My first report here, very excited to be returning to the game!

Managed to get down to my local wargames club a few days ago after rediscoverring my 20 yr old models in my loft a few weeks ago. I've been playing a few fun matches against my son at home, but these mostly were about re-learning the rules and trying to let him win!

Was really pleased to find a local wargames club meeting not far from my home, so I popped along, with models in tow, not expecting to get a game but hoping to watch a few and find out how things worked there. Was amazingly pleased when there was 1 Fantasty Battle player there who didn't have a battle to fight, so I took up the challenge.

Was feeling very nervous as this was obviously an experienced player, but he was very helpful, explaining rules I had missed as we encountered them and giving a few points of advice as needed. He had chaos and empire armies with him, and took out his empire as he said it would be less complicated with rules for me 😉

I hadn't really expected to get a battle, so I hadn't worked out a proper army list, but I had been playing with my models which I had worked out to be about 2000 points when playing with my son previously, so I warned the other player that I might not be quite correct, and I decded to use my longbeards as normal troops, as I suspected my points might be slightly over!

My list:
15 Warriors, GW FC
17 warriors, GW FC
10 Hammerers, FC
20 Warriors, Sheilds, FC
20 Warriors, Sheilds, FC

18 Quarrelers, Rangers, sheilds, FC
20 Thunderers, FC

2 Cannon

1 Thane
1 Dragon slayer

I hadn't really thought about Runes yet, so didn't have any! No Runesmith either and no BSB! so in theory not a very good army list, but lots of nice infantry.

Empire: (from memory)

40 Spearmen (Shields, FC)
2 x detachements of 10 gunners
with a Warpriest and Heor with BSB

40 x Swordsmen (sheilds)
2 x detachments of 10 gunners
with a Warpriest

a Hero of somekind
Lv 1 Wizard

1 mortar
1 Cannon
2 Hellblaster (the firework type things, I think this is the correct name!)

He had a magic standard, and a few other magic items which I missed the details of.

I hadn't really read the rules properly on Hordes and was more than a bit nervous when I realised that his spears would be attacking in all 4 ranks ;( but we went on to start setting up.

The table had some nice cover about 10 inches in from either table edge and some hills around the sides, with a nice open space in the middle. I had many more units than him, so I had the benefit of setting most of my units last.

Something like this:

Emp Artillery                           Spear Horde                   Sword Horde

Hill
Rangers
hill

  DSLayer, Canon        Thund       20 warr    15 war  10 ham  cannon 15 war  20 war
                                     behind wall                                               bhind wall

The Battle.

Well I can't remember the details of every move, but I started quite nervously. I rollled to move first, but I wasn't sure how to play tactically against all his large units. So I decided to use discretion and I passed to allow him to go first. He Immediately advanced and nicely just into range of my thunderers! Artillery bombardment comenced and the central 15 warriors took a few direct hits, failed its rout (studid dice) and started running (not a good start, but I was resigned to loosing anyhow). I managed to dispel all his magic apart from a spell buff

My first turn made me feel a bit better, It looked like I had made a good choice, by now my gunners were in range so I just sat and waited with my unit. The routers rallied. I concentrated my fire on the Spearmen on the left. Thunderers took out quite a few, rangers turned to be able to fire next go, but the canons missed the targets. Dispelled the spell buff.

turn 2: He continues to advance, moved so he can't shoot his gunners artillery is mostly off target, and again all spells dispelled apart from 1 buff which I dispell in my next turn. His advance on the right is hamperred by some walls in the way. Also he has lost all his hard cover that was on his side of the board now, where as my artillery and thunderes are all sitting with +2 cover

My turn now sees my quarrellers firing at the shields, thunderers too, both taking off a handfull of units canons dont do much. My slayer is advancing up the left flank towards his artillery with nothing in his way

turn 3: He holds his gunners stationary now, and moves spears forwards into charge range his swords are now on the other far side of a hill on the right flank, magic does nothing, artillery does almost nothing

My turn time to charge: I chose my hammerers as they are right infront of the spears and I brave the innevitable supporting fire from the gunners ( takes the unit down to about 6!) Brave dwarfs though they carry on regardless. (my Thane is in with them too, but I am not feeling hopeful for my tough unit. but I do have several units ready for support and flanking. Thunderers now focus on one unit of their gunners and devastate them causing them to rout. On my right flank I move my warriors forward taking the hill and the high ground. Combat sees my hammerers take a few more casualties but they hold their ground and do quite a lot of damage on the spears. Rangers turn and move on towards his artillery, dragon slayer is almost in charge range

Turn 4

This His swords are in charge range on the right flank, but he is scared of my unit on the high ground, with a possible flanking charge set up from the 15 warriors next door, he holds (chicken!) my dwarfs make rude signs at him.
Magic does nothing, artillery does very little. Combat: my hammerers hold their ground very well, he has now lost a hero (via a challenge) and his spears are down to 2 ranks Magic does.... err nothing!!!! Only spell he gets off is a buff on his swordsmen which I chose to let through, but I will dispell that in my go anyhow (are dwarfs overpowered? 😉 Oh he does charge my dragon slayer with his artillery specialists in a vain attempt to hold back the slayer but they get wiped out and he follows through into a cannon.

My turn

Quarellers shoot on his artillery (no effect) Cannons / thunders take out the remainder of his central gunners. I get some supportive charges in on his Spears from a couple of my central units. My dwarfs are braver than the timid empire so we charge on the right flank, loosing the high ground and getting counter fire from his detachments. (not good) Combat sees this unit take big losses and rout He chases with his gunners,(destroy my unit) and turns his swords towards my centre. Combat sees him lose an cannon to the dragon slayer. His spears are now facing 2 hammers and my thane, but also 2 supporting units. The spears will be dead soon, but don't rout because of some special item /magic thing.

Turn 5

He looses combat with the spears, and routs this time and are destroyed,, along with his BSB. on the right flank he is setting up to do a flanking charge on my centre. Oh yes one of his artillery pieces explodes. Battle looking about 50/50 at the moment. My follow up on the routing spears puts me in combat nicely with a detachment of gunners, and a free reform on the other unit turns them to face the swordsmen.

My turn: Charge his swords, destroy another artilery and destroy a detachment in combat and the wizard who was with them. My swordsmen hold up well against his swordsmen horde.

Turn 6 No magic works again, combat with the swordsmen is 50/50 his remainging artillery can't do anything

My turn: Attack the last artillery, (not destoyed yet) Get in more charges on this swords and combat goes my way, but he doesn't rout.

Overall: I was amazed that I had won, in fact I had done rather well. 3 of my units had been destroyed, but I still had 50% of my models still on the table, and all my canons, and most of my ranged models. I had taken out all his heros, 3/4 artillery, a mage BSB, and 75 % of his models.

I added up my points when I got home, and discover red that I had also only had 1750 ish points in my army!! I am in the firm and (probably very deluded belief) that it was a victory of tactics and a little luck. The weird part of the battle was that the artillery did almost nothing for the whole battle. His magic ( of course) was completely ineffective. But the best part was holding my ground and defences and waiting for him to advance on me, whilst getting battered by my thunderers (hmm 3 to hit at short range and -2 on the save .. nice 😉 ) My small units were prone to routing, but also very mobile so I got flanking attacks in both big fights, and my units were tough enough to hold their ground whilst they waited for this reinforcement.

Really enjoyed my first proper battle, and I'm looking forward to doing more. Apparently this guy will be using his chaos next time, but I will have a better army with runes for that battle, so hopefully I will be able to repeat the victory.

Will try to take some pics next time too!

Anybody in Sussex area of the UK who wants a battle let me know!!