Warhammer Fantasy Battle Reporter Forum

Nauticans Revenge!!!
1000pts Nauticans v3.1 vs. Goblins

Their first incursions into the surface world had come as a shock to the Princes of the Nautican world. An expeditionary force sent to investigate the polluting of the coastal water ways by the strange green skinned land creatures had not returned. Fearing the worst scouting parties of Coral Hunters & Wave Breakers were sent out and with them returned the grave news. On an open field bordered by forests and dominated by a large lake the scouting parties had found the aftermath of a battle. Unsupported by the protective mists of their wave magic the Nautican corpses found by the scouting parties were nothing more than dried up husks. Only the great shells of the Giant Crabs gave any indication as to the nature of the army that lay among the grass.

Around the many dead, including one of the mystical Siren mages whose loss would be keenly felt, were scattered hundreds of smaller rough skinned green creatures and what looked like their larger brethren. The scouts returned with something new as well... a name for those creatures Goblins & Orcs. It was these creatures that had been despoiling the Nauticans coastal home and which had attacked and destroyed the initial expeditionary force, and these creatures against which a second more powerful Nautican army would now march. The scouting parties had bravely followed the trial left by the original Goblin force and had found their camp, close to one of the coastal reefs used as a Sprat spawning ground. Revenge was nigh... the land dwellers were about to feel the wrath of Nautican might....

Deployment & Set Up
Fought near the coastline the Nautican and Goblin armys met across an open field and deployed their forces ready for the upcoming battle. Unfortunately Goblin scouts had seen the Nautican force moving out of the water and raised the alarm removing any element of surprise. The Nauticans deployed first but it was the Green skins who gained the initial movement.

Nautican Army - 1000pts
Prince
- Scalemail, Oceanic Trident, Clam Shield, Spirit Shroud [Cause Terror]
Coral Hunters x12
Coral Hunters x12
Sandgangers x10
Sandgangers x10
Trident Guard x25
- Oceanic Tridents, Bullshark Banner [Endless Frenzy]
Giant Crabs x2
Tripoon Battery

Goblin Army - 1000pts
Orc Big Boss on Chariot
Big Boss
Goblin Shaman Lvl 2
Goblins x20
Goblins x20
Goblins x20
Goblins x10
Spider Riders x5
Spider Riders x5
Trolls x2

Turn 1
Moving first Richard marched his Goblins straight ahead at least those few that passed their animosity checks. Out of range of any of the Nautican troops Goblin missle fire was unable to do any damage but magic from the Little Waugh succeeded in killing one of the Giant Crabs with 'Fit of Gork' - enraged at the death of its mate the remaining Crab gained eternal hatred and frenzy and charged forward.

Nautican shooting proved more effective. Coral Hunter units on either flank advanced forward and fired into the Goblin ranks cutting down a large number of Goblin archers and a number of Spider Riders. The Tripoon Battery also scored a direct hit on the Orc Big Bosses Chariot with 1 Bolt causing 2 valuable wounds.

Turn 2-5
These turns began with the Spider Riders charging the Coral Hunters on the Nautican right flank, and getting shot to pieces for their trouble. The sole remaining Spider Rider resolutely continued his charge however. In the centre Goblin fanatics come spinning crazily out of the Goblin ranks and tear into the Trident Guard killing 2 of them, while others run into open space. Goblin magic again proves decisive killing the remaining Crab but is unable to do any further damage.

In the centre the Orc Big Boss charges (rather foolishly) with his chariot straight into the Trident Guard, where his weapons prove ineffective. Unable to hurt enough of the Trident Guard he loses on CR and flees from the Terror causing unit causing widespread panic among a nearby unit of Goblins.

The remaining Goblin units however are not put off and charge the Trident Guard and Sandgangers, while the Fanatics continue to whirl around. Meanwhile the Spider Riders have been destroyed by the Coral Hunters on the right who now continue to send Spear Bolts into the Goblin archers to their front. On the Nautican left the 2nd unit of Spider Riders advances toward the Nautican left but is also shot down for its trouble and panics away from the Coral Hunters guarding that flank.

Combat in the centre turns ugly, the Goblins unable to break the Sandgangers get locked into 3 rounds of combat. Three rounds that prove long enough to cost them their lives. In the centre the Trolls kill 2 Trident Guard who in return, along with the accompanying Nautican Prince, literally butcher the Goblins to their front, the accompanying Big Boss and both of the Trolls. Fleeing from combat the Goblins and Trolls are overrun and allow the Trident Guard to wheel and charge into the flank of the Goblins fighting the Sandgangers.

On the Nautican left the third large unit of Goblins that fled in panic at the demise of the Orc Big Boss continues to flee. They show more bravery than their General though and do not run off the board. The 2nd unit of Sandgangers advances to delay them in case they should turn to attack the rear of the Trident Guard.

Turn 6
The battle is now over. While the Goblins cut down the last of the Sandgangers they are powerless against the flank charge of the frenzied Trident Guard who tear them apart panicing those few who remain and running them down. The Coral Hunters on the right also continue to shoot down the few remaining Goblin Archers and Spider Riders.

The battle ends... with the NAUTICANS VICTORIOUS... only a single unit of Goblins remains while almost the entire Nautican army is still standing. Revenge is theirs.

Excellent report Kiwi, I hope you enojyed the game.

What was the discussion like afterwards ? Any major findings or feedback to report ? Did the force seem balanced. It sounds like you gave your enemy a real bloody nose, was he upset about the power or abilities of any particular unit ?

I'll update the stats on Naut1 and post links to the report once I get to work. Thanks for writing it up,

Sigmar

Nothing major to report played the game at my local club so got a lot of comment from other club members and interest in the army and PDF army book.

The army worked well overall but I have to balance that out against the absence of really strong units among the Goblins, i.e., no Black Orcs or Giants. Overall thoughts

Coral Hunters
Great as a cheap throw away unit and for flank protection. S3 missle fire does reasonable damage as well. Stick a larger unit behind them and they provide good bait.

Next game I will deploy them in an extended line in front of my other units to screen them. If they get killed of flee then the unit special rules mean they wont cause my other units to panic

Sandgangers
Good unit, will definately include in all future games. Basically my opponent had to hit them to avoid the TGuard and then got stuck unable to kill them off.

I plan on using these guys in units of 20 next time round so they can last longer.

Trident Guard
I forgot to apply their frenzy during the battle, if I had they would have been even more devestating. Having WS4 still seems a bit low compared to other elite troops, e.g., Iron Breakers, Hammerers, Longbeards, Phoenix Guard all have WS5. But then again with Oceanic Tridents striking in ranks at S5 the balance is about right. I fielded them 5 wide but think 6 wide would be better.

Not sure on whether 18 or 24 is the optimum unit size yet

Giant Crabs
Still really like this unit but they got annihilated by Goblin magic. Two fit of Gork spells killed before they had a chance to do anything. Bad deployment cost me there

Tripoon Battery
Other than confusion over how to set up the unit - 3 machines in one group, or spread out as 3 separate pieces - worked well. no issues

Prince
Also good no issues

Going to try a 2250pt game soon and will get more detailed feedback from opponent in that game

New Units I will be trying in next game(s)
Lobstrosities - have used them before but want to try a bigger unit
Man o War
Manta Rays

Thoughts on other units
Wavebreakers will be getting a run through again at some stage, I regard them as the equivalent of HE Spears but without ASF. But much prefer to spend points on TGuard. Might try a large Wavebreaker army backed by picked special units - Lobstrosities, Manta Rays