Aldhick and I held a game last night – Tomb Kings versus Bretonnia.
I created a story-like report. Hope you'll like it.
To be precise, I have to say – Aldhick's nicely painted Tomb Kings on his awesome desert gaming table versus my mostly un-painted Bretonnia. I'm working on it, I'm just really short on time and it goes slowly.
I have to admit I'm little bit of a thinker and I'm still a bit slow on my turns because of all the thinking. This time, Aldhick adjusted to that and was taking his time too. Which resulted in 2k points game taking around 4 hours. I know it's a lot, but apart from that, it was a really good game with a tight win.
Because of the campaign rules, Aldhick could field more limited units (he fielded 3 skull chukkas) and I had 100 extra points.
Tomb King Army – break point of 12
http://wm-selector.appspot.com/army_selector.html?list=undead&label=&print=&0=6&1=4&2=2&3=5&4=2&5=1&7=3&9=1&9-OM=1&10=3&10-1=1&10-ScD=1 In the center of Tomb King side of the battlefield, a brigade of 4 Chariot Units was deployed with a brigade of Skeletons in front of them.
On the Left TK flank, it was a Skull chukka with a Skeleton escort; brigade of 2 Skeleton Riders and 1 Chariots; and a unit of Carrion flyers.
On the Right TK flank, there was a brigade of Skeletons with Bone Giant; brigade of 2 Skull Chukkas with Skeleton escort (which remained stationary for the whole game because of a hero failing to issue orders to it); and one more unit of Carrion flyers.
All that was commanded by Tomb King and 3 Lich Priests.
Bretonnian army – Infantry heavy (actually outnumbering the undead) with a break point of 4 (only knights count)
http://wm-selector.appspot.com/army_selector.html?list=bretonniantournament&label=&print=&1=7&2=8&2-3=1&3=3&4=4&5=2&6=1&8=1&8-OM=1&9=3&9-SwD=1&9-SwF=1&9-SwM=1&10=1&10-ScD=1 Center of Bretonnian forces consisted of a brigade of 4 Peasants with the Grail Reliquae (making them Pilgrims); small infantry brigade; 2 brigades of cavalry; and a unit of Pegasus Knights (flyers).
1 Infantry brigade was on the left flank.
And finally, 2 infantry brigades and one cavalry brigade formed the right flank of Bretonnian army.
Each of the infantry brigades contained one unit of Peasants to draw any shooting. Each brigade of cavalry had a unit of Squires on its tip to protect the precious Knights (break point of 4 is not really high, so one has to be careful.)
All of that was commanded by General, 3 Heroes (armed with magical swords) and an Enchantress with a dispel scroll (much needed against the TK Doom and Despair).
Game was set, the ruins of Nehekhara were about to witness another bloody and dusty (because unded do not really bleed) battle.
1st round: Bretonnian General decided to use the fanaticism of Pilgrims to protect the rest of the army from shooting and orders them forward at fast pace. The rest of the army remained stationary as the commanders dispute over the tactics.
Tomb Kings screened the positions behind the temple on their left flank with their light cavalry brigade. The rest waited for the living to come closer.
2nd round: Bretonnians moved forward, taking cover behind the Pilgrims in the center, and setting to outflank Tomb Kings around the temple on the Bretonnian right flank with an infantry brigade.
Tomb Kings moved the Bone Giant brigade to the center. The Tomb King kept his Chariots in the rear, not willing to reveal his intentions.
3rd round: Pilgrims charged the Skeleton Cavalry units and the infantry brigade moved around the temple, intending to charge the Chariot unit to the flank. However, messenger carrying the command disappeared in the quick sands. Enchantress used her powers to bless a unit of Men-at-arms with Favour of the Lady in order to encourage them to charge, but a Lich Priest used a dispel scroll, so the Chariots were safe.
The skirmish ended with minor casualties on both sides and skeleton cavalry withdrawing from the fight.
Rest of the Bretonnian army advanced in a steady pace.
Tomb Kings took the initiative on their Left flank, sent the Carrions behind the infantry brigade and attacked it to the front with Chariots, destroying 2 of 3 outflanking infantry units. A Bretonnian hero with the Sword of Fate decided to join the unit of Men-at-arms and died in a heroic, but foolish way (as is the habit of Bretonnian Knights). However, the chariots took severe casualties too.
4th round: Pilgrims were so eager to punish the unholy undead, that they scatter to all directions, effectively getting out of the blessing of the relic and got slaughtered ingloriously. Only the unit carrying the relic itself was too far to surge in to punish the enemies on its own. Strangely, when it was given a command to do so, the commander of the Pilgrims somehow forgot about the fanaticism and shouted out loud "No sense in getting killed sir!" (blunder) and moved the relic to a defended position at the entrance to the temple.
Cavalry brigade on the left Bratonnian flank charged the Tomb King "Bone Giant" brigade with great fanfare, each of the units separately charging some of its foes. However, great Bretonnian cavalry failed magnificently in each of these separate combats ending up draw. Their commander probably pranked them to thing they ride to a LARP battle, so they didn't draw their real weapons. They fell back, regrouped and waited for the punishment they knew would come shortly.
Small infantry brigade took up a defensive position on the top of a dune.
Center and left flank of the Tomb King forces, waiting for the right moment to strike:
Bretonnian cavalry realizing how grave their error was:
Bone Giand charged the unit of Knights to the flank, being followed by the Carrion flyers doing the same. Knights fought with great bravery and courage, being almost able to draw two times against their furious enemies, but then they fell under the dried claws and talons. Grail Knights met the same destiny only a few moments later.
Squires were shot at by the pair of Skull Chukkas and ended up confused and terrified by the rain of enemy fire and sudden death of their lords.
5th round: Grail Pilgrims on the Bretonnian right flank seized the opportunity and charged the remains of the Skeleton Cavalry. Men-at-arms followed their example charging the light cavalry unit, also drawing the first one into the same combat. Their holy rage was impossible to bear for the wounded skeletons and they quickly perished. Despite suffering minor losses, both units advanced to enemy Skull Chukka and Chariots. Pilgrims sacrificed their lives to that cause, but Men-at-arms prevailed, destroying the chukka and a unit of Chariots and bravely positioning themselves to provoke the other chariots to charge them instead of the Squires and Grail Knights positioned on the hill.
After annihilating the knights, Bone Giant and Carrion flyers ended up with their flanks exposed to the infantry brigade in the center of the battlefield. Men-at-arms didn't hesitate and attacked the enemy, one unit wounding the Carrion flyers and the other, with support from peasants, stroke the Bone Giant so hard, that it tried to run in confusion. Unfortunately for him, the Squires, who just picked up their wits, were in that direction and cut him down.
General ordered the great cavalry brigade in the center to storm the field and finish the enemy off, but the messenger got killed on his way and the important command never reached its target.
Tomb King Chariots on their left flank didn't take the bait and went around the shouting Men-at-arms. Two units hit the squires at full speed crushing them under their wheels and hooves and then hit the Grail Knights without even losing their momentum. Grail Knights gave harder fight, but stood no chance, being outnumbered by the chariots 2 to 1, not mentioning the support of the Lich Priest on chariot. This deadly undead charge brought the Bretonnian army to the verge of being broken.
One of the chariots units went around the shouting men-at-arms the other way in order to hit the bigger infantry block, but the skeletal steeds pulling the chariots didn't have enough stamina and ended up half way to their target.
However, skeletons in the center covered for it, smashed into the infantry brigade in front of them and butchered two units of Men-at-arms for what they did to their lord's beloved Bone Giant.
6th round: Men-at-arms at the Bretonnian right flank stopped shouting, turned around and charged the passing unit of Chariots from behind. Unit of peasants, seeing this example of heroism, charged the chariots head-on, despite being wounded. The chariots shattered to pieces as if caught between millstones.
The General finally succeeded in ordering the main cavalry force to strike at the enemy. Earth was shaking as the knights charged and the undead foes couldn't withstand their righteous anger. After destroying the remaining Carrion Flyers and 2 units of Skeletons, the mighty Knights pushed the Tomb King army beyond its break point and the remaining units retreated from the battlefield.
Despite being so long, the game was thrilling and until the last moment, no one could guess the outcome.
