Core Competency, Practice.

9/18@ Plastic Legions HQ



Core Competency is my favorite local Warhammer Fantasy Battles tournament. Now in its 4th year its expanded to a 5 game, two day event. If the past has anything to do with it and with increase in the local player base I expect to see an easy 30 tables filled at this event, quite possibly more. This year is bumped up from the traditional 2250 army list to more the 8th ed friendly 2400 points, the old stipulation of a 900 points "core requirement" still remains, hence "Core Competency". This last saturday I got together with a group of local veterans for some Practice. I don't have full bat reps just some commentary on the games and 8th ed overall and how the changes are sitting with all of us.

Four armies met Saturday for two games each, Empire (moi), Lizardmen, (Steve), High Elves (Brian) and Orcs and Goblins (Chris), the games were Empire vs Orcs, Lizardmen vs High Elves
Lizardmen vs Orcs, Empire vs High Elves.

My first game Empire vs Orcs was my first time playing Orcs in 8th Editon and my first time playing Orcs period, since the Adepticon last spring. My list was pretty much what you've seen me running in 8th ed so far:

General
Wizard Lord (level 4, Lore of Life)
Warrior Priest
BSB

Big block of Swordsmen, a 30 Horde of Free Company, 20 Flaggies, 20 Handgunners, Pistoliers
9 Core Knights (with the WP), Cannon, Mortar, Steam Tank.

Orcs were
Lord Warboss
Level 4 Shaman
BSB

I panicked those wolf riders early, but they rallied and I couldn't quite finish them off
leaving 2 alive and full points on the table...sigh.

a 25 packs of Black Orcs, 2 units of Boyz, 2 Units of Night Goblins, Some wolf riders, 2 Doom Divers, 2 Stone Throwers, and a couple Chariots.
I started out hitting Chris pretty hard with Shooting taking out a Doom Diver turn 1 and shooting up and panicking his Wolf Riders. by turn 2 I had the Black Orcs running from a crushing charge from Steam Tank and good cast of Dwellers Below, took out his BSB.
However Chris came back hard...using the much talked about "broken item" the Power Scroll
to force an Irresistible Force on the Orc's magic big gun- "the Waaagh" I was all ready to use my Seal of Destruction on his his Waagh but I forgot about the Power Scroll, if I has remember I would left more distance between us. The Waagh totally crushed and a unit of Boyz aided by the Waagh and unit of Night Goblins with fantatics hit my Knights and with some bad dice I got crushed and poor fleeing roll left me rundown and they and my Warrior Priest were gone, My Free Company suffered the same fate I wasnt able to get a nasty buff on them, and there base stats even in horde formation the Orcs crushed them. Unable to flank then with the overruns the Orc were no behind me and Stank was across the table running the Black Orcs off the board.
my Flaggies were on the right flank and out of position, and I couldn't get them back in the game until a couple turns later. The Waagh screwed me up pretty bad, I couldnt recover. while I turned my Swordsmen around..the second unit of Night Goblins gets off a huge charge of 15 inches..running into my wizard who flees and gets caught and hits my Swordsmen in the rear with the overrun..things just went from bad to worse. It was downhill from there for me, I tried to turn the Stank around and get it back in the game but gambled on the Steam Points and lost..in the end a huge turnaround for Orcs..wining by 1200 points or so, ouch.


This pic sums up my demise well, stank chasing the Black Orcs off the board..my wizard caught on a long charge by that unit of Night Goblins, who are easy to ignore until the nets come out and you wish you'd killed them.

Couple notes on this game- The Power Scroll, ouch!- brutal when used at the right time as Chris did here, on top of that until we see the new Orc Book, Orc Magic has its own Miscast Chart from 7th ed, that is incredibly forgiving in 8th edition, there is little to fear with most Orc Miscasts so if you playing Orcs look out..that can make the tough 8th ed Magic Phase even scarier. being on the receiving end of 3 killing blows on my General in a General on General challenge, its tough too swallow even with a 4+ ward. Again, not being able to score points on any unit that isnt totally eliminated is killing me in 8th edition. I can only field so many shooters and still field a viable infantry, lack of mobile shooters (my pistoliers who got killed early,) is hurting..I need to start hiding my pistoliers until turn 4, no doubt.


The Orc General, killed both my BSB and General, he was dropping Killing Blows left and right.

In other game, Lizardmen vs High Elves, apparently this tough match up for High Elves in 8th
with the Slann going toe to toe in the magic department, Saurus and Kroxigors eat Elven Infantry for lunch..Lizardmen won it big, setting my second game versus High Elves.


The armies stare each other down.....


Game 2 vs High Elves, Brian was running
Archmage Metal
Mage- Fire
Noble-BSB
Prince- General

1 big unit of Sea Guard, 2 Units of Spears, 20 archers, 2 units of Reavers, 2 Eagles, 5 Dragon Princes.

Battle of the toughness "3"'s, again first time playing High Elves in 8th edition, brian won 1st turn and start off with a bang literally, casting Searing Doom on the Stank, he rolls a miscast and his Archmage is now a level 2, and searing doom is gone. but the Stank took 5 wounds and was basically ineffective all game..while I used lifebloom to a get a couple wounds back, I was forced to gamble on steam points in few key situations that could have turn the game my way heavily but just didnt get the dice. It was back and forth all game, I held off his flank rush pretty well and fought off the Dragon Princes..but my Knights who held up the Elven General for a couple turns, eventually broke when i couldn't get the support in. While I did manage to kill one of the Mages...I could kill enough of his pricey characters, even after getting my BSB in solo on the flank vs two dragon prices with a flank and 6 attacks (mounted, with Sword of Strife) I could not kill or break them. I just left too many points on the board..we had big combat going turn 6 that drew if we went another turn "maybe" I could have flipped it. In end I think Brian was up by 600 with the extra banners he picked up..a good game..definitely some stuff I would do differently next time.


Brians High Elf army is one of the best looking around, period.

In the other match up Chris and Steve had knock down drag out that was as close to a draw and it could be without being a draw, with Slann with 3 wounds on it...keeping Steve full point instead
the 7th edition half we are used too.



With two losses on the day, not exactly the confidence builder I was looking for with my list going into this tournament however both games were kind of "Shit happens" games not exactly the tactical face offs I am used too playing as seasoned players as I was, however as we are all finding out "Shit happens" is kind of what 8th Edition is all about so you just got to roll with it and enjoy the games. I probably get 3 more practice games in before Core Comp so hopefully I will fair a bit better.