Game 2 vs Nurgle Mortals/Daemons with Archeon
Chaos Allegiance
Hero:
Archeon the Everchosen
Harbinger of Decay
Bloab Rotspawned
Great Unclean One
Battleline:
10
Plaugebearers w/ Champion, Standard and Tooter
10
Plaugebearers w/ Champion, Standard and Tooter
10
Plaugebearers w/ Champion, Standard and Tooter
Behemoth:
Archeon- As above
Bloab- As above
GUO- As above
Other:
5
Putrid Blightkings w/ Leader
5
Putrid Blightkings w/ Leader
Alrighty, to begin, this one was a feared match-up. With Archeon and a host of Nurgle on the other side, i was hesitant and cautious. The match was Blood and Glory though, so I knew I could push it to a stalemate if I played defensively, and possibly beat him in points killed. Killing Archeon would also net me a good chunk, placing me higher in the rankings of course, but that was a tertiary objective to holding the line, and blasting his daemons apart.
Set up was thus, though if you cannot make it out I'll run down it. From Left to right on my side were the Kroxigors huddling around a forest, and the left flank objective, one of my skink units screening my Stegadon close by, then my Troglodon, my Slann behind a rock with the skink chief next to him, then my Bastiladon, who was also screened by a unit of Skinks. Next was my Eternity warden, my unit of sauras guard and the skink starpriest guarding the right flank objective.
Fortunately, my opponent had deployed his mortals and demons half and half, keeping his buffs separated and allowing me to focus on one or the other. His mortals were along the left flank, two units of Blightkings accompanied by one of the big nasty nurgle monsters and a Harbinger of Decay. Then three units of Nurgle daemons in groups of 10 stretched across the middle and to the right flank. He also had a Great Unclean one to support them, and Archeon smack dab in the middle, though I could see he favored the left flank more. His hammer was poised, while my anvil was ready for the blow, also pictured
here
I managed to deploy all of my units first, so I took first turn. They shuffled about, huddling defensively, Kroxigors taking the treeline so the Blightkings could not charge in if a double turn was had. My skinks nearby spread out, while my ranged beasts moved forward. The Great Constellation of the Drake burned above, and a good thing too. My Slann failed to cast his spell, but did kill two Nurgle daemons with an arcane bolt. More of them died to ranged fire, while Archeon shrugged off everything that was directed at him. I knew he was tough, but 20 wounds and a good save to boot? I cursed to myself and let him go.
Chaos is no slouch in magic, though very few of his spells were able to reach my line, as it had not moved forward too much. He moved forward, slowly, and was unable to shoot at my forces. It was an uneventful first turn, though Archeon did get a mystic shield off, and rolled a six for his Eye of Shamalama (or however it is said). The initiative roll quickly gave him the upper hand.
The second round began with Archeon attempting to wound my Kroxigors. His Bolt fizzled in my Slann's mind's-eye, and the great lord was thwarted. That did not keep the rest of the mortal forces from moving up the board. They charged, the first unit of blight kings making it into combat with my Kroxigors. Archeon himself charged in, blocked by skinks and my Troglodon, pulling my Stegadon into combat as well. He had attempted to overwhelm my Kroxigors, but found himself assailed from all sides. My Skink Chief as well leaped into the fray. First struck the Blightkings, wounding a Kroxigor, who shrugged of the blow with Savage ferocity from it's Starhost. They struck back, killing the leader of the Blightkings outright. It was then Archeon struck, Kingslayer making to kill my Troglodon, though the blade scrapped off a few scales. The great maws of the monster he rode bit deep into a Kroxigor, killing him. The moonhammer fell from the creatures grasp. His tails killed a skink, but failed to do much else. Seeing this, the Troglodon struck, biting into the corrupted flesh of the demonic steed. It was ignored, though some pain was had. Claws cut nothing, and the Oracles rod was parried away. The skinks fled, attempting to hold the objective, though they still blocked the way of the great Stegadon, who could only reach Archeon with his great horns. They wounded the beastly lord, but only so much. The Chief struck then, his ornate club crushing demonic scales and wounding Archeon! He taunted the being of Chaos as the Seraphon surged forward in retaliation.
Spells flew, and Starlight glimmered, a mystic shield covering the Troglodon. An arcane bolt struck Archeon, but his many wards dissipated the damage, ignoring the spell entirely. The Slann was not amused. My SKink chief ordered his stegadon to move, just barely getting out of combat in the hero phase with that roll. Turning about, it fired the great bow into Archeon, managing to deal 1 damage to the beast. The Troglodon splashed acid onto the lord, but failed to melt anything of use. In the middle of the field, the Bastiladon was ordered to hunt other prey, blasting apart Plaugebearers with a single shot. 8 of 10 fell, another dying to Skink arrows. The Blightkings that were engaged to the Kroxigors were filled with bolts as well, though they were more resilient. The great charge of the Stegadon was allowed to pass now that the skinks had moved, it's horns aimed for the heart of Archeon. It jabbed and tore at the great monster, doing a single wound to him in all it's fury. Surviving the onslaught, he returned the attacks, splitting them among the beasts below. He sent Kingslayer into the Troglodon again, though this time it was turned aside by the Oracle. Tails and jaws were blocked and turned by horns and even the Skink Chief batted a tail away with his shield. The Kroxigors struck the Blightkings then, killing another, and roaring furiously. Wounds were dealt to them, but they were negligible in their state of fury. Further combat saw the Troglodon fail to harm Archeon with his many defenses, while the Skink Chief slipped his club through and smashed another two wounds off of the great steed! (He's really making a name for himself)
The next round's initiative went to Chaos again, and by this time we were both flagging slightly as we had used much of our time for this Round of the Tournament. Archeon got another Mystic shield off, and the rest of the Nurgle mortals were finally catching up and making it into combat. The great rider on his beast failed to hurt the left flank skinks, who squawked angrily in return.The Harbinger squeezed through a gap made in the fight, charging the Stegadon! The Plaugebearers also charged, into combat on the right flank, meeting Sauras and Skink. A second unit of Blightkings charged the Troglodon during the chaos, somehow also pulling the Bastiladon and the Slann into the press of battle. The melee ensued! The first Blightkings struck, hurting the Kroxigors again, though they stood firm still. On the right flank, the Guard slaughtered 8 of the 10 plaugebearers that had charged them, while Archeon swung his blade in time. These strikes were directed at the Chief after so much taunting. Shield and Club danced with the great blade, and the Skink taunted Archeon once more, unharmed. Meanwhile, Draughr lashed it's tail at the Kroxigors, and killed one of the two. It's jaws failed to harm the Stegadon though. The last Kroxigor ripped apart another Blightking, leaving them with two to his one. The plaugebearers of the third daemon cohort attacked the skinks that had been blocking them, slaughtering them to a man. Unfortunately for them, they drew the ire of the Eternity warden, who had been behind their line. He swung his mace, and destroyed a few in his fury. The Troglodon bit into Archeon's mount, having ignored the attacks of the second Blightking unit, and clawed at his flanks. Nothing came of it, though the great lord looked annoyed. The Stegadon once again ripped into him with it's horns, dealing another blow to the mounted daemonlord. Yet of all of the combatants, the Skink Chief struck the hardest, dancing along the great beasts in the melee, and dueling with the Everchosen. He scored a strike on the lord's side, taunting evermore as Archeon roared in fury. Quietly, the skinks of the left flank retreated from a hulking behemoth that had charged them, consolidating in the forest and surrounding the objective. The Slann's lightening crackled, burnign alive a Blightking, and wounding another. They withstood the final attack of the Bastiladon though, the great lumbering beast failing to hit them. The Plaugebearers slaughtered by the guard fled, while the last cohort of them remained, more daemons blinking into existence.
Again celestial power surged, the Seraphon returning the blows that had been struck to them. Starlight struck the daemons, though it fizzled out thanks to their Greater Lord who dispelled the Starpriest's spell. The Slann placed a mystic shield on the Troglodon again, and attempted to throw another Arcane Bolt. It was ripped from the air by the Everchosen, who had grown tired of this battle. Acid, arrows, and beams of light flew, though little effect was had. Yet still they battled on. Few could move in the fray, but as it were there was no need. Everyone was pressed close, exactly where they were to be. The last Kroxigor struck first, killing another Blightking, and leaving himself open to attack. He was wounded, but he stood firm to the end. The combatants of the grand melee on the left flank swung to and fro, the only casualties among the second unit of Blightkings that had moved to assist their lord. Another tally or two was done to Archeon, and the Stegadon was slightly harmed, but the battle ended there in a stalemate. On the right flank, the remaining unit of plaugebearers was destroyed, leaving it open, but without time to claim the enemies objectives.
We may have run out of time, but I call that both a morale victory!
Killpoints decided the Game.
Seraphon- 300
10 Plaugebearers x 3
Chaos - 60
10 Skinks
Result:
Minor Victory to the Seraphon!
Killpoints Awarded to Seraphon:
Plaugebearers (30) - 300
I unfortunately could not kill Archeon, though I will gladly say I fought him to a stand still. My Skink Chief was the star of the battle, doing 4 of the 9 wounds suffered by the Everchosen Lord. My Stegadon too was invaluable, the -3 rend on his horns turning the 2+ save he had with Mystic Shield into butter. Overall it was a fun game, but we were the last ones finished, and we had gone over on time. It was truly a draining game, but I would do it all over again to try and kill that chaotic nuisance.
