Portsmouth Pillage 08 Tournament report

 

 The Portsmouth Pillage is a tournament run in my old stomping grounds, Portsmouth. I have always tried to attend this event as it gives me a great chance to catch up with old friends as well as make new ones; I also get to play competitive Warhammer which helps.

 

 This year I thought that I would use my new(ish) Orc and Goblin army. Normally I practice like hell to make sure I know what each unit does and how it fits the overall army tactics. This year was different. I am very much ‘into’ Bloodbowl at the moment so I’d rather play that than Warhammer and I still had to finish painting my Warboss on Wyvern. I finally got everything ready the night before the tournament so with a model only just dry I headed to the Sunny south coast.

 

On arrival I checked to see who I’d be playing……Nick Cox – Khorne Deamon. Gulp, I’d never played the new Deamons yet, in his list he had: A Bloodletter hero on Juggernaught, 3 big units of bloodletters, some furies and a Bloodthirster! I was very nervous of this big guy. The game was short and bloody. I used terrain to funnel him into a deamon killing ground. His units were slowing each other down whilst lazer accurate stones rained down on his force. The turning point was when his Bloodthirster charged the big orc unit, this released my fanatics and after 29 S5 hits he was no more! The game was over and a big win to me. Max points J

 

Game Two was to be against John Morgans - Ogres. A standard Ogre army with a single Rhinox rider. I he moved boldly towards my lines which left me with some decisions to be made. I decided to be bold and charged the Wyvern and BSB one of his large ogre units. He held….then died. The rest was easier. I took some hits on the wyvern from the leadbealchers before they were munched in return and the fanatics got the Rhinox. I failed to drop the Tyrant when my big Orc unit fluffed its attacks but this was fairly minor by this point. Another good win.

 

Game Three. Dan Heelan – Lizardmen. This was a tournament style lizardmen force. It had a steg but no Slann, the steg was a MAJOR target for me (thanks John H) which the stone throwers and Warboss neutralized. It was all going well until his Oldblood charged (18”) into my big orc units flank. He triggered 3 fanatics; the first two went for him then I spotted the problem. He had 4 Krox waiting around 11” from the front of the unit still to move as well as a lone BSB. Damn the Huanchi banner was waiting. The last fanatic was sent to protect the front of the orcs. Lucky I did as the krox crashed into me in his magic phase (with the Huanchi Banner) only to take 11 wounds from the fanatic. It was not enough to save the orcs who were run down. He overran into my Night gobbos who were doomed. I repositioned my wyvern roughly behind the Gobbos which he butchered. In his turn he went for the big win. Two Krox and BSB charged the wyverns flank and the General charged as well. I challenged and waited to die. I didn’t, a combination of WS7 and T5 save the day. In return, with 7 S7 attacks I killed his Gen. I had still lost the combat but would I break or stay? Needing a 7 I rolled ……. Double 1! This allowed me back into the game as I killed everything I could. Another big (lucky) win.

 

So into Day 3 with 3 wins. Looking good, that is until I see my next Opponent.

Game Four Paul Mathews – Tzenntch Deamons. This army was just wrong! It was nominated as the worst list in the Tournament and banded as Grade 1 (the hardest filthiest list are Grade 1) It contained 3 units of 15 horrors, 2 Heralds (in horror units ward saves go up to 4+) some furries, 2 maxed units of flamers (that’s 6d6 s5 shots at 18 “ per turn) and a Lvl 4 Greater Deamon of Tzenntch! The pure amount of magic and shooting that this army can produce is amazing. He had never lost with this list (most people lost by turn 4) so what could I do. Not panic was my answer. Time to turn on the laser guidance systems for the artillery, buff up my fanatics balls (ooeer) and polish my largest axe! It started well; the army surged forth ready to give him a large portion asap and with direct hits on both flamer units killing 3.

 

He countered with a magical barrage in which he almost killed 30 orcs! He gleaned magic from my Orc shaman and cast Warpath of Gork, this backfired when he rolled a one and caused 3 wounds on his GD. Cool a lucky hit my see him off. I spent the rest of the game charging and bashing his big units (much harder with a 4+ ward L) and trying to kill his GD. I hit it in the face with 2 stone throwers and a Doom diver, I charged a unit of hoppers (8 S5 attacks) and attacked with a magical barrage all of which bounced of that 5+ ward!  In the end he hid behind a tree with one wound remaining. The result was a good win to me though so I was looking pretty in first place.

 

Game 5. How many times have I been in this position and then fluffed it. I’ve lost count. So how will I do?

James Jeffery – Generic Skaven.

This young lad had done quite well with his Grey Seer and 2 Warlock combination but he had yet to encounter my triple laser guided artillery barrage! Man they rocked in this game. I hid my wyvern from the instant death of massed Jezzail fire until I had killed them all (turn 2) whilst my army baited his frenzied units. Fanatic then killed them whilst the troops crashed into his lines. His big unit of 30 Clanrats with Seer were pummelled with stones until they failed there leadership; then the mopping up. I killed everything for the loss of 6 hoppers and 20 Night Goblin archersJ. Another big win.

 

That was it. The Orcs and Goblins had done me proud with a very convincing show of brutality and sneakiness that had won the tournament. The wyvern lent a lot of tactical flexibility to the army which it had lacked before, I had enough anti magic to weather the majority of the magic and the battle line had enough strength to withstand everyone’s main charges (thanks to the fanatics). A very good performance by all parts of the army. Special metion to the fanatics who killed:

A Bloodthirster,

3 Ogre maneaters and a Rhinox rider

2 Kroxigor and 1 skink.

4 flamers and 5 horrors,

12  Plague censer bearers.

 

Not bad for some loony Gobbos!

 

By (The Winner) Sedge