Aside from being the most comical NPC voice in "Witcher", may this phrase also ring as warning to those who plan on confronting a Dragon - that's what yesterday's match of Warhammer Fantasy proved.

ARMIES

Once again, the Asur stand against the enigmaticly barbaric Lizardmen.. Who's to tell why the scaly-skinned reptiles climb out of their marshy jungles so often and undertake the long road to Elven lands? And anyway, it doesn't matter. What matters is that the High Elves will always be there to safeguard the land against lizardling taint and repel any cold-blooded amphibians who would seek to subdue the fair isle of Ulthuan.
Fluff aside (as I am fast ranning out of synonymes for "lizard"), here be ye lissts of armies of bothe siddes:

HIGH ELVES

HEROES:

D - High Elf Prince on Star Dragon (Mwhaha), with Dragon Armour, Shield, Star Lance and Vambraces of Defence, Army General - 627 points

M - High Elf Mage - Level 2, 2 Dispel Scrolls - 175 points

C - Caradryan, Captain of the Phoenix Guard - 175 points

CORE:

1 - 20 Spearelves, Captain and Standard Bearer - 200 points

2 - 15 Spearelves - 135 points (can you say "Stegadon fodder"?)

SPECIAL:

3 - 15 Phoenix Guard, Keeper of the Flame and Standard Bearer with War Banner - 269 points

4 - 5 Dragon Princes, Drakemaster and Standard Bearer with Banner of Arcane Protection - 215 points

RARE:

5 - 2 Repeater Bolt Throwers - 200 points

TOTAL: 1996 points

REFLECTIONS: This list is totally different from the one I beat Lizards with last time ([link]): few shooting, very little magic and lots of Close Combat power, some of it very mobile: the Dragon Princes and Dragonlord would pack a fearsome punch, I was sure. The infantry would advance in single formation, with Phoenix Guard holding the stable center with their 4+ Ward Save to fall back on, and Spearmen on either side of this main unit. Unfortunately, magic defense can not be completely disregarded, else the army would experience a brutal beating. I took an Arcane Protection banner for the Dragon Princes, making it more difficult to cast spells on that unit, and Caradryan with his Magic Resistance 3 would defend the Phoenix Guard. My lone Mage's dispel scrolls would care for my Dragon. That left the Spearelves the only really viable target for his spells, and frankly, I was willing to sacrifice them - for the greater good, of course. And anyway, as soon as I got stuck in in Close Combat he could no longer cast on me, and I planned to do that as quickly as possible.
I also hoped to achieve the element of surprise, as this list is far more agressive and close combat oriented than I have ever played before. As I wanted to try out a Dragon, agressive was really the only option. You can't very well play a Dragon list defensively - the enemy will just shoot the large beast to ribbons if you don't keep moving.

LIZARDMEN
(Written from memory)

HEROES:

G - Oldblood Lord with The Cloak That Gives Double Movement and Favoured Enemy (may choose one model against which every inflicted wound counts as 2 wounds; he chose my dragonlord), Army General

H - Oldblood Hero on Cold One, with lance and a +1 Attack on charge thingamajabba.

S - 2 Shamans, both with one Dispel Scroll

CORE:

1 - 15 Saurus Warriors with Standard and Champion

2 - 10 Skinks with Javelins and Shields

3 - 10 Skinks with Blowpipes

3 - 10 Skinks with Blowpipes

SPECIAL:

4 - 4(!) Kroxigors

7 - 3 Terradons

5 - 5 Chameleon Skinks (scouts)

RARE:

6 - Salamander Hunting Pack

S - Stegadon

REFLECTIONS: One of my worst fears had realized while the other had not. I was worried that the Stegadon with its mobile Bolt Thrower might skewer my Dragon. However, the lizards had not brouth a Slann, but instead had a relatively underpowered magic department. I knowingly took a risk going only with one scroll caddy Mage, and I think I could have handled a Slann thanks to the magic banners, but it would certainly have cause me more trouble. What also seemed menacing were the no less than four lumbering Kroxigors! The Spearelves were surely in for a painful treatment!

DEPLOYMENT

MAP:[link]

As strategy dictates, my deployment was classic. Infantry in the middle, cavalry on the flank. Dragon stood back as it could both see, charge and fly over units. From the central position, I could move it anywhere as necessary. I was fortunate enough to have a hill in my Deployment Zone, which my Repeater battery quickly occupied. The sleak-winged Terradons took position right across the board, though, and had me worried and perplexed as to wether I should press on with the attack or allocate some units to defend my Bolt Throwers. If need arose, I could always swoop the Dragon in to take care of the pesky lizard flyers.

FIRST TURN: Elves surge forward

[link]

I got the first turn and moved all infantry straight forward. I was confident he would not charge too recklessly with his Saurus, as my Phoenix Guard were too large a threat, and the Kroxigors were still out of range. The Dragon Princes spied the Stegadon and its Bolt Thrower and moved warily ahead, hiding behind the wood. The Dragon flew eastwards to intercept the Terradons and the Salamanders (to whose fire he was, luckily, immune).
Magic phase yielded little, as throughout the whole game, as I was mostly dispelled by the lizard's more potent casters. I attempted Drain Magic this turn, going for a straight defensive, but failed.
Shooting saw the Repeaters open fire upon the Kroxigors, downing one and wounding another. The cold-blooded monsters stubbornly passed their Panic test.
In the Lizardmen turn, my opponent moved his troops onwards, using his wider battle-line to try and flank me on the left wing with Skinks and the Stegadon. The lone Saurus unit in the centre seemed solid and capable, but horribly outnumbered by Elf troops.. Yet I was to take care if I wished to avoid a charging Stegadon at my back. On the right wing, his flyers and Salamanders advanced, but it seemed to me that the Kroxies moved less than they could have - possibly fearing the Dragon lurking about. His magic was potent even without the Slann, I burned through my Dispel Dice fast and was forced to expend a Dispel Scroll to negate a possibly devastating Uranon's Thunderbolt on the Dragon.
At the end of turn 1, it seemed that my center was far stronger than his, but he was superior on the flanks. Still, I was confident the Dragonlord would win me the right flank, at least.

TURNS 2-3: For Ulthuan!

[link]

It was time to charge! I could not leave my key units vulnerable to his magic. With that in mind, the Dragon Princes thundered down on the Saurus who stoically stood their ground. The Dragon charged the Skink screen, which promptly chose to flee, no doubt expecting to employ some cunning Skirmisher tactics and rally next turn. Meanwhile, the sudden appearance of the Terror-causing Dragon made the Salamander pack panic (some unfortunate rolls by my opponent there). The Repeaters fired on Kroxies and inflicted another wound - and the huge beasts turned tail and ran, despite their cold-blooded determination! (more unfortunate rolls - in fact, I think this one cost my opponent the flank and maybe even the game)
The melee didn't go all that well - the Dragon Princes pierced three lizards on their lances, with the proud Drakemaster striking down the Champion of the unit in single combat, but suffered a loss in return. Thanks to the greater numbers and rank bonuses of the Lizardmen, the battle was a draw. Considering that next turn I would no longer benefit from the lance's Strength bonus, it was not that good, but I had the main block of Spearmen ready to flank, so the Princes really only had to hold out this one turn.
In the Lizardmen player turn, the Oldblood General charged my Dragon! A failed charge against the cowardly Skinks had left him suitably positioned, and being the mean lizard he was, the Oldblood took his chance. I quickly learned that my opponent had specifically tailored him to counter my dragon. The First-Striking Prince did not get his Lance bonus since he did not charge and failed to wound the enemy, who then inflicted two wounds on the rider. The beast itself escaped unscathed thanks to its Scaly Skin, and struck back with a fury, causing a wound in return. As the Lizard General was outnumbered, this battle, too, ended in a stalemate.
During his turn, my opponent failed to rally the Kroxigors and they fled the field, ridding me of a very dangerous enemy. The Salamanders also didn't rally. Things on my right flank looked almost too good to be true. The left flank, however, was not so pleasant to behold. The Stegadon approached steadily, with Skinks milling about at the huge saurus's feet. A point of some debate was if my opponent could charge the Dragon Princes to the flank with his mounted hero - the passage between the forest and the Saurus unit seemed quite narrow. In the end we both agreed that it was too close a call and rolled a die on it - he couldn't attack, and moved instead to the center of the field, mayhaps to aid his general who was engaged in a desperate struggle against the Dragon.
Magic phase saw me dispelling most of his attempts. It seemed that having only one mage did not penalize me all that much.
In close combat, the Dragon Princes took down two Sauruses without any losses of their own, but because of the outnumber and rank bonuses, the combat was still a draw. I had withered another round, and soon help would arrive. The Dragon inflicted another two wounds on the Oldblood, but suffered two in return. I won that combat due to outnumber, but the stoic lizard passed his Break test.

[link]

Third turn begun with fresh Elf reinforcements sent into the fray. With an inspired battlecry, the Spearelves charged into the Saurus Warriors. This charge did not go as planned - it appeared that instead of a flank, I would only be able to engage the unit's front with two models, one of them being my Mage! Still, I decided to sacrifice the poor fellow who no doubt stood no chance in hand-to-hand combat, in order to get the outnumber and rank bonuses the Spearelves' unit offered. Also, the smaller unit of spears on the right charged into the Challenge between my Dragon and the Oldblood general. They could not actually attack the lizard due to the sacred rules of single combat, but again, they would add a much needed rank bonus.
In the shooting phase, the Repeaters directed their attention at the Terradons who were gliding nearer at a menacing rate. They would have to be dealt with from range lest they clash into my battery and overwhelm it. Unfortunately, I managed to bring down only one leather-winged saurus and they didn't panic either. I was surely in for a smacking next turn.
My opponent started by rallying his Skinks, then declaring an all-out charge on my Bolt Thrower. The Terradons descended upon the crew of one and the Chameleoline scouts sprang forward to engage the other. He also attempted to charge into the central combat with his Stegadon and Skinks, but luckily for me, he had declared the Skink charge first and the Skirmishers blocked the giant monstrosity's route in their attack, so it could not penetrate to the rear of my Dragon Princes.
In the magic phase, I used up my last Dispel Scroll, believing my mage to die soon anyway and not wanting the magic item to go to waste.
It was the Close Combat phase, though, that offered the biggest surprises. My Bolt Thrower crews were furiously charged but neither broke or was destroyed! Both crews lost one of their number and a crewman struck down a Chameleon Skink in return. Another inflicted a wound on a Terradon. I lost both combats due to outnumber, but passed the Leadership tests. Always Strikes First has really added to the survivability of the Repeaters!
Elsewhere on the field, combats continued with not much to tell. Both the Dragonlord duel and the large battle in the center were tied this turn, with no further wounds inflicted.

TURN 4: Decisive moments

[link]

Nearly all the units on the field were now engaged in combat, so it left little room for other activities. The Lizard Hero on Cold One worried me slightly, as I did not want to turn the flank of my Phoenix Guard to him but needed to get the unit closer to the Stegadon in order to engage it once it had got stuck in the Spearelves. Not that I would have thought of loosing combat against the lone amphibian, but he would have delayed me for a turn or two, effectively disabling the unit.
In their magic phase, the Lizards forced through a Second Sign of Amul, which allowed rerolls of all 1s rolled by the Saurus Warriors.
Close combats proved fun - the Dragon finally slew the Lizardmen General, and the nearby Skinks and Priest were filled with dread at the sight of such carnage. They decided to flee the scene, sealing my victory on the right flank. One Bolt Thrower crewman managed to slay the Terradon he had previously wounded and take a chunk out of the last flyer. The other Repeater combat yielded no casualties, but I passed the Leadership test and stood firm. Both my Bolt Throwers were still on the table! Who would have guessed? And equally surprising was the continued survival of my Mage. I had thought him dead already when charging into combat, but he stubbornly dodged any hits directed at him, it would seem. Despite the help of the Second Sign spell, the lizardlings lost the combat in the center, but their Cold-Blooded special rule allowed them to stand and fight.

TURNS 5-6: Woe to the Oldbloods!

[link]

Having defeated his foe, the Dragon flew to the left to bring terror and destruction to the unengaged enemy that still remained in that part of the battlefield. The Spearmen reformed, planning to claim the table quarter.
In Close Combat, I finally broke the deadlock that had been the massed combatin the center. Both his units fled, but I elected to follow only the Saurus unit, so as not to get stuck in a forest with a Stegadon menacing my flank. The Dragon Princes promptly ran down the survivors while the main Spearmen unit, with the Mage still alive, reformed to face the dreaded Stegadon. The Phoenix Guard moved closer to flank. All I needed now was for the Spearmen to hold out one turn against the gigantic beast.
In my opponent's turn, he rallied the fleeing Skinks and Priest. His mounted Hero charged into the Spearelves who stood, but lost three to the Lizard's lance and were forced to flee into the forest. The Stegadon charged into the waiting spears who narrowly passed their Terror test. The impact hits crushed three of the brave Elves and another fell pierced by the Stegadon's tusks. In return, the well-organized ranks of Spearelves struck back, btu despite the great number of attacks, were unable to pierce the Saurus's thick hide. The combat was tied. The defences had held.
As to the Bolt Throwers, the Chameleons finally wiped the last crewman aside and moved to add their might to the lone Terradon who still battled the other surviving crew.

[link]

As the last turn begun, I was certain of victory. The only question was if it would be a massacre or if the lizards would be able to strike a last blow to deny me a total annihilation of the enemy.
The Spearmen in the forest rallied. Determined to bring down the Stegadon, the Dragon Princes and the Phoenix Guard flanked the beast from both sides. Despite the momentum of attack, the Stegadon still shrugged off all Elven hits, but three of the Skink crewmen met their deaths. In return, two more Spearmen fell, struck to the ground by the mighty animal. However, I won the combat by a large margin, thanks to the flanks and outnumber. My opponent needed "Snake Eyes" (Double one) in order not to flee. He rolled, and..
Succeeded for once. I suppose Lady Luck owed him that much for the poor Leadership rolls for the Kroxies and the Salamanders.
The combined might of the Terradon and the Chameleons proved too much for my heroic Bolt Thrower crewman, but not before he managed to kill the last flying lizard, giving me points for the entire unit! Songs would surely be sang for his praise once the battle was over.
In the Lizardmen turn, the Oldblood on the Cold One charged yet again into the Spears who this time were resolute to stand to the last, to regain some lost honour. I won combat due to greater numbers, but he passed the Leadership test.
In a final effort to make a difference, the Skinks unleashed a terrifying amount of Blowpipe and Javelin attacks on the Dragon. I was slightly worried as I saw my opponent roll no less than twenty dice! Maybe I had been too foolhardy with my Prince? But in the end, he needed 6s to wound me, and the Dragon escaped unscathed.
In the last combat of the game, the Stegadon finally slew my Mage who had held out so well throughout the battle. In return, I killed all but one of the Skinks on the Stegadon's back, but still failed to wound the beast itself. He lost combat but passed the Break test. And that was that - the battle had ended with a Massacre. The Elves had ensured once again the safety of their fair homeland.

CONCLUSIONS:
Ahh, where to begin.. I should not complain given the result, but I had hoped to bring the Dragon into some more serious combat. Instead, his Dragon-killer general succeeded if not in slaying the beast, an overly ambitious goal by any account, then in delaying it long enough. Also the Phoenix Guard saw little combat, as seems to be the trend nowadays. Everyone is too scared of the 4+ Ward Save to attempt any harm to them. The luck that the Repeater crews enjoyed was outrageous. I had given up on them after the first two turns - they had already forced the Kroxigors into retreat and my main battle line had closed in on the enemy, so I had few targets to shoot at and at least they would prove a distraction to the Lizards' fast attack units. But in the end they fought very well!
UNIT OF THE MATCH: Difficult decision. I was tempted to choose the Bolt Thrower crewman for his heroics, but he didn't affect the flow of battle that much.. I think the Dragon Princes, with their decisive charges, carried the day, and held out very bravely even when tied in combat with the Saurus mass.
DISAPPOINTMENT: Not so much the fault of the Elf himself, but Caradryan did not work at all how I had planned. His Strength 4 proved too meager to hurt the Stegadon and he had hardly any impact on the game at all. Also, the points invested in magical protection could have been better spent. His mages rarely overcame my scroll caddy's resistance. But such is the way of things - you never know what the opponent will bring to the table, but on average, it pays to be prepared. Better safe than sorry, aye?