Woodies Update

Yo!

Woodies update: I've been busy painting away and making movement trays. In terms of "new purchases" I have only just today bought 5 Sisters of the Thorn and I have 6 more of the old school Wildriders on the way.

Anywho - my finished Glade Riders:

Looking very cool and stuff. 2x5 with Hagbane arrows seems like a good idea to me (I've got my first game on Saturday vs WoC so I'll guess I'll find out...)

Deepwood Scouts:

3x6 Scouts...a very thin 288pts when equipped with Trueflight arrows, I'm no fan of the "new" Glade Guard, especially when I have the option of deploying my shooting exactly where I need it. Scouts and Waywatchers FTW. I've now got my 20 Waywatchers ready to go...I just need to get some skirmish trays for them. I'm not convinced 2x10 Waywatchers is the best option given the price...but I can see the argument for 2x7 or 8 to keep the price down and still keep the effectiveness.

Mages:

A new paint job for the top mage, and FINALLY got around to finishing the conversion for the other mage that I bought when Storm of Magic first came out! I'm thinking 3 Mages (1 lvl4 Heavens, 2 lvl1 beasts) gives the army the tactical flexibility to do what it needs to do (and isn't relying on 6 dicing withering so the 50+ Glade Guard can kill something). Of course my mantra is to always only use what I have, so I'll be bringing the Sisters of the Thorn into action once they are painted. Not convinced that the poorman's brolock character bus is the best idea, but I see the appeal of them.

So That's that. I'll battle report up the game and hopefully I wont get smashed by t5 chariots...

Horned Rat 2014 Battle reports

Yo

Weekend just been was my first ETC event...well ETC comp (including table set up) as a singles event.

I decided to rock the Empire:

Grand Templar Master:  Runefang, Charmed Shield, Dragonbane Gem, Potion of Speed
Lvl4 life: steed, Crown of Command, mr(3)
BSB: steed, 1+ armour, lance, White Cloak
Captain of the Empire: 1+ armour, lance, Other Trickster's Shard
Lvl1 fire: steed, scroll
13 Inner Circle Knights: Full Command, banner of Discipline
5 Knights: Musician
5 Knights: Musician
Cannon
Cannon
4 Demigryph Knights: Musician
Steam Tank
Hurricanum

Very exciting list. Knight Bus, Demis and Stank hold most of the points. I got the usual Pete Prediction of Death and set about disappointing him.

Game 1 vs Mike King's Beastmen.

Very exciting first game due to the list.
choppy lord on foot with armour and the brass cleaver
Choppy Doombull
Choppy BSB
2 lvl2's - beasts and shadow
3x5 ungor bow thingies
5 million Gors with Totem of Rust
2 Pumbas
2 chariots
5 super rallying harpies
8 minotaurs: FC
Gorgon (yes, you read that right)

we deployed and stuff - and then Mike tells me that in ETC if a unit has ambush it has BRB Ambush = the 5 million Gors were coming up behind me...sigh

Anywho I moved forward and stuff...killed a couple of minos with dwellers, cannoned stuff

I then got lucky with t2 Dwellers picking off the Choppy Doombull lord character and the unit champ. This then drew them into the Demis who beat them up over 2 rounds of combat. Meanwhile...

and Amber spear picks off my Hurricanum. I turn the lance around and get charged...

Grandmaster and the Beastman General get stuck in an epic challenge which I win. Knights did not need to make use of their stubborn even though I had no static res and the gors were wildformed. In my turn it is rather obvious what happens and the Gors are taken off.

The Gorgon meanwhile spent his time beating up a unit of knights t6 I pinned down on the bus and Runefanged it to the face.

Result: 20-0 to start the event. Dwellers and Runefang FTW.

Game 2 vs' Tim Joss's Dark Elves

2 1/2 hours of stuff running around me (and forgetting to take pics). Only time my Stank died...3 RBT's doing 3 wounds each in a single round would do that! I eventually pinned down the 25 xbow guys and runefanged them to bits (the other stuff helped too). Also picked up the RBT's and got super unlucky to not get the shades (needed a 7 to run them down from a flee...rolled a 6 with swift-striding knights sigh).

Result 9-11 loss...the difference in not catching the shades

Game 3 vs Ryan Lister's WoC

Another interesting list that was going to cause me problems...
lvl4 tzeentch on disc with the defensive stuff
unkillable BSB on dmount
Babysitter exhalted on dmount
block of  slaanesh warriors
2 slaanesh chariots
3 units of vanguarding doggies
8 Trollololololololols
4 skullcrushers hellcannon

I sat back, killed the babysitter with cannons and braced myself for impact...

And the lance formation meant I was stopped from helping. I was in the flank, but could not wheel past the cannon off to its right. Meant I had to swift reform into a "normal" bus and wear another round of vomit on the stank. That awkward turn of waiting was the turn the Skullcrushers (1 had been cannoned off) charged my Demis (who had the hurricanum nearby). I take 1 wound from the riders and give 5 wounds in return and shrug of the mounts. They break and I fail to run down. repeat this THREE MORE TIMES before I eventually catch them.

So I finally get my supporting flank charge on the trolls, casually dweller off the general (like a boss) and smash up the now ldship 2 trolls and run them down. Big game swing there as my bus re-lances and goes after the hellcannon. I would say I Runefanged it off...except the grandmaster was too busy runfanging the crew leaving the heavy work to the captains and other knights. Hurricanum also saw combat charging and killing some doggies!

Result: 18-2 win. End of day 1 I'm on a comfortable 47pts

Game 4 vs Hugh Dixon's Dwarfs

First game vs the new Dwarf book and the list is as exciting as I expected it to be.

2 runesmiths with spelleaters
BSB wiht the 4+ward, all  dwarf things within 12 get 5+ ward vs shooting and magic missiles
Horde of Warriors with GW
20 Quarellers with GW
big block of hammers with the "give stubborn to units within 12" banner
2 gyros
2 cannons - runed up
Organgun - runed up
5 rangers

we deploy and I opt to deploy the knights normally because I knew I needed to maximise attacks to break through the stubborn.

I move up using the building to shield my approach. The "cannon-off" was a fluff fest. My cannons died to gyros, but I took out a dwarf cannon in the process! My target was the crossbows (stank - distracted running over a gyro and misfiring for a bit) and the warriors (bus and demis).

Rule 1 of fighting dwarfs: dont let the artillery kill too much  (used terrain to mask approach)
Rule 2 of fighting dwarfs: don't do it on their terms...

So I set up the bus to take the charge that would draw them away from the stubborn banner.Warriors charge, I win the combat, Demis flank in and I wreak face - enough to get them out of the stubborn banner range. They break and run...11 inches and pop through the Hammerers sigh. 0vps for me (cost me the OTS captain). Meanwhile I get the Stank into the crossbows (well, I miss by 1 inch and they charge me). In flank the Demis who kill them all... BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!!

Result: 10-10 thanks to super fleeing warriors.

Game 5 vs Pete Dunn's Skaven

Same table as the last 2 games...This game was very much mine to pick off the sneaky 11-9/12-8 and some really annoying bad luck cost me the win.

1) I was sloppy with the BSB placement at deployment because nothing could see my stuff...except the indirect firing rat-a-pult that kills 2 knights and the unit flees of the board...
2) IF dwellers on bell and Strength test passed (grrr)
3) 3rd cannon hit and the seer finally dies and bell takes 2 wounds
4) sticking my nose out to the dweller (or not) the seer gave the magic missile battery/doomrocket a chance on the bus. hopeless armoursaves and wardsaves later I need to re-grow 1 knight to get my unit above 25%. 3 magic phases of 5 dicing re-growth and I couldnt do it :( Oddly with ETC comp I was wanting fewer dice...instead Pete got 6+ dispel dice for the last 3 turns grrr.

Though the warplightning cannon did explode (allowing me to stick my nose out...) and I picked off the Hellpit with fireballs and cannons (yay!).

The Skaven "advance" t6

My (successful) "anti gutter runner" tactic

Result: 10-10

Overall

Overall I ended up on 67 battle points and got a 30 for my paint score (need to flock my movement trays and drybrush the black metal with something to give it some shape and get better at convincing TO's that my carry tray is actually a display board).

This of course gave me 4th place...0.03 overall points short of Tim in 3rd. Sigh. As usual looking over the games there were easy places for the extra points:
1) catching the shades
2) catching the dwarf warriors
3) not sticking my nose out and placing my BSB to cover everything.

As usual a well run fun event. ETC isn't that bad...though always playing battleline does get a little repetitive and some of the rule changes are annoying but not fun destroying.

Oh well...first solo event of 2014 so I'm happy with 4th. Next event is Panzershriek where I get to have some more ETC games. Hopefully I'll have my Woodies all ready for that :D

Unpacking the Woodies - stocktake and review

Hey hey hey,

So back from an Awesome Joel-con where I came 5th despite only losing 1 game (random lore meant I rolled shadow vs High Elves...) - heck I even beat my own army using Lizards (first time ever) and beat Nick Hoen (meaning next year's NZTC team name will be "The team with the guy who beat Nick Hoen by 186vps"). Event was ranked purely on the amount of VP's you claimed each game. VERY COOL way of doing it - especially for small events. Really changes the dynamic of the game as you have to keep pushing for points.

Best Moment: rolling Death game 1 vs Gregs Ogres. T2 Purple Sun his bus...BSB + 6 guts die. Panic test failed = remaining 2 and lvl4flee back through the vortex and all die! Chikka boom!

My list for the Joel-Con 
Lvl4 (random lore)
Archlector: HA, GW, 4+ ward, skavenslayer helm
BSB: 2+ armoursave, warriorbane
2x engineer
Captasus with sword of might and dragonhelm
34 Halberds: FC - 6 archer detach
2x5 knights: M
4 Demis: M, SB
Stank
Helblaster
Helblaster
2000ish points

Anywho: Wood Elves 

My first army started in the deep dark days of 2006. I have periodically used them throughout 8th - at least once every 3 months. I took them to an event, lent them out for 2 events (wrote the lists) and almost took them to the Warhammer Achievements event that was cancelled due to numbers (sadly).

What this means is that my Woodie army has been kept "up to date" and some of the painting has been refreshed...and some of it hasn't!

So my review of the Woodie book is by way of a Stock Take of my army:

Mounted Mage and BSB

By some chance of luck back in 7th I used to run 2 lvl2's on steeds and would deepwood sphere "bomb" people for fun. Now they have been dug out and will make a very nice mounted lvl4 mage and BSB - which seem to be the "obvious" way to run them given the bunker options.

Painting: needs re-basing and slight modification to new paint scheme

Waywatchers and Waystalkers

Can't see myself ever fielding less than 2x10 TBH. Digging these guys out I have 10 painted to current standards and can field another 12 (including a rank filler). The best thing about the last armybook update was the wealth of character models they released. New Armybook = look at all the Waystalkers! (rules query - if scouted they HAVE to be deployed by themselves due to the order (unless meeting engagement or dawn attack)???

Painting: 10 done, 10 to be updated, Waystalkers to be updated.

Glade Riders

The awkward stepchild of the old book. I used them when I first started playing (due to them coming in the battalion box set) and by some stroke of luck the Achievements event meant that fielding 2x5 fo these guys with full command was a really good option - meaning I have 10 ready to go! I dont love ambush, but in the context of the army I think 2x5 with poison is a solid investment.

Painting: removing the obvious command means only 2 need to be updated.

Eagle Dude and warhawks

Win the award for "survived storage the worst". Not touched since 7th. I used to run 4, but ripped the rider off one to make an eagle rider for a list I wrote for Vermintide 2012. Both options I think are "better" than the old book - warhawks especially...however the lack of dropping "something"/fly over attack really annoys me. KB on the charge is cool...but not 135pts thrown away on a chance cool.

Painting: warhawks to be updated if I ever field them.

Drycha and Orion

Yeah they are cool I guess. I really like Orion's new rules...not his cost! Dumbest thing about them is that I have the Ariel model around here and she failed to get new rules...sexism if you ask me.

Painting: Drycha to be updated, Orion needs his crown glued back on and Ariel will continue to be a shelf ornament fairy.

DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE DRAGONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously I do. Forest dragon is STILL officially on 50mmx50mm = awesome = I'll be buying the Black Dragon (mounting on 50x50mm) so I can run DOUBLE DRAGON! OMG that alone made the armybook delay worth the wait.

Painting: Sisters need to be assembled and painted...black dragon needs to be purchased and painted ASAP. Current dragon needs re-basing.

Eternal Guard

HA MY LONG TERM INVESTMENT IN 40 OF THESE GUYS PAID OFF...kinda. I absolutely love the new models...but not as much as the old metal ones. I think they are the best core choice in the new book because they offer that something that nothing else does - an anvil + they are the only unit that really takes advantage of the Forest Stalker rule. Avoidance armies only work if there is something for the opponent to focus on. It used to be the Treemen (HA!). Ws5, ASF i5 ldship 9 stubborn anvil that strikes in extra rank, re-rolling 1's to wound (poison due to venom thicket) with 5+ as for 12ppm on a core choice = amazing. 30 with full command are looking like a staple for me.

Painting: haven't really seen the table since 7th = need re-basing and the cloaks changed to new scheme + glue standard bearer back together!

Wardancers/Shadowdancer

New breath of life for these guys. s3 sucks, but remove rank bonus and ASF KB is awesome! Really "synergise" with the Eternal Guard anvil in the venom thicket "tactic"...Shadowdancer or separate unit? I prefer the unit due to cost, but I think the Shadowdancer in the Eternal Guard/Rangers could catch some people out.

Painting: Got lots of use in 8th. Only 4 models to update

Wildriders

The best hammer in the new book. 3x5 with banners seems like a given. Frenzy is meh...but keep near the BSB blaa blaa blaa.

Painting: I've got 2 unassembled horses + the headless one in gladerider pics + the 2 wildrider horse heads without bodies + some Orion hounds as rank filler I think I've easily got 3x5 with banners! CHIKKA BOOM!

GladeGuard
(no pic cos I got millions and couldnt be bothered setting them up)

I personally think these guys lost the 2nd most in the book. The arrows are cool, but s3 with move and shoot penalties = either trueflight or your mobile avoidance gunline just became a static very expensive gunline. 600pts gets you 30-38 archers with the new arrows in 3 units with musos and the odd banner. That is not much...s3 will be their downfall. Personally I would just rely on the Scouts, Waywatchers, HODA,  and Glade Riders to do the shooting.

Painting: Skirmish movement trays need to be made up

Other Characters and stuff

Branchwraiths got a huge boost. Cheaper and gained lvl1 life built in. 1 of these guys in Rangers or Eternal guard and you can buff them up nice...if you want to. Obviously that also means chucking in a GW welding guy and the BSB, and a lvl4 and a shadowdancer for luck = DEATHSTAR!!!!! ok - not an "every game" idea, but I am keen to try branchwraith + Eternal Guard.

The tokens are from the Warhammer Achievements event which required bringing some for a mission. Now they will be very convenient High/Dark magic tokens.

Painting: finish basing the tokens.

Forest Spirits

Yup...straight into storage.

STUFF I DONT OWN...yet

Sisters of Twilight: the Brolock apology. I will be looking to get 2 boxes of these ladies so I can use them as either my caster for DOUBLE DRAGON lists, or character bunkers for "normal lists". This unit will need to have glitter on it somewhere.

Eagles: Ok - I have eagles...but I want to get the Hobbit Eagles. Nothing has changed. 1 or 2 of these guys = awesome.

Rangers: Not going to bother. In the book purely because they needed a double kit for the Eternal Guard.


Conclusion: This book is the "Apology" book. 

Yay new book! I'm aiming for Panzershrek for these guys (if I can get and paint up some Sisters in time)...but my real goal is to get a Double Dragon list rocking for an event just because.

Personally I would have preferred old forest Spirits and old Glade Guard with every other new change...but alas Matt Ward needed to apologise for the High Elves and Dark Elves. Still a good book...I just dont see it changing the meta other than people taking magic missiles with their Empire armies...oh wait banishment council...