Friday, February 22, 2013

Fantasy Friday: Beastmen vs Tomb Kings in Round Two of the Great Lakes Warhammer League


This past Saturday I played Matt with his really nicely painted Tomb Kings. I didn't get a chance to get an up-close shot of his models but they're pretty great. Tomb Kings were my first army when I came back to Fantasy. I really like the image in my head of vast armies of shambling skeletons marching up out of the sand to take on invaders. Unfortunately the new army book was vastly underwhelming to me (not just in power level, but also in imagination). I sold them and started my Beastmen.

I knew what I was going up against somewhat. Lots of shooting and constructs. Fast moving units in chariots and snakes. I didn't change my list from last time but my tactics changed. We rolled Meeting Engagement as the battle type. This favored me heavily as I could deploy as closely as possible and take less shooting.

Matt's Tomb King List - 2500 pts
Liche High Priest (1#, 310 pts)
   1 Liche High Priest, 310 pts (Hierophant; Nehekharan Undead; Level 4 Upgrade;)
      1 Book of Ashur      1 Talisman of Endurance

Tomb King (1#, 255 pts)
   1 Tomb King, 255 pts (General; My Will Be Done; Nehekharan Undead; e)
      1 Fencer's Blades      1 Armour of Silvered Steel      1 Dragonbane Gem

Liche Priest (1#, 140 pts)
   1 Liche Priest, 140 pts (Nehekharan Undead; Level 2 Upgrade; )
      1 Relic Sword      1 Dispel Scroll

Skeleton Archers (30#, 210 pts)
   29 Skeleton Archers, 210 pts (Arrows of Asaph; Nehekharan Undead; Musician; Standard Bearer)
      1 Master of Arrows (Hand Weapon; Bow; Volley Fire)

Skeleton Archers (30#, 210 pts)
   29 Skeleton Archers, 210 pts (Arrows of Asaph; Nehekharan Undead; Musician; Standard Bearer)
      1 Master of Arrows (Hand Weapon; Bow; Volley Fire)

Skeleton Chariots (18#, 375 pts)
   6 Skeleton Chariots, 375 pts ('And the Tomb Kings Rode to War...'; Arrows of Asaph; Chariot Legions; Nehekharan Undead; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std;)
      11 Skeleton Charioteer (Hand Weapon; Bow; Spear; Volley Fire)
      1 Master of Chariots (Hand Weapon; Bow; Spear; Volley Fire)
      12 Skeletal Steed (Nehekharan Undead; Causes Fear; Immune to Psychology; Unbreakable; Unstable)
      1 Banner of Swiftness

Tomb Scorpion (1#, 85 pts)
   1 Tomb Scorpion, 85 pts (Entombed Beneath the Sands; Nehekharan Undead;Killing Blow; Magic Resistance (1); Poisoned Attacks; Stomp; Unbreakable; Unstable)

Tomb Swarm (2#, 80 pts)
   2 Tomb Swarm, 80 pts (Entombed Beneath the Sands;)

Necrolith Colossus (1#, 170 pts)
   1 Necrolith Colossus, 170 pts (Unstoppable Assault; Thunder Stomp; Unbreakable; Unstable)

Casket of Souls (4#, 135 pts)
   1 Casket of Souls, 135 pts (Covenant of Power; Light of Death;  Unleashed Souls;)

Tomb Guard (25#, 305 pts)
   24 Tomb Guard, 305 pts (Nehekharan Undead; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield; Causes Fear; Immune to Psychology; Killing Blow; Unbreakable; Unstable)
      1 Tomb Captain (Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield)

Necropolis Knights (3#, 225 pts)
   2 Necropolis Knights, 225 pts (Animated Construct; Nehekharan Undead; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Spear; Causes Fear; Immune to Psychology; Killing Blow; Stomp; Unbreakable; Unstable)
      1 Necropolis Champion (Spear)
      3 Necroserpent (Nehekharan Undead; Causes Fear; Immune to Psychology; Poisoned Attacks; Unbreakable; Unstable)

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Mike's Beastmen List - 2500 pts


2500 Pts - Beastmen Roster

Beastlord (1#, 218 pts)
   1 Beastlord, 218 pts (General; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Shield)
      1 Armour of Fortune      1 Crown of Command

Great Bray-Shaman (1#, 265 pts)
   1 Great Bray-Shaman, 265 pts (Primal Fury; Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon)
      1 Talisman of Endurance      1 The Lore of Shadow

Gorebull (1#, 247 pts)
   1 Gorebull (Battle Standard Bearer), 247 pts (Heavy Armour; Shield; Battle Standard Bearer; Causes Fear; Frenzy; Stomp)
      1 Gold Sigil Sword      1 Ramhorn Helm      1 Ironcurse Icon      1 Gnarled Hide

Bray-Shaman (1#, 125 pts)
   1 Bray-Shaman, 125 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon)
      1 Shard of the Herdstone

Gor Herd (40#, 345 pts)
   39 Gor Herd, 345 pts (Primal Fury; Musician; Standard Bearer; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon;)
      1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Ungor Herd (40#, 215 pts)
   39 Ungor Herd, 215 pts (Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Shield)
      1 Halfhorn (Hand Weapon; Shield)

Tuskgor Chariot (1#, 80 pts)
   1 Tuskgor Chariot, 80 pts (Primal Fury; Chariot; Swiftstride)

Minotaurs (6#, 350 pts)
   6 Minotaurs, 350 pts (Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Causes Fear; Stomp)

Razorgor Herd (1#, 55 pts)
   1 Razorgor Herd, 55 pts (Causes Fear; Stomp; Swiftstride)

Ghorgon (1#, 275 pts)
   1 Ghorgon, 275 pts (Berserk Rage; Causes Terror; Frenzy; Immune to Psychology; Large Target; Stubborn; Thunder Stomp)

Giant (1#, 225 pts)
   1 Giant, 225 pts (Causes Terror; Immune to Psychology; Large Target; Stubborn; Thunder Stomp)

Bray-Shaman (1#, 100 pts)
   1 Bray-Shaman, 100 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon)
      1 Dispel Scroll

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The ghorgon and giant did decently well in game one so I decided to try them in game two. I was worried about them being shot but that didn't really happen.

Click to enlarge. I deployed as closely to the line as I could. Matt deployed a little back and was going to try to roll my flanks with chariots and snakes. I felt that the Ungor herd would hold the flank long enough by being steadfast and the fast moving chariot, ghorgon, and giant on my left would hold off the snakes and get into the archers.
I deployed first and went first.




Right off the bat I felt I could get in with the chariot and the razorgor and charge models I didn't want to charge me. The other model I didn't want charging me was the Necrolith Colossus but I didn't have anything in range. The giant moved up to protect my flank; I felt like his high toughness and wounds would hold.

The tuskgor chariot killed a snake and the razorgor tied combat. In the magic phase my two shamans at the back cast Wyssan's Wildform on the Minotaurs and the Gor - this would help me weather the shooting with toughness five!
The snakes killed my chariot during my turn and then charged my giant. The colossus marched out in front of his skeletons; he didn't want them to be charged yet and was sacrificing it. The tomb guard charged my Ungor. The stupid forest made my lines disrupted so I couldn't count my ranks for steadfast :(

The skeletons on the right had double shoot cast on them and fired off at my minotaurs; the toughness five really helped minimize damage. The other skeletons fired at the ghorgon and wounded it twice (six always wounds and no armor save!).

I really feel the Wyssan's casting helped me 'bullrush' his lines in this turn.
The giant broke as a result of combat and ran. The snakes followed up but couldn't catch him. The ungor also broke during my turn and ran, but the tomb guard couldn't catch them (HUGE! My level 4 caster survived). I failed a charge with my minotaurs and then the gor horde charged the colossus. The ghorgon charged into the archers and started crunching bones...
The ungor herd rallied during my turn and stood fast. Now that they were out in the open I expected to be steadfast and pass break checks. The snakes ran down the giant (faiiled his rally check) and setup for a rear charge on my minotaurs. The minotaurs took double shooty magic without any toughness bonus and melted. The gor horde killed the colossus (thx combat res). The ghorgon continued crunching bones.

Matt brought up a scorpion and tomb swarm to block off his other skeletons. The razorgor and chariots continued in a slapfight with neither side doing much.
After performing a reform the gor horde charged the lone snake. The minotaurs charged the swarm (they had to, they were frenzied) and beat the swarm down. The ungor performed admirably and held off the tomb guard for one more turn. The ghorgon finally broke all the skeletons (30 plus a hierophant) down and prepared his chops for the other skeleton regiment.
The gor horde overran but didn't hit the tomb guard. The minotaurs overran but didn't hit the scorpion. They took more shooting from the 30 archers and all that was left was the Gorebull BSB. The razorgor and chariots continued a slapfight. Things are looking bad for the skeletons...
The ghorgon charges into the skeletons and the gorebull BSB charges the scorpion. The gor horde slams into the tomb guard. That fight is over now, the tomb king dead and my beastlord braying for blood and bones. I timed the combats so that the gorebull BSB won his, overran into the skeleton archers, and then I fought the ghorgon's combat... so the gorebull got two combats in one round.
I reformed my two units after killing the tomb guard. Matt is in it now purely to get victory points.
The gor herd charges the chariots and kills all of them with combat res. The ghorgon and gorebull BSB move towards the Casket. 
The light of DEATH goes off and kills my ghorgon and gorebull BSB. I should have thought about it - it makes you roll a 3D6 leadership test and you take wounds for each point over... the BSB could allow a re-roll of that. I didn't think of it. But the game was over now anyway - the beastmen had lost quite a few minotaurs but managed to hold the field.
Post Game Thoughts
I really felt that this game was a bit harsh for Matt. Beastmen and TK are both about the same on the power scale, but I got to deploy so close and I felt he messed up his chariot deployment. I also managed to get Wyssan's off on both main units which helped me quite a bit.

The gor horde was barely touched during the whole game. Matt rolled really badly on quite a few attacks, saves, and magic rolls... I felt like I was given a leg up with luck during this battle.

Next up: Josh's Lizardmen!

1 comment:

  1. Great report! Nice to see the Beastmen represented. I miss fantasy - my elves (Dark and High) are just collecting dust.

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