EVERYONE LOVES A GIANT

Nathan Bishop

Nathan Bishop: Allow me to introduce myself – my name is Nathan Bishop ("Bish" to my friends), and I recently joined the ranks of the Black Gobbo team here at Games Workshop. Being the new guy, my co-workers thought it would be appropriate to throw me on to the battlefield right off the bat.

Thankfully, I am entering said battlefield with four of the meanest, baddest, and most unpredictable hombres this side of the Chaos Wastes. I'm talking about Giants, of course. Giants are the ultimate in random fighters. Every attack they make is decided by the roll of the dice. They are also one of the most versatile units in the game, in that many different armies can take them under the Dogs of War rules.

I'm looking forward to this match because the randomness of the Giants can really make for a fun and exciting game. You never know when your Giant might fall down, stuff a Gnoblar in his trousers, or Yell and Bawl and send his opponents running.

After reading the scenario and seeing my opponent's army list, I realised this was going to be a tough but fun fight. I was going to have to get my Giants across the board as quickly as possible. Ogres are tough, and with the three different attacks I have for large targets, it was going to be hard to take out a full unit of Ogres. Usually, it's the Ogres who are outnumbered, but not this time. I was going to have to balance my need to move across the board with my need to be the one that charges first. Also, the Giants' Terror could play a big role in the game. However, you can only cause Terror once per unit, so I was going to have to make it count. I definitely want to avoid the Hunter at all costs. He is Immune to Psychology due to his Beastkiller Big Name, which could really bring my Giants down fast. The Gnoblars, on the other hand, should make for fun kills. They are the only ones on the board besides the Hunters' Sabretusks who are small creatures, and a Giant should have a relatively easy time with them. The Maneaters will also pose problems; they aren't as tough as the Hunter, but with their Immunity to Psychology and Strength, they will also be hard to beat. Barring my Giants avoiding combat altogether, my best bet is to try and take out the Ogre Bulls and the Ironguts. However, when you're playing Giants, sometimes it's good to just let the dice decide.

HUNGRY FOR VICTORY

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor: Trying to prevent FOUR angry Giants from escaping the table will be tough, particularly with so few models.

My Fear won't help me scare off any Giants, but at least it will reduce Nathan's Terror to Fear. As the Giants usually cause Terror (Fear against Fear-causing models) I'll have to roll for Fear tests each time I want to charge. At least my Ogres won't have to worry about passing their Terror test...

To counter the Fear issue and high Giant Toughness, I've tried to maximise the number of high Strength hits and the Leadership of my army. Taking a Hunter with the Beastkiller Big Name was my first choice – he's a tough guy with great stats and now (thanks to the Big Name) he's Immune to Psychology. A couple of Sabretusks will also keep him alive a bit longer.

As the Hunter can't lead my army, I had to take a Bruiser. By keeping my Bulls and Gnoblars nearby, they'll be able to benefit from his Leadership of 8. The Ironguts are in for the Strength 6 hits (and Leadership 8, too) and the addition of a Gutlord means that one extra Attack might make it through each turn. I've opted for units of three Ogres (Bulls and Ironguts) primarily because this will be the maximum number that could attack the Giant anyway. With units of three, I should be able to get everyone attacking at once. I've chosen a unit of 20 Gnoblars mainly for entertainment value. In a game a year ago, my Gnoblars managed to inflict 5 Wounds on a Giant by throwing their Sharp Stuff. If I can do that again, it will be fantastic to see the look on Nathan's face! Finally, I added two Maneaters with great weapons. Their high Strength, number of Attacks, and the fact they're Immune to Psychology, should keep them in the thick of the fighting.

Time to get us a few Slavegiants!!!

Next: Set-up