Scenario 2 - "Dawn Attack" - 2400pts (HE V OK)

Deployment

High Elves were forced to deploy all their units first and actually got rather lucky with the placement. Looking left to right, I have the White Lions (WL) with a unit of 5 Dragon Princes (DP) behind them. They're deployed next to an Altar of Khaine which has a really big influence on the outcome of the game!

To the left of the WL are the Pheonic Guard with an Eagle behind. Archers with the Banner of Eternal Flame take the centre with the other DP unit behind them and the big spear block to the left.

Moving along i have another Eagle and my unit of Swordmasters (SM). These are deployed near a Bane Stone. Lastly are 2 more Eagles and my Archmage's Archer unit. This is the only unit i'm concerned about placement wise as i would have preferred him to be more central.

I intend on occupying the two buildings on the centreline of the board. Having seen how impossible it was to shift the Leadbelchers (LB) from a building last game i dont intend on letting them get there this time!

The Ogres play it pretty central but a Khemrian Quicksand Swamp really splits the line! A line of Gnoblar Trappers (GT) shield the first Leadbelcher uni and an Ironblaster (IB) whilst to the right of the swamp, i have the Mournfang Cavalry (MFC) ready to go straight away. The Slaughermaster's Ogre unit and the BSB's Runemaw ready Ironguts (IG) unit go behind whilst the second Leadbelcher unit protect their flank.

My second unit of Gnoblar Trappers rolled the right flank so wont really do their intended "meat shield" job too well i forsee! The last Ironblaster is on the right flank too but i'm hoping it can take a lucky pot shot at the Archmage on turn 1!

Spells
The L4 Lifemage rolls: Wood, Flesh to Stone (F2S), Shield of Thorns (SoT) and Dwellers
The L4 Maw Slaughtermaster rolls: Bonecrusher (2D6 S2), Bullgorger (+1S), Trollguts (Regen) and Maw

Turn 1: High Elves

Knowing the shooting capabilities of the Ogres, i intend on picking my combats fairly quickly. The Banner Archers march to garrison the central building, everything else marchs forward except the central unit of Dragon Princes who, thanks to lack of space, hang back. The Spears also only move forward slightly, making sure there's a good 20" between them and the Mournfang...we dont need that happening again!

I place my eagles to wither annoy or mess up possible charges. I reckon the one infront of the MFC can outrun them...

Magic - 9/6 +3 from Banenr of Sorcery (BoS) (12/6) Helloooo!!!!
In an attempt to either draw out dispel dice or just get rid of the buggers, i cast Awakening of the Wood (AoW) on the Gnoblar Trappers. I dont care which but i'll take either! It's (wisely) let through and then only kills 2...
With no cover save near, i cast Flesh to Stone on the SM. This goes through.
I then realise all the dice i'd been greedily rolling in my palms for Dwellers couldn't hit shit but the Gnoblars...and so recklessly decide to just 6 dice the damn thing anyway...miraculously, i avoid a miscast and it kills 6 and the other 2 flee.

Shooting - The Archmasges archers manage a flukey wound on the IB on the High Elves left flank and the RBT puts a cheeky woulnd on the MFC

Turn 1 - Ogres

Charges - Sigh...The Mournfang charge the Eagle. I elect to flee. Not only do they catch the damn thing, but they double 6 it into my bloody Spearman (not this debacle again!!)

On the left side, i see no need to rush into combat with WL or PG and so stay put. To better see the SM, i move the Leadbelcher unit on the right, a little to the left!. The IG move up whilst the SLMa's unit move to where there's space!

Magic 10/5 > 9/6 (After Annulian Crystal)
Bonecrusher on Eagle dispelled. Trollguts (4+ Regen) cast with a 12" bubble!

Shooting - The LB's on the left only manage a meagre 2 dead White Lions thanks to their improved armour save against shooting. The LB's on the Right manage 2 dead SM thanks to Flesh to Stones +2 Toughness! The Iron blaster, sensing a more immediate threat of Eagle unloads a S10 grapeshot at it and as the smoke clears, there's no a pidgeon dropping in sight!

Combat - MFC kill 4 with impact hits. Spears once again, fail to dent the re-rollable 2+ armour before the Ogre riders kill 5, the Rhinox kill 6 and just for funsies, they unleash the breath weapon to kill another 5. The stomps kill 3.

Safe to say, the remaining 4 leg it (9") but the MFC, clearly exhausted after all that fun, only manage to pursue 5"

Turn 2 - High Elves

Spears fail to rally and run to just before edge of board. Safe to say, i now have an untouched MFC unit in my lines and i'm starting to brick it - and its only turn 2!

Charges - Desperate times, desparate needs! Knowing i'll never be able to wreck the LB and IB whilst their being guarded i sacrifice the Eagle on the High Elves right and charge the Trappers in front. The Dragon Princes that held back last turn now manage tocharge the MFC unit in its flank whilst the SM unit charges the front of the BSB's IG unit. An Eagle on the left gets into the flank of the Leadbecher unit too! Not too bad a turn of charges!

The Archmages unit march to garrison the other building whilst the WL and PG march to prepare flanking manouvres.

Magic 8/4 +1 BoS (9/4)
Ogres reveal the Hellheart which causes a miscast (9), resulting in a wound on the AM and -5PD.
...bugger!

Combat - After survuving the dangerous terrain test caused by charging gnoblar trappers, the Eagle kills 2 for no loss, breaks them and over-runs...into both the Leadbelchers and Ironblaster!! I didn't even realise this when i charged! Bonus!

The Swordmasters then take 10 wounds off the IG unit before losing 8. Ogres test on 6 re-rollable...and fail...both! Sm overrun and land smack in the flank of the Slaughtermasters Ogre unit!

The Eagle on the left fails to wound the Leadbelchers and receives a wound for it's troubles. Drawn combat.

The Dragon Princes put 5 wounds on the MFC for loss of 1. MFC flee 10" but the DP, probably still in shock, only manage 7"

Turn 2 - Ogres

MFC rally and turn to face the DP. With everything else tied up, there's no movement or charges!

Magic - 6/4 > 5/5 (after AC)
Bubble Trollguts 5 diced and dispelled

Shooting - The Ironblaster on the right, lines up a shot that would tear through 4 Dragon Princes...

...instead it Misfires (1) and is removed from the game in a shower of debris!!!

Combat - In the Eagle Vs IB and LB combat, the eagle can't wound the Leadbelchers and they can't seem to hit it back, it takes all three of the attacks of the Rhinox to chew it to pieces.

The SM do 5 wounds to the Ogre unit who only manage...1 in return! The Slaughtermaster steps up to show how it's done and tears 2 apart. Ogres lose combat and on a Steadfast 8, manage a double 6! The flee 10"...and the lone Swordmaster champion pursue 11"

The Eagle on the left manages to kill a whole Leadbelcher this turn (3 wounds) for no loss but they hold and this turn manage to reform!

Turn 3 - High Elves

Having enterd the forest the previous turn and revealed it's Stupidity rules, the White Lions manage to come to their senses.

Charges - As if to piss on the ogre player even more, the WL and PG both charge the front. Both make it and the PG unit clips both! The Dragon Princes manage a seemingly impossible charge to get in the flank of the Leadbelchers.

The Dragon Princes still at the top charge their former foes, the MFC to try and finish them off!

Magic - 10/6 +3 BoS (capped 12/6)
Shield of Thorns cast with IF on the Dragon Princes. Am rolls 9 on the Miscast table and take another wound. This is countered by teh spell healing the wound cast last time...-4PD are also lost!

Flesh to Stone cast on the Dragon Princes.

(Ed: I then forgot to actually roll the damage for SoT!)

Shooting - No targets!

Combat - In the massive combat, the Dragon Princes cause 2 wounds on the Leadbelchers, the White Lions cause 12 and the left column of the Pheonix Guard manage another 1. The main body of the PG manage just one wound on the IB

They suffer...0 casualties...

Ironblaster and lone Leadbelcher flee off the table!

In the Mournfang combat, the Dragon Princes manage 2 wounds on the MFC who, thanks to Flesh to Stone, only cause 1 in return and lose combat. The MFC flee 9" and once again, the Dragon Princes decide to congratulate themselves in a haughty elf fashion and forget to pursue (or...you know...only pursue 5")

The Leadbelchers in the middle manage to snuff the Eagle for loss of a wound.

Turn 3 - Ogres

 With the table looking like this, the ogres throw in the towel leaving me pondering on the biggest massacre i've ever experienced with High Elves. I've heard of such massacres with Shadow...or Teclis, but considering i barely used any of my shooting and didn't cast Dwelleres once...wow...just wow! Brutal!

The Ogres did have a share of crap luck. The High ELves charge ranges were incredibly high every time and i dont think there's any unit in the game that can take a triple High Elf Elite charge and survive!

Ironblasters are very weak against High Elves if used as cannons!

All that being said, i'm not a huge fan of the random deployment scenario as it takes away one of my favourite part of the game - deployment tactics - the game within a game!