Hump Day Heroics - WASTE Wars: Waaagh Aerie Tournament Series Event X (Part 1)

This will be a rather entertaining weekly account of my efforts to bring down the man (or just my opponents). I'll try to keep up and post a new battle report every Wednesday so you wonderful followers can see what I do when I play...more or less ;).

Anyway, the first three weeks of Hump Day Heroics will feature our latest tournament outing at Gryfalia's Aerie, the 10th event in their tournament series. I don't remember specifics of all the enemy lists, so some details may be a little fudgy. Read on to see how we did...

This event was a primer for the Adepticon 2013 WHFB team tournament, and as such painted models weren't required (thankfully!). It was 1200 points per person and no Lords or Special Characters were allowed. John and I hemmed and hawed for weeks over what we wanted to bring, being fairly useless for a while. Up until about two nights before, we had decided on Warriors of Chaos and Daemons of Chaos for a fun theme, but that was it. I can't speak for John, but I wrote my list the day before, meaning we'd had no practice together or anything tactics whatsoever, other than "Get 'em!". To that end, this is what we brought:

Andrew's evil mens

Exalted Hero - Sword of Anti-Heroes, Charmed Shield, Stream of Corruption

Chaos Sorcerer - Infernal Puppet, Lvl 1 Lore of Fire

20 Marauders - Light Armor, Shields, full command, Mark of Slaanesh

10 Marauder Horsemen - Light Armor, Flails, Musician, Mark of Khorne

5 Warhounds

5 Warhounds

18 Chosen - Halberds, Shields, full command, Eye of the Gods, Wailing Banner, Mark of Tzeentch

John's even more evil warp monkeys

Herald of Tzeentch - Disc of Tzeentch, Master of Sorcery (Fire)

Herald of Tzeentch - Battle Standard Bearer

29 Horrors of Tzeentch - full command, Icon of Sorcery

3 Flamers of Tzeentch

3 Screamers of Tzeentch

Soulgrinder - Daemonbane Claw

Game 1: Joe F. and Ryan G.

Bretonnians
Paladin - Heroic Killing Blow, stuff
Paladin - BSB
8 Knights of the Realm - full command
8 Knights of the Realm - full command
8 Knights of the Realm - full command
3 Pegasus Knights
Trebuchet

Ogres
Bruiser
8 Ironguts
2 Mournfang
2 Mournfang
10 Gnoblars
Sabretusk
Sabretusk
Stonehorn

Deployment

Turn 1: The Unstable Team

Advance! My speedy Horsemen sweep up the right flank, though two died to the forest, while the Warhounds range ahead to be a nuisance. Everything else plods along in their general direction. The magic phase saw to the roasting of the Sabrecat on our right, via the cackling Sorcerer.

Turn 1: Joe & Ryan

Cautious advance! The Mournfang and Stonehorn each declare charges on the Warhounds, who flee. The one on the left went a little too far and bounced through the Horrors. In both cases, failed charges. The Pegasus Knights had just enough space to smack the Screamers, so they did so. Moving right along to the Shooting phase, the Trebuchet missed. Could have been worse I guess! In close combat, the Knights and Screamers each scored a wound, but since the Knights charged, the Screamers lost a second wound. Oh well!


Turn 2: The Unstable Team

I had the bright idea to have the Soulgrinder block off the two units of Knights from hitting the Horrors for a turn; poor tired John took it at face value and did it. At the time I though it might be helpful to have it hold them up, since the superkilly lords weren't available. The Horsemen made an easy charge on the flank of the Mournfang, losing another two to the danged forest! Meanwhile, other units prepared to receive charges (or in the case of the Warhounds, kept fleeing). Magic saw not a whole lot happen, though Fulminating Flame Cage was cast on the Ironguts. In the Shooting phase, the Flamers dealt with the other Sabretusk and burnt it to a crisp. I was all set and ready for an awesome close combat phase that would see my Horsemen butcher or panic the Mournfang and then start flanking/breaking their army!

Unfortunately, the dice were out to kill me instead. I fluffed entirely (well I got one of 'em, but that's it), while he doffed two of my dudes in return. He passed his break test magnificently and that defeated us (among other things :D).

Turn 2: Joe & Ryan

Aaaannd here they come! The Ironguts slam into the Marauders (losing a couple to fire), while both lances pile-drived into the Soulgrinder. Because of the casualties his Mournfang did to the Horsemen, he lost the frontage to charge with his third lance (phew!), so they reform instead. Again :P. Big nasty units come at us now and it's scary! Luckily, the Trebuchet missed again, so it was right into combat. The Horsemen fluff it but don't die either, so I guess that's something. The Paladin naturally has Heroic Killing Blow and luckily manages to take out the Soulgrinder, and then they overrun into the Horrors...arg! In the center, the Bruiser challenges my Exalted Hero and he all-too-gladly accepts (I had reservations, at any rate). Between my gear and then puking on him, my General kills his General in a challenge, woo! The subsequent roll on the Eye of the Gods chart reveals that the eye is closed...well rats.

Didn't matter anyway, as the Marauders got slaughtered by the Ironguts, causing them to flee and get annihilated in the pursuit. Ho hum.


Turn 3: The Unstable Team

With the Ironguts out of the way, the Chosen make a MEGA-CHARGE into the flank of the Stonehorn, while the Herald on the disc makes good his escape. I'm not quite sure what happened during our Magic phase (oh, memory!), but somehow my Sorcerer imploded, despite having the Puppet. How unfortunate. Shooting was entertaining at least, with the Gnoblars getting turned into poo that the Flamers rolled and played in. In combat, umm, a decent amount of Horrors died, the Horsemen were wiped out, and finally the Chosen obliterate the Stonehorn! Their overrun falls 1" short of hitting the flank of the Knights (ARG!), and so it moved into their turn.

Turn 3: Joe & Ryan

The Knights, oh those Knights, they go and smash into the Horrors while the Ironguts reform to face the party. Other units snuggle up. The Trebuchet finally connects with anything and bounces some ineffective shrapnel off the Chosen. Meh, I say! :D

Predictably, in close combat a LOT more Horrors died, simply because John couldn't make saves on his chumps. Amusingly though, the Herald BSB made a lot of saves, so I guess it balances out with the useful bits.


Turn 4: The Unstable Team

The Flamers move toward the center to provide some kind of useful thingy maybe, while the Herald decides he wants to go pester people with fire. The Chosen reform and wait, sadly. John's fire magic caused some wounds to be saved, and that was about it. In close combat, the Horrors held on! 

Turn 4: Joe & Ryan

Yep. Here they come. We start to see the writing on the wall, but being exemplar champions of awesomenitude we never give up, never surrender! The Trebuchet misses. More Horrors die. Usual stuff, eh?


Turn 5: The Unstable Team

COME GET SOME!!! The Chosen slam into the rear of the Knights and cause massive casualties. The BSB gets heroically run down, though his unit escapes. The others, unfortunately, hold, meaning we can't score a bucketfull of victory points. 

Turn 5: Joe and Ryan

Ah, well, yes yes, this didn't go well for us then. We broke early for lunch, yes. ;)

Game 1: Loss!

On further review:
[Andrew] A couple poor choices and extremely wonky dice killed us. We should have kept the Soulgrinder behind the ruins so that it could flank the lances when they eventually came forth, or just forced them to stay away for longer for fear of getting flanked by that monster. I'll claim that bad as my own, I had a cunnin' idea that...I dunno, why was it cunnin' again? Oh right...we'd just gotten out of a 3hr car ride, we'd never played together before, and he'd had no sleep. Yes, that's our excuse, we'll stick to it. Probably why the Flamers were all the way on the flank too...though if we'd done right by the Soulgrinder, it would have been fine.

When my Horsemen died far too much to the forest that was wonky #1, followed by failing to inflict much damage at all, plus his super passing of the break test. It was a whole scenario of sad dice there. Near the end, had my Chosen made the flank of the Knights (needed an 8, got a 7) then we'd be much better off, but alas, 'twas not to be. We did fairly well for our first game, I thought, despite the loss.


Stay tuned next Wednesday for our second game of the event!