Swissdictator:
Friday night I arrived, still feeling the wrath of Nurgle in the form of a cold. So I was groggy still. Enjoyed the evening with John Wenger, the point boys, Dave B, Alex, Joe F, McClure, and John Wiltse (spelling?). That night resulted in a brilliant idea for a new meme.
Woke up, and the diner we went to had INSANE portions of food. It was quite delicious!
So on to the games.
My list (off memory, so I might be off slightly)
Vampire Lord
Lvl 3
Flayed Hauberk, Blood drinker, Dragonbane Gem, Helm of Commandment.
Infinite Hatred, Beguille, Lord of the Dead, and (Loremaster power: death)
Wight King BSB
Drakenhoff
28 Grave Guard
FC, Banner of the Barrows, Great Weapons
Vampire (Ulrika from Gotrek and Felix)
Infinite Hatred, Avatar of Death (heavy armor and two hand weapons).
chanelling staff, crown of the damned
Necromancer
Talisman of Protection, Scroll
Vanhel’s Danse
48 Skeletons
Spears, FC
Banner of (VC magic banner of flaming magical attacks)
45 zombies
Banner, Musician
3 wraiths + banshee (4 models total)
4 bats
Game 1 vs Tom McClure (Savage Orcs and stuff)
This has been a challenge, because it had been a few years since I’ve played Tom, and I’ve always enjoyed games with him. So I knew win or lose, it’d be fun.
Notes in this game: Wraiths and Banshees are an amazing way of dealing with Mangler Squigs. He moved them away so I couldn’t simply sit on them to pop. Also, when not near the general banshee will usually rip them to shreads.
Early on I moved my bats up to pop any fanatics that he had taken, which was only one. It felt right between a chariot and his savages, but he followed up on his second turn so that it didn’t mess with any of his models.
Animosity hurt him on turn, he had a block of savages that had a charge on my skeleton’s flank (they had hit his other savage block in the flank)… however they failed animosity and sat. Also he had several animosity failures first turn. Animosity proved helpful in another circumstance by getting the night goblins in a charge.
I was luckily able to kill off the giant after it had hit my grave guard in the rear, which then fell onto the trolls in the flank (they had smashed through zombies) I honestly did not win this game until turn 6, when I finished off the big block of savages. If one had survived, it’d have been a very different story! Well played on his part, challenging, and nice tense game until the end.
I can’t recall how my magic did, I do seem to recall death helping me though.
Game 2 vs David Bednarek (Wood Elves)
His list consisted of two big units of treekin, a unit of eternal guard with characters, some eagles, and two units of archers.
I was stoked when I saw this match up. It seems like Dave and I come across each other in most tournaments we both go to, which is something I like as he is another guy who is a lot of fun to play, and is a very good general.
This game was a bit tougher for me. I endured dwellers, when I couldn’t stop it, well enough with characters and command surviving each time (phew!) However his archery was JUST effective enough to kill the grave guard. Now here’s the important point, I was a little concerned at this point about how to keep the general and BSB alive and well as my skeletons were far away chasing Treekin and beating them around. Dave, being the gentleman he is, pointed out that they can stay together as a unit… which is something I didn’t even realize you could do this edition. The general and BSB did a decent job of beating up treekin, and chasing them, but he ended up holding on turn 6 where it was critical and he was able to get eternal guard in the rear and use soft res.
Beguille on the Lord was HUGE against those Treekin.
Meanwhile on my right flank. Early on he had a flank charge on skeletons, and I motioned “bring it” as he moved in. He later told me he knew I just wouldn’t give him that, and suspect something such as possibly flaming attacks. Combat comes, the Vampire (Ulrika) obviously going first. It’s at this point he learns not only are my attacks in this unit flaming, but they are also magical as well due to the specific wording of the VC banner! Granted, I don’t do A LOT, but I do enough to give me an edge. I can’t recall if I won that first combat, or lost and made the roll for combat reform, but I was able to do so and face the unit of treekin. On my turn, I cast Vanhel’s Danse, and with 38 skeletons (one as a champ) with rerolls to hit (with WS7 at the time, I think… maybe not, I can’t recall) going first… they’ll hit enough that they will get some wounds through. Add in Ulrika’s attacks too and you have some dead trees. They flee. The skeletons hunt them down over the course of the game.
Wraiths dealth with eagles, as did the bats. Which prevented some cheeky interference from that second eagle.
In the end, I didn’t lose the game until bottom of turn 6 in Dave’s own words. So on the plus side, it was a fight until the bitter end AND I learned something very cool to keep in mind for not just my VC, but any army.
Game 3 vs Caleb McCoy (Dwarfs (… boo… his… the beards are not curly!)
Initially I was going to fight Hastings, which would have been cool too as he is fun to play. However, two people who had already played were matched up and so there was some shuffling. During this I realized I might play Caleb and I was kind of hoping I would as I’ve talked to him on here, facebook, etc and figured he’d be an enjoyable opponent. Thankfully I did end up playing him!
This scenario had the funky diagonal deployment, which (in all honesty) probably hurt him. He had one unit get held back (I’m blanking on which) but he had: miners, rangers w/ gw, warriors with great weapons, hammerers, and long beards with great weapons. He had a shield "bear"er, rune lord, rune smith, and a bsb, and a cannon.
Wraiths went diagonal to go for the cannon. Bats moved on to harass the rangers. Otherwise moved up, and tried my hand at casting for little effect.
On his turn he tried charging all around. He only got the warriors in with the skeletons. It is important to note that the longbeards were ahead of the hammerers. Ulrika challenged, and killed a warrior champ. Combat wasn’t too deadly, as the WS7 helped my skeletons a lot. That turn his cannon misfired too for a silent this turn and next.
On my turn grave guard charged the longbeards, and the wraiths hurtled towards the cannon. Zombies turned around (swift reform and shuffled towards the back) to tie up the rangers, et all. Banshee screams at the cannon, and gets a 9 + 2 for an 11 hurting it.
Grave Guard wreck the longbeards, with the Rune Lord getting killing blowed or killed. I can’t recall if the BSB died or not… I might have it confused with the Rune Lord. They broke and I over ran into the hammerers with longbeards caught. Meanwhile Ulrika challenges again in the skeletons, and gets a wound on the runesmith.
On his turn he gets the rangers into the rear of the skeletons. Miners don’t show up. Combat doesn’t do well, with the hammerers getting slaughtered quite brutally, but enough survive to retain stubborn. He holds. Ulrika finished off the Runesmith at this point if I remember right. Skeletons get hurt quite a bit, but still have some numbers.
On my turn zombies move closer to hopefully pin down one of the units when they (probably) finish off the skeletons. I give some back to the skeletons, not much, and use some spells to mess with him a bit. Wraiths had also charged the cannon in the house, but banshee screams at it and kills it. Hammerers are finished, and Lord books it. I restrain and reform to face the combat with the skeletons.
Suffice to say, the game went on, and despite his Lord charging me and all, it ended up in a lopsided victory. However, he fought well and fought hard through out the game, putting up a fight the entire time with a smile. I tip my hat to you sir.
CRAZY FUN ADVENTURE NIGHT
We ate as a large group, and I had some roasted chicken (not worth the $15 it cost though). We went back to where we were staying, where we had a very foul smelling evening that left resulted in windows and doors being opened to clear the air (and not because of Hastings). Played Ticket to ride with Rodge, Hastings, and McClure. Lots of fun, with the Rodge taking the win.
The next day
Game 4 vs Mike Lagger (Dark Elves)
I had never played him before. His list had lord on dark peg, with reverse ward and 2+ armor. Big unit of witches, black guard, frenzied corsairs, a warrior block, two hydras, and a cauldron. I might be forgetting stuff.
Highlights of this game: Death magic’s signature spell is a good way to threaten hydras. It either draws off dice, or you might get a few wounds on it. Wraiths also do quite nicely against them.
Early on I got a charge on his general on dark peg, (meanwhile wraiths charged a hydra). He figured that he’d probably survive the onslaught due to what he had. Not knowing what he had, I challenged with my champion to find out (as he can always come back anyways). Mike rolled poorly on attacks and I saved them all (finding out he had Sword of Might). Champ hits twice, wounds dice with one being a killing blow. Now, I’m S6 so he needed anything except a 6 on the reverse ward. He rolled a 6. This was significant as the scenario required the general to deploy the ambassador, and he hadn’t yet done so.
What ultimately won the game for him, was a little luck. His witches and a hydra charged the grave guard. On the second turn of combat, Lord puts a hurt on the hydra (thank you beguille) between the two turns. He hadn’t killed a ton the previous turn, but had done some damage. This turn, however, the witches and handlers went bonkers rolling rather well on the to wound roll… and I flubbed the regens very badly. Add in the damage from the hydra and it was enough to crumble them.
I didn’t give up, as the skeletons were fighting the black guard. Had the witches not made it to them quickly, the skeletons (between Ulrika and sheer numbers) may have avenged the grave guard. Amusingly, neither of us got our ambassador deployed either.
Loss for the VC
I went into round 5 with a 2-2 record.
Round 5 vs Eddie (Dark Elves)
Another Dark Elf list with two hydras, dark peg with reverse ward. He had a big unit of knights, with a BSB. He had a cauldron. Two units of warriors and frenzied corsairs.
This game went better for me. I got wind of undeath on Ulrika, and cast that early, getting a base of spirit host to at least speed bump the knights. Wraiths took the tower early (tower didn’t win the game, but awarded VP for at least occupying it or assaulting it once on the game, and more for holding it in the end).
I found out, via the spirit host, he had the ASF banner and hydra banner in the knights before they slammed into the skeletons. His lord charged the wraiths, took a wound, and got pushed back.
My turn I charge one hydra with the grave guard. I also through the bats into the flank of the smaller warrior unit finding out they had flaming. Zombies charged the lord and ended up putting a wound in him. The GG put the hurt on the hydra, and he doesn’t go as much damage as he could have. On his turn he follows up with his other warrior block into the grave guard. Hydra gets killed, and I ended up killing his caster. I reform to lock more into combat as he is stubborn from ranks.
Knights do some damage to the skeletons, and Ulrika is killed. However I do take some knights out. The skeletons did hold them up for a while, however. As I kept the knights S and T down via death magic. The skeletons also got a little hurt on the hydra via my flaming attacks.
Some of it becomes a blur at this point, as I was exhausted and relying on benadryl (the cold had cleared up by Saturday morning, but allergies were persistant). I know I killed the other hydra outright via the Death signature spell and the knights would end up charge the grave guard (in the front as I had combat reformed). His lord had also been killed with enough death spells thrown at it.
However I do remember the end of the game where he very nearly won it! He gave his corsairs, which had finally swun around after being slowed by zombies, killing blow and frontally charged the grave guard. He threw A LOT of attacks on my lord… no killing blow. Now, he had failed fear (we forgot to roll until after he attacked, so we agreed to keep his attacks as he simply would have had less) and the Grave Guard chewed them up pretty good. Corsairs fled, but his warriors (big one which had fled and came back) stuck in the flank. I reformed to face them, putting rank and file guys on the flank facing corsairs.
In the end, I won it, but this young man had me sweating several times! He was also very pleasant even when it started going downhill for him.
Win for the VC
Ended up with 3W-2L.
Well fought, and good sports all around.
Great tournament. VERY enjoyable, and perhaps the best of the four core comps I’ve been to.
People did like my theme (undead Empire), and I got compliments and a couple tiny suggestions to improve it (having all the same shield type, which I can since I am working on more skeletons).