Bretonnia vs Nurgle: The Noble Rot

The second battle I fought with my borrowed Deamons of Nurgle army was against General East's newly-acquired Bretonnians. Having been comprehensively thumped in the first game against General Kasfunatu, I would surely have racked up enough experience to defeat my old nemesis...

Shut up, Magic 8-Ball

(usual disclaimer: this report is my best recollection, although I seem to have misplaced a couple of turns. This game did go the full six, but there was some hesitant manoeuvring that time has since erased)

Daemons of Chaos (Nurgle)

• Daemon Prince of Nurgle (General, Level 3)
• Herald of Nurgle (BSB, Lv 1)
• Epidemius, Tallyman of Nurgle
• 27 Plaguebearers
• Beast of Nurgle
• Beast of Nurgle
• Beast of Nurgle
• 3 Plague Drones

-1600pts

Bretonnians

• Paladin (General, some kind of Killing Blow skill)
• Paladin (BSB, some kind of Multiple Wound skill)
• Damsel, (Lv4 Lore of Heavens)
• Damsel, (Lv2 Lore of Beasts)
• 7 Knights of the Realm (containing 1 Paladin, 1 Damsel and full command)
• 7 Knights of the Realm (containing 1 Paladin, 1 Damsel and full command)
• 6 Knights Errant
• 20 Peasant Bowmen
• 1 Trebuchet

-1600pts

Deployment

The Trebuchet bunkers down in the corner, screened by the Peasant Bowmen. Before them are the Knights Errant, Knights of the Realm 2 and Knights of the Realm 1, each containing their respective Heroes and Spellcasters.

Beast 1 goes far out on the left flank, and the rest of the daemons spread out across the centre: Plague Drones - Beast - Plaguebearer hoard (containing Epidemius and Herald) - Daemon Prince - Beast.

The Bretonnians elect to pray before battle, so Daemons automatically get first turn.

Turn 1- Daemons

Beast 1 moves forward to oppose the Knights Errant. The Daemon Prince takes flights and crosses the battlefield. The rest of the army advances cautiously. Nothing special in the magic phase, except for a miscast knocks off a wound from the Daemon Prince.

Turn 1 - Bretonnians

The Knights Errant charge Beast 1, but fail. Knights of the Realm 1 and 2 swift reform to face the Daemon Prince (giving their Damsels line of sight, though nothing noteworthy happens in the magic phase).

In the shooting phase, the Bowmen cause a wound on Beast 1. The Trebuchet hits Epidemius, but he (it?) is saved by Look Out Sir! and one Plaguebearer dies instead.

Turn 2 - Daemons

Beast 1 moves past Knights Errant to threaten Trebuchet. Daemon Prince moves around the flank of both Knights of the Realm. The rest of the army advances cautiously.

Turn 2 - Bretonnians

Knights Errant move to block Beast 1's line of sight on Trebuchet. Once again, both Knights of the Realm reform to face the Daemon Prince.

In the magic phase, the Amber Spear is cast that kills Daemon Prince outright (I'm not having too much luck with Daemon Princes...)

Turn 3 - Daemons

Undeterred by the sudden death of their general, the daemons continue to ooze forward. Beast 1 moves around Knights Errant. Plague Drones move to long range of Knights of the Realm 1, but fail to damage with their missile weapons (which I discover are rubbish). The Plaguebearers and Beast 2 and 3 advance.

Turn 3 - Bretonnians

Knights of the Realm 1 charge Plague Drones. Knights Errant move to block Beast 1. Knights of the Realm 2 advance (possibly because they fail the charge, or else didn't think it took two knight buses to swat the flies).

The Bowmen fail to damage Beast 1 (and will do nothing else all battle). Trebuchet misfires and is destroyed (thus achieving more than I have all battle)

In combat, Knights of the Realm 1, led by their Paladin's Killing Blow and various buffs (with little opposition, Wyssan’s Wildform and Harmonic Convergence are constantly added throughout the rest of the game) annihilate the Plague Drones down to a single wound.

The Plague Drones roll break test - and get double-1. By some fluke daemon rule, the whole unit is returned on full wounds!

(I had some astonishingly good luck in both Nurgle battles. Evidently the decision not to change my socks was taken as an offering by The Great Unclean One)

Turn 4 - Daemons

The Plaguebearers charge the flank of Knights of the Realm 1, but fail to reach. Beast 2 charges the flank of Knights of the Realm 1, and reaches. Beast 1 charges the flank of the Knights Errant. Beast 3 advances.

In combat, Beast 1 kills one Knight Errant, but loses the combat and is destroyed. The Heroic Killing Blow Paladin turns to one side and casually kills Beast 2 and the Plague Drones and reduced to around half their wounds.

Turn 4 - Bretonnians

Knights of the Realm 2 charge the Plague Drones. The Knights Errant reform and move across the battlefield.

The Plague Drones are hammered in combat, but still have to make a break test (rolling 1 & 2 - so close to another resurrection!) and are destroyed. Both Knights of the Realm reform to face the Plaguebearers.

Turn 5 - Daemons

Plaguebearers and Beast 3 charge into Knights of the Realm 2, front and flank respectively.

During the magic phase, a Daemonic special effect in the magic phase completely wipes out the Knights Errant to a man.

(See what I mean about the crazy good luck? The fact that I got tabled both times [spoiler alert - I'm not going to win this one], isn't a great reflection on my generalship.)

 An Irresistible cast gives the Plaguebearers extra-poison and takes a wound off the Herald.

The daemons don’t manage to dent the knights in the combat phase, and marginally lose the combat. Beast 3 pops from instability.

Turn 5 - Bretonnians

The Knights of the Realm 1 charge into the Plaguebearer hoard. Magic delivers the usual buffs and the slaughter can commence. Epidemius and the Herald dies, and the rest of the deamons are reduced down to a handful. The game ends before the hoard crumbles, but it was over for the deamons.

---

Well, despite the second tabling, that was a fun game. I haven't seen Brentonnians on the table since I played them myself (23rd January 2005, against Kasfunatu's Undead, and won 2,380 : 137 ... just off the top of my head), but they're a tough prospect if you haven't got anything to punch through that armour. I think I whittled away a couple of Knights of the Realm in combat, but most of the damage to the Bretonnians came from mischance.

What I needed to do was to quickly rack up some easy kills (such as the Bowmen) to trigger Epidemius' boosts, which would give my Plaguebearers some badly-needed punch. I should also have grouped together my Beasts of Nurgle - the one facing the Knights Errant did a decent job of holding them up (if I'd held my nerve and kept at it, rather than charging in), but the other two were just Paladin-fodder.

I also need to learn how to use a Daemon Prince. For the second game in a row, my general, main spellcaster and all-around combat machine has been isolated and picked off. With my usual rank-and-file armies (Empire, Greenskins, Dwarves etc.), I'm at a loss with a fast-moving, hard-hitting, open target like this one.

And apparently this Nurgle list (compiled by Kasfunatu - it's all his fault really) is horribly unfair to any opponent - so the fact that I managed to get trounced twice playing it, despite some massive turns of good luck, is a rare achievement.

A happy new year to all Woffers. May you never roll ones.