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Lore of Death would be nice... but i cant quite see the sorceress on a steed. And without one she is too slow to be really good with those snipers. No unit of riders is big enough to be a carrier and her protection would consume addiational points. Wouldn't know where to get them. But i see your point... I'll think about it.
My thinking is that your Chars do really need a RxB 
Every game I had so far... I missed them on my characters. There are so many situations where I just shuffled them around and waited for a chance to attack. In these situations two shots on 2+ might be really fun.
Your core choices are different to what I usually take. I don`t play the dreadshards but use more witches (10ish or 14ish). For shooting I really like shades. Playing two units of five riders, two of five warlocks and two of five shades is really fun. First turn is beginning and half of your army might be in the deployment zone of your opponent.
Just some things to think about. The rest looks pretty good in my opinion.
well... in this list, there is no place for Xbows on Chars....
I got 10 Riders and 30 Shards. Thats 40 Xbows wich equals 60 shooters. With those two Reapers i got 80 and thats maximum in Comnbat 8.
Shadows are better at shooting and no good in close combat. Their strength has gone up, with asf and great-weapons but 5 attacks is just not enough on most targets.
But i never really tried this. Might just be, the shards are not good enough. But still, i can launch about 80 bolts per round. That should give me a large advantage, because i can clear of enemy hunters quite fast. even big ones like chimera should fall to the two fighters. Only Problem are things like DemonPrinces and such....
I have four units of quick riders and four small killers. With your setup i'd reduce modell and unit number, wouldn't i? So i'd be giving up advantages in deployment and "just" get less bolts with higher accuracy. I don't know about that. I actually mean that... i really don't know. More witches could be nice, but i'm not keen about relying on them too much.
What i'd really like would be more riders. Might just kick one unit of shards out and get another 5 dark riders. I'll loose some shooting attacke, but get more pressure in the movement phase. I like riders better than shades for that.... they are just faster and harder to kill.
With those two Reapers i got 80 and thats maximum in Comnbat 8.
You`re right. It was just a point to think about. If you use the RxBs you should drop some Darkshards and use Shades instead. That`s what I would do.
Your army is really good in shooting but my experiences are that even in MSU you need CC-units. I think you should try your list - I don`t want you to change anything but I would appreciate if you share your results with me and talk about my above mentioned ideas afterwards.
E: shades are nice warmachine hunters with two HW
I know about shades and as i said, they've certainly gone up with the new book. I'm just not shure if i need more warmashine-hunters. I have two flyers an four units of riders. That should be enough, unless the enemy is relying heavily on them. And i still dont like shades cc-abillities. Riders are faster in combat and less likely to die. They may reroll most to hit dices and are almost as strong. I'd really rather build in more riders. My experiments with shades did not go that well. They tend to get shot verry fast.
I think you're right though. I need in fact more cc-units. I think i'll really kick one unit of shards and mount another 5 dark riders. That should also clear some points to spend on xbows for my charas.
Wouldn't play shades with extra weapons by the way.... more attacks, but less strength. This is only good against a small slice of the big cake of possible enemys.
Wouldn't play shades with extra weapons by the way.... more attacks, but less strength. This is only good against a small slice of the big cake of possible enemys.
Well, using them as warmachine hunters, they really profit from doubling their attacks and re-rolling to hit...
Lore of Death would be nice... but i cant quite see the sorceress on a steed. And without one she is too slow to be really good with those snipers. No unit of riders is big enough to be a carrier and her protection would consume addiational points. Wouldn't know where to get them. But i see your point... I'll think about it.
5 models is enough for one round though, and you have 4 units of carriers, so you can switch the unit if one of them suffers losses if necessary 
Agreed, but they loose in potential against almost everything else... and you cant be shure you get to attack a warmashine. Might be the enemy doesn't even bring one. 
My shades got shot every time i tried them out. They are really bad at taking hits. And i cant prevent them getting hit, since it is their job to fight without much cover from other units. Failed morale-checks, wiped out by bows or a a weak spell..... you name it, i saw it.
I really know about their strenghts, it just seems i'm unable to get to actually use them.
I still like the riders better. They even charge better.... in a second round of combat things could get tough, but i don't really want a second round of cc. Neither with shades nor with riders.
AlandilLenard
true enough about the carriers. I also keep forgetting that warlocks are not that easy to kill.
Hi guys!
My sincere apologies for neglecting this forum, in particular when the official English topic was accepted. I promise I will make up for it with a few more reports! First thing first though. Let me add a few comments to the DE army list made by Winterwut!
1. Characters
They have the place in MSU armies for sure! There is no rule that tells you only the minimum of their number is good for this style. In fact, they are versatile and can be either a unit of one or join the regiment to boost its strength. That gives you plenty of options and you can tailor that to your advantage each game.
Having said that I also want my characters to add something that no other unit can. It is easy in the case of BSB. re-rolls themselves are reason enough to include him. You can further tailor his equipment to provide support of other kind.
The general also has to be there and Inspiring Presence is great thing as well. Very often a spell caster is a good choice just for the fact that she/he can provide ld bubble but also multi-task and cast spells.
Flying characters in particular are interesting choice because of their speed and ability to ignore units in between the armies so they can go where they are needed the most. DE army book provides means to equip them very well. The question is, however, what the Lord brings to the table that a hero cannot? I want to highlight that I don't think it is a bad choice. I simply want to stress out it is important to a player to know what he wants from the army and particular character in it.
2. Which MSU?
There are different types of the MSU. WE were known for shooting and avoidance. Very annoying for the opponents and unfortunately for WE, not enjoyable. You might be a good tactician but such army might not win you many friends.
I am not sure why it is like that but I have observed that people don't mind losing in combat as much as they loath to be shot to pieces. I guess that is also the reason why Dwarven castles are so hated.
If that matters to you then you might also consider the type of the army you are trying to build. The way I see it your force is leaning towards that type. Not as annoying maybe but with very strong shooting component and magic can also be devastating. Multiple level 2 casters are quite dangerous.
3. Champions
I find them very important. Not in all units but if you can, add them. Very often you may face that tough character on large flier who can be unstoppable. Your small units may be too small to survive and he will pick his fights. But each champion gives you potentially one more turn due to challenge. That provides an opportunity for counter charge or simply slows the big nasty down and allows you to earn points elsewhere while he is losing his time. I would definitely add them in Executioners regiments.
4. Ranked Units
This is something I am currently pondering about. In my last tournament I had a situation where I could have broken the enemy if I had at least one rank. But my Archers and Sea Guard where not there to help. Because I used them in defensive role I am wondering if situation changed if I had 20 spears at my disposal. I actually had 2 of these when I started the journey. I wonder if that could have helped. Thoughts?
Other than that the best way to keep the discussion going on the particular army list is to play a game and find out what worked and what not! In fact, that was the best part form me and I deliberately refused to make changes for a very long time as I wanted to test units under different conditions. One can change army list easily, learning from mistakes is a process, that takes a little longer 
I hope that helps and I look forward to reading about your eploits on the battle field. You know you want to trye these guys out!
Hey everyone, I have recently found a battle report written by somebody playing against Swordmaster at a tournament. So this is quite interesting to see the other side. Here it is: http://hoodlinghole.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/cancon…ath-part-4.html
Thinking about your army build, Swordmaster, I was wondering, why you took 15 Seaguards. Compared to the 15 bowmen I cannot see any advantage of them, because the special rule of the spears is not useful, if your are fighting with 3 ranks as a highelf. Isn't it? So you trade the longer range of the longbows in for merely nothing. What is the reason for that?
Hi arnadil,
Thanks for linking the report written by Hoodling! It was a very interesting situation where you could read about the same game from two sides! It also shows that I haven't pasted too many reports recently so I should definitely pick up the pace again and provide something to read! My sincere apologies for the delay! Please, check two reports from Hammer of Dave 2 below!
As to LSG it was always debated and pointed out they are simply useless. First thing is that I picked up LSG for their flexibility. The fact they can be overpriced for what they bring to the table is not a factor for me, even if I agree they should either be cheaper or have longbows instead. But we have what we have and that is not going to change soon (if at all).
Second, my army evolves slowly. I wanted to play significant amount of games, even after transition from the old book to the new one, to see if I can make it work. My idea was, that with LSG I will be less inclined to sit tight and move more while having the option to use the bows at shorter range anyway. What is more, I used Metal magic back then so LSG benefited more from Glittering Robes than archers. I liked Metal lore a lot and I didn't change my Archmage for the Loremaster because he was not good enough. I did it because I wanted to try a new character and assuming that if I can't make him work with my style then I can always come back to the Archmage.
Last but not least I spent a lot of time painting 5ed metal Sea Guard while I don't have that many 5ed metal archers to have 2 units of 15 or more. yes, the modelling aspect of the hobby matters to me and sometimes I take units I like even if justifying their presence is not that easy.
With the new book it became even more difficult. No matal lore to support Sea Guard, Martial Prowess not really benefiting small units etc. I guess I simply kept them for the sentimental reason Even if once in a while 5+ armor save made a little difference it was like a nice bonus than more reliable factor.
Unfortunately, I cannot reasonably defend the presence of the Sea Guard in my army any more. In fact, I am considering some changes to the army list that might see them go because I need to make room for other units I would like to include.
Cheers!
Greetings!
Game 4 from Hammer of Dave 2 with apologies for such a long delay!
Game 4 - Dwarves - Sam - Blood and Glory
This time I had to face one of the most difficult armies for me to play against - Dwarves! It was also a Blood and Glory scenario with modification. If one of the army was broken, the game continued but the player who broke the opponent got extra victory points. Sam, against whom I played this round, brought the following:
Dwarves - Army List
Runelord, Anvil of Doom, Shield, M. Rune of Balance, Rune of Spellbreaking, Rune of Stone
BSB, M. Rune of Grungni, Rune of Guarding, Rune of Slowness
Thane, GW, Xbow, M. Rune of Gromril, M. Rune of Challenge, Rune of Brotherhood, Rune of Furnace
29 Warriors, Shields, Full Command
24 Quarrellers, Great Weapons, Full Command
20 Thunderers, Full Command
20 Longbeard Rangers, GW, Full Command, Rune of Determination
Cannon, Rune of Forging, Rune of Burning
Grudge Thrower, 2 x Rune of Penetrating
Organ Gun
I am not sure about the details as the army list I got from TO is different to what I faced but I hope the characters are the same.
Hm, Blood and Glory means the deployment zones are a little closer and flanks have to be empty for that purpose. That means Dwarves cannot form their castle in the corner. But could as well form it close enough. Sam had traditionally looking army and that meant trouble. His shooters are not only dangerous to my small units but they can also fight in close combat well. Especially crossbows with great weapons. A good mixture of war machines didn't make the things easier but at least there were only three of them and "only" one organ gun
Rangers with Thane were a problem too. They could nicely counter my deployment and Rune of Challenge can be really nasty with them. But as it is hard to predict if they are going to be deployed as scouts or rather, if they are going to be deployed far forward, I decided to worry about it as soon as I saw were they are.
Anvil of Doom is always a pain and I expected it will cause a lot of trouble. I decided to deploy in many thin lines to avoid the grudge thrower as a single shot with S5 hits can easily destroy whole units. I also knew that shooting will be very limited so I wanted to use archers as a first wave instead. Yes, I was going to try and win against Dwarven castle. Crazy idea as it may be I needed to keep trying!
Looking at the battle field I noticed that it had to be divided into two halves. Hence, I had to advance from both flanks or try to deploy everything on one side. I decided to spread forces a little.
Deployment
War of the Beard - yet another episode!
As expected Rangers were a problem. I didn't know when they are going to use the rune of challenge and with anvil movement I could expect some nasty charges. At least they didn't have throwing axes!
Rocks in the middle were as much cover as a problem. From one point of view they limited amount of targets for thunderers but at the same time narrowed path to the flank of the enemy formation.
I wanted to bypass rangers and use the cavalry to destroy organ gun. It was very risky business as thunderers were there to help.
I was totally at a loss what to do with chariots 
They seem free points against cannons I didn't even want to deploy them. I also felt crowded on the other flank but at a time it seemed like a good idea. I also had open right flank to advance with fast troops and avoid nasty shooters.
Unfortunately, I didn't get first turn, that might be very helpful here. Let's see what nasty surprises Dwarves had for me!
Dwarves - Turn 1
Who needs to move when enemy will come to you anyway?
Dwarves, confident in their impregnable formation, didn't even flinch. The war machines opened fire as did the quarrellers. A few elves fell here and there but it was clear it was not yet the hell Dwarven gunline can unleash.
Outcasts - Turn 1
On the contrary, Elves move fast
Almost entire elven army moves at a double. On the far East light troops use the cover in wide outflanking manoeuver. Even the shooters moved as fast as possible with the exception of one regiment of Sisters and Eagle Claw who started thinning down some quarrellers. On the West cavalry also moved forward, although a little bit shy as they all faced organ gun and a group of grumpy thunderers.
Dwarves - Turn 2
Rangers reform swiftly and use the gap between the elven units to move towards the flank of the cavalry formation. All around them fire of various colours erupts and it does feel like some kind of celebration. The only difference is that together with disappearing fireworks great eagle, chariot and full unit of reavers perish too.
Quarrellers aim at White Lions this time and it seems their furs are for decorative purposes only as half of the unit dies to well placed crossbow bolts.
Unfortunately for Dwarves, something goes terribly wrong with the anvil and the ancient artefact explodes taking lives of runelord and his apprentices.
Outcasts - Turn 2
Left flank in trouble, right flank advances
Silver Helms were about to move forward but the obscene gestures of the dwarven rangers offended their senses so much they decided it is beneath their dignity to fight against such a dishonourable foe and withdrew. Dragon Princes had to follow up to cover their retreat.
Rest of the regiments moved towards the enemy, quarrellers being the main target at the moment. Larry the Loremaster tried to help his warriors and aimed with a well placed fireball against the Grudge Thrower but a crew member still survived!
Dwarves - Turn 3
Things start to look very bad for Elves
Rangers charge Dragon Princes, destroy them and even manage to catch fleeing Silver Helms. Elven left flank totally collapses!
In the centre, Thunderers charge exposed flank of the Archers who flee and trigger chain reaction. Not only that causes nearby lions to flee (Edit: Despite re-roll from the battle standard bearer! #-o ) but also panic second group of archers!
Cannon crew loads a grapeshot and Shadow Warriors are no more. Nearby great eagle is more lucky as it is wounded but not killed. Is that the end of the Elven attack?
Outcasts - Turn 3
Elves attack but with mixed success (Edit: Please note the wrong angle of A1 archers)
Despite a disastrous turn of events so far the Elves keep attacking. Great eagle enacts vengeance on the Grudge Thrower and destroys the last of the crew members. Ellyrian reavers attack the flank of the Dwarven crossbows and tie them in combat, preventing from shooting. Lions run towards them to be able to help out.
Dwarves - Turn 4
Quarrellers managed to fend off pesky light cavalry and reformed to face more dangerous foe. Warriors and Thunderers both reformed to make a new battle line while Rangers chased off the chariot.
Outcasts - Turn 4
But the stubborn Dwarves refuse to give ground
Swordmasters and White Lions charge together against quarrellers. Many Dwarves die but they hold, despite being affected by Iceshard Blizzard.
Archers and Sisters block the Dwarven regiments from joining the combat. Larry the Loremaster challenges Dwarven BSB to magical mental duel and manages to fry the brain of the stubborn Thane. Now Dwarves are truly leaderless.
Dwarves - Turn 5
Dwarves keep shooting at advancing Elves and while group of sisters perishes then a some archers are still there. The combat between the Quarrellers and Elven warriors still continues! Dwarves can be really stubborn!
Outcasts - Turn 5
Seeing that only one more push can bring the victory to his bloodied army, Larry orders an attack and leads the charge himself. Swordmasters and While Lions finally finish the Quarrellers. Then Larry and his Swordmasters smash into Thunderrers. Many of them fall but also many Swordmasters die. Dwarves still lose and to everyone's surprise - they flee! Larry and last of the Swordmasters pursue and capture the standard. At this point Dwarven army is broken and Warriors decided to retreat too! What a turn of events!
Edit: I am not sure if I got the cannon but I guess I did as I was shooting with everything at it and I don't recall it shooting last turn.
Turn 6
I must apologise for the lack of diagrams for turn 6. We were in a hurry to finish it before the time was called and I didn't take pictures. I assume that the warriors rallied but the most important was the fact that Organ Gun had Loremaster and his companion as a target. Sam rolled and got "2". Not enough as I could distribute the hits evenly. Sam decided to re-roll and ... got a "4"! That meant that Larry survived the game and there were not bonus points for him! The gamble paid off this time!
After-battle thoughts
After turn 3 I thought there is not coming back for me. Left flank collapsed, I made some stupid mistakes and lost units instead of attacking war machines and on top of that my assault was stalled by fleeing units. But I am glad I pressed forward as there was really no turning back.
But let's start from the beginning.
The deployment was not good, in particular on the left flank. I didn't take into account ranger's mobility (especially with the anvil) properly. I thought I had them in check and blocked but that was a mistake that cost me cavalry. What is more I didn't move well and left enough space in between the regiments so that they could move in and challenge Silver Helms. I also moved these units too slow. As a result they were shot to pieces and defeated in combat.
I think I should have fled with Dargon Princes and if Sam redirected towards Silver Helms I would have had to flee with them again. Not going to save the day but at least the units had a chance to survive.
Moving in think lines looked good but with one Grudge Thrower I think it was a mistake. Sam pointed out that Anvil would have slowed me down significantly. Lucky me it blew up. And early too that allowed me to cast some magic. I compromise manoeuvrability with such formations.
Then in the rush to reach the enemy as quickly as possible I positioned Shadow Warriors too close and simply lost them. The same with Archers, who at least should have presented their front to both units. Somehow I assumed that thundereres will stay behind that wall forever.
But I didn't give up and it seemed to be a good decision! I managed to reach the enemy to get into combat on the right flank. It took way too long to beat these stubborn Dwarves but I did it. I also could use the opportunity to cast magic and finally got enemy BSB. Very important in the Blood and Glory scenario.
Last charge was a gamble but it paid off too! Why gamble? Because if I didn't break that unit I would have lost my general. But I needed these points because first, I got them for the unit and second, for reaching breaking point. Otherwise the result would have been very close. Not to mention that I had rangers rushing towards my general too.
We had some bad luck this game, Sam definitely more than me but I hope it was still enjoyable game for him. It was definitely for me as Sam was a great opponent! This time I managed to snatch the victory but who knows, maybe we will have a chance to re-match soon!
With all the bonus points and some comp difference the end result was: 16.75 - 3.25
Thanks for reading!
Last game of the Hammer of Dave 2!
Game 5 - Lizardmen - Simon - Battle Line
I have faced Simon on many occasions already. We even played against each other on Masters but at the time we didn't know we would. Simon is a hardcore tournament player so I knew I am up to a challenge again. I was very curious what kind of army he came up with for this event and he brought tough Lizards:
[size=150]Lizardmen - Army List[/size]
Slann, BSB, Wandering deliberations, Sceptre of stability - All signature spells
Oldblood, Cold one, Light armour, Great weapon, Charmed shield, Dawnstone, The Other Trickster Shard
Scar Veteran, Cold one, Great weapon, Armour of Destiny
Scar Veteran, Cold one, Great weapon, Gambler armour, Dragon bane gem
Scar Veteran, Cold one, Great weapon, Light armour, Dragon helm, Luckstone, Ironcurse icon
Skink Priest, Dispel Scroll - Lore of Heavens
Skink Chief, Terradon, Spear, Light Armour, Enchanted Shield
10 Skinks, Standard, Musician
10 Skinks, Standard, Musician
18 Skinks, Standard, Musician
10 Skink Skirmishers, Javelins, Shields
10 Skink Skirmishers, Javelins, Shields
18 Saurus Warriors, Full Command
28 Temple Guards, Full Command, Warrior Bane, Standard of Swiftness
Salamander Pack
2 Jungle Swarms
As you can see quite character heavy army. All these S7 Saurus heroes are really powerful in close combat and any of them is a huge threat to my army. As they may lead the big units of Saurus or Temple Guard it also means it will be very hard to get significant points from this force. I have seen more and more armies like that. They have all-or-nothing approach. Either the units is big and supported by the characters or the regiment is small, cheap and expendable.
Lizardmen seem to excel at this type of army lists. The Saurus blocks are already tough enough. With characters inside them they are almost unmovable and fighting them means heavy casualties anyway. Small regiments of Skinks are excellent support troops too. They can divert the enemy, protect the bigger units from shooting and be generally annoying.
My initial plan was to keep back and shoot as much as I can of the support units. Clearing them out may help to get these combined charges I rely on. I could also divert Temple Guard which I probably cannot touch due to large numbers and characters inside. Or if I could I should be able to divert Saurus warriors as I cannot fight two of the regiments at the same time.
Deployment
Brute force versus finesse and subtlety
Deployment before the vanguard moves
As you can see Simon did a very clever thing and spread his multiple characters. The small risk was with them failing the stupidity but at the same time small units of skinks were not such an easy prey for faster elven regiments.
We rolled the dice and unsurprisingly Simon won to take the first turn.
Lizardmen - Turn 1
Lizardmen phalanx rolled forward. The Elves were too far away for javelins to be thrown so it was up to the Slann to cause some damage. He promptly blasted small group of Sisters and nearby charioteers were shocked so much that they decided to go home immediately.
Then the Slann reminded himself he haven't solved that mathematical formula Lord Mazdamundi asked him but yesterday (or was it a century ago?) and he decided it was far more important to do so now. Slann are not hasty by nature but it was far more important matter in the grand scheme of the Old Ones to be delayed by some meaningless skirmish. Hence, mighty Slann created a door between dimensions and slammed the door in front of the Temple Guards who wanted to follow so hard that fully one third of the unit were nocked down never to get up. No one will disturb his meditation now!
Outcasts - Turn 1
Flanks in the pincer manoeuver
Loss of the Slann was unexpected but Lizardmen army was still a threat. Units on both flanks moved according to the plan to encircle the enemy. Shooters all aimed at the living skink shield while Larry the Loremaster blasted Salamnder from the pond. That in turn spooked nearby skinks who decided that bath time is over and run away.
Lizardmen - Turn 2
Lizardmen adopt defensive formation
Temple Guard starts back pedalling
Surprisingly Temple Guard reformed and started to withdraw. Only Scar Veterans on flanks had the order to attack. On the West, careless charioteers exposed themselves to the charge of the enemy and retreated. On the East, Lizardmen turned their attention to some elven scouts nearby.
Outcasts - Turn 2
Strike force assembled at the river bank
On the West elven cavalry surrounds the skinks while units on the East prepare for the attack with support troops disrupting enemy opportunities for attack.
Lizardmen - Turn 3
Scar Veteran on the East was eager to attack but his mount had other business to attend and the attack was delayed. Saurus pretended they don't notice the stupid behaviour of their leader's mount.
Another veteran led small skinks in the attack against elven scouts. Elves killed skinks in droves but Scar Veteran was too tough for them and only one survivor was left standing. However, he held the line nevertheless!
Skink Chief swooped down and attack Silver Helms but elven nobles also held the line.
On the West skinks threw poisonous javelins at the elven light horse and one unit had to withdraw to safety under such ferocious shooting attack.
Outcasts - Turn 3
White Lions storm through the waters to hit the flank of the enemy group. Brave Shadow Warrior perishes but the Scar Veteran is wounded and many skinks die. Lizardmen hold however with coldblooded determination.
Silver Helms keep holding the Skink Chief in combat as they know another regiment of Lions hurries to their aid.
On the West Dragon Princes trample the swarms and gallop beyond the hill.
Lizardmen - Turn 4
But Elven Western flank disintegrates
Scar Veteran on the East finally manages to control his mount and Saurus attack the eagle. Lone Scar Veteran keeps fighting against the Lions who cannot strike him down. Silver Helms hold a little bit longer and it seems the fate of the Skink Chief is sealed.
On the West group of skinks led by Scar Veteran charges elven cavalry that elects to perform feigned flight. They are a little bit too enthusiastic in that manoeuver and flee the battle completely.
Outcasts - Turn 4
And change the direction of the march
White Lions finally dispatch the Scar Veteran while their companions destroy Skink Chief. Eagle lands in front of the Saurus to buy time for the Elves so that they can form a new battle line.
On the centre Elven units reform and unleash a magical and mundane missile barrage. Lots of skinks die and even their leader, Scar Veteran, is wounded.
Lizardmen - Turn 5
Saurus charge the eagle who flees and then redirect into White Lions who also elect to withdraw. But their companions misunderstood the intention and withdrew as well. So much for a trap.
Temple Guards changed their minds and advanced one more time while Scar Veteran on the West abandoned his unit and moved to the safety of the nearby hut.
Outcasts - Turn 5
Larry the Loremaster is determined not to let Scar Veteran escape. But as he cannot attack him he is chasing him down and tries to cast some damaging spells. This time without success.
On the East one group of Lions fails to rally so Silver Helms try to block the Saurus from chasing them down.
Lizardmen - Turn 6
Last attempt to charge by Lizardmen
Oldblood orders the Temple Guards to charge the Swordmasters. Bob the BSB does not want to risk such confrontation and withdraws. On the East Silver Helms didn't close the gap well and Scar Veteran forces Lions to flee the battle and then redirects into Silver Helms and kills them to an elf.
Outcasts - Turn 6
Swordmasters with BSB fail to rally!
Larry the Loremaster managed to sneak through his last attempt of Spirit Leach but all this running around took away his strength and he could not muster enough mental focus to fry the brain of the Scar Veteran. Eagle Claw crew aimed at the lonely Scar Veteran but they also failed to hit their target.
What is more, the Swordmasters with Bob the BSB decided a bit too early to go home and celebrate the victory when the battle was not finished yet and the victory slipped through their fingers in the last possible moment.
After-battle thoughts
At first I thought I was simply unlucky. Quite a few panic checks that cost me 2 chariots, one unit of Lions and unit of Swordmastres with the BSB definitely added many victory points for my opponent. But when I was writing this report with every turn put into a diagram I saw more and more evidence that I simply played that game badly. And the failed panic checks were just a consequence of that.
First, I got a great gift in the form of the Slann cascading first turn. It was very unfortunate for Simon to lose his general and very powerful spell caster. But it also meant I should have been able to use the opportunity and win the game. With 4 fighting character intact Lizardmen army was very dangerous anyway but Simon went for defensive mode and that was my chance. I failed to take advantage of that.
Let's go turn by turn so that I can show better what I mean by bad game and inability to use the opportunity when it presents itself.
T0 - Deployment
I was actually happy with the deployment. I separated characters so that they are not close to Slann and potential Spirit Leach. I reinforced the flanks so that if the opponent goes for the centre he immediately surrounds the flanks and risks being enveloped. If he goes for a flank, he risks being shot at (not much of a problem for the Lizards) but also abandons the chance to get many points as my characters are safe.
T1
Too enthusiastic move on the left and not aggressive enough approach on the right. On the left I exposed chariot to the attack, first mistake. Then moved Reavers too close so that Jungle Swarms could block it. As a consequence, I exposed the chariot and instead of being ready to attack with 3 units against one, where I had a chance to break the veteran by killing his skinks, I lost the chariot and an opportunity to attack.
On the right all 3 units should be on the river bank immediately. They were in the charge range of the Scar Veteran but positioning should be such that allows for counter from any other 2 units. If I spread Silver Helms they would have been steadfast too as I had a champion to issue a challenge.
T2
I exposed light cavalry to shooting. I should have charged with one unit to either destroy or stop the jungle swarm. The second unit should have faced isolated skinks and shoot at them too, being in the position to charge in unison with Dragon Princes. I am not sure why I didn't charge with them either. One possibility is that this particular Veteran had 2++ against flaming attacks.
On the right I should have risked charge with White Lions. At worse I would have failed but still be close. Instead I moved three units slowly and what is more without mutual support to cover each other. Because of that Skink Chief attacked SIlver Helms and I was lucky they held.
T3
While the attack on the right flank was good and I had eagles to block the counter from Saurus, then on the left I failed miserably. I attacked the swarms but should have blocked skinks with veteran with reavers. While I had a chance to flee and remain in place with cavalry I risked rolling too high too. As I did.
T4
I should have simply moved Bob to archers and allow Swordmaster better mobility. I slowed them down and made them reactive rather than independent units to guard the flank of a more fragile formation.
T5
Another stupidity on my part. My initial plan was to hold with eagle, let Saurus pursue into Lions and then counter with two other units. Why did I abandon the plan is beyond me.
I also failed to position Silver Helms in the way that blocked individual charge.
T6
Another consequence of my bad play. I should have moved Swordmasters back so that Temple Guard cannot charge them. Instead I was afraid that long 10 or 11+ charge might have happened and fled only to roll box cars to rally next turn.
It is really a miracle I got a very minor loss: 9.65 - 10.35 after so many mistakes that made me ask a question if I know how to play warhammer any more.
I still hope it was a report worth reading if only to know what one can do to lose a game that started so well.
Cheers!
Hammer of Dave 2 - Summary
Hammer of Dave became a special tournament for me. Last year I attended it as a first local tournament. This year it was one of the "biggest" events as Dave tries to run different formats that often require smaller armies. But it is great to see quite nice attendance considering the fact the community in Canberra is relatively small. I like the fact there are new players attending too (although they might be new to me as unfortunately I don't play that often :().
In any case a great Thank You! to Dave for organizing the event and for Good Games Canberra for running it! As always, awesome job guys! =D>
In general I was very happy with the overall performance. I won 4 games and lost the last one very narrowly. It gave me a very respected 3rd place! The army did well, the general had some good but also not so great moments. I guess learning process never ends!
It was good to test some new ideas. Here is the little summary of things I observed.
1. Chariots - I am sure I haven't used them to their full potential yet. What I have found a little bit annoying is that feeling that against the armies with cannons it looks like giving away free points to the enemy. Yes, they don't shoot other things but in general I don't have good targets for the cannons anyway. By including chariots I suddenly provide them. And I need to position them accordingly so that loss of one or both does not cause a chain reaction of panic checks.
They are good to table control and if used in pair they can do some damage. They can blunder too and against good armour S5 may not be enough (see the game against Bretonnia). When divided their potential is limited and depends greatly on that impact hits dice roll.
After that experience I decided to get back to my heavy cavalry again as I feel more comfortable with them but at the same time I don't discard the chariots entirely. I admit I need a better plan on how to use them in my army.
2. Heavy Cavalry - I don't have enough of them. It was clear in the last game in particular when the enemy decided to pull back and I was too slow to get them. Also, while Silver Helms are good as medium cavalry they are not as good as Dragon Princes (obviously!) and should not be used as such. There might be minor differences in how you use them but they might be significant too.
Last but not least and definitely the most important thing. I would like to thank my opponents for 5 fantastic games. Dave, Adam, Rich, Sam and Simon, thanks a lot as without your fantastic attitude the whole event would not be as great. I am looking forward to meeting you on the field of battle again! Well don guys! =D>
I hope you enjoyed the battle reports from that tournament and thanks a lot for reading!
Thanks again for the reports!
Unfortunately, I cannot reasonably defend the presence of the Sea Guard in my army any more. In fact, I am considering some changes to the army list that might see them go because I need to make room for other units I would like to include.
I think you made some very reasonable points for the hobby aspect is very important to warhammer. At least I can understand your decision here.
Dear Swordmaster,
After beeing off the forums for quite some time (I had to work, work, work...) I enjoyed coming back and reading all of your battler reports i missed in the mean time! Everyday I could read at least one of your battle report. So nice! ![:]](https://warhammer-board.de/images/smilies/pleased.gif){kind=small}
It was such a nice welcome back in the world of our hobby, I can not tell you how much I enjoyed it. 
Thank you
Tiny
P.S. I am missing your CanCon reports here 
Hi guys!
@ arnadil
That is, of course, an important aspect of the game and hobby too! I must add that I would happily keep using Sea Guard anyway, I just find it hard to justify their presence in game usefulness alone. The reason I decided to make changes to the army list (after CanCon tournament) was not because of that regiment. It was due to the fact I have found out I play too defensively and I need faster and combat orientated elements in my army.
@ tiny
I am glad you had a nice read! Indeed, I have noticed that you are not around so it is great to have you back! As to CanCon reports, I am going to try and update the topic soon! Checks some reports below!
Cheers!
Greetings!
Let me start with the introduction to the series of reports I plan to post about my games at the last tournament I attended.
The biggest and definitely the longest tournament in Australia - CanCon! It is a great gaming event that attracts people from all over the place. Warhammer Fantasy Battle was this time the biggest tournament (as far as I know) with 130 players which is an absolute record since a very long time. Please, consider the fact that people were coming from really far away to attend it! It is not merely a trip to another city!
Before I start to write about the players pack and format of the tournament I would like to highlight the situation that, in my opinion, shows how fantastic the community in Australia is. CanCon 2014 was initially planned for 80 players but due to popular demand the cap was increased at least twice to accommodate 130 gamers. However, it posed a tough logistics problem. There was not enough terrain in TO's disposal so they did what they could to provide some more. But it was still not enough. The only hope was to ask players and other club members for help. And help they did! In no time people started informing how much terrain they are going to bring and kept packing additional boxes and as a result there was not a single table empty or even lacking the terrain. The pieces were so varied that each table felt really unique and it made for a fantastic experience. I must admit this reply and selfless help of the players was something I have never heard of and I was very happy to attend a tournament where players with such fantastic attitude were to be met. Great job, guys!
CanCon 2014 was, as tradition has it, 3 day event with 8 games total. A gaming marathon, if you ask me but totally worth it. This year TO's decided to use Swedish Comp and keep the armies in 10-16 brackets. Armies with comps 16+ were allowed but were treated as 16. There was also a battle comp in effect. You had to calculate the difference in composition between the armies. That was then added to the score of the softest army and deduced from the score of the hardest army, after the game.
The link to the players pack: CanCon 2014 - Player's Pack
The scenarios were in use too, sometimes with modifications and Watchtower was not played at all. What was also very useful and new was the fact that the draws were uploaded in the relevant topic so people could also check them on their mobile platforms. Also, the draw for the first round was done the day before so people could actually set up on the right table from the very beginning. An excellent idea! =D>
I took my MSU HE of course. In the meantime I was wondering if I should change the list but in the end I made only a few here and there, more in the equipment of the Loremaster than in anything else. Hence, the list was similar to what I used at ConVic, Castle Assault and Masters. It proved to be a good if unforgiving list, the one I still enjoyed playing with and had painted. Here it is with details:
Outcasts - CanCon 2014
Larry the Loremaster - level 2, Talisman of Preservation, Earthing Rod, Dragon Helm - 310 (-22)
Bob the Battle Standard Bearer - Dragon Armour, Halberd, Charmed Shield, Potion of Strength, Reaver Bow - 157 (-14)
15 Archers - Full Command - 180 (-7)
15 Sea Guard - Full Command - 210 (-6)
5 Ellyrian Reavers - Spears, Bows, Musician - 105 (-4)
5 Ellyrian Reavers - Spears, Bows, Musician - 105 (-6)
5 Dragon Princes - Musician, Banner of Eternal Flame - 175 (-10)
5 Dragon Princes - Musician - 155 (-10)
12 Swordmasters - Bladelord, Musician - 176 (-6)
12 Swordmasters - Bladelord, Musician - 176 (-6)
10 White Lions - Full Command, Gleaming Pennant - 165 (-6)
10 White Lions - Full Command, Standard of Discipline - 175 (-6)
Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower - 70 (-7)
Great Eagle - 50 (-5)
Great Eagle - 50 (-9)
5 Sisters of Avelorn - 70 (-6)
5 Sisters of Avelorn - 70 (-6)
Army Total: 2399
Number of longbows (15), Number of bows (25/2 = 12.5), Number of Bows of Avelorn (10), Bolt thrower (10), Reaver Bow (5) = 52.5 - 2 bows more than 50 (-2)
Earthing Rod (-3), Reaver Bow (-2), Banner of Discipline (-4)
300 - 147 = 153 --> Swedish Comp Score: 15.3
Not the hardest but not the softest list out there either!
I hope to write reports in regular intervals and I will try to aim for two per week but with 8 games it is a lot to write about! Because of that I prepared a teaser!
Game 1 - Jonathan - Warriors of Chaos - Dawn Attack
Game 2 - Ben - Lizardmen - Battle Line
Game 3 - Johannes - Wood Elves - Meeting Engagement
Game 4 - Greg - Empire - Battle Line
Game 5 - Chris - Lizardmen - Blood and Glory
Game 6 - James - Dwarves - Battle Line
Game 7 - Jason - Dwarves - Battle for the Pass
Game 8 - Michael - High Elves - Battle Line
Stay tuned!
