Swindon 2007 – Paul N vs Andy – Game 2

The Swindon 2007 Warhammer Fantasy Campaign

Paul Nettle (Dwarfs) vs Andy Cummings (Ogres) – Game 2

Well, after loosing to Andy in the first game I used my Grudge Points to make this a 3000 point per side battle. It was actually fought around Andy’s house on the day following the first battle, so we both had minimal time to get our army lists together.

Dwarfs

General, Runelord, Hand Weapon, Gromril Armour, Shield, Anvil, Runic Talisman: Master Rune of Spite, Rune of Spell Breaking.

Thane, BSB, Hand Weapon, Gromril Armour, Runic Standard, Rune of Courage.

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

Runesmith, Hand Weapon, Gromril Armour, Shield. Runic Talisman: Master Rune of Balance. Runic Weapon: Rune of Fury.

23 Dwarf Warriors, Shields, Great Weapons, Full Command

24 Longbeards, Shields, Great Weapons, Full Command

10 Handgunners, Shields, Musician

20 Slayers

19 Ironbreakers, Full Command,

12 Miners, Full Command, Blasting Charges

Bolt Thrower, Engineer, Brace of Pistols

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

Organ Gun

Aftermath

The Ogres scored 2,531 Victory Points to the Dwarf’s 1,636 Victory Points. It was a Solid Victory to the Ogres.

In some ways this was similar to the first game – the Ogres were in tatters after three turns of Dwarf shooting, but the Ogres that were left were enough to defeat my massed Dwarfs in combat. At the end of the game I only had two units left!

Magic was annulled. Andy was aghast to find that he only had five casting dice to my nine dispel dice (after the Master Rune of Balance). I can’t remember him getting off a single spell all game.

The game was characterised by very poor dice rolling all around. Often in combat there were no casualties as we both watched horrified at the number of ones and two we rolled! There were a couple of really good handfuls of rolls, and these tended to have a big impact, but they were the exception.

My artillery was a bit disappointing. The Organ Gun blew up in Turn 2, and the Bolt Thrower without the Rune of Penetrating fled from a Terror test – right off the table. The Bolt Thrower with the Rune of Penetrating threw several twos, before being gobbled by the Gorger. However, there was enough shooting from these war-machines and the 20 handgunners to cause quite a lot of casualties on the Ogres before they got into combat.

The 20 Slayers were an excellent tar-pit once again, holding the right flank pretty much on their own.

I was a bit cautious with the Anvil, not wanting to loose it early to a mis-strike, and this was good because my first four rolls were a ‘2’! On the fifth turn I tried using Ancient Power but rolled a ‘1’ – luckily it didn’t blow up!

Once again I had some terrible moral tests at critical times. The Longbeards fled from a Terror test, and almost went off the table, and the Ironbreakers with the fighting Thane, who were doing quite well in combat, broke from a panic test from another Dwraf unit breaking in combat, and the Ironbreakers rolled enough to land on top of the Longbeards, passed through them and off the table!

I still find it difficult to fight the Ogres. A four-up start in Combat resolution (ranks and out-numbering) doesn’t help against massed S6 attacks from the Iron Guts, or 4 x S4 attacks from each Ogre Bull. In this game I targetted the Iron Guts with most of my shooting, but the Ogre Bulls were still enough to get the job done for Andy. I did use my Great Weapons sometimes, and sometimes I used my hand-weapons and shield, but it didn’t make much difference – the result was the same. Eventually I would be worn down in combat until the five or six ogres I was fighting outnumbered me, and I would then be beaten by an outnumbering, fear-causing enemy.

This two Territories that Andy’s got from this win took Andy top of the Campaign ladder. The two Campaign Points I got for loosing, added to the one Campaign point for my previous loss, gave me a consolation Territory.