Highland hospice event

 Normally I like to stay in my little bubble with my local game store being far enough out of my comfort zone but the chance to go to a larger event came up. Seeing this as an opportunity to get some more dwarfs painted up I decided to go and see how it went. This was the sixth event I've been to and what I've learned is that two-day events are too long and I'd probably prefer one fun game to three tournament games but I do enjoy my time there.

Here's what I brought.

King on Shieldbearers with Rune of Preservation, 2x Rune of Shielding, Rune of Parrying, Rune of Cleaving and Rune of Striking

Thane Battle Standard Bearer with Master Rune of Grungni and Master Rune of Gromril

Anvil of Doom

Runesmith with great weapon and Full plate armour

Engineer with great weapon and handgun with Rune of Accuracy and Rune of Rapid Fire

17 Longbeards with great weapons

20 Dwarf Warriors with shields

14 Rangers with shields and great weapons

Grudge Thrower Rune of Forging and reloading

Cannon with Rune of Forging

17 Ironbreakers with the Rune of Battle

16 Slayers with two hand weapons 

2 giant Slayers great weapons

Gyrocopter with clattergun 

Baggage cart 

Game 1 - Chaos Warriors 

The bulk of this army was made up of two knight blocks, 7 chosen and 9 regular, with two characters in each I can't remember the distribution. The chaos lord had the cackling blade for an extra D6 attacks, an exalted champion with a flail of wrecks for multiple wounds 2, a sorcerer lord and exalted sorcerer both with daemonology. There was also two blocks of ambushing marauder horsemen. Two dragon ogres, 12 warhounds and a gigantic chaos spawn. The whole army had mark of Nurgle.

I was expecting both knight units to change straight into my dwarf lines but the chosen knights went off to one side opposite my cannon letting me take out 3 of them before they made it into combat. The rangers and gyrocopter took out enough of the warhounds to force a panic test and having them flee off the board before turning to focus fire on the spawn.

At this point the bottom left corner became bit of a scrum. I'd turned the ironbreakers around to face the cannon and incoming knight block. Unfortunately the other unit of knights charged them in the flank however being ironbreakers they weren't that bothered. The longbeards took a bit of a beating and fled but the kings unit held up well. If I'd remembered his rules things would have went better but as it is all his knights, the exalted champion and one of the sorcerers died. At the end of the game the king was left fighting the remaining dragon ogre.

Both units of marauders came on the same turn. One unit got in a fight with the gyrocopter which lasted until the end of the game. The other came on to threaten my baggage train but the engineer and anvil made sure enough died that they weren't a threat. The grudge thrower kept missing the spawn but when it did manage a hit it did some damage. The slayers ended up fighting the remaining characters and while the unit was wiped out their death blows did alot of damage.

In the end the battle was a draw although the game ran on through lunch so my plans of going to the local cafe for breakfast were a bust. Having a can of coke and a breakfast bar from the car boot was a poor substitute. Bit of a shame as it was a beautiful day at the coast.

Game 2 - wood elves

I never got any pictures of the battle but found one of the army.

Glade lord on forest dragon 

Mounted spell singer

Waystalker with the sword of sorrows 

Three units (7, 5 ,5) of glade riders with true flight arrows

Two units of 6 wild riders

8 war dancers

2 beast packs of one hound 

Ten way watchers with swiftshiver shards

Two units of ten deep wood scouts with true flight arrows 

Not much to say about this one. The rangers did well taking out anything that went against them but the rest of my army had too little mobility and no fire power to really do anything. A special word has to go out to my engineer whose rifle, two shots hitting on two's and wounding on three's, killed about three elves all game. 

The longbeards grabbed an objective turn two and stayed there all game. The slayers tried to catch a unit of deep wood scouts before giving up and hunting down Orion. They did some damage but not enough even with death blows. 

At the end my kings unit was facing off against the dragon and Orion. I did try him out against the dragon but that never went well so he went against Orion who survived until the end. Again we were running out of time so played quickly through the last turn. It was a loss but the scores came out as 9-11 so I can't really complain about it.

My opponent in this game also went on to win the favourite opponent which was very well deserved.

Game 3 - lizardmen

This was the army I voted for best painted. I had been thinking of voting for a chaos army but getting to play against it I was able to see all the details that went into it. Beautiful looking army.

Skar veteran on carnosaur

Skink priest on ancient stegodon with engine of the gods

Slann mage priest

24 temple guard

18 saurus warriors 

3 units (15, 15, 12) of skink skirmishers with javelins

A bastiladon with solar engine

3 kroxigor

4 ripperdactyls

The left flank was held by the rangers. Facing them were two units of skinks, the kroxigor, the ripperdactyls and the skink stegodon providing magical support. The ripperdactyls charged in, I think due to a failed test, but with stand and shoot the rangers were able to do enough damage to cause them to flee. Unfortunately they were able to rally and once again charged into the rear of the rangers while the kroxigor charged the front.

As I'd come to expect the rangers were able to hold, strike back and win the combat. This time the ripperdactyls continued to flee off the board while the kroxigor got safely behind their skink bodyguards. The rangers remained here for the rest of the game taking shots at the remaining skinks however by the end of the game only two remained. The ironbreakers marched forwards eventuality charging the kroxigor (I think) then trying, and failing, a rear charge into the remaining skinks at the end of the game. The grudge thrower and cannon put everything they had into the stegadon who shrugged it all off. The only stand out achievement was the cannon taking out 6 skinks with grapeshot.

On the right flank the gyrocopter got into an ineffective shoot out with the last group of skinks. After losing 2 wounds with little done in return the gyro once again charged, won the combat and ran the skinks down. This seems to be the best way of using the gyrocopter. Now at a loose end I shot a few temple guard before noticing the slann was vulnerable. I flew over trying out a bombing run before shooting. I don't think any damage was done so I once again charged in. The slann lived but it helped slow down his casting, just wish I had thought of doing that sooner.

In the centre the kings unit mostly stayed back holding an objective. I was going to send them forward but a number of spells put a stop to that.

The slayers ran straight towards the bastiladon eventually killing it then taking on the temple guard. They lost every round of combat but thanks to being unbreakable they were only pushed back until they were against the longbeards.

If the rangers were the MVPs the longbeards were a close second. Moving forwards they were able to claim an objective and hold it through out the game. I was a little worried when they were charged by the carnosaur but the Thane challenged and after two rounds of combat he sent the beast running. I had an opportunity here to do something with the gyrocopter but I never noticed at the time and I don't know the rules well enough to know how things would work out.

Once again we ran out of time only getting 5 rounds in. I thought this one was a draw but some score checking must have happened and I ended up with a win. I possibly would have been better off ignoring the objectives in this one and charging forwards with the kings unit to kill as much as possible but it was great fun as it was.

Once all the scores had been added up, I came 10th out of 18 right in the middle where I like to be. I think if I had played my first game last I could have won. After learning how the slayers fight I think I would have been better off ignoring the spawn and focusing on the knights. Even if all they do is hold on until I could get a flank charge off. In my second match I don't know what I could have done differently, the wood elves were just too quick for me. I was just lucky the wild riders failed their leadership test to charge the iron breakers.

As always the rangers were fantastic in every game with the anvil coming a close second. It's spells are all really useful and it's ability to shut down the enemies magic can't be underestimated.

The real highlight though was winning best painted.

I'm more of a painter than a gamer, the best part of events is that it gives me the reason and focus to paint. While it feels like a long way to go for a game I think it was worth it. There will be more on next year, so if it fits in with my work and home schedule I'll definitely try to go. 

I should have a new army painted up by then so that will be good.

Thanks for reading.