Friday 20 August 2021

Starks v Freefolk: Honed and Ready 40pts

Thursday night ASOIF action down at Justplay https://justplaygames.uk/ and was facing Ste (PsychoSte) who decided to take a break from running Targaryens and brought his Starks. I am still using my Mance freefolk for simple reason they are all card ready and in the box. (Plus I feel very comfortable with them)

I was running the Following list:

Mance (C)  in Trappers, 2 x Spearwives, 2 x Raiders with Raid Leader, Raiders with jarl, Mammoth

NCU's: Ygritte & Craster

Ste's Starks were: Eddard Stark in Honour guard, Bowmen, Bran/Hodor in Bolton Cutthroats, Summer Orsha/Rickon in Bolton Blackguard, Shaggydog.

NCU's: Petyr Baelish and Catelyn Stark

I won the roll and having seen deployment and tactics hand, I opted to go first in Turn 1

The terrain was set up with 2 central weirwood trees and two stakes on my side, one just off camera to the left objective. I set up with raiders, spearwives, spearwives (with Mance in Trappers behind), Mammoth and raiders, with Jarls raiders off board.


Ste had set up my left to right with Shaggydog?, Stark bowmen, Eddards honour Guard, Bolton Cutthraots with Bran/Hodor, Shaggydog, and bolton blackguard with Orsha/Rickon. 


TURN 1

I took the first turn to play Endless horde, increasing my activations to 10 v Ste's 8. Ygritte on the horses, and influencing speawives.


As usl turn 1 was manouvering and while raiders took objectives on eahc flank (the free one on left, a raid leader one on right) , I moved up more cagey on the left but aggressively on the right. Steve held back. After Baelish had taken letters, one thing I did do was to play the long Plan allowing me to search for a card in my deck.


So when Catelyn activated, I played Wildling Diplomacy which I just searched for. He used Catelyn, and I rolled a 3 on teh D3 (+10 killing Shaggydog) on my left. 


Start of TURN 2

Baelish on horses used swords to allow Bowmen to kill 3 Spearwives. I countered with Craster on swords but healing 2 wounds on spearwvies and drawing a card. The bowmen fired again, killing a few but I was still on 3 ranks so had Ygritte takes letters.


Meanwhile, on the table next to us Aden was trying to figure sout how to crack tAndy's Night Watch NW...


Catelyn swapped bags for an arrow attack from the battlements (which she ahd doen when Shaggydog died. killing 2 raiders)


As you can see below, effects of round 1


Fortunately, my thick furs proved effective...


With my ten activations to seven, Eddard had to make the first move for the central objective. Fair play to Ste, he needed a 5+ charge witha  re-roll, but sadly rolled a 2 (on second dice). My spearwives launched spears and cahrged home, but ended up taking more wounds back due to soem order or card trickery... My second unit of spearwives moved up and took teh centre objectvie, while the Blackguard were sitting caily at the rear, not taking the objective on my far right.


END OF TURN 2

FREEFOLK 4 VP'S         (Shaggydog, 3 objectives)

STARK 0    VP's


TURN 3

I activated Ygritte on swords for a spear launch and assault into the honour guard and really did a number on them, despite them passing panic easily enough


Eddard's Guard activated and attacked back, and depsite max attacks and otehr things froma card, I only lost 3 wives. I then charged into their flank for 6 Mammoth attacks, killing 3


The beefed up Cutthroats flanked my Mammoth, causing a total of 5 wounds but it passed the panic. I theused Caster on bags to heal all 5 wounds with his once per game and bag effect.


Using their arcing fire, the spearwives were targeted by the bowmen. Fortunately, the wannabee Imperail Stormtroopers were in play, with a mere 2 hits from 7 on 3+. Steve wasnt impressed.


I was in range, but surely some of those arrows could have hit!!!


I did lose one wife however. And my large unit hacked down Eddards last Guard, leaving him alone


The 3 spearwives hit back with 4 attacks , scoring 2 hits which Eddard needed to amke on 3+


The Warden of the not so North is no more...


Summer flanked Eddardbane, my Mammoths new name


And he panicked off into both spearwives, wiping the smaller unit out, which left him on 2 wounds and he trampled off 12" away to my lines...


The Blackguard pulled off a 5+ charge to hit Eddardbane in the rear


With no Stark activations left, I used regroup and refom to beef up the spearwives on the centre and also swap Mance into them


Mance rarely gets to sit in the centre of the field


My right side raiders marched up influnced by ygritte early on, taking the objective in the Stark half while teh Trappers secured the right side objective in mine, which with the left side objective mine too scored 5 VPs


END OF GAME (Turn 3)

FREEFOLK 10 VP's (8 from objectives, Shaggdog and Eddards Honour Guard)

STARKS 1 VP  (Spearwives)

 Steve just wasn't at it this game, which happens. He has been running aggressive Targaryen lists of late, which suits his natural aggressive playstyle but for this more defensive army, beign defensive was just too cagey for this scenario (which Ste picked by the way). I didnt do much wrong, accustomed to my list and cards and with an objective heavy scenario and getting the real edge in activations with the extra unit and dead direwolf Turn one really put the Starks on the backfoot. Knowing he had to get stuck in, Ste attempted to make a long range charge which failed and I soaked up his arrowfire and attacks in Turn 3 while plannign the win by objectives. Eddards unit went in alone, and paid for it. A bad match up for the Starks all told, but just needs to get to know the army better. 


EVENTS UK 

The lads at Imps Gaming in Lincoln have a few lined up, nice venue as been there twice:  A Song of Ice and Fire Ticket - Aug 2021 (imps-gaming.com) I cant make the August one sadly, but November is hopefully doable... A Song of Ice and Fire Ticket - Nov 2021 (imps-gaming.com)

The biggest ASOIF event in the UK... A Song of Ice and Fire UK GT | LGT 2021 (lgtpresents.co.uk)  Two day event in London run by Chris Eustace.  I cannot go sadly, but a few of the Justplay regulars are...

Gavin up at Gaming Figures in Redcar will doubtless run a few too Gaming Figures

As hopefull will Entoyment down in Poole, who organise the awesome Beachhead exhibition. Homepage - Entoyment Wargaming and Hobby Centre

Board & Swords https://www.boardsandswords.co.uk/ and Board in Brum  https://www.boardinbrum.co.uk/will hopefull add anotehr event in before end of year...

All the above venues support the game and sell A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures. Check them out, or pop in and visit if you are in the area...

COMING SEPTEMBER

The Justplay League!!! Will update more but essentially we're going to be running a campaign/league with a great wee rulepack masterfully put together by Greg Deane (Greggers)





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