WHFB escalation league @ HSG - week 6

Yesterday was another round in Heavy Support Games' WHFB escalation league. I missed last week so this was my only chance at 1,250 points. I took two units of 20 night goblin archers with fanatics (one led by black orc big boss, the other by a night goblin shaman), a unit of 20 orcs with choppas/shields, two units of wolf riders (one had a big boss with a 1 hit wonda), a unit of 3 trolls and 2 spear chukkas.

I was a little delayed finishing up painting my wargs, so I got the buy for the first round.

The second round I played against Shawn with his dwarves. It started quite well with my fanatics ripping through his clansmen unit and my wolf riders getting into position to charge his war machines when animosity got the better of me (I should've waaaagh'd) and finishing them off just took too long. Meanwhile his bolt thrower was regularly destroying guys as did my own fanatics. His longbeards worked their way around the woods and eventually was able to charge my squabbling orc unit. It took him a couple turns but they destroyed the orcs and overran into one of the spear chukkas. Unfortunately for me he saved his thane and standard bearer from the fanatic decimated unit so I didn't get many victory points. His hatred also helped him to ensure he routed anyone who got into combat with his longbeards. A loss for me.

The third round I played against George again - who is always great fun to play and possibly my favourite opponent from the escalation league. He kept his hydra hidden from my spear chukkas and used his two dark rider units to suck out my fanatics early. Those units were quickly decimated and it hemmed my army into my half of the board for the early parts of the game (which might have actually helped me). My wolf riders routed one unit of his crossbowmen, and my spear chukkas panicked the other. It took a few turns of dancing around but he finally decided to charge my trolls with his hydra. Unfortunately for him I managed to regenerate every wound his hydra and beastmasters managed to cause, and after a few turns of him passing his break tests I finally broke the hydra and it was destroyed. Meanwhile my orcs and a unit of wolf riders were keeping his executioners and two sorceresses busy. He managed to get off a couple black horrors which decimated those units but crucially he couldn't finish off the orcs. At the end of the game I'd destroyed a lot of his army (2 dark rider units, 2 crossbow units, and his hydra) and had two table quarters, to his one table quarter and one destroyed wolf rider unit, one reduced wolf rider unit, one reduced orc unit and a reduced night goblin unit. My first official win of the league - hurrah!!

WHFB escalation league @ HSG - week 4

I altered up my army a bit for this past Sunday's WHFB escalation league @ Heavy Support Games. I removed all the fluff from the night goblin archers unit and used a black orc big boss to lead them (simply a fanatic delivery system). I also mixed up my wolf riders, using two units of 12 both with bows and spears.

First game was against Nathaniel and his High Elves. He's using the new Mantic Games elves and they look great. He had a unit of seaguard, 2 bolt throwers and a mage on dragon. He forgot about my fanatics, so mistakenly moved his dragon too close. Between them and my spear chukkas his mage & dragon were dead by turn 2. Even with this great lead my army managed to fail me miserably, squabbling at the wrong time and failing fear tests to charge elves. I realized later that because my spear chukkas have 4 crew it might be possible for them to claim table quarters (which would have turned the loss into a draw) but a fun game regardless. Well done to Nathaniel for hanging in there.

Second game I got the buy, meaning I get full score as there was an odd number of opponents. Only thing to say about this was I'm upset I forgot I brought paints and I just sat around watching games.

Third game was against George with his Dark Elves; dark riders, cold one riders, 2 crossbow units, a bolt thrower and a mage. Started well, using my waaagh to get just close enough to release my fanatics at his cold one riders - pretty well decimating the unit. The tides swung back and forth all game, both our mages miscast (his twice, killing his mage), my wolf riders fleeing from charges and then just running off the board, my spear chukkas did well again this game. In the end he had more victory points, but not by enough to secure a win. My second draw!

I will soldier on and get that win! Next week is 1,250 points. Got some list making to do.

WHFB escalation league @ HSG - week 3

I missed week 2 of the WHFB escalation league up at my parents cottage last week. Everyone else showed up so I couldn't make up any games. This week I still seemed behind the list curve with my Orcs & Goblins compared to the other lists there. My list included night goblin shaman and archers with nets (which I forgot to use) and fanatics, a unit of big un's with magic standard, two units of wolf riders (one has a 1 hit Wonda big boss), 3 trolls led by a goblin big boss with horn of urgok (too situational) and two spear chukkas.
After getting spanked by magic last time, I brought a banner to give me bonus dispel dice. I had no problems with people's magic, but this week it was monsters who were carrying the day - there was a dragon, 2 armies with hydra's, a stegadon, a skaven abomination, etc. I had 3 trolls now that we could select a rare choice.

First game was against a kid with Vampire Counts. Honestly if he'd dared to do anything with his blood knights he would've killed me, my army wasn't too bad on the animosity/stupidity tests this game - only my trolls failed to do any damage to his Grave Guard when they charged and we got stuck in a combat that took all game. It ended in a draw.

Second game against Michael's Dark Elves. I thought I had this game in the bag after my fanatics killed four dark riders and then four cold one riders, and I had his hydra in fleeing in charge range of both my general + trolls and my wolf riders with 1 hit Wonda big boss. Well the trolls failed their stupidity roll (I forgot about moving up 3" but I think they were outta range anyways) and then my Wonda big boss hit 3 times (at S10) and I rolled triple 1's to wound. Turning point of the game and Mike's last couple cold one riders wiped out nearly the rest of my army while his Hydra took out the trolls and wolf riders.

Third game against Dave's Skaven. Dave had the abomination, and my army pretty much just failed to do what I needed at the right time (animosity, yay!). Had a very fun game against Dave, I think I had the most laughs from my armies ridiculous-ness out of any WHFB game I've had there yet. My spear chukkas were stars, one shooting a spear that pierced every rank of his clanrat unit (5 ranks!). Fanatics failed to do much and animosity struck with the Wonda big boss led wolf rider unit yet again (they squabbled at least 6 or 7 times that day - obviously the rest of the mob knew that big boss wrn't nuthin' spesul)

So.. a draw and two losses. Back to the drawing board with the list, since it's escalation and your armies are supposed to be painted (or at least progressing) I plan to stick with my foolhardy Orcs & Goblins and I'll get a win with them yet!

30 wargs, ready to paint.

I've been threatening to get started on these for a while now, with the new WHFB escalation league at Heavy Support Games, I've finally been motivated to hunker down.

30 wargs - cleaned, assembled, green stuff'd, glued to washer base, sand glued to base, primed.

I took 2 from each group and gave them light mists of both white & black primer.
I will take a further 2 from each group and give them drybrushes with which & black.
That will leave 2 grey for each group - hopefully removing some of the uniformity of the models.

glued to bases
sand glued to base
primed & misted
Two posts in a day :O Well I had a long hobby day yesterday so it's not unjustified.

WHFB escalation league @ HSG - week 1

Heavy Support Games started up their WHFB escalation league today. Started at 750 points, I brought my Orcs & Goblins, a large unit of night goblin archers, a large unit of orc big un's and a couple spear chukkas led by a night goblin shaman.

Got completely smoked!! First game was against a tzeentch daemon army, 30 flamers & 2 heralds. Game over by turn 3, and regardless it probably would've been over anyways, I failed every animosity test so my army stood there and got wasted. Second game was against Ogres. My fanatics caused some major damange, but I screwed up a rule and chose not to charge, pulling defeat from the jaws of a draw. Game three was against a lizardman army, a stegadon and a ton of skirmishing skinks. My shaman killed a ton of skinks, but then his regiment fled off the board, I even killed his stegadon, but his last unit of skinks kept circling and double-tapping my big un's.

On the plus side with all the spare time I had I finished up a couple handgunners for my mordheim talebheim warband. +2 painting points... woot!