Tuesday 10 October 2023

3 Game Battle report: London Grand Tournament Day 2

With a second late night, and early rise for me and a few others worse for wear, we headed back for the second half of the LGT with Greg and I playing in and around the bottom tables while Ray, Colin, Andy and Ste were still up and around contention for Best in Faction...

Having failed to make much impression with Victarion, I decided to run Asha all day as it makes writing the report so much easier.

ASHA LIST

Silenced Men with Asha Greyjoy - The Kraken's Daughter (C) & Qarl - Asha's Champion

Ironborn Reavers with Warsworn

Ironborn Reavers with Warsworn

Drowned Men

Ironborn Trappers

Ironborn Bowmen NCU's

Lord Varys and Erik Ironmaker


GAME 5

 TOM "TOM" SIMMS

FREE FOLK

SCENARIO: A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

I'd not played Tom before but met him at the Welsh GT earlier in the year as he'd travelled over with Karl and Jamie (who I did get battered of off). He is one of the Chelmsford bunker crew, same group running this years event. Paul and Jamie did a really good job, I may have been a bit remiss in not stressing that in my earlier reports but when doing them I am bobbing in and out and my concentration does wander... kind alike its doing now!!!

Anyway, I was really hoping he ran Mag over Styr, cos Mag was a double Mammoth list with outflanking Spearwives. What a hero!!! (Mammoths are best unit in the game by far, although I do miss the random trample)

And Tom obliged. I'd already told him I was running Asha



Mag the Mighty - Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg (C)
Wun Wun

War Mammoth
War Mammoth
Spearwives with Jarl - Advance Raid Leader NCU's
Craster & Mance Rayder
Ok, so chatting meant I didn't get the set up picture but you can still work it out....

TERRAIN: Stakes, Corpse pile and a pair of Weirwoods

FREEFOLK: Mammoth, Mag, Wun Wun, Mammoth. (Spearwives outflanking)

GREYJOYS: Reavers, Silenced Men, Bowmen, Drowned men, Reavers
and Trappers

TURN 1

I went first and Tom kept the Spearwives off. We both pushed up aggressively,
but I protected the bowmen.

Board End of Turn 1


I took the letters, while Tom took the Horses and Crown. I did have a considerable activation advantage with the Spearwives off board


TURN 2

Tom activated Mag the Mighty, playing Engage and barrelling into my left side Reavers


I had Erik take the bags to heal them up some and give a pillage to the Silenced Men


Tom used the swords to allow Mag to swing again


It was part of my cunning plan to keep him pinned as i played What is Dead May Never Die. Sadly, the unit was killed before the panic check, and then they failed it...


Allowing Mag to Overrun into the flank of my Silenced Men. 


Fortunately, Tom had no re-rolls coming off the corpse piles so only killed four


until I snake-eyed the panic check...


Fortunately, I activated the unit and healed up off of Raiding Call using Trappers and attacked back


With eight attacks on 3+ and a minus two save for Mag...


I managed to do one wound (and one from Qarl)


Tom decided to forego another attack on activation and played "Shrug it Off" to heal Mag


On the other flank, my reduced Trappers were hit hard by a Mammoth, dropping me to a single man as Tom rolled well with his attacks despite disrupt


Varys took the crown


And caused a few wounds on Mag with the corpse pile and -2 from the Silence Men


The Drowned Men healed up my Silenced Men. And Mance the Bard was proving a pain by reducing my ability to to use zones or influence...


Wun Wun barrelled into the Trappers, easily dispatching the last man.


This allowed my right Warsworn's Reavers to smack into the Mammoth doing five wounds


END OF TURN 2

FREE FOLK 2 VP's (2 units)

GREYJOYS 0 VP's

Tactics Board at End of Turn 2


TURN 3 

The Spearwives came on behind my right Reavers

Activating off the swords, the Silenced Men attacked Mag needing to do two wounds...


Qarl did one, and I scored three hit


And the big fella fell (although he went down swinging)


Wun Wun then got a free attack form Last of their kind


My Reavers lost four men to the melee...


But they still bottled it and three more died.


I activated the warsworn Reavers and Tom played Monsters from the North


But I passed that panic thankfully with the help of the Weirwood and +1 morale from pillage


I only scored one hit, but the Mammoth failed the panic check and died...


I think in the heat of battle (and only by seeing the pictures) that I didn't take the D3 wounds from the dead Mammoth.


The other Mammoth had attacked my Silenced men, relatively ineffectually and taken a wound from my passing the panic.


My archers shooting in the flank did another two, plus one from when I passed the panic from shooting into combat


Before I used We Do Not Sow to get another attack and used The Krakens Wrath 


This allowed me to score 3 Precision hits and the second Mammoth died by failing one of the two other hits. I did take two wounds from that Mammoth landing on me.


The Spearwives finally got to play and missed with all their spear throws but charged in to wipe out the Reavers...


I still hadn't activated the Silenced Men but they weren't in a position to help the bowmen this turn


Wun Wun hadn't activated either, and used his to shift back to take the objective while hurling a boulder at my bowmen. It must have been a big one cos it flattened half the unit


And two more ran away from the panic...


My Silenced Men marched up and took the centre objective


END OF TURN 3

FREE FOLK 4 VP's (3 units, 1 objective)

GREYJOYS 4 VP's (3 units, 1 objective)


TURN 4

Taking the swords with the Bard (who influenced my Silent Men), the Spearwives missed again with the Javelins against the bowmen but they easily wiped them out after charging them


This Bard fella was proving a real pain as I couldn't heal off the bags


So I took the horses and moved my Drowned Men out of charge arc of the Spearwives


We jockeyed around and I moved the Drowned men up close enough to heal the Silenced Men


The Spearwives got a charged off and caused three wounds on the Drowned Men


I tried a crown zap


But the Spearwives passed. I couldnt charge them due to the Drowned Men not dying!!!


END OF TURN 4

FREE FOLK 6 VP's (4 units, 2 objectives)

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


TURN 5

I healed the Silenced Men up from Drowned Men and by taking the bags. The Spearwives killed the Drowned Men off the swords and backed off leaving them just within charge range if I rolled a six.So I played the Iron Price for a re-roll and rolled


I didn't need the re-roll as I got the 6 required first time out. I rolled eight dice and kille eight wives, before Tom failed the panic to lose the unit...


I moved up to within 5+ charge range, to give Wun Wun a chance to get in but he failed the charge rather dismally


END OF TURN 5

FREE FOLK 8 VP's (5 units, 2 objectives)

GRYJOYS 7 VP's (4 units, 2 objectives)


TURN 6

I charged Wun Wun and dropped him to his last wound. I was rolling 8 attack dice and Qarl auto wounded. In doing so, I realised when I killed the spearwives, I should have only rolled 7 dice as I was supposed to take a pillage off with the Iron price card for re-rolls. So I shouldn't have been able to wipe them out.
Anyway, Tom was about to attack off the swords after asking if there was anyway I could get another attack off with the Silenced Men. i answered honestly, no. But did tell him if I passed a panic check he would take a wound. Nothing hidden between friends. So he healed off the bags instead.


I then took the crown and Wun Wun panicked for two more wounds, leaving him on 4 wounds


Tom was mulling over getting a few attacks in, but in the end he did the sensible thing and retreated bringing and end to an epic game...


END OF TURN 6 (and Game)

FREE FOLK 9 VP's (5 units, 4 objectives)

GREYJOYS 8 VP's (4 units, 4 objectives)


I had many great games over the weekend(with a few more still to come but this was the best of them. 
Like many of the others it was very swingy, and close and at least I didn't get tabled in this one. W simply just swapped units turn after turn, and Tom simply killed one more than me. I made an error with the extra dice v the Spearwives, but made good by telling Tom if he attacked he risked dying. A brilliant game, want to dig out Mag now and play him with two Mammoths...


PAINTING

I don't have the owners names I'm afraid, just enjoy the armies

























GAME 6 

Chris "L33t TEDDY" Eustace

LANNISTERS

SCENARIO: A FEAST FOR CROWS

Chris and I have met at countless events, and we're sure we've played but just can't recall when, or where, or even if it was ASOIF. Anyway, neither of us was firing on all cylinders so faced each other down at the bottom end, with one win from 5 games. At least one of us would be on the up afterwards...


Chris's Lannisters

Golden Company Swordsmen with Kevan Lannister - Protector of the Realm (C)
Knights of Casterly Rock
Lannister Crossbowmen with Bronn - The Sellsword
Lannister Guardsmen with Tyrion Lannister - The Giant of Lannister NCU's
Pycelle, Petyr Baelish and Cersei Lannister

SET UP

TERRAIN: Corpse pile, Weirwood, Bog, Stakes, Weirwood, Corpse pile

LANNISTERS: Crossbowmen, Knights of Casterly Rock, Golden Company, Guardsmen

GREYJOY: Reavers, Trappers, Bowmen, Drowned Men, Silenced Men, Reavers


TURN 1

I opted to go first, taking the letters. Chris had Baelish take the swords before I took the crown.


and dropped three Guardsmen from the failed panic. We both advanced up, although I manouvered and kept the bowmen back


I kept Reavers far left to draw out the Knights to allow me to concentrate on the right side, but Chris simply thrust the Golden Company into my face!!!


TURN 2

Chris wasn't subtle, going first and charging in off of the Crown zone. I am so used to seeing Kevan in crossbows shooting, forgot he could charge!!!


They scored 8 hits, but I did manage to save 3 and passed the panic to heal one too.


And played Ironborn Mettle to heal another three...


I took the swords and attacked back, and had Qarl assassinate Kevan!!! Woohoo!!!!


Sadly, the death of their paymaster seemed to enrage the golden Company who activate and hacked Qarl and the Silenced Men to bits. And Asha failed her panic check and ran away!!! Still, the GC weren't on the Corpse pile so couldn't claim the objective


I decided to take the fight to them anyway, charging in the Trappers


who were awesome on the charge!!! And then I got to take the Horses and retreat away and steal the objective


Tyrion and his Guardsmen charged in to try and wrestle the objective off me, which they just managed to do with a failed panic...


The Drowned men took the objective given out by the Silenced men's demise


And when my Bowmen failed a Lannister Supremacy check after shooting the Knights, Chris played Fealty to the Crown to heal up the Golden Company...


END OF TURN 2

GREYJOYS 2 VP's (2 objectives)

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

The Cavalry and Golden Company had me boxed in, and my Trappers were in a battle of attrition against a tougher opponent. This wasn't looking good.


Tactics Board End of Turn 2


TURN 3

I had Erik take the swords and attacked with the Trappers.


I killed a few but the Lannister Supremacy really stung...


Chris took the bags 


and had the Crossbowmen with Bronn shoot my left side Reavers...


dropping them down to half their number.


I retreated out of melee with my Trappers using the Horses, allowing Chris to take the crown.


To try and panic the Trappers off the board. And played Hear Me Roar to make certain. They died!!!


Creating another corpse pile (which could just about fit in)


The Knights of Caterly Rock charged into the Drowned Men, with the Corpse pile preventing re-rolls


And I only took 2 wounds from the charge thanks to another trio of sixes...


I activated the Drowned men, who retreated onto the Trappers Corpse pile...


Sadly, on my left the Crossbowmen shifted up and shot my Reavers to down to 3 men...


with a rather hefty panic fail to really rub it in...


My Warsworn had charged into Tyrion and his Guardsmen and relieved them of the objective. 
The Golden Company charged in and wiped my Reavers out. Tyrion himself would finish off the Warsworn and retrieve it.


END OF TURN 3

HOUSE LANNISTER: 7 VP's (4 units, 3 objectives)

HOUSE GREYJOY: 3 VP's (3 objectives)

Tactics Board End of Turn 3


BOARD AT END OF TURN 3


TURN 4

The Golden Company charged the flank of the bowmen... No words are necessary to describe the ensuing carnage!!!


The  Knights of the Casterly Rock charged over more corpses and failed to kill the Drowned Men again. I healed off their own order and took the swords attacking back and killing a Knight!!! 


A failed crown attack meant my Drowned men then got to activated and amazingly killed another Knight!!!


And my joy was unreal as another Knight dropped to the failed panic check. Giving me the token!!!


Chris played the Turn out, with my valiant Drowned Men holding the moral high ground (albeit on top of the corpses of their fellow Iron Born!!!)

END OF TURN 4 (and Game)

LANNISTERS 10 VP's (5 units, 5 objectives)

GREYJOYS 4 VP's (4 objectives)

 
Chris totally outplayed me on this one, the Golden Company and Guardsmen were just too tough for me, the crossbows outshot me and the Knights took the battle at a canter. The Drowned Men did me proud, suggesting the dice gods have not totally abandoned me. It was a good game, but my Silenced Men and Asha dying in exchange for Kevan definitely gave Chris the edge. Look forward to playing Chris again again, it was an easy win for him and not sure why that felt the case, but I'll try harder next time...

GAME 7

With five defeats (four crushing) I was now on the bottom table facing one of the Geordie Gangsta's (Dead Meta were well represented in the lower echelons) and while I'd have happily played any of them, seemed like it was Steve's luck that he got to face me again. I got to play him at Leeds earlier in the year, after we spent a lovely evening eating curry at Stirling. After the usual banter of calling me Irish, Steve was out for blood to try and win his first game having had a losing "draw" with Greg in round 6. And then I saw his list...

STEPHEN "Blazinblackbear" IVISON

LANNISTERS

SCENARIO: A GAME OF THRONES


House Bolton Blackguards with Tywin Lannister - Lord of Casterly Rock (C)
Lannister Guardsmen
Lannister Guardsmen
House Clegane Brigands
Lannister Halberdiers NCU's
Pycelle, The High Sparrow & Tyrion Lannister

SET UP

We played the objectives blind as, well why not, it's more fun.

TERRAIN: Corpse Pile, Weirwood, Weirwood and Stakes

LANNISTERS: Guardsmen, Blackguard, Guardsmen, Halberdiers and Clegane Brigands

GREYJOYS: Reavers, Silenced Men, Bowmen, (Drowned Men behind), Reavers, Trappers


View from the Bottom Table


TURN 1

I had Erik take the Letters first, Ste had Tyrion take the Crown to drop a couple of Trappers on my right before I took the Horses.


to move the Trappers up next to the Stakes (I destroyed them next activation)


The Guardsmen shuffled up as I marched up the centre


I protected the Bowmen but the last activation was the Clegane Brigands moving right up the flank...


TURN 2

Stephen was first activation and this looked like it was going to be a straight up grind!!!


Activating the Brigands, they went hammering into my Trappers


I failed all five hits, unsurprisingly...


And lost three more men to the panic


I could have attacked from the swords, but activated instead so I could use Raiding Call which Ste countered with Counterplot


Fortunately, he rolled a 2 on the dice so I healed up before attacking. But I only scored two wounds


Ste tookthe swords and attacked back, cutting the Trappers down and surging up behind my lines


I took the Horses to reposition my Reavers on the right, ready to charge the Brigands while Ste took the bags and played Bribery...


The Reavers charged in and didnt even need the Vulnerable to cut down the Brigands to five wounds left.


I then had Varys take the crowns and played We Do Not Sow, which Ste counterplotted successfuly.


And then went and failed the crown attack for 3 wounds anyway...


I had placed both Erik tokens I had on the Silenced Men but with Guardsmen on thier flank, Ste felt good and charged them with his BlackGuard. I passed my panic check and so the Blackguard took a wound. I healed my two wounds with Drowned men, then attacked, passing the horrific Visage panic check and causing a wound to the blackguard in doing so...


With the Krakens Wrath, I had Precision, rerolls and they were vulnerable with -2 armour save


It was like a knife through butter, as they dropped to two men, but at least Tywin survived a Qarl assassination attempt.


A long range charge by the Guardsmen to protect the flank failed and was made worse by losing three men to the failed panic roll


And five more died from the Reavers charge


END OF TURN 2

HOUSE LANNISTER 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective) 

HOUSE GREYJOY 0 VP's

BOARD AT END OF TURN 2

The Halberdiers had marched up to take the right objective and threaten my bowmen and Reavers


TURN 3

Erik on the Swords saw me attack with the Silenced Men. Well, they passed the Horrific Visage causing a wound and then Qarl just caused a wound so the Blackguard and Tywin died


I surged onto the centre and then turned to face the Lannister guardsmen...


Start of next turn i healed up the Bowmen I had lost to crown attack last turn


But the Halberdiers charged the flank of the Reavers. I charged in with Drowned Men


They were proving to be awesome warriors against Lannister cavalry as with the vulnerable token, the Brigands died


On the left flank, Subjugation of power denied me sundering and the Reavers failed to dent the Guardsmen much


Two Guardsmen died but two survived. I passed my Lannister Supremacy check though


Activating an NCU


I played We Do Not Sow but Tyrion dived in to get Counterplot and blocked it


So again I used the Crown but despite the Silenced Men, the Guardsmen were resolute



Tyrion on the bags healed the Guardsmen up to five men



On the right, I retreated the Reavers away.


The Guardsmen retreated away from the Silenced Men, who rather that charge after them, turned ready to flank the engaged ones and retain centre objective.


END OF TURN 3

HOUSE LANNISTER 3 VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)

HOUSE GREYJOY 3 VP's (2 units, 1 objective)

TURN 4

I charged into the guardsmen's flank with the Silenced Men, arl doing an auto wound


All 8 attacks hit well 


and with a save of 6+ the Guardsmen died.


Ste took the Horses to reposition the Halberdiers


And I used my last Varys token to shift the Bowmen back towards the Halberdiers flank


The Drowned Men were a nice wee buffer to prevent them being charged.


I took the Swords and managed to score all 6 hits with rerolls, and Ste failed all 6 rolls, with another two dead from the failed panic


Tyrion on the Crowns failed to panic my Reavers on the right


And I activated my Bowmen again to kill the last two Halberdiers...


The Guardsmen failed to charge the Drowned Men


I healed my right Reavers with Varys on the Bags as The High Sparrow took the letters, weakening the same Reaver unit


I charged the Guardsmen with the Drowned Men and failed to hit, losing a wound to Lannister supremacy. I then made a 4+ charge with the Reavers (healed further by the Drowned Men)


And despite the weakened, I scored 8 hits. Ste did roll a good few saves...


END OF TURN 4

BOARD AT END OF TURN 4


HOUSE GREYJOY 7 VP's (4 units, 3 objectives)

HOUSE LANNISTER 3VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)

TURN 5

I healed two more Reavers with the Drowned Men before taking the Swords with Erik and attacking with them


I rolled well again


And decimated the unit, activating them next to finish them off after Ste had taken the Crown


BOARD AT END OF TURN 5 (and GAME)


HOUSE GREYJOY 9 VP's (5 units, 4 objectives)

HOUSE LANNISTER 3 VP's (1 unit, 2 objectives)


PRIZE SUPPORT & AWARDS



The Rotterdam Whitescars lads in attendance made a video of the prize giving at end 
which is better than my shaky pics...



FIRST PLACE


Just look at that wee excited face!

Unbeaten in seven games, Carlo Connor-Hill collects first place prize


Greg "Greggers" Deane won Most Sporting Opponent
 (and he finished above me!!!)


Andy "Lord Robbo" finished Top Targaryen
 (there were only 3, and Nigel and Alan from DMG were the opposition)


And Raymond "Mr Ray" was Top Baratheon
(finishing a respectable 9th, and 4th top Brit after Carlo, Mickey and Isaac)

Oddly enough he only started playing well after his Friday night selfie with Mickey, so perhaps the key to success is to do that whenever you see Mickey. I think you should all give it a try....


And a special mention for Stephen Ivison, losing all seven games to claim the wooden Spoon but always smiling and laughing...



Just like the rest of the DMG guys...



SUMMARY

A big congratulations to Paul Winter, Jamie and the other Chelmsford bunker lads who organised and ran the event. All the more so as Paul was also running MESBG and Warmaster (both of which had beautiful scenery and table set ups, something I do miss with ASOIF).

The social evenings were class, great to meet up with many old foes (or friends) and all ten games were great. I could lament my luck, but actually, it was pretty "normal" (not up to my above average standard). There were a few games where I played poorly, but overall my opponents played better and they deserved to win. i had seven great games, even in defeat and overall I finished bottom of the Wardens of the North-West, 49th of 58 with Ray being the new "top dog" of the Wardens in 9th. October off for events now, but looking forward to visiting Dead Meta Gaming and their Lords of War team event where I'll be sure to let St and Andy down...

OTHER UK EVENTS

                              



Northampton
Dates as above

--------------------------------------------------

Morton Park Way, Darlington, UK

Sat Nov 11 2023


MORE INFO



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


COVENTRY GT

11/12th NOVEMBER

Centre AT7, Bell Green Road, Coventry UK

TICKET LINK

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LEODIS GAMES

26th NOVEMBER

BATTLE IN THE CRIMSON SNOW


TICKET LINK TO FOLLOW


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RIBBLE RUMBLE 
(My event)

MORE PLACES MADE AVAILABLE

ELEMENT GAMES, STOCKPORT

DECEMBER 2nd/3rd 2023

3 Games Saturday, 2 Sunday 2.25hrs each game. Nice chilled lists appreciated, newcomers welcome.

---------------------------------------------------

2024

THE WELSH GT 2024


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Gunman Airsoft - Eversley Alpha, The Welsh Drive, Eversley, Hook, UK


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