Last Weekend I played in my first ever team tournament. I teamed up with a friend of mine who was running High Elves (I know, how could I team up with elgi? My backstory is that they were part of a delegation sent to my hold to atone for the treachery of the War of the Beard. They were thus under my protection and when they were threatened I was honor bound to fight alongside them. Ha! Just made that up…not bad.) Each army was 2,500 points, each ally taking 1,250 points.

The Dwarf Throng of Karak Dammaz (Mt. Vengeance)
Hargrim Runebeard – Runesmith (General), Shield. MRoBalance, RoSpellbreaking
Skaldor Thunderfist – BSB, MRoGromril, RoResistance
Grimnir’s Axe – 29 Dwarf Warriors, GW, FC
Grungni’s Hammer – 30 Hammerers, FC
Cannon – RoForging, RoBurning
Ogran Gun

High Elf Delegation to Karak Dammaz
Wizard Lord Lvl 4, some item that gives him 5+ to dispel, also a ring of fury that does 2D6 S4 flaming hits.
10 Swordmasters of Hoeth
11 Swordmasters of Hoeth
24 Lothern Sea Guard, banner making attacks flaming
2 Great Eagles
2 Chariots

Game #1 vs Bretonnians and Dwarfs
Bretonnians
Prohpetess – Prayer Icon of Quenellas, Ruby Goblet
Paladin, Royal Pegasus, Wyrmlance, Gromril Great Helm
Damsel of the Lady, Feedback Scroll, Horse
9 Knights of the Realm, FC
2 Field Trebuchets
12 Knights Errant, FC, Banner of Eternal Flame

Dwarfs
Dwarf Lord, Shield, RoCleaving, 2xRoFury, RoPreservation, RoResistance, RoStone
37 Longbeards GW, FC, RoBattle
Cannon, Burning
Cannon
Grudgethrower, 3xRoPenetrating
10 Quarellers, FC,

I was feeling pretty good going into this when I looked at the lists. The dwarf player normally doesn’t play dwarfs and his list looked suboptimal on the runic items. I felt good about being able to hurt the Bretonnians with my GWs and War Machines. But then we started the game and things quickly went haywire.

The scenario we played was called War at Dawn. The map was divided in 2 diagonally with the deployment zones being 12 inches apart. A rock was in the top left corner, a hill near the top Right. Near the middle of the map was a sort of oasis, a similar oasis was middle level of the map on the right side of the board. A rock was in the bottom left corner of the map and a hill in our bottom right.

The team to choose sides had to deploy their entire army first. Last time I had this set up I got screwed so I was a bit worried. Added to deployment was that each unit needed to roll to see if it was deployed or held in reserve. Then we had a fog of war placed on us. We needed a D6+the turn number to equal 7+ for the fog to disappear. The fog caused shooting to be -1 and non BS shooting needed a 4+ to shoot.

Deployment
Our opponents deployed first. The put a paladin on the far left, next to it was the Knights of the Realm, next to them a cannon. Then they had the GT, and 2 Trebuchets in the far left side next to the rock. Near the hill in the top right was a cannon and quarrellers. Their Knights Errants and Lonbeards were held in reserve, but came on in turn 1 at the top right side of the board.

On our side we put an eagle under the rock on the bottom left, the Lothern Seaguard, then an OG, Chariot 1, Chariot 2, then my hammerers. on the hill was my cannon. Right of the hill were SM1 and SM2. My BSB, Runesmith, and GW Warriors were held in reserve, which turned out to be critical since our opponents gained turn 1. Our eagle2 was also a reserve and came in on the bottom left corner of the map.

Bret/Dwarf Turn #1
Their reserves come on the right side of the board in their deployment zone. The Paladin and KOR moved a little forward. In the Magic Phase we stop throne of vines. Then they cast dwellers below on my hammerers unit. I would loved to have used my dispel rune, but as the Runesmith was not on the board I could not use it, nor the MRoBalance, nor the ability to generate a dispel dice. As it was we tossed 5 dice at it and needed something like a 15 on the dice to stop it. We roll a 12, half my hammerers die to the spell. In shooting their RoBurning cannon misfires and blows up (that’s what you get for not taking forging!), their quarrellers are on fire and get 3 wounds on one of the chariots. The GT hits my cannon causing 2 wounds. The trebs are mercifully off target and miss everything.

Our Turn #1
Feeling battered we are glad to get our crack at the enemy. The chariots and hammerers march up and maneuver to face the longbeards and knights. The GW warriors come on, the Swordmasters move up toward the right flank. The lothern seaguard manouever to face the cannon and quarellers. The eagles fly up toward the enemy. We cast flesh to stone on my hammerers with irresistible force. Its great to be tough, sucks when the cost is 12 Lothern Seaguard. In shooting my cannon misfires, is out for 2 turns. My organ gun is just out of range of anything but the quarellers, so I take out 4.

Bret/Dwarf Turn #2
Longbeards charge the chariots that moved towards them, the chariots flee forcing a fail. Knights Errants manage to get a long flank charge off on my hammerers, though 2 of them die from dangerous terrain of the well. In magic they get off throne of vines and flesh to stone on the knights errants due to ridiculously poor dice rolling by us. The Trebuchets miss, the GT takes out my cannon, the quarrellers get 1 wound on chariot 2. The now toughness 7 knights errants kill 2 hammerers, I kill 2 knights errants. I stay and reform to face them.

Our Turn #2
In our turn the swordmasters charge the KEs in the flanks. One of the great eagles charges the war machines but fails. One chariot rallies the other keeps on fleeing towards the rocks. In magic we do nothing. In shooting the organ gun kills the remaining quarellers. In combat the swordmasters whiff (just like elves to not know how to actually kill humans…who cares if they are toughness 7?) and the KE kill 4 SMs. My stout hammerers kill 2 KE. KE stay around.

Bret/Dwarf #3
Longbeards charge my hammerers flanks. KOR charge one of our eagles. In magic they get regrowth off on the KE and gain 2 back. The remaining cannon takes out our other eagle. GT misses, Trebuchet hits one of our and cause enough wounds to kill it. Treb 2 misses. The KOR kill the eagle. Now that the KE are T3 the SM kill 4 of them. The KE kill 0, the Dwarf lord kills 2 hammerers, longbeards kill 6 hammerers, hammerers get 5 wounds. We lose, the SM break, my few dwarfs stay around.

Our Turn #3
The SMs rally, just in time to block the advance of my GW warriors. The chariot keeps running and hits some rocks, fortunately it doesn’t die to dangerous terrain. Our second unit of SMs charges into the KE. We get throne of vines off but the rest of magic is shut down. The organ gun is 1 inch out of launching at the KOR. In combat the SMs kill 2 remaining KE. The DL kills 2 hammerers the longbeards kill another hammerer. I throw a few hits at the Prophetess, but she has some ward save that protects her from the wounds. But my hardy hammerer (champion is all that is left) is stubborn and are working to get cut down to the man.

Bret/Dwarf Turn #4
The Paladin charges the flank of the Lothern Seaguard. The GT misfires and is out until Turn 6, the Trebuchet misfires and is out a turn, the second trebuchet misfires and blows up. The dwarf gods were shining upon us. We shut down the magic phase. The Dwarf Lord kills my hammerer champion in a challenge (I figured that would minimize the attacks at him so why not challenge, maybe I get lucky and he rolls like "I Swear too much"). The longbeards reform and turn their back on the swordmasters so the prophetess does not get sniped by them in combat. The paladin kills 2 LSG but they are steadfast and hang around.

Our Turn #4
SM charge the rear of the Longbeards. The chariot finally rallies. The other SM move up along with the GW warriors. We get Dwellers Below off on the KOR killing 4. Then my organ gun opens up causing 8 wounds…woot! My opponent proceeds to armour save or ward save 7. Are you F#*ing kidding me? The swordmasters kill 3 longbeards, the Dwarf Lord and GW warriors kill 6 swordmasters. They run and the LBs reform to face the organ gun. The paladin takes a wound but kills 3 LSG. LSG steadfast and stick around.

Bret/Dwarf Turn #5
The Longbeards charge my OG. KOR charge the now rallied chariot in the flank. In magic we let throne of vines go and block regrowth and stone to flesh. They decide not to shoot after their nearly devastating shooting round the previous turn. In combat the chariot takes 2 wounds but stays. The paladin challenges the wizard, he moves to the back rank. 2 LSG die in his place. They remain steadfast and stick around. The DL kills the organ gun by himself. That panics the SMs and they run away (Cowards!).

Our Turn #5
The GW Warriors decide, it is almost over anyways so attempt a 14 inch charge, and come up 8 inches short. The swordmasters keep running. We get Stone to Flesh off on the LSG. But since there is no back rank that isn’t fighting the Wizard is wounded by the Paladin. The Chariot failed to reform in our turn (my ally forgot to reform) and was broken by the KOR.

Bret/Dwarf Turn #6
The KOR charge the fleeing chariot forcing it off the board. The LBs rearcharge the Lothern Seaguard. We let throne of vines go. Stop flesh to stone on the Longbeards. In combat the Longbeards and paladin combine to kill our wizard and Lothern Seaguard.

Result
We call game since we have nothing left in our turn that can do anything worthwhile. A disgusting loss. We had nothing go right. Our dice rolling was atrocious and our opponents were for the most part hot when it mattered. Basically all we had left were my GW warriors, and half units of swordmasters. All we get off them was a cannon, quarellers, and knights errants. So we are 0-1.