The Shame of Drava Crossing: 2000 points Dwarves vs Skaven
Jul 31, 2018 20:11:12 GMT
mottdon, FvonSigmaringen, and 3 more like this
Post by sedge on Jul 31, 2018 20:11:12 GMT
Durak tugged at the straps of his vambraces. It was a foolish habit from his younger days, not becoming to one of his station. He hefted his Drakegun and looked around. The Thaggoraki were arriving in numbers, and not where they'd expected them. They'd been encountered this lot before in the deeps, and when the reports came in that a pack led by a demented Grey Seer had splintered off to pillage above ground, the young Thane Fodrin had been keen to chase them down. Too eager, Durak sighed. They'd hoped to hold them on the bridge, but the Skaven had beaten them to it. Fodrin had split his forces, expecting some of the ratkin to have swum across upstream - but the waters were low at this time of year, and they seemed content to wade across here. It was his first command, and already his inexperience was showing - Fodrin was barely more than a beardling, and his father put too much trust in him. Durak knew this was going to be a tricky encounter, and he'd be lucky to come out of it alive.
So this was my first game with Dwarves, against my regular opponent's Skaven - also new to him. We kept the game size relatively modest, so we wouldn't have too many new rules to deal with. Even so, we made a few mistakes (e.g. thinking Howling Warpgale affected Skaven Shooting, allowing Cracks Call to be cast from combat, forgetting Warpstone Tokens... in fact all the mistakes were from the Skaven!), and were both a bit rusty after a few months without a WFB game. If I disparage him enough, he might register on this forum to correct my slanders...
This is the first battle report I've ever written (so also the first time I've used Battle Chronicler for maps) so apologies for errors... I tried my best to keep decent notes.
The Armies
Dwarves:
Skaven (copied off his sheet of paper, so any mistakes are his!)
Terrain
A peaceful bucolic scene, dominated by the river. None of the scenery had special rules beyond the basic ones in the BRB.
Deployment
My opponent rolled for spells and got Howling Warpgale, Death Frenzy, Cracks Call and the Dreaded 13th.
I messed up deployment, expecting to see more Skaven units in the top right of the board. It transpired later that my opponent hadn't realised rivers prevent you marching... I'd assumed he knew that, otherwise things might be been quite different. I was determined not to castle up, and he was aware of that.
Turn One
Skaven got the first turn, after I rolled my typical 1 for it. Most units advanced. Magic was 6 + 5, and the Seer cast Howling Warpgale, then managed to miscast Cracks Call on two dice, killing one Ironbreaker, 4 Clanrats and causing a wound to the Screaming Bell from a Calamitous Detonation that also left only one power dice. The Doomwheel zapped both Rat Swarms - oops, though nothing panicked. The Warp Lightning Cannon took aim at my Cannon and failed to cause any damage. The Jezzails, hindered (mistakenly) by the Warpgale, failed to score a single hit.
I shuffled my right flank around - the Gyrocopter was grounded so moved into cover behind the farmhouse. The Hammerers swift reformed to prepare for a flank charge on the Clanrats, or to deal with the Stormvermin. The Longbeards moved up to the fence, anticipating the Doomwheel breaking through the Quarrelers.
Shooting was uneventful with the cannon missing, and only a couple of wounds being dealt to the Rat Ogres.
Turn Two
The over-eager Stormvermin banner bearer raised the Storm Banner a turn earlier than intended, earning a glare from the Grey Seer. The Rat Ogres attempted to charge the Quarrelers, failing the charge and suffering three wounds from stand and shoot. The Screaming Bell charged the Ironbreakers, while the Doomwheel charged into the other Quarrelers.
Magic was 4 + 2 with no channels; the Screaming Bell rang out with a Wall of Unhold Sound, the nearby farm building collapsing to its foundations, though with a double rolled, one Clanrat also died - with +1 Attack for the rest of them, this was a sacrifice the Seer was quite happy to make. His mood turned sour, though, as he failed to cast the Dreaded 13th, rolling 24 and forgetting his Warpstone Tokens.
The Poisoned Wind Mortar took aim at the Irondrakes... and managed to kill a couple of Quarrelers. Good aim! The Doomwheel Zzzzapped a couple of Quarrelers too, as if it wasn't going to cause enough damage to them already. The Warp Lightning Cannon and Jezzails failed to harm the Gyrocopter, which evidently hadn't hidden well enough.
Combat started with the big one in the middle... impact hits failed to do anything, and the Seer declined Thane Fodrin's challenge, scuttling higher up the bell. A single Ironbreaker was killed before 6 Clanrats were chopped down. This resulted in the Ironbreakers losing combat by one, and needing to roll a 9 or under to pass their Leadership test... I rolled... and got 11!!! They ran, but not nearly fast enough, and were chopped down by the victorious rats.
The Doomwheel killed three Quarrelers from impact hits, and took a couple of wounds. They lost combat by 1... and fled, with the Doomwheel running them down and pursuing into the fence and the Longbeards.
I hate that guy!
Things were looking bad for my Dwarves. I'd been hoping to smash the Clanrats with flank charges from the Hammerers and Irondrakes, or at least hold them there while I took out the rest of his infantry. I was pretty sure there was no way back from this, but I was going to try, regardless.
The Storm Banner was taken down by the hasty Stormvermin banner bearer, earning another glare from the Seer. There would be words afterwards...
The Hammerers moved up ready to either take a charge from the Stormvermin, or charge the Clanrats in the flank. The Gyrocopter flew a loop over the Clanrats, dropping a dud bomb, before burning 13 of them with its Steam Gun. The Quarrelers inflicted 3 wounds on the Rat Ogres, and that unit was almost neutralised now. The Irondrakes killed 3 Plague Monks, figuring they should do something about them before they closed into combat. The Cannon, aghast at the loss of its General, played a blinder, blowing the Warp Lightning Cannon to smithereens. The nearby Jezzails panicked and fled.
Onto combat now, and it was time to settle a grudge. The Doomwheel killed 6 Longbeards with impact hits, before suffering 2 wounds in return. Steadfast on Leadership 9, I thought at least they would hold out... nope! A 10, and they were run down by the cackling Doomwheel engineer, who pursued them off the table.
This was a disaster, and it looked like game over at just turn two.
Turn Three
The Jezzails fled off the table, which was something at least. The Plague Monks charged the Irondrakes, losing one to stand and shoot, with the Rune of Slowness deducting a mighty (and ineffectual) 1 from their charge distance. The remaining Rat Ogre tried to charge the Quarrelers again, being killed in the process, and the Packmaster sensibly decided to go and fetch another meatshield somewhere far, far away. The Stormvermin foolishly charged the Hammerers, underestimating the elite Dwarves.
Magic was 6 + 1, and the Screaming Bell again rang out a Wall of Unhold Sound, thankfully not being in range to destroy the stables. Howling Warpgale was cast again, the Seer clearly fearful of the Gyrocopter's scalding steam. By this point, my Master Rune of Valaya was stuck between the treads of the Doomwheel, and I'd failed to make use of it at all. Nothing else was cast.
The Poisoned Wind Globadiers were finally in range of the Quarrelers on the hill, and celebrated by missing them entirely. The Poisoned Wind Mortar decided to show them how it was done, taking aim at the grounded Gyrocopter, and hitting and killing nine Stormvermin. Whoops. The returned Doomwheel Zzzzapped a couple of Hammerers, making up for its earlier innaccuracy.
Combat saw the Stormvermin down 4 Hammerers, before being splatted into the ground by their great weapons. Vengeance for the Dawi! The Hammerers looked at the threats surveying them, and reformed to face the Doomwheel - better to deal with this first than charge the Clanrats and get the wheel approaching from behind...
The Plague Monks took out 2 Irondrakes, and lost 3 of their own in turn. The Dwarves lost combat by 1... we were beginning to think we knew how this went... but they held! That's it, lads!
Time for the Dwarves to strike back. There were only a handful of them left, but if they could hold out, I could still inflict some serious damage. The Hammerers charged the Doomwheel, being a mere 5" from it. I rolled for their charge distance anyway, and got a double 1, showing just how bad my luck was today.
The Gyrocopter steamed some more rats, albeit only 6 this time. It also repositioned slightly to stop them getting to the rear of the Hammerers; Skaven aren't the only ones capable of low cunning. The Quarrelers took out a solitary Globadier, and the cannon misfired when trying to shoot down that damned bell; it was only out of action for this turn, and would be ready next time.
The Hammerers smashed into the Doomwheel, reducing it to splinters for the loss of a single one of their own. They reformed to face the great horde of Clanrats. The Plague Monks and Irondrakes killed 2 apiece, resulting in the Irondrakes losing by 1. They'd managed this last time - a piece of cake; they only needed a 9 or under. 10!!! They ran off the table as fast as their little legs could manage, the Plague Monks failing to catch them.
Turn Four
The Clanrats charged the Gyrocopter, which bravely elected to hold. The Globadiers closed on the Quarrelers, and managed to take one out. The Packmaster rallied, perhaps deciding to salvage parts from his fallen creations while the Globadiers distracted the Quarrelers.
Magic was 6 + 6 (I only get those kinds of rolls for Leadership tests). The Bell yet again made a Wall of Unhold Sound, though the stable was built of sterner stuff than the farmhouse, refusing to collapse. The Seer seemed unusually reluctant to attempt the Dreaded 13th, instead trying to draw out dispel dice with Howling Warpgale (cast; no dispel attempted) and then throwing three dice at Cracks Call (which he shouldn't have been able to from combat; we didn't realise this), and miscast! The Gyrocopter and two Hammerers went down, but a Dimensional Cascade wiped out 21 Clanrats and sucked the Grey Seer, chittering and screaming, into the warp! Finally, something goes my way!
With only pride to play for - or at least shame to avoid, the Quarrelers charged the Globadiers, being within 3" so no stand and shoot. The Hammerers charged the Clanrats, determined to take down the Screaming Bell.
The cannon loaded up grapeshot and killed 4 Plague Monks, leaving just 7 standing. The Quarrelers wiped out the Globadiers, reforming to face the Plague Monks.
The Hammerers inexplicably failed their Fear test, and 5 fell. In return they inflicted a wound on the bell, and killed 3 Clanrats, and made up for their cowardice by holding in combat.
Turn Five
The Plague Monks charged the Cannon, while the Warpfire Thrower charged the flank of the 7 remaining Hammerers. The Bell was quieter this time, the Rat Ogre perhaps a little dazed by the massive magical explosion.
The Plague Monks made short work of the Cannon crew, overrunning into the Quarrelers. The Hammerers passed their fear test, but the Rat Ogre on the Bell woke up and pounded 3 into the dirt, the rest being felled by rusty spears from the Clanrats.
The Quarrelers, the last Dwarves standing, lost four of their number against the Plague Monks, yet passed their Leadership test and held. They would die fighting, honouring their ancestors.
Turn Six
Everything closed on the remaining combat, and the inevitable happened, as the Monks cut down the last Quarrelers.
With that, the game was over, and the first outing for my Dawi ended in a crushing defeat. After the Ironbreakers fled, I thought that was it for me, and I had no chance - yet on a couple of occasions, I seemed to be getting back into things - only for more terrible Leadership rolls. Lesson for next time: bring a Battle Standard Bearer. Despite the disastrous outing, I still enjoyed playing my Dwarves.
Durak collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Around him, the surviving Irondrakes did the same, discarding helmets on the rocky ground. Tears welled in his eyes as the enormity of what had happened sank in. Standing slowly, painfully, he loosened the straps of his vambraces, dropping them to the ground. Pauldrons and breastplate followed, until he was stood in just his breeks. Drawing a short knife from his belt, he could not meet the eyes of his comrades as they stood around watching. He raised the knife to his matted hair, and began to cut. Lucky to come out of it alive? Never - for he had been the one who had uttered that fateful word - "flee". The deed done, he turned and faced his destination. It would be a long journey north, to the Shrine of Grimnir.
So this was my first game with Dwarves, against my regular opponent's Skaven - also new to him. We kept the game size relatively modest, so we wouldn't have too many new rules to deal with. Even so, we made a few mistakes (e.g. thinking Howling Warpgale affected Skaven Shooting, allowing Cracks Call to be cast from combat, forgetting Warpstone Tokens... in fact all the mistakes were from the Skaven!), and were both a bit rusty after a few months without a WFB game. If I disparage him enough, he might register on this forum to correct my slanders...
This is the first battle report I've ever written (so also the first time I've used Battle Chronicler for maps) so apologies for errors... I tried my best to keep decent notes.
The Armies
Dwarves:
- Thane (general), Great Weapon, Oath Stone, Master Rune of Gromril, 1 Rune of Iron - 146 points
- Runesmith, Shield, 1 Rune of Spellbreaking, Rune of Stone - 93 points
- 20 Longbeards, Shields, Full Command - 260 points
- 10 Quarrelers, Great Weapons, Musician, Standard - 160 points
- 10 Quarrelers, Great Weapons, Musician, Standard - 160 points
- 20 Hammerers, Full Command, Master Rune of Valaya - 375 points
- 20 Ironbreakers, Full Command - 310 points
- Gyrocopter - 80 points
- Cannon, Rune of Burning, Rune of Forging - 150 points
- 10 Irondrakes, Full Command, Trollhammer Torpedo, Rune of Slowness - 235 points
Skaven (copied off his sheet of paper, so any mistakes are his!)
- Grey Seer (general), Screaming Bell, Warpstone Tokens - 450 points
- 80 Clanrats, Spears, Shields, Full Command, Gleaming Pennant - 425 points
- 20 Stormvermin, Shields, Full Command, Storm Banner - 235 points
- 20 Plague Monks, Full Command, Razor Standard - 210 points
- 3 Warplock Jezzails, Champion - 70 points
- Warp Lightning Cannon - 90 points
- Doomwheel - 150 points
- 2 Rat Swarms - 50 points
- 3 Rat Ogres, 1 Packmaster - 128 points
- 5 Poisoned Wind Globadiers - 88 points
- 1 Warpfire Thrower - 70 points
- 1 Poisoned Wind Mortar - 65 points
Terrain
A peaceful bucolic scene, dominated by the river. None of the scenery had special rules beyond the basic ones in the BRB.
Deployment
My opponent rolled for spells and got Howling Warpgale, Death Frenzy, Cracks Call and the Dreaded 13th.
I messed up deployment, expecting to see more Skaven units in the top right of the board. It transpired later that my opponent hadn't realised rivers prevent you marching... I'd assumed he knew that, otherwise things might be been quite different. I was determined not to castle up, and he was aware of that.
Turn One
Skaven got the first turn, after I rolled my typical 1 for it. Most units advanced. Magic was 6 + 5, and the Seer cast Howling Warpgale, then managed to miscast Cracks Call on two dice, killing one Ironbreaker, 4 Clanrats and causing a wound to the Screaming Bell from a Calamitous Detonation that also left only one power dice. The Doomwheel zapped both Rat Swarms - oops, though nothing panicked. The Warp Lightning Cannon took aim at my Cannon and failed to cause any damage. The Jezzails, hindered (mistakenly) by the Warpgale, failed to score a single hit.
I shuffled my right flank around - the Gyrocopter was grounded so moved into cover behind the farmhouse. The Hammerers swift reformed to prepare for a flank charge on the Clanrats, or to deal with the Stormvermin. The Longbeards moved up to the fence, anticipating the Doomwheel breaking through the Quarrelers.
Shooting was uneventful with the cannon missing, and only a couple of wounds being dealt to the Rat Ogres.
Turn Two
The over-eager Stormvermin banner bearer raised the Storm Banner a turn earlier than intended, earning a glare from the Grey Seer. The Rat Ogres attempted to charge the Quarrelers, failing the charge and suffering three wounds from stand and shoot. The Screaming Bell charged the Ironbreakers, while the Doomwheel charged into the other Quarrelers.
Magic was 4 + 2 with no channels; the Screaming Bell rang out with a Wall of Unhold Sound, the nearby farm building collapsing to its foundations, though with a double rolled, one Clanrat also died - with +1 Attack for the rest of them, this was a sacrifice the Seer was quite happy to make. His mood turned sour, though, as he failed to cast the Dreaded 13th, rolling 24 and forgetting his Warpstone Tokens.
The Poisoned Wind Mortar took aim at the Irondrakes... and managed to kill a couple of Quarrelers. Good aim! The Doomwheel Zzzzapped a couple of Quarrelers too, as if it wasn't going to cause enough damage to them already. The Warp Lightning Cannon and Jezzails failed to harm the Gyrocopter, which evidently hadn't hidden well enough.
Combat started with the big one in the middle... impact hits failed to do anything, and the Seer declined Thane Fodrin's challenge, scuttling higher up the bell. A single Ironbreaker was killed before 6 Clanrats were chopped down. This resulted in the Ironbreakers losing combat by one, and needing to roll a 9 or under to pass their Leadership test... I rolled... and got 11!!! They ran, but not nearly fast enough, and were chopped down by the victorious rats.
The Doomwheel killed three Quarrelers from impact hits, and took a couple of wounds. They lost combat by 1... and fled, with the Doomwheel running them down and pursuing into the fence and the Longbeards.
I hate that guy!
Things were looking bad for my Dwarves. I'd been hoping to smash the Clanrats with flank charges from the Hammerers and Irondrakes, or at least hold them there while I took out the rest of his infantry. I was pretty sure there was no way back from this, but I was going to try, regardless.
The Storm Banner was taken down by the hasty Stormvermin banner bearer, earning another glare from the Seer. There would be words afterwards...
The Hammerers moved up ready to either take a charge from the Stormvermin, or charge the Clanrats in the flank. The Gyrocopter flew a loop over the Clanrats, dropping a dud bomb, before burning 13 of them with its Steam Gun. The Quarrelers inflicted 3 wounds on the Rat Ogres, and that unit was almost neutralised now. The Irondrakes killed 3 Plague Monks, figuring they should do something about them before they closed into combat. The Cannon, aghast at the loss of its General, played a blinder, blowing the Warp Lightning Cannon to smithereens. The nearby Jezzails panicked and fled.
Onto combat now, and it was time to settle a grudge. The Doomwheel killed 6 Longbeards with impact hits, before suffering 2 wounds in return. Steadfast on Leadership 9, I thought at least they would hold out... nope! A 10, and they were run down by the cackling Doomwheel engineer, who pursued them off the table.
This was a disaster, and it looked like game over at just turn two.
Turn Three
The Jezzails fled off the table, which was something at least. The Plague Monks charged the Irondrakes, losing one to stand and shoot, with the Rune of Slowness deducting a mighty (and ineffectual) 1 from their charge distance. The remaining Rat Ogre tried to charge the Quarrelers again, being killed in the process, and the Packmaster sensibly decided to go and fetch another meatshield somewhere far, far away. The Stormvermin foolishly charged the Hammerers, underestimating the elite Dwarves.
Magic was 6 + 1, and the Screaming Bell again rang out a Wall of Unhold Sound, thankfully not being in range to destroy the stables. Howling Warpgale was cast again, the Seer clearly fearful of the Gyrocopter's scalding steam. By this point, my Master Rune of Valaya was stuck between the treads of the Doomwheel, and I'd failed to make use of it at all. Nothing else was cast.
The Poisoned Wind Globadiers were finally in range of the Quarrelers on the hill, and celebrated by missing them entirely. The Poisoned Wind Mortar decided to show them how it was done, taking aim at the grounded Gyrocopter, and hitting and killing nine Stormvermin. Whoops. The returned Doomwheel Zzzzapped a couple of Hammerers, making up for its earlier innaccuracy.
Combat saw the Stormvermin down 4 Hammerers, before being splatted into the ground by their great weapons. Vengeance for the Dawi! The Hammerers looked at the threats surveying them, and reformed to face the Doomwheel - better to deal with this first than charge the Clanrats and get the wheel approaching from behind...
The Plague Monks took out 2 Irondrakes, and lost 3 of their own in turn. The Dwarves lost combat by 1... we were beginning to think we knew how this went... but they held! That's it, lads!
Time for the Dwarves to strike back. There were only a handful of them left, but if they could hold out, I could still inflict some serious damage. The Hammerers charged the Doomwheel, being a mere 5" from it. I rolled for their charge distance anyway, and got a double 1, showing just how bad my luck was today.
The Gyrocopter steamed some more rats, albeit only 6 this time. It also repositioned slightly to stop them getting to the rear of the Hammerers; Skaven aren't the only ones capable of low cunning. The Quarrelers took out a solitary Globadier, and the cannon misfired when trying to shoot down that damned bell; it was only out of action for this turn, and would be ready next time.
The Hammerers smashed into the Doomwheel, reducing it to splinters for the loss of a single one of their own. They reformed to face the great horde of Clanrats. The Plague Monks and Irondrakes killed 2 apiece, resulting in the Irondrakes losing by 1. They'd managed this last time - a piece of cake; they only needed a 9 or under. 10!!! They ran off the table as fast as their little legs could manage, the Plague Monks failing to catch them.
Turn Four
The Clanrats charged the Gyrocopter, which bravely elected to hold. The Globadiers closed on the Quarrelers, and managed to take one out. The Packmaster rallied, perhaps deciding to salvage parts from his fallen creations while the Globadiers distracted the Quarrelers.
Magic was 6 + 6 (I only get those kinds of rolls for Leadership tests). The Bell yet again made a Wall of Unhold Sound, though the stable was built of sterner stuff than the farmhouse, refusing to collapse. The Seer seemed unusually reluctant to attempt the Dreaded 13th, instead trying to draw out dispel dice with Howling Warpgale (cast; no dispel attempted) and then throwing three dice at Cracks Call (which he shouldn't have been able to from combat; we didn't realise this), and miscast! The Gyrocopter and two Hammerers went down, but a Dimensional Cascade wiped out 21 Clanrats and sucked the Grey Seer, chittering and screaming, into the warp! Finally, something goes my way!
With only pride to play for - or at least shame to avoid, the Quarrelers charged the Globadiers, being within 3" so no stand and shoot. The Hammerers charged the Clanrats, determined to take down the Screaming Bell.
The cannon loaded up grapeshot and killed 4 Plague Monks, leaving just 7 standing. The Quarrelers wiped out the Globadiers, reforming to face the Plague Monks.
The Hammerers inexplicably failed their Fear test, and 5 fell. In return they inflicted a wound on the bell, and killed 3 Clanrats, and made up for their cowardice by holding in combat.
Turn Five
The Plague Monks charged the Cannon, while the Warpfire Thrower charged the flank of the 7 remaining Hammerers. The Bell was quieter this time, the Rat Ogre perhaps a little dazed by the massive magical explosion.
The Plague Monks made short work of the Cannon crew, overrunning into the Quarrelers. The Hammerers passed their fear test, but the Rat Ogre on the Bell woke up and pounded 3 into the dirt, the rest being felled by rusty spears from the Clanrats.
The Quarrelers, the last Dwarves standing, lost four of their number against the Plague Monks, yet passed their Leadership test and held. They would die fighting, honouring their ancestors.
Turn Six
Everything closed on the remaining combat, and the inevitable happened, as the Monks cut down the last Quarrelers.
With that, the game was over, and the first outing for my Dawi ended in a crushing defeat. After the Ironbreakers fled, I thought that was it for me, and I had no chance - yet on a couple of occasions, I seemed to be getting back into things - only for more terrible Leadership rolls. Lesson for next time: bring a Battle Standard Bearer. Despite the disastrous outing, I still enjoyed playing my Dwarves.
Durak collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Around him, the surviving Irondrakes did the same, discarding helmets on the rocky ground. Tears welled in his eyes as the enormity of what had happened sank in. Standing slowly, painfully, he loosened the straps of his vambraces, dropping them to the ground. Pauldrons and breastplate followed, until he was stood in just his breeks. Drawing a short knife from his belt, he could not meet the eyes of his comrades as they stood around watching. He raised the knife to his matted hair, and began to cut. Lucky to come out of it alive? Never - for he had been the one who had uttered that fateful word - "flee". The deed done, he turned and faced his destination. It would be a long journey north, to the Shrine of Grimnir.