Another exciting Thursday night down at Justplay in Liverpool saw my Warden of the North Roose Bolton take on Brynden Tully's Stark loyalists...
So Colin turned up with Brynden Tully Starks and I was trying a Bolton led Mercenary force. We rolled Winds of Winter, and Colin was happy enough to play it even though he doesn't generally hold with the random cards...
So my force consisted of the following:
NCU's: Roose Bolton (C), Varys, Littlefinger
Bolton Blackguard
Bolton Cutthroats
Bolton Cutthroats
Stormcrow Mercenaries with Stormcrow Leftenant
Stormcrow Mercenaries with Stormcrow Leftenant
Stormcrow Archers with Stormcrow Leftenant
We set up the board as below, Colin setting up the palisade and the Weirwood while I put the stakes and corpse pile down. I opted for turn, so Colin swapped sides.
My 3 NCU's. Not usually a fan of Varys, but just been re-reading the first book...
Colin's force (with standins) was below from left to right:
Tully Cavaliers
Umber Berserkers led by Brynden Tully (using Robb Stark model)(C)
Tully Swornshields with Bran & Hodor
Tully Swornshields with Rickon & Orsha
Summer
Shaggydog
NCU's: Rodrik Cassel and The Late Lord Frey
TURN 1
Colin set up as below, my left to right with Tully Cavaliers, Hodor's Tully Swornshields, Summer, Tully Swornshields with Rickon, Shaggydog and Brynden's Umber Berserkers
I set uplift to right with Cutthroats, Mercenaries, Archers, Blackguard, Mercenaries and Cuthroats.
Nothing much happened turn 1, with Colin going first and managed to hit my archers with crown, who passed on a 9+. He also got the cards. Varys advanced the Blackguard up.
The Starks advanced up in a semi circle, the slow units taking their time and Summer and the Cavaliers moving furthest forward.
As you can see, the Bolton's and Mercenaries advanced up fairly level for mutual support
TURN 2
Colin revealed his mission, with Shaggydog sat on an objective, Colin named it to score 3 points at end of turn
I kept mine secret but it was a good one. I went first this turn...
Lord Varys took the bags, not a surprise for a Mercenary heavy Bolton force.
I used the bags to fire the archers at Summer,and scored 4 sundering hits...
Two struck true and Summer died...
Walder took the crown, and influenced the left Stormcrows
then targeted them for a panic test at a -2...
I failed, but didn't want them facing Tully Cavaliers with reduced ranks so passed my test with a card
In fairness, Colin probably wouldn't have risked charging over the corpse pile, so played devastating impact to charge my left most Cutthroats...
Good job he did as he rolled a 1 to charge, before re-rolling...
First roll was good but I had a weakened toke to use...
Six hits all told
I didn't pass any saves...
But with Wealth and Cunning I automatically blocked three...
I did fail my panic check though, but I'd held the charge...
I charged my Mercenaries into the Tully Cavaliers flank, but it was disorderly...
Looking good boys!!!
Bit rubbish not having re-rolls though...
Only one hit went through the armour, but they did fail their panic check...
Not great,but a start...
With my left holding, Colin tried to get the berserkers in on my right with Swift advance on them, and then a 2+ charge to hit my right cutthroats...
Ooops!!!
I took the opportunity to activate my Cutthroats and charge the Berserkers. Brynden Tully (who looks a bit like Young Rob in this picture) played Set for defence
And after a failed morale check, I had three men left...
And Colin still made me use the weakened token!!!
My Stormcrow Mercenaries charged home, but didn't manage to even take off a rank!!!
On my left, the Cuthroats hit the Cavaliers...
Eight hits with wealth and cunning...
And three failed saves...
Colin passed the morale check...
He'd also played Direwolf's Fervor and hit killed two more cuthroats
With the Tullys Swornshields slowly advancing, my archers targeted Rickons troops
But with only one hit, he didn't even have to bother rolling saves due to Swornshields order...
The "Open" mission this turn was a god send for me, as I'd already put two panic tokens on the Tully Swornshields in Turn 1 and again on Shaggydog and the Cavaliers in turn 2...
Shaggydog scored 3 for Colin...
End of Turn 2
Starks 3 VP's Bolton Mercenaries 6 VP's
TURN 3
The Open mission was straight forward
Colin had Walder activate first but Varys cut of the zone...
I took the swords and struck with my mercenaries at the Berserkers, who lost 7 men
I thought I'd done it, but then learned Brynden gives +2 morale!!!
Damn you Brynden Tully!!! (with your Robb Stark looks)
When the Berserkers struck back, they were a bit rubbish!!!
With only 3 men left, I took a gamble...
I was exposing my rear to Rickons Swornshields but I was flanking the Bersekers with 7 attacks with rerolls. I got 3 hits!!!
And the Berserkers saved one!!!
Passing their panic also allows the unit to heal 1 thanks to Brynden, did I mention that!!!
The Berserkers hit back at the Cutthroats
Easily wiping them out...
This allowed me to play my secret mission, and when I finished off the Berserkers I'd score two VP's
I activated the Mercenaries, and they scored a paltry 3 hits. (Deja Vu???)
They only had two men left...But rolled a pair of 6's from their 3 saves!!!
So Brynden stood alone...
Passed his morale...
And then there were two!!!
I'd forgotten to mention, Colin had a revealed secret mission that scored a Victory point every time a unit was attacked and not destroyed!!! You could expect it of heavily armoured Tully, but a trio or pair of Berserkers!!! I mean I hit them 4 times and only the first one really hit them!!!
And to rub salt in it, my Bolton Blackguard were hit in the rear by Swornshields...
Who were vulnerable...
And failed their morale miserably (probably feeling my pain at not removing the berserkers)
Still, I didn't get wiped out!!!
I activated on the left with my Mercenaries shifting down the pile to attack
They did ok...
And killed a horse ( though gifted another VP)
I wasn't sure the Cutthroats could finish the job...
With Swift Advance, Bran and Hodor hit the Mercenary Archers...
With Hodor Hodoring, they hit hard...
But the nearby corpse pile caused me to fail the morale and the unit was wiped out!!!
I had no choice and attacked the Cavaliers with my front rank of cutthroats reducing them to two wounds...
But they duly passed their panic!!!
I took 3 wounds from the lone cavalier
They failed their panic
END OF TURN 3
Colin scored a whopping 8 VP's to my 0 in a truly abysmal turn for me
Brynden Tully 11 VP's Boltons and Mercenaries 6 VP's
TURN 4
Varys took the bags and allowed my Mercenaries to hit the Tully Cavaliers
They had eight attacks with sundering in the flank
And got 2 hits...
Tully Valour saved one hit and allowed an auto pass!!!
Walder went next for Colin...
So I used Varys to stop cancel the zone!!!
It really was a no win situation as The Late Walder Frey influenced the Blackguard removing my unit...
I activated the Mercenaries who finally killed the last of the Cavaliers...
Earning 2 more VP's for me
And allowing me to restore all my wounds in my 2 remaining units!!!
Colin played the North remembers to heal up 2 rather than the 3 shown below...
They lashed out against the Stormcrows
And finally got to roll some dice like me!!! Still, they had been quite good defensively
I even saved 3 of the 4 attacks
And used Worth the reward to auto pass the panic...
I attacked back with my usual prowess for this game...
It wasn't enough...
The open mission allowed for an NCU not to activate and score a VP, so Colin didn't activate Rodrik, nor I Roose nor Baelish ending the game at end of Turn 4
END of TURN 4 & GAME
Houses Stark and Tully 12 VP's House Bolton and Stormcrow Mercenaries 10 VP's
The battlefield at the end of the game...
Well what can I say? I guess being Scottish must have influenced my troops performance, as I am always reluctant to part with coins. My dice were bad and I felt my gameplay was pretty shocking too. I don't use Varys very often, and I didn't use him in this game to his potential. But maybe I am being unfair. Brynden Tully should have died!!! Several times over!!! And more besides!!! When I get round to my Starks, he will be first painted!!! For those of my generation (actually, a bit older) he was like Captain Scarlett!!! (for reference https://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/captain-scarlet-brave-man-good-looking/)
Colin isn't a fan of the randomness of the secret cards and was loudly cursing after my 6 point haul in round 2 that he couldn't really prevent. It makes a change in my mind though, as games are all about luck at the end of the day and I'm usually more lucky than I am tactically minded.
It was a good game in terms of bad dice and heroic Brynden but given we've just went back into lockdown in Merseyside, may be a while before we get another game and report. Think its back to my Lannisters for then!!!
