Monday, March 3, 2014

Morrslieb Monday: Great Lakes Warhammer League Game Three - Beastmen vs Tomb Kings


The Sand Stalkers vs. Mughoof's Herd
My third game in the Great Lakes Warhammer League was against Matt who plays Tomb Kings. He has played Tomb Kings the last few years and has a really well-painted army. We are both playing armies that aren't really high up the power curve.

We played battle line. I knew I was going to play two shooting armies that day (TK then High Elves) so I brought anti-shooting stuff. The Chalice of Rain makes BS shooting -1 to hit and war machines can only fire on a 4+. The other item, Pelt of the Shadowgave, makes it -1 to hit the unit the character is in and magic needs +2 to cast on that unit.

The only thing that I didn't take into account was TK always hit on a 5+ with shooting - always. The 4+ war machine thingy would have helped vs stone throwers but he didn't bring any. I did bring enough 'chaff' (targets) so that they would have to be shot up before the rest of my troops did. The Shard of the Herdstone helped me get some really strong magic phases, usually with +2 power dice.
The Sand Stalkers
-----------------
General: Matt
  Lord:
  (LHP) Liche High Priest (Nehekhara)
  (TK) Tomb King

  Hero:
  (LP) Liche Priest (Light)

  Core:
  (SA1) 30 Skeleton Archers   + Master of Arrows, Musician, Standard
  (SA2) 30 Skeleton Archers   + Master of Arrows, Musician, Standard
  (SC) 6 Skeleton Chariots      + Master of Chariots, Musician, Standard

  Special:
  (TS) Tomb Scorpion

  Rare:
  (NC) Necrolith Colossus
  (CoS) Casket of Souls

  Special:
  (SW) 20 Skeleton Warriors
      + Tomb Captain, Musician, Standard
  (NK) 3 Necropolis Knights
      + Necropolis Champion, Musician, Standard

  Rare:
  (N) Necrosphinx

Mughoof's Herd
--------------
General: Mughoof

  Lord:
  (B) Beastlord
  (GBS) Great Bray-Shaman (Shadow)

  Hero:
  (WB) Wargor BSB
  (W) Wargor
  (BS1) Bray-Shaman (Beasts - Wyssan's Wildform)
  (BS2) Bray-Shaman (Beasts - Wyssan's Wildform)

  Core:
  (GH) 40 Gor Herd  + Foe-Render, Musician, Standard
  (UH1) 40 Ungor Herd  + Halfhorn, Musician, Standard
  (TC) Tuskgor Chariot

  Special:
  (M) 8 Minotaurs  + Standard
  (RH1) Razorgor Herd
  (RH2) Razorgor Herd
  (RH3) Razorgor Herd

  Core:
  (UH2) 10 Ungor Herd  + Halfhorn, Musician, Standard
  (UH3) 10 Ungor Herd  + Halfhorn, Musician, Standard
 


I got a little unlucky during deployment. We had rolled up a river using the GLWL terrain chart so I had a river in my deployment, making it so my dudes couldn't march in the first turn. Matt had spread out on both flanks so I tried to concentrate my troops right in the middle and right flank so I could crush that. I knew the Necropolis Knights could ruin my dudes pretty well in combat with tons of attacks and killing blow. 

I thought the minotaurs might be fast enough to move up once then charge the chariots before they could get to me. HUGE mistake heh. My gors could probably take down both Skeleton Archer units. The Ungors would hold up the TK and his skeletons for a while until I could deal with them and the Knights.

Leadership is super essential for any Warhammer army but especially for Beastmen. Primal Fury is amazing but you have to pass leadership tests to get that. I put my Beastlord and BSB in the middle of my army to provide that leadership to most of my troops.


In the first turn Matt moved forward. TK can't march so he just went forward 4" for the most part. The archers fired but didn't really do much. His magic phase was somewhat uneventful. He shot my rightmost Razorgor to death.


In bottom of one my army moved forward. I tried to setup the razorgors to take some shots and maybe make some charges the next turn. I put Wyssan's Wildform (+1T +1S) so they could survive some shots. I knew I was going to have to take some fire on the way in. I forgot to roll for my Ungor bowmen in ambush. The woods on the left are 'poisonous', so I automatically wound on a 6+.


On top of turn two Matt charged his necrolith colossus into combat with my Razorgor on the left. I didn't expect to win but perhaps I could get a better charge with my Ungor herd. He shot up my middle razorgor and downed some gors in the middle as well. His skeleton chariots charged and rolled a 5,5,6 for 17 impact hits at S5! That effectively destroyed my minotaurs and they ran then ran off the board the next turn.

Matt really focused on the razorgors with his shooting. He rolled pretty poorly as the razorgors have no armor saves and couldn't really avoid being shot to death. 


In the bottom of turn two I charged the flank of the Necrolith, getting Okkham's Mindrazor off (LD is converted to S- so eight for that unit). They easily destroyed the Necrolith and overran a bit forward to try to avoid flank charges. The gors moved up in the middle yelling "Come at me bro!" as loud as they could. I didn't get WW off on them this turn. 

The razorgor charged the skeletons with Tomb King. I could have charged a skeleton archers unit to tie them up but I figured he'd die on stand and shoot. He didn't really do much then he died. the ungor archers on my right flank shot up the chariots where stuck in place after killing the minotaurs. 


On top of turn three the warriors on the left failed a charge against the ungors. The bone giant failed on the right. Matt cast his +1 shooting attack spell and the bowmen tore up the gors, but not enough. The chariots shot off an ungor archer. He also brought his tomb scorpion up in front of my gors to stall them another turn.


The gors killed the scorpion and then overran forward. The ungors shot up another chariot, doing really well. The ungor herd on the left reformed to be ready to charge the next turn. Overall I didn't get much magic done this turn - would have liked to get a Wyssan's off on my gors.


On top of turn four Matt charged his bone giant into combat with my gors. He failed a charge with the chariots that really would have helped, so they're stuck in my backfield. The necropolis knights reformed to be able to face my ungor herd and not get charged on the flank. The bone giant didn't get to swing before I struck him down - the characters made way to attack him and the whole unit was +1S from Beast Banner.


On bottom of turn four I charged in with my ungor herd and gor herd. I was worried about the left flank because ungors aren't really good at combat at all with victim stats. I knew the gors would smash face on the skeleton archers. They ended up crumbling the archers to death and the ungors took down some skeleton warriors, but not nearly enough. 

Turn four!

In top of turn five Matt charged the necropolis knights into combat with my ungors on my flank. I had used steadfast to stay in combat the previous turn so I was apprehensive regarding the flank charge. The chariots moved up trying to setup another charge the next turn. The archers moved back to shoot another turn.


During bottom of turn five I managed to get off Wyssan's Wildform and Okkham's Mindrazor on the ungors. They're effectively S9 and T4. That was pretty amazing combined with Primal Fury to take down skeletons and necropolis knights. Matt still managed to stay in combat and take down ungors.

The gors ran forward into the skeleton archers and ruined those dudes. The ungors attempted another shot at the chariots and didn't do much.


The skeletons and knights still stay in combat during top of turn six. I was worried about that fight as I had my Great Bray and Wargor in there and didn't want to lose tons of points. He also had a lot of points held up in his skeletons and knights. He was moving his chariots away to deny points for me at the end of the battle. 

I have to say his skeletons and knights did really well. Not many units can hold up to +1T and S9. 


At the end of combat in the previous turn the ungors destroyed all of his skeletons and knights. They then charged into the Casket, not doing much. I attempted to shoot the last chariot with one wound left and missed. All in all it was a great game, and the dice just went my way. Matt had some really poor magic phases and my spell support was amazing.


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