Raid over Bretonnia [raport bitewny Man'O'War]

Chaos Dwarfs

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Raid over Bretonnia [raport bitewny Man'O'War]

Post autor: Barth »

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Raid over Bretonnia

For centuries, the chaos dwarves were furious to be denied passage to the Old World by the Elf Guardians of the Fortress of Dawn. Year after year, the largest fleets from the forges of Zarr-Naggrund were denied entry at the cost of countless damage to both elf ships and billows magically excelled at their task.

But a new experimental method was tested and found to be functioning, albeit only partially. The combined power of several warlocks had opened a breach in the warp, allowing a fleet to move to the other side before closing. The damage in passage was considerable, and many ships were lost that day in the maze of shifting chaos fields. But the main objective was achieved: A small invasion fleet had managed to pass.

The vessels found themselves in waters unbeknown to them. They crossed some light vessels, which were leaking badly without the slow and massive ship dwarfs the chaos. But after some cruising, they have quickly reached a hill from which emanated green plumes of smoke betraying the presence of wealthy suburbs.

Without hesitation, Chaos Dwarf Admiral Hthakhorth ordered to quickly investigate and loot any villages exposed to the wrath of the single Great Leveller who had survived the passage of the rift. A return to Zharr Naggrund with hands overflowing with gold and ships full of slaves would grant Admiral Hthakhorth’s enourmous fame and fortune. He laughed a lot of hooks in giving the order to fire up the boilers even more. Leaving an oily and greasy trail behind, the ships of the fleet were speeding into the myriad of small islands lining the coast of Bretonnia.

When the lookout reported sails between islands approaching, Hthakhorth did grind his teeth crimped steel pleasure. In addition, they would have the opportunity to shed a few Bretonian shells...

Introduction :

Bretonian fleet (1000 pts) :
1 Gallion leaded by a Dreaded Captain (automatic card).
2 squadrons of Corsairs
2 squadrons of Buccaners
1 Mage lord

Chaos Dwarves fleet (1050 pts) :
2 Thunderfire Battlebarge (one is symbolised on the table by a Hull-Breaker because I forgot to take it along)
1 Great Leveller
2 squadrons of Thunder-Rollers
1 squadrons of Hull-Breaker

Lately, I wanted to play the chaos dwarves. I've faced them when I was 16 at the exit of the game, it goes back a bit ... And I never found any report concerning Chaos Dwarf battles, which is quite frustrating. It is a race that a reputation for brutality, but also less powerful in Man O'War. I wanted to own an idea to move a little on a strategy article about them.

It is a part of Man O'War for my opponent, a regular GW gamer, and he wanted to play Bretonnia. Propose a fleet my side I do not control seemed a good idea to balance a little. The game started with short notice, I know of the opportunity to play only two hours before we began playing. The constitution of fleets and revising the rules was made in a hurry, which is a shame. But no choice, one should seize the opportunity - or not. By reputation, the Hull Destroyers are less effective than the Thunder-Rollers. So I opted for two squadrons of them without really knowing what I was going to do.

For my opponent I had prepared Bretonnian fleet consisting of four wings and a galleon, as the Corsairs are in my opinion the backbone of the Bretonnian fleet, Both fleets would be meeting head on. I opted for two wizards of higher level to show a little magic to my opponent. First mistake: My choice of a master sorcerer brought my attack points to 1050 and not 1000. I intended to propose my opponent to take two Manowar cards, which would have allowed him to see just what they are, and I forgot to talk about it early in the game. He therefore was left with significant disadvantage of 50points...

Regarding the game board setup, the dice had been generous and lead to a large number of islands/decorative elements. The hills of the club have played their role perfectly as islands and we decided that given the configuration, the battle would take place in the estuary of a river Bretonian. Due to defective camera, the second half of the battle is not represented, unfortunately (unless my opponent can find the cable to extract the pictures from his laptop).

Strategy:

The high amount of island made it difficult to predict the movements of my opponent. I decide to hurry between two points reminders of rules for a basic strategy. South (left table), my two Thunderfire Battlebarge, surrounded by a squadron of each type of light vessels. In the North, my Great Leveller, benefiting from its ability to shoot without sight and above the decorative elements to hide behind the small island right and pound the enemy fleet. I told my assistant second unit of Thunder Rollers-defense and go. We'll see.

Deployment :

Basic deployment on both sides. Here are the position at the beginning of battle.
Obrazek
Tour 1: Initiative to Bretonnia
Obrazek
The movement on the top part is done in accordance with my battle plan. Opposite Bretonnian ships advance with a classic formation of buccaneers and Corsairs and the screens behind.

Tour 2: Initiative to Chaos Dwarves.

The wind changes and blows from the west now, downwind for Bretonnia.

After two rounds of maneuvres, I do not change my strategy. The vessels are close to the first exchange of fire.
Obrazek
My Great Leveller tries to fire at the Buccaneers but is too far away, so it is not shooting.
Obrazek
Tour 3: Initiative to Bretonnia

The magic phase saw the Bretonnian sorcerer attempting to launch a volcano on my flagship, but it is a failure. For my part, I tried nothing (not enough power cards).

My first attempt of Great Leveller bombarding the enemy buccaneers and I get a beautiful Misfire. The consequences are miraculously negligible, but the crew trembled at the sight of the huge cannon beginning to creak under pressure. The Bretonnian sailors also wipe away a bead of sweat.
Obrazek
South side, my flagship is targeting the fragile Buccaneers, but inflicts no hit despite firing four missiles. The second Thunderfire barge the middle of the water is out of reach to clear the ridicule thrown on the flagship of weapons of Zharr-Naggrund.
Obrazek
Slowly but surely, the fleet Bretonnian regrouped in the south, placing two squadrons of Corsairs behind a Buccaneer screen, ready to do battle with the bulk of my fleet. In the north, the galleon stays on the rear, facing my Great Leveller.
Obrazek
Tour 4: Initiative to Chaos Dwarves.

The wind turns again and returns to its original position. It will remain stable during the remaining battle.
Obrazek
The magic phase happens and I launched successfully (with the help of power cards) a Death Surge, my opponent fails to dispel. The winds of chaos allow all my ships to travel this round 1D6 * 2,5 cm more. With the Bretonnian vessels just within reach of my squadrons equipped with direct-contact weapons, I was rejoicing in the expectation of heavily damaging my opponent ... And I draw a miserable 1 of the dice. Too bad. 2.5 cm more, that’s all I get.

The winds of magic were also generous with my opponent, who successfully launched a panic, my lovely initiative. I have more cards to try to dispel it.
Obrazek
The Bretonnian Buccaneers south tried to fire their catapult onto my flagship, but they are proving elusive. The Hull Destroyersthat protect the latter rush full steam towards the small enemy ships and each is contacting one. Two Buccaneers are damaged and pushed 7.5 cm away at the impact, shattering the tower on a castle and the back of another.

The Corsairs advance and avenge their brothers. Two of them take a Hull Destroyer as target and inflict as many as five hits. A critical hit in the boiler kills one crew counter, while the boom collapsed, reducing the power of the ram.

Savoring in the sudden choice of targets opening up, the admiral's barge is targeting the newly arrived Corsairs... And suffers Misfire, inflicting 8 hits. In a roar of hell and bent sheet metal plates, the launcher rocket explodes (yes, four hit areas in full), depriving my lead ship of its only weapon. This will be not the only blow it will have endured until the end of the battle ...

The second squadron of Buccaneers in the middle of the water, fired its catapults on the unit of Thunder Rollers accompanying the Great Leveller, damaging the boiler on one, the superstructure and the other without consequences .

Charging at full speed ahead towards their enemies, they impact with their rolls topped with stell-spikes of steel underfull throttle into the frail Knights skiffs. Under infernal engine noise and a surge of steel, two Bretonnian hulls burst under the impact and are sent to the bottom. The 2.5 cm additional displacement have played their part in one of two.

The Buccaneers are in distress and the Bretonnian Admiral believes it is time for him to join the fight acting relief force. Even with only one Buccaneer survivor, it is still largely a match for my ThunderRollers, especially since they no longer enjoy the contact away before they turn benefited the latter. Equipped only lined, the flagship Bretonnian may however be closer to its target, without opening fire.
Obrazek
Aware of the danger ahead and the weakness of its northern flank, the Chaos Dwarf Admiral directs the Great Leveller Barget to target the enemy Admiral galleon, after it reaching his hideout on the island. This time, the huge cannon fires successfully, dipping the enemy flagship in a hailstorm of fire and wood debris. My opponent is a bit hapless when seeing the of the template slipped under his figure.

The effects are spectacular. In a gigantic crash, the mizzen mast of the galleon proud snapped, while the great mat sails are blown and caught fire on impact. The forecastle is converted into a heap of splinters, reducing the broadside to three cannon dice. I finally savour in the firepower of Great Levller when scoring a real hit.

Tour 5: Initiative to Chaos Dwarves.

The first exchange of fire, as often with Bretonnian and lined their shots were to the advantage of their opponent. We now confirm this benefit and the magic stage will help me. I run a successful Plague Sea, which allows me to stop all the enemy fleet following the tour. Chaos Magic is not really a joke.

The fate of the previous round not liking me and providing pitiful 2.5 cm of additional movement, all my ships had not arrived in melee as I hoped. This tour they did it, I had the opportunity to do maximum damage and I never got private.

In the North, Thunder-Rollers originally earmarked for the protection of the Great Leveller pounced on the enemy Galion. Already damaged in the previous round, it now should save 6 hits and takes a critical hit at the forecastle. Nevertheless, it remains afloat. I am careful not to board with the small crews of my squadron.

In the South and many fixed assets, two Corsairs are still short of a scope of my Hull-Destroyers. The latter then undergoes a vengeful attack and is lined with two critical hits, losing a point of crew and one point below the waterline. The Corsair smokes everywhere, but still floats!

Upon contact of the Buccaneers after missing their key to the last lap and reissuing its lack of jurisdiction, the crew of the Hull-breaker in question addresses the Buccaneer facing it. The fight is hard and both teams suffered heavy losses. But the chaos dwarves being outnumbered and having launched an all-out-assault, result in an empty vessel that the Bretonnians take off at the end of turn. This is a tactical error on my part. Why did I board outnumbered? I think I remember that I wanted to show how boarding actions sre done to my opponent ... Too much confidence. A second Hull-Destroyer destroyed the forecastle of Buccaneer, depriving him of his only weapon, and the regrowth of 7.5 cm.

The Buccaneer squadron in question, motivated by the capture of enemy ships, decided to refine their combat results by boarding a second-Hull-Destroyer which had remained in contact after missing its attack. The fighting is fierce on both sides, but without immediate consequences.

Deprived of movement, the rest of the Bretonnian fleet can only suffer the attacks of terrifying weapons of chaos dwarfs. The Thunderfire Battlebarge placed in the middle of my fleet vomits its rockets into the enemy galleon that was already severely damaged after the attack of the Thunder-Rollers. In a series of successive explosions, the superstructure of the vessel gives a great crunch and the flagship sinks fast (6 on a critical hit), leaving the Admiral and the Bretonnian Sorcerer clinging desperately to the floating debris, to thank you for their enemy.

Less fortunate, the flagship Battlebarge, south, takes an unfortunate target for Buccaneer to which it destroys the mast and inflicts a critical hit denying motion for the ride. Big deal! But why do I targeted a Buccaneer while Corsairs were all about?

This action concludes the tour. With only two breakers Covers cast, my enemy has yet nothing to celebrate. From my side, the destruction of his flagship and the rout of the accompanying Buccaneers assures control of half of the water. I plan to send my Battlebarge, escorted by the Thunder-Rollers which formerly assisted the Great Leveller that his side will stay there or it is a good distance from the enemy.
Tour 6: Initiative to Chaos Dwarves.

The Bretonnian wizard launches Hell Storm on my flagship, which resembles an amalgam twisted metal and smoking from all sides and ends up on top of that stopped.

As expected, I begin my pincer movement. The Battlebarge located in the middle, scourge of Bretonnian Galleon initiates a movement forward in circumventing the second squadron of Corsairs which has not yet participated in the fighting, surrounded by Thunder-Rollers. A volley of eight rockets gets underway and ... All hit with a beautiful stream of 44,455,566. Despite this, astonishingly no critical hit is inflicted. The three areas are destroyed, however.

Much more important to be able to draw on the Corsairs, the BattleBarge has advanced to the debris left by the Galion Bretonnian, thereby seizing important hostages in the person of Bretonnian Admiral itself and the sorcerer! A tough blow for the Bretonnian honour that Chaos Dwarves are already enjoying imagining all sorts of torture based on molten lead.
To the south, the Corsairs already committed initiate a movement to encircle my admiral's barge, classic position from the Knights. The nine shots ENTAIL only five hits but the engine out of order and a critical hit in rocket magazine (ground early in the game by a Misfire, remember) began to riddle the hull with two hits below the waterline. It stinks for Chaos Dwarf Admiral, stashed behind a twisted steel-door on a destroyed bridge.

The Thunder-Roller Battlebarge that accompanied the admiral (who have not done much since the beginning of the battle), address and emptied his crew left a Buccaneer.

The second wave of Corsairs, contested by the Battlebarge proves once again that this ship is ruthlessly efficient, making shot for shot. It imposes no fewer than four critical shots to their abuser in a well placed volley. The Chaos Dwarf ship is left without movement of two points and the crew began to seriously give the band taking water from all sides.
Determined to keep their role of protector, the Thunder-Roller accompanying drain on a Corsair, but without much enthusiasm. They still cause a critical hit on one of them, depriving it of one crew counter.

The flagship of the chaos dwarfs is attacked by a suicidal buccaneer, whose to no surprise isis killed to last sailor and the action is cast in the wake.

The Great Leveller is again giving his terrible cannonade on the Corsairs starting to seriously threaten the flagship. The shot is deviating but still manages to touch one of them, destroying at once all lined vessel. Here is one that does more harm.

Tour 7: Initiative to Chaos Dwarves. We agree that this is the last lap.

My wizard launches Maw Of Doom, inflicting maximum damage (1 piece crew, one point below the waterline and destroyed two zones) to one of Corsairs framing the flagship of the fleet.

These, tenacious and always around the detained vessel, also respond with terrible volley. And here is the twist of fate. A critical hit well positioned, proprelling debris and sharp metal pieces that kill Admiral Hthakhorth leading the expeditionary fleet dwarfs chaos (no official rule: it is the critical hit result killing the captain of the ship, but it seemed appropriate to designate the admiral as a loss, since it was the flagship of the fleet). It is a very big blow to the chaos dwarfs, which restarts the same time the hope of the Bretonnians.

The remaining Hull-Destroyers rush on the Corsairs of the second squadron to blows with another Battlebarge, and imposes two injuries in the waterline. All around, ships are belching smoke and try to get on as well as they can despite serious damage. Few ships in the battlefield can claim to be still intact.

The second squadron of Corsairs continued its work of destruction on the second Battlebarge. The captain, in a daring maneuver, reached around the enemy ship before firing all its guns. A ball sent by an artillery strike Bretonnian experienced the full force of Sainte Barbe, who disappeared in a loud explosion, causing a critical hit which automatically sent mighty steel vessel to the bottom of the sea.

While the Bretonnian sailors declared victory and praised the Lady, the Admiral and the Sorcerer Bretonnian, dripping, boarded the ship of their rescuers, greeted by the captain. He is immediately summoned to one knee (it makes a case for the chest of home earth preserved carefully on each Bretonnian ship "in case", which is opened and the earth spread on the deck before the captain kneels). Before the entire crew, the captain of the Corsair was knighted in recognition of the bravery of his crew, who did not hesitate to come to relief and to save its imprisoned admiral. Another one who must lug a horse in the hold for the remainder of his days! Crew members are rewarded with an extra ration of booze.

In this poignant moments, the latest exchange of fire took place. The Hull-Destroyers cover a surviving Corsair with already reduced crew and impose an additional loss. A Thunder-Roller tries to repeat the same thing, but the fierce battle being waged between the two crews on the deck of Capri ends on a status-quo and each crew took refuge on the bridge with a loss.

For the finale, the Great Leveller ends on a Misfire causing cracks in its hull.

Endgame :

With 15 points earned honour, the Bretonnians have done most of their score with their only short Corsairs in the last round. The dwarves of chaos line up one point less (14), having had the advantage throughout the battle. So a tie that ends the battle.

But with their admiral lying dead on the deck of their commanding vessel reduced to an immobile and unarmed carcass taking water from all sides, a lost Barge and a lost Great Leveller mortar, the Chaos Dwarf fleet puts the cap off, abandoning the dreams of conquest in Bretonnia. The ships of the Lady, far from being able to continue, go back to their port without vanity light losses, despite their image regilded by the daring rescue of their admiral.

Debriefing :

What a game ! Until the end I thought to take the victory without compromise. It does not take into account the firepower of Bretonnian Corsairs, decidedly true to their reputation.
But the goal was reached for me: I was able to get a good idea of the fleet capacity of the Chaos Dwarfs. This will allow me, I hope, to do a small article about them soon.

My first analysis of the fleet I can confirm that Hull-Destroyers are actually not very useful. I've used them against the Buccaneers. Perhaps they would have been better used on Corsairs, but I doubt it. The Thunder-Roller are themselves much more interesting. They give all their power with a water clear before them, to move forward in a straight line, but can do much damage.

The battle barges can be very painful too, but lack of penalty for backup enemy. They are for use on large targets to avoid wasting hits on small prey. With the Great Leveller, , I had to endure the deviation of its shots once, but his ability to do four mandatory damage is terrible and, of course, its long range is valuable.

I regret that there are no photos of the second half of the battle, which was by far the most interesting. I have to repair that damn camera.

Oversights here and there:
- I realized afterwards that the Magus must maintain a level of power that I had not read the rules. A place on the account of preparing too early, but I think it would have been to my advantage more than anything else. I spent two laps to run without me discard spell early in the game for lack of power cards.

- The building of two maps missing my opponents would perhaps not significant, but would have shown this side of the rules is very friendly. This will be for the next game.

- I did not think to use the Breeze-hulls for smashing the enemy ships onto the island, which I had intended in the beginning of the game. Yet there would have been occasions, with many islands and reefs on the table.

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Nijlor
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Post autor: Nijlor »

Nie znam zasad Man'O'Wara, ale nazwy machin CHD są świetne :D

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