Raymond and I had been playing for 5 or 6 months prior to lockdown, and were fortunate enough to link up with 3 or 4 other local players. Greg and Colin were down last week., and we swapped around for this week
My Targaryen's were a change from last outing, being all cavalry bar NCU's
NCU's: Illyrio Mopatis and Daenerys
Dothraki Veterans with Khal Drogo (C)
Dothraki Screamers
Dothraki Screamers with Outrider KO
Dothraki Screamers with screamer KO
Jorah Mormont The Wandering Knight
Gregg hasn't played any mission games, so wanted to play Dark Wings, Dark Words. After last weeks effort, I figured I couldn't do any worse...
The first round cards couldn't be scored but were interesting.
Greg's 40pts Free Folk list consisted of the following:
NCU's: Styr & Ygritte
Weeper (C) in Followers of Bone with Skinchanger (Bear)
Bone Lords Chosen with Weeper attachment and Skinchanger (Bear)
FF Raiders
FF Raiders with Harma Attachment and Bannerman
FF with Skinchanger (Eagle)
FF Raiders with raid leader
Greg set up left to right with FF raiders with leader, Raiders with Harma, Bear, ...
Bonelords Chosen, Followers of Bone with Weeper, Bear, Raiders with Eagle skinchanger, FF raiders
The Eagle was initially assigned to my Screamers without attachment (on my left deployment)
Centre left were Screamer with Outrider KO, then Screamers with Screamer KO, Jorah and the on my right were the veterans with Drogo
Terrain is as below, with a palisade on my right, a Weirwood and bog in FF half and some spikes on my left
I opted to go first in turn 2, so Greg took horses first out with Ygritte to deny me it. I was ok with her influencing the Veterans as there wouldn't be charges first turn. I took the letters, which was handy as I now had Overrun, and two Blood of the Dragons (Immune to panic checks for a whole round) which could be very handy given the Bone boys. Styr then took the crown but my Screamers passed the panic check. I kept Illyrio off board and marched Jorah up behind the palisades with some screamers as the FF also advanced
For the Secret missions, the objective between Jorah and the screamers was my goal for 3 VPs, the FF target the objective on my right beyond the palisade...
Pyat Pree was acting as turn marker, as my High Senseschal was forgotten...
As Harma and the raid leader worked in tango, my left screamers turned and marched away to my right...
Illyrio took the swords and had Jorah hack the palisade down...
As my Screamers with their KO formed up for next turn...
End of Turn 1
Next to Harma, with a march and horses, the FF raider with raid leader on my left were almost cavalry...
But I'd set up well for some charges with my first activation...
Tactics board end of turn 1. Greg drew hold the centre objective as a new mission for 4 VP's, replacing the one where you had to have three enemy units with same condition token
Styr influence came off, and my screamers saved all three hits...
TURN 2
I had Daenerys take the swords...
allowing me to play Addrivati and making the Weeper's Followers of Bone susceptible to Critical Blow and Sundering attacks...
Daenerys influenced the Veterans, who fired using their bows after shifting from the swords...
Despite the FF raiders being hit by veteran arrows and subjected to Vulnerable when Drogo and his men followed up with a charge, they held, much to my chagrin given the Over run card I was holding onto...
Greg flanked the Veterans with the FF raiders, who caused 4 wounds but went 50/50 and stayed off their objective...
Fearing the Weeper flanking the Khal, the Screamer led by their KO and having had the Outrider KO make the Followers of Bone vulnerable, charged home with Blood of the Dragon on them, auto passing any panic tests and neutralising the Horrific visage...
However, the Weeper and his men held and my cavalry charges had failed to deliver a sweeping gap as I had hoped
Illyrio healed up the Khals unit, who had been attacked by the FF with the Eagle skinchanger and reduced to single rank...
At 2 ranks, but with a bear lurking...
The veterans finally finished the raiders and eagle skinchanger off, and the Bear charged in. Jorah Mormont, the wandering bear knight!!! He managed to hack down one raider, but they failed their panic check and 3 more ran off
My left was a bit open, so I needed a distraction...
So as we approached end of turn 2, I went to see how Colin's Nights Watch was fairing agisnt Raymonds Baratheons...
Not well was the answer, as Raymond had guilt tripped him into a charge while holding counter charge. All is fair in war, as they say...
However, they only took 3 wounds, and I activated them next and retreated them back onto my target objective. As the raid Leader FF unit moved up behind Harma, my basic Screamers moved up onto the central objective to secure it, as neither the bear nor the Followers of Bone could get a charge in
A view from my right flank, showing the game in the balance...
The Skinchangers bear went into Khal's Veteran flank, causing a wound and 2 more due to panic failure... But the Bonelord and his Chosen decided to advance and wait until next turn (as I would have auto passed the panic) to flank my Screamers in with the Weeper!
At the end of the round, I had scored two of the mission, holding my own objective and the centre.
END OF TURN 2
Targaryens 7 VP's, Free Folk 0 VP's
I also drew a mission, where you gained 1 VP for horse or letters controlled, or if both, 3 VP's. I didnt think I could hold the centre objective so I removed that card
TURN 3
I then moved off the centre objective, and charged into the bear bare flank that was engaged with the Khal. I opted not to use Blood of the Dragon for some illogical reason, as I was planning to overrun into the weeper and finish them off. Sadly the bear had other ideas, holding on despite having been made vulnerable by the Outrider KO...
Needless to say, Old Rattleshirt didn't need a second invitation and promptly smashed the Screamers in the flank, and I failed the panic. Still, at least I wasnt wiped out this time!!!
But cut them down was smarting...
More Free Folk raiders turned up with Endless Horde, adding to what was a pretty awful start to turn 3 for the Targaryens. The Chosen Skinchangers Bear had also moved up to cut out any potential flank charge into the Bonelords unit
I wonder where the Raiders plan to go???
With my forces being penned in and on the defensive, bar one units of Screamers, I decided to regain some initiative and charged Harma's unit, cutting them down to 3 models...
Fortunately, their back up got caught up short requiring a 2 to successfully charge through the stakes and rolling a 1, taking auto wounds and more from failing their panic due to the failed charge. That was great to watch from my point of view, but not so much from Greg's.
Khal Drogo and his veterans managed to drop another trio of Raiders
And the tactics board was full, scoring one point each of that mission. Although Illyrio didnt use the letters, instead using his remove and activation.
Not on the Veterans as I had always planned, but on the Outrider KO's Screamers, who finished off Harma's Raiders...
And then consolidated back onto my target objective. Jorah had also cut down a trio of Raider on my right, while the bear savaged the last veteran leaving Drogo on his own...
The newly arrived Raiders marched up, confident the Targaryen cavalry was almost spent
END OF TURN 3
Targaryens 11 VP's Free Folk 3 VP's
By claiming my objective again, and scoring one of the tactics board I had put myself 1 VP of the win, but Greg got 2 VP's from destroying and unactivated unit and also from 1 from the tactics board.
He removed the objective scoring one, replacing it with any NCU foregoing their activation for 1 VP...
TURN 4
The death of the bear was a small victory in itself, as well as scoring two VP's as it hadn't activated
The fresh Free Folk Raiders charged home against the Khal...
Who was badly wounded but held...
Despite the presence of the Weeper nearby...
The Khal lashe dout agisnt the Raiders on his flank, but failed to cut them down...
The Raiders Regrouped and Reformed, and unceremoniously hauled the Great Khal from his horse...
In revenge, my Screamers left their objective, making a ride by attack against the remaining bear, killing it and overrunning into the Raiders stuck on the stakes, wiping them out too...
Jorah also struck out, killing a raider...
And the remaining Free Folk fled...
Sadly for Jorah, having moved up with the horses Rattleshirt and his Chosen managed to get hold of him. His death would not be pleasant!!!
The Outrider KO had managed to lead his screamers out of harm's way, having secured the objectvies the Khaleesi sought...
Rattleshirt and his Followers held the field and got to make new suits of bone armour...
END OF GAME
House Targaryen 17 VP's Free Folk 6 VP's
That was a pretty awesome game, and though the score looks one sided as it often does in random mission games, that only glosses over a hard fought battle. My initial charges fluffed, and my cavalry had to fight hoof to toe rather than at the gallop. Turn 3 started so badly I really thought I was done for, despite being lucky in Turn 2 scoring well on objectives, while my cavalry held off the more numerous Free Folk. Had Harma's back up unit rolled a 2+ in turn 3 they would have aided her and potentially have prevented me scoring as freely in turn 3 and 4 with my sole remaining unit,as they'd have as hemmed me in likely tabling me before I could get over the victory threshold.
Greg was great to play against, as I'm still new to the Targaryens and was very back and forth and humming and haaing over decisions. And having palyed Freefolk again, I'll be finishing off my Skin changers, beasts and Spearwives by the end of the month...
Next up though will be his brother Colin, not sure what I'll be using or what I'll be facing but report will show it in all its glory (or shame!!!)
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