently.

Stormwind Cavalry Regiment: Pathfinder: 235pts

As always the thought is “not as good as Drakons maybe I should just take Drakons”. They do a solid job but do make the “weak“ flank fairly expensive (>600pts) at the sane time they mean the weak flank can’t be ignored as having a cav unit through the woods into your flank hurts. I also think I can swap Silverbreeze and Stormwind about on either flank depending how other deployment goes.

Silverbreeze Troop: Piercing Arrow: 140pts

These guys are solid, I need to consider when to use for blocking more but they’re a good all round inclusion in the list. Piercing Arrow is a luxury item but a useful one.

Overall:

I think the list is in a really good place. In 2nd ed I continually tweaked things not making things better or worse but just making them different. I feel I’m in the same spot here various good options to change things up but not really room to improve it in its current way of working. So I’ll probably play around with different versions but if I had to submit a tournament list today this would be the version I’d use.

I’m not sure what’s next I won’t play for a few weeks and have three different styles of list vying for my attention. If I had to guess I reckon my next reports may well include a Dragon.

3 Likes

Battle Report #7

2000pts vs Trident Realms: Loot

*although the game was played online I’d got my army out for a picture as I was doing some other bits with it so thought I’d take a shot for the report.

Narrative Intro:

King Eataine stood on the newly built watchtower the sea breeze buffeting his cloak. All around the tower his Kingdom’s. finest artisans laboured to establish the foundations for the first settlement that would in time grow into a full trading colony. Across the bay his keen elf eyes could pick out the formations of the Sea Creatures.

Moments ago his scouts had brought the news of the invaders approaching down the coast. Looking upwards Eataine praised Raloris that he’d brought allies with him on this expedition. In the sky above the Dragon Lord Vandruil and his brethren Drakon riders came into view. Meanwhile grateful for his aid in fighting the Abyssal invasion of Bel-Valdar King Paweldran had insisted that two Loremasters, Alenui the King’s brother and Eldroth the King’s Chief advisor would accompany the party. Eataine strode down the steps ready to join his assembling forces.

Game Intro and Lists:

This weeks game was against Jeff and his Trident Realms. I decided to bring out my Dragon list for something different.

Elf List:

Dragon Lord (Vandruil): Blade of Slashing: 320pts

Mage (Alenui): Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant, Lightning Bolt: 135pts

Mage (Eldroth): Lightning Bolt, Boomstick: 125pts

King (Eataine): Horse, Lifeleech (1): 145pts

Drakon Horde: Fury: 290pts

Stormwind Regiment: Pathfinder: 235pts

Stormwind Regiment: Strider (1): 230pts

Seaguard Horde: Brutal: 270pts

Archer Regiment: 120pts

Silverbreeze Troop: 130pts

This list is the continuing evolution of the list I’ve mainly been using at tournaments in 3rd edition. Having been using the Seaguard recently I was interested to see how they would fare in this list so I dropped a Palace Guard horde to fit them in. It’s a fairly flexible list but only has 10 drops so I’d likely be outnumbered by almost any opponent.

Trident Realms list:

Depth Horror Eternal: Inspiring Talisman: 135pts

Depth Horror Eternal: 115pts

Depth Horror Eternal: 115pts

Gigas Horde: 205pts

Gigas Horde: 205pts

Gigas Horde: 205pts

Depth Horror Regiment: 110pts

Depth Horror Regiment: 110pts

Knucker: 150pts

Knucker: 150pts

Knucker: 150pts

Tidal Swarm: 70pts

Tidal Swarm: 70pts

Tidal Swarm: 70pts

Tidal Swarm: 70pts

Tidal Swarm: 70pts

Jeff’s list had changed a lot from previous games the defence 3 Thulls had been replaced by Gigas with defence 6 in the front. Backing them up was a solid mix of Depth Horrors and Knuckers. The odd element is 5 tidal swarms these are vulnerable (especially to shooting) but with ensnare, scout and nimble they’re great at screening and objective/scenario roles. This would be a tough list to crack.

Deployment and Scenario

The scenario was Loot, this feels like it plays into Jeff’s hands as he’s got lots of potential carriers and other units to block me with.

*Picture is after scout moves

I hadn’t used this list in a long time wasn’t sure how to approach things. I figured with Jeff outnumbering me 16-10 I’d best keep things simple with a fast element on either flank and the infantry central so that I could use my speed to reposition where needed. Jeff deployed in two blocks a small block on the right and a big one on the left.

I won the roll for first turn, I was unsure whether to take it but I figured if I didn’t Jeff may take up a very strong position around the tokens I couldn’t recover from.

Elf Turn 1

Seeing the unsupported Tidal swarm on the right the Dragon and Silverbreeze moved up to shoot it whilst the Cavalry slid over to cover a wider area. In the centre the infantry massed on the hill to given them good sight over the board. On the left my units shuffled a little bit as they were fairly happy in their positions.

Shooting started well on the right with the Tidal swarm engulfed in dragon’s breath. In the centre I had the choice of swarms who were in cover or defence 6 Gigas who were not. With no heal in Jeff’s list I decided a few wounds on the Gigas could prove crucial so opened up with everything at them. Sadly their thick shells were more than a match for the arrows and lightning bolts sent their way and they emerged unscathed.

Trident Turn 1

Jeff advances en masse on the left, numbers giving him the confidence to be aggressive. He was more circumspect on the right where he lacked a numerical advantage.

Elf Turn 2

In the centre the infantry positioned on the hill saw an opportunity to draw first blood on a Giga unit, along with the Stormwind the Seaguard and Archers stormed into the crab like creatures.

The Dragon seeing space in behind Jeff’s lines swept over the top of the wood and the Knucker. King Eataine decided to charge the Knucker in the pool seeing it as a good chance to get in behind the Trident Realm lines and begin causing damage to a key weapon in their arsenal. The remaining units shuffled ensuring the best vantage points to observe and strike from.

Fortune favoured the elves as shooting saw the two mages fry the Knucker despite little damage being done (double 6 on nerve).

Combat fared less well, expertly wielded swords, spears and lances pierced the weak points in the Giga’s shells but despite this the magic pendant wielded by the nearby Eternal glowed in a blue light filling the monsters with just enough courage not to flee the field (rolled a 3 on the second nerve roll needing a 4). King Eataine wounded the Knucker he was facing with two vicious cuts but the creature fought on.

Trident Turn 2

The Gigas having barely survived the assault from the hill withdrew and turned to face the Dragon (I now realise the Seaguard’s Phalanx would have removed the nimble used to do this) whilst a swarm sacrificed itself in a blocking move. On the right the Eternal and depth horror regiment advanced on to the objective and put pressure on the Elven Cavalry.

The Stormwind in the centre found themselves caught out of position after not breaking the Gigas and got engaged in the front and flank by Gigas. A Knucker fearing the same death by electrocution endured by his kin the previous turn charged the boomstick mage. The other Knucker decided to continue combat with King Eataine.

In combat the Gigas overwhelmed the proud Stormwind Knights enacting retribution for the damage done to their brethren. The Knuckers wounded the Elven Nobles they faced but not enough to concern them.

Elf Turn 3

The mages moved down off the hill away from danger. Alenui spotting a weak point on the side of the Giga’s shells aimed a lightning bolt injuring one grievously.

The Drakons took the opportunity of a flank charge on the mage hunting Knucker on the hill breaking it’s body in two such was the fury of their attack. In the centre the badly injured Gigas were still recovering themselves when an almighty Dragon fell among them scattering the survivors. The Seaguard flanked and destroyed a Tidal Swarm whilst the Archers fruitlessly engaged the Gigas.

On the right the Cavalry decided it was time to strike, both units charging the injured Depth Horror unit. Sadly rubber lance syndrome meant the Cavalry failed to break their foe and were now bogged down with the sea creatures and their Eternal.

Trident Turn 3

This would be a crucial turn on the right, if Jeff could waver or kill the Silverbreeze it would become very difficult for the elves to get that token or possibly even deny Jeff the token. The Eternal went into the Stormwind as the wavered Regiment used their fury to counter charge the Silverbreeze.

In the centre it was more a matter of entering a grind and seeing who came out on top. The Gigas and swarm in the wood charged the Drakons whilst the Giga’s in the middle charged the blocking archers. Not wanting to take any chances both the Eternal and the Swarm charged the Dragon to ground it. Finally the remain Knucker charged the king who’d run away from it last turn along with the swarms.

Combat saw the Drakons wavered by the Giga’s and swarm but the riders smiled smugly as they sipped from their newly acquired Chalice’s of Wrath. The archers took heavy damage but held the line unwilling to bring shame to their ancestors by fleeing. Combat Jeff thanked movement Jeff for doubling up on the Dragon as only 1 wound was caused. King Eataine surprisingly went down under a flurry of blows as the Knucker landed 6 wounds and the swarms several more.

On the crucial right flank the Eternal landed some damage but no waver on the Stormwind. The Depth Horrors lashed out at the Silverbreeze but their nimble hordes dodged left and right limiting the damage. Knowing how crucial the loot they held would be to their kind they faced down the beasts from the sea with a steely determination abandoning their spears they drew their swords ready to strike back.

Elf Turn 4

The Drakon riders put down their chalices to counter charge the Gigas. There wasn’t much movement with everything counter charging where it could. Shooting saw the Drakons swords glow with an amber light as Alenui blessed them and lighting landed a few wounds on the Knucker.

In combat the Drakons killed the Gigas taking advantage of their lack of inspire. A single Archer showing his skill with a sword was equal to that with a bow lanced his blade through the unprotected eye of a Giga in the centre. The Dragon’s claws raked against the Eternal but only surface damage was inflicted.

On the right the Elven Knights inflicted several wounds on the Eternal with their swords but to no avail. All eyes turned to the crucial combat on the right. One sword evaded the sea creatures parry but failed to pierce the Horror’s skin. All seemed lost but at the last moment an Elven scout weaved his blade past one of the monster’s defences and slashed a key artery killing it. The remaining sea creatures faced with such martial prowess lost heart and fled.

Trident Turn 4

With the right flank looking lost the Trident King’s forces redoubled their efforts in the centre. The Drakons were charged by both the remaining Gigas and Depth Horrors. Whilst the Knucker fresh from downing the King sought to finish off the battered Archers. The Dragon meanwhile was swamped by the Swarms and Eternal. On the right the Eternal continued its fight with the Stormwind.

The Drakons having already taken wounds from the first Giga charge decided to withdraw in the face of a combined assault. The Dragon suffered some damage from its enemies but continued undeterred. A Stormwind knight was killed by the Eternal but the unit held strong. The Archers despite taking grievous damage from the Knucker just managed to keep their nerve. A cold fury at the apparent killing of their King by the beast steeling their hearts (double 1 on the reroll).

Elf Turn 5

The archers holding was a huge boon. Taking full advantage they charged the Gigas to prevent nimble tricks being used to attack the Seaguard next turn. The Seaguard backed up to accommodate this whilst the Dragon charged the Eternal once more.

Shooting saw the injured Knucker wavered by lightning bolt and the Swarm go down to to the seaguard‘s bows. Strong combat rolls saw two Eternals die at the hands of the Dragon and Stormwind Cavalry.

Trident Turn 5

With limited options the Trident Realms finished off the Archer irritant and the swarm in the flank wavered the dragon preventing it from moving into the centre to support the Seaguard.

Elf Turn 6

The Seaguard deciding attack was the best form of defence charged the Gigas hoping to waver them ideally or if not kill them to reduce the attacks coming back at them.

Shooting killed off the Knucker whilst Alenui blessed the Seaguard’s Spears. In combat the Seaguard used their spears to good effect thrusting them into the weak points of the Giga’s shells. It was just enough to get the perfect result of a waver.

Trident Turn 6

Now limited to playing for a turn 7 Jeff took advantage of an open rear on the Dragon to help him encircle the Seaguard. The Dragon decided to flee rather than be subjected to anymore damage. A swarm that was able to reach the Seaguard landed a couple of wounds.

The only important dice roll for Jeff, however, was whether there would be a turn 7. It was not to be and the Elves carried the day!

Narrative ending:

King Eataine lay in his bed the Elven Healers having removed all signs of his wounds he would still need to rest for many days to recover his strength. Having been knocked unconscious by the great Sea Dragon, Eataine had not seen his forces drive off the watery host. Envoys would be sent to the Trident King in the hope this defeat would underline the futility in prolonged hostilities between the two people. Eataine doubted that would be the case the sea folk rarely showing such wisdom. Alenui and Eldroth were already overseeing the building of new fortifications to repel future attacks.

Conclusions and Jubilations:

There’s not a lot to say here to be honest we both played well and it’s hard to pick out many mistakes for either player. At most a few decisions were made that were fairly 50/50 with the other alternatives available.

The game came down to some key rolls, we both got some big rolls at times as the dice were very swingy but I got the ones in the critical places (namely Silverbreeze vs Depth Horrors and double 1 on the Archers). It nice to be on the right side of the dice for the first time in a while but even nicer not to have thrown the game away through silly mistakes!

List wise the Seaguard are good in this list but Palace Guard with staying Stone would probably be equally as good, they’re equal points so it’s an easy swap out either way. I’m definitely keeping fury on the Drakons as it’s a game changer. I feel like the rest of the list is spot on so doubt there will be many changes.

3 Likes

Battle Report #8

2000pts vs Forces of the Abyss: Push

Narrative Intro:

Vandruil sitting astride his mighty dragon Rhugar scanned the ground below. The mages Alenui and Eldroth had identified a disturbance in winds of magic. These same disruptions had been felt near their home in Bel-Valdar and had heralded an Abyssal invasion that had torn their homeland asunder. Only a great effort from an alliance of elven kingdoms had been able to drive the monsters back to their own dimension.

Vandruil had joined with the forces of King Eataine on the expedition inland to find and destroy the threat. A distant flicker on the ground, only visible at such a distance to keen elven eyes, caught his attention. Using his telepathic bond Vandruil urged Rhugar in the direction of the light.

Game Intro and Lists:

This weeks game was against Ben and his Abyssals. I decided to bring out my Dragon list once again but with a few tweaks on the minor items. Ben was practicing for the Kings Cup a knock out tournament held on Universal Battle. This round had a set map and scenario (push).

Elf List:

Dragon Lord (Vandruil): Lifeleech (1): 325pts
Mage (Alenui): Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant, Lightning Bolt: 135pts
Mage (Eldroth): Lightning Bolt, Boomstick: 125pts
King (Eataine): Horse, Brutal: 145pts

Drakon Horde: Fury: 290pts
Stormwind Regiment: Pathfinder: 235pts
Stormwind Regiment: Strider (1): 230pts
Seaguard Horde: Fire Oil: 265pts
Archer Regiment: 120pts
Silverbreeze Troop: 130pts

Not much change from last time but I’ve been finding by the Dragon can get taken down or wavered over time through attrition so I moved lifeleech from the King on to the big guy. I quite liked the look of Fire Oil on the seaguard as it adds both piercing and crushing. The King then picked up brutal as I’d used this combo in 2nd ed and fancied running it out again in 3rd.

Forces of the Abyss List:

Ba’el: 265pts
Warlock: 90pts
Seductress: Mace of Crushing: 135pts

Mollochs Horde: Healing Brew: 230pts
Abyssal Horsemen Regiment: pathfinder: 260pts
Abyssal Fiend: 175pts
Abyssal Fiend: 175pts
Flamebearers Regiment: 155pts
Flamebearers Regiment: 155pts
Tortured Souls Regiment: 120pts
Tortured Souls Regiment: 120pts
Tortured Souls Regiment: 120pts

Ben’s list is unchanged he’s honed it into a lean mean fighting machine and I was keen to work out how to use the Dragon list against it (we had an unreported game with this match up and I wasn’t happy how I’d deployed/played it).

Deployment and Scenario

The scenario was Push it’s always an interesting scenario as it often brings out more extreme tactics as players often focus on one flank and the centre rather than a balanced deployment.

I chose sides and deployed first giving Ben 3 drops after I’d deployed my whole army. As such I largely deployed in a proactive manner as I couldn’t gain a lot of insight into Ben’s plans until I’d deployed nearly everything. I held back my archer regiment (my go to scenario mule) until last so I could place it on the most appealing flank. Otherwise I wanted to deploy fairly spread out, in Push I like to have substantial threats in all 3 sections (both flanks and the centre) so I can put pressure wherever the tokens are as this gives me more options to win rather than giving up any easy points to my opponent.

I deployed in 3 battle groups flyers on one flank cavalry on the other with shooting and infantry in the centre. Ben meanwhile had a different approach leaving the left abandoned. Instead he massed his troops almost entirely in one half of the board. This meant my flyers would have free reign to swing round and my Archers with the tokens should be fairly safe to advance giving me 4 easy game points. I won the roll for first turn and keen to get my flyers into a more aggressive position I took it.

Elf Turn 1

The flyers swing round while the rest of the army shuffled forwards. Shooting saw me start using the Seaguard to open up at the Warlock Ben was hoping would claim the central token. The Fire oil helped me cause a single wound off 5 hits as I rolled poorly to damage. Given that it would now take a very good roll from the mages to kill the Warlock I decided to instead try to build up damage on the Abyssal Fiend with the mages as it couldn’t regenerate.

Abyss Turn 1

Ben was hesitant in the centre with the Dragon staring down the flank of anything that would try and come down the board. The Warlock set out alone to pick up the token with the Seductress moving up to threaten the mages.

On the right Ben was patient avoiding moving into charge range of the two knight units with anything too valuable. Ba’el launched a lightning bolt at one unit of the Elven Cavalry injuring a couple.

Elf Turn 2

On the right the king charged the tortured souls to prevent them from charging the knights next turn. The knights meanwhile shuffled again hoping to delay the Abyssals from moving up aggressively. On the left the flyers and silverbreeze moved up to shoot the Fiend and get good lines of sight over the centre of the board.

In the centre the mages decided to take a risk and lightning bolt the Seductress rather than seek shelter behind the Seaguard. The Seaguard stayed still to maximise their shooting in case the mages didn’t need support from their bows in targeting the seductress.

The gamble paid off as the mages landed 8 damage on the seductress meaning the Seaguard could take careful aim at the Warlock inflicting 6 damage. The seductress was only wavered but the Warlock having only just picked up the loot died horribly as flaming arrows pierced its skin it‘s natural healing powers rendered worthless.

The Silverbreeze and Dragon could not match such heroics with only a single wound caused on the Abyssal Fiend. In combat the King struck left and right with his magical blade Sindarin each blow weakening the bonds holding the pitiful creatures to the mortal realm.

Abyss Turn 2

Ben retained a defensive position in the centre but moved up his shooters to return fire. On the right he moved more aggressively with Ba’el charging the cav in the wood and the Abyssal Fiend moving into charge range of the other knights.

Shooting saw some decent damage as both the Silverbreeze and the Dragon were scorched by the Flamebearers. In combat Ba’el managed 4 damage on the Stormwind despite being hampered by the tree branches. The Tortured souls meanwhile did just enough damage to the king to maximise their lifeleech.

Elf Turn 3

On the right I decided it was time to take action. The unengaged Stormwind chose the mighty Abyssal Fiend as their target as although tough to break getting substantial damage on him may prove crucial later in the game. It would also block him from charging the King who had gone into Ba’el along with the counter charging knights hoping again to build damage on him as he could also be crucial late game.

In the centre with no attractive charges the Dragon flew over the building to get behind the Abyssal lines. The Seaguard moved up towards the central objective whilst the mages positioned themselves to get a range of targets.

Shooting saw the Seductress fall to Alenui’s lightning bolt. Everything else webt into the injured Abyssal Fiend it was just as well as the Fiend very nearly clung on to life (I needed a 6 on nerve and rolled a 6 followed by another 6 :sweat_smile:). Combat was less successful but saw damage build up on Ba’el and the Fiend which may prove crucial down the line.

Abyss Turn 3

With the Cavalry now exposed Ben now set about punishing their impudence. The Fiend counter charged along with the Abyssal Horsemen. Ba’el charged once more into the cavalry in the wood. In the centre he turned to face the Dragon whilst a Tortured Soul charged the Seaguard.

Shooting saw the Silverbreeze break as the repeated attention of the Flamebearers proved too much. Whilst the Dragon took an extra wound from the other unit. In combat the Stormwind were easily routed by the combined might of The Fiend and the Horsemen. Ba’el meanwhile wavered the Stormwind in the wood preventing a potentially dangerous counter next turn.

Elf Turn 4

With only a few turns remaining the Elves needed to start landing some serious blows to the Abyssals forces or risk being overwhelmed. Priority one was the Mollochs with no inspire in range the Drakons took the risk and ploughed into the front of them. The Seaguard boosted by bane chant countered the Tortured Souls hoping to finish them off and take up a strong position in the centre of the board. The Dragon meanwhile flew over the Mollochs to threaten the right flank making Ben think twice about where to commit his troops for the final turns.

Shooting saw the Fiend take further damage but the beast remained unconcerned. In combat the Seaguard tripped over their spears so only did limited damage to the Tortured souls and the resulting nerve check fell one short of what was needed. The King returned to combat with the tortured souls but damage was limited by his journey through the wood. In the key combat the Drakons vanquished the Mollochs.

Abyss Turn 4

The Mollochs dying was a big loss for Ben. With the Dragon and Drakons both now facing his rear most of his movement was aimed at facing these threats. A mistake by the Drakons had left just enough room for the Flamebearers to charge into their flank and the other unit landed more wounds on the dragon. A double 6 on the nerve check raises Ben’s hopes of a waver but sadly for him he’d just managed to rout the Dragon who was then fine on the second roll.

In combat Ba’el finished off the Stormwind Cavalry at his third attempt. The Tortured Souls punished the Seaguard for failing to rout them last turn with a few more points of damage.

Elf Turn 5

With Ba’el now free from the Cavalry combat and facing the centre of the board the Seaguard were in a tricky position if they want to try and claim the token without risking a Flank charge from Ba’el. To avoid this issue King Eataine charged into the forest to disrupt Ba’el and the two mages positioned themselves to block any ground charge as they would no longer yield to Ba’el if he was disrupted.

The Dragon spying an open flank charged the Tortured Souls not holding the loot to put it in a good position next turn. Finally the Drakons countercharged charged the Flamebearers wanting to ensure the centre was secure.

Shooting saw Eldroth’s lightning bolt banish the second Abyssal Fiend. In combat the King clipped Ba’el’s Wings with Sindarin ensuring the Seaguard were safe. The Seaguard themselves then finished off the Tortured Souls and advanced towards the central loot counter. The Drakons and Dragon easily killed their targets meaning the game was now looking very tough for Ba’el and his Abyssals.

Abyss Turn 5

With limited options Ben offered up the token carrying Tortured Souls to the dragon in a position where he could then counter with Ba’el and the Abyssal Horsemen to reclaim the tokens.

Shooting saw a few extra wounds put on the Seaguard and in combat Ba’el just managed to waver the King preventing him blocking the Horsemen’s charge next turn.

Elf Turn 6

An interesting rule change for the Kings Cup tournament meant that if there was a winner at the end of turn 6 the game ends and only in the case of a draw would a 7th turn be played. As such I looked to grab all the tokens now as there was little Ben could do in his remaining turn to stop me winning.

The Seaguard moved up collecting the central loot token and turned to face Ba’el whilst the Dragon charged the Tortured Souls and the Drakons the remaining Flamebearer unit.

Shooting saw the Seaguard and the Mages target Ba’el hoping to waver him, however, much like with the Dragon a few turns earlier Ba’el was routed by a high initial roll but saved by a lower second roll. The Dragon and Drakons killed their foes meaning I held all 5 loot tokens.

Abyss Turn 6

Unable to prevent defeat Ben tried to make the score more respectable with the Abyssal Horsemen charging the Dragon and Ba’el taking out his frustrations on the King. Both were killed easily but a low advance roll for the Horsemen meant they could only get 1 point for each loot token. With the score at 5-2 to the Elves the special tournament rules kicked in and the game ended (we were using these as it was a practice game for Ben).

Narrative ending:

Alenui and Eldroth stood before the maelstrom of energy which served as a portal between the mortal realm and the Abyss. Having pushed back the Abyssal’s vanguard force the Elven Loremasters had the opportunity to close this gateway before more of the foul beasts could pollute the land. Precious crystals were laid out on the ground protecting the mages from the malevolent forces which reached out from the void. Slowly they began the task in front of them, manipulating the energy streams so they fell in on themselves dismantling the portal once and for all.

Conclusions and Jubilations:

This was a very interesting game from a tactical perspective in my opinion. The scenario and our contrasting approaches to deployment made for an interesting game with lots of repositioning as we each wrestled to gain the upper hand. A few key nerve rolls could easily have seen things shift dramatically as killing a single unit often created several opportunities.

I think a huge factor in the Elf victory was Ben deciding to leave the left of the board entirely open. This meant I could move up unhindered and had a dragon staring down the flank of anything he tried to move in the centre. A single Tortured Souls regiment on that flank could have dramatically reduced my options potentially slowing me down a buying crucial time for him to try and gain the upper hand.

I was quite happy with how I played in general but it’s harder to evaluate mistakes in a victory. Possibly I could have used my Knights better to delay Ben on the right for longer rather than giving Ba’el a charge into the woods that I couldn’t counter with a supporting charge from the other unit.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the game and any comments or insights as always would be welcome.

6 Likes

Battle Report #9

2000pts vs Forces of the Abyss Invade

Narrative Intro:

Amarynth strode the lines, confident that everything was in place he gave the order to begin the march. The Abyssal scourge had infested yet another neighbouring island. With fresh memories of the scars previous incursions had left on their homelands the elves had been quick to dispatch aid to fight the menace.

Amarynth‘s mission was to drive deep into Abyssal held territory diverting Abyssal Forces from their allies to allow relief forces through to reinforce the beleaguered defenders. Mounting Navarel he took off to fly above his forces eyes trained on the horizon to give early warning as soon as the enemy was sighted.

Game Intro and Lists:

This weeks game was against Ben and his Abyssals. I‘ve been struggling to get my current army list to work vs his but had made some progress recently so was hopeful I’d improved enough to get the win. Ben was practicing for the Kings Cup a knock out tournament held on Universal Battle. This round had a set map and scenario (Invade).

Elf List:

Drakon Rider (Amarynth): Brutal: 180pts
Mage (Alenui): Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant, Lightning Bolt: 135pts
Mage (Eldroth): Lightning Bolt, Boomstick: 125pts
King (Paweldran): Horse, Duellist, Shard blade, Blade of the Beastslayer : 180pts

Palace Guard Horde: Fury: 280pts
Spearmen Horde: Brew of Strength: 270pts
Stormwind Regiment: Pathfinder: 235pts
Stormwind Regiment: Strider (1): 230pts
Forest Guard Troop: 105pts
Silverbreeze Troop: 130pts
Silverbreeze Troop: 130pts

This is the list I’m currently painting up in a red era style on my painting blog, I really love using this list as it feels very balanced this does, however, make it challenging to use sometimes as it lacks a clear way to play because it’s so flexible so I often don’t use it in the optimal fashion.

In particular I’ve not been using the Drakon Rider very well so I’m keen to try some alternative strategies for him to try and get good usage out of him.

Forces of the Abyss List:

Ba’el: 265pts
Warlock: 90pts
Seductress: Mace of Crushing: 135pts

Mollochs Horde: Healing Brew: 230pts
Abyssal Horsemen Regiment: pathfinder: 260pts
Abyssal Fiend: 175pts
Abyssal Fiend: 175pts
Flamebearers Regiment: 155pts
Flamebearers Regiment: 155pts
Tortured Souls Regiment: 120pts
Tortured Souls Regiment: 120pts
Tortured Souls Regiment: 120pts

Ben’s list is unchanged from the last report the speed and shooting both cause me a lot of problems so I need to try and figure out some answers to those.

Deployment and Scenario

The scenario was invade it’s always an interesting scenario as it often brings out more extreme tactics as players often focus on one flank rather than a balanced deployment.

Ben chose sides and deployed first meaning we’d finish deploying at nearly the same time. I’d worked out a pre-meditated deployment based on how I wanted my units to support each other. I wanted the Cav to be able to charge aggressively into the shooting or Tortured Souls and my Infantry to be able to follow up quickly to support. As such I deployed both infantry hordes supported by a cavalry unit with the King and Drakon supporting as each as well.

Ben spread out his forces so nothing really impacted my plan. I had one Silverbreeze unit on the left flank fairly unsupported with the intention being to delay the odd unit whilst my main force went down the right. Ben won the roll for first turn and took it.

Abyss Turn 1

The Abyssals advanced cautiously not wanting to push into range or sight of the elves. Shooting saw Ba’el unleash a lightning bolt at Amarynth (Drakon) singeing it’s wings slightly.

Elf Turn 1

Not wanting to get shot up by the Flamebearers on the hill I pushed up my lines aggressively on the right. Meanwhile in the centre I followed Ben’s lead and stood on the other side of the wood. My Silverbreeze charged the Abyssal Fiend to block it from charging my advancing units.

Spying the Flamebearers upon the hill a cold fury enveloped Eldroth he whirled his staff through the air with increasing speed drawing his power from the air itself. The air around the staff began to crackle, the staff span faster and faster until Eldroth thrust the staff high in the air released a vicious arc of lightning towards the miserable creatures of the abyss. As the almighty bolt struck the hill a blinding light erupted, once this had cleared no Abyssals nor a large chunk of the hill remained. (My boomstick mage got 7/8 hits with elite then making it 8/8, wounds were also 8/8 and with 3 more from Alenui I comfortably broke the Flamebearers)

On the left the Silverbreeze managed a single wound on the Abyssal Horsemen.
Combat saw the other Silverbreeze unit avoid the flailing claws monstrous Fiend to bury several of their spears into it’s chest.

Abyss Turn 2

The Abyssals largely retained their defensive positions. Ba’el and the Seductress double teamed Lord Amarynth whilst the Tortured Souls charged to block the Cavalry and the Fiends targeted the Silverbreeze units.

Shooting saw the Silverbreeze on the left flee from a Fiend’s fireball and the Palace Guard suffer a few casualties from the Warlock and Flamebearers. The second Silverbreeze units suffered for the temerity of wounding the Fiend as it’s claws ravished them terribly scattering the remaining elves (7 hits and 7 wounds). The Tortured Souls landed 3 wounds on the Stormwind but the combined might of Ba’el and the Seductress was unable to break Lord Amarynth’s spirts merely wavering him momentarily.

Elf Turn 2

Both Silverbreeze units dying was a harrowing blow to the Elven force, however, sterling themselves they set about bringing retribution to the Abyssal force. The Palace Guard charged into the injured Fiend with the Forest Guard storming through the forest to block the Mollochs from charging in response. The Spears on the right marched quickly keen to avoid Ba’el threatening them if he could finish of Amarynth.

The Stormwind by the wood slid over to move away from the units coming down the left whilst still protecting the elven forces from anything coming into the wood. The other unit of Elven knights drew their ancestral swords ready to free Tortured Souls from this realm. King Paweldran moved into a central position to cover most options next turn.

Worn out by their endeavours last turn Alenui and Eldroth managed little a few wounds on the Flamebearers and a failed attempt to bless the Stormwinds swords with bane chant.

Combat went far better for the Elves with the Palace Guard’s swords easily rending through the Abyssal Fiend’s flesh and despite no magical aid the proud Elven Knights vanquished the Tortured Souls.

Abyss Turn 3

Things were getting tight for Ben so he needed to turn the tide. The Warlock had a rear charge on the Palace Guard so took it whilst the Mollochs charged the blocking Forest Guard. The seductress left Ba’el to finish off Amarynth charging in to block the Stormwind instead. Other elements either moved away from the Spears or swung round on the left.

Shooting saw a couple of wounds on the knights from the Flamebearers. In combat disaster struck for the Elves first the Warlock crashed into the Palace Guard causing so much havoc that they would be unable to reorder their ranks to charge the Mollochs next turns. Equalling troubling the Seductress wavered the Stormwind causing further disorder in the elven lines. One bright spot was Ba’el failed to land more than a single blow on the nimble Amarynth meaning he survived another turn (although still wavered).

Elf Turn 3

With most of my units wavered or out of sight of the enemy choices were limited for the elves. The King decided to try and clear off the Seductress whilst the mages hoped to at least waver the Flamebearers with their lightning bolts. The Palace Guard countercharged the Warlock keen to enact some revenge.

The Flamebearers only took light damage from the lightning bolts but were still wavered. Meanwhile despite decent damage King Paweldran couldn’t even get a waver on the Seductress meaning she had a free reign next turn. The Palace Guard killed the Warlock and advanced to try and pull the Mollochs into a worse position as it was unlikely they’d survive a front charge any better than a rear one.

Abyss Turn 4

With several Elf units close to breaking the Abyssals torn into their foe. Ba’el continued his duel with Lord Amarynth (who so far had spent the entire duel ducking aNd diving). The Mollochs gleefully smashed into the Palace Guard rear and the Tortured Souks joined the Seductress in attempting to finish off the Stormwind who’d so far spent the whole game sitting on a fence.

The remaining units continued to move around the flank with the wood continuing to be a barrier. Combat saw poor nerve rolls mean only the Palace Guard perish with the Stormwind and Drakon Lord merely wavered. Crucially the Mollochs managed to back up enough to be out of the Stormwind Cavalry’s line of sight.

Elf Turn 4

With few units left I had to carefully decide what to prioritise. The Spears charged the Flamebearers whilst the King charged in to block the Mollochs. The Cavalry abandoned their careful watch of the wood to get out of range of the Tortured Souls and try to get their unit strength safely into the other side of the board.

In shooting I decided to gamble sending the smaller lightning bolt into the seductress and the bigger one into the tortured souls. This paid off as a single wound was enough to banish the Seductress but the Tortured souls only took limited damage. In combat King Paweldran executed a Molloch and the Flamebearers were extinguished by the elven spears.

Abyss Turn 5

Ben wasted no time shifting most of his troops towards my side of the board. The injured Tortured Souls committed to a hindered charge on the Stormwind Cav whilst Ba’el and the mollochs countercharged.

In combat the Stormwind and Drakon finally gave up and were routed. The King held firm, however, only wavered by the Mollochs raining blows down on his ancient armour.

Elf Turn 5

It was time to do some maths Ben had 9 unit strength likely to score towards the scenario (only the Mollochs would be blocked. I had 7, these were fairly safe. I’d need to kill a tortured Souls unit mainly with lightning bolt in the next two turns to force a draw and a turn 7 (we’re playing special tournament rules where the game ends turn 6 if there is a winner). If I could kill the second unit of tortured souls in turn 7 I’d win otherwise it comes down to a roll off if it’s still a draw.

Most decisions were fairly easy the Spears went into the Mollochs and the Stormwind went full speed out of trouble. The challenging decision was what to do with the mages. If I wanted a clean shot at the uninspired tortured souls I’d need to open my self up to some potential charges and return fire risking my lightning bolts being shutdown.

In the end I decided to have my Boomstick mage have a clean shot whilst offering the Tortured Souls a charge they probably wouldn’t take whilst the inspiring mage moved to inspire the Cavalry from any shooting targeted at them but this meant he’s shoot into cover.

The critical shooting phase saw Eldroth and Alenui focus their energies on the uninspired Tortured Souls. Both drew forth as much power as they dared to unleash upon the chains binding the spirits. Alenui started well putting two damage on them despite the cover. Eldroth unleashed all his energy at the abominations but despite four hits only a single bolt wounded. A good nerve roll was wasted with so little damage done.

Abyss Turn 6

With no scoring units willing to abandon their side of the board the game would come down to shooting. Ba’el and the Abyssal Fiend only managed 3 wounds on the boomstick mage but he just managed to get the critical waver. It would be tough going for the Elves to save the game now!

Elf Turn 6

There wasn’t much left to do Alenui attempted to lightning bolt the injured Tortured Souls but only landed a single point of damage which was insufficient. King Paweldran charged the other unit but was equally ineffective.

With that Ben was up 9-7 and the game ended.

Narrative ending:

Amarynth sat in his tent his armour battered and his body bruised from the duel with Ba’el. The battle had been a close run thing but the Abyssals had carried the day. The elves had failed to strike deep enough into enemy territory and their allies would continue to be pushed on their front.

Conclusions and Recriminations:

This was a tough game to start picking apart as I felt I was in good positions in most of it but there was also a lot of swingy dice rolls the Drakon lasting for long and the Flamebearers dying turn one for me and Ben got some key wavers which also had a big impact so the game could have been completely different in a variety of ways.

On mistake I definitely feel I made was not putting the Forest Guard into the central wood in the first turn. Ben had some units coming round the left flank and I should have been more aggressive to strike before they could move round. One I’m less sure on is the King’s positioning. I moved him to be able to engage Ba’el if he flew over the Drakon Lord but this meant he couldn’t charge anything in turn 2. It would have been handy to have him perhaps shutting down something or at least threatening.

The big overall issue I’ve realised was most of my faster units were tied up so my slower stuff was free but couldn’t threaten as much. Despite moving 24 inches in the first two turns my Spears couldn’t charge anything until turn 4. I had both Silverbreeze dead, one cav watching a wood, the Drakon blocking Ba’el and the King eventually started coming into play later on. I only had one fast unit in a position to threaten so Ben only needed to block them up with his fast units then he was otherwise safe.

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I read these and, being an elf player across many games, I am sitting on the edge of my seat while I read it. Victory is cheered and defeat mourned.

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Thank you I’m glad your enjoying them.

Clash of Kings 22 initial thoughts

RC & Mantic haven’t held anything back this year in terms of number of changes this seems to be vastly more than we’ve seen in any previous years. I’ve commented to a few people that perhaps they should have just reprinted fresh army lists rather than listing the changes! So it’s going to be a very different landscape going forward for both you and your opponents armies.

Overall Impressions on Elf changes:

I think it doesn’t really shift the power level of elves as other than the dragon going down in points none of the best stuff got better and none of the improved stuff became the most competitive option. What I think it did do, however, is create a lot more competitive options where you can swap out the usual suspects for little to no loss in competitiveness and create more variety of lists that function in different ways. So big thumbs up from me as I imagine this was the RC’s goal.

Seaguard:

I think the Gladestalkers and Seaguard changes are probably the most impactful changes to me. You can now take a lot of shooting effectively and both units have decent combat ability so you can play an aggressive advance and fire tactic (which I used a lot in 2nd ed). I ran a seaguard horde following the points drop last year and they were pretty decent but steady aim is a game changer for them (as you need to keep them moving) I think they’re probably level with Palace Guard hordes in power level now.

Glade Stalkers:

I really like how they’ve addressed these guys. They’re a lot of points but by increasing attacks and Melee they’ve made them worthwhile without adding crushing or thunderous which would have felt wrong thematically. Elf players now have a bow based shooting option to be proud of. One or two of these are a good addition to most armies now.

King’s Champion:

I like the King’s Champion as I already liked the foot king and this guy gets some good buffs over the basic King him (I like Phalanx especially). I’m not sure if he’s worth the points without at least 1 probably 2 hordes of spears though. Spears need some waver protection so they can take killy items so it’s a decent combination I’m keen to try. Outside of that is the fury aura worth investing in for Gladestalkers (are any of the other Kindred units worth taking?) I’m not so sure.

Quicksilver Cavalry:

Stormwind Cavalry Regiments have always had big neon lights above them saying “I couldn’t afford the Drakons horde”. Now we see an upgrade which closes the gap in both points and ability. Nimble on the cavalry stands out it’s great for bombing down a flank and turning in as Drakons used to so pairs really well with a Drakon Horde coming front the front to perform a pincer. Pathfinder will also be the obvious magic item pairing for tearing around the battlefield. Corkscrew charge tricks are limited by the risk of disruption, however, throw in a bane chant and the prospect of 32 elite CS 1 attacks is still going to keep your opponent watchful of their flanks.

It’s nice to finally take 15/17 nerve Elven cavalry which seems the right figure based on the fluff (human cavalry getting more or even the same seems wrong to me). I’m still not convinced if it’s really a better deal than Drakon Riders though I think the Drakons still edge it but I’m likely to take the Quicksilvers quite regularly to test them out.

Drakon Formation:

I don’t have Drakon regiment units so this formation isn’t very relevant to me but its a nice and appropriate buff for those units. I’ve found when I took Drakon regiments the Stormwind Regiments are better value (as you can reliably kill chaff in the front) but adding nimble changes the ways you can utilise the Drakon regiments quite a bit though. Rampage is a well suited upgrade to the Drakon Lord as he’s a touch lacklustre without it but he’s still quite pricey IMO. It’s a very MSU style formation and I know a certain citizen of Hoeth is keen to try it.

Archers:

The big change people have been asking for has arrived and yeah um meh. I never got the lore argument against range 5+ archers (human stats plus elite is the standard adjustment for elves), and I always argued that whilst at 120pts archers were a useful unit for the list increasing the cost to ~150pts for Range 4+ wouldn’t really leave them a role. As it is defence 3 simply adds emphasis that these are just really bad Gladestalkers. The horde doesn’t seem attractive given there are few good items to buff them and every other shooting unit feels better value than the troops or regiments. I think they will only see a place in a list now when you want the unlock and really really can’t afford the Gladestalkers.

Kindred Warriors:

Anticipating we’d have got accustomed to our loot token donkey Archer regiments the RC have replaced that cheap and cheerful unlock with an equally pointed 120pts Kindered Warrior regiment. Problem is for all the shooting is dead talk, even weak shooting attacks are still quite valuable in the game much more so that mediocre combat attacks. These guys add so little a spears regiment with their protective phalanx or even more so an increasingly tempting seaguard regiment just make a lot more sense if your eager to have a unit for the objective grabbing support unit role. These guys really needed to be 10pts cheaper to even enter the mind of the discerning elf general IMO and they still feel a bit pointless then.

Dragon:

Dragon is an awesome piece one of the heavy hitters in the elf list, present in most successful elf list and as has always been the case in KoW “if it’s a dragon it’s going to be good”. So no idea why it’s got a points drop but I’ll take it. Living legend version looks a lot more competitive with nimble added and points deducted the basic is probably still best most of the time though.

Drakon Lord:

Desperately needed something, rampage would have been nice (good example of why I don’t like the use of formations to fix stuff) points drop is welcome but it still feels 10pts too much for a unit that just falls a bit short in my experience.

Drakon Hatchlings:

I think the Drakon swarms are good as a regiment probably trumping forest guard troops as the go to light chaff unit now. I wouldn’t be surprised if the horde is used effectively by somebody. I don’t have any models do I doubt I’ll use them personally.

Argus Rodinar:

Argus was already pretty good for his points he now seems really cheap for what he does but it still depends on your needs from your character slots so I think you’ll only see him a little bit more now than before but if he fits the list he’s a bargain.

Archmages:

I don’t use trees personally (coming from the high elf side of the family) but definitely a good change to increase surge caster options and help the list work in different ways.

Hunters of the Wild:

Still a very niche unit with its combined rules and still irregular. 90pts is cheap for a troop though so I think there is something there to be explored now. Again lack of models means I won’t be utilising these personally.

Nimue:

Only change I can see is she now has full inspire which is a decent improvement. At the same time I’d like to use her aggressively to get in the back lines turn 2 to get cloak of death working. I haven’t used this type of character before as it’s not really my style but she’s got a great back of tricks and I think she would work really well with the move and shoot style list Cok 22 has opened up.

War Chariots:

I’m assuming being made irregular again was an oversight that will be corrected. Despite this chariots are still unpopular and I think adding the new rule rampage would have been a good change both thematically and in game.

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Hi Paul!

Thanks a lot for your thoughts on the Elven updates in CoK22. It is always great to have insights from the more experienced and successful players on what’s available in the list now.

I certainly hope the changes will result in more varied and diverse armies being taken by the Elven players. Personally, I am very happy with some of them because they emphasize that aspect of the Elven armies that focuses on speed and maneuverability. The formation was a great surprise for someone who have been using Drakon Lord + 2 regiments of Drakon Riders for some time. :slight_smile:

I like the improvement to Sea Guard as well. I really like units that have multiple roles and I will try to find space for them in my army again. Not to mention to have a motivation to finally paint some nice models for them I have but that were kept in the boxes for too long.

Interesting comment about the Chariots. I thought how to include a regiment of those. I used to run one in 2nd edition and even started painting but I did not finish before 3rd edition. After that they changed too much and I was not able to find a role for them under new rules and with increased cost. A pity because such unit looks really good on the table. I did hope they would be updated too but it didn’t happen unfortunately. Same for Chariot Nobles.

I have a feeling that Chariots suffered because the Hordes taken in 2nd edition made the armies quite strong. And when the changes were introduced to mitigate the Hordes, the smaller versions of the unit became even less attractive.

Having said that, I am really happy with the update this time and I hope I will be able to test the army we have discussed elsewhere sooner than later.

Btw, I wonder what do you think about the magic system now and if you have considered any of the new spells for Elven Archmages?

Thanks!

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Thanks Swordy glad you like it.

Chariots are a tricky one as they’re a niche unit type so will only appear sporadically if pointed correctly anyway. If you make them too good for their points you get the heavy chariot builds we saw in 2nd ed after their buffs (elf chariots were actually perfectly pointed imo in 2nd before the buffs, I used a regiment regularly to good effect).

I hadn’t looked at the magic nor items before writing my thoughts on elves I may write something but I fear the main takeaway is lightning bolt remains the clear choice because it’s 99% guaranteed to be useful every turn (plus works well with the shooting upgrades provided) at most what I think we’ll see is popularity in purchasing a 2nd spell on a mage for key moments (Alchemist curse, host of shadow beast etc.)

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Mhhh on spells … I’ve been looking at Lightning Bolt + Alchemist’s Curse + that Amulet that lets you shoot with two spells in a turn once per game … that’s 5 LB Piercing 1 Dice and 6-10 AC Piercing 4 dice in one turn on a 140pts. mage (if I added it up right) … pricey … but tempting. :wink:

After using the amulett, it still gives you a versatile 5 Piercing 1 Dice in the 13-24" rangeband and 6-10 Piercing 4 dice in the 0-12" rangeband.

Alternatively I’ll try swapping out Lightning Bolt entirely on a mounted mage maybe and see how that goes … Piercing 4 on a spell is just too tasty not to at least mess around with it for a while :grin:

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As requested my thoughts on Clash of Kings: Magic and General changes Impact on Elves

New/changed rules:

Rampage and Slayer: seem more of a threat than an opportunity for elves.

Spellward: provides good protection for our opponents from our lightning bolt mages but probably more of a deterrent to those naughty triple lightning bolt Archmage generals. On the plus side is we may face less risk of facing lightning bolt spam armies.

Adjusted Spells and Arcane Abilities: not much of interest here that hadn’t already changed last year imo.

New Spells and Spellcaster Tiers:

I really like the idea of being able to buy different levels of spells to give more flexibility in points and would like to see it expanded to all spells in the future. Whilst tempting to go all in on the highest level of spell to maximise the dice I think flexibility is the best approach only splurging on the expensive options where there is a real need to fill a gap or provide a key ability to your forces.

Veil of Shadows: I like it, I’m not sure if I’ll find the points regularly though as I favour attack over defensive abilities. However, Shooting is a vulnerability for elves so it depends what your facing but if you’re having to storm a war machine encampment creating a protected bubble when you move into striking range could be a game winner.

Celestial Restoration: long range heal, I like the idea of the extra flexibility to cast heal where it’s needed most, it seems an all round better option that classic heal to me especially with the Shroud only adding heal 2 now.

Barkskin: that’s a long spell description. A preemptive heal is really nice for our def 4 hordes of infantry acting as a nerve buff when you might need to absorb a dicey charge.

Alchemist Curse: helpful spell as Elves lack high crushing/piercing options. But would you want it alongside lightning bolt? If you’re going to take it I feel you go all in for the 35pts tier 3 version.

Wither and Perish: anything that influences combats is a big deal. Without access to drain life this is tempting. My hesitation would be it works best at reducing enemy damage from charges you don’t really want to take would it be better to focus on bane chant to kill the unit off instead? It feels like an annoying spell to deal with when facing defence 6 heavy armies.

Scorched Earth: a big potential issue for Elves neutering the potential of our alpha strikes. Main takeaway for me is perhaps we should be taking hex regularly as a potential counter to this threat. I guess it depends if it becomes commonplace in opposing lists.

Host Shadowbeast: I‘m keen to try this out I’m very much of the opinion that fast individuals are too powerful if they have over 5 attacks. I doubt it’s worth it for elves unless you have tooled up king. I’m definitely thinking it’s a good choice when I take the Shardblade of the beast slayer combo on my mounted king. Otherwise you really want more than the CS 1 your other options offer and would be better with bane chant. The top tier is pricey and probably more for the fun of doing something silly like one shotting an infantry horde single handily. I think the bottom tier is the one to go for most of the time 3-5 extra attacks with conjurers staff is sufficient to tip the balance in a key combat where the King is supporting a main unit.

The big question with spells is does this replace lightning bolt as the go to option? I don’t think they do as a primary option but they do encourage mages to take a second spell perhaps instead of boomstick.

Magic Artefacts:

Ones that catch my eye:

Skirmishes Boots: could be fun not sure how effective it will be but worth a try on Forest Guard and maybe a Stormwind Troop. Will lack of height be a big factor.

Helm of the Drunken Ram: could be good on all our main combat options probably not first choice but TC 3 Stormwind or Drakons could be a frightening frontal charge to absorb incase you spiked your hit rolls. as even if hindered 4+ elite TC 2 would still rout light units or be frightening in the flank.

Amulet of Fireheart: Conjurers staff seems better unless your willing to commit to two combat based spells.

Gnome glass shield: could be tempting On a king if you’re in the habit of keeping individuals safe from shooting. Could even be worthwhile to draw out shooting whilst say in cover giving a minus 2 to hit and defence 6 target they really want to hit to prevent facing a defence 6 roadblock in combat.

Torc of Dissonance: potential protection mechanism against Shattered Earth? It seems like it would work after moving 18 inches and doesn’t need line of sight.

Wand of borrowed time: sounds fun idea but unless I’m missing something isn’t it a much worse version of the cheaper Amulet of the Fireheart? I appreciate you can use it multiple times but it’s very hit an miss that you’d get much value out of that.

Boomstick: sensible that something would happen to this, it still feels like probably the most competitive option but not by much. It feels like dropping it in the short term will be worth it just to get out of the rut of having used it in nearly every list for the last 2 years. It may reappear when I take a foot king as he’s a more appealing option than using the Arch mage’s precious item slot.

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Yes I think it’s pricey but probably the way to go. I think conjurers staff might be a bit better than the amulet as you probably get an extra dice every turn (5/6 extra total vs 5 LB) that’s especially good on the turns when you are casting Curse.

Thanks for the review, Paul. I basically agree with everything except that I really like archers being Ra 4+ (even though I have definitely used the “elves are humans with elite”-argument before).

The changes to seaguard, gladestalkers and stormwind cavalry should provide an alternative to the palace guard + drakons + dragon + mages army building process. At the very least, the “everything else is bad”-argument no longer flies if you’re bringing the same list as everybody else. I especially like the seaguard as I’ve always viewed elves as a combined arms army and the new seaguard screams combined arms.

I strongly agree with you that chariots (of all armies really) should have simply kept the profile from the start of 2nd edition. Every change afterwards made things worse.

I also don’t see when you would pick the Torc of Borrowed Time over the Amulet of the Fireheart, but perhaps someone will find a weird combo.

Looking forward to your first CoK22 reports.

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Thanks Geeps glad you found it helpful. I think Seaguard are going to be really good. If it was me I’d have rolled back the points drop if they were going to give them steady aim I think it’s that a huge upgrade to a unit I think people were already under rating.

I thought I heard that the new Ram helm does not give any bonus when the unit is hindered?

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It just gives thunderous charge so yeah, that won t work if hindered. And it also says you can t use pathfinder/strider, right?

Been thinking of putting it on a Drakon Horde …

No it’s that you can’t use path finder or strider when charging. So it’s a hindered charge which costs you 1 TC and -1 to hit so still 4+ TC 2

You only lose 1 TC when hindered not all of it.

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Oups you’re right. I must have been thinking of Phalanx :wink:

My bad, I was thinking of the TC bonus from hills (“makes a Charge that is not Hindered”).