Friday 22 April 2011

Tactical Review: Massacre in the West Woods

MIKE:


You’ve got to love those dirty rat bastards.  Three times I have been installed as Skaven Commander and three times I have hammered the Empire into submission.

Luckily my tactics were spot on, the plague furnace flanked by two good units and the Gutter Runners employed no more that 12” from the Empire’s backline.  As soon as I had placed my scouts Tim was instantly worried, even though I couldn’t charge on the first turn I was able to move them within 6” to unleash the deadly throwing stars, meanwhile the deadly Plague Furnace creaked forward with the support of the Clan Rats and Storm Vermin. 

I had to risk the catastrophic effects of the deadly 13th spell at the end of turn two as things were getting away from me.  BANG 17 Greatswords dead, Tim’s tactics were left in ruins and I was left with picking of the remainder of his army.  Easy pickings for my mighty rats…..

TIM:

Well!
I do try with my Empire and this time I tried my hardest ever. And I feel that I did very well. I got the balance right on the combat troops and the shooting ones. Coupled with my wizards I got the whole army working together exceptionally well. Slowing down and cutting his Clanrats down to size while I routed his Stormvermin set me up for a lovely three unit charge on his main Plague Furnace unit.
Nothing here was bad. All of it was good and I don’t think anything was wrong with any of that.

As I said in the battle report, it was the Gutter Runners and the 13th spell that ruined it all.

These Gutter Runners have done me down several times in a row now and I need to come up with a viable counter-strategy just for them obviously. I guess a unit in place to strike back at them or slow them up.

There wasn’t much I could have done about the Thirteenth Spell. It was very luckily cast and basically ruined my carefully orchestrated three-unit charge.

So what would I have done differently?

I’d have moved my Wizards out of the overrun path of the Gutter Runners. I saw that coming but one round too late. They could then have engaged them with magic and seen them off (perhaps). This however still would have left the Clanrat unit out front unopposed.

I think there were too many characters needing power dice (which I’ve said before) and I would say too many characters. I need to paint up a lot more infantry. And I’d also like to experiment with detachments. Apparently these are the only way to go with Empire.

We’ll see.

Meanwhile I’m going to pat myself on the back. I’m not there yet but my tactics here were a hundred times better than in previous game.

One day soon I’ll start winning… You’ll see.

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