So...

It's been a while. I've actually been playing quite a lot, but haven't been getting the work in on reports. I did want to convey some of what's been going on and how it's flavored my thoughts on the list. I've been running. I'll have to lock something in by the end of the month for the Lonewolf GT deadline, and I'm feeling pretty close, but more of those thoughts to follow.

By now the list should be familiar to regular readers, but just in case:

Runelord, shield, Runic gromril armor: Rune of stone, Runic Talisman: Master Rune of Balance, Spelleater Rune, Spellbreaker
Thane, Runic gromril armor: Master Rune of Gromril, Rune of Resistance, Rune of Preservation; Runic hammer: Rune of fire; Runic Talisman: Rune of the Furnace
35 Dwarf warriors, shields, standard, musician
30 Dwarf warriors, great weapons, full command
10 Quarrelers, great weapons, rangers
10 Dwarf warriors, shields, musician
20 Hammerers, full command, runic standard: Master Rune of Grungni
20 Hammerers, full command
Cannon, engineer, rune of forging, rune of burning
Grudgethrower, engineer, rune of accuracy, rune of penetrating x2
Organ Gun
Gyrocopter

I've decided to do these in as close to chronological order as I can manage, with deployment pictures where appropriate.

Opponent: Empire gunline (steam tank, 2 mortars, 2 cannons, rocket battery, helblaster, engineer, Level 4, level 2, level 1 w/some combination of fire and metal lores, 2 handgunner bricks, 7 outriders, 5 white wolf knights, 12 empire knights w/grand master)
Scenario:Battle for the Pass
Points:2500

I got to see the list a few minutes before we rolled Battle for the Pass. This was good, because once we got Battle for the Pass, I couldn't see much of anything, as my eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of having to run at all that shooting on my little stubby Dwarf legs. Only to be met by a Steam Tank.

I try the "line up in a bunch of long lines and pray for a miracle" strategy. The empire deploy stealth steam tank technology (the cardboard square next to the knights).

The Game
I knew I couldn't win a shoot-out, so the plan was to neutralize the steam tank while rushing up, and try to get enough late points to make up for any losses. The other strategem was to deploy with the gyro, rangers, and 10 man warrior unit all loaded up on the left side where no combat threats existed in the hope of getting somebody into to the backfield. The main mistake was placing the organ gun off on the extreme right. This kept cav from slipping around and past me, and also kept it from getting cannoned, but I could've done with a little target overload in the front to help make sure my rush made it through.

As it was, Empire shooting caused heavy damage to the units. Empire was helped by good scatter, and I was helped by great protection from the MR of Grungni and spread formation. The gyro took four cannon shots before a helblaster shot it down. (First cannon did only one wound, second did the same. Third misfired attempting to grapeshot, fourth blew itself up.)

In the end, the rangers made into the back field with 6 models, which is more than enough to wreck empire war machines, engineers, and hand gunner detachments. The main push stalled when the steam tank absorbed early fire, but it was eventually disabled (not destroyed) and let the main force push through to clean things up for the win. In the final accounting, despite multiple units taking severe maulings, the only one wiped out was the gyro, and I grabbed all the war machines (and a couple other units) for what was technically a massacre (giving up only 140 VPs meant I only needed 280 to double it).

Opponent: Dark Elves (Double Hydra, pegasus dread lord, hydra banner BSB with 11 cold one knights, 3 x 6 shades, 2 x 30 crossbows, 2 x level 2 shadow mages)
Scenario: Battleline
Points: 2500

This was a regular opponent (Geist) trying some new things out. Normally he runs two flying dreadlords, a flying BSB and a squadron of chariots. I couldn't decide which was a tougher matchup. Deployment went pretty well, and thanks to the rangers and 10 man block of warriors, I was able to force the 18 shades out rather wide to keep them from getting in to the war machines.

I eternally hate your Eternal Hatred.

Some deployment mistakes and a great first turn of shooting more or less wrapped this one up. The organ gun deleted a stack of shades that had wandered too close, and the cannon one-shotted one of the hydras. The grudgethrower and rangers decided to make sure I could win the chaff fight and obliterated another unit of shades (conveniently deployed in a 3x2). After that I was able to focus on the second hydra and knights to clean up the whole right flank. Magic defense was dominant, including a spelleater Pit of Shades. I accidentally left a gap for the flying dread lord to get into my war-machines, but recovered with a swift reform. This gave a rear charge to the dreadlord, but with steadfast, it was pretty much a non-issue. the game closed out as a massacre.

Opponent: Skaven (2 doomwheels, Hell Pit Abomination, Screaming Bell pushed by a zillion clanrats, warlock engineer with doom rocket and Stormbanner BSB in another zillion clan rats, 2x6 globadiers, 5 jezzails, some plague monks with their cool banner, some slaves, a plague mortar, a warpfire thrower, 2 rat ogres, 6 plague censer bearers)
Scenario: Battleline
Points: 2500

I was relieved not to see a Warp Lightning Cannon, which meant I wouldn't be punished too badly for holding in full combat formations. Lack of gutter runners also made deployment a little easier.

Dwarven gun crews survey a target rich environment.

Shooting was hot and cold this game- it took 3 turns to down the Abomb, dropping it right before it would hit my lines. The doomwheels had some issues working their way through the dense deployment, and one accidentally ran over the plague mortar when it misfired warp lightning. Magic defense again came up strong, with Dreaded 13th only getting through once. My chaff warriors got turned into clanrats in an attempt to use them to run through my war machines, but the gyro chased them away before that could happen. Rangers kept the Jezzails on the run and eventually caused problems for several fleeing Skaven units. The organ gun had a miserable start, firing three times at a warpfire thrower before I managed to drop it. There was brief redemption when it knocked out the censer bearer unit before blowing itself up.

As is usually the case against the Bell, I couldn't afford to shoot it with a hell pit and doomwheels about, and so it made it to my lines (in fact, I charged it with hammerers to avoid taking impact hits). It managed to destroy all my war machines with two turns in a row of the Deafening Peals. I did the Grey Seer, but couldn't bring down the bell, and almost threw the game by sending in my warriors with BSB and Runelord, whiffing super hard, breaking on a re-rollable 9 and losing the BSB and banner. Only the last couple hammerers kept the unit from being run down or chased off the table in the following turn, allowing them to rally in Turn 6. As it was, the game could have been a massacre, but ended as a standard win.

I'll leave things there for now- there's a handful of mini-tournaments we've been running that were pretty educational. I've tried to write them up, but most of the details are pretty jumbled. I'll see if I still have some notes kicking around and add some brief summaries and lessons learned, to be followed up with latest list thoughts...