Colin, Ste and I headed down to Board and Swords in Derby (UK) for their Gather for War. a nice chilled event of A Song of Ice and Fire. 10 players rocked up, with a good spread of forces including this stunning Lannister army by Chris Baker (more on that later).
BOARD & SWORDS
Large stock of ASOIF stuff
I ran my Mance Free Folk list as below in all 3 games, as the 3 NCU's in my other didn't have a Mammoth
• Free Folk Trappers with Mance Rayder - King Beyond the Wall (C) • Spearwives • Spearwives • Free Folk Raiders with Raid Leader • Free Folk Raiders with The Weeper - Cruel Tyrant • War Mammoth • Free Folk Raiders with Jarl - Advance Raid Leader Non Combat Units: Jon Snow & Craster
GAME 1
A Game of Thrones v Ben "Panzer" Harris and his Howland Reed led Starks
With two Weirwoods to coutner the two corpse piles, the board was a bit bland...
Stark set up, left to right: Shaggydog, Crannogmen, She-Bears, Stark Bowmen, Karstark loyalists, Crannogmen
Freefolk: Raid Leader Raiders, Spearwives, Mance in Trappers, Mammoth, Spearwives (FF Raiders from going first and playing Endless horde), Weeper Raiders
The objective view...
As mentioned, Jon Snow took the horses and I brought on a unit of Raiders
Having marched up aggressively with Mance and Trappers, Ben failed War Cry from She-Bears after they'd marched up.
Aaargh, had forgotten about Assault Orders and left Swords open. The Seh Bears charged in, fortunately ooof and onto a corpse pile so only lost 3 men thanks to bad rolls and a passed morale check
I had pushed up aggressively to try and swamp the Starks and hoped to weather the hail of arrows...
The Mammoth marched up too, and the Crannog Warden performed a shoot action but the Mammoth passed all his armour saves...
Board at End of TURN 1
Tactics Zone end of Turn 1
TURN 2
The She Bears attacked the Trappers but ben only managed 3 hits
And Mance held them firm...
I used Diversion tactics to advance up the Mammoth, allowing the Longbowmen to shoot again, this time casuing 3 wounds. But I actviated the raiders Hidden traps killing four bowmen...
And start of my turn, I used Regroup and Reform to get Mance out of the Trappers, taking 3 wives from adjacent unit.
I then sent the beast into the pain in the ass bowmen!!!
All 6 attacks hit after re-rolls including two critical blows for a total of 8...
And Ben failed all eight, so I surged forth to threaten the rear of the She-Bears...
Activating his Crannogmen Trappers to shoot the spearwives
Ben managed 5 hits...
5 five plus saves? Yeah, coming right up...
As i activated my spearwives to flank the She Bears, I was hit with a Bog Devil Ambush (and forgot about Mance's counter strategy)
That hurt, and dropped me to a single rank of 4 attacks
But it still hit hard and with There's too Many,
Little Rickon was left alone...
The spear wives got shot in the rear and wiped, taking Mance with them
So in a fit of rage, I charged the little lad with my spearwvies and killed him
With a help from Arya, the Karstark loyalists did some moving and got to charge the Mammoth in the flank
Killing it...
And on the forgotten right flank, I had brought on my Jarl's radiers, and charged in and killed 4 crannogs. They retreated to turn and face as my Endless horde unit charged them too with co-ordination taking vicious from the Weeper, which dropped a second rank
BOARD END OF TURN 2
FREE FOLK 5 VP's (3 objectives, 1 +1 unit)
STARKS 2 VP's (2 units)
Shaggydog had come up to threaten my rear if I went after the Crannogs and the Loyalists were in an intimidating position centrally. But the right flank was mine now!!!
TURN 3
I activated normally first and charged the Jarl's Raiders in to the rear of the right side Crannogs...
scoring 5 hits, wiping them out and seizing the far right objective...
Shaggydog flanked the spearwives losing three to the attack
But with the flank, corpse pile and vicious for a minus three with the Weirwood meant I need a 10 to pass panic...
I turned and attacked the dog off the swords I think
And fluffed my rolls...
Ben shot my wives flanks and dropped them to 3 models and I managed to get an Endless horde off and bring back the other Spearwives
Using Arya I think, the Loyalists had previously moved up and then charged the Trappers, killing 6...
I countered by flanking with the Weeper's Raiders but Howland's disrupt meant I'd be hitting on 5's...
Good job the dice were on fire...
END OF TURN 3
FREEFOLK 9 VP's (6 objectives, 2 + 1 Units)
STARKS 5 VP's (4 units, one objective)
TURN 4
Ben had first activation, and could not shift my right two units so set out to kill things...
So he decided the Weeper had to die and set Shaggydog off to get him...
I saved two of them...
But failed the panic and lost 4 in total...
I activated off the swords to shift up, launch spears and charge in...
Yeah, disrupt wasn't having much effect with my dice...
And they dropped to 3 models. The Weeper lost more to the wolf from assault orders, I think...
Then healed up as I retreated the Spearwives away with the horses..
In melee I killed one Loyalist...
And Arya took the crown to finish off the Weeper...
The Crannogs charged my far left unit of raiders...
But didn't kill enough to contest the objective when I attacked back...
Board at end of Turn 4
END OF GAME
FREEFOLK 12 VP's (9 objectives, 2 + 1 Units)
STARKS 5 VP's (4 units, one objective)
Great start to the event, seen Ben at a few events and hadn't faced him but he'd beat up one of my club mate's Drogo list at Daventry the weekend before when he won the 30pt starter box event. A true gent to play, but my dice were simply awesome (bar one wee spearwives hiccup). A tricksy army, with Crannogs and Howlands and charging the Bowmen and sandwiching the She-Bears really allowed me to play the objective game. Losing Mance was a blow but the Trappers did magnificently and the Jarl sandwich also work really well (although I nearly put them in front of Shaggydog as didn't see him lurking at the back. Saw it just in time)
TULLY ARMY by KYLE WEBB
Just a wee pic of Kyle Webb's lovely Tully force that he's been working on (in case you hadn't seen it on Facebook)
GAME 2
Singe - Lannister - A Feast for Crows
Not my favourite scenario, and dual Knights of Casterly Rock with Fortune seekers, dual Lannister Guardsmen (one with Tyrion (c)) and the Mountain that Rides, with Baelish and Pycelle. Nicely painted to boot as well
Set up: Two bogs, Weirwood and stakes as below.
Lannisters (L toR): Mountain, Tyrion Guards, Knights, Guardsmen, Knights
Freefolk: Mammoth, off pic, Spearwives, Mance Trappers, Raid Leader Raiders, Spearwives, Weeper Raiders (Jarl off board)
TURN 1
All about the moving in first turn, with special note to my use of Predictable Manouvers on the right side cavalry. had they been activated, I would have been able to charge the Spearwives into the central cavalry, so they stayed put.
Tactics board at end of turn 1
TURN 2
I charged into the Knights with overwhelming assault for sundering and lost 3 men from their return attack
View of the battlefield, Lannister activation flags still to be removed...
Off the swords, I shot with Trappers and charged into Tyrion using co-ordination tactics
And scored 4 hits...
It's fair to say the dice were not on my opponents side in this game as he lost 7 men from trappers shooting and charging!!!
The Mountain had moved back to charge my outflanking Jarl's unit but failed his 4+ charge. The spearwives were reduced down further...
I charged the Mountain with Jarl and did a wound. The Guardsmen failed a charge into the spearwives flank, again failing a 4+. And in attacking the spearwives, I used Diversion tactics to move oveerwith the Raid leaders raider unit.
And charged into the healed up Guardsmen...
I got three hits...
One wound and two more down from panic
I easily passed my panic check with Mance nearby despite the many negatives...
And when Baelish took crown to hit the spearwives
Yeah, I nailed that too...
With Raid Leader engaged, the Trappers activated for 6 attacks on 4's
Getting 4 hits and dropping Tyrion down to a single rank...
The Knights from the right had marched right across to the centre. And Tyrion attacked the Trappers, killing one man as I passed my panic check again...
Allowing me to use my second Distraction tactics to move spearwives up into spear toss range and charge into the wee man's flank...
Wiping the out and falling back onto the left objective. Singe placed the corpse pile close to all my units...
END OF TURN 2
FREEFOLK 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective)
LANNISTER O VP's
TURN 3
I played Surrounded and Exposed on the Mountain to give him panicked having had Jon Snow fish for regroup and reform at start of round. The Lannisters Knights attacked the spearwives for a few wounds
But my panic check was solid....
Start of my turn I used Regroup and Reform...
A few more attacks I hoped to hold out for...
And they did as the Guardsmen charged their flanks and they survived...
With Mance aiding the panic check
I used Craster's once per game and also took bags with Jon to heal back up. And the Knights of Casterly Rock charged in but didnt wipe them out. Two wives still there
And while the valiant central Spearwives held up 3 units, the exposed Mountain was spear tossed and flanked by their sisters on my left that had did for Tyrion. Having healed up to full wounds from the Fortune Seeker, the toss did nothing, the charge with vulnerable did two wounds and then the Mountain failed the panic check thanks to the token I'd given him...
I moved them up from surge forth to threaten the Knights flank and healed up the spearwives again with the Raid leader joining them before they were reduced down again by the other knights...
I charged the rear of the Guards with the Weeper and devastated them as hit on 3's and had 7 dice...
And they shrugged off the Lannister supremacy without Mance...
Baelish again took the bags and tried to finish off the spearwives
and they passed again. Cant fault my opponent for perseverance!!! Craster took the bags to heal 2 more onto the spearwives and draw a card...
I made a 4+ charge with the Mammoth into the front of the Guardsmen, scoring 9 hits from 7 dice due to critical blow.
Unsurprisingly, the Guardsmen died. And I activated the spearwives and retreated having done their job...
Board at End of Turn 3
FREEFOLK 6 VP's (3 objectives, 3 units)
LANNISTERS 0 VP's
TURN 4
Activating off the swords, the Spearwives tossed and flanked the Lannister Knights, cutting them down to a single model before a panic check with There's Too Many...
The other Lannisters finally managed to get a charge in and catch the pesky spearwives, riding them down before dropping back to the centre, totally surronded...
I just activated out, ending the game as my opponent had had no luck as I felt I had sucked the goodness from his dice. I had failed one panic check the whole game, losing a single spearwife early on
END OF GAME
FREEFOLK 10 VP's (4 Units, 6 objectives)
FREEFOLK 10 VP's (4 Units, 6 objectives)
LANNISTERS 1 VP (1 unit)
Not really much to say about this game except my dice were phenomenal throughout and my plan to pin the Knights worked better than expected thanks to regroup and reform, and healing. They held the centre against 3 units with that while I killed Tyrion and the Mountain. Trappers doing what they did on the charge and being central with Mance was just unassailable.
Two large wins put me onto top spot v Chris Baker and his Lannister army
GAME 3
Chris Baker - Lannister Fire & Blood
Now sit back and salivate!!!
I have seen many finely painted armies in my gaming life, but none as good as this. My old camera really doesn't do them justice. The uniqueness for every model, the magnetized feet for goodness sake and the tiny details one a tree stump. BREATHTAKING!!!
Shame I'd have to try and kill them,,,
SET UP
Two Weirwoods I placed to counter the two corpse piles Chris put down for me...
Left to Right: Guardsmen, Crossbows, Knights, Poor Fellows (moved up by horses) and the Mountain
Weeper Raiders, Mammoth, Spearwives, Spearwives, Raiders with Raid Leader. And Mance behind the two Spearwives. I kept the Jarl off board.
My plan was to take and hold the centre and left, killing the units there and ignore the right.
TURN 1
The Poor Fellows were moved up by Pycelle on the horses as I took the letters
I marched Mance and the Trappers up and then both spearwives to draw up the crossbows as knew he would use Baelish to get shots off from the tactics board
I took two wounds on the right unit...
And a further 3 from failing a panic despite Mance...
I didnt take any more shots as I burned through a pair of Wildling Diplomacy, Predictable Manouvers stopping the Knights from moving again and Long Plan to fish out Regroup and Reform
TURN 2
I took Jon on the horses but held off the Jarl
Instead I moved up the left Spearwives to pressure the Crossbows
The Board at this stage. Pycelle took the swords and the crossbows shot up my spearwives.
I then used regroup and reform to heal the spearwives up and charged in
The Crossbowmen retreated having lost a single man. I took the bags to prevent any more shooting and heal up spearwives
Well, I was advancing on objectives as planned but sure Chris was baiting me...
The Knights of Casterly Rock smacked into the Spearwives but fluffed the attacks and Mance was in range to help. I then brought up the Mammoth to give him pause for thought while using Regroup and Reform including the Raid Leader...
On the Right the mountain was closing in on the centre and the Poor Fellows sat on the objective
The Guardsmen failed their charge at the Raiders on my left due to some well used Hidden Traps
Board at end of Turn 2
END OF TURN 2
FREEFOLK 2 VP's (2 Objectives)
LANNISTERS 1 VP (1 Objective)
TURN 3
Start of round I used Jon Snow to take the Regroup and Reform from the discard pile and used it at star of the turn.
I took the swords and flanked the Lannisters, after shifting up to spear toss into the flank with overwhelming assault for critical blows and sundering
It left the Knights on 5 wounds. I got shot up by the crossbows and used Craster once per game to heal for second rank for 7 attacks due to raid leader, hitting on 3+. I scored a wound or two, and with There's Too Many, the Lannister Knights died...
Pycelle took the bags for a second shot, dropping my wives on the right down to a single rank...
But I still charged in but the newly improved Crossbows with their 4+ armour held well. In response, the Mountain declined to charge the Raiders on the centre and moved up ready for next turn to aid the Crossbowmen. And on the left, Roose and his Guards cut six Raiders down.
The Mammoth moved up behind the Guardsmen ready for next turn.
Thinking I didnt have enough leverage to retreat and still hold the objective, I attacked killing two. But the Lannister supremacy wiped me out with Hear me Roar and then healed up with Fealty to the Crown. And he took the objective.
END OF TURN 3
FREEFOLK 4 VP's (3 objectives, 1 Unit)
LANNISTER 3 VP's (2 objectives, 1 Unit)
Board end of TURN 3
TURN 4
Well it all went a bit mad. The Mountain charged my spearwives that were engaged with the crossbows in the rear and wiped them out, turning to face my second unit. I took the swords and charged in.
Scoring 5 hits in melee
And causing 3 wounds all in!!! The Mountain was healed up next activation.
Leaving Roose to be rear ended by a Mammoth and also flanked by trappers who were then, after everything else was done attacked by Roose losing 4 men.
But passing their panic check
But I had played Predictable Maneuvers on Roose's Guard and he was engaged and had to perform an action. Chris tried to counterplot while holding the crown and double oned it...
The Mammoth struck at the 5 Guardsmen who died.
The Mammoth surged forth over to threaten the crossbows and the Mountain while I gained the objective.
END OF TURN 4
FREEFOLK 7 VP's (2 units, 5 objectives)
LANNISTERS 5 VP's (2 units, 3 objectives)
Board at End of Turn 4
TURN 5
Chris took a zone on tactics board to trigger a crossbow attack on the spearwives, killing them. I then charged the Mountain with the Mammoth, and with critical blow and sundering took two wounds off of him. But with also giving a panic toke, he failed the resultant check and rolled 2 wounds, killing him,
Chris tried to get into range with the crossbows but I managed to block the tactics board from any additional shots
And reformed as best I could, Chris did manage to panic the Weeper from the Crown to drop the objective though. And time was called at the end of the round and tournament...
END OF TURN 5 (& GAME)
FREEFOLK 9 VP's (6 objectives, 3 units)
LANNISTERS 7 VP's (4 objectives, 3 units)
Well that was an amazing, swingy, and close game. The board below shows that with another turn, it still could have gone either way. My plan to ignore the right worked, but only just and with hindsight the Mounatin might have been better taking out my centre objective holding Raiders, but then again, he did free up the crossbows and save them. Chris had some bad luck (failing conterplot and losing Roose and his Guards, the Mountain panic fail). I did not get the Jarl Raiders on, nor use Endless Horde as Bronn's crossbows required me to take bags or swords almost every turn. Great game, and a real pleasure to play agsint Chris and his exquisite army...
Big shout out to Ian and Jordan at Board and Swords for a well run and very chilled event.
AWARDS
MOST SPORTING OPPONENT - STEPHEN CONNOR
(No, seriously!!!)
BEST PAINTED ARMY - CHRIS BAKER
THIRD PLACE - STEPHEN CONNOR
SECOND PLACE - CHRIS BAKER
FIRST PLACE - BRIAN McGONIGLE
80% of the Attendees (2 left early)
Charity Appeal
Kieran "Scaddman" Scaddan is holding a 24hr sponsored wargame of ASOIF in aid of Veterans
mental Health charity on 28th/29th May.
Link to his Justgiving page is HERE
EVENTS IN UK
Bad Moon Cafe, Great Dover St, London Sunday May 8th , A Prance with Pragons
24 player 2 day event Durham, 14th-15th May, War of the Wall
Justplay Games Liverpool Sunday 29th May ??????
Kieran's 24 hour Sponsored Event 28th/29th May at Imjin barracks
16 player event at Leodis Games in in Leeds, Saturday June 5th War of the White-Rose Cloaks
Saturday June 11th at Battlefield Hobbies, Daventry, Battle of the Bar-Stewards
16th & 17th July Duke's Gaming Welsh Grand Tournament Cymru Grand Tournament
The 128 player 2 day event UK London Grand Tournament (ELO) 30th September Link
16 Player 2 day event 22/23rd Oct at the RIBBLE RUMBLE, ELEMENT GAMES, STOCKPORT, UK LINK
No comments:
Post a Comment