When my scheduled opponent was unable to make our game I was lucky enough to join in my buddies game. The High Elves were my original army going back to 3rd edition, and I still own a Tomb King force so I was happy to take some troops from either side. My buddy offered me a few High Elf units and I was happy for the chance I’m considering putting together a High Elf army again! The best part of the night was I didn’t have to put together an army list, something I’m notoriously bad at, and something I really don’t like doing!

My friends are big into the tournament scene and used this game to try out one of the scenarios from Summer Heat coming up in early August in Newport News. We played the below scenario, Attack! Defend! When will it End?

Game 2 – Attack! Defend! When will it End? Seize the objectives and carry the spoils back to your realm. But daylight is fading on this first day of battle. Grab the objectives or cut off the enemy retreat before night falls. Deployment: Classic Deployment (12″). 3 objective markers will be placed before deployment at 12″/36″/60″ along the long centerline. Follow the normal rules for deployment, table side, and +1 to the roll to go first for the person who deploys firsts. Scouts count as a deployment. Mission: Control more objectives than your opponent. Scoring unit: For this scenario, any unit with unit strength 10 or higher is a scoring unit. Scoring Units: To claim an objective, a scoring unit must have at least I model within 3″ of an objective edge and also have a higher unit strength than any other scoring units that are also within 3″ of that objective. Units cannot claim more than one objective at a time. Objectives are worth 250VP each. Game Length: After the bottom ofturn 5, the player that went second rolls a d6. On a 1 or 2, night has fallen and game is over. After turn 6, the game ends on a 1-4, otherwise turn 7 is the end. Bonus Points: +3 Control more objectives than your opponent +1 Have a scoring unit in the enemy deployment zone at the end of the game. +1 Have no enemy scoring units in your deployment zone at the end of the game.

The army lists:

High Elf Realms – Dragon – [1997pts]

# Main Force [1997pts]

## Characters [999pts] Archmage [230pts]: Hand Weapon, Illusion, Wizard Level 4, Silvery Wand, Ruby Ring of Ruin, Pure of Heart Noble [257pts]: Hand Weapon, Shield, Full Plate Armour, Great Weapon, Griffon (Heavy Armour, Serrated Maw, Wicked Claws), Battle Standard Bearer, Seed of Rebirth, Pure of Heart Prince [512pts]: Hand Weapon, Shield, Great Weapon, Full Plate Armour, Star Dragon (Dragon Fire, Full Plate Armour, Wicked Claws), General, Dragon Helm, Seed of Rebirth, Obsidian Lodestone, Talisman Of Protection, Pure of Heart

## Core [507pts] Lothern Sea Guard [345pts]: Magic Standard • 24x Lothern Sea Guard [12pts]: Hand Weapon, Light Armour, Thrusting Spear, Warbow, Shield • 1x Sea Master [7pts] • 1x Standard Bearer [45pts]: Razor Standard • 1x Musician [5pts] Silver Helms [162pts]: • 6x Silver Helm [24pts]: Barded Elven Steed (Barding, Hand Weapon), Hand Weapon, Heavy Armour, Lance, Shield • 1x High Helm [6pts] • 1x Standard Bearer [6pts] • 1x Musician [6pts]

## Special [146pts] Swordmasters of Hoeth [146pts]: • 10x Swordmaster [14pts]: Hand Weapon, Heavy Armour, Sword of Hoeth • 1x Bladelord [6pts]

## Rare [345pts] Eagle-Claw Bolt Thrower [80pts]: Bolt Thrower, Repeater Bolt Thrower, Sea Guard Crew Frostheart Phoenix [205pts]: Full Plate Armour, Wicked Claws Great Eagles [60pts]: • 1x Great Eagle [60pts]: Serrated Maw, Wicked Claws

Tomb Kings of Khemri – Mortuary Cult – Mortuary #1 – [1998pts]

# ++ Main Force ++ [1998pts]
## Characters [705pts]
High Priest [445pts]: Hand Weapon, Illusion, Wizard Level 4, Necrolith Bone Dragon (Breath of Dessication, Full Plate Armour, Wicked Claws), General, Lore Familiar, Serpent Staff, Talisman Of Protection
Mortuary Priest [145pts]: Hand Weapon, Elementalism, Wizard Level 2, Battle Standard Bearer, Warding Splint
Mortuary Priest [115pts]: Hand Weapon, Elementalism, Wizard Level 2, Ruby Ring of Ruin

## Core [662pts]
Skeleton Skirmishers [50pts]:
• 10x Skeleton Skirmisher [5pts]: Hand Weapon, Warbow
Skeleton Warriors [170pts]: Nehekharan Phalanx
• 30x Skeleton Warrior [5pts]: Hand Weapon, Shield, Thrusting Spear
• 1x Master of Arms [5pts]
• 1x Standard Bearer [5pts]
Tomb Swarms [148pts]:
• 4x Tomb Swarm [37pts]: Hand Weapon
Ushabti [294pts]:
• 6x Ushabti [49pts]: Hand Weapon, Heavy Armour, Greatbow

## Special [496pts]
Necrosphinx [195pts]: Heavy Armour, Cleaving Blades, Decapitating Strike
Skeleton Chariots [161pts]:
• 3x Skeleton Chariot [43pts]: 2x Skeletal Steed (Hand Weapon), 2x Skeleton Crew (Cavalry Spear, Hand Weapon, Warbow)
• 1x Master Charioteer [26pts]: Death Mask of Kharnutt
• 1x Standard Bearer [6pts]
2x Tomb Scorpion [70pts]: Heavy Armour, Decapitating Claws, Envenomed Sting

## Rare [135pts]
Casket of Souls [135pts]: Casket Guardians

The armies arrayed for battle. Skirmishing vanguard skeleton archers? What’s going on here?!

On Tomb King turn 1 the Tomb Kings started their inexorable advance on the High Elves line. The Tomb King archery proved deadly killing two Silver Helms and three Lothern Sea Guard. Considering I was pushing these units, the bolt thrower, and the Giant Eagle my forces were rapidly dwindling before I even moved a figure!

On the High Elf Turn One the High Elves pushed forward towards the Tomb Kings. The High Elves pushed out of the arc of the Necrosphinx charge and hid behind the tower willing to face the charge of the skirmishing skeletons instead of the might Necrosphinx. The Bolt Thrower struck the Necrosphinx but failed to wound it. The Lothern Sea Guard failed to cause any wounds on the Tomb Scorpion and the Archmage failed to do anything with his magic. It was such a lackluster turn I didn’t even take any pictures!

In the Tomb Kings turn the Necrosphinx continued its sweep around the flank and made it completely behind the High Elven line!

In the Tomb King turn the skeletons and Ushabti turned their bows on the Frost Phoenix putting on four wounds. Meanwhile the Tomb Scorpion charged the Great Eagle which fled which proved bad news for the Silver Helms as it was able to redirect into them along with the archers. With another round of bad luck the Silver Helms were killed to the elf! Things were not looking good for the elves, but it was still early!

In the High Elf turn the General on Dragon and Battle Standard Bearer on Griffon jumped on the High Priest on Bone Dragon hoping to cut it down. While wounds were exchanged the High Priest challenged and the General accepted leaving the Battle Standard Bearer to add just a few points of combat resolution. The High Priest and his Bone Dragon fell back with the General and his dragon following up. The Battle Standard didn’t follow up and turned to face the inevitable charge of the Necrosphinx. The Bolt Thrower managed to hit and put two wounds on the Necrosphinx.

In the Tomb King turn the chariots charged the bolt thrower cutting it down. The Necrosphinx charged the Griffon and the two exchanged blows to no effect. The Tomb Kings finished off the Frost Phoenix shooting it from the sky. This was probably to be expected though as it was the first time my buddy fielded it after painting it. The Skeleton block attempted to charge the General engaged against the Necrosphinx but failed to get in contact needing a 4 on one die and only rolled a 3 and a 1. The High Priest on the Bone Giant was certainly going to miss having the extra static combat resolution!

ln the High Elves turn the Sword Masters were finally able to get to grips with the Tomb Scorpion (The Scorpion failed to contact them on its charge, and they were out of range the next turn to make it themselves.) The Sword Masters were able to cut the abomination down. The monsters continued to fight in the middle slowly grinding each other down and pushing each other back with no resolution. The Archmage was able to put a hex on the charioteers preventing them from charging, and dropped a magical pillar blocking himself from the second Tomb Scorpion. The Great Eagle had flown over the skeleton block in an attempt to get at the Casket of the Souls which had been preventing the High Elf heroes on their mighty monsters from cutting down their undead foes but couldn’t quite make it. The Eagle was charged in the rear by the skeleton skirmishers for its efforts. The High Elf General was finally able to finish off the High Priest on Bone Dragon and turned to face the Skeleton block threatening his flank. The Tomb King player rolled really well for his crumble test across the board but lost a few skeleton skirmishers which allowed the Great Eagle to finish them off in combat.

In the Tomb King turn the skeleton block was finally able to get to grips with the General on Dragon. The priests lurking in the back of the field cast fireball and windblast, and the Ushabti with their great bows were able to cut the Swordmasters down to only two elves. While the chariots were unable to charge the pesky Archmage they were able to put two wounds on him as he stood in the middle of the field. Maybe flying around all game on the winds of a magical spell wasn’t the best of ideas…. In combat the skeleton champion issued a challenge and was cut into it’s constituent pieces. While the General won the combat and some skeletons crumbled away the majority of the block stood firm. Meanwhile the Great Eagle reached the end of it’s lucky streak and was pulled down by the multitude of scuttling scarabs.

The Sea Guard were looking to get into combat but with a roll of a 1 and a 2 they failed to make the charge! The High Elf Battle Standard Bearer was able to put the final wound on the Necrosphinx despite taking heavy wounds himself. I guess those two wounds the bolt thrower put on the Necrosphinx in turn two helped the cause after all! He then overran into the Tomb Scorpion. As this combat was going on the Dragon reduced the skeleton unit to just a handful of models.

The Tomb King turn was less exciting and just saw a few more Lothern Sea Guard taken out by foul sorcery, and the Skeleton block come back to life due to the foul sorcery of the Mortuary Priests giving the Dragon more skeletons to break apart. Just enough skeletons came back to life so the General and his mount could not kill enough to finish off the unit.

In an act of bravery the two remaining Swordmasters charged the Ushabti killing one for no loss to themselves! Looks like this ill fated unit still had some blessings of Hoeth afterall! On the other side of the battlefield the Battle Standard Bearer and his trusty Griffon were able to kill the remaining Tomb Scorpion.

A die was thrown to see if the game would end and it came up a 3, so a 6th turn was to be played! The Tomb King chariots charged the Battle Standard Bearer and his rampaging monster, but in a display of swordsmanship and a flurry of saves the chariots found themselves reduced once more to kindling and bone. In the center of the field the General finally destroyed the Skeleton block.

The General had charged the Coffin of Souls and killed it and turned to face the Mortuary Priest and Ushabti while the Battle Standard Bearer, confident in his divine protection, advanced towards the only remaining threat, the Ushabti. The Archmage killed one of the mortuary priests with a blast from his Ruby Ring of Ruin and quickly popped a magical pillar to prevent incoming fire. This magical defense prevented a few of the Lothern Sea Guard from shooting at the remaining Mortuary Priest who survived the shooting with only one wound left!

Apparently Khorne had some sway over the ebb and flow of this battle as once again the die roll to determine the game length came up with a five, forcing a seventh, and final, turn of the battle. The Ushabti let loose one final volley of shots from their giant asp bows and finally cut the brave High Elven battle standard bearer down in their turn. In the High Elf turn the General charged the Ushabti but was unable to finish them off. The Lothern Sea Guard finished what they started the turn before and killed the mortuary priest. With that the game was over. The Tomb Kings were reduced to a unit of Ushabti and a few swarm stands and did not controlling any of the objectives, and the High Elves were seriously bloodied but left with over half their points still alive and in possession of the central objective. Victory to the High Elves, Victory to Ulthuan!

This game ended up being closer than the total victory point total might look. Had the Skeleton block rolled high enough to contact with the General and his Dragon their static combat resolution might have been enough to swing the combat in favor of the Bone Dragon. If that had happened it would have been the Tomb Kings, not the High Elves, with a monster capable of rampaging across the battlefield. On turn two I commented “The Tomb Kings have managed to outflank, and out shoot the High Elves.” That was a very scary proposition for our fragile troops, but fortunately for us the skill of the High Elven characters were able to keep them in the fight. The Casket of Souls was particularly nettlesome throughout the battle as we could not get rid of the -1 to hit bubble it was generating which kept the High Elf characters from really capitalizing on their superior weapon skill. It ended up being a fun game, even if I lost most of my troops early on! It appears High Elves really rely on their big monsters in this edition and not their troops. Between that and owning more Bretonnians than High Elves at this point I think I’m going to start a Bretonnian army for this edition. One day I’ll return to the fair shores of Ulthuan though!

-Wachtmeister