8th Ed. 500 Point Escalation

[teufelhund]

I'm doing an escalation style campaign at my local store 5 games in 5 weeks starting at 500 points and progressing in 500 pt increments. The only rule being that you must use the models from each previous list. You are allowed to add equipment etc. but you are not allowed to remove or replace them. So being an over-achiever I have already gone ahead and made all 5 lists and I am hoping that in trying to keep the percentages correct it keeps the campaign more balanced. So any thoughts or comments and ideas would be appreciated. Here are the lists:

-Scarvet: CO, LA, halberd, Charmed Shield, Luckstone
-(13) Saurus S&S
-Basti laser
-Salamander extra snack

In addition to the list(s) above:
-Skink Chief: terradon, LA, spear, Egg, Enchanted Shield, Dragonbane Gem
-(7) Saurus S&S w/FC
-(13) TG w/Musician
-Salamander extra snack

In addition to the list(s) above:
-Slann: Channelling Staff, WD, Harmonic Convergence
-(13) Skink Cohort w/Krox and musician

In addition to the list(s) above:
-Add BSB standard of discipline to slann and ironcurse icon
-Scarvet: CO, Great weapon, LA, Dragonhelm, Dawnstone
-(7) Skink Cohort w/champ and standard for FC
-(10) Skirmishers J&S
-(5) Chameleon Skinks
-(7) TG w/champ and standard for FC

In addition to the list(s) above:
-(10) Skirmishers J&S
-(10) Skirmishers J&S
-(1) Chameleon Skink
-(3) Rippers
-(4) TG
-Salamander extra snack
-Salamander extra snack

Looking forward to hearing what you guys think. I was a little concerned about not getting a BSB earlier on, but I figured I could dominate the magic phase at a lower tier; I hope I'm not putting too much faith in cold blooded. I feel that at the cheaper points levels as long as I can avoid losing my characters and get lucky with the bastiliadon bound spell I can pretty much wreck face. As the values increase my list becomes more balanced, but I think that the extra mobility and chaff can keep me alive and hopefully my magic will remain effective although I entirely expect to lose the bastiladon since he is my only monster. Other than that I dislike that I have no scroll, but the combat characters just seem so much more valuable, but I think I might ditch the chamo skinks in favor of becalming cogitation to make me feel better and bring the extra TG in early and the camo skinks later. Any thoughts.

 

[teufelhund]

Guess this is a bump, but I thought I would fill you guys in on game one at 500 points agains High Elves. He had a level 2 wizard to death. He ended up with soul blight and he swapped dreadknight for spirit leech. The wizard was in a unit of swordmasters and his core was filled with a unit of reavers and some archers. and lastly a great eagle.
this was the first time that I have played in a while where I have been out chaffed, but I was lucky that I was able to steal initiative and move first.

Deployment: I have my saurus in the center opposite his sword masters (Scar vet in the unit); the bastiladon acting as a wall on the left flank. Salmander on my far left opposite his archers, reavers and eagle.

Turn 1: I move my salamander up the flank to maybe get a juicy shot in turn 2 if he moves up and push up with my lines my max movement. Magic: I roll a 5; I throw all the dice at the beam targeting his reavers to help the sally and it goes off irresistable. I roll a 4 and end up with 6 str 5 hits and kill all but one reaver that promply flees of the table. Shooting: I check the distance and I try the sally at the archers, but roll a two and don't cover the distance.

He moves his swordmasters forward and chaffs me with his eagle to get me out of position and the rest of his army stands still. Magic he attempts to cast soulblight, which I dispell with all 6 of my dice and then tries the long range spirit leech and fails to cast on a 9. Shooting he peels off two handlers from my sally, but I pass my leadership check.

Turn 2: I move my salamander agan and it's almost the perfect distance and a decent angle I charge my scar vet out of the unit at the eagle which flees and my saurus turn to face the swordmasters head on. I then charge the eagle with my bastiladon bouncing it through the archers (they pass) and it stops before going off the table. No magic; shooting I again roll abysmally for my sally, but clip two archers and cause them to panic bouncing through the eagle and forcing both units off the board.

He charges his swordmasters into my saurus. Magic he casts soulblight which I dispell irresistably and then casts spirit leech irresistably on his two remaining dice causing a wound on my scarvet and a wound on his wizard and killing 3 swordmasters. He wins combat and my unit flees and is run down.

Turn 3: I turn my 3 remaining units to face his swordmasters flank. Magic he dispells my bastiladon; shooting my sally misfires and eats the rest of his handlers and rolls the stay put reaction.

He truns to face and pops his mage out behind the unit. Tries to spirit leech again and blows himself up.

Turn 4: I decide to play it safe and just move my scarvet to his flank. Magic I easily cast my beam and roll a 6 and then follow it with an 11 and at this point he just picks up his tray and calls the game.

I was pretty sure I would have a cake walk for the most part, but I realize how lucky I was especially being out chaffed; which is something I didn't even factor in at this low points game. I think he might have been better off charging my salamander with the eagle then trying to shoot it down and get his swordmasters across as fast as possible. Other than that it's just luck, but I seriously underestimated the swordmasters with their re-rolls; so mistakes were made on both sides; not to mention the point swing if he didn't blow his mage up and killed my scarvet. I was hoping to just plow my bastilladon into something, but I was wary of his great weapons; so maybe next game. Happy wargaming everyone.

 

[MHK Pathfinder]

Congrats on the win!

One thing though: since you IFd the Beam of Chotek, shouldn't the solar engine have been destroyed after your first cast?

 

[teufelhund]

Irresistable force does not destroy bound spells that are innate; only those contained within an item like the ruby ring. The only thing that happens when it goes off irresistably is that it cannot be cast again that turn which means nothing because it can only be cast once per turn. I'm not sure if there is some item I'm not aware of that can cast it's spell multiple times or not, but that's why I love bastilladons in lieu of a slann in low point games. It goes off on a power level 3 and they usually only have a level 2 tro try and dispell so any dice advantage usually means it goes off. After that it's 50/50 wether or not it's a decent result.

 

[teufelhund]

Game 2 vs. Skaven 1000 points

I was initially dreading this game because this player was a replacement for another player that had to miss this week and had the oppurtunity to build his list starting out at 1000 points which was a bit of an advantage. However it turned out that he was relatively new with Skaven and his list looked mostly like he had two Island of Blood boxes lumped together. If you aren't familiar; it's pretty soft. He ran a level 2 warlock engineer, two clanrat units around 30 models, one with mortar the other with fire thrower, a six man unit of rat ogres and a warp lightning cannon. My list is in the OP. He rolled death frenzy and swapped scorch for warp lightning.

Deployment: He castles in a corner around his cannon with the rat ogres on the exposed flank; he has me out ranged and is content to stay put. I have my saurus and TG deployed across the table; bastilladon on the flank and my chief sallies and scarvet deployed out a bit wider to circle around some terrain and hopefully smash into his flank. Terrain is about the only thing I have going for me at the start. I plan to just rush out as fast as possible before I get shot up too much. He wins first turn.

Skaven turn one: He moves very little just shifting around a bit and angling his rat ogres at my potential flanking units. Magic phase warp lightning is out of range. Shooting; he asks me waht my bastilladon does and says, "oh?" and decides to shoot his cannon at it. I remembered to deploy sideways (hooray for me) and he misses.

Lizardmen turn one: I march everything absolutely as far as I can go. Magic my beam of chotec is dispelled. Shooting is out of range and my salamanders are falling behind. I should have deployed them with my blocks as redirectors. They would have been more useful. At best they are mops right now.

Skaven turn two: No movement; magic he casts warp lightning and manages to only kill a single saurus. Shooting: The poison wind mortar manages to kill 2 more and the cannon puts two wounds on the bastilladon.

Lizardmen turn two: I flat out all my units again, magic is a bust and shooting is still out of range.

Skaven turn three: He breaks his castle a bit dangling charges at my flank with the rat ogres and moves his weapons teams into better positions. Magic at this point I believe he makes a critical error. Although my saurus and TG are now within charge distance it's max distance, but he decides to cast death frenzy he gets it off irresistable and loses both wizard levels and his spells. Shooting he aims for my scar-vet; the cannon misfires and cannot fire this turn or next. The mortar drifts off and the warpfire thower kills 4 saurus.

Lizardmen turn three: I declare charges with my scar-vet and chief both fail; my scar vet even more so... I dangle charges at him with my saurus. Magic: I am now able to get off a lazer, but I roll a one. I still kill two rats. No shooting as I march my salamanders toward his blocks.

Skaven turn four: He declares charges with all his units. Rat ogres succeed into the chief, one unit of clan rats fail and the other succeed in reaching my saurus. Shooting: The warpfire thrower can't see the TG and the mortar drifts off. Close combat: We have 13 saurus vs 27 and he whiffed pretty badly; without the ranks and charge I would have won combat, but I lose and stick a cold blooded 6. The rat ogres destroy my chief on impact hits alone, but not before my egg goes off big and kills off 2 rat ogres and all his pack masters. He overruns and doesn't reach my scar-vet.

Lizardmen turn four: I charge the rat ogres with my scar-vet and because he had to maximize with his clan rat unit I succeed a flank charge into the saurus combat. I also succed a charge with the bastilladon into the warlock bunker (I figured the cannon would kill it next turn anyway) and I flat out the sallies into perfect down the lines shots provided any units are out of combat next turn. The saurus and TG destroy the clan rats and PF overrun into the mortar team. He fails a terror test against the bastilladon. I kill a handful of rats and they stick around. The scar vet doesn't get the benfit of his charmed shield in close combat and the luckstone fails me so he takes a wound, but in return dishes out 4 (one from the cold one ) and the ogres on low ld flee and are run down.

Skaven turn five: His warpfire thrower moves to chaff the overrun of my saurus and TG. My opponent seeing the game turning tries to score some last minute points and succeeds in hitting my scar-vet, but I roll my 2+ The mortar is destroyed and the frie thrower is positioned in such a way that the saurus are blocked out of combat. This round the skaven pass their terror test and despite landing the bludgeon; I lose to combat res and flee and the bastilladon is run down. (Lame) This puts his clan rats out of position. (Double lame) Pursuing the rat ogres left my scar-vet just out of range... PF is a bitch sometimes.

Lizardmen turn five: I turn my saurus to face his clan rats I charge his cannon with my scar-vet and move my sallies to try and shoot his bunker. The fire thrower is killed outright and I reform to face the clan rats as well. The sallies manage to roast some rats and the fail their panic and flee. If he doesn't rally I could potentially charge them off the board turn six. The scar-vet leaves one wound on the cannon which rolls insane courage...

Skaven turn six: He of course rallies his clan rats and for his last trick shoots my depleted saurus with a doom rocket and leaves only the champion alive. (Sigh of relief) The cannon is killed and the scar-vet just reforms.

Lizardmen turn six I declare a charge with the temple guard against his bunker and after some measuring decides to flee stopping a few inches from the board edge. My salamanders are too far to push him again and out of range. The game ends and I win solely based on the fact that I have a single saurus alive. Without the champion alive the game is a draw.

I think that I handicapped myself a bit with my deployment, but cracking castles playing lizardmen is never easy. I'm definitely happy to come away with the win. I honestly expected the rat-ogres to just die. That has always been my experience, but the larger unit and succeeding the charge made all the difference. You just have to take those chances to get into combat when you are out-ranged I guess; I was fortunate to get the charge on the second half or my scar-vet would've likely went the same way as my chief. So a great game and I hope you all enjoyed it.

 

[teufelhund]

Also I just realized that this thread has now become more about my battle reports since the campaign has begun so if it pleases a mod to move it form the the army list section; It would be appreciated.

 

[Gary_M]

Cngratulations on getting 2 wins from 2 games.

 

[teufelhund]

On a sad note apparently the escalation campaign lost about half the people for some reason or another. That in combination with me missing next week for a wedding it was pretty much kaput... I did play a 1500 pt game against the VC player and was pretty much destroyed. I wasn't able to spirit leech his terrorghesit fast enough and was too weak at 1500 pts to stand up to zombie hordes. The salamanders and the slann were able to kick some butt in the late game, but zombies aren't worth much points wise and he was pretty whole. We played a 2500 pt game with our campaign lists for kicks and I faired much better the second time around; the chaff made all the difference and I was much more dominant in the magic phase. We ended up playing to a draw; highlight of the game was the bastilladon having a perfect roll (Never had that happen before) and putting a huge dent in some zombies. Sad to have the campaign die out, but it was a fun game day overall. Didn't really take many notes this time around so sorry I don't have turn by turn. Just thought I'd keep it short and wrap up the post. Take care.