Last weekend I decided to set aside my High Elves, and try my Dwarfs for the first time. My oppoenent and I decided on a 2000 point game, and since Dwarfs lack wizards he decided to run with a no wizard list to try it out.

Terrain ended up being a building, fence, forest, and hill, and I don’t think any of it had any noticeable impact on the battle. My opponent won the roll to deploy, and picked the side with the hill to deny it to me. His battle line was arrayed as follows:

Three terredon riders on the flank, then a stegadon. Three kroxigors and another stegadon on the hill, then a block a spear saurus with a BSB, HW saurus with an Oldblood general, and a unit of two salamanders on the other flank. A unit of 8 chameleon skinks set up in the forest, which gave units fear.

My Throng set up 10 thunderers on the left flank, then an organ gun. At the edge of the board were a grudge thrower (which I forgot to entrench until turn 3), and a cannon with a Master Engineer between them. My right flank was 28 hammerers with a Dwarf Lord on Shieldbearers, then 34 GW warriors with a BSB. I had some spare points so decided to get a ranger warrior unit at the last minute, which deployed in front of his right flank.
Before turn one the terredon’s vanguard moved forward but because of the rangers had to divert to the center. Liazardmen went first.

The terradons flew over the rangers, killed two with dropped rocks, then landed behind them. The stegadon turned towards the rangers. The saurus and kroxigors marched straight forward, while the second stegadon advanced then angled for a bolt thrower shot on the warriors. The chameleon skinks flanked the warriors and the salamanders occupied the forest.

Lizardmen shooting was bust, with both bolt throwers missing and the Chameleon skinks also whiffing despite rolling 16 dice. The terradons killed a ranger.

Dwarf Turn 1

I decided to keep movement simple. The rangers charged, and the hammerers moved even with the warriors.

I was excited to see the power of Dwarven shooting, and I was not disappointed. The thunderers killed a terradon and wounded another, and for the second time in two games they panicked and fled off the board turn one. The stegadon ate a 6 wound cannonball and dropped dead. Despite landing perfectly in the middle of the Saurus block the grudge thrower killed only 4 (it was runed up to S5), but I’m not going to complain. Finally while I had intended the organ gun to target skirmishers, both remaining units were just out of range, so it blasted the kroxigors. I rolled 10 hits and 8 wounds, taking them to one kroxigor with a single wound left.

The rangers weathered the stegadon’s attacks, and inflicted a wound as the thunder stomp killed the remainder, but they did their job.

Lizardman Turn 2

The remaining kroxigor charged the organ gun while the stegadon tried to set up a shot. The chameleon skinks moved to within spitting distance of the warriors, and the salamanders moved out of the forest. Finally the saurus blocks moved forward, one angling slightly.

Lizardman shooting was much better this turn. The skinks kill two warriors with blowpipes while the salamanders bring down another ten. Two hammerers also die to the salamanders.

I was really hoping my organ gun crew could finish off the kroxigor, but instead it killed them all and ran off the board. Note the organ gun will still be in the next few pictures, but its dead.

Dwarf Turn 2

For the Hold! My infantry blocks charge forward, though the hammerers flank is exposed.

The cannon shoots down the other stegadon. The grudge thrower kills a single saurus, the thunderers get two and the Master Engineer bags one.

In close combat the salamanders kill a warrior before being wiped out and my warriors reform to face the saurus flank. His general challenges and mine accepts. He deals one wound that gets doubled after I fail both my saves (although I forgot I took the rune that lets me reroll armor saves). My lord deals two wounds in return (go rune of might!) On the rank and file side five hammerers and two saurus die, and the dwarfs hold.

Lizardmen Turn 3

The skinks charge the cannon while the saurus hit the hammerer’s exposed flank. The badly wounded kroxigor limps onto the board.

With no shooting we move onto close combat. My general kills his with a little overkill, and my troops kill 7 HW saurus, including the champion, while six more hammerers die. One skink and two cannon crew are killed.

Dwarf Turn 3

Was a turn of failed charges. While my warriors did hit the saurus flank my thunderers failed their rear charge by less than an inch and my master engineer rolled snake eyes for his flank charge.

The last two cannon crew die. In the big fight, my general kills the other unit champion in a challenge. Another 7 hammerers die, and one warrior, but nine saurus are also killed.

Dwarfs win combat for once and the hammerers reform to face the bigger threat. The saurus make their leadership check to do the same.

Lizardmen Turn 4

The skinks run into the Master Engineer on the way to the grudge thrower, and the kroxigor crashes into the thunderer’s flank.

In close combat the Master Engineer kills two skinks while remaining unscathed while the kroxigor does the same with the thunderers. The skinks hold, the thunderers do not, but roll a 9 (8 for dwarfs) to flee compared to the kroxigor’s 4. On the bright side the kroxigor is now in grudge thrower range again.
The Lizard BSB declines the Dwarf Lord’s challenge and goes to back, while his followers are cut down. Only one warrior is killed on the dwarf side.

The Lizardmen need snake eyes to hold, and both units end up fleeing. The larger unit escapes but the other group is run down.

Dwarf Turn 4

Both Dwarf units charge the fleeing saurus who run through the kroxigor. The hammerers run into the kroxigor, while the warriors fail their charge. Thunderers rally. The grudge thrower nicks one saurus at minimum range.