ANARCHONQUISTADORES: February 2016

I’ve gotten just two games of Kings in the last month, but they were certainly good ones. In lieu of full reports (someday!), here are two quick recaps:

RATKIN 2000

Blight Lord - bane chant

Warlock - fenulian amulet

Warlock - inspiring talisman

Swarm-Crier

Blight Horde (40)

Blight Regiment (20)

Death Engine - vile sorcery

Mutant Rat-Fiend

DWARFS 2000

King - wings of honeymaze

Stone Priest - bane chant

Shieldbreaker Horde (40) - blessing of the gods, throwing mastif

Ironguard Regiment (20) - throwing mastif

Berserker Troop (10)

Earth Elemental Horde (6) - brew of haste

Greater Earth Elemental

Steel Behemoth

Ironbelcher Organ Gun

Kill & Pillage! against Dwarfs for the first time, and more DEF 6+ than I thought was possible O_O While the center was convincingly locked down by all those Blights, the flanks fell apart largely due to monster mismanagement or incompetence. On the right, I misunderstood how the pond was being played (I thought impassable, was just difficult), which led to my Death Engine getting a horde of Elementals surged into it – though admittedly, I need to use its Height 4 to better advantage in general, as I always forget it doesn’t need to be exposed if it’s just shooting things. On the left, both MRFs aggro’d into the Behemoth … and failed to even waver it. It killed one in return, prompting the other Fiend to shoot off into the Dwarven backfield to hunt some Organ Guns. Later on, that Fiend got a rear (!) charge on the Behemoth … and again, failed to kill it by 1. It too was run over for its troubles, and the Behemoth would later go on to flank some Blights (seen here). At which point the flying King was causing problems in my own backfield.

I think the game ended up a minor LOSS for me? But with several points where it was clear I let the game slip away due to misplay or juuuuuuust missing out on a Nerve test here or there. I did manage to pick up significant points in a lucky Turn 7, boosting a badly bleeding Blight regiment onto a point by running over some mangled Berserkers, which was cool.

RATKIN 2000

Blight Lord - bane chant

Warlock - fenulian amulet

Warlock

Enforcer - inspiring talisman

Blight Horde (40)

Blight Regiment (20)

Death Engine - vile sorcery

Mutant Rat-Fiend

VARANGUR 2000

King on Chimera - ensorcelled armor, lifeleech

Cave Troll King

Magus on Mount - fireball

Mounted Sons of Korgaan Regiment (10) - lifeleech

Sons of Korgaan Regiment (20) - lifeleech

Cave Troll Horde (6)

Reaver Troop (10)

Horse Raider Troop (10) - bows

Loot! against another new faction, and a terrifyingly fighty one at that. With three counters, this game roughly divided into three skirmishes. On the right, two Blight regiments, an MRF and the Enforcer took on the Troll King, Trolls and some Reavers, in what became a loooong dragged out battle that eventually ended with the green things left alive and in control of the marker. Credit to the Troll King for making that take as long as it did (DEF 6+ and Inspiring kept him and his Trolls in it for several turns), though my new Enforcer was key to keeping my own dudes holding charges, literally on his Rallying bonus alone.

The left saw the Horse Raiders grab that marker and linger at their board edge all game, tossing out bow shots to no avail. Meanwhile, the Mounted Sons and King brutally wrecked a Blight horde (24 wounds in one charge), which was followed by the King getting charged repeatedly by a Fiend as the Sons were harried by spammed lightning. This would have been more uplifting for me if it hadn’t been for missing rout rolls by 1 over and over – though the King was wavered a couple times, he eventually dodged one and trashed the MRF plaguing him, then shot into the Death Engine pelting his dudes with lasers and killed him too. Not being able to keep the big guy down very much swung the game hard in Varangur favor.

Mid-field was less exciting. Some Sons and the other Blight horde clashed in a forest, which ultimately was decided when the second Sons infantry plowed in to evaporate the horde. One of the units received a Death Engine volley to the grill and routed, but the other just picked up the marker. With so much of mine dead or busy dealing with the left flank (eventually the Mounted Sons were lightninged away), there just wasn’t much to make a play there.

The very close of the game saw me with a single lightning cast left, which I was determined to send into the King to finally end him. My opponent graciously reminded me that the game was only about the loot markers, and suggested I instead try to blow away the Raiders hanging with a marker in his backfield. Grudgingly I admitted he was right, then missed with 5 of 7 shots, wounded the Raiders twice and flubbed a pretty easy rout value. Which sums up the game pretty succinctly.

So another LOSS, but a great game with so many back and forths, because dice. Though I'm not complaining too hard, especially as the opening shot of the game was a volley of lightning(5) into his new Magus, which needed an 11-12 to rout, and I absolutely nailed :D This was a trend throughout the game, where I'd roll an 11 for the first Nerve roll ... then like a 4 on the Inspiring reroll. Magus just lost out because he didn't have the King nearby ;)

On my list, things are pretty congealed right now, really liking how the army looks and plays. It could be faster, and I don't really feel like I have much chaff to speak of (though Blight regiments are pretty cheap!), but I right now I think I can gain more out of playing more games than messing with the list, particularly as I don't feel like I'm getting steamrolled. Except by the dice at times ...

Monday, February 22, 2016

+ KINGS GAMING UPDATE +

LORD OF CHAOS

We Are Legion

Beyond the Warp

Back to the Pit

Label the Threat