Mirror , mirror...

[Just Tony]

Fifteen hundred point game with matching High Elf and Dark Elf armies. I conceded at the end of the fifth turn because the sixth turn would have seen me tabled as High Elves.

20240617_213817.jpg (4.38 MiB) Viewed 4429 times

[TinyLegions]

Good that you are rolling dice.

[Alarantalara]

If I read this correctly, the Dark Elves won.

That makes the image fascinating, since it shows the High Elves at the point where they've just been drawn into an untenable situation.

Judging from the unit positions, this looks like turn 3/4, depending on who went first and whose turn it is. The dark elves have moved the most advanced unit of spears at least 3 times to get where they are, facing sideway in the middle of the board, and the chariot needs to have advanced at least twice and then fled once.

The leftmost high elf spear unit has either just charged and this is just after the high elf movement phase, or the dark elves somehow managed to avoid taking any casualties from 11 attacks on the flank and even more from the chariot they flanked (also, how did that chariot not break? it was clearly hit in the side and inflicted 0-1 casualties, which means it lost combat by 5+ at some point).

The dark elf chariot has just barely escaped, and drawn a whole unit of spears into a position where they can be flanked and destroyed.

Assuming it is the end of the high elf movement phase, I guess the dark elf spears to take a casualty and flee, getting wiped out by the chariot. It in turn will get charged by the executioners and destroyed. As the high elves charged, spearmen failed to restrain pursuit and end up getting flanked by the dark elf spears, also getting eliminated. Meanwhile the chariot rallies and the spears chasing them receive a flank charge from the cold one knights. Worst case, they fail their fear test when charged, get run down and the knights are now ready to receive the charge of the high elf cavalry. Best case they hold and the knights end up facing away from the conflict after the flank charge makes them barely lose and get forced to break.

Suddenly it's 4 units on 2 and the dark elves are in position to charge forward and win via numbers. The dragon princes might be able to charge the cold one knights in a bad spot, but a failed fear test would end that and complete the high elves destruction as they get swarmed by infantry supported by chariots and the cold one knights might be able to properly attack the high elf cavalry in such a case. Even if the knights were charged, if the cold ones lose and run, the high elf cavalry ends up in line for a flank charge by the executioners, so it likely doesn't turn out well either way.

Ignoring characters, there's almost 1200 points of high elves and 1100 of dark elves visible. At least 70 more is characters, but I can't see them, other than this mysterious figure in yellow who looks to be a dark emissary, implying a truthsayer is somewhere to mirror. Assuming a normal general as well for each side, that means everything for each side is accounted for.

So for both sides:
2 units 20 spears
1 unit 20 elite swords
1 unit 10 heavy cavalry
1 chariot
1 commander/noble
1 truthsayer/dark emissary

One thing has me confused: how did the dark elves charge the chariot in the flank? Weren't the spearmen in the way?

[Just Tony]

Woooooooo. This is going to be a LOT of commentary over what was a simple mid-game still shot...

If I read this correctly, the Dark Elves won.

That makes the image fascinating, since it shows the High Elves at the point where they've just been drawn into an untenable situation.

Yep, the Dark Elves won. The last unit I had on the board was that midfield Spearmen unit that was chasing down the Cold One Chariot.

And untenable isn't a word that I would use as a LOT happened after this photo was taken.

Judging from the unit positions, this looks like turn 3/4, depending on who went first and whose turn it is. The dark elves have moved the most advanced unit of spears at least 3 times to get where they are, facing sideway in the middle of the board, and the chariot needs to have advanced at least twice and then fled once.

Bottom of Turn 2, after Dark Elf movement but before a single spell was cast.

The High Elves spent Turn 1 advancing at top speed, with the Knights filling in a spot in the back awaiting an opening that their speed allowed them to take advantage of. The Dark Elves closed the gap, but not at a high enough speed to allow me Turn 2 charges. The Cold One Chariot had been charged by my Spearmen in my 2nd turn, and was fleeing. The end of this turn had the High Elf Chariot breaking and fleeing from the combat laterally along the river. In the fullness of time it would flee off the board after rallying and suffering another charge. The High Elf Spearmen were able to charge the Cold One Chariot and force it to flee further, taking themselves out of the charge arc of the DE units on their flanks. The Cold One Knights failed a Stupidity test, which is why I didn't get charged by them at this juncture. I'm pretty sure the Executioners were slightly out of position at the start of their turn as well, which is why THEY didn't charge. We BOTH used our Chariots as charge bait to set up other actions, and both of our Chariots wound up fleeing off the board. Ironic in a mirror image match up...

The leftmost high elf spear unit has either just charged and this is just after the high elf movement phase, or the dark elves somehow managed to avoid taking any casualties from 11 attacks on the flank and even more from the chariot they flanked (also, how did that chariot not break? it was clearly hit in the side and inflicted 0-1 casualties, which means it lost combat by 5+ at some point).

The LFSpearmen are technically 1" away as the DE Spearmen were charging the Chariot and didn't make contact. Also, this is the moment after model movement but before spell casting, so the DE Spearmen hadn't struck the Chariot yet. Long story short? I lost the combat by a couple points but rolled boxcars for my test. Thus started the part where an 85 point Chariot led a 200 point unit out of the battle line for the rest of the game. THAT much was one of the two options I had planned for. The other was hoping it'd hold so I could flank with the Left Flank Spearmen. That, of course, didn't happen.

The dark elf chariot has just barely escaped, and drawn a whole unit of spears into a position where they can be flanked and destroyed.

Except, as luck would have it, they weren't able to be charged this turn and were able to chase the Chariot again who promptly fled off the board with the HE Spearmen now nice and out of the DE charge arc, forcing a reformation and the COK choosing to charge the Swordmasters.

Assuming it is the end of the high elf movement phase, I guess the dark elf spears to take a casualty and flee, getting wiped out by the chariot. It in turn will get charged by the executioners and destroyed. As the high elves charged, spearmen failed to restrain pursuit and end up getting flanked by the dark elf spears, also getting eliminated. Meanwhile the chariot rallies and the spears chasing them receive a flank charge from the cold one knights. Worst case, they fail their fear test when charged, get run down and the knights are now ready to receive the charge of the high elf cavalry. Best case they hold, and the knights end up facing away from the conflict after the flank charge makes them barely lose and get forced to break.

Your assumption was wrong, but we'll break it down.

Essentially the backfield HE Spearmen eventually run afowl of the Executioners but survive long enough for me to concede. The Chariots I discussed both already. The Swordmasters wound up getting chased off past the Dragon Princes who would eventually wind up on the receiving end of some particularly nasty COK combat. I can't remember the particulars, but by the end of Turn 5 the Spearmen that chased the Cold One Chariot were the only HE unit on the board. Part of the crushing defeat was Coils of the Serpent with IF killing my Truthsayer. On the plus side I didn't fail any Fear tests. I DID, however, have a unit or two decimated by the St. 5 Missile spell from the Dark Emissary. I also had the benefit of no Panic tests while Ashley benefitted HIGHLY from the Hatred rerolls.

Suddenly it's 4 units on 2 and the dark elves are in position to charge forward and win via numbers. The dragon princes might be able to charge the cold one knights in a bad spot, but a failed fear test would end that and complete the high elves destruction as they get swarmed by infantry supported by chariots and the cold one knights might be able to properly attack the high elf cavalry in such a case. Even if the knights were charged, if the cold ones lose and run, the high elf cavalry ends up in line for a flank charge by the executioners, so it likely doesn't turn out well either way.

Unfortunately none of that happened. This is my cue to post MORE pictures and at least shorthand the game if I'm going to post here, especially since I am already forgetting details from the game.

Ignoring characters, there's almost 1200 points of high elves and 1100 of dark elves visible. At least 70 more is characters, but I can't see them, other than this mysterious figure in yellow who looks to be a dark emissary, implying a truthsayer is somewhere to mirror. Assuming a normal general as well for each side, that means everything for each side is accounted for.

So for both sides:
2 units 20 spears
1 unit 20 elite swords
1 unit 10 heavy cavalry
1 chariot
1 commander/noble
1 truthsayer/dark emissary

You got it right. The Heroes had identical load outs with the Enchanted Shield and Sword of Striking. Both were in their respective Knight units. Banners and champions were adjusted to get the points even once the bodies were accounted for.

One thing has me confused: how did the dark elves charge the chariot in the flank? Weren't the spearmen in the way?

They were back far enough that the charge could happen with an inch to spare. And they charged because I WANTED it charged. It was about the only unit I had that could have qualified as "chaff", unfortunately. I also didn't write the lists.

[Alarantalara]

I wouldn't worry about a full write-up. I was mostly having fun speculating.

Given what you've written, I think the thing that threw me off most was not noticing that the left flank high elf spears were not in combat but just really close. That change suddenly explains why the chariot is still around and changes whose turn it is.

[Kakapo42]

So you WILLINGLY surrendered precious ground to the most heinous, most wicked and unfathomably loathsome creatures to pollute the face of the earth? You purposefully gave over the initiative and prize to our single most deadly, most dangerous and most hateful of enemies?

I am too stunned for words. Such an unbearable betrayal of the Asur, of Ulthuan that I love with all my heart, of the Asur who I love beyond life itself, cuts to the very intimate most of my innermost core, wounding the very essence of my being that I do fall physically ill and ought to faint.

Guards! Bind him and take him away! The Phoenix Court will decide the adequate and most truly just punishment for your failure. I weep for the future of our people if such defeatism is to become a habit.