Bones n' Beards: Tomb Kings vs Dwarven Mountain Holds

 There's a pony cart full of ale at stake - the Dwarfs are going to fight like mad!

I, Stylus, am returning to The Old World against a new opponent - Mordian Jon and his beautiful old lead dwarfs. I'm taking the Tomb Kings once again, as I've been adding a few new desert monsters to the old bones.

The Khemrical Brothers - Tomb Kings

We're at 2,000pts, and I wanted to use every skeleton in my closet (to the point where I was ditching magical items just to squeeze in those last few skellies).

In addition to the usual troop types, I've got a lot more ambushing creatures to leap out of the sand (or, in this case, muddy sod) - Tomb Scorpion, Tomb Swarms and some Carrion to flap their emaciated wings.

And a nice big monster for the Dwarf cannons to aim at: a Khemrian Warsphinx with all the trimmings.

• Tomb King (General)
  Skeleton Chariot, Cavalry spear, Heavy armour
  Icon of Rulership
• High Priest (Hierophant)
  Level 4 Wizard, Skeletal Steed
  Hieratic Jar
  Necromancy: The Dwellers Below, Deathly Cabal, Spiritual Vortex, Spirit Leech
• 25 x Skeleton Warriors
  Command Group. Thrusting spears, Light armour, Shields
• 25 x Skeleton Warriors
  Command Group. Thrusting spears, Light armour, Shields
• 10 x Skeleton Archers
  Warbows
• 10 x Skeleton Skirmishers
  Warbows, Ambushers
• 5 x Skeleton Horse Archers
  Warbows
• 8 x Skeleton Horsemen
  Command Group. Cavalry spears, Light armour, Shields
• 3 x Skeleton Chariots
  Cavalry spears, Warbows, Master Charioteer, Standard bearer, Musician
• 3 x Sepulchral Stalkers
  Halberds, Writhing Tail, Petrifying Gaze, Heavy armour
• 3 x Carrion
  Beaks and talons
• Tomb Scorpion
  Decapitating Claws, Envenomed Sting, Heavy armour, Ambushers
• 3 x Tomb Swarms
  Venomous bites and stings, Ambushers
• 3 x Tomb Swarms
  Venomous bites and stings, Ambushers
• Khemrian Warsphinx
  Wicked claws, Envenomed Sting, Fiery Roar, Cavalry spears, Shortbows, 2 extra Tomb Guard

Thane Borri's Throng - Dwarven Mountain Holds

This army is a sight to bring tears to the eyes of any leadfellow. Mordian Jon has poured so much care and attention into this army (even the mushrooms have highlights) and the result is a colourful collection of classic miniatures that could belong in the pages of any '90s White Dwarf.

And there's some iron in there: three solid blocks of Warriors, Longbeards and Slayers, with ranged support from Rangers, Quarrellers and war machines. Thane Borri is clearly fancying his chances, since is Oathstone will attract all challengers.

Backing them up is the Anvil of Doom and - now with special rules - Bugman's beer cart!

• Thane Borri (General)
  Great weapon, Full plate armour, Shield, Oathstone
  Rune of Might, Rune of Fury, 2 x Rune of Shielding
• Anvil of Doom
  Hand weapons, heavy armour and shields
  Master Rune of Balance, 2 x Rune of Spellbreaking, Rune of Stone
• Engineer
  Hand weapon, Heavy armour
• 20 x Dwarf Warriors
  Command Group, Hand weapons, Heavy armour, Shields, Drilled
  
• 10 x Quarrellers
  Command Group, Hand weapons, Crossbows, Heavy armour, Shields
• 10 x Rangers
  Command Group, Great weapons, Crossbows, Heavy armour, Shields
• 19 x Longbeards
  Command Group, Hand weapons, Heavy armour, Shields, Drilled
  
• 20 x Slayers
  Command Group, 5 x Giant Slayers
• 1 x Cannon
  Hand weapons, Light armour
  2 x Rune of Forging, Rune of Reloading
• 1 x Gyrocopter
  Hand weapons, Steam cannon, Full plate armour
• 1 x Flame Cannon
  
• 1 x Bugman's Cart

Mission and deployment

As this was Mordian Jon's second game, we went for a straightforward Open Battle. The Dwarfs picked the table side with the hill (don't they always?) and castled around it.

The Cannon, Flame Cannon and Anvil of Doom took the high ground, with the Engineer overseeing it (and fortifying the Flame Cannon). The Quarrellers set up at the base of the hill to screen the war machines.

On the right flank went the Thane, his Longbeards and the Gyrocopter.

The Dwarf Warriors and Slayers took the left flank, with Bugman's pony handing out fortifying mugs of ale.

Moving forward a little with their Vanguard ability, the Rangers took the hill on the left flank.

The Tomb Kings deployed along the length of the opposing side.

From right to left, the Tomb King leading his squadron of Chariots, supported by the Warsphinx.

The Horse Archers occupied the heights, with Sepulchral Stalkers on their left.

In the centre were the two blocks of Skeleton Warriors, and the Skeleton Horsemen.

The Skeleton Archers anchored the left flank of the line, with the Carrion nesting in the trees.

A number of units were deployed in ambush: Skeleton Skirmishers, Tomb Scorpion and both units of Tomb Swarms - so who knows when they will show up!

Turn 1

The Tomb king line shuffles forward, with the main blocks only slightly logjammed in the centre, and the Sepulchral Stalkers twisting around the trees. 

A volley of arrows flies from the Archers, Skirmishers, Chariots and Warsphinx, doing absolutely nothing. And the High Priest throws out come conjurations that are equally ineffective. 

The Dwarf units trudge forwards to face their undead foes, with the Gyrocopter forging ahead. The Anvil of Doom strikes the Rune of Oath & Steel, giving armour re-rolls to the Rangers.

The firepower of the dwarfs is slightly more impressive, with the Flame Cannon incinerating a rank of Skeleton Horsemen, and the Quarrellers taking out a couple of Skeleton Warriors. The Rangers chip the paintwork of one of the Chariots and a cannonball hits the same unit squarely, only to glance off the sides.

Turn 2

Infestation! When I make my Ambushers roll, both of the Tomb Swarms appear and promptly scuttle behind the Dwarf war machines.

The centre continues to plod forward, and the High Priest cracks open his Hieratic Jar to resurrect all the skeletons that have just fallen.

On the left flank, the Carrion charge the Gyrocopter, who beats a hasty retreat. On the right flank, the Chariots crash into the Rangers and so, after a very long charge, does the Warsphinx.

Despite facing my two best units led by my general, the doughty Rangers - aided by the Rune of Oath & Steel - manage to survive the carnage and cling on with three dwarfs surviving.

Their good fortune then abandons them as they fail their break test and are cut down by the Chariots. the Warsphinx doesn't manage to catch them, so is unable to reform to threaten the Slayers.

In the Dwarf turn, the Slayers reform to face the Warsphinx, licking their lips at the chance to die beneath the claws of such an impressive beast.

The rest of the Dwarf line holds fast, although the Thane swings his unit around to face the centre (I guess he's not that threatened by the Skeleton Archers). The shooting only accounts for one Skeleton Horseman this time (the Cannon isn't having the best day - but crucially, thanks to its embarrassment of runes - it's not misfiring).

The Gyrocopter rallies and continues its flight towards the back line, where it hoses down both units of Tomb Swarms with steam.

Turn 3

The Tomb Kings now start to close the jaws of their trap. Each of the Tomb Swarms charge the Dwarf Engineer and the Flame Cannon, respectively. The King's Chariots charge Bugman's Cart, the Sepulchral Stalkers and the Skeleton Horsemen charge the Quarrellers.

Emerging from Ambush, the Skeleton Skirmishers and Tomb Scorpion also emerge on either side of the hill.

Once again - and for the whole battle - the High Priest fails to get any spells past either the Anvil of Doom or the Runesmith's Runes of Spellbreaking. At least his Arise! ability keeps filling out the ranks of skeletons with regularlity.

Only able to reform, the Warsphinx breathes fire into the ranks of the Slayers, causing seven of them to go up like candles (too much hairspray, lads?).

The Chariots smash into the Bugman's Cart, which proves surprisingly difficult to damage. It Falls Back in Good Order, pursued by the Chariots who clip the edge of the Quarrellers before they can re-engage.

The Quarrellers have already fought their battle against the Skeleton Horsemen - where the only action to happen was when the dwarf champion won the challenge.

Bursting from the woods, the Sepulchral Stalkers charge the Dwarf Warriors, hacking down a few of their number, but the massed ranks of the dwarfs results in a drawn combat.

On the hill, the Engineer swats away some of the Tomb Swarms with his telescope, but one of the Flame Cannon crew gets a poisonous bite and wanders off to find some dock leaves.

In the Dwarf turn, the Slayers charge the Warsphinx, hacking away a couple of its wounds, and losing almost all the Giant Slayers when the Tomb Guard crew stab back at them.

In the centre, the Thane and Longbeards reform to maximise their attacks (they would have been disrupted fighting over the stone well, hence no need for ranks) and hit the Skeleton Horseman in the flank. Bugman's Cart, emboldened by its success, charges back into the Chariots.

This leads to a very zig-zag combat that goes from the Longbeards to the Skeleton Horseman to the Quarrellers to the Bugman's Cart to the Chariots!

When the dust settles, the Skeleton Horsemen have been smashed, and the combat result crumbles two of the Chariots (the third having been kicked to pieces by the pony). Only the Tomb King remains, probably wondering what just happened, and why that damn cart is still there.

Turn 4

The Carrion finally catch up with the Dwarf Gyrocoper, who must have wondered why be bothered fleeing in the first place, as their desiccated talons prove ineffective against the machine's toughness and armour.

Guided by the High Priest, the main body of Tomb Kings army manoeuvre around the newly-reformed Longbeards, hoping to tempt a charge into the tarpit.

Speaking of tarpits, the Sepulchral Stalkers continue their grind for the third bout against the Dwarf Warriors, with any wounds they suffer being healed by the High Priest.

The Warsphinx also fights on against the Slayers, taking them down to a mere handful, and suffering another wound as a slayer lashes out with its dying stroke.

The Tomb Scorpion engages the Anvil, then realises it has picked the wrong target for its Decapitating Claws, as anvils are notoriously difficult to decapitate.

As one Tomb Swarm envelops the remainder of the Flame Cannon crew, the Engineer holds fast against the other Swarm.

In the centre, the Tomb King finally kills Bugman's Cart (it was getting personal) and resumes his attention on the flank of the Quarrellers).

Moving with great speed (for dwarfs), Thane Borri hefts up his oathstone and leads his Longbeards into the Skeleton Warriors unit on the left. With some swift hewing of dry bones, most of the unit is crushed in the initial onslaught.

The Cannon is able to blast off a round of grapeshot at the Skeleton Skirmishers, before its attacked by the Tomb Swarm that took out the neighbouring Flame Cannon. After nibbling the Engineer to pieces, the second Tomb Swarm also joins in.

The Sepulchral Stalkers continue to whittle down the Dwarf Warriors, who are still managing to hold them at bay. 

The last of the Slayers is taken down by the Warsphinx, but the Tomb Scorpion is smashed apart by the Runesmith, and one of the Carrion is chopped up by the Gyrocopter's rotor blades.

Turn 5

Having driven the Quarrellers back in the last round of combat, the Tomb King charges into them one more time, backed up by a flank attack from the High Priest and his Skeleton Warriors.

There are still a couple of dwarfs remaining to Fall Back, so the Tomb King continues the chase, while the High Priest reforms his unit to take on the Longbeards.

Another Carrion falls to the Gyrocopter (with only two wounds apiece, it doesn't take much to bring one down once Unstable kicks in), but the Cannon is overwhelmed by the Swarms, who now turn their attention on the Anvil of Doom.

Meanwhile, the Skeleton Horse Archers - who've never survived this long in a battle - are riding around trying to find something to do. Their arrows are totally ineffective against dwarf toughness and armour, and they'd be a liability to any combat they join.

On a similar note, the Warsphinx is also looking for somewhere it can contribute.

Being engaged on every side, there aren't many movement options for the dwarfs - which should suit them. The Longbeards reform to take the charge head-on, the Quarrellers are finally overrun, the last of the Carrion is cut down and the Anvil of Doom despatches the remnants of the Swarms (who must be scattered everywhere by now).

The Sepulchral Stalkers actually manage to break the deadlock with the Dwarf Warriors, forcing them to Fall Back (and get charged again, no doubt).

The battle could end on this turn but, to everyone's relief, we roll at least one more turn - this is about to get decisive!

Turn 6

The Tomb King completes his grand tour of the battlefield by finally wiping out the Quarrellers. He's able to reform and get back into the fray next turn, but with no more Carrion left, the Gyrocopter is threatening to charge and hold him up for a turn.

So the last of the Skeleton Skirmishers are thrown at the Gyrocopter, trying to delay it long enough for the chariot to race away.

The Sepulchral Stalkers finally win their battle and cut down the last of the Dwarf Warriors - and it only took them three turns!

The Gyrocopter pilot beats down all the surrounding skeletons, allowing him to overrun into the Tomb King's chariot. Disaster is averted when the Gyrocopter pulls up just an inch short and the enemy general is still free to charge next turn.

But before that can happen, the Longbeards charge into the High Priest's Skeleton Warriors, and the Thane's oathstone means that his challenge cannot be refused. This is a shame, since refusing challenges is the High Priest's favourite thing to do and, with no intention of getting squashed by a runic hammer, he pushes the unit champion forward to get thumped.

The dwarfs win the combat and crumble and few skeletons, but they're committed to the fight now and - not for the first time - surrounded.

Turn 7

As the High Priest replaces his skeleton losses, the Tomb Kings throw their strength into the combat. The Skeleton Archers slam into the back of the unit, while the Tomb King himself charges in and gladly accepts Borri's offer of single combat.

The Skeleton Horse Archers charge in to delay the Gyrocopter, and actually succeed in destroying it! (my earlier comments about their usefulness must have hurt their feelings)

Now freed from the eternal combat against the Dwarf Warriors, the Sepulchral Stalkers charge into the Anvil of Doom and discover - like every other undead unit beforehand - that it's a tough nut to crack.

In the duel between warlords, the Tomb king strikes first, and nearly runs over the Thane immediately. But his gromril armour saves his final wound and the dwarf smites back a few wounds in return.

The overall combat slightly favours the Tomb Kings, but no-one's budging and the grind carries onto the Dwarfs' turn. This time, the Longbeards win the fight, and both units of Skeletons start to crumble.

On the hill, the Anvil holds fast and even cuts down one of the snake constructs.

Back with the single combat, the Thane stubbornly refuses to cede his final wound (even surviving the skeleton horses' hooves, and we know how lethal they are) and smashes more pieces off the royal chariot.

We continue to roll for the end of the game, but we carry on - even the dice want to see how this turns out.

Turn 8

After a lot of manoeuvre, the Warsphinx is finally in a position to make another charge. It bashes into the side of the Anvil of Doom and, with the remaining two Sepulchral Stalkers, that proves to be enough to finally topple the Runesmith.

In the main combat, the Tomb Kings lose their Skeleton Archers entirely, and so throw in the Skeleton Horse Archers (things are getting desperate) to try and stay in the fight long enough for their general to find the killing blow.

In the third round of fighting, every strike from the Tomb King deflects off the Thane's armour, and with a mighty swing of his great hammer, he topples the undead monarch.

That means that, in the Dwarf's eighth turn, the Thane is now free to issue another challenge. And with no-one left to step up, the High Priest reluctantly steps forward.

But he still gets to strike first, and perhaps he can find that final weak spot to end this indomitable dwarf? Not a chance - the attacks land home, but once again, the Thane survives and pulverises the High Priest.

With the loss of the army's Hierophant, things really do take a turn. The few Skeleton Warriors and Horse Archers that the Longbeards haven't already smashed now crumble to dust. The Sepulchral Stalkers and Warsphinx come through intact, but they're now on the far side of the field.

And, sure enough, the battle ends there. With the Thane clinging onto his last wound, his battered veterans claiming the centre of the battlefield, surrounded by the smashed remains of their foes. Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

Result - 1,820 : 1,757 
Victory to the Dwarven Mountain Holds!

Locker Room

That game was incredible. Both Dwarfs and Tomb Kings lean towards durable (each in their own unique way), rather than killy, which meant we got a lot of protracted combats that swung heavily on the luck of the dice - needless to say, that made every round of combat incredibly dramatic!

I can't remember playing a game where both sides managed to destroy each other so comprehensively, I'm glad it went all the way to eight rounds too - anything less would have robbed us of that amazing comeback in the centre.

During the write-up, I discovered that a gap of less than 100pts is a technical draw - but I won't begrudge the dwarves their victory. The Thane and his Longbeards alone accounted for more than 1,300 points - so they worked hard for it!

I enjoyed having new toys for the Tomb Kings. The Tomb Swarms really impressed - they were lucky to appear when they did, but their mass of poisoned attacks makes them the bane of war machines. The Sepulchral Stalkers did well too (I know they took a while, but Dwarf Warriors are no pushover) and the Warsphinx gave a good account of itself. I was less impressed with the Carrion, but anything with their speed is welcome in the Tomb Kings army.

I suppose I could have invested in a decent weapon for my general but, in fairness, that Thane cheated death an incredible number of times. In theory, the battle plan of fixing the centre and caving the flanks worked - it's just that being surrounded by enemies is just what the dwarves like.

Thanks again to Mordian Jon - he's always great fun to play against and his army is a treat to see on the table.