Battle Report Dark Elves vs Skaven (2850points)

So, the week before last, I had a game against my regular opponent Dave and his formidable Skaven army.

I didn't write notes whilst the game went on so this Battle report wont be as detailed as most, but I thought I'd write a summary of what went on and give the highlights.

Deployment:

As you can see, my Dark Elves on the bottom of the board were deployed very poorly!  I had my chariot and Cold One Knights set up behind woodland - I have no idea what I was thinking!  Dave had also brought along, not one, but 2 Hellpit Abominations. Needless to say at this point I had already consigned myself to defeat and had decided that my best bet was just to make his victory as awkward as possible!!!

Turn 1:
Not a lot happened in turn 1 with Dave's Hellpits and Doomwheel moving a fair distance toward me.  His magic phase wasn't too bad for me and there was no combat.

My first turn was much the same.  I spent most of it trying to reposition my horrendous deployment by pulling my Corsairs unit out of immediate danger from the Doomwheel on the right flank.  My Shades firing on the Rat ogres on the left flank killed all of the packmasters including a special character.  My magic phase was uneventful with Dave using a dispel scroll to stop the only spell I had that could have caused any real damage - The Purple Sun of Xereus!

Turn 2:
Dave started this with some scary and some hilarious movement.

First, one of his Hellpits charges my Hydra on the left flank whilst his remaining Rat Ogres position themselves to charge my Cold One Knights in turn 3. His Plague Monks on the right of the board charged my Corsairs and his second Hellpit makes a hilarious move running right into a woods, proceeding to eat the trees that turn!  His shooting phase wasn't as bad for me as I'd have thought with his Poison Wind Mortars all missing m, and his Jezzails champion exploding.  His magic phase took out a couple of my crossbows and, if memory serves me rightly, 6 Executioners.  I also used my Dispel scroll this turn.

Melee went much more in my favour with Dave's Hellpit getting killed by my Hydra which luckily then overran into the flank of the Rat Ogres threatening my Knights.  The Cosairs dominated the Plague Monks with my Master inflicting 3 wounds himself and the unit then ran down the fleeing festering Rat-things winding up in a position to threaten the Stormvermin holding the centre of the board.

My second turn proved to be much better than the first with Dave rolling for his Hellpits resurrection and scoring badly, it was now permanently dead!  I can't deny I probably cheered! I hate those things and they frequently tear my army to pieces!

I moved my Shades into position to fire on the Jezzails, my Dark Riders with shields cut across to the centre of the board behind my Executioners who charged his Stormvermin.  My Crossbows wheeled to face the Hellpit on the right flank.

The magic phase contained mixed results.  The most important factor was managing to cast "Flaming Sword of Rhuin" on my Crossbows, giving them flaming shots.....the shooting phase was the tipping point.  I had one reasonable chance to remove the second Hellpit and I was in the best position possible to do it.  From roughly 7" range my Crossbowmen where ready to fire.  The Sorceress in the unit who had just granted them flaming shots with +1 to wound also held "the guiding eye" which she used this turn.  32 shots hitting on 3+ re-rolling misses and wounding on 5+ I inflicted over 10 wounds on the Hellpit and, as they where flaming attacks, it couldn't be ressurected :)!  With a unit of Clanrats and a doomwheel still on the right flank I was far from secure, but removing the 2nd  Hellpit was a great victory for me personally.  My Shades also dispatched all of the Jezails this turn.

Close combat saw the Hydra on the left flank destroy the Rat Ogres. In the centre of the board the Executioners and Stormvermin began taking huge chunks out of each other. With my executioners winning the combat by one point and the Stormvermin/Warlord/Grey Seer all staying put!

Dave's casualty pile at the end of turn 2

Turn 3:
I saw a unit of Clanrats with the BSB from the centre of the board Charging my Cold One Knights in the centre, a unit of Slaves charging my Shades (who stood their ground and fired at the oncoming rats) and another unit of Clanrats failing their charge against my Crossbows.

The Magic phase for Dave was uneventful, his only shooting coming from the Doomwheel which took out a couple of my Crossbowmen.  Close combat continued with Dave's Stormvermin and Warlord beginning to tear holes in my Unit of Executioners - who had now lost their BSB (Death Hag with ASF Banner) and their Eternal Hatred starting to fall short of the mark.  My shades lost the combat by one point and successfully fled!

The Cold One Knights made short work of the Clanrats and ran them down.

My third turn started with no real surprises as my Shades rallied and my Dark Steeds charged with light armour and shields into the flank of the Clanrats threatening my Crossbowmen. My Corsairs then charged into the flank of Dave's Stormvermin and my chariot hit them in the front and my Dark Steeds with crossbows also charged them in the rear.

The pivotal combat that decided the game!  It took 4 of my units charging this "Deathstar" to finish it!

My magic phase was none existent and my shooting against the Doomwheel was not a lot better!

Close combat was the decider.  The flank charge from my Dark Riders delivering a hero with the Black Dragon egg into melee.  Unfortunately I rolled a 1 and a 2 for the number of hits :(.

The Dark Riders lost the combat and ran off.  On the upside, the Corsairs tore the remaining Stormvermin to pieces and, with my Master slaying the Warlord, this left only the Grey Seer and unit champion remaining.

Turn 4:
We looked at the board and the clock and decided the game was over with My Dark Elves claiming the victory!  After a 3 game loosing streak against Dave's Skaven I am now back with a vengeance!

That leaves Dave and I at "3-all" now.  Bring on game 7!