Had a pickup game of T’Old World vs a potential competitor in a tournament I’m attending in August. Since my full army for that event is not painted up yet, I opted for a less competitive list with painted models.
We used a preset terrain layout from the Squarebased guys and ended up rolling control the watchtower scenario - although that didn’t quite matter in the end.
My opponent rolled with two level 4 wizards on sketal horses (necromancy and illusion), each in a bunker with a number of skellington horse archers. Besides that he had mostly chaff, a necrosphinx, two scorpions, a block of spear skellies, and most importantly a casket of souls and a smattering of tomb swarms.
I brought my freshly painted bale taurus prophet, with meteoric armour, mantle of stone, and amulet of protection. Besides that blorcs, hobo archers and infernal guard in core, 3 bully centaurs, a mortar and a rocket launcher, as well as a Tau’ruk and a seneschal bsb.
Deployment:
My plan was to bunker down with the war machines in one corner, and try to outmaneuver him with my faster moving units on the other flank.
End of round 1:
My bull centaurs get mulched by debuffs and the casket’s light of death bound spell. I quickly realize I am powerless to resist in the magic phase, as his wizards munch on scarabs and enjoy a +1 to cast from the casket - basically casting on +8 on every spell 
I for some reason decide to put my black orcs in marching column and go up the board - a bad move that assures they never see combat this game. My infernal guard are likewise completely stationary throughout, and do nothing but act as bodyguards for my artillery (which also do nothing, but I’m getting ahead of myself)
End of round 2:
His chariots spread my one hobo unit into a fine red paste, and the carrion tear up the other unit and send them fleeing, never to return. My Taurus charges the unit of Ushabti on the northern hill, but just barely fails to destroy them and earn his overrun. In the enemy turn, the necrosphinx and remaining ushabti charge in, but are pushed back. The remaining bull centaur creeps around the vortex, hoping to get a shot at the casket (he later gets erased via magic missile).
End of round 3:
Scorpions come up, and the enemy necrosphinx and skeleton block engage the bale taurus. The Tau’ruk is charged by a few ushabti and fight fairly well in a challenge vs. their champion.
End of round 4:
The bale taurus’ fiery aura destroys the skeleton champion before he can issue a challenge, and thus it and the prophet are free to whale away on skeletons for a massive combat win that sees both sketons and necrosphinx crumble to dust. Awesome! He’s then shot to death by a s2 magic missile that rolls 5 6’s to wound.
Tau’ruk has killed the ushabti champion, only for it to be resurrected again. They enter into another challenge, but this time he’s engaged in both flank and rear and has to take a break test. I use stubborn to FBIGO, but he takes a wound due to perilousness and dies.
End of 5th and 6th:
This picture will suffice for the remaining two rounds, as nothing happens, other than the orcs being absolutely battered with magic missiles and whatnot, and the sole remaining big boss calling Waaagh! and then fearing the scorpion, completely refusing to charge it. Then he too gets pelted with magic missiles and dies.
Thoughts:
For the entire game, my two war machines fired shot after shot at the casket of souls, but did f**k all. They each misfired once, but on both occassions rolled a 5 on the misfire table, and the dreadquake failed to load once as well.
This game took 5 hours and I think I was active for about 1½ of those. The list my opponent had brought was extremely logistically demanding, what with 11 spells to potentially cast each round (2 lvl 4’s and a total of 3 bound spells).
I have to say, with as much as I like to just have the opportunity to push dolls around, this game was not really enjoyable. The Bale Taurus vs. the world was a highlight, cause it had some stakes in it, and the fighting there was really exciting, but the rest of it was just sort of draining. An enemy list that specializes in running avoidance and magic for 6 turns - not the most fun.
For my final list, I will be bringing the dreadquake, cause the movement debuff can be really helpful, and the s6 d6 wound center shot can potentially be devastating (if it manages to hit and wound. No such luck this game). The deathshrieker will stay at home, though.
The Tau’ruk will likewise be switched out, and the points will be put into an iron daemon and probably a hobo khan on a wolf.
I’m not impressed by the bull centaurs thus far, but to be fair, they haven’t really had a chance to do their thing in the two games I’ve brought them. I’ll probably still bring them to the tournament, just because they’re cool and mobile.
Yeah, so a bit of a moot feeling this evening, as I looked forward to playing, but was kind of shut down on most fronts throughout the game. +8 to cast everything all the time is pretty busted, imo, but what can you do. I should have just pushed everything up the board from round 1, and tried to suffocate him with my infantry. The way I played, I had no such advantage, and was picked apart bit by bit. Live and learn.
Good evening to you all. I will sacrifice a thousand slaves this night, to ease my shame, and the anger of Hashut, for this defeat
