Battle Report 2: Dwarfs vs Salamanders, 1995 Points. Plunder.

For game 2, I was PBEM against Nick Legrand whom you have heard on the Trident Realms army review on Counter Charge.

Lists

Most Venerable Dwarfs

Ironclad (Regiment) 110 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Ironclad (Regiment) 110 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Ironguard (Regiment) 150 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Ironguard (Regiment) 150 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Shieldbreakers (Horde) 205 - Maccwar's Potion of the Caterpillar 20 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Shieldbreakers (Horde) 205 - Fire-Oil 5 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Mastiff Hunting Pack* (Regiment) 65 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Mastiff Hunting Pack* (Regiment) 65 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Mastiff Hunting Pack* (Regiment) 65 - Throwing Mastiff 15 Steel Behemoth 245 Berserker Lord 110 - Blade of the Beast Slayer 20 - Mount on a Brock, losing Wild Charge (D3) but increasing Speed to 8 and changing to Hero (Cav - Height: 3) 30 Berserker Lord 110 - Mournful Blade 15 - Mount on a Brock, losing Wild Charge (D3) but increasing Speed to 8 and changing to Hero (Cav - Height: 3) 30 Steel Juggernaut 150 ------------------------- Total Unit Strength: 25 Total Units: 13 Target Points: 1995 Core (Target%): 1995 (100%)

Nasty Ass Sallies

Comments from Nick:

This is the type of combined arms/flexible movement style list I like to run. It can chuck out 50FB in a turn from the 3 titans and mage priest and I've found it to be a decent mid/late game list. Matt's List: Who let the dawgs out! That's a serious amount of throwing mastiffs to navigate. It has a good number of scoring units, hard to get through and some combat punch with the two hordes of shieldbreakers, heroes and steel bohemoth. Good dorf list.

Comments from Matt:

Dwarfs re easily the list I have been most successful with so I know them well. Their strength is in unit strength and resilience and who doesn't love a mastiff throwing mastiff. I wanted to build a high unit strength list because I believe at 2000 points or under that is often the premium build. With volume shooting from dogs. The behemoth was a late inclusion to add a little bit more punch to the list.

Nick's list worried me as it was almost def5 across the board. I wouldn't say it's optimised but it punches harder, is quicker and on average as tough as mine. The slow attrition game is what I planned on.

Deployment

Pic is taken post scout

Nick:

The key here will be to only have any one of my units exposed to two dawg throws at once. Also key is to ensure there are no free dawg throws, meaning if he gets into range he's getting a charge in return. I'm hoping my largely Def5 army and phoenix support would mean I'd be able to get into combat without losing too many units on the way in.

Matt:

My goal with deployment was to primarily contest the tokens worth two points. Dwarfs are too slow to cover all objectives so that gave me the opportunity to deploy centrally for combined dog throwing and the piece trading in the centre. I deployed my beast slayer brock lord to the left to counter the drake if required.

Nick won the roll-off and chose to let the mighty dwarfs fo first.

Matt/Dwarf Turn 1

Not a great deal to say about my first turn. Basically the whole army pushed forward, more than their stumpy 4 inches where they could, to move towards the tokens. The idea was to not hand out any charges yet. I’m pretty concerned about the amount of def 5 he has and I didn’t bring any BC in this list. So It’s going to have to be dwarfs at their grinding finest in this game. If they can get the job done I shall rename this list Beyonce Dwarfs.

On the left hand side the beast slayer brock moved off to counter the fire drake whilst still being in range too inspire the horde. The other brock characterI moved to protect the scorch wing drop zone.

Shooting, the jug took a pot shot at the phoenix doing 1 wound.

Nick/Sallies Turn 1

Cautiously coming forward. The dawgs will be coming out but hopefully nothing goes down. He's sent his left brock lord to come for my drake contesting the left loot token but hopefully I can entice it into coming out and getting flamed. Limited shooting went onto the brock lord to help with one-shotting it when it eventually reaches combat and to take out the inspiring source.

Matt/Dwarfs Turn 2

In a stunning move I actually came up with a little plan. But it would require some luck. I decided that I was going to try and go through the rhinosaurs in one turn.

I moved everything slowly forward positioning as I could to avoid flanks and cover off options as well as getting in range for my mastiffs. The left brock lord stayed put and the right moved into cover

Shooting. 3 dogs unleashed into the rhinosaurs doing a combined 4 wounds. The steel behemoth had some extra coal stoked in it’s engine and did 4 on its own on the same target. and then the juggernaut in a fit of rage also did 3. leaving them on 11 and in range of a waver. 2 dogs from the right went into the ember sprites and over rolled 11 wounds. and then the left hand horde of shield breakers threw it's dog at the mage priest and did 1 wound.

I rolled the sprites and they were banished to ash. I rolled the rhino’s and it’s an 8! Queue happy dance. But then the re-roll saved them - queue sad face. The mage priest laughed in my face

Nick/Sallies Turn 2

With heavy wounds on the rhinos they had to go in, take out whatever they hit then die. On the right I was hoping the primes solo into his ironclad would hold, meaning with the mastiffs behind and other stuff clumped up on the right the SB horde would be jammed up unable to do anything. The scorchwings on the left then valiantly sacrifice themselves to jam up the centre. The shieldbreaker horde felt the full force of the flame and copped 15W and a waver, meaning I should be able to mop them up next turn. Although there were a few dawgs on units in the second wave, it looks like the traffic jam I've created will prevent them from going on anything in front.

Matt/Dwarf Turn 3

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I logged in and saw 15 wounds on my shield breakers. The best laid plans and all that. I did not see the combined fireball of about 50 haha. What an idiot! As you could see form the picture of Nick’s turn we now have a real scrum in the middle.

Fist move was to slide the right hand mastiffs sideways so I could withdraw and charge the tyrants with my iron clad. That in turn allowed the right hand shield breakers to charge the right hand primes but they would be hindered. The character moved up to threaten the scorch wings. Iron guard and jug charged the rhino’s, behemoth and ironclad charged the scorch wings. Mastiffs backed up to allow the shield breakers back into the forest. This would force nick to chose between the mastiffs and them.

The left brock snuck around the building staying out of line of sight but starting to threaten.

I held on to my mastiffs so no shooting.

In combat on the right hand side the shield breakers decided their hammers were too heavy and basically just swung their dicks in the breeze only doing 3 wounds. The ironclad did 2 wounds on the tyrants. A combined 6 was done on the rhinosaurs popping them and the iron guard over ran 1 inch. The iron clad and behemoth did 11 on the scorch wings killing that and the clad over ran one inch.

Nick/Sallies Turn 3

Corkscrew time. By backing up my primes behind my tyrants I allowed the tyrants to withdraw and flank the IG. Similarly this then allowed the Primes to do the same to the ironclad the tyrants were previously fighting. This then meant that rakawas had to run interference on the behemoth, the corkscrews were too tasty to turn down but it then meant my primes holding the primary loot token would have copped the behemoth to the flank. The fire drake took out the shieldbreakers who got flamed last turn which was a positive. Then UB dice happened. 3 wounds in total from flanking primes and the captain on the ironclad and then snake eyes on the IG with tyrants in the flank having done 19W.

Matt/Dwarfs Turn 4

Nick had gotten really unlucky there, trying the same movement shenanigans I pulled on him. But to tell you the truth I just laughed and farted in his general direction.

First bit of business was to triple Rakawas the Pale. Hoping that he’ll be even more pale when he’s a rotting corpse beneath my dwarvish boots. Jugg in the flank, ironclad in the flank, behemoth in the front. I positioned the two left mastiffs regiments to be able to shoot their mastiffs at the drake, as its likely they won’t get too many more opportunities to use them. The middle ironclad can only charge the captain as if they withdraw they are in the rear of the tyrants and can’t complete the charge. The devastated ironguard counter charge and the mastiffs come off the hill into the flank. The shield breakers go into the flank of the primes and the brock lord goes into the scorchwings. The beast slayer brocklord has a stroll through the forest positioning for the final turns.

Shooting. I just had the two mastiffs throwing mastiffs and boy do they like the taste of lizard flesh! 7 wounds on the drake! popped him on the nerve! But save on the re roll. There is only so much luck one man should bear I guess.

The brock lord does 4 wounds on the scorchies though hindered and lucky roll wavers them. The shield breakers go through the primes easily but the over run opens a flank, I wasn’t worried about this though as it will just bring the token closer if he chooses to take it. Mastiffs and iron guard do 7 wounds on the tyrants and with a bunch of very lucky two high nerve rolls they die. Mastiffs back up one inch and the iron guard reposition in case he flanks the breakers, leaving open a flank to the phoenix but they are devastated anyway so who cares.

The ironclad, behemoth and juggernaut do 16 wounds to rakawas and he eats dirt. I open the flank for the phoenix because he is not much threat. T

he top charge would be hindered and he’s not going through a def 6 jug. he wont be able to fit on the behemoth. The behemoth positions in case he gets sneaky with the drake and runs around to the back mastiffs.

Nick/Sallies Turn 4

With the failures on the right and both units being killed instead of taking out Matt's units it meant that Rakawas' sacrifice was in vain. Flaming was spread out to try and cause some wavers on mastiffs and to try and pop off some scoring units. Hanging on here but next turn should see Matt clean up.

Matt/Dwarfs Turn 5

Movement Nick had done really well with giving me choices in a tough spot. I was really unsure about going for the right objective but nick holding the two is so powerful and I am not guaranteed to be able to get to the other 2 pointer with a scoring unit. I decided I needed to go for the 2 so positioned the shieldbreakers to get their mastiff off and charge next turn if needed and reformed the juggernaut and behemoth for the same. I pushed the ironclad towards the other 2 pointer hoping to waver the drake with the brock lord. The mastiffs repositioned and the other lord went back into the scorch wings

Shooting did 6 wounds and again 2 lucky nerve rolls (nick is getting diced this game - I’m starting to feel bad) and the sallies pop. I’m well positioned to get it next turn.

The brocklord kills the scorchies, the other does 4 wounds on the drake who gets saved on the re roll, and like any good game it’s coming down to the last turns.

Nick/Sallies Turn 5

There was an avenue where if it ended on T6 and things went my way I may have the slimmest of avenues. I flamed both mastiffs to death and needed a 6 to pop the ironclad which I'd nimble charged with the drake and failed.

Matt/Dwarfs Turn 6

Nick had remained unlucky only getting a waver on the dwarfs. They pushed forward to pick up the two token (after succeeding their headstrong roll) the juggernaut took the other and pivoted to shoot. The behemoth pivoted to shoot the phoenix and the brock charged the drake. Idea being hoping to disorder both at the least to stop them shooting off 3 tokens. The shield breakers about faced as they were no longer needed to get the other token if required on 7.

Shooting the behemoth got VERY lucky getting 6 wounds whilst the phoenix was in cover. The jug added 2 and the nerve roll wavered the phoenix.

In combat the drake popped and the battle captain wavered again and that’s looking like game.

Nick/Sallies Turn 6

By this stage I had nothing left to do as both my units were wavered and the game ended.

Wrap-Up

Nick:

This was a tough one to look back on and figure out where I went wrong. Leaving the rhinos so exposed to his T2 dawgs + behemoth + jugger was dumb but besides that I think I went in where I should have. I loaded up the turn where it all went wrong (my T3 where I double 1'd the ironguard with the tyrants) and despite looking through all the options I don't think I would have done anything different. Well played by Matt as he didn't let me get anything easily and was able to outlast me with the bodies to get the scenario.

Matt:

I do definitely feel lady luck was more on side this gave. Doesn't stop me spitting on his dirty lizard bones though. At key moments the dice went in my favour and I blessed the gods. I think I played this game pretty well overall though. As is often the way with dwarfs I feel very close to dominating and then their stumpy, 4 inch moving, legs leave me almost out of position to win. I felt this way in this game, I was reasonably confident but also much wouldn't have had to go Nick's way to pull of the win.