Sit rep (WHFB); Irresistible Farce rounds 1 & 2

Okay, less than a week after saying there were no tournaments on the horizon I find myself doing a sitrep for a tournament and for fantasy no less. In my defence there were a couple of points of interest that attracted me to the event. First it was a team event with four players per team and the DGG needed a fourth player for the numbers and since it offered some experience at a team event which might be useful for the 40K ETC. Second it pitched the DGG against eleven other clubs to see who was best. Third it had been ages since I played fantasy and my army of choice, the Dogs of War (aka the dogs), are one of the coolest armies around.

A brief chat with my teammates revealed team DGG consists of a Gowan's Warriors of Chaos, Gerry's Skaven and Martin's Orcs . With the Warriors and Skaven being good at killing things the plan was for them to be the offensive side playing for a win while the Dogs and Orcs provide the defence, playing not to lose. With that in mind, the dogs’ army below was drafted.

The plan
General on Pegasus,
Paymaster
2 hireling wizards
3 duellists regiments
3 light horse regiments
2 regiments of Ogres
The marksman of mirolangio
Bragazana beseigers
Mengil's manflayers
Voland Venators
Brozino's galloper gun
1 light cannon

Play wise the plan is for the light horse and duellists to run interference, delaying and disrupting the enemy attack while the cannons, crossbowmen from the Mirolangio, the besiegers and the manflayers shoot the crap out of them. Anything that is left gets eaten by the ogres or spitted by Volands Venators. The general on a Pegasus provides a leadership bubble for my troops. The paymaster tries his best not to get killed and force a panic test on all my regiments. The wizards help out any way they can.

Round one Vs Dark elves led by Ivan of DOB (dirty old b*stards aka Northern Ireland A team).
Nuts, DOB were my favourite to win the event, even worse I think Ivan recently won a big fantasy event at Battlecry with his Dark Elves and he picked to play against the Dogs.
Ivan's army consisted of,
general on a black dragon
lvl 1 sorceress
Army standard
2 repeating bolt throwers
2 regiments of repeating crossbows
2 regiments dark riders
2 regiments of shades
1 regiment of harpies
1 regiment Black Guard

Dogs of War deployed (view from their right flank)

The battlefield consisted of half a dozen terrain features (lesson 1; ETC rules state there must be six pieces of scenery on the table no more no less). On my left flank in my deployment zone was an outhouse, midway down the table was single building. In centre there was a hill in the middle of the table, while there was a forest in Ivan's deployment zone. On my right flank was a building in the midway point, while there was a hill in my deployment zone.

The Dogs deployed in three lines. The first consist of the duellists forming a protective skirmish screen. The second line consisted of all the missile troops. The third line consisted of the heavy hitters in the form of Ogres and Voland's heavy cavalry. With a large number of regiments all of the dark elf army was deployed before the main Dogs regiments were deployed. Ivan deployed his black guard, dragon lord, harpies and sorceress in the middle with dark riders, crossbowmen and bolt throwers split evenly on both flanks. He won the dice of to deply scouts and placed the Shades behind each building on either flank forcing Mengil’s manflayers to deploy the the Dogs deployment area.

Elsewhere Gerry's skaven go head to branch with Dryads

Ivan won the dice off to go first and made the dogs go first. Bad mistake, the duellists shuffled forward mainly to clear the line of fire for the crossbowmen. A hireling wizard summoned a comet to hit dark elf centre. In shooting the crossbowmen and cannons fired on their opposite number and the harpies. Casualties were heavy and all the units save the harpies held firm. In response, with the comet on the way the dark elf line advance. The sorceress’s spells were easily shut down, while missile fire was largely ineffective.

To counter the dark elf moves the third line began to filter through the second line. One unit of duellist crossed the centre hill to find itself facing the dragon lord. Magic was uneventful but the crossbowmen again hammered the dark elves with the black guard taking heavy casualties. Even the dragon lord took a wound to pistol fire. Taking heavy fire the dark elves were under pressure. This was not helped when the comet finally landed destroying a regiment of crossbowmen, a repeating bolt thrower and decimating a nearby unit of dark riders. The Dragon lord swept into the Dogs lines and position himself to cause the most amount of terror he could do and toast some of the marksmen as well. The black guard continued to advance. During magic the sorceresses miscast and suffered a wound. Nested in the buildings, the Shades regiments began to took a heavy toll on the duellists who held firm.

General, Marksmen and Ogres line up against the dragon lord

The arrival of the dragon caused a wave of terror in the Dog’s line with one regiment of light horse fleeing the battlefield. Critically the marksmen did not panic nor did they reform to meet the new threat instead they were focused on the black guard. Elsewhere the Ogres redeployed to threaten the dragon while Voland’s heavy cavalry advance into the enemies’ left flank. The paymaster redeployed out of the dragons range. Magic was uneventful with the dragon lord taking another wound from a thunderbolt. Shooting was better, the black guard had planned on the Marksmen moving in response to the dragon instead they faced a solid wall of shot. By the time all the crossbowmen were finish only a single black guard and the army standard were left. The Dragon lord was also in trouble since the ogres redeployment threatened any attack on the rear of the marksmen. Instead he was forced to charge a unit of Ogres which he easily destroy but took him away from the bulk of the Dogs army.

Elsewhere Martin's Orc's Gaint gets flanked by a chaos hero

The rest of the battle consisted of the Dogs chasing down the tattered remains of the dark elves while the dragon lord tried to work his way back towards the marksman without getting shot at.

Dragon lord attempts to flame Mengil's Manflayers

End result 15-5 win to the Dogs. Unfortunately my teammates did not fare so well getting massacred 0-20 and two draws 10-10, 12-0.

Round two Vs Wood elves led by Joe of the Drogs
After round one the DGG were middle of the pack. Round two we faced off against the Drogs. Joe's Wood Elves picked to play against the Dogs.
Joe's army consisted of,
General with a fancy bow
Hero with another fancy bow
1 Basic wizard
3 regiments of bowmen
1 regiment of Treekin
1 Treeman
1 regiment of Glade riders
1 regiment Dryads
1 regiment Wardancers
1 regiment Waywatchers


On the Dog's left flank was a small pond in midway point with a forest in the Wood Elf deployment zone. The Wood elves opted to place another forest on that flank, no doubt to shelter some archers. In the centre was a hill just outside the Dogs deployment zone with another hill in the Wood elf deployment zone. On the right there was a forest in the Dogs deployment zone with a river cutting through the wood elves deployment zone.

Joe's Wood elves march to war

The Dogs deployed in the same fashion as before and again with large numbers forced all the wood elves to deploy before the main units went down. In response Joe refused his left flank, contested the centre with the treeman, tree kin, dryads, Glade riders and wardancers. While the archers and characters went on his left. Joe won the dice off for scouts and placed his waywatchers on his right to threaten the galloper gun. Forcing Mengil’s men to deploy to counter rather than threaten his lines. He also won the dice to go first, (nuts).

Wood elves

The wood elf centre moved to quickly close the gap. Archers started to pick on the duellists with limited impact. In response the third line filtered forward with voland’s heavy cavalry hooking around into the enemy’s left and the ogres lining up against the treeman. Magic and shooting was below expectation with the wizards not accomplishing much while the marksmen failed to hurt the tree man and the galloper gun blowing up. However, the Manflayers caused heavy casualties on the waywatchers threatening Voland’s flank.

Treemen seem to be immune to missile fire

To counter the Wood elf centre continued to trundle forward, while on their right a hero launch a charge on a lone cannon crew. Shooting saw the duellists take further casualties but still none fled. While in combat the artillery crew fought the hero to a draw. With the wood elves closing it was time to be decisive. The general charged the hero attacking the gun crew, Voland’s Venators charged the glade guard who fled while the Venators redirected into a regiment of dryads. The light horse started to earn their pay be being forced to charge block the wood elf centre. Shooting saw the marksmen finish of the fleeing glade guard while Mengil’s men finished of the waywatchers. The General easily lanced the hero before charging off the table in success while Voland charge was held by the Dryads.
After much pondering the wood elf centre charged the light horse and easily destroying them but was redirect out of the fight in the process. The Marksmen panic and fled towards the table edge. Only to rally at the edge. The ogres charged the tree kin and wardancers but were held by both.

Phil's beastmen get the drop on a chaos lord

The wood elves had made contact but it was still all to play for. The dryads on the wood elf right charged the lone gun crew and destroyed them in combat. The treeman swung around to face the marksmen. Elsewhere The venators finally destroyed the dryads in the centre and push on towards the elves on the enemy right, while the ogres were still fighting the tree kin and wardancers.

Chaos warriors break the beastman line

The Dog’s general returned and flew into the enemy’s right lining up for a charge on the wood elf wizard. The Venators charged a nearby unit archers. Another unit of light horse charge blocked the treeman again, much to Joe’s disgust. Every wizard and crossbow available targeted the treeman and finally did some damage but left him standing. Venators cut through a unit of archers while one of the Ogre regiment finally broke the wardancers.
In response the Treeman charge the light horse easily destroying it but ending up facing the wrong way against the marksmen. The archers on the enemies right turn to fire on the Dog’s general killing his Pegasus and reducing him to single wound. In the last turn the Dog’s General charged the archers regiment with the wood lord. The crossbowmen conitued to fire on the tree man reducing him to below half strength. In combat the Dog’s general issued a challenge and reduced the wood elf lord to a single wound who failed to do any damage in return. But the Lord held frim and did not run away

End result 15-5 win to the Dogs. My teammates did much better this turn with all of them get 20-0 victories.