NWG 2012 - Post Mortem

So, NWG 2012 is all wrapped up. A great event, well run and lots of fun. It's the first event I've attended in my return to the tournament scene, and I had a ball. I was completely exhausted by Sunday, but it was a happy exhausted.

I'd been working up to this event for a while, getting my meargh ready with a day or so to spare. There's still an awful lot of work to be done on the fimir, (an awful lot) but this was their first outing and I was eager to see how the list functioned. So here's how the games went. This won't be blow for blow, more the highlights and things I can actually remember. We were using the SCALE system, with my list being SCALE 1.

On Friday night there were demo games of Malifaux, Hordes, Warmachine and such going on, as well as some Warhammer. There was a rather entertaining pub quiz which our team, team sparkleparty, managed to win. Go us.

A nice ease into the weekend ahead.

What IS that big metal fellow?

Game 1: Gareth Lombard's Dwarves (SCALE ?).
The first scenario was Dawn Attack. Most of the dwarf units ended up either centre or on the dwarf left flank, with most of mine centre or my left flank. Pretty much a classic dwarf castle, with dwarf units backing away from combat as unerringly accurate artillery complete with the rune of no misfire for dwarves pounded my poor fimir. There was not much more to the game, I eventually got to the dwarf lines in turn four, and as turn five rolled up we had to call it just as my half-dead (chosen) were preparing to give the anvil a good beating and hopefully overrun into all his toys. Sigh.

There was a little bit of a hoo-ha with Gareth's scale, so I'm not entirely sure of the final result, but I believe it was in the region of 13-7 to him after SCALE. Not the best start, but at least not a total tabling.

Hot dwarf on dwarf action.

Game 2: Dave Leahy's  Warriors of Chaos (SCALE 0)
Ah, the mirrormatch. This was probably my favourite game of the weekend. Dave is a combination of great hobbyist, great player and fun bloke to boot, a winning combo. We were playing Blood and Glory. Dave's warrior list was very different from my own, with Slaanesh units and the dreaded doom totem making my worry about leadership tests. His army was beautiful too, and most of the models were female.

Dave was running Galruach, who refused to die despite my best efforts. We then settled into an infernal gateway barrage on each other's armies, and eventually the eleven rolled up and Dave's bsb and her unit were sucked into the realm of chaos. My joy was short lived, as his pandemonium spell with puppet (we both had the puppet, it was quite the duel) sent my meargh after the unfortunate bsb. Dave broke me about turn three, but the game gave victory points rather than an outright win, and we played on, with me breaking him a turn or so later. Another nice moment was Dave's Slaanesh girls charging down the hill into my fimm (warriors of Tzeentch with halberds) and giving them a good hiding. Galruach was the man of the match though, keeping me on the back foot but still keeping close enough to the bsb to pass his mad two headed dragon tests. A crackingly good game, despite an 18 - 2 rollicking with SCALE. It was not looking good for the Fir Domhan...

Galruach - he crazy

Game 3: Dave Holohan's Dark Elves (SCALE 0)
I'd played Dave once before using my chaos dwarves and lost to him in the watchtower scenario. This time it was straight up Battleline. It was a bloody affair, with my half dead (chosen) and  fimm (warriors) butchering his corsairs and executioners while the meargh killed scores of elves with infernal gateway. Meanwhile Crom (hellcannon) held up the black dragon long enough to keep it out of the game. The hydra piled into my large block of human shearl (Khorne marauders with great weapons) and utterly destroyed them. Fecking hydras. Still, after the red mist had cleared it was the fimir who had won the day. Another top game with a great opponent, finishing 16 - 4 to me after SCALE.

At this juncture I was rather weary and in need of food urgently, having utterly forgotten about lunch. This was remedied, though I had to pretty much beg the waiter for another glass of water at the Indian we went to. Strange how the beer arrived with no delay though. Some drinks were had, but nowt too crazy, as I still had a fear of gin from two weeks ago. Sunday morning we were only a little late...

The ogres that won best painted. Lovely.

Game 4: Eoin Lennon's Vampire Counts (SCALE 0)
Watchtower, my least favourite scenario. My opponent, Eoin, was an utter gent, who put up with my slightly tired/hungover meanderings. This may have come across as my being a bit gamey, but was actually to do with me just forgetting to do everything. My hat goes off to you Eoin. As a vampire counts player, I was very interested in seeing the new units in action as I haven't played vampires much since the new book came out.

My half-dead (chosen) got an early charge in against the grave guard holding the tower and smashed them into bonemeal, allowing me to garrison the building. By the end of the game (we were forced to call it at the end of turn three) the terrorgheist had screamed them down to one chosen. I got a lucky strike in on his ghoul king as it ploughed into my fimm (warriors) and my Flaithmor (exalted hero) with the sword of anti-heroes and the other trickster's shard took off his head thanks to a ward save re-roll. The vargheists were fed hounds until they butted up against Crom (hellcannon) and stuck there. Crom had also managed to pin the hexwraith's.

Another fun game, Eoin was very magnanimous and I look forward to meeting him on the field of battle another day. Result was a 17-3 to me after SCALE.


Game 5: Kevin Rynne's Dark Elves (SCALE 0)
Finally game five, Meeting Engagement. After two wins, Kevin put me right back in my place. He had a stubborn pegasus lord with the pendant of Khaeleth, that bloody hydra, tooled up assassins, corsairs, spearmen, two bolt throwers and two mages, a level four and level two. He also had some hardcore harpies, who beat my hounds to death even when outnumbered.

After Crom (hellcannon) was sent down a hole with an irresistible pit of shades in turn two, I had a bad feeling. I felt better after my fimm (warriors) murdered a crossbow unit and caused his big spearman block containing his level four to flee off the field. The hydra then managed a double six charge into the rear of the fimm and sent them packing. Despite having no shooting or magic by turn four, Kevin used his pegaus lord masterfully to tie up the half-dead (chosen) while his corsairs mowed down my shearl (marauders). A really fun game against a very good opponent. Final score, 19 - 1 after SCALE to Kevin.

I'm not a 40k player, but wow.

Onto the closing ceremony and some very nice trophies and prizes were handed out. I came 18th out of 28, which I was happy with, considering I had had just two games with the warriors of chaos before the tournament. Utterly spent, we packed up and headed for home. I'll certainly be attending next year, with even more fimiry goodness.