So in a wee break from our grow league, Andy borrowed 2000pts of Dweghom to face my Nords. I was running my 2000pts list for the grow league, and am not far of finishing the paitning, given I spent all last weekend doing 24 Huscarls as the elite bodyguard for my Konungyr.
My force consisted of Konungyr with 6 stands of Huscarls, 3 stands of Bow Chosen and a pair of Mountain Jotnar, with a second Warband of my Brute Blooded (Curse of the Vaegr) with 5 Ugr, a second unti of 4 Ugr, 4 Werewolves and a pack of 3 Fenr
Andy had a seriously hard Hold Raegh as Warlord, who was baptised in combat with Steel enhancement and level 3 combat retinue. And was in with 5 stands of Hold thanes, the rest of the warband being 3 stands of dragonslayers, 3 stands of Fireforged and 6 Hold Warriors. A Tempered Sorcereon a Fire Drake had unit of Hold Ballistae and an Ardent Kerwagh had a unit of Initiates.
A tough army to be sure, one Chris doesn't play it enough in my opinion but I'm a big fan of these Dwarves...
We were playing the "Grind them Down" scenario
Scoring outlined below
TURN 1
I brought on my Bow Chosen to head for the hill to face off against Andy's Hold Ballistae
TURN 2
This turn saw us bring on our mediums (but my Werewolves didn't want to come on)
Andrew spread out with his six stands of Hold Warriors on my left, Hold Ballistae sitting back along with Fireforged and the Ardent Kerwagh's Initiates on my right.
I had my Blooded's UGR on my left, Bow Chosen march up into range while The Konungyr's Huscarls headed for the central objective while my smaller unit of UGR took the right objective zone
The right flank view...
END OF TURN 2
With both of us holding the flank objectives, it was 6-6
TURN 3
I got the first turn and unleashed the Bow Chosen
who scored 2 auto wounds and 8 hits on the Hold Ballistae
dropping a stand...
After the Fireforged moved up, the Huscarls took the centre zone
My Blooded moved up out of the left zone to threaten the Warriors...
But the Fenr being a medium unit took control
The Hold Raegh and his Thanes came on to square off against my Huscarls and Konungyr
And my Werewolves showed up, moving up the right flank ready to pounce on the Initiates next turn
Andy still had his Fire Drake and Sorcerer off while I was missing both Mountain Jotnars...
END OF TURN 3
With me holding the centre, I sneaked ahead
NORDS 15 VP's
DWEGHOM 12 VP's
The Dragonslayers had sneaked on at my left top as last activation end of last turn. Centre and left of field...
Right side and with me getting to activate first, this is where my hammer would fall
TURN 4
I rolled my Bloodlust and passed but charged in any way, scoring a point from "For Glory". (The secondary point scoring cards have been abandoned in proper games but we still use them occasionally at bigger points as we like the flavour it adds)
I scored seven hits, but having charged through the trees I didnt get any impact attacks
The Dweghom initiates took four wounds, not losing a stand...
And Andy was very keen at this point to explain how Dismay worked...
Activating his Ardent Kerwagh and successfully praying the "Dismay" , he broke the Werewolves...
Who were then attacked by the Initiates
who rolled well enough to just manage the eight wounds with failed resolve to kill two of the Beasts, shattering them. Hmmm, not a great start but my UGR moved up ready to charge in for impact damage
Sadly, needing a 2+ I rolled the dreaded one...
Andy had shuffled his Fireforged over to allow his Thanes to advance
My Mountain Jotnar stormed on from the flank to threaten the Initiates
I consolidated my Huscarls on the centre as that fire line and those thanes would batter me. And the Firedrake still had to show up...
Keeping my Huscarls out of its range led Andy to bring it over to face the Mountain jotnar
who managed to take seven wounds and become broken due to failed resolve from the fireball spell...Not what I wanted or expected.
My Big Blue Jotnar had turned up to claim my right side objective
END OF TURN 4
NORDS 23 VP's
DWEGHOM 18 VP's
TURN 5
Andy got first activation and the Fire Drake overcharged before unleashing hell...
taking another six wounds off of the Mountain Jotnar... Who still lived!!!
But my first activation was my four strong UGR who charged into the Initiates, impacting heavily and then scoring enough hits which Andy's saves and resolve dice were not up to..
I'd scored another secondary point For Glory as well as a further two for killing the Ardent Kerwagh. The Tempered Sorcerer decided to fireball the Mountain Jotnar to finish him off, which he duly did...
With his loss, I had to activate my other one, who moved up but still held the objective at my right
Andy's Fireforged shot a stand of Huscarl's down, but his Hold Raegh and Thanes didnt want to advance
While the Bow Chosen dropped another stand of Hold Ballistae, who returned the compliment
I stood my ground in the centre, despite Andy trying to smack talk me into a fight...
On the left, Andy actually sat back so I held there too. I was not getting drawn into a fight with Warriors and Dragonslayers in my flank...
END OF TURN 5
NORDS 31 VP's
DWEGHOM 20 VP's
TURN 6
I got the first activation, and again surprised Andy with a move then charge for impact into the Fire Drake with the UGR's
And I dropped the Hold Ballistae to 3 wounds with the Bow Chosen...
Before the Dweghom marksmen managed to outshoot me...
I used my Fluid Formation to whistle my Fenr pack off of the left objective and head to the right to free up my Big Blue giant...
They would make it next turn ...
The Drake managed to kill a single UGR
While the Hold Warriors advanced up finally as my Blooded was holding back...
And the Thanes headed into the centre ring for the epic battle... finally!!!
The Dragon Slayers levelled up with the Hold Warriors. I waited patiently, ready to fight on my terms...
The Sorcerer killed another UGR breaking them but Andy only scored 2 VP's this turn to my sixas my giant still held the right. The centre was now contested.
END OF TURN 6
NORDS 37 VP's
DWEGHOM 23 VP's
TURN 7
I got the first activation, and while Andy expected a Huscarl charge, again my UGR went first, savaging the Fire drake due to flurry and plus one attack. The sorcerer and beast held on with a mere two wounds...
And was happy to get the charge in but I felt I could hold...
Alas, I may have misjudged how angry the little guys were...
I was left with my leader and my Konungyr and had two resolve tests to make (we did all the attacks then resolves, then remembered to do two more form Andy getting two extra attacks per command stand) I needed to pass them both...
Oh well, I guess my Newly painted Huscarls were suffering from newly painted unit syndrome!!!
I was unpleasantly surprised by this and Andy's demeanour changed from sulking about me not charging him (despite my whole right flank attack) and he was not going into overdrive with his troops...
My Fenr edged into the right objective freeing up the Big blue Jotnar...
And I backed off on the left side a bit more...
The Drake and sorcerer finished off my valiant UGR's, but sat with just two wounds left...
Sending the Jotnar into the flank of the Thanes would be suicidal so he sped off up towards the Drake. Andy's missile troops had to turn to try and halt the big guy, but weren't set up to shoot this turn. The complete annihilation of my centre was a massive blow and no mistake...
The Fireforged swung about...
But I had my eyes on a new lizard skin coat!!!
And Andy held the Warriors back to score, so the Dragonslayers advanced alone
Andy scored a shed load of points with two zones, Kingslayer card, plus another one, also two for my Warlord. But I still scored six and was still well ahead...
TURN 8
I got first activation, weighing up a 4+ charge with no re-roll. I couldnt risk it, so mvoed up and then charged for six impact hits.
The big lizard died, along with the Sorcerer. Alas, the Fireforged broke the big guy so he couldnt claim the zone...
On the right, the elite Dragonslayers charged in with their Cleave 3 attacks hitting on 4's withrerolls against Brutes or Monsters...
No saves for the twelve hits caused meant a lot of resolve checks on 4 or less...
Well that was very impressive!!! Alas, Andy (or rather the Dweghom had the Pursuit of Argm so as a free action the Dweghom command stand can issue a duel. Had I not accepted, my unit would be broken. Hmmm, he has eight attacks with re-rolls hitting on 4+ with no save v my seven wounds!!!
I accepted and with their quicksilver strike, the fiend hunters cut my fiend down before he could even raise his sword....
Still, my unit wasn't broken and I still held the zone and I did remove a stand of Dragonslayers
END OF TURN 8
NORDS 51 VP's
DWEGHOM 46 VP's
TURN 9
Andy activated first with the Dragonslayers and wiped out the UGR's
I turned to face the incoming storm...
But died despite my stoic approach to fate...
And my Fenr still held the zone but Andy didnt chase the pack down..
END OF TURN 9
DWEGHOM 56 VP's
NORDS 53 VP's
TURN 10
We played by passing out as nothing else to do. With my right hook having failed and the utter collapse of my centre, I couldn't retain the lead I'd taken from Turn 3 onwards. With only my Fenr pack skulking in the right objective, Andy had achieved a major victory
DWEGHOM 67 VP's
NORDS 55 VP's
A cracking game despite the total collapse. Chris derided us both for being too cautious but I don't agree. I had a plan to tag team the Jotnar down the right but lost too many unit's too quickly and Andy's took them piecemeal on the right. Andy's plan involved spells, prayers a dragon and firepower and it certainly thinned me a bit before he toddled up and into melee. Had I managed to combine a bit there I would have hit his Thanes or Fireforged with a big guy to support my Huscarls. Andy sat back and let me build a lead, and had to come forward but he did so with devastating effect. My Huscarls would have done better if based, that's what the issue was...
