The Old World - Dwarfs vs Daemons

An afternoon of hard-fought, fun, 'hammering... with 2,800 points aside. The terrain was randomly generated, getting us a hill (centre of the Dwarf side), a ruin, 2 marshes, an area of rocks (on the hilltop) and another ruin (which we turned into a statue of a Dwarf king, centre). So far, the Dwarfs have been undefeated in our WH games, and have already seen-off chaos twice, as Beastmen and then WoC, so third time luck for the Chaos Gods, this time with daemons of Khorne. 

Here are the army lists, roughly. Bare in mind we don't hone our lists for competitive play, just fun play. We don't treat the game like a sport... we're here for the bash and 3-4 hours of fun, winning is having a good time.

Daemons
Bloodthirster with great axe
Herald with collar of khorne, on juggernaut
Herald with collar of khorne
Herald, BSB, with Totem of Eternal War

20 x Bloodletters with full command
20 x Bloodletters with full command
20 x Bloodletters with full command
6 x Fleshhounds
6 x Fleshhounds with ambushers
6 x Chaos Furies
6 x Bloodcrushers with champion and standard
Skullcannon 

Dwarfs
King on shieldbearers, with master rune of gromril, rune of fury, rune of swiftness
Thane with great weapon
Anvil of Doom with a rune of fortitude
Engineer 'Beardy Hari' with hand gun, rune of rapid fire, rune of bursting flame

20 Dwarf Warriors with full command and spears
20 Dwarf Warriors with full command and spears
10 Thunderers
10 Crossbows
10 Rangers with champion and standard
16 Slayers including 6 giant slayers
16 Ironbreakers with full command
15 Hammerers with full command
2 Cannons
Organ Gun

The battle lines were set, time to start the slaughter.  The daemons, of course, were on fulls send (par the skull cannon) which misfired... as rushed up, picking their targets. The Dwarfs manouevred to intercept and loosed everything they had, as cannons and handgunners and organ gun boomed out. Chip damage only resulted, although 2 Bloodcrushers did go down... a good result. Turn 2 would see the melees start.

The Bloodcrushers crashed into the Slayers and wrought havoc, killing 10... the Furies made a risky long-bomb charge and made it to the cannon, tearing the crew apart. Then followed the 'Ironbreaker Incident' (described below, we won't linger on it!!). The Dwarf right advanced to face the many Bloodletters, but it was their  and centre that was crumbling fast. Again, no major damage from firing the guns, and no cannon could see the Bloodthirster after his rash charge. On to Turn 3. 

The grind had started, with the Dwarfs doing well with their spear blocks and the King and his Hammerers flattened Bloodletters, things looked up a bit. 1 Slayer survived to hold up the Bloodcrushers, thankfully, and the Rangers chipped off a couple wounds from the Skullcannon with their crossbows. Was it enough? As the Bloodthirster flew round the hill to line-up the Anvil of Doom, which cast its lightning bolts but was thwarted (Magic Resistance 2 was a shock). Ambushing Fleshhounds arrived behind the lines and rushed towards the organ gun, it had time to swing round and blast them... but again, not enough to stop the charge and the munching of the crew next turn.

Turn 4 pretty much saw the end of it. Although the Dwarfs on the right finished off the Bloodletters blocks, it didn't help, as the Anvil was charged and would loose in the next rounds of combat, destroyed, picked up and hurled away! Beady Hari blasted the last Furies into oblivion, but the organ gun was lost, the last cannon misfired, the spear line at the hill was swamped and losing and the slayers finally surcomed. The flank 'Rangers vs Skullcannon duel' took a turn when its shot at them hit their Thane (Bugman) and killed him on failed 'look out sir!' test. Next turn, the daemon-engine lost its cool and charged in anyway... Bugman may well have killed it... but his men couldn't quite do it.

 The daemons were mopping up now, the central spear unit was butchered and broke off the table edge (fast runners for short legs). The Bloodthirster final took a  cannon hit, but with 1 wound left charged and dispatched the engineer. We called it and added up VPs...

Deployment. The Dwarfs weight they combat power to their right, with a smaller force on their left. The daemons go the same, main hitting power right and centre. Hmmm... can the Dwarf left hold?

Bloodletters on their extreme left, avoiding the marshes.

Centre, the Bloodthirster leads with Fleshhounds and more Bloodletters, and the handy Totem of Eternal War in support.

Right, Bloodcrushers (and Herald) and Furies (models do double duty as Harpies too, when needed).

Bugman's Rangers scout onto the far left, crossbows out.

The Dwarf detachment on their left, a lure, to just hold as long as they can (and the slayers to die), whilst the Dwarfs sweep round on the right (well trudge round).

Centre, behind the hill (rock is impassable). Ironbreakers, warriors, anvil, and on the hill, the engineer gunner 'Beardy Hari', sniper's vantage point.

Leading on the right, King and his Hammerers. Hard as rocks...

Turn 1, the daemons on full send, Bloodcrushers line-up the Slayers, but cannon and crossbows take down 2 early.

Bloodthirster flaps up to the central statue (surely not hiding from a cannon!). The Fleshhounds lead the rush, as behind, the Ironbreakers round the hill to meet them.

The daemons far left, Bloodletters rush the warrior spear block (we allow Dwarf warriors spears for a +1 point, as all our old models have them, and frankly, Dwarfs could do with spears).

The Furies make a long charge and with good rolls make it to the cannon... oops. 18" charge, by fluke... the crew are torn apart. Precious cannon lost.

Overwhelming charge of the Bloodcrushers, only 6 Slayers survive the impacts and hellblades. This unit hits like a tank... or a big charging bull (made of brass and anger). 

Another Dwarf disaster, as the Fleshhounds charge, the Bloodthirster then fails it's Impetuous test and must also charge the closest Dwarfs, causing the Ironbreaker's terror, and on a double 6(!!), they break and run, to be caught by the Fleshhounds and wiped out, as the 'thirster then fails its rash charge behind (but puts a hill behind it and a cannon). The early turns have defo gone against the Dwarfs.

Drilled warriors expand the spear line and charge... resulting in a melee grind with the Bloodletters, which they win... even after their champion was cleaved in two in a challenge. Grudge settled, but it took all game, small wins.

King and his Hammers do their hammering, and destroy another Bloodletter unit, some measure of revenge, and a comeback is on... or its it?

No!. The Bloodthirster sweeps round on his might pinions and lines up the Anvil of Doom, its lightning bolts twice thwarted by Khorne's magic resistance. Guards and Rune Priest get ready to defend their anvil - some hope, but not no hope... for Grugni!

Ambushing Fleshhounds arrive and rush the organ gun, which spins and gets a full volley off at 1" range. But only 2 hounds die. Crew now doomed, as dinner.

The skirmishing Furies continue to be a right pain, jumping the crossbows in the flank as the last Bloodletter block closes in. The Dwarf left is being overwhelmed.

After the, err, 'Ironbreaker Incident', the drilled spear-dwarfs take their place and give the Fleshhounds a good stabbing... or would, but for amazing 5+ ward saves.

Last brave Slayer goes down, but the Slayers did well, killing 2 Bloodcrushers as they met their doom...

The Skullcannon fails its Impetuous test and madly charges the Rangers... this after targeting the Ranger's Thane (Bugman) and him failing his 'look out sir!' test, and dying to the hit. We house rule that chariots do half impact hits vs skirmishers, and the Dwarf great weapons hit hard, so its a real tussle. In the end the cannon wins, just, and the last Rangers break.

The end is nye... the crossbows wiped out, the spears are next for the treatment... as the Fleshhounds prove ever resistant to spear-stabbing and instability... the line is swamped next turn.

Epic fight for the anvil of doom... but doomed it is, but the guards hurt the Bloodthirster back before it is wrecked. Bloodthirster's first kill, a worthy one though. 

Last for his ire, reforming to line-up the engineer, but also hit by a cannon, so only 1 wound left. Can it survive the 'quick shot' stand and fire from Beardy Hari, or will he get a wound and a legendary kill? He didn't, and was then chopped to iddy-bits... last action of the game.

 

Adding up VPs, the Daemons had score 1702... the Dwarfs, 686... ouch. Big Daemon win then... and the Dwarfs have finally lost a game. Khorne is well-pleased with his tribute of skulls today...