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You might have to change your location on your profile, overtninja . That sounds exciting!

But darn it, I thought there was a new report here... poke poke

Wow man, I was just thinking about your wood elves and wondering what became of you! Hope Taiwan is treating you well, best of luck over there

Thanks for stopping in to say Hi

- Salvage

I wanted a new report too.....and model pics too Boss, where have the pretties gone?

 Boss Salvage wrote:
Wow man, I was just thinking about your wood elves and wondering what became of you! Hope Taiwan is treating you well, best of luck over there

Thanks for stopping in to say Hi

- Salvage

shamelessly ignoring RiTIdes..... mad skillz!

 Revenent Reiko wrote:
shamelessly ignoring RiTIdes..... mad skillz!

That ninja golem! You guys want reports, I want games ... but they're pretty hard to find right now, despite the escalation league slamming to the end of 2000 points and lots of games left unplayed

I actually just sealed up 1500 points today, will snap some pics next time the lads hit the table - which should be this weekend one way or another!

- Salvage

Excellent! Did you seal them on Saturday, the last day before the cold snap? It's snowing here atm

I actually just sealed up most of my army too, but went with brush-on gloss for some reason, even though it was warm enough outside Saturday to spray...

Looking forward to hearing about your weekend gaming

 Boss Salvage wrote:

 Revenent Reiko wrote:
shamelessly ignoring RiTIdes..... mad skillz!

That ninja golem! You guys want reports, I want games ... but they're pretty hard to find right now, despite the escalation league slamming to the end of 2000 points and lots of games left unplayed

I actually just sealed up 1500 points today, will snap some pics next time the lads hit the table - which should be this weekend one way or another!

- Salvage

Haha no worries Boss, only yanking your chain! TBH its good to see you getting your fantasy on, its been too long...

Seems like an odd situation where the escalation is continuing but noone is getting games in, but thems the kicks i guess, do what you can, i thin kits fair to say there will be more than one person eagerly awaiting the reports

Sweet! Get them pics up, looking forward to it!

Hey man, just found this thread after RiTides mentioned to me that you did not, infact, get sucked into the maelstrom and are actually posting reports!

Good to see you playing and having a good time, and glad to having something entertaining to read while doing school work

(Never taking army shots )

Wehr! Welcome back to the dusty depths of the fantasy batreps section ... and about the only place I appear on Dakka for the nonce Have been lurking the various WM/H threads to see what people are up to in lipped base land - and I've a super secret second Hordes faction about to be moved from the back burner to the front, simply out of recognition that if I want to get games in regularly (90% of them against Khador ), I need to get back into the PP - but otherwise plodding along through a small ocean of blue paint and grabbing games when able. The army should be full strength in merhaps a month's time ... just in time for all my Wrath of Kings stuff to arrive

Hope you're getting at least a little hobby in between school and that growing starspawn of yours!

EDIT: I did play a 2400 point ETC game of Skaven vs Beastmen yesterday. May as well write up a report, though it was largely an exercise in reminding myself why I shelved the nurglings ...

- Salvage

YAY! Salvage back to WMH! Be sure to PM me your blog/batreps when you put them up. Right now I hardly look into the forums, mostly just trolling the RagingHeroes and other year old threads from my subscribed list

Hobby stuff has been mostly making things for other people, though I am working up some silly Cassius and Grayle lists for summer fun after the slog of "Submit paper, wait two months, receive rejection, submit paper, wait two months..." starts. Woo hoo!

What's this secret army? Tell us precious!

Looking forward to the sad skaveny report too, even if I still wonder how you can do that sort of thing to yourself.

What WoK stuff did you go in for? And why aren't I writing this in a PM?

Hi Boss Salvage,

I was wondering if you'd be interested in sharing your battle reports in our community database. You can save your battle details, links and notes, link them to this forum, get them ranked by other members, download your battles whenever you want and compare your performance against other gamers. The purpose of the database is to compare army performance (and also to help me learn how to program). It's all FREE to use, no catches (see my signature link below:- "Battles League Tables" )

You can also link back to your battles in your forum signature so people can easily find all the links on DakkaDakka. eg. wfbattles.com/Battles.aspx?MemberLowered=boss_salvage

There's a load more info in the Dakka thread:- WFBattles - Post your battles, get them rated and yourself ranked

 Boss Salvage wrote:
(Never taking army shots )

EDIT: I did play a 2400 point ETC game of Skaven vs Beastmen yesterday. May as well write up a report, though it was largely an exercise in reminding myself why I shelved the nurglings ...

- Salvage

I'd love to see the report anyway

Oh, and take some army shots

Sigmar - Thanks for the invite, I'll come check the site out and see what I can do before too long!

Tides - Ehhhh, I don't think the batrep is happening. Care for a lame summary?

ETC rules, 2400 skaven vs 2700 beastmen (not a fan of the uneven points thing myself, I don't think that's necessarily an answer to game balance). I ran my Ruin Seer Hellpit Mortarspam stormvermin list, he ran gorstar + bestistar + big ambush gors + surprisingly light chaff for beasts. Rat magic + hideous mortar volleys + hellpit ended the gorstar (and the hellpit), LD suck panicked off the ambushers with the help of some deathfrenzied stormies, but the bestigors made it into the skaven core and mulched literally everything that was worth points in a handful of rounds. Anyone who doesn't think bestigor are serious business are probably the same fools who think brets are a bad army

Anyway, game lasted four turns and vacillated between mildly traumatic for him (LD hell, no shooting phase) to the same for me (no rerolls in combat, S4 cap, etc). We've both played these armies for a very long time, so are well aware of their shortcomings. I'll admit that I also made a mistake and didn't jump my warlord's bus into the gorstar to help the hellpit crack it in one round, instead letting the monster eventually die over many rounds and the bus get charged by the bestigor blender anyway, setting up a chain of overruns.

Meanwhile: the escalation league has been cleared of its non-players and we've got a few weeks to get remaining games in. Sadly this means I have only one 1500 pointer vs ogres coming down the pipe, before a 2500 point ending tournament that I probably won't be in town for. Regardless, stay tuned.

- Salvage

Good to hear that the league jettisoned the non-players, and hopefully you can get in that last game! Bummer about the timing of the ending tourney.

Dakka! So I’ve only been half holding out on you – while a tiny bit of warhams has happened in the last months, I also started working full time at the end of April and moved apartments at the end of May, both of which have brutally sapped my hobby time & energy. Things are finally gelling (I set up my hobby nook early in the move but only now am making time to paint), and our club is having its annual Throwdown in a few weeks, so I suppose I should catch up on the gaming front …

First things first, the briefest of reports on the three game tournament that ended the escalation league documented above. I took no notes and barely remember what happened, but I do have a few BC deployment shots I made shortly after the event.

My current 2500 point list is a version of the one used for this tournament, with the difference being that here I ran the Changeling in place of the third TIZZ herald and the BSB was one of the METAL heralds, as well as maximum flamers (6 + pyro) with 2x 3 screamers in support, instead of 5, 4 & 4 like now. Scroll down for the complete, lord-less list.

GAME NINE: DAEMONS OF NURGLE

Great Unclean One – level 4 (NURGLE), eternal blade, ASF?
Herald of Nurgle – BSB, balesword, palanquin
Herald of Nurgle – level 1 (DEATH), plague flail, breath weapon, palanquin
31 Plague Bearers – full command
31 Plague Bearers – full command
4 Plague Drones – full command
4 Nurglings
Beast of Nurgle
Beast of Nurgle



SO. MUCH. HATRED.

Tizz got the drop on Papa’s crew and started a mass melee on the right flank that eventually ground up the nurglings, the screamers and, with the help of horror magicks here and there, all but one drone. The left beast was filled with screamer needles and blasted with chariot fire, whilst the right was pulverized by the soul grinder – who failed to overrun into the flank of the BSB’s bearers, ultimately taking them, the balesword and an ocean of poison to the face for his troubles.

As for the hearty Nurgle center, the left plague block flipped over the small horrors before teaming up with Fatty, rolling into the Changeling’s horrors and wrecking them – including killing the Changeling (now T5) with the Herald’s palanquin nurglings However such was the ocean of blue horrors unleashed (lesser locus FTW) that the GUO was deeply wounded, to be finished off by the second ocean of blue horrors generated when he waded into the other horrors. Result!

Meanwhile the Nurgle BSB’s block had been wiped out from focused chariot fire, flamer mittens and multiple final transmutations, leaving Nurgs with just the remnants of a plague block and their herald escort, surrounded by a couple gimpy blue chariots, a few screamers, a handful of horrors and a Tizz herald or two. Thanks to half points for units at 25% or less, this game was a DRAW. Which is pretty fitting for a clash of rivals

GAME TEN: BROGRES

Slaughter Master – level 4 (MAW), ward, etc
Bruiser – BSB, ward, etc
Fire Belly – level 1 (FIRE), hellheart, etc
9 Iron Guts – full command (discipline)
9 Ogres – full command
4 Mournfang – standard (dragonhide), musician
6 Maneaters – full command (pennant?), 3x gw, 3x ahw
Sabretusk
Sabretusk
Ironblaster
Ironblaster



Ogres kicked things off … by mostly standing still. The right ironblaster misfired and spun around, while the left tore into the soul grinder. Tizz advanced fast stuff, magic flubbed. Ogres again shuffled forward, with the firebelly joining the ogres to get into hellheart range faster Right ironblaster misfired and spun around, while the left killed the soul grinder. Tizz began applying hot (not-)flaming love to the maneaters, eventually killing the last, hideously mutated one (3+ regen!) in combat some time later thanks to blue horror shenanigans. Ogres again saunter forward, with the exception of the hellheart delivery system, which successfully kills horrors from the left two units in the following turn [sweet baby cats that item can do horrible things against this army!]. The right ironblaster removes the right chariot, the left ironblaster removes the left. Tizz Toys: gone.

Not much to say about the blocky / magical remainder of the game. The ogres on the left got banged up and fled the chariot at some point, eventually leaving the table (I think), possibly panicking a blaster with them. The mournfangs sucked up double searing dooms, leaving the banner bearer to assault some horrors, devour the Changeling (who despite stealing the mournfang’s stats still sucked), and be torn asunder by blue horrors (it took a few turns – a very slow rending, more like a flaying really, with abundant giggles). Which leaves the gutstar (rejoined by the fire belly and at full strength): it wrecked the left horrors (whose herald bailed long ago), took some non-flaming damage, gained some regen stacks and ended the game on full VP strength. Le sigh.

Thinking this one was closer to a MINOR LOSS than a DRAW, but so it is.

GAME ELEVEN: WARRIORS OF SKITTLES

Daemon Prince of Slaanesh – level 4 (SLAANESH), everything you’d expect, wings
Exalted Hero of Tzeentch – BSB, third eye, 3+ ward, daemonic pony
Chaos Sorcerer (Unaffiliated) – level 1 (FIRE), scroll
17 Warriors of Nurgle – full command, halberds, shields, some magic banner
6 Marauder Cav of Slaanesh – full command, spears, javelins
Chariot of Nurgle
5 Warhounds – vanguard
5 Warhounds
Chimera – flaming breath, regen
Gorebeast Chariot of Nurgle
Gorebeast Chariot of Nurgle
Hellcannon



Tizz regained the initiative for the final game of the tournament, and opened up the match by sending the flamers bounding up the eastern flank to play with the pink pony riders. The fungoid daemons barbequed the Slaanesh milksops before clubbing them to death in combat, then wandered south to crisp the right warhounds once they advanced, then back north to try to envelop the warriors and give them some sweat, sweat regeneration. Sadly their dreams were intercepted by the right gorebeast chariot, which stood 18” away from them and absorbed all the S4 shooting they could direct at its T6 self, while threatening them with KB impact death.

Meanwhile on the much heavier western flank … The Slaanesh DP and his pet chimera bounded up to the tower, only to be immediately pounced upon by the waiting blue daemons. The left burning chariot unloaded into the DP for a wound, shortly after the grinder went aggro and charged the chimera, which had cowered to the side of the tower rather than behind it with her master. Sadly the infernal machine failed to decapitate the beast and everyone held, giving both nurgle chariots time to flank the grinder. Impact hits, warrior attaks and sweet monstrous loving ended the daemonic construct, but not before he slammed his daemonbone claw into the gorebeast chariot (6 to hit), dug deep into the beast itself (6 to wound), and rent it asunder (6 for wounds). WORTH.

While this was happening the DP hopped into the Tizz lines, but the impending caco bomb failed to cast, and the DP was surrounded by burning chariots and reduced to atoms. The Nurgle chariots that dropped the grinder met their fates at the hands of searing dooms and bolts of change, panicking the chimera off the table (I think), as the warriors were harassed by screamers and redirected somewhere useless, and the hellcannon was ignored, though it did fail a key rampage test and hurl itself into some other screamers, grinding them to death under its wheels (t-stomp’d!)

Come game end there was little of the mortal host remaining, and it quickly became leaderless in Turn 6 when some horrors scrambled into range of the Exalted Hero of Tzeentch and sent a final bolt of change screaming his way. The bolt slammed home, penetrated his ridiculous 3+ (rerolling 1’s) ward save and capped off all three of his wounds. TIZZ ABIDES.

All that mayhem netted the gribbly daemons a MINOR WIN, putting me relatively nowhere in the tournament standings but about 50% for the day.

More awesome though? I was voted for BEST PAINTED! Which is flattering and a huge boost to keep working on the army.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fast forward some weeks and I’m in a new apartment, cohabiting with the girlfriend (!), no time for anything. Peeps wanted to play this last weekend and, taking it as a sign that I had just unpacked my Tizz models to get some painting done, I packed up the boys and rolled out to see if I remembered how dice work.

THE LIST

Herald of Tzeentch - level 2 (METAL), greater gift, lesser locus
Herald of Tzeentch - level 2 (METAL), lesser gift, lesser locus
Herald of Tzeentch - level 1 (TIZZ), BSB (lichebone pennant)

25 Horrors - full command
25 Horrors - full command
10 Horrors - standard
5 Flamers
4 Screamers
4 Screamers
Soul Grinder of Tzeentch - warp gaze, daemonbone claw
Burning Chariot
Burning Chariot

GAME X: ORCS & GOBLINS & TROLLS

(Black?) Orc Warboss – armor of destiny, crown of command, dragonhelm, shield
Savage Orc Great Shaman – level 4 (BIG), MR(3), shrunken head
Savage Orc – BSB (discipline)
Savage Orc Shaman – level 1 (BIG), ruby ring, scroll
Goblin Hero – shrieking sword, enchanted shield, dragonbane, wolf

36 Savage Orc Big'Uns - full command
20 Night Goblins - bows, musician, 2 fanatics
20 Night Goblins - bows, musician, 2 fanatics
9 Herders + 1 Squig
10 Trolls
Troll
Troll
Wolf Chariot
Rock Lobber
Rock Lobber
Doom Diver
Doom Diver
Mangler
Mangler


All the orc characters load into the savage orcs, forming the SavageStar, while the Tizz general gribbles with the left horrors, the BSB jazz hands with the small horrors, and the other herald kicks a pebble and hangs out with the other horrors, because no one likes him. But seriously: check out that green castle

MAGIC
Great Shaman: BIG 3,4,5,6 (aka Foot)
Shaman: BIG 2

Herald 1: Transmutation of Lead, Final Transmutation || Gift: Fencer’s Blades
Herald 2: Searing Doom, Golden Hounds || Gift: Wand of Whimsy
Herald BSB: Treason
Horrors 1: Firestorm
Horrors 2: Bolt of Change
Horrors 3: Gateway

BATTLE
Tizz wins the roll with the +1!

Turn 1

With a gesture of a pseudopod, the Tizz general sends the arms of the gribbly horde screaming up the flanks, as the center shambles into magicking range. As if on cue, the Winds ominously drop to begin the match, a 4 weakening daemonic ward saves and ensuring nothing gets through. There is a brief pause as the flamers wave their nubs at the goblin hero, and the orcs take it away.


All tests are passed and the green castle deigns to move, with the exception of the plucky wolf chariot rolling forward (the manglers bump the rear table edge, the right one failing his dangerous terrain and taking a wound). The Great Shaman is gifted with enough dice to IF boosted Foot onto the Gateway horrors + BSB, reducing five daemons to jelly and deviating off the trolls when Gork gets a little over excited. Both orc shamans take wounds in the resulting miscast. After the pyrotechnics the orc artillery opens fire: both rock lobbers scatter off the flanking grinder, and only one doom diver can find its mark on the screamers zipping up the other flank, causing a single wound.

Turn 2

Both sets of Tizz flankers achieve the orc deployment zone, as a burning chariot crests a hill and starts powering up. A heartier Winds roll of 7 returns the daemons to corporeality, but nothing gets past the Great Shaman’s prowess. Shooting is similarly lackluster: the left chariot S4 grapeshots a wound from the wolf chariot, gifting it regen 6+ on the side; the right chariot squirts S1 flaming fire over troll and savages, to no avail; and the flamers roast a wound off of the goblin hero, giving him regen as well.


The green castle begins to react to encroaching threats: the squig herd pounces on the left screamers, the left mangler hurls itself a considerable distance through the grinder (for 2 wounds), night gobs rotate to face the flanking threats, and the trolls form the Thick Blue/Green Line in preparation for sweeping down the table. The Winds again provide enough dice to IF Foot onto the Tizz BSB’s horrors, this time accounting for 2 horrors, 2 savages and 1 more wound on the Great Shaman. Gork wanders off after the first stomp. Greenskin shooting lets rip with two more rocks scattering off of the grinder (one managing to squish 2 squig herders), a doom diver missing the right screamers by miles and the other diver misfiring and skidding into the night goblins for a few casualties. Neither pack of night gobs can hit anything, but the goblins on the wolf chariot show everyone how it’s done and stick an arrow into the burning chariot in front of them.

In the opening combat of the game, the screamers tear the squig herd down to its squig, who breaks and runs rampant – an entire troll is devoured by the lil’ guy, along with a chunk from a screamer.

Turn 3

Taking the squig’splosion as the signal for mayhem, the Tizz boys bring the ruckus, starting with the left screamers beginning their run through the orc artillery (releasing a couple fanatics in the process) and the soul grinder flanking the troll line. The Winds whip up to 11 (capped off thanks to the Tzeentchian hexachannel), seeing an IF Final Trans on the SavageStar. 16+ savage orcs are turned to gold, for 2 vaporized horrors, a wound on the Herald general and a drained power dice pool. The left burning chariot follows this up with S9 grapeshot splintering that plucky wolf chariot, the right misfires and wounds itself, and the flamers put the goblin hero out of his misery – though they spare the giant wolf and wave their stubs in farewell as he scampers off into the hinterlands, to make many giant wolf babies and reap dire revenge upon goblinkind for their years of abuse and neglect.

Oh, the rampaging screamers chew through their rock lobber and overrun into a doom diver, releasing yet more fanatics, one of which they sit on (for 1 wound! Ha!) and the other balances precariously between the divers … for the moment. The grinder meanwhile grabs hold of a troll and bops him for a single wound, but the troll line easily holds on rerolled 10 steadfast.


Catastrophic Turn 3 continues with the left night goblins squabbling with the SavageStar, locking both units down (and ensuring a brief reprieve from Gork’s feet). All the fanatics either kill themselves or other fanatics, the left mangler shows unerring accuracy and bounds back into the grinder (for no effect), and the Orc general embraces the madness and sends the other mangler through the artillery park in hopes of saving them from becoming screamer kibble. Stunningly, the giant squig shatters two machines and cripples the doom diver currently engaged with the screamers, for a few wounds to the daemons. Whoa.

No magic, no shooting that isn’t night goblins @ 7+ into screamers, and the trolls lose by flank but hold.

Turn 4

With the right mangler farther away and now out of control, all the screamers sweep into the night goblins. Because souls. The right chariot floats closer to the solo trolls, apparently daring somebody to end its tortured existence. The Winds continue to billow across the field, gifting Tizz with another 11 (topped off to 12). While the Great Shaman once again resists the pull of chaos, his savages cannot deny the Will of Change, as a second IF Final Trans turns 10+ more to statues. The herald forgets the spell as a result, and the exasperated orc level 4 shuts down the rest of the daemonic magic. In shooting, the flamers begin cooking away at the SavageStar and stacking regen, the right chariot continues the derp and can’t hurt a troll with S4 grapeshot, but the left chariot blasts a couple wounds off of the left mangler – sadly one too few :’(

Combat is swift: the screamers encircle the night goblins in a gyre of teeth and barbs, killing all but the musician, who manages to end a wounded skyshark before breaking, being run down and torn asunder by both packs. The trolls once again lose by flank but hold.


A solo troll breaks the Orc deployment line and charges the waiting daemonic chariot, as loose manglers continue to show unerring accuracy in their bounces – the forward mangler bounds through the other chariot, bringing it to a single wound left. The Savage Great Shaman gets back into the groove and calls Gork back to the field, another IF Foot missing the Gateway horror fragment (the BSB having jumped into the general’s horrors), though the other Foot slams down on the SavageStar for a couple dead orcs. The miscast is absorbed by savage tattoos but the rest of the pool flushes away.

In combat, the solo troll clubs a wound from the chariot, takes a wound in the process, wins by one yet the Tizz daemons hold firm. And the grinder wins by one but the big trolls hold – so few attaks & 4+ regen makes for hard grinding

Turn 5

In a show of good luck, the solo screamer overflies the rear mangler and drops it with barbs, as the larger flight of screamers sweep over the SavageStar and kill a few of their number as well (*the big screamers did not show their rear to the night goblins as pictured, this positioning simply allowed me to get the arrow to swoop over the savages all pretty like!) The LT herald shows what big horror units are good for and has his boys smother the other mangler, at the cost of four horrors. A modest Wind (7+) is enough to draw dice with Gateway, then land Treason on the grinder’s trolls … The flamers flame the SavageStar further, which is so depleted at this point that hits have to be allocated – as it turns out, both the shamans lose their last wounds! Leaving just the Warboss, BSB and savage command, all with 5+ regen.

Then the plan comes to fruition: the grinder again wins by 1, breaks the now LD4 trolls and catches them. The only sad moment is when the solo troll chomps his chariot down to one wound, then pops it on the break test.


That solo troll fails Stupidity and stumbles forward, and the night gobs try to shoot down that solo screamer but can’t get through the swirling shield of devil rays in front of it.

Turn 6

The soul grinder keeps up his rampage and charges the last of the night goblins, who flee and are caught, trampled to goo under his daemonic pistons. Screamers overfly the SavageStar, desperate to get something to stick, but they are woefully low on barbs and can’t find purchase. The Winds die back down to end the game, a 3 threatening the BSB (who is totally fine) and giving precious little to work with. The Tizz general, trying to be fancy, elects to hit the Orc Warboss with Golden Hounds … despite him having a 2+ ward vs fire Amazingly a wound gets through, but everyone is left wondering why the Gateway horrors didn’t finally get a shot at Gating something, especially now that the SavageStar isn’t at MR(3) … But there’s always flamers, m’right? They wash the remnants of the star in not-flame once more, killing the standard and musician, wounding the BSB and leaving the champion standing alongside the gently singed orc general. Warpflame could make it happen! But they pass (@ T5) and bump to 4+ regen.


That solo troll again fails Stupidity and stumbles forward, and the orc high command celebrates being alive. Regardless, that’s a pretty convincing TIZZ VICTORY!

- Salvage

Great to see you reporting again man! And grats on the new living space and mate, as well as the new job!

Wut, wut?! More Coruscating?

 Boss Salvage wrote:
...such was the ocean of blue horrors unleashed (lesser locus FTW) that the GUO was deeply wounded, to be finished off by the second ocean of blue horrors generated when he waded into the other horrors. Result!

Yussss!!!

... torn asunder by blue horrors (it took a few turns – a very slow rending, more like a flaying really, with abundant giggles)...

And again!

More awesome though? I was voted for BEST PAINTED! Which is flattering and a huge boost to keep working on the army.

Super-congrats man! How bout some pics? Glad to hear the motivation is up.

Congrats on the life changes, too- I can relate. Really happy to see Tzeentch win the last game against the Green castle. I have been excessively sad to see the evolution of O&G into a gun & magic-line army. Just feels so wrong. I don't begrudge the players who work to that build, but... bleh.

Awesome about the life changes, and it's great seeing these reports again

And best painted!! I need to see more pics of your creations!

Thanks for the kind words dudes! As for the flat, got everything unpacked and cleaned up this last week, and celebrated by throwing a housewarming party and drowning the place in booze + pierogies ;D

*ahem*

But in warhammer news: not much change, still struggling to find time / motivation to paint. July 19 is the next event, will be bringing the above list straight up. Hope to get a few models slapped with blue before then - BSB, few horror command models left, top of the grinder - but will be about six horrors shy of 'done' all the same. I've been assured it's cool, though my painting score may well suffer for it. Luckily I should have some sick BP to fall back on

So thanks again, and stay tuned.

- Salvage

Dakka! Time for another tournament recap plus so-fresh-it’s-bloody report. I continue to make little time for the hobby and even less for gaming, however a bit has snuck through all the same. Back in July my club The Shambling Horde held our second annual Throwdown at our FLGS in East Greenbush, NY. Lots of people came out and a great time was had by all.

Sadly, I didn’t take pictures nor notes, and the event was so long ago that I can only offer brief summaries for the sake of completeness. Many apologies, tender readers!

First off, here’s a look at what I’ve been working with lately. I took something very similar to the Throwdown, except with gifts + lesser loci in place of the exalted loci on the metal heralds.

THE LIST

Herald of Tzeentch - level 2 (METAL), exalted locus
Herald of Tzeentch - level 2 (METAL), exalted locus
Herald of Tzeentch - level 2 (TIZZ), BSB (lichebone pennant)

30 Horrors - full command (discipline)
25 Horrors - full command
6 Flamers - pyrocaster
4 Screamers
4 Screamers
Soul Grinder of Tzeentch - warp gaze, daemonbone claw
Burning Chariot
Burning Chariot

(Credit goes to the girlfriend for suggesting I drop the 10 horror block and stick with two larger units – she was adamant I bring as much painted to the Throwdown as possible, as soft scores were a large factor, and I was about 5 horrors short with the other list. As it’s turned out, while I miss the bunker horrors, I like having the one larger block … as well as having exactly NINE drops. Because Tzeentch.)

Now for some quick recaps:

THROWDOWN 1: SKAVEN

Grey Seer – level 4 (RUIN & PLAGUE), fencer’s blades, power scroll, skalm, screaming bell
Assassin – weeping blade, potion of strength
Chieftain – BSB, shield, heavy armor
Warlock – level 2 (RUIN), condenser
Warlock – level 1 (RUIN), dispel scroll
Warlock – doomrocket

45 Clanrats – full command, shields, mortar
29 Stormvermin – full command (storm banner)
29 Slaves – musician
5 Giant Rats – packmaster
5 Giant Rats – packmaster
6 Gutter Runners – slings, poison
6 Gutter Runners – slings, poison
Hell Pit Abomination
Doomwheel
Plagueclaw Catapult
Warp Lightning Cannon

While I made some targeting mistakes here and there – like putting anything into the bell unit, which either had MR or was just soaking up Regen from all my Warp Flame attaks – thanks to some decent luck (the storm banner went out after one turn, letting all my sky sharks move faster than 1”, the doomrocket was absorbed by ward saves, his magic was mediocre) I felt the game was fairly in control. I wouldn’t be able to crack the Bellstar, which in my experience running it is the difference between drawing or losing – if the Bell lives, it’s a draw or a victory for the rats, but if it dies it’s a Skaven defeat – however I’d be ok with a draw.

Sadly, gak got bad when the HPA moved much faster than either of us expected, hurtling down the flank and into some horrors a turn ahead of schedule. Blue horrors stripped it down to a single wound, but it jealously guarded that wound as it mulched through my army. I remember it eventually dying … only to resurrect with like 4+ wounds and finish me off late game, because Warp Fire isn’t flaming So ultimately this first round ended up a BRUTAL TIZZ DEFEAT BY HPA.

All credit to my opponent though, who was not only a gentleman but went on to win the whole event. You should go check out his club’s site sometime at The Unplugged Gamers

THROWDOWN 2: HIGH ELVES

Archmage – level 4 (LIFE), book of hoeth, talisman of preservation
Mage – level 2 (HIGH), earthing rod, ironcurse
Noble – BSB, shrieking blade, shield of the merwyrm, luckstone

49 Spearmen – full command
15 Archers – standard, musician
18 Phoenix Guard – full command (banner of the world dragon, tormentor sword)
14 Sword Masters – full command (razor standard, warrior bane)
Frostheart Phoenix
Frostheart Phoenix
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower

Banner of the World Dragon elves backed up by life magic and double frosthearts. Oh balls. With some trepidation I deployed my gribblies, and watched with sinking heart as my opponent placed all of his characters into the Phoenix Guard … But then I commenced to tear the throats out of the rest of his troops. The bolters were rent asunder by screamer packs, while the sword masters and spearmen were buffeted with magic and either run down or groped to death in combat. One frostheart was tempted into engaging a horror block, only to be locked in place and slammed in both flanks by chariots, then broken and caught. The other frostheart was the victim of a long charge from the soul grinder, as the daemonic engine stormed through a forest, grabbed the phoenix by the neck and tore its majestic head from its glittering shoulders. The grinder swept into some seriously startled archers in the elven backfield, eventually finishing them off with the help of a pack of roving screamers.

As thrilling as all of this brutality was, I still needed the 1160 points locked up in the Phoenix Guard, and the chip on my shoulder demanded I try for it. Around the end of Turn 4, the PG were locked up with a horror block, as my more exciting units circled their combat in an orgy of destruction. Now here comes the insanity: I told my opponent that we could probably just sit here and grind until the game ended, since his PG weren’t putting out that much damage and my wards were hot, plus I had a good number of horrors left. So I roll an instability test and lose like one horror. Then I pick up the dice again, as my BSB is nearby, and I look at the elf player and tell him that if I roll these dice again and if I roll box cars, I can pop my own horrors, freeing his PG up for a world of pain. I roll box cars and pop my unit.

Hell descends upon the Phoenix Guard. Screamer barbs, final transmutations and several spectra of eldritch fire pour into the unit, putting the Banner of the World Dragon to the test. It falters, leaving the elven bunker at its characters (the Mage had succumbed to horror ministrations and allocated hits) plus token stalwart Guard. The Archmage is able to frustratingly Regrow the unit back twice, only to have the Tzeentch daemons respond by pouring even more into the beleaguered elves, including the Soul Grinder obliterating the Noble BSB with a withering Warp Gaze once the rank and file had been burned down. The final moments of the round saw every daemon available charge into the shattered remnants of the Phoenix Guard, breaking the few survivors and running them down, the Archmage’s soul devoured and the precious Banner scooped up and ferreted away in the warp for nefarious purposes …

In other words, CRUSHING TIZZ VICTORY and the stuff of legends.

THROWDOWN 3: WARRIORS OF MOSTLY NURGLE

Daemon Prince of Nurgle – scaled skin, soul feeder; charmed shield, dragonbane gem, the other trickster’s shard
Daemon Prince of Nurgle – flight
Exalted Hero of Nurgle – BSB, dragonhelm, dawnstone, ironcurse, great weapon, daemonic mount
Chaos Sorcerer – level 2 (FIRE), ruby ring, dispel scroll

17 Warriors of Nurgle – full command (discipline), halberds
5 Horsemen of Slaanesh – musician, spears, javelins
5 Horsemen of Slaanesh – musician, flails
Chariot of Nurgle
5 Warhounds
6 Knights of Nurgle – standard (swiftness), musician, ensorcelled
6 Trolls
Hellcannon

Final round and I’m up against my clubmate Oneball, pretty much my regular scrumming partner. I don’t remember a ton from this match, though I remember it was pretty frustrating for the warriors from the start, as I began by killing all of his chaff and then erasing the knights with a single Searing Doom, panicking his warriors back despite rerolled LD9s. On the flipside, he got first turn and, as you should when playing warriors, stuffed everything down my throat, giving me limited time to respond to some very real threats. Spoiler: I wasn’t able to stop either prince, allowing them to wade in and start squishing horrors / anything that mattered. After a lot of carnage (and no doubt dodgy dice skills on my part), it all ended up a DRAW, putting me at 50% for the day. Not bad on top of three fun games – plus I made my entry fee back with a random door prize!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Two months pass by, with no Warhams and hobby time devoted to building even more models for a Cryx army I’ve literally never fielded. Having missed the Crossroads GT and in a bid to get interested in finishing up the painting on my Tzeentch army (just the grinder + two horrors + one unit filer to go!), I reach out for a game and come up with …

GAME X: WARRIORS OF CHAOS

Daemon Prince of Nurgle – level 4 (DEATH), flaming breath, scaled skin, soul feeder; sword of striking, charmed shield, dragonbane gem, flight
Exalted Hero of Tzeentch – BSB, dawnstone, enchanted shield
Sorcerer of Tzeentch – level 2 (METAL), dispel scroll

28 Warriors of Tzeentch – full command (swiftness), shields
Chariot of Khorne
5 Knights of Khorne – full command, ensorcelled
Chimera – flaming breath, regeneration
3 Skull Crushers – standard (gleaming), musician
Hellcannon

In his defense, he’s a new player who’s aware that he’s running close to the hardest netlist possible, and is interested in dialing things down as he gains more experience in the game. Mad props to him for having a nearly completely painted army too

My list was the one above, trying out exalted loci in the place of the lesser loci from the tournament (reasoning being that the lesser loci get turned off when the heralds get punked – and they are quite easily punked )


Both mortal Tzeentch characters bunkered down in the Warriors of Tzeentch, while the daemonic Tizz general herald gribbled to himself in the large disciplined (!) horrors and the other two heralds teamed up in the other horrors. (Apologies for the hard to read labels - we played on a new snow mat, which was too cool not to represent in the diagrams.)

MAGIC
Daemon Prince: Soulblight, Doom & Darkness, Fate of Bjuna, Purple Sun
Chaos Sorcerer: Enchanted Blades, Glittering Robes

Herald 1: Searing Doom, Final Transmutation
Herald 2: Searing Doom, Enchanted Blades
Herald 3: Treason, Glean Magic
Horror 1: Bolt of Change
Horror 2: Gateway

BATTLE
Warriors win the roll with the +1!

Turn 1

Seizing the initiative, the mortal warriors bolt forward as soon as the battlelines are formed, hurtling themselves at their daemonic rivals – with the exception of the cranky hellcannon and its dwarf minders. Such is the fervor of the Khorne troops in particular that a skullcrusher cops a tree limb to the neck … The festering daemon prince taps into the winds of magic, but the 4-1 (+2 Tizz) eddy isn’t enough to get Purple Sun past the gibbering wizards. The hellcannon however will not be denied, and claims first ichor by hitting the smaller horror block dead center, splattering six daemons.


Denied much time to respond to the onrushing threats, the Tzeentch daemons scatter and prepare to absorb chargers – screamers screen the dwindling horror block as the BSB herald giggles and slinks behind the unit. An ill-omened 2-2 (+1 Tizz) wind sweeps across the field, giving enough power to hit the skullcrushers with a S6 Bolt for no wounds but not enough to get Gateway out at the prince … yet more importantly dropping daemonic ward saves for the round to come. Only slightly phased, Tzeentch shooting opens up with S8 grapeshot into the skullcrushers (1 wound), S6 into the prince (0 wounds + popped charmed shield), warp gaze into the prince (failed to wound), and a weak display of flamering against the skullcrushers somehow managing to drop the wounded ‘crusher (and give the unit regen 6+).

Not gonna lie, things were looking a bit dire at this point …

Turn 2

The Khorne chariot and skullcrushers both charge the large horror block, though thankfully the chariot falls well short and trundles forward. Meanwhile the chimera swoops into the screening screamers, as the daemon prince hops behind Tzeentchian lines and the rest of the chaos troops close in as a second wave. (Mostly, cranky hellcannon continues to sulk.) The winds pick up to 4-3 (+3 Tizz) for a rather important turn: Bjuna on the non-general herald is dispelled, followed by a successful Purple Sun that rolls 24” through several horrors, the BSB herald, the soul grinder and a burning chariot. Shockingly only 5 horrors perish! The prince is able to cull 2 power dice from the crystalized horrors, which he uses to soulblight the beleaguered smaller horrors. And then the prince washes the unit in fiery breath, roasting 5 more blue daemons. Finally, the hellcannon vomits a shot at the soul grinder, but the grinder is able to stop the round of soul stuff with its weakened 6+ ward

In the first combat of the game, the chimera gently nibbles a screamer to undeath, before t-stomping a couple more into goo and popping the survivor. She takes no wounds for her trouble and carries on into the handful of horrors behind. Nearby the skullcrushers leap into a mess of horrors and account for 9 daemons all told, though the horrors steadfast out and a skullcrusher takes a wound from the ocean of blue horrors unleashed.


The soul grinder springs his trap and counter-charges the chimera, as the Tzeentchian ranged units move into position and the screamers overfly the Khorne chariot for a wound. The winds whip up to 6-4, swinging daemonic wards back to 4+ and providing juice for two big spells: Final Transmutation on the warriors is scrolled, making way for a 7 S6 Gateway to hammer them for 4 dead warriors and 3 summoned horrors. (Also regen 6+.) The flamers unleash into the warriors as well, burning 2 more to death, and bumping their regen up to 5+. One burning chariot melts the Khorne chariot with 10 S5 grapeshot, but sadly 2 S5 from the other blue chariot can’t hurt the daemon prince.

In combat, the grinder grabs ahold of the chimera and tears off all three heads with its daemonbone claw – FATALITY! It reforms to face the oncoming warriors, accepting that the prince could flank it if he wanted to. The other combat is far less exciting: a few horrors die, they scrabble at the crushers ineffectively, then steadfast out.

Turn 3

Realizing that they’re likely safer in the sweet embrace of combat, the exalted rallies his rapidly mutating warriors and charges into the waiting soul grinder, as the daemon prince leaps into the daemonic engine’s flank and joins the fray. The Khorne knights get caught up in the action and try to charge a floating chariot, only to fall far short. An abysmal 1-1 (+2 Tizz) wind somehow gets Enchanted Blades up on the warriors, but there will be no shot from the hellcannon this turn as it flips out and rampages for the ruckus in the center.

Everybody ducks the grinder’s iron claw, after which the daemon prince and all of his underlings fail to dent its warp-hardened hide. The grinder responds by pulping the chaos sorcerer and then trampling 2 warriors beneath its piston-driven legs. The daemon loses but easily maintains corporeality. In the boring combat, a few more horrors are squished however nobody cares.


Bereft of targets, the western wing of the daemonic forces circles back in, while the eastern chariot decides to be risky and bring itself within range of the Khorne knights. A second strong 5-5 (+2 Tizz) wind makes for a magical phase: Treason is let onto the warriors, an irresistible 10 S7 Gate screams into the knights and drags them to an eternity of unrelenting frustration, Enchanted Blades fails to make it onto the grinder, and finally Glean Magic onto the DP is dispelled. A few horrors are killed by the feedback from Gateway, however a few more are summoned into the skullcrusher combat as well.

Combat begins with the soul grinder managing to grab the daemon prince despite its preternatural reflexes. The grinder again weathers a storm of blows then slams its claw into the Nurgle daemon, gouging 3 wounds from the once-mortal monster. 3 warriors are crushed beneath the behemoths' feet as they struggle, which is all too much for the mortal warriors. They break and flee, trampling their standard bearer and shiving the exalted BSB in the process.

Boring combat is boring.

Turn 4

The warriors fail to rally and continue bolting for the table edge, dodging around the lurking screamers. Badly bleeding, the prince calls upon the dark gods … and is given another 1-1 (+1 Tizz) magic phase out of spite. He Soulblights the grinder despite. The hellcannon chortles to see such devastation, then jellies two horrors because can. This time the prince deftly avoids the grinder’s claw, and manages to land a wound on the weakened daemon. The grinder sizes the wounded prince up and decides to go with the daemonbone claw anyway: one shot at a 6+ to hit comes up 6, followed by 5, a failed ward and the one wound required to drop the prince. BOOM.

Skullcrusher combat continues to be a non-event, though a crusher takes a wound this turn! Worth!


Having dodged a Purple Sun, chunked through a chimera, crushed a sorcerer, saw off a lot of warriors and bested a daemon prince, the soul grinder sets his sights on the skullcrushers milling about in a soup of horror ichor. As he thunders into the monstrous cav the rest of the Tzeentch force targets the retreating warriors. A rather placid 6-1 (+1 Tizz) wind sees a 7 S10 Gateway evaporate 6 warriors (plus 2 more from Warp Flame) and Treason go up on the Skullcrushers. Barbs and flames reduces the warriors further, ensuring they will be testing on snake eyes to rally.

Finally, things heat up in the crusher combat. 4 more horrors are killed, though the crusher musician is dragged down by the rest of the gibbering throng and the standard takes 2 wounds from the grinder’s gore-soaked claw. Impaled on the daemonic bone, the last skullcrusher slits his throat in final supplication to his bloodthirsty god.

TIZZ VICTORY BY CONCESSION

- Salvage

Then I pick up the dice again, as my BSB is nearby, and I look at the elf player and tell him that if I roll these dice again and if I roll box cars, I can pop my own horrors, freeing his PG up for a world of pain. I roll box cars and pop my unit.

Have you ever gone back through your battle reports to look for incidents of you doing just this? "Look, if I do X, which is very unlikely, this outcome Y will occur," followed by "I do X," seems to happen a lot in my memory. Maybe the events just seem salient, but for good or ill you seem to be able to roll that number very reliably.

In a related note, have you ever looked in the mirror out of the corner of your eye and thought you caught a glimpse of a tiny bluish imp sitting on you shoulder, quietly whispering secrets of stochastic futures in your ear? Just sayin.

 Wehrkind wrote:
Have you ever gone back through your battle reports to look for incidents of you doing just this? "Look, if I do X, which is very unlikely, this outcome Y will occur," followed by "I do X," seems to happen a lot in my memory. Maybe the events just seem salient, but for good or ill you seem to be able to roll that number very reliably.

Spoiler: There's some dice shenanigans in the rest of the report above

Summoning box cars versus the Phoenix Guard was really something One of my favorite past feats of luck was back in 7E in an Ogres vs Dark Elves game, when my hunter sniped the hag off of a cauldron of blood at max range to keep the DE from contesting an objective at the end of a game. The odds were ... extreme

In a related note, have you ever looked in the mirror out of the corner of your eye and thought you caught a glimpse of a tiny bluish imp sitting on you shoulder, quietly whispering secrets of stochastic futures in your ear? Just sayin.

TIZZ ABIDES

- Salvage

Awesome summaries and report, Salvage! I would very much like to see a pic of the whole force, perhaps when those last couple are painted up, as it sounds like you're oh-so-close to fully painted

I can tell you still have a soft spot for the hellcannon in your reports . As already noted above, predicting and then getting that result in the second match must've been an awesome moment! I've only had that happen a few times, but it's fantastic when it works out against the odds

Oh and, "Boring combat is boring", lol

I love these batreps, what program do you use for your visuals and maneuvering on the board?

Thanks you two

 Gromgor wrote:
what program do you use for your visuals and maneuvering on the board?

They're done in Battle Chronicler - I actually haven't been to their site in a very long time, might have new add ons and such by now ... A word of warning, BC can have a bit of a steep learning curve. If you run into specific problems feel free to PM me and I'll try to help out.

- Salvage

I did briefly try Battle Chronicler- the learning curve is intense!

I notice you deftly sidestepped the request for pics, Salvage

 RiTides wrote:
I notice you deftly sidestepped the request for pics, Salvage

Like a baws

Pics will certainly happen once the grinder is painted - i.e. 2015

(Not really a joke, I'm signed up for the Crossroads GT Spring Break, so will have to have everybody done by then at the latest!)

- Salvage

They're done in Battle Chronicler - I actually haven't been to their site in a very long time, might have new add ons and such by now ... A word of warning, BC can have a bit of a steep learning curve. If you run into specific problems feel free to PM me and I'll try to help out.

- Salvage

Sweet, thank you much! These are some excellent looking batreps!

Boss, how you liking the Soul Grinder? I'm thinking of running my Tizz Daemons at the Carnival of Chaos(Paulscoc.com) in New Orleans next year, but never run one in Fantasy, so not sure how they fit in.

Dig the Highlander style approach to characters at that tournament

On soulgrinding, I wasn't overly impressed at first, as on paper his damage output seems fairly mediocre (WS3 + A4) and in game I would lose him to cannons or massed poison/great weapons without much return. The giant base also took some getting used to, as it kept getting caught on terrain/units while trying to wheel and charge in.

But then once I got spacing down and started to lean hard on the daemonbone claw, combined with mad dice skills, things have really turned around. He can still die and it isn't the end of things - he's expensive and a beatstick but not that expensive nor the only weapon in my arsenal - but when he turns on things get brutal. Of my last few games he seems to have almost carried the match, ripping the heads off enemy beasties, flipping over whole units, and generally being a boss. I try not to rely on his inherent toughness - T7 W6 with 4/5+ save isn't shabby but everything dies when enough dice are thrown at it - but that's a thought too. METAL magic to give him 2+ armor always crosses my mind, but I never seem to have the spell or the power dice for it.

On the topic of SG gun upgrades, they're really just icing on the daemon engine cake, to add a little flare and soak up extra points. I've been taking Warp Gaze because a) nobody takes it, b) I tend to have 55 points left over rather than 50, c) more anti-armor/MC is more better, d) he can't wound himself if he messes up. While I've gotten some sweet return a couple times - usually by sniping BSBs! - my grinder essentially never hits with this thing, or rolls a 1 to wound if he does. In reality, your grinder probably only fires 1-2 times a game, as M8 makes 16" marches more enticing and being stuck in combat makes it hard to shoot. I keep wanting to try Baleful Torrent but meh, I've got burning chariots for template games. I'm about to start running my grinder with just the claw (to downshift from 2500 to 2400), so I suppose I'll find out what a Harvester Cannon does?

Finally, I feel like I haven't endorsed this enough yet: Daemonbone Claw FTW. Apart from my fascination with S10 things (I'm a recovering Fellblade addict), I've found it soooo worth it to just dump my regular attaks and give things the claw instead. Obviously landing the iron claw first helps, but I'll take that 4+ shot to tear up some high armor / many wounds face, particularly in a meta overburdened with armor and/or wounds.

- Salvage

Once again, you seem to have found the perfect piece of wargear for your style one that performs brilliantly occasionally, and fails miserably at others . Love the analysis of it, too.

I also just found out what "highlander" style event means (just one of any unit). I think that might work well applied to characters in fantasy, although the context I saw it mentioned in was for 40k for any unit, which obviously makes themed armies nearly impossible. Still, not a bad idea for some things to encourage more variety (but not to the extreme of hindering themed lists).