So on Saturday 5th March Ste, Colin and I travelled down from the North West to East Midlands to Battlefield Hobbies at Daventry for Graeme Nicholls 16 player event, A Dance with Daventry. They have a massive stock of A Song of Ice and Fire figures. Having been playing Greyjoys for the best part of the last 3 months, I decided to go back to my Free Folk for this event, prior to the latest update I might add and with my lists more or less selected before scenarios were published. I did tweak my second list to run 2 Mammoths but I tried that on the Thursday before the event v Colin's Baratheon's and got soundly battered, and also added in The Weeper instead of a raid leader on my other list.
As it turned out, I ran the same list for all 3 games as I simply like my Spearwives and running two units just feels nice and balanced.
• Spearwives
• Frozen Shore Chariot
• Free Folk Raiders with Jarl - Advance Raid Leader
• Free Folk Raiders with Raid Leader
• Free Folk Raiders with The Weeper - Cruel Tyrant
• War Mammoth
NCU's: Craster & Ygritte
GAME 1 FIRE & BLOOD V DANIEL BUSHELL (HETTESHKANE) TARGARYENS
Daniel had a pretty nasty looking Dothraki Targaryen host, with Blood riders and Veterans. However, his
other list had 2 Hrakkars in it, so neither was particularly appealing to me...
Drogo's Bloodriders with Khal Drogo - The Great Khal
Jorah Mormont - The Wandering Knight
Dothraki Outriders
Dothraki Screamers with Outrider Ko
Dothraki Veterans
NCU's: Daenerys Targaryen & Illyrio Mopatis
Terrain: Daniel opted for two corpse piles and I opted for two Weirwood's. I marked Jorah (weakened defender) and his Screamers (Max attacks), while Daniel marked my Spearwives (who got Vicious) and the Weeper's Raiders (Sundering)
Deployment: I wasn't really sure how to go about dealing with as he could be in my face before I could do
much, but I did first/second choice for Turn and kept the Jarl's Raiders on the board (cavalry and field
control being the influencing factors). Fire & Blood is not my favourite mode for Free Folk
We deployed from left to right as below:
Targaryens: Screamers, Veterans, Blood Riders, Jorah, Outriders
Free Folk: Jarl's Raider's, Spearwives, Raid Leader Raiders, Mammoth, Chariot, Weeper Raiders, and
Mance's Spearwives tucked in behind to maximise his Inspiring Presence and Rally Point abilities.
Daniel has only had a handful of games coming into the event, as did quite a few of the players. But I hoped his t-shirt wasn't an ominous portent of the coming game!!!
TURN 1
I elected to take first turn, and decided to do the exact same as i did to Colin on Thursday in this mode which was to launch my chariot at my opponent. Of course against ranked Lightbringers, it was ok, doing 6 wounds then. But first error, hitting a solo would be 4 attacks and 1 additional hit, not 3. So, I scored 3 in total, and Jorah saved two!!!
Well the rest of the turn on the right was a pig's ear for me, as Jorah retreated, the Outrdiers shot the chariot down to 2 wounds, Drogo and his bloodriders didnt go for a long charge and took an easy victory point by killing the chariot (though rolled a onw for the charge), while I failed a charge with the Mammoth...
But with me having left my left un-activated, Daniel failed a charge with his Screamers, and lost 5 wounds in the failed panic resulting (as i had there's too many).
I then charged in with the spearwives following their charging volley and with their vicious and a second there's too many, dropped the Screamers to a single wound.
The Jarl's Raiders charged in to finish off the marked unit.
Board at end of Turn 1, and from an awful start one failed charge form the screamers had given me the initiative with my units bringing their numbers to bear.
END OF TURN 1
Dothraki Targaryen's: 2 VP's (Daniel had played "Addrivati" on the chariot before smashing it)
Free Folk: 3 VP's
TURN 2
Daniel activated Drogo's Blood riders and charged in against the Weeper, intent on killing him in single combat!!! However, the Great Scythe parried his attack. And Daniel also rolled really badly for the rest of the Bloodriders, with the Raiders only losing a rank and passing their panic due to Mance. I struck back with the Weeper's by taking the swords with Ygritte, and did two wounds despite the 3+ save (that was an unwelcome surprise to me)
The Dothraki Veterans shot up my Raiders who lost 6 men (including 2 to panic DESPITE Mance and a Weirwood tree)
Fortunately for me, the charge roll was a one, and Daniel again rolled badly and I managed to save one or two and what should have been an easy kill for the Veterans left me with 2 Raiders left. (Mance didnt let me down this time)
On Daniel's next activation (Daenerys) I played Wilding Diplomacy and killed Jorah, my second marked target.
I then hammered into the Targaryens, with the Jarl flanking the Veterans, hitting on 3's due with 7 attacks due to the lucky Raid Leader...
The Outriders flanked the Weeper and Daniel's poor dice only dropped a single Raiders but Mance helped again, dropping a few raiders to panic..
The Mammoth was just in the Veterans Flank and smashed into them, with 7 dice on 3+ thanks to the Raid leader...
With critical blow and sundering in the flank, I scored 9 hits. Daniel failed all his saves, wiping the unit out..
This allowed me to reposition the Mammoth behind the Bloodriders for next turn, and the 2 remaining
raiders pivoted then charged into them on next activation.
With the raid leader, all 5 attacks hit...
BOARD END OF TURN 2
Targaryens 2 VP's
Free Folk 7 VP's
I activated the Mammoth, stomping into the rear of the 5 wound remaining Bloodriders with sundering
and critical blow.
Aided by the Raid Leader, that meant 8 hits with 6+ saves required by Daniel.
He failed 6 of them and Drogo and his Bloodriders were trampled under the Mammoths feet.
Dead Bloodriders!!!
The Raiders lost two men to the Outriders but passed the panic
I retreated the Weepers marked unit away, but at the start of Daniel's turn, played
by using the Predictable Manouvres to allow Mance's Spearwives to make and attack with the spear
toss and charge the Outriders
The combination of Spear toss, charging volley left th Outrdiers hanging on, and the Raid Leader and raiders finished them off...
END OF TURN 3 (& GAME)
FREE FOLK 10 VP's
TARGARYENS 2 VP's
Although the result was a crushing victory, it really all came down to some appalling luck by Daniel on his
rolls. He rolled 4 1's on charging, denying some critical re-rolls particularly on his veterans and
Bloodriders, but most crucially the Screamers failed charged tipped the game in my favour, as it allowed
a tag team on left to wipe them out with the help of two "There's Too Many" cards. I was then well placed
when his charges failed to wipe out my units to roll up his army.
ARMIES ON DISPLAY
Paul Whitehead's (Soup Dragon) Lannister's
Carly Carvalho (Carvalho) Baratheon's
Tim Whitney (timwhitney) Stark's
James Daniels (James) Bolton's
GAME 2: A FEAST FOR CROWS KYLE WEBB (KYLE) NIGHT'S WATCH
There were seven games round 1, and six crushing victories, with Kyle and I scoring
wipeouts hence us being paired. He had a good, fluffy and hard melee based list for defending the wall.
Commander: Jon Snow - 998th Lord Commander
Combat Units
• Veterans of the Watch with Jon Snow - 998th Lord Commander
• Sworn Brothers
• Sworn Brothers with Senior Builder
• Ghost
• House Bolton Blackguards with Bolton Flayer
NCU's: Aemon & Jeor Mormont
Terrain saw me again use two Weirwood trees, while Kyle took a bog and some stakes
TURN 1
Kyle has the same approach to gaming as I, with more onus on fluff that "meta" and he has only been playing for a few months too.
I deployed heavily on my left, with Kyle doing the same bar one Sworn brothers unit (the picture is a few activations in)
Night's Watch: Sworn brothers, Ghost, Bolton Blackguard, Veterans with Jon, Sworn Brothers with Builder
Free Folk: Weeper's Raiders, Mance Spearwives, Raiders with leader, Mammoth, Spearwives and Chariot. Jarl's raider were kept on outflank
I'd opted to go second in round 1, and Kyle blocked horses to move his Sworn Bros over a bit to my right.
He took bags to remove weakened I'd placed as I took letters, and crown. At the end of round I traded in
The Long Plan and went fishing for Wildling diplomacy.
TABLE END OF TURN 1
Kyle's superior troops would have me one on one, so I needed to spread him out, as I bunched
TURN 2
I had Ygritte take the horses, and brought on the Jarl's Raiders near the Sworn Brothers
on my left. Aemon too the swords to deny me it, despite me playing Wilding Diplomacy.
Inevitably, I targetted Ghost...
And killed the Direwolf...
The rest of the turn saw us circling the field so to speak, but the Blackguard were central and slowest and I was looking at those relatively isolated Sworn Brothers for turn 3. The Jarl's men were dangled!!!
Board at end of Turn 2
END OF TURN 2
FREE FOLK 2 VP's (One objective, one unit)
NIGHT's WATCH 1 VP (objective)
TURN 3
Kyle played star if Turn For the Watch on the Sworn Brothers
then had Jeor take the horses to allow them to charge...
Battle was joined, and no quarter would be given!!!
However, amazingly, despite re-rolls I only suffered 3 hits and saved one of those!!!
But despite Mance and the Weirwood, I still lost two more to a failed panic. You never get used to it!!!
I played Diversion Tactics to squeeze Mance up, then attacked with the Jarl's Raiders off the swords
I killed a pair of Crows after shifting after using Regroup and reform to bring the Weeper in and heal 4 they struck back killing 3 more raiders.
The Mammoth then went into the flank killing 5...
I healed up the Weepers (formerly Jarls) Raiders with Craster swapping out the zone for 2 wounds and a card. As I brought my forces to bear on the isolated Sworn Brothers, Kyle tried a long charge (4+) on Blackguard but failed.
Aemon had healed up the Sworn brothers to 10 men as Mance and his Spearwives did the Spear Toss and charge
All four missiles hit...
dropping 3 crows...
In melee, the girls were inspired and all 6 attacks hit...
A failed panic reduced the Crows to a single man...
And the Weeper finished him off, losing a man to give the Crow panic toke.... (Mance successfully using Counterstrategy to stop a card being used on the dead Sworn brothers). The corpse pile was placed as close to Jon as Kyle could manage but I was still closer after the Jarl's surge forth.
END OF TURN 3
FREE FOLK 4 VP's (2 Units, 2 objectives)
NIGHT's WATCH 2 VP's (2 objectvies)
Battlefield at end of Turn 3
Tactically, I manouvred the Spearwives into position for to flank the Blackguards rather than charge in the front last turn, and the chariot played cagey too. Kyle had to come out of his corner as I lined up my eager Wildlings...
TURN 4
I had Ygritte take the swords...
allowing the Spearwives flanking the Blackguards a spear toss...
all of which hit. They then did their charging volley, making the Boltons vulnerable and flanking them
with sundering. (With Mance, they did pass the horrific visage)
After their attacks, well, the Bolton's were left with 2 men. My dice were simply on fire...
Activating Aemon, I played Wildling Diplomacy, which I used before zone effect, killing the last 2 Blackguard...
Bearing in mind my Spearwives hadnt activated!!!
I took the horses as much to deny Kyle movement options
but also to bring on another unit of raiders... Blackguard Corpse pile centre.
Jon Snow's Veterans failed to charge the spearwives and were left badly exposed, as I brought up the new arrivals to tempt the Builder and his Sworn brothers...
Kyle was just wanting to kill things now and swept in...
leaving 2 Raiders alive...
In the centre, the spearwives charged Jon's Veterans, losing 5 due to disrupt making me need 5's to hit and counterstrike. However, thy still lost one man, failed a panic, then got hit by Raider with raid leader which all struck home before the Mammoth flanked and finished them off. The chariot then moved up to take the objective...
END OF TURN 4
FREE FOLK 9 VP's
NIGHT's WATCH 2 VP's
Battlefield end of Turn 4
TURN 5
Aemon crown zapped and killed my two Raiders and the builder deployed his stakes to mean if I charged them I'd take wounds.
I used Craster to heal the Mammoth who had taken wounds from counter strike, then played Predictable Manouvers start of Kyle's turn to get it out of a charge arc as Jeor took the horses. I then activated the Weeper to see what the Sworn Brothers would do, playing a second predictable manouvers to get Chariot out the way...
Kyle new the Wildlings would not show mercy, so went down swinging, charging through his own stakes to get at the Raiders. He lost a rank to the stakes..
With Mance sat behind them, the Raiders were stoic to the panic caused by the three deaths caused by the Crows. The Spearwives shifted out for flank spear toss, then charged home..
The dice were great again and the remaining Watch failed their panic
END OF TURN 5 (& Game)
FREE FOLK 13 VP's
NIGHT's WATCH 2 VP's
Kyle was a real pleasure to play and it's a bit mad how the game exploded given the way we felt each other
out in the first two turns, circling like boxers in the ring. Losing ghost to Wildling Diplomacy edged me ahead
in points, so Kyle responded when I sent the Jarl's raiders in front of the Sworn Brothers. I thought I might
lose them but had Regroup and Reform which allowed Weeper to get stuck in to. Just seemed to all work out
and then it was picking off a unit per turn with Blackguard turn 3, Veterans turn 4 and Builder Brothers turn 5.
I got some really good dice rolls in and Kyle didn't, failing charges and being swamped by the Free Folk. But
he said he enjoyed the game, as it was thematic as the horde overwhelmed the valiant Watch. Definitely
would love a rematch, as he was a real good opponent to play with, chatting away and having a good laugh.
So another crushing victory, and from my least favourite game mode...
On table 2, Colin and his Baratheon's managed a crushing victory over Kieran Scaddan (Scaddman) by
wiping out his Night's watch, meaning that I would be facing him in the third and final game. Having faced
him earlier in the week playing Fire & Blood when he'd beaten me 12-5 and left me an Endless horde Raider
unit left, I knew this was gonna be tough and knew I could not stand toe to toe with his units...
GAME 3: A GAME OF THRONES v COLIN DEANE (KOLCO) BARATHEONS
Colin's list was slightly different from the one I faced, as he'd dropped a Dragonstone noble for a 3rd NCU
Commander: Stannis Baratheon - The One True King
Combat Units
• King's Men with Stannis Baratheon - The One True King
• R'hllor Lightbringers with Red Priestess
• R'hllor Queen's Men with Master Warden
• Stormcrow Mercenaries with Davos Seaworth - Onion Knight
NCU's
• Melisandre, Shyra Errol & Alester Florent
Terrain: 2 Weirwoods and 2 Corpse Piles... Need to get some diversity into games I feel!!!
From left to right:
Baratheons: Stormcrow Mercs centre at rear, Stannis and Kingsmen centre front, Lightbringers, Queens Men
Free Folk: Raiderswith Leader, Spearwives, Mammoth, Mance and wives, chariot, Weeper's raiders.
(Jarl outflanking)
Colin had choice and decided to go first in Turn 2
TURN 1
I took Ygritte and plonked her on the horses to bring on an Endless Horde Raider unit to help secure the left flank objectvies...
Shyra took the letters, and I responded with Crown to deny it to Melisandre and her ilk...
Colin advanced up on my right at a pace while I did so on the left to try and avoid the fiery arrows..
Melisandre still got to play...
Dropping 4 of the Raid Leaders raiders..
I advanced up my Mammoth and the Chariot ready for a charge into the Lightbringers next turn, as Colin had activated out. The Endless horde gave me a +3 activation advantage. Oh, and had to lose two more Raiders on my left unit as miscounted the fiery death Mel brings...
The full tactics board...
TURN 2
I had moved cagily around the back field bar the Mammoth and Chariot (after the swords were taken last turn). Mel took swords allowing the Lightbringers to shoot my Mammoth and panic my Raid leaders unit down to the Raid Leader himself...
I placed Ygritte on the horses, influencing the Mammoth (as it would hopefully draw fire from Lightbringers as it would signal charge intent). I then used horses to bring the Jarl's raiders on to be on the far left objective end of turn.
The next series of activations involved the Mammoth retreating out of range of the Lightbringers range, the Queens Men taking their right objective, the chariot retreating out of range of the Light bringers and Colin then realised my strategy. I was not going to engage but out score him on objectives. I had learned not to charge in, but made it look like I would. Stannis then turned to go to my left, after the Jarls raiders. I took the right objective with the Weepers raiders, as the Stormcrows headed over to my far right, so the Queens Men would move off to attack the Weeper. My raid leader took my left, Mance stayed back out of range objective, the Lightbringers shot up the Spearwives for 3 dead who then marched onto the centre objective.
Board End of Turn 2
FREE FOLK 4 VP's (4 objectives)
BARATHEONS 1 VP (1 objective)
TURN 3
I had first activation, seizing the swords and to allow the spearwives to shift, spear toss and charge into
Stannis's flank. I managed to kill 2, and used there's too many but Stannis failed on his own. Colin played
Azor Ahai to negate the roll
But that was from the spear toss...
I killed one Kings Man in melee, and Stannis failed again...
The Lighbringers fired into the spearwives flank losing several but I passed my panic test..
Sadly, I had a panic token and failed the second roll badly, losing the unit in one round of shooting and some panic shenanigans...
But that had bought me time to back off with the Jarl's raiders, forcing Stannis into a 4+ charge which he duly failed...
And on the right, the Weeper marched off the objective, but did not charge the Warden and Queens Men. this allowed me to have the chariot move up and seized the right objective safe for this round.
The Queens Men did charge but failed to kill the raiders as Mance was in range The attack allowed Mance to move with Diversion tactics. I brought the Mammoth up to support on that flank, while Davos and his Mercs seized the far right objective. Mance and his Spearwives then marched onto the centre objective.
Mel activated next and attacked the Jarl's Raiders
on the objective in front of Stannis and the corpse pile.
And they amazingly passed.
END OF TURN 3
FREE FOLK 8 VP's (8 objectives)
BARATHEONS 3 VP's (2 objectives, 1 unit)
TURN 4
Activating off the swords, the the Queens Men finished off the Weepers Raiders. Colin then threw everything at me, with the Jarls raiders being wiped out while I clung on where I could to get two more points. The Queens Men on their activation charged the chariot but poor rolls meant I only took 4 wounds, passing the panic check with the help of the Weirwood. This allowed me to back off an inch due to swift retreat, while still controlling the objective.
Ygritte influenced the Stormcrows who were moved off the back right with the horses...
As panic and Lightbringers had brought Mance to 4 wounds on the centre objective, but they needed a 5+ to make the charge and Colin rolled a 4...
Stannis had taken the far left, but I had held the centre and both my table side as the game ended
END OF TURN 4 (and Game)
FREE FOLK 11 VP's
BARATHEON's 5 VP's
So a Crushing win for all 3 games!! I had Colin pose after the game, as forgot before hand. He was magnanimous in defeat and said I played a blinder, frustrating him by not engaging as he had a hand of tactics cards full of Final strikes and other cards that would have annihilated any attack into his units in Turn 2, which he fully expected me to do. Colin at the end had only lost four models due to his healing and he killed far more in "sacrifices" than I did. The defeat on Thursday was a real learning experience as I had learned I couldn't fight fair, so outmanouvered and played the scenario, expending units to deny Colin movement, such as the Spearwives buying time to keep my Jarl's unit alive for an extra turn scoring. Advancing up the Weeper also allowed the chariot a turn scoring, and the swift retreat worked a retreat. Colin is the best player in our group, as he is very meticulous and precise in what he does, but we agreed in hindsight turning Mance to contest my left was an error, he should have concentrated on my right with Stannis holding the centre a I would not have shifted him and his healing tricks were too much
So I had won the tournament with a perfect record of 3 Crushing victories!!! All the results can be found
here on Stats Daventry Stats It was a great event, nice and chilled with 2 hour games and a really friendly
gang of players. Many thanks Graeme Nicholls for organising such a successful first event, it was really
smooth and hope you run another one soon. Special mention to my opponents, Daniel, Kyle and Colin, no
hassles and played the right way. Also, good to catch up again with Tim Whitney , Chris Eustace and
Kieran Scaddan, and meet new people for the first time, Paul and Daniel from Leeds Area ASOIF Carly, and
Chris Archer and his great looking Greyjoys...
I didnt get a picture of Tim Whitney getting most sporting opponent, sorry Tim.
Paul Whitehead collecting his Best Painted for his majestic Lannisters (with Chris Archer in the background
admiring his Wooden Spoon)
Colin won the Red Vyper Award for being closest to top spot in the final game, a nice variation on second
place. Colin actually came third behind Ste who came second having also went undefeated on the day.
The car journey home was fun.
And just like the mighty Wigan Athletic will this season, here was me collecting my first (and probably only) A Song of Ice and Fire trophy...
Charity Appeal
Kieran "Scaddman" Scaddan is holding a 24hr sponsored wargame of ASOIF in aid of Veterans
mental Health charity.
Link to his Justgiving page is HERE
EVENTS IN UK
Kieran's 24 hour Sponsored Event at Imjin barracks 18th March
24 player event at Gaming Figures on Sunday 10th April in Redcar, UK The Caswell Cup
The 128 player UK London Grand Tournament (ELO) 30th September Link
16 Player event at the RIBBLE RUMBLE, ELEMENT GAMES, STOCKPORT, UK LINK
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