Skaven defeeeat! (and silly mistakes...)

Image Credit: "Shame" by Grey World on Flickr (CC by 2.0)

No self-respecting warlord should ever admit defeat...

(after all, any sign of weakness is bound to hasten your demise or encourage thoughts of rebellion) but that was the undeniable result of a recent game against a combined Warriors of Chaos/ High Elf force, in which Squeek's clan was almost completely wiped-out!

Why was this? 

A simple, horrible, completely amateur deployment error - one that I am almost too embarrassed to admit to in public. 

DISCLAIMER: Now, before I share this error with you, let me say that the opposing commanders definitely led their troops better than me, and they most-certainly deserved to win! 

With that out of the way, what did I do?

Well (hangs head in shame) I placed my Hellpit Abomination and my Doomwheel too close together...

Remember kids...

...Doomwheel  ZZZzap + Multi-wound monster = Disaster.

So of course, first turn, 3 ZZzzap shots from my Doomwheel leave my HPA with only 1 wound, which he immediately loses to a charge. My Doomwheel then gets crushed by  a combination of Chaos cavalry and infantry, so "BOOM!", almost a 1/4 of my army gone on Turn 1 (and arguably my most powerful 2 units).

...and I forgot that I could fire my ZZZZapp in close combat.

.

Never mind! I fought on, and my slaves, plague monks and core did OK, but not well enough to claw back any significant points...

Here are a few shots of this humiliating defeat:

From top: G. Rats, Skaven Slaves, Clanrats, Slaves, Clanrats
Plague Monks, HPA, Doomwheel, Warp Lightning Cannon

High Elves and Chaos (from top): Bolt Thrower, Chaos Cav, High Elf Cav.
Chaos Chariot, Chaos Warlord, Chaos Warriors, White Lions (counts as),
Chaos Chariot, Archers, Silver Helms, Bolt Thrower.

Plague monks fail to drive off Chaos Warriors (even after using the
Plague Banner) and take a Chaos Cav charge in the flank.

My Goblin slave (counts as Skaven Slaves) grind it out with
High Elf Cav, while Clanrats attack a Chaos chariot (at rear)

Another Skaven Slaves unit attacks (counts as) White Lions and
a mage, but couldn't quite destroy the unit by the end of the game.

A hard lesson learned...

...but I will have my revenge! (shakes clenched paw at the sky!)