King in the Woods v’s King under the Mountain
Pre game thoughts- I’ve never used Orion before, mainly because I don’t think he’s worth the points. It does seem a shame, I’ve got him painted up, so I’m determined to try him out. Against dwarfs he’ll be shot easily with a runic war machines, so I’m thinking of moving him around one flank, and using woods to block
LoS to him. Let him use his bolt thrower arrows to kill a few dwarfs, then charge in.
Combat resolution will be a problem for me, against most units I’m going to be 5 down before dice are rolled. I’ll try and flank with treekin and treemen, I’ve got to watch out for oath stones as well.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/orion.jpg
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/orion1.jpg
3,000 point Wood Elf army
Orion……….575
Kyrandeer Shadowstep, spellweaver (
lvl 4)pwr
st,
st rebirth,ranu’s heartstone,steed..343
Quavol Nightbreeze, spellsinger (
lvl 2) elven steed……..137
Drullitsoar Oakenheel, spellsinger (
lvl 2) elven steed….137
Elluvatarr Moonwhisper, Spellsinger (
lvl 2)……………125
5 Wild Riders …lgt arm, sp, mus, std ………. 148
8 Dryads……..96
8 Dryads…..…96
8 Dryads….….96
3 Treekin……195
3 Treekin……195
1 Treeman (Leaflock)……..285
1 Treeman (Longbranch)…..285
1 Treeman (Quickroot)…....285
For spells I roll;
Kyrandeer = (Life) Mistress of marsh, Rain lord, Gift of life, Master of stone
Quavol = Tree singing, hidden path….Drullitsoar = Tree singing, Fury of forest
Elluvatarr = Tree singing, Fury of forest
3,000 point Dwarf army (not got his list, but this is roughly what he took)
Dwarf Lord, shield bearers (always wounds on 2+, 1+
AS, probably more runes)
RuneLord (flame axe, 4+ ward save, dispel that can also destroy the spell)
Thane (don’t know his items)
Runesmith (3 runes that are the same as dispel scrolls)
Dragon Slayer (Axe that’s
ASF, +1Str, and +1attack)
20 Warriors hvy armour,
sh, full
cmd
20 Warriors hvy armour,
sh, full
cmd
20 Troll Slayers
22 Longbeards
22 Ironbreakers
10 Quarrellers
10 Thunderers
2 Bolt Throwers, both engineers
1 Organ Gun
1 Gyrocopter
Terrain
We chose 2 hills and 2 woods for the terrain, and the bonus small wood was placed after sides were determined. This battle took place on a 6ft x 4ft board.
Background
A low mist envelops the land. The forest lies silent, as if holding its’ breath. It’s been two days since the dwarves rangers scouted ahead into the forest, there’s been no word of them since.
Dwarf Lord Grundull Ironhand remains patient and vigilant. Grudge number 1,847 tells the tale of Griff, the son of a Dwarf Lord that ventured into Athel Loren 50 years ago. No one has seen him since, but rumours have surfaced again recently. Rangers have reported sightings of a young Dwarf near the forest borders, wearing Griffs distinctive gold and red armour. Within a week Grundull had gathered a force together, and postioned himself at the edge of Athel Loren waiting for signs of his son.
A loud horn blares, echoing through the forest. The dwarfs rush into position. The earth thunders with the sound of cloven hooves. Orion has awoken. To stand in his path is to stand before the fury of the storm.
Deployment
Wood Elves
1) Left Flank; wild riders (incl. Orion), spellweaver, spellsinger, treeman (Longbranch), treekin, dryads
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport002.jpg
2) Right Flank; dryads, treeman (Leaflock), spellsinger, dryads, treeman (Quickroot), spellsinger, treekin
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport003.jpg
Dwarfs
From his left to right; Gyrocopter, 20 warriors (runelord), 22 ironbreakers (Thane on shield), 10 thunderers, 10 quallerers, on the hill are 2 bolt throwers with an organ gun in the middle.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport005.jpg
The other side of the hill are 20 warriors, 20 troll slayers (dragon slayer), 22 long beards (2 characters)
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport004.jpg
The whole battlefield;
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport001.jpg
The wood elves win the first turn
Wood Elf Turn 1
I move as many troops as I can into the woods to gain extra movement from tree surfing. Orion and his wild riders gallop around the left flank to set up a charge.
In the magic phase I cast tree singing 6 times (2 dispelled), making sure Orion can’t be shot at.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport008.jpg
Dwarf Turn 1
The slayers and long beards manoeuvre so they face Orion and the units tree-surfing head on. The gyrocopter flies to the side of the wood, but it’s str3 steam isn’t powerful enough to do any damage.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport009.jpg
Two bolt throwers, an organ gun, quallerers and thunderers can all aim at dryads. It proves difficult to shoot at skirmishers in woods, and the units using
BS kill 1 dryad. The organ gun kills another 2.
Wood Elf Turn 2
I position all my units at the edge of the woods, so they can charge next turn. Orion wheels around for a possible flank charge next turn (I know he doesn’t have an oath stone because there’s two characters in the unit)
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport010.jpg
He fires his bow, and skewers 3 longbeards. The woods move closer, and Rain Lord is cast on the far left bolt thrower (gives it another -1 to hit)
Dwarf Turn 2
On my left the longbeards and troll slayers position themselves so I can’t flank with Orion
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport013.jpg
10 Thunderers and 10 Quarrellers fire at more dryads, killing another 3. The gyrocopter keeps failing to wound my spellsingers, but kills another dryad.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport012.jpg
The bolt thrower affected by the Rain Lord spell fires at a Treeman. 4’s would be needed to hit, but he uses a “hit on a 2+ rune” then rolls a 1. The other bolt thrower shoots at another treeman (quickroot) and inflicts 3 wounds. The Organ Gun misfires, explodes and kills the crew.
Wood Elf Turn 3
The wild riders and Orion unit, and a Treeman (Longbranch) declare a charge against the Longbeards. Everyone within 18” is immune to Orion’s panic test from his horn of the hunt. The longbeards fail their terror test, flee and are caught by the fast moving Orion unit.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport014.jpg
Right next to them the treekin and dryads charge the troll slayers. A dragon slayer with an
ASF rune weapon wounds a treekin. The treekin wound the dragon slayer and kill 1 slayer. Everyone else misses. I lose the combat by 4, both units fail the break test and both units outrun the pursuing slayers. Before they flee the woods behind the combat moves so I can damage units not in combat.
In the centre of the table a unit of dryads and a treeman charge a unit of dwarf warriors. Four dwarfs are crushed, I lose the combat but pass the break tests.
On the far a unit of dryads and a treeman charge the thunderers, they also fail their terror and flee out of range. This leaves the treeman in front of a dwarf lord and 20 ironbreakers
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport015.jpg
Dwarf Turn 3
The thunderers rally. The ironbreakers (contains dwarf lord) charge a treeman, and next to them the warrior unit charges 3 treekin. (the warrior unit is immune to fear and terror somehow, must be a rune standard)
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport019.jpg
The troll slayer unit charges the fleeing dryads and treekin. Starting 3” away, the dryads roll a 3 and are caught. The treekin flee another 9”.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport018.jpg
In the shooting phase a bolt thrower kills 1 wild rider. The other bolt thrower aims at my spell weaver in the woods, but misses. The quarrellers aim at the stranded dryads (the unit that charged the thunderers) and another 2 dryads fall.
In the centre of the table a treeman kills another 4 dwarf warriors, and 3 dryads kill another one. The combat ends in a draw, which I lose by 1 because of his musician. Using Orions
Ld the treeman reamins in combat, but the dryads flee.
On the far right the Dwarf Lord hit’s the treeman twice. He has a rune that allows him to wound on a 2+, and rolls two 2’s. My treeman has all his attacks against the Dwarf Lord, but misses all of them.
Next to them in the woods the dwarf warriors draw their axes ready to chop up some treekin. Only the runelord hits with his flaming axe, this is converted into 2 wounds. I have 9 attacks back, and miss with all of them. The treekin then flee, the warriors pursue but fail to catch them.
Wood Elf Turn 4
The treekin running away from the slayers don’t rally. The other treekin unit does rally. The dryads that ran from the warriors in the centre rally.
Orion and his wild riders charge a bolt thrower. Dryads at the bottom of the hill charge the other bolt thrower.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport023.jpg
In my magic phase everyone that can cast tree singing can cast it on the dwarf warriors in the woods. This is unlimited range, cast on 4+ ,
d6 str5 hits. 10 dwarf warriors die. One troll slayer is killed from fury of the forest.
In the shooting phase a treeman kills 1 quarreller
Orion easily slays all the bolt thrower crew and overruns into the thunderers. The dryads on the bolt thrower do the same.
In the centre the treeman continues to smash squishy dwarf warriors, another 3 this turn.
The Dwarf Lord cuts down the treeman he’s attacking.
Dwarf Turn 4
The iron breakers quickly move away from the woods. Troll slayers turn to try and rejoin the battle. Quarrellers reform to face the treeman so they can possibly stand and fire. The gyrocopter continues blasting spellweavers with steam, but fails to hit or wound any.
The depleted dwarf warriors and runelord unit bravely charge the treekin. This time I kill 4 dwarfs, and he doesn’t wound a single treekin. At first I think I’ve won with outnumber by a fear causing creature, then he tells me he has the rune of courage and passes his break test.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport025.jpg
Orion, the wild riders and the dryads wipe out all the thunderers.
In the centre the treeman continues hacking up dwarfs.
Wood Elf Turn 5
The treekin unit that was fleeing the troll slayers rallies.
Orion and co. charge the iron breakers, and a unit of dryads charges the flank
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport030.jpg
A treeman at full health charges the quarrellers. They stand and fire and take 2 wounds off him.
In my magic phase I move my spell weaver out the woods and attempt to cast Gift of Life on an injured treeman (this will give him max wounds again) I roll 16 on
4d6, unfortunately he matches me and gets 17 on
3d6.
My treekin kill 2 warriors from the warrior/rune lord unit. None in return. The dwarfs break, and they’re caught.
It’s a similar story in the centre of the battlefield. My treeman kills 4 dwarfs, he breaks, and they’re caught. Now he only has the iron breakers, xbows and slayers left.
A treeman kills 2 quarrellers. The combat is a draw, he has full
cmd so I lose by 1. This time it’s me who flees, but he doesn’t catch my treeman.
The dwarf lord challenges Orion, no one inflicts any wounds. Because his unit has turned I only lose the combat by 4, and Orion takes 3 wounds. The other break tests are passed
Dwarf Turn 5
On his turn his quarrellers run into another treeman. The slayers are a long way off. The Dwarf Lord kills Orion, and both the dryads and the wild riders break.
http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr279/waylander2/woodelfbattlereport033.jpg
We have to finish here, and it’s a Minor Victory for me
Post game thoughts- The object of this game for me was to find out if Orion was worth taking. The conclusion is……difficult to tell. The units he came up against were crew and thunderers. When he finally charged into a tough character I couldn’t roll above a 1, but even so I’m still not convinced about him. I prefer Dryca.
