Battle #25:
Elves and Orcs Both
Make Good Shish-ke-bobs
[Game situation:
6-turn pitched
battle. The
Grumblers were
scheduled to fight a
2500 point battle
against orcs and
gobbos, but when my
opponent failed to
show I agreed to
fight a 1000 point
practice battle to
help teach the game
to a new high elf
player, Eric
Downing. The dwarves
fought with
regiments of 19
Warriors, 12 Miners,
12 Thunderers, 16
elite Ironbreakers,
2 bolt throwers, and
1 Runesmith serving
as general.]
Log entry:
“For many months
peace had reigned
around Robinson’s
Rock. The dwarves
dwelling there under
the leadership of
the fearless Buford
Bugman had increased
mightily in power in
recent years and in
the process
established quite a
reputation for
themselves as
indomitable
warriors. Evil
forces in the lands
were now loathe, it
seems, to risk
combat with them,
and so the dwarves
enjoyed their
respite from war,
prospering even
more. Practice
battles were
periodically held
with Lord
Altendorf’s imperial
forces, and while
they did not always
go as well as they
should have (thanks
mostly to cheating
human wizard
referees), at least
they helped maintain
readiness.
And so when word
reached Buford that
our old enemies the
orcs had reappeared
with a large army
and were again
ravaging lands not
far from our
mountain fastness,
he immediately swung
into action. As help
was urgently needed,
Bugman right away
sent an advance
force to the area
under the command of
a Runesmith, while
he himself set to
the task of
assembling a larger
army. The smaller
force soon reached
the troubled
territory, but found
no orcs, only
destroyed
settlements. One of
them was an elf
community. As the
dwarves combed
through the rubble
(you never know when
some nice bits of
gold might turn up)
an elf army was seen
to approach from a
distance. Prudently,
the Runesmith had
the dwarves withdraw
and take up a
defensive position
around a hill just
outside the town.
But the elves must
have seen us and
thought we
had destroyed the
town. Typical elven
stupidity! Instead
of sending a
delegation to
negotiate matters,
the elves advanced
menacingly toward us
and, when we held
our ground and
prepared to fight,
they fired on us
with their bolt
throwers and charged
with a large unit of
silver helm cavalry
and two infantry
formations (spearmen
and Swordmasters.)
Is there no
limit to the gall of
elves?
Naturally, we
returned fire, and
our two bolt
throwers fired some
murderously accurate
shots through the
ranks of the enemy’s
heavy cavalry. These
nevertheless managed
to charge into our
Ironbreakers.
Gromril armor is
tough stuff, and the
elven blows for the
most part glanced
off . In the end the
weight of all those
deeply ranked,
tenacious dwarves
were too much for
the knights, who
broke and fled a
good distance away.
The Ironbreakers
pursued for a while,
then swerved left
aiming at the flank
of the enemy
Swordmasters. These
fled before the
Ironbreakers could
reach them (what do
you expect from
elves?). At
virtually the same
time the elven
spearmen were sent
fleeing by deadly
Thunderer gunfire
and a bolt thrower
shot. Almost the
whole elven army was
now in undignified
retreat! But soon
enough they all
rallied, and two
units (the silver
helms and the
Swordmasters)
simultaneously
attacked the
now-overextended
Ironbreakers from
the front and the
back, while the few
remaining spearmen
moved to block our
regular dwarf
warriors coming up
to aid them.
Surrounded by
charging enemies
wielding great
weapons and piercing
lances, the
Ironbreakers took
heavy casualties
before succumbing as
a unit and being
wiped out in
retreat.
But elsewhere the
dwarves dominated
the field. The large
block of warriors
charged and set to
flight the remaining
elf spearmen,
seizing their
standard in the
process. Our Miners
erupted from their
tunnels just behind
one of the bolt
throwers, and after
taking a few hits,
killed the crew and
destroyed the
artillery piece.
Finally, our
Thunderers shot down
more of the cavalry
as they tried to
reposition
themselves, such
that only one rider
together with the
army general
survived the
barrage. At this
point the elves gave
up the attack and
moved off to a safe
distance, conceding
the field to the
dwarves. But our
victory had been a
costly one, with the
loss of the entire
unit of
fierce-hearted
Ironbreakers.
And we never did
find any orcs
that day.
-Snori Whitebeard
[Game result: a
minor victory for
the dwarves, roughly
630 points of dead
elves plus a
captured standard
and a board
quadrant, to 335
points of dead
dwarves with a
standard. More
importantly, both
players had fun and
Eric Downing got his
second game of
Warhammer
under his belt.]
[Tactical
analysis:
There’s
nothing like rolling
hot dice when
shooting bolt
throwers! The main
difference here was
that the dwarves
early on couldn’t
miss with their bolt
throwers and
crunched whole ranks
of elven cavalry &
infantry, while the
elf bolt throwers
(with easier to-hit
rolls) struck home
only intermittently.
Better to be lucky
than good, says I.
Nothing very fancy
went on here
tactically: both
sides did sound if
predictable things.
Early on the elves
might have tried to
use their speed a
bit more to gang up
on dwarf units (like
they did nicely in
the end against the
Ironbreakers), but
that may have given
the dwarves an extra
round of shooting.]
Battle #26:
Offensive
Dwarves
[Game situation:
6-turn pitched
battle. The
Grumblers were
challenged to a 2500
point battle by Will
Hassinger’s orc and
goblin army the
WAAAGH! Whirlygigs
on the tier below.
The dwarves fought
with regiments of 19
and 20 Warriors, 10
and 12 Thunderers,
16 elite
Ironbreakers, 16
Miners, 10 Ranger
scouts, 10 Slayers,
10 crossbow
dwarves, 1 cannon,
2 bolt throwers,
Malakai Makaisson’s
Goblin Hewer, and 1
Runelord (with the
Anvil of Doom)
serving as general.]
Log entry:
“As the smallish
army that had just
beaten off an elven
attack began to
withdraw homeward,
rangers
reported a very
large greenskin
force pillaging
lands not far to the
west. The dwarf
force,
aware it was
not large enough to
challenge the orcs,
sent urgent word to
our fearless leader
Buford Bugman
for aid.
Buford
dispatched a force
with Runelord
Roscoe commanding.
‘Show those vile
greenskins what the
hatred of the
dwarves can do!’
Buford told him.
When the
reinforcements met
up with the advance
force, Roscoe led
the combined army
toward the greenskin
throng encamped in a
hilly area a half
day’s march away.
Dwarf
rangers
had been shadowing
the orcs and
goblins, and managed
to sneak up fairly
close to the enemy
lines without being
detected using a
copse of woods as
cover. The main
dwarf force was not
so lucky: as the
army approached it
found the orcs
already ordering
themselves for
battle, placing a
healthy amount of
artillery and archer
units in defensive
positions on a hill
to the right while
marshalling infantry
formations in a
great mass in the
center. To the far
left a sizable unit
of wolf rider fast
cavalry guarded the
flank.
The dwarves
responded by
deploying their
artillery and other
shooters
(crossbowmen and
Thunderers) on two
smaller hills facing
the greenskin lines
and putting most of
their infantry in
the open ground
below them. To the
right were dwarf
Warriors, more
Thunderers, and the
Ironbreakers, and to
the left were a
second unit of
Warriors and a small
unit of fanatical
Slayers. ‘Keep those
orange-haired nut
jobs away from the
rest of the boys!’
said the Runelord,
who positioned
himself with his
Anvil and bodyguards
back behind the
Ironbreakers. He
also ordered the
Miners to find some
tunnels they could
use to get behind
the enemy lines.
‘Take out that Rock
Lobber if you can’,
he said. ‘That thing
could be a real pain
in the neck.”
After the dwarves
deployed, they
waited for the
inevitable shouts of
‘WAAAAGH!’ and the
orc attack. But none
came. Half an hour
passed, then an
hour; nothing. Could
the crazy greenskins
be waiting for the
dwarves to attack
them? ‘Sound the
horn,’ ordered an
impatient Runelord
Roscoe. ‘Let’s chop
us some orc necks!’
With the horn blast
a deep shout went up
from the dwarf lines
and forward we
marched. Our cannon
on the hill to the
right boomed and
sent a ball crashing
through a goblin
Doom Diver catapult,
smashing it to bits
before it could get
off a shot and
causing a bit of a
panic in the area.
Malakai’s famous
Goblin Hewer sent a
deadly stream of
axes hurtling into a
large unit of night
goblins, killing
many, and the other
dwarven shooters
opened fire at
whomever they could
hit. At the same
time, the Rangers
who had secreted
themselves in the
woods just in front
of the enemy
infantry burst forth
from their cover,
moving toward the
unit of night
goblins in a brave
attempt to draw
forth any of those
whirling twits of
death, goblin
fanatics. Sure
enough, three
fanatics were shoved
out of the goblin
formation. But they
must have been
surprised by the
Rangers’ sudden
appearance, for two
of them got tangled
up with each other
and self-destructed,
while the third
didn’t quite make it
to the Rangers
before spinning off
in a different
direction. So far,
the attack was going
well.
Then the greenskins
unleashed their
counterfire. Orc and
goblin arrows, Spear
Chukka shafts, and
Rock Lobber boulders
all came flying
toward the dwarves,
and at the same time
the four orc
and goblin shamans
invoked the aid of
their demented gods
Gork and Mork in
sending deadly
magical bolts at the
dwarves too. The
hail of all these
missiles struck home
with deadly effect.
Every dwarf infantry
unit began to take
losses, and the
Slayers on the far
left took the worst
damage, suffering
fully 80%
casualties! (Of
course, this just
made the nutty
Slayers madder.) All
this damage came in
despite the furious
efforts of Roscoe to
keep at bay the
worst of the enemy
magical attacks. So
busy was Roscoe at
spell defense that
he could not put
much effort into
striking attack
Runes of his own,
with the result that
none of them
penetrated the orc
defenses. Meanwhile,
the orcs poked and
prodded a large mass
of snotlings into
attacking the
Rangers, occupying
them while the rest
of the greenskins
prepared for combat.
A mob of savage orcs
in full battle
frenzy ran crazily
toward the dwarves
advancing on the
left, supported by
the wolf riders. On
the far right a
mercenary unit of
expert dark elven
crossbow shooters
began to barrage our
gyrocopter as it
flew across the
battlefield toward
the enemy lines.
Fortunately, the
armor built into the
flying machine was
proof against the
accurately fired
bolts clattering off
its exterior, and
soon the ‘copter was
harrassing the orc
shooters on the main
hill.
Heavy dwarf armor
was proving its
utility all across
the battlefield.
Many brave dwarfs
died from
arrows and spells,
but a good
many more were
saved. This did not
apply to the nearly
naked Slayers, of
course, whose few
survivors gleefully
charged toward the
savage orcs. These
orcs, together with
the wolf riders, set
upon the
orange-haired ones,
but could not
dispatch them before
a large unit of
dwarf Warriors
charged into the
fray. In the center,
the other unit of
dwarf Warriors took
advantage of
squabbling orcs and
goblins to get off a
charge;
simultaneously the
rangers,
who had slain all
the snotlings herded
against them,
attacked the same
bunch of orcs in the
flank. All knew that
the victors in these
various close
combats would carry
the day. The action
was intense, whether
from frenzied savage
orcs flailing about
or spiteful dwarves
unleashing their
pent-up anger at the
hated greenskins. On
the left things
looked bad at first,
as the last slayers
were cut down
finally and the
savage orcs gained
the advantage over
the incoming
Warriors. But the
dwarves held firm
despite the
reverses, and slowly
but surely – again
helped by their
superior armor –
began to grind down
the orcs. Eventually
the spirit of the
savage orcs was
broken and they were
wiped out. In the
center the Rangers
and Warriors there
defeated but failed
to catch the orcs
and goblins
opposed to them. The
enemy orcs (led by a
Great Shaman) fled
and rallied, only to
be charged again by
the grim-faced
dwarves, who this
time slew them all.
Meanwhile, the
Miners had emerged
from their tunnels
right behind the
enemy Rock Lobber
and had succeeded in
destroying it, just
as the Ironbreakers
closed in on some
goblin archers. With
few units left alive
and their general
dead, the greenskins
thought better of
continuing a losing
fight and
unceremoniously
abandoned the field.
And so the dwarves
chalked up another
victory over their
ancestral foes, the
orcs and goblins.
Roscoe led the boys
in a cheer,
collected the
wounded, and marched
homeward in triumph.
The Rangers were
declared the bravest
of the brave for
their exploits on
the field – the
Rangers and also the
now-deceased
Slayers. All got
their wish: the
Slayers by dying
gloriously in
battle, the Rangers
by fighting well AND
surviving to drink
plenty of beer back
in Robinson’s Rock.
-Snori Whitebeard
[Game result:
victory for the
dwarves, probably
“solid” or
“massacre” (Will
resigned before
points could be
totaled at the
bitter end). So in
the Grumblers’ first
challenge board
match in months – no
one dared fight them
until Will bravely
stepped up! – the
Grumblers pick up a
win and a token,
which they will use
to challenge up to
the next tier soon.]
[Tactical
analysis:
What a fun
game!
With 5000 points of
orcs, gobbos, and
dwarves on the
table, you knew
there was going to
be a mess of cool
units deployed and
crazy action. I
scouted with dwarven
rangers
for the first time,
and they worked even
better than I
expected: not only
did they draw out
the enemy fanatics
right in front of
the enemy lines,
which was their
raison d’etre,
but actually
survived and
prospered
thereafter. The
slayers also
fulfilled their
purpose nicely,
holding an enemy
unit in place long
enough for a larger
dwarf infantry unit
to charge them. My
gyrocopter did a
wonderful job of
annoying Will by
flying around his
backfield avoiding
attacks,
march-blocking
troops, and spraying
steam-gun fire here
and there, even if
it failed to kill
many models in the
end (that’s what
happens at S3 vs. T4
orcs I guess). Thank
the gods for dwarven
“hatred” of
greenskins – the
rerolled attacks in
initial close combat
rounds really paid
off, enabling me to
win close fights
that otherwise might
have gone the other
way. The booby prize
goes to my Runelord
with the Anvil of
Doom who failed to
get across a single
runic spell all game
long.
Will tried a
creative strategy
against the dwarves:
take lots of magic,
and lots of (cheap)
orc artillery and
missile troops
mounted up on hills,
and deploy the rest
below in a
semi-defensive
posture, ready to
charge forward after
the dwarves had been
whittled down coming
across the board. It
might have worked,
but several things
conspired against
Will in this
particular game: 1)
dwarf artillery is
hard to outgun, and
my cannon came
through on the first
turn when it
destroyed his doom
diver and set off
panic among others
nearby. Low
leadership is a
weakness of orcs,
the effects of which
are exacerbated when
units sit crammed
together on defense
near the back edge
of the board. 2) I
had taken enough
Runes of
Spellbreaking to
dispel the orcs’
most lethal spells
early on. Combined
with accurate but
never quite
devastating shooting
from the orcs, the
dwarves were able to
make it across the
center of the board
without incurring
the crippling losses
needed for the orc
strategy to come to
fruition. Dwarf
units were getting
worn down, but not
enough to prevent
them from reaching
and winning the
ensuing hand to hand
combats. 3) Will
might have used his
well-chosen dark
elven dog-of-war
skirmishers a bit
more aggressively:
with potentially
devastating shooting
from multi-shot hand
crossbows at BS 5+,
and extraordinary
protection against
return missile fire,
they should have
moved nearer the
thick of the action,
not skulked in the
woods and margins.
To do so would have
exposed them to more
risk, it is true,
but their shooting
might have been
enough to turn the
tide against the
dwarf infantry in
the center. A
similar story for
his Black Orcs:
whether from crowded
conditions or a
desire to keep them
out of my gunsights,
these elite troops
never got into the
battle at all. (I
was also a bit
hesitant with my
Ironbreakers, who
might have played a
greater role in the
battle had I pushed
them forward more
quickly.)
Still, the game
was close most of
the way, and with a
few more magic or
shooting die rolls
going Will’s way,
Snori could easily
be grumbling
dejectedly into his
beer right now.]
Battle #27:
Four Armies
Campaign, Round 1:
Hordes of Chaos
versus Dwarven
Resolve
[Game situation:
The first match of a
WHF tournament for
1500 point armies at
the Whiz store. This
first match also
happened to count
for the challenge
board, as the
Grinding Grumblers
had earlier
challenged John &
Dan Polanowicz’s
Hordes of Chaos army
The Black Ravens for
their spot on the 5th
tier of the ladder,
and we both agreed
this tournament game
would settle the
challenge as well.
It was to be 6-turn
pitched battle, with
a few minor scoring
adjustments thrown
in (a “Duke It Out!”
scenario). The
dwarves brought the
same army for all
tournament battles.
It included
regiments of 19 and
16 Warriors, 12
Thunderers, 18 elite
Hammerers, 10
Miners, 12 crossbow
dwarves, 1 cannon,
2 bolt throwers, and
one Runesmith
serving as general.]
Log entry:
“’Roscoe! Take care
of it.’
With these words
Buford Bugman,
fearless leader of
the dwarves of
Robinson’s Rock,
entrusted command of
the expeditionary
force to his
Runesmith Roscoe.
Word had reached
Buford that warfare
had broken out in
Imperial lands not
far from the
mountains of our
stronghold. There
was concern that
fighting could spill
over into dwarf
territory. Scouts
and merchants had
spoken of Chaos
marauders and
rebellious imperial
factions ravaging
and plundering, with
less certain
sightings of others
operating in the
area as well (elves,
undead, even ogres).
Buford decided that
a small but
versatile army
should be sent out
in that direction.
It would be
stationed so as to
guard the approaches
to our realm, and
Roscoe would be the
dwarf to lead it.
The expedition soon
departed, equipped
with a roster of
mostly heavy
infantry (four
units, including a
large detachment of
Buford’s own elite
Hammerer bodyguard)
complemented by two
units of missile
troops, plus some
artillery. When they
had descended to the
foothills near the
Imperial border,
Roscoe began to look
for good defensive
locations. He didn’t
have long to do so:
terrified refugees
moving up the road
toward the mountains
reported hordes of
Chaos troops close
behind them. Roscoe
put the majority of
his artillery and
missile troops on a
steep ridge to the
left of the road,
and blocked the road
itself with his
infantry. The Miners
he sent a-tunneling
off to the left.
Soon the enemy
appeared. On the
left flying Screamer
demons prepared to
launch themselves
into the air for the
attack. In the
middle along the
road marched several
infantry formations,
mostly lightly armed
marauders but with
one heavier unit as
well, all backed by
a small unit of
heavily armed and
armored Chaos
Knights. Two packs
of warhounds led the
way. On the far
right coming through
the rougher terrain
of hill and wood
were two multi-armed
Chaos Spawn
creatures and a unit
of fast cavalry.
Roscoe ordered the
cannon and
crossbowmen to
concentrate their
fire on the
Screamers in an
attempt to whittle
down their numbers
before they reached
the dwarf lines. A
cannonball blew away
one of the nasty
demons, and one more
was wounded, but
they kept coming and
soon approached the
dwarf cannon’s
position. The
Thunderers, ranged
in front of the
steep ridge on the
left, fired on the
infantry advancing
up the road, and
with occasional
support from other
shooters, managed to
reduce the numbers
of some units and
caused one of the
light infantry units
to temporarily flee.
On the right a lone
bolt thrower shot
had managed to wound
one of the Chaos
Spawn, but it
mindlessly kept
coming on. The enemy
tried to counter the
dwarf barrage with
magic, but their one
low-level
spellcaster was
easily thwarted by
natural dwarven
magic resistance
combined with the
defensive efforts of
Runesmith Roscoe.
(In fact, the lone
enemy wizard
eventually died
under a hail of
dwarven crossbow
bolts when he became
exposed.)
The dwarf shooting
had taken its toll,
but soon the enemy
in his fury was upon
us, engaging our
units all along the
line. On the left
the flying Screamers
plunged into our
cannon crew, ripping
and killing, and
though the dwarves
there fought
bravely, they were
all slain in the
end. The demons next
swooped down upon
the crew of a nearby
bolt thrower, but
these were better
prepared: a fierce
melee resulted, and
the dwarves
prevailed, slaying
one Screamer and
causing the other to
disintegrate from
chaotic instability.
In the middle,
gunfire-reduced
units of marauders
and warhounds
charged the
Thunderers, who took
the initial charge
and then killed
several of the enemy
before chasing them
off. (The Miners
emerged from their
tunnels and joined
in the hunt.) The
Hammerers, Roscoe’s
unit, charged the
enemy’s best
infantry and sent
them scurrying off,
Roscoe himself
bludgeoning to death
the unit’s champion
in a duel. A small
unit of dwarf
Warriors first
fought off some
charging hounds and
then engaged the
fearsome Chaos
Knights. The Knights
were getting the
better of that
combat, but the
dwarves held out
thanks to good
discipline.
Fortunately, the
Knights soon got
spooked by the
Hammerer’s defeat of
the elite infantry
regiment nearby and
galloped off some
ways before
rallying. On the
right our last
Warrior unit charged
the wounded enemy
Chaos Spawn. It took
a good bit of
fighting, but
eventually the
dwarves managed to
finish off the crazy
beast. This charge
had left a bolt
thrower open to
attack from the
enemy fast cavalry
unit. During the
initial charge two
of the three dwarven
crew were killed,
but the last
remained, fighting
valiantly.
At this point the
enemy general
sounded the general
retreat: much of his
army was in flight
and most of his
supporting demons
destroyed; he
decided it would be
wise to regroup to
fight another day
(though perhaps not
against the
dwarves!) rather
than to press a
losing attack. Some
of the dwarves
wanted to pursue,
but Roscoe
restrained them.
‘We’ve fought well
and had good fortune
this day, lads.
Let’s see what other
evil enemies are out
there before we rush
off headlong chasing
the remnants of
these ones.’ And so
the dwarves
recovered themselves
and prepared for the
next threat — which
would come soon
enough.
-Snori Whitebeard
[Game result:
victory for the
dwarves, though the
margin was close
(roughly 150 points
over the boundary
line for a draw).
The dwarves took
very few losses —
only the cannon was
actually destroyed —
but not many Chaos
units were destroyed
either. The game
ended on turn 4 when
our allotted time
was up. Had the game
continued, we both
would have surely
lost more units,
though I doubt the
overall result would
have changed.]
[Tactical
analysis:
A classic battle
of a shooty army
against a close
combat force.
Nevertheless, while
the dwarf shooting
put some key wounds
in demons and one or
two other units,
what won the battle
for the stubby ones
was their ability –
even the Thunderers
and artillery crew!
– to defeat foes in
close combat,
something the
dwarves are quite
good at. Luck was
fairly even but for
a leadership test or
two late in the game
going the dwarves’
way, which certainly
helped their cause.
The army I
brought to the
tournament had three
main attributes. The
first was good close
combat ability,
anchored by the
Hammerers (elite
stat line; stubborn
when the general is
deployed with it):
they were designed
to defeat the
enemy’s best
fighters, and were
complimented by two
units of regular
Warriors, one large
and with full
command, the other
smaller and more of
a flank guard. The
second attribute was
shooting ability,
and I brought plenty
(for a 1500 point
roster) with three
artillery pieces and
two units of missile
troops. The nice
thing about these
last troops is that
they too can fight
well in close combat
if need be, and
because I brought 12
each of the shooters
they could be formed
three ranks deep if
close combat loomed.
Finally, the Miners
were, as often, the
X-factor. Against
armies with
artillery they can
enter the board at
the rear and be
great artillery
killers; against
armies without
artillery they could
enter on the side
and set up flank or
rear charges, or
just reinforce an
overmatched portion
of my battle line.
In this battle, the
Miners came in on
the left side and
would have gotten a
nice flank charge
had the Thunderers
not routed their
foe.]
Battle #28: Four
Armies
Campaign,
round two: An
Encounter With
Imperial Brigands
[Game situation:
The second match of
a WHF tournament for
1500 point armies at
the Whiz store, this
time against Chris
Moyer’s empire army
Render’s Rangers. It
was to be a 6-turn
pitched battle, with
a few minor scoring
adjustments thrown
in (a “Treasure
Hunt” scenario). The
dwarves brought the
same army for all
tournament battles.
It included
regiments of 19 and
16 Warriors, 12
Thunderers, 18 elite
Hammerers, 10
Miners, 12 crossbow
dwarves, 1 cannon,
2 bolt throwers, and
one Runesmith
serving as general.]
Log entry:
“The black-bearded
human bearing the
flag of truce,
having just ridden
up, sat his horse
and sneered as he
looked down at the
dwarves before him.
‘Well, lookie here,
if it isn’t a bunch
of dwarves. What are
you doing in Lord
Render’s lands? I am
his herald, come to
warn you to disperse
your little army and
run back to your
mountain caves. You
are not needed here.
If you do not depart
at once, we shall
have to teach you a
lesson!’
Our Runesmith leader
replied in a voice
that grated like
stone on stone: ‘I
am Roscoe, and I
command these
dwarves of
Robinson’s Rock.
Know that we are
friends of Lord
Altendorf and here
guard the lands
shared by dwarf and
human. Go tell your
chief. And watch
your tongue, herald.
We dwarves don’t
take well to
insults.’
The human spat back:
‘Altendorf? We no
longer serve him.
Lord Render now
rules this
territory, and he’s
a jealous master.
Get thee gone or
taste the wrath of
Great Cannons!’ And
with that he
savagely whipped his
horse around and
galloped back toward
the human force
that, but a scant
hour before, had
pulled into view on
the other side of
the road.
Since defeating the
Chaos hordes a week
ago we had not moved
far from that
battlefield.
Refugees continued
to stream up the
road, headed toward
the safety of higher
ground. We had heard
from them that, in
addition to troubles
from the forces of
Chaos and other evil
beings, the local
Imperial lands were
riven by faction,
and a group calling
themselves ‘Render’s
Raiders’ or some
such had lately
begun operating in
the area. It would
seem that they were
before us now.
After the herald
departed Roscoe
barked orders to our
units to take
defensive positions.
To the top of a
nearby hill he sent
a cannon, a bolt
thrower, and the
crossbow regiment.
Just before the hill
he lined up the
Thunderers. Guarding
the left approach he
placed a large unit
of dwarf Warriors;
on the right side he
put his own Hammerer
bodyguard and
another dwarf
Warrior unit, plus
the last bolt
thrower. The Miners
he ordered to find
some tunnels that
might lead them
behind the enemy
lines. We knew the
enemy was deploying
around a hill across
the road, but
another, larger hill
blocked our view of
some of what was
happening. Visible
to the front was a
large formation of
human swordsmen with
smaller detachments
of militia to either
side of it; just
behind these a Great
Cannon hove into
view. In the woods
well of to the left
we could see a unit
of Pistoliers
preparing to sneak
up on our flank. To
the right we could
just tell that
another Great Cannon
planted itself on
the small hill; in
front of it was a
small unit of heavy
cavalry and a large
group of pikemen,
with an
indeterminate mass
of men behind.
Hostilities began
when the humans
launched salvos from
their Great Cannons
at us. Fearsome
devices these are,
packing a big punch,
though not so
reliable as the
smaller,
rune-enhanced Dwarf
counterparts. The
first shot from one
smashed right
through our lone
cannon, destroying
it utterly. But the
shot from their
other cannon
misfired, damaging
the gun the process
and putting it out
of commission
temporarily. The
dwarves returned
fire as best they
could against the
humans, who were
advancing all along
the front. Our
crossbow unit and
Thunderers killed a
few men advancing
with the swordsmen;
our bolt throwers
couldn’t find the
range to their
targets. Gunfire
went back and forth
for a time as the
enemy advanced, the
Great Cannons now
mostly targeting our
bolt throwers
(without great
success), the
dwarves aiming at
the approaching
troops. One
detachment with the
swordsmen fled in a
panic after taking
heavy casualties,
but little other
damage was done in
that direction. To
the right, however,
one of our bolt
throwers (the one on
the hill) finally
struck home with a
beautiful flank shot
against the heavy
cavalry about to
charge our other
bolt thrower, wiping
out almost every
horseman! The lone
survivor charged our
artillery anyway,
but was slain (after
an unexpectedly
fierce fight) when
our dwarf Warriors
on that side engaged
him from the rear
while he was
fighting the
artillery crew to
the front.
At this point our
Miners emerged from
their tunnels right
behind one of the
Great Cannons. It’s
crew swung the thing
around and sprayed
the dwarves with
deadly grapeshot,
killing over half of
them — but, being
stalwart dwarves,
they pressed on, and
soon charged the gun
and put an end to
the crew with their
great picks. That
gun would fire no
more.
Back on the main
front, as the enemy
swordsmen approached
the left side of our
hill, the Pistoliers
wheeled about and
fired their pistols
into our large
Warrior regiment
there over and
over, then
threatened to charge
up our central hill.
A number of dwarf
Warriors had
perished and the
unit could not come
to grips with the
fleet horsemen. But
when our crossbow
unit on the hill
turned on the
Pistoliers and fired
on them, they slew a
number of them and
helped restore the
situation. Meanwhile
on the right the
large formation of
pikemen charged
Roscoe’s bodyguard
the Hammerers. The
wall of pikes was
impressive to see,
and their outrageous
length enabled the
humans to fight with
three ranks at a
time against the
dwarves’ one. But
the humans could not
penetrate the
Hammerers’ heavy
armor or compete
with their great
skill or strength,
and in no time
Roscoe’s boys had
the pikesters
fleeing at top
speed.
With their main
force on the right
wiped out and one of
their Great Cannon’s
permanently
silenced, the humans
thought better of
continuing an
unequal fight and
abandoned the field,
moving back down the
road whence they had
come. Runesmith
Roscoe watched as
they withdrew, and,
speaking to no one
in particular, said
with a grunt and a
grin ‘I wonder what
that worm of a
herald thinks of our
little army now?’”
-Snori Whitebeard
[Game result:
victory for the
dwarves, winning by
a difference of
roughly 500 points
in kills. Though we
ended early
(finishing only 4
turns as time
expired), there was
no doubt who would
prevail had the game
continued. The
Grumblers were now 2
– 0 in the
tournament. One more
win and victory
would surely be
theirs.]
[Tactical
analysis: This one
happily did not turn
into a boring
Empire/Dwarf
artillery duel, as
there were some key
hand-to-hand
battles.
Nevertheless,
shooting certainly
was important in the
game result. My bolt
throwers failed to
hit anything all
game long – except
for landing the one
devastating flank
shot on Chris’ heavy
cavalry, which
killed 4 of 5,
justifying their
presence in a single
moment. His Great
Cannons shattered my
one cannon early on,
but after that
failed to do much
(thank Grungni for
Miners!). His
annoying Pistolier
cavalry were more
effective, killing
many a dwarf Warrior
while staying away
from charges. But,
faced with the
crossbow unit on the
hill, they began to
run out of good
options.
After the game
Chris mused that he
should have sat back
and played defense,
letting me come to
him. I agreed that
he might have done
better that way,
though there are no
guarantees: dwarves
may be slow, but
they are relentless
and take fire very
well, and their own
gunners would keep
up a barrage the
whole time. One
thing for sure that
Chris should have
done better was to
deploy his
handgunners
somewhere that they
could do something.
As it was they spent
the entire game
stationed in front
of his hill, out of
range of my lines
and unmoving. If you
pay the points for
models, you’ve got
to bring them to
bear somehow or it’s
just a colossal
waste.]
Battle #29: Four
Armies
Campaign,
round three:
Projectile Vermin
[Game situation:
The third and final
match of a WHF
tournament for 1500
point armies at the
Whiz store, this
time against Steve
Femia’s rat-filled
Skaven army, the
Scions of NIHM. It
was to be 6-turn
pitched battle, with
a few minor scoring
adjustments thrown
in (a “Traitor”
scenario). The
dwarves brought the
same army for all
tournament battles.
It included
regiments of 19 and
16 Warriors, 12
Thunderers, 18 elite
Hammerers, 10
Miners, 12 crossbow
dwarves, 1 cannon,
2 bolt throwers, and
one Runesmith
serving as general.]
Log entry:
“Having first
defeated the Chaos
threat and then
turned back the
renegade Imperial
faction, the dwarven
expedition to the
borderlands had
successfully
reestablished some
order to the region.
Runesmith Roscoe
looked on in
pleasure as the tide
of refugees slowed,
then gradually
reversed itself as
families who had
fled to the
foothills now began
to return home to
their lowland
villages and farms.
The dwarves got many
a word of thanks
over the weeks, and
took the opportunity
to do some impromptu
trading as well, as
the hungry refugees
would offer
astonishingly fine
goods in exchange
for a few days’
rations – and were
grateful for it!
(Always looking for
a good bargain, we
dwarves are.)
After a last week
spent on station
guarding the
now-quiet lower
road, word came from
Robinson’s Rock to
return to the dwarf
hold. One night on
the march back to
the mountains the
dwarves camped just
off the road, taking
the usual precaution
of putting gunnery
on higher ground and
posting guards all
around. It was good
we did this, for in
the middle of that
cloudless eve we
were set upon by a
large mass of hated
Skaven rat-men!
Earlier that evening
in camp one of the
Miners had reported
some strange,
foul-smelling
tunnels in the area,
and Roscoe asked
that they check them
out. They hadn’t yet
returned when our
sentries spotted
movement across the
road from the camp.
There was a bright
moon that night so
the dwarves were
able to see the
Skaven approaching.
Dwarves scrambled to
full readiness, the
infantry formations
lining up on flat
ground between two
low hills. On the
left hill were
grouped the
Thunderers and a
bolt thrower; on the
right the crossbow
dwarves, cannon, and
the other bolt
thrower. There were
several units of
ranked-up rat-men
coming up the middle
toward the dwarves.
Between these
regiments were teams
of rats dragging
forward Ratling Guns
and Warfire
Throwers, and to the
left several Jezzail
gunnery teams:
clearly, these rats
came prepared to
deal death from
afar. Also on the
left were several
swarms of little
(normal sized) rats
skittering forward
to harrass and
poison anything in
their path. Finally,
on the far right a
large unit of Plague
Monks with attached
Censer Bearers —
skilled fighters all
— rushed forward
hoping to overwhelm
our shooters on that
hill.
Our cannon opened
fire on the Censer
Bearers, sending
shot after shot into
them as they
approached. Many
were slain, and the
rest retreated
briefly before
regaining their
discipline. Our
other shooters,
however, had less
success, the bolt
throwers missing
their shots and the
Thunderers and
Crossbowmen killing
a few rat-men here
and there but not in
sufficient numbers
to deter their
advance. The first
of the evil vermin
to reach our lines
were the poisonous
rat swarms which
engulfed our large
unit of Warriors
standing leftmost
between the hills.
The nasty biting
rodents swept
into the regiment,
causing them much
pain and annoyance,
but thankfully
killing only a few.
The dwarves set
about smashing them
with boot and hammer
as best they could,
but it would take
quite some time. On
the rightmost hill,
meanwhile, the
Plague Bearers had
reached our crossbow
dwarves, who had
ranked themselves up
so better to take
the charge of their
enemies, but it
availed them naught:
assisted by evil
magics that wormed
their way through
Runesmith Roscoe’s
defenses, the
rat-men slew many of
the lightly armored
dwarves and set the
rest to a rout,
which resulted in
the destruction of
the unit. The Plague
Bearers then ran
straight for the
cannon, which killed
some of them with a
blast of grapeshot,
but couldn’t kill
enough to stop them.
Soon the gun was
destroyed and the
crew swept away.
But elsewhere on the
field the rat-men
made less progress.
Their main infantry
formations in the
middle hung back,
waiting to see what
their magics and
artillery and
small-rat swarms
could to do the
dwarven formations.
When it became clear
that the dwarves
were standing firm,
the verminous ones
began to close
again. But the delay
had given time for
an important thing
to happen: the
Miners made their
appearance, emerging
from a tunnel on the
right flank of one
of the large rat-man
regiments. The few
remaining Plague
Bearers (now
rallied) charged
them, hoping to buy
some time for the
others to reposition
themselves, but they
were hurled back by
fierce blows from
the Miners’ great
picks, and the
Miners then smashed
into the flank of
the large rat
regiment, poking and
hacking. This broke
the rat formation
asunder, and the
vermin fled at top
speed, the Miners
(and now Hammerers
as well from the
front) grimly
pursuing as fast as
they could while
collecting the
enemy’s standard.
The rest of the rat
units now charged
the two dwarf
Warrior units in the
middle. Numbers
favored the rats,
but skill and the
toughness the
dwarves. The
smallest Warrior
regiment fought
valiantly but was
eventually
overwhelmed by the
rat-men. The larger
Warrior unit,
finally stamping out
the last of the
poison rat-swarms,
took head-on the
charge of a group of
man-sized rats (who
had, thankfully,
been somewhat
whittled down by
dwarf missile fire).
This melee the
dwarves won,
destroying the
fleeing rat-men,
taking their
standard, and soon
plunging into the
Jezzail and Warpfire
weapons teams,
killing or
scattering them. Our
bolt throwers
finally found the
range too, killing a
rat wizard and the
last of the Censer
bearers with
separate shots.
The dwarves looked
to be in control.
But then a lone
Ratling Gun sent a
devastating stream
of projectiles into
the heart of the
Hammerers, Roscoe’s
elite bodyguard.
Roscoe survived, but
a great many
Hammerers did not.
The dwarves did not
panic, but their
advance was cut
short. The presence
of the Plague Monks
and rat-man regiment
returned from
successful pursuit
of our defeated
Warriors and cannon
crew was a further
reminder that there
was work left to be
done. Fortunately,
the verminous enemy
had had enough of
the fight and
withdrew of their
own accord, draining
into the stinking
tunnels whence they
had come. Left in
control of the
battlefield, Roscoe
lost no time
celebrating but
rather left the area
immediately, forcing
a night march to
safer ground closer
to home. None of the
dwarves minded.
Buford would have to
hear about this
dangerous Skaven
infestation as soon
as possible. It
would not be welcome
news, even if his
dwarves had
prevailed in their
first encounter.”
-Snori Whitebeard
[Game result:
victory for the
dwarves, who won by
a margin of 500
points or so, much
of it from captured
standards and a
board quadrant
controlled; in terms
of points from
casualties the
dwarves inflicted
only a little more
than they suffered.
We ended after 5
turns. With this win
the Dwarves sealed
their triumph in the
tournament, having
gone a perfect 3 – 0
and accumulated
enough scenario
victory points for
the glorious win!]
[Tactical
analysis:
Since I’ve never
played against the
Skaven before, this
game was an
education. #1:
Skaven artillery is
nasty stuff, with
the potential to
savage the toughest
units. Of course,
misfires are often
deadly to the Skaven
themselves, as when
the Warpfire Thrower
in this game
self-immolated. But
those Ratling Guns
were brutal to my
Hammerers. And
Skaven can fire into
units already in
hand-to-hand combat.
#2: Skaven infanty –
especially Plague
Monks, but even just
Clanrats – when
massed in sufficient
numbers can win in
close combat against
moderately tough
units, though will
not stand up to the
best. Their speed in
moving, pursuing,
and fleeing is a
significant
advantage; their
crappy leadership
when things start to
go wrong is not.
My
Miners and large
Warrior unit won me
this game, each
routing or
destroying key units
in close combat and
picking up a unit
standard each. It
also helped that
Steve initially set
up his Jezzail units
too far away from my
lines and spent the
first few turns
getting them into
good shooting
positions. A little
bit of fakery about
where the dwarves
were setting up
their troops helped
here.]
Battle #30:
Shoving Match With
Beasts of Chaos
[Game situation:
6-turn pitched
battle against Steve
Femia’s Beasts of
Chaos army the Dark
Prince’s Pets. This
was a challenge
board match as the
Beasts challenged
the Grumblers for
their spot on the 5th
tier, one from the
top. The dwarves
brought two
regiments of 19
Warriors, 12
Thunderers, 19 elite
Hammerers, 16 elite
Ironbreakers, 16
Miners, 1 cannon, 1
organ gun, 1 Thane
carrying a Battle
Standard, and one
Runelord serving as
general.]
Log entry:
“Several weeks of
furious activity
followed the return
of Runesmith
Roscoe’s successful
expedition to the
imperial
borderlands. Its
sudden encounter
with the Skaven on
the road home
sparked the
activity. Rangers
scoured the highest
mountain tracks
while Miners and
Ironbreakers
inspected the
deepest subterranean
tunnels around the
dwarf hold for signs
of the ratty menace,
but none was found.
Eventually our
fearless leader
Buford Bugman was
satisfied that no
immediate threat
loomed, though for
some time to come
extra guards would
be posted along the
underground pathways.
One of the
patrolling Ranger
units did come
across something
else of note from
the outer world: a
hill with suspected
veins of gold that
had previously been
off-limits due to
human occupation now
appeared to be
deserted. Exploiting
it would be
dangerous, however,
as it sat in an open
plain not far from
known haunts of
Chaos beasts. Buford
suggested a large
Miner team be sent
to investigate, but
not without an
escort, including
much heavy infantry
and a bit of
artillery as well.
“No sense in getting
attacked and driven
out before you can
find anything,” he
told Runelord Roscoe
(the uncle of the
recently returned
Runesmith; that
noble name runs
strong in their
family). And so a
new expedition
gathered and
departed within a
few days.
The trip to the far
hill was uneventful.
Roscoe sent the
Miners down to do
their work and
camped the rest of
the forces in a
defensive line
around the small
rise, with a cannon
and an organ gun
stationed on top of
it. Buford had
wanted to send
multiple bolt
throwers instead of
the organ gun, but
Roscoe knew an
engineer who touted
the virtues of the
strange device and
bemoaned the rarity
of its employment;
Roscoe managed to
convince Buford to
let him bring one of
them instead.
For many days
nothing happened
above ground while
the Miners worked
away below. They did
indeed discover rich
veins of gold to be
exploited, and put
together a
productive operation
in short order. The
dwarves outside did
not relax their
vigilance, however,
which was a good
thing, for one
morning a large
cloud of dust
heralded the
approach of an army
from the
Chaos-infested lands
not far off. Roscoe
knew they’d try to
come at the dwarves
from all sides and
thus deployed his
dwarves with their
backs against the
hill to keep the
enemy in front of
them at all times.
It was a true horde
that closed on the
dwarf position
crammed into a tight
space before the
hill, with many more
beastmen than
defenders. But
Roscoe knew his
disciplined troops
would hold hard as
mountain rock. If
they didn’t, they’d
be swept away in a
tide of demented
animal fury.
Our cannon opened
fire first,
targeting the many
chariots and lone
Chaos Giant that
shook the ground
with every
approaching step.
The crew aimed well,
and before too long
cannonballs had
reduced two chariots
to matchsticks and
half-killed the
giant with a shot to
the midriff.
Unfortunately, the
organ gun, designed
to protect the
artillery position
from anything that
might threaten,
utterly failed in
its task. As a wild
mass of daemonic
Furies flew toward
the top of the hill,
the organ gun loaded
up its multiple
barrels, sighted on
the Furies — and
promptly jammed. It
jammed so
completely, in fact,
that no amount of
fuse-fiddling or
hammer-pounding
would get it to
work, and the crew
had to try to partly
disassemble the
ridiculous device in
an attempt to make
it functional again.
While they were
doing this the
Furies descended on
the cannon crew and,
after a brief fight,
overwhelmed and
routed it. The organ
gunners knew they
were next, and
instead of staying
with their broken
machinery, they took
off in a panic. It
was a reprehensible
performance in all,
and Roscoe cursed
the arrogant
engineer who’d
boasted so
extravagantly about
the organ gun.
Things also looked
bad at first for the
only other shooters
the dwarves had on
hand, the
Thunderers. These
dwarves, formed in a
single long line,
had moved forward a
bit from the rest to
get better shots,
and had succeeded in
shredding a small
unit of Chaos
warhounds and
causing a few
casualties here and
there to a band of
approaching beastmen
skirmishers. Then a
chariot smashed into
their line as the
beasts charged them.
Amazingly, the
Thunderers took only
a few casualties and
held their ground.
In fact, gleaning
some extra courage
from the dwarf
battle standard with
the Hammerers right
behind them, they
continued to hold
their ground,
fighting bravely
with their hand
weapons and shields.
Fortunately they did
not have to wait too
long for help to
arrive: the Miners
emerged at a
run from a tunnel on
the right side of
the dwarf line
and
had joined a
unit of Warriors
in charging
masses of beastmen
who had been trying
to come around the
right flank. The
enemy could not
stand up to the grim
determination of the
heavily armed and
armored dwarves and
fled at high speed.
Soon the Miners
crashed into the
side of the chariot
threatening the
Thunderers, damaged
it with their great
picks, and forced it
into a wild retreat.
But the Thunderers
were not out of the
woods, for next an
even larger mass of
beastmen, these ones
elite Bestigors led
by the enemy
Beastlord commander,
charged them. Once
again they held
their ground long
enough for the
Miners to arrive,
and when the
Prospector champion
felled the Beastlord
in a duel, the
Bestigors quailed
and fled the field
in despair.
So the fighting on
the right was going
well for the
dwarves. But it was
the left that would
decide the battle.
For here
the best of
the dwarves —
Ironbreakers,
another large unit
of Warriors, and
Roscoe’s Hammerer
bodyguard — faced
off against the bulk
of the beastman
army, to include the
Chaos Giant, Chaos
Knights, Slaanesh
Daemonettes, another
chariot, and hordes
of beastmen. Roscoe
thought of charging
forward at the enemy
when they drew near,
but wasn’t sure if
his troops would get
there fast enough
and in proper
formation. So he
held the line and
awaited the enemy’s
charge, counting on
his own leadership
and the defense of
the dwarf battle
standard to hold the
dwarves rooted in
place. He needn’t
have worried
overmuch. The large
numbers and
primitiveness of the
enemy got in their
own way, as some
beastmen, overeager
to engage, blocked
other, more
effective fighters.
When the giant and
chariot plunged into
the Hammerer line
and killed a few
dwarves, the rest
fought back gamely,
damaging the chariot
and causing the
giant to retreat.
Finally,
Warriors faced off
against
some Knights
of Chaos, and here
too the dwarves
gained a slight
advantage in the
fight. When the
Ironbreakers joined
in, the Chaos
Knights knew they
could not hold out
and fled.
Victorious on both
right and left, the
dwarven forces
seemed to be in
complete control of
the battlefield when
all of a sudden two
unpleasant things
happened. First, the
Chaos Giant
recovered his wits,
turned on the
Ironbreakers, and
bellowed. Loudly.
The dwarves,
surprised in the
middle of pursuing
the Chaos Knights,
broke order and fled
away from the evil
monstrosity. Second,
the Furies flew back
from their pursuit
of artillery crews
and assailed the
Thunderers from
behind. When the
Hammerers rushed to
the aid of the
Thunderers, the
Giant charged them.
A furious four-way
melee took place,
but once again the
dwarves gave better
than they got and
triumphed. The beast
hordes lost heart
and retreated,
leaving the field
and the hill to the
dwarves.
Roscoe, after
tending to the
wounded, led the
troops in a round of
cheers for the
glorious victory.
The Thunderers and
Miners got extra
praise for their
actions.
The organ gunners
got none.”
-Snori Whitebeard
[Game result:
victory for the
dwarves, who won by
solid margin or a
massacre (we didn’t
total the points).
With the win comes a
token to be used to
challenge upwards,
so the next match
will be against
Lenny DeMauro’s
vampire counts for
the top spot on the
board!]
[Tactical
analysis:
My
strategy for this
lineup was to
deemphasize shooting
while making my
infantry extra tough
in close combat,
figuring 1) that
Steve’s Beasts would
come after me
aggressively, and 2)
given that most of
his units are
Slaanesh marked and
thus immune to
psychology, shooting
would not be able to
panic any important
units anyway. So I
brought plenty of
Warriors and both my
elite infantry
units, the Hammerers
and the Ironbreakers,
plus a Battle
Standard bearer and
a Lord-level
general, meaning
that all within 12”
would be taking
panic tests at 10
and rerolling break
tests, starting at
10. My stubborn
Hammerers would
NEVER have a break
test at less than 9
rerolled! (as long
as the general and
standard bearer in
the unit survived,
of course, and I
gave them both good
defensive runes to
keep them
breathing.)
Things played out in
the battle about as
well I might have
hoped for this
lineup. Steve’s
hordes of beasts
bore down rapidly on
the dwarves looking
to get in
hand-to-hand combat.
Ambushing beast
herds were kept to
the flanks by
deploying dwarves
all along the back
line with large
Warrior formations
on each flank.
Predictably, my
limited shooting
accomplished limited
results. When the
hand-to-hand began,
however, the dwarf
fighters
shone. The
Thunderers held out
against a chariot
charge and other
attacks only because
of leadership from
the general/battle
standard combo. And
when the best of the
Beast units crashed
into the best of the
dwarf infantry, it
was a rout: the
dwarves sent ‘em
running off. Steve
rolled badly on his
close combat
attacks, it must be
noted, and then
really blew it when
his stubborn,
leadership 10 giant
ran away! (Later,
the Ironbreakers
demonstrated equal
bad luck in failing
a leaderhip 10
terror test, but at
this point the
dwarves were well
ahead in the battle
so it was less
consequential.)
Steve had baited me
to charge his
approaching hordes
with my elite
infantry more than
once, and I’m glad I
did not take the
bait: the dwarves
triumphed here by
closing off the
flanks and fighting
in an even line,
counting on their
resilience to carry
them through despite
receiving rather
than giving charges.
This time, it
worked.] |
