Kings of War ---- Dwarves vs. Kings of Men

     As May ended, my son came to our house after a medical appointment, saying he wanted to pit his Dwarven army against my Kings of men army. We planned this a few weeks prior and decided on 2500 points on a side. I hit the mark exactly and Rob was a few points over, but not enough to whine about... ...yet.
     Two folding tables in the living room, a huge piece of green felt, some hill-like things and a few trees. Add to that many, many small figures. Rob's army is cannon-rich and maneuver-poor. He feels that dwarves should be armoured, slow, and tough to move. No dwarf cavalry for him. My human army is my old Warhammer Fantasy Battle army, a sort of 1500's arquebus-bow-crossbow army, with a giant thrown in for flavour.
    Rob anchored his right on a small copse of trees and his to Steel Beasts, named Steely B and Steely C. Steely C is an old Leman Russ tank put to good use. (Early on, I offered to lend him a Tiger II model I have.) The centre was lots of Bullwarkers, and other armoured dwarf types. The left was held by a regiment of handguns in a Stonehenge sort of place. His battery of three cannons plus a Warsmith was just to the right of centre. My infantry - a heavy pike block, a spear phalanx, and a Guard horde of Galloglaich were in the centre, with two regiments of knights to their right as well as two cannon. The wings were held by light troops -arquebusiers, archers, crossbowmen, mounted scouts with carbines, and, on the far right, Tiny McBiggins, the giant.

Dwarves - prepared for battle!

Steely B and Steely C

The artillery battery

The Dwarven Battle Standard which translates as "Sod Off!"

More dwarves

And more with the king's guard behind as a reserve

The battery and the Warsmith

The Warsmith, Marty Meigsfort

Tiny McBiggins (maker unknown) and some crossbowmen (GW figs)

My first regiment of knights (old Foundry figs) who didn't survive very long.

My heavy pike block (Old Glory Italian Wars range)

The Captain - that's all he's known as. (old Foundry Elizabethan range)
He looks mild and innocent, but he's crafty and subtle.

A stand of pikes with officers and musicians.

Galloglaich (again Old Glory) with a ballista in front of them.

The big guns (obviously GW)  Sad to say, they were worthless in the game.

My magic user, Dermot the Hermit (maker unknown on a GW horse)
Just beyond are some Foundry and GW arquibusiers looking rather conquistador-ish.

I moved forward with my cavalry, but I wasn't aggressive enough. My leading knights were ripped to shreds by the dwarf cannons. The mounted scouts, who never last long, went forward to harass the dwarves. Tiny charged across the field to hit the handgunners, but ended up fighting the dwarf king, who ultimately defeated the big guy.

The dwarf battle line hold solid. Everything is "Steel Something-or-other."

My second group of knights hit the battle line. They did a mediocre job.
The battle banner is behind them. It's printed; I don't paint THAT well.

Tiny McBiggins confronts a unit of handgunnners and soon the dwarven king.

Steely B and Steely C head into the teeth of my spear phalanx.
They'll be re-armed and re-trained as pikemen by next game!
Not that even that would stop a tank.

Arquebusiers sneak up on Steely B. Time for sticky bombs!
NOT ALLOWED! You're not wearing socks.

The dwarven king does a victory dance on Tiny's chest after using his Blade of Beast Slaying on him.
(The handgunner you see is a RAFM figure. Always an interesting range.)

The armoured division is set to grind into the spears. It wasn't pretty.

The Galloglaich hit home.

Yeah... I get it! Sod off!

Tiny faces off against the king... for a little while.

The knights hit home. (GW Empire figures)

Yes, my son beat me handily. I suppose I need to be more aggressive with my knights and more careful about what faces his artillery. I'm considering changing my spears to a pike unit and using the mounted sergeants more. I can even field more arquebusiers. Of course, they're in Highland dress, but why not?

Rob and I and many of our friends like the game, Kings of War. No game is perfect, but this game is playable and enjoyable. I'm working on a Varangar army. My wife has Basileans and my daughter, Elves. Other friends have Salamanders. King of Men, and Force of Nature armies. Use the figs who have and/or want and go at it!