Scenario: Invade
2100pts + Samurai character
This game was in preparation for an upcoming tournament in Canberra, Rise of Ronin. 2100 points with the addition of a special samurai character which were sourced almost identically from the Dojo GT with thanks. You can check that our here:
The Lists
List Thoughts
Dave:
I’ve tweak my list from last game, I’ve gone for thunderwolves over rift walkers as chaff, and mounted the rift forger with HSB. I dropped two of the rift forgers and helestriker horde because, this is 2100 points and I want a slower harder hitting list so i’ve gone for melee 3 and lots of attacks with CS.
Matt:
I’m still trying to find a list I really enjoy playing with the Basileans, but also that I can use models already painted. This time I really wanted to try the formation, the hitting on 4’s with the sisters hurts but I line the speed and ranged threat combined with nimble.
The Plans
Dave:
I have a slow but tough army, so my plan is to just creep in a box formation over half way, I’ll look to thin down matts weaker units and win through US. I’m looking to pump up Thonaar on HSB and make good use of storm strike but I also plan to the use the shrine to hand out bane chants like snags at a Bunnings on Saturday morning (I really hope no one outside of Australia understands this one haha)
Matt:
Plan is simples. Delaying tactics in the centre whilst I swing around with my fast stuff.
Deployment
Dave:
Blahhh, I just panicked and turtle shelled to one side of the field, Matt out dropped me and now I have this dirty big dragon to deal with.
Matt:
When I saw Dave going heavy centre I started dropping troops of chaff down to see if that’s how he would continue and it appeared to be the case. I basically want to have most of my fast stuff on one flank with the path finder.
Turn 1
Matt:
Strategy for turn 1 was give Dave a charge on the gurs with hellstriker if he was game and then counter punch. Otherwise punch forward and send the dragon forward to be annoying on the opposite flank.
Dave:
I moved up in a sort of turtle shell formation, looking to protect flanks as I nudge my US closer to half way.
I’ve pivioted my 2nd row to protect against the dragon and fired off a few shots into the dragon but between the amberox and lightning bolt 6 I roll bad and only manage the 2 wounds, 1 of which is lost to iron resolve.
Turn 2
Matt:
Dave the cheeky booger positioned so I couldn’t fit in on the back gurs. That’s ok because I will charge the front ones and I’m actually hoping not to go through them so they stuff up his movement around the building. Both panthers go into the Helstriker on manticore. The elohi reposition. The OPG push up to counter any charging and the dragon pops over the back. He will get charged by the samurai but withdraw should still make him dangerous.
The gurs do 3 wounds and fail to waver. Perfect. The panthers delete the helstriker and reform
Dave:
Dam I didn’t see the charge from the sisters until I’d finished my turn, that speed 10 can make them a real long range threat with all the other synergies they have in the list (mistake number 1 for those of you keeping score).
I moved my line forward again, still just creeping towards that halfway line. I’ve turn one thunderseer units back in to face the dragon and my other 2nd wave is ready to support or dart out on the flank next turn when my tundra wolves are destroyed.
My amberox and shine popped some long rang shooting/lightning bolt on the sword troop but it fizzed out to only manage 3 wounds.
My tundra wolves hit back on both gur units deleting both, one with only two wounds but a nerve roll of 9 and the other was blown out of the park with 7 wounds. My reposition has allowed me to protect the lower unit from both sisterhood regiments as my flank is blocked by the building.
My samurai turned to face the dragon and nailed it for a mighty 6 wound, now that its grounded my thunderseer unit is lined up to delete it next turn.
Turn 3
Matt:
Bloody hell that samurai on the dragon haha. I knew I would be disordered but not so heavily punished. The good thing for me here is that he has pivoted unit strength 3 around to face me so for scenario this is good even though the dragon won’t be there next turn. I held up both hordes with spears and swords and the other sword troop flanked the tundra wolves. The second spear regiment went into the front of the tundra wolves. All up I still don’t think the spears will kill the wolves but I’m going for continual blockade of that portionof the board.
Both OPG go onto the hill to benefit from TC next turn or the turn after, while the gurs and elohi reposition.
The dragon did 3 wounds only rolling 3-4 ones on the to wound roll, and failed to do anything. Bye bye dragon. The swords in the flank took off the wolves and repositioned. Everything else just did its delaying job
Dave:
I took the charge on Matt’s dragon and deleted it with the thunderseers, I took this opportunity to disengage the samurai and send it back towards the center to help out with the sisters when they get there.
Stupidly I didn’t tuck my other unit of thunderseers away from the LOS of Matt’s sisterhoods. (chalk up another error to Dave).
Across the main battle line I cleared out Matts spear regiment and sword troops.
My amberox lobbed some bombs at his OPG unit and the shrine chipping in with lightning bolt to plink on 6 wounds, but IR gave one back.
I had to tuck away the reborn to get a good reform on the horde as Matt’s elohi would be licking there angelic lips at my flank. This unfortunately has jammed me up with very little room to move.
Turn 4
Matt:
Dave just sent me a gloating message about how much he took off that turn. I think it’s cute that he thinks he has a chance from here.
The samurai charges in to hold up the left horde. The OPG and Elohi charge the other horde on either side of Thonaar they should be able to one shot them. The strength panthers flank the thunderseers. The spears and other OPG double the wolves with the idea being, failing a double one, the spears will protect the OPG.
The other panthers move around the back.
The OPG and Elohi one shot the horde, the OPF reposition to be able to flank the other horde if they can’t go through the samurai. the tundra wolves die and the spears overrun while the OPG pivot. The sisters take off the thunderseers.
US score is now 18-12 in my favour but could turn very quickly if he plays it well and gets ab it of luck.
Dave:
As expected I lost my thunderseers to the sisters, serves me right for not protecting them well enough. Its now turn 4, with all of Matts army currently scoring and only 1 of mine I have some serious work to do. From here my plan needs to shift from creeping over the half way line to deleting as much of Matt’s army as I can.
So I got straight to work… My horde made short work of the samurai and the shrine did shrine things handing out BC to the reborn, HSB to thonaar and BC to thonar and the rift forger.
I got a lucky waiver on Matt’s OPG (mainly because he screwed up his list) with the rift forger and thonaar and the reborn destroyed his elohi pumping on 14 wounds.
My new plan to table Matt is now off to a good start.
Turn 5
Matt:
So Here’s a big lol. I accidently added slashing instead of staying stone during list writing to the OPG which means they are waivered. Which is actually huge. Dave offers me to play it as the stone but I believe in owning the mistakes.
The OPG and the spears double charged the reborn but only managed a combined 5 wounds. There were 3 wounds on the samurai and what will be interesting now will be will Dave be coming back towards me band not towards scenario.
His horde can’t see over the hill with the leader point being just off so this will be interesting
Dave:
My Thunderseers are well and truly out of this game now, so its time for me to get them over the half way mark and into safety.
The amberox is also in a similar situation so I’ve move it to keep my horde freed up to do damage next turn.
My Shrine did its thing again and with bane chant and host shadow beast getting thrown out like cars at an opera show my reborn and Thonaar teamed up again to delete Matt’s other OPG unit.
The rift forger went back into the waiver OPG to waiver them again on the reroll, surely only snakes will save it next turn.
I did nothing with the horde this turn as I positioned last turn just off the hill with my leader point so my OPG target was blocked, (chalk up mistake 3 to me).
The mighty samurai was waivered last turn however fury sees him put 4 wounds on the sisters.
Matts down to 4 units and 12 US all scoring, and I still only have the 1. Turn 6 is really gonna be make or break for me.
Turn 6
Matt:
Buggering my list has really screwed the pooch again. Spears went into the reborn, the wavered OPG couldn’t move. The spears did 3 wounds and failed to break and the sisters did 3 on the samurai and failed to waver. Unless Dave double 1’s the OPG and doesn’t go through the spears he should win.
Dave:
Ok time to crush Matt into oblivion…
So being the tactical genius that I am, I sent the shrine into the OPG front, mainly to free up my rift forged horde for the flank and to also ensure it placed in my half on alignment.
I didn’t roll snakes and the OPG died quickly, so now on the reform my thunderseers, riftforged horde and amberox are now all scoring, so 8US to me, the shrine is borderline however if I play my cards right it wont matter.
The reborn orcs managed 7w and my mighty HSB fuelled rift forger managed 4w sending the spears off into a long good night.
Lastly Thonaar, and the samaurai polishing off the sisters leaving matt with just 3US.
Turn 7
We didn’t get this far suck it Matt I crushed you…
Wrap up
Matt:
The actual stated game plan went well at the start. If I had time again I’d hold the dragon off projecting threat rather than trying to get behind so early. Also I see no reason to take the dragon again over Julius.
Screwing my list hurt bad and that in of itself was probably enough to lose it. The sisters threat range I like and I might play with some variations on this. I am really liking the Elohi hammer but it does result in it getting one shot a lot.
I’ll tweak this list and have another go. Well played Dave as he looked in trouble for a while
Dave:
I’m really lucky to get away with this one, I jammed myself up early, positioned poorly and threw away two units but the hitting power of the rift forgers and some great dice got me through.
I needed to spread out further in deployment, both across the board and unit to unit. Hordes need room to swing and I didn’t give them that.
I’m really happy with the mounted version of the rift forger and how it can zip around, i’m also happy with the Thunderwolves over rift walkers.
I really think the sweet spot with the shrine is 1 HSB then handing out 3 bane chants.
Again, I feel I under performed with the thunders, yes I took out a dragon but need to work out how to convert past just taking out 1 unit.
From here I think I’ll stick with the list and try to understand it a bit better.