Intro and Lists
The October meetup for Kings of War Wisconsin was upon us. Attendance was down a bit due to other activities and commitments, but thankfully we caught Rob on a weekend without a tournament, and he was willing to throw down with an experimental list, bringing the following:
Rob has been too busy attending tournaments with his humans to hobby on these much yet, but is very interested in the Abyssals for future competitive play, and we last saw them being explored back in July, in Battle 045, which coincidently was also Free Dwarfs vs Abyssals. For better or for worse, Rob is running the Abyssals largely how I would want to.
Ba'su'su is fun and durable, Warlocks are great, and Abyssal Guard are very potent. Gargoyles are amazing chaff, and I think that Imps have been undervalued historically, but should do very nice with blocking for the Guard. That's the main core that I am interested in too. They Abyssal Horsemen have been so-so for me, so it would be neat to see them in action, and how my opponent uses them. Abyssal Core has confounded me, but after messing around with "Goblin-style" humans, the cheap Lower Abyssal regiments do seem the most sensible pick for a competitive list, brining more drops, more expendable units, and things that synergize really well with Commands like the the Ultimate Betrayal.
I was expecting the Abyssals, and so had left mine at home, bringing the Dwarf list above instead. In a very rare move from me, this list has actually been run before, way back in Battle 046, and similar to the one played against Rob's Abyssals previously. I had spare copies of the list, and since it had been several months since I had played it originally, and it was running some tricky units, I figured playing it again would be functionally the same to making a tiny alteration and running the new version. Up to discuss is everything:
- Lord on Brock. The various Dwarfs Lords, Berserker or not, mounted or not, all do a lot for the army. Too much, if you ask me. Personally I think the slot swaps and Auras and Abilities should be broken up among the different options to make them more specialized. Here, the Berserker Lord swaps a lot, but we’re taking him more for his speed. I have liked some quicker, punchier Dwarf play (opposed to say, Def6 Spam), and want his speed around to help support the Brocks and Stone Claws. I think four speedy units is the bare minimum needed to make “speedy” dwarfs work, and we’ll see if we can get the units working together.
- Captain. Short on points but wanting a third source of Inspiring and Commands, we have the lowly Captain. He’s pretty basic, but has still found ways to contribute before, by blocking bad slide downs or fighting chaff or
- Flame Priest. Not really set on any spell from the Arcane Library, I defaulted to the Flame Priest for my spellcasting Champion. Bane Chant and a big Fireball is appealing, but the Fireball has been pitiful in practice. I think the short range of the spell has required me to be moving to stay safe, and then often throwing over something to also stay safe, which has a detrimental effect to hits. We’ll keep an eye on it, and see how this game goes.
- Warsmith. The Warsmith has been great. Sticking him with War Machines / Ironwatch units is great for their respective outputs. With just a 12” attack, I don’t think they’ll contribute much unless I’m being overrun, but I think Rangers are still worth buffing as well, so we’re taking him to try that out.
- Brocks, Boots. I still think cavalry could be very strong, but I still haven’t cracked it yet, so we’re defaulting to one regiment with the Boots.
- Shieldbreakers. These have done well previously, and while there are probably some efficiencies to be had, I’ve liked the flexibility of the horde and two regiments in a handful of other games, so we’re sticking with that approach.
- Ironclad Troops. I still really like the troops in theory, so am taking the full complement again to continue exploring. With a competitive eye, I think we could probably trim these and reallocate some points, but I’m having fun, and they have all been finding ways to contribute each game, so we’ll stay the course.
- Rangers. I still really like the unit, and really want to keep trying them out, so we are. I’ll acknowledge that two regiments plus a Warsmith is nearly 500 points though, and their inclusion is warping the list a bit.
- Stoneclaws. These are still very new to me, so we’re taking them again. Again, we’re trying out some speedier play, but unfortunately, I think we are running what I think is the bare minimum of quicker things, with just four components. The troops here are neat at pressuring, and should be great at late-game scenario play, but I don’t think I can rely on them for damage. We’ll see what trouble they can cause for my opponent, and what we can learn.
Table and Terrain
We were out at Warpstorm Games in Greenfield, WI, near Milwaukee. Despite the drive, it is becoming our go-to shop for the region, with lots of space and offerings, including food!
They have lots of terrain offerings, but lack just a few things for Kings of War, so I mostly cleared off their frozen-themed table, and unpacked some of my own terrain. We had Forests with Height 10, the blocking boulders at Height 7, Hills with Height 3, the shallow pond as Height 0, the battlefield debris as Height 1, and the Obstacles as Height 2.
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| Overview of the table, with some wacky tokens. |
With tokens increasing to 40mm in 4E, things have gotten a bit awkward before, as operating on that 6" parallel line can really offset things. My default has been to place nearest the center for the left and the right, and place one on the outside.
We both ended up 2:1, favoring my left. I was placing second, and could not fit my second token on the right and still respect the board edge. I could barely do so on the left, and look to be cutting it close with the other left token too. Apparently one of the (many) tournaments Rob attended recently allowed measuring from the center, and basically just allowing opposite deployments, as they were having so many issues at the event.
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| View from the left. |
Left-to-right the Abyssals had Imps screening for Horsemen, Imps Screening for Abyssal Guard with Gargoyles and the Veil of Shadows Warlock in reserve. Angled Lower Abyssals to play around the rock and to squeeze between it and the murky pond. A Warlock on the line but protected by the rock, Imps screening for Abyssal Guard, Ba'su'su, Lower Abyssals, reserve Gargoyles, and isolated Lower Abyssals on the far right.
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| View from the center. |
I had won the roll for sides, and didn't have a strong preference. I am rusty, but figured I'd be going wide while he layered up, and was mostly correct. Since we were both utilizing a spare table on the same side, to unpack and setup, I opted for the far side to give us some space. In retrospect, that wasn't a bad call, as the bolder split my opponent's line a bit.
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| And view on the right. |
The left of the Free Dwarf line had both Rangers, and the Warsmith. Then we have a troop of Ironclad and a troop of Stoneclaws screening for a regiment of Shieldbreakers, who were readying to assist the Rangers. In the center was the second Shieldbreaker regiment blocking for the Flame priest, and Ironclad screening for the Shieldbreaker Horde. Brocks were set to pop their boots and make use of the difficult terrain, and the Berserker Brock Lord was nearby as well. We had the third troop of Ironclad near the boulder, and on the far right, we have Ironclad, the second Stoneclaw Troop, and the Captain.
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| Scout moves! Though I had to be reminded. A gentlemanly thank you to my opponent. |
The Rangers scouted up a few inches, enough to get shots, just barely secure the token, and hopefully be set for a few turns. My opponent wins the roll for determining Round order, and gleefully goes first.
Top of Round 1: Abyssals
The Abyssals move ahead. Terrain will slow a few Lower Abyssal regiments down, but the large units are unbothered, thanks to clever deployment. It's a new army with only a few reps in (I think I have been two of the three games), but Rob is very precise with his deployments and opening moves. Many units are hit with the Betrayal Command, dissuading my Stoneclaws from just diving in.
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| The Abyssals push ahead, under the Veil of Shadows. |
On the left, things are aggressive, but eventually opt pull back enough that everything here is covered by the Veil of Shadows. Imps protect the Horsemen and Abyssal Guard, and the Warlock keeps pace.
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| The Center advances as well. |
Lower Abyssals zip ahead and around the blocking boulder, while another unit trudges through the mucky pond. The Gargoyles adjust, staying in reserve, and the other Warlock keeps pace.
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| The Abyssals opt for mostly delaying moves on the right. |
Centrally, Ba'su'su lurks, letting the Betraying Imps scamper ahead, and the Abyssal Guard block for him. More Lower Abyssals trudge through the woods, and on the far right, the lone regiment pivots moves and pivots back, trying to cut and run as best it can. Covering the retreat are the second unit of Gargoyles, who take the hill and move to zone things out.
Bottom of Round 1: Free Dwarfs
I was expecting the Abyssal Horsemen to come down on the relative right, where there was more room to maneuver. Perhaps the speedier Berserker Lord and Stoneclaws dissuaded him? I forgot to ask. I think I can prevail on the right, which makes sense, as I've committed another 100+ points and a third unit out here. I will need to be cagey though, as I don't want to be trading away units, and it is a bummer I only have my one token out here, and didn't get to go first. With the Gargoyles zoning things out, I am greatly slowed myself.
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| The Dwarfs move up, but the Gargoyles are able to deter the Stoneclaws. |
The Ironclad troop zips ahead their full 8 Inches, with the Captain lagging behind to utilize Individual to cover potential landing zones. Gargoyles aren't fighters, but if they tag something, I could be stuck at an inopportune time. The Stoneclaws stay just over 20" away, as I want them as mobile as they can be in the coming turns.
Very wary of the Gargoyles, one troop of Ironclad holds. I still don't mind this, but am being a little too cautious. The maximum the Gargoyles can fly is a bit in front of my troop, and with a bunch of Dwarf infantry, I should be grabbing whatever ground I can, even if it is an inch.
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| The Berserker Lord finds a nice place to lurk. |
After some measuring, I am able to get the Berserker Lord into a nice position, out of arc of the Gargoyles and arc of the Guard, and out of range of the Lower Abyssals in the Woods. Ba'su'su could be a problem, but I think we've got to chance it. The Berserker Brock riders get into the difficult terrain, out of range of the closest Imps, and arc of the same Gargoyles.
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| The Free Dwarfs inch ahead in the center. |
The Ironclad Troop moves their 4 inches up, and is granted a throwing Mastiff from the Warlord. The Imps are Betraying things, but that doesn't impact ranged attacks, and the doggoes are flung in, getting 4 hits and 1 damage. The Shieldbreakers are too far away to toss, so they move up an extra inch while staying safe from the imps. The Shieldbreaker Regiment is able to scoot up, stay safe, and toss another Mastiff into the Imps, resulting in 4 hits and 3 damage. The Imps hold. Unfortunately, the Flame Priest is an inch shy of getting to use his Fireball here, and on 4 damage, the Imps are not wavered.
If memory serves, Ba'su'su was pretty timid with his move up, and can't actually jump over any of the Shieldbreakers. He can, however, just reach the Stoneclaws. I was hoping for some good testing with them, so we inch them back.
Ironclad scoot forward, and throw into the Lower Abyssal regiment near the rocks. It's under a Veil of Shadow, but the doggos don't care, and this unit is not Barkskinned, so this seems like the best target, and 2 damage does land.
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| On the left, the Free Dwarfs are wary of the Abyssal Horsemen. |
The Shieldbreaker regiment scoots back and pivots. Not getting first turn, they are still likely going to need to help the Rangers, but it seems they are going to have to struggle through the woods to do so now.
Measuring things, the Rangers are safe from the various Imps, but we are just within charge range of the Horsemen. It is unfortunate, but I think I need to give ground here, and the Rangers scoot back 2 inches to be safe from the cavalry charge. They loose into the Imps, but moved, and are firing into a Veil of Shadows, and nothing connects. The Warsmith is around for Elite, but it isn't enough, and his own 12" pistol shot isn't close enough to contribute anything.
Top of Round 2: Abyssals
Untouched and unbothered, the Imps scamper up to do Imp things, one getting the Betrayal order, and both blocking up the Free Dwarf line, forcing bad charges, and even razing a token on the far left. Both the Horsemen and Abyssal Guard pull in behind the Imp screens. Yes, I could charge the Imps, but the rebuttals will be rough for the Dwarfs.
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| The Imps advance, accomplishing a lot along the way. |
The Warlock move up again, and I believe this is the one with Veil of shadows, which goes off again. Imps from the pond move ahead, and the other Warlock with Barkskin squeezes in between them and the rock.
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| The Abyssal center zips ahead, pressuring hard. |
The lead Imp regiment moves at the double onto the hill, and with Ba'su'su pulling in behind, the Abyssals are able to wrest control of this token as well, Razing it too. A Barkskin 3 lands on the Imps, and they are ready to Betray things melee as well.
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| Imps are a menace over here as well. |
Centrally, the injured Imps run up to block up the Ironclad and Shieldbreakers. The Brocks would catch a millimeter of the front if they charge ahead, so would need to pivot past, and thus would not be able to get in against the Abyssal Guard like I was hoping for. We are unfortunately really gummed up here, though this is more clever play from my opponent than mistakes from us.
The Lower Abyssals get a Betrayal from the Warlock, and stand ready to assist the Guard, and Gargoyles are in reserve, making sure to say over 19" away from the maximum possible charge from the Berserker Lord and his Giant Brock.
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| The Abyssal right continues to delay. |
On the far right, the Gargoyles hang off in reserve, while the Lower Abyssals move ahead to force the issue out here.
Bottom of Round 2: Free Dwarfs
On the far right, I go to move both the Ironclad and Stoneclaws into the Lower Abyssals, but my opponent's intent was to be out from the Ironclad, and to force a decision from me. In our chats, I though he was just forsaking them. The easiest decision of the turn is not so easy, and while the Ironclad are threatened, their short legs can't get them to the Lower Abyssals over here.
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| The Stoneclaws depart to play the scenario. |
Ultimately, I think that is ok. The scenario lets me hang back if I want to, so I do, with the Ironclad scooting back and throwing a Mastiff, granted by the Captain. The dog chomps just 1 damage onto the opposing regiment.
With the Gargoyles repositioning and trying to prevent a run-by from the Stoneclaws, the birds are able to adjust their angle and turn towards the center, landing partially on the hill, and atop my lone token out here. I probably could have played this angle a little better, but it's good enough.
Still wary of the Gargoyles, the Ironclad troop that didn't move does so now. I feel the need to get them moving towards the center. I can't quite hide them with the hill, and they are just in range of the Gargoyles. If the Gargoyles charge, they will be in the front though, and with aligning, will slide into the terrain, so I think this is ok.
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| Lots of multi-charges from the Dwarfs as we try to break out. |
Elsewhere, the Betrayal Command is really presenting issues. The Berserker Brocks are a little gummed up, and I opt to throw both them and the Berserker Lord into the Lower Abyssal regiment, in an attempt to break them. The Betrayal Command make me use the opposing units Melee and CS (In this case, 5+ and 0CS, though TC remains, if applicable) in the combat, though if I engage with multiple units, I can choose who gets Betrayed. I don't know what is optimal, but go with the Lord, and do pop the Boots for the Brock Riders. The Riders land 11 damage, and the Lord contributes 1. We do break the unit, but have Gargoyles and Abyssal Guard staring me down.
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| Lots of victories, but we're only fighting chaff. |
It's overkill, but I don't really have a choice, and the Ironclad Troop and Shieldbreaker Horde charge the injured Imps. The Ironclad are able to connect, slide down, and avoid the terrain, and the Shieldbreakers are not hindered either, though it is darn close. In victory, both will Overrun, with the Breakers getting 1, and the Ironclad getting the full 6", if memory serves.
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| Ba'su'su is caught - for the moment. |
The Stoneclaws in the center here can't fit in against the Abyssal Guard flank; is a millimeter or two shy of fitting in in against the flank of the Barkskin Warlock in the rear; a millimeter or so shy of fitting in against the other Abyssal Guard in the front, and the same against the Abyssal Horsemen. It's obviously frustrating, and the Betrayal Command continues to confound me a bit. Unable to delay, with them, we commit them to a multi-charge against the Lower Abyssals on the hill. The Birds are the ones Betrayed, and while hitting on 5's, and able to make use of TC to contribute a silly 6 damage. The Shieldbreaker Regiment is also able to land 6 damage, and we're able to bust up the regiment.
Additionally, the Ironclad troop out here can spy and reach the flank of Ba'su'su, and we'll take it. I don't expect much, but occupying the attention of the very mobile warlord seems like a good idea. The Ironclad surprise me with 4 damage, but Ba'su'su has regeneration, and that is not likely to last.
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| The Rangers aim for some wavers and tempo-play. |
Out on the far left, we are forced to just delay and hope. The Imps are screening, with one forcing a hindered charge, and the other Betraying. Thankfully, we can shoot. The Warsmith grants the Shieldbreakers a Mastiff, and they peek into the woods. The hope is to waver stuff, and it not, force some awkward hindered charges into the Shieldbreakers, and preserve the Rangers for flanks and breaking out with Pathfinder.
We shoot the Rangers first. They hold, but are firing into Veil of Shadows. Elite from the Warsmith is impactful, and 7 damage lands. The Warsmith fires, but contributes nothing. I think this is a waver, and that's what I want, so the Mastiff is tossed into the other Imp unit, and lands a ridiculous 5 damage off its 6 attacks. I believe neither are Inspired, but this one holds while the first unit does waver.
Top of Round 3: Abyssals
On the left, the wavers aren't as impactful as I was hoping for. Per the FAQ, you can just "ignore" your own units when moving, and so the wavering Imps are able to pivot, share space with the Horsemen, and then back up to free up the cavalry unit. The other Imps make a hindered charge into the Shieldbreakers, but will land no damage against them.
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| The Horsemen make their escape. |
The free Horsemen are able to pop their boots, and make a long charge into the Stoneclaws, who will break, easily. The Veil of Shadows caster also has the fun Pit spell, and that lands that near Ba'su'su, in front of the Shieldbreaker regiment. The spell will his the Ironclad Troop, Shieldbreaker regiment, Stoneclaw troop, Berserker Brocks, and another Ironclad troop. Ouch!
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| The Abyssal hammers strike. |
The Abyssal Guard will come to Ba'su'su's aid, hitting the Ironclad troop in the rear, with Lower Abyssals hitting themn in the flank as well. Ba'su'su regenerates 1 damage, but we don't roll the combat, as with the rear-charge, the Ironclad are doomed, and uninspired, and are not found to be Insanely Courageous. (The Abyssal Guard horde has Elite from Blessing of the Gods, and it looks like 38.9 damage is their expected output, for anyone curious.)
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| The Abyssal hammers each claim a unit. |
Centrally, the other Warlock is able to land Barkskin on the other Abyssal Guard horde, getting what looks like 1 success, as they charge in against the Brock Riders. This horde has Vicious, and they butcher the regiment for 18 damage, with the Pit contributing 1 plus Dread. They are shredded.
The Gargoyles get a Betrayal order, and make a hindered flank charge into the Berserker Lord and his Giant Brock, clawing 2 damage on.
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| The Stoneclaws are watched closely. |
Out on the right, the Abyssals forsake their token. The Lower Abyssals turn and flee, and the Gargoyles flap over to menace the Stoneclaws. Unless I fly them very particularly, the Gargoyles are going to be able to catch me next turn.
Bottom of Round 3: Free Dwarfs
On the right, we look to press ahead, but cautiously. Both the Ironclad and Captain scooch ahead, but are holding this token, mindful of the scenario, and wary of the mobility of the Gargoyles. The Captain grants another Mastiff to the troop, and they throw at the departing Lower Abyssals, brining them up to 4 damage.
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| The Ironclad Troops harry the departing Lower Abyssals. |
The second Ironclad troop out here pivots and moves over, out of arc of the Lower Abyssals. I don't really know that the plan is with them. They are too far to get a Mastiff from the Lord on Brock, and I guess are mostly just trying to zone and slow things down for the Abyssals coming from the right into the center.
The Lord reforms to fight the Gargoyles. Betrayal makes him hit on 4's, but we still manage 5 damage against the fliers. Importantly, I am not in the forest, so if I can best them, I can reform and threaten things, and be pretty darn safe next turn. The Gargoyles are uninspired, and I just need a 5+ to break them, but they turn out to be insanely courageous...
The Abyssals had some big charges last turn, but with the lines so close, I have some options. I ultimately toss the Stoneclaws and Ironclad troops into the front of the Abyssal Guard horde, with the Shieldbreakers hitting them in the flank. The flank charges does 15 damage, with the troops landing 3 more apiece. Barkskin blunts one, but the horde is on 20, and we'll bust it. It looks like we did maaaybe a damage or two more than should be expected, so luck out here.
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| A triple charge clobbers a horde of Abyssal Guard, and the Shieldbreakers thump the Horsemen! |
Committing the smaller stuff against the horde lets my Shieldbreaker horde get in against the Abyssal Horsemen. I opt to Bane Chant my horde over the Ironclad Troop, and this proves worthwhile, eeking a few extra damage out of the hammers smashing, and resulting in 13 damage, and we'll break the horsemen here as well! The Abyssals only have three real hammers, so while it has been a rough start, we're making some progress now.
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| The Rangers Break out. Slowly. They are still Speed 4. |
On the left, the Shieldbreakers fight back against the Imps. They are already injured, and we'll land some decent damage, and see them off. Unfortunately, starting just a bit in the woods, I can't really get out, so just change facing. Next turn should be a positional turn for them, getting out of the woods, and then hopefully they can help brawl for the center.
Thankfully, the Imps aren't blocking me up too much. One Ranger regiment is able to run ahead at the double, pivoting just slightly at the end, and I should be able to claim the token out here next turn. The Warsmith pulls in behind the regiment, and I believe commands the Shieldbreakers with Tenacity in their fight.
The other Rangers flank charge the wavering Imps, pick them up, and overrun an inch, if memory serves.
Top of Round 4: Abyssals
The Abyssals ignore the Rangers on the left, and unfortunately, I don't take enough many pictures this round for a detailed step-by-step.
Essentially, I positioned poorly, and the Shieldbreakers are just in-arc of the Abyssal Guard. My opponent had options, like sending in the Lower Abyssals to gum me up, but this is an error from me, and a bummer. The Guard and Ba'su'su charge in. Ba'su'su will beseech the Dark Gods for the benefit of the Guard. They already have Blessing of the Gods for Elite, but will get Vicious as well, and take 5 damage, while thumping an insane 23 damage into my horde, with Ba'su'su contributing 3. The Guard can only get a small fraction of their base to align given the other melees, so we think Ba'su'su should align to the center of my horde, and that seems right.
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| The Abyssal Guard murder the Shieldbreakers, and reform. |
Even with the Dark Gods, only 19ish damage is expected, and without any buffs (so excluding their item), the horde's output should only be around 14 damage, for those curious. I keep underestimating the Abyssal Guard, but they've been consistently overperforming. They will get a Barkskin 2 from the Warlock nearby, and in victory, will turn to face the Shieldbreaker regiment over in the woods. Frustratingly, if memory serves, they are threatening the Shieldbreakers, while the Breaker regiment can't quite reach the horde. Curse these little legs!
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| The Shieldbreaker regiment holds. |
Centrally, the second Warlock lands another Pit, hitting my units, but sparing the Brock Lord. The Ironclad troop goes up to 2 damage, as does the Shieldbreaker Regiment, who are charged by the Lower Abyssals. The little fiends also roll hot, landing 5 damage against the Dwarfs, which is slightly more than twice the expected damage here.
The Gargoyles fighting the Brock Lord regenerate a hot 4 damage, getting down to just 1, and will claw a ridiculous 4 damage back onto the Lord, leaving him bloodied on 6 damage.
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| Most of the Free Dwarfs are shoo'ed away from the center. |
The other Gargoyles rear-charge the Stoneclaws. Double-digits of damage land here as well (another over-performance), and the Stoneclaws will fall. This is a bummer, but I didn't think there was much that could be done here to save them. Potentially I could have reformed to face the Gargoyles, and that may have been a play.
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| The Lower Abyssals ready themselves. |
On the right, the Ironclad troop dissuades the Lower Abyssals from running towards the center, though they don't have any charges. They peel off, regenerate nothing, and now open themselves up for fights against the Captain and his patient Ironclad troop.
Bottom of Round 4: Free Dwarfs
It's bottom of Round 4, and I think I can break the Lower Abyssals and return to my token over the next few turns, so that's what we attempt. There's no Inspiring out here, and no Command-issuers. The Gargoyles and Ba'su'su are also way more than 20" away, so if either want to make a play for this token, it will take two turns. At the very least, we should be able to keep the Lower Abyssals from this token, and we'll charge out.
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| The remaining Ironclad troops look for ways to help. |
The duo land just 4 new damage, taking them up to 8 damage, and we do not break the regiment.
I opt to send the other Ironclad troop ahead to help contest the middle, which seems better than enveloping the Lower Abyssals out here. They scoot ahead, after getting a Throwing Mastiff from the Captain, and just have the range to throw into the Gargoyles in the middle of the board. Again, the Mastiff rolls are great, and 4 damage makes it through.
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| The Dwarfs pressure and push back where they can. |
The Flame Priest needs to move to get into range of the same unit of Gargoyles, and Fireball 5 lands thrice, blasting into 4 hits. Only one damage makes it in, which is a bummer. On 5 total damage, and with Shattering from the Fireball, the unengaged Gargoyles are found to be Insanely Courageous now...
The Gargoyles are just there. My opponent jumbled his orders a bit, and was not able to stick them with a Regeneration, or a Betrayal order. Brock Lord is free to thump, and he'll land 7 damage against them, and prevail, and in victory will change facing to threaten the center.
The Berserker Brock Lord will attempt a Fury of the Ancients to help the Shieldbreakers, but fails to issue the command. The Flame Priest tries as well, but also fails. The Shieldbreakers reform, to let the Ironclad get in. I believe the Lower Abyssals are Betraying, so we give that to the Ironclad, and we'll still land 7 damage in total against the regiment.
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| The Rangers move out. |
The Abyssal Guard took 5 damage from borrowing power from the Dark Gods, and have not had a change to Regenerate yet. The Warsmith grants a dog to the Shieldbreakers, who throw it for 2 damage, with Barkskin blunting that completely. The Warsmith shoots with cover into them, landing 2 damage, and Rangers move and shoot for 3 damage, taking them up to 10 damage.
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| Aftermath of Round 4. |
The other unit of Rangers moves at the double, and will raze this token for me, finally tying the game up 2-2.
Top of Round 5: Abyssals
The Abyssal Guard get a Fleshknit command to regenerate better, and continue rolling hot, shaking off 7 damage. They will again take advantage of the FAQ to pivot hard, overlap a bit with the Lowers, and then move over to box out the Rangers, who could have otherwise secured my third token. The Guard are about to get out of range of the Shieldbreakers. The Warlock that granted the order is able to scoot towards the center, but turn to face the Guard, and grant them a Barkskin 3.
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| The Abyssal Guard ready themselves. |
Another Fleshknit hits the Lower Abyssals, who go from 7 down to 4 as they fight against the Ironclad and the Shieldbreaker regiment.
The Pit will be dropped a bit behind this combat, hitting both units, and the Brock Lord.
Ba'su'su will fight the Shieldbreakers, hitting them in the flank. I think the Lower Abyssals throw fists into the Ironclad, and land no damage. While they've been hit a third time from the Pit, no combat damage means no Nerve test, and then hold on for me.
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| The Shieldbreakers fall. |
We've finally dealt with one insane unit of Gargoyles, but the second unit regenerates 3 of their 5 damage, gets a Betrayal Order, and charges the Brock Lord. Pit did 1, and the Gargoyles claw a few on as well, but the Lord holds.
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| The Ironclad troop holds. |
Isolated on the right, the Lower Abyssals regenerate 2, and claw 2 damage onto the Ironclad troop, but do not break through. With neither the Gaygoyles or Ba'su'su getting any closer this turn, I think we'll keep the Abyssals off this token at least.
Bottom of Round 5: Free Dwarfs
The Captain and Ironclad will continue their fight against the Lower Abyssals. Fury of the Ancients fails again, but we're able to land another 4 damage, bring the regiment up to 9, and isolated, unsupported, and uninspired, we're able to break the opposing regiment.
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| The Lower Abyssals fall! |
The Captain overruns for a strong 6, though it seems unlikely his little legs will let him join another fight before the game wraps up. It's Bottom of Round 5, and the Ironclad will back up in victory. They should be able to secure this in Round 6 for me.
The Ironclad troop can't quite make it over to help the Brock Lord, but get as close as they can. The Brock Lord has been Betrayed again, but is able to land 3 damage, taking the Gargoyles back up to 5, and the a 5+ nerve check finally breaks my way! Uninspired, they are finally picked up. In victory, the Berserker Lord overruns.
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| The Free Dwarfs return to the center. |
Looking at the center, the Ironclad's middle point of their front facing is clearly easily in the flank of the Lower Abyssals, so they reform, wrapping around to fight the regiment. Playing it as it all lies, this would be right. However, writing up the report, I need to reform when I multi-charged in (the troop was behind the regiment, and if the regiment stayed put, I'd need to treat it as blocking terrain), and whould have slid to center. It looks like things got bumped, or were not aligned properly to begin with. I thought maybe something prevented the full slide down of the Breakers, (either Ba'su'su, or the Guard), but in writing everything up, it looks like I just goofed this. We'll blame the hill, bane of all wargamers.
We try another Fury of the Ancients, from both the Brock Lord and the Flame Priest, but again fail both attempts. We are able to get a Bane Chant off on the troop though, and they will land 6 damage, taking them up to 10, and we will get the break. In victory, the troop will spin about, to face the Warlocks.
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| The Rangers slam into the Abyssal Guard! |
The Shieldbreaker regiment were ignored, but move up as far as they can, threatening the rear of the Lower Abyssals, and the rear of the Abyssal Guard too. The Abyssal Guard are blocking me up, and we'll see what the duo of Rangers can do. The Warsmith plants himself on the obstacle to prevent a hindered flank charge, and I like the idea, but should have moved him forward more. He doesn't need to be on the obstacle to prevent this.
Blazing hot regeneration, and a lucky Barkskin make this difficult. I can grant a Tenacity order, but can't help much otherwise. We land the expected 12 damage total, this is blunted down to 9 new damage, brining the Abyssals up to 12 damage total. It's a Fearless 24 horde, and no, we're not going to break this, but gave a good effort.
Top of Round 6: Abyssals
The Abyssal Guard are sandwiched. He's debating how to fight this, and opts to throw everything into the flanking unit, which I agree with. He'll land 13 damage (I think he maybe forgot Elite? About 14 is expected without Elite, and 16ish with), and pop the unit. The Guard get another Fleshknit order, and another hot roll, shedding 7 of their 12 damage to end on just 5 damage. Go-figure, but consistent Regen 4+ is pretty strong on infantry hordes. It was a good run, but I am not going to be able to best them.
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| The Abyssal Guard shrug off the flankers, and regenerate heartily, again. |
The Warlock with Barkskin isn't boxed in, and can reach the Shieldbreakers. It charges in to prevent me from fighting the Abyssal Guard, or claiming the token out here on my turn.
The other Warlock holds onto this token, staying even in US with my Troop of Ironclad. They land a fourth Pit, which hits both Ironclad troops, and the Berserker Lord on Brock, whom Ba'su'su' charges in to finish off.
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| Ba'su'su wins the warlord duel. |
The Pit takes the Brock lord up to 10, and Ba'su'su lands a few damage, and is able to best the Brock Lord while regenerating down to 1 damage.
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| The Free Dwarfs hold the right third of the board, uncontested. |
With Ba'su'su fighting the Berserker Lord, the right is uncontested. No more Abyssal units remain to fight for their token out here.
Bottom of Round 6: Free Dwarfs
On the right, the Ironclad are able to just scoot back and firmly control this token. The Captain makes a mad dash towards the center, but he's still pretty far away, and is only just barely able to land a Tenacity Command to the Ironclad Troop as it charges ahead towards Ba'su'su.
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| The Captain tries to make himself useful. |
The Flame Priest scoot up, and tries a Tenacity command into the other Ironclad, but it fails. They are able to land a Bane Chant though. Looking at the pictures, maybe I could have just run the Priest up for another US to control the middle, but that didn't occur to me at the time, and a fight seems more fun and fitting.
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| The Ironclad seek to avenge the Berserker Lord. |
The rear charge is miserable. We're not hindered, and have a Bane Chant, so looks like 10 damage is expected. I manifest just 4. The front charge almost makes up for it though, contributing a silly 5 damage, and taking the opposing Warlord up to 10 damage total. The Nerve check breaks my way, and we pick up Ba'su'su! The Free Dwarfs have wrested control of the center, and in victory, we reform to face the Warlock.
The Warsmith moves off the obstacle. He should only be moving 4 inches, and this looks suspiciously far to me. Had I positioned a little better last turn, he could be about here, but I think this is a goof from me.
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| The remaining Dwarfs swing hard, but it is not enough. |
Shieldbreakers fight on against the delaying Warlock. The Warsmith tries to grant a Fury of the Ancients, but I fail the command again, and have not gotten it off all game.
I do not manifest a Round 7 for us. We've each razed two tokens. He controls my third, but I control his third, and control the center as well, skewing this ever-so-slightly in my favor.
A victory to the Free Dwarfs!
Game Conclusions
We had a few rules goofs, but they were small enough that we didn't suspect them at the time, and would not have caught them without having to write up and present the report here. That's pretty good, but as-ever, I'll seek to clean up my own play and share goofs as they occur.
Overall, this was a hard-fought game and a pretty good showing from both of us. The early game was particularly rough, but the Free Dwarfs were able to endure, and find some ways to come back at the game went on. That seems like a fluffy outcome, and a good end to a good game!
Testing Conclusions
- Lord on Brock. The variable Wild Charge did scare a few things off very early on, and despite being Betrayed repeatedly, he did well enough this game.
- Captain. He's acceptable. Speed 4 is tough to utilize, and Four attacks isn't much, but he was able to get things done on that isolated flank. Not a terrible generic Champion for the Dwarfs, but not really interesting either. Acceptable is about all I can say, and I'm not likely rushing to put him in my lists.
- Flame Priest. The logic for taking them is there, but man, I am disappointed by the Priest yet again. Fireball struggled to contribute at all, often being out of range, and even against Gargoyles, the dice just were not there, with Def3 proving a little too tough to crack... thankfully we have the Stone Priest, and if I can find a nice Arcane Library spell, I'll make the swap over to the other Champion.
- Warsmith. Still a fine pick, and worth it for helping the Rangers along. Nice to have in the roster, though definitely only worth it if you are taking Ironcraft units, and the Pistol's short range hampers hisbdamage output, and the basic Captain is cheaper.
- Brocks, Boots. They unfortunately got a little gummed up, but I don't think we really misplayed them too badly. We unfortunately needed to sacrifice them, but so it goes with a shock cavalry unit.
- Shieldbreaker Horde. These did well, and a horde continues to be a great way to anchor a infantry line. My gut was definitely wrong about these, but the Ironclad troops are what is enabling their success.
- Shieldbreaker Regiment. They are still doing great as well, getting a few charges in every game and being relatively sticky and punchy for their cost. Having a fighty Core unit is pretty nice!
- Ironclad Troops. Still a weird pick, but we do keep finding ways to get use out of them. I like them. It's a small conversion, and an odd playstyle, but the lowly troops are putting up results every game. Three survived here, which was neat to see.
- Rangers. Ouch! We tried! They really struggled against the Veil of Shadows, though had I gotten first turn, perhaps we could have maimed an Imp unit to start. Even still, we still got good use out of them at the end as they leap-frogged out to the objectives in the late game, and had the Abyssal rolls been more average, could have had good chances to pop the final horde with the multi-charge.
- Stoneclaws. We kept our eyes open, but Feint is really hard for the troops to use unless they are fighting chaff. We got some ok use out of them this game, slowing thing down and usin TC to get around the Betrayal Command, but I am still struggling with them. Some Regiments might be better, but that probably means dumping the Rangers.
As mentioned at the top, Rob's approach here resonates with me. This seems like a very strong way to play the Abyssals, and partly why my army has been left on the shelf - I don't want to be running the same stuff, or the same ideas but worse, as I branch out and am not optimizing. I've got plenty of other things to explore in other armies without stepping on toes, but eventually I'll get my Abyssals back on the table, exploring some other ways to play them. We both agreed that the Horsemen don't synergize well with the rest of the list. Like I've been finding with my Dwarfs, you really want multiple speedy units working together to get the most out of them. The Abyssal Horsemen will likely disappear for a third horde of Abyssal Guard, and we'll see what tips we can come up with to fight such a grindy and resilient list in the future!
Furthermore
Rob had done a handful of tournaments recently, but we have some special regional ones coming up soon too. As the organizational drive behind most of the group meetups, I've been trying to put more events on the calendar for practice, but it's not really been coming together for me - I haven't been able to give anyone any practice games yet!
First up is Rocks and Cows up in Verndale, MN the weekend of October 17th and 18th. It is a no restrictions 3,000 points, with a special Cow character too. I had some Varangur list ideas (made prior to the surprising Clash results, but following some of those lines of thought, with Tribesmen, Thunderers, plus some Cavern Dwellers!), but I unfortunately have not gotten the chance to test anything at 3k.
Then is Renegade GT, coming up November 20st -23rd. There is a speed tournament on Friday, and the main event is 2500 points. It too has a gimmick, where respecting points and unlocks, you need to take a Champion from a second, unrelated army list to supplement your forces. The Renegade can issue commands of their army, which can have some neat interactions. Here too, I have a handful of lists ready to throw at people, but have yet to get any on the table.
I was fully intending to play a second game against Rob, for some practice for that upcoming Renegade GT. I had a second army out in the car, and all my intros and testing blabbering all typed up ahead of time. I even had my new Renegade for that list all painted up! However, it had been an exceedingly stressful week after several long months, and I just could not do it. This game took a bit over three and a half hours, and most of that was me shaking off rust and thinking and struggling. It was a bummer to bail, but the right call for my body and mind. All this to gently remind everyone to take care of themselves, and others.
I am not attending Rocks and Cows, but we've got a special meetup planned for next weekend for Renegade practice, so hopefully we'll make up for the lack of practice games then!
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