First Age of Sigmar game - Initial Impressions and questions.

Managed to oversee a game of the new Age of Sigmar rules this week in a matchup of the Ogre Kingdoms vs Vampire Counts. I played referee as two completely new Warhammer players took the reigns of the two forces on the table and the results were mostly positive! 

First we had to choose what to play with. Since there is nothing in the short 4 page rules about balance or how to make an army list we decided to go with two of the thematic lists at the end of each Battlescroll. That meant for the Ogre Kingdoms it was time to bring in the Gutbuster Wartribe! And with the Vampire Counts we dug up the ole' Deathrattle Horde! 

The rules for each and what we added (for fun):

Gutbuster Wartribe

1 Tyrant

1 Butcher

3 units of Ogres (we used two units of 3 with champs and bellowers, and one unit of 4 with full command)

1 unit of Ironguts (we used a unit of 5 with full command)

1 unit of Leadbelchers (we used a unit of 4 with champs and bellower)

and we added.... 1 Giant! 

The Gutbusters have the ability of the Ogre Charge which allows them do deal mortal wounds when finishing a charge move. Not too different from the earlier versions of the Ogre Kingdoms but this one is only available as part of this Battlescroll organization.

Deathrattle Horde

1 Wight King (this one had a banner)

1 unit of Black Knights (we used a unit of 10 with full command)

1 unit of Grave Guard (we used a unit of 14 with full command)

3 units of Skeletons (we used 2 units of 24, and one unit of 10 and all had full command)

and we added.... 1 Varghulf!

The Horde brings two special abilities with them on their Battlescroll. First they have the ability to re-roll save rolls of 1 when within 6" of another unit of this battalion. Powerful! Second they can always march 4" when they run which gets them farther into the battlefield at a steady rate. 

In the end after counting up all the stats of all the models we came in at 107 wounds for the Ogre Kingdoms vs 109 wound for the Vampire Counts. All in all it seemed pretty even heading into battle and we chose to play on a 2' x 4" table length wise. 

The Gutbusters were the underdogs with less models on the board and chose the Sudden Death objective of staying alive until turn 6. 

With the game under way the Gutbusters managed to get the first turn in most of the first phases and proceeded to move up and into position for a potential charge. The Deathrattle Horde followed suite and soon it was just a matter of time before carnage!! 

While the Ogres got the first charges in on a unit of Skeletons they didn't count on being stabbed to death by so many spears in the Combat phase. After only one Ogre was left the Giant decided he better get into the action too. 

With the help of the Giant and some additional Ogres the first big block of Skeletons began to crumble away though the ability of the nearby Wight King really shined in keeping them standing with an extra save (as their normal save was handily negated by crushing Ogre weapons). 

After taking out the Skeletons the Giant felt the full force of the nearby Grave Guard unit and decided to fall on some Ogres on the way out. A large and decisive battle was shaping up in the center of the board while (not shown) the Black Knights and Varghulf took out the unit of Leadbelchers and began eating through the group of Ironguts. Meanwhile back in the center the Butcher fell to the Wight King's blade and things were looking grim for the remaining Ogres. After a couple of failed attempts at eating the Ironguts the Varghulf and remaining Black Knights fell and allowed the Gutbusters to swing around and finish off the remaining Skeletons and Black Knight with the Tyrant crushing the head of the Wight King to dust. 

Result - Major Victory for the Ogre Kingdoms. 

So what did we learn? How about a handy bullet point list!

- The game is easy to pick up and grasp and neither new player had trouble figuring out what did what and when. 

- The back and forth in each phase makes the tactics a little more random but also more interesting.

- Choosing your combats is very important!

- The random run and charge was not much of a problem for either army with their command and other special abilities and everyone got where they wanted to go pretty easily. 

- It did turn into a bit of a scrum in the middle of the table but part of that was the shape and size of the battlefield we chose. 

- Fun was had and both players expressed interest in playing more and learning the game with different factions. 

But what did I think about the new rules and gameplay? Glad you asked...

Stuff I liked

- The simplified To Hit and To Wound and Saves. Yes I like the old WHFB style too but it was always one of the hardest things to teach new players. The new mode is easy and quick and you don't have to do a bunch of mental math expect for when dealing with Saves vs. Rending

- The thematic feel of the units. At least in this game the Skeletons and Deathrattle Horde did exactly what I have always wanted to see... acted as a legion of creepy reanimated Skeletons and who wouldn't go quietly! They really hung around and in mass they managed to do some serious damage to the Ogres. Conversely the Ogres really showed their brute strength and killing prowess by smashing the crap right out of the undead minions when they hit. 

- The rule of cool! Glad we added the monsters to both lists because they brought a lot of fun to the game and were quite effective. The mechanic of them getting less powerful as they take damage is a good one I think and it is nice not having to worry about Battleshock tests on them as they will never lose a model from their unit until they die. 

Stuff I wasn't in love with

- The movement seems a bit needlessly sloppy when you are playing with larger units of 20-30. We kept our big units on movement trays until we got into Combat but even then it was a bit of a mess. Couple that with the ability to stack minis on bases and well... I ended up with 5 broken Skeleton miniatures which I am not too happy about. 

- The terrain rules. I like terrain and the rules for it in the 4 page book are basically anti-terrain. Since there are no rules besides the magical D6 table I can't see a lot of love or effort going into this for most tables. Of course that might change with the release of new kits and rules. 

- The rules lookup. Of course it is a new set of rules and this is bound to happen. Still! With each unit having rules on it's own Battlescroll section and some units having rules on other Battlescrolls (like the Vampire Counts basically having the ability to summon units of any type from any of the scrolls) and then adding in the special rules for each Character, and then the rules for each terrain piece, and then the rules for each of the special organizations we used... it just felt messy and unorganized. 

- The lack of rules clarity. Especially in regards to units and their equipment. Who has what? Who can have what? Can we have mixed equipment in our units? Simplicity is nice but simple to the point of just making up your own solution can be frustrating.

So there you have it. First impressions are mostly positive and I felt the two forces we played with were pretty balanced from beginning to end. With a few different rolls the game could have gone either way a couple times. I hope to see some more direction for rules and army composition in the future but I am certainly excited to be playing Warhammer again and the idea of getting new blood playing in my area is great too.

Played some Warhammer this past Sunday.

Yup. Been awhile. Like... a year or so? Figured it was time to give it a go again. Broke out the Beer Gut tribe and took them to war against Chaos. First list with the new Ogre Kingdoms book looked like this:

LORDS: 385

Slaughtermaster - Level 4, Greedy Fist, Fencer's Blades, Ruby Ring of Ruin (385)

Wanted to try out the big caster and the Greedy Fist and see what the hubbub is all about. The ring was there to ensure I had enough ranged magic for maximum fist potential. It was a scroll but I swapped it...

HEROES: 322

Bruiser - BSB, Lookout Gnoblar, Heavy Armor, Enchanted Shield, Crown of Command, Luckstone (189)

Butcher - Level 2, Ironfist (138)

Butcher was my Maw caster and lived in the Ogres (err Bulls) while the BSB Bruiser hung out in the Ironguts with the Slaughtermaster. Goal was to hit the right unit at the right time... hard. Was not looking to get into any drawn out combats with Chaos Warriors.

CORE: 558

Ogres x 6 - Standard, Bellower, Ironfists (212)

Ironguts x 7 - Standard, Standard of Discipline, Bellower, Champion (346)

Solid core of Ogre backup and Irongut character bus at Ld 9 with a BSB reroll. Pretty standard stuff?

SPECIAL: 203

Leadbelchers x 4 - Bellower (182)

Sabertusk Pack x 1 (21)

Wanted to see how Leadies do in the new book. Mission accomplished.

RARE: 130

Gnoblar Scraplauncher (130)

I love my Scrappy! It used to be a dreaded sight among the WoC players of my past. Wanted to see how the new rules hold up in the current book.

Total Points: 1,598 of 1,600

Keeping in mind I don't own any of the new models (yet) I had to make do with what I have from my first purchases. The Beer Gut tribe is looking a little dark, dingy, and dusty. I am a much better painter overall now and it hurts to look at my first attempts at miniature painting. Oh well... everyone has to start somewhere I guess? Still, they looked pretty bad ass all lined up in the Sunday morning sun. 

 

My opponent's list was a pretty basic WoC list. Block of MoT Chosen with a BSB, Level 4 MoT Sorcerer Lord, two small blocks of MoK Warriors and a unit of MoK Chaos Knights. It was his first game of 8th and the first game he has played with the "new" Warriors of Chaos army book. Fun and learning all around!

I won the roll off and took the first turn. Moved up some Leadies on the flank across from his Knights, swung my lone Sabertusk around the opposite flank to threaten his Sorcerer Lord (just behind the Chosen unit in the center of the board), and moved my Scraplauncher into a firing position. First turn of the magic phase I cast Caress from Lore of Death on his Lord with my Slaughtermaster. He attempts to dispel and fails. I then roll a ridiculous number of hits and POOF the Lord is no longer a problem (knocked down to level 0). After that comes shooting where my Leadies blow all but one of his Chaos Knights of the board in one volley.

The rest of the game goes by fast as I wait for the right time before combo-charging a unit of Warriors, killing all but two of them with impact hits. I take two wounds on my Slaughtermaster before cutting down the remaining enemies and running past the encroaching Chosen threat. Leadies finish off the lone Chaos Knight and shoot another unit of Warriors in the butt while my Sabertusk march blocks the Chosen and keeps them away from the battle. My opponent concedes on turn 4. 

Fun (re)learning game and I learned a few things:

1. Leadbelchers can be pretty good now. 

2. The Greedy Fist + spell hits combo is dirty and makes me feel bad in my pants.

3. Warhammer 8th Edition can still be pretty fun and I should play it more often. 

Before I get back into my Ogres too heavily I have a date with some skeletons... and their new found bony friends. Coming soon!

Win some you lose some.

Well the Beer Gut Tribe performed about as well as I had expected them to during yesterday's tournament. I won my first two games and lost my last. Going into the final round I was in first place by two points but I probably finished somewhere south of 5th place. Not a bad showing but not the three wins I needed to make it into next month's championship tournament.

I meant to take a bunch of pictures during the event but I only grabbed a couple and they didn't turn out very well. The picture above is the only one that was somewhat usable. Oh well. Here is a quick rundown of the games I played and highlights from each.

Game #1 - Jeff's Skaven.

• Jeff is one of the better players in our scene (if not the country) and he brought a pretty ugly Skaven list from the new book.
  
• List consisted of a Grey Seer on foot, two level 2 Plague Priests, BSB, two or three units of Clanrats with Ratling Guns, big block of Plague Monks pushing the Plague Furnace, a unit of Censer Bearers, Hellpit Abomination, Warplightning Cannon, and two or three units of Slaves.
• Neither the Plague Priests nor the Grey Seer got Wither (thank goodness) but the Grey Seer did take the Dreaded 13th Spell.
  
• I got turn 1 and pushed everything forward with a unit of Trappers heading towards the WLC to limit it's shots and charge it on turn 2.
  
• Managed to get buffs up on all the Ogre units and Bangstick a Ratling Gun off the board.
  
• Scraplauncher pulled off it's first amazing moment of the day by scoring a partial hit on a Plague Priest in a unit of Clanrats. Plague Priest then fails his "Look Out Sir" roll and is destroyed by a Killing Blow on the roll of 6.
  
• Hellpit Abomination moves up the left flank towards a unit of Ironguts with a Butcher. Rolls triples, then 6, moving into the flank of the Ironguts with a super-charged S7 fury and crushing them all.
  
• Leadbelchers move behind the Hellpit Abomination and blast a couple of wounds off the beast before charging the rear by themselves (while a unit of Bulls fails it's Fear test and stays put). They are quickly absorbed/eaten but manage to do one more wound to the beast.
  
• Bulls get their courage up and charge the flank of the Hellpit Abomination and manage to do the last 3 remaining wounds to "kill" it. Jeff rolled a 2 and the beast stays dead for good.
  
• Meanwhile on the right side of the board the Maneaters and characters slam into a unit of Clanrats who are crushed but slow down the unit long enough for the baited Plague Monk unit nearby to manage a counter charge on the unit's flank (only touching the BSB Bruiser).
  
• This combat goes on for the rest of the game with the BSB managing to kill all but one of the Plague Monks while the Maneaters and Characters take multiple T tests each turn (probably in the neighborhood of 30 or more).
  
• Grey Seer manages to cast the Dreaded 13th spell on the unit of Bulls which killed the Hellpit Abomination. It goes off with Irresistible Force and the 4 Bulls are turned into 4 Clanrats.
• The Ogres have their revenge on the next turn when the Grey Seer miscasts and blows himself up (rolling a 2 on the miscast table).
  
• Final score is close with a narrow victory going to the Beer Gut Tribe.
  

A close fought game that was a lot of fun. There were moments of "WTF" on both sides of the table and the game could have gone either way at many points. This was my first game against Jeff and I hope to be able to play with him again in the future. In other news - the updated Skaven book is no friend of the Ogre Kingdoms (then again who is!?). My next opponent is a familiar face, Jeff's father Mike.

Game #2 - Mike's Warriors of Chaos.

• Mike and I have played a few times and it is always fun. Well, the two times I had to play his Tecilis list at BoLSCon might not be my favorite moments in WHFB history but they were still fun.
  
• He brought a slightly unusual WoC list with unmarked level 4 Sorc Lord, level 2 Chaos Sorc with the Mark of Nurgle, Exalted BSB, three units of 20 Marauders, two or three units of Marauder Horsemen, a unit of Chaos Knights, two Chariots, and two Hellcannons.
  
• Mike got the first turn and began moving forward with one Hellcannon in the middle of the field and another on the far right flank near his Marauder blocks.
• In his opening volley with the first Hellcannon he misfired and rolled the "all wizards miscast" roll. His casters survive thanks to the Puppet. My first Butcher does 3 wounds to himself (after he was already able to cast Trollguts on his unit due to the Sorc Lord's miscast) while the second Butcher rolls a 1.
  
• That would have been the game but Mike (in a move that proves to be his downfall) modifies the miscast to the "Butcher can no longer cast spells" outcome (later I found out he had the Black Tongue and probably could have killed him at any time).
  
• With Gut Magic out of the picture things are looking grim for the Beer Gut Tribe.
  
• After fleeing from a Chaos Knight charge on the flank, and a double Chariot charge in the center of the board, I set up Mike for the counter charge with my Slavegiant and Maneater units.
  
• Mike flees from all the charges which allows me to redirect my charge into two additional units who also flee.
  
• By the end of my turn 2 half of Mike's army is fleeing on one side of the board while his blocks of troops move up the right side.
  
• Mike's Horsemen and Knights fail to rally and run off the board while the Chariots manage to turn around.
• Sustained Hellcannon shots decimate the Irongut and Maneater units.
  
• In turn 4 I charge my Tyrant out of his unit at the Hellcannon and deal 2 wounds.
  
• Marauders charge the Tyrant's flank on turn 5 but he manages to hold (testing on a 4).
  
• My turn 5 I charge a unit of Bulls into the flank of the Marauders who break while the Tyrant kills the Hellcannon before chasing the Marauders off the board.
  
• Ganes ends as a decisive victory for the Beer Gut Tribe with only one unit of Marauders and the three characters left alive on the table.
  

What started out as a complete loss thanks to the miscast outcome on the Hellcannon misfire chart turned out to be a really fun game with some close calls on both sides. All of this thanks to the kindness of my opponent. Much appreciated Mike! Going into the last game of the day I was in first place with two win and ahead in overall points. It was a tie between opponents between Jordan's Wood Elves and Dylan's Dwarfs. I manage to draw the Wood Elves and I am sure you can guess the outcome of this one ...

Game #3 - Jordan's Wood Elves.

• Jordan is one of the best players in the country and always gives a good game. That said I have yet to enjoy any of my games with him as he always ends up playing lists that seem tailored to destroy Ogres.
• His WE list consisted of two level 1 scroll caddies, a Hail of Doom arrow BSB, Ancient Treeman, three units of Dryads, three units of Archers, Waywatchers, three units of Wild Riders, and some other bits I can't recall. It was mostly a forest spirit army.
  
• This was only my second game against Wood Elves and I still hate them.
  
• Jordan got turn 1 and moved up his Dryads and Fast Cav while shooting the crap out of my Ogres and Slavegiant.
  
• I manage to get one or two Gut Magic buffs up but he quickly removes them in his magic phase.
  
• Tyrant ends up fighting the Treeman and does two wounds in the first round. This combat goes on for two more rounds but the Tyrant fails to do anything while the Treeman gets about a wound on average each time and holds.
• Treeman was equipped with the Annoyance of Netlings and D6 poison attacks.
  
• Treeman finally breaks and flees but the Maneaters and characters fail to catch him and slam into a nearby unit of Dryads.
  
• More Dryads and the Treeman charge back in and kill the Maneaters off but not before the Tyrant manages to land the killing blow on the Treeman.
  
• Meanwhile the Slavegiant and a unit of Leadbelchers kill a unit of Dryads but are charged in the flank by Wild Riders and die (with the Slavegiant falling on the last Leadbelcher and killing him off).
  
• Meanwhile the WE BSB has left the security of the woods and is standing in the center of the board shooting at some remaining Bulls.
  
• Scraplauncher takes the opportunity to land a direct hit on the BSB and kill him outright with a roll of 6 for Killing Blow.
  
• Game ends as a loss for the Beer Gut Tribe with only the Scaplauncher, Tyrant, BSB, and one Butcher remaining.
  

Why is it the Wood Elf army isn't considered a "strong" army? Compared to Ogres they have everything going for them but I can see how things go wrong with a bunch of T3 troops running around. I don't like Dryads. I don't like Trees that kill. Still, it was a fun game all around and I managed to kill about half the Wood Elf army which is good considering I expected to be wiped off the board by turn 3. Thanks for the first fun game Jordan!

So there you have it. Two wins and one loss and three fun games against some of the best players of WHFB I know. Win or lose you can't really beat an outcome like that. While I (probably) haven't made it high enough in the rankings for next month's tournament I still had a lot of fun and sometimes I need that reminder of why I play this game at all. For the fun times.

Tournament results - a hard luck story.

Well the tournament I attended yesterday went well overall, although the ending may haunt me for weeks to come...

Got to the store to find one of the regular players had locked his keys (and army) in his vehicle. Made a quick call to my insurance company and got a truck to come out and slim jim the lock. All was well and I felt a surge of good karma come my way. Had a cup of coffee and I was ready to take on the Warhammer world!

I left my camera at home. Crap. Without my camera I didn't bother to keep track of everything that went on in my games but here is a "short" recap of the important moments as I remember them.

Game 1 - Eric's Lizardmen

• Eric (nice fellow who I had never played before) brought a fairly tame Lizardmen list. Lord on Carnosaur (always bad news for Ogres) but not with Blade of Realities (can't recall what his kit was), Scar-vet on Cold One, level 2 Skink Priest, and a Skink Chief on Ancient Stegadon with the Stegadon Spear. The rest of the list contained one unit of Skinks with blowpipes, one with Javelins, one unit of Cold One Cavalry, and two blocks of Saurus Warriors - one with spears.
  
• My entire focus during deployment was to avoid the Carnosaur with my mini-star and go for the Cold One Cav and Saurus.
  
• He had less to deploy and I was able to avoid his Carnosaur by placing my Maneaters with characters last.
  
• Deployment looked (mostly) like this:

• Everything moved up on Turn 1 (with the exception of the Scraplauncher and Hunter).
  
• On Turn 2 my Trappers in the woods on the left passed their Terror test against the Carnosaur (awesome).
• Leadies moved up on the left and blasted away some Skinks that were screening the Carnosaur.
  
• Scraplauncher scores a direct hit on the unit of Saurus with Spears but only kills 1 Saurus.
• The Maneater unit charges the Cold One cav who flee 4" and are caught and killed.
  
• Slavegiant redirects its charge into the Saurus w/ spears, Yells and Bawls and keeps the Saurus tied up for a round.
• Ancient Steg w/ Skink Chief attempts to charge the Slavegiant's flank but can't fit in between the two Saurus units sideways and moves backwards instead.
• Meanwhile on the far right flank the unit of Bulls charges the Skinks, loses one to stand and shoot before winning combat and chasing the remaining Skinks down.
• The Hunter and Trappers keep the Carnosaur busy while the Skinks move towards the Maneater's rear.
• Skink Priest drops a Comet on a unit of fleeing Leadbelchers, the Sraplauncher, and Hunter. The Hunter survives while the other two units are destroyed.
  
• Trappers move up and kill the Skink Priest with sharp stuff in revenge for their fallen Gnoblar brothers.
  
• Maneaters charge the Saurus unit to help back up the Slavegiant (who is down to 2 wounds remaining), kill two ranks on the charge and proceed to chase down the fleeing Saurus and kill them.
  
• Skinks get their revenge by shooting the Slavegiant to death who then falls on the Skinks and kills the remainder of the unit.
• The Ironguts flank charge the remaining baited Saurus unit (with Scar-vet), win CC, and laugh as the fleeing Saurus are chopped down as they run into the Trappers who have spent the game bickering in the nearby forest.
  
• Trappers realize they are awesome, leave the forest and hurl sharp stuff at the Skink Chief on the Ancient Steg but fail to kill him.
  
• Game ends as a Victory for the Beer Gut Tribe with only the Ancient Steg and Lord on Carnosaur remaining.
  

Game 2 - Ralph's Vampire Counts

• Just the other night Ralph and I were discussing the list he planned on bringing to the "Hobby" tournament (it seems that as an Ogre player I am the unofficial opinion maker for what is "fair" and what isn't) and in a strange play of luck we were matched up against one another.
  
• Ralph's one nasty character was a level 3 Vampire Lord w/ Infinite Hatred, Red Fury, the Cursed Book, Dread Knight, Bloody Hauberk, and the Balefire Spike. The rest of his list was made up of a Scouting Vamp, two Wight Kings, one on foot with the Black Axe, one as BSB with the Nightshroud and Sword of kings, a big unit of Black Knights (where the characters went), two units of Skeleton Warriors with full command and magic banners, a Varghulf, a unit of Fell Bats, one unit of Dire Wolves, and a block of 12 Ghouls.
• My goal was to not get charged by the Black Knight unit while avoiding the Varghulf.
• Deployment looked (something) like this:

• Ralph got Turn 1 and used it to get his trap into position by moving the Wolves and Scout Vamp up in front of the Ironguts while the Bats moved to screen the Varghulf near the Trappers.
  
• Trappers pass yet another Terror test and pop out to sharp stuff the Fell Bats but fail to do any wounds.
  
• Leadbelchers move up and blast away at the Bats, dealing 4 wounds and leaving one base.
  
• Meanwhile the Ironguts have charged the Terror causing Scout Vamp and Dire Wolves, managing to survive a challenge and killing all of the Wolves before chasing down the Vampire as he fled.
  
• The Scraplauncher fired ineffectually at the Black Knight unit, killing one Knight.
  
• Hunter shot at the Varghulf and hit before the nasty creature made its Regen save.
  
• The Bulls near the Maneaters move up into a position to flee from the Black Knights, while the far right Leadbelchers do the same.
• Ralph charges the Leadbelchers who flee, leaving a nice tasty flank for the Maneaters to take advantage of.
  
• Ralph manages to IoN back all the Fell Bats before flying them directly in front of the Maneaters and blocking their charge.
• Meanwhile the two units of Trappers are swarming around the Varghulf and throwing sharp stuff, hitting and wounding approx 8 times but the damn thing Regens all of the wounds.
  
• Maneaters charge the Bats while the Bulls charge the Black Knight flank in an attempt at holding them in combat.
  
• Scraplauncher and Slavegiant charge a unit of 5 Zombies which have been raised in front of the Skeleton units preventing a combo charge.
• Ghouls charge and kill the unit of Leadbelchers on the right flank, then overrun into the Bulls before killing them as well in the next combat.
  
• Maneaters crush the Bats and overrun out of the charge arc of the Varghulf behind them.
  
• Bulls hold for the turn they charge, although the do not win close combat against the Black Knights.
• Black Knights turn to face the Bulls and the Vampire Lord moves the fight them, dealing 4 wounds in a challenge against the Bull champion.
  
• Bulls lose combat and break, are run down, and the Black Knight unit hits the front of the Maneaters (with a frontage of 3 and no ranks).
  
• Slavegiant and Scraplauncher beat the 5 Zombies but only the Slavegiant manages to overrun into the nearby Skeletons as the Scrappie only goes 3" (needing something like 4" to make it).
  
• Luckily the Slavegiant rolls a 1 and Yells and Bawls against the Skeletons winning the combat by 2 and allowing the Scraplauncher to charge in and help next turn.
  
• Hunter fails two Terror tests, one which almost puts him off the board, and another when he needs to charge the Varghulf to keep it from charging the rear of the Maneater unit.
  
• A massive clusterfuck of a fight continues in the middle as the Ironguts charge the Black Knights flank, followed by the nearby Skeletons charging the flank of the Ironguts, followed by the Scraplauncher charging the flank of the Skeletons after destroying the other Skeleton unit.
  
• Tyrant manages to hold on in a non-challenge fight against the Vampire Lord, even after a turn of the Cursed Book being used.
  
• Game ends due to time on Turn 4 as a Victory for the Beer Gut Tribe.
  
• A truly brutal (and fun) game, with many things not going well for the Ogres but with them managing to still claw their way to victory.
  

Game 3 - Thomas (Goatboy)'s Warriors of Chaos

• This game was played on table 2 of the tournament and was for third place in the prizes.
  
• Thomas brought a hard but not too terrible list that had a Chaos Lord in a big block of Blasted Standard/Tz marked Chaos Knights (w/ a level 1 Nurgle Sorc in the block as well), another big block of Khorne marked Chaos Knights (w/ Exalted Hero on Juggernaut), three units of Marauder Horsemen, a Warshrine, and a Hellcannon.
• I was excited for this game as I have never had a hard time killing Chaos Knights with a Maneater/character unit and I knew he would be looking for close combat to get the win.
  
• Deployment looked like this (same table as the first game so same terrain for the most part):

• Thomas had Turn 1 and moved his Horsemen up for the screen and flee.
  
• Ironguts charged the Hellcannon while the far left Leadbelchers moved up and shot half the nearest Marauder Horsemen unit off the board.
• Bulls charged the Horsemen in the middle, both of which fled through the Knights but failed to panic anything (shocking).
  
• Far right Leadbelchers moved up to bait the Khorne Knights while the Slavegiant moved to a flanking position.
  
• Ironguts deal three wounds to the Hellcannon before being flank charged by the Chaos Lord's unit of Knights.
  
• Khorne Knights charge the Leadbelchers who flee, leaving a tasty front charge for the Maneater unit and a flank charge from the Slavegiant.
  
• Maneater unit blows through the Chaos Knights and they are chased down as they flee.
• Ironguts are obliterated by the Hellcannon and Chaos Lord, Leadbelchers manage to kill off the remaining Horsemen with another round of shooting before running off the board from the rampaging horde.
• The rest of the game consists of the Chaos Lord unit falling back to not allow the Maneater unit to get a charge, while the Scraplauncher and Hunter fail to do any additional wounds through shooting.
  
• Game ends as a Draw with the Beer Gut Tribe needing 4 more points to take a victory.
  

So there you have it, three games played, two wins and one draw. What is so tragic about that you ask? I was one point away from taking third place (my last opponent Thomas took it from me). It came down to the fact that I had two unpainted units on the table (my Hunter and a unit of Trappers) so I basically double screwed myself out of a top three finish.

From now on, I am not pulling any Ogre punches. I could have taken a "harder" list but I chose to go with something "soft" and lost out on prizes because of it. Lesson learned, better luck next time. Tomorrow I will post my specific thoughts on the list, what worked and what can be improved in the future.

Thanks to all of my opponents for three great games - win or lose I had a lot of fun and that is why we play the game right?

Battle Reporter - Inviting New Members!

I frequent many different WHFB related news sites and forums (probably too many if I am honest) but one site in particular has caught my eye as of late - Battle Reporter (aka Warhammer Fantasy Battle Tabletop Gaming but I think Battle Reporter sounds cooler) .

In addition to having a fairly unique and interesting site, Battle Reporter also has a WHFB-centric forum. I think Sigmar (owner/founder of Battle Reporter) explains it best with the following comments:

Our members are amongst the best Warhammer Fantasy Bloggers you'll find online. We have new players to experienced veterans from all corners of the globe. Everyone is welcome. We have just one rule... be friendly.

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Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Warriors of Chaos 11/4/08.

Played the first game in the campaign with the Beer Gut Tribe last week, against the dastardly new Warriors of Chaos. His list consisted of one group of 5 Chaos Knights with a level 2 Chaos Sorcerer in their midst. All of the mounted units were marked by Nurgle (-1 WS in close combat and -1 to hit in shooting) and the Sorcerer also had a spell familiar which allowed him to cast three spells total. The remainder of his army consisted of two minimum size blocks of 10 Marauders.

My list was as follows (for those not keeping up with the campaign progress):

Butcher @ 155
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 105

Ironguts x 4 @ 192

Gnoblar Trappers x 8 @ 48

Total Points: 500 (of 500)

Obviously my main concern was the Chaos Knights and their general. Their statline is very high, not to mention their Nurgley goodness and the 1+ armor save. Hell, their horses can kill most of my troops! With this in mind I knew the only chance I had at taking out the Knights was to bait them into a charge they would fail, rush in with the Ironguts, and hopefully buff them with Toothcracker or Bullgorger.

Deployment

Terrain was randomly placed by the game "officials" and the Warriors won the dice off to deploy first. They started with the first unit of Marauders which I followed by my one unit of Bulls. Next up were the other Marauders across from my Bulls, which I followed by placing my Ironguts. Finally came his Chaos Knights and I finished my placement with my Butcher near the Ironguts and close to the Bulls. His Sorcerer went into his Knight block and my Trappers snuck their way on to the battlefield, hiding behind some rocks near the second group of Maraduers. I won the dice off for first turn and took it.

Rolling for his spells the Sorcerer got 5, 7, and 12. This equates to what I remember (as I don't have the WoC book) as being Bubous (deals 1 wound that can't be saved against), Fleshy something (a Regen save that is not remains in play and ends on the caster's next magic phase), and Rot Glorious Rot (which does something terrible to everything within 18" of the caster).

Turn 1

While I was able to get excellent placement with the Gnoblar Trappers they didn't feel like actually coming to the fight the first turn. I rolled a 1 and they stood about bickering. I was really hoping to march block the Marauders and threaten their backs with sharp stuff. Life goes on and the rest of the army marches forward to take on the Knights. Of course here is where I messed up and moved the Ironguts just a little too far, leading to their death at the hands of the Chaos Knights.

Butcher attempts to cast Toothcracker on the Ironguts with a 3 but this is dispelled by the Sorcerer. He aims Braingobbler at the outermost Marauder group but they hold with a 6. He aims at the group again with a Bonecruncher with a 6 which is promptly dispelled with a roll of 8 on two dice. Manage to cast Trollguts on the Ironguts with a 6 and the Sorcerer has no dispel dice left. The Bangstick makes a loud noise but only manages to to roll 1 hit and 1 wound on the group of Marauders. While it could have been a great magic phase it turned out to be pretty mediocre overall.

Now the dirty deeds of Chaos begin with the Knights charging the Ironguts and the Marauders marching up their flanks. The Knights are exactly 14" away from the Ironguts who have moved just a little too far. They hold the charge and take 7 wounds managing to kill just one Knight. They lose combat, flee (8 inches), and are promptly chased down(11 inches). A huge loss for the Beer Gut Tribe and the loss of any chance of victory for me.

The Sorcerer attempted to cast the Bubous spell in CC which the group ruled was not legal. Not sure on this one as the book isn't very clear on what is required besides line of sight. He follows up that with a case of the Fleshy something spell with a 10 which is dispelled by the Butcher with a roll of 13 (on 3 dice). He used his remaining two dice to dispel the Trollguts on the Ironguts which only added to their quick demise.

Turn 2

The Gnoblars finally decide to do something, marching forward behind the Marauders in case they flee the coming Ogre charge which comes from both the Bulls and the Butcher to their front. They manage to pass their fear check by rolling a 3 (although they should have taken two as it was two seperate fear causing units that charged ... I need to remember this stuff!) and hold their ground. The bull charge kills 3 of the front rank outight with the remaining 7 wounds coming in from the Bulls and Butcher. The unit is destroyed and both of the Ogre units take their overrun move forwards, the Bulls with 10" and the Butcher with 5".

Another turn of Gut Magic where nothing happened went by with the Butcher casting Trollguts on the Bulls with a 3 (on 2 dice) and Blood Gruel on himself at 6 (on 2 dice) which is dispelled by the Sorcerer with a roll of 7. The Butcher now has only two wounds left which makes him a great target for the Chaos Sorcerer and his nasty spells.

Chaos begins to reform and moves in to make charges on the remaining Ogres. The Sorcerer attempts to cast Bubous on the Butcher with 6 (on 2 dice) which is dispelled with a roll of 6 as well (also on 2 dice). He then casts Fleshy something on his unit of Chaos Knights again and the Butcher has insufficient dice to attempt a dispel.

Turn 3

At this point the Ogres are playing for survival. Knowing they need a diversionary tactic they send the Trappers forwards towards the incoming Knights in the hopes their tiny green bodies might slow down the massive warriors. The Butcher moves to face the Marauders flanks while the Bulls pull back towards the table edge.

The Butcher begins his magic phase with Braingobbler on the Marauders. A roll of 6 is not dispelled by the Sorcerer and the Marauders stay put after rolling a 5. Casting Bonecruncher on the Marauders does 2 wounds, while Bloodgruel is dispelled with an 11 (on 3 dice) after casting with a 9 (on two dice). The Bangstick makes some noise for the second time in the game, but it may be firing blanks as it only does 1 hit again, this time with no wounds. Another round of mostly ineffectual Gut Magic goes down in history.

Chaos moves its Knights forward while the Maruders shuffle backwards and turn to face the Butcher. The Sorcerer attempts to cast Rot Glorious Rot on everything within 18" with three dice but miscasts with two 1's and a 4. Rolling a 7 on the miscast table the Sorcerer takes a wound and ends his magic phase.

Turn 4

The Gnoblar Trappers continue to be the most useful unit on the board for the Beer Gut Tribe, moving forward 8" to march block the Knights while staying out of their charge line of sight. They think about throwing stones at them before remembering they marched that turn and can not do so. Silly, silly Gnoblars. The Bulls shuffle sideways 3" while the Butcher moves forward 12" and faces the Marauders flank once again.

Gut Magic is ineffectual again as the Butcher attempts to cast Braingobbler on the Marauders and fails, while Bloodgruel is cast with a 7 and quickly dispelled by the Sorcerer with another 7. The Bangstick remains quiet this turn as it is dispelled with the remaining dispel dice of Chaos.

The Warriors of Chaos seem to be losing their will to kill only moving forward 7" while the Marauders shuffle backwards to face the Butcher again. The Sorcerer casts Fleshy Abundance (yeah I just now remembered the name) with no attempt to dispel from the Butcher. This seems to confuse the Warriors of Chaos but they brush it off.

Turn 5

Terrible photos aside, turn 5 starts off with the Butcher running into the nearby forest. The Bulls continue to move sideways hoping to stay out of reach of the Chaos Knights, and the Gnoblars move into the flanks and front of the Knights. Once again they feel the urge to throw rocks and bits but their attacks are ineffectual at best, simply bouncing off the Chaos Knights and their twisted armor. The Butcher manages to finally get off a Blood Gruel and heals one of his lost wounds putting him back up to 3 wounds.

The Chaos Knights declare a charge on the Trappers who promptly flee in an effort to smash the Knights into the nearby rocks or at least expose their flanks to the nearby Bulls. They succeed in getting themselves killed but fail to position the Knights within the charge line of sight of the Bulls further proving that you should never trust a Gnoblar. The Chaos Sorcerer attempts to cast Fleshy Abundance again but this time fails (rolling 3 dice in the process). Meanwhile the Marauders turn and high tail it towards the back table quarter in an effort to get more points.

Turn 6

The Bulls can't make a charge so they do the next best thing and move towards the opposite table quarter. Meanwhile the Butcher pops out of the forest to say hello to the sweaty shirtless men on the other side. They get Bone Cruncher and Bangsticked down to just 5 models and run for their lives.

The Chaos turn and attempt to blast the nearby Bulls with Nurgle magic but fail to do so. The game is over and somehow the Bulls and Butcher managed to survive. The result is a Solid Victory for the forces of Chaos (340) over the mostly harmless Beer Gut Tribe (184).

It was a fun game and I can certainly see my mistakes. Hopefully the next time I have to face these close combat monsters from the Chaos wastes I will have a better plan to beat them with. Playing other MSU armies at a low point total just isn't all that fun.

Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Skaven 9/30/08.

Bare bones post. Just got home from my game tonight which was postponed from last week. It was a 1250 point battle against Skaven with one of our "new" regular players DANNY (you may remember him from my last Battle Report as the Chaos Mortals player). DANNY played a Skaven list crafted by our regular skitter skitter general, and did not create his own list. This may have contributed to my downfall, but overall the game went south from the beginning for the Beer Gut Tribe.

My list was as follows:

Bruiser @ 171
- Heavy Armor
- Brace of Handguns
- Wyrdstone Necklace
- Luck Gnoblar

Butcher @ 150
- Skullmantle

Butcher @ 155
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 127
- AHW
- Bellower

Bulls x 3 @ 127
- AHW
- Bellower

Gnoblar Fighters x 20 @ 40

Gnoblar Trappers x 10 @ 60

Leadbelchers x 2 @120
- Bellower

Leadbelchers x 2 @120
- Bellower

Maneaters x 2 @ 180
- Heavy Armor
- Brace of Handguns

Total: 1,250 Points (of 1,250)

The plan was to throw my Trappers in front of his Warp Lightning Cannon while sticking the Fighters in front to get the zap coming from his Warplock Engineer's Warp Lightning and Storm Demon. Meanwhile the Leadbelchers would negate the flanks on both sides, attempting to get into a position to get some good shots on the more expensive blocks of troops (Plague Monks, Rat Ogres, etc). The Bruiser and Bangstick Butcher were to head in with the Maneaters while the Bulls staggered up the sides to get some flank charges.

That was the plan. Lucky for DANNY things rarely go to plan when relying too heavily on Gnoblars. The great maw was not pleased with the BGT, and almost all of the inital rolls in the game were quite bad. As I don't feel like reliving the terrible beating I received at the hands of the sneaky ratmen, here is a quick recap of the "highlights" from the game.

Turn 1

• Both the Gnoblar Trappers and Fighters bickered and sat motionless, ruining phase one of the game plan.
  
• Butchers manage to buff one unit with Toothcracker while all other spells (including the Bangstick) fail or are dispelled.
  
• Bruiser and Maneater make 6 shots at a screening unit of Night Runners, hit 5 and kill 4 but the unit passes its Leadership 6 check and stays in the way.
  
• Skaven Warplock Engineer unleashes Warp Lightning hell on a unit of Bulls with the Skullmantle Butcher (the one that should have been screened by the Gnoblars), dealing a total of 7 wounds and killing two Bulls while leaving 1 wound on the Butcher (kuckily the unit passes it's panic check and sticks around).
  

Turn 2

• Trappers don't bicker but the Fighters continue to fight over shiny objects, again failing to screen any of the Ogre units.
  
• Trappers throw 20 sharp objects at the nearby Night Runners blocking an Ogre charge, hitting only 4 times and wounding none.
  
• Butchers continue their failure spree but manage to get a Trollguts off on the large unit of Characters and Maneaters (all other spells are dispelled or fail outright).
  
• Leadbelchers decide it is their time to shine, first unit rolls a total of 8 shots (gets 5 hits, 3 wounds) while the second unit promptly Misfires before making its 8 shots (6 hits, 4 wounds).
• Meanwhile the Bruiser and Maneaters shoot ineffectively at the nearby Plague Monks and miss every single shot.
• A unit of Slaves charges and runs down the trappers (meeting their flee distance exactly, even through difficult terrain).
  
• Night Runners charge the Characters and Maneaters, unleashing their assassin who is promptly crushed in a challenge by the Butcher.
  
• Night Runners lose combat and are mowed down in the pursuit, but the Ogres are too close to the Plague Monks to get a Bull Charge on the next turn.
  
• Meanwhile the badly damaged Bull and Butcher stave off the Warp Lightning onslaught while chasing off another large unit of Slaves.
  
• Leadbelchers manage to stave off additional charges with their Fear and stand still to reload.
  

Turn 3

• Characters and Maneaters charge the Plague Monks, challenging with the Butcher.
• Butcher deals 2 wounds which are saved by a 4+ Ward Save.
  
• Plague Monk champion (how did the champion have a Ward Save?!) deals no wounds and the challenge is null.
  
• Meanwhile the Bruiser and two Maneaters deal and addtional 4 casualties and only take 1 wound back (on a Maneater).
• Characters and Maneaters lose the combat by 1 point (a banner), and roll a 10 for Leadership.
  
• They flee 6" and are promptly mowed down.
  
• At this point I quit.

And that was that. I took some pictures but I don't feel the need to post them here after a loss like that. The bottom line, I rolled really poorly. This seems to be a theme for me. Terrain placement went my way, I got to go first, and I still blew it. Here are a few things I would have done differently if I had to play it again.

• There were two forests on the board for the Trappers to deploy in. One was near 4 units of enemies (Clan Rats, Slaves, Giant Rats, and Night Runners), while the other was only near a unit of Rat Ogres (and near impassable terrain in the form of some rocks). I should have deployed near the Rat Ogres, waited for them to head into the woods (their path forward and to their sides were blocked). The unit would have stopped outside of the Trappers who would have been able to move out around the Rat Ogres, throwing Sharp Stuff at their flank.
• I should have placed the Leadbelchers closer to last. I placed them first in an attempt to keep units off my flanks, but DANNY responded by putting trash units in their range or simply outnumbering them. They had no worthwhile targets and had to shoot at things like Clan Rats and Slaves.
  
• Taken a banner. Well maybe. I would probably have been better off with a Fistful of Laurels though. I really hate losing the entire game because of one bad Leadership role.

Overall it was a crappy end to a fairly crappy day, and another loss on my record (which is already pretty bad). I don't think the list that was played against me was especially kind, but I also don't think the list I put forward was really ideal in this situation. I ran two Butchers in the hopes of dispelling the Warp Lightning and still ate one huge blast of it, while trying to dispel it with all of my dispel dice (4 dice!!). I am either really unlucky or the universe is plotting against me.

Back to the drawing board ...

Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Warriors of Chaos 9/4/08.

I'm sorry gnoblog. I lied to you. I said I would post some pictures of my works in progress in this next entry. I had every intention of doing so, I even spent several hours over the long weekend working on my models! Sadly, I can't find my digital camera. It is around here somewhere and I hope to have it located soon. My next entry will have pictures, honest!

In the meantime I have a short update and a not particularly robust Battle Report from my game against Warrior of Chaos (aka DANNY) Tuesday evening.

First .... THE LIST!

Bruiser @ 177
- Great Weapon
- Heavy Armor
- Brahmir Statue
- Fistful of Laurels

Butcher @ 155
- Skullmantle

Butcher @ 150
- Bangstick

Bulls x 3 @ 115
- Bellower

Ironguts x 3 @ 154
- Bellower

Ironguts x 3 @ 154
- Bellower

Gnobs x 20 @ 40

Gnobs x 20 @ 40

Without my camera I wasn't able to get any pictures of the game, but here is a very basic MS Paint version of the map terrain and unit deployment.

I deployed my units in a staggered formation with the bait units in the front and the heavy hitters in the back. My goal was to flee from any charges DANNY might make on the Gnoblars and Bulls, setting me up for a front and flank charge in response. That sort of worked out, but not quite as I was hoping.

Turn 1 Short Thoughts Recap!

DANNY won the first turn. He marched forward with his infantry blocks and rolled up with his chariot. Meanwhile the cav moved into a "hey, I am in your flank" position. The Beer Gut Tribe (BGT for short) sent the Gnoblars rushing in. Bulls marched 12" up the right, between the rock formation and a hill. Irongut units moved up just enough to cast Gut magic (GM). Offensive GM killed 2 marauders, and defensive GM buffed the two in range Ogre units.

Turn 2 Lets See What I Can Remember Collection!

DANNY delcared a charge with his horseys into the first Gnob unit. They flee 12" behind the Ogre lines and near the table edge. The horseys fail their charge and sit helplessly in the field. Remaining units move up into a turn 3 charge range. BGT moves the Bulls into a flank position on the Marauders, while the Irongut units stay put and blast away with GM. A few more dead warriors, and the main unit passes their first Ld roll at a -4. Gnoblars throw sharp stuff and kill 1 marauder. The other Gnoblar unit rallies and turns around to face the enemy. Hah!

Turn 3 Is Where It Starts To Get Fuzzy Ideas!

DANNY charges the the other Gnoblars (2) with his Chariot and Marauders. They flee, causing the charge to fail. Both units roll to a stop outside of the Gnoblars, leaving the Marauders wide open to a flank charge from the Bulls. The horseys move further down the edge of the flank to line up with the large Ironguts unit. BGT strikes back by charging the Marauders from the front and flank. They lose combat and start to run. Bulls pursue while the Ironguts and Butcher hang back. The Warrior block is forced to flee with a Brainrobbler, running backwards 7" towards the trees. Gnoblars move up to cover the command unit's flank and intercept the horse charge.

Turn 4 Ah Hell, I Am Just Making Stuff Up Storytime!

DANNY fails to rally his Warriors, and charges the Gnobs (1) with his horseys. The Gnobs flee, leaving the horseys standing directly in front of the control unit full of big (hungry) Ogres. Mmmm .. horsemeat! Meanwhile the Marauders keep running for the table edge and the Chariot slams into the Gnoblars on the right (2), killing them in a pursuit off the table edge. The BGT runs over and eats the horses while the Bulls chase the Marauders off the map.

Turn 5 It Is Kind Of Scary How Much Of This I Remember Flashback!

DANNY rallies his Warriors and turns to face the oncoming Ogre horde! The BGT sends the remaining Gnoblars to face the returning Chariot, putting themselves in front of it and throwing rocks (dealing 1 wound). GM takes off a few more Warriors.

Turn 6 Is When The Game Ends Prophecy!

Danny runs over and kills the remaining Gnoblars, while the Warriors move up and into a better position to take the encroaching Ogre Bull charge. BGT rushes the Warriors who manage to pass 3 consecutive Fear tests (including the one at -4) and hold their ground. Close combat ensues, but the large control unit falls 1/2" short of the charge and is left out of the flank. The Butcher and Ironguts kill the Warrior's Chosen (and army general) while the Bulls manage a few wounds of their own. The BGT almost lose the combat by 2 points, but win and chase down the warriors in their pursuit.

And that was the game! The final outcome was ....

A MASSACRE! (1600 points BGT, 80 points Warriors of Chaos)

Battle Report: Beer Gut Tribe vs. Dwarfs 6/17/08.

Well here it is, my second attempt at a "real" battle report from one of my WHFB matches. I can't promise they will all be this detailed, but I thought I would do what I felt was my "ideal" recap and see if I can keep up this level of detail. It probably won't continue like this though.

---

This past Tuesday (6/17/08) I played a 1000 point game against Mr. Stocks and his Dwarfs. I don't know that they have a "name", but I like to call them the Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs. My list for this match up was the following:

Tyrant: 200pts
- Heavy Armor: 6pts
- Tenderiser: 50pts
- Wyrdstone: 20pts
- Longstrider: 25pts
Total: 301

Butcher: 130pts
- Bloodcleaver: 25pts
- Skullmantle: 20pts
Total: 175

Gorger: 75pts

Bulls x 3: 105pts
- Light Armor: 9pts
- XHW + Ironfists: 15pts
Total: 129pts

Bulls x 3: 105pts
- Light Armor: 9pts
- XHW + Ironfists: 15pts
Total: 129pts

Bulls x 3: 105pts
- Light Armor: 9pts
- XHW + Ironfists: 15pts
Total: 129pts

Gnoblar Trappers x 10: 60pts

Total points: 998

I chose to go with a close combat Butcher with the intention of running him in a group of Bulls. I also made the decision to run "hard" Bulls with Light Armor and Ironfists to help protect against the onslaught of shooting in place of any Ironguts. That may have been a mistake in the end, but overall the Bulls held up fairly well.

For some reason beyond me, I played a Tyrant which is 100% illegal at this point total (no Lord slots). I didn't realize my mistake until the next day when Mr. Stocks mentioned it to me. Oops! I wasn't trying to cheat, honestly!

First up in this match, Terrain Placement.

I rolled a 3 while Mr. Stocks rolled a 1. I went with first placement, a small hilled forest in the center of the map. Mr. Stocks went second, placing a small stone fence on one side of the board. I declined to place any additional terrain and he then placed one tall hill on the opposite side of the board. This put me at a bit of a disadvantage as either side would provide bonuses to his army, but the alternative was to place more Line of Sight (LoS) blockers which would have given him a chance to place more hills for his Warmachines (in this case, Bolt Throwers with 48" range).

Next up was Unit Deployment.

I rolled a 5 while Mr. Stocks rolled a 1. I chose the side with the hill as I didn't want to deal with his Bolt Throwers having that much LoS on the board, but this gave the Dwarfs a wall to defend themselves behind while shooting at me for the majority of the game. It might not have been the best choice, but the decision was made and I began by placing my first Unit of Bulls (1) on the board. Mr. Stocks then placed his Longbeards, followed by my second Unit of Bulls (2). Next up for the Dwarfs the Quarrelers, followed by my third and final Unit of Bulls (3). The Warriors were next, and I dropped my Butcher and Tyrant models leaving only my Gnoblar Trappers left for the Scout placement phase. Mr. Stocks finished his deployment by placing his Thunderers, two Bolt Throwers (on either side of his infantry blocks), and finally his Thane in with the Warriors. I wanted to place my Trappers on the far right of the board, directly facing the Quarrlers, but out of LoS from them. This looked to block the Bolt Throwers LoS but my opponent did not agree with this. We rolled off and I lost, so the Trappers were placed in the forest to soak up attacks while my Bulls and Butcher moved into position.

Beer Guts - Turn 1

I rolled 1 (plus 1 from having less Units) for turn order while Mr. Stocks rolled 3. He decided he would like to go second, thus beginning the first turn for the Beer Gut Tribe! The first turn was mostly just a mad, yelling, drunken rush across the open field. The smell of Bugman's Ale and stunty blood drove the battle hungry Bulls into a frenzied death march against a line of Dwarf hand and long guns.

Bulls (1) wheeled and marched towards the table edge in an effort to hide behind the Gnoblar Trappers, while the Butcher followed, also attempting to hide behind the small green tide. The second Unit of Bulls (2) ran headlong at the enemy, screaming something incomprehensible about Dwarf cracklins and ancient floss, while the third Unit of Bulls (3) marched forward dutifully in an attempt to shield their boss.

Magic
The Butcher cast Bullgorger on Bulls (2) with 1 die and a result of 4, but then failed his Strength Check. He then attempted to cast Toothcracker on the same Unit with 1 die and a result of 6, but this was dispelled by 3 die with a 13. For his final spell attempt he cast Trollguts on the same Unit, but failed to please the Great Maw, rolling a 2 on 1 die. Not a good day for the fat, bloody buddy.

No Shooting or Close Combat, and the Beer Guts first turn was then over.

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 1

The cowardly Dwarfs apparently don't believe in "Movement" and decided they would stay where they were at.

Shooting
Forming the backbone of all cowardice, the shooting commenced in great clouds of black powder, and pointy wooden bits thrown from great distances. The Bolt Thrower on the far right turned and fired directly at the nearby Unit of Bulls (1), after turning just past the Gnoblars Trappers who were bravely attempting to throw themselves in harm's way. The shot hit and dealt 1 wound, but failed to kill the first model and so stopped before tearing through the Unit's flank.

Shortly after this a barrage of poorly crafted quarrels were launched in the direction of the same Bulls, hitting 3 times and dealing 2 more wounds. One Bull was dead, but the remaining two rallied with notions of more beer and blood for the brave who made it through the hail of death (either that or they were too stupid to notice they had lost one of their comrades). The cowardly Thunderers on the other side of the battlefield did what they do best, hiding behind a wall and shooting at those not fortunate enough to have guns of their own. They fired at the nearby Unit of Bulls (3) blocking the Tyrant, dealing 4 hits with 2 wounds, and negating the Bulls Armor Save with the help of their long guns.

No movement, and no Close Combat for this round.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 2

Movement
Fearing the harsh Ogre justice they so rightfully deserved for not saving one of the Bulls, the Trappers were able to overcome their petty differences and fight on (aka, no Animosity this turn). Still unable to get off any Charges, the Beer Gut Tribe followed the game plan; namely, getting into a position to smash the crap out of the oncoming force of grumpy little bastards. With the Gorger nowhere to be seen (rolled a 2 on the 4+), Bulls (1) marched forward and wheeled to face the Thunderers. Meanwhile the Trappers ran forward in an attempt to shield the remaining Bulls but stopped just short leaving a Bolt wide gap in the Beer Guts line. The Butcher moved forward to fill this hole, stopping just short of the position which would put him in the Bolt Thrower's line of fire. Meanwhile on the other side of the board, Bulls (2) bravely (and somewhat stupidly) marched forward and finished by staring down the other Bolt Thrower while guffawing loudly. The remaining Bulls (3) continued to march forward, shielding their larger, angrier kin with their significant bulk, and leaving an opening for the Tyrant to move through next turn.

Magic
After finding himself in a less than ideal situation, the Butcher attempted to cast Braingobbler on the Quarrelers who were staring him down. Rolling 1 die, the result was a spectacular 1 and a failure. Knowing his time on this plane was growing short the Butcher frantically ate and spit up the Bonechewer spell in the direction of the Quarrelers with 1 die, and a resulting 6. The Dwarfs prayed to their drunken ancestors, who seemed to be too busy bickering about ancient grudges to listen, and the resulting roll of 5 on 1 die was not enough to dispel. The hail of sticky guts and bone was enough to kill 2 members of the Unit, and the Butcher survived his Strength 4 hit.

Shooting
Sensing their failure yet again the Trappers threw their entire collection of sharp pointy bits at the nearby Longbeards, but it fell short of the grumbling old timers.

Again there was no Close Combat for the turn and thus the Dwarfs began their slow and arduous march against the Ogres.

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 2

Movement
Yet again the ... oh wait, huh? The Dwarfs actually got up and walked a couple of inches?! The Warriors and Thane decided to Charge the Bulls (2) after they grew tired of their endless guffaws and hurr hurr's from the previous turn. With a mighty effort they shuffled their tiny legs, sprinting at incredible speeds, before coming up 1/8" short on the Charge and only moving half of their attempt at 3". The cowardly Thunderers, in an attempt to hide their weak backs, rotated ever so slightly to face the Bulls (3). Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle, the Longbeards marched forward, eager to smash the only thing their tiny pig-like eyes could see: Greenskins.

Shooting
No spells on the board so the Dwarfs moved directly into their only real phase, shooting. The Bolt Thrower on the far right again launched a deadly spike towards the closest Unit of Bulls (1), hitting one squarely in the chest but dealing no wounds. "You call that ah bolt!? Hurr hurr hurr ..". Oblivious to what was happening around them the Bulls (1) didn't seem to notice the volley of quarrels hitting them as well, striking 4 times but dealing 0 wounds. Things were looking up for the Ogres, or at least this lot. On the other side of the board it was a different matter though.

After evading the oncoming Warrior charge, the Bulls (2) took a sharp pointy stick from the remaining Bolt Thrower, hitting them dead center and killing one instantly. The remaining two Bulls (2) felt a bit shaken by this turn of events, fleeing 5" after failing their Panic check with a roll of 9 on 2 die (they were too far out for the Tyrant's Ld score to matter).

With nothing left to do but grumble and pick bugs out of their matted beards, the Dwarfs were done and we moved on to turn 3!

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 3

Movement
Finally, it was time for the smashing! The Trappers were too busy quaking in fear as the zombie like Dwarfs stumbled, and mumbled their way towards them and forgot about their differences long enough to move away from them (again, no Animosity). Meanwhile the Bulls (1) who had been shot at for so long charged headlong into the nearby Quarrelers, while their brothers (3) across the board moved in for the kill against the Thunderers. Both of these Units were peppered with projectiles, with the Quarrelers missing all of their shots, and the Thunderers hitting almost all of theirs (dealing 5 wounds). The Bulls (2) in the center of the table continued to flee, failing their rally check with a 9 yet again and running into the nearby forest. At the same time the Beer Guts were getting shot to bits, their Gorger made his appearance, coming in directly behind the Bolt Thrower near the Warriors and Thunderers (rolled a 3 on the 3+). The Butcher moved up within charge range of the Quarrelers and the Tyrant positioned himself within charge distance of the Thunderers and Bolt Thrower.

Magic
In a further attempt at redemption, the Butcher cast Bullgorger on the Bulls (1) in combat with 1 die, rolling a 4. This was promptly dispelled by 2 die with an 8. Two more attempts to buff the Bulls (1) were made, both Toothcracker and Trollguts, both failing with a 1 and 2 respectively.

Shooting
Sensing they were close to their small and insignificant end, the Trappers picked up and hurled another barrage of sharp bits at the nearby Longbeards, dealing 4 hits and wounding 1. The Longbeard in question managed to shrug off the damage thanks to his Heavy Armor, before proceeding to grumble about how tough Greenskins were back in his day.

Close Combat
Enraged by the death of his comrades the remaining Bull (3) in the third Unit smashed into the Thunderers, dealing 2 hits and 1 wound with 4 attacks. He lost the combat but passed his Break test and continued to fight. Meanwhile the Bulls (1) who had fared better against the incoming clouds of projectiles attacked the Quarrelers, hitting 5 times and wounding 3. One wound was saved by the Light Armor and Shields, but 2 died on the spot. After the Bulls (1) won the combat the Quarrelers failed their Break test and ran off the back edge of the board with the Bulls (1) pursuing.

With things finally looking up a bit the Beer Guts braced themselves for the coming counter attack with the board looking like this:

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 3

Movement
Again, throwing tradition to the wind, the Dwarfs reached a critical mass and charged headlong into battle. The Longbeards charged the worthless Gnoblar Trappers, who threw their remaining point bits helplessly at their dirty, flat faces to no effect (4 hits with 0 wounds). The result of the charge is a rank of Trappers again leaving their Ogre master exposed to the onslaught of Dwarf projectile weaponry, in this case the Bolt Thrower pointed at their Butcher. On the other side of the board the Unit of Warriors and their Thane turned to prepare for the coming charges of the Tyrant and Gorger.

Shooting
The far right Bolt Thrower launched a giant pointy log at the Butcher who was hit in the chest, and before shrugging off a majority of the damage, taking only 1 wound and stopping the bolt with his massive girth. The other Bolt Thrower turned to face the incoming Gorger, firing a point blank shot at it's chest with surgical precision. Sadly, Dwarfs are not known for their surgical prowess and the Bolt promptly fell to the wayside dealing 0 wounds to the ravenous horror in front of it. With the Quarrelers dead and the Thunderers tied up in Close Combat, the remaining shooting capabilities of the Dwarf force were not living up to the hype.

Close Combat
Combat began with the sole Bull (3) attacking the remaining Thunderers, where he was hit once but did not sustain any damage from their inferior Dwarf weapons. The Bull (3) lost the combat but passed his Break test. Across the battlefield things were not going as well for the Butcher and Gnoblar Trappers. The Trappers were quickly decimated by the geriatric force of the Longbeards, who then Overrun directly into the Butcher.

And with that battle hanging in the balance the Dwarf turn was over, and the Beer Guts were poised to strike back.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 4

Movement
The Bulls (1) who had chased the Quarrelers off the board returned in search of more violent conflict, only to find full ranks of angry old men beating on their tribe's Butcher and a Bolt Thrower pointed in their direction. Never ones to give up a fight before it started, they moved directly towards the Bolt Thrower and crew. The Gorger fell upon the other Bolt Thrower, howling for blood, and caked in what appeared to be dried excrement, while the nearby Tyrant ran headlong into the rear of the Thunderers (after winning a dice roll to determine if he was in the Unit's flank or rear before the Charge). The fleeing Bulls rallied and turned to face the Warriors and Thane, feeling quite content to stay in the forest and observe the action from a safe distance.

Magic
Yet again proving he had lost favor with the Great Maw, the Butcher was unable to cast a single spell in combat. After attempting Bullgorger on the nearby unit of Bulls (1) and failing, his attempts to cast Toothcracker (a 6 with 1 die) and Trollguts (a 5 on 1 die) on himself were both dispelled by the Dwarf forces (with an 8 and 10 respectively). With nothing left to live for the Butcher threw himself at the nearest enemy, eager to die and prove his faith to the Maw.

Close Combat
The Butcher promptly challenged the Unit Champion, killing him with 4 hits and 1 wound, while recovering the 1 wound he had lost previously thanks to the Bloodcleaver. It wasn't enough though, and the Longbeards won the combat forcing the Butcher to make a Break test at a -4 penalty. The Butcher failed his test and fled 11". The Longbeards pursued 6" but were not able to catch the Butcher. Meanwhile the Dwarf Thunderers found themselves sandwiched between two angry Ogres. The Tyrant striked first, dealing 3 wounds with 4 attacks and forcing the Thunderers to take a Break test. They failed their test and fled, but were followed by the remaining Bull (3) while the Tyrant waited to charge the remaining Bolt Thrower crew or incoming Warriors and Thane. It ends up being the Unit of Warriors as the Gorger decimates the Bolt Thrower crew, chasing them down before running headlong into the Warriors.

With fresh blood on the battlefield, and a renewed vigor brought on by having a Lord in a 1000 point game, the Beer Gut Tribe seemed to have the upper hand. Not everything was as it seemed though ...

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 4

Movement
The Longbeards charged the Butcher's rear and forced him to continue his flight away from the adult diaper wearing veterans. He fled an additional 8" but was not out of the game yet, still sitting 2" away from the edge of the board. The Longbeards failed their charge and moved just 3" forward. Meanwhile the Thunderers were able to rally and turned to face the incoming Bull (3).

Shooting
Again, with surgical precision, the Dwarf Bolt Thrower fired at the encroaching Bulls (1) but failed to hit anything.

Close Combat
The Warriors and their Thane were thrust into battle as they were attacked by the stinking, and ravenous Gorger. The Gorger tore through 2 of the front rank before suffering 1 wound of his own, but was able to stay in the battle for the next turn.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 5

Movement
After taking a moment to assess the situation, the forest dwelling Bulls (2) decided to move towards the nearby Thunderers in an attempt to help the sole Bull (3), who was currently charging back into battle against the remaining stunties with guns. Meanwhile the returning Bulls (1) charged the poorly aimed, nearby Bolt Thrower in an effort to stop to the Dwarfs from ever seeing another Shooting phase in the game. The Tyrant rushed into battle to join the Gorger and was promptly challenged by a Dwarf Warrior Champion, while the Butcher failed to rally and ran off the edge of the field giving Mr. Stocks 175 points and accomplishing nothing for the Beer Gut Tribe.

Close Combat
The triumphant Bulls (1) killed 2 members of the Bolt Thrower crew, winning combat and forcing the Dwarfs to make a Break test. They failed their test and ran 5" while the Bulls (1) chased the fleeing crew 7" and stabbed them in their tiny backs. The Thunderers were dealt another 2 wounds by the remaining Bull (3), but held fast for another round of combat. Meanwhile, the Tyrant smashed through the Warrior Champion, dealing 3 wounds and winning the challenge with an Overkill. Sadly it didn't matter as the Gorger failed to land a single attack, rolling 4 die and getting 4 ones. The Tyrant is forced to make a Break test which he fails, and he proceeds to flee 6" away from the melee.

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 5

Movement
With no enemy in sight, the Longbeards shuffled towards the empty table quarter in an attempt to secure some victory points for the Dwarfs.

Close Combat
The Thunderers managed to strike back against the lone Bull (3), but failed to hit or wound. The Bull also striked back, and also failed to wound. The Bull won combat by1, and the Thunderers were forced to flee 3" while the Bull chased behind them with a pursuit roll of 2". The Gorger stayed in combat, directing all of his attacks at the Dwarf Thane but failing to do any damage. He suffered and additional 2 wounds from the Unit of Warriors and only has 1 wound remaining at the end of the Turn.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 6

Movement
The Tyrant finally realized he was running from a bunch of moving speed bumps and quickly rallied to face the remaining Dwarf force. Meanwhile, the lone Bull (3) charged the last two Thunderers, who were able to stand their ground but were not able to fire at the incoming Ogre. With the Thunderers under control the Unit of Bulls (2) near the forest moved to help secure a table quarter in case the Dwarf Thunderers decided to stick around, while the other remaining Bulls (1) charged the flank of the Warriors.

Close Combat
The Bulls (1) were able to strike first, but dealt only 1 wound to the Warriors before one of the Bulls was killed outright by the Warriors on the flank. The Gorger attacked the Thane again, this time killing him and securing his head as a gnobby, hair covered trophy to decorate his cave wall. The remaining Warriors in the front rank were able to strike back against the Gorger but failed to deal the killing blow leaving the Gorger with one wound remaining and still in combat. The Bulls (1) failed their Break test and fled 8" away from the Warriors. Meanwhile the eternal struggle of Thunderers vs. Bull (3) finally comes to an end as they are killed by 2 wounds dealt with 4 attacks in the charge.

And with that the battle is over .... or is it?

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 6

Movement
The Unit of Longbeards continued its quest to hobble around the southern most corner of the map, while the Warriors found themselves stuck in Close Combat with the Gorger.

Close Combat
With their last bit of dignity intact, the Warriors managed to deal one wound to the Gorger, killing him and with it, any chance of contesting the table corner.

Game Result: DRAW

Yup. All of that for a draw. It could have been worse, I almost lost the cheating points I alloted for the Tyrant as he was running for his life. All in all it was a good game, and I have finally seen the true capabilities of the Gorger (this was my first time using the Unit). I really only have one thing to say in conclusion to all of this: I am tired of playing against Dwarfs.

Oh ... and good game Mr. Stocks (you Cheaty Stunty Shootaah).