Warhammer Campaign Empire against the Bretonnians. Again

After what seems like quite a long time I finally made the trek to the North Notts Palais des Jeux (no Steve, that doesn't mean I think it's a synagogue - it's French innit).
The Warhammer campaign has now moved into month three and we would be playing with 1400 point forces (or 1425 in my case having claimed some bit of territory or other).
I planned out what I was going to do after the last game and decided to upgrade my general to a Grand Master, drop the shields from the spearmen (can you drop something you haven't actually painted and attached?) and add ten more to take them up to a forty strong horde and add some pistoliers. We also get 150 points of mercenaries, so I settled on Kislevites.
Of course planning and painting are two very different things so I ended up pressing my Kislev Griffon legion into service as substitutes for the Winged Lancers and had to borrow some pistoliers. I also think I was intending to add some archers or something as I'm a bit light on the points total, but I forgot, so was stuck with what I had to hand.

We rolled up the Battle Line scenario and set up.
A mighty river bisected the terrain and I grouped most of my infantry to one side with the new light cavalry squadrons, cannon and handgunners across the torrent.
Stephen had added Pegasus knights to his force, which was a bit of a blow as I wasn't sure how I could deal with them.
The perfidious Bretonnians duly prayed to their goddess and we were off.

I pushed forward with the pistoliers and unleashed hell on the pegasi.
To no discernible effect.
Taking aim with my ordnance I dropped a shell straight on top of the archers, killing more than a few of them. I then pointed the cannon at Stephen's BSB and lit the blue touch paper.

Intermission

Why cannon sniping is bad

I don't usually aim my warmachines specifically at characters. Usually because I forget, but also because it feels a bit "gamey".  However, on this occasion I did.
Of course Stephen failed his lookout sir roll. Then his ward save. And I rolled five wounds. One dead BSB.
The only previous time I can remember cannon sniping anything was again against Stephen when I killed his Vampire Lord in similar circumstances causing most of his army to evaporate by the end of turn two.
In this case the archers, along with the wizard lord, duly failed their leadership test and without the BSB re-roll fled the board.
And do you know what? I felt bad. I tried to say it was just like when my Wizard immolated half his unit before felling the board taking the mortar with him in our previous game. But that was self inflicted. This just felt a bit grubby. So remember kids - don't snipe with cannons

We now return you to your scheduled programming

Meanwhile, back at the game the pegasus knights ate all the pistoliers which rather unnerved the hardy men of the fozen north. Who ran away.
Trebuchet shots rained down on my militia who also turned tail.

 Back to the puuuuub!

Back to the motherlaaaand!

My knights and the spearmen advanced to the ford to await the oncoming nobles, whilst the Kislevites ran headlong through the handgunners causing them to run off the board.

Trample, panic!

The young Bretonnians charged into the Knights of Sigmar's Blood in the icy waters of the ford whilst the pegasi flapped over to the Temple of Skulls
Fortunately the Trebuchets were a bit wayward this turn.
The fight in the ford proved inconclusive.

Five years since we last were used in a game and we spend this one running away

In my turn the militia returned to the fray, bearing down on the heavily clad Dwarf allies. Meanwhile the Kislevites also rallied. The spearmen seized their opportunity and slammed into the knights at the ford, discovering to their horror that the water was a little on the molten side...
Owd Betty the cannon plucked (#1pun) a pegasus rider from his saddle and claimed a knight hiding behind the hill. The empire horsemen and their spearmen supporters duly slaughtered the knights, but the spearmen chased them down and found themselves still in "hot water" (I know, I can't help myself!) and boil in the bag Wissenlander was on the menu.
The militia were duly slaughtered by the Dwarfs.

We left the pub for this..?

The Bretonnians ordered the charge and the knights and pegasi romped home. The Dwarfs little legs were a bit short - much to my relief.
Both trebuchets misfired but neither fell apart.
The power of the Bretonnian charge proved too much and my brave knights were broken. Fleeing to just in front of the Dwarfs, when going through them would have been better.
Many more Wissenlanders were poached at the end of the turn.

Crunch, stab, hack, smash!

The Kislevites slowly marched toward the trebuchet on the hill whilst the spearmen, desperate to escape their soupy fate, charged the other. My knights rallied in between Dwarfs and Bretonnians.
The worst possible place to be.
I fired my cannon. Which blew up.
Fortunately the spearmen took out the trebuchet.

 Run him down

Where else would you rather be..?

Charging followed, as night follows day, with my knights the filling in the sandwich.
Shooting saw a small church land on the heads of my remaining spearmen, killing all but the command group.
The knights swiftly followed them to the halls of Sigmar.

One trooper has a little too much vodka.

In my turn I closed the range on the remaining trebuchet with both spears and Kislevites, leaving me safe from the warmachine.

The remaining pegasus knight meanwhile closed in on my Mortar.

And at that point we called a halt to proceedings, reasoning all that would happen would be the death of our respective remaining war engines.

Counting up I'd been well beaten. So the Bretonnians march on and I have to go and lick my wounds and try and work out how to make the most of pistoliers.

Another splendid night of gaming at Stephen's Palais des Jeux. Thanks Steve.

Click here to read Stephen's version of the battle.