Conquest at Warfare 2021

Warfare 2021 was held at Ascot Race Course on 27th/28th and Chris, Andy and I made the trip down from the Northwest to put on participation games of Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings and Conquest: First Blood. Have to say it was a great event at a fantastic venue, superbly well organised and ran, with a massive turn out for the tournaments running, great traders and a very good public showing. We were absolutely knackered after Saturday alone, and although Sunday was quieter, it was still a busy day for us

Of course, it's Winter and it was a real plough up the M40 on way back due to Storm Arwen bringing some blizzards (well, only by UK standards, a light flutter anywhere else)

As usual, for shows no real reports, just images and snippets. Enjoy...

Chris and Andy outside Royal Ascot...

ParaBellum sent us some excellent support for the charity raffle on each day, with a starter box, Steel legion and Clone marksmen units...

With the 1.5 rulebooks in between...

Chris and Andy setting up the forces

Chris also brought some of the newer goodies, the Apex Predator having just arrived earlier in the week...

And Andy's  First Blood Gaming mat which is perfect...

The Dweghom forces for First Blood have their own wee mountain stronghold.

Saturday interest started early...

And the Apex Predator and Nord resins competed for most biggest draw...

Andy and I started a demo game

which wasn't going well for me when Teemu arrived to bring me luck. Teemu had came over to Warfare from Finland, and we'd spoken previously on line so arranged a meet up

Chris introduced him to a quick game of First blood as Andy and I battled on

Did I mention luck? Having been charged by Vanguard Clones, I attacked back needing 4 or less to hit...

I had kind of charged ahead as usual...

The Men at Arms almost brought down the Abomination!!!

The Knights had succumbed so the Steel Legion had to get stuck in...

They easily despatched the Vanguard Clones...

But were in short range of the Marksmen Clones and got shot to pieces...

And the Force Grown Drones hammered into their flank...

So the game ended with a crushing Spire victory...

As you can see form Andy's excitable expression...

TAKE 2!!!

Chris has done an excellent job painting up Andy's troops

The First Blood mat by Kraken Games is amazing. Chris managed to pick up some Dweghom style buildings by 4Ground from one of the Traders at the show ( Karag Heim )

We were joined by the UK's Southern Vanguard, David Richardson of the Southampton Sluggaz too (here with our Andy, as he is a fellow Spire player)

As the Spire players confer, I chatted with t'other Andy ...

who got comfortable on the First Blood table... The Spire chaps are busy exchanging tactical tips on list building!!!

As David and I battled it out, he had steamed across the board with his FG drones and catabolic node!!!

which exploded doing 5 hits!!! I saved 3 which was rather good

but not as good as passing both resolve checks!!!

Unsurprisingly the numbers told eventually...

Chris was meanwhile getting more guys involved with First Blood...

It must have been something I said (or did?) Maybe it was my Knights wiping out the FG drones, or the Clone Marksmen shooting my Knights off the board...

The Men at Arms died to the Clone Vanguards, who died to the Steel Legion. The game really came down to first activation with my Steel Legion in range of a charge v Marksmen.

And I won the roll, and the game!!!

Not much left of my guys though...

Plenty of visitors over the weekend, 

And Chris had a great job showing off First Blood

As the Abomination tore through another game of Conquest: Last Argument of Kings

The Steel legion were off on a flank...

And as the Dweghom got ahead in First Blood and the 100K player decried how rubbish the Militia Bowmen are I explained they only really work in combat (its true, I have had far better luck with them in melee)

Sure enough, he charged them in and they beat up some Hold Warriors and then they put down the Hold Raegh!!!

Having wiped out the 100K centre, the Abomination would run over and flank the Steel Legion...

The Hold Ballistae entered the fray but didn't alter the outcome of a very close First blood game

Crows v Stormcrows: Night's Watch v Mercenaries

 After last weeks humiliating defeat at Justplay,https://justplaygames.uk/  I had to face Colin and what looked to be a fairly lightweight Night's Watch force...

We played A Game of Thrones and Colin was running the following:

Ranger Hunters with Jon Snow (C)

Ghost

Conscripts with Watch Recruiter

Coldhands

Sworn Brothers with Daario Naharis

NCU's: Aemon, Jeor Mormont & Other Yarwyck

Board had a Wierwood right of centre, stakes closest to me and two palisades

Coldhands Colin clearing the table. He haJon and his hunters, Ghost and Sworn brothers.

My force set up with Stormcrow Mercs with Lieutenant on left, Bronn in Stormcrow Mercenaries centre, Dervishes with Jaqen centre right, Stormcrow archers with Daario in Dervishes far right

TURN 1

Colin's lovely tactics board early in Turn 1, with Othell on the wall and crown shooting my troops up...

I made 3 of 4 saves and passed my panic check. I don't like Othell on the wall though...

A full tactics table...

TURN 2

Othell on the wall again, same result...

I had closed up end of Turn 1 on right to pressure the centre and far side objective. But I didn't closely check out the cards stacking up on Jon Snow and his hunters

I had taken crown to prevent vicious Othell on the wall gave Colin free reign 

Movement seven Ghost due to Jons card countered my taking the central objective

And the last activation saw Jon and the Hunters charge in, hit hard and then retreat out and shoot, dropping Jaqen down to 3 Dervishes... 

End of  Turn 2

NIGHTS  WATCH          2 VP's

STORMCROWS             3 VP's

TURN 3

Activating first, and knowing I was gonna get hurt by Jon Snow and his Hunters. I elected to try and kill Ghost

Alas, even with highest attacks from objective card, I fluffed attacks with 2 from 7 hits which Ghost saved...

I had activated off bags, which it would at least help Bronn's Mercenaries on the central objective

Sadly, Jaqens remaining Dervishes were charged down off the swords by Jon and his hunters, who surged forth and then shot into the Mercenaries flank

Being shot down to one rank, I activated and swung with full attacks nearly killing Ghost but not quite. precision and critical blow helping from reckless strike (though I did drop two of my own)

Alas, activating off the horses, Jon and the Hunters charged again. "For the Watch" is a damn nasty card!!! They then surged forth into my rear area...

I activated the archers and shifted back to shoot the sworn brothers and protect Dervishes from when Jon actually activated

Othell on the wall dropped 3 archers but I passed my panic check

I took a chance and charged off the objective with Daario to try and gain some momentum and dropped five of the Sworn Brothers

And a couple ran off...

But they healed up from the Conscripts...

And when the Sworn Brothers hit back, I lost six men and then failed the panic check in proper style...

Jon and the hunters went into the rear of the Stormcrow archers, one shotting them and completing a hat-trick of unit kills in one turn. Pretty impressive!!!

END OF TURN 3

NIGHTS WATCH 9 VP's

STORMCROWS 4 VP's

TURN 4

Colin activated the Sworn Brothers and wiped out the Dervishes and Daario, leaving me with the Mercenaries sat on the left objective, with the Nights Watch fully in control of the battle field...

END OF TURN 4 

NIGHTS WATCH                  13 VP's

STORMCROWS                     5 VP's

The end of the battle and a crushing defeat for my mercenaries...

The Hunters Cards were simply awesome, giving them with Jon 9 attacks in melee due to sword in the darkness (as well as making un-activated enemies panicked and vulnerable), and with their swift strike and quick fire the were just lethal. For the Watch, yeah, that card was a killer...

Another brutal reality check to random army matching, but my forces weren't bad, Colin simply played his army methodically, efficiently and bloody ruthlessly. Three units gone from one unit is a neat trick to pull off and i simply wasn't on it. Colin is now nicely poised for a close run in with Ste having both played 7 games of 9 and yet to play each other. It'll be close...

Wardens League

EVENTS

Kieran Scaddan and Duke's Gaming in Pontypool have an event on 4th December Dukes Gaming

I'll be running a two day event at Ribble Rumble on December 11th/12th at Element Games in Stockport, for 16 players The Ribble Rumble - ASOIF | Facebook    (Only 1 place remaining)

Justplay are running A SONG OF DICE & FIGURES VOL III on 11th December... Tickets

John Craig is hosting Always Winter at Common ground Games in January 2022 (22nd/23rd) at Stirling, a two day event that I plan to go to, link here ALWAYS WINTER (I've got my ticket and there'll be at least 3 of us from The Wardens of the North-West!!!)

Gavin up at Gaming Figures in Redcar will doubtless run a few too Gaming Figures

As hopefully will Entoyment down in Poole, who organise the awesome Beachhead exhibition. Homepage - Entoyment Wargaming and Hobby Centre

Board & Swords https://www.boardsandswords.co.uk/ and Board in Brum  https://www.boardinbrum.co.uk/will hopefully add another event in before end of year...

All the above venues support the game and sell A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures. Check them out, or pop in and visit if you are in the area...