The Return to Fantasy: Part 1

Finally made my return to Warhammer Fantasy Battle. I'm hoping to introduce a friend of mind to the game soon and wanted to brush up the rules (read: re-learn them completely).  I remembered that I bought a Battle for Skull Pass boxed set a while back at half-price. It included an entire starter Night Goblin army, and I also found some other Night Goblins in a box somewhere along with 16 Orc Boys and 16 Orc Boys with bows. I figured that was enough to use as an extra army so we can get a few battles in. All I have to do is paint 'em up and I have an extra army lying around.

I called my cousin and he came over to be the opponent. We decided he would play the Dwarfs (since I've always been Dwarfs; needed a change of pace). Roughy 750pts of Night Goblins vs around 810 pts of Dwarfs.
Basic Order of Battle is listed below.
Dwarfs:
20 Warriors w/ light armor and shield; musician, standard, champion
20 Warriors w/ light armor and shield; musician, standard, champion
10 Thunderers
10 Crossbowmen
Dwarf Hero General (Thane)
Dwarf Cannon

Night Goblins:
Night Goblin Big Boss General w/ Rending Axe magic item
Level 2 Shaman
20 Night Goblin Spearmen
20 Night Goblin Spearmen
20 Night Goblin Archers
10 Forest Goblin Spider Riders
1 Troll

Note: we played with 6th edition rules.

Dwarfs won the initiative and chose to go second.
This overhead shot shows the initial deployment. Dwarfs are all painted. Night Goblins are in plastic, not painted yet.

Troll is on the far left, then Archers, then Shaman alone, then Night Goblin spearmen with General, then NG spearmen, then Spider Riders on far right. Across the way on my left are the Dwarf Crossbowmen on the hill with the tower, then Warriors with General, then Warriors, then Thunderers in fron of right hill, then cannon on the right hill.

Here's a blurry closeup of the Dwarfs.

Here's the viewpoint from the Dwarf Line.

Turn 1: Night Goblins.

Archers failed their Animosity test and shot at the spearmen to their right. No damage. Troll failed the stupidity test and ambled forward at half speed (an omen of things to come). 

Spider Riders marched forward at a gallop (do spiders gallop?) on the right flank right over the hedgerow, intent on hitting the Thunderers holding the Dwarf left flank and potentially rolling the flank. Goblin spearmen moved forward in support. The Shaman tried and failed to cast the 'Eadbutt spell.  It wasn't until the end of the battle that I realized I paid for a Level 2 Shaman, but was using him as a Level 1 the entire time. Oops.

Turn 1: Dwarfs.

No Dwarf units moved. Cannon tried to fire, but misfired. Lost shot for this turn only. Crossbowmen on the hill on Dwarf right flank (with the tower) tried to shoot at the goblin spearmen, but were out of range.

Turn 2: Night Goblins.

The Big Boss general yelled some words of...encouragement...to his unruly mob and animosity had no affect on anyone this turn.  The Troll, however, couldn't hear anything and became stupid again, moving forward slowly without any apparent destination. The Spider Riders charged the Thunderers who bravely followed their Stand and Shoot orders causing a few casualties before the spiders even got there. The other spearmen units moved forward to support the flank charge, and the archers finally got going towards the Dwarf line.

Charge!

The casualties from the stand and shoot took a little bit of steam out of the spider rider charge, and they failed to cause any wounds.  The Thunderers took heart and struck down additional foes, repelling the charge, breaking the spider riders.  The Night Goblin general was admittedly stunned; his initial battle plan has been foiled.  

Flee!

With relief, the Night Goblin spearmen watching the spiders flee into them steeled their resolve and passed their Panic check. The battle could have been lost right there.

Turn 2: Dwarfs.

Content to let the greenskin horde come to them, the Dwarfs did not move.  The cannon crew noticed that the fleeing spiders were lined up perfectly in front of the block of spearmen offering a juicy target.  

Lining up the target

With a loud crack, the cannon launched a shot directly on target, hitting the first rank of the fleeing spiders, then bounced right through the spider second rank, continue to rip through all four ranks of spearmen behind them.  Tons of casualties to both units.  Seeing the success of the cannon brethren, the Dwarf crossbows unloosed a volley of bolts into the closest spearmen unit, killing a few.

...coming up: Part 2 and the conclusion to the battle!