Alamo GT 2013: Round #1 - Chaos Dwarves

How do you properly start a tournament? By playing Chaos Dwarves of course! For my Round 1 opponent I played Michael McGuire. I snuck a picture of him when he was too busy looking at his army for deployment.








I don't have a copy of his army list, but from what I remember (and what the pictures tell me) he had the following models/units:

•  K'dai Destroyer
• 2 Units of Chaos Dwarves with Fireglaives
• Large horde of Chaos Dwarves
• Level 4 Spellcaster
• Battle Standard Bearer
• Magma Cannon
• Death Rocket
• Hell Cannon
• Iron Daemon

Now that is a lot of firepower to bring to bear on a poor hapless Dark Elf army like mine. How did the game go, let's dive in and see how it progressed.

Round #1 is the "Ojo" scenario. My general on Dark Pegasus chose his Magma Cannon (bad choice on my part) and his Death-wizard chose one of my hydras. I say that choosing the Magma Cannon was a bad choice because you only get the victory points if you character causes the kill and choosing a unit that has the chance to explode on its own - which, spoiler alert, his did - negates getting those bonus points. When I play these games, I have to remember to think more strategically in my choices. I remember thinking that I should choose the K'dai, but was afraid that I wouldn't be in a position to get into combat with it (silly for a flying character, I know). So I went with another, less reliable choice. When faced with a similar choice, don't be like me: always choose the unit that can't kill itself (now, I know the K'dai can technically destroy itself, but there is a lot less chance than a Warmachine). 

For spells, his Death-wizard rolled up Spirit Leech, Purple Sun, Soulblight, and Doom and Darkness (the standard scary Death spells). My own Level 4 of Death rolled up Spirit Leech, Doom and Darkness, Caress of Laniph, and Fate of Bunja while my Level 2 of Metal received Plague of Rust (sometimes handy) and Searing Doom. 

Mike won the roll-off for sides and set up where his army was, which is what I generally do to. His deployment was very straightforward and boxed in (as can be seen below). He deployed the K'dai on my left flank away from the rest of his army. His large unit when in the center protecting all of his warmachines, while on the flanks were deployed the two smaller units of dwarves and the Iron Daemon in the trees. It made for a very imposing battle line if I couldn't find a way to break through those warmachines.

Knowing how this game would go if I couldn't get into combat with the warmachines quickly, I deployed my fastest units to the fore hoping for a good vanguard move and the first turn. I deployed the harpies, my general, both bolt throwers, and the non-marked hydra pretty much directly across from the K'dai covering my left flank. My center included both units of crossbowmen, each with a character, and the cauldron. On the right flank, both units of dark riders were deployed far forward. I deployed the marked hydra over 30" away from his Death-wizard so that I would have a few turns to deal with the caster before I gave Mike a chance to kill it with magic. Finally, I deployed the shades with the assassin a little over 12" away from the Iron Daemon and behind the woods (out of its line of sight, of course).

My deployment on the left flank. 

And my deployment on the right flank.

After we finished deploying, I moved my vanguards up near the building no one was going to occupy on the right flank (as seen in the photo above). Mike then won the roll off for Turn 1 and chose to start shooting my army to pieces. 

Turn #1: Chaos Dwarves

Mike's army progressed slowly. The units of dwarves did not move at all, while the Iron Daemon pivoted to see my shades. Only the K'dai surged forward, running full speed straight towards my bolt throwers. 

Mike rolled a 12 dice magic phase and started by casting a boosted Doom and Darkness on my Level 4's unit of crossbowmen, which I failed to dispel. The rest of his magic was effectively out of range because he didn't move his units forward and I deployed several inches back from the front line.

In his shooting phase, the Magma Cannon launched a huge flame template that landed on the shades, but luckily only killed 2 hapless elves. The Iron Daemon then turned its attention on the shades, but misfired and caused three (3) wounds to itself! Only something like 7 more to go. The other cannon (or rocket thing) missed the hydra while the Hell Cannon managed to land a shot on the Level 4's unit and killed a few crossbowmen.

Mike had a great plan here, as with Doom and Darkness, I was testing on a -4 with a re-roll from the Cauldron (so an effective 5). Plus, do to the angel from the Hell Cannon, which I was obviously not paying attention to when I deployed, a failed test would have caused the unit to run through the Cauldron and off the board (as there was less than 3" of space behind the Cauldron). This was a huge deployment mistake that Mike capitalized on. However, I managed to roll a 5 (a "4" and a "1") on the first test and so stayed my ground. Had I run off the board do to my own bad placement, this game might have gone much, much different.

Turn #1: Dark Elves
As the turn passed to me, I knew I had to eliminate as many of the warmachines as possible while tying up the K'dai so it couldn't crush my left flank. In order to take on the K'dai there is no better man than the flying dreadlord, so I started the turn with a charge down the hill (which I promptly forgot during the calculation for combat resolution).

I flew the harpies over the K'dai to be able to charge the warmachines the next turn. The left most hydra ran forward, hoping to draw the warriors out of their shell. The archers mover forward through the trees and around the trees to get within 24" of the large unit (and wizard). The dark rider units moved carefully to get out of the Iron Daemon's charge arc while staying with crossbow range of several units. The cauldron moved up behind the archers providing good re-rolls (and a 5++ save to the Level 4's unit) while the shades also moved up withing 12" (after deploying the assassin) but out of the Iron Daemon's line of sight. Finally, the other hydra moved next to the building no target of itself to the dwarf wizard. 

The Dark Elf left flank after movement.

The Dark Elf right flank after movement.












For magic, I rolled 7 dice and began the dice generating spree. I got three dice from the Level 2's power of darkness, which he used along with 2 more dice from the pool (5 left) to cast a boosted Searing Doom at the Iron Daemon. Mike fails the dispel. I roll 11 hits and the Iron Daemon melts into slag in the middle of the battlefield. With my remaining dice (and the death of a few useless crossbowmen) I proceed to cast Doom and Darkness on the K'dai, and both a boosted Spirit Leech and Caress of Laniph on the Death-wizard who dies a horrible death as his spirit is ripped out of his small body. Mike's Doom and Darkness on my Level 4's unit then ends.

With the destruction of the Iron Daemon, most of my shooting units on the right flank had no real targets. After depressing shooting by the shades and dark rider units, no dwarves fell to the ground. On the left flank, both bolt throwers targeted the fireglaive unit and killed three. Shooting looked like it was going to be a depressing topic for the rest of this battle.

Doom and Darkness on the K'dai. Will it make a difference in the combat? Will the K'dai be destroyed in a single round of combat? Of course not!

In combat, my lord failed to wound the K'dai with his magical weapon. The K'dai similarly failed to wound my general. I won the combat by 1 for the charge (should have been 2 for the hill) and even with Doom and Darkness for an effective -4, the K'dai only took a single wound. And with that, I passed the turn.



Here he is saying "look at me, I'm so pretty."












Turn #2: Chaos Dwarves
With his mage/general and Iron Daemon dead, and with the K'dai locked in what looked like a never ending combat, Mike was forced to move his army forwards. The fireglaive unit on the right flank moved into the trees to see the shades. Finally, the large unit in the center swiftly reformed into a 5 wide stance and moved towards my battleline.

In the magic phase, Mike used all his dice to drop the Doom and Darkness on his K'dai.

In the shooting phase, the Hell Cannon and other machine fired at the bolt throwers, destroying one. The fireglaives on the left flank killed 2 harpies, who passed their panic check. Finally, the magma cannon hit the shades, killing everyone but the assassin who couldn't care less about the charred corpses around him.

In combat, both my general and the K'dai fail to cause a wound, drawing the combat. The dark elf leering at the giant creature in front of him, wondering why the lumbering brute just won't die.

Turn #2: Dark Elves
The harpies began the turn by charging the cannon/rocket warmachine and making the 19" charge. Seeing that the harpies would be the closet unit to the Hell Cannon, the assassin moved through the darkened ground to get within range of the giant hell-machine. The dark rider units set up for a standard double flee in front of the fireglaive unit in an attempt to draw them out of the forest and into the second hydra's waiting jaws. In the center, the crossbowmen stayed put, hoping to maximize their firepower on the advancing dwarves. Meanwhile, the hydra moved to intercept the unit, placing itself directly in front of the great weapon wielding dwarves.

Magic saw a successful Doom and Darkness on the K'dai, but the rest of the phase was stopped when the Level 4 attempted to kill the BSB by leeching his spirit, but the innate resistance of the dwarves prevented the magical spell (Mike rolled a really nice dispel).

In the shooting phase, the dark riders failed to wound the fireglaives in front of them while the Hell cannon made all of its saves against the assassin's high strength attacks. In the center, the combined might of the crossbowmen and remaining bolt thrower managed to kill 8 models from the large unit.

In combat, the harpies manage to kill the dwarven warmachine and turned to face the rear of the fireglaive unit and the magma cannon. Over on the left flank, the dreadlord finally manges to push through 2 wounds on the K'dai, but took one in return. The K'dai then failed its unstable test, by a substantially large amount this time, and died. My general then combat reformed to face the fireglaives on the left flank.

Finally, victory is mine against the hell beast!












Turn #3: Chaos Dwarves
Not wanting to be shot to death, the large unit of chaos dwarves charged the hydra directly in front. The fireglaives on the right flank charged the first unit of dark riders - who fled - and re-directed their charge into the second unit of dark riders - who also fled. The short-legged dwarves simply stumbled forwards a few paces. On the left flank, the other unit of fireglaives stayed put, staring down the Dreadlord on the other side of the rock wall.

In the shooting phase, the magma cannon scorched a few crossbowmen from the Level 2's unit, while the Hell Cannon drifted off from the remaining bolt thrower. The fireglaives on the left flank failed to hit the dark elf general behind the wall.

In combat, the hydra killed ranks of the dwarves, but took 2 wounds in return. Despite the effort of the evil monster, the were steadfast and held.

The unit after the hydra's first round of combat.












Turn #3: Dark Elves
Sensing a tasty meal nearby, the hydra on the right flank declared a charge at the fireglaive unit, but couldn't get its large bulk into contact. Also on the right flank, both dark rider units rallied and moved to the rear of the fireglaive unit. The Dreadlord flew over the fireglaives on the left flank aiming to charge his "ojo" - the magma cannon -  on the next turn. The harpies stayed put to allow the general the chance to destroy the warmachine, while the crossbow units angled to see the fireglaives on the left flank.

The left flank after movement.












The right flank after movement.












Magic saw a Doom and Darkness on the chaos dwarves in combat with the hydra, but plague of rust on the fireglaive unit was dispelled.

The combined might of Dark Elf shooting saw 7 of the chaos dwarves die, leaving on three left in the unit. The assassin also managed to put a wound through on the Hell Cannon.

In combat, the hydra continued his slaughter of the dark dwarves without taking a single wound (I rolled 4 4++ regeneration saves). However, despite taking their Steadfast break test at -3, the unit held, thanks to the BSB's re-roll. (It was at this time that I forgot he was in the unit - the unit was unpainted and all dwarves look the same to the elves. I realized I should have been directing some of the hydra's many attacks at him during the last two rounds)

Turn #4: Chaos Dwarves
Mike begins his turn by charging the remaining dwarves on the right flank into the Level 2's unit. However, after the stand and shoot - and the use of the Eye allowing the unit to re-roll failed hits - not a single dwarf was left to make it into contact.

In the shooting phase, Mike began by misfiring, and then exploding, his magma cannon denying me the bonus points (one turn too early). Not wanting to continue on after that, Mike conceded the game to give us time to set up for paint judging and have a longer lunch.

At the end, I ended up with 16 points. I was looking for the 20, but chose my "ojo" poorly. I still could have gotten the points had the magma cannon not misfired - or Mike had rolled a 3+ on the misfire table - but it was not to be.