This battle report was written by the web-famous Wood Elf general Lone Wolf and posted to the late, great Direwolf mailing list. Enjoy!
The following rules were in effect:
2000pts
no allies
no unridden large monsters
no level 5 mages
no 3 power spells
Battle Book scenario 10
The armies were as follows:
Wood Elf:
18 archers (banner of sorcery)
2 Level one mages (1 dispel scroll, 1 Book of Ashur)
1 champion (sky arrow)
1 general (bow of Loren, meteoric iron armor, amulet of fire)
1 chariot (3 crew, 4 horses, spears, scythes)
1 Treeman
7 wardancers w/ champion (flail of skulls, extra h-weapon)
1 hero (giant eagle, black amulet, blade of leaping bronze)
6 warhawks (light armor, shield, spear) w/ champion (light armor, shield, spear, hail of doom)
Lizardmen army(as much as I can remember of it):
about 15-18 temple guard(all the trimmings, banner of might)
lvl4 slann mage priest (crown of command, executioner's axe, don't know other)
about 10-15 skirmished skinks with poisoned shortbows
1 skink hero(not sure on magic items)
about 5 terradons w/ champion
1 Stegadon
9 cold one riders w/ champion(no idea on magic items)
2 Salamanders
BATTLE REPORT:
I rolled a six for my banner of sorcery and received total power, escape, rebound, and 3 power. I went first cause I had less units. He setup most of his stuff on one side: Cold Ones in front of the slann priest's unit, with skinks to the right and stegadon to the right too. He put one salamander to the left.
Spells:
Wood Elf: level one battle mage got Fear. level two high got Deadlock and Fiery Convocation.
Lizardman: Fiery Convocation, Apotheosis, Coruscation of Finreir, and one he didn’t cast.
Wood Elf turn one:
Charges/Moves:
I charged his Terradon unit with my hero; the eagle took one wound from the shortbows’ stand and fire. I moved the warhawks past the salamander so I could see the slann mage priest with my champ to use hail of doom. wardancers moved forward 10", chariot positioned itself so the enemy couldn't see me, but if he moved up I could see him. Treeman moved up next to wardancers.
Shooting:
during shooting I hit the mage priest with 11 arrows from HoD(4 wounded and he saved none), my archers killed off the salamander in the middle of the field.
Hand-to-Hand:
My hero killed the enemy unit they couldn't pass the ld test...I didn't run them down.
Magic:
nothing special, stored two dispels.
Lizard turn one:
Moves/Charges:
He rallied the Terradons. He charged my wardancers with the cold ones, and moved the salamander up to block my chariot from being able to hit his cold ones next round. He also moved the skink skirmishers up to try and surround my treeman, but he didn't have enough movement. Stegadon moved into the alcove, and the temple guard moved right behind the skinks.
Shooting:
None.
Hand-to-Hand:
Wardancers dance Shadow’s Coil: draw.
Magic:
nothing big, he tried to cast fiery convocation on my treeman, and I scrolled it, as I didn't want any wounds on him this early in the game.
Wood Elf turn two:
Moves/Charges:
I charged the Terradon unit with the hero, I charged the salamander with my chariot, and I also nailed his Cold Ones with my treeman, then I flew my warhawks behind his temple guard ready for a rear attack. (note: before the battle we ruled the treeman would count for flanking bonuses, and that the flail of skulls strength bonus works until the first time I roll to hit dice with it.)
Shooting:
None
Hand-to-Hand
The wardancers did the dance for extra attack, the Cold One champ challenged out. combat resolution was about 11-0 me winning for that battle, he ran away, and I elected to pursue. I killed all the skinks and the salamander. The hero killed off the remaining Terradons.
Magic:
I tried to cast fear, he passed the ld.
Lizard turn two:
Moves/Charges
he turned his temple guard around, as he thought his skinks might hold out for a turn to protect his flank. He kept the stegadon in place in case they didn't and my troops charged him(so he could counter charge).
Shooting:
None
Hand-to-Hand:
I killed all but one skink and they ran off and away. I pursued and hit him in the rear with all my wardancers and my treeman(the pursuit was in such a way that his Stegadon couldn't charge me)
Magic:
he tried to burn my treeman again, I dispelled it with a roll of 6.
Wood Elf turn three: this is the phase in which I pretty much won.
Moves/Charges
I charged with my warhawks and set up the hero to charge next turn.
Shooting:
None
Hand-to-Hand
The Warhawks killed about half his temple guard. Combat was actually tied with his banners and all, so he stayed...but I did one more wound the nasty slann priest (down to 3!)
Magic:
cast fear again as my mage with fiery was still out of range by a few inches.
Lizard turn three:
Moves/Charges:
he set up his Stegadon to charge my treeman.
Shooting:
None.
Hand-to-Hand:
I killed off most of the fighting rank and only took about 3 temple guard attacks, but the mage priest killed about 4 warhawks. I won , but to my disbelief he had that dumb crown of command.
Magic:
same as last turn
Wood Elf turn four:
Moves/Charges:
I charged with my hero.
Shooting:
None
Hand-to-Hand:
I brought the mage priest down to one wound and he killed the hero, beast stayed (rolled a six on the monster reaction table). killed off rest of temple guard except for one. all the warhawks died except for my champion.
magic:
finally cast total power fiery convocation, rolled a two for it and did no wounds.
Lizard turn four:
Moves/Charges
stegadon charged the treeman.
Shooting:
None.
Hand-to-Hand
The Stegadon did not wound the Treeman. wardancer did no wounds to the mage priest. mage priest used hand weapon and went before treeman and killed all the wardancers except for the champ. My warhawk champ missed both attacks and got killed by the remaining temple guard. wardances almost passed their ld check(needed a 2 and I rolled a 3)...
Magic:
was same, he tried to roast my treeman, he failed...fiery on the mage priest did jack squat again.
Wood Elf turn five:
Moves/Charges:
None
Shooting:
None
Hand-to-Hand
treeman killed mage priest, with help of eagle. we packed up and went home.
Analysis
to tell you the truth, my friend rolled so bad in this game, he must have used up all his bad rolls for the next few weeks! me on the other hand, used up all my good rolls for the next few weeks! Archers really didn't pay for themselves, I should have broke them down into to units of 9. treeman did his lot(i expected that though), wardancers made up their points, so did warhawks and hero. chariot could have done better. overall, the Lizardmen aren't that hard to beat. just the one character that scares me, but in a 2000 point game he is going to be the only character you take! me and my friend talked after the battle about a few things, I asked him about the salamander in the middle of the field and he said "I was going to put my main unit their, but it looked tempting to try and take that left side of the board from you" he almost did too! (phew, 1 hour to type this baby!)
Lone Wolf