Infernal Zoo – Wrap-Up

Even with a 2-3 showing, I still came in 9^th of 23 people, so not all that bad.  I think the event needed a few extra things – not silly magma dragon rulings being one of them.  Also, lots of the tables had a corner bunkered up behind a river, which made a campy/shooty list have a nice spot to bunker behind and deny ranks and steadfast.

The event seemed to run on time, and I only heard of a few issues involving bad actors.  All my games but the first one came to either the end of round 6 or the concession of my opponent (I never concede, even when I knew I’ve lost), so I think the round lengths were fine.  Food was a little far away, and on day 1 when my game went to time I felt a little rushed, only really having time to pick up food and then start rolling dice.

The group dinner afterwards was awesome, though I did walk away with the beginnings of a migraine thanks to two partially loud members of our own group.  There were also some racial jokes going around that were starting to offend some people.

A solid event and I look forward to both next year and the next Davis event.  I hope that next year we can get the additional people that Alex wanted, as there was space for probably 18 tables.

Dark Elves (OLD) – 27w/10l/1d

Ogres – 2w/3l/0d

Skaven – 6w/7l/1d

Singles – 27w/17l/2d

Doubles – 8w/3l/0d

Overall – 35w/20l/2d

I was also not impressed with quality of the warplightening cannon (though I never am), so to summarize, here is what it did each game:

Round 1: Died Turn 1 to Abom – 0 points earned, but not really its fault.

Round 2: T1/Misfire; T2/Misfire; T3/Misfire; T4/Kill 1 Harpy & Dies.

Round 3: T1/S2 Nada; T2/S8 5 stalker wounds, Fail to wound elemental on last wound & dies.

Round 4: T1/Misfire; T2/Misfire; T3/Knock off Charmed Shield; T4/Misfire; T5/Misfire; T6/Fails to wound

Round 5: T1/Misfire; T2/4 wounds to ironblaster & Dies.

So what did my warplightening cannon do in 30 turns?

Dead: 16 turns

Alive: 14 Turns

Misfire: 8 Turns

Failed to Wound: 2 Turns

Charmed Shield: 1 Turn

Cause Wound: 3 Turns (total of 10 wounds)

So more than half the time dead, and even when it was alive it only did something 28 percent of that time and that’s even counting the charmed shield (that’s only 13 percent of the entire time).  SO BAD.

Infernal Zoo – Round 5 – Van Nguyen – Ogre Kingdoms

The Mission

Fake Blood and Glory

Bonus Objectives

Once again, didn’t make note of which I took, but I’m positive it was tallest terrain piece (because I could get it by deploying) and killing monsters, as I easily handled the previous magma dragon (looking back it was not a great) and sabertusks.

The List

Slaughtermaster, Level 4, lore of death, General, great weapon, dispel scroll, talisman of endurance, crown of command

Butcher, level 2, lore of the great maw, hellheart, great weapon

Bruiser, BSB, Talisman of preservation, bizarro hammer

9 Ironguts, full command, standard of discipline

18 gnoblars

10 gnoblars

5 Maneaters, musician, banner, poison, sniper, banner of eternal flame

Sabertusk

Sabertusk

Sabertusk

Ironblaster

Ironblaster

Great Magma Dragon

Sabertusk

This list is actually an exact close of the overall winner’s list.  I guess Van was running behind and asked for help with Brad’s response to just say, use mine…  Van only went 3-2 versus Brad’s 5-0.  That’s what luck in the pairings does, as they are both good players.  Van’s contingent consisted of the stupid good dragon and a super sabertusk.

Magic

I once again got double warp lightening… again, why no Crack’s Call!

Van took Trollguts and Bullgorger (regeneration and +1S) on his butcher and Spirit Leech, Purple Sun, Doom and Darkness and Soul Blight on his level 4.

Deployment

For deployment, Van decided to play on the right side.  On the left, all he put were a unit of gnoblars, and 2 of his normal sabertusks.  His last deployment, long after I was done, would be to place that magma dragon in what would become the “left”.  I’m not sure why he angled the gnoblars the way he did on both sides, as he then didn’t leave me space to actually go beyond them on the board edge.

Behind the giant impassible (remember this board?  It was the same as round 3) Van hid his Gut Star bunker unit with the two casters and one of his iron blasters.  On the right he put the man eaters and the other iron blaster, and behind the last sabertusk and the larger unit of gnoblars.  Van put the BSB in with the man eaters.

I also put most of my guys on the right side, though I put the abomination on the left and tried to hid the two brood horrors behind the impassible terrain and my general behind the impassible on the right.  This would hopefully give me some cover should I not go first.  The stormvermin were spread out, hoping to take both of my quarters, and on the left advance into his.

I first deployed that unit of gutter runners in the center.  Van countered by putting his sabertusk on the left flank, to which I counted with my other unit of gutter runners.  The assassin hit behind that skinny impassible terrain in case the iron blaster came around or Van considered charging me with his dragon.

For the fifth game in a row I go first.

Turn 1 – Skaven

Because of my defensive deployment I had no charges to make, so I advanced hard on the right to try to close as quickly as possible.  I held back my general and a single brood horror to force him to have a long charge, while putting one up close, but with a clear avenue of escape through the impassible terrain.  Didn’t think of it at the time, but it also meant that if he didn’t charge, but instead shot he might be able to kill one and panic the other, while a failed charge would deny either an iron blaster or the man eaters shooting and probably keep them both alive.

The abomination ran straight forward towards the magma dragon, hoping to lure him out for the assassin to punk the next turn.

I rolled a 7/5 magic phase, for which I got my first spell dispelled and the second scrolled.

The gutter runners killed the special sabertusk, and the other put a wound on the magma dragon.  The cannon misfires and shoots backwards.  The doom rocket shoots and gets 3 hits, causing 2 wounds to the man eaters.

Turn 1 – Ogre Kingdoms

Van starts his turn by charging the dragon into the abomination.  I consider fleeing, just to drag him closer to the assassin, but realize that if I roll more than a 7, the abomination would be in range to panic my assassin and that getting caught would remove my chance of coming back to life (even if it never happens).

The man eaters charge the brood horror and as planned I flee through the impassible terrain.  They then redirect into the other brood horror needing a 10.  I could run, but decide I really want the double counter charge.  He makes it into the brood horror, ruining that plan and putting me in a heap of trouble.

An 8/6 magic phase has be scrolling a bubble soul blight and him failing to cast doom and darkness, leaving me with a handful of dice… disappointing, but he at thrown 5 dice at the bubble and rolled really high.

In shooting his first iron blaster pops the mount from under my general.  The second iron blaster shoots at my general as well.  He makes both ward saves.

The abomination flubs his attacks, and takes 2 wounds.  Van then uses his NON-flaming breath weapon and does 10 wounds, and the abomination dies.  The brood horror takes 1 wound from the impact hits, does 2 wounds back and then gets punched to death.  Unfortunately, Van did not use is Bizarro Hammer’s one use ability.

The abomination does not come back to life… but then it never does.  Even rat swarms could have charged an iron blaster in the rear and probably won combat.

Turn 2 – Skaven

Turn starts with the night runners coming on.  Van had smartly parked a sabertusk on the token and when I rolled to stick it got charged.

My turn again, and I use both my potions.  I charge the assassin into the magma dragon and my general into the man eaters, figuring if I punch the BSB in a challenge I will be up as he won’t have a rank and my charge will cancel is banner.  I also charge an ironblaster with a unit of gutter runners.  He flees through night runners.

The brood horror rallies.

I roll up a 10/4 magic phase and irresistiblely cast at the fleeing ironblaster.  I do a wound and lose my wizard levels.  I then cast the other, and he fails his miscast.  I do 1 wound to a sabertusk.

My gutter runners kill the other saber tusk.  The cannon does 4 wounds to the non-running ironblaster.

My general passes fear.  Van doesn’t get his heroic killing blow, and I make my saves.  He then also makes his saves and I lose combat on static and get run down.  The night runenrs only manage to do 1 wound to the sabertusk before it kills the weapons team.  I then run it down and into the gut star.  The assassin only gets 1 wound through and then rolls a 1 before getting squashed.  I knew he wouldn’t kill the dragon, but I was really hoping he’d set me up well for a later turn.

Turn 2 – Ogre Kingdoms

Having turned after squashing my assassin, the magma dragon turned and charged the flank of the gutter runners, stuck there after failing their charge.  The man eaters, also having reformed charged the stormvermin in the flank, but I flee off the table in order to keep them close to the now rallied brood horror.

The ironblaster fails its rally and heads into the forest.  He fails his dangerous terrain test and takes 2 wounds.

An 8/7 casting phase has Van failing to cast a bubbled soulblight and not bothering to throw the last dice at something else.

His last cannon killed my cannon.

The gutter runners pass their fear test but fail to do a would.  He then kills 2 and runs them down.  The night runners also pass their fear, putting 2 wounds on the butcher.  They still lose after losing a bunch and get run down.

Turn 3 – Skaven

I try to get revenge by charging m brood horror into the rear of the man eaters, but alas don’t roll high enough to get in.

A 6/3 magic phase draws out the hellheart, but it fails to hit a wizard.  I then irresistiblely cast on the magma dragon but don’t do much.  I take a wound for my trouble.

The gutter runners than put 2 more wounds on the magma dragon.

Turn 3 – Ogre Kingdoms

On the right flank the small gnoblar unit finally gets its courage and charges a gutter runner unit.  Never having turned their back, the gutter runners kill 5 and the unit flees to the table edge.

The cannon rallies.

A nasty 11/6 magic phase has me dispelling bubbled regeneration, but has him bubbling soul blight.

The man eaters do 3 wounds to the brood horror, which then allows the cannon to pop it off the table.

Turn 4 – Skaven

The stormvermin that had been advancing to take the far quarter charges and pushes the gnoblars off the table.

I roll a 7/6 magic phase, but Van is able to dispel my only spell.

The dragon makes all of his saves versus the gutter runners.

Turn 4 – Ogre Kingdoms

The ironblaster, still in the forest fails the fear caused by the mysterious terrain.  Doesn’t fail his dangerous terrain test though.

A 10/6 magic phase has me failing to dispel spirit leech to kill my wizard.  He gets a dice back but doesn’t pursue another spell.

His cannon kills 4 stormvermin by shooting a line down its flank.  They pass their panic test.

Turn 5 – Skaven

I move around some, avoid another cross shot with the cannons.  The gutter runners go after the 1 wound iron blaster but don’t get any 6s.  I can’t go after the magma dragon as Van has run away with it.

Turn 5 – Ogre Kingdoms

I don’t take a pic this turn as there wasn’t much change in position from the previous turn.  The magma dragon charges my wizard, but I flee.  The man eaters push the wizard off the table.

An 11/6 magic phase has me fialing to dispel doom and darkness on the gutter runners.  He then spirit leeches to kill a single gutter runner.

The first cannon (1 wound left) kills a gutter runner and the one in the forest blows itself up with a misfire.

Turn 6 – Skaven

For my last turn I move around, trying to get access to the ironblaster.  For magic all I do is dispel the doom and darkness.  The gutter runners do 5 wounds to the ironblaster, but he makes all 5 saves… that’s about a 3 percent chance.  So sad.

Turn 6 – Ogre Kingdoms

In order to try to kill the ironblaster I had to leave my gutter runners out in the wind (I had failed to march), and so the gut star was in a position for an easy charge on the gutter runners.  I manage to get 3 wounds on the stand and shoot.

Van rolls 7/6 for his last magic phase.  I dispel soulblight but he gets off troll guts on the block and heals his caster.

In combat I pass my fear test but whif my attacks and lose the unit.

Infernal Zoo – Round 4 – Andre Feliz – Warriors of Chaos

The Mission

Modified Battle for the Pass

Bonus Objectives

Forgot to make note of my objectives this round.  One was my contingent kills his contingent but I don’t recall the other.

The List

Daemon Prince, Mark of Nurgle, General, Level 2, Lore of Death, Demonic Flight, Sword of Striking, Charmed Shield, Dragonbane Gem, Scaled Skin,

Chaos Sorcerer, Mark of Nurgle, Chariot, Level 2, Lore of Nurgle, Shrieking Blade, Dragonhelm, Dispel Scroll

Exalted Hero, Mark of Nurgle, BSB, Glittering Scales, Poisonous Slime

24 Chaos Warriors, Mark of Nurgle, full command, halbreds, shields

Chimera, Regen, Poison

3 Chaos Trolls

Hellcannon

Toad Dragon

6 Plague Toads

The toad dragon is a beast with 10 wounds and T7.  It’s also immune to my S3 poison AND making me reroll to wound – so gutter runner proof.  It double thunder stomps and has mark of nurgle.  The plague toads are T4 with 2 wounds each, poison, Mv6 swiftstride and unstable/unbreakable like undead.

Magic

I once again rolled up double warplightning… another round I would have loved Crack’s Call.  Usually I don’t prefer Ruin over Plague, but I think the monster environment increases the lower initiative while at the same time increasing the toughness.

Andre took Plague Wind and Miasma on his Nurgle caster with Spirit Leech and Soul Blight on his death caster.  Miasma lower initiative, so when he defaulted purple sun to spirit leech I was quite surprised.

Deployment

For Andre’s deployment he put the toads out on the left, though thanks to the mission’s requirements of 12” in and Andre not putting his unit on the edge, there was room for scouts.  He then put down his large warrior block with his center core of hell cannon and toad dragon.  The right side got the daemon prince with a cannon shield of trolls (doesn’t help versus warplightening cannon) and the right flank being covered by the chimera.

For my deployment I spread out the stormvermin, though I put two leftish.  I made sure my wizards were in range to get a look out sir should the hell cannon decide to snipe them.  My cannon also went on the left as it was his weaker side.  As previously noted, I put the scouts on the left near the toads.  If he went first they would be scrambling to catch up, but if I went first they would be in a good position to be a distraction.  The monsters held the center, the abomination on the right and the general on the left, just a little farther back to make the 6” away work in case the hell cannon got lucky.  The assassin scouted into the forest just in front of the brood horror and abomination.  I was expecting him to go straight forward with that toad dragon and wanted to be there to meet him.

For the fourth time in a row, I got to go first.

Turn 1 – Skaven

I started off my turn to prepare for turn 2.  My monsters all moved forward, but not far enough to encourage any changes.  My gutter runners moved to put pressure on the toads and distract them from trying to show interest in my cannon and soft stormvermy center.

I rolled a 9/6 magic phase and started out with an irresistible force casting of warplightning.  This got a wound through on the toad dragon, but lost me all my wizard levels.  The second spell was then dispelled.

The gutter runners put 5 wounds onto the toads, and with only 2 would each that knocked the unit to half strength.  The cannon rolled a misfire on the second roll.

Turn 1 – Warriors of Chaos

Andre’s first turn and he pushes it all up, including the dragon in the center.  The toads on the left fail their march test and so can’t get away from the gutter runners.

He rolls an 8/7 magic phase.  I start off by scrolling spirit leech on my dispel scroll caster.  I then dispel soul blight on my abomination, and miasma on his toad dragon fails.

The hell cannon misses.

Turn 2 – Skaven

Having moved the toad dragon up like I had hoped, I use both my potions and charge it with the assassin and all three brood horrors.  The abomination then turns and runs into its flank.  This gives both of us 1 bonus point and the winner two.  I think his plan was the same as mine… get in the center and earn that bonus point.  My little stuff moves out of the charge arches of the chimera and daemon prince.

My magic is weak at 7/5, and he scrolls my only spell.

The rocket rolls a mighty 22 on just 4 dice, over shooting the warriors, though I clip 1 and he passes his armor save.  The cannon misfires and shoots backwards.  The gutter runners do 4 more wounds, leaving 1 toad with 1 wound left.

In the combat my assassin fails his fear test.  The toad’s tongue attack fails to hit.  I get 4 wounds from impact hits (leaving him at half), then the assassin fails to do anything.  The abomination saves face with 2 wounds (3 wounds left!).  The toad dragon passes all of his armor saves versus my lord, which is disappointed as 2 would have turned into 4.  Then the three brood horrors go and roll 6 poison hits, more than felling the mighty toad dragon.  I push forward with all the brood horrors and the assassin to avoid counter charges (from all by the hell cannon), and the abomination turns to face the trolls, daemon price and chimera (with frontage for either the two monsters or the trolls).

Turn 2 – Warriors of Chaos

Andre starts off his turn by failing his berserk roll with his hell cannon.  After a very close measure, he gets and passes on the BSB.

The trolls charge the abomination.  The chariot wizard charges the flank of a brood horror.  The hell cannon then tries to join the chariot, from which I flee through the trolls.  The chimera then charges that same brood horror to clean him up.  Both the chariot and the hell cannon fail their test to redirect.  The last toad charges my caster, but I flee, stranding him right next to the gutter runners.

Andre gets a 7/5 magic phase, which goes well as I fail to dispel both soulblight on the abomination and spirit leech.  Lucky for me, the spirit leech fails to wound.

The abomination does 3 wounds to the troll, taking 2.  The tie combat means everyone gets to look pretty.

Turn 3 – Skaven

My night runners decide this is a good time to come on, but then roll a misfire, killing all but 7 and preventing them from charging the toad and forcing me to utilize my gutter runners to kill it.

I charge my general and the last brood horror into the cannon.  I consider doing just 1, but decide I want to get away from the daemon prince, not turn to face him.  The assassin charges the wizard on the chariot.

My engineer fails to rally.

I get a dice 11/6 magic phase, but as I only have 1 spell I can only throw 6.  I lose the 6 v 6 roll off.

In shooting the night runners and one of the units of gutter runners kill the toad.  The other gutter runners kills 3 warriors.  The cannon knocks off the charmed shield from the daemon prince.

The assassin fails his fear test, but still gets 2 wounds on the chariot (really 1 that D3’d to 2)..  He then passes all his saves and the chariot doesn’t flee.  The hell cannon passes its ward saves on impact.  The lord then kills a handler and does 2 wounds to the cannon.  The brood horror follows through and kills the cannon and both run off the table.  The abomination and trolls each exchange 1 wound and decide to wait for another turn together.

Turn 3 – Warriors of Chaos

Andre tries to flank the abomination with the warrior block but fails his charge.  That could have gone really well for me if I had rolled well on his attacks, but then it could also have gone really bad with a half-life abomination.  The daemon prince and chimera move into a position to pincer the two brood horrors as they come back on the table.

An 11/7 magic phase has me dispelling soulblight on the abomination, but Andre does get Miasma off, making the abomination initiative and weapon skill 1.

Despite the debuff, the abomination still does 2 wounds and only takes 1 back.  The trolls pass their test.  The assassin does another wound to the chariot and takes 1 for his trouble.  Both combats continue.

Turn 4 – Skaven

I don’t have any charges.  The engineer doesn’t rally.  The gutter runners move to start putting some pressure down.  My general and the other brood horror separate to prevent the chimera and prince effectively working together to kill both (and he won’t charge both with one as I would just challenge with my general and the other was the one I put further away and a failed charge would mean a counter flank by my general).

I roll a 9/5 magic phase, but don’t get the 6s and he dispels my casting.

The cannon misfires for 0S, and the gutter runners do 1 wound to the chimera.

In combat the assassin can’t get through the saves, but also makes all his saves.  The trolls take another wound, fail to respond and finally break and get run down.

Turn 4 – Warriors of Chaos

For charges the daemon prince charges my general.  The chimera decides not to take the brood horror on and charges a unit of gutter runners.  They fail their terror test and run off the table.  He then redirects into the other unit, which flees but gets caught and killed.  Ouch.  The warriors again fail their charge, this time into the rear of the abomination.

A 7/5 magic phase has me dispelling soulblight on my general.  I then fail to dispel miasma on the wizard.

The daemon prince fails to get through the saves of my general, and then the brood horror manages to get 3 wounds through.  The assassin fails his fear, kills the chariot and makes his saves.

Turn 5 – Skaven

I counter charge the daemon prince in the flank with the other brood horror.

The wizard finally runs off the table.  I move the abomination across the river, though farther then I would have liked.  I wanted him out of the block’s charge, but still close enough for me to come back should he go after the assassin.

An 8/5 magic phase and I don’t even bother given that there aren’t any good targets (just the block with the chimera out of range).

The cannon AGAIN rolls S0.

The assassin and wizard both whiff and the combat is a push.  The daemon prince dies to the impact hits.

Turn 5 – Warriors of Chaos

The nurgle block rears the assassin in order to add the static combat to the challenge.

A 9/7 magic phase has me dispelling miasma.  Andre then casts his vortex, but shoots it at the brood horrors in the hopes that it will create an impassible terrain that would disrupt my ability to counter charge.

In combat the assassin again fails fear, but still kills the caster (ending the impassible terrain vortex).  The assassin then runs, but escapes.

Turn 6 – Skaven

The Brood Horror and General charge the nurgle block.  The assassin doesn’t rally.  The abomination doesn’t come back far enough to charge the nurgle block.

I roll a 7/4 magic phase and put another wound on the chimera.  The cannon hits the chimera and… ROLLS A 1 TO WOUND.

In combat I kill 5 in impact hits.  The BSB challenges, but fails to hit my general.  The BSB makes his save versus my general but gets eaten by the brood horror.  The other horror takes a wound, then kills 3, breaths for 2 more and thunderstomps 5.  The remaining 9 warriors pass their test but fail to reform

Turn 6 – Warriors of Chaos

The chimera tries to save the day by soloing the brood horror in the rear.

The brood horror does 1 wound to the chimera, taking 2.  As he had been pushed out of the combat last round due to lack of space he isn’t spared, failing his stubborn and getting run down.  My general then kills his challenging champion, doing a total of 6 wounds.  By doing this Andre kept his steadfast, but it doesn’t help him as he fails his test and gets run down leaving him just the chimera on the board.