BrianMcG: Baratheons v Greyjoys: Return of Mr Ray

Following a string of defeats (four in a row) Mr Ray rocked up with his Renly led Baratheons to face me in an eight strong throng for A Song of Ice and Fire Thursday at Justplay. Andy played Elliot, Greg faced Barry, while Ste and Colin rounded off the quartet of games.

I was running my "The Fleets In" list for Leeds, with four fabled captains and their crews

Silenced Men with Euron Greyjoy - Lord Reaper of Pyke (C)

Iron Victory Crew withVictarion Greyjoy - Master of the Iron Victory

Blacktyde Chosen with Baelor Blacktyde - Captain of the Nightflyer

Ironmakers with Asha Greyjoy - Captain of the Black Wind & Qarl NCU'S

Moqorro & Balon Greyjoy

Ray was running Baratheons, and made two lists with none of the same units, characters or NCU's across the two as per the Leeds event rulespack. He generously decided not to use Olenna, whom I simply detest.

Stag Knights with Renly Baratheon - The Charismatic Heir (C)

Baratheon Sentinels with Brienne - Rainbow Guard

Champions of The Stag

Thorn Watch with Parmen Crane - Parmen the Purple NCU's

Eldon Estermont, Alester Florent with Cortnay Penrose

Next to us, Elliott's Boltons faced Andy's Screamer horde

Andy said this was the worst picture he's ever seen of him, so I felt obliged to post...

Ste was also running Targaryen's against Colin's Martells

And Greg's Lannisters faced off against Barry's Baratheons (40pts this week)

Raymond "Mr Ray" Grieves

RANDOM TERRAIN & DEPLOYMENT

Terrain: Palisade, Weirwood, Hedge, Corpse Pile and Bog

BARATHEONS: Champions of Stag, Sentinels, Thornwatch, Stag Knights with Renly

GREYJOYS: Ironmakers, Blacktyde Chosen, Iron Victory Crew, Silenced Men with Euron

Round 1

I opted to go first and took the Letters, for a second Mind Games and We Do Not Sow

The filled out tactics board

No really subtlety here, as we both advance to engage, with Thornwatch being set up for shooting first activation next round

ROUND 2

Taking the Swords, the Thornwatch shot the Blacktyde chosen

But three saves from four hits, and a passed morale check, saw them drop a single sailor before the rest of his shipmates activated and charged in

Six hits resulted in 5 dead, but they passed morale and healed two from Baratheon Conviction after

they lashed out with Final Strike dropping three more Chosen

Ray took the Letters and I took an early 50/50 gamble for a charge with Victarion, which paid off

The Stag Knights used their Resilience Order to suffer two wounds from the possible five

And the Thornwatch retreated after killing three Blacktyde Chosen, who then healed up three with the Iron Price

Tactics Board filled up again

I controlled the centre, and had shifted a Pillage to the Ironmakers

The Stag Knights had done some healing when the Thornwatch attacked and had various card shenanigans going on...

And they dropped seven of my Iron Victory Crew (but triggered Victarions Relentless so I got a bit of pay back)

I then used a pass token, so Ray flanked the Ironmakers with his Champions of the Stag (who had garnered a second pillage from the Blacktyde)

Six hits resulted in 5 saves and a passed panic check before I struck back for five hits

YAY for RAY!!! The weakened re-roll resulted in seven hits thanks to critical blow

Alas, the 2+ save proved impenetrable

End of Round 2

HOUSE GREYJOY 1 VP (1 objective)

HOUSE BARATHEON 0 VP's

ROUND 3

I played Mind Games on the Swords zone healing up my Iron Victory Crew

The Board start of Turn 3 after healing up Victarions unit. I had taken the right objective to score

Ray took the letters before I took the Horses to move up Euron and his Silenced Men in position to flank Renly's Stag Knights

Ray shot up my Blacktyde chosen when I expected his Stag Knights to attack

The Silenced Men did far more damage than I expected due to their morale effects, with Raymond taking two wounds from Melee and 4 from the panic

Alester's Shifting Loyalties effectively negated my Mind Games as he jumped from Crown to swords

The Stags were down, but had healed up again a bit but my Blacktyde were even worse off

The Crown was taken but cards were swapped instead

The Sentinels finished of Baleor and His Blacktyde, surging forth onto the objective and facing the Ironmakers other flank

I activated the Ironmakers, Qarl doing an auto wound

before doing eight hits. I'd played Krakens Wrath for panic token as I had bags, re-rolls and Precision as Ray held the swords.

But the cavalry held well (again)

Ray then triggered the Sentinel order (Doh, rookie mistake from me forgetting that!!! The clue is in the name and the set up Ray had just done)

Brienne had given them vicious, and with a flank and sundering, I lost five men (Asha and buffs not helping me pass the panic check). Then the Champions crumped me too, dropping me to Asha and Qarl

End of Round 3

HOUSE GREYJOY 1 VP (1 objective)

HOUSE BARATHEON 1 VP (1 unit)

ROUND 4

Board at Start of Round 4

Ray took the bags and healed up the Stags before Alester jumped over to the Crown

I used the Iron Price to heal 4 Iron makers and keep them in the game and had Moqorro take the Swords and also use his once per game to stop the Stag Knights using Order or tactics cards

Despite this, the Stags held again!!!

The thorn watch charged into the Iron Victory crew healing the Stags as they did so (they'd healed 3 from a card/NCU). I lost 3 men before they retreated away and took the centre objective

I elected not to bring on a unit with Balon and used him to swap a zone for We Do Not Sow for an attack. It was inneffectual.

Well, no it wasn't as I lost two men to final strike while the Stags healed up again with Wealth and Charisma

I then used Cunning Ploy and retreated to the right objective

The Champions of the Stag and Sentinels hacked down the four Ironmakers, before Asha and Qarl ran away from the failed panic

The Sentinels surged forth toward Victarion

And freed up from the Iron Victory Crew, Renly and his Stags swung around to face Euron's Silenced Men

And absolutely leathered them!!!

End of Round 4

HOUSE GREYJOY 2 VP's (2 objectives)

HOUSE BARATHEON 3 VP's (2 unit's, 1 objective)

Board at End of Round 4

The Baratheons were in complete control now with only Iron Islanders on the board, but the score was still tight...

ROUND 5

I used Balon to have Asha and Qarl return with a new crew of Ironmakers, just behind the Champions of the Stag. Ray took the Swords and finished off Euron and his Silenced Men, despite my desperate hope that What is Dead May die may have kept them in it

The charge of the Ironmakers did drop a rank off the Champions, but it wasn't enough

Seeing his brother butchered, and with the baleful Brienne closing in, Victarion charged the Stags knights

The Champions healed up off of the bags as well as some Courtnay's counter

The Thornwatch were being a real thorn in my side too. And Asha!!! Weirwood, Iron resolve and a pillage still didnt help her pass a flank charge morale...

They then retreated away

Brienne finished off Victarion then took the right objective

Victarion had also failed to stay in the fight with What is Dead May never die!!!

The Champions of the Stag dropped the Ironmakers to a single rank, but with it not being a flank attack, Asha just managed to pass

End of Round 5

HOUSE GREYJOY 2 VP's (2 objectives)

HOUSE BARATHEON 9 VP's (4 units, 2 for Euron, 3 objectives)

ROUND 6

Raymond had the Thornwatch shoot the Ironmakers in the rear from the swords

I took the Bags to heal before Renly and his Stags failed a charge

But the Thornwatch charged home to score Ray a thoroughly resounding victory...

End of Game

HOUSE GREYJOY 2 VP's (2 objectives)

HOUSE BARATHEON 11 VP's (5 units, +2 Euron, 4 objectives)

One turn of movement, followed by three turns of headbutting attrition against some tough Stags, before my army simply collapsed. Basic errors on my part aside, Renly just couldn't stop healing. Ray's card play was exceptional, and his NCU's abilities also boosted his healing and stymied my cards. While my dice were good (bar Asha) ray's were better. A total ass whooping with a final unts destroyed tally of Baratheons 38, Greyjoy 0.

No more practice, over to Leeds on 24th which will be a great event, always are. I wont do well, but will have fun...

EVENTS

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