Played my first game of Warhammer since my last 8th Edition game back in 2013-2014 - I’m still really put off with so much of AoS, but TOW has managed to make we want to jump back in with both feet!
My buddy and I planned on a relaxed 500 pt game just to give ourselves a chance to grind through the new rules and get a feel for the new rules. Being relaxed we didn’t stay super strict to the points range restrictions. In the end I was the only one who broke this by taking an Daemonsmith Sorcerer on a Lammasu in our 500pt game, when I shouldn’t have been allowed to until we got up to 1000pts. We both wanted a spell caster to see how casting goes, hence the flexibility.
Nicodemus’ Chaos Dwarfs: Karak Morgim Advance Party [498/500 pts]
Character
Lv 1 Daemonsmith Sorcerer, Lore: Daemonology [210 pts]
HW, Heavy Armour, mounted on a Lammasu w/ Sorcerous Exhalation
Magic Item: LuckstoneCore
10 Infernal Guard [128 pts]
Full Command, with HW and Heavy Armour10 Infernal Guard [160 pts]
with Hailshot Blunderbuss and Heavy Armour
facing off against…
Dark Elvess: Elf O’Matic [489/500 pts]
Character
Lv 2 Sorceress, Lore: Dark Magic [105 pts]
Hand WeaponCore
10 Black Ark Corsairs [128 pts]
Full Command, HW, light armour10 Witch Elves [131 pts]
Full Command, Two HWs10 Repeater Crossbowmen [125 pts]
Full Command, HW, Repeater Xbows, light armour
Format: Pitched Battle
The Setup:
Spells: My Lv 1. CD Sorcerer took the signature Daemonology spell The Summoning, while the DE Sorceress had Doombolt and Infernal Gateway.
I won the roll at the start and elected to have the Dark Elves to deploy first. With fewer units to deploy I was able to add +1 to my roll to see who would go first and I won that roll as well.
My strategy with my slow CD units has always been to deploy a little bit farther back so my foes are forced to advance more. It may not be the right play, but with Mv 3 units I don’t see any point in trying to adopt a play style that tries to get my units out into the battle field because we’re not going to out maneuver anyone.
Turn 1
Chaos Dwarfs move first and it’s fairly boring. I made a half-hearted show of moving my Infernal Guard with hand weapons up about 3", whereas my Blunderbuss unit and general on Lammasu moved up the edge of the battle field partially obscured by some ruined terrain.
The Darl Elves were much more gung-ho. All units moved and maneuvered farther up the table getting ready for some nefarious deeds.
End of Turn 1
Turn 2
Chaos Dwarfs left the IG with hand weapons down the centre of the battle field where they were, moved the Blunderbuss unit up only a few inches, but drove the general on his flying mount far down the table around the far piece of terrain and turned to face the flank of the unit of Witch Elves… this was very satisfying once my opponent realized where I was…
At the top of the Turn 2 Shooting Phase my Lammasu unleashed a Sorcerous Exhalation. While not totally crippling, it was very satisfying to see 3 Witch Elves removed. My Sorcerer also tried to cast The Summoning magic missile spell, but failed his roll and the spell fizzled. Luckily no miscast.
In the bottom of Turn 2 The Witch Elves charged the CD general, the Black Ark Corsairs didn’t move, while the DE Repeater Xbowmen advanced to target my Infernal Guard armed with HWs. The Sorceress also tried to cast Infernal Gateway to move the Black Ark Corsairs but rolled snake eyes, triggering a miscast. Those two golden GW dice from last year’s anniversary give-way immediately went into the DE army’s dice jail for the rest of the game.
During the Shooting Phase the Xbowmen unleashed a hail of bolts on my IG unit, however despite getting two shots per firing model at -1 to hit I only lost one model, bringing the unit down to 9 models.
Hold… HOLD!!!
In the Close Combat phase the CD general on his Lammasu and Witch Elves battled it out. The Witch Elves were able to inflict a single wound on the general… although once the tallies from Daemonsmith Sorcerer, the Lammasu and the Lammasu’s Stomp were reconciled the Witch Elf unit crumbled from 7 models to 3. The frenzied unit then made a Break test (which we thought they still would do, even with Frenzy) and turned tail and ran. Sadly the Lammasu only moved up 3" during the pursuit phase… THREE an epically abysmal showing from a model with the Swiftstride rule that gets to add an extra D6.
Turn 3
Now it was time for the Chaos Dwarfs to tighten their fist around the necks of these posturing catamites! I announced a charge against the 3 Witch Elves with the general, left my IG with Hand Weapons where they were and then moved the Blunderbuss unit up as far as possible, taking the -1 penalty for making a ‘Move and Shoot’ action…
Those Dark Elves got lit up like a Christmas Tree… the Blunderbusses got 5 shots for their front rank, plus the Volley Fire special rules allow them to add half the models in the second rank, rounding up - to 8 firing total. At D3 Multiple Shots the unit ended up with 16 shots in total, and it ended up decimating the unit, taking out 7 models. That firing solution they maneuvered themselves into was so satisfying! Just like the old days… when the Blunderbusses work, THEY WORK.
No word of a lie, it was right around this time that my buddy thought we should call it a night as he had to go to the dentist in the morning 
I didn’t feel the need to lay it on any thicker so we called it there.
Somehow, with all of the chatting as well as time spent looking up rules we’d spent 3 hours at our 500 pt game! Haha, but we both agreed it was thoroughly enjoyable and were already talking about scheduling our next game, with the goal of working up to 1000 pts and getting some of the game play and rules better cemented after not having played in almost 10 years!
Unofficial Outcome: Chaos Dwarfs assume victory
Some room for improvement and still some kinks to work out, but the main thing was that we got out and had a game. Good times.
~N