14 players turned up to play A Song of Ice and Fire at the Ribble Rumble, the Ribble Warriors annual multi-system event held at Element Games in Stockport, Manchester UK...
While I was concentrating on the ASOIF games as TO, the event also had Mortem Et Gloriam, 40k and Kings of War...
Sadly, I had 15 players, so dropped out to avoid a "bye" meaning no battle reports, but plenty of pictures of the event and fun had by the players. Really enjoyed watching the games with some epic battles, tense matchups and some classic moments of sheer spawniness (luck). Great camaraderie, plenty of give and take with forgetful moments, just what you need for the relative newcomers to events. Some tough builds, some really fluffy, and with all factions represented (And no Mance). Everyone got something for coming, and there was some really good sportsmanship on show the whole event, a real pleasure to oversee...
ROUND 1
A GAME OF THRONES
Adam "FizzWizz" Eltherington of Dead Meta Gaming playing
on Table 1 v Paul "Soup Dragon" Whitehead Game 1... Lannister v Lannister
Andy Robinson and Steve Harris table 2 with Targaryen's head-to-head
Steve Butler and his Greyjoys v Shane Ankers Baratheons
Kieran Scaddan v Tim Whitney. Have to mention it Tim, sorry! Tim turned up for an event and forgot his army, his beautiful Golden Company list. Which ruled him out of the lunchtime painting judging!!! Still, at least he got to play...
Johnny Bull and his Boltons playing James Richards Greyjoys, with Ste and his Stark playing Elliot Coulbeck's Night's Watch in background
Nathan Birbeck gets much Kudos for running a Mag list with a pair of Mammoths!!! Facing Ben Redmond's Greyjoys Game 1
The Nights Watch v "Golden Company"
More Night's Watch facing the Lannisters...
Targaryen Cavalry facing Targaryen Infantry!!!
On table 1, the Paul's Lannister Knight unit was proving effective against Adam's infantry...
And Paul's infantry joined in to outnumber Adam's...
The Cavalry had the upper hand v Tagaryen infantry
Steve Butler's lovely Greyjoy's on shoreleave...
As Adam's army collapsed, he made a mad 6+ charge on the Mountain and fell an inch short. Good to see such things on Top table!!!
Despite slaying Greyworm and two officers, the Swordmasters still chased Drogo away but couldnt stop Andy's cavalry list coming out on top...
Ben's Greyjoys were finding the Nathan's Mammoths to be a real handful...
ROUND 2
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
"James Kira" Richard's Greyjoy (yes, Dead Meta lads on top table two rounds in a row!!!) v Lord Robbo's Targs (Yes, Lord Robbo actually on the top table!!!)
Paul v Ste, Lannisters v Starks..
Adam's Lannister's going from top to bottom, facing Johnny's Boltons
OTHER SYSTEMS!!!
Kings of War
James Douglas had these things. Don't know what they are, but they look impressive...
More Kings of War...
And some more...
Don't know what these are either, but very nice...
Barry Joyner's Orc Landship!!! Watching Only Fools and Horses Jolly Boys Outing at the minute...
Mortem Et Gloriam
It's a 15mm based game, but the painting standards are hell of impressive. Sam, Pete and Ian from the Ribble Warriors really do some amazing work, but my camera is to shit to capture it I'm afraid...
Pete's game looked a bit one sided... (ok, so it's one side to set up fully first apparently)
High quality painting on 15mm figures
Amazing...
I can't paint this well at 28mm...
Warhammer 40K
Robert Sims here, working out tactics for how many dice he'll need I'm sure...
Ian Miller's Khorne Daemon horde looked really impressive. I did keep popping back to see it on the board for pics, but they kept popping up randomly cos that's their rules or something...
I know these are Eldar, but don't know the nice chap who had a display board for them...
Some more 4Ok tables
BACK TO THE A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE
I have a shaky hand every now and then!!! Johnny's Boltons and Adam's Lannister arent being subtle...
There is no truth to the rumour perpetrated by "Spykr" that I smear my lens for personal pleasure!!!
PsychoSte tries to gets his Starks to emulate his nickname!!!
While Adam and Johnny's lower table tactical prowess was simply to just get stuck in everywhere!!!
Steve and Tim were each refusing each others flanks and dancing around the centre (Except for the Riders of Highgarden who got a bit giddy and went galloping off on their own!!!)
And it could go either way!!!
Steve Butler's Greyjoy's were outnumbering Elliot's Nights Watch
While the Nathan's Beasts of the true North faced the Kieran's unsympathetic Nights Watch
Drogo's Bloodriders versus Reavers seems a bit one-sided
The Starks definitely got the upper hand early on v the Lannisters
And the Greyjoy's were ahead in a battle of attrition with the Watch
Adam's Lannisters looked to be in trouble v Johnny's Boltons...
While Tim and Steve were still avoiding combat (except for the ill-fated charge of the Highgarden Light Brigade)
While Drogo was eating hearts on the left, on the right, the lowly Greyjoy's fishermen were passing the first of three morale checks over there to frustrate the Screamers (on 10+ no less)
Nathan's MAG the MIGHTY was dropping crows all over the place!!!
Sadly, Kieran's Nights Watch were dropping Mammoths quicker than Nathan was!!!
James thought it would be a good idea to move Baelor Blacktyde over near Drogo!!!
And the Boltons 5 units v 2 remaining Lannister's seemed to tell it's own tale!!! Except it didn't and Adam got a good win 10-4 win by solid objective play!!!Johnny did score more unit points mind
Steve's and Tim's tango finally ended with a clash of sword and shields in the centre!!!
While Elliot's Watch were still clinging on...
The Starks just wouldn't die!!!
And Baelor got Drogo'd in the face!!! And the resurrected Reavers trapped the Screamers who the netters held up forever!!!
And despite the Netters successes, the Silenced Men couldn't pass the panic to allow What is Dead May Never die to save them... And the Netters died to a crown panic too!!!
Shane's Baratheon armour frustrated Ben's Greyjoys
The Watch was ending as the Greyjoy's superior numbers finally told with Steve taking the win...
Steve's Targaryen's were cutting into Tim's Tyrell's, taking the win...
ROUND 3
FIRE & BLOOD
Ste went berserk, charging through stakes to hit Shane's flanks on one of his tanks!!!
And on Table 1, Andy's Targaryens were struggling to break Kieran disciplined Night Watch ranks...
Just for you Alan, Ste's shiny head!!! His Umber charge had killed a unit of Shane's Champions of the Stag, but both were depleted and with one stuck on stakes in real peril...
Elliot rolled out his big crossbow to face the Bolton's dual Flayed Men
Ben's Greyjoys and Tim's Golden Company Baratheons set up for another attrition grind...
Steve Harris says a silent prayer after charging one unit of screamer in alone against the Addam's whole Lannister army!!!
Better view of the 3 Guardsmen unit "castle"
First picture of Nathan Birbick "birbz", the Master of Mag's Monster list. Paul Whitehead ran his cavalry list...
James and Steve had a Greyjoy head to head...
Love this picture!!! Andy's Targ's have lost a unit, Kieran's got plenty of men having healed up a lot and you can see Andy just can't get through Kieran's defences!!!
Ste is still ahead with his Starks but has 3 units on 3 men. And Shane is bringing up his fresher Wardens
And just 18 minutes later than the last picture of a frustrated and forlorn Andy, Drogo and his Blood Riders have carved through Keiran's lines... How??? Well, Jon Snow's effect for an all round 5+ morale check failed 3 times!! Yup, bad dice cost Kieran. The Rangers did skip off and finish Jorah, but the full strength Drogo unit ate the remaining conscripts before the screamer finished off Ghost!!! A massive 13-5 win for Andy. Don't even think he got his Hrakkars on either!!!
Shane was closing in on a win v Ste!!! He did openly admit he took this list specifically to face Ste if they met!!!
A close up. Baratheon's excel at attrition and Ste had bled so much into trying to get the champions of the stags done in
Honestly, Johnny is a Bull in a china shop!!! I gave up trying to figure out his plans after watching his last game, he just goes at anything and everything!!! I love it...
Greyjoy's v Greyjoy's always seems very slow to engage!!!
This was very central and an attritional grind with Ben and Tim
And Shane's only gone and done it!!! Allegedly the first Dead Meta Gamer to beat PsychoSte at an event. Ste is used to beating up on the weaker DNG guys like Alan, admittedly. And he has done it in style, with an 11-3 win
Paul's Lannister's eventually overcame the Monsters...
And Ben got his first win over Tim...
Elliot also scored a win from here, his Rangers finishing off all 3 units in a flurry of charges, maneuvers and shooting. Really good to watch, as I'm just starting off with Nights Watch. Johnny seemed to enjoy it, despite being on three defeats like Tim, whom he'll face in round 4.
This is the rangers, just about to surge forth and shoot the one wound Flayed Man in the flank. All ahead and damn the Stakes!!!
END OF DAY 1
Overnight standings
- Andy Robinson (Targaryens)
- Shane Ankers (Baratheons)
- James Richards (Greyjoys)
- Paul Whitehead (Lannisters)
- Steven Connor (Starks)
- Steve Harris (Targaryens)
- Kieran Scaddan (Nights Watch)
- Steve Butler (Greyjoys)
- Ben Redmond (Greyjoys)
- Adam Eltherington (Lannisters)
- Elliot Coulbeck (Nights Watch)
- Nathan Birbeck (Free Folk)
- Tim Whitney (Golden Company Neutral aka Baratheon today)
- Johnny Bull (Bolton Neutral)
DAY 2
ROUND 4
A FEAST FOR CROWS
Andy decided to run his Daenerys with Rhaegal and dual Swordmasters list to face Shane's Baratheon's heavy cavalry and Wardens. Shane was a wee bit worse for wear after a night on the town...
On table 2, Paul's Lannister cavalry list faced off against James's Greyjoy, James was A LOT the worse for wear, I honestly don't know how he made it through the game!!!
The Dead Meta boys love having a good craic!!! Or is crack???
Steve Harris faced off with his Targaryen's against Stephen Connors Starks on Table 3, with Steve Butler's Greyjoy facing Kieran's Night's watch
Adam's Lannister's v Ben's Greyjoy's on 5
Back at table 1, The Baratheon cavalry were facing the Sword Masters and Daenerys's Blackguard and dragon
Classical Manipular formation in A Song of Ice and Fire
As the others were still setting up, Shane was barreling straight in, seizing the left objective. But Andy took horses to move up and flank them with Daenerys for a minus 5 panic!!!
Paul's Lannister cavalry and James's Greyjoy infantry line up...
Elliott's Night Watch faced Mag the Mighty and the Monsters of the North on table 6
This looked set to be a real funfest!!!
Adam's Guardsmen were solidly deployed and concentrated, as Ben spread out to try and get around the flanks
And Johnny and Tim met on Table 7, with Tim's proper army finally making an appearance...
Shane had committed his cavalry and the Targaryens were concentrated to hit them on the right, as the two Wardens secured the left
With the dragon auto wounding and two units with Precision, added to the panic the Blackguard in the flank, the Baratheon cavalry would be hard pressed!!!
Tim was also concentrating his Golden company facing Johnny's aggressive Bolton force
It was a real tense game at Table 1, as Eldon sought to race his Wardens over to assist the beleaguered and outnumbered Champions of the Stag, as Andy through everything at them. Shane defended resolutely and his healing ability was very impressive
James's Greyjoys engaged with Paul's lines, or vice versa!!!
Steve was looking worried as the Targaryen cavalry was closing in on the right...
Kieran looks chilled, but Steve Butler's Greyjoy's had far more troops and his hard hitters were keeping the Watch at bay...
Adam was picking off Ben's Greyjoy's one at a time...
Nathan's big guys were playing coy with that Night's Watch scorpion. But the Nights were drawing in...
Two Flayed Men had died to failed panic checks from the crown as Johnny and Tim sought to get to grips.
Elliot checking up on something...
Kieran is surrounded by Steve's, and his men by Steve's Greyjoy's...
And killing Greyjoy's was also giving objectives for them to sit on...
Steve had lost one cavalry unit, but his Stark ranks had been thinned again...
Rhaegal finally finished off the first unit of Champions of the Stag, but they had hurt Daenery's Blackguard and a Swordmaster unit...
And having seen Mag the not-so-Mighty fall to one salvo off the Scorpion, Nathan and his Mammoth went berserk, a long charge one shotting the war machine, before overrunning into a unit of Sworn Brothers!!!
Shane failed a long-range flank charge, as Rhaegal went into the rear of the last Champions of the Stag, not quite finishing them off. They managed to take out the depleted Swordmasters before they succumbed to the weight of Targaryens...
And having sacrificed a unit to give up a corpse pile, James's Greyjoys were eeking ahead agaisnt eh cavalry...
Some close up of Tim's Golden Company...
And Johnny's Boltons...
And Elliot's Night Watch..
And Nathan's Mammoths. I love Mammoths!!!
Steve's Harris's Targaryen's
On table 1, with both cavalry units dead, Shane was chasing with one unit v three. Fair play to it, he went for it despite the circling Dragon!!!
Paul's Knights of Casterly Rock failed to finish off his Greyjoy target...
James may have had a skinful, but he was resisting the cavalry with his infantry quite well
Steve's Stark had thinned out the Targaryen cavalry but still had Drogo's Bloodriders to contend with...
Paul had amassed a good force to tackle the Netters out on their own...
Shane threw his Wardens into the Dragons Den, and made a real fist of fighting them, but Andy used his activation advantage to retreat and counter-attack, while healing where the Baratheon's had weakened...
Paul wisely withdrew, regrouped and rethought his options...
While the Flayed Men got the drop on the War Elephant, destroying it!!!
The Watch were depleted but closing in on their larger foes..
Ben's Greyjoy had managed to thin out a few Lannister's but had lost his commander...
Kieran was chasing this, and it was a close-run thing, but Steve secured a narrow, minor victory...
Steve's Starks also narrowly ran out ahead, securing a standard victory over Steve's Targaryen's...
Blurry hands again, as the Paul's Mountain charged into the Netters who double sixed the panic check.
While Eldon and his Wardens were still having a go...
Rhaegal finally secured Andy's victory over Shane on table 1
The Ironborn Netters impressively held against a Knights charge, as James points to his next target...
The Mammoth succumbed to the Watch...
Ben's Greyjoy's managed a good fight and had the upper hand at the end, but it happened too late to give them a victory as Adam secured a big win on objective scoring.
Paul's Lannister's lost a unit of Knights, but the Netters were about to die and he still had a viable force
The last giant is killed by the Watch...
And with the Netters dead, the freed-up cavalry crushed the Greyjoy infantry holding the right objective in picture, though they were still fighting
The Mountain secured an objective, and as the resurrected Greyjoy's appeared, Paul managed a 5+ retreat move to secure an objective and gain 10-7 win...
PAUL WHITEHEADS LANNISTER UNITS
POOR FELLOWS
The Mountain that Rides
KNIGHTS OF CASTERLY ROCK
GAME 5HONED AND READY
Computer matched unbeaten Andy v third placed Ste in a Wardens of the North-West match up. Andy had expected to play Paul, who was sitting second, but Ste had already faced Shane and lost so Andy had to face the guy he had never beaten...
Andy stuck with his Daenerys list and deployed heavily on one side
Steve had the activation edge and covered all options.
On table 2, Shane and Paul faced each other, with Paul opting not to run his cavalry list as he felt the Baratheon's had and edge on his (King Joffrey shall hear of this!!!) His allcomers list gave more options
Nathan's Night Watch faced off against James's Greyjoy's on table 3
Steve Butler Greyjoy's v Adam's Lannister's table 4
Steve Harris and his Targaryen's and Kieran's Watch on table 5
Ben's Greyjoy's and Johnny's Bolton's table 6
Nathan's Monsters v Tim's Golden Company Mercenaries table 7
Andy flew Rhaegal far right Shaggydog hunting? Ste swung to face with Roose and his Bastard girls as the two Stark Sworn swords faced up to the two Swordmasters and the Blackguard...
The Lannister's and Baratheon's only just lining up.
Elliot being hypnotized by James sopophoric musk. Again, still setting up
Looks fairly balanced set up for Adam and Steve
And Kieran and Steve square up...
Johnny going for a swinging left cavalry hook on Ben's Greyjoy's
Blurry but an Elephant off down on table 7
An early cavalry charge from Johnny's Flayed men has Ben searching for a card...
Kieran and Ste about to start...
Adam seems the more aggressive, but more likely Steve has a cunning plan...
The Watch and Greyjoy's close in on one flank...
On Table 1, Shaggydog is killed by shots from the wall and Rhaegal survives the Bastard girls firing and charge with one round remaining!!!
PRIZES
Everyone gets something for showing up, be it a Hedge Knight or a Mercenary Elephant. The starter set was for the Most Sporting Winner, with 1st place getting some Golden Company Crossbows as well as the 1st place shield
I don't know, you turn your back for one minute!!! Rhaegal has healed up and halved the Bastard girls number, the Swordmasters held two charges by the Sworn swords and the centre holding Swordmasters from previous turn flanks one of the Sworn swords. The Blackguard had taken wounds from the wall...
Paul has forgotten some things, and is kicking himself but I don't know what, I just know he is on the backfoot here...
Nathan and Tim are having monstrous fun...
Andy has edged ahead, and Ste has disengaged with the Bastard girls to help his beleaguered Sworn Sword unit, having already lost one...
Paul still seems fairly well in it here, not sure what I missed...
The Golden Company have the upper hand.
Having killed the Mammoth twins...
Steve killed off the reduced Swordmasters with shooting, then tried charging the other unit (he shouldn't have as have to charge unit you shot, but that's with hindsight). Ste failed it anyway. It was getting tense, but Ste was chasing it. Andy had been here before with Shane last round.
The Baratheons were still looking strong, but so were the Lannisters
The Greyjoy's were looking solid as the NW were strung out
And the Flayed Men were fully engaged as the infantry chased after them
Two units against one in the center, but one of the Greyjoy's had sneaked through and were threatening the Lannister crossbows in the rear of the lines...
Steve always appears so chilled, even as Kieran is on his feet...
Rhaegal smacked into the rear of the Cutthroats, dropping them to single rank. Having recovered his charging volley order from Rodrik NCU, the bastard girls had hit the rear of the Sword masters. With3 men left, the Sworn Swords hit them. Or rather didn't, as Steve failed all 5 hits due to a weakened token.
Andy then played a card on the Blackguard to allow re-roll charges and went for a 5+ charge. He didn't need the re-roll, and smacking into the Sworn Swords flank, they wiped them out and surged onto the objective. The game, and victory was secured with that risky, but successful move.
Steve was looking to try and narrow the defeat but had limited options...
Shane closed in with his Baratheon's on the Paul's Lannister's
Suffering on the left, the Greyjoy's were being successful on the right and centre
Ben was struggling to contain the Boltons
Tim is killing monsters for fun...
The Baratheon's levelled the Mountain as Paul rolled 3 wound when charged...
Mag was still swinging his tree, but the Golden Company were well ahead on objectives.
Johnny is calm as Ben is still looking for the magic card to halt the Boltons
Adam and Steve were still toing and froing
James was securing the objectives with his more numerous forces
Shane's Wardens close up
Paul's Lannister Guardsmen
The Bastard Girls are gone, and the Cutthroats are all that are left. But Ste was still fighting
Nathan's dead pile, only Mag left for him on table 7
Retreating away saved Ste from being tabled, and the game ended on Table 1. Andy was unbeaten!!!
Kieran won over Steve's Targaryens
Johnny managed his first win, over Ben
Wrong finger Adam, as Steve wins by 2 Victory points.
James secures a big win over Nathan
END OF EVENT
In last place, Johnny Bull collects with his Samwell Tarly "Not much use in a fight" award.
Playing while pished seem to work for James, he came in a very respectable 3rd place
Shane won four of five and came second. Dead Meta Gaming lads second and third, great to see!!!
Five wins from five, Andy Robinson was well chuffed. Deserved, got the luck at times but played the right armies against the right opponents and played every game very well. Well done Andy!!!
Clear winner for Most Sporting was Nathan with his Mag the Mighty list. Everyone who played got nominated in this event (as put their top two opponents in), which was great to see.
And Paul Whitehead, just missing out on the top three, won Best Painted Army with his Lannister. Special mention to Johnny Bull, Elliot Colbeck and Steve Butler who ran him close for this.
Final standings
- Andy Robinson (Targaryens)
- Shane Ankers (Baratheons)
- James Richards (Greyjoys)
- Paul Whitehead (Lannisters) - BEST PAINTED
- Steve Butler (Greyjoys)
- Steven Connor (Starks)
- Kieran Scaddan (Nights Watch)
- Adam Eltherington (Lannisters)
- Elliot Coulbeck (Nights Watch)
- Tim Whitney (Golden Company Neutral)
- Steve Harris (Targaryens)
- Ben Redmond (Greyjoys)
- Nathan Birbeck (Mag the Mighty Monsters) - MOST SPORTING
- Johnny Bull (Bolton Neutral) - SAMWELL TARLY AWARD (Not much use in a fight)
I had a blast, was good to talk to all the players whilst wandering, more so than if I'd played, so that was a real plus. They made it really easy for me to run and hope to see some of the newer players at more events, as well as the regulars. Worth also mentioning Steve Butler and his recruitment drive, as had about four or five guys looking to buy into this game as they really liked the look of it (as well they should)
FUTURE EVENTS
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
March 24th ELO event, Common Ground Games, Stirling, ELO event
March 25th and 26th 2023, Scottish GT, Common Ground Games, Stirling
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