Round Three vs High Elves (Chris)
Heading into Round Three having suffered 2 losses I was quite determined to actually secure a win. Experienced players have told me time and again that non-anvil Dwarfs struggle to get decent wins due to the lack of impetus and ability to enforce a game plan on the enemy that deals the decessary damage. Getting a 19-1 or 20-0 win means you are looking at more than just smashing most of the other guy's army. It's the realm of killing generals, capturing huge amounts of standards, claiming lots of quarters. Needless to say I wasn't aiming for huge wins at this stage in my career, but I was aiming to win at least one game this weekend!
My round three draw turned out to be quite a blessing in this regard. I drew Chris who was up from Wellington with the Warlords chaps. Nice guy, a bit quiet so not a lot of chatter throughout the game (this doesn't unduly worry beyond thinking I might have truly pissed my opponent off). Turns out Chris' partner had come up with him and spent the day at Dressmart spending up large. She returned to offer moral support but was weighed down with such a large 'product of retail therapy' that I'm sure what kind of a morale boost Chris actually received :p
I was able to determine board side choices in this game and was very happy with my deployment. It was a refused flank on sorts - Organ Gun and Gyro slightly left of centre and then from the centre: hammerers (all characters in the bunker), Warriors, Longbeards, cannon, Quarrellers on hill next to Grudgethrower and on the other side of the hill thunderers in a ling line. Chris had a hill in his zone diagonally opposite to my hill but 90 degree of LOS from that hill was blocked by a forest a little further forward of the hill itself (but out of his deployment zone). My left to right he deployed: 5 dragon princes with warbanner, 5 dragon princes with banner of move through terrain like it's not there, Lion chariot, White Lions, 2 bolt throwers on the hill with 10 archers (joined by mage), big gap, 10 archers in the middle, 2 eagles behind small ruin features (although one was in plain LOS to the Quarrellers) and on my right/his extreme left flank, LOTS of Phoenix Guard with BSB on horse (reaver bow) and an exceedingly annoying etheral mage lord chick. Between the two casters he got every HE spell available although they had very little effect during the game (lack of targets for the Mage boss as the good stuff was behind a hill and therefore unseeable and mistcast in turn 5 which caused her to lose the spell and a level and take a str8 hit... or something like that). I was boggling at the tiny size of the army, wagering that the Phoenix Guard were not to be trifled with and that the Dragon princes really were all that.
I won first turn and made good use of it quickly taking 2 wounds of an Eagle with the Quarrellers. Better still, a good guess from the cannon and a fortuitous D3 wounds roll of '3' destroyed a bolt thrower. Sadly I was an inch shy of hitting the Lion chariot too (which would bug me later in the game). The Gyro moved up behind the forest block much LOS for the remaining boltie and hill archers and that was me.
Chris was not best pleased at losing a bolt thrower so quickly and advanced with the princes and chariot on my left, both units of princes coming into range of the organ gun. The Phoenix guard marched up and the eagles flew up and landed in front of some stuff. I was a bit confused about his intentions with the eagles as Dwarfs can't be march blocked but figured he hoped one or both would survive and go for artillery crews. Fortunately the eagles were so keen to get in they landed in perfect LOS for the Thunderers and Quarrellers to give them what for. The mage boss got busy with Flames of the Phoenix, BBQing a couple of Thunderers. We both quickly realised that, with Chris stealing one of my power dice in my magic phase, I would be unable to dispel the Flames. Not good. I was VERY fortunate with his rolls to wound with the spell - the Thunderers eventually survived the game, albeit below half. The remaining bolt thrower threw some shots into the cannon and nailed a crewman and it was back to me.
Looking carefully at the dragon princes I decided that one of the units was probably out of charge range of the Organ Gun so I let rip into the closer unit. With memories of Round Two's first-turn misfire explosion catastrophy fresh in my mind you can imagine my pleasure at rolling a timely '10' for the number of hit. A fine red mist was all that remained of those dragon princes (that being the ignore terrain unit) and I moved on. The Thunderers did for the already wounded eagle and the Quarrellers put a wound on the other one, failing to save the cannon crew who would be charged in Chris' next turn. The cannon tried for the other bolt thrower but no luck this time. Ditto the grudgethrower. However the Gyro was now positioned to give the hill arhcers and attending mage what-for with it's steam gun and proceeded to do just that. A failed panic check and they were off, stopping 4" or so short of the board edge. Excellent - now the Gyro just needs to survive a shot from the boltthrower 5" away... Oh... and the Miners turned up behind the central archers...
In went the eagle into the cannon crew but fluffed rolls all round meant a drawn combat - the Longbeards would see to the eagle in my turn! The Phoenix guard continued their trek forward with shooting and magic going into the grudgethrower but poor luck and rolling allowing the GT to survive. I was gutted to discover the surviving dragon prince unit was into the organ gun by less than 1/2 an inch - they died a horrible death as the noble princes exacted a grisly revenge for the deaths of their kinsmen and the princes overran off the table (excellent). The white lions had edged foward and the lion chariot rounded the forests. Combined with the return of the dragon princes shortly I was looking at a three-way combined charge against the Hammerers. Hrm... The bolt thrower lined up against the Gyro, unleashing a powerful and beautifully crafted projectile that managed to miss completely. Excellent. The archers turned around to have at the miners, killing one and removing their rank bonus. Nix to that. The archers and mage, fleeing from the steam-gun of the Gyro last turn decided enough was enough and sadly for Chris they fled the battlefield!
Turn three and with the short return of the dragon princes I was looking at a potentially very ugly turn 4. The Hammerers moved up aggressively towards the White Lions tempting them (and the chariot) to charge without the support of the Princes (confidence inspired by the fact that the chariot wouldn't cancel my ranks - static res=7). The Warriors moved to their flank. The Longbeards smushed the eagle. The Miners went into the archers and lost by one! Luckily they held. The Gyro charged the bolt thrower crew and snuffed them out. The Quarrellers left their hill to move out of LOS of the Phoenix guard. Fortunately I had just the thing to deal with those dragon princes.
The White Lions and chariot didn't take the bait (can't blame Chris, would've ended badly) and mucked around waiting for their horsey mates who moved on behind the Hammerers ready for that lovely combined charge I was trying to avoid. The Phoenix guard charged the GT crew and mushed them, overruning but not reaching the Longbeards. The archer/miner duel continued with a draw.
Turn 4 for me. The Gyro swooped in to flame-grill those cheeky White Lions (killing a couple and removing a rank bonus (there were 12 in the unit, 6 wide - adding a rank next turn would mean not charging with the princes and chariot). The Hammerers continued to bait and wait for the charge (either way the Elves would strike first right?) but the Runesmith moved out of the unit by himself and went for a wander. Chris looked confused but figured something tricksy was up. He was right. My BIG mistake was not turning the warriors to face the Runesmith. You'll see why shortly. The Longbeards faced the Phoenix guard and the Quarrellers turned to face the flank of where the Phoenix guard would be when they charged the Longbeards. Cannon took a shot at the now exposed Lion chariot and blew itself up. Sigh... guess it can't all go my way huh?
Bottom of the 4th and Chris looking for that combined charge against the Hammerers when I say "Rune of Challenge from the Runesmith on those Dragon Princes - charge or flee". Fleeing would almost certainly mean running off the table so in they went against the Runesmith! The White Lions and chariot decided (again) to not charge. The Phoenix guard went into the Longbeards who (being immune to fear and terror) couldn't have cared less. Appalling rolls from everyone meant something like a draw or I lost by one and held. The Miners beat up the archers and made them run but failed to catch, ending up about 4" behind. In the other combat with the princes and Runesmith I challenge and the prince champion has to accept. Champion causes a wound (calculated gamble as the 'Smith has a 1+ save) and in return the Runesmith kills him!!! Woo! Runesmith loses by 3 (standard/warbanner, kill and outnumber vs kill) but with the general adn BSB nearby has no problem passing. Bugger - if only I'd remembered to turn those Warriors around!!! Gah. Still a newbie.
Top of 5 and in go the Quarrellers into the flank of the Phoenix guard, passng their fear test with flying colours and removing their rank bonus. Doesn't end up mattering too much as no one in the combat is able to hit anything. Phoenix guard lose fractionally and pass easily. The Runesmith goes down to the dragon princes but I'm a real idiot - I turned the Warriors and moved to charge the princes next turn (?) but got too close in their charge arc - now they can charge me in his turn 5! Argh!
In go the Princes but the Warriors hold. Lion chariot and White lions are still pansying around. Somehow the archers end up in combat with the miners and get creamed. In the Phoenix guard fight we're all still using pillows and it's a standstill.
Top of 6 the Miners claim a quarter, the gyro buzzes around ineffectually trying to flame the lion chariot (yeah right...), the Hammerers are STILL waiting to be charged (incidentally they have't charged the White Lions because if the White Lions flee I'll be stuck in a wood and the Lion chariot will get into the flank of the warriors and cane them - the White Lions can't chare the Warriors themselves because they can't wheel past the Hammerers). The pillow fight continues and everyone whiffs, but the Dragon Princes break (!) and flee, the warriors capturing the banner.
Bottom of 6, last turn of the game. Chris deliberates and says what the hell - in goes the chariot and white lions into the hammerers. The dragon princes fail to rally! Unbelievable! Off they go, leaving the board in a real hurry. As expected the chariot and lions bounce. The lions hold (stubborn fortunately) but the chariot breaks and flees.
And that's the game.
Amusingly, looking at what was left I thought I had a big win on my hands but with the points tied up in the Phoenix guard (with general and BSB) I had just managed a 15-5 win! Just like my previous two games but this time I was on the other side!
Win 15-5
A great day one and my first tournament win - and my first games against Chaos and High Elves! We grabbed some dinner at the RSA (steak, eggs, chips, salad - $15; bloody brilliant) and I shouted Dave being such a great guy and putting the tournament on in the first place. Post-Day One discussion highlighted many of the hysterical turns that a game of dice will inevitably bring. We had a bizarre discussion about the historical precendent of Warhammer, starting with ranked units of spearmen and how that would have worked in real life... conversation quickly degraded to the historical precedent of Stegadons and Dragons. Much bullshit, theoryhammer and talk but great social time. Ended up talking about 40k too at one point which was weird as it's been so long since I've played (comparitively). Dropped the lads off home and crashed around 11pm into a solid sleep, really keen to see what day two would bring... of course, having checked the Round Four draw I already know what I would be facing the next day!
The Black Sheep army of DOOM!
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