Olde World Gaming – Round 3 – Chris Perriraz – Lizardman

Round 3 and back on my first table. Out of order, here is the table description:

There were three buildings on the table, one each in opposite corners of one level and a big three level on more center. There was also a thick wood hedge (hard cover, -2), an impassible grave and a small forest. The top left building granted a 6+ regen to any ‘good army’. The big building provided any wizard within 3” access to his entire spell lore. The grave caused a +1 to point on any model within 6” and the building in the bottom right gave an ‘evil army’ -1 leadership within 6”. Go check out the round 1 post for the pictures of the terrain and my initial round 1 thoughts. Going into this game I had no concerns about the terrain. I also got the “left” side in the pictures from round 1, though for this report I will be orienting based on my board edge.

I wasn’t surprised when I saw that I was being against my friend and club mate Chris for the last round. He is a solid player, and while I thought the abomination in his second round might have given him trouble, I knew he had the skill to deal with it (especially against a less experienced player). Chris’ list was:

Slann, Lore of Shadow, Plaque of Tepok, Blood Statuette of Spite, BSB, Standard of Discipline, Focused Rumination

Scar Vet, Cold One, Burning Blade of Chotec, Dragonbane Gem

20 Temple Guard, Full command, banner of eternal flame

30 warriors, full command
10 Skink Skirmishers
10 Skink Skirmishers
10 Skink Skirmishers
10 Skink Skirmishers

Chris and I had been talking about Blood Statuette of Spite, which is a one use bound 5 spell that is cast on a character. It forced a toughness test that if failed causes a wound with no armor save. It then requires additional saves until one is made or the character is killed. Chris had been trying to think of something to do that wasn’t death but still allowed for a critical character snipe. We decided that if he wanted to try it, then the proper lore would be Shadow as it allowed for the lowering of toughness through Withering. It also provided him the benefit already inherent within Shadow magic, which I understand he used quite effectively in his other two games.

Against me Chris took Penumbral Pendulum, Mind Razor, Miasma, Withering, Steed of Shadows. It seems he had dropped Pit of Shades for Miasma, thinking that high initiative shades wouldn’t be at risk. I pointed out that Hydras only had an initiative of 2. I thinking dropping Steed would have been a better play.

The Mission: Battlineline

Primary Objective: Destroy the enemy’s army.

This mission had a convoluted way of figuring out the victory. First, no points were given for killing the general or capturing banners, just for the cost of the unit/model. It requires dividing the losers points by the winners points. I guess this is a way of scaling the 100 points required to win by the size of the game, but it just seems like extra work.

90 to 100 percent – Draw and both players get 1 point
75 to under 90 percent – Winner earns 2 points
50 to under 75 percent – Winner earns 3 points
Below 50 percent – winner earns 5 points.

Secondary objectives:
2 Points for slaying general
1 point per standard
1 point for table quarters that can be held or contested by 1 model.

Maximum points that can be earned are 15.

Looking at Chris’ list I see that I could earn a maximum of 15 (5 points for max win, 2 points for general, 4 points for banners, 4 points for quarters) but could give up 16 (5 points for max win, 2 points for general, 5 points for banners, 4 points for quarters). This makes the closest spread and also the only one where I could possibly get a maximum of 15 points.

Looking at Chris’ list I commented on the large amount of fire, both the Temple Guard and the Hero (who went with the warriors). He responded by saying he knew I was taking two hydras. This answered easily how he was able to deal with Abomination as well. I wasn’t worried though, while it did mean I would have to be more conservative with the hydras, I was confident I could whittle the units down enough that even if they could put a few wounds on the hydra, I would be able to win the combats. But first I knew I had to deal with the 40 skinks.

We rolled for sides, and I got to choose the one with the building that allowed my caster all spells. Chris deployed his army center-right, skinks, temple guard, skinks, temple guard, skinks, skinks. While deploying he put down the skinks first, long ways as shown in the picture (along with Chris’ commentary on my blog). I asked him why he was doing it and he said he liked to put a skink break between each unit, so that it can use its increased movement to be in front of the blocks without requiring the blocks to deploy farther back. All I saw was that if I was smart about my movement it would mean he wouldn’t be able to shoot me first turn, or if he did it would be with only 4 skinks and would leave the unit vulnerable (win/win for me).

I deployed a dark rider unit on the left flank, my general near the building, two dark rider units on the right with the hydras and bsb. I put the shades on the left flank. I vanguarded strong on the left, and just enough on the right to make that choice for Chris (4 shots or no shots, but more for stand and shoot).

We rolled, and I got first turn. I immediately swung the hydras and bsb hard right in the hopes of luring his blocks that way so my general could stay near the building and get access to my missing spells. Chris joked that I needed to suck my wizard into the warp on the first spell, so for my 6/5 magic phase I obliged him by rolling a miscast on my first spell, soul blight on the left flank skinks. Instead of sucking my caster into the warp though, I instead dropped him to level 1 and leaving him with only power of darkness and caress for spells (yay building!). For shooing I took 6 off of the now T1 skink unit on the left and 2 from the skinks on the right flank.

On Chris’ turn 1 the left flank skinks moved to face the shades, while the rest of his army advanced towards the right flank. Chris chose to get his 4 shots with 2 of his units and with the last form up to protect the warriors (who claimed the barrier). For his 5/4 magic phase Chris put -3T on the BSB which I allowed. I then dispelled his other spell. His 8 shots didn’t do anything

On my turn 2 I put some charges into play. The shades charged the 4 skinks on the left, which fled in front of the temple guard. The center unit of skinks fled from my dark riders. My BSB made it in with the 10 man formed up skinks, taking a wound in the process (T1 not mattering due to just able to hit on poison) and on the right the unit of dark riders hit the right most long unit of skinks, losing 1 to stand and shoot. In the rest of my movement, the hydras started to swing back left. For my magic phase of 3/2 I went straight for purple sun, knowing that at level 1 I wasn’t getting anything off with just 1 extra die. I didn’t even roll high enough to cast. In combat I killed both units of skinks and over ran outside the warrior’s line of site.

On Chris’ turn 2 his character tried to charge out of the unit and catch the unit of dark riders that had failed his charge. I fled, leaving the character out in the open. His unit hoards out to block the hydras from the temple guard. Both units of skinks rally, preventing the temple guard from moving forward. The temple guard therefore turn to face the BSB and dark rider unit making its way behind his lines. For his 5/3 magic phase I allow Pendulum to go off, making my initiative tests (BSB fails, but charmed shield – skinks had failed to hit him). I dispel his other spell.

On my turn 3, the left unit of dark riders charges the remaining skinks in the left flank unit, which hold. Because the Temple guard had changed facing, he had created a pocket of safety for my dark riders. My BSB also charges the rear of the newly rallied center skink unit. My shades and dark riders move into surround and begin the long fight of whittling down the T4 blocks. My hydras continue to swing left, one making it past the building. In my 6/4 magic phase I cast Doom and Darkness on the Slann’s unit which prevents the rear skinks from using his leadership and allows me to run that unit down in combat. The 3 man unit of skinks also dies to attacks, allowing me to reform.

On Chris’ turn 3 his rider swings wide right and the hoard moves up to block the hydras. The temple guard also move to the other side of the building. Chris wants me push the hydras around the building and into the waiting arms of the flaming temple guard. In his 9/5 magic phase he irresistibles pendulum, hitting 3 dark riders and my general. 2 Dark riders fail and die but my slann passes his test. Slann takes a wound and the rest of his dice are removed. Because I have a handful of dispel dice still, I dispel the withering, restoring my BSB to full toughness.

On my turn 4 and I continue to swing the left most hydra around the building, but back towards the board edge so the temple guard cannot charge him. With the right hydra I walk up to the warriors and breath on them but only kill 3. I swing with my dark riders to shoot the solo hero and manage to put a wound on him. In my magic phase I irresistible caress (I had to abandon the building due to his encroachment) and manage to kill the slann, but it also costs my wizard her life. Her explosion kills 4 warriors.

On Chris’ turn 4 he charges with his hero at my hydra, but I flee, going through the building. He then recharges with his temple guard, forcing me to flee back towards my other hydra. He fails with both to catch the hydra.

On my turn 5 the hydra rallies and I do enough shooting on the temple guard to cause a panic test, which they fail. Chris concedes giving me a 5 point victory. I don’t think if we had played it out I would have earned a 5 point victory though, as there were still over 10 temple guard and 20 warriors. Even if I killed the hero, I effectively was still losing points on the general exchange. Oh well. In the end I get granted an 11/2 victory. Chris gets 2 for my general dying and I get 11; 5 for max win, 2 points for general, 2 points for banners and 2 points for quarters, assuming I could kill one of his units and his bsb, and claim quarters accordingly. My points didn’t really matter, and it was clear that Chris had earned 2.