Game 13: Lizardmen vs Orcs and Goblins
This isn't a High Elf game! I didn't want to start a new thread, though, so I'll toss it in here anyways. I wanted to switch things up a bit and go back to my Lizardmen for this game. I've been purely focused on painting High Elves lately, though, so my Lizardmen list is the same as one I've fielded before. It's a weaker version of the list I'd like to build up to.
Lizardmen:
Saurus Oldblood mounted on Carnosaur w/ Loping Stride, Bloodroar, Armor of Destiny, Ogre Blade
Saurus Scar-Veteran BSB w/ Enchanted Shield, Talisman of Preservation, Light Armor
Saurus Scar-Veteran w/ Dawnstone, Light Armor, Shield, Dragonhelm
Skink Priest Level 2 w/ Dispel Scroll, Lore of Heavens
Skink Priest Level 2 w/ Cube of Darkness, Lore of Heavens
30x Saurus Warriors FC w/ Spears
18x Saurus Warriors FC
10x Skink
10x Skink Skirmishers
Ancient Stegadon w/ Engine of the Gods, Sharpened Horns, Unstoppable Stampede
Stegadon w/ Sharpened Horns, Unstoppable Stampede
Troglodon
Orcs and Goblins:
Grimgor Ironhide
Savage Orc Shaman Level 4 w/ Lucky Shrunken Head, stuff
Black Orc BSB w/ Razor Standard
Night Goblin Shaman Level 2 w/ Dispel Scroll
Night Goblin Shaman Level 2
39x Savage Orcs Big Uns w/ Shields
20x Night Goblins w/ 1x Fanatic, Short Bows
25ish Night Goblins w/ 2x Fanatic
5x Spider Riders
Spear Chukka
Spear Chukka
Rock Lobba
Doom Diver Catapult
29x Black Orcs
Snotling Pump Wagon
Orc Boar Chariot
Magic:
Goblin Shaman: Night Shroud, Gift of the Spider God
Goblin Shaman: Gork'll Fix It, Vindictive Glare
Great Shaman: Foot of Gork, Ere We Go, Hand of Gork, Fist of Gork
Skink Priest: Iceshard Blizzard, Comet of Cassandora
Skink Priest: Urannon's Thunderbolt, Curse of the Midnight Wind
Deployment:
I chose to hold my left flank at a large manor on a hilltop with the Ancient Stegadon. The wizard bunker and the small Saurus block deployed next to the Stegadon, with the Skirmishers in the center of the line. To the right in my main effort was the Stegadon and the large Saurus block, and on my far right flank I put the Troglodon and the Carnosaur. My opponent mirrored my line with his right anchored on the Night Goblin Archers. A single Spear Chukka was on the hill shielded by a tower with the Chariot and the Spiders next to it, while the Night Goblins were behind. The center of his line had the Immortals and the left flank the Savage Orcs and the Pump Wagon. The other warmachines were behind. The Spiders vanguarded towards the center.
Initial Thoughts:
The two large Orc blocks are serious threats. The Orc line is very similar to mine in weighting, the main fight will happen on my right. Defeating either Orc block depends on me getting multiple units in at the same time, the large Saurus block could hold out a little while, but not long in my opinion. Grimgor can also kill any of my monsters, very possibly in a single round of combat. My opponent has strong close combat and strong magic, and a decent shooting phase as well which will make this game difficult for me as my list is primarily combat based and doesn't have a substantial maneuver advantage. I'll try to advance my left flank relatively quickly, though I was initially planning on pivoting on that flank my opponent has dropped most of his power on his left, so my left is surprisingly secure.
Lizardmen Turn 1:
Keeping with the plan the Lizardmen left advanced forwards towards the center while the Skinks moved up to deal with the Spiders and impede the Black Orcs. My monsters moved up at full speed, staying well away from the Savage Orcs. The center pushed forwards a bit, but not dangerously far.
Magic was 8-5, Comet was dispelled and Thunderbolt hit the Chariot for 3 wounds. Iceshard Blizzard failed to cast.
Shooting killed 2 of the Spiders.
Orcs and Goblins Turn 1:
The Night Goblin Archers fail Animosity and fight with the nearby Night Goblins, killing 1 Archers and 2 from the other unit. The rest of the line advances at a fairly even pace. The Savage Orcs hold back a bit so that they aren't in much danger and the monsters aren't on their flank. The Pump Wagon misfired and had to head towards the monsters.
Magic was 6-4 and put Gift of the Spider God on the Savage Orcs as well as Ere We Go, while a large Foot of Gork cast was scrolled.
Shooting inflicted no damage with a large scatter of the Rock Lobba and a bad Doom Diver roll not wounding the Saurus.
(picture note, due to the forest the Black Orc unit is denoted by the two Orc columns on either side of the forest)
Lizardmen Turn 2:
The Carnosaur charged the Pump Wagon while the Ancient Stegadon failed its charge at the Chariot. The Troglodon moved around the tower on my right to begin taking down warmachines. The Skinks moved up to redirect the Black Orcs away from my center.
Magic was 9-6, Comet was dispelled again, Blizzard went off on a Bolt Thrower, Thunderbolt was dispelled, and the bound spell failed to cast from the EotG.
The Skinks managed to kill 3 Black Orcs with some good shooting.
The Carnosaur killed the Pump Wagon and reformed to face the side of the Savage Orcs.
Orcs and Goblins Turn 2:
The Chariot charged the Ancient Stegadon but the Skinks on top killed it in the Stand and Shoot reaction. The Black Orcs charged the Skirmishers losing 2 more to the stand and shoot. The rest of the army advanced forwards.
Magic was 5-3. Gift of the Spider God went onto the Savage Orcs, Vindictive Glare hit the Ancient Stegadon for a wound, and then the third roll of 10 on a two dice cast put Ere We Go on the Savage Orcs. To make matters even worse, Hand of Gork went off on the Savage Orcs after the Cube of Darkness failed to stop it. The Savage Orcs moved forwards and turned around to turn my flank.
The Rock Lobba killed 2 Saurus and the Doom Diver misfired.
The Skinks were obliterated by the Black Orcs, who reformed to face my line again.
Lizardmen Turn 3:
In a desperate attempt to turn things around, the Carnosaur, the Ancient Stegadon, and the Saurus Warriors all charged the Black Orcs, all of which were average charge ranges. The Stegadon charged the Spiders to try to get the overrun into the Black Orcs. The small Saurus block also tried for a 10" charge on the Black Orcs since they might as well. The Ancient Stegadon, the small Saurus, and the Carnosaur all failed their charges, putting the Carnosaur in a terrible position. The Stegadon and the large Saurus block both made their targets. The Troglodon charged the Rock Lobba.
Magic was 6-6, Curse was dispelled and Blizzard hit the Black Orcs.
The Troglodon killed the Rock Lobba and overran into a Spear Chukka. The Stegadon killed the Spiders and overran into the Black Orcs. In that combat the Stegadon took 3 wounds and 7 Saurus died, but 17 Black Orcs were killed in response, and the Black Orcs broke. They escaped the pursuit, however.
Orcs and Goblins Turn 3:
The Black Orcs rallied, the Savage Orcs charged the Carnosaur. Animosity sent the Goblin Archers into the Ancient Stegadon. However, this also sent them through their own Fanatic that was launched at the Stegadon during the charge, and sent them through a Fanatic from the other Goblins that had been launched when the pursuing Saurus got close, which killed 13 Archers.
Magic was 9-6. A 2 dice Gift of the Spider God got through the 3 dice dispel on the Savage Orcs, Vindictive Glare killed 2 Saurus, Gork'll Fix It hit the Ancient Stegadon, Fist of Gork went off on the Great Shaman, and Ere We Go and Nightshroud both failed to cast.
The Stegadon lost another wound to a Bolt Thrower.
The Ancient Stegadon wiped out the Archers while the Troglodon killed the Bolt Thrower and overran to the Doom Diver. The Oldblood issued a challenge to send the Shaman to the rear of the Savage Orcs. A shocking number of 1s to wound then saw a single Savage Orc die along with the BSB, while the Carnosaur was killed. The Oldblood fled but escaped pursuit.
Lizardmen Turn 4:
The small Saurus unit and the Ancient Stegadon charged the Night Goblins while the large Saurus unit charged the Black Orcs. The Oldblood rallied.
Magic was 9-6 again, Curse of the Midnight Wind hit the Night Goblins, Blizzard hit the Black Orcs, and the Comet was cast near the Savage Orcs.
The Night Goblins caused no damage at the cost of 17 greenskins, causing them to break, but again escaping pursuit. The Troglodon failed to kill the Doom Diver. Grimgor pulped a Scar-Veteran and 2 more Saurus died along with 4 Black Orcs, but Grimgor broke from combat and was caught.
Orcs and Goblins Turn 4:
The Goblins didn't rally, the Savage Orcs reformed towards the majority of my army instead of charging the Oldblood.
Magic was 6-3, the Goblin Shaman ate a bad mushroom and failed to cast. Hand of Gork went off and shunted the Orcs forwards. The Comet came in and wounded the Oldblood once and killed 3 Savage Orcs.
The Spear Chukka about 1" away from the Ancient Stegadon fired a desperate shot and wounded it 3 times.
The Troglodon killed the Doom Diver.
Lizardmen Turn 5:
The Ancient Stegadon charged the Spear Chukka after charging the Night Goblins to force them to flee and redirecting. The rest of the army reformed and turned to encircle the Savage Orcs. The small Saurus would sacrifice themselves for the Great Plan and hope that the overrun didn't take the Savage Orcs outside of the charge arc of the rest of the army.
Magic was 10-7. Thunderbolt killed 2 Orcs while Curse was dispelled. Iceshard then rolled up a Dimensional Cascade and killed 9 Skinks in the bunker and wounded the Priest.
Shooting killed 2 more Savage Orcs.
The Ancient Stegadon pasted the Spear Chukka.
Orcs and Goblins Turn 5:
The Savage Orcs charged the Saurus Warriors to their front.
Magic was another 5-3 phase that put Gift of the Spider God on the Savage Orcs as well as Ere We Go as it got through the dispel due to the Lore Attribute. Fist of Gork also went off.
Combat killed a single Savage Orc and 6 Saurus, but due to the Cold Blooded leadership and the BSB the Saurus stayed stuck in combat with a double-1.
Lizardmen Turn 6:
Everything charged in, the Saurus and Troglodon on one side, the Oldblood in the rear, and the Stegadon in the other side.
The Troglodon used its Primeval Roar to boost combat and at the end 6 Saurus were dead along with 14 Savage Orcs. The Savage Orcs broke and were destroyed.
Lizardmen Victory!
Thoughts:
This game was a very tough fight. I have to say, the Orc magic phases that my opponent uses have been the strongest magic phases that I have ever faced. The Night Goblin casting ability is phenomenal, my opponent only ever 1-dice casts the spells, relying on the mushroom to help out, and despite the risks it almost always works. When the Little Waagh attribute goes off then he gets the spell for free and weakens my dispel. I don't really know how to counter these Orc magic phases, they were very strong. I think attempting high castings of Foot of Gork could have really helped my opponent by smashing some of my units, but there was only one phase where I think that might have been a really good option, the other two times he had good Foot targets he used Hand of Gork to great effect. I think tactically the biggest mistake was having Grimgor fight Saurus in the central battle, killing the Stegadon could have been very helpful, though it wouldn't have saved the Black Orcs. My charge of the Carnosaur towards the Black Orcs was definitely a mistake, it was an average charge range, but that still left about a 50% chance of failure, and failure would definitely kill the Carnosaur due to the Savage Orcs being on the flank, so I shouldn't have done it. I definitely overestimated the Black Orcs, I thought that I would need much of my army to deal with them but the Saurus alone were surprisingly good at handling them. The Hand of Gork redeployment of the Savage Orcs was an excellent move and threw me off badly, I took quite a while deciding my moves the next turn, but I think that I mostly handled it with the correct counters. The Troglodon also did decently this game as a warmachine hunter, but 200 points is a very expensive warmachine hunter and I don't think it was worth that whole total. That said, I was pleasantly surprised with its performance this game, it definitely contributed some in the final battle as well.