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A rather difficult battle as the dice were less than cooperative.

http://www.classichammer.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=1310&pid=2849#post_2849

Same drill as before: dakka and Flickr don't jive, and the other site needs the traffic.


Let me know what you think.

Thanks for using Flickr rather than Pinterest or Photobucket. Nice to see the images without having to sign up.

Not seen the battle report yet, wanted to lead with that.

I think next time I will record on my DVR while taking pictures so I can discuss exactly how bad the rolls tend to be.

I don't see where you were wildly unlucky in the battle, unlike the DoW player.

So many mages in front line combat units, not good. However I like the loadout, plenty of core troops and less of the fancy stuff.

Nice one. I like reading your reports, not too long but explains everything going on.

Don't send your mages to the first line like that, they die like flies I always have them roaming alone around large units, prevents being shot at or being charged while still casting spells.

Also, no excuse because archers were present, put mages in them.
Now 6th did have the slowed mechanic of random generals for HE for extra derp, but even so, no excuses for front line mages.

Sometimes you need line of sight, and it also makes it harder to target mages in a unit. I also don't want to be that guy that sticks his mages in the back lot lobbing Thunderbolt Spam or whatever.

If you don't have LOS from archers you are doing something very wrong. Seriously I dont find the wizards-go-in-missile-units to be in any way hard to pull off. HE are not an exception IMHO.

Now its not a universal rule, wizard lords with ward saves do reasonably well in melee units, but its a high risk high reward target for the opponent.

Also, wizards in melee isn't too practical to cast spells that require LoS or directly prevents others such as magic missiles. I always thought the best way to use pure spellcasters was to use their individual character's ability to run around free and being close to ally units to hide from shooting.

I remember players getting fingers burned with indie wizards in 6th. There are some nasty wave spells, Skaven have one though I don't recall how it worked. Though I do remember frying a unit of goats, killing the bray shaman sneaking between them then killing yet more goats in the unit beyond. The player looked disappointed as ad he kept the shaman in one of the unit of goats he would have lived. In the previous battle I made a similar mistake and left my Grey Seer next to a unit but not in one. So he fled off the table from a common panic test. Three hundred points of unharmed rat just hightailing it on turn two. :Facepalm:
If a spell hits multiple enemy units then the lone wizard is yet another unit and is liable to be targeted. Foot of Gork has the rep of being able to do this, and a wizard near a unit has zero protection against spells that pass through multiple units or randomise extra targets.
Lone wizards can also be targeted by magic missiles if seen directly, and by skirmish archers who maneuver so that the wizard is closer than the accompanying unit.

IMHO the best place for a wizard is in a skirmish unit, trouble is High elf skirmishers are horribly expensive, but it works well for cheap Empire archers though. Of course a wizard caddy skirmish unit has to forfeit its advance moves in favour of caster protection. Ranged cavalry also works. Ellyrian Reavers being a good option, give them bows and its all good.

Interesting this army had Shadow Warriors and could have kept them 'in the line' as a caster caddy for two wizards. Better than sending them forwards, with all that bluster and maneuver just for a dribble of S3 bowfire, not worth it frankly. But Shadow Warriors are very good defence against any ranged fire that doesnt autohit, and mobile enough to ensure the magi within get all the LOS they need.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Something I forgot to ask.

Just Tony - Did you model your Prince with Armour of the Gods with a power armour suit?

What I think I'll do from now on is make sure the Wizard has one of those ridiculously good melee spells like Flaming Sword of Rhuin, that'll make the choice a little better.



Orlanth: That is a 2nd Ed. Farseer with a plastic Guardian head. It's been a staple in that army since we first started putting it together. It wasn't until the Armor of the Gods thing came out that this guy fits that perfectly in WYSIWYG. It'd be perfect if Honors didn't count against Magic Item allowance as then he's always go first.

We didnt get a good look at the characters.

Yes I do find Eldar and High Elves to be at least partially interchangable, but in my opinion that only goes as far as bitz, in particular heads. Due to the feral look Dark Elves make good Druchii though. My Shades are made from Wych models and my Druchii BSB is a Dark Eldar Archon. In all cases most of the conversion work is around the backplate, and adding cloaks to the Shades. If you collect Druchii consider this.
Orcs/orks are also a frequent crossover, but normally the other way, though back in the day the only was to take an Orc Big Boss with heavy armour was to buy a 40K 'ardboyz blister and convert carefully. Other than that regular orcs made for excellent Snakebites, just add shootas.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, damn it. I forgot to do close ups. I'm pretty sure I've been forgetting that on all the BatReps. Damn unfortunate given the really awesome Halfling Captain that was painted up in the DOW that game...