G'day
Well today the 17th of June and I actually had a copy of 8th ED in my hands. Having confirmed 99% of the info was correct from the rumours on Warseer, I was determined to have a test run. I was going to make it big in size and keep the hero out of the hammer so to speak. It's a good thing I've got loads of goblins, cause they were needed.
The Lists are around 2500pts each and I believe the model count is, drumroll ...................456. So this was going to be a quick game huh. There are a lot of errors now that I've read more and seen the book a few more times but the game still gives a reasonable feel for 8th me thinks.

Dwarf Lord @ 298 Pts
General; Hand Weapon; Gromril Armor; Shield; Shieldbearers
1 Runic Weapon @ [85] Pts
Master Rune of Skalf Blackhammer; Rune of Fire; Rune of Speed (x1)
1 Runic Armor @ [40] Pts
Rune of Preservation; Rune of Resistance

Thane @ 115 Pts
Hand Weapon; Gromril Armor
1 Runic Armor Master Rune of Gromril; Rune of Resistance
30 xDwarf Warriors W Full Command @ 295 Pts

30x Longbeards W full Command 385 Pts

20 xThunderers W Full Command; Shields; 325 Pts

16x Quarrellers @ 213 Pts Mus Crossbow; Great Weapon; Light Armour 213 Pts

16 x Rangers Quarrellers @ 249 Pts
Musician; Standard; Hand Weapon; Crossbow; Great Weapon; Light Armour; Shield

1x Grudge Thrower @ 150 Pts
Rune of Accuracy; Rune of Burning; Rune of Penetrating (+1 Strength); Stone Thrower
1 Engineer @ [15] Pts

2 x Bolt Thrower @ 60 Pt
1 Engineer @ [15] Pts

30 Slayers @ 348 Pts
Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Slayer; Unbreakable

Total Roster Cost: 2498

Black Orc Warboss @ 270 Pts
Quell Animosity; Size Matters - Black Orcs; Heavy Armour
1 Boar @ [0] Pts
1 Shaga's Screamin' Sword @ [50] Pts
1 Enchanted Shield @ [15] Pts
1 Warboss Imbad's Iron Gnashas @ [30] Pts

Black Orc Big Boss (Battle Standard Bearer) @ 180 Pts
Quell Animosity; Size Matters - Black Orcs; Heavy Armour; Battle Standard Bearer
1 Boar @ [0] Pts
1 Martog's Best Basha @ [15] Pts
1 Effigy of Mork @ [35] Pts

Goblin Shaman @ 90 Pts
Level 2 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Fear Elves

Goblin Great Shaman @ 190 Pts
Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Fear Elves

2 x 35 Goblins @ [160 Pts each]
Full Command Hand Weapon; Spear; Light Armour

35 Goblins @ 160 Pts
Full Command Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield

2x50 Night Goblins @[ 205 Pts each]
Hand Weapon; Shield, Nets

2x 25 Orc Boyz @ [165 Pts Each]
Full Command, Light Armour; Shield

4 Goblin Spear Chukka @ [40 Pts each]
1 Orc Bully @ [5] Pts

3 Goblin Wolf Chariot @[ 60 Pts each]
Chariot; Scythed Wheels

3x5 Goblin Wolf Riders @ 71 Pts[Each}
Musician; Spear; Light Armour;
5 Wolf @ [0] Pts
Total Roster Cost: 2503pts

It was an early morning start and the battle field was clear, little did it know of the carnage that was about to befall it's calm demour.

Everyone turns up and meanwhile in the Orc camp
Orc general Nasher does a roll call. "Goblin 1 werz 're yaes"
Goblin 1" 'ere mate"
Orc general "Goblin 2"
Goblin 2 "'ere boss"
Orc general "Err "I swear too much", ....stuff this, OK lads you're all 'ere"

Orc battle plan....?? Put everything on the table and cross your toes.
Correct answer, Orc general gets 1 point.

Dwarf Battlle Plan... well following strict dwarven tactical proceedure, put everything on the table and cross your fingers.
Correct answer, 1point for Dwarf general.

Yellow dice O&G white dice Dwarfs.

Deployment notes from the O&G TV crew "Orcs and goblins is the green ones, the blue and white are the short arse ones".

TURN ONE
ORCS win both for table edge and go first as well. There is some issue with the Orcs in the bottom left hand corner who proceed to FAIL miseably 3 animosity test in a row. Nuf said on them. The cental NG goblin are keen to see what's on the other side of the wood and go 14" with a 6" move for thier successful animosity roll. The Chariots advance hoping to swing round the flanks and support the troops. The Wizards move into the Goblin unit on the hill, they sould be safe there. Magic roll up a 5 & a 2. Giving the dwarfs 7DD and the Goblin shamens 7, who fail to channel any extra. Goblins gets off a 2d6 green fire ball on 20 but is stopped by the dwarfs. The great shamen then rolls 2 dice and gets stomp off on a 11. Having +4 to the roll makes it easy. Kills one longbeard. Bolt throwers do little but kill a single slayer.

DWARFS shuffle forward a little..well OK they dwarfs run madly forward, especially the slayers. The bolt thrower get a lucky roll of 666 to kill a goblin chariot. The handgunners pop off and kill a whole 3 NG while the grudge thrower smashes into the furtherest NG unit and kills 13,and no panic test as 13 in not 25%. A further 3 wolf riders die from the Ranger x - bows. Meanwhile the other x-bows do nothing, cause they're having a cupp'a.

TURN 2
ORCS................CHARGE ........NO HUH Animosity, right well the goblins on the hill where the shamens are cleverly hiding decide to bicker and for the next two turns they bicker, so no magic which really sucks. The NG unit that wanted to see what was on the other side off the forest, find out and also bicker. The wolf boyz in the center sit idle by as they watch the combat. The ORC general, slaps his forhead hard. So hard I almost forget to move the unit as nothing happen this turn.( I really hope they fix animosity in the erratta) Except for a few wolfboys charging into a bolt thrower crew and winning combat. The two chariots charge good news as they both roll enough to get in, bad news is the x-bows on the flank have15 shots, 3 hits, 3 wounds one dead chariot. Now at this stage I not sure that if a unit dies, regardless of size, you have to take a panic test. Anyway the chariot gets in and kills 4 x-bows, who then have 4 fighting back with GW and rerolls to hit. Good, nope "I Swear too much" as they do a wound and lose combat and run away. Chariot runs them down, runs through forest makes it's difficult terrain test, only to get a bolt thrower through it's wheels and destroyed in the following dwarf shooting turn. End of story on that flank.

DWARFS, no need to be hasty now, hhmmmm then again........ CHARGE.... in go the warriors with Lord at the NG unit and the longbeards with BSB into the goblins quivering in the forest. The shooting is directed onto the NG on the left who get smashed for some 16 dead. The dwarf and goblin wolf rider draw combat. The warriors in the center with the lord got to town on the front NG get netted and have only strength 2 for this round. The lord fluffs killing 1, The NG then go with thier I3 and kill 4 dwarfs. The dawrfs who also hate the NG roll up about 25 hits and do an amazing 13 wounds on 5+. The NG not to be out done roll thier saves and make 3 first off thier shields on a 6+ then an amazing five 6+ ward saves with thier hd wp shields. They hold not even needing to use thier stubborn LD. Meanwhile the long beards are having thier way with thier ancient advesary and SMASH the goblins on the flank, but reform so as not to present thier flanks. Oh, and the slayers madly race forward.

TACTICAL NOTES for those tactical geniuses at home, yes I know I should have done this or that, but I think I've actually learnt more with the mistakes I've made. Oh and my dice are killing me, god I hate them and love them, it's all so confusing.

TURN 3
ORCS yes and the animosity curse keeps on giving, with the shamens stuck in the same bickering unit, the ORC general Nasher decideds or a risky move to threaten the longbeards, by moving behind the NG fighting the warriors. Bolt throwers are shooting but doing very little, and the combat pahse comes along all to quickly. The wolf rider dies to the engineer at the bolt thrower. The night goblins net their warrior foes, do one wound and suffer 7 in return, just losing thier stubborness. They flee and get away but expose the Orc general to a flank charge.

DWARF TV CREW "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha"
ORC GENERAL slaps head again, but it's NOT helping.

DWARFS well it's a charge and the NG who reformed in thier previous turn to face the slayers get wipedout by said slayers, the Orc general flees from the Warriors in the flank. What more could go wrong, well let me tell you, the goblin wizard bunker has the NG flee through them as the dwrf warriors redirect thier charge from the Orc general, and fails it's panic test so runs off the board. The the grudge thrower kills 10 or so Goblins on the longbeards flank and theyrun off the board and don't rally. Even worse, then the kids and the missus come home from school."I Swear too much".

TURN 4
ORCS well it pretty much looks all over but I persist with it and the fleeing units all rally and form up behind the hill. The Orcs who have been squabbling finally get a move and charge the slayers, only to be smashed and run down. Wonderful!! Loud noise of head slapping from Orc general.

[Princess Monique inspects the carnage]
DWARFS well what else, in they go the warriors charge the Orc general and as the NG are right next to them I decided they get embroiled as well. The two generals face off doing a wound each and the dwarfs lose after being netted. The long beards go into the goblins and smash them proper this time. The slayers run madly towards the action. Meanwhile there is not a lot else to do for those missile troops.

Turn 5
ORCS well the dwarf general does 3 wounds but he saves two of them and kills the dwarf in return, I think he was annoyed and took it out on the poor git.

DWARFS it's all about combat now and the dwarfs keep losing but hold on, the slayers run madly towards the action.

TURN 6
ORCS win combat but the dwarfs hold.

DWARFS into the flank of the Orc generals unit with the longbeards, the slayers charge the NG, they roll a 3 and fail, they must have been a bit puffed.
The dwarfs win combat by two but the Orcs hold and well it's dinner time so an hour later I finish packing up. Game over and a win to the dwarfs as there are more left on the table.

Whoops daddy.

Well there you go, a pretty scrappy game, certainly no elegant tactics but I really wasn't trying to do anything except get a feel for the game. Best way is to throw things forward and see what happens. The game plays on so many levels I think it'll take awhile to get thehang of it. Artillery; Magic; Monsters; Missiles; Infantry; Heros, all have pros and cons as far as I can see. Working out to get the best use of them will not be an easy task.
Sean Davis