Battle Report - Watchtower (Beastmen vs. Ogres)

This weekend sees the return to "normal" Warhammer after spending the last six months focusing on the ETC.

And what better way than a game against regular opponent Mike King. We decided on 2000 points and I put together an Ogre list not knowing what he'd bring - strong likelihood of Beasts or Lizards, lesser of his new High Elves. The list posted on Friday was amended - dropping a Firebelly to beef up the Maneater block.

We rolled up "The Watchtower" and got at it.

I won the roll for the Watchtower but chose not to put a unit in it. We then set up facing each other.

My right flank had the Ironguts - with all characters - and the Mournfang. Lurking behind the Watchtower are my unit of six Maneaters (ITP, Stubborn) that I felt had best chance to hold tower.

Mike's heavy hitters were a unit of Minotaurs with Doombull and Warbull BSB with them. I did not want the Doombull (ASF) getting into my Ironguts and I thought my Maneaters would have real problems too.

He also had a horde of Gor with Beastlord and three Bray-Shaman (two Shadow, one Beasts).

Mike pushed up his Mini-Bus on one side of the building and the horde on the other. I sent forward a Sabretusk to re-direct the Minos and the small Ogre unit to sit in front of the Horde. My Ironblaster decided to just be a chariot Turn 1.

On my far right, the Mournfang took out some Ungor and then reformed to threaten the centre.

At the start of Turn 2, Mike charged the Bull unit - who fled.

The Minos charged the Sabretusk....not surprisingly killing it. In the background you can see a blue die marking the (small) Comet I cast in Turn One. Over the next few turns the marker would grow to "5" belore the meteorite hit. Fortunately for all involved I rolled "3" on 2D6 for distance.

The Maneaters are lurking by the building, keeping a beady eye on the Minos.

Situation at the end of Mike's Turn 2. I'm left contemplating a charge into the front of the Horde - however Mike has successfully cast Wildform on them.

I decide not to charge the Horde but my Mournfang clear out the Ungor skirmishers and overrun into the flank. My Bull unit rallies.

Mike responds by charging his chariot into the flank and the Razorgor into the rear of the Mournfang. They hold.

Earlier in Mike's turn, I pop the Hellheart and promptly roll a "1" for distance - needing 2+

My Turn 3 sees the Ironguts and Ironblaster hit the front of the Horde. Mike still has Wildform up but I hex the Horde with Iceshard Blizzard. Out of shot another sabretusk ran up to annoy the Minos.

While the Mournfang were reduced to a single model, they saw off the Razorgor and Chariot. The combined wounds of the Guts plus Ironblaster reduced the ranks of the Horde so they weren't Steadfast and required "Snake Eyes" to hold. They rolled 1-3 and broke getting run down by the Ironblaster.

In the following turns the Minos killed the Sabretusk but in so doing moved further from the Tower. The second Razorgor faced off vs. the Ironblaster. The Comet hit - and did nothing - while the Maneaters took the opportunity at the start of Turn 5 to jump in the Tower.

When random game length ended it at the end of T5, the Maneaters held the Tower, the Razorgor and Ironblaster were still in combat and the Ironguts were coming around to try and stop the Mini-Bus assaulting the building.

So a win for the Ogres by virtue of the efforts of the two sabretusks to harry the Mini-Bus.

Nice way to ease back into "proper" Warhammer.