Border Patrol Battle Report: Dark Elves vs. Lizardmen
BATTLE REPORT: AMBUSH IN THE STEAMING SWAMPS
Welcome to another thrilling Border Patrol battle report! This week, we travel to the treacherous, flooded marshlands of Lustria. A Dark Elf raiding force commanded by Zambula (the local defender) has established a temporary encampment to secure plundered artifacts and slaves. However, the Slann Mage-Priests have decreed that their presence may not be tolerated, and a vanguard force of Lizardmen led by Sotek_Awakens (the invader) has emerged from the jungle canopy to enact cold-blooded vengeance.
It is a tense 500-point Border Patrol skirmish. Zambula brings a finely tuned "Defender/Hammer" list relying on massed repeater crossbow fire and Dark Magic, while Sotek_Awakens brings a "Vanguard/Hammer" force relying on stealthy Skink scouts and the raw brute strength of Kroxigors!
THE GENERALS' BRIEFING
Zambula (Dark Elves)
"The 125-point character cap in Border Patrol makes magic tricky, but I found a way to dominate. I took a Level 1 Sorceress and gave her the Darkstar Cloak, bumping my army up to 4 Power Dice and 3 Dispel Dice! She will anchor my defensive 'Anvil': a unit of 13 Dark Elf Warriors with light armour, shields and repeater crossbows. They can unleash 26 shots a turn, and if they get charged, stowing their crossbows gives them a solid 4+ Armour Save in close combat with their hand weapons and shields. My 5 Dark Riders will use their Fast Cavalry rules to flank and march-block the slow Lizardmen, while my Cold One Chariot acts as my definitive 'Hammer' to shatter whatever reaches my lines."
Sotek_Awakens (Lizardmen)
"The warmbloods defile the sacred plaques of the Old Ones, and today they pay the blood price! I wanted to put immediate pressure on the Dark Elves, so I upgraded my 13 Skink Skirmishers to Scouts. They will deploy aggressively in the jungle and pepper the Elves with poisoned blowpipes. I squeezed in a Level 2 Skink Priest at exactly 100 points to give me a potent Lore of Heavens magic phase. My center is held by a rock-solid block of 10 Saurus Warriors, but my true killers are my 3 Kroxigors. With Movement 6 and Strength 7 great weapons, they will easily dismantle that Cold One Chariot if I can catch it!"
ZAMBULA'S BLACK ARK RAIDERS (Dark Elves Army List)
CHARACTERS- Sorceress (110 pts)
- General
- Magic Level 1
- Darkstar Cloak
- 13x Dark Elf Warriors (161 pts)
- Hand weapons, light armour,
- shields,
- repeater crossbows,
- Musician.
- 5x Dark Riders (127 pts)
- Spears, light armour,
- Repeater crossbows,
- Musician.
- 1x Cold One Chariot (97 pts)
- Scythed wheels,
TOTAL: 495 points
SOTEK_AWAKENS' VENGEFUL VANGUARD (Lizardmen Army List)
CHARACTERS
- Skink Priest (100 pts)
- General
- Magic Level 2
CORE
- 10x Saurus Warriors
- Shields
- Scaly Skin (6+)
- Standard Bearer. (132 pts)
- 13x Skink Skirmishers (91 pts)
- Blowpipes
- Scouts
SPECIAL
- 3x Kroxigor (174 pts)
- Great weapons
- Scaly Skin (4+)
TOTAL: 497 points
DEPLOYMENT
Zambula (Defender): The Dark Elves deployed in a tight defensive formation. The 13 Warriors held the center with the Sorceress. The Cold One Chariot anchored the right flank, while the 5 Dark Riders took the left flank, ready to sweep around the jungle terrain.
Sotek_Awakens (Invader): The Lizardmen advanced methodically. The Saurus Warriors and Kroxigors deployed centrally to push straight toward the Elven lines. Using their Scout special rule, the 13 Skink Skirmishers deployed in a dense patch of jungle terrain dangerously close to the Dark Elf lines, accompanied by the Skink Priest.
THE BATTLE, TURN BY TURN
TURN 1: THE FAILED VANGUARD
LIZARDMEN TURN 1
Sotek_Awakens seized the initiative and immediately sprang his jungle ambush. The Skink Skirmishers darted to the edge of the tree line and unleashed a deadly volley of 26 poisoned darts from their blowpipes directly at the Dark Elf Warriors. However, the Dark Elves' light armour and shields proved impenetrable against the Strength 3 darts, and the volley harmlessly pinged off their steel plates. In the center, the Saurus Warriors and Kroxigors began their long march across the steaming mud toward the enemy.
DARK ELVES TURN 1
Zambula's retaliation was swift and merciless. Seizing control of the magic phase with her 4 Power Dice, the Sorceress blasted the Skinks with a Doombolt. The 13 Dark Elf Warriors then raised their repeater crossbows and unleashed a devastating counter-volley of 26 armour-piercing shots. The skirmish screen dissolved into a bloody mist as the surviving Skinks panicked and fled deep into the jungle, completely abandoning the Skink Priest!
TURN 2: THE FAST CAVALRY TRAP
LIZARDMEN TURN 2
With his vanguard shattered and the Skinks continuing to flee, Sotek_Awakens was forced to adapt. Lacking a skirmish screen, he marched his tough Saurus Warriors and massive Kroxigors directly into the Dark Elf firing line. The Skink Priest, now alone in the jungle, attempted to call down Forked Lightning on the Dark Elf infantry, but Zambula easily swatted the spell aside using his 3 Dispel Dice.
DARK ELVES TURN 2
Here, Zambula demonstrated masterful use of Fast Cavalry. The 5 Dark Riders spurred their dark steeds forward, darting completely around the jungle and into the Lizardmen's half of the board. By positioning themselves within 8 inches of the advancing Saurus block, they successfully march-blocked the Lizardmen, cutting their movement in half for the next turn. Meanwhile, the Dark Elf Warriors unleashed another 26 crossbow bolts, thinning the heavily scaled ranks of the Saurus.
TURN 3: THE BEASTS BREAK RANKS
LIZARDMEN TURN 3
Frustrated and slowed to a crawl by the Dark Riders, the Saurus Warriors could only trudge 4 inches forward. However, the Kroxigors, being on the opposite flank, were just out of the Dark Riders' march-blocking range. Sotek_Awakens ordered the massive beasts to surge 12 inches ahead, leaving the Saurus behind and preparing to charge the Dark Elf lines in the following turn!
DARK ELVES TURN 3
Seeing the Kroxigors bearing down on him, Zambula held his nerve. The Cold One Chariot passed its Stupidity test and held its ground, waiting for the beasts to commit. The Dark Riders ignored the Saurus and swept into the jungle, hunting down the isolated Skink Priest. The Sorceress and the Repeater Crossbows directed all their fire at the approaching Kroxigors, but their Toughness 4 and Scaly Skin deflected the worst of the damage.
TURN 4: THE SCYTHED COUNTER-CHARGE
LIZARDMEN TURN 4
A blood-curdling roar echoed across the swamp as the massive Kroxigors surged forward, declaring a charge against the Dark Elf Warriors! However, Zambula calmly declared a "Flee" reaction. The Warriors fell back a few inches, leaving the Kroxigors stumbling into open ground directly in front of the waiting Cold One Chariot. On the other side of the board, the Skink Priest frantically tried to cast a spell at the approaching Dark Riders, but failed to roll high enough to manifest the magic.
DARK ELVES TURN 4
The climax of the battle had arrived. Zambula rallied his Dark Elf Warriors and then declared a charge with his Cold One Chariot directly into the Kroxigors. This was a brilliant tactical play: Kroxigors cause Fear, which normally forces charging enemies to take a Leadership test. However, because the Cold One Chariot also causes Fear, it was completely immune to the terrifying aura of the Kroxigors and slammed into them without hesitation!
The horrific impact hits from the chariot's scythed wheels smashed into the Kroxigors before the beasts could swing their great weapons. Shattered by the impact, the reptiles broke and fled, only to be run down and crushed under the chariot's wheels.
TURNS 5 & 6: THE HUNT AND THE COLD-BLOODED ROUT
With his primary "Hammer" destroyed, the battle quickly unraveled for Sotek_Awakens. In Turn 5, the Dark Riders charged the isolated Skink Priest, running him down with their spears. The remaining Saurus Warriors, now leaderless and stranded in the open, were subjected to two more turns of relentless magical bombardment and repeater crossbow fire. By the bottom of Turn 6, the Lizardmen advance had been completely broken, and Sotek_Awakens conceded the skirmish.
RESULT: Solid Victory to Zambula (Dark Elves)
Victory Points: Dark Elves 400 - Lizardmen 100
MAN OF THE MATCH: The Dark Riders. While the Cold One Chariot delivered the killing blow, the Dark Riders won this game through pure tactical dominance. By outflanking the Lizardmen and march-blocking the Saurus Warriors, they dictated the entire pace of the battle. They ensured the Lizardmen spent maximum time in the crossbow kill-zone and eventually hunted down the Skink Priest, proving that mobility is often the deadliest weapon in Warhammer.
