KOW Battlereport: Easterling Men vs Free Dwarves

Craig C was visiting Christchurch today, so we met up at the local wargames club for a Kings of War Game, his Easterling flavoured Kingdom's of Men army against my Free Dwarves.

Craig is organising the 'Oamaru Muster' Kings of War event in (suprisingly enough) Oamaru late June which I am looking forward to.

My Free Dwarf List was:

2 Ironclad Hordes with Mastiffs

2 Shieldbreaker Regiments with Mastiffs

2 Mastiff Packs with Mastiffs

2 Rangers (1 upgraded to Herneas's Elite Rangers)

3 Ironbreaker Cannons

Packmaster

Herneas the Hunter (using the newer Female ranger for him this game, so his sister Hernietta)

Bannick Kolearm

Craig's Easterling List was:

3 Knight Regiments

2 Mounted Scout Troops

1 Bowmen Regiment

1 Footguard Horde (Brew of Strength)

1 Giant

1 Allied Ogre Horde

General on Winged Beast

General on Horse

Wizard on Horse (Lightning Bolt, Boomstick)

The Game

Here's the deployment and Men have first turn. Scenario is Plunder with five objectives down the centreline. The middle and left objectives in photo below are worth 2 Victory Points each, and the other three 1 point each. Terrain generated from Epic Dwarf Map Pack as usual. 

Turn one both sides advance to gain tactical position, and exchange some fire, though nothing is wavered or destroyed. Three Dwarven Throwing Mastiffs and the Packmaster all target a Knight Regiment doing seven damage to it, but not enough to stop it.

My three Cannons all missed turn one, and turn two the Mounted Scouts ride down the first of them. However, the General on Winged Beast is killed by the two remaining cannon so that's a fair enough trade I think!

All three Knight Regiments charge home turn 2, destroying a Mastiff Pack, and doing 14 damage to the Ironclad Horde which nevertheless holds firm.

(Slight rules error here, I said the Knights had +1 Thunderous Charge here due to charging off the hill,  but checking the rules after the game I realised this only applies if the target is not on a hill - which the Dwarves were. This would not have changed the game as things turned out, but something to remember for next time!).

My Mastiff Pack wavers the Scout Troop opposite them with its Throwing Mastiff, and they pull back out of charge range.

In the centre my two regiments of Rangers and Hernietta fire volley after volley of deadly shots into the Foot Guard across from them. However, the Dwarven flanks start to cave in as Knights rout Ironclads on my left flank, and the Cannons are finished off by Scouts and the Giant on my right. I kill off one of the Knight Regiments, and damage another, but my left flank Mastiffs are run down by the Scouts in a lucky charge.

The Foot Guard routs from the Dwarven Ranger fire, and I advance in the centre to take the central objective with my Ironclad Horde. My Elite Rangers advance beside them towards the next objective, while the other Rangers prepare to sell their lives dearly to slow down the Giant and Ogres... Hernietta  takes on the Scouts by herself and wavers them.

My Shieldbreakers finish off another Knight Regiment but take nine damage as the last Knight regiment charges them, and whiff and only inflict only a single point to the Knights in return. My Packmaster is shot down by the Wizard and archery. Bannick and the Human General exchange blows but neither is able to gain an advantage.

Last turn!

On my left the Knights run down my Shieldbreakers, and on the right the Giant and Ogres rout my Rangers.  My turn, Hernietta routs the Scouts, and my Rangers contest the centre right objective with the Ogres.

Game fails to go to turn seven and so it is over! Men hold the left most objective for two points, and Dwarves hold the centre for two points. Other objectives are contested or not held so the game is a draw at 2 Victory Points each!

Conclusion

A fun close game which I was just able to save and turn into a draw, with Hernietta's wavering and then routing of the Scouts in the last two turns turning out to be crucial in stopping them running back to take the right side objective and victory. Nonetheless I think MVP's this game were probably the two Mounted Scout Troops for the Men, and Hernietta and Rangers for the Dwarves!

I did better with my Dwarves this time (their fifth game now!), by holding back, choosing better targets and planning ahead more carefully. Dwarves are an army one must have more patience with than the usual more aggressive armies I favour, which I guess suits their character well, if not my own! :)

Mistakes I made included that I should have scouted to the edge of the forest with my Rangers prior to my first turn in order to be in an optimum firing position from the start. Perhaps too I should have had a cannon on my left flank to help threaten units there, but the field of fire was limited which discouraged me from doing this, and maybe rightly so.

Edit: And Craig has added his own report here, check it out! :)