Vengenace Rising - Battle 19 - Tomb Kings vs Empire

My usual opponent and I rolled up Battle Line and got started.

Ops list:

Archlector - War Altor GW, AOMI
Grandmaster - Runefang, OTS
BSB - White Cloak 1+
Level 1 - scroll, fire
2 x engineers
Witch Hunter - Spec, GW, Pistol, Charmed Sheild
24 spearmen - FC
9 IC knights - SS, FC
10 HG - FC
10 XB - FC
6 Pistoliers - Mus, Champion, Outrider RP
4 Demigrphys - GP, FC
Cannon
Helblaster

My list:

Hierophant - Scroll
HLP - Book of Ashur, Ironcurse
20 Archers - Std, Mus
20 Archers - Std, Mus
25 Archers - Std
3 x 5 Horse Archers
2 x 6 Necropolis Knights - FC
Hierotitan
Casket of Souls
2 x SSC's

Spells - Fireball
Hiero - Cursed blades, desiccation, protection, vengeance
Light - Gaze, Banishment, Net, Bironas

Deployment:

Shame I had to deploy this way however there isn't anywhere I could hide from the cannon.

I was contemplating running the right flank with a unit of Knights but they'd just get carved up by the Helblaster and secondly it would give the Demi Knights free reign down the opposite flank which I couldn't have.

Key parts of my ops army were his IC Death star and the Demi knights, if I could take these out I'd have an excellent chance however it wasn't going to be easy. The BSB would make me -1 to hit in combat in BTB, whilst no doubt the nearby War Altar would be conferring Hatred on the unit of Knights.

Empire Turn 1

Everything advances, Pistoliers scream down the flank (Vanguard move added on here).

Magic - Fire ball kills 6 archers from Hierophants unit. Banishment dispelled.

Shooting - Cannon fails to bounce at Hierotitan, Pistoliers drop 4 archers on flank.

TK 1

Bironas on front snakes. Banishment drops 3 handgunners. LOD fails to kill Pistoliers.

Vengeance dispelled with 8 dice on knights.

Shooting

Archers leave 2 pistolers standing. Pass panic.

SSC scatters, 2nd SSC hits Archlector, wounds, passes 6+ ward. 

Empire 2

DK into HA.

Magic - I scroll re-roll to hits to prevent the knights from having this next turn. Dispel

5+ ward.

Shooting - 2 archers die to pistoliers, cannon fails to bounce again into the Hierotitan.

TK 2

Necroknights into Knights.

HA into handgunners.

Magic - Protection onto Necroknights, Cursed blades, but Bironas scrolled.

Shooting sees pistoliers dead, 4 spearmen, SSC does nil. 2nd misfires.

HA fail to break handgunners killing 1. Snakes eyes holds and reform to face.

Knights have 4 left, Empire have 8 left + BBS, Killing Blow Grand Master! 

Empire 3

Demi knights into horse archers.
Spearmen into Necroknights (failing), Archlector into Necroknights.

Soulfire puts a wound on the Knights. I dispel re-roll wounds.

Horse Archers kill 2 handgunners, crumble with 2 left.

Demiknights kill Horse Archers and reform.

Necroknights killing blow Archlector + BSB, Knights hold, I have 3 left.

TK 3

Knights charge into Demi knights, Hierotitan into flank of War Altar.

Cursed blades on knights, desiccation on spearmen. LOD fails to cast. Dispels Net on Spearmen.

11 Spearmen left after archers and catapults. Pass panic.

Knights break + War Altar. Pursuit kills Altar. Knight gets away. Necroknights on 2.

DM do 3 wounds, Necroknights dish out 4 in return. Held combat. Reform wide.

HA die and crumble.

Empire 4

Spearmen fail to charge Bunker. Knight flees 9".

3D6 Fire ball kills one knight. Cannon fails to kill Hierotitan. Handgunners into Hierotitan doing nil damage. Helblaster into Knight kills remaining knight.

Necroknights break Demi knights, 2 left and 4 knights left. Fail to catch. DM 12".

TK 4

Necroknights charge handgunners, flee and are caught. Hierotitan into DM who are caught.

Hierophant moves into other unit of archers as they reform into single line to make it a little tougher for the witch hunter heading his way.

Spirit leech on Helblaster is dispelled. LOD kills Helblaster doesn't bounce though. Panic makes engineer flee and crossbowmen in ruins flee.

Net on spearmen. Desiccation, banishment does 3 wounds.

Shooting drops the Spearmen. Witchhunter flees. Cannon dies to SSC fire.

Empire 5

Witch Hunter fails to rally and dies from Net! 

Knight flees off table. Crossbowmen rally.

TK 5

Desiccation on Xbowmen + Net. Miscast Net, causes Hierophant to take a wound.

Archers panic Xbowmen who fail to flee because of net and take another 3 casulties, 4 left.

SSC kills far engineer.

Empire 6

Engineer rallies. Xbowmen fail to rally, take 6 hits and all die from Net.

TK 6

Banishment kills Engineer.

TK - Victory.

Wow.

Just wow.

Soon as I saw the Knight Deathstar come down with the GM I thought how the hell am I going to get a draw? The Snake shield once again came into play with a 'hunter' component sneaking around the flank. Absolutely love this list.

Thoughts and comments appreciated.