BrianMcG: Call the North-West Banners: 3 Game event at Justplay, Liverpool

Greg ran his second event of the year at Justplay and what a jolly fun time was had by all eight of us who attended.

The picture below is really because first picture always shows up on Facebook, and Paul Whitehead's lovely Lannister Crossbows deserve the recognition.

Of the eight forces, we had two Freefolk, two Night's Watch, two Greyjoy's, a Baratheon as well as Paul's dirty lannisters...

So I thought I'd run Mance with the new changes, although I did take Styr to mix it up a little. For my first game, I ran the Mance list

Free Folk Trappers with Mance Rayder - King Beyond the Wall (C)
Spearwives with Jarl - Advance Raid Leader
Free Folk Raiders with Raid Leader
Free Folk Raiders with Raid Leader
War Mammoth
Frozen Shore Bear Riders

NCU's
• Craster ( 4 )
• Lady Val ( 4 )

I was thrilled to play Elliott Coulbeck first game, as met him just six months previous over aRibble Rumble d he has a similar gaming mentality as me in that fun and fluffy is best...

He also has a pretty cool blog, with more paiting and blurb than I, heavily Night's Watch orientated

https://elothsendeavours.wordpress.com/

His Night's Watch list was as below, a Rnager themed extravaganza.

Veterans of the Watch
Benjen Stark - First Ranger (C)
Ranger Trackers
Ranger Vanguards
Ranger Hunters with Jon Snow - Lord Snow
Ghost

NCU's
Bowen Marsh
Craster

GAME 1

A GAME OF THRONES

ELLIOT "ELL" COULBECK

NIGHT'S WATCH

Elliot has a great blog, more modelling and painting focussed than mind. Check it out at Elothsendeavours (ok, so already mentioned this above but had a manic week)

Deployment and Terrain: A cropse pile left, 2 central Weirwoods and a bog centre right

We both had outflankers, Elliot his Vanguard Cavalry and my Own Jarl led Spearwives.

I won the roll & elected to choose first or second, So Elliott chose his sboard side and set up spread out with Jon's Rangers on my left, Veterans centre (ghost behind) and trackers centre right

I leaned right, with Raiders centre and far right, Mammoth and Bear Riders between and Mance and Trappers at their rear

TURN 1

I opted to go first, so Elliott deployed his Vanguards on my left straight away rather than wait til Turn 3. My Craster took letters after first having played the new Endless horde on my left side Raiders with Raid Leaders. New card means when that unit is destroyed it, you get to replace it with a unit of Raiders with a Raid leader. My unit didn't actually do much as tried to use them as bait for the Vanguards ith an early activation but Elliot didn't take it. However, Elliot did activate in order to get his Trackers moving after I played Predictable Maneuvers, allowing my Bear riders to move up...

Before I took the swords, which allowed my bear riders the opportunity to shift, shoot and charge!!!

I managed to drop five Veterans with the Big bear cavalry as well as secure the centre objective...

Tactics board at end of Turn 1

On the other tables, Colin's NW faced Jamie's Baratheons...

John's FreeFolk faced Greg's Greyjoys...

And Paul's Lannisters faced Aden's Greyjoy''s

TURN 2

Start of Turn I brought on my spearwives on in my deployment zone rather than flank, thus offering the Vanguards a charge into their front but Elliott decided the Veterans need help so flanked my Bears

I took 6 wounds from the attack but passed my panic (twice) thanks to the Weirwood

I had been weakened as well as panicked when the Vanguards successfully charged

I had Lady Val take the Bags and heal up a three wounds

As Elliot activated an NCU to take the swords I declared Wildling Diplomacy. Before he took the swords, I did a wound on the Veterans dropping them a rank and reducing their attacks. They did drop my healed up bear but I thundered my Mammoth "Stannisbane" into the veterans flank and trampled the elite Crows into the permafrost!!!! Though I did take a wound

I then surged forth just enough to block off any other Ranger charge into my bears...

The Rangers did move up, off the horses which I didn't really get until I activated my Bears and Elliot played lying in wait and shot me up, reducing a rank

Still, all four attacks hit with sundering... Elliott's dice are on the Weirwood, all four saved!!!

The Trackers then moved into Stannisbanes flank and shot the beast for five wounds... Hmmm.

I activated my Raiders to march and seize the far right side objective, before Jon and his Rangers charged in. Alas, he rolled a 1 so no rerolls nor card or order use!!! Two wounds resulted, and then the dopey big hairy elephant failed his panic check while sat on a Weirwood!!!

I marched up my spearwives into a position they could shift and rear charge, while Mance and his Trappers grabbed the near right objective. Then I used Craster to heal up 3 wounds on the bears, allowing me to again control the centre. I'd also played my second predictable manuevers card to stop Ghost claiming the far left objective, for fear of rear charge into the Vanguards this turn

END OF TURN 2

FREE FOLK 4 VP's (1 unit, 3 objectives)

NIGHTS WATCH 1 VP (1 unit)

BOARD AT END OF TURN 2

TURN 3

Lady Val took the swords and I launched a few spears, causing 3 wounds and playing There's too Many but Elliott passed the morale check of 10+

He didn't pass the second one when my wives hit him in the rear, but the Vanguards were still hanging in there

Elliott activated Jon Snow and his Rangers who charged the Bears, leaving them on two wounds, before skipping off into their flank and shooting to finish them off..

My Raiders then smacked the flank of the Vanguards, before surging forth onto the centre objective, but not enough to fully take it.

I had Craster take the horses allowing the Spearwives to reposition, as they had not yet activated

END OF TURN 3

NIGHTS WATCH 3 VP's (1 objective, 2 units)

FREEFOLK 8 VP's (2 units, 6 objectives)

BOARD AT END OF TURN 3

Ghost took the far left objective, Spearwives took near left one

TURN 4

Start of Turn I played Endless horde against on the Raiders, who were charged and wiped out by Jon Snow and his Rangers who then surged forth and shot my spearwives, who healed. They were then charged by Ghost, but were still good. My Raiders charged the Ranger hunters

The Trackers, having advanced up off Horses, shot up the spearwives who had retreated out of melee still holding the objective. The arrows killed many but not enough

With Mance and the other raiders sitting on the right, the game played out...

END OF TURN 4 (& Game)

FREEFOLK 11 VP's (2 units, 9 objectives)

NIGHTS WATCH 4 VP's (2 Units, 2 objectives)

Cracking return for the New Mance. His cards are still great, and the changes to the Free Folk deck are fair and definitely overdue. Endless horde rework is an excellent change and a big improvement to game balance. Elliot hasnt actually faced Frozen Shore bear riders and was surprised to find they had four wounds. They certainly worked well holding the centre after engaging the Veterans, holding them for the big guy to trample them. The Rangers did fight valiantly with Jons Snow's men punching well above their weight but my activations advantage and disposable units allowed me to out objective Elliott, which has always been the FreeFolk's advantage

GAME 2

A DANCE OF DRAGONS

COLIN "KOLCO" DEANE

NIGHT'S WATCH

Up close with Colin's Watch would be a challenge and his other list was cavalry heavy

so I went for Styr (Colin would have gone for Mance and routed me in short order).

Styr gave me 3 NCU's including Mance and I felt that might help.

Thenn Warriors with Styr - Magnar Of Thenn (C) Free Folk Raiders with Raid Leader Free Folk Raiders with Skinchanger War Mammoth Frozen Shore Bear Riders

NCU's Craster Lady Val

Mance Rayder

 Sworn Brothers with Cotter Pyke - Eastwatch Commander (C)

 Ranger Hunters with Jon Snow - Lord Snow &  Satin

  Veterans of the Watch with Yoren - Harsh Recruiter 

  Conscripts 

NCU's

Aemon

Qhorin Halfhand

Up close with Colin is always scary. Even scarier with his little Aden doll on his shoulder!!!

SET UP & DEPLOYMENT: Double Weirwood and double Corpse Piles

FREEFOLK: Raiders, Mammoth, Thenns, Raiders, Bear Riders

NIGHTS WATCH: Sworn brothers, Rangers, Veterans and Conscripts

TURN 1

After a few choices on the tactics board, I moved up on the flanks while Colin moved up on my left

I was looking ahead to next turn and not paying attention in this one, so my aggressive move with the Thenn's to set up a trap for a Mammoth flank strike back fired when Colin played assault orders and had Cotter's Sworn Brothers charge...

I pushed my forces up even though my plan had been backfired a bit. The Thenns would not survive Colins first activation next turn

TURN 2

Knowing they were going to be wiped out, I had fortunately gotten Coordination Tactics and therefore played the card on them and Raiders, taking the insignificant to deny a VP.

Sure enough they died, and the Sworn Brothers surged forth out of my charge arcs. Colin also played Take the Black to heal them and recruit Styr. Things weren't looking good, but while my plan may have not worked as I'd hoped I was still committed so sent the Mammoth into the Rangers

But my attacks were poor and invited the inevitable rear charge

But I did pass my panic check

And used Craste to heal up as much as possible and try to keep me in the game

Alas, the Rangers swift strike and quickfire combination did for the Mammoth, But it did expose their flank to my Raiders, while controlling the left objective. I'd sent the Skinchangers unit into the Veterans on the centre, which I knew would be painful but was necessary for my next cunning plan...

Yeah, the Bears were coming. Colin had thought I'd taken the objective in turn 1 thus slowing me down, but I hadn't reached it. Oversight on his part and a glimmer of hope for me...

I did well and the veterans failed their panic check, giving me the objective

END OF TURN 2

FREEFOLK 2 VP's (2 objectives)

NIGHT'SWATCH 1 VP (1 unit)

BOARD AT END OF TURN 2

With first activation, I had to hope the Bears could kill the Veterans to stay in this fight

I took the swords and lashed out, using Overwhelming Assault to get re-rolls

With a combination of those re-rolls, flank, sundering and precision, as well as the vicious flank attack, the Veterans died. I surged forwards up to threaten the conscripts but figured they'd move off

Colin instead healed up the Rangers who wiped out my left side Raiders, allowing me to charge into and wipe out the Conscripts. I also managed to get the Skinchangers Raiders out of danger and Colin sent the Sworn Brothers towards the objective on the right

END OF TURN 3

FREEFOLK 5 VP's (2 Units, 3 objectives)

NIGHT'S WATCH 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective)

Think Colin made a mistake not moving the conscripts, thought leaving the raiders was sensible as he needed to start scoring off both objectives to close points gap

TURN 4

I got lucky and pulled Endless Horde, putting it on the lone Skinchanger so that when Colin killed them I got a Raider Unit back on. Sure enough, Colin charged in and wiped them out, healing up and taking the Raid Leader with Take the Black.

I brought the unit on behind the Sworn brothers and activated next to charge them into their rear. I didn't hold much hope of beating them but wanted to try and keep Colin off the objective and distracted.

As it was, the Sworn brothers took a beating

I healed up my bears and brought them up slowly to help the raiders but Colin was smart enough to retreat out of a futile melee and took the right objective

END OF TURN 4

FREEFOLK 6 VP's (2 units, 4 objectives)

NIGHT'S WATCH 4 VP's (1 unit, 3 objectives)

We'd both did the arithmetic and I needed to take an objective or lose on points on table as Colin wasn't killing my bears

TURN 5

I cocked up. I put Mance (who looks like Jon Snow) on the swords, then realised I had meant to charge with my Raiders. Total brain fart!!! Still, was trying to deny it to Colin anyway.

Instead, Colin charged me and I fared well

easily passing morale.

Another error by me saw me attack but do no damage, which allowed Aemon to heal the unit up!!!

And then Greg announced 15 minute warning, "Don't start a new round"... I could lie and say Colin pleaded with puppy eyes and quivering lip but we both said to Greg we could finish another round so he said fine. Well, assault order saw my Raiders die and Colin pass the crown panic I tried to get him to drop the token.

END OF TURN 5

FREEFOLK 7 VP's (2 units, 5 objectives)

NIGHTS WATCH 6 VP's (1 unit, 5 objectives)

TURN 6

Colin took the crown, and I dropped the objective but then picked it up. We passed unit activations

END OF GAME

NIGHTS WATCH 8 VP's (1 unit, 7 objectives)

FREE FOLK 8 VP's (2 units, 6 objectives)

Well, it was (as always) great fun, intense and damn close. To be fair I didn't deserve to win and it shouldn't have been so tight at the end, as I made too many basic unforced errors, and bar the Conscripts and not realising my Bears were not on the right side, Colin didn't. I got some cards at the right time to keep me in it, but when it came down to No more rounds, it would have been morally reprehensible to even consider not asking Greg for us to complete the game (which we easily did in time). So, yet another draw against Colin...

BEST PAINTED UNIT

ELLIOTT COULBECK'S RANGER TRACKERS

MY OWN FROZEN SHORE BEAR RIDERS

JOHN WALL'S VARAMYR SIX-SKINS

THE WINNER: PAUL WHITEHEAD'S LANNISTER CROSSBOWMEN

GAME 3

PAUL "SPYKR" ADEN

GREYJOYS

A CLASH OF KINGS

Blurry arms due to flapping them like a wee bird, nowt to do with vaseline on the lens or shaky old me!

I resorted to my Mance list as missed my Spearwives (I'm convinced

that was what I was thinking when I took swords in last round of last game) House Harlaw Reapers withDagmer Cleftjaw - Master-At-Arms (C) Silenced Men Lysene Sellswords with Euron Greyjoy - Crow's Eye Ironborn Bowmen Drowned Men NCU's Wendamyr Tycho Nestoris Rodrik Harlaw Aden was definitely up for the fight with a solid list

Aden deployed centrally with Dagmar and his Harlaw Reapers on my left, the Lysene Sellswords (dark tray based reavers), Silenced Men (with Drowned men behind the centre two units). The Bowmen brought up the right

Terrain was a pair of Weirwood on my side ( I won the roll and choice), corpse pile centre and stakes on right before the objective.

I kept the spearwives off for outflank and set up raiders left and far right, with Trappers left of Mammoth which was left of the Bears going down centre

TURN 1

Aden opted to go second, so I took the letters, Aden took the horses, I took swords and changed to movement, Wendamyr took bags and swapped for a token.

Aden spent some of Wendamyr's tokens to try and get a trun 1 charge into the Mammoth with the Lysene Sellswords but fell short

I played There's Too Many and the pirates lost a man (also lost one due to Euron)

TURN 2

With Aden going first, I deployed my Spearwives in the Reapers flank, expecting Aden to react to the threat

But Aden is a definite non-conformist and sent his Lysene into my Bear Riders. With Euron attached it does suffer wounds but gets 9 attacks with precision. The unit took 6 wounds from the attack

But passed their panic check

I took the swords to use Charging volley on the spearwives who hit the flank of the Reapers. Aden then activated a NCU but I played Wildling diplomacy. Aden proceeded but before he used the bags I targeted the Drowned men for D3+1 wounds

They barely survived, losing three wounds. Aden decided to heal them back up. The Harlaw Reapers had cut down my spearwives and healed up from Drowned Men, a card play and Tycho Nestoris. A lot of healing to keep them in it

So I healed them up with Regroup and Reform, as well as swapping in the Raid Leader.

Just in time for the Mammoth to stomp 'em!!!

Eight hits from seven attacks thanks to critical blow, with sundering

Aye, they hung on grimly though...

Sadly, WE DO NOT SOW allowed Aden to attack a gain with full attacks thanks the Iron Price. And the two pillage spent were recovered by wiping out the spearwives. Nice play, though a lot of healing had been spent to do it)

The Drowned men then flanked my Mammoth,as ore of a nuisance we both thought.

Yeah, three hits, all saved. Nothing to see here...

The Silenced Men had aided the Reapers with raiding Call took the Centre objective, while I took both flank ones (after the Bowmen had moved up I might add).

END OF TURN 2

GREYJOYS 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective)

FREEFOLK 2 VP's (2 objectives)

TURN 3

Using the Swords, my Bears mauled the Lysene who survived due to What is Dead may never die

Aden played The Iron price and elected to heal 2 Lysene by removing 1 pillage. As he went to activate an NCU, I played Wildling Diplomacy. Kicking himself for not taking two pillage tokens off (restoring the unit to 6 wounds isntead of 4) Aden passed rather than risk losing the Pirates

Could have killed them that pirates with D3 +1 wounds but...

The Reapers fairly laid into the Mammoth

Scoring 6 hits, and did four flipping wounds!!!!

I had Craster heal the beast up by swapping out horses and his once per game. My Bears also savaged the Lysene again

The game was getting very tight and fraught with risk, so Mance gambled and tried a charge into the last two Lysene. And failed, leaving enough sight for the Silenced Men to see their flank

After the Lysene attacked the Bears, dropping them to 6 wounds, I used Diversion tactics to bring the Raiders off the right to get in charge range. I made the charge and dropped the pirates to two men (again)

The Mammoth took another battering from the Reapers with We Do not Sow, leaving it on 4 wounds. And then the Drowned Men activated, doing three more!!!

END OF TURN 3

GREYJOYS 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective)

FREEFOLK 3 VP's (3 objectives)

The Silenced men had lost two men due to my Trappers Hidden Traps and crossing the corpse pile denied them re-rolls but my Trappers were still savaged. however, I used Regroup and reform to swap Mance out next activation and heal up to 3 ranks which meant I contested the centre objective.

BOARD END OF TURN 3

TURN 4

Activating off the Swords, the Lysene Sellswords attacked my Raiders but didn't finish them off. Aden used Knowledge paid in Iron on Lysene as knew they were doomed to look at my hand and discard a card. Sadly, only had the two left and all my units were currently engaged anyway...

When I attacked with my raiders, I finished off those tough little Lysene Sellswords

Aden realised the threat my Bear riders posed to his Silenced Men, so he took the horses and retreated them back away. I was a bit surprised by this, as the Trappers were looking ripe for cleaving. Still, I then activated my Trappers who shifted up onto the centre objective and killed three silenced Men. Aden then activated the remaining two guys in the unit, so I called Hidden Traps... And the two hits resulted in two wounds!!! Ouch, Aden wasn't happy with himself!!! It was a real turning point in such a close game!!!

Still, I wasn't one to waste a lucky break and activated the Mammoth before he died (one wound left). I figured I could knock a wound or two of the Drowned Men, which I could then kill when it died (maybe)

Hmmm, yeah, maybe... 6 attacks on 4+ without rerolls yielded a measly 8 hits due to critical blow.

Aden failed 6 saves taking 3 wounds. And Aden's luck kept plummeting, as the corpse pile he'd placed meant he failed his panic, losing the last wound and adding to a pretty awful round for him.

I lost some Trappers to shooting from the Bowmen

But despite the flank and corpse pile still managed to pass the panic

I had Mance abandon the left side objective as I secured the centre as Aden tried a long range charge at Mance, but he failed to get in. I then charged in the unactivated Bears to tie them up

Aden used some card chicanery to heal the unit pretty impressively, along with the bags and a Wendamyr token, but with 15miute warning going, Aden couldn't pull it back and had lost heart for the battle

END OF TURN 4 (& Game)

FREEFOLK 7 VP's (3 units, 5 objectives)

GREYJOYS 3 VP's (2 units, 1 objective)

Oh man, I really felt for Aden in Turn 4. There is bad luck and bad luck but everything just shifted in turn 4. 2-2 end of Turn 2, an incredible turn 3 where neither of us achieved much, a real stalemate with me eeking out a single objective on right and Mance barely escaping (I did also use his Counter strategy before he left to stop something good happening for Aden). And then, the Greyjoy's simply imploded. Dice was a major factor for me, as they always have been. But it really could have went either way in that game...

Jamie Scott got Wooden Spoon Trophy with his Baratheons

Paul Whitehead got Best Painted Unit (off of a happy looking Greg)

I placed second (on secondary points) and Greg is still smiling

He even managed a smile in giving his big brother another first place trophy.

COLIN DEANE - UNDEFEATED WINNER

Jamie Scott got Most Sporting opponent with his Baratheons

Second place trophy and dice

Really smooth and chilled event Greg, many thanks we all had a ball.

Been a great start to the UK event wise and really pleased to see Mance hasnt been unfairly handled. Freefolk are still strong but not as silly as they once were. Objective based missions is till their strength. Still, going over the wall to the Watch for my next event back in Stirling