5 Tournament games at Carnage – Element Games

A few weekends ago I went to Carnage at Element Games run by the superb Alex Jones. He has run some superb post-COVID events in the UK the first of which I took Sons of Behemat to. However for this one I was able to unpack an existing army with a new book… and that meant Orruk Warclans!

The thoughts behind my list can be seen in my Carnage Prep article, and is repeated below:

Allegiance: Ironjawz
– Warclan: Ironsunz
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)***
– General
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
– Command Trait: Mega Bossy
– Artefact: Amulet of Destiny (Universal Artefact)
– Mount Trait: Smelly ‘Un
Orruk Megaboss (140)***
– Artefact: Destroyer
Orruk Megaboss (140)***
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of the Weird: Bash ‘Em Ladz
Orruk Warchanter (115)****
– Warbeat: Fixin’ Beat
Orruk Warchanter (115)****
– Warbeat: Get ‘Em Beat
Orruk Weirdnob Shaman (90)****
– Lore of the Weird: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork

Battleline
10 x Orruk Brutes (320)*
– Jagged Gore-hackas
– 2x Gore Choppas
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Orruk Brutes (160)*
– Jagged Gore-hackas
– 1x Gore Choppas
10 x Orruk Ardboys (170)**
– 2x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearers
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)**
– 1x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearers
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)***
– 1x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearers

Units
3 x Rippa’s Snarlfangs (70) ****

Core Battalions
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Ironjawz Fist
***Warlord
****Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Artefact

Total: 1970 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 138
Drops: 12

I went 12 drop, because I don’t often mind whether I have the choice, and I like to have lots of units to play with and get in the way. I also chose to avoid the double Maw-Krusha list because I like the new Brutes and wanted to play with them to see if the theory for them worked on the table.

Game 1 The Vice v Ironjawz

An Ironjawz army with double MawKrusha (MK) but the Vice meant that neither of us wanted to advance at the speed we might normally use. My opponent went first and selected Broken Ranks on a unit of Ardboyz, and advanced on them with an MK, and managed to get within 6″. A sneaky redeploy meant he failed the charge after I rolled well which gave me an early lead.

My turn was very cagey, with my Hand of Gork being successful and putting a unit of 10 Ardboyz behind the lines and capturing one of the objectives getting me a point for holding more.

The second turn saw us looking at each other whilst my opponent advanced his MK a little further and killed 5 Ardboyz, whilst I played conquer to get an objective back by numbers – leaving the MK uninjured. My MK was safely hidden behind my Brutes now, but with the Ironjawz counter charge ability my opponent didn’t want to charge. Equally nor did I!

Turn three the ‘Fast Un’ MK charged my cage and killed some Ardboyz, but my MK countercharged, and killed the MK on my third turn, getting a ton of extra points (+1 for monster slain, +2 for Bring it Down, +1 for doing it with a monster). This put me at 15-12 up.

Turn 4 we again watched each other with my opponent getting Savage Spearhead, and me picking up the easy Monstrous takeover. In Turn 5 I eventually won a priority, barrelled into the centre and killed the second MK with my Brutes… game over! Win for me 27-16

Game 2 Feral Foray v Slaves to Darkness – Host of Everchosen

This was an Archaon build with the ability to roll for priority in his turn. He gave me first turn, but had left only on Varanguard on one of his home objectives, so Rippa’s Snarlfangs sped forward, using command point for 6 to run, and placed 3 paws on the objective, staying outside of 9″. A cheeky point gained (for more) and conquer finished early. His first turn was conservative, so I guessed that I was going first in turn 2… and indeed I did.

I ran in a circle with my troops and left a gap in front of my Maw Krusha to tempt Archaon to charge if he got the first turn. One of my foot Megabosses had also charged into the middle to slow down the big fella turn 2. The Megaboss promptly died, but killed some Varanguard in revenge and Archaon came forward… seemed like I was going second!

Turn 3 and Archaon advanced on the exposed Maw Krusha… so I called Redeploy and closed the gap, ensuring Archaon would be within 3″ of the MK if he charged. And charge he did, his first attack killing the Ardboyz, and his second getting to the Maw Krusha… a slight moment of concern but with the -1 to hit his Slayer of Kings failed and the MK fought back with some Brute assistance doing 12 wounds. He also made a mistake on my right by not killing a single Ardboy which was his battle tactic (they were fighting Brutes as well).

Turn 4 and the MK failed to kill Archaon meaning another nervous moment… and into the sword I went! Fortunately the Brutes piled in and finished him off – phew! and that was pretty much it. He gained a cheeky Monstrous Takeover with the Sphinx in his turn 4, but I killed it turn 5 for a bonus point and I came away with a 26-21 win

Game 3 Apex Predators – Helon LRL

I was on table 4 at this stage and played Helon LRL with 2 wind spirits, Severith and their friends… ouch! I deployed on the line in the hope he wouldn’t kill enough and he failed to kill the MK but I couldn’t charge the foxes as they could outdistance me and I had insufficient wounds left to survive unleash hell. Unfortunately I failed my Mighty Destroyers charges into the Sentinels and then the Brutes failed by one wound to kill the fox they were fighting, (it saved 8 of 9 5+ ward saves!) which meant no Smashing and Bashing and the other fox and Wind Chargers ran away!

Unfortunately that was the game with a huge loss, but I did stop my opponent getting his secondary by charging in my Warchanter and dying. Lost 3-25!! (Ouch; again!)

Game 4 Savage Gains (I think!) vs Stormcast

I was meant to play Fyreslayers but some drop-outs meant a redraw and I played the new Stormcast. It was a great fun game, but his two Ballistas failed to kill (or indeed hit) and MK over the first two turns.

He sacrificed a unit of Liberators to slow down the Maw Krusha (putting them within 12″ to stop the Mighty Destroyers and picked up Ferocious Advance, and I responded with a Conquer and killing the Liberators. They came back though, so after turn 1 neither of us had done much and it was 7-7!

He won the second turn, chose Aggressive Expansion, but failed to knock my Ardboyz and some Brutes off a central objective despite charging. In this turn he also moved the returned Liberators to slow me down again, but losing the two points and failing to get either of the central objectives hurt the point collection – only 1 point gained! In response I chucked the army into combat, and started killing Stormcast. Picking up the full 7 points.

My opponent won the priority turn 3 but gave it to me as I was trapped in combat and he wanted to remove an objective… unfortunately my combat power was too much with the Ballistas being rubbish and I took the game. Win 41 -8

Game 5 vs Seraphon

Back on table 4 as a reasonable scoring 3-1 army I was playing against a Kroak Seraphon army. I was given the first turn, used Mighty Destroyers to get the Brutes and 10x Ardboyz forward and flew the MK into the centre as I got Mystic Shield off. Now I needed to survive!

His turn 1 was shooting with a world of Salamanders (2×2 in his starting list, and 1 summoned) and killed half the Brutes and put significant damage on the MK… but I had survived. Now if I could get the priority I could charge and be in them!

Unfortunately he won priority, took the priority and took off the remaining Brutes… he made a mistake by doing magic mortal wounds whilst I had Amulet of Destiny until Kroak remembered he could destroy it… spell was cast… dice was rolled… Amulet of Destiny was gone… oh dear! The Salamanders continued to do amazing damage and charged the MK to finish him off. Fortunately for me he rolled no 6s and I made my saves and killed a unit of 2.

Having survived I had a chance, so one of my Footbosses charged another unit of 2 Sallys in order to stop Unleash Hell on the MK. The MK charged a small unit of 1 Sally and the Troglodon… who was also pinned by the unit of Ardboyz. The Sallys killed the Megaboss, who (with destroyer) swung back and killed them all, but the MK failed to kill either the Salamander in front of him or the Troglodon (which came back on a 4+!). I was ahead though and once again priority would be key.

And I lost it again, but my opponent decided now was the time to go after the support characters and they all died leaving the MK alive but alone. A unit of Skinks teleported behind the MK to capture the central objective gaining Conquer. In response the MK finally killed the Troglodon and picked up a 7 point turn. I was ahead on point (15-9) but had little left. I needed the MK to go into a Skink unit or something… so priority again!

And lost… oh dear! MK died, one Salamader was rallied back and I couldn’t achieve any objectives. I had three units left so retreated the Rippas, and ran my 2 x 5 Ardboyz who had been holding my home objectives. If I lost priority again it would definitely be over…

But I won it! I did Ferocious Advance with the 3 units I had left and I was 21-14 with 20 wounds for my opponent to kill my battleline. Kroak was mostly out of range, so cast comet chipping some wounds on the Ardboyz and killed Rippa. He then rallied a second Salamander into a unit and teleported them to 9″ away… and fired! He killed a full unit with shooting (despite the shields), and then went for a charge… and 11″ (getting his secondary), made the charge and then went mad on the attacks again. I had lost by 1 point in the last turn and missed out on a 4-1… LOST 21-22

Summary

A great fun army and definitely got some legs… I’m taking them again this weekend to War in the Heartlands, so hopefully I’ll see some of you there.