Dragon Princes finally finished and first 2500pts played

Ok so i've finally got my Princes finished. This has taken a lot longer than i'd hoped but having started my full time teaching post two weeks ago, i'm finding free time at a premium at the moment.

With only Blue, White and Silver (and a bit o' flesh) to paint they should not have taken this long...but ah well.

Here's a load of pictures of the riders already attached to the horses. I really quite like the highlighting on the blue and think its quite striking.

The 2500pt Game vs WoC
So i played my first proper 2500pt game last night using the follpwing list:

L4 Archmage w/ Book of Hoeth (Shadow)
L2 Mage (Death) w/ Silver Wand and Ring of Fury

35 Spears w/ FC and Gleaming Pennant
14 Archers
14 Archers

14 Swordmasters w/ FC and Standard of Balance
14 Swordmasters w/ FC and Banner fo Eternal Flame
5 Dragon Princes
5 Ellyrian Reavers w/ Spears and Bows
20 Pheonix Guard w/ FC and Banner of Sorc

2x Eagles

My opponent uses a Tzeentch L4 on a disc with the 2+/3++ combination, and i've been really struggling with ways of dissolcing this threat as he also arms it with the "Infernal Puppet" and some 2D6 S1 breath weapon. It's manouvreability and nigh-on-unkillable status makes it really fucking hard ot even wound never mind kill! This is the reason i'd chose Death on my L2, aside form potentially getting more Power Dice i want to get the sig spell off if he came within 24 inches of me.

He also used a Chosen unit and a warshire for the first time last night but didn't use the cheesey combinations. They're still a tough unit but the Standard of Balance really helped in this combat....well...until the Hellcannon weighed in!

In short, the game can be summed up by him rolling absurdly good on Magic and woeful in combat and me rolling woeful on magic and pretty ok in combat! This meant i was quite weakened in the early turns where treason screwed my SM (again). The problem was...with a Bookmage, i needed to use DD more than ever to dispel Pandamonium as i needed those doubles!

Lessons Learnt:

1) The Pheonix guard are amazing! This is my first time with them and that 4+ ward save is immense! They eventually (as in...4 rounds of combat) wiped out a unit of 18 Khorne warriors with Halberds whilst the Hellcannon was chewing them up too....i must add they only survived as the HC kill enough to remove itself from combat!

2) The Standard of Balance - Didn't get as much use out of it as i'd liked but i'm still feeling the love for it! As my WoC opponent loves treason (and why wouldn't he?) Making them immune to Psycology means this spell is useless on them...and having 2 units of swordmaster means he wont know which one has which...he just happened to choose the right one to screw first last night...doh!

3) Ring of Fury - again, another magic item i was trying out. The theory being that 2D6 S4 hit cast freely every turn can draw out opponents DD leaving space for the spells i actually want. I forgot to use this in the first turn which was really annoying as it would have done some nice damage to his Marauder unit! I also forgot about the Silver wand the whole bloomin game and so was only using 2 spells on my L2.

4) Magic Lores. I was umming and arring about them. I knew i wanted to try the Death sig against his L4 and never got it off...ce la vie! I also need miscast prtection as i miscast on turn one and reduced my L4 to a L2...thus the whole using a L4 for the first time went out on the first turn! It also allowed him a lot more spells than i'd have liked.

Changed for next time - Think i'll go with Life and Fire? Life and Metal would be pretty brutal and is something i'll only turn to as a last resort against WoC...i haven't won in sooooo looong!

I'm also willing to give the RoF another chance before swapping it for the Annulian Crystal...

I think next on the painting table is my second mage. I've got some more SM coming from ebay which will mean i need ot paint about 18 of them...yay! and also got a bid on some PG...