As we Dwarven players finally got our new book this Month, I fielded them one last time in their old edition. A tournament organizer in Carynthia wanted to use the old book, but the protest from some Dwarven players including myself led to a vote that decided that we will not have to use an army book outdated for weeks by that date. Thanks for that and I’m looking forward to a great tournament in Carynthia at the end of March.
So, this was the last chance to use the by all beloved Miner Spam List which uses the automatic movement by the Anvil to create some fun on the battlefield. I will surely miss the old Anvil and the flexibility that came with it. But instead, we will have lots of fun with squadrons of six helicopters and supporting bombers. Or so.
Dwarfes vs. Dark Elves
The Dwarf List
Dwarf Lord, General, GW, Shieldbearers, 1 x Rune of Resistance, 1 x Rune of Stone – 206 Pts.
Runelord, Anvil of Doom, 2 x Rune of Spellbreaking – 365 Pts.
Thane, GW, 1 x Master Rune of Gromril, 1 x Rune of Resistance, BSB – 144 Pts.
28 Longbeards, GW, M, S, C – 389 Pts.
26 Longbeards, GW, M, S, C, Ranger Upgrade – 389 Pts.
Cannon – 90 Pts.
Cannon – 90 Pts.
Stone Thrower, 1 x Rune of Accuracy, 2 x Rune of Penetrating – 155 Pts.
34 Miners, M, S, C – 399 Pts.
6 Miners, C – 76 Pts.
5 Miners – 55 Pts.
Gyrocopter – 140 Pts.
Total: 2498
As usual, the list should have been as competitive as possible. The artillery was in a limitation pool with the Anvil, so the Organ Gun would have to stay home. Too much possibility for too few shots with just one gun.
The king (as always) is pretty cheap and should just provide the Longbeards with his formidable morale, perhaps consume some damage in melee and survive as a main goal. So I rather see him in a defensive position than causing direct wounds.
As said before, the Miner Spam would ensure some flexibility for me and early stress for the enemy, especially his warmachines. The Gyrocopter was a fancy thing I always avoided (due to his weak cannon and inability of blocking enemy marching routes).
The Dark Elf Player was Smaug, an old Warhammer partner from my Gaming Club (and the Ogre player from the battle report in March 2013). He fielded an unusual, rather new list with a dragon-riding noble, two young sorceresses, a noble riding a dark Pegasus and three units of light cavalry (one of them were these new warlocks). Two Spearthrowers and a middle-sized unit of executioners completed this version of Dark Elves on Speed.
It was pretty clear from the beginning, that he would be able to decide where and when to strike when I didn’t keep the regiments close together, so I used the old, by all beloved tactic of staying in the corner. The executioners, thunderers and bolt throwers were placed in front of my Longbeards, while the dragon and the light riders hid behind the building.
It started with a well-placed hit with the Strength-5 Stonethrower into the executioners (first, I forgot that I could reroll for my warmachine, but thanks to Smaug, he allowed me to reroll when I thought of it. Thanks for that) which caused several deaths and a failed panic test for both the executioners and the thunderers. With just one hit, the Stonethrower caused the whole right flank of the Dark Elves to flee. Perhaps thats why this combination is always in restricting pools…
For the next turn, the dragon and the rest of the army stood behing the building, while the witch in the executioners (who had stopped fleeing right before the end of the battlefield) put some burning spells into my Longbeards. The bolt throwers were taken out by the cannons and the arriving small Miners. The big Miners, who came from my flank, were attaced and eaten by the dragon in about three rounds. He also had luck when a single miner was left in melee and I wasn’t able to target the monster with my cannons.
I couldn’t decide to attack the executioners in melee, but I was lucky to get rid of them by shooting them first with the Stonethrower, blitzing them with the ancient power of the Anvil (for the last time) and then blasting the leftover witch with a shot by the cannon. Lucky me. If I had attacked them with my Longbeards, I would perhaps have not been able to deal enough damage to get them. In the end, it was a undecided battle (with about 30 points in advantage for the Dwarves).
Dark Elves on Speed.
That, my lad, is a dra*chump*.
Dwarves vs. Lizardmen
The second combattant on this evening would be Kokosnuss, an ETC player from last year fielding his Lizards (but he is also the currently best Dwarf player in Austria). After complaining a bit about the battlefield conditions, he brought a Slann and his bodyguards, several units of Teradons, two Stegadons and Salamanders and a massive amount of Skinks of different colour and weaponry.
The Teradons used their forward movement before battle and crushed right into my poor gun line, thus eliminating my possibility of shooting. One Stegadon was taken out by fire, and the unit of Saurus fled across his whole battle line due to a rules failure which we took back after seeing that we had made a mistake.
austrohammer 