[font=Arial][size=x-large][background=transparent]“[/background][/size][size=large][background=transparent]Grim bought them from some ogre trader passing through for two carts of Bugman’s. They were enormous beasts, said to be from the Mountains of Mourn. Each was the size of a boulder, with a hide just as tough and fur thick as a Rinn’s coat. They were ornery critters to boot, poor Fenni almost lost his leg when one of the beasts gored him during a feeding. And by Grungni the things stunk worse than squig droppings in a sulfur mine. Grim said we’d need them for the upcoming campaign. He called them ‘mournfang.’ I called them trouble.”[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]-[/background][/size][/font][font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]From the Diary of Norki Stoki, Library of Karak-Hirn[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The Chicago Battle Bunker held a 1.5k, 3 round fantasy tournament last weekend. No composition rules, but you could take up to 250 points of SoM scrolls of binding in addition to your 1500 point main force. Mourfang were included as a scroll of binding in a White Dwarf update, so I decided to take the four I have for my ogre army with my dwarf force. Storm of Magic mournfang are identical to those in the Ogre book, except that they can take upgrades to give them vanguard and a +5 scaly skin armor save. A +5 up save is a no brainer for the points, and the thought of vanguarding mournfang was too awesome to pass up.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Standard vp were used, except that each capture banner was wroth 50 vp, and dead or fled BSB was worth an additional 100 vp. Overall was scored by 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 1 for a loss. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=x-large][background=transparent]My list:[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]+ Heroes +[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]* Runesmith[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Gromril Armour, Hand Weapon, Master Rune Of Balance, Rune Of Spellbreaking, Shield[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]* BSB[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Master Rune Of Gromril, Rune Of Fire, Rune Of Preservation, Rune Of Resistance[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]+ Core +[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] 30x Dwarf Warriors[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Great Weapons[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Heavy Armour, Musician, Standard Bearer, Veteran[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]*10x Longbeards, [/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Musician Standard Bearer[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Master Rune Of Grungi[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]+ Special +[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]* Cannon[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Rune Of Burning, Rune Of Forging[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Engineer[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Grudge Thrower[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Rune Of Accuracy, 2x Rune Of Penetrating[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] Engineer[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent] [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]30x Hammerers[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]4x Mournfang[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Vanguard, Scaly Skin (+5)[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=x-large][background=transparent]Game 1: Warriors of Chaos:[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Scenario was battleline. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Opponent’s list:[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Lvl 4 Sorcerer on a disk[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]lore of Tzeentch[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]charmed shield[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Exalted Hero BSB (with the Khorne Warriors)[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]A big ol block of Chaos Warriors [/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Mark of Khorne[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Halberds, Shields[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Warshrine[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Hellcanon[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]6 Hounds[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Gryphon[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Scenario 1 is battleline. Meet in the middle and crush some skulls. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Chaos deploys from left to right with Hounds, Sorcerer, Hellcannon, Gryphon, Warshrine and the Khorne block on the far right. I deploy left to right with mournfang, cannon, hammerrers and the GW warriors on the right, opposite the Khorne block. The runesmith and his LB bodyguards deploy behind the mournfang, with the GT to their left, also behind the mournfang. The LBs banner covers the mournfang, cannon and GT.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I vanguard up the mournfang as far as I can while keeping them within 12” of the runesmith in case they take a panic check. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Chaos gets the 1st turn and moves up. The sorcerer flys off to the left flank of my mournfang. He tries casting flickering fire, but fails. The hellcannon scatters off my cannon. His EotGs roll gives the Khorne block +1 AS. The gryphon flys up to the center of the table. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]On my first turn, I try a long charge with the fangs on the gryphon. He elects to flee, and the fangs can’t catch him. The GT lands a rock on the Khorne block, but he has a +5 / ++5 save on them and only 3 go down. The cannon hits the hellcannon, but he wards it off. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Chaos two is more troops moving forward. His gryphon is out of the general’s range and keeps on bookin’ it. The sorcerer moves further down my left flank. He peels off a few hammerers with flickering fire, but I dispel pandemonium and scroll gateway during the magic phase. He fires his hellcannon at an empty part of the field, and hits, nothing surprisingly. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Dwarf 2 and things are getting interesting. Mournfangs charge the flank of the warshrine. Hammerers move up a little and the GW troops angle left to get a flank charge when the inevitable khorne block smashes in. Since my opponent is having a hard time with that hellcannon, I fire the cannon at the sorcerer, who wards it away with the charmed shield.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The fangs destroy the warshrine, and overrun into the flank of the Khorne block. They take 2 wounds on DTs from the surrounding forests. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]On chaos 3, the Khorne warriors beat the stuffing out of the poor mournfangs, and they break after not causing nearly as much damage as I hoped they would. He must pursue, but can’t catch the mournfangs. The warriors are now turned 90 degrees from my hammerers! Yay for keeping that block out of combat for another turn! [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The sorcerer moves between my cannon and GT, and casts pandemonium on the hammerers. I lose about 10 troops, and the squad is down to 20 or so. He also hits the GW squad with gateway, but it doesn’t do too much. The hellcannon mis-fires, and munches 3 of it’s crew. His gryphon has decided combat isn’t his thing, and flies off the table.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Dwarf 3 and the mournfangs run a little farther. GW troops march up and angle in the catch the Khorne block in the side. I grapeshot the sorcerer, and roll a 10. This boils down to 3 wounds on the sorcerer, and my opponent wiffs 3 +4 ward saves! The sorcerer is reduced to a pile of goo or whatever it is he’s made of by the dwarf artillery squad. GT keeps chipping away at the Khorne block. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The Khorne warriors reform to face the hammerers. His hellcannon scores a direct a hit on my GW block, who panic and run off the table! [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Dwarf 4 has me peel 5 wounds off the Hellcannon with the cannon, as well as take out the last crew member. Another rock hits the Khorne warriors, but they’re too heavily armored to make a big dent in them. The mourfangs rally under the watchful eye of the general. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Although this is still a close game, the warriors are running out of options. The Khorne warriors don’t get into hth with the hammerers until turn 6, and the hellcannon either scatters or misfires. I can’t quite block them with the mournfangs, but I am able to get a rear-charge on them in the bottom of 6. This forces the chaos player to direct attacks behind to go for the vp, and means my hammerers have enough bodies to out-stubborn the warrriors. The GT also pops the last wound off the hellcannon on the final turn.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I didn’t mention the hounds, but they did nothing this game. He tried for my GT, but I kept chasing them further off the flank with my LBs. The cannon crew used them as target practice on turn 6. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I’ve got everything except his Khorne block, plus 100 points for the general. He has the mournfangs and the GW troops, plus 50 points for the GW banner. Dwarf victory! [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=x-large][background=transparent]Game 2: Bretonnia[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Opponent’s List:[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Lord on a Pegasus[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Heartwood Lance[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Virtue of Heroism [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Paladin BSB, deployed with Knights of the Realm. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Lvl 2 Damsel, deployed with men-at-arms[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]lore of Beasts[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]50 Men-at-Arms[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Halberds and shields[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]15ish Knights Errant[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]20ish Knights of the Realm[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]4 Chaos Spawn[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Game 2 is battle for the pass. Not a bad scenario for dwarfs, or Brets. for that matter. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Frenchie deploys as far up as he can, with errant knights on the left flank, KoR in the center and the Men-at-Arms hugging the right edge of the board. He puts his trebuchet in a tower (wtf) directly to the left of the men. The chaos spawn are deployed to the left of that tower. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I set up with the mournfang in the center, followed on the left by the GT and cannon. The hammerers come next on a hill, and the GW troops hug the right board edge opposite the men at arms. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Not too scared of his shooting, the mournfangs take their full vanguard. Brets pray and I go first.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The trebuchet in the building doesn’t survive the cannon / GT barrage (even though I roll two 1s on number of hits). The mournfangs move up in between the two knight buses. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Bretonnia moves up. His general flies around my left flank His damsel casts wildform on the KoR. I dispel curse. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]My mournfangs move up to the center, out of reasonable charge range of the knights errant. I have a house blocking ¾ of the mournfangs from a KoR charge, thinking that means he can only get 4 attacks in on the charge. I forgot Bretonnian lances can support all the way back on the flanks. This proves to be a major mistake, as he makes his charge the next turn. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]All the other dwarf units move up. The GT misfires and can’t shoot next turn. Cannon shoots a knight into paste. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]On Bret 2, the general continues to fly around my flank. The damsel mis-casts wildform on the KoR, and cascades off the table along with 10 Men-at-Arms for their troubles. They are undaunted, and continue to move forward with the errant knights on the far left flank. The mournfangs break and are run down. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I reform the hammerers to face the KoR bus and the general. GW troops keep moving toward the Men-at-Arms. The cannon blows two chaos spawn back to the warp.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]My opponent tries a long charge with the KoR on the GT, but fails exposing his flank to the hammerers. The pegasus lord moves around to charge the GT next turn. The men-at-arms charge into the GW warriors. I thought this was a combat I should be winning, but forgot the men-at-arms got a 5 up ward from prayer icon d’oh! He’s passing ward saves like mad, an d since they’re S 4 he’s making a decent dent in my GW block. I pass a steadfast test. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Dwarf 4 has the hammerers charge into the flank of the KoR bus. The LBs move up, so the pegasus general can’t overrun into them. Knights break, and the hammerers turn to face the knights errant. GW troops pass another steadfast test, but are running out of bodies.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]His turn 4 has the general on a pegasus charge the GT and HKB it, overrunning into the cannon. Knights errant charge the hammerers and the KoR rally. Chaos spawn move around the flank charge the hammerers. GW troops can’t penetrate a 5 up ward, lose and pass another break test. Hammerers pass a steadfast break test. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]By dwarf 5, it’s down a dirty. Knights errant break from the hammers to the face. They fail to rally for the rest of the game. GW troops break from the swarm of stinky peasants around them. The men-at-arms pursue, catch and charge the shield LBs.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Bret 5 involves the pegasus general, 6 remaining KoR and two chaos spawn surruonding the hammerers on 3 sides. Bring it on! BSB challenges the general, who rolls his 3rd HKB of the game. Good thing I took preservation! The combination of no lord plus the general crappiness of chaos spawn means I don’t lose too many troops. 3 KoR go down, and I put a wound on a spawn. The LBs break in front of the men-at-arms, but roll suprisingly high on the flee and aren’t caught.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Dwarf 6 and the LBs rally. I bring the KoR down to one, and knock off a chaos spawn. BSB and general are stuck in the challenge of way too high AS. I think I actually won this combat, despite being surrounded on 3 sides (knights aren’t so good after a charge...) but the general and KoR pass their break test, and the spawn are unbreakable. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Last call for the Brets! His men-at-arms charge the LBs. He has two ranks on me, but dwarf steel prevails and I do enough wounds and save enough incoming to force a draw combat! I needed that to stay in the game, since the general is bunkering with the LBs. The last KoR goes down in a flurry of hammers, but I can’t pop the final chaos spawn. Bret. general passes his break test, and it’s game over. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]This game ends in a hard-fought draw. Considering all the blood and explosions, I think it was a fitting end to the game. It was a great game for both of us with several momentum shifts. I certainly got lucky with the damsel cascading. That ended up being the tipping point. If she doesn’t explode, this is a win for my opponent. We both made some pretty big mistakes in this game, which I really think is why it ended up the way it did. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I felt somewhat mad at myself for wasting away a winable game with too many mistakes and miscalculations. But I reminded myself to take something away from salvaging a draw out of a bad set of opening moves. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=x-large][background=transparent]Game 3: Empire[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Opponent’s List:[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Lvl 4 Empire Battle Wizard[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Lore of Fire[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]5 Engineers[/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Each had a pigeon bomb[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]2 units of 20 handgunners. [/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Champs had Hochland long rifles.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]2 Great Cannons[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Stank[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Gryphon.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]This game featured an odd scenario which I will try to describe. Since we were playing on standard GW realm of battle boards, there were 6 2’x2’ squares total, 3 on each side of the table. Each player had to deploy one unit in each 2x2 square to start the game, with the rest of his army held back as reinforcements. You could choose one character from your army to deploy with one unit. Reinforcements come in automatically any turn you wish on your back board edge, on a randomly determined square. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]If you’re confused, you should have seen us. We spent a good 5 minutes during deployment scratching our heads trying to figure out what to do. He ends up dropping a cannon on the far left square, his hangunners in the center, and the second cannon on the far right. All his deployments hug the back line. Seeing he isn’t going to come to me, I deploy the GW warriors on the left, hammerers in the middle, and the mournfang on the right. The mournfang make their vanguard move into his terroritory. I’m hoping to win 1st turn and manuver them out of cannon range or possibly make an early charge. At the very least, it will draw the Empire’s fire for the 1st turn.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Well, I lose the roll off to go first. The empire player brings out his engineers and 2nd handgunner unit next to the second. The Gryphon and steam tank come on the center square next to each other. The wizard comes in next to the cannon. He proceeds to IF a fireball on my mournfang, killing one and panicking the stinking beasts. A cannon shot peels off another one and puts a wound on the 2nd. The wizard takes a wound on magical feedback for his troubles. Handgunners fire and knock off a rank of hammerers.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]On my turn the mournfangs fail to rally, but they at least run behind a nearby building and are safe from further fire. I deploy my cannon on the left square on the rearline behind a house so his far left cannon can’t see me. GT goes on the right. The LBs and runesmith come in on the center square. GW warriors and hammerers slog it forward. Nothing can shoot, since it just moved on. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The only empire movement is the steamtank rumbling forward and the gryphon flying to the center of the board. The handgunners fire on the hammerers, and the wizard hits them with flamecage. His three cannons do nothing, and the pigeon bombs do nothing. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I hold the hammerers on turn two, and move the runesmith into the LBs. The mournfang are still out of general range, and keep running. GW warriors move up trying to close the gap with his left most cannon. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]My cannon rolls a 1 to wound the gryphon, but the GT takes care of it.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The Empire player focuses his shooting and magic on the hammerer block, which is steadily losing bodies. He tries to snipe out my BSB with his cannons, which I think is a strange tactic considering I still have WMs on the board. His Stank is moving in on the GW troops, setting up a flank charge.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Dwarf 3 was a critical turn for me. Knowing the hammerers aren’t going to survive this firestorm, I turn them around and walk them into a forest. This means he’ll have -1 to hit with his handgunners and hochlands. The GW warriors march further forward, hoping the steam tank on the flank will mis-fire and I can charge the left cannon next turn. The mourfang rally, and hide behind a building out of sight of his artillery. I try and cannon snipe his lone battle wizard, but fail, but the GT takes out the far right cannon. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]The Empire steam tank charges the flank of GW squad, and more shots rain down on the hammerers. His pigeon bomb misfires and wounds his own engineer.He tries one more cannon snipe on the BSB, who passes his LoS! In combat, the GW warriors pass their steadfast break test and reform to face the stank.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]On my fourth turn I take out the far left cannon with my GT, and manage to drop the wizard with a cannon ball. Hammerers move further into the forest, out of range of the handgunners. [/background][/size][/font]
[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]With the battle wizard and cannons gone, the game is pretty much sewn up for me. His pigeon bombs are going nowhere, and the hochlands are either missing or bouncing off dwarf T and AS. The GW troops break, but rally the next turn. His steamtank tries a long charge on the hammerers on turn 6 (it misfired turn 5), but can’t roll high enough to complete it. I pick off the rest of his engineers with my warmachines. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]He has 50 vp from a captured standard, and I have a boatload from 5 engineers, a gryphon, 2 cannons and a battle wizard. Dwarf massacre![/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]This game taught me what a difficult time gunlines have finishing games. He was able to control a lot of the board with his shooting, but didn’t have enough support units to come at me while my forces were crippled. Moving his characters into units would have helped him out, but I think he was hesitant to give up rounds of shooting to do it. This enabled me to pick up a significant number of vps taking out soft targets, although by that point the game was mostly decided. [/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]I’m still debating on wether deploying the mournfang forward in this game was worth it. On one hand, they weren’t able to get into combat due to the ease in panicking them. That unit is really in a position to wreck his army if it can close in. Holding them in reserve would have let me deploy them in a better position to take some cover, and possibly maneuver them into game-winning combat.[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]On the other hand, they did succeed in drawing the empire fire away from my infantry and WMs for a turn, and he wasn’t able to pick up any points off them. This may have been a better decision than forcing them to come on late and not be an impact until late in the game (maybe).[/background][/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=large][background=transparent]Oh, and pigeon droppings would make a better weapon than pigeon bombs. [/background][/size][/font]