S2D vs. Nighthaunts/Gloomspite Gitz 2000pts Batrep

[Saturmorn Carvilli]

This was a three player game of Slaves to Darkness (me) vs. Nighthaunts (the most experienced player) and Gloomspite Gitz (the best painted models army).  I had 2000 points,  They each had 1000 points.  The battleplan was Places of Arcane Power which was selected based on the battleplan name more than anything and it didn't appear to favor any particular army as far as I could tell.

My Army:

Ravagers, All with Mark of Chaos Undivided

Leaders: Chaos Lord of Karkadrak, Sorcerer Lord x2

Battleline: 15 Chaos Warriors (Hand Weapon and Shield)x2, 10 Chaos Knights x2 (one with ensorcelled weapons, one with lances)

Other: Chaos Spawn x2, Realmscrouge Rupture

Rally the Tribes: Iron Golems, Untamed Beasts

As a pretty new player, this is more of an army of what I have over what I would want.  I don't even have enough cultists to make use of Rally the Tribes each round unless one or both of my Warcry teams are destroyed. 

 

My Opponents Armies:

I can't say for certain as I am still too new to know much outside own stuff.  The Nighthaunt player had 5 heroes characters giving them plenty of units to capture objectives.  They also had at least two groups of battleline ghosts.  As for the Gloomspite Gitz player, they favored a troll heavy army with with unit of squigs and a goblin wizard of some sort.

 

The Battlefield

The table was covered with my Warcry terrain as well as an Alter of Skulls (no  special rules used) and the FLGS Chaos terrain piece that looks really awesome.  The objectives are Chaos Space Marine Banners on 28mm bases.  You can see my left flank (Tzeentch) and center objectives (Khorne) in the above photos with their all gray circular bases.  Not pictures is the Slaanesh one atop the Warcry terrain at the upper center of the above photo.

The story for this battle was my army: The Defenders of the Mortal Realms were protecting a unholy sites from trolls that had decided to make a home here.  At the same time Nagash's forces had sent some Nighthaunts to scout out the area for an impeding invasion.  These Nighthaunts also might have had a special connection to this place as the Chaos banners were placed on ancient burial grounds.

 

Round 1

The Nighthaunt/Gloomspite Gitz players chose territories but I managed to pick who had first turn.  I let my opponents go first since I wouldn't be able to reach anything if I went first and want be in good position for a double turn.  Since I only had three units that could capture/hold objectives, I completely abandoned the Slaanesh objective.  IN retrospect, I probably should have used my cultists to harass my opponents to draw more of their forces away to defend it.  The Nighthaunt player went to take the Tzeentch objective while screening their rear.  Meanwhile the Gitz player sent a portion of their force toward the Khorne objective and a smaller group at the Slaanesh objective. 

I moved my knights with the idea of charging this round.  My Chaos Lord ran to be in better position to take the Tzeentch objective and provide better aura coverage next round.  My lance knights failed their charged even after the re-roll, but my ensorcelled weapon knights got stuck in with the nighthaunt troops and squigs.  I probably should have focused attack the ghosts more, but I didn't know they had so much healing potential.  Besides I removed more squigs from battleshock (with 3-4+ Mortal Wounds at me when they ran) than actual damage.  My Warriors and Sorcerers ran to capture the Khorne objective.  I sandwiched my Sorcerers within my Warriors to prevent easy access to any would be assassins. 

 

Round 2

I managed the double turn in Round 2 going first.  This round I did get my endless spell to go off which hit three of Nighthaunt mounted heroes and the Gitz wizard.  Unfortunately, I did less than average damage with it.  My Warriors and Sorcerer positioned around the Khorne objective to make it a challenge to shift them for at least a couple of rounds. My Chaos Spawn did reach a group of trolls but barely scratched them and were destroyed in the process.  My Lance Knights connected with the ghost troops but my other knights killed so many that they were out of range again before they attacked.  My Chaos Warrior positioned himself on the Tzeentch objective and didn't move the rest of the game.

The Nighthaunt player sent one of his mounted heroes toward the Slaanesh objective but was a couple of inches short of grabbing it.  The other two fought my Chaos Lord where one fell and everyone at the table learned how dangerous the Chaos Lord on Karkadrak could be.  I got the +5 FNP Eye of the Gods buff.  The Gitz player encircled my Warriors but wasn't yet in a good position to bring the roughly hewn stone hammer down on them.

Score: S2D: 2, NH/GG: 0

 

Round 3:

This time the Nighthaunts and Gitz managed the double turn.  Unfornately for the Nighthaunts player, his forces were kinda floundering.  He as chipping away at my ensorcelled weapon knights and getting ghosts back, but I did manage to completely remove one group of them and the remaining ghosts just weren't removing my knights fast enough to be of any use later.  Pretty much the same story with the Gitz.  The trolls were really starting to clear out my Warriors (I think he got 12 of them this round), but it was too late in the game to clear a path to my Sorcerers.  The Gitz also teleported that big violet painted troll to face my Chaos Lord.

On my turn, my Warriors simple weathered more attacks but held their ground.  Same with the ensorcelled weapons knights who were pretty gassed out at this point but had done their job.  My lance Knights made a 180 and charged the teleported troll and the mounted ghost who was still in combat with my Chaos Lord.  None of which could actually generate enough attacks to kill the phantom horseman.  The troll on the otherhand, was down to 3 wounds after the lance charge. 

Score: S2D: 4, NH/GG: 1

 

Round 4:

The Nighthaunts and Gitz player won initiative.  They killed the last of my ensorcelled  knights and both of my cultists as well as a few number of my lance Knights.  My Warriors were down to a handful but either Sorcerer Lord only had minor damage.  The big troll and the mounted ghost attacking my Chaos Lord was removed (I forgot to roll on the Eye of the Gods table).

After their turn, talk of ending came up and I suggested we could stop here as I wasn't going to lose the Tzeentch objective for the rest of the game, they weren't going to lose the Slaanesh objective and it was agreed that I probably wouldn't lose the Khorne objective and even if I did, they didn't have a hero that could take this round.

Hypothetical Score: S2D: 5-6, NH/GG: 2

 

Round 5:

Hypothetical Score: S2D: 6-7, NH/GG: 3-4

 

After Actions:

This was the first game of Age of Sigmar I had a lot of fun playing.  I feel a little bad for the Nighthaunt player as they probably felt a little restricted having an allied player as well as having most of their battleline forces unable to do much. The Gitz player said this was also the most fun they had playing Age of Sigmar as previous games his trolls never got to do anything.  I did state that I would have rather been the one that destroyed their armies and lost than get my army beat up and won.  However, I just don't think that is what my army does.  They just don't have much damage output.

I like the Chaos Lord on Karkadrak and the Sorcerers are auto-inlcudes in my armies.  The two blocks of 15 Warriors are also a staple.  I like the Knights with ensorcelled  weapons but the Lance Knights don't really work out well.  The Chaos Spawn were also pretty bad.  I could say the same for the Warcry Cultists, but I didn't pay any points for them and because of that never really had a plan for them.  So probably more my fault than anything.  I got more work out the Realmscourge Rupture than I can ever expect, but it still was kinda underwhelming.

I now have a foot Chaos Lord that will be in place of the Chaos Spawn.  I also think I should finally build by Varanguard to replace the Lance Knights.  If and when I buy more for this army, I think I want some more Warcry Cultists (I know Marauders are better, I like the Warcry models more) and probably a Warshrine.  I might also consider a Manticore hero too.