Clashes against the Seraphon

Hi all,
So last campaign day we had a new player participate in the campaign. He hadn't played any Age of Sigmar before, but was keen to give it a shot and had certainly done his homework, asking all the right questions about how we played Age of Sigmar at the club. During the time available, we ended up playing 2 games back to back (As people had to take off, so weren't able to swap opponents for the second game). So here's two battle reports of my Chaos versus Seraphon.

The Armies
We are playing 15 pool points deployed this month, so I'll only list the stuff that was actually used in the game.

The Shadowborn
Chaos Lord - Zagul Darkbsoul
Be'Lakor
10 Chaos Warriors
10 Chaos Chosen
5 Marauder Horsemen
5 Chaos Knights
Chaos Gargant
Chaos Warshrine

Seraphon
Slann Starmaster
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur
40 Saurus Warriors
Stegadon with Giant Bow
Bastiladon with Solar Engine

Very different to the lists everyone else is running. We haven't seen unit really any bigger than 10-15 models at the club so far, so 40 Saurus in one unit is a lot! Especially with their bravery of 10, and the ability to make them immune to battleshock.

The Scenario
To keep things simple, we didn't end up using the Night Rules and we just played the second scenario - Capture and Control - from the campaign pack. This is a very simple scenario that deals with controlling a few objectives to win the game.

The Battle
Both armies, Chaos and Seraphon arrived on the battleground. The dark sponsor of the Shadowborn, Be'Lakor had revealed himself, and the Seraphon Starmaster sensed a sinister purpose and personally led the Seraphon on the field.

The armies lined up, Be'Lakor hidden behind the bulk of the Warshrine

However, dark clouds invaded the Slann's mind, as he couldn't manage to manipulate the constellations while his mind was befuddled. Still, the Seraphon host marched forwards, with the Skinks crewing the Stegadon launching a volley of bolts at the Marauder Horsemen.

3 Marauder Horsemen felled from afar

Even with their dark master on the field, the Marauder Horsemen lose their nerve and the remainder flee the battle.

Alive, but will need to face their masters wrath for fleeing the field

The Shadowborn marched up the field post haste, looking to engage into the Seraphon. The Dark Master taking up cover behind the rocks in the middle of the battlefield.

The shadowborn take up position to launch an Assault

The shadowborn win the initiative, and surge forwards towards the Seraphon position, hoping an early assault will leave them unprepared. Be'Lakor bolsters the power of the Chosen, while also Enfeebling the large group of Saurus Warriors swarming the objective.
However, things fell apart for the Shadowborn quite swiftly. Miscommunication in the lines, led to stalled charges from the Chaos Knights and Chaos Chosen. However, Be'Lakor and the Chaos Gargant leapt into the frey and punished for their lone assaults. Be'Lakor's hide pierced by the swarm of Saurus spears, while the Gargant is unable to make much progress and gets battered by the twin monsters of the Seraphon.

Punished for their charges, both Be'Lakor and the Gargant are vastly outnumbered

The Seraphon swiftly mobilised their remaining forces, the Starmaster summoned a Saurus Oldblood from his memories to bolster the nearby Saurus. The Stegadon and Bastiladon easily having the Gargant in check, the Scar-Veteran makes his charge into the Chaos Knights. Things were quite swiftly unravelling for the Dark Master's plans, as both he and the Gargant fall to the savagery of the Seraphon.

The Gargant falls in the wrong direction

The Shadowborn have one last chance to make something happen in the battle. Unfortunately the dark gods must have been looking elsewhere, as the Shrinemaster's prayers go unanswered and the Chosen would need to kill on their merits alone.

The beginning of the end

The Chosen charge in, but wanting to try and take out the wounded Stegadon, they spread their numbers between the Stegadon, Bastiladon and the Saurus Warriors. Zagul himselves launches into the combat as well, hoping to make the difference while the Chaos War Shrine went to aid the beleaguered Chaos Knights. However, it just was not looking great for the Shadowborn. The Chosen are unable to slay the Stegadon, and while putting some damage on the monsters and Saurus, their focus is split.

The damage just doesn't show against the Seraphon host

And finally, the toll of the horde of angry Saurus Warriors takes it's toll. The Chosen are unable to slay any of the Beasts, and while Zagul tries to unleash his Reaperblade, he manages to miss and is slain in response. The only surviving members of the battle being the Warshrine and the Chaos Warriors holding the home objective.

The Chaos forces destroyed by the Seraphon

Closing Thoughts
Obviously, neither of us really played the scenario, and that's fine for a first game or two. So we'll put aside that. My forces got punished hard, I set up for some average rolls to get in my entire army, and I should've just pulled back when the Chosen failed and let the enemy come to me. Sending in Be'Lakor and the Gargant alone was just asking for them to die, and was a stupid call. Especially Be'Lakor into the Saurus, as it's really not where you want him at all (Given he ignores Rend, and Saurus are just going to use their vast number of attacks to get through his save). So with those thoughts in mind, off we go into the second game.

Game 2
So we moved the terrain around a bit, changed up our lists and decided to go again. Here are the revised armies for the second game.

The Shadowborn
Be'Lakor
Chaos Lord - Zagul Darksoul
Chaos Sorcerer Lord  - Argrar Darkblood
Chaos Sorcerer Lord
10 Chaos Warriors
10 Chaos Chosen
5 Marauder Horsemen
5 Chaos Knights
5 Chaos Chosen

Seraphon
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur
Saurud Oldblood
40 Saurus Warriors
3 Kroxigors
Bastiladon
Troglodon

The Battle
Once again, the forces of the Shadowborn would clash with the Seraphon. They had remustered their armies under their Dark Master and would launch the assault while the Slann Starmaster was busy elsewhere. It was left to the Saurus Lord on the Carnosaur to lead the battle.

The armies deployed to fight again

The Shadowborn were given the initiative in the battle, and moved up cautiously to the chokepoints. The spellcasters casting protective enchantments and foresight to the other members in the army. The Seraphon in this game were even more eager to face their enemies, with the monsters in the army surging forwards while the centre moved forwards at a more cautious pace.
With the combined might of the Troglodon, Carnousaur and Kroxigors, the Marauder Horsemen were slain and removed from the battle.

The Horsemen are vastly outclassed

With the Horsemen destroyed, the Beasts were more than happy to do the same thing to the Chaos Knights. The Kroxigor however, went to tackle the Chosen in the centre of the field while the Bastiladon blasted 3 Chosen with it's Solar Engine.

While the Saurus cautiously move up, the Bastiladon turns 3 Chosen to ash

While the Kroxigor and Chosen battered at each other, the combined might of both the Troglodon and the Carnosaur were able to destroy the Chaos Knights while taking some damage in return.

The Knights wiped out, but what plans does the Dark Master have...

It was time for the Dark Master to strike. Casting dark enchantments to toughen his hide, Be'Lakor also sent a bolt of dark energy at the Carnosaur to weaken it in battle. Agrar Darkblood further enhanced Be'Lakor's daemonic prowess by casting Daemonic Power upon his master. To the centre, the Chosen were bolstered with a Mystic Shield and Oracular Visions, and with their lord nearby were Inspired not to run from the battle.
In combat, the Kroxigors took a brutal beating from the Chosen and Lord, decimating their numbers while returning almost no damage in return.

The Kroxigor are not much longer for this world

To the west of the battlefield, Be'Lakor's enhanced strength let his Sword of Shadows rip through the Carnosaurs hide. The Carnosaur and Trogolodon were battered by the combined assault of the Dark Lord and his Chosen.

Both monsters battled by the Shadowborn elite

Now the Seraphon were on the back foot in this battle, and they needed to make something happen. It was now time for the might of the Saurus Warriors, as they launched their assault on the Chosen. However, even surrounding the Chosen, they could not manage to pierce through the dark enchantments the Sorcerers had laid on them

Unable to pierce the Chosen's armour, the Saurus may have picked the wrong fight

Additionally to the west, the Seraphon general was bought low by Be'Lakor while the Troglodon was feeling the effects of its wounds, not even able to get through the Chosen's armour.

The Seraphon general falls

And ultimately, with the Seraphon general gone, the Shadowborn collapsed on the Saurus Warriors in the centre of the field. Even the Chaos Warriors, having been defending their objective all game launched themself into the fight. Without their General and facing the might of Chaos, the Saurus Warriors were cut through while the Troglodon fell. The remainder of the Seraphon faded back into the memories they were, the Dark Master having got his revenge for the prior game.

Be'Lakor remains victorious

Closing Thoughts
So again, objectives not really an objective, lets ignore them! Or we'll talk about them briefly. I think the lesson learnt here is that, in tournament games, having plainer scenarios with somewhat plain objectives is probably fine. They lead to more balance games. But I think perhaps, to get people more involved, you need more interesting objectives for the players. Without an engaging story, it's hard to just say "Sit on these objectives and try and claim your opponents", doesn't make for a very interesting battle story. Perhaps the armies were slightly too small as well, and not able to have a force that engages while also having enough units to defend the home ground. Probably also doesn't help that most of us are running fairly elite armies.

Anyway, that's more than what I thought I'd say on that, back to the game. So turns out that Be'Lakor is pretty good! Especially if you buff him. Daemonic Power is not a spell I've really used that much, for single sorcerer's it's usually always been better to cast Mystic Shield. The only times I've cast it before I think were on Chosen and a Chaos Gargant. Both times it's worked out really well, but I do find it's a spell that you use at the right time right place, not something you really cast all the time. Be'Lakor is right time right place, as it makes him extremely tanky and able to dish out damage with his attacks. Coupled with a Mystic shield, and it's back to the days of 3++ and re-rolling 1's.

Perhaps Be'Lakor caught my opponent off guard, since he performed pretty poorly in the prior game. This game he just chopped through the Carnosaur when he was able to choose the better fight. Also the Troglodon really didn't impress, the lack of rend really kills it's potential. I get the feeling my opponent thought the two of them should be able to sweep the left side of the board while the rest of his army mustered in the centre. As it turned out, neither really happened. 40 Saurus sounds awesome, but they really didn't do too much once I buffed my Chosen up a bit with Mystic Shield and the Oracular Visions.

I guess probably the most important thing was that the lists were probably better/worse in the 2nd game. I had more utility by having the Chaos Sorcerers, while my opponent lacked it without his Slann Starmaster.