BATTLE REPORT- UNDEAD vs CHAOS DAEMON - 2 000 pts
"The mist were swirling in mountains where a caravan of undead slowly advances. At the rear are 5 wagons ladden with chests and coffins. At the head walk a figure dressed in a torn, dirty and old robe, it must have been bloodred once but is now stained and dark. A few horsemen scout ahead but never really leaving the caravan. Suddenly a winged Daemon fly over head, his skin the colour of stained brass and slicing the air with a whip.
Mutters can be heard from the robed figure as he cast his hood back to look up his face is revealed. Its skin is dried to the skull and in the eyesockets burn a piercing jade fire. A motion and skeletons slowly form into units, the coffins are opened and half a dozen mummies climb from the wagons and slowly move over to the figure.
A ghostly shadow float over to him "What is thine bidding Master Dunsteder?" the skeleton figure turn and with a rasping voice he declare: "I, Arch-Liche Marcus Dunsteder, need a vial of Daemon blood. How fortunate that one has presented itself to us".
The Undeads move in among the hills and patches of woods in search of the Daemon blood, with or with out the Daemon attached to it."
I was attending a games weekend and this was the 2nd day. I had just woken up and was drinking the last, and cold, coffee from yesterday and were commenting on the models of a chaos player. He had only painted a flesh hound and a flamer but they looked real good. Since he was looking for a battle I agreed to fight him, after I had eaten breakfurst. Most opponents during this weekend are found within shouting distance "anyone wanna play warhammer?" or when commenting on a battle or some models.
I had seen this guy fight a battle earlier that day and he had used 2 units of 10 Fleshhounds, a unit of 7 Blood Crushers and a Bloodthirster. I was worried about his Daemon Prince, Bloodthirster and Lord of Change models, but then in a freak gust of insight saw that they all had wings and thus were flyers. I suspected that his Warlords would be flyers and I took the Talisman of Obsidian for my Liche to reduce their chanses of killing him. I wanted him protected from challenges and took a Wraith with additional hand weapon and Van Horstmanns Speculum, a Bloodthirster would have a hard time killing him with S3 against T7. The unit they were with were given the Banner of Defiance to ensure that they could hold the charge.
I realized that offensive magic would not stop the Fleshhounds and that most of the Necromancy spells would not harm the Daemons. I decided to try to create as many Skeletons as I could as well as Chariots to take down an eventual Bloodthirster with rear and flank charges and wither down stubborn Daemons with Chariots. I was going to take Raise the Dead, Vanhels and Summon Undead Horde and disregard the other killer spells. I thought about taking the Staff of Damnation but I had taken the Rod of Power and had used my 4 slots, as I calculated the army I saw I had gone over with more than 200 pts and removed the Rod and the Necromancer Champion. Looking back that put me in a delicate situation if I ended up with few power cards, but I was hard pressed to set up and play so I just grabbed the first model I saw and thus the Necromancer were left to guard the treasure wagons.
I was set on a defensive formation and took an additional unit of 10 Skeletons to guard from flankers, I would raise and summon more Skeletons in the first turns to increase their rank bonus. They were given the Banner of Sorcery to provide me with some extra Wind od Magic cards. The 2nd support unit were 6 Mummies with a banner, they would hold the charge of Fleshhounds with T5 and 4 wounds and their double handed weapons were not magical and would smash the Daemons back to the Chaos Wastes with their S6 attacks.
What I really wanted one tough offensive unit that would try to flank one tough Daemon unit and take it out before it reached my battle line. I decided that my Horsmen would make great mounted Wights. I wanted the Battle Banner to ensure victory and took a Wight Battle Standard Bearer to be able to include it. I thought on not taking a regimental standard to hide his presence but decided that an additional banner would outweight the advantage of surprise. The unit were tooled up with heavy armour and shield to be able to take some damage. I gave them spears to get S+1 when charging and since the they would probably be after the Fleshhounds the Wight Blades were out anyway.
UNDEAD
Arch-Liche Marcus Dunsteder at 470 pts
Talisman of Ravensdark, Black Amulett, Blade of Ensorcelled Iron
With The Forsaken
Wraith - The Former Apprentice- at 111 pts
Van Horstmanns Speculum, additional hand weapon
Champion of The Forsaken
Wight Battle Standard Bearer at 195 pts
Mounted on steed, Heavy armour, shield, lance, Battle banner and Battle standard
With the Tomb Guard
10 Skeletons - The Undertakers- at 121 pts
Mus, std, Banner of Sorcery
23 Skeletons - The Forsaken - at 275 pts
Spear, mus, std, Banner of Defiance
9 Mounted Wights - The Tomb Guard - at 495 pts
Heavy armour, shield, mounted on steeds, spear, std, mus
6 Mummies - Bone Crushers - at 329 pts
Double handed weapons, std
Total: 1996
CHAOS
Daemon Prince of Tzentch at 330
All seeing eye, Lord of Chaos
Note: I cant work out the pts on this Prince. In his armylist sheet he is listed to cost
400 pts and in the battle he was used as a 3rd level sorcerer.
10 Flamers at 500 pts
Daemon Prince of Khorne at 360 pts
Whip and Axe
Arrogance
10 Flesh Hounds at 350
11 Fleshhounds at 385
Total: 1925
BATTLEFIELD
I placed the scenario while he was arranging his units and we altered it together till we
agreed on it. The battle was going down among several hills and woods but with enough
space between them to allow all our units to fit through. We were playing on one half of a
table tennis board and deployed up to 12" onto the table.
We roll 2D6 and the one scoring highest got to deploy, he rolled highest and I
carefully placed my units so that the Tomb Guards with the Battle Banner could trace a
route to charge one Fleshhound unit. I was very relieved to see that he didnt use his
Bloodthirster and that his units were no larger than 11 models, my superior rank bonus and
standards would give me a good head starts in the hand to hand phase. The other units
lined up to receive a charge, the Forsaken in the middle and the Bone Crushers and
Undertakers on each side to prevent flanking and to attack flanks. They were deployed
slightly behind the wood and hill to further prevent flankers.
---------------------------
4
3 5
hill
wood
Wooden
hill hill
hill wood
1 2
----------------------------
1 - Tomb Guard
2 - Undertakers, Forsaken, Bone Crusher
3 - The 2 Daemon Princes
4 - Both units of Fleshhounds
5 - Flamers
THE BATTLE
I choose my 3 spells and took Raise the Dead, Vanhels and Summon Undead Horde. He used his
Storm of Chaos Chaos Gift and killed 2 Skelletons from the Undertakers. I rolled 4 cards
for my Banner of Sorcery and got 4 Power Cards (those could come in handy). He used
Allseeing Eye to look at Dunsteders Spells and Magic Items, I got a bad feeling as he now
knew I had the Talisman of Obsidian. Not to mention I lost Summon Undead Horde.
We rolled 5 turns for the Battle and then we rolled 2D6 each and the highest roll would get the first turn, the dice were with me this far and I got the first turn.
UNDEAD TURN I
The Tomb Guards move in between the hill and the wooden hill on the left. None of the
other units moved. The onlookers laughed as I rolled the dice for WoM after 20 seconds of
moving units. I realized that he had a wizard too, presumable the Tzeentchian Daemon
Prince. I rolled no Power Cards and didnt want to waste the ones in the Banner of Sorcery
this early. I told him I did nothing and after less than a minute I turned over to him,
there were more laughter from the bystanders.
CHAOS TURN I
The Fleshounds move between the wooden hill and wood on the left, the 2nd Fleshhound units
is moved up behind the first. I wonder if this was a deliberate action to catch my Tomb
Guard if they manage to break the first unit or if he resigned as he could not fit both
units into the space? The Daemon Princes fly forward and land in the middle hill, the
Khorne Prince land in a patch of wood. Im scared by their huge movement. The Flamers move
past the wood on the right. In the Magic Phase I was dealt 3 Power Cards - only - and
Firestorm is cast on the Forsaken umolested. The Wraith take a wound as well as 5 Skellies
killed and 2 Pink Horrors are Created.
UNDEAD TURN II
The Undertakers shift slightly to face the Pink Horrors. The Tomb Guard charge the first
Fleshhound unit to prevent them from charging the Forsaken next turn. Arch-Liche Dunsteder
and the Wraith kill the Horrors who manage to miss the Liche and 4 Blue Horrors are
created. The Tomb Guard wound a Fleshhound using their spears, they take 4 wounds back but
I win the combat due to my 2 standards and the Battle Banner. He roll doubles 6s for Break
test and I catch them fleeing, this carried them away from the 2nd Fleshhound unit and
lined them up for a rear attack.
I rolled double 1s for WoM but managed to get a power card and used Vanhels to turn the Tomb Guard around and moved them out of the Fleshhounds charge arc.
CHAOS TURN II
The Tzeentchian Prince fly over to the hill on my tableedge, the Flamers march through the
hill and wood on the right. The Fleshhounds wheel to face the Tomb Guard and the Khornate
Prince move out of the woods. The Blue Horrors strike first and kill 3 skellies, the
Horrors are then wiped out by the Wraith and Arch-Liche Dunsteder.
The Tzeentchian Prince try to cast Glean Magic but I dispell it, boosting with 3 power cards in a paniced attempt to keep my two remaining spells. I had lost Summon Horde before the battle and didnt want to risk loosing Vanhels.
UNDEAD TURN III
The Tomb Guard charge the Fleshounds not wanting to hang around to be charged. The other
units move toward the Flamers to be able to charge them with their next move, I intend to
use Vanhels in the Magic Phase to charge the Flamers before they get the drop on the
Mummies. The Tomb Guards miss all their attacks and a steed inflict a single wound (and
these are supose to be mighty undead champions, bah), once again the Battle Banner tip the
fight and the Fleshhounds break suprisingly and flee off the table. The Tomb Guard pursue
but do not reach the table edge, I now exhale and roll for WoM.
I get 3 power cards and use Vanhels to charge the Flamers with the Undertakers and the Forsaken and I wheel the Tomb Guard to face the Daemon Prince of Khorne. I had intended to use Banner of Sorcery cards to keep trying to cast but he didnt have any dispels and they all worked on the first attempt. Im very satisfied with only one Daemon Prince being able to charge the Forsaken and that the Bone Crushers are set up to charge that Prince in the flank if he tries. I turn over to my opponent who seem offset with my evil grin as I look at his Tzentchian Prince.
CHAOS TURN III
Im surprised find that the Tzeentchian Prince do not charge, I must have scared him off
with my evil grin and Mummies. The Khornate Prince charge the Tombguards and kill the
battle Standard Bearer, however he loose the combat by one due to my standard and is
driven off. The Wraith inflict a single wound on the flamers and Dunsteder kill 3, in
return 3 skellies are burned to crisp. The Flamers break on a roll of 11 but the
Undertakers fail to catch them. The Forsaken hold due to Banner of Defiance.
The Tzentchian Prince use Total Powered Glean Magic to snatch my Raise Dead spell. He then raise a unit of 6 skellies to block of the Undertakers from pursuing the Flamers.
UNDEAD TURN IV
The Tomb Guard wheel and move behind the central hill to hide from the Khorne Prince. The
Undertakers charge the skellies and the Forsaken and Bone Crushers shift slightly. The
Undertakers kill 2 skellies and the rest crumble due to Combat Resolution, however they
did a great job keeping the Flamers alive for another turn.
The Magic phase is once again low on cards but I use Vanhel to charge the Undertakers into the Flamers.
CHAOS TURN IV
The Flamers flee from the Undertakers charge who once again fail to catch them. The
Khornate Prince fly high and the Tzentchian Prince shift slightly and try to cast Bolt of
Change at Arch-Liche Dunsteded but is told that it need LOS. He grumble and cast Firestorm
on the Bone Crushers killing one and creating a single Horror.
UNDEAD TURN V
The Undertakers charge and finally chatches the Flamers. I refuse to turn the Forsaken
around, although this open up for a rear attack from the Tzenthian Prince it do prevent
him from casting Bolt of Change at Dunsteder. The Bonecrushers kill the Pink Horror and 2
Blue Horrors are created.
I try to Vanhel the Tomb Guard but he use Mental Duel, without boosting I inflict a wound on his Tzentchian Prince. He is utterly offset by this. Grabbing the table and preparing for the impact of 2 Daemon Princes I turn over to him.
CHAOS TURN V
The Khornate Prince drop from the sky into the Forsaken while the Tzentchian Prince charge
the Tomb Guards. The Khornate Prince issue a challenge and the Wraith step forward, I
reveal the Van Horstmans Speculum and he is very offset by this change of plan. The Wraith
inflict one wound and the Prince fail to hit him at all due to Talisman of Ravensdark, the
Prince flee but the Forsaken is prevented from pursuit due to the Banner of Defiance. The
Bone Crushers wipe out the Blue Horrors. The Tzentchian Prince inflict 2 wounds on the
Tomb Guard, killing a Wight, they hold on double 1s.
In the Magic Phase he use Changing of the Ways to rob me of 2 WoM cards leaving me with 2 Power cards. He cast Firestorm on the Bone Crushers but is informed that it strike the first model in its path, meaning the unit he is in hand to hand combat with! He inflict 2 wounds and a wound on himself, creating a Horror! The Lord of Change work in mysterious ways to create Daemon minions.
Undead VP- 19
Chaos VP - 2
AFTERTHOUGHT
I was on my toes for the entire battle and really enjouyed it. It was close down to the
last turn and the Magic phase was very balanced. I manevoured my units into the right
positions and was pleased to see that it worked to block of his attacks. Though things
could have gone horrible wrrong if I had not been able to cast Vanhels, next time I will
inlcude my usual Necromancer Champion with Staff of Damnation. To my surprise I never
raised any Skeletons and never used Vanhels to fight another round of combat.
"The caravan was moving again. A pile of bones are lying in a basket on top of a wagon, and two chests are filled with vials containing a dark and thick fluid. The caravan of the dead never stop save to pick up a few more hikers…"
COMMENTS FROM CHAOS PLAYER
"Should have just attacked the Liche with the Daemon Prince, not challenging him. I
should also have moved the Flamers in a different way to engage the Mummies. In overall a
fun fight with various armies."