Game one is tonight against Antony Kitson's "fluffy" Dogs of War.
2 x 20 pikes - FC, heavy armour
2 x 10 Xbows
2 x 10 duelists with pistols and musos
2 x 6 cav, FC, 1 with barding
19 bodyguard, FC, heavy armour, Warbanner
Baby cannon
Mounted general
Paymaster on foot
2 x lvl 2 mage, 2 x scrolls, 1 x powerstone
There are some details left out on the characters of course. I've got to have some surprises!
Now for Kitson this probably really is rather fluffy. Compare if you will the list above to his Dark Elf list which he's been bullying people with for the last wee while (and hasn't lost a game for ages I believe). This might be a little inaccurate, but you get the picture:
Boss on Dragon with Pendant and killy lance/sword thing
BSB on horse with Seal and killy lance thing
L2 Sorceress with probably a couple of scrolls
An RXB unit of two
Maybe some Spears...
Blackguard
6 Cold One Knights with FC and Hotek
2 Chariots
2 x 5 Dark Riders
5 Shades (maybe GWs)
Now compared to that abomination his DoW are uber-flufftastic!
I don't often get the chance to seriously look at a game before I see my opponent's list so this provides some interesting opportunities.
2 x 20 pikes - FC, heavy armour
Charging this little lot is akin to suicide. Pikes strike in 4 (count 'em) ranks against chargers with ASF (and I think str4 against cav and chariots). Damn. So it's a manouever game to force him to charge me. This ability of course doesn't work against units charging the flank - key. Wonder if they really don't have shields or if he just casually forgot to mention...
2 x 10 Xbows
Good shooting core - Kitson loves his damn Crossbows. This trumps my meagre shooting base fair effectively - goodbye Crossbows and Handgunners. Handgunners will probably be placed for counter fire on a flank against Cav or to lure in infantry placed behind a forest/hill. We'll have short Crossbow-on-Crossbow duel which he will win. Lots of str4 shooting will hurt my infantry.
2 x 10 duelists with pistols and musos
Huge pain in the ass for sure. These little bastards pack a punch with pistols (mustn't forget stand-and-shoot!). A decent charge will send them off but of course they will be bait/fleeing all over the show. God I hope they can't Scout too! Argh! I generally hate playing against Skirmishers (shocking I know after using all those Skinks in the Lizardmen army :-) ).
2 x 6 cav, FC, 1 with barding
With full command these guys have to be respected. One has a slightly longer reach which I should forget at my peril. Flanks are at a premium but I suspect these guys will be held back to force my engagement with the nasty blocks. This won't actually happen because Antony, like any good Brettonian, will just put them on a flank and run them at me fast, forcing the issue and problem onto me. Or up the centre. He's a pretty aggressive player.
19 bodyguard, FC, heavy armour, Warbanner
Are these guys Stubborn with the Paymaster still alive? Ick. Surely they also have shields making them a headache in combat (against all my stuff which of course mostly str3). This will be run forward in the centre flanked by the Pike blocks on each side and the Cav maybe stacked on one flank. Crossbows will fit around this for maximum Paymaster effect.
Baby cannon
A D3 wounds job - on anti-Knight duty, probably on an extreme flank to look for the enfilade shots. Worth bugger all points I imagine making going after it a painful and annoying distraction.
Mounted general
Gear? Potential issue if not for just the leadership. Will probably hand out with a Knight unit (whichever one is closest to the blocks) for temporary leadership and some extra hittiness in combat. I expect an Enchanted Shield to be here (or on the Paymaster) along with a Sword of Might.
Paymaster on foot
Don't know my DoW rules too well but I reckon this guy has the effect of a BSB and makes the bodyguard unit Stubborn or somesuch. Geez - where's a nice big unit of Skeletons when you need them?! :-) Might have some toys but less likely. Priority is to keep him alive (Panic check for the army if he's killed?).
2 x lvl 2 mage, 2 x scrolls, 1 x powerstone
Goodbye magic phase. Gah. I hate being outmagicked. All that antimagic (4DD and 2 scrolls) and a boosted spell (powerstone) will cause some pain. Will probably be holding my scroll for the uber-cast. Antony will go for Death, trying for Doom and Darkness with both guys and happy to take pretty much anything else (some good missiles in there, Fear-causing big units would be handy etc). Will be hard-pressed to hold this off. Each Pike unit will probably get a Wizard buddy.
So what's the plan? Well the Duellists have to go - they are devastating and easily underestimated. Whoever is furtherest from the General will get some magic missile love and maybe even some shooting if I don't feel like having a go at the Crossbows. The Mortar will be handy here. Cannon will look for Knights or character sniping if a Wizard decides to go for a wander and picnic in the woods. The Huntsmen will be looking for the Cannon.
I've spent a couple of games now screwing around with my deployment. I'll be looking force the charge on the Pikes but the presence of the Warbanner/BSB in the Bodyguard and the lurking Knights will make this tricky. Magic will be decisive, especially if he gets the spells (spell) he's after. Leadership 8 is already difficult enough - nevermind being leadership 5!!! There's a lot of fairly tough (for me) static res there. I'll also have to advance or risk losing rank bonus to the enemy Crossbows which is annoying. Flagellents will be important and might even end up charging a Pike unit (they will probably end up having to) if only to keep them out of the way. They'll get butchered but should hold for a crucial turn or (with poorer rolling) two or three (bit hopeful there). Might try using the 9-man Crossbow detachment as a meatshield.
Anyway, Antony's going to try and get here early-ish so hopefully we'll get a couple of games in and you can all learn twice from my mistakes :-)
2 comments:
hey Dave, the pikes wont have shields so don't worry about that and use your detachments to get into the flank of them as your swordsmen charge the front and the fighting in four ranks and ASF wont seem so much of a problem. Ant will knbow this too though so good luck. they are only WS3 also where your swordsmen are WS4 so man up and punch a hole through them anyway muwhahahahahaha. the flagies can hold them while someone else can get in the flank if you want that way too but watch out for that long range cav sitting waiting for the next turn charge as your flaggies try and hold them ;) oh and the mortar will surely make them feel the pain as they are only T3 your options are limitless but just make sure you keep on top of his fast moving units and you'll be sweet.
Sah-weet! I completely forgot about the supporting charge part of the detachment rules! Thanks mate - I'll let him know I had you to thanks for that one :) For some reason I only use them for counter-charges. Will hitting them in the flank negate them striking in 4 ranks forward is the question? I think it stops Spears hitting two ranks deep so figure it's the same for the Pikers.
Yes, of course! They're humans! Lol - the Mortar is surely becoming one of my favourite units. It's devastating!
Ant's not stupid though - I'll probably use the smallest detachment as a diverter to save the mortar and allow it as many turns to shoot as possible.
And the Cav will be very dangerous I'm sure but it's not like I don't have options there too.
Cheers Aaron!
Post a Comment