This battle was a different than usual game. First it was a rushed game, we organised it the day before. Secondly we were supposed to play 1500 points but once we got there my opponent realised he had brought only around 1340 points, so he ended up adding a couple of magic items to play 1400 in the end and lastly but not less important this was a revenge game on my part. When I first played against my opponent (using Elves too) it was my first game against the Elves and due to some very big mistakes on my side and an awesome movement phase on his side I got completely annihilated, by turn 4 almost all my army was dead and I conceded. So when I got the chance to play against him again I took it without hesitation. Sorry I couldn't take many pictures, we were a bit short of time, but thanks to some very useful persons on the Mantic forum I found Battle Chronicle and after a bit of tinkering I got the hang of it. Still not perfect but nevertheless it's a battle report. THE ARMIES Salamanders 1400 points - Horde of Tyrants with Brew of Sharpness - Horde of Fire Elementals with Blessing of the Gods - Regiment of Ghekkotah Warriors - Ankylodon Battle Platform - Greater Fire Elemental - Mage-Priest with Surge and Inspiring Talisman - 2 Ghekkotah Skylords one with the Blade of Slashing Elves 1400 points (On the top of my head) - Horde of Kindred Tallspears - Horde of Drakon Riders with Diadem of Dragon-Kin - Regiment of Stormwind Cavalry - Regiment of Palace Guard with Brew of Strength - Troop of Palace Guard - Drakon Rider Lord - Noble War Chariot - Elven Mage with Banechant and Wind-Blast DEPLOYMENT We rolled for mission and we got Kill & Pillage with 5 objectives, we placed them barely in the middle of the battlefield as we both had offensive armies. I got to deploy first and choose side, so I did. After deployment this was the look of the battlefield: Don't know why but from now own the Objective markers disappear... TURN 1 I was clearly out-deployed, he had one more drop and saved his fas moving troops for last so he could drop them where he pleased, I knew my right flank was a disaster but the middle of the board seemed to be in my favour, I was lucky to see he dropped the Drakon Riders and the Lord on the flank I had my Surging Mage-Priest so with a bit of luck I could get some charges there if he tried to be too clever. I got to choose who moved first and conceded the first turn to him. He is much faster than I am so I prefer to get the last turn of the game to get into the objectives if necessary. He moved carefully to get outside any charges, on the right he was much more aggressive and started a flanking manoeuvre. On my turn I move forwards to, as he did I tried to stay away from any multi-charges, but actually left my Ankylodon and my Ghekkotah warriors in charge range of the Chariot and the Tallspears respectively, hoping he would bait the charge and give me the option to destroy them in the counter. My Ankylodon opened fire over the chariot making 2 wounds but not much else. Both my Skylords moved forwards outside any arc of sight to get into the rear next turn, but I made a BIG mistake as I forgot that charges are not declared at the start of the turn... TURN 2 As I hoped he jumped his Drakon Lord over my Fire Elementals not aware of the surge potential and as I realised too late he moved the Drakon Riders out of the way and facing the Skylord that flew over his lines and charged my other poor Skylord with his Stormwind (It didn't end well). Surprisingly the tallspears decided not to move into my Warriors. On the shooting phase he healed the wounds on his Chariot and backed him up to stay away from the Mighty Ankylodon also the Drakon Riders opened fire on my Skylord causing 3 wounds but not doing anything else. I moved my Skylord to the rear of his army, also turned my Fire Elementals to face his Lord and charged my Ghekkotah Warriors into the Tallspears hoping to make some wounds and weaken them a bit. Both My tyrants and my Ankylodon advance to the Centre and my GFE moves forward to charge the Tallspears on the next turn. On the shooting phase I surged with ease into the Lord (got 6 inches!), my awesome skylord opens fire on the Mage and with a bit of luck routs him! and finally the mighty Anylodon makes another 3 wounds on the Chariot and wavers him! This is looking well for me. To round up a great turn my humble Warriors manage to get 6 wounds on the Tallspears and the Fire Elementals on the side of the Drakon Lord only manage to Waver him (not bad but 36, CS2, Elite attacks should do better) TURN 3 After that last turn he decides that my Skylord is too dangerous to be left alive and moves once again his Drakon Rides in pursuit, he counter-charges the tall spears into the Ghekkotah and moves the Stormwind to aid the Drakon Lord. He is still reluctant to expose the regiment of palace guard to a charge from the tyrants but moves the troop forwards. The breath attack from the Drakon buts another 3 wounds on the skylord and as a result he ends up wavered (thanks to Inspiring he survives). On the combat, the tallspears slain the Ghekkotah with no effort and reposition a bit to hold the incoming charge. I have two juicy charges in sight and I take them, I put my tyrants into the Chariot and both the Anylodon and the GFE into the tall spears, hoping that my high defense and CS4 will win me the grinding game, also I charge again my Fire Elementals into the Drakon Lord. My wavered Skylord can't do much, but moving backwards is one of those things and those 5 inches grants me to be out of the arc of sight of the Drakon Riders, preventing a charge. My Mage-Priest casts a Fireball into the Stormwind wounding them but not much really. All my wishes come true and both the Drakon Lord and the Charriot are routed. On the Tallspear combat my Akylodon manages to make 4 wounds and the GFE puts an amazing 6 on them, with the previous 6 done by the not dead warriors grants that with an easy 5 they will be wavered, the dice roll to get 9 and they are history. The end of my turn shows a very good sight for me indeed, but the pesky Drakons and the Sotrmwind are still intact and look very menacing.
TURN 4 He takes the obvious charge with the Stormwind into the Fire Elementals and moves the Drakons Into a good spot to get some good charges next turn, he also reforms his infantry to face the my units that are regrouping on the hill. The combat is going to be gruesome for sure and he manages to put 10 wounds on my poor Fire Elementals, but thanks to the Inspiring Mage-Priest they survive to swing back the blow (That Mage-Priest is indeed earning a promotion). The odds are in my favor now, he couldn't prevent the multi-charge on his regiment of palace guard, the tyrants on the front and the Skylord on the rear is not a really good prospect I also counter-charged the Fire Elementals into the Stormwind. The Ankylodon moves to control the objective on the hill and the GFE that was facing the objective on the right reformed to get into the fight just in case. The Mage-Priest throws a fireball into the palace guard troop and manages to waver them, preventing a multi-charge next turn with the Drakons. On the combat the Elite Fire Elementals crushed the poor Stormwind making 8 wounds and with a lucky roll on the nerve test they are destroyed. The multi-charge into the Palace guard doesn't go as good as I would have hoped, and I end up needing 9 to rout them or I will be facing a flank charge from the Drakons next turn. I roll an 8 and then remembered the Tyrants have Brutal and thanks to the Gods of Dice they are routed and I reform to face the danger. TURN 5 He knows by now that the game is pretty much lost, but decides to go for it till the end. He charges the Drakons into the GFE on the far Right of my Battle line, that is too much for my poor GFE and he is routed, he reforms to face the rear of my troops. I know that I won't be able to get him if he doesn't want to, but I try my best to prevent a bad charge so I reform everything to face them and move my FE up. The tyrants on the other hand charge into the remaining troop to finish them. I surge the FE as far as I can so the Drakons can't charge them, with 10 wounds on them they are a very tempting objective and my Skylord shoots into the Drakons wounding them, but they refuse to waver (needed 6-6). Predictably the Tyrants routs the palace guard and reform to face the much feared Drakons. TURN 6 Cowardly the Drakons fly over the whole battlefield again to charge the Mage-Priest confident of their prey. Against all odds, the brave Mage-Priest holds the charge with 6 wounds, not even getting wavered thanks once again to the Inspiring. The Drakons still surprised of the feat of courage know that their fate is short as the rest of the Salamander army sorrounds them. The Tyrants can see the flank of the Drkons and go for it, smashing the pesky fliying things for good. CONCLUSIONS I'm loving my army right now, it seems to work well and the magic items on the Hordes worked really well. But MPV with out a doubt is the amazing Mage-Priest, thanks to him I could hold the left flank against all odds, and honourable mention to the Skylord, the enemy was so afraid of having him behind his lines that he misused the Drakons to try to chase him, rendering them useles until turn 5, if only I moved my other Skylord better on Turn 1... Thanks for reading!
Very interesting battle report. Very glad the Lizardmen won of course, and to see the pointy eared-jerks go down in a blaze of fiery dragon glory. The diagrams are a fantastic visual! I normally just see commentary; while that is good the diagrams give a whole lot more detail to the scope of the battle you fought. Thanks for posting. Also I am looking forward to seeing all those "fire elementals" painted up