MSU-Battle-Reports (English)

Dwarves fight back

Hammer time!

Warriors moved fast but their short legs gave no hope to catch swift reavers who feigned flight and moved out of harms range. Exposed Dragon Princes were not quick enough to get second Dragon Slayer and fell to the powerful counter charge by the Hammerers.

Dwarven line was not as smooth any more but the warriors still presented unified front.

Ellyrian Reavers blocking the enemy units - at least that was the plan!

Swordmasters challenge Dwarven Warriors

Elves move much faster now and position themselves for inevitable fights. Reavers perform tough duty of harassing and distracting the enemy while Swordmasters challenge Warriors to enter the combat and show who is more skillful in wielding great weapons.

Hammerers outsmart the Reavers

While warriors finally catch some light cavalry

Dwarves decided that attack is the best form of defense and charged again. Warriors fought the reavers, who this time held their ground but after quick exchange of blows only single horsemen was left and he could not hold against the whole regiment of angry Dwarves.

Second unit of Reavers was ignored and Hammerers, as if magic touched, reformed swiftly and charged exposed flank of Swordmasters who had to retreat. Fortunately, Hammerers were not fast enough to get into contact with any other unit.

Attack on the left flank

Units on the right flank stand by

Swordmasters and Archers charge in unison against the warriors who suffer horrendous casualties but bite back and are still steadfast.

White Lions guard the flank of their companions by moving in front of the hammerers and blocking their path to the combat. On the right flank units move and counter move but still do not commit.

Who is more stubborn?

Few Swordmasters die to Dwarven axes but not before they fell many of the warriors. With pressure from the flank they do not have numbers any more to hold. They break and once more, humble Archers run down their foes and capture their standard.

White Lions attack Dwarven BSB but somehow fail miserably. The retribution was swift and only thanks to their stubbornness they held their ground.

Surrounded but holding the line

Last push!

Elves orchestrated the last powerful attack. On the left Reavers attacked the cannon, destroyed it and overrun in time to join Archers attacking Thunderers. Combined effort destroyed that unit too.

Meanwhile, on the right flank, 3 units charged against the Dwarven warriors. However, the attack was not as powerful as expected and not as many Dwarves fell as Elves would want to. Hard pressed Warriors managed to hold their ground. Barely!

While the Dwarven army was still a force in strength, their positions were overrun and they didn't maintain the formation so the main objective for Elves, to break through, was achieved.

First of all, I would like to thank James for as always enjoyable game. It was a very close game, as in the end I managed to scrap 11-9 victory. It seems that I lost a few units on the way and the fact that the last charge didn't break second units of warriors also mattered.

In general I was happy with the way the army worked this time. There was a lot of going on and the game was not boring at all. As always there are things that I think could have been done better.

I think moving away from the forest on the left was a mistake as I didn't avoid the miners and they slowed the advance instead. I believe I should have positioned Lions on that flank as even if charged they should hold the attackers in place and would allow for the counter charge.

Placing Swordmasters in front of the maze was also a mistake. Shooters would have been way better there as they don't have to advance that fast but can still be active.

The most serious mistake was with the reavers that supposed to block hammerers. I didn't do it well enough and they could charge anyway, thanks to the Anvil of course. Fortunately for me, James didn't attack with Warriors to pin the unit down as it would have seen them dead for sure. Warriors to the front and Hammerers to the flank would have destroyed them easily and put other units in danger too.

I am very happy with the last turn charges though. I was close to breaking that second unit of warriors but true to Dwarven fashion they were too stubborn to admit defeat

I hope you enjoyed the report!

Thanks for reading!

Dwarves in their full glory - courtesy of ThaneG from wargamerau

Kong of the Hill! - courtesy of ThaneG from wargamerau

King, Shieldbearers, Rune of Challenge
Runesmith, 3 x Rune of Spellbreaking
Thane, BSB

40 Longbeards, Great Weapons, Full Command
30 Hammerers, Full Command
16 Thunderers
20 Slayers
Gyrocopter
Grudge Thrower
Cannon
Organ Gun

King

Unfortunately, I don't have the copy of Jason's list so I cannot tell you what else did he have but we can assume he was hard to kill. His presence made tough unit of Hammerers even tougher. I don't have tools in my army that can open that Dwarven can quickly and with Hammerers as bodyguards I had slim chances to survive such encounter in one-on-one combats. But that is never an option.

Basically, very good leader, very well protected too.

Runesmith

Last time I played against 3 runes of spellbreaking! It was always very annoying that Dwarves could use the whole library of scrolls. Well, it was never going to be easy to get some spells through, so I was not complaining!

BSB

Again, apologies for lack of details. I believe he simply had some protective gear. BSB is a must in many armies and Dwarves need one too. Ld9-10 is great but re-rolls make it excellent!

Longbeards

I need to check if Swedish comp FAQ allows Dwarves to field them without warriors or maybe I simply messed up something. But I di believe these were Lonbeards. Even if they were regular Dwarves with great weapons, a horde of them would not go down easily. It is true I could fit in many more units against such a broad frontage and if I could close in early enough maybe I would have risked that. But that block can definitely take damage and hit back hard.

Hammerers

Second combat block in the army. These guys had to be killed to a Dwarf more often than not. I have tools to defeat them but if I were I need to ignore and divert the other units. Even then it would take several turns and cost me dearly. In the battle for the pass it would mean very difficult task to accomplish due to larger distance and less space to set up flank charges.

Slayers

Quite unusual to see them in such numbers in a single unit. Definitely a good target for bows, as usually Dwarves are way to tough to harm with S3 chop sticks. They would go nowhere no matter what and that means they have a chance to significantly slow down the advance. Even better in the battle for the pass.

Thunderers

Very good shooters, especially for the defensive force when they don't have to chase the enemy, as the enemy comes to them. Relarively well protected against low S missiles. Might harm fast troops as eagles or reavers do not have many wounds to keep them safe from the shooting.

Artillery

One of each of the deadly war machines. Organ Gun is always target number one for me but its short range allowed for some manoeuvres while being safe. But it had to be dealt with quickly if I wanted to have time to attack other units.

Cannon is less of a problem against my army but poor eagles have to use cover for sure. Grudge Thrower is much more dangerous as the template can easily cover whole units and with good rolls, can exterminate them entirely.

Gyrocopter

Very annoying flier. Tough and well armoured, can expose itself to shooting and still emerge intact. Its steam cannon can be quite dangerous to my small units as well so I had to try and eliminate it quickly in order to be able to manoeuvre freely.

I expected Jason to deploy tight in one corner with war machines nicely protected from the shooting and from the direct attacks. The good things was that his army had significantly lower comp (I think we had 3 points difference) so I simply had to be careful not to do something stupid, keep up the pressure and look for openings to get some of his weaker regiments.

First, I wanted to deal with gyrocopter then with organ gun. With these two threats I could move freely and try to set up some charges, hopefully with enough time to do so.

You shall not pass?

Deployment of the armies after vanguard moves

I was surprised to see the Dwarven army spread a little and war machines exposed. I wanted to use that to my advantage. Archers would start shooting the organ gun as soon as possible. Some target saturation would also be in order. Hills, although low, would provide some hard cover from the Thunderers. Lone grudge thrower was also good news as I could get there with my cavalry. Last but not least, the gyrocopter also was too far ahead of the main forces and I could form double line to catch it. Cavalry would move fast forward while infantry would move behind them. That would deny safe landing zones behind the cavalry and if it wanted to fly back towards its own likes I could send some cavalry after it.

Would that plan work?

We rolled off for the first turn and there were no surprises here as Jason won that easily.

Dwarven point of view

No need to rush, they will come!

Dwarves had a very nice position and there was no need to hurry as they knew Elves would come anyway. Some of the Longbears opened flasks with something that aided their already grumpy mood, others smoked some pipes, while others simply did what Longbeards do the best - grumbled.

The artillery crews had plenty to choose from in terms of targets but could not hit much yet.

Elves move at a double!

Who can reach the Dwarven lines first?

With Dwarven army standing still at the end of the pass, Elves had no other option but to move forward at a double. However, the fastest regiments still stayed out of range of the deadly organ gun. The faster cavalry moved so that they threatened gyrocopter hiding behind the forest while following infantry denied good landing zones for it.

Elves are getting closer

But the Dwarves didn't quite care

Dwarven army was immovable as a mountain in their chosen formation. Only gyrocopter moved a little and tried to steam some dragon princes to death but failed. On the other hand, the crew of the grudge thrower managed to reduce elven Eagle Claw bolt thrower to a nice pile of splinters.

Cavalry is really close now

Infantry still stayed behind

Elves continued their advance. This time gyrocopter had nowhere to hide and was shot down mercilessly. Larry managed to sneak in an Iceshard Blizzard on the Organ Gun crew. Would it be enough to stop infernal machine?

Fast elven troops get punished

Thunderers in action

With some more threatening approach by elven cavalry, Dwarves finally started to treat them more seriously. The first to drop was great eagle though. Then thunderers aimed at the reavers and only a single rider remained alive after the salvo. His companions from the second unit were also hit but were in much better shape.

Only Organ Gun was strangely silent. Finally Slayers moved towards elven knights, shouting insults and daring them to charge.

Charge!

And the result of the attack

Dwarven war machines are eliminated (almost)

Elven cavalry charges! Dragon Princes attack the isolated grudge thrower and made a short work of the crew. Reavers attack Organ Gun and surprisingly, the crew breaks. Two war machines destroyed!

Then Larry the Loremaster, always happy to play with fireworks, casts a nice fireball at a cannon, frying two of the crew members. And a few white lions with a spectacular magical feedback.

Dwarves attempt to counter attack

But are unable to catch swift elven cavalry

After unexpected victory over organ gun, reavers where now in the open and nearby Longbeards charged to punish the elves for such a barbarous act. Elven light cavalry swiftly reformed and feigned flight. Slayers too attempted to catch them but also failed.

Heavy cavalry vs Slayers

Slayers suffer casualties but don't care - this is their time to seek glorious death!

Dragon Princes charge the Slayers from two directions and kill quite a few but their companions don't move an inch. Brutal war of attrition starts.

The rest of the elven army approaches carefully, not to get too close to Dwarven main blocks. The cannon is finally destroyed but also Thunderers take the brunt of the various missile attacks.

Slayers alone hold the flank

Longbears reform into even deeper formation

Dwarven main regiments didn't move forward knowing all too well that exposing flanks and abandoning defensive positions means trouble. Slayers fought bravely but were no match for elven heavy cavalry. A few still remained though.

Slayers are still fighting!

Elves slow down and shoot

Elven regiments, not seeing any opening in the tight Dwarven battle line, slow down and let the missiles speak. Thunderers suffer again and Runesmith is escorted towards Hammerers block where his safety could be ensured.

There were still few Slayers standing, their smaller number being an advantage when not all of the elven knights could land a blow.

Just an adjustment of formation really

Dwarves keep unmovable. Longbeards charge the eagle and simply reform to the previous position. With almost no shooting left that was all the Dwarves could do apart from waiting for the Elves and letting them decide, to fight or not to fight.

The passage is clear

Lions accept the challenge!

The path through the Pass was wide enough for the Outcasts to move through so there was no need for any more blood shed. Elves made sure only that no shooters remained in the Dwarven army so that they could move freely unmolested. Only regiment of Lions accepted the challenge of the Hammerers and kept them busy for long enough for the rest of the elven force to move safely towards their destination.

The objective was achieved, mission accomplished and yet another chapter was added to Dwarven records.

I was obviously very happy with the victory as fighting against Dwarves is never easy, even more so in the Battle for the Pass. It was even sweeter to do so with very little casualties! On top of that I received a bonus due to Swedish composition difference and we ended up with 17-3 victory for High Elves!

I must admit that Jason made some mistakes that allowed for my victory or made it a bigger one. First of all his war machines were too exposed. Organ Gun was too close and Grudge Thrower was too isolated to survive long. The fact the Iceshard Blizzard made the Organ Gun silent for one turn only emphasised that.

Dwarven formation does not have to be so static either. Both Thunderers and Hammerers could move forward more decisively as their flank was nicely protected. The advantage of the narrower frontage of the battle for the pass.

On the other hand Slayers blocked the flank for long enough to stop my units from outflanking the army. Combined with slower than required approach of the infantry and I was in no position to even think about any attack.

I am sure I could have played better as it is possible to reach Dwarven lines in 3 turns but I simply didn't move coherently enough to make it happen. Narrower deployment didn't help and played a role in that but while it explains a lot it is not an excuse! Still need to work on the way I should approach defensively playing opponent.

Last but not least I wanted to mention that Larry had a few miscasts this game (3 or 4) that allowed me to get some spells through. Apart from occasional fireworks and eventual loss of the magic levels, he did well as he helped destroying the cannon and thunderers and in the end survived the battle!

I hope you enjoyed the game that featured my last encounter with Dwarves of old!

Thanks for reading!

Prince, Barded Steed, Dragon Armour, Giant Blade, Enchanted Shield, Dawnstone

Loremaster of Hoeth, Charmed Shield, Staff of Sorcery, Talisman of Preservation

BSB, Barded Steed, Dragon Armour, Shield, Star Lance, Dragon Helm, Luckstone

Mage, Level 2, Elven Steed, Dispel Scroll, Golden Crown of Atrazar - Lore of the Beasts

15Archers, Standard, Musican
5 Ellyrian Reavers, Musican
5 Ellyrian Reavers, Musican
10 Silver Helms, Shields, Full Command

8 Dragon Princes, Full Command
18 White Lions, Banner of Eternal Flame

12 Sisters of Avelon
Great Eagle
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower

Prince - 1+ armour with re-rolls as a good defensive kit and mighty Giant Blade for S7 attacks. This guy surely inflicts damage and can turn the combat into his favour. As he is going with a unit of knights as bodyguards it would be difficult to single him out as all my high S units are infantry and would strike after him and his regiment. So there is a chance that even if attacked they would wipe out the unit entirely. But at the same time he is sensitive to no save attacks and he will not travel alone so he can be harmed with magic and diverted from more juicy targets.

Loremaster - I know this character very well although his equipment is different. The shield cannot be used in combat and I know from experience that 4++ ward as main protection tends to fail if forced to be used often enough. Even S3 attacks have a chance then.

BSB - together with the Prince they make the knights they join a very powerful hammer of a unit. He is not as well protected, although part of the protection is being with the Prince and his unit. Of course there is an option to divide the characters among both knightly regiments but I thought they would go together.

Mage - his presence was to make the cavalry hammer even more formidable with Wyssans Wildform and if lucky with Savage Beasts of Horrors spells. With full command and 2 characters in the unit he would enjoy protection of second rank.

Archers - very good long range support. Very dangerous to my small and fragile infantry and light support troops.

Reavers - one of my priorities to eliminate and I noticed these guys are without bows that put my own light cavalry at slight advantage.

Silver Helms - at such strength they would be a threat to my elite infantry. With 10 re-rollable S5 attacks they are capable of inflicting significant damage. It is risky for them too but they can either support other regiments or go for exchange if the situation demands it.

White Lions - the fact they are with flaming attacks makes them perfect target for Dragon Princes. Swordmasters too can go head on and win against them due to higher WS and more attacks. But that would work only if I could isolate them.

Sisters - single unit and more all together. Very good support but I planned to use their shorter range against them and use my own Archers, if possible, to win the shooting match. Another priority as their S4 and BS 5 means trouble for units such as reavers or Swordmasters.

Bolt throwers - always a problem and something I would need to deal with quickly. Otherwise their presence makes it more difficult for cavalry to manoeuvre and in the case of reavers - survive.

Great Eagle - another fast regiment that needs to be dealt with quickly simply because I need to have clear path for attack and manoeuvre.

Michael's army had much better tools for direct charge, no single unit in my army would survive that attack. Despite 2 bolt throwers I felt I had better shooting abilities but I also needed to focus them on different targets.

My plan was then as follows. Use eagles to divert the cavalry hammer and slow it down for as long as possible. In the meantime, use shooting to eliminate reavers, eagle and sisters (depending on how these units are deployed and how easy it is to get to them). Move my own combat troops on the opposite side to the hammer to get to other enemy regiments. If possible, use Dragon Princes against Lions in particular.

Duel of Loremasters would be very interesting for sure!

Mandatory blurry picture!

Armies after vanguards

Michael deployed with refused flank and that was a smart move against MSU. It was clear he wanted to use his cavalry hammer both as attacking force on the flank but also to block any attempt to move against his bolt thrower and Archers on the hill. Very good because he can move aggressively while shooting without blocking his own line of sight.

Silver Helms were deployed as a unit to guard the flank and Lions were the element that joined two knightly regiments, being able to help both if needed and occupying very good, central position of the army formation.

It was hard to breach that formation or at least it looked like it to me and I decided to go for a full swing on my left in order to bring more units against Silver Helms while taking away bolt thrower, reavers and sisters on the way. If that worked I would be in a good position to surround lions and maybe get to second bolt thrower while keeping cavalry hammer away.

Before we started level 2 wizard got the following spells: Wildform, Curse

Michael aka Darth Sabre won the roll off and his cavalry spurred their steeds to charge the Outcasts as soon as possible!

The cavalry gallop shook the ground - hence another blurry picture :oops:

Cavalry Prince leads by example

The cavalry prince ordered his knightly bodyguard to advance at a double and let the foot sloggers to worry about catching up all by themselves. Lions picked up the pace but Silver Helms stayed to guard the flank.

Sisters and Bolt Throwers picked their targets but only a few of the Avelorn maids from the ranks of the Outcasts fell.

Slightly better focus, I think ...

Rapid movement on both flanks

Outcasts moved in a hurry in order to steal the initiative. Fast support blocked impetuous prince while the units on the other flank advanced quickly. The mental duel between the Loremasters resulted in Miasma cast on the bolt thrower to decrease its efficiency but other than that no spells managed to go through yet.

Almost all missile troops focused on the enemy Sisters and only 3 of them survived that type of attention. Only on the left flank reavers aimed at their bowless counterparts and unhorsed one rider.

Attack on the right flank

Seizing the opportunity to get rod of the enemy fast cavalry!

Cavalry prince spotted the opportunity and expertly pivoted past the eagle (Edit: Apologies for inaccurate diagram in the previous turn, I made a mistake and the unit could wheel past the eagle ). The charge was precise and even swift reavers were not fast enough to avoid it and were destroyed while trying to flee. That also opened the path for the fast cavalry that attacked the eagle. But noble bird of prey stood its ground and despite being wounded, took one of the attackers down too.

On the other flank another regiment of fast cavalry charged their adversaries but accurate bow fire made them change their mind and they swiftly turned and attempted to avoid the confrontation.

Sisters of Averlorn one more time were the target of the missile fire but a few of them still remained.

Outcasts press forward

Left flank secured, centre under control too

The regiments on the left moved forward at a double. Only reavers chased away enemy fast cavalry so that it is not a problem later on.

Few remaining enemy Sisters were finished but other than that shooting was not impressive. It was partially due to the fact that Sea Guard and Archers moved too.

Brave eagle was finally defeated but again it took a reaver with it.

Right flank is lost though

Charges!

Cavalry Prince and his knights easily removed a single figure that stood in their way and reformed to face new enemy. White Lions and Reavers challenged Sea Guard but they didn't feel that combat is at good odds for them and withdrew.

Both bolt throwers opened fire. Left one aimed at Swordmasters and killed a few while the one on the hill used the opportunity and shot at the exposed flank of the reckless enemy cavalry, unhorsing three of the knights. Survivors held with grim determination though.

The Loremasters could not quite gain a significant advantage over each other and this time Iceshard blizzard (Edit: I think!)
was cast on Archers

Battle for the Pass?

One bolt thrower down, one to go!

Dragon Princes wasted no time and destroyed bolt thrower crew. One war machine down, one to go. Lions and Swordmasters tried to position themselves so that Silver Helms could not possible charge past any of them but at the same time wanted to keep the pressure on.

Other regiments also moved and reformed so that both armies started to face each other as if fighting in the mountain pass.

Walking forests again!

Nobody wants to fight against the Prince!

Yet another attempt to charge any enemy failed. Archers and Sea Guard didn't fancy facing cavalry charge in the open and retreated. Frustrated Prince had to try again later.

In the meantime, Loremaster fooled Larry with some mental distraction and cast a spell on his own unit of White Lions. That made nearby trees nervous and they simply walked away towards the formation of Outcasts.

That allowed him to cast a powerful Fireball against enemy Swordmasters protecting enemy BSB and many of them perished. The survivors held their ground and continued their duty.

Getting closer!

Oops! Forgot to change the arrow colour, DP were not charging! Sorry!

Outcasts kept pressing forward and fast units in particular positioned themselves so that they could attempt an attack on the fire base of the enemy army.

Swordmasters and BSB destroyed annoying eagle and overrun to safety. A few remaining Sisters provided yet another distraction so that enemy cavalry still has no juicy target to attack.

Finally, eagle claw crew aimed carefully at exposed flank of the Silver Helms who made a similar mistake as Dragon Princes before. Four knights lied dead, skewered by the enormous bolt and the rest decided to move away from such a powerful war machine and its well trained crew!

Switching the sides

Last charge

It was clear that the battle reached the stage where not much could have been achieved any more. Cavalry charged the Sisters but it was hardly an achievement for proud knights. Loremaster this time could not help either and even bolt thrower and archers could not finish the eagle.

Silver Helms rallied though and blocked the path for the reavers.

Last attacks

Dragon Princes noticed that enemy Silver Helms exposed their flank again and charge in, breaking young knights and chasing them off the battle field. Great Eagle had a chance for revenge but its wounds were too deep and it was not fast enough to reach the bolt thrower.

Finally, Larry the Loremaster broke the magical defences of his counter part and focused his mind on the Prince. He aimed to destroy his spirit and almost succeeded. Seeing their leader swaying in the saddle and barely alive, the bodyguards disengaged and the enemy army withdrew.

The battle was not properly resolved but Outcasts walked away with the most minor of the victories.

Last game of the tournament was definitely interesting. A pity we didn't have enough time to play 6th round as a few interesting things might have had happened. It was great to meet Michael/Darth again and try to match the speed of his cavalry hammer! It was very close game and I was lucky to win 11-9.

First things first though: Michael, it was great to play against you again, I am sure next time you will get me! It is always a pleasure to chat with you and the games are always interesting! Cheers! =D>

Civil wars are always interesting because you can easily look at both sides and start wondering about the possible outcomes from the point of view of both forces. After all you play the same army!

I really liked how Michael reinforced his flank and had fragile shooters behind the main line. I think he would have done even better if he pressed harder with all 3 combat units at the same time and maybe even deploy his both bolt throwers on the hill. He nicely spotted the opening I created by mistake and instead of being delayed he killed my reavers. I think, however, that he might have forgotten about possibility of reforming after catching the fleeing regiment. That would have put his cavalry hammer in more threatening position. His reavers on my left were also a little bit wasted and I liked that example also because it shows that it pays off to give reavers bows as it matters in the war between support units.

Michael also nicely delayed my advance with single Silver Helms unit and I think I simply should have been more aggressive. If not for unlucky panic then we would have a draw.

On my own I must say I didn't use my assets well. I simply assumed I cannot defeat Michaels Dargon Princes with 3 characters in it. So I avoided the unit. It only makes sense if I use the fast troops to delay such regiment and use the time they buy to destroy the rest of the army. I didn't and that meant I didn't get many points.

I didn't deploy well as Sisters blocked the advance a little. Having BSB with Swordmasters yet again slowed them down as I wanted to move and shoot instead of advancing rapidly. In this game I had tools to confront the enemy units head on. For example, I could send a unit of Swordmasters against White Lions and cripple them. Even at a cost of Swordmaster unit it was worthy as I had more regiments and could reinforce them or avenge them later. In fact, I was in position to threaten Lions with Swordmasters and Dragon Princes as well as Sea Guard but I moved too fast forward (trying to avoid the cavalry bus). If I kept second eagle nearby instead of using it to hunt bolt thrower (which was threatened by enough regiments already) I would have had a chance to do so.

I tried to move Lions and Swordmasters so that they helped each other if any of the regiments were attacked by Silver Helms. I think I didn't do it well. Again, they were slowed down and probably positioned too far away. This game also showed that I may lack speed if I position the regiments too far away and when the enemy does not want to fight.

I am happy with the shooting phase as it allowed me to eliminate dangerous Sisters and win the war of support units. I got both reaver units with shooting too.

The magic duel between Loremasters was great. But it also meant many spells were not going through. I cannot recall now if it was because the winds of magic were not strong. Michael had even more spells to choose from and I could see how much he needed power dice. I think I had one Searing Doom through on Silver Helms but of course I had to roll something like 1 for number of hits. I was happy I managed to get Spirit Leach turn 5. I needed a very good roll and Michael had to roll poor to get the Prince in one go but it was not to be and I got "only" 2 wounds. So close!

That would be the last report from CanCon 2014! Summary will follow!