WHFB: DE Camp Bastion

The game starts with the Skaven juggernaut basically coming straight at me, with the all the sophistication of a rat on steroids. However, my plan to disrupt the deployment works, to my left flank, the plague monks and Rat Ogres are delayed crossing the river.

The Skaven fire a mortar at Mengil’s to defend the flank, but blow up destroying themselves and injuring a Rat Gore. Magical enhancement costs more Skaven, and by the end of Jim’s first turn, he has killed 6 skaven, a mortar team and done zero casualties to me.

On my right the pack of giant rates and the second unit of plague monks is distracted by the Dark Riders and veer off to attack them…only for the fast cavalry to do a quick sharp exit and deny that flank entirely. These two units of Skaven then make virtually no impact on the rest of the game.

In the centre a Mexican stand off ensues, with the Mexi-Skaven (naturally) breaking first and coming off worse. First I used the BladeWind spell on one Skaven unit causing 11 casualties (out of 50), then riddled them with bolts reducing them still further.

The Hydra does not get defeated in the first round of combat ! And proceeds to burn, bite and stomp them into paste.

Failed charges leave another unit of Skaven to a charge from my army general on Manticore and a nice friendly monster who wade in and despite the Skaven’s magically induced frenzy start turning them into so much mush. The Screaming Bells effect of always re-rolling failed leadership tests now works against Jim, and the slaves decide to tough it out, meaning the unit of Rat Ogres is now stuck behind them and subject to RXB fire with no way of getting into combat.

After being charged by the CoK, the other slave unit runs away, all the way to behind the Rat Ogres, exactly what Jim didn’t want. By now, I have taken zero casualties and wounds, whilst carving up two enemy units and starting to reduce other units.

Finally the Screaming Bell and clan rats charge into combat, fire of a magic spell which destroys the Hydra and 2 CoK – my first casualties of the game.

Due to time constraints, I go for an otherwise suicidal charge of the remaining 8 CoK into the Screaming Bell unit, take another casualty, but cause more damage and the combat is locked.

The second Plague Monk unit emerges from the ruins into a barrage of RXB fire from Mengil’s, 2 units of 10 RXBs, plus 10 Dark Riders.

The game ended here as I had to leave for an evening social event. At this point Jim had killed 3 CoK (inc Champion) and the Hydra. I had destroyed an entire unit of 50 slaves, seen off a second unit of 50 slaves (about half remained) and locked the Screaming Bell and Clan rats in combat, knocked over 15 Plague monks off and tied up his other units in the centre and right flanks.

We agreed on a draw as he did still have significant reserves on the table to bring to bear.

Conclusions

• Turning up with all your figures is a GREAT IDEA !!!!
• Disrupting the enemy deployment is a key starting point
• Feigning flank attacks with Fast Cavalry is a great way of keeping enemy units out of the battle for a few rounds
• The War Hydra remains a fearsome beastie in close combat, and the spits fire option is fun when you’re charged…8 shots if you’re lucky !
• The Kharibdyss is not a unit killer, it is more useful for large monsters and characters, but nonetheless remains a potent force in close combat
• Jim is of the opinion the Screaming Bell is a waste of time…and I agree it was an irritant nothing more
• My Dreadlord on Manticore (that I have started painting), needs pimping up
• I need to sit down and do some spreadsheet engineering in general to reflect all the rules changes in the army book and have stock characters and units again. Sigh, that’ll be fun…
• Bladewind, is a fun spell to throw at large units
• Access to the lore of Life and others brings in all sorts of buff spells, like Flesh to Stone that are useful to offset DE low T rating
• Oh, and I need to prepare thoroughly with military precision preparations for visits to The Cursed House.