In this battle report, my Vampire Counts square off against my friend Jay's Orcs & Goblins:
We played 1000 points, in an Open Battle. The Legion of the Infernal Skull was led by Master Necromancer Nieman Kimmel. He was commanding a unit of 30 Red Guard (skeleton warriors), and 20 Execution Guard (grave guard with great weapons). The Wight Lord Oren Koth was by Kimmel's side, carrying the battle standard.
Covering the flanks were a unit of fell bats, dire wolves, and a single banshee for good measure.
They were facing a detachment of Waaagh Urthak, led by the Black orc Bigboss Grimtok the Cruel. He was positioned in Untok's Arrer Boys.
Leading Gullgor's Grimtide (black orcs) was the Orc Shaman Wierdnob Grimdok the Sorta Wise.
Rounding off the army was a unit of Skragga's Big Pigs (Orc Boar Boy Big 'Uns), with the goblin boss Giblitt the Mad riding alongside on a giant wolf.
Vampire Counts Turn 1
Nieman Kimmel cast Vanhel's Dans Macabre on the skeletons to get them an extra inch of movement. It would have been more beneficial to get the grave guard out of the woods faster, but the unit was outside of Kimmel'as vision arc. Instead, the Execution Guard plodded forward a mere 3 inches, barely breaking the canopy of the forest.
With their Vanguard move after deployment, normal move, and then a Reserve Move in the shooting phase, the dire wolves advanced 27 inches up the battlefield. I sent them around the ruins to threaten the flank of the arrer boyz.
The fell bats flew 20 inches out to the left flank, taking up a position to charge the boar boys or the goblin if needed.
Orcs & Goblins Turn 1
Waaagh Urthak advanced forward. jay was careful to position the goblin Giblitt behind the ruins where the fell bats could not reach him. Grimdok the Sorta Wise cast Foot of Gork, placing the template in front of and between the skeletons and grave guard. The arrer boys did minimal damage with their shooting.
Vampire Counts Turn 2
At the start of the turn, the Foot of Gork stomped its way through my units, trampling a few skeletons and grave guard. Kimmel resurrected the grave guard casualties with Invocation of Nehek, bring the unit back to full strength.
The fell bats charged bats into the flank of the boar boyz. As the battle lines were quickly closing, Kimmel stepped out of his unit, taking position between the skeletons and grave guard.
The banshee moved into range of the goblin boss, to sing her Wailing Dirge. The poor little guy's blood froze solid, killing him instantly. In retrospect, I think taking out a few of the boar boys would have been much more beneficial, but that would have cost the banshee her (un)life, because the goblin was packing Wollopa's One Hit Wonder, and Jay's plan was to ram him down the Banshee's throat!)
The combat between the bats and boar boys resulted in no casualties, but the bats still lost the combat due to the orc's banner, rank, and the fact that they were a Close Order unit. One fell bat was removed as a casualty due to the Unstable rule, and the unit Gave Ground. Skragga's Big Pigs restrained and reformed, keeping their sights on the banshee.
Orcs & Goblins Turn 2
As expected, the boar boys charge the banshee! They fail to inflict any damage due to her being an Ethereal creature, but she still dies from the combat resolution.
Skragga's Big Pigs overrun into the flank of the Execution Guard, which leaves the Vampire Counts in a pretty bad situation.
Vampire Counts Turn 3
As the Foot of Gork continues to stomp around in my backfield, getting farther and farther away each turn, Nieman Kimmel keeps the skeleton regiment at full strength with his Invocation of Nehek, and uses Vanhel's Dans Macabre to boost the Weapon Skill of the skeletons by +3 and charge the arrer boys with with the wolves and skeletons. After moving them, I realized that I had set myself up for a flank charge if the skeletons can't break the arrer boys. In all the excitement, I completely forgot to move my bats– They could have at least blocked off the black orcs charge. I also forgot to cast any magic missiles, but as the level 4 Shaman was shutting down most of my spell attempts, it probably wouldn't have mattered.
The Orcs manage to do enough damage to offset my bonuses of having more ranks, the battle flag, and making a rear charge, but only just– The combat was a draw!
The boar boyz, however, killed a bunch of grave guard, preventing them from having any models to strike back. After calculating the combat resolution, the Execution Guard was down to half size. They Gave Ground, stopping at Nieman Kimmel.
Orcs & Goblins Turn 3
Grimdok the Sorta Wise cast Bad Moon Rizin' and reduced the skeletons' Weapon Skill by 2. (They were still under the effects of Kimmel's enchantment, so they were at a net of +1 Weapon Skill.) As I feared, the black orcs charged into the flank of the skeletons. Then, the shaman used Hand of Gork to teleport the Grimtok the Cruel out of the arrer boyz unit, positioning him right behind Nieman Kimmel, who was unable to dispel the magical conveyance!
In combat, the undead lost decisively. The combat resolution caused the remaining dire wolves to crumble to dust and the skeletons Gave Ground, stopping at the ruins. The grave guard were also hacked apart, reduced to a single model.
Vampire Counts Turn 4
The situation was dire, and I weighed the options for Kimmel– He could run to get as far away from the orc general as possible, but I opted to move him 4 inches so he would still be able to cast magic missiles at the general. I probably should have charged the bats into the back of the boars, too, but I didn't.
Both of Kimmel's spells failed. The Execution Guard were subsequently wiped out, Skragga's Big Pigs captured their banner and restrained and reformed, facing Kimmel. Even if I had run to escape the general, I wouldn't have been able to run far enough to get away from those boars! Across the field, the skeletons continued to get hacked apart by the black orcs.
Orcs & Goblins Turn 4
Grimtok and the boar boyz charged Nieman Kimmel, and that fight went about as well as you would have expected.
The skeletons were finally eliminated, and the battle was won. Grimtok the Cruel and Waaagh Urthak stood victorious with their captured banners. In the aftermath of the carnage, the fell bats picked up Kimmel's battered and broken body and flew off with it.
That was a bloody battle, but a fun game nonetheless, and a well-earned victory for Jay, who has been struggling to win against the Vampire Counts for ages.
'Til next time!
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