Bendigo Besieged 2026 - Part 3

This is the third part of my report of the recent 8th edition Warhammer Fantasy tournament, Bendigo Besieged. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

Game 3 - Watchtower
Peter Spiller - Vampire Counts

• Vampire Lord (Level 4, Lore of Vampires) with Heavy Armour, Quickblood, Red Fury, Shield, Ogre Blade, Talisman of Preservation, The Other Trickster's Shard
• Necromancer (Level 2, Lore of Vampires) with the Book of Arkhan
• Vampire (BSB, Level 2, Lore of Beasts) with Additional Hand Weapon, Shield, Armour of Destiny
• 40 Crypt Ghouls with Champion
• 42 Skeleton Warriors with Full Command
• 40 Zombies with Standard Bearer, Musician
• 2 Bat Swarms
• Corpse Cart with Balefire, Spear
• 40 Grave Guard with Great Weapons, Full Command, Banner of the Barrows

Pete is one of my regular opponents - in fact I've probably played more games of Warhammer against him than anyone else in the last 25 years. Of course, it had been many years since we'd actually played 8th edition together. Time to resume that particular rivalry...

I "won" the roll-off to control the Watchtower, however given I didn't have an eligible unit in my army to actually deploy in there, and I would be ceding the first turn... I really lost the roll-off for it. I put the Swordmasters right in front given they seemed best qualified to fight in the building.

Bendigo Besieged 2026 - Part 2

This is the second part of my report of the recent 8th edition Warhammer Fantasy tournament, Bendigo Besieged. You can find the previous part here.

Game 2 - Dawn Attack
Karl Bonwick - Warriors of Chaos

• Daemon Prince (Level 4, Lore of Metal) of Tzeentch with Chaos Armour, Daemonic Flight, Flaming Breath, Scaled Skin, Soul Feeder, Charmed Shield
• Exalted Hero (BSB) of Tzeentch on Daemonic Mount with Great Weapon, Shield, Burning Body, Third Eye of Tzeentch, Barding, Talisman of Preservation
• 25 Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch with Shields, Full Command, Standard of Discipline
• Chaos Chariot of Tzeentch
• 5 Chaos Warhounds
• 10 Chaos Knights of Tzeentch with Ensorcelled Weapons, Full Command, Banner of Swiftness
• Chimera with Flaming Breath, Regenerating Flesh
• Hellcannon

This was more like the sort of list I was worried about running into, with characters I was going to struggle to deal with. But the Daemon Prince wasn't immune to flaming attacks, so really there was just one plan there - Searing Doom...

Dawn Attack requires you to roll for each unit do determine whether things would start on the left, right, or centre. My deployment looks remarkably normal by my standards - I have some history with this scenario doing terrible things to me.

Bendigo Besieged 2026 - Part 1

Bendigo Besieged has finished, and I have finished my first 8th edition Warhammer Fantasy tournament in a few years. Really it's been my first games of 8th edition at all since Old World, except for a couple of practice games beforehand to serve as a bit of a refresher...

I've talked about my list before, but here it is again for reference:

• Prince on Ithilmar Barded Elven Steed with Heavy Armour, Enchanted Shield, Giant Blade, Talisman of Endurance 
• Loremaster of Hoeth with Armour of Caledor, Great Weapon
• Mage (Level 2, Lore of Metal) with Opal Amulet
• Noble (Battle Standard Bearer) on Ithilmar Barded Elven Steed with Shield, Lance, Armour of Fortune
• 13 Silver Helms with Shields, Full Command
• 30 Spearman with Full Command
• 5 Dragon Princes of Caledor with Full Command
• 15 Phoenix Guard with Full Command, War Banner
• 15 Sword Masters of Hoeth with Full Command
• Frostheart Phoenix

Highlander Comp Score: +5

I didn't have huge expectations for how my games were likely to go. The list was not carefully tuned, my 8th edition skills were rusty, and I had basically not used High Elves in this edition. But I had played against them plenty of times, and hundreds of games of 8th ed over the years have to count for something. I figured I should have enough to make a game of it.

More High Elves and preparing for an 8th ed event

Howdy doody. I'm back with another hobby update as I'm beavering away on my High Elves. I did pivot and work on Wood Elves in the lead up to Snake Eyes, but honestly I didn't quite finish any of the things I was frantically trying to get done there, so I won't showcase them here until I get around to finishing them properly. Which will totally happen. Don't look at me like that...

Anyway, my main focus at the moment is High Elves, so it was with that in mind that I decided I'd be using High Elves in the upcoming Bendigo Besieged 8th edition tournament. Yes, there are still 8th ed events. No, they're not common. No, I don't think I've actually played 8th ed since the last time I went to Bendigo Besieged. Oh gosh, it was 3 years ago. My aching bones...

So. I've never really used High Elves in 8th edition. Near as I can tell, I didn't use them in 7th edition either, but I think that ship has sailed. I feel like I'm really playing catch up with an army that I have been neglecting since relatively early in 6th edition (even if much of my revival effort is taking place in Old World). So, I get to use the 8th ed book. My focus then became using things that I'm not necessarily using in Old World (elite infantry being high on the list), a Frostheart Phoenix (I don't think I've ever used one at all, despite having painted 2), and then things that will help me keep making hobby progress. This then is my list:

• Prince on Ithilmar Barded Elven Steed with Heavy Armour, Enchanted Shield, Giant Blade, Talisman of Endurance 
• Loremaster of Hoeth with Armour of Caledor, Great Weapon
• Mage (Level 2, Lore of Metal) with Opal Amulet
• Noble (Battle Standard Bearer) on Ithilmar Barded Elven Steed with Shield, Lance, Armour of Fortune
• 13 Silver Helms with Shields, Full Command
• 30 Spearman with Full Command
• 5 Dragon Princes of Caledor with Full Command
• 15 Phoenix Guard with Full Command, War Banner
• 15 Sword Masters of Hoeth with Full Command
• Frostheart Phoenix

It's not a very carefully thought out list. And the infantry units look hilariously cute on the table with their Old World base adapters removed. But anyway, so long as I can get everything ready in time, I'll be happy to be fielding what I have here.

Hobby-wise, this has meant a bit of work (whilst trying to avoid crushing myself, as the push for the last couple of events has felt heavy).

Ah, Prince Tyrion. How many times have I painted thee? The answer is too many, although most of those efforts were either painting over (or stripping and repainting) my original copy of him as a teenager. This guy is a more recently acquired one with an unbroken sword, and a mostly more modern steed.

Snake Eyes 2026 - Part 5

This is the fifth and final part of my report of the recent Old World tournament, Snake Eyes. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

Game 5 - Aus Team
Travis Cramb - Grand Cathay
Upon the Field of Glory

• Shugengan Lord (General, Level 4 Illusion) with  Lore of Yang, Heavy Armour, The Monkey King's Wisdom, Learned Feng Shi Bo, Potion of Speed
• Supreme Astromancer (Level 3, Elementalism) with Lore of Yin, Cloak of Po Mei, Ruby Ring of Ruin
• 20 Jade Warriors with Shields, Stubborn, Jade Officer, Standard Bearer, The Jade Banner
• 20 Jade Warriors with Shields, Stubborn, Jade Officer, Standard Bearer, War Banner
• 12 Peasant Levy with Warbows, Skirmishers, Ambushers
• 12 Peasant Levy with Warbows, Skirmishers, Ambushers
• Cathayan Grand Cannon with Ogre Loader
• Cathayan Grand Cannon with Ogre Loader
• 4 Crane Gunner Team with Ambushers, Reserve Move
• 5 Iron Hail Gunners
• 6 Jade Lancer with Ambushers, Stubborn, Jade Lancer Officer, Ring of Jet
• Sky Lantern with Iron Hail Guns and Dragon Fire Bombs

So we had made it to the final round, and found ourselves against a team of guys who are part of the team representing Australia at the ETC this year.

I missed taking a photo of my deployment, so you'll just have to imagine how brilliant it was. I did shield the Treeman behind cover so the Grand Cannons couldn't just pick him off before I moved, but then I got the first turn and I decided that I couldn't hide forever if I wanted to reach the enemy (because Wood Elves are a bloodthirsty race who love close combat more than anything), so I took the other approach of simply exposing myself to everyone and hoping for the best.

Snake Eyes 2026 - Part 4

This is the fourth part of my report of the recent Old World tournament, Snake Eyes. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

The Saturday night saw a pizza dinner (with one of the largest piles of pizzas I've ever seen arriving on the tables), and Warhammer trivia. As per the previous year, there were some pretty silly questions, and it was fun. Unlike last year, we didn't win the trivia. Very sad. Oh well, next time.

Game 4 - Age of Sigmar Died For This? II
Ryan Kirby - Minotaur Blood Herd
Upon the Field of Glory

• Doombull (General) with Great weapon, Heavy armour, Shield, Bedazzling Helm, Talisman of Protection, Slug-skin
• Gorebull (BSB) with Full Plate Chaos Armour, Gnarled Hide, Shield, Enchanting Aura, The Soiled Tapestry
• 7 Minotaur Herd with Light armour, 3 Great weapons, 4 Shields, Full Command, Scimitar of Skultar, Manbane Standard
• 4 Minotaur Herd with Light armour, 3 Additional hand weapons, 1 Shield, Standard Bearer, Musician
• 10 Ungor Herd with Shortbows, Musician
• 1 Razorgor
• 1 Razorgor
• 1 Razorgor
• 4 Dragon Ogres with Great weapons, Heavy armour
• Dragon Ogre Shaggoth with Great weapon, Heavy armour, Chalice of Dark Rain

Ryan throws up the Minotaur horns as we complete deployment.

Snake Eyes 2026 - Part 3

This is the third part of my report of the recent Old World tournament, Snake Eyes. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

Game 3 - Optimised Jank
Ben Hannan - Beastmen Brayherds
Upon the Field of Glory

• Great Bray-Shaman (General, Level 3, Elementalism) with Braystaff
• Great Bray-Shaman (Level 3, Elementalism) with Braystaff, Hagtree Fetish
• Bray-Shaman (Level 1, Dark Magic) with Braystaff
• Bray-Shaman (Level 1, Dark Magic) with Braystaff
• Bray-Shaman (Level 1, Dark Magic) with Braystaff
• Wargor (BSB) with Great weapon, Heavy armour, Shield, Slug-skin
• 33 Gor Herd with Hand weapons, Shields, True-horn (Great weapon), Standard bearer (Banner of Swirling Wind), Musician
• Tuskgor Chariot
• Tuskgor Chariot
• 13 Ungor Herd with Hand weapons, Shields, Half-horn, Musician
• 3 Dragon Ogres with Great weapons, Heavy armour
• Herdstone
• 5 Harpies
• Gigantic Spawn of Nurgle
• Dragon Ogre Shaggoth with Great weapon, Heavy armour, Chalice of Dark Rain

We had played Optimised Jank at last year's Snake Eyes, and they had made the trek down from NSW again. I had also ended up playing Ben's Beastmen last time, but the addition of the Herdstone and the loss of magic restrictions seemed to have taken over his mind and that of his list. 5 copies of Viletide, hey? Well... What could go wrong?

I deployed wide, including the unusual (foolish?) move of putting my Glade Guard over on the flank with a wall of terrain cutting them off from the rest of the field. I might have done this after the Dragon Ogres were deployed. I know the big Gor Herd unit went down afterward. I think I had decided I wasn't going to get clear shots on that key unit, so would concentrate on controlling a flank instead. I probably made life hard for myself by putting my forest where I did - just gave Ben more places to hide things.