Yesterday I was able to fight an improvised battle at my place when one of my friends called me after work, great!!

My last battle report was against Lizardmen (not my first 8th game, but my first battle report ever XD) where I tested thoroughly big horde formations, the anvil and our stonethrowers. However, for this battle I tried one idea that has been lately into my mind, one big anvil unit to protect my Battle Standard, coupled with the usual warmachines, some hordes and some cheap characters. Here are the two lists, I hope I don't forget anything.

Daemons of Chaos (2500 points)

Bloodthirster (General) with Armour of Khorne and Immortal Fury
Herald of Khorne with Juggernaut and Armour of Khorne (with Bloodletters)
Herald of Nurgle (Battle Standard) with Palanquin, Noxious Vapours and Standard of Chaos Glory (with Plaguebearers)
Herald of Slaanesh with Siren Song (with Daemonettes)
16 Bloodletters, Full Command
16 Plaguebearers, Full Command
19 Daemonettes, Full Command
5 Flesh Hounds of Khorne
5 Flesh Hounds of Khorne
5 Furies
3 Tzeentch Screamers
3 Tzeentch Flamers
3 Tzeentch Flamers

Dwarves (2500 points)

Runesmith (General) with Great Weapon, RoStone, 2xRoSpellbreaking
Thane with Great Weapon, RoStone
Thane with Great Weapon, RoStone
Thane (Battle Standard) with MRoGromril, RoResistance, RoPreservation, Great Weapon, Oathstone
Master Engineer, Brace of Pistols
40 Warriors with Great Weapons and shields, Full Command (Runesmith and Thane here)
40 Warriors with Great Weapons and shields, Full Command (Thane here)
30 Ironbreakers with Full Command, Standard with RoBattle and RoDetermination (Battle Standard here)
1 Stonethrower with 2xRoPenetrating, RoAccuracy and Engineer with BoPistols
1 Stonethrower with RoPenetrating, RoAccuracy, RoFire and Engineer with BoPistols
1 Cannon with RoForging and Engineer with BoPistols
1 Organ Gun

DEPLOYMENT

We fought battle 3 (Battle for the Pass, deployment with large borders beign impassable terrain) and used the random terrain chart for a total of six elements of terrain. Two mysterious forests, a mysterious river with a wide bridge (we agreed that in the middle of the battlefield it would look really cool, as a river in the middle of two big mountain ranges), one set of arcane ruins (some rocks we have at hand forming a power circle, at 6" they allow to roll up to four dice for channeling with some risk of miscasting with three 6 roll), a scree slope (dangerous terrain when you charge or flee) and a regular village. My deployment (orange) was the ME with the cannon and two stonethrowers behind the buildings, one organ gun in my flank near a big block of warriors in the forest (fungus forest, when inside units will be stupid!!), Ironbreakers with Battle Standard in the middle and the other unit of warriors with my general in the other side. Daemons deployed Bloodthirster behind the forest but in front of my warmachines, with furies and screamers behind their main lines. Three big blocks (red for khorne, green for nurgle and pink for slaanesh) in the middle flanked with two units of hounds and two units of flamers in front of my organ gun...

I was a bit scared of siren song this edition (like our MRoChallenge it has an incredible range now) so I deployed in a way he couldn't use it unless entering the river almost completely with his unit (I hoped for some dangerous terrain tests to compensate for this). However, I also did plan to move a bit on second turn to try and charge as many units I could even with the problem of Siren Song. My Runesmith being the General was a real pain, so I deployed it in the corner of the unit hoping he never comes to see battle.

We rolled and Daemons went first!!

TURN 1 (DAEMONS)

Daemons moved with all to the front, the Bloodthirster going crazy to the front of my warmachines and the rest of the army stopping by the river (necrotic ooze, dangerous terrain for everybody and granting poisoned attacks next turn you crossed its waters). However, he has to roll with the first model which entered the river, but the flesh hound escaped unharmed. Last thing in the turn was flamers shooting my beloved Organ Gun, doing only one wound (long range and moving, plus wounding at 6's).

I think it was an error going with the Bloodthirster against my Warmachines, because in second turn it could easily flank charge one of my main blocks (I then would need to choose between reforming exposing my flank to his blocks or let the flank charge occur).

TURN 1 (DWARVES)

I moved my blocks a few inches forward (rolling for stupidity inside the forest), knowing that the Bloodthirster was going to be occupied with my warmachines for long (along with Furies, waiting patiently by the river) if I didn't manage to kill him. It didn't matter if daemons charge me next turn at all, but I thinked he was waiting for me to do the dangerous terrain tests from the river instead. I supposed, also, that Siren's Song was going to target my general's unit, so I prepared my charges a bit.

On the shooting phase things went completely wrong. My cannon hit the Bloodthirster, but I rolled a 1 to wound, one stonethrower scattered against the monster and, the one that hit only did two wounds... At least, my organ gun killed one flamer.

TURN 2 (DAEMONS)

He positioned his blocks by the river waiting for Siren's Song next turn to gain some advantage (and hoping for some bad rolls in my dangerous terrain tests) and reformed his Daemonettes to go seven wide (another mistake as I see it, because he maximizes my power hitting with horde without gaining any real advantage with those additional attacks unless he planned to attack my general). Flamers and one group of hounds crossed the river (without any casualties) while Bloodthirster charged my cannon and Furies flew near the village (and inside the minimum shoot range for my stonethrowers). I suppose the movement was to protect Furies or even Bloodthirster from Grapeshot, but I think he would have charged one of my stonethrowers. In the other side of the battlefield some bad rolls for the flamers caused one additional wound to my organ gun and Screamers positioned themselves for a next turn massive slashing attack against all my blocks.

TURN 2 (DWARVES)

I had to redo the map, so sorry if it's not the same as it looked (doing battle reports for parts has its problems)

He used Siren's Song and I had to charge his unit of Daemonettes with my General's horde (I gained poisoned attacks losing four models due to river's effects) and I charged with the rest of my blocks, Ironbreakers directly towards plaguebearers and the other block towards both units of flamers (five casualties from stand and shoot reaction). Last turn the Bloodthirster smashed my cannon, so I shooted with my stonethrowers before get charged next turn with both Furies and Bloodthirster's rage. I aimed at Bloodletters, scoring two hits and killing everything except champion and standard (herald was smashed with one D6 wounds S10 hit). Organ gun tried to shoot the unit of flesh hounds, but misfired and exploded (we assumed a cannon size model is able to see over rank and file troops, but we both know it's probably a matter of discussion regarding TLOS). In combat phase I smashed flamers losing two models and overrun hounds (losing four more models due to river's effects) while against daemonettes I losed five brave warriors (always strike first, more initiative and armour piercing! This unit in the correct numbers and formation will be one of the best this edition, or so I think) killing back seven of them. Against the plaguebearers I challenged with my BSB, but he accepted with the champion (who died, of course). None of my Ironbreakers died while killing two plaguebearers. All his units passed their Ld tests because of the standard bearer (stubborn and reroll).

TURN 3 (DAEMONS)

Bloodthirster and Furies charged both stonethrowers, while flesh hounds reformed to get a rear charge next turn against Ironbreakers. Three screamers flew over my three units, causing some casualties (Ironbreakers zero, general's unit one and warriors unit three) and the remnants of Bloodletters flank charged my Ironbreakers. I challenged again with my BSB, but he accepted with the Khorne champion (he died, but only thanks to RoPreservation on my BSB due to one Killing Blow), I losed 5 ironbreakers and only managed to kill the other Bloodletter and two plaguebearers (I hold steadfast, though). In the other combats, I losed five warriors to the unit of hounds, killing three of them (six wounds) and the rest vanishing for combat resolution (two inches far away from daemons' BSB, luckily) and losed five warriors to Daemonettes only doing three wounds back (which were all saved). I hold the combat and reformed with the other unit to get a rear charge against them next turn! In the side of the warmachines the Bloodthirster destroyed one stonethrower and advanced towards the ME while in the combat against furies I losed by one (charge bonus) but hold stubborn.

TURN 3 (DWARVES)

I rear charged with my unit against Daemonettes but failed my fear tests with this unit (twice!!). I finally challenged with my BSB his Herald of Nurgle and was able to kill him without suffering a single wound, while I killed three plaguebearers only losing one Ironbreaker. Against Daemonettes I losed a total of twelve warriors (seven to the rear and five to the front) and killed nine back. Combat resolution was very fun now that his BSB was dead, and only survived two plaguebearers (musician and standard) and three daemonettes (plus Herald). ME was killed by the Bloodthirster and the combat between my stonethrower and Furies was a draw with one kill each.

TURN 4 (DAEMONS)

He charged my Ironbreakers with his Flesh Hounds, hoping to delaying my unit until his Bloodthirster could charge next turn (he moved near one of my flanks). Screamers moved over two of my units without doing real damage and in combat I was able to finish his Daemonettes (reforming after that) and Plaguebearers (reforming with my front against the Flesh Hounds) with minimum loses in all my units. The great surprise of the turn was the Furies losing combat for one kill and disbanding, so next turn was going to be the decisive one...

TURN 4 (DWARVES)

...and it was. The Daemons player concedes after a big rock killed his Bloodthirster.

CONCLUSIONS

It wasn't a fun battle like my other battle report was, but still was great showing how things are supposed to work under 8th edition rules. I think Daemons commited a few mistakes and played with a solid 7th Edition list which doesn't perform very well in 8th Edition standards. However, I think the biggest mistake was to not take magic at all with all the power it now has (and with my poor magic defence on top of that). I really like the terrain rules, because they add a layer of strategy without being a radical game changer, and I think this battle shows this very well. I think Ironbreakers are great for a support unit going steadfast and all that, but I really don't think a unit of warriors could do the same even if equipped with hand weapon and shields and going 5x6 or 5x7; I really think the way to go with warriors is great weapon/horde now.

On thursday I have a battle against High Elves (3000 points with special characters) and I'm testing some more ideas.

Thanks for reading.