Greg "Greggers" Deane popped over for a Thursday night battle, with him giving a run out to a fast aggressive Tormund list against my more defensive Jon Snow list...

Greg was running a list he faced at the UK Nationals, ran by Aaron "TropicThunder" Grant and wanted to try it out (but not against my Starks). The UK Nationals Battle Reports will be coming in due course, by the way... eventually!!!

Greg's list

Spearwives with Tormund Giantsbane (C)

Cave Dweller Savages with Harma

Frozen Shore Hunters with Spearwife Matriarch & Harma's Bannerman

Followers of Bone with Ygritte

Free Folk Raiders with Borroq

Borroq's Boar

Frozen Shore Chariot NCU's

Mance Rayder & Styr

I decided to run a relatively defensive Nights Watch list led by Jon Snow

Ranger Hunters with Jon Snow (C)

Ghost

Builder Scorpion Crew with Scorpion Modifications

(Builder & Othell Yarwyck)

Veterans of the Watch with Watch Captain & Satin

Shadow Tower Spearmen with Senior Builder NCU's

Aemon & Othell Yarwyck RANDOM TERRAIN & DEPLOYMENT

Terrain: Palisade x 2, wall, Weir Wood

FREE FOLK: Borroq Raiders, Boar, Followers of Bone, Tormunds Spearwives,

Cave Dwellers, Frozen Shore Hunters

NIGHT'S WATCH: Spearmen, Ghost, Scorpion, Veterans, Ranger Hunters

ROUND 1

Greg opted to go first, as I had chosen board edge, His first activation was swords, to deny my scorpion a shot. I had Aemon take the Horse and move my Spearman up the centre. Greg moved up Borroq's Raiders and his boar up on the left, after playing Endless Horde on the Followers of Bone. I had Othell take the bags and fire from the wall

I targeted the Chariot but only caused one wound due to some nice saves, although it took a second from a failed panic

Greg took the letters, weakening Jon's Rangers wo had been influenced by Mance so Greg drew three cards

My Scorpion failed to kill hit the Boar, as I moved up on the right, playing For the Watch on Jon's activation.

ROUND 2

Start of round I placed a stake to the front left of my Spearmen from the Senior builder

I placed Aemon first on the Horses, using it to make a 2+ charge with the Jon's Rangers into the Cave Dwellers (denying Harma's Sentinel)

Due to the weakened, I only managed 3 wounds...

But I did my Swift retreat then shot the chariot down to one wound remaining...

Greg took the Swords, shifting up the spearmen but not following their one wound from throwing spears at my Shadow Tower Spearmen with a charge as I was on the centre and wall and didn't fancy facing my 2+ armour saves. I took the bags and had Othell finish off the chariot

That attack allowed Harma to move up, who then charged the Shadow Spearmens flank.

I used Set for Charge and the light that Brings the Dawn to kill six of the Cave Dwellers

With Sundering in the flank, I was saving on 4+ (i controlled bags for 2+ base). Greg wasn't impressed with my dice rolls.

I activated my Veterans, charging the Cave Dwellers in the rear and wiping them out, before surging forth into the Spearwives faces.

The Frozen Shore Hunters dropped four rangers from Harpoons, but I opted to move back onto the objective rather than charge them

My Scorpion failed to hit the Boar again, who along with Borroq's Raiders took the left side objectives. I sent Ghost in to contest.

BOARD END OF ROUND 2

END OF ROUND 2

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

FREE FOLK 2 VP's (2 objectives)

ROUND 3

Greg used Horses to move the Spearwives, I took the Swords to allow Jon's Ranegrs to kill two Hunters, so Greg activated the Hunters moving off the objective to allow tactical reposition on the Spearwives whose shift would take them into the Veterans flank.

So I activated the Veterans and charged the Spearwives.

I managed three hits plus one auto wound on first roll, missing with four attacks

And the charge re-rolls didnt do anything different...

That was disappointing, but did drop a rank

The Frozen Hunters then charged in off of Counter Assault

The Shield of the Realms of Men allowed re-roll saves but that still cost me four Veterans and then I failed the panic for 3 more wounds. My Watch Captain's relentless kicked in, so I attacked the Spearwives (much to Greg's horror as didn't realise I could attack anyone engaged with relentless)

So I healed them up with Othell on the Bags. Greg took the Letters, making Ghost Vulnerable. I activated ghost and dropped the Raiders to five men with a badly failed panic

Tormund was swapped out with Regroup and Reform with Followers moving into charge range.

The Spearwives attacked, killing three but lost two to counterstrike. I wasnt going too attack back with Relentless, as had worked out Tormund's move was part of a set up but I was on top and wanted the Spearwives dead... I attacked back, only killing three, leaving Ygritte alone.

Sure enough, Counterstrike was played but I survived the melee attack

But failed the morale for two wounds, allowing Tormund to Overrun with Rush of Aggression into Jon's flank

Devastating Impact was also played, but I survived

I attacked back, passing the Horrific Visage and then Swiftstriking out and popping my order to shoot, dropping the Followers to five.

Ghost was attacked by Borroq's Raiders with five dice, all five hit but three were sixes on the Precision objective. So I had taken 3 wounds before a vulnerable save.

I made the first saves...

But failed one on the re-roll. Gutted...

BOARD END OF ROUND 3

Very swingy round, with Scorpion again failing to hit at extreme range. Losing Ghost meant Greg had gotten back on parity.

END OF ROUND 3

NIGHTS WATCH 6 VP's (2 Units, 4 objectives)

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

ROUND 4

Greg played Endless Horde on Ygritte before I took the Horses with Aemon, healing Jon's Rangers for three and allowing a charge into the Followers. I again passed the Horrific visage, killed the unit and surged up before triggering my order and killing Ygritte. Sadly, this allowed two Endless Horde raiders to turn up

Greg had Mance take the Swords and throw Spears from the Hunters. I healed up Robb's unit after that attack, sitting on five wounds now.

Greg used Regroup and Reform to bolster the ranks before the Hunters charged into my Rangers. With no real save to speak off, I was relying on Greg to whiff his attacks but they struck home and I died, firing off six attacks from it shall not end to reduce the unit

My Scorpion again failed to hit (that's zero hits all game) and though my centre was immovable, Greg had scored three objectives to my one

BOARD END OF ROUND 4 (and GAME)

END OF GAME

NIGHTS WATCH 9 VP's 4 units, 5 objectives)

FREE FOLK 10 VP's (3 units, 7 objectives)

Always fun to play Greg, I really had him after Turn 2. Even after Tormund had bulldozed into me, I was still doing ok. Decider was those 3 Precision hits on Ghost. Greg did not want to tackle the Spearmen, with wall, stakes and bags combining to deter. A couple of poor panic checks didn't help me either, but overall, a damn close match that could have went either way in the end. The Scorpion should have moved up Round 2 and been more useful, but hindsight is always good after the fact...

Next up is Brothers in Arms with my valiant Frightening Free Folk teaming up with Olli's Nasty Nights Watch...