The first rule of "secret sunday gaming club" is not to talk about "secret sunday gaming clu.... oh hang on .....sod it!!!!
Anyway walked in to find Lano and Jerry (but that may be spelt Juri) going hammer and tongs with their Skaven and Lizard man armies.
It ended with Lano running the rats off the field but I was more amazed to see that Lanos Ripperdactyls had made it out of the second turn and were actually ripping stuff apart (note to self do NOT leave my wizard out on his own facing dactyles he will be turned to bird feed!!!)
Jerry and I decided a rematch should be on the cards and we set up for combat!
I won the deployment roll and decided to set up first...this was my first mistake as i thought this included who went first, but it does not so I was already on the back foot tactically.
Once again elected to use Fire magic and rolled both blast spells hoping to cause some carnage.
I managed to win the turn roll and elected to go first in the hope of getting the charge in first.
Initial Deployment
Magic was largly ineffectual for both sides but I decided to charge in the knights for turn two
Once again they inflict enough casualties to break the unit but failed to run down the unit as it flees, and yes they manage to halt right next to a wizard with two murder spells and a mortar unit. the hope was to run them down out of the front arc of the other units and get the reform to pull off the flank attack next turn.
The clan rats reform and thankfully the Knights are too close to the mortar to be shot at but the Rat ogres wheel onto my flank and the wizard takes an unhealthy interest in the front rank of my knghts.
A double 6 on my dispell saves the front rank from disappearing and the mortar only inflicts one wound on the Gryphs.
The gryphs charge the rat ogres and the knights charge the reformed clan rats, this was basically to stop the orges flanking the Knights either by killing the ogres or keeping the Skaven engineer between the Ogres and the Knights.
The wizard opens up on the Skaven artillery units but I think the thought of being turned into a Kebab next turn distracts him and one spell is dispelled and the other only causes one wound.
This shot gives an idea of the dire straights I was in as once again my lack of units opens me up to 3 flank attacks!!!
Thankfully the Ogres bolt and the chase runs me straight into the Skaven Wizard / Engineer. At least he will not be casting his death spell! The Knights break the clan rats again but fail to cut them down before they make it off the table edge, once again no reform!! I think thats going to hurt next turn.
As feared the Wizard goes down in flames (quite literally) under a barrage from the Skaven artillery, I knew this was a risk but I think I needed the extra mobility and if the Gryphs had made their charge in turn 2 He would have not been casting any spells from that point on.
Then disaster, by running into the Engineer I am 3mm inside the front arc of the second unit of Clan rats and into my flank they charge!!!!!!!!!!
A series of piss poor rolls sees the Gryphs fleeing off the table, and the Knights inches from the table edge and all alone. It might be time to rename my General Custer!!
Jerry has a dilema between opening up with the artillery and hoping the one casualty causes the unit to flee or charging in............
He opens fire but fails to break the unit!!!! With a whoop Custer spurs the Knights forward for revenge and a last roll of the dice
Well that is the plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A roll of two 1;s and a 2 means they fail to make contact and fail their charge by an inch!!!!!!
The Skaven chitter with delight and launch themselves forward in an all out attack to finish the Empire once and for all.
The empire General and Champion furiously hack away at the mortar to stop the flank attack bonus but its too little too late and they only inflict 2 wounds. The Knights denied the charge are denied any chance of finishing off the rats and the unit breaks for the nearest table edge leaving the Skaven to feast on the fallen.
What a ding dong battle, Jerry and I shake hands and I am left to lament my mistakes.
Lessons learnt
1) I could whinge on about poor rolls but the truth is you make your own luck and some poor choices left me playing reactively too early on.
2) even Empire will break from Flank attacks, I should have stuck with my original plan and tried to over power the right flank while my wizard went nuts on the remaining forces to buy me some time.
3) Knights have to charge..........simple as
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