40kenthusiast:
In an attempt to surprise my nemesii I took Chaos Dwarfs this year to 'Ardboyz.
Deep within his forges, the dreaded Red Bull took the auguries. The readings had been favorable, Hashut would smile on his enterprise. To the lands of his hated Kinsman he must go, sojourning across the Chaos Waste. He readied his corrupted throng. Thorek Ironbrow would be taken as a servant of the folk of Zharr Nagrund, for too long had his power bolstered the unbelievers. Hashut had spoken, and he must be obeyed.
List:
Chaos Dwarf lord w/ Black Hammer of Hashut, Armor of the Furnace, shield, Great Taurus
Bull Centaur Lord w/great weapon, Armor of Gazrahk, talisman of protection
Bull Centaur hero (bsb), heavy armor, Black Gem of Gnar
Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer w/2 scrolls
Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer w/2 scrolls
Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer w/1 scroll
10 Chaos Dwarf Warriors w/Blunderbusses
10 Chaos Dwarf Warriors w/Blunderbusses
20 Chaos Dwarf Warriors w/Full Command
20 Chaos Dwarf Warriors w/Full Command
10 Hobgoblins
10 Hobgoblins w/bows on wolves
Hobgoblin Bolt Thrower
Hobgoblin Bolt Thrower
Hobgoblin Bolt Thrower
Hobgoblin Bolt Thrower
Death Rocket
Death Rocket
20 Black Orcs w/shield, full command
Earthshaker
Earthshaker
10 Bull Centaurs w/heavy armor, full command
Turnout:
The turnout was average for an 'Ardboyz fantasy event,
We had an Empire army, 4 Daemons of Chaos, 2 Warriors of Chaos, 1 High Elf, 2 Dark Elves, 1 Lizardman, 1 Chaos Dwarfs (me), 1 Dwarf, and one Orks and Goblins army.
In the first round, I was matched up with my playtesting partner, a skilled player, if somewhat inexperienced. His blitz list is first rate.
Warriors of Chaos:
Archaon
Lord w/father of blades, armor of damnation, talisman of protection, mark of tzeentch, daemonic steed, shield
Hero w/MoK, Axe of Khorne, something that gives MR
Hero w/MoN, halberd, armor
Sorcerer w/MoN, infernal puppet
Sorcerer w/dispel scroll
5 Marauder Cav w/ throwing axes
5 Marauder Cav w/ throwing axes
5 Marauder Cav w/ throwing axes
5 Marauder Cav w/ throwing axes
6 Knights, MoN
6 Knights, MoN
6 Knights, Swords of Chaos, MoT
He also has some banners that help vs. shooting, and MR on his units somehow or other.
The Red Bull narrowed his eyes, gazing at the blasted horizon of the Chaos Waste. “Soldiers”, he muttered “the Throng of the Everchosen”. He turned to his taskmasters.
“Get the artillery ready, we’ll need to soften them up before we take them.”
Deployment:
I spread out, putting the Red Bull back and center, and the Bull Centaur unit on the flank, near War Machine Hill.
He had his westernmost unit as the Khornate hero’s unit, the unit in the center had both his Lord and the MoN hero, and the Swords took up the East flank w/Archaon. He was keeping his distance with his, leery of the Earthshaker’s slowing effect.
Top 1: he won the roll to go first.
He left his mages sitting in the woods, and marched all 3 units south as fast as they could go. Then it was my turn.
“They know no fear!” gasped a minion. “They come for our hearts and souls!”. The Red Bull nodded sagely, patience and cruelty alike aflame in his eyes. “That eagerness shall be their undoing.”
Bottom 1:
I marched up my wolfriders and put them in front of the Swords, angled west. I march up the footslogger Hobgobs in front of the center unit, angled East, hoping to get them to collide in front of my lines. On the west I put a unit of Blunderbusses in front of the Khornate char’s unit, angled so pursuit would take him off the map. The Red Bull flies over them, aiming back.
“Fire, Fire!” roared the Red Bull, but the weapons of the Zharr Dawi had no effect on their dread foes. The Hand of the Gods was upon them".
Top 2:
He charges in all three areas. The swords crush the wolf riders and overrun, the Nurglers crush the footslogger hobgobs, and, critically, fail their test to restrain, running into Archaon’s unit t-bone style, and presenting their flanks + rears. The Blunderbus guys flee off the board, leaving the Khornate unit in front of my Bull Centaurs.
Bottom 2:
“Now!” roared the Red Bull, “For Zharr Nagrund!” With a roar, the Dawi ranks surged forwards…"
The Red Bull rear charged the Nurgle knights, while a block of Chaos Dwarf warriors successfully flank charged (I was sweating that fear test, let me tell you). On the western flank, the Bull Centaurs likewise passed their fear test to charge the Knights led by the Khornate hero.
The Hobgobs of War Machine hill were frighteningly accurate as they blasted the Swords of Chaos, they put a wound on Archaon, and killed every Sword.
On the west combat, the BSB used the Black Gem of Gnar to freeze himself and the Khornate character out of the combat, while the Bull Centaur lord layed into the rank and file, killing 3. The Bull Centaurs killed another 2, which took care of the front rank. He lost combat by 5 kills, BSB, mass, and he broke and was run down, with the Bull Centaurs claiming his banner.
In the center, the Red Bull killed one Nurgle Knight, while the Knight on the flank killed a Chaos dwarves. So he lost by 3 ranks, banner, mass, flank, rear. Thus, even with Archaon nearby he needed snake eyes to hold, and didn’t get it. The Red Bull ran them down.
The urgency of the Chaos Knights to slay the hobgobs had been their undoing. In a series of vicious tactical maneuvers the Red Bull reduced their once mighty host to ruin. Not a single knight was left, save for the Everchosen. The Dawi spread out to claim of the terrain, as the mighty Chaos Lord vented his rage on the Hobgoblins of the war machine crews."
The rest of the battle was me running from Archaon. He basically got war machine hill, but naught else. A marauder horseman killed one of my wizards towards battles end.
For all this slaughter, I only pulled a minor victory. Without killing Archaon I just couldn’t get up into major territory.
I got 13 for the win, 1 for keeping my general alive, one for keeping my army standard intact.
Leaving behind the maddened war leader the Chaos Dwarfs hastened onwards. The Red Bull had a terrible feeling that the Four would not allow this insult to pass…
With a win in the can, I was up against Daemons. They had tied their foe the previous round, and the TO paired them up instead of down, so I was to take them on.
The player took one look at the field, said, huh, I’m pretty much out of this tournament, but you are in. Guess I’ll knock you out.
He deployed all his guys behind woods and hills, and gave me the first turn. My dwarves can’t move fast enough to cross a field, ford woods an get to Daemons. We moved up and took the center for the bonus point.
I got 13 points, 10 for the tie, one for the totem, one for keeping my general alive, one for keeping my wizards alive.
The Expected Daemonic reprisal never materialized…the Red Bull watched expectantly, but save for rocks and trees the enemy showed little presence. Some minor skirmishing, but no open field engagement such as would threaten either side
The final battle was against the traitorous Dwarfs!
Dwarf Lord w/invincibility setup
Thorek
2 Fighty Thanes
1 BSB
20 Longbeards
20 Hammerers
20 Ironbreakers
Bolt thrower w/flaming, other runes
Bolt thrower w/no flaming
Stone thrower w/flaming
10 Quarrellers
10 Thunderers
10 Quarrellers
10 Miners
“At last, our troublesome kinsmen” mused the Red Bull. “Centaurs, take Thorek into our custody!”
Top 1:
I went first, bombarding him with earthshaker and other rounds, killing > half of his Ironbreakers, and slowing his host. I sent my Bull Centaurs rushing up, and my army advancing towards the midfield . My wolf riders snuck around the flank, towards the one nonflaming bolt thrower (which could hurt my Lord)
He returned fire, killing not very much. Then Thorke Rath and Ruined my Bull Centaurs, killing many, and both earthshakers, damaging them.
Top 2:
The Red Bull watched with concern as the enemy’s shooting destroyed his minions…could the attack succeed?"
I continued to close with him. Shooting this round was almost worthless, maybe a few more ironbreakers died, maybe not.
Bottom 2:
He shot back, much more effectively this time, breaking a blunderbus unit. Thorek destroyed an earthshaker and crushed the Bull centaurs.
Top 3:
“If you want something done…” grumbled the Red Dwarf, as he took to the skies. The Blessings of Hashut would protect him from the enemy’s war machines, and Thorek would be in shackles by nightfall.
The Bull centaur characters charge the Quarrellers guarding Thorek, but they stand and shoot down the BSB, and hold vs. the Lord.
The Wolves get the Bolt Thrower (locking it up), and the Red Bull moves out, aiming away from his Lord and moving in on Thorek. My rush continues, and a Death rocket blows itself up, while the last Earthshaker does the 2 round misfire.
Bottom 3:
He blasts down another blunderbuss squad with his little shooting, and my Bull Centaur Lord breaks from his quarrellers (wtf?) His Lord moves out a bit, as his miners crump another bolt thrower.
Top 4:
Closer and closer circled the Red Bull, disregarding the battle in his obsession. No bullet or arrow harmed him, as he closed on the Ironbrow.
Red Bull flies around to the backfield, avoiding the ranges that he could get units hammered into me. I move up the field, but can’t press the assault with my characters fleeing or dead.
Bottom 4:
He hammers the Lord into charges vs. my Bull Centaur Lord and my Black Orks, both of whom flee. His shooting is mostly ineffective, kinda like mine.
Top 5:
Only steps seperated him from his prey. He gave a roar of rage…and Thorek looked up. A grimace of denial and stubborn pride formed on the old dawi’s face, and his hammer rose and fell one last time
The Eartshaker shoots again, slowing his battle line so Thorek can’t hammer em in, and the Red Bull Lands an inch in front of Thorek. Go Time.
Bottom 5:
Thorek blows himself up, the Lord chases my Lord + Black Orks.
Thorek had escaped the grasp of Hashut! The Red Bull raged, but there was naught to be done. Renegade stubbornness had claimed a victory where none should be possible, and disengagement was the only option.
Top 6: I terror some guys off, sit in table quarters.
Bottom 6: He does the table quarter dance as well.
We are so tied its not even funny, with like 900 points each killed. We are a thousand points away from a victory. I get one more battle point that he because I have a unit close to his board edge (Red Bull).
So, overall, I got 15 + 13 + 13. I’m in the high-middle of the pack, and fail to qualify…but tomorrow is another qualifier…and the Chaos Dwarfs never admit defeat!
The Red Bull longed for home and forge…but the whispers of Hashut continued…