Is this a gunline? Flank attack, 2000 points

[Alarantalara]

This was a strange game in many ways. I don't much feel like posting a play-by-play, though I suppose I could try to recreate the game in more detail, but this was a game of strange impressions. So here goes, and hopefully it will be enjoyable anyway.

Flank attack, 2000 points
Dwarfs vs Dark Elves
Attacker: unknown

We rolled Flank Attack on the scenario table and then discovered neither of us wanted to field a flanking force. Thus we never got around to deciding who the attacker was. That said, as the winner, I claim it was the Dwarfs retaliating for some imagined slight. It couldn't possibly have been a raid on their mines, I guarantee it.

First, the conclusion:

Game end.jpeg (369.45 KiB) Viewed 4102 times

The dark elves have won a clear minor victory, they're ahead by about 580 victory points once you account for all casualties and claimed table quarters. It was clearly hard fought, one close combat is still going on (featuring the dwarf general with the dark elf general casting steal soul and word of pain into the fight from behind (not with much success given the oathstone).

What's that you say? None of the units below half strength in that picture are that way because of close combat?
Let's look at the casualty statistics.

Casualties to melee:
1 unit 16 dwarf warriors
2 bolt throwers
1 organ gun
393 points earned

1/2 unit 5 shades
1/3 unit spearmen with shields
42 points earned, the 1/3 isn't worth anything

Casualties to shooting:
1 unit 10 thunderers
1/2 unit iron breakers
1/2 unit longbeards - shared with spells (other than this and 2 thunderers, effectively nobody died to magic)
1/2 crew bolt thrower
>400 points (not sure of value of standards carried by the units) earned

1-1/2 units 5 dark riders
80% unit corsairs
1/2 unit 10 warriors with crossbows
270 points earned

Melee units:
2 units 16 longbeards
2 units 16 dwarf warriors
1 unit 16 ironbreakers

1 unit 20 warriors with spears
1 unit 19 warriors with spears and shields
10 executioners
2 units 5 dark riders
1 unit 5 cold one knights

Shooting units:
4 bolt throwers
1 organ gun
10 thunderers
510 points

2 reaper bolt throwers
1 unit 5 dark riders with crossbows
1 unit 5 shades
1 unit 10 warriors with crossbows
507 points

How can this be? 1/4 of each army accounted for more than half the casualties on both sides?

What about the cold one knights, the much dreaded cavalry? Surely they did something?

None shall die.jpeg (309.13 KiB) Viewed 4102 times

They gloriously charged the flank of a unit of longbeards, a noble leading the way. No one died on either side. On the third round of combat, the dwarfs managed to kill 1 knight, and the knights fled, abandoning their banner. They rallied and tried to charge again, but this time the longbeards simply retreated and refused combat. Total effect on the outcome of the game: contested a table quarter, lost a banner: effectively 0 points.

One combat between dark riders and a bolt thrower crew lasted 4 rounds, with exactly one crew member or engineer dying each round.

Dark riders struggle against an engineer and his crew.jpeg (305.51 KiB) Viewed 4102 times

And that dwarf general? Somehow failed to kill a single warrior in three rounds of combat, that was the privilege of the longbeards. He did set an oathstone though, saving the longbeards from certain death via the flank attack made by the spearmen.

What about magic? Out of 18 spells cast, only 5 were successful. Of those 5, two of them were damage spells that inflicted 0 casualties after rolling to wound. Final result: Word of pain succeeded once, steal soul managed to inflict 4 casualties once, giving the general 6 wounds, and doom bolt killed two thunderers.

One final thought: this is the first time hedges and walls played a significant role in the game and it made for a most interesting asymmetrical battlefield, with cover on one side but commanding views on the other making for a difficult decision during deployment. We had lots of fun considering trying trench warfare with even more walls in the future after the game was over.