Scenario: Pillage
Points: 2300pts
The Lists:
Thoughts with this list:
Dave – This is just something new for me, I figured since I brought the storm in the shire box set, id start looking at how rift forged worked. I really don’t know if this will work, but it looks fun.
Matt: This is another go at my list or variation of for Shirecon.
Deployment:
Dave – No idea what I was thinking to be honest… but hey you cant stuff up a plan if you don’t have one right…. Right….
Matt: My choice of side and deployment was all about the scenario. I had closer to 4/7 on the top. And I wanted to threaten those four. The plan was infantry in the middle and leave a troop behind. Cav on the flank and leave a troop behind. Split the elohi to threaten from the opposite side.
The Plan
Dave: I don’t know mine plan, but I know matts trying to sandwich me between Elohi and his knight horde, so really I guess my plan is to not get sandwiched
Matt: My plan is outpace Dave and crush him like the grub he is.
Turn 1
Matt:
Basically with my first turn I wanted to take control of the hills and put the threat range on. I am hoping that unless he gets a hellstriker over that the back token will be mine regardless. So it’s about competing for the others. The right token I am hoping to protect with the horde and the infantry troop can eventually take it. So I Push forward early for zone control but then I may seek a more defensive mindset I really am unsure.
Dave – I just moved up slightly trying to protect my key units from Matt’s elohi on the left.
I managed to punch off LB onto Matt’s gur panthers to clear the chaff but only got 1 wound.
Turn 2
Matt: There was a real temptation to barrel forward here and try and take off what I could. On the left the gurs and abbess were in range of the rift walkers and hellstriders so I strongly considered holding them up to push the elohi forward, however I felt that would be throwing away two lots of redirectors and the reality was I have 4 tokens towards me and I need to protect those to win.
The centre pushed forward to protect tokens whilst the troop at the back slid backwards to be as far away as possible whilst still controlling the token. On the right the helstriker character is the only thing that outpaces me so I put the gurs into him to allow the knights to push forward and take the hill. Again the goal of the troop is to control the token not act as a redirector if possible.
In combat the gurs did a mighty 3 wounds.
Dave – Looks like its nothing but bad options for me this turn, I spend a lot of time trying to protect my thunderseers from Matt’s knight horde, and unfortunately that meant I needed to advance on my reform move with my stormbringer on hellstriker, I only needed about 2inches and rolled a 5. Now its over exposed and probably going next turn.
Turn 3:
Matt: This turn was about options. Dave protected his thunderseers well on the right so I charged the helstriker as his back unit can’t see well enough to allow a triple charge and if i pivot (barring double 1’s) I may be able to get the thunderseers hindered over the obstacle. Either way theoretically the horde should survive a double charge.
I blocked his main infantry horde with my gurs and took a double charge on on the riftwalkers
In shooting I got bane chant off on the knights as closest path to the helstriker still took them through the forest.
The combined might of the OPG and spears only did 7 wounds on the riftwalkers but thankfully they popped with no inspiring around and the knights went through the helstriker. At the very last I am holding off that wider token for longer
Dave – Damn you Matt, I’m just hindered on the double charge on right and I’m just out of range on the left.
Just to chalk up another mistake, I’ve now noticed my helstrikers cant see through the forest protecting matts OPG and spearmen
I sent Thonaar in to clear some chaff and if it brings in a unit I’ll have heavy hitters ready to go and on the CC.
I powered up the shrine and was ready to hand out bane chants but naturally I failed my first attempt…. Bane chant 4
Turn 4:
Matt: Time to push this game forward a little. Firstly the OPG and elohi combo charge the helstriker horde, it is a slight risk with the OPG being hindered but I reckon we will be fine. Once the OPG are out of the way the abbess can see the rift forge horde so go in to hold them up. As long as one wound is done I will be protected from them charging even with a withdraw move.
The spears about face and move forward slightly in the off chance that the horde doesn’t end up disordered.
Samacris repositions to provide US help on the other side. The horde of knights counter charges the thunderseers. The middle OPG counter the pesky character and the spear regiment chargers the other rift forged character. The two troops stay behind to guard tokens.
In shooting, the priest bane chanted the knight horde. Samacris cast fireball on the third riftforger but failed to wound.
In combat, 17 wounds popped the left thunderseers and the units re faced into opposite directions. The Abbess did 3 wounds on the horde and the rolled box cars!
The OPG did 5 wounds on the riftforger and popped him. The spears did 2 wounds on the other with no waver. The Knight horde deletes the thunderseers after 11 wounds and reforms. Both Dave’s units will be hindered on the next charge.
Dave – Things go further south for me this turn.
The waiver on my horde hurts, I’ve snuck in Thonaar to protect it, I didn’t see the charge from the OPG on my helstrikers and that double charge really cost me.
The shrine really did the work this turn, as I successfully HSB the lone rift forger and got bane chant onto both rift forgers and my rift forged regiment.
Between host shadow beast and stormstrike, my lone rift forger piled on 10w to waiver the men at arms spearmen.
My other rift forger and rift walkers however, failed to stop the OPG only doing 6 wounds.
My reborn and rift forged charged the knight horde to try and take it out, but only waivered on the reroll
Thonaar managed to hold up the OPG for a turn and my thunderseers piled on 13W but unfortunately I snaked both rolls.
I wanna stay optimist but it looks like I’ll really struggle to budge Matt from here.
Turn 5
Oh David you poor soul. Two snake eyes. One relevantone not. Well you did more wounds on the Elohi than you deserved to so you can bite me. Thonaar was a big mistake as I’m likely to now roll through him and delete the horde.
The OPG counter charge the thonaar and the abbess joins in to make sure of it. Honestly I’m; just giving it Dave form both ends
The Elohi counter, the left spear regiment backs up to ensure control of the token. THe OPG go into the riftwalkers. Samacris hangs around ready to move where she is needed. The knights counter charge the lower unit.
The priest bane chants the knight horde and then its onnnnn.
Thonaar dies like the dog he is and then I over run and delete the riftforge horde mwhahahaha. I then reposition to the bottom left ready to take on thunderseers if necessary but also controlling another token.
THe OPG only do 6 wounds on the riftwalkers and don’t even waver them. The knight horde goes through its unit an repositions to make sure of a front.
Dave – Damn you Matt…. Cruelly he reminded me of the individual rule, even though Thonaar is (or was) mighty, he can still be overrun into another combat…. And that combat happened to be the flank of my horde… I’m proper screwed from here, I did some amazing work with my rift forgers in the middle to maximise host shadow beast and clear off the spear regiment but its all for nothing. I tried to get petty on the right and take out Matts knight horde but only got a waiver.
Turn 6
Matt: I don’t even bother checking because the chump has lost
Dave – What turn 6 its all over….
Wrap up:
Dave – Well damn, I really didn’t understand this list and it showed. I tried to make the most of the rift forgers but I don’t think that’s wear the value in this list is.
I over estimated the maneuverability of the shrine, but being speed 5 and not nimble or fly really limits how I can move even the waiver mitigation of the fury aura around. I think next game I need to park it behind two hitty units and make the most of it as a bane chant machine.
Popping host shadow beast on Thonaar is definitely a money maker, but I think that’s best achieved by sticking a rift forger on a mount to get it where I need on the battle field.
I’m not really shocked I lost considering I didn’t have a plan but I did find a few things out about the list.
Matt: I always felt pretty comfortable when he didn’t have any shooting AND I outpaced him. Still could have gone either way. The high pace in invade also helps
Final thoughts on the list:
Dave – The three rift forgers need to go, on foot they are too slow. I’m even 50/50 on the shrine but it feel cool so I think I’ll try and make lightning bolt work early next game as it still generates extra dice from the rift forged keyword, it just doesn’t get to continue casting.
I might also drop the rift walkers and look at faster chaff in the way of tundra wolves.
Matt: I still don’t see my list as highly competitive but it’s fun to use.