So I sneaked in a Sunday game as not been able to get many Thursday's in over the Summer weeks down at Justplay what with holiday and weekends away. Greg (Greggers) is only 5 minutes away, so it was last minute and with the London Grand Tournament less than a month away, it was time to get some practice with my Free Folk again as been using newly released and painted units of late (Greyjoys, FreeFolk and Neutrals) and they aren't competitive or Meta builds. My Mance lists are harder as they are led by Mance, but also have dual spearwives and a Mammoth in one so aren't the worst builds...
• 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
Greg was also getting to try out one of his LGT builds...
• Lannister Halberdiers Tyrion Lannister - Halfman ( C ) • Knights of Casterly Rock • Lannister Crossbowmen • Poor Fellows • Gregor Clegane - The Mountain That Rides Non Combat Units • Pycelle, Petyr Baelish, Roose Bolton
Greg looking serious as he shuffles his deck. I won dice and chose side with +1 tactic objective on left
and heal wounds on right...
I placed two Weir Wood trees centrally, while Greg put stakes on my left and corpse pile right.
Top to bottom(or left to right from my side?)
FREEFOLK: Weeper Raiders, Searwives, Mance Trappers at back, Mammoth, Speawives, Raid Leader Raiders right. Jarl's Raider held off board.
LANNISTERS: Crossbowmen, Mountain, Halberdiers with Tyrion, Knights of Casterly Rock, Poor Fellows.
TURN 1
Greg opted to go first and took the horses with Baelish and used the letters. I had Craster take the letters and then after a few units moved up (crossbows, trappers), Pycelle took bags and I moved the Mammoth with Val swapping out swords (but mistakenly put an activation banner on it, sorry)
The filled out tactics board, complete when Roose panicked my right side raiders
Who duly passed in style...
With me going first next turn, I sent the Mammoth up ready to crump the Mountain.
BOARD AT END OF TURN 1
TURN 2
I charged the Mountain and did a single wound!!! He retaliated in kind, doing 3 wound but I used Crasters once per game to heal it. I charged the Crossbowmen through the stakes, having moved up with Diversion Tactics.
The Crossbows retreated out of melee, while Mance moved up centrally to support morale. The Mountain lost another wound to the swords attack from the Mammoth...
Tactics board is full...
Tyrion and his Halberdier unit flanked the Mammoth and killed it. It fell on the Mountain and did one wound!!!
The had moved up but I decided not to control the objective for some unknown reason, positioning themselves to stop the Lannisters from by simply touching it. The Spearwives then held after being charged by the Knights of Casterly Rock. But they passed their panic, getting rid of the bribery they'd been enticed with in Turn 1...
BOARD END OF TURN 2
Losing the Mammoth fairly cheaply wasn't good, and with Greg going first I was worried I'd lose the Centre. (though I healed 2 Spearwives from the right objective)
Tactics Board end of Turn 2
LANNISTERS 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective)
FREE FOLK 2 VP's (2 objectives)
TURN 3
Greg opted to activate Baelish and I played Wildling diplomacy. With the Mountain on reduced Wounds, Greg opted not to select a zone. For my first turn, at start of my turn, I used Regroup and reform to add 4 spearwives from the wives on the left.
Then I had Val take the Horses...
For Endless Horde, with a Raider unit coming on my right to free up the Raid Leaders unit from sitting on the objective.
Sadly, the Raid Leader's unit failed a 4+ charge into the Knights flank which would have been nice
Greg had been busy on tactics board and I activated my centre spearwives and repositioned off the objective as Knights didn't control it anyway.
Hmmm, one hit, which Greg weakened. I managed to hit though, and cause a wound.
I also passed the Lannister Supremacy panic check!!!
Meanwhile, have shot the Weepers Raiders up a bit from Pycelle on the swords, the Crossbows charged into the Raiders but didn't kill them, though they managed to get the objective back and leave the Weeper alone. The Mountain charged into Mance, killing two Trappers who then activated and retreated, where they pivoted and denied Tyrion's Halberdiers a flank charge into the engaged Spearwives. A lot going on... But the Spearwives flew off they're objective and attacked the Mountain!!!
Scoring 5 hits, Greg need 3 passes...
Didn't even need the Vulnerable token!!! And they retreated back onto the left objective!!!
The Knights got a free retreat as the Poor Fellows gave up their activation for Cunning Ploy. They then charged the Raid Leader raiders. But they had three men left at the end of the melee!!!
And lost them as the unit activated due to the stakes...
The Halberdiers then charged the spearwives taking the central objective but Mance's proximity kept them on 2 ranks...
END OF TURN 3
HOUSE LANNISTER 5 VP's (1unit, 4 objectives)
FREE FOLK 5 VP's (1 unit, 4 objectives)
TURN 4
I had Lady Val take the Horses and bring on the Jarl's Raider behind the Crossbowmen. Greg shifted over 50% with his Crossbows off the swords, wiping the Weeper out and surging forth further away, but Diversion tactics allowed me to close up...
I then charged in, scoring 5 hits...
But the last rank held steady. passing their panic check despite losing 4 men...
The poor dice rolls on the crossbowmen's armour carried over into my next activation, when I used Co-ordinated tactics on Mance and his Trappers to attack shoot Tyrions 10 Lannisters (so I could charge in with co-ordinated volley). Scoring 2 hits, Greg failed both saves and for the panic I played There's Too Many...
which killed another 5 when Greg badly failed...
I duly charged in, scoring two hits, both of which Greg failed to find the 4+'s for...
And then Greg failed his 5+ check!!!
Very harsh as dice simply let him down, allowing Mance and the Trappers to secure the centre objective and setting up the Spearwives for a flank charge on the Knights...
Greg had other ideas, using the second Cunning ploy to retreat the Knights out of melee with the Raid Leader. However, the valiant Raiders charged in after them on a 4+!!!
The even passed their Lannister Supremacy test again...
However, the Knights finished them off in melee. I brought up my Spearwives centrally to threaten the Knights for next turn (or draw them off Mance)
Greg then retreated the crossbows out of melee v the Jarl's Raiders...
END OF TURN 4
LANNISTERS 6 VP's (1 unit, 5 objectives)
FREE FOLK 9 VP's (2 units, 7 objectives)
BOARD AT END OF TURN 4
Greg had made it clear he wanted Mance's head on a spike, so at Start of Turn I threw a spanner in...
I targeted Baelish and the Knights of Casterly Rock...
So Greg charged the Poor Fellows in, who reduced the Spearwives to three ladies... Craster healed them up swapping out the swords but used False Agenda to shift to letters. Greg took the swords, and lashed out again, dropping me to 3 Spearwives and needing a 6 to pass my morale. I just avoided losing them!!!
I then easily passed the re-roll though...
Before I took the Horses for a left side Raiders unit via Endless Horde, which would allow me both left side objectives...
The Knights charged into Mance and his Trappers, killing half the unit.
But I had room to retreat and still hold the centre, leaving the board at close of play as below, with my left units sweeping onto both objectives...
BOARD AT END OF GAME
END OF TURN 5
FINAL SCORE
FREE FOLK 13 VP's (2 Units, 11 objectives)
LANNISTERS 6 VP's (1 unit, 5 objectives)
Wow, this was a lot closer than the score reflects!!! Turn 4 and 10 Halberdiers dying to Trappers was against the odds but the card's landed right for me. We took our time as we were talking through things, so we both definitely learned a lot and both made mistakes.
My Mammoth died needlessly, but Greg had used Mountain to block my route to crossbows and the Mountain died unexpectedly, as was just out of a charging volley assault, so had to make do without the shooting. But there were also lots of nice blocks and retreats that we both did that frustrated both of our plans, so it was a really good game. Greg's Knights were just unable to punch through my line, mostly due to Mance, and the Halberdiers just didn't get enough attacking time. Also, the Weeper hanging on for a turn held off the crossbowmen, who made as many retreats as they did shooting.
Good to find a win with Mance again, been on a 8 Stat recorded losing streak of late and last first practice was harsh against PsychoSte (Crushing Defeat, but had 9 VP's to his 5VP's. So much bad dice, 8 Starks hits on 8 wound Mammoth, and I failed all 8 4+ saves. 2+ charge failed, 2 x 3+ charges failed). Still, no battle report to remind me of that one!!! So Redcar next Sunday for more practice and still tickets I believe at link below...
EVENTS IN UK
Sunday 11th September, Gaming Figures, Redcar 20 Players, 4 games event LINK
Saturday 24th September Hear Me Roar Battelfield Hobbies Link
London GT ELO event for fluffy, friendly players 30th September Link
The MEGA 128 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
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