Paul’s Dwarfs (and Empire) Final Battle Experience.

Well, after 13 players had fought 41 individual one-on-one battles the campaign ended on Wednesday 5^th September 2007.

My Dwarfs were selected by the Warlord James, and tasked by him to take the middle hill of three hills. I was facing Simon, who had a slightly larger army than me, including six (yes, six!) rattling guns. Now, I usually include a fair proportion of shooters in my army, but because this was a ‘capture’ scenario I had opted for massed fighters instead. No Thunderers, no Quarrellers, and only one Bolt-Thrower in case I needed to take out a giant. In short, nothing to take out the rattling guns.

My army was:

Thane, General, Gromril Armour, Shield, Runic Weapon: Master Rune of Swiftness, Rune of Cleaving, Rune of Fury. Oath Stone.

Thane, BSB, Gromril Armour, Runic Standard: Strollaz Rune. Oath Stone.

Runesmith, Gromril Armour, Shield.

20 Ironbreakers, Full Command, Runic Standard: Rune of Stoicism, Rune of Determination.

24 Longbeards, Full Command

24 Warriors, Full Command

20 Slayers

Bolt-Thrower, Rune of Penetrating, Engineer, Brace of Pistols.

Gyro-Copter

The General went in the Longbeards. With 4 attacks at S5, and always striking first, the General was designed to give the Longbeards extra punch and challenge enemy characters.

The BSB was designed to get my battle-line up the hill, with its free 6” move before the first turn.

I was only allowed four magic items, so I went for the Ironbreakers to take a break test on one dice, and to count double their unit strength (this would help capture the hill, which was based on total unit strength).

Before the battle started I needed to deploy another army, to even up the number of armies (we had an odd number of players). I deployed a small Empire army. I used 6 Knights and 6 Pistoliers, plus a Great Cannon, to support my left flank against some Ogres. I deployed 7 Knights, a Battle Wizard, a unit of Spearmen, some archers and a Steam Tank to support my right-flank against the massed Skaven and some opposing dwarfs.

The Strollerz Rune worked perfectly, and all four of my combat units moved up 6” up the table before Turn 1. This was useful as Simon opposite got first turn. The Gyrocopter flew up to the Skaven line and took out one rattling gun, but the Empire Wizard miscast on his first casting attempt when hurling a magic-missile at a rattling gun, losing a magic level and a wound. By Turn 2 I was onto the hill, and the Skaven advanced to the base of the hill opposite. The Skaven decided to shoot me off the hill, and this was partially successful when the Ironbreakers fled from shooting casualties on the Skaven Turn 2. Luckily the Ironbreakers rallied on my Turn 3, but they could not cover the flank of my Warriors.

On Turn 4 Simon threw his Skaven into a desperate charge up the hill. The Warriors were attacked by a unit of clanrats containing the enemy General, and flanked by a unit of 10 Stormvermin. The Warriors were the only combat unit on the hill without an Oath Stone, so they lost heavily on combat resolution, and broke and fled, and were destroyed. However, on my Turn 4 the Ironbreakers had a flank attack on the Skaven clanrats including the Skaven General, and decisively won this battle, the Skaven fleeing off the hill.

The only Skaven unit on the hill was therefore 10 Stormvermin, and on my Turn 4 this unit was shot at by the Gyrocopter, then my Bolt-Thrower, then the Empire archers. It was reduced to two figures, but passed its panic test.

In the end I had 9 Ironbreakers plus the BSB on the hill (characters don’t count for taking hills) which was unit strength 18 because of the Rune of Stoicism. I also had 17 Longbeards with the General (who had never got into battle), which counted as unit strength 17. This combined unit strength of 35 easily beat the Skaven unit strength of 2. I had won the hill!