Warhammer World Series – Dissecting the match-ups

Throughout the World Series, we were tracking how each army performed each round. Ideally this will help us to decide whether to re-use some of the match-ups next time around, assuming that the arrival of 9^th edition and any new army books hasn't completely stuffed with our plans.

I'm going to walk through each table and give a brief summary of how they all went. Below is a table that shows all of the matches and gives a simplistic rating based on their battle point differences, but the table-by-table section will give a better picture.

Yeah, good luck reading that without opening it properly...

The analysis is always going to be a bit difficult by the time you allow for some wild dice rolls in some of the games. It's also going to be slanted by the fact that the tournament included plenty of players with a wide variety of skill levels – numerous Masters players and some who almost never attend tournaments. Such varying levels of experience clashing can produce some misleading results. Anyway, let's have a look at how things went...

Thanks to Ben over at Eureka Wargames Association for the use of some of his pictures here. You can read his account of the tournament here. 

Table 1: The Underground

Scenario: Watchtower (with modifications)

Skaven vs Night Goblins

Battle Points: Skaven 76, Night Goblins 64

Results: Night Goblins 3, Skaven 3, 1 draw

Table 1

This was probably the most wacky of the tables we set up. It involved an all-Goblin army against a Skaven army, fighting it out on the club's cave terrain. It was the only table to use the Watchtower scenario, and in this case the objective was not a building at all, but an open section of terrain (a chunk of warpstone being mined from the ground, made for the occasion by Owen of Terrain for Hippos).

This was always going to be a crazy game. And with the scenario, (control of the warpstone was worth 800 points) results were predictably wild. I know of games where the thing ended up controlled by a single Night Goblin Fanatic, and another where a single Troll survived to hold it after his unit passed a Leadership 4 Stupidity test to move onto it... The caves also caused some people a bit of grief, especially when the instruction to ignore the 1” rule for the impassable cave walls failed to get through in at least one game.

Anyway, after all this madness, each army walked away with 3 wins, and somehow one game even ended in a draw. All in all, I can't imagine a more ideal table for the tournament, and I'm glad we went through with it.

Table score: 10/10

Table 2: Wild Woods

Scenario: Battleline

Wood Elves vs Beastmen

Battle Points: Wood Elves 94, Beastmen 46

Results: Wood Elves 6, Beastmen 1, 0 draws

Table 2

The battle pitched an all-Forest Spirit Wood Elf army against a Beastman force led by a Doombull and containing a solid unit of Minotaurs. With no shooting to speak of between the two armies, we felt it should be a pretty even match.

As it turned out, the results fell heavily in favour of the Wood Elves. One of those games was when I was using them, but ironically my opponent had decided that the Beastmen were the better choice.

It's a little difficult to pinpoint where this match-up went wrong. The Dryads (the heart of the Wood Elf force) pack more venom than the Gor, but they lack the ranks and command of those units, and they're likely to get hit by charging Tuskgor Chariots. In my game, the Beastmen were undone by my getting the right Wood Elf spells and making a couple of key lucky rolls. Whether this was the case in the other games, I don't know. In the end though, despite there being worse tables in the tournament, it's fair to say that this match-up didn't work.

Table Score: 3/10

Table 3: Chaos Rivalry

Scenario: Battleline

Khorne Warriors vs Slaanesh Daemons

Battle Points: Warriors 39, Daemons 61

Results: Warriors 1, Daemons 4, 0 draws

This battle pitched a all-Slaanesh Daemon army led by an under-equipped Keeper of Secrets against an all-Khorne Warriors army. Basically it was a list with greater manoeuvrability and reliability against one with marginally more hitting power, but anger management issues.

Feedback before the event was that if the better player got the Daemons, they would have the means to exploit the frenzy of the Warriors and win the game. I don't know if this is what happened, however for the 5 games that were played on the table (when 2 players pulled out on day 2, this table managed to wind up vacant on 2 out of 3 rounds), the Warriors only came out on top once. From anecdotal evidence, the table saw multiple occasions where the less experienced player was sucked into choosing the Warriors with their apparent combat advantage, without thought to how they might be out-manoeuvred. However most of the time the Daemons won, the game was relatively close. Hence the battle point tally wasn't too out of whack. With only 5 games as a guide, it's hard to really assess how good this match-up was.

Table Score: 5/10

Table 4

Scenario: Battleline

Skaven vs Empire

Battle Points: Skaven 59, Empire 81

Results: Skaven 0, Empire 4, 3 draws

This game included a couple of well-armoured Empire units against an army with a couple of hard counters to them, in the shape of the Doomwheel and Warlord. The tally for the game ended up with no wins for the Skaven, however the first 3 games on the table all ended in draws. Only one of the rounds ended more one-sided than a 12-8, so it's fair to say the table produced some very tight games.

I didn't see any of the games, so I don't really know the nature of the close games that were played out. If the game ended up a non-event repeatedly, it was a failure. If stuff was dying on both sides, it was a resounding success. I'll hedge my bets on this one.

Table Score: 7/10

Table 5: Family Feud

Scenario: Battleline

Dark Elves vs High Elves

Battle Points: Dark Elves 67, High Elves 73

Results: Dark Elves 2, High Elves 3, 2 draws

This table was about as close as we came to a “mirror match”. Balancing it was a bit difficult however, because the Dark Elves have an edge in combat because of hatred. The High Elves ended up with an extra unit of Ellyrian Reavers in an effort to help them dictate terms.

I did play on this table, and the game was pretty close throughout until my opponent tried to press his marginal advantage and was punished for it. Throughout the tournament, the match-up was extremely close. A difference of only 6 battle points between the two armies is exceptional. I'm not entirely convinced that the armies were as finely balanced as that, but it was definitely a success.

Table Score: 9/10

Table 6

Scenario: Battleline

Skaven vs Ogre Kingdoms

Battle Points: Skaven 60, Ogres 80

Results: Skaven 1, Ogres 4, 2 draws

Table 6

I heard 2 separate players wailing about Skavenslaves killing Mournfangs because they had great weapons instead of ironfists. Much as this seemed to be a recurring (and rather amusing) theme, the accounts I heard about the table varied a bit. The Ogres came out on top, although a difference of only 20 battle points indicates that their advantage was pretty slim. I suspect the ability to form up a small “death star” with all the characters in the Ironguts unit was the upper hand the Ogres enjoyed, but it was not a huge edge. Results were close enough to qualify this as a pretty good match-up.

Table Score: 7/10

Table 7: Witch Hunt

Scenario: Battleline

Empire vs Vampire Counts

Battle Points: Empire 87, Vampire Counts 53

Results: Empire 4, Vampire Counts 2, 1 draw

Table 7

This was another table that I played on. The match-up pitched an Empire army with no wizards against a Vampire Counts army with no actual Vampires. The undead would rely upon their magical supremacy to offset the superior combat potential of the Empire army. This is sort of what happened in my game, and my Vampire Counts narrowly came out on top when my opponent's rolling betrayed him. In general however, the Empire had the upper hand. A couple of strong wins in the early games gave them a better battle point tally, but the spread of 4-2-1 was not a bad outcome.

Table Score: 7/10

Table 8: Aerial Duel

Scenario: Battleline

Vampire Counts vs Bretonnians

Battle Points: Vampire Counts 42, Bretonnians 98

Results: Vampire Counts 0, Bretonnians 5, 2 draws

Table 8

This game was out “flying circus” match. A Vampire Counts army loaded with flying characters and Vargheists up against a Bretonnian army with Pegasus Knights and a flying Lord. When we put this one together, we pictured a fast-moving game with players flinging units at each other. Unfortunately it didn't really work that way, as I found out when I played on the table. Unless one player was reckless or careless, the game ended up a bit of a stand-off with both sides circling for advantage. This alone meant the table was a bit of a failure, and probably accounted for the 2 draws.

It's slightly surprising that the Vampire Counts never came out on top, though. I maintain the armies were better balanced than that. Maybe the Vampires suffered from needing their general in too many places at once, with both a slow infantry contingent and the fast-moving (and frenzied) Vargheists.

Table Score: 3/10

Table 9: Can't Stop Da 'Rok

Scenario: Battleline

Orcs and Goblins vs Empire

Battle Points: Orcs and Goblins 95, Empire 45

Results: Orcs and Goblins 6, Empire 1, 0 draws

This table saw a slightly defensive “combined arms” Empire army against an Orc army with an Arachnarok and a powerful unit of Savage Orcs. Unfortunately the title proved more correct than expected, and the Orcs definitely had the upper hand in the match. I know catastrophic luck played a part in at least one 20-0 defeat for the Empire (hi Nick!), but it's fair to say that the table was not as balanced as I had hoped.

Table Score: 3/10

Table 10: Knight-off

Scenario: Blood and Glory

Empire vs Bretonnians

Battle Points: Empire 81, Bretonnians 59

Results: Empire 5, Bretonnians 2, 0 draws

Table 10

This match was an all-cavalry affair – another concept game, if you will. It was close to a mirror match, but the Bretonnians had an extra unit (and Fortitude) at their disposal, whilst the Empire had a Warrior Priest and a more dangerous missile unit in the Outriders.

This is another table that I played upon, and my failure was actually one of the 2 games that the Bretonnians won. It was a very tight and see-sawing game, and I gather that some of the others were similar, even if the scenario then saw the battle points looking a bit one-sided after the game. Based on this, I'm inclined to score the table more highly than a 5-2 scoreline would seem to warrant.

One change that I would definitely make is to tweak the Bretonnian characters to ensure that they can lead units like the Questing Knights if they want to – the Knight's Vow prevented them from doing this, and it was really an over-sight on my part.

Table Score: 7/10

Table 11: Grudge Match

Scenario: Battleline

Orcs and Goblins vs Dwarfs

Battle Points: Orcs and Goblins 65, Dwarfs 75

Results: Orcs and Goblins 2, Dwarfs 5, 0 draws

Here we had a traditional rivalry in Dwarfs against Greenskins. It was a match that we felt we had to have somewhere, even if not all our tables were based on “classic” feuds like that (we did try, though). The Dwarf army was pretty light on shooting with a single Grudge Thrower and 10 Quarrellers, whilst the Orc army was a foot-slogging force with only a unit of Trolls and a Boar Chariot for a little extra speed.

I did hear at least one person complaining that this game was a bit dull, but games involving Dwarfs are frequently like this. One thing to note is that the Dwarfs came out ahead 5-2, but there were only 10 battle points in it. This is symptomatic of the classic Dwarf problem of being unable to push for big wins, whilst the Orcs are far more of an all-or-nothing army.

Table Score: 7/10

Table 12: Trolling

Scenario: Battleline

Warriors of Chaos vs Dwarfs

Battle Points: Warriors 62, Dwarfs 68

Results: Warriors 2, Dwarfs 3, 1 draw

Another themed table here, with a bestial Warriors of Chaos army led by Throgg against a Dwarf army packed with Slayers. The Daemon Slayer had a fearsome axe with which to threaten the larger targets in the enemy army, but the Warriors held the advantage in terms of speed.

I would have quite liked to play on this table, but I didn't get the chance. I heard both good and bad things about the match, but in the end the results look pretty good and I think it worked pretty well.

Table Score: 8/10

Table 13: Lore and Chaos

Scenario: Battleline

Daemons of Chaos vs High Elves

Battle Points: Daemons 37, High Elves 103

Results: Daemons 1, High Elves 6, 0 draws

This game had a Loremaster-led High Elf army against Daemons led by a Daemon Prince. On paper this game looked pretty balanced, however the results blew out due to something we hadn't really considered. The Loremaster gets Shem's Burning Gaze, and a boosted version of that spell is serious danger for the Daemon Prince (whom the Daemons really needed). In several games, the poor Daemon Prince got blown off the table in the first turn, and this obviously spelt doom for the army. Luck sounded like a major factor in at least one other game where things fell apart for the Daemons, but in all, it was obviously a slightly flawed match.

Table Score: 3/10

Table 14: Desert and Swamp

Scenario: Battleline

Tomb Kings vs Lizardmen

Battle Points: Tomb Kings 100, Lizardmen 40

Results: Tomb Kings 6, Lizardmen 1, 0 draws

Table 14

This game ended up a lot more one-sided than I would have expected, with the Lizards getting rolled repeatedly. The funny thing was, nobody complained about the table or mentioned it being uneven, so I had no idea until I had collated all the scores. All I had heard was players wanting to play that game. Ah well, I guess something didn't work. It's possible the Tomb Kings just packed too much shooting into their list.

Table Score: 3/10

Table 15: Badass in the Badlands

Scenario: Battleline

Chaos Dwarfs vs Ogre Kingdoms

Battle Points: Chaos Dwarfs 54, Ogres 86

Results: Chaos Dwarfs 3, Ogres 4, 0 draws

Only one table included an army from the Legion of Azgorh, and this was it. The table was basically a filth-off, including a K'daai Destroyer, Mournfangs and an Ironblaster. It was all the more apparent because of how toned down most of the other tables were.

The table seems to have been pretty well balanced, given the 3-4 tally. The Ogres seemed to be the ones getting the big wins though (yet another Dwarf army that struggles to force home results), hence the battle points are pretty one-sided. Whilst I think the people coming off the table generally agreed that the lists were pretty well even, I'm not sure they were so flattering about the fun level of the game. So the game was a win for balance, but not necessarily a win overall.

Table Score: 7/10

Table 16: Super Sub-Optimal

Scenario: Battleline

Lizardmen vs Beastmen

Battle Points: Lizardmen 106, Beastmen 34

Results: Lizardmen 6, Beastmen 1, 0 draws

Table 16

This game included those two titans of the Warhammer game, the Jabberslythe and the Troglodon. Both lists included a lot of chaff units and one main block of troops. On paper it looked pretty balanced. In practice however, it didn't seem to work. The Lizardmen had a small amount of shooting that the Beastmen lacked, and having a BSB on a Large Target meant the army was disciplined and largely immune to the Jabberslythe's aura (so long as the Skink hung around).

I'm surprised that the results were as lop-sided as they were, however it's fair to say that the match-up was a failure.

Table Score: 3/10

Table 17: Desert Raiders

Scenario: Battleline

Tomb Kings vs Dark Elves

Battle Points: Tomb Kings 51, Dark Elves 89

Results: Tomb Kings 1, Dark Elves 5, 1 draw

Table 17

This table included a couple or rarities in the overall field – lord-level wizards. Admittedly they were only level 3s, but it still meant magic was going to play a larger role here than in many of the other games. This is another table that I played on, and the result there went in favour of the Dark Elves. However, this was only after my opponent pushed for a big win once he was in the ascendancy. Had he been content with a small win, it would have been a mark in the Tomb Kings' column. And frankly, we would both have chosen the Tomb Kings in the match-up. So maybe the scoreboard is not fully indicative of the potential on the table.

Table Score: 5/10

Table 18a: The Buboed and the Beautiful

Scenario: Battleline

Nurgle Warriors vs High Elves

Battle Points: Warriors 36, High Elves 4

Results: Warriors 2, High Elves 0, 0 draws

This match-up was the last added when the tournament entrants kept increasing, and as such it was probably not as well-considered as most of them. Having decided to use Nurgle Warriors of Chaos as one of the forces, I felt the best chance was an army that struck quickly with re-rolls to hit. Unfortunately the list I came up with wasn't cutting the mustard. The White Lions don't get the re-rolls and as such were unlikely to hit much of anything. That, coupled with the high armour on the Warriors, meant the Elves were just too inclined to bounce off. It only took a couple of lop-sided games and a little grumbling to make it clear that persisting with the match-up would have been a mistake, so I subbed it out and put in the reserve match described below.

I remain convinced the High Elves could have won on this table, but it was probably a mistake to send them in without any magical support – that might have tipped the balance. I just didn't want the poor old Warriors left with nothing but combat when the opponent was doing stuff in every phase. Turns out my sympathy was misplaced. Filthy Nurgle worshippers.

Table Score: 1/10

Table 18b: The Backup

Scenario: Battleline

High Elves vs Orcs and Goblins

Battle Points: High Elves 86, Orcs 14

Results: High Elves 5, Orcs 0, 0 draws

The lists for this match-up have not previously been published, so here they are:

High Elves

• Prince on Griffon with Armour of Caledor, great weapon
• Noble with Dragon Armour, Enchanted Shield, Sword of Might, Potion of Foolhardiness (was meant to be a BSB. Don't know what happened there)
• Mage (Level 2, Lore of High Magic)
• 25 Spearmen with full command
• 18 Lothern Sea Guard with full command
• 7 Swordmasters of Hoeth
• 5 Ellyrian Reavers
• Tiranoc Chariot
• Tiranoc Chariot
• Bolt Thrower
• Eagle

Orcs and Goblins

• Black Orc Warboss on Wyvern with Sword of Battle, Enchanted Shield, heavy armour
• Black Orc Big Boss BSB on boar with Dragonhelm, heavy armour
• Savage Orc Shaman (Level 2)
• 20 Savage Orcs with full command, 2 hand weapons
• 15 Savage Orcs with full command, 2 hand weapons
• 6 Wolf Riders with musician, light armour, shields, spears
• 5 Wolf Riders with musician, light armour, shields, spears
• Orc Boar Chariot
• Orc Boar Chariot
• Giant

The backup match had High Elves with a Griffon against Orcs with a Wyvern. The Orc list was slightly more resilient, whilst the Elves were a little faster and had a bolt thrower. Whilst the general opinion seemed to be that this match was better than the one it replaced, the games all still ended up going one way – this time in favour of the Elves. The tales I heard didn't exactly cover the Orc players in glory, but it sounds like the inclusion of the bolt thrower was a mistake. It resulted in players over-reacting and feeling like they had to rush in to try to level the playing field.

Regardless of what the problem was, the match-up ended very one-sided and can only be considered a failure. It is unfortunate that the last round play-off for first place ended up on this table. Maybe I should have moved it. I regret not having done so, really. The table that wound up vacant for that round was Table 3 (Khorne Warriors vs Slaanesh Daemons) and it seemed like a better game. Oh well.

Table Score: 2/10

All in all, the match-ups were probably a pretty even spread of well-balanced, close to balanced, and not really right. Table 18 (both the original and the replacement) was an outright failure, and really let things down a bit. If you ignore that match-up, there were only 2 other tables where an army didn't get a single win – and those two tables had 5 draws between them. So clearly they were contests. 3 tables (other than Table 18) had differences of 60 battle points or greater between the two sides, however all of those at least produced a win for the under-dog, so none were a foregone conclusion. Given how difficult it is to create 18 different and balanced games using every army in the game, I think we did OK.

If you played on any of these tables and have any feedback, feel free to leave a comment.