NWG practice games & the dangers of gin

Last weekend two long time pals of mine called down for a few practice games for the upcoming NWG tournament in Wicklow. I needed this badly, as I've played not a single game with the warriors of chaos list, the list I am using for my fimir clan. In fact, I've not played warriors in at least two editions. I was to learn some things. Painful things.

After many years playing pretty much only my beloved vampire counts, I've embraces both the sons of Hashut and the fimir in the last while. The fimir in particular are a project I had been mulling over a long time. However, with this change I now have to consider things like panic, break tests, battle standard bearers and all the other paraphernalia of living troops. It's like a new game. And what better way to ease into a new army than bring it to a competitive tournament against folks who live only to drink the tears of their broken and weeping foes. (Not at all lads, yer all lovely, but the tears thing I stand behind.) In at the deep end, I guess. With all this in mind, I thought I better at least know the rules for my own army so as not to take even longer to complete a turn. I believe my surname has even become synonymous in certain circles with taking an age to take your turn. 'Come on mate, you're Staffording the hell out of this magic phase.'

Lovely.

So we set to it. I played against John's lizards and Craig of Blog of Grudges fame and his dwarves. Against Craig, I learned to mind my meargh (sorcerer Lord on disc) from getting cannoned off in turn 1. This is an elementary lesson I apparently needed to re-learn. I also developed a deep affection for the Infernal Gateway spell. My fimm (warriors with halberds and mark of Tzeentch) are super resilient, taking a rear charge from a block of thirty miners and not only surviving the impact, but turning about and pounding the little fellows back into the ground. Ultimately though, the anvil Craig was packing allowed some dwarf units to pull off some sneaky charges, and though it was close,  Craig did me in 14-6.

John's lizards taught me other things, things like don't get suckered into charging a unit that won't break, thereby pulling it out of the battle line and subsequently getting mullered by 3 counter charges. Chosen are good (my half-dead, bog mummies, essentially) but not that good. The Tuatha Taiden (marauders with mark of Khorne and great weapons ) did very well, holding the line against all, due in great part to the chieftain (exalted hero with sword of anti-heroes & other trickster's shard) who killed the lizard general, battle standard and a stegadon single-handedly, and he didn't think it too many. Poor deployment on my part, plus a general lack of experience cost me, but John's dice mocked him relentlessly, almost resulting in him losing his last Kroxigor and ancient stegadon to an overrun directly under his own Comet of Casandora spell. It would have been very funny indeed had they died as it ploughed down directly on top of them. In the end, a draw, which got pulled to an 11-9 to John due to my SCALE 1 list.

I'm enjoying the fimir, it's a new play style, and I'm having a blast putting the army together. The meargh is half done. I now have two weeks to finish her, which for me is cutting it close.

After the warhammer we gave Blood Bowl - Team Manager a go, and I have to say, all the positive reviews were bang on the money. What a great game. It is reminiscent enough of the actual game to seem familiar, but has plenty of it's own pleasant quirky rules. At this stage however, we were into our second bottle of gin, so my review is tainted somewhat by severe inebriation. And boy, how I paid for it the next day. Gin is the tipple of the devil himself, there can be no doubt.

So, after a most pleasant couple of days gaming I can safely say I am totally unprepared for the unlawful pounding I will receive at NWG.

BLOOD AND THUNDER!

On a side note, it seems I suck all the ass at Blood Bowl online. All of it. After another 4-0 defeat tonight I think I need to reconsider my future playing this game. How terrible to love a game and be truly awful at playing it.