Warhammer Fantasy Battle Reports: Dogs of War vs Skaven 2000 points

warhammer fantasy battle report :-

"Finally a weakness to exploit! Volands spur their horses and charge into the plague monks flank"

(a bridge crossing to constest in a rare Dogs of War encounter vs lots of clanrats and slaves)

source : warhammer.org.uk

credit : Renaissance Homer

29-Jan-2009

Having played less games in 7th edition than most of the others probably have played tournaments in that time I none the less entered Ashes with the hope of at least biting a few kneecaps. [Ed. not feeling too confident with a Dogs of War army then ?!]

I started out as one of 3 DOW players, but at startup suddenly was the only one left! Finding only one quitter I duly grudged him for not playing with the weakest army he could.

Dogs of War Army list

Mercenary General: Pegasus,HA,Shield,Pistol,SoMight,Talisman 194
Mercenary Captain: Pegasus,HA,Shield,Pistol,Lance 117
Paymaster: Barded Warhorse,HA,EShield,Pistol,Lance,Morningstar 96
Hireling Wizard: Lvl2,Dispel Scroll 120

8 Duellists Pistol 72
20 Ricco 300
20 Pike HA,FC 230
2x5Light Cav Spear,Mus 150
6 Volands (Incl, Voland,Mus,Std) 219

20 Norse Marauders, GW,Shield,FC 230
12 Lumpkins Cocks 132
Maneater, HA,GW 90

Halfling Hot Pot 50

Skaven Army List

Warlord @ 174 Pts
HA;Shield,Weeping Blade,The Foul Pendant.
Chieftain @ 99 Pts
HA; Battle Standard,War Banner
Warlock Engineer @ 110 Pts
SWPA;UWEC;Warp Blades,Dispel Scroll
Warlock Engineer @ 60 Pts
Warp Blades

25 Clanrats @ 225 Pts
Light Armour; Shield; FC
Warpfire Thrower
25 Clanrats @ 250 Pts
Spear; Light Armour; Shield; FC
Warpfire Thrower
24 Clanrats @ 135 Pts
Standard; Musician
3x20 Clanrat Slaves @ 44 Pts
Musician

20 * Stormvermin @ 205 Pts
Standard; Musician; Fangleader
18 Giant Rat Pack @ 90 Pts
3 Packmasters
20 Plague Monks @ 185 pts
2ndWeapon; FC
3 Rat Ogres @ 150 Pts
3 Rat Ogre Packmasters

3x2 Poison Wind Globadiers @ 20 Pts
5 Plague Censer Bearers @ 85 Pts

On to the game.

Scenario was +400 vp for having the objective (yellow cross) at endgame, river was difficult terrain even for those that ignore such.

My mage got Fireball and Wall of fire.

I set up trying to have a flanking force that could hold up and annoy as much as possible on the right, and setting up Volands for some possible charge and pursuit over the river (only way to do it quickly, otherwise extra taxing as frenzied people standing in water were to find out) The rest were to go hold the center.The only thing scaring me in his army was easy panic from the warpfire throwers but that could harldy be deployed against so I just followed my easy plan and watched him pile unit after unit on the other side.

Dogs of War : Turn 1.

I moved everything up, got a Wall of fire off thats scrolled.

The Hot Pot tried to throw soup at the fire thrower to put it out, but hit some clanrats instead.

The right flanking force seemed to be badly outmatched since my Marauders were doggypaddling to slowly, but hoped some baiting and such would keep his units occupied while I took the center.

Skaven Turn 1.

All his forces except the left flank rats went forward, Censer bearer had to frenzy into the water after my captasus.
He blasted all of one light cav regiment away with warp lightning and I make my first of many succesfull ld tests.

DOW Turn 2.

Volands scare away some globes, Maneater copies on other flank. The other Light cav had lost its baiting partner so charged into a slave regiment hoping to break it and get behind the lines.

It draws instead. General charges a slave unit (and stays there until turn 4 hacking through the ranks..) Others move up, marauders keep swimming (Damn xtapl for suggesting starting in water as a quick way over..) Duellists take a wound of the Rat Ogres.

Skaven Turn 2.

Battle is joined! Light cav is punished for their daring, likewise the duellists run from angry Rat Ogres. Riccos are holding the bridge but get a Clanrat regiment in the front.

Stormvermin are too scared to charge the Maneater. In shooting the dreaded warpfire thrower kills 9 pikes! But offcourse I make my panic test...
The Globaidiers are also feeling lucky and kill 2 Venators.

DOW Turn 3.

Little happens, Maneater charge Stormvermin who fail fear again. Captasus charges globes but fail and takes a wound on each part from stand and shoot.

Volands moves to a better position and Duellist rally. Close combats are bloody but even.

Skaven Turn 3.

Rat Ogres into Marauders, Clanrats with BSB and Warlord into decimated Pikes. His Plague Monks and Slaves are treading water.

The Ogres completely miss, and get three wounds back, so finally the marauders get to shallow waters and pursue the Rat Ogres 11 inches into the Slave regiment far ahead!

The Pikes however are broken but flee 1 inch more to safety. Maneater is killed keeping the Stormvermin put. Globes kill another Venator, damn their luck.

DOW Turn 4.

Finally a weakness to exploit! Volands spur their horses and charge into the plague monks flank, sure to break them and overrun into the slaves.

The Pikes with my Paymaster rally. A Warpfire is shot. The frenzied marauders hacks through the slaves breaking them (they continue to flee off the board later).

At last the General breaks his slaves as well, but although Ricco continue to deal pain his troops dont do so well and the center combat continues to another turn.

Skaven Turn 4.

Rats move up. Clanrats charge Pikes yet again. In close combat the clanrats on the bridge are broken at last, the slaves gives Volands a good pursuit towards the Warlords regiment. And the Pikes thankfully hold on their reroll.. Puh. Now to counterattack!

DOW Turn 5.
Captasus charges the Warpfire Thrower, Voland charge the rear of the Clanrats.
The flamethrower is destroyed, but Volands lose a man (as well as Voland taking a wound) so even though I wound his BSB I lose.

Luck smiles on me yet again as both my units hold.

Skaven Turn 5.

His Engineer leaves his clanrats to bait some Marauders. In close combat his BSB is killed, evening out the score so its even easier for me to pass my break test.

DOW Turn 6.

Damage control, Marauders charge engineer who flees, but Cpatasus flies up to redirect from their flank.

The General should have done this on the left flank as well, but somehow the hype had led me to believe that Lumpkins fighting Cocks could take care of the rat packs alone in two turns of shooting with some magic help. So he plays in the water and takes a potshot at the fleeing engineer.

Mage is too cocky as well, tries to cast wall of fire when he could have cast Fireball against only two dispell dice.

Voland is killed but Pikes dont break, was a tie maybe?

Duellists charge Stormvermin in vain hope of great luck, but bounce off.

Skaven Turn 6.

Pike combat stays put even though the warlord moves to the front rank to kill the Paymster, he luckily misses.

Rat packs kills off Lumpkins with little trouble, pursues onto the bridge and ties with Riccos for the objective! Aaargh..