BrianMcG: October 2023

So after a few weeks off from A Song of Ice and Fire following the London Grand Tournament, Colin "Kolco" Deane and I faced off at JUSTPLAY in Liverpool.

Colin and I tend to have close games, and having nformed our group of the 2 units of Starfall knights, 2 Spearmen units and Outrider unit, I lulled Colin into thinking he'd face that list with 2 NCU's. Instead, I thought I'd try out the "new" Golden Company I painted 2022, in my Martell list below.

The random scenario was A Dance With Dragons

Golden Company Swordsmen with Harmen Uller - Lord of Hellholt (C) Martell Spearmen Martell Spearmen with Spearmen Captain Starfall Knights with Fortune Seeker NCU's

Oberyn Martell, Doran Martell, Tyene Sand

My army, complete with one of Carl Black's dice tray and 2" tray position marker.

(He makes them to order, happy to pass on contact details but easy to find on

A Song of Ice and Fire Facebook pages...)

Colin went with 2 NCU's led by Denys Mallister as below, admittedly expecting to face a lot of cavalry...

Shadow Tower Spearmen with Ser Denys Mallister - Shadow Tower Commander) Ranger Vanguards with Watch Marshal Builder Scorpion Crew with Scorpion Modifications - Builder Coldhands - Mysterious Ally Stormcrow Mercenaries with Senior Builder NCU's Donal Noye & Qhorin Halfhand

SET UP & DEPLOYMENT

Terrain: Two woods from me, and two bogs from Colin

NIGHT's WATCH: Coldhands, Shadow Tower Spears, Scorpion, Stormcrows. Vanguards off board (I thought they were the bow guys!!!)

MARTELLS: Spearmen, Spearmen with Captain, Golden Company and Starfall Knights.

My newly painted tactics board in House Martell sandstone, courtesy of Chris Baker who makes them and sells them on Ebay, along with other cool stuff like Bolton Banners, Targaryen signposts etc...

CUSTOM BASES

Colin opted to go second, to doubtless deny Doran a VP in turn 4. But brought on his Vanguard Rangers before at start of round 1.

Didn't get a cheesy thumbs up from Colin, instead he went for the laid back cool kid on the block look...

I took the Letters, Colin took the swords and scored a pair of sixes to drop a Starfall Knight. I passed the panic check, then took the bags to heal up the Knights. As I moved up on the left, Colin had already taken the left objective

The Spearmen were going to be last to activate, although Coldhands had moved off horses with Quorin influencing for movement 7

Board at End of Turn 1

I had swung the Knights around as wanted to keep out of Scorpions range and go for a left hook and marched the left Spearmen to an inch of the Ranger Cavalry. I'd cede the right objective to the Stormcrows to get combat unit superiority on the left and centre, as well as dominate the tactics board.

Tactics Board End of Turn 1

Donal on Horses, Quorin on Swords, Tyene on Crown, Doran on Bags, Oberyn on Letters

TURN 2

Start of round I played The Strangler and opted for the Water Gardens. If Colin wanted to deny me the token, he'd lose an NCU. He decided to use Quorin on the Water Gardens, so Quorin was going to die next turn!!! So I activated the left Spearmen and charged the Vanguards lurking in the Woods with the objective.

Coldhands "Raven Flock" allowed me to score four hits on five plus...

Alas, they managed to survive easily enough and swift retreat away (a roll of 1 on the retreat dice helped me) with the token. Colin opted to have Donal take letters for two cards and weaken the Golden Company, leaving Doran free to take his objective zone

Coldhands declared a charge on the Golden Company to pin them in place, so I played Superior Positioning as I was hoping to make Coldhands vulnerable.

Colin needed to play a card for his attack, so expended a token off my Golden Company to cancel Superior Positioning.

Which meant he couldn't cancel Set for Charge!!! Huzzah!!!

I opted to use my "attack" order for 10 dice with precision and sundering on 3+...

Two auto wounds and five hits, meaning Coldhands needed 4 saves of 4+

And Colin rolled exactly that!!! Gutted!!!

The attacks from Coldhands finally went in and he scored five wounds.

I failed the Panic too, but didn't suffer any further wounds due to Iron Resolve

I had Oberyn take the bags and influence and heal the Golden Company

The Scorpion fired next, and Colin rolled three 2's...

I took the swords with Tyene, attacking Coldhands again and the Precision did for his last wound

And allowing me to surge forth onto the centre objective but triggering the Scorpions "Overwatch"

I lost two men, but crucially passed the panic to retain the objective

I had pushed the other spearmen up towards the Vanguards, but Colin declined the charges there. I then sped up with my Starfall Knights ready to hit the cavalry or Spearmen next turn when I had first activation

Colin then charged them, to my surprise, with the Shadow Tower Spearmen

I played Dune tactics, dropping Colin Spearmen to lowest attack, also making them vulnerable and panicked as I had the Crown. I still lost three men to the attack.

But I passed the morale and healed a wound thanks to the Fortune Seekers "Dauntless"

I then activated my Golden Company to charge the flank of the Spearmen!!! Colin had wrongly thought I'd already activated, due to my Set for charge attack and swords attack... Ten more attacks with Precision and Sundering in the flank of a Vulnerable unit...

Unsurprisingly, Colin used a Donal token to prevent using the vulnerable, reroll saves and given the bog denying me re-rolls, only suffered three wounds. He passed his panic, and I used Spiteful Truce to heal two wounds on the Golden Company

END OF TURN 2

NIGHTS WATCH 2 VP's (2 objectives)

MARTELL'S 2 VP's (1 unit, 1objective)

TURN 3

Start of Round: Coldhands re-appeared

and Quorin sacrificed himself for the cause to paralyse the Golden Company...

I had Obeyrn take the swords and the Starfall knighs killed a few spearmen

The Spearmen attacked my Knights back, dropping them to seven wounds, so I took the Horses and retreated them away ready to charge back in

Colin had seen the danger, and went for a 4+ charge with his Vanguards to stymie my cunning plan, cutting me down to three wounds

And I woefully failed the panic check. Colin was well chuffed given how well I rolled in our last game...

It also allowed the Vanguard to laugh at my sluggardly Spearmen

I took the Letters, weakening Coldhands and adding a few cards...

Aw, that's just cruel. If only I had this for that failed panic check!!!

Next up, Colin activated and fired the Scorpion into the Golden Company again

And these bloody soft, Southern dice did me again. My Freefolk Raider roll far better

Still, Colin passed his panic check so I played Spiteful truth to heal again. But I'd dropped the token onto the Spearmen as I'd failed. And right about now you are wondering why I didn't play Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken? Well, I simply totally forgot despite taking a picture to evidence what a dimwit I am. And I even have to write it up in this battle report!!! Yeah, literally the activation before I picked it up and.... AAARRRGHHH!!!!!

Well I was in a pretty pickle now, so went for a 4+ charge into the vanguards. I had shifted up twice in the round with the Spearmen's orders. I made it, and although Colin passed all his saves etc, I had more ranks so took the objective, although it allowed a swift retreat and freed up the Ranger Cavalry...

BOARD END OF TURN 3

The Stormcrows sat about and Coldhands failed a 4+ charge

Tactics Board at End of Turn 3

NIGHTS WATCH 5 VP's (1 unit, 4 objectives)

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

TURN 4

Colin had Donal take the swords and fire the Scorpion, dropping three Golden Company

And I failed another panic but didn't play the card intentionally as didn't suffer a wound as I had Iron resolve

Oberyn took the Bags to heal the Golden Company, and forgot to Influence a unit with him...

I shifted the Spearmen to the right, heading toward the Shadow Tower unit

I had taken the defensive option for my Golden Company, but Coldhands in your rear isn't a nice thing regardless...

I lost 4 men, but took my revenge as my Spearmen struck home with sundering and re-rolls

Woo hoo, six hits!!! Colin lost a rank, I took the objective...

The Spearmen attacked my Golden Company and cut them down to 3 men but I passed the morale check. I then took the Horses and retreated them away

Before activating and healing two wounds with reinforcements as I controlled the crowns, and charging Coldhands.

Alas, one wound.

Colin then had the Vanguards sweep around into a dangerous flanking position.

BOARD END OF TURN 4 (bar Stormcrows on the right)

TACTICS BOARD END OF TURN 4

NIGHTS WATCH 7 VP's (1 unit, 6 objectives)

HOSUE MARTELL 5 VP's (1 unit, 3 objectives, 1 Doran)

TURN 5

The Vanguards activated, opting to flank the Spearmen with the objective and loading them with tokens...

I lost six on the charge and failed the panic, the unit thus being wiped out

( I had used THAT card earlier on my Golden Company)

I took the Swords and attacked Coldhands. He survived on one wound, so Donal took bags and healed them.

I activated, healed a wound and then attacked Coldhands. He survived with one wound!!!

The Scorpion targeted my Spearmen with the objective

Close, but I passed!!!

I then panicked the Shadow Tower Spearmen, who had a -2 as THAT card was allocate to them and they dropped the objective (and three men). I would make it to turn 6 as I would take the Horses and retreat onto it. Except Colin went next, and activated Coldhands who retreated with Eye of the Crow and took the objective...

END OF TURN 5 (and GAME)

NIGHTS WATCH 10 VP's (2 units, 8 objectives)

MARTELLS 7 VP's (1 unit, 4 objectives, 2 Doran)

Well, my mistakes are documented above but that didn't detract from a great game. I'll need to get used to Martells trickery, and orders, and cards. Especially the cards!!! Colin played his Watch well as usual, and it was close, at times, and nice to have tactics board superiority. I think I should have went after that Scorpion, because it was a real pain and ignoring the objectives was sound had I managed to secure both the others. Chasing those Vanguards was fun but futile. Still, Colin was happy!!!