Fantastic Battles Dwarf vs Goblin April 21 2024

 

Rematch Goblins vs Dwarves

So, with the battlefield still set up, we thought we would have time to play FB and still get in a game of Pulp Ally. However we were delayed in starting the game and just did not have time or the energy for two games. 

This was another stab at a Dwarf army defending against a horde of fast moving Goblins. I acted as ref for the game as neither player was all that familiar with the rules. The armies were 1000 points each and each army had 5 captains, 3 wizards and a Warlord. The dwarven army was made up of my FB purpose based Roman Dwarves (with a couple of WH based hand-gunner units) while the Goblins, for the most part, were on my homemade movement trays.

The Dwarves formed a line securing their left flank on the village and refusing their right flank against the approaching horde.

The Goblins deployed fast strike cavalry on their left flank and center with archers and a chariot on the right flank.

Dwarf left flank with fast moving Green units

Right flank

The Dwarves had a solid plan of defense with tight compact lines and a plan to leverage the fast moving units (the troops in green) aided by a mage with a haste spell as a flanking force. However these plans did not entirely survive the MISHAP phase.

The right/center saw the cannons and one regular unit arrive late, while the handgunners decided to advance out of protection to stand in the open! The elite unit also suffered -3 resolve.

 

On the left flank another unit arrived late.

 The Goblins also had their problems after the MISHAP phase.

Three units on the left flank arrived late and the mob boys suffered -3 resolve.

The archer unit lost one company (not yet removed in this picture) while the chariot suffered  -1 resolve.

The mad caps took their stimulants and gained +1 melee and move!

With MISHAPS done the battle began. The Goblins quickly advanced making up for any delayed results. They could not but notice the dwarven handgunners in their exposed position and made a bee line for them.

A far cry from the original plan

The handgunners roll well on the IMPETUOUS chart & try to take advantage of the rough ground to lessen the impact of the charge

The Dwarf player advances one of his green units to support the handgunners...

...but the handgunners are swept away

The artillery have managed to move back to their starting position, while the Goblin army continues its general advance.

The Goblins slam into the center of the Dwarf line, the madcaps & chariot doing the most damage for the Goblins.

The bulk of the Goblin cavalry crash into the Dwarf right flank while the follow up units can find no way into the fight.

On the Dwarf left flank, the first green unit wheels into contact with the chariot which reacts by turning towards them. The two Goblin archer units join the fray, one against the first green unit while the other is charged by a HASTED second green unit.

The Goblin light cavalry were just inches away from attacking the artillery & had suffered only minor casualties from the close range artillery, but an bad IMPETUOUS roll saw them turn tail and run away! They ran away again next activation before being destroyed by the artillery.

After a few turns of combat units begin to break. The Spiders, madcaps & chariot all beat a hasty retreat. One blue Dwarf unit is eliminated and the follow up wolf riders turn to the Dwarf flank. The Goblin archers reform to face the triumphant Elite dwarf unit.

Things look grim for the remaining chariot

Two separate battles continue to fight to the bitter end.

The Dwarves loose a unit taking with it an attached captain & their Warlord but the Goblin heavy cavalry are destroyed & with that loss the Goblins have exceeded their break point.

It was a fairly close game but the Dwarves won, albeit a Pyrrhic victory. A die roll here or there could have changed the outcome. Both sides made good use of BLESS, rally rolls & attached commanders to keep their units in the fight.