Dead Meta Gaming (DMG) Four Game event at Redcar

 Steve and I travelled up to Redcar for a four-game event put on by Dead Meta Gaming DMG LINK and well sponsored by Gavin at Gaming Figures LINK 

With the 128 player London Grand Tournament coming up, there were some serious lists on display and I took my own go to "competitive" list, despite the Mammoth...

The Dead Meta Gaming lads are always fun to meet up with, really chilled and chatty, and though they have many good players, most are not as overly competitive as many of my regular opponents (you know who I mean!!!)

I took two lists, but only played with the one below in all 4 games:

• 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 • Free Folk Raiders with Jarl - Advance Raid Leader • War Mammoth Non Combat Units • Craster & Lady Val

GAME 1

A Clash of Kings

FIZZWIZZ WITH HIS LANNISTERS

Played Adam previously, good opponent as he is pretty laid back like myself. His list was scary, being far superior to FreeFolk Raiders and all the more so as I didn't know really how much the "new" Lannisters had changed. Soon found out though. Adam's list was 

• The Warrior's Sons with Addam Marbrand - Commander of the City Watch (C) • Casterly Rock Honor Guard with Champion of the Faith ( • The Warrior's Sons with Champion of the Faith • Lannister Guardsmen with Barristan Selmy - Kingsguard Non Combat Units • Joffrey Baratheon & Pycelle

Terrain Left to Right: Wood, Corpse Pile, Weirwood Tree, Palisade

I won the roll and let Adam choose sides: He stayed where he was.

SET UP

Lannisters

Warriors Sons with CoF, Casterly Rock HG with CoF, Guardsmen, Warriors Sons with Adam

Freefolk

Weepers Raiders. Mammoth, Spearwives, Spearwives, Trappers behind with Mance, 

Raid Leader Raiders and in Outflank, Jarl's Raiders

Adam doing his best Fonz impression, just as the clock strikes...

TURN 1

No subtlety on either side, although I did use Val and a march to reposition the Mammoth...

TURN 2

Adam had Joffrey take the horses first...

So I took the swords, activating my left side spearwives off it to shift in to his Guardsmens flank and toss some spears. I managed one hit, which Adam saved.

So I auto charged in and rolled a one on the charge. One hit was all I managed and Adma saved that too...

Adam triggered their Lannister Supremacy while platying Hear Me Roar and I lost seven Spearwives.

The Casterly Rock Honour Guard then hit me in the rear and the spearwives evaporated!!! The Honour Guard then surged forward.

However, in doing so the honour guard exposed a flank after my spearwives shifted up and spear tossed

I didnt do any wounds again, but charged in and opted for Sundering with Overwhelming Assault. typical!!!

On the right, the warriors Sons charged the Raiders with Raid Leader

Losing 4 in the attack, and despite Mance, lost 3 to a failed panic...

This allowed me to used Predicatable maneuvers to move Mance up a bit

I used regroup and reform to bolster the Raiders and swap the raid leader into honour guard engaged spearwives

I then had the Weepers raiders charge the honour Guard, dropping them down to 5 men, before the Trappers let loose with a frutehr two wounds...

Although I lost 2 spearwives to a nother failed Mance morale based panic...

The left side Warrior sons chooped down 6 of the Weepers Raiders...

I took the crown with Val but moved the Mammoth back centrally

For an auto-in to the Guardsmen who had turned to face the sSpearwives rear

Charging in, it dropped 4 Guardsmen...

Battlefield End of Turn 2

END OF TURN 2

Lannisters 2 VP's (1 objective, 1 unit)

FreeFolk 0 VP's

TURN 3

Activating off Craster taking the Swords, my Spearwives cut down the Honour Guard, surging forth to flank the Guardsmen

The right side warriors Sons attacked the Raiders but didnt finish them off 

And the left side couldnt kill the Weepers unit. The spearwives had tossed and charged and the Mammoth finished of Slemy and his Guardsmen. I also got the Jarl on to take the right side objective.

Battlefield End of Turn 3

END OF TURN 3

 LANNISTERS 3 VP's (2 objectives, 1 Unit)

FREEFOLK  3 VP's (1 objective, 2 units)

TURN 4

Taking the horses, Adam and his Warrior Sons retreated but were totally surrounded. I charged in the Jarl's men to pin them...

The weeper succumbed to the Warriors sons on the left, while Adam's Sons were shot by the Trappers, charged by Spearwvies and then the Mammoth and wiped out.

Battlefield at End of Turn 4

End of TURN 4

LANNISTERS 4 VP's (3 objectives, 1 unit)

FREEFOLK 4 VP's (1 objective, 3 units)

TURN 5

Craster took the Horses and I played Endless horde to bring on a spearwife unit on my left...

Adam took the crown and I lost two spearwives to it, but then just out activated to all me to pitch spears and charge in,  and also used Val to move up the Mammoth, then marched him up to threaten the flank for next turn. 

I also seized the centre and right objective

END OF TURN 5

LANNISTERS 4 VPs (3 objectives, 1 unit)

FREEFOLK 6 VP's (3 objectives, 3 units)

TURN 6

I used Wildling Diplomacy to deny Adam an NCU activation, then attacked with spearwvies off swords, before using Predictable Maneuvers to deny a second NCU heal...

The Mammoth then charged in and wiped the remaing Lannisters out...

END OF TURN 6 (and GAME)

Lannisters 4 VP's (1 objective, 3 units)

FreeFolk 10 VP's (6 objectives, 4 units)

Great game, but had my heart in my mouth when my first spearwvies were lost without killing a single model!!! I just had some really good card combo's and with only 4 units, my activation advantage was telling. Also, Adam had some terrible armour and panic rolls with his honour Guard and Guardsmen in the pivotal central combats. But a good start for me...

GAME 2 

A Dance with Dragons

PsychoSte with his Starks

Sod's law I'd play him with his Tullys!!! Oddly enough, Ste seemed quite confident as well he might, having not beaten his Starks for a long time. (We had played the previous fortnight, 9VP's to 5 for me but I got tabled. Git!!!) Ste was running Brynden in a nasty, but small force... 

• House Bolton Blackguards with Brynden Tully - The Blackfish (C)

• House Tully Cavaliers with Glory Seeker

• House Tully Sworn Shields with Mormont Veteran

• Stark Sworn Swords with Sworn Sword Captain

Non Combat Units

Catelyn Stark, Petyr Baelish & Sansa Stark

SETUP: corpse pile left, 2 Weirwoods central, stakes far right

STARKS: Tully Cav, Sworn Swords, Tully Sworn Shields,Blackguard

FREEFOLK:Weeper Raiders, Spearwives, Mammoth, Spearwives, Mance Trappers, Raider with Leader. Jarl in outflank

TURN 1

I went first and had Val take the letters. Ste took the horses, advancing his Tully's.

Ste took the Crown and hit the weeper's Raiders but I passed the bomb with aplomb

Ste had a plan as he sent his Tully's Cavaliers right down my throat after I had marched up the Weeper's Raiders and everyone else had moved right up, the Sworn Swords hanging back a big due to the Mammoth threat...

Tactics Board End of Turn 1

BOARD END OF TURN 1

TURN 2

I played Predictable Maneuvers, targetting Baelish and his Tully Cav preventing Steve from activating his Tully's (as I could shift and charging volley with the Spearwives)

Ste took Sansa on horses, having used her once per game to fish out swift reposition again, then moved back the cavaliers after I had surrounded and exposed them with a vulnerable

Steve played Swift reposition to move away from Mammoth and spearwives

But he couldnt escape the Weeper's charge arc who promptly charge him in the flank, dropping a horse...(I lost a man to make them panicked)

I lost 4 men to Catelyn off the Swords as they attacked back and 4 more to the failed panic

Which allowed me to use Diversion Tactics and get the girls set up

They charged in with overwhelming assault

Dropping the Cavaliers to 4 wounds but also losing the Weeper's unit due to the panic from shooting..

Ste had fully activated out his NCU's as he desperately sought to save his Cavaliers, whom he had activated to retreat away

I used Val to swap crown to allow the Mammoth to move

Ste had also thrust his Sworn Swords up to distract me on the right

But I ignored that for now and sent the Mammoth into the cavalry dropping them to two wounds on the charge. And they failed their panic!!!

Battlefield End of Turn 2

I had retreated the trappers back, maneuvered the Spearwives into the Tully shields flank, while Ste took the right objective

END OF TURN 2

FREEFOLK 1 VP (1 unit of dirty, filthy Tully Cavaliers trampled into the ground)

STARKS 1 VP (objective)

TURN 3

I took the horses and brought the Jarl's Raiders on to take the left objective this round.

Ste took the letters (hence his large card deck), I then took the centre objective and moved back, while bringign the other spearwives aroudn to support and with Mance and his Trappers also activating and dropping back a bit.

Steve again activated his NCU's with various deck diving for Swift reposition

I took the left objective, before Ste made a long chrge attempt at the central objective spearwives. I use Trappers traps to make that a 5+

which Steve failed by a good margin. He brought up the Sworn Swords, as I repostioned around Starks

One of the objective cars allowed a shift, so my centre spearwives dropped back again

Battlefield End of Turn 3

END OF TURN 3

FREEFOLK 3 VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)

STARKS 2 VP's (2 objectives)

TURN 4

Steve took the horses and moved the Sworn Swords to threaten the Mammoth and Spearwives, while I took the Swords with Val and moved back the central spear wives.

I then charge got a charge in on teh Tully Sworn shield with raid leader to hold them up

and was flanked in turn by the  Blackguard

The Swron Shields smacked the Mammoth

But Craster used his once per game and took the bags, healing all 5 wounds on the hairy beast

A crown attack on the Raiders was easily shrugged off...

And the Mammoth plnked a few wounds of the Sworn Swords

Baelsih had been Wilding Diplomacied, so tactics board at the end of round was missing him

I'd also charged the Trappers into the Tully Sword Shields as a blocker, while regroupign and reforming Mance into the objective holding spearwives, while the other spearwives marched up through the throng ready to flank sworn swrods next turn...

END OF TURN 4

STARKS 3 VP's  (3 objectives)

FREEFOLK 5 VP's (4 objectives, 1 unit)

BOARD END OF TURN 4

TURN 5

Activationg off the swords, the Mammoth scored 6 hits on the sworn swords. Who tehn healed up three.

But they were then shot and charged by the Spearwives, before they hacked back at teh spearwives, before the Mammoth attacked again...

The end result was I had to use regoup and reform to keep the wives at full ranks but only one Sworn Sword was left. When he reactviated with asault orders, he cut the Spearwives down to three ladies as Catelyn influenced them for max rank attacks

Still, Diversion tactics allowed me to move up 2" and into range to finish off the Sworn swords with their spear toss!!!

The Blackguard charged into the trappers and killed a few, but not many and the Swornd Shields reteate out ready to finish off the Spearwives. I retreated the Trappers out of combat too.

Board End of Turn 5

END OF TURN 5

HOUSE STARK 4 VP's ( 4 objectives)

FREEFOLK 8 VP's ( 6 objectives, 2 units)

TURN 6

Sure enough, the Tully Shields flanked my spearwives and wiped them out, surging forward to threaten Mance and his spearwives. I therefore thundered the Mammoth in, but didnt do much and any i did were healed before the Mammoth was hacked back, dropping ti to two wounds left...

I used Val to retreat it rather quickly...

The Blackguard with their 2" moved tried a 5+ charge...

 but the Trappers made that a 6+. Steve duly rolled a 5...

And with that, the game ended...

HOUSE STARK 6 VP's (2 units, 4 objectives)

FREEFOLK 10 VP's (2 units, 8 objectives)

Oh yes, that was sweet!!! Steve knows I suffer badlywhen the Tully's come to town, but I had the right card combination to counter the sweeping outflank, and with his slow infantry, I could feed my insignifcant troops into the grinder to outmaneuver and fall back. Ste was miffed but took it in relative good grace. (He still is a week on, but will dread being matched against him in London). He didnt do much wrong, but I played my cards well and frustrated his forces...

LUNCH BREAK AND A FEW ARMIES

Paul Whitehead's Night's Watch

with GHOST

Chris Baker's Lannisters

(With the shiny new Warriors Sons)

and the rest

Nigel King's Targaryen's

Paul Gibbons double Mammoths... Well class!!!

                                                    GAME 3

                              CHRIS-FNM WITH LANNISTERS

3 events in a row now, with first being very close win to me, second being a bit one sided on account of my fluffy all-female list, so winner takes all (including a crack at the top prize in the last game). Always good to play Chris, as he is a gent (well, he says I am, but he gave me the benefit of the doubt on a 50/50 charge arc mid game). And I love to showcase his amazing painted force, which was as below

• Lannister Crossbowmen with Kevan Lannister - Protector of the Realm (C)

• Lannister Guardsmen

• Gregor Clegane - The Mountain That Rides

• Knights of Casterly Rock

• Poor Fellows with Champion of the Faith

Non Combat Units

• Pycelle, Petyr Baelish & The High Sparrow

Set Up: Bog, Weirwood, Weirwood, wall

LANNISTERS: Guardsmen, Mountain, Crossbows, Knights of Casterly Rock, Poor Fellow

FREEFOLK: Raiders with Leader, Spearwives, Mammoth, Trappers at rear, Spearwives, Weeper Raiders, Jarl Raiders in outflank

TURN 1

With Chris having chosen sides, I opted to go second. With the Mountain on the board, when Chris activated Pycelle, I played Wildling Diplomacy. Chris elected to pass

This allowed me to take Horses with Craster and bring on the Jarl next to the right objective

I moved heavily on the right as Chris moved up on the left and with help of Val, the Spearwives got into range of a spear toss and charged the Crossbows, to pressure the Lannister line. Alas, Lannister Supremacy from Kevan...

TURNS 2 & 3 (it got quite tense)

I attacked first with Spearwives off the swords, but lost 3 more spearwives to Lannister

The Mountain then wiped them out which allowed a Corpse pile way back in my lines...

We played through the tactics board (minus Pycelle)

And rather than risk death by shooting, the Mammoth charged the Mountain. Critical blow rocks but I was weakened!!!

So the 10 hits became 3... Boo!!!

The Raiders with raid leader got cross bowed down to 4 men

And the Knights of Casterly Rock charged the Spearwives rather than the big beast But Mance in proximity meant they held.

I was holding two objectives, but was thinly stretched while the Guards held the left one...

I got another attack in from Predictable Maneuvers but Knights shrugged it off...

The Weepers raiders exposed their flank, but did hit the Knights hard with There's Too Many and a vicious flank attack...

The crossbows finished of the left raiders, allowing me to drop another corpse pile in my deployment zone...

END OF TURN 3

FREEFOLK 4 VP's (4 objectives)

LANNISTERS 3 VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)

Board at End of Turn 3

The Knights had retreated and healed up when the Poor Fellows hit the Weeper (Fealty to the Crown is a good card). Trappers had moved onto the rear corpse pile and Chris dropped the one they'd been carrying out of my reach, as my spearwives healed.

Again failing to kill the Mountain, my Mammoth was powerless when the Mountain retreated off the horses, as the damaged spearwives regrouped and reformed and moved onto the objective

I retreated the Weeper to block any Knights charges on my objective holders but they and the crossbows shot the Mammoth down, and the last activation was the Mountain charging the spearwives, with Hear Me Roar forcing them to drop the objective, and the Mountain stealing it.

BOARD AT END OF TURN 4 (& Game)

AAAARRRRGHHHH!!!!!

LANNISTER 6 VP's

FREEFOLK 6 VP's

Brilliant game!!! A draw in my mind, although Chris called it a win due to a slight technicality in that he killed three units and I didn't kill anything!!! Perfectly timed card play at the end by Chris to win the game, a really tense and close one though, with me almost holding on but not quite. Definitely enjoy the games with Chris,although he's sneaked ahead in the old head to heads!!!

GAME 4

THE WOLF KING AND HIS NIGHT'S WATCH

Sam Shaw plays with Chris, and I met him at the Leodis event in Leeds earlier in the year, but didn't get to play him. Seemed a sound bloke, despite runnign dual Rangers against me

• Ranger Hunters with Jon Snow - 998th Lord Commander ( C)

• Ranger Hunters with Cotter Pyke - Ironborn Brother

• Sworn Brothers with Watch Captain

• Coldhands - Mysterious Ally

• Ghost (

NCU's

• Aemon & Bowen Marsh

Set Up: Woods, Weirwood, Weirwood and bog

NIGHTS WATCH: Rangers with Cotter Pyke, Rangers with Jon Snow, Watch Capt Brothers, Ghost,Cold Hands

FREEFOLK: Raid Leader Raiders, Spearwives, Spearwiveswith Mance behind them, Mammoth, Weeper Raiders. ( Outflanking Jarl  spoiler pic)

TURN 1 

I took the Horses with Craster and brought on the Jarl. Sam moved up at pace and we both committed heavily in the centre.  I had occupied the two right side objectives, and the centre wasnt claimed

Tactics board end of Turn 1

FOR THE WATCH!!! The Sworn brothers charged into my spearwives. 8 dead. I regrouped and reforemd

Cotter Pyke did his shizzle, taking 3 wounds and charging into my left side Raiders, killing 3. Then retreated...

And shot me, wiping me out with a bad panic check

My second spearwives had hit the Sworn brothers in the flank, but after they had wiped out their sisters with Watch Captain, they beat up on them some too. I had to put the Mammoth into Coldhands, but needs 5+ and he took a single wound...

I retreated them out using Val and healed up to try and kill Coldhands next turn, but just WOW!!! The Nights Watch just absolutely creamed that turn...

END OF TURN 2

NIGHTS WATCH 3 VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)

FREE FOLK 2 VP's (2 objectives)

TURN 3

Well, I took the swords and tossed spears, causing a wound then charged in. 

Coldhands Raven Flock gave me a minus one to hit... Handy, as I would now need 5's...

The got flanked by the Sworn Brothers and wiped out... I charged in with the Weeper, as if I didn't kill them they would kill me.  Just didn't think I could hold the objectives like previous games...

I failed badly with the Raiders, the Mammoth killed Cold Hands but couldnt get a line to charge. I shot the Sworn Brothers with the Trappers, but then got charged by Jon and his Rangers and wiped out...

My force was being routed in short order with the high move Rangers and the Watch Captain and Sworn Brothers. The Jarl tried to help but was just throwing his Raiders into the grinder. The Sworn Brothers then actually activated!!!

And wiped out the Weeper!!!

END OF TURN 3

NIGHTS WATCH 6 VP's (3 units, 3 objectives)

FREEFOLK 3 VP's (3 objectives)

TURN 4

Cotter Pykes Rangers activated and charged the rear of the Mammoth...

And would eat well on the Wall for a week!!!

Craster took the Horses...

And brought on Spearwives with Endless horde...

The Jarl got wiped out easily enough as the Nights Watch consolidated on the right. I took the left objective but as it was a very poor consolation, I tried to charge Ghost and failed that...

END OF TURN 4 (& Game)

NIGHTS WATCH 11 VP's (4 units, 7 objectives)

FREEFOLK 4 VP's (3 objectives, 1 unit)

Well, that was a brutal. I didn't do Sam justice in not taking enough pictures but he really just ploughed through me, and I was shell shocked. I've played Jon with rangers before, but Cotter was a shock and Coldhands was far more resilient than I expected. I even failed to kill Ghost with Wildling Diplomacy. Sam played his force really ell as the results show, and I did enjoy it, but couldn't muster the defence I'd put up in the previous games.

So a great day's gaming, ultimately coming 6th (one place below Ste). As alwys, teh Dead Meta Gang were in good form and brilliant hosts, a real friendly bunch though there were missing playing due to prior commitments...

AWARDS

FIRST PLACE - MICKEY ARNOLD (MASARATH)

RUNNER UP - SAM SHAW (THE WOLF KING)

There were several other best in factions but I didn't get the pics (I pinched these from Lee Parkin, thanks Lee)

BEST STARKS - STEPHEN CONNOR (PSYCHOSTE)

BEST FREE FOLK (AFTER MICKEY) - ME

UK EVENTS

Saturday 24th September Hear Me Roar Battelfield Hobbies Link

London GT ELO event for fluffy, friendly players 71 signed up 30th September Link

The MEGA 124 player 2 day event UK London Grand Tournament 1st & 2nd Oct Link

Event I'm running, a  chilled wind down after London 16 Player 2 day event 22/23rd Oct at the RIBBLE RUMBLE, ELEMENT GAMES, STOCKPORT, UK LINK

Sunday 6th November, Castle Gamers Starter Box Tourney, Gilead Village Hall, Heol Spencer, Coity, Bridgend, UK LINK  8 player, 30pt starter box event 

Sunday 20th November Leodis Games Leeds No details as yet, but Leeds boys will post details here... Link