BrianMcG: November 2024

Half a dozen Wardens of the North-West met down at JUSTPLAY in Liverpool (been a while since we've had such a gathering), with the two newest Wardens showing up in Matt and Barry to face Greg and myself respectively, while the serious heavyweights of Ray and Colin duked it out on the middle table...

Left to right, the Wardens very own Halloween Lannister themed impersonators.

Tyrion (Ray), Tommen (Greg), Ser Gregor (Matt, works out), Grandmaester Pycelle (Colin)

Barry was joining us for the first time at Justplay, running Baratheon's and previously only having played a few games against Ray's Boltons.

Barry ran a compact Stannis list, as below:

Stannis Baratheon (C) in Kings Men

Ser Davos in Lightbringers

Baratheon Wardens

Champions of the Stag

NCU's

Alester Florent and Shyra Errol

(Not having did this through ASOIF-Stats, it's only now dawning on me as I do the list on Stats that Barry played with 35pts as forgot to put his Sentinels on the table).

Silly Sausage, as Mr Ray would say!!!

My Greyjoys were same as last outing, a Drowned God themed list

House Harlaw Reapers with Theon Greyjoy - "Prince" of Winterfell (C)

Ironborn Bowmen

Ironborn Reavers with Drowned Prophet

Stony Shore Pillagers with Drowned Prophet

Drowned Men

Drowned Men NCU's (The Drowned Priests)

Aeron Greyjoy & Beron Blacktyde

===============================

RANDOM TERRAIN & DEPLOYMENT

TERRAIN: WEIRWOOD, WALL, WEIRWOOD, WALL, HEDGE

BARATHEONS: Lightbringers, Wardens, Kings Men with Stannis, Champions of Stag

GREYJOYS: Reapers with Theon, Reavers, Stony Shore Pillagers, Bowmen with Drowned Men to rear for support

Opening Hand of Tactics Cards

TURN 1

Barry made me go first, so I panicked the Lightbringers and drew two cards with Aeron influencing my archers

This doubled me up on Fingerdance and Opportunist

Barry moved Light Bringers up, I moved Bowmen up off horses, my Bowmen were panicked by Alester on crowns for two wounds but I moved up a Drowned Men unit and healed them

Barry had his two toughest units facing me, but his Lightbringers were on left so I kept out of range. I planned to grab centre and hold the two right objectives, as I outnumbered the Baratheons and if they took both left objectives, the fight in middle would be in my favour

Tactics Board at End of Turn 1

I'd got both Finger Dance cards out onto the Reavers and Stony Shore Pillagers

TURN 2

Barry opted for Horses to move his Lightbringers forwards towards the objective on my left side, so I had Blind Beron take letters for two cards and weaken the Champions of the Stag

We Do Not Sow and the iron price were drawn

The Lighbringers were still out of range,,,

Apologies for not removing my activation banners from Turn 1. No units have yet activated, as our forces circled and jockeyed for position.

I brought up the right Drowned Men and claimed the near right objective, with my Bowmen taking the far right. My Pillagers I moved up to tempt the Champions of Stag with a 50/50 charge, but Barry declined and drew back a bit.

Barry, out activated, refused to commit his forces to melee. This allowed me to take the centre and put the Reavers in position for a charge on the Champions of Stag.

BOARD END OF TURN 2

END OF TURN 2

HOUSE GREYJOY 3 VP's (3 objectives)

HOUSE BARATHEON 1 VP (1 objective)

TURN 3

I activated the Reavers, charging in with Stark Exposure to deny Barry orders & cards, then before attacking, Opportunist to gain Precision.

No Precision, but all seven hit with re-rolls. With Sundering and the Baratheons vulnerable due to the Reavers Furious charge I expected a few wounds...

Okay, Barry's dice were pretty abysmal and failed 5 saves outright, with a further one due to vulnerable token. He did pass the panic check though...

That's a nice sight, and I gained a pillage token too...

Barry healed up the Stags with Alester, spending a token to jump over to the swords and block me from using it. I elected to take the Letters, weakening the Stags again and drawing What is Dead and Bless with Stone, Bless with Steel

I decided not to use We Do not Sow, but took the Horses and moved up my Harlaw Reapers to allow me a retreat option on the centre if desired.

Barry responded by marching up the wardens ready for next turn...

Stannis and his Kingsmen charged into my Harlaw Reapers but rolled a 1, so no cards or re-rolls

But as I didn't have the Crowns, so they did get re-rolls and also Critical Blow

BUGGER!!! 11 hits...

I managed to save one, passing the panic thankfully. This allowed me to heal two from the Drowned Men when I activated the Reapers and then retreated out of melee

The Champions (who had fully healed when Shyra took the bags) attacked the Reavers, but my drowned prophet "Resilience" order meant I only took three wounds.

Board at End of Turn 3

I had healed another Reaper when they retreated, as influenced by Damphair and the Barry had brought the Lightbringers off the objective to support the centre.

END OF TURN 3

HOUSE GREYJOY 6 VP's (6 objectives)

HOUSE BARATHEON 1 VP (1 objective)

TURN 4

I used the Drowned Men's order to heal up two more Reapers

Barry had Shyra take the swords and have the Lightbringers drop me down to two Reapers

I healed up my Reapers up off the bags, Barry took the Horses and moved Wardens into my Harlaw Reapers flank as could not charge in front. Activating the Reavers, I played Opportunist again for precision and re-rolls

And again with the aid of Sundering, Barry had the newly renamed Chumpions of the Stag totally fluff their armour saves, taking five wounds. I took three when they hit back with Final Strike...

Next door, Colin's Martells and Ray's Baratheons were renewing their House enmities...

While Matt's Starks were really laying into Greg's Lannisters...

Meanwhile, with me not controlling the Crown again, the Kingsmen lashed out for 9 hits...

I was cut down but managed to survive only by playing What is Dead may never Die (and passing the panic check)

I played the Iron Price to heal three Reavers, removing their pillage

The Stony Shore Pillagers charged home, and I took wounds to make the Chumpions vulnerable again causing five wounds with only two precision leaving them on four wounds. Barry's dice were awful, rolling three ones (with vulnerable)

I then took the Letters but swapped it out for We Do Not Sow

I decided to use the Stony Shore Pillagers for their Precision, taking two wounds from Finger Dance to make the Chumpions vulnerable and panicked, rather than re-rolls. Also meant I only had five attacks...

AAARRGH!! One hit, and no Precision.

Barry rolled 2+. So I made him re-roll and he did me proud, rolling a 1

He then rolled a 6 and a 1 on the D6's for panic, and a 2 on the D3. So I used the token to reroll teh 6 and white 2.

With his cavalry wiped out, Barry went out for revenge, the Warden's bludgeoning poor Theon to a bloody pulp!!!

Board at End of Turn 4

END OF TURN 4

HOUSE GREYJOY 9 VP's (1 unit, 8 objectives)

HOSUE BARATHEON 3 VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)

TURN 5

Activating first, I took the horses to move the Pillagers over towards the far left objective and threaten the Lightbringers

Barry responded by activating them, so I took the swords to deny any shooting.

Stannis's Kingsmen turned to face, before I charged in with the Drowned Men, sacrificing them to pin the Warden. I used the Krakens Wrath for Precision and after rerolls I killed two Wardens

And Barry fluffed the panic for three more!!!

Barry healed off the bags, as I just passed activations out while Barry's Wardens could only do a single wound on the Drowned Men...

BOARD END OF TURN 5 (and GAME)

END OF GAME

HOUSE GREYJOY 12 VP's (1 unit, 11 objectives)

HOUSE BARATHEON 4 VP's (1 unit, 3 objectives)

Well, what seemed a comfortable win was only now, with the benefit of hindsight in doing the report, explained! I had 5pts extra, and not fielding his Sentinels made a huge difference, as it allowed me to pin Barry's diminished forces in place and out objective the Baratheons. Barry enjoyed the game, despite his truly shocking armour saves and we talked through lot of things as we played, and he is still very new to it. I'll look forward to playing Barry again in an even match...

Greg had a good win with his Goat Headed Vargo Hoat led Lannisters v Matt's Brunden Tully Starks.

Colin's Daemon Sand led Martells narrowly defeated Ray Mounted Stannis Baratheons'

Next up for me is Mr Ray as we have four games going on next week

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

ELEMENT GAMES ASOIF Group on GEEK PRIDE

Matt Geary at GEEK PRIDE has started putting out ASOIF Videos from Element Games in Stockport. (watched No. 3 typing some of this up)

Don't normally link these things as so many out there, but the guys playing over Element Way have heavily supported my Ribble Rumble event, so much appreciated.

Less than an hour, well put together, feel free to check out their first two:

ASOIAF Table Top Miniatures Game Battle report #1 Stark vs Free Folk (youtube.com)

ASOIAF Table Top Miniatures Game Battle Report #2 Stark vs Greyjoy (youtube.com)

ASOIAF Table Top Miniatures Game Battle Report #3

EVENTS

DICE OF LEAD & STEEL PRESENTS

"WARFARE"

Sold out

Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, Etps Road, Farnborough, UK

SATURDAY 16th NOVEMBER ONE DAY EVENT

LINK

SUNDAY 17th NOVEMBER ONE DAY EVENT

LINK

Warfare is a phenomenal event, and DLS are putting on the first ASOIF events there. Day 1 is standard dual list 40pts, 3 games & Day 2 is 30pt single list, 4 games.

If you can get to it, I'd highly recommend. Traders, multiple tournaments and a Bring & Buy

Tickets are available from:

https://wargamesreading.co.uk/.../a-song-of-fire-and-ice.../

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX