Tactics help: Mixed Order army vs Dispossessed

[Duck1986]

Hi, first post here!

May sound a bit of an odd battle, but I have recently come back to Warhammer after a 14 year absence, and am enjoying AoS. My friend has just done the same thing, and having reclaimed our old Warhammer from our respective attics, we've played a couple of 2000pt games.

First game I played as entirely Free People against his Dispossessed. It was a pure pitched battle with no objectives. He was artillery heavy, and also had his High King who has an incredible ability to double melee attacks for any dispossessed figures within 8 inches of him. He played entirely defensively, and so with me making my way across the battlefield, my men were cut down by his cannons and routed (mostly my Freeguild Guard units in various guises - swordsmen, militia and spears), and then when we reached melee combat, his 2 attacks for every figure near his King really took their toll. I conceded defeat after 4 turns.

Last night we played an objective match (one objective at each end, and a single one in between), which at least caused him to come out and attack. I brought a mixed Order army on this occasion, feeling that there were strengths in some of the units I just happened to have.

The match proved inconclusive when we finished again after 4 turns (we'd decided we'd just stop after whichever round we were half way through at midnight). We'd both rather foolishly strolled away from our objectives, quite comically. It was pretty much a draw, but I could see the battle would have turned in his favour if we'd gone on a few more turns.

The thawn in my armies side have been three key units he has:

• High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer - his causing double attacks for all dispossessed units near him have caused me endless problems, especially as the player has been tactical enough to keep a packed formation. There also seem to be an endless array of rerolls allowed from him and dispossessed for various reasons..
• Dwarvish Firecannon - with a mortal wounds roll of D3 plus another D3 if the flame doesn't go out, it has a large range that makes most units on the battlefield easy prey. My handgunners were easily wiped out in one go by it, even though they had a wall infront of them, due to it being automatic mortal wounds...
• Dwarvish engineer - The firecannon's rolls become D6 if the engineer is present, plus he sets his volley gun up next to it, which gives him a nasty hit with both.

The rest of his units would be easy enough to take down without these... but getting close enough to do it is costly currently.

My question is what would you prioritise to take down first? I sent in some chameleon skinks early to take out the King last night, but he has such health and a re-roll save roll that it witlled him down abit, but not enough. I wonder about maybe popping up with the chameleons next time and taking out the flamecannon or engineer. Any ideas?

 

The units for me to choose from (obviously selected with a points total in mind):

Freeguild General on Griffon

Marius Lieutdorf

Warrior Priest

Battlemage

Oxytyl (sp? The chameleon skink hero)

 

Freeguild Knights x9

Freeguild guard - swordsmen - 20

Freeguild guard - spearmen - 15

Freeguild guard - militia - 15

Freeguild handgunners - 25

Bretonian peasant archers - 50 (Arrowstorm is a 1 hit wonder I've found)

Sarurus Warriors - 10

Chameleon skinks - 10

Stormcast Liberators - 3 (soon to be 5)

 

Empire Cannon + Crew.

 

Which units would you prioritise taking into battle against this foe?

Thanks for the help!

 

TL:DR - need help defeating High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer, Dwarvish Firecannon & Dwarvish engineer with the above units?  

 

 

 

[Kramer]

Well, and ill add some more later, are you aware that crew and the warmachine are treated as different units? Thus you can pop up the skinks and just target his crew. Three, 1 wound, dwarfs with a 5+ save. 

Secondly play the scenarios. the game becomes way more fun and will force you and your opponent to field a more balanced army. 

[Duck1986]

Thanks for this! I see your point that taking down the crew quickly may be the best option. Even if it doesn't take all of them out in one go, if I can reduce their number, they'll do significantly less damage.

I've also just invested in some Retributors for my mixed army - if I can keep them protected from the cannons for long enough to get into combat, they should pack a punch in the melee scrap, even with the king causing mayhem in the middle!