So the restriction for this event are as follows:
* A MAXIMUM of 600 points may be spent on Characters
* A MINIMUM of 600 points must be spent on Core
* A MAXIMUM of 500 points may be spent on Special
* A MAXIMUM of 300 point may be spent on Rare
* No more than 2 of the same special choice may be selected
* Rares may not be duplicated, with the exception of High Elves, where they may be repeated once
* MAXIMUM 4 War machines per army
* MAXIMUM 3 Chariots per army
* MAXIMUM of 45 models, armed with missile weapons that have a range of over 20 inches
* No more than ONE terror causing Unit/Monster per army
Note that there was other allowances and restrictions for specific armies, but the only one in question for this game is that Daemonic Gifts were counted as unique, i.e. no two of one gift in the army. Also, only US5 units with a banner could capture or contest table quarters. My own army was as follows:
Sorcerer Lord [ Level 4 ]
2x Dispel Scrolls, Golden Eye of Tzeentch
Sorcerer [ Level 1 ]
Book of Secrets, Talisman of Protection
5x Chaos Knights
Mark of Khorne
5x Chaos Knights
Mark of Khorne
10x Chaos Warriors
Mark of Slaanesh, Full Command, Shields, Great Weapons, Warbanner
10x Chaos Warriors
Mark of Slaanesh, Full Command, Shields, Rapturous Standard
5x Marauder Horsemen
Mark of Slaanesh, Flails, Musician
5x Marauder Horsemen
Mark of Slaanesh, Spears, Throwing Spears, Musician
5x Hounds
5x Hounds
Chaos Spawn
Mark of Khorne
Hellcannon
The Daemon list I faced was tough but not broken and provided a good challenge. Note I am not 100% certain on the magical equipment.
Nurgle Herald
Slime Trail, Noxious Vapours
Slaanesh Herald
BSB, Etherblade
Khorne Herald
Tzeentch Herald
Master of Sorcery
5x Flesh Hounds
23x Bloodletters
Full Command
19x Plaguebearers
Full Command, Banner of Weeping Decay
23x Daemonettes
Full Command
10x Horrors
2x Fiends of Slaanesh
4x Flamers
James deployed units first and taking Lore of Beasts got the Bear's Anger and the Hunter's Spear. I rolled FF, Tranmorg., Pandaemonium, and Call to Glory for the Level 4, and the Level 1 took FF, and stupidly enough, Conflagration of Doom, me forgetting that being a level 1 he could only use 2PD per casting attempt, making the spell near impossible to cast.
From my left to right, he deployed Flamers, Horrors with Herald, Flehs Hounds on front of these, Bloodletters with Herald, Daemonettes with Herald BSB, Fiends, and Plaguebearers with General. In the same direction I deployed Spear Horsemen, GW Warriors, Hounds screening Knights, Hounds screening Knights, Sorcerer Lord behind them, Rapturous Warriors, Spawn, Hellcannon, Level 1, Flail Horsemen.
Turn 1
Rolling first turn the Daemons surged forward rough 8-10" on average. Magic was uneventful with the Spear out of range and so the turn passed to me.
In my turn, I manuvered the Hounds to divert the Bloodletters and Daemonettes the way I wanted and swung the Level 1 and Flail Horsemen around the right flank. The Spear Horsemen were apprehensive about the Flamers but moved up nonetheless. The Warriors and Knights positioned themselves for combat. The Hellcannon rampaged forward as did the Spawn, both moving 11". Magic failed or was dispelled making turn 2 come in a heartbeat.
Turn 2
Taking the bait, the Daemonetters and Bloodletters respectively charged the two Hounds units, both of which fled. The Fiends charged the Hellcannon and the Plaguebearers charged the Spawn. The Flesh Hounds rounded out by charging the Chaos Warriors. The Flamers moved up to shoot up the Horsemen on the left flank while the Horrors stayed stationary. In magic all spells were dispelled again, and in shooting only a single Maruader fell despite the Flamers' 13 S4 shots. In combat, the Fiends killed two Chaos Dwarfs for no damage in return. Right next to them however the Spawn fared better, taking two wounds but striking back with 7A to kill the Nurgle Herald, felling the Daemon general in the second turn! Over on the right the Warriors took three wounds from the Flesh Hounds but managed to dish back one more to win the combat which saw a Hound fall to CR.
In the Chaos turn the Knights counter-charged the Flesh Hounds and Daemoenttes respectively, with the Rapturous Warriors joining in the Daemonette fight. One unit of Hounds fled the board while the other rallied. The Flail Horsemen charged the flank of the Fiends and the Spear Horsemen just managed to hit the Horrors. In magic only Pandaemonium managed to go through and with all shooters in combat, combat came early. On the eastern flank the Horsemen killed a Fiend, with the other dying to combat resolution. Similar happened with the Flesh Hounds, however in both accounts the spectator argued that since they clipped the other friendly unit in combat, neither unit could overrun, which I went along with for the sake of quailing an argument, however I checked the rulebook later to find he was wrong and I was right, something that cost me the Knights in the end. In the big combat in the center the BSB killed a Knight only to have several Daemonettes cut down in the process with more dying to CR. In the Horsemen vs Horrors bout neither side dealt any wounds and the Horsemen rolled insane courage to stay put. Finally, the Nurgle Daemons took down the Spawn with a poison jab.
Turn 3
As a result of the bad rules argument of the previous turn going awry, my Knights saw a flank charge from the Bloodletters as the Plaguebearers joined the fray on the east side. The Flamers finished off charges by helping out the Horrors. With no magic to speak of combat ensued with another Knight getting chopped down in exchange for a Plaguebearer and a swathe of Daemonettes. The other Knight in the west easily broke from the Bloodletters who hit the Warbanner wielding Warriors. The Horsemen with Spears then fled the Tzeentch Daemons, landing in the forest after two were cut down.
In the Chaos turn the Flail Horsemen and Hellcannon slammed into the Plaguebearers' flank as the final two Spear Horsemen rallied. All the time circling the battlefield for a vantage point, the Tzeentch Sorcerers continued to stay on the move for fresh targets. The Chaos Knights then fled the board. Finding the Horrors they blasted fire at the warped Daemons but to no avail. In combat, after killing two more Knights, the Daemoenttes were completely cut down while a tonne of Plaguebearers fell also. The Bloodletters cut down two Chaos Warriors breaking the unit but failing to catch them.
Turn 4
Continuing the chase of the Chaos Warriors, the Bloodletters ran the unit off of the board. The Flamers prepared to take aim at the Level 1 and the Horrors at the lone Chaos Knight that still stood. Magic once again did a wound to the Chaos Sorcerer. In combat, the Plaguebearers were taken down to alarming low numbers, with time and steel against them.
In the Chaos turn only the Sorcerers and Hounds could angle to get better targetting opertunities as did the remaining Knight, though magic yet again yielded no results. In the ensueing combat, the last of the Plaguebearers died.
Turn 5
Aiming now at the Knight the Flamers turned, with the Bloodletters turning to face the Hounds. In magic, the Hunter's Spear killed 4 Warriors leaving only 4 standing. With no combat the WoC turn took hold, in which the lone Knight rode toward the Bloodletters and the Level 4 circled the forest to get a shot. The Horsemen ran for cover, knowing their role was achieved. Magic managed to finally kill a single Bloodletter and set up Pandaemonium, and yet again there was no combat.
Turn 6
To round out the Daemon game the Bloodletters charged the Hounds, who held. The Flamers tried to shoot down the Knight and failed, and thanks to Pandaemonium, the Tzeentch Herald miscast and took a wound. The Hounds were subsequently overrun. In the last Chaos turn magic and Daemonfire reined on the Bloodletters, killing 8, but not enough for half VP. At that the game ended a draw, or was it?
Conclusions
Really intense game. Despite the actual outcome, morally and in the records I'm counting this as a minor victory as with the unnecessary interference costing me my Knights that is what it would have been even if the Knights didn't kill anything.
In a magic restricted environment, magic really doesn't do much against other magic armies. A Skaven Screaming Bell could murder the magic scene with ease. The Flail Horsemen were MVP in this game, helping to deal with the killing of three units, earning back more than quadruple their points. The Rapturous Warriors were also ace. Knowing the list a little better, I hope to be a little more successful on Sunday.
