Battle Report 4: Sylvan Kin vs Rhordia, Invade, 2000 points

How much wood can a wood chop chop if would chop could chop wood?

Lists

He Besmirched my Honour (Rhordia)

Honour Guard (Horde) 240 - Staying Stone 5 - Indomitable Will 10 Honour Guard (Horde) 240 - Indomitable Will 10 Volley Gun 80 Volley Gun 80 Spear Phalanx (Horde) 200 - Indomitable Will 10 - Exchange Spears for Pikes, gaining Ensnare 30 Dogs of War (Horde) 175 - Indomitable Will 10 - The Shields of Hetronburg [1] - Defence to 5+, gain Phalanx and Ensnare 90 Mounted Scouts* (Troop) 100 - Exchange Shortbows for Blackpowder Weapons: 18", Piercing (1), Steady Aim 10 Mounted Scouts* (Troop) 100 - Exchange Shortbows for Blackpowder Weapons: 18", Piercing (1), Steady Aim 10 Halfling Braves (Regiment) 80 Halfling Braves (Regiment) 80 Battle Shrine [1] 150 Wizard 50 - Conjurer's Staff 10 - Bane Chant (2) 20 - Mount on a Pegasus, losing Individual, gaining Fly and Nimble as well as increasing Speed to 10 and changing to Hero (Lrg Cav - Height: 4, Unit Strength: 1) 35 - Replace Fireball (6) with Lightning Bolt (3) 0 Halfling Master Sergeant 55 - Mount on a war pony, increasing Speed to 8 and changing to Hero (Cav - Height: 3) 25 - Loyalist Standard [1] - gain Aura (Spellward) 15 Halfling Master Sergeant 55 - Mount on a war pony, increasing Speed to 8 and changing to Hero (Cav - Height: 3) 25 ------------------------- Total Unit Strength: 21 Total Units: 14 Target Points: 2000 Core (Target%): 2000 (100%)

Full of Wood (Sylvan Kin)

Deployment

Dave:

I didn’t really have a plan… which means one thing….

So on that note I did the 1 thing I always kick myself for and deployed in a straight line.

I did put the glade stalkers in cover early so they can sit and shoot all game, in the end it looks like I more forced area denial as Matt deployed his whole force away from them so I only have def 5 targets unfortunately.

My centre is of the 3 strong tree units and green lady, I think these will survive all game, however the key is keeping them supported.

Now on the left I’ve got some speed in the boskwraiths but I need to be tricky and not thrown them away early. I’m confident they will chew through the braves however I do also think they will die quickly to the light shooting.

Matt:

When I threw this list together I did it with limited inspiring because of the IW. However I don’t want to be using that early turns so I was reasonably sure that I wanted to deploy in a couple of groups. Double phalanx with 4/5 defence is so good so that was going to be my wall with the honour guard following. I dropped a horde first in the middle to see what that would draw out, whether it be avoidance or challenge. As the trees went centrally I deployed the wall with second linen the middle and made use of the trees for the organ guns but also giving them a reasonable wide field of vision.

Quite early I dropped a halfling regiment on the flank, if he countered it he would spread out which I don’t think is great for him and if not they could shoot down the edge. When he countered, I stacked a bit harder to encourage more of that spread. This was definitely more of a reactive deployment game for me

Scout

Turn 1: Dave/Sylvan Kin

Basically just positioned further up the board on top of my scout moves. I did shoot the glade stalkers doing some plink damage of a few wounds but nothing monumental. I’m really just ready to react to matt now.

Turn 1: Matt/Rhordia

On the left hand side of the screen I repositioned the mounted scouts to give them both a clear shot at the bosks. Because of the P1 I thought wounding 2’s I could be lucky and pop them causing Dave bigger problems. In the middle I only moved slightly starting to stagger my units but giving the two lightning options uncovered shotes on the shamblers as I wanted to unleash all the shooting on one unit. If I could take down a block of US early I’d have him on the back foot.

Shooting. the scouts did 4 wounds on the bosks. The combined organ guns did 6 wounds. The shrine 2 and the wizard one. Nerve tests I popped the shamblers on first roll but were saved by one on the re roll. The bosks did a dirty naked dance in front of me, but honestly I enjoyed it.

Turn 2: Dave/Sylvan Kin

Well a subpar attempt at healing from the green lady brings back 1 wound on the shamblers, luckily radiance of life brings me another. I also managed to barkskin them for 4 bonus wounds for the following turn.

I’ve manoeuvred my hunters for a flank which will hopefully stop matts advance a little and force some movement changes.

I fired all my glade stalkers into his exposed wizard and managed 3 wound. Got a lucky spike on nerve but was saved on the reroll.

Over on the left I’ve pushed my hunters up front to protect my boskwraith troops. I’ll look to push over the 2nd troop, hopefully matt is too caught up shooting at my def 5 shamblers to target them as they will easily die to a volley gun.

Turn 2: Matt/Rhordia

I feel Dave made a mistake shooting at the wizard. IMO that unit was the least likely to do anything this game. With no heal options other than IR on the honour guard I would’ve been taking something else down slowly.

I charged the braves into the hunters to hold them up and repositioned the scouts to get shots on the bark skinned shamblers. If they could take a couple off then the organ guns should be able to do the rest. That allowed me to create a phalanx wall with everything in the front there’s very little chance he can take both off but he could take one off and I’ll accept that in order to get the second wave in. It also allowed me to reposition my lightning to start shooting at the GS

The shooting phase. The mounted scouts managed to take all the bark skin tokens off and then the OG managed another 7 wounds to have them in big danger. The lightning options did one wound each on the GS. The shambler popped and became a bunch of twigs and leaves to me trample on and give me butt wiping options if I get desperate.

The braves did 0 wounds but blocked that flank successfully

Turn 3: Dave/Sylvan Kin

Ok so now is about the time I really study Matts list (a big mistake) and notice his two hordes I need to crack have ensnare… well you know what matt… I have -/19 def 6 and -/17 def 5 with radiance of life and heal 6…. Lets grind…. (and in your table half) All I need to do now it keep the wilt father and awaken guardians alive because that’s holding up 8US and the rest of matts main army.

Over on the left I’ve held up his braves with my hunters (def 5 again) and am forcing the grind.

On the far right I’ve positioned my hunters, charge the wizard with my boskwraith and popped it and lastly positioned and fired my glade stalkers to give matt nothing but bad options.

I’m concerned about what shenanigans matt can pull with the scouts on the left however if he moves too close I should get the shot on them with my glade stalkers, however this is very much a plan B.

Current score is 11US to me, 0 to Matt

Turn 3: Matt/Rhordia

Again I wasn’t unhappy to lose the wizard. They were surplus to needs and the pike had done the jump of being reasonably indestructible on that first charge. Theoretically they should both survive another 1-2 charges but never count your chickens in kings. Or if you do only count them so you can calculate eggs per day, then the average amount of eggs per year and then how many you can consume yourself vs give away.

On the left the braves continued their job of holding up whilst my other units moved around. They could die at any moment but their job is reasonably done at this point. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to shoot that unit off so at this point I’m considering Dave having 3 US on my side of the board and the hob is to outscore. The scouts positioned os they couldn’t be seen by the bottom books but could shoot unhindered. The mounted handling positioned to still inspire the braves to try and squeeze an extra turn out of them.

The left honour guard was a bit of a failure I should’ve sidestepped them last turn as their leader point meant they had to go to the left if they wanted to charge and I couldn’tt complete that. So I sidestepped to address that next turn. I double charged the Awoken guardians with he shrine and horde with a chance to get lucky and pop them. I may end up losing the shrink but so be it.

The hunters flanking around were a bit annoying I decided to charge with the honour guard and position the character to hopefully block up a flank charge from the gladestalkers. I think this was mistake as the boss can move and I THINK they’ll still be able to complete, not sure though I didn’t look at it too carefully. Either way the stalkers will be hindered over the obstacle and being the sylvan version only hit on 4s.

Shooting the left books died after 2 more wounds and that was that.

Combat the braves did 2 wounds, the pike 4 on Wilty, shrine and dogs combined 8 on the guardians and the honour guard 5 on the hunters.

Barring horrendous dice im feeling reasonably comfortable at this point

Turn 4: Dave/Sylvan Kin

PIC MISSING SORRY!

HOLD THE LINE! Please….

I did a sneaky withdraw with Wilt father and block with the Green Lady. I don’t want to lose her however I don’t have much choice. This should hopefully stop Matt from placing his HG unless he does some serious movement shenanigans.

I managed a flank on his other HG with my glade stalkers charging through his not so mighty mounted sergeant, and then piled in for combat with the rest of my force.

Any my movement wrapped up with The Wilt father green lady combo sharing lots of love with radiance of life and cloak of death My mage totally fluffed bane chant on the very Woke guardians rolling 1s, luckily I got a reroll from master of magic, and failed them as well. And the GL did below average again with heal to take 2 wounds of them.

My glade stalkers had a spiked roll of shooting and did 7 wounds on matts mounted scout troop taking them off easily.

Wrapping up combat, my army piled on a few wounds in most combats, however the guardians managed 9 wounds and took of his war shrine, good by rally 2 Matt.

2 turns to go, I just need to hold on a little longer.

Current score me 13 US Matt 0

Turn 4: Matt/Rhordia

Using the Green Lady as chaff! The Celestians would be shocked!

Using the IW on the honour guard definitely paid off, they countered the hunters, the braves kept doing their thing on the other hunters. Whilst the rest of things danced forward on the left

The pike charge wilt father, the dogs of war charged the boskwraiths and the honour Guard charge the only viable target, the green lady. The Halfling sergeant charged the bottom pesky GS who had taken off my troop of scouts. There was no viable shooting so straight into combat.

The braves on the left had another round of doing no wounds but kept holding up the hunters

The pike did two wounds on Wilty. The HG did 8 on the green lady and fell one short of popping her on the re roll. The right honour guard leaned up the hunters and pivoted back towards the centre. The Dogs of War smashed the boskwraiths and then bounced back. At this point I'm still reasonably confident.

Turn 5: Dave/Sylvan Kin

Well I needed some good dice an I got it.

I counter charged across the board, with the exception of withdrawing my wilt father, pivoted and moved into a position that put cloak of death on the dogs of war. (Originally I had charged into the honour guard regiment, however the video ref revealed it should have been a flank charge so I had to settle for the poor movement choice instead.

Bane chant finally went off on the awakened guardians and they charged into the dogs of war horde.

The glade stalkers only did 3 wounds on the sergeant but I spiked the nerve roll twice to take him off. My guardians piled on a few wounds and I managed 22 exactly to break them as well. Over on the left my dice failed me needing a 4 to break and rolling a 3.

lastly the top Honour guard horde… my glade stalkers looking for revenge for the fallen hunters and mainly just wanted to push nerve again managed 2 more wounds however Matt popped indominable will, and needing 18 twice I got 16 on the reroll…. And indominable will not only grants inspiring self but fearless as well…. RIP glade stalkers next turn.

Turn 5: Matt/Rhordia

So I really big mistake could cut me the game here. Not popping the IW on the dogs of war horde. All of a sudden I'm in a position where I could lose!

I was also surprised the sergeant went down so easily but that was a risk I had to take.

The left braves were wavered so remained where they were. The other braves kept moving into position to score and organ guns to provide some fire if necessary. The handling sergeant charged the bottom books to keep them on that side of the board whilst the last troop of scouts moved around the back. I didn't want the Wiltfather getting rears etc so he got double charges and the tope right GS got charged by the HG.

No shooting again so in combat the handling sergeant did one wound to the books but failed to break them. Wiltfather died crashing into the hillside. The pike reformed to march onto the opposite side next turn and the HG reformed to face the centre. The HG on o the top right made short work of the GS by doing 11 wounds and then over ran forward

Turn 6: Dave/Sylvan Kin

Its all or nothing for me now… Currently scoring 6 I need to thin matts ranks,

My guardians charged into the honour guard supported by bane chant and finally not effected by ensnare piled on 7 wounds but failed to break them, and now are looking pretty exposed going into Matt’s turn.

My last unit of glade stalkers fired off into Matt’s honour guard doing some plink damage, forcing the nerve check and removed them from the game.

Lastly over on the left my hunters finally chew through the braves, breaking them and refacing down the table to potentially catch Matt off guard if he is silly with his movement.

Score at the end of my turn: Me – 9, Matt – 1 (however I see an easy 7 if he moves south with his horde and braves).

Turn 6: Matt/Rhordia

Damn those gladestalkers, with the top right HG gone I am a massive chance of losing . The braves march forward but stay out of range of the hunters. The troop of scouts and the sergeant double charge the books.

The organ guns position to cover both sides of the board in case of 7. The pike march forward and the HG charge the shambles. I pop my IW on the HG in case of next turn. At the end of movement its 9 - 7 but if I can take the shambles off I win.

In combat the bosks die but the HG only do 4 wounds and fail to route the shambles! Now I need a 7.

WE ARE GOING TO 7 BABY!

Turn 7: Dave/Sylvan Kin

Well…. Matt has failed to break my shambles and now its all up to me, I have a flank with my glade stalkers and counter charged with my bane chanted guardians. I’ve piled on the wounds and its down to snakes pretty much to break them, Matt popped indominable will so I’ll need to do it twice….. and I got snakes on the re roll…

Turn 7: Matt/Rhordia

I just need to kill the Shamblers to win. And I do.

Wrap up

Dave:

Losing it on the turn by snakes on the reroll… Wow, but honestly I didn’t think I deserved to get that close, fluffing through deployment with no real idea, only coming up with a game plan in turn 3 I feel like I should have been destroyed much earlier.

If I want to take my game up a level I really need to improve deployment, list building only get you so far if you fail to execute you’re not gonna win.

The positives I will take away from the game was being able to play it in Matts half, and scenarios like invade and control that can win you games. Going into this game I never really saw the value in scout however seeing how this game played out and how I was able to pick where we meet on the battle field I like it a lot more.

Matt: That big mistake almost cost me. Also the mis-positioning of my honour guard early was poor. Again I felt in a position where I was dominating and almost lost, deserved to lose really, was lucky to get away with it. But suck it Dave anyway.