Tag: dwarfs

SCUTTLIN’ REALM 31: DWARFS

On By SalvageIn SCUTTLING REALMLeave a comment

Last game of Unplugged 2022 and I’m up against Pat and his gorgeous Dwarfs, as was very likely our destiny. We face each other at just about every tournament we’re at, and it’s a minor miracle that we missed each other at Dead of Winter back in February. He’s changed things up since we played at Crossroads 2021, but then COK22 has hit since then as well.

Dwarfs 1995
*Ironclad Horde – Throwing Mastiff, Hammer of Measured Force
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – Potion of the Caterpillar
*Bulwarkers Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
*Bulwarkers Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
Mastiff Hunting Pack Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
Mastiff Hunting Pack Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
Mastiff Hunting Pack Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
Sharpshooters Troop
Sharpshooters Troop
Sharpshooters Troop
Steel Behemoth – Golloch’s Fury
Berserker Lord on Brock – Blade of the Beast Slayer
Stone Priest – Ej Periscope, Radiance of Life, Mind Fog (3), Scorched Earth (3)
*Dwarf Army Standard Bearer
*The Royal Guard Formation

For those not in the know, the Dwarf formation adds +1 Me and Nv and gives the ASB aura (Elite (Melee) Infantry) and Very Inspiring. I’m going to say that qualifies as very rad. Around this core are a cloud of shooty chaff/scenario pieces, a fast flanking force and one serious shooty / buffing monster-chariot. Altogether a tight Dwarf build looking to keep up with the meta.

Final round was Control, with the Dwarfs going first one way or another.

BATTLE

Battlelines! My heroes are Centurion > Bastion > Hex.
Dwarfs 1: Roll out! Sharpshooters target the left Placoderms (no regen + no cover) and a central Heartpiercer unit (no cover).
It’s distressingly effective! 2 and 5 damage respectively.
Trident 1: The big crabs move into menacing positions while Heartpiercers take aim at the left Bulwarkers (a ‘softer’ Dwarf unit :P), doing them 5 damage. Also that one unit regens back to 1 damage.
Dwarfs 2: The heavy center shores up its line to avoid any sneaky flanks, and the left flank shuffles a bit to keep the Brocks safe and bring their dogs up. Sharpshooters tag a couple more damage on the left Placoderms (to 4) and those damaged Heartpiercers (to 3), and the Stone Priest whips scorched earth on my Water Elemental horde to blunt potential double charges with the Kraken.
Trident 2: I press the issue on the left, moving Placoderms up (secure in their phalanx) with the Kraken providing pressure. The Heartpiercers over there stick 4 damage onto the pups and waver them, stopping them from tossing their smaller, angrier dog next turn.
Speaking of dog violence, on the right I see an opening and punch a Kraken into a Mastiff pack, exploding them and turning to be a problem for the Dwarf castle. I’ll note right now that I’m quite concerned about having the big lug running around without inspiring, however the Dwarf options for dealing with him at range are quite low, and he is a big boy. Centrally, Heartpiercers continue raining barbs into the left Bulwarkers, pushing them to 9 damage.
Dwarfs 3: I’m getting pretty nervous about a mass throwing mastiff event – last time we played Pay deleted a fresh Shambler horde with 5-6 dogs – but he’d have to overcommit to make that happen / I’ve been keeping his Mastiff units occupied. For example, the rightmost pups rear charge my aggro Kraken 😐 On the left, the Brock lord flanks the other Kraken, keen to use his beast slayer blade.
The dulcet tones of hubris can be heard tolling across the field.
A single mastiff does not a dog tossin’ festival make.
When the smoke clears, Sharpshooters waver the left Placoderms (on 5 damage) and combine fire with a throwing mastiff to do 4 to the other Placoderms. The Brock lord rips 5 damage into the left Kraken, while the brutal Mastiff rear charge on the other Kraken only does 2 (27 on 5+/4+ but also they fluffed quite badly).
Trident 3: On the left, the Kraken can easily get to the corner of the Brock Riders, so goes for it. The Heartpiercers and Centurion move up in support / to end the Mastiff menace on that flank. On the right, I continue to be both aware that I’ll have to grind the Ironclad to kill it and that it will very likely kill whatever it swings at. But I also remember just how slow Dwarfs are … The Placoderms saunter up to tempt the Bulwarkers or better yet pressure the horde if the Heartpiercers can end them this turn. The Kraken on the right deigns to front charge the Bulwarkers who had turned just enough to face him, instead sidestepping to continue to be a problem and potentially crack that Dwarf backfield.
Shooting does see those Bulwarkers off on the right, but a snake eyes on the leftmost Mastiffs keeps them in the game on 13 damage. In combat, the Kraken does an acceptable 7 damage to the Brock Riders.
Dwarfs 4: The Kraken on the left is countered by Brock Riders, flanked by (devastated) Mastiffs and reared by the Brock Lord. No pressure, buddy. The Kraken on the right is faced by Bulwarkers and Mastiffs, as you can hear the sound of throwing mastiffs powering up … The Ironclad wander forward, keeping threats in their front arc, as Golloch’s Fury continues to hover within firing range of the Placoderms (who it was probably shooting occasionally, to limited effect).
Kraken in Predicaments: Part One
Kraken in Predicaments: Part Two
Sharpshooters remove the left Placoderms with some spicy Nv dice (!), and the right Placoderms are pushed to 5 damage by more Sharpshooters and likely Golloch’s. The right Kraken weathers the storm of dogs fine. In combat, the left Kraken is savaged up to 15 damage but holds with nary a waver.
Trident 4: With enough blood in the water (crabby or otherwise), I guess it’s finally time to really go to work. On the left, the Kraken counters the Brock Riders (and regenerates 11 damage), Heartpiercers rear charge the mangled Mastiffs and the Centurion duels the Brock Lord. On the right, the Water Elementals launch out of the woods into the flank of the Bulwarkers, with the Centurion thundering the 1″ into their front. The Placoderms attempt to back away from the Ironclad but ironically can’t escape their reach, so a Heartpiercer unit sprints forward to jam them up.
The shooting I have goes into the Ironclad, for 2 damage, iron resolved to 1 and radianced off next turn :/ In combat, the Brock Riders and Mastiffs are driven off, tho the Brock Lord takes a single damage because Centurion. The Bulwarkers on the right are shattered and the big crabs turn to thoroughly complicate the Dwarf castle.
Dwarfs 5: While he may be running low on units, the Dwarf general still has quite a lot of guns at his disposal, as well as US. The Ironclad shrug and head into the Heartpiercers offered up to them, the last of the Mastiff packs pounces on the hex Envoy babysitting the big crabs (ensared + hindered), and the Brock Lord grimly hefts his blade and charges the left Kraken before it launches into the Sharpshooters.
Sharpshooters and maybe also Golloch crack the right Placoderms, bastion be damned! Then in combat the Ironclad pulp the Heartpiercers and the Brock Lord does a solid 5 damage to the left Kraken, lucky wavering it and saving the left flank for at least another turn. Bravo, slayer! Oh, the hex Envoy takes no damage from the Mastiffs harrying it.
Trident 5: Still not wanting anything to do with the Ironclad horde, the Water Elementals flank charge Golloch’s Fury and the right Kraken skitters into the flank of some Sharpshooters. The hex Envoy scampers away from the Mastiffs to tempt the Ironclad into wasting time. On the left, the Heartpiercers back up because somebody has to score the back left section and those Sharpshooters are scary, but also they prepare to shoot the Brock Lord with the Centurion’s help. And because of course he did, the left Kraken regenerates all 9 damage on him.
Shooting skewers the Brock Lord to 3 damage, the Stone Priest to 3 (wavered!) and the Mastiff pack to 3 as well. In combat, the Water Elementals hammer 12 damage into Golloch’s Fury, wavering it, shortly before the Kraken rampages through the Sharpshooters and prepares for the next one in line.
Dwarfs 6: Golloch’s Fury headstrongs and counters the Water Elementals, as the Brock Lord charges the left Kraken again. The Ironclad push forward to claim my central section and toss their dog at some Heartpiercers, the Mastiffs hopefully position themselves in the bottom right section, and Sharpshooters scoot around to claim sections or face their towering destructors.
#kaijubigbattle
The Ironclad’s mastiff does 2 damage to the Heartpiercers, then the Brock Lord and Golloch do a respectable 5 damage to their targets, if to no effect.
Trident 6: The left Kraken smashes the flank of the top left Sharpshooters, claiming that section. The Water Elementals overwhelm Golloch’s Fury, claiming my two point section regardless of how the Kraken did front charging the Sharpshooters. Heartpiercers give the Ironclad a wide berth, shooting Stone Priest and Mastiffs in the process (possibly unto death, not that they could contest, at all or enough). With 5 points to 2, and no Turn 7, this was a very solid …

SCUTTLIN’ VICTORY (20-0)

While this dunking couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, it felt good to get a heavy win and feel like I played competently while doing so. I certainly showed more patience with my punchy stuff than maybe ever, and while my Heartpiercers didn’t dictate the game as in the last match, I used them as the scenario pieces I designed the army around, which is a good feel of its own. I’m sure Pat and I will rematch soon enough 😀

So with this big win I ended up 2-2-1, getting the 50% record I always try for. Happily I also got 4th best sports, which helped put me at I think 11 of 18 in the final ranking? Not bad at all for how heavy the field was.

Thanks for reading all these, and big thanks to the crew at Unplugged Gamers for putting the GT on. I’m thrilled I could make it out after a few years away, looking forward to next year.

UP NEXT: 2600 points of mayhem at the Orc Town GT early June!

THE HALLOW 10: DWARFS

On By SalvageIn THE HALLOWLeave a comment

After my Game One drubbing, I plummeted down to the bottom table and got to face one of my favorite people to play, and a dude I very often play somewhere around mid-tournament for score-related reasons 😀

Dwarfs 2300
Bulwarkers Horde – Staying Stone, Throwing Mastiff
Earth Elementals Horde
Earth Elementals Horde
Earth Elementals Horde
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – Potion of the Caterpillar
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – Boots of Striding
Sharpshooters Troop
Sharpshooters Troop
Sharpshooters Troop
Mastiff Hunting Pack Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
Mastiff Hunting Pack Regiment – Throwing Mastiff
Berserker Lord on Brock – Blade of the Beast Slayer
Berserker Lord on Brock – Mournful Blade
Stone Priest – Conjurer’s Staff, Surge (8), Bane Chant (2)
Dwarf Army Standard Bearer – Lute of Insatiable Darkness

I’m always happy to fight Dwarfs, as I very reliably out-threat them, so get to play the more control oriented game I prefer. His list seems legit? And looks great on the table. I dig the double Brock Lords, and this would be the first time I’ve faced Earth Elementals with my squishier Forest Shamblers.

Game Two is Salt the Earth, and the Herd wins and takes the initiative.

BATTLE

Herd 0: Scouting phase! It’s hard to see, but the seventh token is on that hill back-right, guarded by double Sharpshooters. My fourth Tribal Spears are hard to the right just off shot.
Herd 1: The Hallow rolls out, mobilizing chaff on the left, tempting the Brocks in the middle, and blitzing the hill on the right. Some Tribal Spears take up residence on the token in the fountain, content to never move again.
Dwarfs 1: On the left, the pathfinder Brocks jump on the chaffing Centaurs and the BotBS Brock Lord charges into the Tree Herder, while the Earth Elementals maintain their menacing wall of rock and grind towards that flank. In the center, the Mastiffs (+ Bulwarkers) trot forward and prepare to unleash themselves / bees, and the Sharpshooters hold their ground on the right.
The storm of tossed dogs shreds the central Forest Shamblers (!!!), and Sharpshooters put 2 wounds on the left Tribal Spears and 1 on the Centaur Chief.
The Centaurs are torn apart by angry badgers, but the Brock Lord fails to damage the Herder. And then those Sharpshooters on the hill to the right burn their token 😐
Herd 2: Despite that, the Hallow chooses murder, as is their want. Beast and Centaur Chief charge into a Sharpshooter troop each, while their Tribal Spear escorts go be useful elsewhere. In the center, the Brutal Herder holds the boot Brocks in place to give the Centaurs and Shamblers time to clear the Mastiffs (except the Shamblers have to plow through a fence, hindering them). On the left, Shamblers (bane chanted) and Tribal Spears combo-charge the pathfinder Brocks. I spend a ton of time deciding what to do with the left Herder – because the Brock Lord failed to wound him, the Herder could walk over him if he wanted, tho the 1″ rule makes things weird around the Brocks and etc, etc, and so I just turned him to face the wall of rocks headed in … and forgot I could just charge him. It totally won’t come back to haunt me that I didn’t put 9 3+/2+ swings into that Brock Lord. No chance.
Happily, the pathfinder Brocks pop! And on the right, the Beast kicks her Sharpshooters to death, while the Centaur Chief is content to gnaw his down. The center is less conclusive, with neither Mastiffs breaking (5 and 6 damage respectively, which is pretty superb considering the odds involved), and the Brocks taking 5 damage.
Dwarfs 2: Rock meets Wood as the Earth Elementals crash into the left Shamblers and Tribal Spears. The beast slayer Brock Lord takes another swing at the Herder disrespecting him. In the center, Mastiffs counter the stick-things assaulting them and the Brocks counter the Brutal Herder. And on the right, the duelist Brock Lord goes in to sit down the Beast as the Sharpshooters strike at the Centaur Chief with their rifle butts.
The leftmost Shamblers are pummeled into goo by ambulatory stone statues, but other charges just result in damage – or not in the case of the Herder, who is just too tough for the slayer Brock Lord! The Tribal Spears go up to 6, the Centaurs to 5, the central Shamblers to 2, the Brutal Herder to 6 (!), and the Beast is indeed sat down with 2 damage. The Centaur Chief escapes without damage as well.
Herd 3: My positioning with the left Herder pays off, as it powers into an Earth Elemental flank, with (bane chanted) Tribal Spears in the front. Everybody counter-charges in the center, however the twist is the Beast using her Sp 7 + Nimble to juke the duelist Brock Lord and flank charge the Brocks. The Centaur Chief takes another bite out of the right Sharpshooters. You can see the Tribal Spears making a cautious play for the center objective – at this point I’m doing some math and realizing I need another token to pull a win off, despite my tight grip on two of the objectives.
All combats go the Hallow’s way, such is the fury of the dark fae. The left Herder is facing that way to swing the Earth Elementals into his front if they charge or use up a surge if he wants a flank, and in the center the Centaurs jam the Bulwarkers with an overrun. The duelist Brock Lord on the hill is faced with a choice: sit the Beast down again or prepare for glory. Also I burn the token on the left.
Dwarfs 3: The left Earth Elementals are surged into the Tree Herder flank (the follow-up bane chant must have worked, with the Conjurer’s Staff on hand), with the slayer Brock Lord charging in for a third round. The Bulwarkers make to clear out the Centaurs so they can address the incoming trees, and the duelist Brock Lord, well …
He chooses glory 😤
The Centaur Chief is mulched under those 14 attaks, and the Centaurs don’t fare too well either, but both of their missions are complete. The Tree Herder astoundingly only takes 6 damage (my opponent historically has terrible dice, and the tradition has continued here).
Herd 4: The grind continues! On the left, the Tree Herder + Tribal Spears (bane chanted) hit the Earth Elementals in the front. In the center, Shamblers + Brutal Herder + Beast combo-charge the Bulwarkers … and I realize later that the Beast is probably better used trying to kick the ASB to death, removing the reroll. I also don’t turn the rightmost Tribal Spears to face the duelist Brock Lord, despite them having phalanx and him obviously being cavalry.
8 damage on the Earth Elementals isn’t bad, but I can’t reach that -/18 Nv. Likewise the 12 damage on the Bulwarkers is solid enough, with a ways to go. Note that I’ve been watching his movement in the center, and those Tribal Spears are 16″ away from those Earth Elementals, to make him walk the whole way and not give a speed boost thanks to charging.
Dwarfs 4: Let’s just tear the bandage off – the slayer Brock Lord drops the left Tree Herder 😦 Well fought, tiny dude on badger that I ignored all game. The Earth Elementals bash the Tribal Spears up to 7 damage (wavering them), the Bulwarkers (bane chanted) stab the Brutal Herder up to 9 damage, and the duelist Brock Lord puts 3 on the right Tribal Spears desperately holding a point with no inspiring to be seen. The central Earth Elementals begin to crest the hill.
Herd 5: The wavered Tribal Spears back up to protect the Druid / expose the Earth Elementals to her lightning bolt (!), the Bulwakers receive another round of Brutal Herder + Forest Shamblers, the Beast pounces on the Dwarf ASB, and the right Tribal Spears counter the duelist Brock Lord (but most importantly point their sharp bits at him).
The Druid does wound the Earth Elementals with her LB(2), getting them up to 9 damage … but I can’t manage the double 9 to rout. Still awesome. The Bulwarkers are smashed into the dirt and the duelist Brock Lord takes a shocking 6 damage from small pointy tree things.
Dwarfs 5: Tiring of this grind, the left Earth Elementals trundle away to sit on a token, letting their compatriots take the hill and the token there. The Brock Lords both charge Tribal Spears … and do 0 damage on the left and 1 on the right O_O The ASB tries to ground the Beast but misses her.
Herd 6: Those left Tribal Spears rear the Earth Elementals who dared leave them to their fate, and the right Tribal Spears stab the duelist Brock Lord again. Really though it’s about mobbing the central Earth Elementals to pull the game away from his 3-2 token lead. I also punch the Beast forward in preparation for a Turn 7 run on the Sharpshooters’ token.
The Tribal Spears shatter their Earth Elementals, overrunning to take a point from the Dwarfs. The right Tribal Spears don’t kill their Brock Lord. Magic doesn’t happen in the center and the Earth Elementals hold … and we measure and discover that the Forest Shamblers are 4″ from the point thanks to combo-charge sliding. I can’t burn the point, and my 3-1 lead isn’t long for this world.
Dwarfs 6: The slayer Brock Lord ends those Tribal Spears, and the Earth Elementals swing hard and kill the Tribal Spears on the hill (a tough ask for his dice!) The duelist Brock Lord can’t rout his point-holding Tribal Spears, putting the game at 2-2. With no Turn 7, this is a …

DRAW (10-10)

Attrition put us at less than 500 points apart, for a true draw, which is apparently possible in Blackjack Scoring. It felt a little bad to have things slip away like this, as I had taken an early lead and had a lot of control – and some luck – in my favor, but even during the game I was seeing places where I simply was forgetting to do things (turn to face the Brock Lord on the right) or choosing obvious things (Beast putting a few wounds on Bulwarkers instead of kicking the ASB to death OR threatening the Sharpshooters on a point a turn earlier) rather than smarter things. In retrospect, I think could have won by not charging the Tribal Spears in on the center, as the fresh Forest Shamblers would have slide over fully to a) contest the point and b) block the Tribal Spears from the Earth Elementals, allowing them to score in safety or at the least contest, either of which would have done it for me, without a Turn 7. Instead I tried to punch for the stars per usual, and lost that win by an inch.

NEXT UP: Nature!

SCUTTLIN’ REALM GAME 16: DWARFS

On By SalvageIn SCUTTLING REALMLeave a comment

Mid-tables, baby! After bouncing off the bottom table, I faced off against a new player to the game and his Imperial Dwarfs. A note about this game, I helped him out quite a bit, pointing out for example how corkscrew charges work and when he’d set himself up for some, letting him back that out and in general learn while we wrassled instead of just taking his breaks. This isn’t a humble brag thing, more a comment on how ‘this is a tournament, play as hard as possible’ isn’t particularly interesting to me, nor I think to the KOW community at large. High five, us.

Dwarfs 2300

Berserker Brock Rider Regiment – Maccwar’s Potion of the Caterpillar
Earth Elemental Horde
Earth Elemental Horde
Earth Elemental Horde
Berserker Brock Rider Troop
Berserker Brock Rider Troop
Sharpshooter Troop
Sharpshooter Troop
Sharpshooter Troop
Steel Behemoth – Golloch’s Fury
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Berserker Lord – Brock, Blade of the Beast Slayer
Stone Priest – Surge (8), Bane Chant (2), Tome of Darkness

Fairly classic Rocks n Glocks n Brocks, helped by the Earth Elementals getting more buffs than I thought (-/18 now?!), and maybe hindered by a little less inspiring than usual? Ah yes: there’s no flying King, but a third Organ Gun + Elemental horde.

Round 3 was Smoke & Mirrors, which we muddled through almost correctly. Dwarfs took first turn this time.

BATTLE

Battlelines! There’s a third Kraken hard on the right flank.

Dwarfs roll out! Except for Sharpshooters, who tag a wound on the leftmost Kraken.

Crabs roll out! Between range, cover or marching, Heartpiercers don’t get anything done. That right Kraken slams 14” up the table edge, intent to murder those Sharpshooters.

Dwarfs Turn 2, more plodding forward and setting up some traps, tho the right Brock troop throws itself into the right Gigas, hungry for crab meats.

Shooting puts another 1 damage on the left Kraken, 6 on the central Gigas courtesy the Organ Guns and 3 on the right Kraken. In combat, the Brocks gnaw 2 damage onto the right Gigas but they shrug it off.

Scuttle Aggression++! Two Kraken and their Eternal escort thunder into the Brock regiment over on the left, the Water Elemental horde slams into the central Earth Elemental horde (they needed to get away from Golloch’s Fury, and I assumed they could grind a couple turns) while the wounded Gigas bodyblock for them (I used their nimble guys!), the right Kraken thunders into the right Sharpshooters, annnd the right Gigas counter-charge their Brocks. Heartpiercers chunk 10? damage (!) into the leftmost Earth Elementals, in a stunning display of 5+ / 5+ rolling.

In combat, the Brocks evaporate, with one Kraken overrunning 1-2”; the Water Elementals do very poorly against the Earth Elementals (not seeing any damage dice!); the right flank Kraken one-rounds the Sharpshooters and spins to face the action; and the right Gigas do 9? damage to their Brocks but only waver their quarry!

Dwarfs Turn 3 keeps the violence up. On the left, a Brock troop + Brock lord charge a Kraken, while the other Kraken over there is surge-flanked by Earth Elementals. (A brief aside: because reforming is weird, that Kraken basically had to look at the Elementals’ flank or front, knowing it would be flanked in either case. I chose to make him use his surge, because while the Kraken would die, it would keep the bane chant off of the Water Elementals. Luckily for Dwarfs they can cast BC into a surge target, ensuring the Kraken’s demise.) Speaking of Water Elementals, they get counter-charged, and the right half stuff continues forward.

Rather unexpectedly, two Organ Guns finishes off the Gigas! Sadness! And in combat, the Brock troop + lord roll like maniacs and drop a 2 damage Kraken in one go! Less surprisingly, the other Kraken is flanked and killed by CS(2) Earth Elementals, and the Water Elementals cop 5 damage against their own elementals.

With the heavy hitters evaporating on the left, the Scuttlers have to reassess a bit and start mobilizing Heartpiercers for scenario duty. They also shoot the Brock troop for 6 damage and shoot and rout the Earth Elementals that killed the Kraken. Damn, little dudes.

Meanwhile, the Eternal charges the Brock lord (and whiffs?!), the Water Elementals regen 0 damage but carve a few into the Earth Elementals, the Gigas messily dismember their Brocks, and the surviving Kraken looms large on the right flank.

Dwarfs Turn 4, because that turn die has to be off after we used it to prop up some Brocks earlier. At this point in the game we’ve turned over all of the 0 and 2 tokens, so the objective situation is pretty clear – hence his Sharpshooters booking it for the left and central tokens, and Golloch and the right Earth Elementals consolidating around the token to the right of the house. (He’s also scared of the last Kraken …) Also the Brock troop charges some Heartpiercers (who are currently scoring the lower left token), the Brock lord counters the Eternal, and the Earth Elementals fighting the Water Elementals back off, because this dude knows what he’s doing.

Organ Guns ventilate the Water Elementals before the Earth Elementals surge (+ bane chant) back into them and slaughter the mega crab. The Eternal takes 4 damage from the Brock lord (awesome rolling from this model all game!), and the Brock troop noms 6 damage into those Heartpiercers but don’t waver them.

Scuttle Tactics++! Worth noting that the 2 point objectives are hard left, where his Sharpshooters are running too, and to the left of the house, where my Heartpiercers are clustering – you know, in front of 3x Organ Guns + Sharpshooters. Those Heartpiercers fighting the Brocks counter-charge, but don’t manage a single wound even with the lute’s CS(1). The central Heartpiercers must have shot somebody, but totally fail. The Eternal slaps 2 damage into the Brock lord but he cares not.

On the right, the Heartpiercers who spent the game backing away from Golloch’s Fury flank charge the big guy, failing to wound it but getting within 3” of a 1 point objective, which made him think long and hard about his options next turn, as the Gigas hove into charge range.

Dwarfs Turn 5, and we spend a long time talking out scenario end game (we thought it was Turn 6). Without a doubt, the Eternal has to die (otherwise he’ll flank charge those Sharpshooters, murder them and grab the other 2 pointer), and ultimately the Dwarfs trust in their guns to take him out. The Brock lord rides off to help the Brock troop drop those Hearpiercers and overrun to their 1 pointer. And Golloch’s Fury, seeing that the Earth Elementals have US 3 to the Heartpiercers’ 2, plows off into the Gigas to keep them (and their US 3) at bay.

Good calls are good. The Depth Horror Eternal disappears under a double Organ Gun barrage, then the Brocks rock the Heartpiercers and overrun within range of a 1 pointer, and Golloch’s Fury boops 4 damage into the Gigas. The Heartpiercers holding my 2 pointer also took some damage from shooting.

In what we thought was the last round of the game, I did a ton of figuring and balanced a lot of options, and ended up walking some Heartpiercers within range of the 1 pointer on the hill (took some shots at the leftmost Sharpshooters but to no avail), kept the central Heartpiercers within range of their 2 pointer but turned and shot the Brock troop off the table (denying 1 point), kept the surviving Kraken within 3” of his 1 pointer, and couldn’t hot dice off the Earth Elementals holding the 1 pointer to the right of the building.

We rolled but blessedly there wasn’t another turn, so we ended what we thought was Turn 6, 4:3 on objectives.

SCUTTLIN’ WIN (14-7)

Sorry about the janky turn die on this one, I think my count here is correct and we only played five turns. That said, great game that was more involved than I thought it would be, and I lowkey love when my Heartpiercers get to decide games since I originally build the army around them. Smoke & Mirrors was … fine. I think a bit needlessly complex, compared to the old version of Pillage with the different token values, but I suppose it did lead to fairly dynamic play as we were kept weighting our options. Also I had gotten my second win! Mission accomplished!

Up Next: Trident Realm Civil War II

GAME 29: DWARFS

On By SalvageIn BLOODFIRELeave a comment

Bright and early day two, I’m up against Steve, another player I’ve played near for years but never actually faced (also Tim’s team mate). An added bonus is that Steve is a very chill, very patient dude. On my part, I was very, very tired from staying up way too late playing Rising Sun and chatting the night before. As one does at tournaments.

BLOODFIRE GAME 29: DWARFS

Dwarfs + Basileans 2250

Ironclad Horde – Brew of Haste
Earth Elemental Horde
Earth Elemental Horde
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – Potion of the Caterpillar
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – Healing Brew
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Berserker Lord on Brock – Blade of the Beast Slayer
Stone Priest – Bane Chant (2), Martyr’s Prayer (7), Inspiring Talisman
Stone Priest – Bane Chant (2), Martyr’s Prayer (7), Amulet of the Fire-heart
Steel Behemoth
+
Elohi Horde

Pretty standard Dwarf fare, nothing too crazy, with pairs of important stuff where able. Fun Fact: There were 5 Dwarf armies at this GT, more than any other faction! Madness ​

Fourth round was Push, and with 1 token each it was blessedly simple. Dwarfs won initiative and get the push going.

BATTLE

​
Blurry Battlelines!

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Dwarfs in the midst of rolling out. Getting that speedy flank a-flanking first thing. Pretty sure his push token is in the Ironclad horde at the moment.

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Bloodfire saunters forward in response, getting that battleline wheel a-wheeling. Push token is on the central Fire horde.

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Dwarfs continue encircling the elemental force – Elohi are to the left of that pond, facing inwards. Organ Guns and possible the Behemoth splatter two units of Ember Sprites. Rest In Pepperonis, little dudes.

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The Bloodfire battleline continues canting around. The Diadem horde on the far right and maybe the Sprites near them land some wounds on the rightmost Organ Gun. The tension is mounting!

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The Dwarfs refuse to engage! Organ Guns patter into the Diadem horde and the nearby Sprites, but only cause chip damage.

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Turn 3 and Bloodfire has potentially disastrous charges it can declare? Here we go! Two Fire Elemental hordes slam into the right Earth Elemental horde, reducing them to slag with the help of at least one bane chant. Meanwhile, the Diadem horde on the right charges and obliterates an Organ Gun, preparing to ride the obstacle into the next one. Sprite fire and hopefully the Clan Lord chips at the Ironclad horde, while Agnes heat rays the surviving Earth Elementals.

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Dwarf 4 and apart from giving a Fire horde a really bad time, the stunties for the most part continue to hold off. Elohi fly deeper into the Bloodfire DZ, with Brocks preparing to invade either side of the board as needed. Worth noting that the Brock Riders on the Bloodfire side of the table are carrying the push token at this point (and are the pathfinder Brocks).

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Yep, those Fire Elementals get dead. Their buddies nearby take some damage from the Organ Gun before it gets creamed next turn.

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Agnes and some Fire Elementals (bane chanted) slam into the Earth Elementals, reducing them to ash, while other Fire Elementals pound on the Behemoth and yet more Fire Elementals melt down the other Organ Gun. The CLOFD attempts to assassinate an Stone Priest but can’t roll hot enough.

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Post smoldering beatdown.

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The Dwarfs bring the pain Turn 5. Ironclad tackle Agnes in the front, Behemoth + Brock Riders + Berserker Lord hit the Behemoth’s Fire horde, and the Elohi sweep into the Herald, with an easy overrun into the CLOFD’s flank. I’m kicking myself at this point, I always seem to have a game where I setup such a stupid individual overrun. Brocks to the south also nom up some Sprites.

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Better to be lucky than good XD The mega charge against the Fire horde rolls snake eyes, leaving them at 22 damage! And the Elohi painfully fluff their hits against the Herald, dealing just 3 damage for no result. Agnes takes a pretty hearty 5 damage but seriously, Steve’s dice just saved my butt.

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Time to capitalize on the Dwarfs misfortune. The mangled Fire horde and the Diadem horde (hindered) slam into the Brocks, the Fire horde who had grabbed the central push token when they killed the Earth Elementals heads into the Stone Priest, Agnes grumpily counter-charges the Ironclad and the original push token Fire horde flanks the Elohi. The CLOFD doesn’t move (…) and preposterously neither does the Herald (SALVAGE, WHY???)

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The CLOFD + inspiring Mage-Priest incinerate the Berserker Lord whilst the martyr Mage-Priest heals Agnes down to 1 damage (snacking on her healing brew in the process). And then combat goes less awesome than anticipated. The Brock Riders take 10 damage, but that’s a far cry from their bravery, and the 9 damage on the Elohi is not as catastrophic as expected. I’m left feeling like I really messed that one up? Or maybe just overinflated what my Fire Elementals could do

(Math Time: 36 CS2 (1/2 of that hindered) into the Brocks = 12.5 wounds, for a 9.5 rout and no chance of a waver. 36 CS2 into the Elohi = 12 wounds, for a rerolled 5 with no chance of a waver. The Brocks were always going to be a grind, especially with the hindrance, but the Elohi wasn’t as foolish as I thought at the time. And there also wasn’t a lot of options, apart from shooting them with the CLOFD and then surging the Fire horde in, which would have left the Berserker Lord free to rampage. Obviously moving the Herald and rotating the CLOFD where possible was a thing that should have happened.)

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Dwarf 6 and we rinse and repeat. Brock + Behemoth back into the severely damaged Fire horde, Elohi back into the Herald (@_@), Ironclad back into Agnes.

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The B+B Fire horde erupts into warm goo, the Herald bites it, allowing the Elohi to flank the CLOFD for significant damage (12) but a failed rout (!), and Agnes goes back up to 5 damage. Inevitable but still ouchful turn.

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Bloodfire 6 and potentially the end game. The surviving Sprites are tossed a token and then the big boys and girls go to work. Agnes, her damage removed, bats around some more Ironclad (I really don’t think they broke). The northern Brocks are removed by the (still hindered!) Diadem horde, while a push token Fire horde punches a meager 3 damage into the Behemoth. And the Elohi are ended, thanks to Fire flank and CLOFD front.

With no Turn 7, this one somehow came down to a ……

BLOODFIRE VICTORY

Up Next: FILTHY. ELVES.

GAME 24: DWARFS

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We gathered together a solid handful of the club together for some Sunday scrums. Nature vs Herd on the far table, as I took on Dwarfs. Coincidentally both tables diced up Scenario 11: Take & Hold!

Fun Fact: Up until 30 min before this match I thought I was bringing my rats back – nope! Bloodfire can’t be stopped!

BLOODFIRE GAME 24: DWARFS

Salamanders 2000

Fire Elemental Horde – Blade of Slashing
Fire Elemental Horde
Fire Elemental Horde
Fire Elemental Horde
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ember Sprite Regiment
Agnih-Bhanu, Greatest Fire Elemental
Herald – Healing Charm
Mage-Priest – Surge (8), Heal (3), Inspiring Talisman
Mage-Priest – Heal (3)
Clan Lord on Fire Drake – Banner of the Griffin

I’m having trouble building 2000 point lists with this army, which I suppose shows the growing depth of my red fire thing collection. Dropped the second surge – which I’ve never taken advantage of – to free up some points. Was originally going to try Martyr’s Prayer out, but chickened out and went with the old Heal (9) setup. Really left the lil’ Priest feeling sort of underutilized, so next time I’mma get my Martyr on for real.

Oh right: Agnes is back \m/

Dwarfs 2000

*Bulwarkers Horde – Brew of Strength
*Ironclad Regiment
*Ironclad Regiment
Earth Elementals Horde
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – Maccwar’s Cat Potion
Greater Earth Elemental
Steel Behemoth
Steel Behemoth
Army Standard Bearer – Diadem of Dragon-kind
*King – Wings of Honeymaze
Stone Priest – Drain Life (6), Inspiring Talisman
*Wall of Iron [Iron Resolve]

Our club’s fearless leader tooled his previous 18 drop Dwarf list (!) down into this more compact, COK-ed up version, complete with double updated Behemoths and a shiny formation! He had his doubts about no shooting beyond 12”, but as that’s basically the name of my game we were well matched at least.

As noted, we diced up Take & Hold (COK18), another new mission for me. Markers went down center and clustered on one flank, ensuring we’d by rocking a 4×4 board at most.

BATTLE

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Blurry battlelines!

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Dwarfs grab the initiative and waddle forward across the line. Bloodfire shambles up in similar fashion, except for Ember Sprites on the flanks gaining range to some stunties. Brocks take no damage but the right Ironclads soak a couple wounds.

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The slightly faster Dwarf flank is brought into charge range, while Behemoths unload into the exposed Fire Elemental horde. 9 damage is no joke but the BOTG keeps them safe (barely!)

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Bloodfire enters the danger zone, advancing Sprites into the teeth of the Dwarf hitty flank. The Priests pull 4 damage off the exposed Fire horde, as the CLOFD splashes a single wound on the Greater Earth Elemental and Ember Sprites sear 9 wounds into the Brocks and 2 more into the right Ironclad. Then Agnes hits the right Behemoth with her heat ray, doing a stunning 7 damage out of 12 shots. Rout tests are fine across the board but the Dwarf general is visibly shook ​

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Turn 3, which means time for fighting (and scoring)! The left Sprites are charged by their dancing partners, while the right Ironclad at the double to jam the right flank and the King flies into Agnes to shut down her laser whatever the cost.

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Another double dose of Behemoth cannon finishes off that wounded Fire horde, with an assist from the ASB’s diadem, then onto combat. The Brocks evaporate their Sprites, however the Earth Elementals and Greater buddy both manage 4 damage against their chaff and can’t waver either. And the King bops Agnes for 2 wounds, officially drawing her ire.

Dwarfs score 2 points [2:0]

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The Bloodfire Supreme Bloodstoker thinks for a very long time about surge options . . . and there basically aren’t any, these Sprites have seriously gummed things up. We go with obvious charges: Fire horde into waiting Brocks, both Sprites into Earth Bros, Agnes into King, Fire horde + Sprites into Ironclad.

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The Herald grudgingly heals some Sprites for a couple wounds, and a Priest pulls one off of Agnes. The other Priest combines her fireball with the CLOFD’s gore cannon to do 2 more damage to the wounded Behemoth, bringing it to 9 but no lucky rout. In combat, the left Fire horde obliterates the wounded Brocks, Sprites bounce off of Earth Bros (1 damage to horde, nothing to Greater), Agnes slams the King for 4 damage, and the Fire horde + Sprites combo only gets the Ironclad to 9 but fail the easy rout.

Sallies score 1 point [2:1]

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Dwarfs grind on, sending left Ironclad into the Fire horde (hindered by the puddle they’re busily evaporating), Earth Bros back into annoying Sprites, King back into Agnes to keep her distracted, and wounded Behemoth and smoldering Ironclad into the right Fire horde. The other Behemoth unloads into the little healing Priest for no damage (!),the Stone Priest life drains a Fire horde for 1, healing up the Earth horde with that pip, and the ASB wavers the rightmost Sprites with his diadem.

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Combats don’t really go as hoped: left Fire horde takes 4 damage but doesn’t care, the Earth horde scatters their Sprites but the Greater Earth double ones on his, leaving them disordered but unwavered. The King boops Agnes again for 2 damage, as the Behemoth + Ironclad only manage 6 wounds on their Fire horde, which isn’t enough to force a rout through.

Dwarfs score 2 points [4:1]

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Bloodfire lines up to deliver some serious jabs to the Dwarfs in preparation for a late game points bonanza. Fire hordes jump on the left Ironclad and wounded Behemoth, as the third horde prepares to surge into the flank of the Earth Elementals (who couldn’t protect both flanks and chose the one that required the attention of a Priest, pulling resources from the right at least). Agnes flames up and descends once more upon the Dwarven King.

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The CLOFD forgets that he was supposed to snipe the Stone Priest (. . .) and instead tags a couple wounds onto the Greater Earth Elemental (3 total). Some healing happens (the surging horde is topped off and the right horde goes down to 5) and then the other Priest pulls off the 1” surge needed to propel the Fire horde into the flank of the Earth horde.

Things get off to a slow start in the combat phase. The right Fire horde does 2 wounds to their Behemoth, wavering it, and the left Fire horde tickles 4 into their Ironclad, doing nothing. Agnes swings next, obliterating the King with another 4-5 damage, and that momentum carries into the flanking Fire horde, who roll like the molten blood elementals they are, gouging 15 wounds into the Earth Elementals! The horde dissolves under such a furious display.

Sallies score 1 point [4:2]

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Dwarfs return the pain in Turn 5. Greater Earth Elemental + Steel Behemoth thunder into the marauding Fire horde, laying on the hurt but not breaking the elementals. Which is not the case to either flank: left Ironclads swing hard and break their Fire horde on the countercharge, as the right Ironclads team up with the smoking Behemoth to dispel theirs. The central Sprites are also scattered by the ASB’s diadem.

Dwarfs score 1 point [5:2]

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Monster mash! Agnes and the CLOFD see an opening and storm into the fresh Behemoth’s flank.

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It’s super effective! The Behemoth takes 9 wounds from both of the big beasties, detonating spectacularly on 18 damage. The other Behemoth meets a scalding death as well, pummeled by 20 fireballs from the Mage-Priests and finally succumbing to all the abuse. Less epicly, the last Fire horde beats 4 wounds into the Greater Earth (who doesn’t care), the last of the Sprites can’t wound the right Ironclad for a lucky rout test, and the Herald blocks the left Ironclad from flanking the Fire horde (whom she also heals for a couple points). After all the smashing is done, the CLOFD backs up 1” into range of a token, and with a metric ton of deliberation, Agnes turns to face the Bulwarkers, assuming they want to leave the safety of their token.

Sallies score 2 points [5:4]

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Dwarf Turn 6 and the stunties go for it! Ironclads charge the Herald and Sprites respectively, while the Greater Earth Elemental decides to clean up the Fire horde rather than surging into Agnes’ flank, leaving her to the Bulwarkers (hindered though they may be by the forest). The ASB breaths a wound on the inspiring Mage-Priest and the Stone Priest attempts a life drain, but really it’s going to come down to fighting.

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Whiiiiich is unfortunate because nothing works! The Ironclad don’t even waver their targets, the Greater Earth gently bats 3 wounds into the Fire horde, and Agnes is just too damn huge for the Bulwarkers, who manage just 2 wounds. Nobody cares . . . and no Dwarf scores 😛

Dwarfs score 0 points [5:4]

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Sally Turn 6 and things are looking great for Bloodfire. Everybody countercharges, there’s a brief musical interlude as the Dwarf Army Standard is fragged by the CLOFD’s gore cannon (and maybe some Priest fireballs, but I have a feeling they healed Agnes or the Fire horde as the CLOFD rolled strong) and pops, then fighting happens. Stuff got wounded, stuff hung around, but only red stuff was near tokens.

Sallies score 2 points [6:5]

The roll for Turn 7 is a 2, making this a . . .

BLOODFIRE VICTORY

GAME 19: DWARFS

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Another round, another clubmate. In this case Senator Rossi, who I haven’t played in over a year I’d reckon?

BLOODFIRE GAME 19: DWARFS

Salamanders 2000

Fire Elemental Horde – Brew of Haste
Fire Elemental Horde
Fire Elemental Horde
Fire Elemental Horde
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ember Sprite Regiment
Ankylodon Battle Platform – firebolts
Herald on Raptor – Diadem of Dragonkind
Herald on Raptor – Healing Charm
Mage-Priest – Surge (8), Heal (3)
Clan Lord on Fire Drake – Banner of the Griffin

Dwarfs 2000

Berserkers Troop
Ironclad Horde – [Magic Item?]
Ironguard Regiment – CS1/D5
Ironguard Regiment – CS1/D5
Earth Elemental Horde
Berserker Brock Riders Regiment – [Magic Item?]
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Ironbelcher Organ Gun
Army Standard Bearer – Diadem of Dragon-king
Army Standard Bearer – Lute of Insatiable Darkness
King – Wings of Honeymaze
Stone Priest – Bane Chant (2), Banner of the Griffin?
Battle Driller
Battle Driller
Greater Earth Elemental

There are 45 spare points, which I’m guessing were items on the Ironclad and the Brock Riders, as there are plenty of good ones they might have had. Anyway props to Rossi on sticking with Dwarfs and trying to make mostly-infantry work – in the past he’s done the gyrocopters as Elohi thing, and I know he’s fighting against going back to that.

Second round was Push, with Sallies going first again.

BATTLE

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Deployment sees a flank denied, as the Bloodfire does. Wondering how often it’s the left flank I ignore, because it seems like most of the time. Push tokens are on the left Ironguard, the Earth Elementals and the Ironclad; and the Ankylodon, central Earth Sprites, and rightmost Fire Elementals.

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Roll out! Redementals scoot forward, trying to stick to cover where able. The central Fire horde is surged forward a few inches, because I already know they’re a target.

Dwarfs shuffle forward a bit, knowing they’re outpaced nearly across the board. And the Brocks hold still, not wanting to start absorbing breath damage when they don’t need to. Organ Gun fire plinks off a couple wounds from the leading Fire hordes.

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Sallies reach that 12” standoff band with the Dwarfs. Exploratory breath attaks can’t get much purchase in D6 rockementals 😐

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With a resounding cry of YOLO! the Dwarf line slams forward, with the Earth Elementals hitting the bait Sprites and the Brocks thundering off their hill into the token-bearing Fire horde, plus the flying King bopping the Healing Herald.

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The Sprites evaporate, as do the Fire Elementals (which was a bit surprising to me, given the 4+ and 4+ they needed per wound, although the Dwarven rout dice were definitely hot all game). The Herald also wavers, on a rerolled 11! The central Fire horde also copped more shooting damage from the Organ Guns.

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With the battleline getting cramped and not enough Dwarfs dying, things get a big drastic for the Sallies. The Ankylodon flanks the Greater Earth along with Fire Elementals in the front, with the understanding that he’s screwed if this doesn’t work. Meanwhile Fire hordes go into the Ironclad to begin the grind and the right Ironguard to hopefully break through next round. To protect their flank the Diadem Herald tosses himself in front of the Brocks, offset to pull them to the side when they align. Breath attaks lay a little damage into the Brocks but their nerve is far higher than I remember.

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The Ankylodon’s gambit pays off and the GGE is reduced to rubble, and happily the Ironguard fall to the speedy Fire horde as well, letting them scoot past the arc of the Brocks. Even more unexpectedly, the central Fire horde is able to waver the Ironclad! Headstrong or not, that’s pretty sweet.

[We then went into his turn and forgot the lucky waver on the Ironclad, which resulted in a lot of carnage and so on until I went and spotted his headstrong token. He failed the headstrong roll and, being an absolutely gent, we reset the game based on my photos …]

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Despite these setbacks the Dwarfs shoulder on, as they do. Earth Elementals piled into the waiting Ankylodon (for little result) and the Brocks ran over the poor Diadem Herald. A battle driller had a shot at the hasty Fire horde for a lark and the King continued to harass the Healing Herald. The Dwarven left flank crept closer and Guns tried for 6+ to hit vs something red.

That failed headstrong on the Ironclad is punished to the full extent when the Dwarven horde receives Fire Elementals in the front and the flank, as the speedy Fire horde smashes through a Battle Driller and follows into the Ironclad. They die. The Ankylodon faffs away at the Earth Elementals (his 4+ to hit being way harder to deal with then their D6) and the Brocks take another breath bath from the CLOFD, but likewise don’t care.

The Dwarf answer by hitting the speedy Fire horde with Brocks (tons of damage but no rout); flanking the Ankylodon with bane chanted Berserkers + Earth Elementals in the front (the ‘Serkers roll insanity and the ABP is toppled); and shooting the hell out of the central Fire horde (popping it). Brutal stuff. Also note that the King has been chasing the Healing Herald around all this time, bopping him for a single wound to disorder him.

Sally 5 sees the flanking Ironguard finally engaged by a Fire horde, the Earth Elementals receive some breath loving (for all the good it did), and the speedy Fire horde punch the Brocks, who still refuse to rout.

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The Dwarfs drop the hammer once more, double teaming the left Fire horde, running over some Sprites and dispersing the speedy right Fire horde. Somehow the left Fire horde survives the (hindered) Berserker blender in the flank! And the CLOFD is wavered after suffering focused Organ Gun shelling.

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Sally 6, the last Fire horde pounds into the Ironguard, triumphantly claiming their token.

Dwarf 6 sees the Fire horde extinguished by the Berserkers and a lot of stuff made dead – I think the King killed the Mage-Priest this turn, after a lucky 10 reroll on the Healing Herald the turn before. Well ahead on tokens, Turn 7 would have simply given the Dwarfs a chance to table the Sallies by shooting the CLOFD to death, but the extra turn die said no.

BLOODFIRE LOSS