24-10-06 Vs Skaven, 2k battle, Dwaves Lose.

24-10-06 Vs Skaven, 2k battle, Dwaves Lose.

Bugman's Brewery thread about this battle and how bad I suck :P

Before you say anything about the following dwarf army list, I keep reading on bugmans-brewery that Dwarves win by Static Combat Resolution(& staying alive).
I wanted to test this, and so took an army of warriors with shields.
I understand it is not a completely balanced army.
I was aiming for more troops, to give me flanking units to win by static CR with flankers (failed to flank anything unfortunately).
This is from memory and photos, so I may well have misorderd the photos or gotten some details wrong.

Vs Dave's Undead (Win)

As the Dwarves inexorable advance continued, crushing zombie and skeleton alike 'neath nail shod boot, Morbius began to panic.
"Melkhior, Malthiun! invocate faster dammit!", screamed Morbius.
Melkhior began to feel faint with the sheer effort of invocating so many, but those damn dwarves just kept coming!
How he wished Morbius hadn't purposefully given the wrong directions to Vampyre Stephane, who was likely 30 miles east at the moment. Stephane would have shown those pesky dwarves.

UnTested Tactics

1. Long Beards kick ass. WS5, give Great Weapons = S6.
   Warriors with GW kick ass too, WS4, S5. How much cheaper than LongBeards?
   Any GreatWeapon unit should have a Thane with a Master Rune of Swiftness (Always hits first).
   
   
2. Oath stones make good anchors. Middle of the line takes oath stone. Runs in front of army & engages enemy. Can survive flank charges, hold up 2-3 units, then your army flanks charges the flankers.
   Possible use of Anvil, give extra movement phase to get your OathStone unit ahead of your army line and hold enemy (Iron Breakers would be perfect).
   
   
3. Don't hide characters behind a combat unit. That unit may flee & pursuers smack into your character.
   Flipside is: if the character can hold his own for a round of combat (not die) even if he loses CR and flees, your first unit should have rallied and pursuers should smack into them.
   This leap frogging saves fleeing units from death by persuit.
   Characters can flank charge enemy unit next turn if main unit wins CR and doedsn't flee. (Can wheel in mid charge?)
   

Lessons Learned

Lessons:

1. Always take lots of anti-magic vs Undead
   (Battle Banner + Rune of Valaya, RuneSmith+Talismanic Rune of Balance, RuneLord).
   Being outmagiced is not nice, giving enemy extra movement & combat phases.
2. Combat Resolution (CR) is damned important, especially when facing a fear causing enemy.
   CR loss & outnumber = you flee automatically.
   Counters:
   
   • bloody large units and never get charged in the flank (lose rank bonus).
   • Oath Stone to retain rank bonus even if flank charged.
   • Banner Rune: Immunity to Fear & Terror (30pts)
   • Banner Rune: +1CR to unit
   • Battle Banner Rune: +1CR to all units in 12"
3. Always equip characters with a magic weapon, even if it is cheapest possible (5pt Rune of Fire). Your characters can then hit ethereal beings/magic armour.
4. Take oath stones on units in flank, if the flank is weak.

Vs Dave's Undead (Loss)

T'was close enough.
I got shafted by an extra unit of etereal ghosts which kept flanking units, and the Dance Macabre/Hellish Vigour spells which gave units an extra move/combat phase that turn.

Battle Listing

Vs:

• [loss] - Paul's Skaven (see battle report for 24/10/06)
  
• [loss] - Paul's Skaven
• [win] - Paul's Skaven
• [loss] - Paul's Skaven
• [win] - Dave's Undead
• [loss] - Dave's Undead
• [win] - Dave's Chaos
• [win] - Vic's Dark Elves
• [loss] - Paul's Skaven
• [loss] - JK's Tomb Kings
• [win] - Bob's Ork & Goblin
• [loss] - Noel's High Elves
• [loss] - Paul's Skaven
  
• [loss] - Dave's Undead