Colin "Kolco" Deane turned up on Thursday with Harmen Uller taking on my man Mance Rayder with his Freefolk horde.
Last time out, Colin's Martell's bested Mag the Mighty, so I was eager for revenge. My Mance list's are always Spearwife heavy, and with 10 activations (8 discounting a bear and a boar) I had an advantage on the board but Colin had Doran Ncu and we were both looking forward to see how he played out.
Free Folk Trappers with Mance Rayder - King Beyond the Wall (C)
Spearwives with Borroq - Boar Skinchanger
Borroq's Boar
Spearwives with Jarl - Advance Raid Leader
Frozen Shore Bear Riders
Free Folk Raiders with Skinchanger (Bear)
Varamyr Sixskins - Master Skinchanger NCU's
Craster & Lady Val
Colin had a lightweight board presence but with Darkstar Retinue &
Harmen in Sand Skirmishers, they'd be tough and Coli's ex-Night's Watch so knows how to
manage with less (fewer) units...
Sand Skirmishers with Harmen Uller - Lord of Hellholt (C)
Darkstar Retinue with High Hermitage Sentinel
Martell Spearmen
Dune Vipers with Daario Naharis - Reckless Mercenary NCU's
Doran Martell, Arianne Martell & Ellaria Sand
TERRAIN: Bog, Weirwood, Corpse Pile, Bog
MARTELLS: Spearmen, Darkstars, Dune Vypers, Sand Skirmishers
FREEFOLK: Varamyr, Bear, Spearwives with Borroq, Boar,
Mance in Trappers, Bear Riders, Raiders with Skinchanger, Spearwives outflank
TURN 1
Ok, a few activations went by before I remembered to take a picture
I'd let Colin take first turn as wanted my Outflankers on Turn 3. Straight away Doran pounced on the water gardens, getting two tokens. Hence why I moved up my right side Raiders, as couldn't take a zone. So he then claimed the Letters with Arianne
I took the Horses with Craster, but swapped it out for a card
Colin marched up aggressively, and I matched him. Arianne had turned off Mance's abilities, thanks to the changes to Boisterous Charisma
Just awaiting the Sand Skirmishers. I felt they were Colin's biggest threat
After I'd taken swords and killed a single Dune Vyper with the Trappers shooting, Ellaria took the Crown and targeted my Trappers, without Mance's5+ leadership!!!
A good start with the dice, requiring a 9+
We were both raring to get stuck in
TURN 2
With first activation, I was spoiled for choice!!! I had 3 units that could shoot from swords, and two of them could then charge..
So I opted for the Big Bears, who managed to kill three from the spear toss (one wound, two failed panic)
And despite no sixes for the critical blow from Overwhelming assault, I mauled another five Vypers, with no misses (so no counterstrike hits). Colin passed the panic, with Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken re-rolls.
Taking the horses allowed the Sand Skirmishers to shoot, rather ineffectually into my Bears flank. I took a few wounds, but passed the panic check
But in passing, Colin looked to heal four wounds up on the Vypers with Spiteful Truce but Mance's Trappers having shot were within short range, so I used his Counter strategy order to cancel it.
I activated the Bears, taking the objective and sadly only managed to kill three, taking a few wounds from counterstrike as I missed with three of my six attacks. In hindsight, should have kept my Overwhelming Assault card for the follow up attack re-rolls when engaged
The Darkstar Retinue charged my Boar, which I had positioned poorly, if only slightly. They easily minced it and overran into the Spearwives, but only killed five. I played Diversion tactics to move my Trappers over where they couldn't be charged by the Sand Skirmishers but could see to shoot the lone Vyper.
They're six shot saw two hits...
And the Sun shone brightly on the Dornish armour saves. Git!!!
Colin took the bags, healing the Vypers up. I'd used Craster on gardens to heal two wives and draw a card.
They should have been dead by now!!!
I activated the Spearwives, who had also been healed up with Crasters once per game ability.
Colin didnt even spend the weakened, as he was too busy laughing!!!
So after my Raiders claimed the right objective, the Skinchanger Bear charged the Darkstars. Needing a 2+, I rolled a one!!!
Are you having a f**king laugh??? Colin did, as well as excited jumping up and down saying, "Take a picture, take a picture"!!! So much for the new Meta...
Fortunately, there was a Weirwood tree but it took us moment to remember it...
The lone Dune Vyper attacked the Bears. Four dice requiring 4+
Shame!!! Karma is a real choker...
I took the left objective with a cavalry move from Varamyr, before he charged the flank of the Darkstars
I didn't do much, but then took the expected rear charge
And I wasn't expecting the Spearmen to actually hit with everything. They never do that well for me...
Again, with hindsight, I should have stayed on the bog after taking the objective...
BOARD END OF TURN 2
END OF TURN 2
HOUSE MARTELL 2 VP's (1 unit, 1 objective)
FREEFOLK 2 VP's (2 objectives)
TURN 3
The Jarl's Spearwives came on behind the Spearmen
Colin activated the Sand Skirmishers who charged in and wiped out the Bears...
And then surged forth and did their order to shoot Mance and his Trappers down...
The Weirwood was cancelled out by the corpse pile, but a 5+ to dish out a new Boisterous Charisma token. Yeah, that's about right for Mance near a Weirwood...
With the Sand Skirmishers unactivated, I played Regroup and Reform to jump Mance to my right side Raiders, bringing over the Skinchanger and some reinforcements to get three ranks. I then activated the Crasterto take the swords, shooting down the last Vyper (only just, 3 hits saw Colin save two)
But this allowed Colin the Water Gardens, and Doran used it to dish out some token effects.
First was to pivot and shift the Spearmen to face the Spearwives, second was to weaken said Spearwives...
Two Darkstars healed and the Bear took a wound
I took the bags to heal up my Spearwives
as the Darkstars had attacked them, killing five
I activated the Spearwives and was hit with Rising Temperatures. Damn!!! So I couldn't play Overwhelming assault for rerolls and critical blow
Again, Colin didn't bother (or rather have to) expend the weakened, as Rising Temperature meant I need a 5+ to hit
Last play from Colin was crown attack on a neutered Mance due to Arianne again!!!
This could cost me the objective!!!
You see, no Weirwood near makes Mance work...
Colin had earlier charged the Spearmen into my Spearwives, but I only dropped a rank. And their attack back saw Colin fail a panic check and give me the objective. With my activation first, I had to try and deal with the Darkstars.
BOARD END OF TURN 3
END OF TURN 3
HOUSE MARTELL 4 VP's (2 units, 2 objectives)
FREEFOLK 5 VP's (1 unit, 4 objectives)
TURN 4
I declined to take the Swords, as I needed the Bear to go which goes after the Skinchangers trappers activated, shifting back and shooting into the flank of the Darkstars. Alas, Colin played his second Rising Temperatures, so the shooting only hit on 5+. However, i did score three hits, dropping two...
The Bear activated straight after, and again, did me over!!! 3 dice on 3's and couldn't even make one hit...
This was pretty awful. Again, with hindsight taking teh Swords would have removed the spearwives Rising temperatures and allowed me a decent attack. Colin killed a few Spearwives with the Darkstars off the Swords before
fully healing up with Fuelled by Slaughter when they activated again and cut me down to two Spearwives
My other Spearwives used Overwhelming Assault to cut down the Martells to a single rank
Thanks to my Hidden traps, the Sand Skirmishers failed a 3+ charge
The Martell Spearmen retook the objective when they attacked as I failed my panic check when losing a few Wives
BOARD AT END OF TURN 4
END OF TURN 4
HOUSE MARTELL 6 VP's (2 units, 4 objectives)
FREEFOLK 6 VP's (1 unit, 5 objectives)
TURN 5
Colin activated the Sand Skirmishers, charging into my Trappers and wiping them out with an impressive nine hits due to Battle Endurance and critical blow. The death of the skinchanger killed the Bear, and the surge forth allowed the Skirmishers to shoot down my last two spearwives, allowing the Darkstars to pivot.
I took the sword and had my Spearwives kill the Spearmen, claiming the objective
And the Death of the spearwives allowed my Endless Horde to trigger. Colin took the horses and moved his Skirmishers away.
I activated the Spearwives and moved away from the Darkstars but then lost the objective to a crown attack. And again, an error on my part as rather than take the objective with Val moving them, I closed in with the Raiders, thinking Colin couldn't claim the objective. But the High Seneschal allows a pivot before a march, and gives +1 move. That allowed the Darkstars to take it. Rookie error, we'd discussed how good that was pre-game. Anyway, I was committed and charged the Raider in. Colin played Set for Charge and I lost nine Raiders..
With two objective claimed and two units destroyed, Colin had had a good round...
BOARD AT END OF TURN 5
(with Mance and his Raiders off camera on the right)
END OF TURN 5(& Game)
HOUSE MARTELL 10 VP's (4 units, 6 objectives)
FREEFOLK 8 VP's (2 unit, 6 objectives)
Despite some shocking dice, and some basic mistakes (Boar being accessible to a charge, not using Swords on the Spearwives with Rising Temperatures, forgetting the High Seneschal), that was a close game. Colin had some bad dice too, but his card and unit interplay was really good, as it needs to be for Martells. I simply got caught up in my own tunnel vision for doing things, and took risks that weren't necessary and simply didn't pay off. And the Skinchanger Bear wants skinning! So back to looking at Martells again for me with Darkstar Retinue gonna get painted up...
UPCOMING UK EVENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
YECATS MINIATURES PRESENTS
SATURDAY 28th & SUNDAY 29th September
THE LONDON GRAND TOURNAMENT
(AWESOME EVENT, IF YOU CAN GO, GO. SADLY I CANNOT)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Pit Fights at the Arena"
Four game, One day tournament
Saturday 26th October 2024
The Arena, 4 Main St,
Falkirk FK2 0JT
===============================================================
The War for the North
Kelpie Games, Mid Street, Keith, UK
Saturday 26th October
LINK below
===============================================================
NOT A SONG OF ICE & FIRE
BUT
"It's for Charity"
Kyle Webb & Ben Harris present
The Barmy at Skull Pass, a Warhammer Old World Charity event
Battlefield Hobbies, Daventry, Sunday 27th October 2024.
LINK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DICE OF LEAD & STEEL PRESENTS
"WARFARE"
Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, Etps Road, Farnborough, UK
SATURDAY 16th NOVEMBER ONE DAY EVENT
&
SUNDAY 17th NOVEMBER ONE DAY EVENT
Warfare is a phenomenal event, and DLS are putting on the first ASOIF events there. Day 1 is standard dual list 40pts, 3 games & Day 2 is 30pt single list, 4 games.
If you can get to it, I'd highly recommend. Traders, multiple tournaments and a Bring & Buy
Tickets are available from:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Battle of the 3 Swords (Christmas is Coming)
SATURDAY 23rd NOVEMBER
30 players
(Last few tickets)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"THE OLD GODS & THE NEW"
LEODIS GAMES LEEDS 24th NOVEMBER 2025
Sold out (reserves being taken)
(I'll be there with other Wardens of the North-West)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Honour, not Honours"
RIBBLE RUMBLE 2024
16... NO, 24 PLAYER TWO DAY EVENT
Reserve List if all 24 sell (22 gone)
(Last pair still there)
30th NOV/1st DEC
ELEMENT GAMES, STOCKPORT
(I'll be there with other Wardens of the North-West)
"Honour, not honours" is Sponsored by
&
(for Gaming mats, 2D Terrain and tactics board mats)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 8th December,
24 players
Entoyment Gaming & Hobby Centre,
Upton Road,
Poole
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2025
____________________________________
Element Legends ASOIAF
One Day Tournament
Saturday 11th January
Element Games, Hallam Street, Stockport, UK
-------------------------------------------------------
"Blood Over Highgarden" - Become "Warden of Kent"
YECATS MINIATURES
SATURDAY JANUARY 18th 2025
RAGNAROK HOBBIES
2nd Floor, 33 High St, Gillingham ME7 1BQ
---------------------------------------
8th & 9th February 2025
50 player event
Vlad's Emporium
278 St. Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5RL,
Scotland
----------------------------------------
March 1st/2nd 2025
Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, UK
.png)
(I'll be there with other Wardens of the North-West)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 weeks later, March 29th/30th 2025
and needing no introduction...
ASOIF STATS INVITATIONAL
(I'll be there with other Wardens of the North-West)
No comments:
Post a Comment