Playing Styles

Dave has sent in a great article about Warhammer Fantasy play styles to the Warhammer Tactic's Library and I just had to put it here as well! Thanks Dave and keep up the great work!

Dave's Attempt at a Warhammer Article: Playing Styles In this article what I want to do is to try to illustrate the different approaches people have to playing warhammer. There are different ways of playing which require different attitudes towards the game, and I'd like to try to demonstrate the attitudes you need to play the different styles. With a bit of luck, this might expand the bounds of the Warhammer games we play; there is nothing like a bit of variety. Obviously, my experience is a little limited, but I think it is adequate for the points I want to make.


Enough of the into-ramble. Straight to the point then: I can see two main ways of playing warhammer. Given that I believe I'm making this catagorization for the first time, I'll take it on myself to name them: the Challenge Game and the Conventional Style. Of course these are not the only styles, but certainly in our own group they are the most popular styles played.

The Challenge Game: WHAT is the makeup of a warhammer army? There is a fair chance that it doesn't consist of serried ranks of infantry, masses of support troops, then smaller numbers of elite troops and war-machines. There is are two good reason for this; such an army will probably loose when pitted against an army consisting of elite troops and high powered characters,and such an army costs a lot of money and takes a bloody long time to paint. This has led to the rise of the Challenge Game, fought between elite forces and powerful characters. It is silly to think of this as a clash between fantasy armies representing the forces of nations or even small baronies; its not. It makes much more sense to think of games between high powered 'armies' as a Challenge between two very powerful individuals and their personal henchmen, body guards and men-at-arms. Such characters would be tactically smart and have to make the most powerful force possible with a fairly small budget (be this a monetary budget or a necromantic power budget...) Seen in this context, the Challenge Game actually makes sense. There is no doubt that a clash of titans can be very entertaining. Two units collide for the climatic combat, and you can smell the tension as both players (and spectators) know the game rests on a handfull of dice-rolls. I might also mention that a general mounted on a large monster makes a very impressive site. Of course, the game can often end in a whimper as one sides general, mage and elite unit are routed off the table by a total power card...oh well.

Army Selection: So what constitutes a Challenge game? From the point of view of what's in the force, it will usually be dominated by one or two powerfull characters.
Generals easily have 200pts of magic items; everyone has a fourth level mage (or fifth if allowed) who is often well equipped; powerful special characters are common. Usually the regiments will be drawn from the elite forces, who usually provide the best value-for-points. The characters (when not mounted on a monster) are included with the most powerful unit to make an almost unstoppable killing machine; almost unstoppable, because the one thing which can stand up to a force like this is, of course, the opponents equivalent! The rest of the army usually consists Mainly of relatively cheap, quirky models and items like Bad Moon Banner equiped goblins, Black Gem armed champions, Volley Guns or Bolt Throwers, Hearts of Woe etc. These are things with some special ability (eg ignore armour save) which can be very dangerous in the right situation (eg against Chaos knights).

Ethos: But a Challenge game is defined by more than just what's in the army. Speaking broadly, the Challenge game is characterised by an 'anything goes' attitude; if the rules allow it, go for it!! A Dark Elf General with the Sword of Teclis, a dwarf with the Crown of Sorcery - it doesn't matter if it doesn't fit with the established "feel" of the armies. If it helps you to win, do it!! Ten Repeater Bolt Throwers or five Volley Guns in a 2000 point army are quite acceptable if you have them (no guarantee that anyone will play you, of course).


Strategy: In a Challenge game, selection is the most critical aspect of strategy. That Frostblade won't do much good against a magical 1+ armour save; you need a Deathsword. But against a general with a Black Amulet, a Deathsword could kill your own general; something that does multiple wounds would be better. To generalize, there are four main ways to defeat the opponents power unit and characters: kill 'em, break 'em, scare 'em or fry 'em. You must decide what your opponent will try to do, and choose troops and items to defend agains it; equally, you must decide what defenses you opponent will have, and then either choose to use another method to fight them or else have enough power to overcome the defenses. Some examples: there's no point trying to blast an enemy general with Bright Magic if he has a Talisman of Obsidian; you can't break dwarven Slayer kings or scare frenzied Savage Orc Warlords. All said, there is actually not much you can't kill if you have a big enough sword. And some of those Citadel minatures come with VERY big swords....


Magic: I actually don't have much to say on this topic here, but I thought I'd better include it for completeness. The only real point is that both sides will include a wizard of the highest allowable level; if you don't, you get fried (normally). There are also a lot of increasingly cheap magic item/spell cards available, but these don't seem to get used much in 2000pt games. I might also note that I don't know what effect all the new Chronicles of War cards will have on Warhammer Magic. See section on magic below for more on that.


The Conventional Style NOT everyone fights a Challenge style game - nearly everone, maybe, but not everyone. Some people play games with ranks of normal infantry led by normal champions or heros, generals with under 100pts of magic items and no magical banners. And both side do the same. "What is this concept?!" you ask. Well, read on to find out about the Conventional Style.


Army Selection: What makes a Conventional Style army. Well, the first thing you'll notice is it might just classify as an army. Infantry and cavalry replace griffons and dragons. Generals might have 100 pts of magic items as about the maximum, in our games we often have fourth level mages but they are not usually "armed-up", and there's lots and lots of models. Characters are there to lead and support units, but they shouldn't dominate the game; they should be (at most) similar power to the units. And thats the other thing - there might not be heaps of rag-tag troops (although in some armies like Orcs and Goblins or Skaven there might be) but even in elite armies like elves there will be several similar-power combat units. These may only be led by a champion, and certainly they would be no match for a Challenge style unit, but in a Conventional game they become useful and dangerous. This is simply because there are other units of about the same power to fight, and enough of them that it actually makes a difference to VP counts. In a Challenge game you can kill all the sundry units, but it won't matter a jot if you loose the main fight.


Ethos: Conventional style is more than a way of army selection; its a state of mind. Does that sound profound or what? But its true; you can't lay down a set of selection restrictions and house rules and then say: "Right. Follow these and you will be playing a Conventional Game". Jervis Johnson is trying to do this for the Warhammer Tournament, but it won't work. To play a conventional game, both players have to have the Conventional Style attitude. They wont take anything which upsets the game balence, even if upsets it in their own favour. The game is fought mainly with regiments, and excess (like multitudes of Repeater Bolt Throwers) are definitely out. Special characters rarely make an appearence, as these usually have special abilities which take their power beyond the Conventional Style. Did I mention Nagash? In short, the aim is to have a good fight and a good laugh, NOT to win.


With a Conventional Style army, selection is not critical. Nearly any troops can be put to good use, even if its just decoy or harrassment. Magic item selection shouldn't matter very much; if it does you probably aren't playing true Conventional Style. Items and allies are taken to fit with the accepted feel of the army, and no-one will bring anything too powerful. Some measure of self restraint is necessary; what the rules say you can have and what you can take and keep to Conventional style are not the same, but as there are no rules to restrict you so you have to restrict yourself. For example, in my conventional games using Empire forces the Steam Tank usually stays on the shelf, one Volley Gun is all I ever want, the High Elves who come along to help me every game never borrow a Repeater Bolt Thrower and the Supreme Patriarch always stays in the box, regardless of how many Treemen my opponent might have.


To summerize, the Conventional Style army should be largely composed of conventional troops. For example, with Empire this means spearmen, swordsmen, and archers rather than Flagellants, ogres and Outriders. I DON'T mean by this that these special and elite troops should be left out of the Conventional game; in fact they will probably be a vital component in any army. What I DO mean is that these should be treated as special and elite, instead of being the norm as they are in a Challenge game.


Strategy and Tactics: Now to my favorite aspect of the Conventional Game; strategy and tactics. Unlike a Challenge Game where selection is the most important aspect, in a Conventional Game setup must be about the most important part. Your army will probably contain a variety of troop types, and so will your opponents. The trick is of course to set up your units opposite enemy units you think they can beat. For example: you don't want to place wardances against heavily armoured knights, but a treeman will do the job very well. Similarly, a unit of halberdiers might be able to break the treeman, or at least occupy him for a while, but wardances will slaughter the halberdiers. I think you get the idea.


Beyond setup, movement and timing are critical. You have to manouver troops to get into position to charge, shoot, flank or just plain avoid other units. This is the crux of the Conventional Style strategy; the aim is not to achieve victory by having the most potent combination of magical weapons, nor to achieve victory by having troops and characters which are better value-for-points than your opponent. The aim is to manouver your troops so that they can engage the enemy on their own terms. Charge with knights, defend with spearmen; in a Challenge Style game the specialities of the different troop types are usually overshadowed by the power of the characters in the units. Time your attacks so that you can attack in the flanks the next round; in a Conventional game the panic test and +1 to combat resolution actually mean something. See if you can get that unit of light cavalry behind the enemy lines, rather than just dumping a wyvery down on the war-machines. Setup and overall plan must include provision for lines of fire for missile troops and war-machines, and the positioning of the general and battle standard should be to maximize the use of their leadership rather than to maximize the damage they can do in combat.

Magic: One thing which I haven't mentioned yet is magic (of the wizard rather than item variety). To be honest, I haven't quite worked out how to best fit magic into the Conventional style game. But I have lots of ideas, some of which I'll share in the hope that they might spark inspiration in another player.

Firstly, powerful wizards don't really belong in a Conventional game. A powerful wizard can be more dangerous than a powerful general, especially if a higher level that all other wizards in the game. That said, I must add that powerful wizards usually cancel each other out, and they don't eclipse everything else in the process (except lower level wizards, of course). The main effect is often simply to use up lots of points and reduce the army size! Playing with lower level wizards does help to a degree, in that you have less spell customization (and more troops to use with the saved points), yet even low level mages can domainte. The problem comes in part from the Warhammer magic rules; a Flamestorm summoned by a level one wizard is every bit as destructive as one summoned by a wizard lord. You'd be amazed how much damage a Light Mage Champion can do given a free run; I was. In fact, if you play with level restrictions but spend the same number of points on wizards, you can actually make magic more powerful. This is because you get more spell cards, and can cast more effectively; how many times have you had to throw in power cards because your level four mage has no appropriate spells?
In a Conventional game magic should be used to assist the rest of the army; reduce numbers, stop units from moving in to attack flanks, protect from war-machines etc. Its not there to blast entire units (or armies) out of existence; this is what you do in a Chalenge game. The number of defensive spells is actually quite limited (I reckon we should make a few up), but some of the offensive spells are very deadly. Admittedly, in a Conventional game powerful offensive spells can loose some of their edge, because there isn't the concentration of points that there is in a Challenge game. Even so, a few suggestions if you find that magic has too great an effect; take out the Total Power card, take out the power three spells, play with magic level limits and mage number limits or take a few power cards out of the deck to increase the proportion of dispels.

Magic Ethos: All that said, there is another way to play magic in a Conventional game. This is a concept I like but have never devised a set of rules to enable me to play. The idea is that wizards fight wizards in magical duels across the battlefield. The victor then has a free reign to attack the units in the opponents army. I don't mean by this a character-on-character challenge, like in hand-to-hand combat, although I suppose you could do it that way. Actually....another time! What I mean is that, given the Rebound card, Destroy Spell Scrolls and cards and the plethora of items which came in Chronicles of War which VERY strongly discourage casting spells at other mages, the wizards seem to have very little choice but to play defensive or else vent thier anger on enemy units. If instead the wizards concentrated on each other for a while it might leave the rest of the army able to get on with life for a bit, and perhaps have some effect on the game. There is no need to provide inducements to kill enemy wizards; the advantages of having the only or highest level wizard are pretty obvious.
In the above scenario you have three or four wizards on either side, with levels appropriate for the size of the army. Hopefully they will have a variety of spells; Empire is the perfect example. They have to try to eliminate other wizards, while at the same time help the units in the army and try to inflict casualties on the enemy. I suspect the key points are to keep the number of power cards down below the number of useable spells, and to make wizards targetable. Then, as a player you have to compromise between slaying other mages, which will give you an advantage in the long-term, and attacking other units or defending your own. Do you have your Celestial wizard Lightning Bolt the enemy sorceress leading the spearmen or should you get your Light mage to the entrap the horsemen who are attacking your cannon? Or use the power cards to defend your general from those bloody Wardances? If you keep the winds of magic low, or increase the proportion of dispels, then this idea shouldn't really increase the influence of magic on the game. What I think it will do is introduce more decisions and more excitement than having a single level four wizard who each round will usually be restricted by range, power cards numbers, lines of sight and enemy defenses to a choice of one or two spells; a mage who can only effect one corner of the battlefield and only fight other wizards if he has a Total Power card. Perhaps I've been hanging out with Brettonial Quest Knights too long, but surely it makes more sense for wizards to be able to fight each other than forcing then to always target the most defensless units in the opposing army?

Conclusion: THAT's pretty much all I have to say, and I suspect it's a lot more than you actually wanted to read. I had wanted to include ideas on other styles (a Classical Style fought with only one magic item, custom-made, per side; a Wizardry Style fought almost entirely with mages), but I haven't played these styles yet. Not to mention that there are a multitude of shades-of-grey between the Challenge and Conventional style. But there are two last points I want to make.
Firstly, many gamers (drawn from a non-existent survey of our group, WD comments and a quick squiz at the Net) seem to think that there is a "correct" or "best" Warhammer style. Some people consider that, for example, powerful special characters should be left out of games, while other gamers use them every game and wonder how anyone can play otherwise! I don't believe there is a "correct" style; the style to play should be determined by personal preference and how you feel at the time. In short, gamers should play the style they enjoy.
The second point I have to make is this: I have outlined two styles of Warhammer, the two I have seen played the most. The Challenge style and the Conventional style are both valid, but they are NOT COMPATIBLE; I don't believe you can have one player Challenge style and the other Conventional. This is not because the Conventional style player will usually loose (although he propbably will), but because the etho's (ethii?) of the styles and attitudes of the players will clash. One player will think the other unreasonable and the other probably consider his opponent rather inept. From my own experience, you get the most enjoyment when both people are playing the same game.

Warhammer Fantasy New Releases!

Tymell over on Portent.net sends along this list of new Games Workshop releases. I can't wait till these come out!

January 1990
Chaos - Champions of Slaanesh
Dark Elves - Mounted Lord
Dark Elves - Mounted Hero
Dark Elves - Hero
Dark Elves - Crossbowmen
Dark Elves - Warriors
Dark Elves - Whelp Masters & Warhounds
Dwarfs - Troll Slayers

February 1990
Chaos - Beastmen of Khorne (JG & KA)
Chaos - Beastmen of Nurgle (BO)
Chaos - Beastmen of Tzeentch (BO)
Chaos - Beastmen of Slaanesh (JG & KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Chariot
Ogre Hero
Ogres
Dragon

March 1990
Orcs & Goblins - Goblins
Orcs & Goblins - Stikkas (Goblin Archers)
Orcs & Goblins - Fanatics
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Hero on Chariot
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Boyz
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Arrer Boyz

April 1990
Dark Elves - Cavalry
Dwarfs - Giant Slayers
Giant

May 1990
Chaos - Minotaur Lords (6)
Chaos - Bloodthirsters
Chaos - Keepers of Secrets
Dark Elves - Cold One Knights

June 1990
Chaos - Warriors
Chaos - Hero on Griffon
Chaos - Minotaurs
The Empire - Reiksgard
Cockatrice

July 1990
Undead - Skeletons
The Empire - Flagellants

August 1990
Orcs & Goblins - Warboss/Shaman on Wyvern
Orcs & Goblins - Giant Black Orcs
Dark Elves - Assassins
Chimera

September 1990
Bretonnians - Foot Knights (AP & MP)
Bretonnians - Archers (AP & MP)
Bretonnians - Retainers (AP & MP)
Bretonnians - Cavalry (AP & MP)
Chaos - Beastmen

October 1990
Chaos - Thugs

November 1990: The Lost and the Damned (RP & BA)
Chaos - Plaguebearers (KA)
Chaos - Nurglings (KA)
Chaos - Pink Horrors (KA)
Chaos - Blue Horrors (KA)

December 1990
Chaos - Knights
Dark Elves - Scouts

January 1991
Dwarfs - Norse Dwarfs (CD)
Undead - Skeletons (RE)

February 1991
Hydra

March 1991
Chaos - Beastmaster & Chaos Hounds

April 1991
Undead - Wights (2)
Undead - Liche
Undead - Vampire
Undead - Necromancer
Undead - Grim Reapers
Undead - Skeleton Warriors
Undead - Skeleton Archers

May 1991
Orcs & Goblins - Goblin Boss on Giant Spider
Orcs & Goblins - Goblin Shaman on Giant Spider

August 1991
Dwarfs - Ironbreakers
Dwarfs - Longbeards

September 1991
Elves - Elven Attack Chariot
Elves - Wardancers
Wood Elves - Warriors
Wood Elves - Archers

October 1991
Undead - Skeletons
Giant Ogres

November 1991: Terror in the Dark
Wood Elves - Treeman
Dwarfs - Hammerers

December 1991
The Empire - Imperial Hero on Pegasus (TM & AM)

January 1992
High Elves - Lord on Giant Eagle
Orcs & Goblins - Snotlings
Ogres (JG)

February 1992
The Empire - Command Group (AP & MP)
The Empire - Halberdiers (AP & MP)
The Empire - Footsoldiers (AP & MP)
Dwarfs - Clansmen
Dwarfs - Longbeards

March 1992
The Empire - Reiksguard
The Empire - Great Cannon
The Empire - Archers (AP & MP)
The Empire - Handgunners (AP & MP)
The Empire - Tilean Crossbowmen (AP & MP)
Chaos - Flamers of Tzeentch (KA)
Chaos - Minotaurs (CD)
Dwarfs - Command Group (AM & CD)

April 1992
The Empire - Ice Queen of Kislev (Tzarina Katarin) (AP & MP)
The Empire - Kislev Winged Lancers (AP & MP)
The Empire - Kislev Horse Archers (AP & MP)
The Empire - Reiksguard Knights (AP & MP)
The Empire - Mortar
The Empire - Imperial Dwarfs (AP & MP)
The Empire - Imperial Dwarf Commanders (AP & MP)
Elves - Cavalry (JG)
Dwarfs - Crossbowmen (AM & CD)

May 1992
The Empire - Imperial Halflings (AP & MP)
The Empire - Halfing Hot-Pot Catapult (AP & MP)
The Empire - War Wagon (AP & MP)
The Empire - Hellblaster Volley Gun (AP & NS)
The Empire - Battle Wizards (DA, AP & MP)
The Empire - Greatswords (DA, AP & MP)
The Empire - Knights of the White Wolf (DA, AP & MP)
High Elves - Dragonlord (AM & TM)
High Elves – Mage on Unicorn (TM)
Dwarfs – Thunderers (AM & CD)
Dwarfs - Command Group (AM & CD)
Dwarfs – Clansmen (AM & CD)

June 1992
Wood Elves - Treeman (TM)
Undead - Carrion (TM)

October 1992: Warhammer Fantasy 4th Edition
The Empire - Knights Panther Grand Master (AP & MP)
High Elves - Silver Helms (JG)
High Elves - Spearmen (JG)
High Elves - Archers (JG)
Orcs & Goblins - Goblins (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Goblin Doom Diver Catapult (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblins (KA)
The Empire - Ludwig Schwarzhelm (MP)
The Empire - Supreme Patriarch of Magic (MP)
The Empire - Captain of the Reiksguard (MP)
The Empire - Imperial Herald (MP)
The Empire - Steam Tank (NS & MP)

November 1992
High Elves - Repeater Bolt Thrower (JG)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblin Net Chuckas (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblin Clubbers (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblin Squig Herders (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Squigs (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Stone Trolls (3) (MP)
The Empire - Mounted Battle Wizards (4) (DA)

December 1992: Battle Magic
High Elves - Tyrion (JG)
High Elves - Teclis (JG)
Orcs & Goblins - Rock Lobber (KA & NS)

January 1993: The Empire (4th edition)
Orcs & Goblins - Forest Goblin Spider Riders (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Forest Goblins (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - River Trolls (MP)
Orcs & Goblins - Stone Trolls (3) (MP)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblin Squig Herders (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Squigs (KA)
The Empire - War Altar (MP)
The Empire - Boris Todbringer
The Empire - Marius Leitdorf
The Empire - Valmir von Raukov
The Empire - Aldebrand Ludenhof

February 1993: High Elves (4th edition) (ACh & BK)
High Elves - Eltharion on Stormwing (AM & TM)
High Elves - Command (AM & CD)
High Elves - Phoenix Guard (JG)
High Elves - Swordmasters (AM & CD)
High Elves - White Lions (AM & CD)
High Elves - Shadow Warriors (AM & CD)
High Elves - Tiranoc Chariot (JG & NS)
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Boyz (AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Arrer Boyz (AP)

March 1993
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Boyz (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Big 'uns (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Gorfang Rotgut (KA)

April 1993: Orcs & Goblins (4th edition) (RP) + Talisman Dragons
The Empire - Halberdiers
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Boyz/Arrer Boyz
Orcs & Goblins - Goblin Wolf Riders (CD)
High Elves - Pegasus Rider
Dwarfs - Thorgrim Grudgebearer (MP)
The Empire - Acolytes (DA)
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Shaman (AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Big Boss (AP)

May 1993
High Elves - Spearmen/Archers
Orcs & Goblins - Goblin Spearmen/Night Goblin Archers
Chaos Dwarfs - Warriors (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Blunderbusses (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Bull Centaurs (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Lord on Great Taurus (AP)
Ogres (MP)

June 1993: Dwarfs (4th edition) (RP & NS)
Dwarfs - Warriors
Dwarfs - Longbeards (AM & CD)
Dwarfs - Thunderers (AM & CD)
Dwarfs - Anvil of Doom (MP)
Dwarfs - Gotrek & Felix (MP)
The Empire - Emperor Karl Franz (TM & MP)
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Command (AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Arrer Boyz (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Bull Centaur Standard Bearer (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Rocket Launcher (MP & NS)
Chaos Dwarfs - Earthshaker Cannon (AP)

July 1993
High Elves - Reaver Knights (AM)
Chaos Dwarfs - Sorcerer on Lammasu (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Hobgoblin Warriors (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Hobgoblin Archers (AP)
Dwarfs - Crossbowmen (AM & CD)
Dwarfs - Flame Cannon (MP & NS)

August 1993
Chaos Dwarfs - Hobgoblin Wolf Riders (AP)
High Elves - Dragon Princes (JG)
Dwarfs - Josef Bugman (MP)
Dwarfs - Bugman's Rangers (MP)
Dwarfs - Gyrocopter (NS & MP)

September 1993
Orcs & Goblins - Grom the Paunch (KA & NS)
Orcs & Goblins - Squig Hoppers (KA)
Dwarfs - King Kazador (MP)
Dwarfs - Ungrim Ironfist (MP)
Skaven - Screaming Bell (JG & NS)
Chaos Dwarfs - Heroes (2) (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Sorcerer (AP)

October 1993
Dwarfs - Burlok Damminson (MP)
Dwarfs - Kragg the Grim (MP)
Dwarfs - Miners (CD)

December 1993: Skaven (4th edition) (ACh)
Skaven - Clanrats
Skaven - Stormvermin (CD)
Skaven - Plague Monks (CD)
Skaven - Plague Censer Bearers (CD)
Dwarfs - Slayers (AM)

January 1994
Skaven - Vermin Lord (MP)
Skaven - Warlord Queek (JG)
Skaven - Lord Skrolk (JG)
Skaven - Rat Ogres (MP)
Undead - Lich King's Chariot (Arkhan the Black) (GM)
Chaos Dwarfs - Hobgoblin Sneaky Gits (AP)
Chaos Dwarfs - Hobgoblin Bolt Thrower (AP & NS)

February 1994
Orcs & Goblins - Black Orcs (AP)
Undead - Mummies (GM)
Skaven - Ikit Claw (JG)
Skaven - Deathmaster Snikch (JG)
Skaven - Thanquol (MP & JG)
Skaven - Boneripper (MP & JG)
Skaven - Gutter Runners (JG & CD)
Skaven - Doomwheel (JG & NS)
Skaven - Packmasters (JG & CD)
Skaven - Giant Rats (TM)

March 1994
Chaos Dwarfs - Mounted Hobgoblin Hero (AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Skarsnik & Gobbla (KA)
Orcs & Goblins - Black Orc Command (AP)

April 1994
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Boar Boyz (AP)
Undead - Dieter Helsnicht (GM & TM)

May 1994: Undead (4th edition) (JJ & BK)
Undead - Skeleton Horsemen
Undead - Skeleton Chariot
Undead - Skeleton Command (GM)
Undead - Wights (CM)
Undead - Vampire Lord GM)
Undead - Necromancer (GM)
Undead - Zombies (GM)
Skaven - Plague Monk Command (CD)
Skaven - Stormvermin Command (CD)
Skaven - Poison Wind Globadiers (CD)

June 1994
Undead - Skeleton Horsemen (Black Knights) (GM)
Undead - Wraiths (GM)

July 1994: Talisman (3rd Edition)
Barbarian
Ranger
Minotaur
Goblin Fanatic
Warrior
Wizard
Wood Elf
Knight Templar
Swashbuckler
Dwarf Warrior
Chaos - Beastmen (MP)
Undead - Ghouls (GM)

August 1994: Chaos (4th edition) (RP)
Chaos - Beastmen
Chaos - Knights (MP)
Chaos - Beastmen Command (MP)
Chaos - Beastman Shaman (2) (MP)
Undead - Nagash (GM)
Undead - Zombie Dragon (TM & GM)
Undead - Necromancer (GM)
Skaven - Jezzail Team (CD)

September 1994: Dungeon of Doom
Druid
Shaman
High Priest
Fire Wizard
Undead - Mounted Necromancer (GM)
Orcs & Goblins - Morglum Necksnapper (AP)
Chaos - Dragon Ogres (MP)

October 1994
High Elves - Prince Imrik (TM & JG)
Chaos - Warriors (AM)
Chaos - Flesh Hounds (TM)

November 1994: City of Adventure
Witch Elf
Assassin
Halfling
Dragonslayer
Chaos - Warriors (DA)
Chaos - Bloodletters (AM & CD)
Chaos - Daemonettes (AM & CD)

December 1994: Chaos Dwarfs (4th edition)
Chaos Dwarfs - Warriors (AP)
Chaos - Sorcerers (2) (AM)
Chaos - Familiars

January 1995
Chaos - Scylla (AM)
Chaos - Flamers (AM)

February 1995: Arcane Magic
Orcs & Goblins - Black Orcs (AP)
Chaos - Plaguebearers (AM & CD)
Chaos - Mounted Daemonettes (AM)

March 1995
Undead - Heinrich Kemmler (GM)
Undead - Isabella Von Carstein (GM)
Undead - Vlad Von Carstein (GM)
Chaos - Aekold Helbrass (AM)
Chaos - Fiends of Slaanesh (TM)

April 1995: Warhammer Quest
Wizard
Barbarian
Dwarf
Elf
Giant Spiders
Giant Rats
Giant Bats
Snotlings
Undead - Ghost (GM)
Chaos - Beast of Nurgle (TM)

May 1995
Chaos Dwarfs - Astragoth (AP)
Skaven - Warpfire Thrower (CD)
Undead - Krell (GM)
Pit Fighter (GM)

June 1995: Dragon's Tower
Dragon King
Dark Elves - Spearmen (AM & CD)
Dark Elves - Crossbowmen (AM)
Orcs & Goblins - Azhag the Slaughterer (TM & GM)
The Empire - Wizards (6)
Dark Elves - Sorceress
Chaos - Sorcerer
Warrior Priest (GM)

July 1995: Dark Elves (4th edition) (JJ) + Lair of the Orc Lord
Dark Elves - Warriors (AM & CD)
Dark Elves - Command (AM & CD)
Dark Elves - Witch Elves (AM & CD)
Dark Elves - Cold One Knights (TM, AM & CD)
Dark Elves - Black Guard (AM)
Imperial Noble
Warlord Gorgut
Growler the Squig Hound
Gubbinz the Jester
Skabnoze
Bogoff the Snotling
Orc Big 'uns (3)

August 1995
Chaos - Arbaal the Undefeated (AM & TM)
Dark Elves - Harpies (AM & CD)
Dark Elves - Corsairs (AM)
Elf Ranger (JG)

September 1995
Dark Elves - Beastlord Rakarth (AM & TM)
Dark Elves - Cold One Command (TM, AM & CD)
Troll Slayer (AM)

October 1995
Dark Elves - Sorceress on Dark Pegasus (AM & TM)
Dark Elves - Lord on Cold One (AM & TM)
Dark Elves - Repeater Bolt Thrower (AM & NS)
Chaos Warrior (GM)

November 1995: Catacombs of Terror
Dwarfs - Troll Slayers (AM)
Dwarfs - Giant Slayers (AM)
Dwarfs - Dragon Slayer (AM)
Dwarfs - Daemon Slayer (AM)
Wardancer (JG)
The Dread King
Gunther Laranscheld
Luthor the Hunchback
Tomb Guardians (3)

December 1995
Dark Elves - Assassin (2) (AM)
Dark Elves - Sorcerer (AM)
Witch Hunter (GM)

February 1996
Chaos - Egrimm Van Horstmann (TM & AM)

March 1996
Skaven - Assassins (3) (CD)
Skaven - Warlocks (3) (CD)

April 1996
Wood Elves - Archers (AM)
Wood Elves - Dryads (TM)

May 1996: Wood Elves (4th edition) (NS)
Wood Elves - Wood Elves (AM)
Wood Elves - Command Group (AM)
Wood Elves/High Elves - Great Eagle (TM)
Wood Elves - Durthu the Treeman (TM)
Wood Elves - Wardancers (GM)
Wood Elves - Glade Guard (AM)

June 1996
Orcs & Goblins - Savage Orc Boar Boyz with Spears (AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Mounted Savage Orc Shaman (AP)
Wood Elves - Mounted Lord (GM & TM)
Wood Elves - Mounted Mage (GM & TM)
Wood Elves - Dragon (TM & GM)

July 1996
Wood Elves - Glade Riders (GM & TM)
Wood Elves - Warhawk Riders (GM & TM)

August 1996
Wood Elves - Glade Rider Musician (GM & TM)
Wood Elves - Glade Rider Standard Bearer (GM & TM)
Wood Elves - Waywatchers (GM)
Dwarfs - The White Dwarf (CD)

September 1996
Wood Elves - Orion (GM)

October 1996: Warhammer Fantasy 5th Edition
Bretonnians - Louen Leoncoeur (MP & TM)
Lizardmen - Saurus Command (AP)
Lizardmen - Saurus Warriors (AP)
Lizardmen - Skink Archers (AP)
Lizardmen - Skink Command (AP)
Lizardmen - Slann Mage-Priest (AP)

November 1996: Bretonnia (5th edition) (NS)
Bretonnians - Bowmen
Bretonnians - Knights Errant (MP)
Bretonnians - Knights of the Realm (MP)
Bretonnians - Le Fay Enchantress (MP & TM)
Wood Elves - Ariel (GM)

December 1996: Warhammer Magic
Bretonnians - Knights of the Realm (MP)
Bretonnians - Bertrand the Brigand (MP)
Bretonnians - Men-at-Arms (MP)

January 1997
Bretonnians - Knights of the Realm Command (AP/MP)
Bretonnians - Grail Knights (MP)
High Elves - Eldroth (GM)
High Elves - Fendar (Mounted Hero) (GM)
Dwarfs - Lord Drong (CD)
Dwarfs - Queen Helgar (CD)
Dwarfs - Cannon (CD & NS)
High Elves - Tethan (Mage) (GM)
Dwarfs - Hammerers (CD)
Dwarfs - Grung (CD)
Dwarfs - Miner Champion (CD)
Lizardmen - Skinks with Javelins (AP)

February 1997: Lizardmen (5th edition) (NS)
Lizardmen - Saurus Warriors (AP)
Lizardmen - Skinks (AP)
Lizardmen - Saurus’ with spears (AP)
Lizardmen - Lizard Swarm (TM)
Lizardmen - Kroxigors (AP)
Lizardmen - Temple Guard (AP)
Bretonnians - The Green Knight (MP)
Bretonnian - Bowmen (AP)
Dwarfs - Drunken Dwarfs (CD)
Dwarfs - Skag the Stealthy (CD)

March 1997
Orcs & Goblins - Goblin Chariot (BN & NS)
Bretonnians - Grail Knight Command (AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Big 'uns (BN)
Wood Elves - Skaw the Falconer (GM)
Chaos - Great Unclean One (TM)
Chaos - Nurglings (TM)
Dwarfs - Slayer Command (AM)
Bretonnians - Men-at-Arms with Halberds (MP)

April 1997
Orcs & Goblins - Mounted Orc Warboss (BN)
Orcs & Goblins - Boar Boyz (BN)
The Empire - Mounted General (AM)
Lizardmen - Stegadon (TM & AP)
Lizardmen - Salamander (TM & AP)
Lizardmen - Terradon (TM & AP)
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Shaman (BN)

May 1997: High Elves (5th edition)
High Elves - Ellyrian Reavers (GM)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblin Shaman (BN)
High Elves - Archers (GM)
The Empire - Mortar (NS & AP)
Dark Elves - Cauldron of Blood (AM & NS)
Bretonnians - Le Chevalier Ermite De Malmont (GM)

June 1997
High Elves - Silver Helms (GM)
High Elves - Ellyrian Reaver Command (GM)
High Elves - Archer Command Group (GM)
High Elves - Mage (GM)
Bretonnians - Repanse de Lyonesse (MP)
Bretonnians - Sorceresses (2) (BN)

July 1997
High Elves - Chariot (GM & NS)
Undead - Mounted Wights (AM)
Bretonnians - Mounted Squires (AP)
High Elves - White Lions (GM)
Undead - Mounted Vampire Lord (AM)
Undead - Mounted Wight Lord (AM)
Undead - Bat Swarm (TM)
Bretonnians - Grail Knight on foot (MP)
High Elves - Korhil (GM)
Undead - Banshee/Wraith Champion (AM)

August 1997
Undead - Mounted Wight Command (AM)
Bretonnians - Duke on Pegasus (AP & TM)
High Elves - High Elf Swordmasters (GM)

September 1997
Dwarfs - Organ Gun (NS & CD)
Dwarfs - Bolt Thrower (NS & CD)
High Elves - Everqueen & Maiden Guard (GM)
High Elves - Maiden Guard (GM)
Undead - Armoured Skeletons (AM)

October 1997
Bretonnians - Tristan le Troubador & Jules le Jongleur (MP)
Bretonnians - Baron Odo D’outremer (MP)
Bretonnians - Suliman le Saracen (MP)
Bretonnians - Questing Knight on foot (AP & MP)
Bretonnians - Knight of the Realm on foot (AP & MP)

November 1997
Bretonnians - Grail Knight Hero (AP)
Bretonnians - Questing Knight Hero (AP)
Bretonnians - Knight of the Realm Hero (AP)
Bretonnians - Questing Knights (AP)
Bretonnians - Squires (MP/AM)
Wood Elves - Sorceress (GM)
Wood Elves - Scouts (GM)

December 1997
Chaos - Warriors (AM & DA)
Bretonnians - Questing Knights (AP)
Chaos - Lord of Change (TM)
Wood Elves - Mage on Warhawk (GM & TM)

January 1998: Realm of Chaos (5th edition) (TP & RP)
Chaos - Mounted Lord (AM)
Chaos - Sorcerers (3) (AM)
Chaos - Beastlords (2) (MP)
Chaos - Ungors with Spears (AP)
Chaos - Minotaurs (TM)
Chaos - Daemon Prince (TM)
Chaos - Horrors of Tzeentch (TM)

February 1998
Chaos - Knights (DA)
Chaos - Marauders (DA)
Chaos - Champion (DA)
Chaos - Bestigors (MP)
Chaos - Beastmen Chariot (NS, TM & MP)
Chaos - Minotaur Lord (TM)
Chaos - Minotaurs with Great Weapons (TM)
Chaos - Minotaurs with Additional Hand Weapons (TM)
Chaos - Spawn (TM)

March 1998
Chaos - Ungor Skirmishers (AP)
Chaos - Minotaur Standard Bearer (TM)
Chaos - Marauders with Great Weapons (DA)
Chaos - Bloodthirster (TM)
Chaos - Bloodletter Command (AM & CD)

April 1998
Dark Elves - Dark Riders
Chaos - Chariot
High Elves - Mounted Mage
Dark Elves - Sorceress (CF)
High Elves - Lothern Seaguard
High Elves - Front Rank Spearmen
High Elves - Armoured Archers

May 1998: Champions of Chaos (5th edition) (TP)
Chaos - Arbaal the Undefeated (AM & TM)

June 1998
Chaos - Archaon (DA)
Chaos - Khazrak the One Eye (MP & TM)
Chaos - Hounds (TM)

July 1998
The Empire - Soldiers (AP & MP)
Chaos - Prince Azazel (TM)
Lizardmen - Serpent Swarms (TM)

August 1998: Warhammer Siege
Chaos - Halberdier Warriors
Chaos - Gorthor the Beastlord
High Elves - Hero (CF)

September 1998: Dogs of War (5th edition) (NS, RP & TP)
Dogs of War - Mercenary General (MP)
Dogs of War - Alcatani Fellowship (AP & MP)
Dogs of War - Galloper Guns (AP, MP & NS)
Dogs of War - Lucrezia Belladonna (CF)
Dogs of War - Beorg Bearstruck's Bearmen of Urslo (DA & TM)
Dogs of War - Asarnil the Dragonlord (CF & TM)
Dogs of War - Long Drong’s Slayer Pirates (CD)
Dogs of War - Marksmen of Miragliano (AP & MP)

October 1998
Undead - Skeleton Warriors (CD & AM)
Dogs of War - Golgfag’s Ogres (TM)
Dogs of War - Mydas the Mean (MP)
Dogs of War - The Birdmen of Catrazza (DA)
Dogs of War - Braganza’s Besiegers (AP)
Dogs of War - Leopard Company (MP)

November 1998
The Empire - Handgunners (AP & MP)
Dogs of War - Al Muktar’s Desert Dogs (MP)
Dogs of War - Borgio the Besieger (MP)
Dogs of War - Rico’s Republican Guard (AP)

December 1998
Dogs of War - Pirazzo’s Lost Legion (AP)
Dogs of War - Vespero’s Vendetta (MP)
Dogs of War - Voland’s Venators (MP)
Dogs of War - Lorenzo Lupo (AP)
Siege Tower

January 1999
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblins (AM & BN)
The Empire - Crossbowmen (AP & MP)
Orcs & Goblins - Doom Diver Catapult (BN & NS)
Orcs & Goblins - Night Goblin Fanatics (BN)

February 1999
Skaven - Clanrats (AM & CD)
Chaos - Keeper of Secrets (TM)
Dogs of War - Lumpin Croop’s Halflings (CD)
Skaven - Skavenslaves
Skaven - Warlord (CD)

March 1999
Dogs of War - Hobgoblin Wolfboyz (MP)
Chaos - Ghazak Khan (MP)
Chaos - Scyla Anfinngrim (TM)
Chaos - Dechala (TM)
Chaos - Plaguebearer Command (CD)
Chaos - Mounted Daemonette Command (TM, AM & CF)

April 1999
Lizardmen - Inxi-Huinzi (AP & TM)
Lizardmen - Oxayotl (AP)
Lizardmen - Tenehuini (AP)
Dogs of War - Tichi-Huichi’s Cold One Raiders (AP & TM)

May 1999
Dogs of War - Giants of Albion (TM)
Lizardmen - Skink Shaman
Dogs of War - Wilhelm & Johann (PM)

June 1999: Vampire Counts (5th edition) (TP & AC)
Vampire Counts - Blood Dragons (2) (CD)
Vampire Counts - Ghouls (PM)
Vampire Counts - Black Coach (PM & NS)
Vampire Counts - Spirit Hosts (TM)

July 1999
Vampire Counts - Zombies (MB & AM)
Vampire Counts - Dire Wolves (TM)
Vampire Counts - Melkhior the Ancient (TM)
Vampire Counts - Necrarchs (2) (TM)
Vampire Counts - Banshees (MP)
Vampire Counts - Fell Bats (TM)

August 1999
Vampire Counts - Manfred von Carstein (GM)
Vampire Counts - Wraiths (AP)

September 1999
Orcs & Goblins - Orc Boyz (AM, BN & MB)
Vampire Counts - Neferata (TM & CG)
Vampire Counts - Grave Guard (AP)

November 1999
Bretonnians - Mounted General

December 1999
Vampire Counts - Lahmian (SH)
Vampire Counts - Blood Dragons (3) (SH)

Warhammer Cheese!

Today we have a contribution from our Aussie friends at The Warhammer Shack... its the cheesiest combos in WarHammer! Thanks guys!!!1

*Warhammer Cheese*

Here is our Warhammer fantasy cheesy moves section. If you have any cheesy moves to share with us, then just email us with your name and the cheesy move and we'll put it up on this page.

Luke Good Get a Wood Elf Mage Level 3 or higher, equip him on a steed, give him the Book of Ashur and the Forbidden Rod, also give him the Amber Amulet. Now you have a Mage that can choose any magic spell type in the game and casts them all for free without any penalty. On a 4th level, give him the black amulet for protection.

The Gopher How’s this then, all of those suck - a vermin lord in a unit w/ the battle standard, 5 ranks deep, st, mus, chm, general, general has ruby chalice, skavenbrew, warpstone charm, oh and a lvl4 grey seer, the vermin lord starts w/ 8 attacks, doubled attacks and movement from the skavenbrew, so we now have a vermin lord w/ 16 attacks str8 and an 32" charge range, oh and he does d3 wounds and is a lvl 4 wizard, next, we death frenzy him to give him 32 attacks, and nothing can stop him, he always charges, there is no one thing in the game that can stop him by itself and you can have two of these in a 3000 pt battle.

Vincent Altadonna Here's a good one for ya! Equip the Chaos Dwarf Special Character Astragoth with the "always hits" sword (I think its 75 points) and then cast Flaming Fists (one of the Chaos Dwarf Spells). Now you have a sorceror lord with six attacks that automatically hit and do automatic D3 wounds! In simulated battles I took down every Greater Deamon except Khorne on the first turn!!

Dan I play against someone who plays Empire and always uses 4 hellblasters. The first time I played him, he fired all four at my general, killing him in one turn (over 600 points!). Luckily he had the heart of woe and blew up the guys whole army. Hellblasters are the big cheese.

Jason I have a 3000 point goblin army with 10 pump wagons, 10 level 1 shaman in chariots, 3 giants and a unit of wolf riders (so I can get the pump wagons). This is all led by a goblin general (usually Grom), with the crown of command and the black amulet, who sits in yet another chariot in the middle and hides while giving everyone leadership 10. This probably makes me the cheesiest man alive, but I never lose and I love it!!! Haaahaahaahaha!!!

Andorax The Cheese assortment: The Empire player who takes his full 25% War Machines... and then allies in 25% more Dwarven War Machines (Hellblasters and Organ Guns often).

Snotbog the Great A really cheesy thing to do, but quite effective is field a frenzied savage orc warlord mounted on a boar in a unit of boarboys with a savage orc shaman with hydra sword. That’s a 2+ save, and a possibility of 60 hits in hands to hand combat at S5!

Anonymous One more, I hate when Dwarven players decided that its cool to take their 140 point Lord and turn him into a 700 point, or more, army killer!!! I know its in the rules but "darn it all to heck" these guys and gals are just plain STINKY CHEESE ... does everything always have to be about the "W"!?!? 

Dan K All you need is a Vampire Lord with the Carstein Ring and the Heart of Woe. When he dies, he explodes in a 4" radius, str of 8+, usually 10. Then he comes to life again. Also a frenzied Savage Orc Warlord with either the Hydra Blade or the Blade of Darting Steel and a potion of strength.

Snotbog the Great I play orcs and goblins and I field a lot of night goblins to get the many advantages of fanatics. So it really annoyed me when I played against and empire friend and he fielded a Level 1 wizard with cloak of mists and shadows. That means he can’t inflict damage to me and I can’t inflict damage to him unless it’s magic. He then ran it past all my goblin regiments, releasing my fanatics very prematurely. A lot of fanatics came back at me and it basically wrecked my whole army. Very cheesy but I admit unbelievably effective.

Battle for Bremen's Run

This 1500 point battle report between the Dwarfs and the Empire comes from Volker over at Volker's Training Ground. Keep up the good work, Volker!

There’s gold in them there hills. Well, at least iron, but to the people of Bremen’s Run, with its dwindling fish stocks and recent invasions of pine beetles, that was as good as gold. Now, if only those stubborn Dwarves would withdraw their claim.

        Well, it was not my idea of an army boys, but the mining guild was paying me enough that I would take even rag-tag bunch they sent me. First were a small group of scouts from Bremen. Despite a generation away from the Steppes, these were still horsemen. Next came the guild representatives, each carrying one of those strange guns. I tell ye true, when they shot, a man could see naught but smoke and flames, but for all that, they rarely seemed to kill anything. 

        My own Winged Lancers would form the core of the army. Two groups of young nobles, hoping to claim a piece of the mine for themselves also rode with us. Last were five of the heavy laborers the guild employs, and a couple of wizards drawn by rumors of an unknown creature which supposedly inhabited a lake near the mountain. (7 Horse Archers, 4 Outriders plus champ, 14 Winged Lancers with standard-Dread Banner, plus champ and general-warhorse, lance, pistol heavy armor, 2X6 pistoliers, 5 ogres, 1st level and 2nd level wizard-on warhorses with lances and pistol, 1500 points, campaign rules me- 2 villages and a sacred grove, him- 2 villages and a treasure trove).

        It should have been easy. All we had to do get to our mountain, and put on a big enough show of force that the Stunties would decide it was not really worth attacking. However, as my friend Murphy says if something seems easy, you obviously don’t know what’s going on. Such was the case here. The damn Goldgathers were dug in and waiting for us. You know how the rock lovers are when they smell a profit, even the war-eagles cannot match their pace then.
        Attacking a Dwarf force which has had to time to prepare is almost always suicide, even more so with an army of light and medium cavalry, but the Guild ordered it, so we did. On my left were the Outriders and Ogres, moving through a small alley between a low rock wall, and a watch tower. One group of Pistoliers were in front of my Lances who advanced on the other side of the tower, beside us were the horse archers and the second group of pistoliers. From left to right, the Stunties had, a group of slayers who blocked the approach of the Ogres, the Dwarf general and his bodyguard, a strange device that sprouted gouts of flame, a goup of Crossbows on a hill, and a second group of Slayers at the base of the hill, blocking my advance. As it was already late afternoon, the battle would have to be decided quickly (4 turns were rolled).
        I gave the order to advance, but before we could move, the Horse Archers were destroyed by a volley of crossbow bolts, and the cursed cannon had covered my Lancers in flame. Seeing the Archers destroyed, both groups of the effeminate nobles (pistoliers) decided to flee. One fled the field completely , and the other moved so far away as to be unable to rejoin the battle. In response, the much lauded guns of the Guild managed to kill 2 Slayers, and the mage burned another with a ball of flame (my first ever successfully cast spell in a game of Warhammer-yeah!). Everything else advanced, but not quickly enough, and that cannon again sprouted flame. Together with the crossbows, it reaped a gory harvest, and of my lancers, only myself, the standard bearer and champion were left. The Outriders managed to make a lot of noise but not drop a single slayer (short range, no move, 2 hits, 0 wounds). The remnants of my lancers managed to reach the cannon and slay its crew, but the ogres were locked in against the slayers and nothing could be accomplished. At this point, I sounded the retreat as night was falling. (It was only the end of the 3rd turn, but I had nothing that could even charge the last turn, so the game was for all intents and purposes over.) (Though the final score was close, the game wasn’t) 

        Knowing that the Dwarves would push on to the village, I gathered the survivors and rushed back, hoping to catch the stunties in a Flank Attack. I personally rushed ahead to summon the militia (armies as above, the Ogres, and Pistoliers would form the flanking group).
        We caught the Stunties just coming out of the valley before the village. My winged lancers set up behind a hill on the west of the field, out of sight of his crossbows and flame cannon, behind them was the L1 wizard, beside him a small shed, then horse archers, L2 wizard, and the outriders. Halfway between the forces on the eastern side of the field was a watchtower connected by fences to a pair of houses. His slayers set up opposite my winged lancers, beside that in order were the hammerers, flame cannon, x-bows (again on a hill) and the slayers.
        Everything advanced. The Outriders taking up firing positions behind the fence. Here, I made a mistake. Misjudging the power of the Flame Cannon I order the wizard to break cover from behind the tower so he would have a site line to his target. When the Flame Cannon erupted, he along with 2 horse archers was destroyed. (Which lead to a question, if a wizard has cast a spell which remains in play, and then he dies, does the spell go away? Not that it mattered as I forgot the Outriders had Bless on them. AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!) Two more horse archers fell to crossbow bolts, somehow, they managed to hold. Then they are charged the Flame Cannon (and in the bottom of the 4th turn, finally killed the last crew member). The Outriders, managed to kill 3 dwarves all game, so they will no longer be mentioned. The Winged Lancers charged the Slayers and managed to kill 1 on the charge (Great! Probably would have helped to roll the horse attacks [I forgot them every time]). The hammerers tried to charge the Lances, but decide the Banner is just too dreadful and sat still. Then the ogres and pistoliers showed up. Things were looking good. The Lancers managed to finish off the slayers, then fled rather than be flank charged by the hammerers. The Ogres fail a charge against the crossbows, allowing the Dwarves a chance to reform. The Pistoliers move into position to flank charge the Hammerers, who turn to face them, exposing their flank to the winged lances. Here was my second mistake. Seeing the sun was setting (final turn) and feeling I needed to turn the battle around, the ogres charged the crossbows, the pistoliers and winged lances charged the hammerers. (This was a mistake, I have lost many models, [1 horse archer left, 2 outriders left] but only the 2nd level wizard was worth any points. I had killed the flame cannon and a unit of slayers, so I was winning by about 80 points, which would have been a cheap win, but my first win none the less). Instead, the ogres manage 1 wound (WS 3 hurts), break and run. The Pistoliers were cut down by a runic axe (master rune of swiftness, +1 attack, +1 str) which struck five times and killed 4 men. The lancers clipped a tree, throwing their own ranks into disorder, so they failed to kill a single hammerer and fled along with the pistoliers.(All I can say is Oooppps.) {The final score wasn’t close, but the game was, heck, as above I could actually have won [though it would have a really cheap and silly way to do so]) 

        The village of doomed and all we could do was retreat behind a line of watch towers (now occupied by wizards) which marked the old border. There will now be war. The Dwarves are angry that the Empire tried to take ‘their’ mountain. The villagers are upset about losing both their village and the mountain. Of course, since the Dwarves and Empire are both GOOD GUYS, we all know this is just some magic driven plot by a crazed, EVIL nercomancer to gain more subjects for himself.

Lessons Learned
1) Dwarves can shoot.
2) Light and Medium Cavalry can be easily shot to shyte.
3) A combination of points 1 and 2 equals a bad day for the cav army. (I
don’t think the army was that bad, just this was a bad match up for it.
I was actually expecting play against Undead.)
4) Mobility isn’t worth that much in short games or when the avenues of
approach are very clear (easy to concentrate fire on).
5) WS is an important stat regardless of what anyone says (WS 4 vs. WS3)
is a great advantage.
6) If you forget the advantages of your army, you are hooped. example-
Warhorses do have attacks.
7) I need more practice.

Wood Elf Tactics pt 1 by Rich

This article is submitted by Rich and was originally posted on the Athel Loren website. Go visit htose guys, they are great!

WOOD ELVES: What Kind of Army Is it?
From a general view, the WE army appeals to a player wishing to avoid direct combat, wishing to out manuever any enemy, who would rather focus on coordinated attacks than getting stuck in any battle for too long and who is comfortable with a lack of core blocks of offensive units and prefers multiple small units of special attack units all of which must act in unison. It is one of the most unconventional armies in WHFB.
STRENGTHS: Chariots with 4 horses (3crew), increased archery range, ability of calvery to charge repeatedly, treemen, wide variety of special characters, only flying calvery in game, waywatchers hide ability, great scouting potential, wierd and wonderful dances of wardancers and aspects of Dryads. THE ABSOLUTE BEST MANUEVEABILITY esp. . .in woods. Ariel!
WEAKNESSES: A very very fragile army, doomed if the enemy controls the flow of the battle! Lack of armor, high cost troops with low strength mean you will have few units that can really get stuck in with orcs, dwarfs or even knights for that matter. Strength 3 attacks save treemen (280 pts), dryads (35pts a piece) and of course calvery and chariots.
PICKING TERRAIN: Remember WE's always add an additional piece of terrain. There is a tendancy to always use the extra woods to hide scouts near the enemy. Think of all the possibilities. . .Your goal is to slow down your opponent and to make him guess what is coming. A well placed forest in deployment zone can have a general wondering what you are fielding until the glorious WE charge. Rivers are useful because they can take up to two turns to cross, leaving lots of time to arch arch arch. Buildings are always a plus, exp the one with the roof and battlements from CoW, that allows archery without fear of flying creatures. Remember that a forest can be a wonderful place to hide from flying death heroes on mega monsters. Give yourself a chance to combat when you are ready. Woods also now destroy the line of sight of mages!!!!!
DEPLOYMENT: The only question you should ask after deployment is can my opponent reasonable predict how the battle is going to unfold because of how or what I deployed? WE's need never to tip their hand this way. First, deploy whatever you can in woods so that the opponent will not know what you have fielded until YOU decide. Second, I tend to deploy wardancers behind and slightly off to the side of an attack unit. They can bound over and deal a devastating attack. Against armies without shooters, think of wardancers upfront. . .with fast moving chariots, glade riders etc behind. . ..Start the enemy day off with shadow coil followed next turn by a nice nice flank or read charge. Remember, you won't have rank bonuses often set up to deliver flank or rear charges for your main combat units. Scouts are interesting. . .I tend to field them behind enemy lines whenever possible because they can both attack the rear or pepper with arrows. I would field them in my own deployment zone with fast moving armies that field a large number of units . . . .If you don't shoot them down the first turn you are in trouble. SPREAD OUT in deployment. Your units are fast, have high leadership and don't need to present concetrated targets. Deploy so archery can be concentrated or can cover the vast track of the board. Remember flyers can not land in forests, protect as many archers as you can with this fact! Most mportantly, don't be afraid to run, esp through woods at your oppnent or away from him.

UNIT BY UNIT ANALYSIS:
CHARIOTS: WE charriots are phemoninal. 4 horses with attacks, 3 crewmen and sctyhed wheels. Yes, expensive but worth it against armies with knights. Most armies will not be able t shoot apart your charriots prior to their devastating charge. Take spears for the extra strength on impact.
GLADE RIDERS: Often misunderstood. . . .They are not good heavy calvery as their str 3 gets in the way. Their lack of armor suggests avoiding prolonged battles. They are at their best delivering crushing flank attacks, feign flighting while another unit engages and delivery another and another charge. You can also move frenzied troops back way away from the battle line by sneaking up on them, forcing the charge, then feigning flight BEFORE ANY combat, and just continuing untilt he frenzied troops play no role in the game!! Best used to lure frenzied troops into a woods and away from the crux of the battle, exp savage orcs with shamans . Bows on glade riders are usually not worth the points, unless their fast movement can take them close to an unprotected target that is screened. Think about adding a character on a unicorn. 4+ dispell for unit AND the character can't feign flight. Sound bad, nope, that means if the character does not flee you will be able to recharge the next turn!!
WARHAWK RIDERS: Flying Calvery at its Finest. Expensive and Fragile, they server the purpose of providing your characters with a unit for "look out sir rolls" of flyers that are calvery, so you can't just kill monster. Armed with bows they can pick apart witch elves, etc that hide behind armored troops. With spears they go warmachine picking. If bolstered by characters this unit can be amazing, otherwise, leave at home. One great use of the birds is to flank or rear attack!!! Only one model actually needs to fight the unit being flanked as warhawk riders are scirmishers. Be very careful not to get driven off or flee.
WARDANCERS: Amazing troops for a variety of special functions but definately not your main combat force! natch 4 dispel and dodge can be useful. Use 2 hand weapons. Uses: Great for taking out character models with no armor and relatively low toughness. 20 attacks with 5 even at str 3 on a single character in the front rank <10 wardancers using storm of blades> is frigtening. Shadow coil charges can set up enemy for devastating flank and rear charges that turn or next. Remember, enemy characters are in front rank, thus, shadow coiling into front rank and then attacking with treemen or dryads in flanks, rear will break most units and cause there to be a lot less casulties to you. Woven mist is amazing against low ld troops that stray too far from their general. Blades of Steel I tend to avoid unless charging a small unit. Remember str 3 attacks are not going to clear the front rank of most units, and with toughness 3 and no armor, after your attack you will be punished. Wardancer champions can be fabulous character assassins. With shadow coil ensuring they can charge and not be harmed and storm of blades, wardancer champions ensure that they can deliver the gem of gnar, three or four attacks of a weapon suited to destroying your opponent. Immune psychology with the right champion makes Wardancers perfect for harrassing the big herohammer models.
ARCHERS: Don't undervalue these guys for scouts. At 11 pts vs. 16 you get some bargain with BS 4 and a range of 36". Remember! short range is 18" that is simply amazing. Their ability to form tight regiments in close combat and use a magic standard are extremely useful. Think about a regiment with the banner of wraith. If you were bold enough to charge, you might face 20 shots!!!
GLADE GUARDS: For 9 pts you might be thinking they are expensive, BUT they truley are wonderful because of their high inititive. IF you can take the charge, round after round you will have good attacks. Still, these troops will move no mountains for you.
WAYWATCHERS: Best archers in game. Special Deployment, 4+ needed to shoot at, charge or cast at them, traps! BS 5 ensures plenty of hits. Remember traps only go off if the enemy unit is attempting to charge the waywatchers not just get through the woods. Hence, traps and their potential devastating results tend to keep enemy units from attacking the waywatchers at all. Hail of Doom Arrow is a nice item for the Unit's champion. Pipes of Doom is excellent against Bretonians. After all, charge them in the woods and face traps or accept they are knocking you off your horses turn after turn. 18pts is a bargain for these guys.
SCOUTS: Well, they are no waywatchers, but they can really control the tempo of the game. By deploying last, you can shoot, surprise the enemies flanks long enough so that the attacking troops break the unit or offer the enemy the choice, change direction and attack this threat or pursue crashing into the battleline head-on and assume the casulties from these dead eyes.
TREEMEN: 280pts a pop better make you think twice about fielding too many! Str 6 is good but not amazing, toughness 7 and the unmodifiable save really make the difference. Just pick weak st targets and maul them. Great for flanking as it has the wounds to destroy rank bonus. BEWARE OF FIRE. Low init and sucep to fire make this guy dangerous to play against war machines and casters. One of best uses against skaven is to destroy the bell, possibly doing that thng which dagames their eardrums and wipes out a good amount of their troops. Against chariots, I use the wardancers shadow coil with the treemen attacking next turn to tree wack the structure.
DRYADS: The real beef of the wood elf attack force. Str. 4 Toughness 4 2 attacks and 2 wounds is nice. So is a 5+ save vs magic and attacks. Aspect uses are self explanitory. I often like to use dryads as the force that attacks my enemy's front. Oak aspect gives WE's a rare toughness 5 or str 5 creature. Willow can be devastating esp on flank and rear attacks where there are no multiple attack characters. Dryads and wardancers coordinate nicely in making coordinated attacks. I only use the extra attack (birch aspect) on the charge if I think that will break my enemy.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS AND USES:
Orion: Lots of Attacks for a WE, lots of wounds, 4+ unmod save and dispel. Orion is perfectly suited to take out knights and large monsters. Throw the spear and watch knights drop. Solitary characters watch out. The horn of the Wild Hunt is wonderful at chewing up your opponent's dispells. After all, even a ld10 unit will get scared 1 of 6 times. With the flyers of the WE's you can count on that being lethal.
Ariel: WOW. Ariel has a 4+ unmod save and dispel. She can fly and thus can move around to make the best use of two of the most powerful mage items: acorns of oak of ages 12" diameter forest (get flyers,chariots, war machines etc caught up in the forest and they can't do anything!!!!) I once got Thanquel and his bell stuck in this forest. If they moved the bell would break and Thanquel would be stuck guarding a broken bell until the end of the game. Her wand allows you to cast one spell of hers (determined at begin of game) free of cost each of your magic phases. Combine this with her power to fly and you have a lot of 3 power spells coming your way. Her wine will restore her wounds assuring that if she does get a round of hard hth she can hold her own. Dart is fabulous against nasty mounts and gives Ariel a much better chance of living until she can cast some nasty spell at the mounted hero who decided to attack.
NAIETH: Buy her for her items. Rod allows Ariel to have one more power card besides her wand (better stock up on dispells). Othu for 15pts can make all the difference in getting the shots off you need to cause panic!
THALANDOR: A General/Mage perfect for small battles. His equipment makes it unlikely you will ever damage him but does little to help offensively. Nice that it is a spear and you get the +1 str when you charge. Very few normal hits will even get through the two layers of magical saves. Nice protection for the Eagle so Thalandor won't wind up on foot.
Lothlann: 5+ save 12" around is not a great save esp under the one save rule. Not bad though.
Durthu: Unmod 4+save. Sprites are fun so is this guys enormous st and toughness. FOr 90 pts though you could get a dragon with similar stats, more attacks and a breath weapon. I leave him at home.
WYHCHWETHYL: Wish I could take something besides that damn drum. Being able to pick opponent is great. You can get 4 str 4 attacks on a character fig every other round (Blades of Steel). Dance of Doom is devastating against such things as archers. Of course gettng wardancers to archers is a problem. Again, I'd use a normal wardancer champion and custom tailor the item he took to reflect my enemy.
Drycha: WOW for 60 pts 3 st 5 attacks with a 4+ save vs weapons, spells and magic weapons. With oak aspect she has almost the hitting power of a treeman. Her song is deadly against such things as giants.
Skaw: What an ASSASSIN. The falcons are wonderful at picking off enemy mages and in time will kill them. Also, Skaw is incredible at taking a charge. (2 st 4 and 3 str 3 attacks) all of which are first strike. Falcons ability to fight in hth is nice. Basially, skaw is used to peg enemy wizards or other unarmored threats. Ability to deploy with scouts guarantees that from round 1 he will be in range to have falcons pick off enemy's vulverable wizards and other unarmored characters.
I'm tired and I know this is not my best work but it is a start other parts on WE's to come. . . .
Sincerely, Rich

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