I had recently had the fortune of buying a considerable ready-painted Bretonnian force to substitute my own from a fantastic chap who has unfortunately had to leave the hobby but who did a great job of painting them up. I might well strip and repaint some of them at some point to go with my personal colour scheme ideas, but in the meantime it is just fantastic to play with a fully painted 3000 pt. army of my very own! Anyway, without further ado...
I haven't really played with my Bretonnians since 5th Edition, and my army is still pretty 5th Edition in composition (no trebuchets or pegasi or questing knights with great weapons...) so I kept my plan pretty simple. I deployed a unit of 15 knights of the realm (KotR) along with my grail knight general (a lord) and battle standard bearer on the centre, with another big unit of 15 knights errant (KE) along with a paladin and the errantry banner just to screen right. Each unit had a damsel safely nestled inside to work their mysterious and subtle magics and favours on the battle... a prophetess (level 4) in the KotR and and a damsel (level 2) amidst the KE. I popped my mounted yeomen between them as additional support.
The idea was to run down either side of the tower you see in the middle there and jointly smash through the Vampire Counts line. In retrospect I really underestimated what that tower was going to do to the manouverability of my beautiful long knightly lance formations.
To the far (screen) right just behind the woods you might see my unit of 6 solemn Grail knights (GK), behind which I put a unit of 6 KotR in reserve. In the woods themselves I deployed my merry band of 15 skirmishing archers.
To the left of my main KotR unit I deployed my horde of 50 doughty longbowmen, with braziers and stakes ready to rain Agincourt down on the Vampire Counts. As it turns out this didn't happen. To the left of them went my 24 halberdiers (I know... I know... I should have more... but I don't ;-) ).
Finally, on the far left (again, you can just pick them out behind the trees) went another unit of 9 KoTR (this one had no command). They idea was that these gallants would sweep dramatically around the left flank and ride over the hill and into the fray and just the right moment to turn the battle like a true cinematic epic. As it turned out this didn't happen either.
For the Vampire Counts battle line from left to right: (offscreen) three monstrous terrifying bat things (varghulfs?) and five dire wolves made up the left flank; then in his central battle line were ghouls (lots) and skeleton warriors (even more), each of which had a vampire in there, followed by a unit of graveguard (thankfully with not so many but still enough, and commanded by a horrific vampire lord); the right flank featured six crypt ghouls, more dire wolves, as well as some black knights, ghostly knights(?) and a varghheist (offscreen, yes, still working on the photography...).
Vanguard
My mounted yeomen cantered up to the tower, while the festering dire-wolves loped out of the Vampire Counts force.
Turn 1(ish...)
My devout Bretonnians of course dismounted to pray to the Lady, even as the horrific hordes of undead shambled forward. The slavering dire wolves were already nipping at the heals of Errant knights' chargers.
On the far right, another pack of dire wolves hurtled out of the haunted woods and into my realm knight reserve. Fortunately my gallant knights promptly cut them to pieces.
Meanwhile, back in the centre, my horde of doughty longbow-men strung their bows...knocked their arrows and... were ordered to hold their fire! With the blaring of horns, the noble realm knights of Bretonnia kicked their destriers into a gallop and crashed into the horrific advancing ghouls. My impetuous knights errant were undismayed at being cut off from the battle by the foul dire wolves, and resolved to run the wretched hounds down on their way into the fray. (my opponent used his dire wolves really well in this game... he has obviously been practicing all these redirecting tactical stuff... doesn't sound very Bretonnian to me!)
Crash! Can you feel the impact? Unfortunately, you can't just cut right though entire units in 8th Edition, but charging with a lance of knights has lost none of the fun or glamour that it had when I played back in 5th.
Disaster! Although my Errant knights quickly dispatched the dire wolves they failed to overrun into the flank of the foul ghouls. Seeing the danger of getting flanked themselves, my realm knights formed up into two long ranks so that in turn two, they took the charge of the skeleton warriors in the front. My gallant knights were becoming bogged down, losing momentum, hacking futilely through rotting flesh and bones of foes who were already dead.
The eerily silent Grave Guard charged towards my mounted yeomen (who I had foolishly forgotten to move the previous turn)... needless to say the lowborn huntsmen turned tail and made way for their betters. Meanwhile, the accursed vampire commanding the ravenous ghouls was using his obsidian blade to deadly effect, slicing through my knights' armour like cheesecloth. I eventually put an end to him, but he kept the ghouls alive (er... unalive?) and bogging down my knights for far too long...
Meanwhile on the far right the mighty Grail Knights crashed into the crypt horrors, a saintly light shining the visors of their helms. My other realm knight reserve joined them in the charge. Unfortunately, my charges both failed to inflict much damage on the hulks of rotting flesh... very uninspiring stuff, especially from the Grail knights. What DID inspire was the way the Grail Knights hung around until the very final turn - I don't have any photos here (so you'll have to just believe me), but while being savaged by the Crypt ghouls from the front they were charged by ten black knights on one flank and the vargheist on the other. They might not have won the combat, but hanging around there until the final turn was pretty superb...living saints for sure! Also, we didn't get a photo for some reason, but on the far right flank my knights of the realm were far more successful, charging and cutting down the three large bat mournthings. Unfortunately this pretty much kept them out of the game until it was too late.
Turn 3(ish...)
At last my stalwart halberdiers crashed through the remaining, so now my knights and halberdiers could move on... ONCE they had cut down the skeletons which relentlessly rose from the earth even as we smashed them to pieces. In the background you will note that the grave guard finally caught my mounted yeomen and despatched them with deadly efficiency. Not also the spectral cavalry floating around somewhat aimlessly and going 'boo'. They are an interesting unit with fantastic character who look superb on the battlefield, but but they are somewhat tricky to use (though in their defense they wandered round less uselessly then my yeomen).
Turn 4 and onwards...
Ok, the photos are a bit few and far between from here on in I'm afraid... things started getting tense and exciting and the drama pretty much distracted the war artist from his duties...
As you can see, all the action had really shifted to the centre of the battlefield, where all descended into a chaotic, swirling melee. My impetuous knights errant finally found their way into battle. They careened into the side of the elite Grave Guard surrounding the dread Vampire Lord (what foe could be worthier?), glowing with the power of the damsels enchantment and their magic banner... and fluffed their charge terribly. Couldn't believe it! The first time that my knights had the strength they needed (I think it was up to strength 8) to deal out some serious damage and their weapon skill let them down! My gallant knight champion issued a challenge but the vampire lord sent his personal champion forward in his stead... even as the captain of the graveguard was ridden into the ground, the dread vampire contemtuously began ripping my pour knights throats out.
Meanwhile, my brave general and his loyal knights finally managed to slay the vampire in command of the skeletons, running a splintered lance through his black heart. My bowmen closed their eyes, said their prayers to the Lady, and charged into the terrifying spectral horsemen before them. The Lady must have looked kindly upon the rustic bravery of these simple folk, for when the bowmen opened their eyes the spectral horsemen had vanished! Unfortunately, the momentum of the charging bowmen took them charging into grave guard who were no mere phantasm of the imagination, and started to slaughter the hapless peasants like sheep. Needless to say, peasants are not knights (some might argue they are cleverer, I guess), and they fled the field. Typical low-borns!
The rest was a confused mess really. My gallant knights errant were torn to pieces by the Vampire Lord and his graveguard. My proud general and what remained of his retinue finally finished off the skeletons but, seeing that the day was lost, prepared to sell his life dearly. He dismissed his loyal men-at-arms (who wisely followed the way of the archers) and turned to face the dread lord of undead. The knights I had deployed on the far right FINALLY arrived at the scene of the main battle, but the cavalry had arrived too late to do more than die with some honour really. With cries of "Quenelles!" "Louencouer!" and "The Lady!" my knights hurtled into the Graveguard. With Crypt Ghouls, a Vargheist and Black Knights approaching from the left, there could only be one outcome...
...fortunately, the foul magics that had blocked out the sun finally began to unravel (perhaps the Lady heard our prayer?) and the remaining Bretonnians were spared the Vampire Count's fury! (Turn 6, game over.)
So there it is... I can't remember the points difference, it wasn't huge, but it was a definite Vampire Counts win (despite the protestations of my overly modest opponent). Great game!
