Ste and I travelled down the M6 for a 3 hour jaunt to Northampton for Kingdom Gaming's event on 22nd January. I haven't been here before and it is a nice gaming venue with plenty of room for the event. Adam "King Adam" East organised the event with mega prize support and it was a very nice, chilled event...
Ste was running Targaryen's and actually ran a decent, almost friendly, Greyworm list in addition to
his usual Flayed Men filth. But he can write his own blog if he wants to tell you about them...
I was running Night's Watch and went for a Jon Snow double list, one offensive and one defensive.
LIST 1
Veterans of the Watch with Jon Snow - 998th Lord Commander (C)
Conscripts
Sworn Brothers
Ranger Hunters with Cotter Pyke - Ironborn Brother
NCU's
Aemon, Bowen Marsh & Othell Yarwyck
LIST 2
Veterans of the Watch with Jon Snow - 998th Lord Commander (C)
Shadow Tower Spearmen with Senior Builder
Builder Scorpion Crew with Scorpion Modifications - Builder
Sworn Brothers
Ghost
NCU's
Aemon & Othell Yarwyck
GAME 1
PASCAL "ORGMO" SIDDONS - BARATHEONS
Thorn Watch with Loras Tyrell - The Knight of Flowers (C)
Rose Knights with Jaqen H'ghar - Unnamed
Champions of The Stag
Baratheon Wardens
NCU'S
Eldon Estermont
Margaery Tyrell
Olenna Tyrell
SCENARIO: A CLASH OF KINGS
I had the pleasure of having my Mammoth stomp all over Pascal at the LGT but I got it into my head we were playing A Game of Thrones so took the more aggressive list with 3 NCU's. Pascal took his 3 NCU list with Ollenna Tyrell and Loras with Expert Duellist. His armour would also be a tough nut to crack. Pascal had won on the list choice for sure.
SET UP: Stakes on the left objective, a wall my side of centre and a pair of Weirwoods
BARATHEONS: Rose Knights, Thornwatch, Champions of the Stag, Baratheon Wardens
NIGHTS WATCH: Sworn Brothers, Ranger Hunters with Conscript behind, Jon's Veterans
Pascal took first activation, taking the letters and shutting down Othell's ability. Olenna would be a real thorn in my side all game
Both Pascal and I moved up aggressively.
This would be simple attrition but I was aiming for a Cotter Pike Ranger one shot into teh Thronwatch Turn 2. Sadly, Pascal was more than wise to it and pivoted to deny me...
TURN 2
I took the swords but opted to shoot the Thornwatch, dropping a few and also to try and bait Pascal but he didn't bite and took the centre objective with the Rose Knights. I charged in but failed to make much of a dent
When the Champions did charge, Pascal rolled so many sixes he ended up with thirteen hits
I failed 11 saves...
That hit harder than I'd expected, I have to say. I took the right objective with the Rose Knights safely securing the centre
END of TURN 2
BARATHEONS 1 VP (1 objective)
NIGHTS WATCH 1 VP (1 objective)
TURN 3, 4 & 5
Pascal quickly dispatched Cotter Pyke with the swords allowing the Champions to move up, and then flank the Sworn Brothers on their next activation.
But my dice rolls bought me a reprieve...
And I managed to pass the panic with The Fire that Burns against the Cold
I threw the Conscripts in after they had fallen foul of crown zap, and Olenna was shutting down Aemon's healing
On the right, the Veterans and Wardens were engaged, but the Thornwatch had free reign to add their firepower where they saw fit.
The Veterans struggled to get past the Wardens armour, whereas the Wardens struggled to hit the Veterans. The melee last until turn 5.
When the Thornwatch ended up hitting the veterans and then shooting them down, though I took a few Wardens down with Othell. My Sworn Brothers retreated to avoid certain death
END OF TURN 5
BARATHEONS 8 VP's (3 Units, 5 objectives)
NIGHTS WATCH 2 VP's (2 objectives)
TURN 6
It only remained to see if Pascal could wipe out my Sworn Brothers, but they simply couldnt...
END OF TURN 6 (& GAME)
BARATHEONS 10 VP's (3 units, 7 objectives)
NIGHTS WATCH 2 VP's (2 objectives)
A fully deserved thumping as my Watch simply couldn't match the Baratheon's toe to toe. Pascal savoured his revenge and totally outplayed me, not just with better dice rolls but on the tactics board, he countered the right NCU with Olenna every time. Just one of those games where you get totally owned by your opponent, and fair play to Pascal, he was a great opponent and didn't make a single mistake.
GAME 2ALLEN "KHAL-ELFO" KITCHING - TARGARYEN'S
SCENARIO: A GAME OF THRONES
Drogo's Bloodriders with Khal Drogo - The Great Khal (C)
Stormcrow Archers
Dothraki Veterans with Rakharo - Bloodrider
Bloody Mummer Skirmishers with Daario Naharis - Reckless Mercenary
Tycho Nestoris & Walder Frey
Allen declined the cheesy pre-game picture and though I feared the cavalry, I elected to stick to my offensive list and not take the Scorpion as it was A Game of Thrones and I couldn't sit back.
Set Up: Corpse pile, Two Weirwoods and stakes
TARGARYENS: Veterans, Bloodriders, Stormcrow Archers and Bloody Mummers
NIGHTS WATCH: Jon's Veterans, Sworn Brothers, Conscripts and Ranger Hunters
TURN 1
I opted to go first, taking the horses to move up the Rangers while Allen pushed his cavalry up on my left, while I concentrated on the right and centre, looking to hit his lighter troops hard. To that end, Cotter and his Rangers got into charge range of the Stormcrows who had lost 5 men to Othell, but healed three from Walder.I also put For the Watch onto the Rangers, so I could charge of the horses.
TURN 2
Allen too the swords to shoot into the Rangers, and as a foretaste of how this game would go...
I successfully saved ALL five hits...
I used Cotters order to charge with the Rangers into the Stormcrows using the horses and counting as rolling a six (losing 3 men) but killing 5 from the melee attacks an a further 3 from the failed panic check. I then retreated left from quick strike, shooting as I went into the flank and wiping out the Stormcrows (and using Take the Black to heal up the wounds as thought I may get the Bloodriders charging me.
But Allen decided to stay put with his Veterans, so I then activated the Rangers to charge the Mummers flank. Despite their "disrupt" I managed all seven hits with the attacks.
and Allen could only save 1...
And lost two more to the failed panic. The Mummers struck back but killed a single Ranger.
Aemon then took the crown, healing the wounded Ranger and panic bombing the Mummers who dropped to Daario alone.
Before Othell finished him off before Walder could heal them
Drogo and his Bloodriders headed to my right but the rest of my forces still had to activate.
My Veterans took the centre objective as the Targaryen Veterans moved off to the left to close on me, the Sworn Brothers my near right while the Conscripts marched up onto the far right one but had t show their rear in order to pivot onto it.
END OF TURN 2
NIGHTS WATCH 5 VP's (2 units, 3 objectives)
TARGARYENS 0 VP's
TURN 3
Activating first I charge the Blood riders with the rangers, with Cotter making them vulnerable. Again, all seven attacks hit home.
Before I retreated off to their flank and shot into them
The 3+ armour helped a bit, and the Bloodriders charged back at me with Assault Order, although Drogo failed to kill Cotter Pyke...
Aemon on the bags healed up the damage though
The Targaryen Veterans then charged the rear of Jon's NW Veterans but disrupt and counterstrike meant the Targayens fared badly while I used both The Shield of the Realm of Men and and Fire that Burns against the Cold to survive well, and heal what damage I took using the Conscripts supply aid
Walder took the letters but used the horses to retreat his Veterans out of melee with the NW Veterans
As I had mauled them a bit
END OF TURN 3
NIGHTS WATCH 8 VP's (2 units, 6 objectives)
TARGARYENS 0 VP's
TURN 4
Tycho popped his once per game ability to heal both his units, shooting then charging my Veterans again when activating his Veterans. I lost 5 from the shooting alone...
But managed to save 50% of the hits on the requisite 6's...
I took the swords, attacked Drogo with the Rangers, then retreated my Rangers well out of harms way of the Bloodriders and bolstered my whole right side line
Although the Bloodriders could have changed them down as my Veterans turned and hacked into the Targaryen Veterans and showing my rear.
Allen did charge into the NW Veterans with Drogo and the Bloodriders rear. And Drogo failed to kill Jon!!!
But with Shield on I auto blocked one and also saved two more on sixes...
I did finally fail a morale check though...
With supply aid healing my Veterans up again, my Sworn Brothers flanked the Targaryen Veterans on a successful 4+ charge
Wiping them out and heading back to the right objective
Drogo finally killed someone, Jon, at the second attempt with Walder using swords to allow another attack on my veterans
But Cotter and his Rangers had moved up using the Watcher on the Wall following the attack, charging home and then retreating out and using their order to fire into the lone Drogo...
With 6 shots hitting the Khal from behind, he fell from his horse
END OF TURN 4 (& GAME)NIGHTS WATCH 10 VP's ( 4 units, 6 objectives)TARGARYEN's 0 VP's
Well, my dice were unbelievable, everything I tried came off, whereas Allen's dice were very poor (3 assassination attempts to succeed!!!). He's not played many games against the Watch and the Cotter Pyke long bomb really took him by surprise, with a devastating Turn 2 assault (aided by the Crown and Othell). He fought valiantly with his two elite units of cavalry, but having lost 50% of his force, my healing and activation advantage, it was a real up hill battle and those saves on sixes really helped my Veterans...
ARMIES of NOTE
Callum Eden's Targaryens
Lovely army, and I got to face it Game 3.
Kyle Webb's Cersei and her wee Elephant
Shaun Mulligan's Freefolk ( I like Freefolk)
PASCAL SIDDONS HIGHGARDEN PIKEMEN
GAME 3
CALLUM "HEDGEKNIGHT WARGAMING" EDENS
Unsullied Swordmasters with Grey Worm - Unsullied Commander (C)
Unsullied Pikemen with Daario Naharis - Reckless Mercenary
Drogon
Rhaegal
NCU's
Daenerys Targaryen & Lord Varys
SCENARIO: DARK WINGS, DARK WORDS
Callum elected to run his double dragon and double Unsullied as Dragons are fun and he felt he should give my Scorpion a proper target. After two games on the offensive, I figured I should run my other, defensive list.
Set-Up: Weirwood, two corpse piles, stakes
TARGARYEN'S: Unsullied Swordmasters, Drogon, Unsullied Pikemen and Rhaegal
NIGHT'S WATCH: Scorpion, Sworn Brothers, Jon's Veterans, Ghost & Shadow Tower Spearmen
TURN 1
Not my favourite scenario, and first two cards meant reduced action on the tactics board or giving points away.
The Unsullied and Dragons formed a pair of tag teams, I split off the Spearmen whie ghost came up to support the centre and Scorpion...
I figured that Callum would send a Dragon at the Scorpion, despite the Overwatch, hence Ghost in proximity...
Only two zones were taken, with Rhaegal losing 3 wounds from Othell's Sundering attack
TURN 2
With the tactics board still gifting VP's, Callum decided to get stuck in. The Veterans bore the brunt of it, but Callum engaged both units.
Rhaegal went in too after I had healed up with Aemon on the bags but Rhaegal healed up two wounds with a Varys counter.
I owned the Board, with Othell taking the Crown and targeting the Unsullied. I dropped three...
But failed both panic checks losing two Sworn Brothers and 2 Veterans
Callum gave me a VP by using Daenerys's Dracaris to get Rhaegal to attack
Fortunately, the Veterans were granted a reprieve...
Drogon was feeling left out and charged into the Sworn Brothers
It's fair to say dragons still kick ass...
I scored another point when Varys took the Swords to allow Rhaegal to finish off the Veterans, after the Veterans destroyed the Pikemen. I lost the Sworn Brothers to Greyworm "Issuing Commands". I charged Ghost into Rhaegal to try and get ready for my first activation next turn, and also ignored the right objective to get my Spearmen into the fight
END OF TURN 2
TARGARYEN'S 4 VP's (2 units, 2 objectives)
NIGHTS WATCH 3 VP's (1 Unit, 2 objectives)
TURN 3
I activated first, using the swords and Ghost caused 2 wounds on Rhaegal
Rhaegal then ate Ghost before I used For The Watch to successfully reroll and make the charge in the flank of Rhaegal
Drogon took the centre objective. I healed up the spearmen I lost from a crown zap. I then hit the Dragon with Othell but not well.
END OF TURN 3
TARGARYENS 8 VP's (3 Units, 5 objectives - centre scored 2 points)
NIGHTS WATCH 4 VP's (2 Units, 2 objectives)
TURN 4
Callum had Drogon go and flank me, losing 3 wounds to set for charge but gutting my Spearmen
The Fire that Burns Against the Cold was needed to save more deaths from panic...
It warmed my heart to see some 6's again...
And after attacking back and dropping two more wounds off Drogon I used horses to retreat onto the central objective.
END OF TURN 4
TARGARYENS 9 VP's (3 units, 6 objectives)
NIGHTS WATCH 5 VP's (2 units, 3 objectives)
TURN 6
I charged Drogon, failing to kill it and leaving on one wound. Callum took the swords and attacked back, killing them but I played It shall Not End until my death, and I successfully attacked back and claimed its last wound.
I then had Aemon take the bags to heal up my Spearmen...
9-6 but I wouldn't be able to shift Greyworm Unsullied
I did drop a few with an Othell attack...
And a failed panic too...
So technically I had more men on the field at the end!!! But the game ended at end of Turn 6 and Callum was a deserved winner...
TARGARYEN'S 10 VP's (3 units, 7 VP's)
NIGHT'S WATCH 7 VP's (3 units, 4 VP's)
That was great fun, although I am not a fan of the scenario (too much to take in). Fair play to Callum for taking the Dragons, but like me he'd ran same list first two and well, decided to try out the other one. He got stuck in when tactically he could have retreated and healed and even charged spearmen when wounded with Drogon, so all in all, yeah, great game with a real devil may care attitude to the actual game result. We just wanted to scrap!!!
GAME 4
JAMES "BRICKFISH" DANCE - LANNISTERS
Combat Units
• Lannister Crossbowmen ( 6 )
Kevan Lannister - Protector of the Realm ( 0 )
• Gregor Clegane - The Mountain That Rides ( 4 )
• House Bolton Flayed Men ( 8 )
• Knights of Casterly Rock ( 8 )
NCU's
• Pycelle ( 4 )
• Petyr Baelish ( 4 )
• Tywin Lannister ( 6 )
SCENARIO: A FEAST FOR CROWS
3 NCU's and double cavalry Lannisters. Scorpion was a no-brainer and saved me changing lists and James was definitely up for running me down!!!
TURN 1
I forgot to take some set up and deployment picture but the Mountain set up on my left to go for the objective, then the Flayed Men, Kevans Crossbows then Knights of Casterly Rock. I set up with ghost far left facing the Mountain, Shadow Tower Spearmen, Jon's Veterans, Scorpion and Sworn Brothers far right. We both advanced up smartly, and James forgot about Overwatch and moved into Scorpion range. Sadly, i missed with both shots...
I pulled Ghost back as felt this was gonna smart and was planning on Scorpions the Mountain long range. I had my Sworn Brothers take the right objective boosted by extra horse movement
Tactic board end of Turn 1. I dropped some crossbowmen with Othell and the crossbows dropped a NW Veteran
BOARD END OF TURN 1 (Mountain out left)
Start of Turn I had the Senior builder deploy stakes to protect my flank
But James had other plans and charged in to my Veterans with the Knights of Casterly Rock
NINE hits resulted in 8 wounds...
And I was sat on the Weirwood which cancelled the corpse pile so I just passed my panic
I took the horses and retreated Jon out of combat with a few remaining Veterans. But James had other plans!!!
Tywin Lannister cancelled my Spearmens abilities allowing the Flayed Men to get first strike in. However, Jon Snows unit took 4 hits after being made vulnerable, with only Jon surviving. He was then panicked and just passed the test (again)
Five spearmen died, as Flayed Men didn't do well on the charge (No Crits)
Better than I expected!!!
I attacked back of the swords first, scoring 6 hits and dropping a horse. I was then shot by the crossbows with the Crown, dropping some men but the Flayed Men lost wounds to the panic. I activated and attacked back again, plinking another wound or two before the crossbows activated and killed the Shadow Tower Spearmen, but dropping another horse off of the Flayed Men...
I activated Jon on his own to drop back and collect the objective on the newly formed corpse pile behind him, and I immediately followed up with Ghost charging the one remaining Flayed Man and he killed him, which allowed Jon's unit to Take the Black, and heal up. The Mountain sped over to help as the Sworn brothers charged into the Knights of Casterly rock's flank
END OF TURN 2
LANNISTERS 1 VP (1 unit)
NIGHTS WATCH 3VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)
TURN 3
I activated Ghost first to charge into the rear of the Knights...
Ghost was shot down by the crossbowmen activating off the swords
I healed the crossbows with Aemon up but they were shot down by the crossbows on the crown...
The Scorpion then finished off the remaining Knight of Casterly Rock, Othell dropped several crossbowmen but they still managed two wounds on the Scorpion
END OF TURN 3
NIGHTS WATCH 5 VP'S (2 Units, 3 objectives)
LANNISTERS 3 VP's (3 Units)
TURN 4
Having taken 2 wounds from the Overwatch (James thought it only did one per hit, hence the cavalry move first - I was gutted I missed with one shot), James charged the Scorpion, killing it.
I played And Now His Watch has Ended and James failed to Counterplot it. As I activated to charge teh Crossbows, James played Seeing their Flaws but I passed my test.
Alas, Kevan held on... We both had 2 models left!!!
But James took the Horses and retreated away as I healed up by claiming the swords!!!
END OF TURN 4
LANNISTERS 4 VP's (token not down in pic) 4 Units
NIGHTS WATCH 5 VP's (2 units, 3 objectives)
TURN 5
Activating first, I charged Kevan and killed him, surging forth back towards the Mountain. Credit to James, he went for the kill rather than retreat and heal up his two wounds but he failed to destroy the Veteran. In response, I then attacked back and got 4 hits. Unbelievably, James failed 3 2+ armour saves, giving me a victory...
END OF GAME
LANNISTERS 4 VP's (4 units)
NIGHTS WATCH 7 VP's (4 units, 3 objectives)
That was a great game!!! I really got hurt by the Kngihts charge and Tywin and somehow Jon managed to survive, regroup and come back and level the mountain. Like Callum, James was just eager to get stuck in and have a blast and he certainly did. The only reason i managed to stay in the game as I was getting to place corpse piles!!! The highlight for me was my Spearmen getting shot down by Kevans crossbows but them diminishing the Flayed Men at same time with two failed panic checks, allowing Ghost to finish the job. A really swingy game, and an epic finale... (In the final tally on Stats we seem to have omitted a VP for Ghost, but no biggy).
So I came 6th of 10 and Steve did what he does, winning all four games (with his double Flayed Men Targaryens only being used twice) and taking top spot. Kyle Webb deserves a mention for running him very close in the final game though!!! A great event, I'd recommend going to Kingdom for their next one!!!
PS After the event, Ste directed me in to Northampton Town Centre for McDonalds and THEY HAVE TRAFFIC WARDENS AT 1840 on a FECKIN SUNDAY!!! £35fine for parking in a loading bay. I hate Ste!!!
