While facing only the Dead as opponents, with two big flyers rummaging on my flank of small units, I was in for a hard ride to start with.
So in general I learned a few things, like bumping unit numbers to 20 or even 30, instead of the tactical flexibility of small units. This has to do with something I wasn`t used to yet: charge arcs are gone.
My plan on slipping past the large blocks of opposing cavalry and infantry as such was totally useless, and it was a struggle for survival of even something of my force as such.
The General: while outclassed individually, he did a sterling job with his Hold The Line! ability. Seeing Neferata and the Zombie Dragon, I know it would be suicide to send him in, so he just tried to keep the line more or less together and hope for the best.
Death Hag: even though she managed to wound herself in the one time she tried her ability, the combination of her presence, witchbrew and the Witch Aelves made that she was a mean attacker, and survived (barely) against a unit of restoring skeleton warriors. Who had 3 attacks each...
Halberdiers and Free Militia: nothing to say about them, apart from trying to block of some approach lines, they didn`t take part in the battle really, staying around the general as a screen.
Handgunners: they did a good job, with their to hit bonus for staying immobile, as well as the Hold the Line! ability even causing them to wound the dragon lord more then a Bloodthirster (namely once, lol). The short range makes them very vunerable to cavalry though, who can stand at 17", ride forward 12, then charge 5" (a do-able roll) without them to ever have a chance to fire now that stand and shoot is gone.
Greatswords: I made a mistake here in not realising they are also State Troops and would benefit from the Hold the Line! rule. They initially lost half their number to a breath attack, but with their armour, damage and rend proved a bit of a bump for the dragon (he did heal though, but heck). Could as such have hurt a lot more with +1 to hit and wound.
Doomriders: the victims of not knowing the charge arcs thing, they did manage to survive a single round versus a block of heavy cavalry. However, the one casualty they Doombolted returned with the raise dead thing those guys do.
Swordsmen: fought against skeletons, and died / ran off. The Empire seems a bit booh-booh`t on numbers bonusses, as the skellies get three attacks for being with 30, but these guys would only result in a +2 to hit, but still one attack only in such a big unit.
Witch Elves: beasts on the charge in combination with the Hag, but they die just as fast. And rolling a 6 on your Morale didn`t help of course, resulting in the whole unit running off.
I must confess, I ain`t keen on the Dead guys, high battleshock, lots of attacks, strong characters... and they don`t crumble, nor lose morale value if the big vampires around them drop dead. Their slow move of 4" isn`t making that big of a difference versus speed 5 humans, so my best bet for the big battle is to just plainly try and avoid them...
But heck, all things considered, my mainly battleline unit force survived...
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