The Old World - Beastmen vs Dark Elves

A bank holiday afternoon for a WH tussle. We both picked a 2,500 point force, using some of our house-rule mods (we call it 'core-hammer' mods, to force more core unit blocks into the game and reduce the over-powered characters). Here are the lists that resulted (feels more like WH to me).

Dark Elf list:

Dread Lord on Manitcore, with lance, healing potion, full plate armour, shield.
Supreme Sorceress (level 3, Dark Magic - Cursed Word, Word of Pain, Battle Lust), on a dark pegasus with focus familiar and power scroll (model is a proxy, winged-serpent/small wyvern-thing).
Noble on a Cold One, with lance and full plate armour, shield (leading cold one knights, as core)

3 x 10 Repeater Crossbows
32 Spearmen, full command
5 Dark Riders (skirmishers, scouts)
7 Cold One Knights, full command, full plate armour, etc.
2 Cold One Chariots
1 Hydra
1 Kharybdiss
2 Repeater Bolt Throwers

Beastman list:

Warlord with pelt of midnight, axes of khorgor and gnarly hide.
Great Shaman (level 3, Daemonology with Viletide, Daemonic Vessel, Steed of Shadows), with a talisman of protection
Shaman (level 2, Daemonology with Viletide, the Summoning), hagtree fetish (urgh - hate it!).
Warhoof with heavy armour shield, muscled monstrosity (leading Centigor, as core)

2 x 30 Gors, full command
30 Bestigor, great weapons, full command
14 Ungor archers (skirmishers, ambushers)
5 Minotaurs, full command, great weapons
9 Centigors, full command
3 Razorgors
Chaos Giant

After hidden deployment behind a screen, and the big reveal (the exciting bit), we were ready for turn 1.

The beastmen rushed up, of course, why hang around under fire? The Bestigor were flung with 'steed of shadows' spell right at the dark elf line, which responded with a storm of crossbows and bolts and reduce them from 30 to 12, and forced them back in panic. Most others spells failed or were dispelled,  except the shamans viletide which wiped out the dark riders in a single hit - ouch!. 

The dark elf flanks moved up and the charges were lining up, the Chaos Giant and Hydra singling eachother out. By turn 2, we were charging in, the CO chariot and knights hitting and hammering the Gor block, which still only FBIGO, whilst the Kharybdiss was overwhelmed by frenzied centigors (well drunk) and the razorgors (first game and pretty handy beasts). It killed one pig (nice diner) but was then killed before the dread lord on his manticore, which had spent turn 1 as unruly, could get acros to aid it. The left flank looked weak, even as cheeky Ungor archers turned up behind them and harass them with short bow arrows. 

In the centre the Bestigor's charge was, well, rubbish, they rolled terribly and killed just 2 crossbowmen, who held, swords out. Then the second CO chariot hit their flank, maxed its impact hits and broke the unit in the next melee, it fled, chariot chased, and got them... huge points swing as the elite beast infantry died to a man, for 2 elves! The other gor block charged the spear block and a long grind started. Meanwhile, the minotaurs were stuck behind, but a steed of shadows 'fly' move would fix that, except the great shaman was having an off day... and couldn't cast it (or it was dispelled).

On the dark elf (my) right, the monser-bash between the hydra and giant as an epic one, the hydra savaged it first, but failed to kill the giant, which clubbed it back for 3 wounds. Both would fight again next turn. When they did, the faster hydra somehow did 0 wounds! and then the giant got mad (with 'daemonic vigour' aid) and spiked on its rolls to throttle the hydra to death - raargh!. Behind them, the gors continued to die to the cold one knights and chariot (but killed 2 knights on a double 1 armour save by me!), in the end the gors would break and flee the tabletop, and the knights restrained and reformed, turning to charge the gaint and finish it with a lance to the knee. Decisive DE win on that flank. 

The centre was also holding well, but one crossbow unit was eliminated by 'the summoning' spell which fried them all (that hagtree fetish needs calming down!). The repeater bolt throwers targeted the minotaurs with big bolts and rolled three 1s to-hit (why!). That should have been good shooting, but wasn't. The cold one chariot careered on into the minotaurs, but was easily dispatched by great weapons after one minotaur died. 

The dread lord found himself in deep trouble, his manticore took a liking to razorgors for tea and ate them up, but the frenzied centigor kicked his skinny butt... the warhoof being especially drunk and dangerous. The dread lord drank his healing potion, and that saved him next turn, when he broke and fled from the fight, just avoid the centigor's pursuit by 2", then failing to rally (rolled 11), and flapped off home in the final turn, giving the Beastmen all his victory points. 

We added the VPs up and it was very close, the DE just ahead, but by under 100 points, roughly 1600 to 1500. So, we shuck hands on a draw. A fun 3 hours... DEs looked like they had done enough to win it, but the Dread Lords cowardice in the end saved the beastmen a draw... proper Warhammer that!

 Pics of the action...

 

The field of battle, Beasts right closest. 6 terrain peices, 2 ruins, a rocky outcrop (impassable), rocky ground, marshy ground and a far-off elf waystone (all units within 12" gain Magic Resistance 1). Not deployed yet (almost forgot them) the scouting dark riders, hidden behind the rocky outcrop.

 

Dark Elf right flank, CO chariot, CO knights and Hydra, all out attack! Wizards avoid this end of the field due to the waystone.

Facing them, the Beast's left, big Gor block and Chaos Giant.

DE centre, the repeater crossbows and big spear block, backed by Dread Lord on his unruly manticore. Hold the line here.

DE left, Kharybiss, CO chariot and bolt throwers.

Beastmen right, Centigors led by their warhoof, and 3 Razorgors.

The DE right's attack hammers the Gors, in the end, 30 are killed or routed from the field.

Monster-bash... the Hydra doesn't quiet kill the Chaos Giant in 1 turn, and then it rips its heads off! Big dice spike, but it only had 1 wound left aftewards, and died...

The long grind in the centre as a big Gor block meets a big spear block. Both had various magical hexes and enchantments to help, with DE 'Battle Lust' one turn, then Gor 'Daemonic Vigour' the next, but in the end, more spears ground them down, but it cost half of them.

Last of the Bestigor block charges in, but wiffs (2 dead crossbows), and then the arrival of flank charging CO chariot saw them off, breaking and being destroyed in the pursuit.  Bad day for them.

The poor Kharybdiss is overwhelmed, by drunken frenzied centigor and razorgors. The dread lord flew in to help, but even though his manticore finished off the razorgors (tastey), the still frenzied centigors and warhoof beat him up badly (1 wound left), and he fled, failed to rally, and flapped off home! Coward!  

 Core-Hammer Notes:

We allow: Max 33% on characters (not 50%). No level 4 wizards except for: Slann, any daemons or sorcerer of Tzeentch and 0-1 High Elf high-mage. Level 3 is max instead. 0-1 on all 'lord' level characters (so you can get 1 big bad-ass max).

Minimum of 33% on Core troops, but some Special units can count as core if they have a low level character to directly lead them (like the cold knights with noble, and centigor with warhoof here, they bring these as their troops. as more core points).  I like this, as more lower power level characters get used, because they help meet the core requirement, but with better troops... double-win! 

 

These alts makes for more rank and flank and core blocks, and less 'hero-hammering', without banning the use of any unit or character. Magic is also calmed down a bit, but in this game it still had an effect, especially for the Beastmen. (I counted, the Beasts cast 6 spells successfully, the DEs cast 4).

Salute '26 - Battlegroup demo game, 'Via Faenza', Italy 1944

The combined efforts of Piers and myself (and some extra borrowed med buildings) to create out demo table for BG: Italy, for Salute. On a 6 x 10' table, we had a bombed out coastal village, through which ran the coastal road, with its own industrial area and waterfront 'fish canning factory'. The Germans were holding this as they moved to retreat up the coast from the Gothic Line. Trying to cut the road were the British/Commonwealth forces, led by Churchill tanks, as they moved through the rural hills, farms, fields and vineyards that made up the rest of the tabletop.

We never get to play much on these demo-days, its about showcasing the game at its best (well, we try), and talking to BG players and those interested in trying it out, in a recruitment drive... actually rolling dice doesn't get to happened much, plus, we want to wander off and see some of the show too (and shop).

It was worth the effort, a good day talking to gamers (and we won an award too).

 

Brits will enter on this table corner. 

The fish canning factory

On the seafront cliffs, a old watchtower overlooks the little harbour.

The harbour, sea plane about to make an escape.

Germans rush to block the Brits with their StuGs.

StuG platoon roll out of town.

Just arriving in town, past the cemetery, the retreating convoy of trucks, etc.

Germans secure the large walled cemetery.

Arriving British armour, Churchills fan-out from the side road as enemy armour is reported ahead.

Recce in place, awaiting support to move up.

At the rearward farm, the Sexton battery are ready to add to the town's rubble.

Forward Aid Post and ambulance receive the first casualties.

Bren Section rumble up.

On the hillside, an Archer lurks.

The foxholed infantry on the hillside watch on.

The full tabletop from the British end.

Bombed out fishing village.

StuG guards the road.

A win, that's two in a row, for me.

Three in a row for Piers.

 

Operation Mercury campaign - Game 1 - Coup de Main at Maleme Airfield, with BG: Tobruk

This is the start of new BG campaign, in which we'll be playing out part of the Operation Mercury, around Maleme airfield, Hill 107, Pirgos and Palantias. The defenders had already deployed their forces on the campaign map and I then dropped my first wave of paratroops, elite troops from 1st Sturm Regiment, in. From the campaign map, we'll determine where the games are and what forces are around for them, and what might be reinforcements. 

This was game 1, my direct landing to seize the airfield by a coup de main strike. It was just 300 pts, a 'squad' game, on a 4x4 board, which was largely empty (as the airfield was mostly just open runway). The New Zealand defenders were largely dug-in on their perimeter, as the gliders and paras dropped in all around. 

The forces selected were:

Germans:
FJ Sturm Platoon in 3 gliders       
HMG-34 team             
'Adler Tag'               
FJ Sturm squad (paratroops)
2 snipers, + 1 observer (paratroops)
JU-87 air strike (turn 1)

BR 23, 2 Scouts, 1 Officer

British (New Zealanders):
Infantry Platoon (all in foxholes)
Ad Hoc Infantry Platoon (auxiliary - RAF ground crew)
Vickers HMG team in dug-out
Bofors gun in dug-out
3" mortar in mortar pit

BR 19, 0 Scouts, 2 Officers

The tabletop, near edge is rough/overgrown ground at the end of the Tavrontis river. Far side is the few RAF huts and tents. Up top, the dispersal pen with an abandoned Hurricane (non-flyer left behind when the RAF pulled out to return to Egypt).

Two tin RAF hits (soft cover only), a few tents and the gate.

Dispersal pen (them were just low stone walls) and non-flying Hurricane. (It may have been a Fairey Fulmar, but we don't have one of them, and reports vary).

Luftwaffe's daily hate ends, as JU-88 buzzes over. In the reaming smoke and dust cloud, in come the DFS-230 gliders and JU-52s. 

Stuka pins the Bofors after braving its fire.

 

The first wave of 3 gliders skidded in, all with rough landings, so the FJ squads jumped out and were pinned. The defenders rolled  a 1 for their orders and so could do little, too surprised. The Vickers HMG opened up and missed. A dive-bombing Stuka targeted the Bofors gun, which was on ambush fire, its AA fire didn't stop the dive, and the bombing only resulted in pinning the gun, no direct hit! Still, the crew were cowering.  Turn 1 was quick... the fight was on.

The three gliders have landed and disgorged their squads. Next wave will be paratroops dropping.

Turn 2, and the second wave, the paratroops dropped down, one rifle squad being shot to death in the air and the survivors surrendering, lost them. The others landed mostly pinned as they sort their drop canisters. With a few unpinned units now, the FJ could open fire, and the HMG was set up, under the lead glider's wing, and raked the NAAFI hut. It cut-up the RAF squad inside badly, who broke and ran. It was going well. But most of the FJ were stood in the open, at short range, to troops that would surely decimate them next turn. Until, they only got 2 orders - lucky!. Still, rifle fire cracked out, and the Vickers blazed away and FJ started to die quickly. A few 'Fall Back!' moves helped, as we allowed FJ that fell back to make for the Tavrontis edge and its rocks and bushes for some cover...

The fighting was a smattering of firefights across the tabletop, usually one unit against the other, as the FJ got some MG-34s going, but the Vickers was a problem, it cut down a squad in the open. The resulting counter was an Air Attack, today we needed the Luftwaffe, and the 'Adler Tag' special rule should help. Send more Stuka's please!

One rifle squad assaulted the Vickers dug-out, throwing grenades, armed with pistols, and only killed a single crew, who then fought back and won. They followed up with a 'heroic action' from their morale test and a burst of close range fore finished of the FJ's finest. The HMG team would survive the game with 1 man left... medals for their efforts.

Three Air Attack counters had to be roled for, with the Luftwaffe due in force, but terrible rolls saw no help arrive... the boys on the ground were on their own. Now, the defender's reserve arrived, another RAF ad hoc rifle squad, which re-occupied the NAAFI (vital to hold that). On counters it was very close, with both having picked up Air Attack and special counters, but got little from them.

 

The final turns saw an MG-34 team take out the last Bofors crew at close range and then force an RAF squad to surrender too... heroics from them... but meanwhile, on the other side of the air strip, the bold FJ PHQ was finished off by the reserves from the NAAFI hut, and other FJ sqauds had fled to the Tavronis bank's cover, when an MG team, running for the 'safety' was spotted and shot down by riflemen from their dug-outs, this final counter pushed the FJ to their break point. The assault had failed. But, oh, it had been close, the Brits were on 18 from 19, so 1 more counter would have done it... how the Vickers team's last man did not get pinned, and thus break... the dice gods know! (snipers and MG-34s tried but he passed all his cover saves). 

So, game 1 sees the initial assault fail to capture the western end of Maleme airfield. We'll obviously be back, as getting the airfield is vital to getting more reinforcements in the later campaign. Game 2 will be the landings at the Tavrontis bridge, not far from this tabletop, as more gliders and paras land. Fun to play this scenario... which is a mess... but unlike any other BG game. 

Brits/New Zealand counters.

German counters

Man on the match, the Vickers team somehow survived everything, with 1 man still shooting (at half firepower).