Night's Watch v Free Folk: Benjen Stark hunts the Lord of Bones

 Not liking to post reports with unpainted miniatures (and being very busy), I didn't do reports on my first 3 outings in the Wardens Winter League. I've been using Night's Watch (against Colin, Ste and Ray who all took top tier commanders and kicked my ass)

I felt facing Free Folk I should take the First Ranger, so my list was as follows:

• Builder Crossbowmen with Benjen Stark - First Ranger (C)

• Conscripts

• Ranger Hunters with Pypar - Monkey

• Veterans of the Watch

NCU's

• Aemon, Othell Yarwyck & Bowen Marsh

Aden (spykr) has embarked on a new Free Folk army so he had free range to use my forces

and went for a bit of a Hodge podge force as he is still getting the hang of the horde.

• Spearwives with Rattleshirt - The Lord of Bones (C) • Varamyr Sixskins - Master Skinchanger • Shadowcat • Wolf Pack • Thenn Warriors with Spearwife Matriarch • Free Folk Trappers with Raid Leader • Frozen Shore Chariots • Free Folk Raiders with Raid Leader NCU's • Jon Snow & Lady Val

SET UP

Terrain: We rolled random and ended up with a palisade far left wall myside near centre and Weir wood my side between centre and left

Aden set up the FREE FOLK left to right with the Wolfpack, Chariot, Spearwives with Rattleshirt, Varamyr, Raiders with leader, Trappers with Raid Leader and Thenns with Spearwife matriarch

I already had a plan for this mission. Crossbowmen would take the right side and hold it, while the Veterans could absorb everything in the centre. The Rangers would sit betweeen and support while the conscript healed up from behind. With an NCU advantage and Othell plinking from the wall, i thought it sounded good.

TURN 1

I wanted to go first in turn 2 so let Aden go first. Jon Snow seized the horses and played Endless Horde, bringing them on my far left to take the objective and free up his chariot

I took the Letters, making teh wolpack vulnerable and while Aden moved up a unit I took Othell on the bags to give sundering to his shots. And then decided to shoot the Trappers rather than the Wolfpack, as intended to panic them from crown afterwards.

And I managed 3 hits and Aden managed a pair of sixes, taking one wound. Still, lost two more to a failed panic.

I had considerably fewer activations, but my crossbows made it to the right objective.

Aden then swarmed forward, bringing the Thenns into taunt range of the crossbows, with Varamyr taking the centre, and with the wall, I'd struggle to take it from a 2+ armour saving bear rider on the charge!!And the chariot and wolf would flank me...

TURN 2

Start of Round: Shadowcat came on and Jon Snow's once per game was used to get Regroup and Reform

I took the swords with Bowen and shot up the Trappers with re-rolls from Benjen's Hunter's Insight. 

Aden used Regroup and reform to heal them up to five again... Hmmm!!! 

Then had Jon Snow take the horses and Endless Horde me again!!! They came on behind the Trappers

Othell took the bags and fired 4 shots at the Shadowcat but only got two hits and again, Aden saved one with a 5+... Gutted!!!

Still, Aden activated the trappers to move them out of the way and Benjen's Lying in Wait card as played. 6 shots from the crossbows at them!!!

And 2 hits!!! 

The two remaining Trappers hid behind the Thenns

I charged over the wall with the veterans and used the Sword in the Darkness to make Varamyr vulnerable and panicked. 3 wounds were caused but he was left on a wound and would be a nasty foe. Fortunately, Aden moved the chariot around with Val on the tactics board rather than attacking, allowing my Rangers to activate next and pop their order to shoot Varamyr down and give the Veterans the objective.

Woo Hoo...

The Wolfpack hit my Veterans flank, negating their abilities. My conscripts moved to protect the veterans rear from a chariot attack. Certainly, felt the Wildlings were surrounding me!!!

Rattleshirt and the spearwives chucked spear and charged in but my armour was solid. Despite the vulnerable token, as I lost one man.

And kept the objective

Holding fast, my army was well outnumbered...

As Aden Activated his FreeFolk Raiders with Raid leader to charge my Rangers, I played a second lying in Wait card

But only managed to kill three Raiders. Still from his two actual hits, I saved them both

Prior to my last activation, I played Hunters Insight on the Thenns, which negated their ability to use orders for the turn. Very nice, as I didn't have to potentially charge them!!!  Instead I shot them, but lost 3 men to the Trappers traps...

Aden then had the Shadowcat charge them in the rear

Dropping a single builder...

So the Thenns then charged in

Aden's face says it all

Five attacks with re-rolls on 4's and he got 1 hit. I failed the save but I still had two ranks and held the objective...

Sadly, the chariot managed to kill 4 veterans and steal their objective...

End of Turn 2

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

NIGHT'S WATCH (1 unit, 1 objective)

TURN 3

Aden activated first, and surprised me by activating the Thenns. Hold the Line Order was used, which allowed the Thenns to finish off the Crossbowmen and take the objective. Well played...

This allowed me to use "And now his Watch is ended" to get a free attack from the veterans to kill the Wolfpack that was denying me my abilities!!! I then took the swords with Bowen Marsh and cut down a the Spearwives by two. Poor

Having had retreated my Rangers with Pypar last round, the veterans had their flank exposed and the Raiders charged in with the Raid Leader

Aden managed all 7 hits, so no counterstrike!!! And dropped 3 Veterans

However, before the Veterans activated I used the Conscripts heal, after Aemon had taken a zone so was fully healed up. But I managed to kill 2 Spearwives.

Aden's saves, not even needing the armour trophies to kick in. Two wounds from Veterans...

I charged in the Ranger Hunters, hoping to break through the Raiders and surge forth to finish the Trappers (who had used Traps again to kill 3 rangers)

The results were very disappointing, with the Raiders saving another 4. So I retreated back and killed the Shadowcat

And used take the Black to heal the Rangers up...

Aden retreated the chariot away with Jon on bags but didn't activate it, leaving it just in charge range of the Conscripts

I managed the 5+ charge, causing 4 wounds and claiming the objective

Having activated out, the Rangers were flanked by the vanilla Raiders before Val moved the chariot to get a rear charge into Pypar and his Rangers which would have done for them but for The Shield of the realm of Men blocking one hit...

Pypar, alone, retreated after being attacked.

BOARD END OF TURN 3

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

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

TURN 4

I used the objective I controlled to shift Pypar over, then used the Conscripts Supply Aid to heal up 4 rangers before charging the chariot and destroying it, surging forth away from the Raiders and Thenns on the right. 

Taking the swords with Jon to attack the veterans with his Raid Leader Raiders allowed my Conscripts to pivot and shift from The Watcher on the Wall, which would help me with my cunning plan as I had Othell with bags sundering wipe out Rattleshirt. Sorry, that was the plan, but Othell fluffed it and the Lord o Bones only took a wound. Aden then had Jon take the crown and panic the conscripts, who lost 4 men and dropped the token. But I then took horses to heal the conscripts for 3 with Aemon and move up, reclaim the objective and be poised to flank the Lord of bones. I could then threaten left objective sitter with my Veterans. Again, solid plan.

Except Aden had his own, bolder plan. The Spearwives activated, killed a conscript with a spear having shifted back to get in arc but I passed the morale check

Before the spearwives charged home and wiped the conscripts out... Damn. Great play there, Aden. 

I attacked with Veterans and then used Hit and Run to move away and threaten spearwives and raider objective holders next turn. But having freed up the Raid leaders Raiders, Aden made the charge into my Rangers flank

With 5 attacks on fours, if my ranger held they could retreat away to give double jeopardy to Aden's units on my left...

But with Weapon trophies on them, the were hitting on 3+'s and used Overwhelming Assault to take critical blow... And Aden hit with all 5 attacks, including rolling 3 sixes!!! 8 attacks in total v 5 rangers saving on sixes!!! Definitely last time Adne borrows my lucky dice and lucky dice tray!!!

END OF TURN 4 (and Game)

FREEFOLK 10 VP's (3 units, 7 objectives)

NIGHT'S WATCH 4 VP's (2 units, 2 objectives)

Board at end of game

Well, that was a great game and was closer than result suggests, and fair play to Aden, with his second run out with Free Folk in the league (and think ever) he absolutely smashed me off the table, with some ballsy moves and excellent dice. There is no doubt he had some amazingly lucky rolls and for me, Othell off the Wall was awful, and I was stupid at start to let Aden get to Endless hordes off in Turn 2. My Veterans were immense, but yeah, my inability to finish off the Trappers, and Spearwives, meant Aden could plink a few men with traps and yeah, just played really well. 

Now sitting on 3 defeats in the league, and 1 draw. Greg and his Greyjoys are up next if he ever gets a list in...

Aden looking less excited after a resounding win than before it!!!