Ray and I headed down to Justplay for out first game since the update.

Haven't played Ray for a while, he managed to turn up early and even his list wasn't too bad. Hmm, these new rules changes are having an immediate impact!!! Although he wanted to try out the Golden Company Swordsmen (like most people I suppose), he really was just wanting to see how his Stannis lads would do.

Alas, we were both on 7 activations, so we didn't get to try out the "pass" shenanigans. I won't lie, not really a fan for two reasons: I tend to favour more activations of dross than quality, and if I ever have less activations, I'll be sure to get too excited about killing things that I'll forget to pass (as I do with 3 NCU's. But have to say, on the whole, as usual, CMON's changes should be applauded rather than whinged about. Anyway, going off at a tangent, here's the "durty" Baratheons...

 Baratheon Sentinels with Stannis Baratheon - The One True King (C)

 R'hllor Lightbringers with Bryen Farring - King's Squire 

 Golden Company Swordsmen 

  R'hllor Faithful with Stag Knight Noble 

NCU's

Axell Florent, Selyse and Shireen and Jaqen H'ghar 

I'd chosen Night's Watch to face Ray as I like the Shadow Tower spearmen and

was excited about their 3+ armour. Simple as that. My list was as below...

Veterans of the Watch with Jeor Mormont -

997th Lord Commander (C) Conscripts Shadow Tower Spearmen with Senior Builder Builder Scorpion Crew with

Scorpion Modifications - Builder Coldhands - Mysterious Ally NCU's Othell Yarwyck Aemon

TERRAIN: Palisades top and bottom left, wood in centre, Weirwood on right

BARATHEONS: Lightbringers, GC Swordsmen, Faithful, Evil "Satanis" and his Sentinels

NIGHT's WATCH: Coldhands, Shadow Tower Spearmen, Scorpion, The Venerable Jeor Mormont commanding his valiant Veteran Brethren, Conscripts

I planned to hold the centre with my Spearmen, while the Scorpion would move up and control the right with fire while the veterans smashed up the right side with conscripts supplying aid behind them. Coldhands was to either take left objective or brave the fire

and hunt the Lightbringers

TURN 1

So after I had to choose sides, Ray opted to go second. We moved up as you do, though i took Letters first and Ray took the horses to move up the Lightbringers. Ray was more aggressive than I expected, dropping a few sentinels from my Scorpion...

As it was, I decided the Veterans could use Coldhands help on the right so brought him around

Tactics Board End of Turn 1

BOARD END OF TURN 2

TURN 2

Ray went first and moved up his Faithful up off the horses, so I killed two with Scorpion order. This allowed the Sentinels to move up off their order. I simply charged the Sentinels.

Ray then shot with the swords, killing 3 spearmen before Ray healed up off the bags after I shot the Faithful with the Scorpion...

After the Spearmen were attacked, I'd given the Conscripts Watcher on the Walls which they used to charge the Sentinels...

Scoring a respectable five hits...

But Ray saved well, then used some cards because he passed morale and ended up just two wounds short of full strength.

I plinked a few more Faithful with Othell on the Wall (crown)

While the Golden Company took the centre objective, and my Spearmen charged them through woods, so they were on 2+ save. I didn't kill one, so he passed morale and killed one of mine...

On the right, King Stannis and his Sentinels didnt like the counterstrike on my Veterans so attacked the Conscripts, using "In R'hllors Name" to gain sundering before rolling absolutely bobbins... Disrupt from the Veterans meant he need fives!!! As he didnt destroy a rank, Stannis then took a panic check

I would have laughed but for the fact that the unit was influenced for +1, has Iron resolve and was sat on a Weirwood. So he passed, the jammy git!!!

Ray weighed it up, but decided against charging the Veterans with his weakened R'hllor Faithful...

I moved up then Marched Coldhands into effective "flock" range and take the right objective

BOARD AT END OF TURN 2

TACTICS BOARD AT END OF TURN 2

BARATHEONS 1 VP (1 objective)

NIGHTS WATCH 1 VP (1objective)

TURN 3

I had Othell take swords and get Veterans to attack

With the Swords in the Darkness tokens backfiring from Stags Wit, I managed to kill five but Ray healed one for passing his morale

Ray then healed up, while I used the Horses to reposition the Scorpion to avoid being charged by the Rhllor Faithful

As per below...

I managed to kill a Swordsmen with one of my scorpion bolts. I'd also loaded the spearmen with cards

and they attacked well. Ray decided not to use his defensive order...

And lost four men as a result...

But the spearmen were now being shot in the flank, and were losing men themselves

And with their order to attack, the Golden Company cut them down to two remaining...

After I moved Coldhands up, not quite taking the objective, Stannis and his Sentinels savaged my Conscripts, who retreated before dropping down to one via a crown attack. The R'hllor Faithful again didn't do much but jiggle a bit to threaten more than the Veterans of whom they were rightly scared...

TACTICS BOARD END OF TURN 3

BARATHEONS 2 VP's (2 objectives)

NIGHT'S WATCH 2VP's (2 objectives)

BOARD AT END OF TURN 3

TURN 4

No real surprise, Ray took the Swords and had the Lightbringers bring Fire to enlighten the Shadow Tower spearmen, wiping them out with ease...

I countered by Aemon taking the bags to heal six Conscripts, while Ray then hit them with Crown for three wounds. So I swung Coldhands around the rear of the Sentinels and charging them, dropping them down to six again...

Ray took the Horses to move up the Lightbringers, while I attacked with the Veterans after healing two wounds with Supply aid after the Sentinels had passed morale check and wounded Coldhands, as well as doing one from Final strike after Coldhands had attacked.

The Sentinels activated and declared an attack on Coldhands. I used Flock and with disrupt, Ray needed sixes on his five attacks...

The jammy git scored three... Still I had a 3+ save (actually 4+ cos of sundering)

Well, with three wounds of his four left I only needed to pass one...

That was after Ray had moved his Rhllor Faithful back to assist as well, forgot that. They got shot by the Scorpion for just one wound. Wasn't having much luck targeting infantry

With two units dead, Ray had snuck ahead...

END OF TURN 4

BARATHEONS 5 VP's (3 objectives, 2 units)

NIGHTS WATCH 3 VP's (3 objectives)

TURN 5

I took the swords (after placing Coldhands back on in Stannis flank) and attacked those Sentinels again...

Four hits caused two wounds, but one was healed back with a passed panic...

Ray healed Stannis up again with some card trickery, so I went for it with Coldhands. A Sword in the Darkness made the R'hllor vulnerable and panicked and gave me seven attacks. And Coldhands killed them all!!!

Ray spent a token to allow his Lightbringers to shoot and do 3 wounds on my Scorpion.

But I played Take the Black and healed up my Veterans and grabbed the Stag Knight Noble

Coldhands dropped back to threaten Stannis again, but Ray was wise to me and took the Horses so I couldnt claim the objective. Aemon on the bags allowed my Conscripts to heal well (six)

Attacking the Sentinels again proved utterly futile!!! He kept making his 4+ saves...

And rather than attack, Stannis the Wise tactically retreated!!!

TACTCIS BOARD END OF TURN 5

BOARD END OF TURN 5

HOUSE BARATHEON 7 VP's (5 objectives, 2 units)

BRETHREN OF THE WATCH 5 VP's (4 objectives, 1 unit)

TURN 6

Ray charged in with his Sentinels and. wiped out the Conscripts. This triggered And now his Watch has Ended on my Veterans, so I turned and moved towards the Golden Company!!!

I charged in, confident with my eight attacks and precision, that they're 3+ armour would not help them...

Woo hoo, one wound and seven hits...

Ray was more than a little happy!!! Fair play, I respect lucky dice more than most

Ray took the Bags and healed up.

So I took the Swords... Two wounds and six hits!!!

I kept my dignity and didn't cry. That is some R'hllor blessed HOT dice rolling sir!!!

I had Othell shoot form the wall...

But he didn't do anything either. Ray then retreated his men out with horses. My scorpion hit once killing a sentinel but passed the moral to heal him back...

The Scorpion then died when shot in the flank

And my last act of defiance was a long range flank charge but I failed that with Coldhands...

END OF TURN 6 (and Game)

THE BARATHEON FOLLOWERS OF R'HLLOR 11 VP's

(7 objectives, 4 units)

THE DEPLETED RANKS OF THE NIGHTS WATCH 5 VP's

(4 objectives, 1 unit)

Really good game of attrition and it was so even until Coldhands died. Even with the Spearmen down, I still felt I could do it. But didn't take enough pictures of the Sentinel saves, which were well above average. Ray played well but his better dice definitely were the factor as well as his ability to heal with every panic and, yeah, a clear and deserved win for Mr Ray. I'm going to be running Greyjoy's over next few months to gear up for the LGT...

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