Battered from their encounter with a Black Orc mob, my Chaos army drew up battle lines before a Dwarven hold.
Dwarves
Thane
BSB
Dragon Slayer
20 Warriors
13 Longbeards
14 Troll Slayers
10 Thunderers
10 Quarrelers
1 Cannon
1 Bolt Thrower
1 Organ Gun
Chaos
1 Aspiring Champion of Khorne
12 Warriors of Nurgle
16 Marauders of Khorne
10 Chosen of Tzeentch
6 Warhounds
5 Knights of Nurgle
1 War Altar
Glory, is never guaranteed... but blood is blood. The Champion of Chaos waited, but the Dwarf commander wasn't interested in closing the engagement with axes.
Turn 1
The Dwarves take the first move and unleash a barrage of weapons fire, eliminating all but one Warhound, killing two Chaos Warriors and skewering a Knight.
The Chaos army begins its march across the table.
Turn 2
Still uninterested in melee, the Dwarves continue to whittle away at the Warriors and bury a few Marauders.
The Knights of Nurgle slam into the Warriors of the Hold whilst the lone Warhound attempts to swallow the cannon crew. The ensorcelled weapons of the Knights fail to penetrate the shield wall of the Dwarves and while they win combat, the Warriors hold their ground. On the opposite flank, the Warhound pelt wound up adorning the cannon.
Turn 3
The Longbeards charge into the flank of the Knights whilst the Slayers move up. The gunners succeed in dropping several more Marauders, the Chosen and the War Altar, however, remain unaffected. In combat, the great axes of the Longbeards bring three Chaos Knights to the ground, and without any combat boosters, the Knights flee, bringing the pursuing Longbeards into combat with the Warriors of Nurgle.
The Chosen move into combat with the Slayers while the Marauders charge a unit of Thunderers. The Longbeards continue to demonstrate their superiority, routing the Chaos Warriors and forcing them to flee for dear life. A stand and fire response pulls down several more Marauders while the Champion goes to work on the Thunderers. The Marauders fail to wound and with their Standard in sight, the Dwarves hold their ground. The Chosen deal out heavy losses to the Slayers, while a challenge between the Champion and the Dragon Slayer fails to produce a wound. One Chosen is struck down by Great Axes in response.
Turn 4
With no real hope for target practice, the Quarrelers charge the flank of the Marauders. The Warriors and Longbeards both turn around to bring the Chaos army entirely into a vice. With a roar of the Cannon another fleeing Chaos Warriors is turned to pulp. The Slayers continue to hack away at the Chosen, losing three more but killing two. The Champion of Tzeentch impales the Dragon Slayer on the point of a halberd, boosting his Armor save by a further +1. The Slayer's oaths prevent them from responding as lesser mortals and their war of attrition continues. Without the benefit of flails, the Marauders perform poorly against the toughness of the Dwarves. And while the Champion did slay two more Thunderers, the flanking charge of the Quarrelers sets the unit to flight, slamming headlong into the waiting Warriors.
The Warriors of Nurgle fail to rally, having no musician and no impetus. With their general dead, only the soldiers of Tzeentch fight on, the War Altar entering combat on the flank of the Quarrelers. While several dwarves wound up on the Altar, the presence of the Standard Bearer and their superior numbers again kept the Dwarves from flight. The Chosen continue to hand casualties to the Slayers, but always in exchange for a life or two.
Turn 5
The Longbeards move in on the War Altar from the rear. The Warriors march toward the line where the Slayers and Chosen have at it. While the protection of Tzeentch keeps the War Altar from injury, the sheer numbers alone force a route, with the pursuing Quarrelers burying the Altar in a heap. The Chosen fare better, laying the final pair of orange haired Dwarves to rest.
With no hope of reinforcement, the rally of the Warriors of Nurgle comes too little too late. Despite having made a show of the Dragon Slayer, the Chosen prove incapable of handling the Longbeards with three men left. The Thane gladly accepts the Champion's invitation, his runic axe causing three wounds which the mystic warrior is unable to ward off. The Chosen did spear one elite Dwarf, but their final act of spite ended in a cacophony of Hammers and Axes.
With the Warriors half a field away, the Thane once again gave the signal to his gunners. Tonight there would be ale, tomorrow he would have his men collect the scrap metal.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Orcs and Chaos
This past Monday, somewhere out in Troll Country, an Orc force bent on pillage and a Chaos army with like minded intentions clashed in the waste. What follows is the field report.
Orcs and Goblins
25 Night Goblins -3 Fanatics
2 Wolf Chariots
20 Black Orcs
25 Orc Boyz
25 Savage Orc Big Uns
6 Savage Orc Boar Boyz
6 Spider Riders
6 Spider Riders
4 Ogre Ironguts
1 Orc Shaman
1 Orc Shaman
1 BSB
1 Black Orc Warboss
Warriors of Chaos
12 Warriors of Nurgle
16 Marauders of Khorne
5 Marauder Horsemen of Nurgle
6 Warhounds
5 Knights of Tzeentch
4 Ogres of Khorne
10 Chosen of Tzeentch
1 War Altar of Tzeentch
1 Chaos Lord of Khorne
1 Chaos Sorcerer of Tzeentch
Turn 1
The Orcs begin their advance, managing to avoid squabbling. The aligned Chaos infantry move back, preparing to receive a charge later in the game. The Warhounds bounded toward the Night Goblin and the Fanatics sprang forth. Though two failed to reach the hounds, one fanatic managed to slay 5 of the beasts. However, the Will of Chaos kept the lone wolf from fleeing. On the flank, the Marauder Horsemen take up positions against the Iron Guts and remove a wound with their throwing axes.
Turn 2
The Orc advance continues, with Boar Boyz and Wolf Chariots taking positions to charge. Goblin Spider Riders align themselves infront of the frenzied Chaos Knights to force a charge and the infantry continue the long march forwards. The Orc Shamans find themselves unprepared for the magic resistance which bolstered both my Knights and my Chosen. The Orc magic phase ends with a 'Eadbutt that fails to wound.
The Chaos Knights slam into the Spider Riders who miraculously pass their fear test. The surviving Warhound sacrifices itself to smash the fanatic behind the Spiders, clearing a path to the nearest Wolf Chariot. The Marauder Horsemen continue to go to work on the Iron Guts during the shooting phase. Mork's Spirit Totem prevents the flickering fire of Tzeentch from coming off, but Pandaemonium is brought forward with Irresistible Force. The Knights of Tzeentch make short work of the Spider Riders, leaving a mess of legs and spears in their wake. With the fanatic gone, the Knights are free to overrun into the Wolf Chariot, denying the Goblin commander his much desired impact hits.
Turn 3
Orcs
Things get ugly as the Black Orcs charge into the Warriors of Nurgle and the Night Goblins charge the Knights in front, while the final chariot charges from the flank. The Boar Boyz wind up squabbling over a trinket in the dirt while the remaining unit of Spider Riders gets to charge the Marauders from behind. On the extreme flank a unit of Savage Orcs continues to crawl across the field, waylaid by the presence of Marauder Horsemen. Another unproductive magic phase for the Orcs as one of their Shamans miscasts and forgets the Foot of Gork, leaving the other hopeless against the largely resistant forces of Chaos.
In combat the Knights perform beyond expectation, armor saving the one impact hit that manages to wound. The musician responds in kind by dealing two wounds to the low toughness chariot. To the front, the Night Goblins clumsily thrust out with their spears, failing to slay any of the armored terrors before them. The Chaos Knights slay five night goblins and the forward wolf chariot outright. As the goblins flee, the frenzied Knights mercilessly slaughter the Night Goblin infantry. One more reason to stay in their holes! The Warriors of Nurgle don't fare as well, proving no match for the re-rolling Black Orc Warboss who sets the unit to flight, suffering one casualty for his trouble. With the Chaos gods lending them speed, or perhaps laughing, the Warriors outrun the Black Orcs and prepare to rally. The Marauders prove less capable than their mounted brethren without the Lord bolstering their unit, while they refuse to flee from a minor defeat, the effects of Frenzy are promptly taken from them, however, the Lord of Chaos makes his way toward the back of the unit.
Chaos
The Warriors of Chaos rally to the sound of the horn while the frenzied Chaos Knights gnash their teeth with noone to kill. Four of Khorne's Chaos Ogres quickly find their way into the flank of the Black Orcs, the Warboss cursing as his position prevents him from engaging. The Chosen Champion takes in the Black Orcs with a glance, but servants of Tzeentch are clever and he moves into position to protect the Ogre's flanks from the Boar Boyz instead. The War Altar, however, in need of victims, slams into the front of the Black Orcs. The Marauder Horsemen continue to follow the Iron Guts, finally bringing down a model during the shooting phase.
The sound of steel is overwhelming as the Combat Phase begins. The Chaos Lord proves he needs no help from anyone, and with no champion to challenge, he slaughters all but two of the Spider Riders, who are only too happy to flee. The Ogres of Khorne bring down their massive great weapons into the flanks of the Black Orcs, slaying seven of the Orc Elites. While the War Altar gains one victim, the Black Orc Warboss attempts to go to work on the servants of Tzeentch. The 3+ ward save of Tzeentch's followers proves too much for even the mightiest Orc. Without any kills to bolster combat, the Black Orcs fail to find Insane Courage and retreat, run down in mid flight by the pursuing Chaos Ogres. Khorne's favored began their work.
Turn 4
Orcs
Desperate to accomplish something, the Battle Standard bearer brings his Big'Uns into combat with the Marauders. Rallying from defeat, the surviving Spider Riders find they've forgotten all thoughts of glory and content themselves with Goblin mischief. The Wolf Chariot tries for the Knights of Tzeentch again while the Boar Boyz, having resolved the issue of the trinket, muster up the nerve to take on the Chosen. The Iron Guts, tired of harassment, charge into their Chaos Worshipping cousins. With both Shamans now in combat, Waagh Paint allows Bash'Em Ladz to come off and grants the Big Uns rerolls.
The Wolf Chariot finds itself again ineffectual against the Knights of Tzeentch and, after failing to wound, is destroyed. The Big Uns do better against the Marauders but their Champion falls in combat to the Chaos Lord, who is granted Terror for his trouble. The Big 'Uns are forced to flee the wrath of Khorne, but the Marauders are too blood glutted to catch them. The Chosen of Tzeentch, favored with extra armor and armed with shields, easily absorb the charge of the Boar Boyz, losing only one of their number. The Warriors of Tzeentch strike back, felling several of the Boar Boyz. Though severely beaten, the Boar Boyz find the courage to keep the field. The Iron Guts, however, earn their pay, breaking the Ogres of Khorne and running them down.
Chaos
Straight to battle, the Marauders cause the Big 'Uns to flee further, while the Knights bear down on the Iron Guts, ensorcelled weapons easily penetrating their makeshift plate. The Chosen of Tzeentch bring an end to the Boar Boyz and, this time, they flee the field without the hope of rallying.
Author's Note: My opponent and I agreed to play until every last enemy piece was destroyed, while this took several more turns, in the end I lost no more points than I had at turn four. The forces of Chaos were victorious and the game ended with a score of Massacre.
Free to continue forward, the Chaos army makes its way to a Dwarven hold. Coming soon...
Orcs and Goblins
25 Night Goblins -3 Fanatics
2 Wolf Chariots
20 Black Orcs
25 Orc Boyz
25 Savage Orc Big Uns
6 Savage Orc Boar Boyz
6 Spider Riders
6 Spider Riders
4 Ogre Ironguts
1 Orc Shaman
1 Orc Shaman
1 BSB
1 Black Orc Warboss
Warriors of Chaos
12 Warriors of Nurgle
16 Marauders of Khorne
5 Marauder Horsemen of Nurgle
6 Warhounds
5 Knights of Tzeentch
4 Ogres of Khorne
10 Chosen of Tzeentch
1 War Altar of Tzeentch
1 Chaos Lord of Khorne
1 Chaos Sorcerer of Tzeentch
Turn 1
The Orcs begin their advance, managing to avoid squabbling. The aligned Chaos infantry move back, preparing to receive a charge later in the game. The Warhounds bounded toward the Night Goblin and the Fanatics sprang forth. Though two failed to reach the hounds, one fanatic managed to slay 5 of the beasts. However, the Will of Chaos kept the lone wolf from fleeing. On the flank, the Marauder Horsemen take up positions against the Iron Guts and remove a wound with their throwing axes.
Turn 2
The Orc advance continues, with Boar Boyz and Wolf Chariots taking positions to charge. Goblin Spider Riders align themselves infront of the frenzied Chaos Knights to force a charge and the infantry continue the long march forwards. The Orc Shamans find themselves unprepared for the magic resistance which bolstered both my Knights and my Chosen. The Orc magic phase ends with a 'Eadbutt that fails to wound.
The Chaos Knights slam into the Spider Riders who miraculously pass their fear test. The surviving Warhound sacrifices itself to smash the fanatic behind the Spiders, clearing a path to the nearest Wolf Chariot. The Marauder Horsemen continue to go to work on the Iron Guts during the shooting phase. Mork's Spirit Totem prevents the flickering fire of Tzeentch from coming off, but Pandaemonium is brought forward with Irresistible Force. The Knights of Tzeentch make short work of the Spider Riders, leaving a mess of legs and spears in their wake. With the fanatic gone, the Knights are free to overrun into the Wolf Chariot, denying the Goblin commander his much desired impact hits.
Turn 3
Orcs
Things get ugly as the Black Orcs charge into the Warriors of Nurgle and the Night Goblins charge the Knights in front, while the final chariot charges from the flank. The Boar Boyz wind up squabbling over a trinket in the dirt while the remaining unit of Spider Riders gets to charge the Marauders from behind. On the extreme flank a unit of Savage Orcs continues to crawl across the field, waylaid by the presence of Marauder Horsemen. Another unproductive magic phase for the Orcs as one of their Shamans miscasts and forgets the Foot of Gork, leaving the other hopeless against the largely resistant forces of Chaos.
In combat the Knights perform beyond expectation, armor saving the one impact hit that manages to wound. The musician responds in kind by dealing two wounds to the low toughness chariot. To the front, the Night Goblins clumsily thrust out with their spears, failing to slay any of the armored terrors before them. The Chaos Knights slay five night goblins and the forward wolf chariot outright. As the goblins flee, the frenzied Knights mercilessly slaughter the Night Goblin infantry. One more reason to stay in their holes! The Warriors of Nurgle don't fare as well, proving no match for the re-rolling Black Orc Warboss who sets the unit to flight, suffering one casualty for his trouble. With the Chaos gods lending them speed, or perhaps laughing, the Warriors outrun the Black Orcs and prepare to rally. The Marauders prove less capable than their mounted brethren without the Lord bolstering their unit, while they refuse to flee from a minor defeat, the effects of Frenzy are promptly taken from them, however, the Lord of Chaos makes his way toward the back of the unit.
Chaos
The Warriors of Chaos rally to the sound of the horn while the frenzied Chaos Knights gnash their teeth with noone to kill. Four of Khorne's Chaos Ogres quickly find their way into the flank of the Black Orcs, the Warboss cursing as his position prevents him from engaging. The Chosen Champion takes in the Black Orcs with a glance, but servants of Tzeentch are clever and he moves into position to protect the Ogre's flanks from the Boar Boyz instead. The War Altar, however, in need of victims, slams into the front of the Black Orcs. The Marauder Horsemen continue to follow the Iron Guts, finally bringing down a model during the shooting phase.
The sound of steel is overwhelming as the Combat Phase begins. The Chaos Lord proves he needs no help from anyone, and with no champion to challenge, he slaughters all but two of the Spider Riders, who are only too happy to flee. The Ogres of Khorne bring down their massive great weapons into the flanks of the Black Orcs, slaying seven of the Orc Elites. While the War Altar gains one victim, the Black Orc Warboss attempts to go to work on the servants of Tzeentch. The 3+ ward save of Tzeentch's followers proves too much for even the mightiest Orc. Without any kills to bolster combat, the Black Orcs fail to find Insane Courage and retreat, run down in mid flight by the pursuing Chaos Ogres. Khorne's favored began their work.
Turn 4
Orcs
Desperate to accomplish something, the Battle Standard bearer brings his Big'Uns into combat with the Marauders. Rallying from defeat, the surviving Spider Riders find they've forgotten all thoughts of glory and content themselves with Goblin mischief. The Wolf Chariot tries for the Knights of Tzeentch again while the Boar Boyz, having resolved the issue of the trinket, muster up the nerve to take on the Chosen. The Iron Guts, tired of harassment, charge into their Chaos Worshipping cousins. With both Shamans now in combat, Waagh Paint allows Bash'Em Ladz to come off and grants the Big Uns rerolls.
The Wolf Chariot finds itself again ineffectual against the Knights of Tzeentch and, after failing to wound, is destroyed. The Big Uns do better against the Marauders but their Champion falls in combat to the Chaos Lord, who is granted Terror for his trouble. The Big 'Uns are forced to flee the wrath of Khorne, but the Marauders are too blood glutted to catch them. The Chosen of Tzeentch, favored with extra armor and armed with shields, easily absorb the charge of the Boar Boyz, losing only one of their number. The Warriors of Tzeentch strike back, felling several of the Boar Boyz. Though severely beaten, the Boar Boyz find the courage to keep the field. The Iron Guts, however, earn their pay, breaking the Ogres of Khorne and running them down.
Chaos
Straight to battle, the Marauders cause the Big 'Uns to flee further, while the Knights bear down on the Iron Guts, ensorcelled weapons easily penetrating their makeshift plate. The Chosen of Tzeentch bring an end to the Boar Boyz and, this time, they flee the field without the hope of rallying.
Author's Note: My opponent and I agreed to play until every last enemy piece was destroyed, while this took several more turns, in the end I lost no more points than I had at turn four. The forces of Chaos were victorious and the game ended with a score of Massacre.
Free to continue forward, the Chaos army makes its way to a Dwarven hold. Coming soon...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
January Forward
I realize this blog has been silent for some time, rest assured more is coming soon!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Blow for Blow - A Disappointment Recollected
A few weeks ago I got myself a copy of the new Chaos codex and began doing the math to realize my dreams of domination. Here was a list of options that could match my High Elf Sword Masters for sheer attack power and do better at taking a hit. Since the new High Elf codex came out last November the children of Ulthuan have been called unfair and unbalanced on a number of occasions, more often than not I have a hard time hearing these comments as they are vocalized by army commanders on the run.
A very short game yesterday provided me with an adequate reminder that Chaos Armor is nice, but Speed of Asuryan is better!
I had hoped the hoof-falls of my Chaos Knights would send the legendary defenders of Hoeth running... no such luck. And while you could feel the weight of the Knights bearing down on the Elves, the grace of the Asur had dealt me six wounds before I could bring my ensorcelled weapons down on them. The dice were cold, and at 3+ I only managed to pass 3 armor saves.
My return wasn't much better, cleaving one elf in half. When all was said and done I had lost the combat by four and the Harbingers of Chaos had tucked tail and run... never to return.
Regardless of how tough the unit of shock cavalry coming across the table is, the Sword Masters of Hoeth remain a force to be reckoned with... preferrably from a distance.
A very short game yesterday provided me with an adequate reminder that Chaos Armor is nice, but Speed of Asuryan is better!
I had hoped the hoof-falls of my Chaos Knights would send the legendary defenders of Hoeth running... no such luck. And while you could feel the weight of the Knights bearing down on the Elves, the grace of the Asur had dealt me six wounds before I could bring my ensorcelled weapons down on them. The dice were cold, and at 3+ I only managed to pass 3 armor saves.
My return wasn't much better, cleaving one elf in half. When all was said and done I had lost the combat by four and the Harbingers of Chaos had tucked tail and run... never to return.
Regardless of how tough the unit of shock cavalry coming across the table is, the Sword Masters of Hoeth remain a force to be reckoned with... preferrably from a distance.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Why A Tabletop Game?
With Christmas fast approaching, the time seemed right to post a short blurb in favor of war gaming. So before you start dreaming about the latest X-Box product, hopefully I can shift your vision to a different type of entertainment.
1) War Gaming is a hobby. Vastly less expensive than video gaming over the long run and providing you with a wider array of outlets for creativity, table games allow you hours of nonrepetitive play time with friends as well as the luxury of painting in quiet. The modelling hobby quickly moves from building models to building terrain, and attention to detail and creativity can be stressed at every point. So while the joy of blasting the latest army of aliens will find you $60 poorer twelve hours later, consider that a similar investment in modelling yields far more hours of paint and play.
2) People. While the appeal of internet video games continues to grow, most people will readily admit that little to no actual conversation takes place online. Why not trade that $30 a month LIVE account for the opportunity to wage war, swap painting techniques or design your own campaign with REAL people. Board games do not require the constant attention video games do, and therefore can often serve to facilitate conversation. War gaming simply provides those who find Monopoly boring and Risk predictable with a better reason to gather round the table. After all, the only thing better than control of Boardwalk and Park Place is taking them by force, so much for rent!
3) Finish something. Too much of today's culture revolves around instant gratification. War gaming allows for none of this. Choosing an army type and developing a force that complements your strategy and style takes time and collecting the pieces takes even longer. Once undertaken a fully painted and based army can take between months and years to finish. The pride and joy that come from watching your force take the field after months of brushing is more satisfying than anything another high score can offer. Patience always yields positives and your army is never beaten because someone else has faster thumbs!
I'll clip the issue here, having no desire to wax on philosophically. Hopefully you've got something to think about before rushing off to save the earth for eight hours.
1) War Gaming is a hobby. Vastly less expensive than video gaming over the long run and providing you with a wider array of outlets for creativity, table games allow you hours of nonrepetitive play time with friends as well as the luxury of painting in quiet. The modelling hobby quickly moves from building models to building terrain, and attention to detail and creativity can be stressed at every point. So while the joy of blasting the latest army of aliens will find you $60 poorer twelve hours later, consider that a similar investment in modelling yields far more hours of paint and play.
2) People. While the appeal of internet video games continues to grow, most people will readily admit that little to no actual conversation takes place online. Why not trade that $30 a month LIVE account for the opportunity to wage war, swap painting techniques or design your own campaign with REAL people. Board games do not require the constant attention video games do, and therefore can often serve to facilitate conversation. War gaming simply provides those who find Monopoly boring and Risk predictable with a better reason to gather round the table. After all, the only thing better than control of Boardwalk and Park Place is taking them by force, so much for rent!
3) Finish something. Too much of today's culture revolves around instant gratification. War gaming allows for none of this. Choosing an army type and developing a force that complements your strategy and style takes time and collecting the pieces takes even longer. Once undertaken a fully painted and based army can take between months and years to finish. The pride and joy that come from watching your force take the field after months of brushing is more satisfying than anything another high score can offer. Patience always yields positives and your army is never beaten because someone else has faster thumbs!
I'll clip the issue here, having no desire to wax on philosophically. Hopefully you've got something to think about before rushing off to save the earth for eight hours.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Introit - A 1,500 Point Game
Using all my diplomatic skill, I loaded my High Elf and Dwarf forces into the car last night to teach a friend how to play War Hammer. Despite the Dragon swallowing Thorik Ironbrow on the way over, my car ride was relatively uninterrupted by gun fire. The modified bearded stunty list is almost identical to my First Field Report List:
1 Thane
1 BSB
1 Dragon Slayer
20 Warriors
14 Longbeards
10 Thunderers
10 Thunderers
14 Slayers
1 Bolt Thrower
1 Cannon
1 Organ Gun
The Host of Ulthuan sported much less:
1 Korhil
1 Mage Lvl 2, Silver Wand, Ring of Fury
20 Spearmen
10 Archers
15 Sword Masters
10 White Lions
1 Lion Chariot
1 Tiranoc Chariot
2 Bolt Throwers
Compounded by the fact that my Elves were out numbered, the situation turned critical when I realized our battle field would only support 6" deployment zones with an 18" no man's land. So while in theory my Tiranoc Chariot could pull off a first turn charge, my entire army would begin in range of all Dwarf gun powder. Not a healthy place for a guy who likes to exploit the superior range of long bows before closing with the enemy.
I won first deployment, but the shallow space forced both of our armies into lines. My Sword Masters found solace behind a screen of Archers and his Warriors camped out behind a unit of Thunderers (I have no proof, but suspect the Warriors had gotten into the ale early).
Turn 1
Elves: Straight down the middle and pray, a crude but effective way to close on the Dwarf gunners in as little time as possible. The entire Elf line advances, Archers and Sword Masters at a walk and the rest at the double. The Mage of Saphery brought down the Curse of Arrow attraction upon the Dwarf Organ Gun but failed to shield the Spearmen. Even with magicka on my side my leftmost Bolt Thrower slays but one stunty crewman. The Archers likewise kill one Thunderer, Dwarf hides proving too tough for conventional long bows.
Dwarves: In true beardy fashion the stunties hold the line and fire. My Lion Chariot goes out with a hiss (bad kitty!) as a cannonball careens through it. Four spearmen fall prey to the Ballista and the Thunderers polish off another three. One White Lion likewise succumbs to the murderous projectiles of the Dwarves, whilst the Organ Gun sends one Repeater's crew to St. Peter's. The Spearmen panic and make haste for the edge. At this point I think the Dragon Slayer mooned me.
Turn 2
Elves: The White Lions and Tiranoc Chariot charge the Longbeards before the Cannon can finish the job. My treacherous Spearmen rally but have put themselves out of charge range regardless. My archers hold position, continuing to veil the Sword Masters from sight. My Mage is once more successful in cursing the Dwarves, calling down Arrow Attraction on the Thunderers. My attempt to shield my Sword Masters is stopped again (deja vu?) while the Ring of Fury fails to do more than inflict a wound on the Organ Gun itself. Again the curse availeth not and my arrows fail to bury themselves in Dwarf flesh. My remaining Repeater Bolt Thrower brings down one of the Cannon crew for good measure. As melee commences, Longbeards swing their shields forward and brace for impact as my Tiranoc Chariot grinds two Dwarves to pulp. The crew fail to do anything. Korhil calls out a challenge which is answered by the Thane leading the army. The noble elf and miserable midget exchange blows, resulting in a single wound on each. Meanwhile in the lines my White Lions fail to connect, felling only two Longbeards. The Longbeard champion and army Battle Standard Bearer answer back taking down four of the Phoenix King's bodyguard with their hatchets. The fight ends in a loss for the outnumbered Elves. My chariot, clearly disgusted by the Spearmen pass their leadership test while the stubborn White Lions easily hold their ground.
Dwarves: Immobile as ever, the Dwarves move straight to the shooting phase to even things out. A block of Thunderers eliminates my second Repeater while the Organ Gun shreds my Mage. A ballista bolt buries itself harmlessly in ground newly reddened with Elf blood. The cannon overshoots the archers and slams into the Spearmen killing another three. Dwarf handguns claim the lives of four Elven Archers. Korhil and the Thane continue their struggle each parrying all of the others attacks. The White Lions pull down four Longbeards losing only two in kind. The battle ends in victory for the High Elves, however the Dwarves pass their Break Test.
Turn 3
Elves: As little is available in the way of charges, the Archers shuffle forward to allow the Sword Masters room to work. The Spearmen march up and prepare to support the flank. After an unproductive shooting phase, several dead Longbeards and two generals who couldn't connect, my turn ends with nothing in the way of progress.
Dwarves: The stunties continue to whittle down my army during the shooting phase: a cannon ball destroys four Spearmen as the Thunderers eliminate my unit of Archers. The Sword Masters suffer four casualties from the Organ Gun. Thankfully the ballista missed again. The Longbeards were in for a nasty surprise as the White Lions hewed down both the Battle Standard Bearer and the Champion. And while Korhil and the Thane continued to hit air, the lack of their standard was enough to break the Dwarves and send them off the table, Chariot in pursuit.
Turn 4
Elves: The Tiranoc Chariot moves in against the rear of the Thunderers. Down to four bodies, my White Lions hold their position in an attempt to avoid gun fire. In the meanwhile the Sword Masters close with the Slayers while the Spearmen charge the other unit of Thunderers. The stand and shoot response brings the Spearmen unit down to two. In combat the Tiranoc chariot crushes and kills enough stunties to send them flying to the four winds. The Sword Masters carve a delightful swathe in five of the Slayers, sadly overlooking the Dragon Slayer and Champion and taking three casualties in return. The unbreakable Orange beardies hang out. The Spearmen and Thunderers exchange nothing, resulting in a tie.
Dwarves: The Cannon crew takes aim at my remaining chariot but mercifully overshoots. With no viable targets, the Organ Gun and Ballista remain silent. The Thunderers and Spearmen fight to another draw in close combat as the Sword Masters bring down the Giant Slayer and two more rank and file models.
Turn 5
Elves: With nothing standing between themselves and annihilation, the Sword Masters cut down the Dragon Slayer and several more in the dust. Thunderers and Spearmen continue to parry each others blows.
Dwarves: The cannon once more fails to end the Tiranoc Chariot. With nothing to do but fight on, all but one Slayer is laid down by the Sword Masters.
As the scraps began to close with each other, we decided this would be a good time to call the game. With all of his Warmachines left and a unit of Warriors that did nothing, the game was called as a Marginal Victory for the Dwarves. Sadly I don't believe any of the Elves would have made it off the field. The concentration of Dwarf gun fire at that point level left me little room for error and the dice were far to kind to my opponent. With my White Lions tied up for most of the game and the Sword Masters stuck behind the Archers, my shock troops were unable to make much of a difference. Combine this with the fact that Chariots don't stand up to siege engines, let alone on a small table, and you have a recipe for Elf disaster. The War of the Beard is far from over! Though perhaps the Warrior stunties proved prophetic by beginning their drinking on Turn 1.
1 Thane
1 BSB
1 Dragon Slayer
20 Warriors
14 Longbeards
10 Thunderers
10 Thunderers
14 Slayers
1 Bolt Thrower
1 Cannon
1 Organ Gun
The Host of Ulthuan sported much less:
1 Korhil
1 Mage Lvl 2, Silver Wand, Ring of Fury
20 Spearmen
10 Archers
15 Sword Masters
10 White Lions
1 Lion Chariot
1 Tiranoc Chariot
2 Bolt Throwers
Compounded by the fact that my Elves were out numbered, the situation turned critical when I realized our battle field would only support 6" deployment zones with an 18" no man's land. So while in theory my Tiranoc Chariot could pull off a first turn charge, my entire army would begin in range of all Dwarf gun powder. Not a healthy place for a guy who likes to exploit the superior range of long bows before closing with the enemy.
I won first deployment, but the shallow space forced both of our armies into lines. My Sword Masters found solace behind a screen of Archers and his Warriors camped out behind a unit of Thunderers (I have no proof, but suspect the Warriors had gotten into the ale early).
Turn 1
Elves: Straight down the middle and pray, a crude but effective way to close on the Dwarf gunners in as little time as possible. The entire Elf line advances, Archers and Sword Masters at a walk and the rest at the double. The Mage of Saphery brought down the Curse of Arrow attraction upon the Dwarf Organ Gun but failed to shield the Spearmen. Even with magicka on my side my leftmost Bolt Thrower slays but one stunty crewman. The Archers likewise kill one Thunderer, Dwarf hides proving too tough for conventional long bows.
Dwarves: In true beardy fashion the stunties hold the line and fire. My Lion Chariot goes out with a hiss (bad kitty!) as a cannonball careens through it. Four spearmen fall prey to the Ballista and the Thunderers polish off another three. One White Lion likewise succumbs to the murderous projectiles of the Dwarves, whilst the Organ Gun sends one Repeater's crew to St. Peter's. The Spearmen panic and make haste for the edge. At this point I think the Dragon Slayer mooned me.
Turn 2
Elves: The White Lions and Tiranoc Chariot charge the Longbeards before the Cannon can finish the job. My treacherous Spearmen rally but have put themselves out of charge range regardless. My archers hold position, continuing to veil the Sword Masters from sight. My Mage is once more successful in cursing the Dwarves, calling down Arrow Attraction on the Thunderers. My attempt to shield my Sword Masters is stopped again (deja vu?) while the Ring of Fury fails to do more than inflict a wound on the Organ Gun itself. Again the curse availeth not and my arrows fail to bury themselves in Dwarf flesh. My remaining Repeater Bolt Thrower brings down one of the Cannon crew for good measure. As melee commences, Longbeards swing their shields forward and brace for impact as my Tiranoc Chariot grinds two Dwarves to pulp. The crew fail to do anything. Korhil calls out a challenge which is answered by the Thane leading the army. The noble elf and miserable midget exchange blows, resulting in a single wound on each. Meanwhile in the lines my White Lions fail to connect, felling only two Longbeards. The Longbeard champion and army Battle Standard Bearer answer back taking down four of the Phoenix King's bodyguard with their hatchets. The fight ends in a loss for the outnumbered Elves. My chariot, clearly disgusted by the Spearmen pass their leadership test while the stubborn White Lions easily hold their ground.
Dwarves: Immobile as ever, the Dwarves move straight to the shooting phase to even things out. A block of Thunderers eliminates my second Repeater while the Organ Gun shreds my Mage. A ballista bolt buries itself harmlessly in ground newly reddened with Elf blood. The cannon overshoots the archers and slams into the Spearmen killing another three. Dwarf handguns claim the lives of four Elven Archers. Korhil and the Thane continue their struggle each parrying all of the others attacks. The White Lions pull down four Longbeards losing only two in kind. The battle ends in victory for the High Elves, however the Dwarves pass their Break Test.
Turn 3
Elves: As little is available in the way of charges, the Archers shuffle forward to allow the Sword Masters room to work. The Spearmen march up and prepare to support the flank. After an unproductive shooting phase, several dead Longbeards and two generals who couldn't connect, my turn ends with nothing in the way of progress.
Dwarves: The stunties continue to whittle down my army during the shooting phase: a cannon ball destroys four Spearmen as the Thunderers eliminate my unit of Archers. The Sword Masters suffer four casualties from the Organ Gun. Thankfully the ballista missed again. The Longbeards were in for a nasty surprise as the White Lions hewed down both the Battle Standard Bearer and the Champion. And while Korhil and the Thane continued to hit air, the lack of their standard was enough to break the Dwarves and send them off the table, Chariot in pursuit.
Turn 4
Elves: The Tiranoc Chariot moves in against the rear of the Thunderers. Down to four bodies, my White Lions hold their position in an attempt to avoid gun fire. In the meanwhile the Sword Masters close with the Slayers while the Spearmen charge the other unit of Thunderers. The stand and shoot response brings the Spearmen unit down to two. In combat the Tiranoc chariot crushes and kills enough stunties to send them flying to the four winds. The Sword Masters carve a delightful swathe in five of the Slayers, sadly overlooking the Dragon Slayer and Champion and taking three casualties in return. The unbreakable Orange beardies hang out. The Spearmen and Thunderers exchange nothing, resulting in a tie.
Dwarves: The Cannon crew takes aim at my remaining chariot but mercifully overshoots. With no viable targets, the Organ Gun and Ballista remain silent. The Thunderers and Spearmen fight to another draw in close combat as the Sword Masters bring down the Giant Slayer and two more rank and file models.
Turn 5
Elves: With nothing standing between themselves and annihilation, the Sword Masters cut down the Dragon Slayer and several more in the dust. Thunderers and Spearmen continue to parry each others blows.
Dwarves: The cannon once more fails to end the Tiranoc Chariot. With nothing to do but fight on, all but one Slayer is laid down by the Sword Masters.
As the scraps began to close with each other, we decided this would be a good time to call the game. With all of his Warmachines left and a unit of Warriors that did nothing, the game was called as a Marginal Victory for the Dwarves. Sadly I don't believe any of the Elves would have made it off the field. The concentration of Dwarf gun fire at that point level left me little room for error and the dice were far to kind to my opponent. With my White Lions tied up for most of the game and the Sword Masters stuck behind the Archers, my shock troops were unable to make much of a difference. Combine this with the fact that Chariots don't stand up to siege engines, let alone on a small table, and you have a recipe for Elf disaster. The War of the Beard is far from over! Though perhaps the Warrior stunties proved prophetic by beginning their drinking on Turn 1.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
First Field Report
With animosity between Dwarves and (spit) Greenskins being the stuff of legends, last night's showdown between my very transitional Dwarf army and my brother-in-law's horde seemed like an ideal place to start. The set up was roughly as follows:
1 BSB
1 Dragon Slayer
1 Runesmith
20 Warriors
16 Longbeards
10 Thunderers
10 Thunderers
10 Quarrelers
1 Cannon
2 Ballistas
1 Organ Gun
15 Slayers
The lack of Hammerers in my army creates a serious power vacuum, one I tried filling by giving my Lord the Rune of Kingship, at least my Longbeards weren't going anywhere. My block of Warriors was more than willing to die for the cause and Slayers... you get the picture. This is standard gun line procedure and enough hard-to-move Dwarves to press the issue in close combat, needless to say I was hopeful.
The Orc rabble looked something like this:
1 Black Orc Warboss
2 Night Goblin Shamans
1 Orc Shaman
42 Night Goblins
2 Fanatics
20 Black Orcs
25 Big 'Uns
30 Savage Orcs
6 Boar Boys
5 Spider Riders
6 Snotling Swarms
10 Squig Hoppers
1 Rock Lobba
2 Doom Divvers
The size of these units alone seriously cramped my chances for panic. History gave me reason to believe the army would consist of multiple small units of cannon fodder, but someone had been doing his homework. This army packed a fairly nasty shooting phase and enough magic to make me think about dispelling. To make matters worse he rolled Foot of Gork and Gork's Warpath respectively for all Shamans, line of sight and range weren't on my side.
Turn 1
Dwarves: Hold the line and go straight to shooting, at least that was the idea. In a spectacular display of fate, my runed cannon misfired twice and exploded. Do over down? Sadly the angle of the hill in my deployment zone prevented my thunderers from sounding out on the first turn. My Organ Gun blew up a snotling base and the quarrelers brought down a couple of Big 'Uns, all in all I could swear I heard goblin laughter.
Orcs: With animosity jamming up only one unit of Orcs, the rest of the army marched forward to take my position. Only the frozen Savage Orcs sat back. The first magic phase claimed the lives of several thunderers and two warriors, the only favor I found was in the exhaustion of the Itty Bitty Ring on turn one, so much for that sniping goblin. The shooting phase claimed the lives of a few more thunderers and forced me to test for panic. I am proud to say all dwarves stood their ground.
Turn 2
Dwarves: My slayers moved up the flanks to keep the squig hoppers off my ballista. Light gun and crossbow fire dropped a few more Orcs and Gobbos with the only notable exception being the Organ Gun which inflicted seven wounds on the over-eager Boar Boyz.
Orcs: The Spider Riders made it into combat with the ballista on my left flank and the squigs attempted to reach the flank of my Slayers but stopped short in their front arc. This time around my Rune Smith was in total control of the magic phase and kept the Foot of Gork from my missile troops. The shooting phase was less positive, costing me two thirds of my Organ Gun crew and leaving my center unit of Thunderers severely depleted. Moving into combat, the Spiders claimed two of my ballista crew and took no casualties. The sole survivor easily passed the stubborn leadership test.
Turn 3
Dwarves: I still had no charge options as the squigs sat comfortably out of range (I recommend cross country training for all dwarves). I advanced the Slayers to keep the Squigs from cutting around me. Warriors and Longbeards moved up the middle to meet the advancing rabble. Thunderers guarding the left flank reformed to face the Spider Riders, who made a snack out of the last standing ballista crewman on the left.
Orcs: Driven by rage or stupidity (who can tell with Greenskins?) the Squigs charged into the Slayers. The Spider Riders charged the Thunderers facing them. And the Night Goblins advanced and released their two fanatics. Mercifully, the fanatics only claimed two warriors. Big 'Uns smashed into the flanks of the Dwarf Warriors. The Spider Riders took four casualties from the stand and shoot, but the lone rider somehow passed his panic test and moved in, the Thunderers finished him off in close combat. While the Big Uns sent my Warriors running through a fanatic, they exercised some restraint and held their ground. The Slayers lost several of their number and turned three Squigs into jello.
Turn 4
Dwarves: Determined to settle the score for routing the Warriors, the Longbeards charged through the fanatic, crushing him in the process, and straight down the front line of Big 'Uns. The now unmanned Organ Gun sat silently while the last ballista missed the Black Orcs and missile fire brought down another Snotling swarm. This close combat phase would put me back in this game or feed the Orc army for several nights. Longbeards with massive axes cut down three Big 'Uns with the Lord and Battle Standard Bearer tearing open another three. The remaining champion failed to dent the Dwarf BSB and the Orcs, led by a Shaman, fled combat, failing to roll double ones to stand. In a rare show of mobility, the Orcs fled five and were caught by the Dwarves with eleven inches of pursuit! The Slayers broke the Squigs and collided with the flank of a Black Orc mob. My warriors did rally.
Orcs: Even a sound beating doesn't stop a horde. Night Goblin warriors slammed my Dwarf Warriors and netted them. The broken squigs rallied and the Black Orcs hefted double choppas for the impending showdown with the Slayers. This magic phase could have made a difference, but down one Shaman my Rune Smith was now firmly in control of the winds of magic. Sporadic war machine fire continued to harass my gunline which was now all but silent. Spurred on by their hatred of their betters the Night Goblins beat and broke the dwarves (who were sadly out of the range of their Lord and his standard). The resulting flight brought the dwarves into contact with an impassable boulder which destroyed their unit. However much this looked like a reprieve, fortune was not smiling on the green skins. The Black Orcs found themselves crushed by the Slayers and promptly fled off the table.
Turn 5
Dwarves: Mad for Orc blood my Longbeards reform to face the remaining Savage Orc warriors. The Slayers likewise turn to face the rallied Squigs. In a final show of frustration, Dwarf Quarrelers and Thunderers finish off the Snotlings and their accompanying Shaman. Could it be time to break out the ale?
Orcs: With nothing to charge the Night Goblins are left to work out long division as the Savage Orcs squabble. The last Shaman is totally impotent faced with the Runesmith and the magic phase whimpers to an end. Orc war "machines" (spit) pick off one more thunderer. In a final show of defiance the squigs reengage the Slayers, however the weakened unit only manages one casualty. The surviving Dragon Slayer and company wipe out the Squigs as recompense for their trouble.
With Hobbytown closing, five turns was sadly all we had time for. I hadn't expected my gunline to falter so much, but in light of larger Orc units, panic was off the menu. Dwarf Ballistas do much less without engineers, there's no way around this. We'll never know how the game would have ended, but the jumbo block of Orcs hung back for eighty percent of the action, arriving just in time to squabble on turn five. By deploying his war machines after my entire army was on the table, my brother-in-law was able to keep all of his safe from all but one of mine. The game did end in a marginal victory for the Dwarves, but I hardly consider this a repeatable outcome. All things considered an interesting showdown. Rest assured I will be picking up my High Elves for the next go around.
Dwarves:
1 Lord1 BSB
1 Dragon Slayer
1 Runesmith
20 Warriors
16 Longbeards
10 Thunderers
10 Thunderers
10 Quarrelers
1 Cannon
2 Ballistas
1 Organ Gun
15 Slayers
The lack of Hammerers in my army creates a serious power vacuum, one I tried filling by giving my Lord the Rune of Kingship, at least my Longbeards weren't going anywhere. My block of Warriors was more than willing to die for the cause and Slayers... you get the picture. This is standard gun line procedure and enough hard-to-move Dwarves to press the issue in close combat, needless to say I was hopeful.
The Orc rabble looked something like this:
1 Black Orc Warboss
2 Night Goblin Shamans
1 Orc Shaman
42 Night Goblins
2 Fanatics
20 Black Orcs
25 Big 'Uns
30 Savage Orcs
6 Boar Boys
5 Spider Riders
6 Snotling Swarms
10 Squig Hoppers
1 Rock Lobba
2 Doom Divvers
The size of these units alone seriously cramped my chances for panic. History gave me reason to believe the army would consist of multiple small units of cannon fodder, but someone had been doing his homework. This army packed a fairly nasty shooting phase and enough magic to make me think about dispelling. To make matters worse he rolled Foot of Gork and Gork's Warpath respectively for all Shamans, line of sight and range weren't on my side.
Turn 1
Dwarves: Hold the line and go straight to shooting, at least that was the idea. In a spectacular display of fate, my runed cannon misfired twice and exploded. Do over down? Sadly the angle of the hill in my deployment zone prevented my thunderers from sounding out on the first turn. My Organ Gun blew up a snotling base and the quarrelers brought down a couple of Big 'Uns, all in all I could swear I heard goblin laughter.
Orcs: With animosity jamming up only one unit of Orcs, the rest of the army marched forward to take my position. Only the frozen Savage Orcs sat back. The first magic phase claimed the lives of several thunderers and two warriors, the only favor I found was in the exhaustion of the Itty Bitty Ring on turn one, so much for that sniping goblin. The shooting phase claimed the lives of a few more thunderers and forced me to test for panic. I am proud to say all dwarves stood their ground.
Turn 2
Dwarves: My slayers moved up the flanks to keep the squig hoppers off my ballista. Light gun and crossbow fire dropped a few more Orcs and Gobbos with the only notable exception being the Organ Gun which inflicted seven wounds on the over-eager Boar Boyz.
Orcs: The Spider Riders made it into combat with the ballista on my left flank and the squigs attempted to reach the flank of my Slayers but stopped short in their front arc. This time around my Rune Smith was in total control of the magic phase and kept the Foot of Gork from my missile troops. The shooting phase was less positive, costing me two thirds of my Organ Gun crew and leaving my center unit of Thunderers severely depleted. Moving into combat, the Spiders claimed two of my ballista crew and took no casualties. The sole survivor easily passed the stubborn leadership test.
Turn 3
Dwarves: I still had no charge options as the squigs sat comfortably out of range (I recommend cross country training for all dwarves). I advanced the Slayers to keep the Squigs from cutting around me. Warriors and Longbeards moved up the middle to meet the advancing rabble. Thunderers guarding the left flank reformed to face the Spider Riders, who made a snack out of the last standing ballista crewman on the left.
Orcs: Driven by rage or stupidity (who can tell with Greenskins?) the Squigs charged into the Slayers. The Spider Riders charged the Thunderers facing them. And the Night Goblins advanced and released their two fanatics. Mercifully, the fanatics only claimed two warriors. Big 'Uns smashed into the flanks of the Dwarf Warriors. The Spider Riders took four casualties from the stand and shoot, but the lone rider somehow passed his panic test and moved in, the Thunderers finished him off in close combat. While the Big Uns sent my Warriors running through a fanatic, they exercised some restraint and held their ground. The Slayers lost several of their number and turned three Squigs into jello.
Turn 4
Dwarves: Determined to settle the score for routing the Warriors, the Longbeards charged through the fanatic, crushing him in the process, and straight down the front line of Big 'Uns. The now unmanned Organ Gun sat silently while the last ballista missed the Black Orcs and missile fire brought down another Snotling swarm. This close combat phase would put me back in this game or feed the Orc army for several nights. Longbeards with massive axes cut down three Big 'Uns with the Lord and Battle Standard Bearer tearing open another three. The remaining champion failed to dent the Dwarf BSB and the Orcs, led by a Shaman, fled combat, failing to roll double ones to stand. In a rare show of mobility, the Orcs fled five and were caught by the Dwarves with eleven inches of pursuit! The Slayers broke the Squigs and collided with the flank of a Black Orc mob. My warriors did rally.
Orcs: Even a sound beating doesn't stop a horde. Night Goblin warriors slammed my Dwarf Warriors and netted them. The broken squigs rallied and the Black Orcs hefted double choppas for the impending showdown with the Slayers. This magic phase could have made a difference, but down one Shaman my Rune Smith was now firmly in control of the winds of magic. Sporadic war machine fire continued to harass my gunline which was now all but silent. Spurred on by their hatred of their betters the Night Goblins beat and broke the dwarves (who were sadly out of the range of their Lord and his standard). The resulting flight brought the dwarves into contact with an impassable boulder which destroyed their unit. However much this looked like a reprieve, fortune was not smiling on the green skins. The Black Orcs found themselves crushed by the Slayers and promptly fled off the table.
Turn 5
Dwarves: Mad for Orc blood my Longbeards reform to face the remaining Savage Orc warriors. The Slayers likewise turn to face the rallied Squigs. In a final show of frustration, Dwarf Quarrelers and Thunderers finish off the Snotlings and their accompanying Shaman. Could it be time to break out the ale?
Orcs: With nothing to charge the Night Goblins are left to work out long division as the Savage Orcs squabble. The last Shaman is totally impotent faced with the Runesmith and the magic phase whimpers to an end. Orc war "machines" (spit) pick off one more thunderer. In a final show of defiance the squigs reengage the Slayers, however the weakened unit only manages one casualty. The surviving Dragon Slayer and company wipe out the Squigs as recompense for their trouble.
With Hobbytown closing, five turns was sadly all we had time for. I hadn't expected my gunline to falter so much, but in light of larger Orc units, panic was off the menu. Dwarf Ballistas do much less without engineers, there's no way around this. We'll never know how the game would have ended, but the jumbo block of Orcs hung back for eighty percent of the action, arriving just in time to squabble on turn five. By deploying his war machines after my entire army was on the table, my brother-in-law was able to keep all of his safe from all but one of mine. The game did end in a marginal victory for the Dwarves, but I hardly consider this a repeatable outcome. All things considered an interesting showdown. Rest assured I will be picking up my High Elves for the next go around.
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