Monkey hosted Tomsey and I on ANZAC Day to have a couple of games of Warmahordes. The second game of the day was Tomsey’s Legion of Everblight and my Trollbloods facing off. We rolled for scenario out of the Steamroller 2017 CID pack, getting Recon. I chose Bunker for my objective and Tomsey picked Effigy of Valour.
I deployed with a view to having my Mauler go running straight up the centre, and my Runseshapers covering the flanks. I was aware that Tomsey’s cavalry out on my right flank were quite brutal, but as is usual with these things, theory and practice are quite different.
Turn One
Me
I unpack my army, using Spell Slave off the Runebearer to get a discounted Pulveriser onto the Dire Troll Mauler. The Northkin Shaman (first time I’m running this guy) pops his cloud and moves to the objective.
Tomsey
Tomsey moves his Blighted Nyss Raptors forward and shoots at the Trollkin Runeshapers on my right flank. I get lucky, with his first three shots needed to take one down (who fails his tough check), and his last two taking the second out, but this guy does make his tough roll, surviving.
Carniveon moves forward and pops Spiny Growth, Absolonia moves up and casts Bracer onthe Sycthian, return fire on some Raptors and Night Lurker. Raek runs toward the flag on my left flank.
Turn Two
Me
The Mauler rushes forward, and the Bomber moves up and shoots at Tomsey’s objective, leaving it with only one box left. The Shaman pops cloud again in the middle of the zone. Ragnor moves up to my objective and pops his feat. Everything else in the army presses forward, with the Runeshapers moving into contact with the flags on either flank.
Tomsey
Raptors move further up to my right flank and shoot the two Runeshapers off that flag, leaving nothing but a stain behind. The Raek charges the Runeshapers on my left flank, killing one of them with double sixes on both rolls. The Harrier charges the Mauler, but fails to do anything, with the Naga also following in with a charge not doing much. The Carniveon then also piles onto the Mauler, with his assault spray killing a pleb from the Krielstone unit, before promptly failing to do very much to the Mauler. Finally, the Scythian charges the Mauler as well, doing some minor damage before landing a clobber for nine damage.
Tomsey then finishes by shuffling his warlock back from the action a bit.
Turn Three
Me
The Runeshapers on my left flank get stuck into the Raek, knocking it down, but otherwise fail to do very much. Ragnor activates and heals the Mauler for one to get his spirit back online, then puts Rage on him.
The Mauler makes two attacks on the Carniveon, both hitting, and uses his free attack to make a throw, tossing the Carniveon back towards Absolonia, but missing her. He then lays into the Scythian twice with bought attacks, one of which hits.
Northkin Shaman uses Frostbite on Tomsey’s objective, destroying it. The Axer then moves into range of the Raek and hits twice.
I score 2 control points this turn, from holding the right flag and destroying Tomsey’s objective.
Tomsey
The Forsaken moves in and pops it’s ability, knocking down two Krielstone plebs (after they passed tough rolls), and loading up some damage on the Dire Troll Mauler. The Harrier then attacks the Mauler, missing first attack, but hitting with a bought attack before doing no damage. The Naga also lays into the Mauler, making a boosted attack which hits and ultimately takes him down.
The Raptors move forward and shoot at the Runebearer to start, killing him with two models shots. They then turn their attention to the Dire Troll Bomber and dish out some hurt to him.
Carniveon gets up and runs back towards the action. Absolonia charges the Northkin Shaman, hits twice and kills him easily. Scythian charges the Bouncer and puts seven damage on him. Raek gets up and smashes one of the Runeshapers who had been wailing on him last turn.
Turn Four
Me
The Dire Troll Bomber runs back towards the centre as I realise I’m never going to deal with the Raptors and my only chance is to catch Absolonia and put her down. Ragnor bravely moves forward and lays a big pile of hurt on the Scythian, taking it down. The Krielstone unit sacrifices it’s combat action to get up and then moves to try and block as many of Tomsey’s models as possible from charging at Ragnor. The Axer then attacks the Raek again but misses this time, as it is no longer knocked down.
Tomsey
The Harrier frenzies this turn, as Tomsey’s over commited on fury, and hits the Naga, although it doesn’t do any serious damage.
The Raptors move laterally to shoot at Ragnor, inflicting seven damage on him. Absolonia then makes a fly move towards Ragnor and starts swinging at him. I push the first hit onto the Bouncer, and then take four damage from the second. In a turn of luck, her third and fourth attacks miss! The Naga then charges Ragnor, but misses with all it’s attacks. Lastly, the Carniveon charges at the Krielstone unit, making it’s assault spray attack such that it hits Ragnor, but this fails to hit him as well.
Tomsey picks up one control point for holding the flag on my right flank.
Turn Five
Me
I activate the Bomber, moving him into range of Absolonia and executing her easily…
Conclusion
I thought at the end of my turn four I’d basically lost the game, and I probably should have, with Tomsey’s dice abandoning him that turn. The Raptor unit does some serious work, and I don’t really know how to counter them with my list as it stands. If Tomsey hadn’t exposed Abosolonia in turn four for his attempted assassination run, I think he probably would’ve comfortably been able to mop me up over the ensuing turns and win with a scenario victory. Although the big unknown for me is the Bomber, as I haven’t had a lot of experience with it to date. Anyway, a fun game as always and a lucky turn around for me at the end.
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