Hi people!
Long time no war report from me! Summer is catching up on all of us, which naturally means more time out in the sun. However the basement is also the perfect place: it’s cool and you can Conquest all the time!
So this time I wanted to tryout a smaller Ulfhednar block in a Konnungyr list again, because this type of list is floating around and I wanted to give it a whirl myself.
My List
| === The Last Argument of Kings === Konny again? [2000/2000] Nords == (Warlord) Konungyr [120]: Bow-Chosen (3) [180]: Steel-Chosen (3) [165]: Shield Biter Steel-Chosen (3) [160]: Steel-Chosen (3) [160]: == Jarl [100]: Raiders (3) [130]: Captain Raiders (3) [130]: Captain Bearsarks (3) [160]: Bearsarks (3) [160]: == Volva [150]: Coils of the Serpent, Wealth of a Hundred Raids Raiders (3) [130]: Captain Ulfhednar (5) [255]: Savage |
My Opponent has his third(!) Conquest game overall with Dweghom and he brought this for trying out and testing capabilities:
Opponents List:
=== The Last Argument of Kings ===
Alles Testen 3 [2000/2000]
Dweghom
The Tempered Creed
== (Warlord) Tempered Steelshaper [130]: Gifted in Fire
Stoneforged (1) [230]:
Magmaforged (3) [205]: Herald of Magma
== Lost Ancestor [120]: Steel School
Steelforged (3) [210]:
Found (3) [160]:
== Lost Ancestor [125]: Steel School, Bloody-Minded Focus
Fireforged (3) [160]:
Steelforged (3) [210]:
== Tempered Sorcerer [110]: Fire School
Fireforged (3) [160]:
Hellbringer Drake (1) [180]:
The scenario we picked was one of the five new ones and we both haven’t played it yet: Break the Line
With the “Linebreaker” regiments it proves to be a rather interesting type of scenario, you cannot ignore them, meaning you have to confront the Linebreakers from your opponent otherwise he will just outscore you!
My Linebreaker where both regiments of Bearsarks
Dweghom went for his Stoneforged and Magmaforged
Turn 1
No lights for Dweghom meant only my Bowchosen coming on. Positioning themsevle to cover the flanks of my incoming regimingts on the central and right side zone!
Turn 2
We both got our picked regiment as well as two more mediums in.
I went with my Ulfhednar and double Raider to get in position onto the zones. Ulfhednar went central and both Raiders went on the left and right side. My thinking initially was that I want to control the middle+right because I had more space to position my troops there.
Dweghom got both his Steelforged+Ancestors (left+central) in as well as Fireforged+Sorcerer (right).
Turn 3
Now the dance if finally starting.
I had a ton of luck: both my heavy Bearsarks are coming automatically (flank+pick) and I succeded on all four remaining mediums. My opponent only got 2 Mediums and his picked Stoneforged in, leaving his Magmaforged and last Fireforged out, which already hurt.
We danced a bit back and forth, as I had the card advantage I went with my right side Raiders and Ulfhednar last to tiptoe the zones. My bowchosen also had the freedom to shoot at his Steelforged in the middle claiming a few wounds there (which I desperatly need because Ulfhednar lack cleave).
Other untis where just getting into position to maybe punish and countercharge his units.
On the left side my Raider also tiptoed the zone and behind them where Bearsarks and Steelchosen waiting.
Score went 6:0 for Nords this turn.
Turn 4
A bunch of stuff happened: firstly I lost the surpremacy (I never won it this game). I activated my tribal tactics for Tenacious(+1) thinking that a few of my Units (Ulfhednar and Raiders mainly) are in Charge/Shooting range and my punish turn would be the turn after, if he is committing to going in.
His first activation where his Sorcerer+Fireforged which he positioned that his Sorcerer could exactly cast on my tiptoing Raiders and he entouraged into his Fireforged to march+shoot and then kill the Raiders with easy. They hate magic, especially Coruscation with 9 dice!
I went with Raiders first as I wanted to charge his Fireforged first alas they where dead. This meant I used my left side Raiders shifting them forward a bit and rotating them more.
He went with his Ancestors next trying to buff up the Steelforged, missing on the left unit.
My Bowchosen Aim+Shot his Steelforged in the middle again and dealing enough damage (and rolling ones) to kill a stand.
He then shot with his Drake and Found onto my Ulfhednar dealing a few wounds, however Tenacious(2) and Evasion(2) meant not much coming through. I bid my time with my units mostly, keeping Bearsarks and Steelchosen as well as my last card Volva+Ulfs behind.
As I had the card advantage and scoring advantage (for now), he felt pressured to do something with his central Steelforged and he charged in on a 3! He managed to do it. After Impacts and a horrendous clash my Ulfhednar barely lost another stand. Then he Charged with his Stoneforged my Raiders on the right zone, where I positioned them exactly that his Stoneforged couldn’t be on the zone as well as in the water, he barely did anything with -1Clash and no Impacts.
And his left side Steelforged also went into my Raiders and he there also rolled a horrendous clash managing to kill one stand of Raiders, ouch.
Now I got to punish him: Steelchosen into the flank of the Steelforged on the left side, killing one stand and a few more wounds which is okay!
Steelchosen in the middle jumping over my Bowchosen to threaten the Found or Drake.
Bearsarks march+charge into his Fireforged onto the right side, going for maybe a quick kill next turn.
Volva managing to heal 5(!) points of damage in interference onto my Ulfhednar and they double clash but basically they Steelforge shrug off everything, which is to be expected.
Scoring went four points to Dweghom (left+center) + a killed regiment and two points to Nords (right) for a 8:5
Turn 5
So after the surpremacy roll, which a lost, I had a little thinking if I go for my Konny Warlord ability: Reasoning was that I wanted to get Tenacious(2) on my more precious units again as well as the punching power of Relentless Blows. I knew he is going first and I knew he had to go for Sorcerer+Fireforged first to clap my Bearsarks, otherwise they would just march through and win me the game. So I went for it.
And I was right! His Sorcerer+Fireforged attempted big-fat magic nukes (9 dice) as well as melee attacks, however they managed to only kill one stand off my Bearsarks and they could then take revenge on them!
One inspire+clash later and they where toast, but my opponent also didn’t save a single wound on two’s again (He really had insanely bad luck with his rolls this game….sorry!)
Nextup where his Magamforged to smartly get out behind the Found to actually do anything. He saw the threat of my Steelchosen just going into the Found and smartly went with the early into my Steelchosen.
My next card where Steelchosen, however I know went with the left ones to clap against the Steelforged there: 22 hits and basically saving not enough on four’s again and they where toast (completely insane his D4 was actually a d2 basically, insane). That completely opened up the left side and he couldn’t even heal them anymore, ouch.
He then had his Ancestor+SF in the middle, buffing+healing up and clapping the Ulfhednar. He managed to kill a few stands. My Bowchosen went up next and stepped forward a bit and unleashing a barrage into the side of the Steelforged, nearly killing them here.
He then tried to shoot with the Drake+Found at my Ulfhednar to kill them, however they survived on two wounds(!) thanks to Tenacious(2), he also afterwards saw the better choice for his Found to actually wheel and try to go for my Bearsarks on the right as they where completely free to go forward there.
Well, time to cleanup a bit: My Steelforged lost a stand to the Aura of Death but clapped back and killed two stands of Magmaforged again (D4? Who needs defense when you have Relentless Blows… ha!)
Raiders and Stoneforged tickled themselves neither doing much there.
And on the left side he went back with his Fireforged to not give me a leapfrog target with my Bearsarks, but next turn they where able to March+Charge.
My Volva again managed to heal 5 points on my Ulfhednar, even with intereference and they then cleaned up the Steelforged+Ancestor in the middle.
Scoring went two zones (left+right) for Nords and a few regiments, Dweghom got nothing done this turn for a 15:5 for Nords.
Turn 6
Cleanup duty: He won surpremacy, went with Magmaforged first killing my Steelchosen. I went with Volva+Ulfhednar to get a Charge+Clash into the Drake doing a bunch of hits but mainly binding the Drake.
His Found went next trying to kill my Ulfhednar but failing to do enough there.
Rest was cleanup and then my opponent surrendered here, leaving with a final score of
31:6 for Nords!
Thanks for the game Hannes, it always is a pleasure to get gaming with such a motivated new gamer in our local Conquest scene. Next time Dweghom and the dice gods will be a bit harsher to me, the rolls in this game where off the charts. D4 saving like a D2 unit and that three times? What the hell man…
Afterthoughts:
The list still uses the power of Mortals and Tribal Tactics, which is nothing new. The Ulfhednar are surprisingly tanky on their Tenacious(2) turns, however their output against D4 is just laughable and when they get shot at, they hate their lives. I got lucky in this game with my healing, otherwise they would be wiped of the table here and I got to thinking if their “Cleave immunity” and Resolve5+Tenacious are actually better thank D3/D4+Untouchable+Hardened(1) Huskarls where I’m not convinced. The main reason blocks crumble are ranged pressure in Nords in my opinion and you don’t net Lethal Demise and double clash as output generators if you are able to survive a few more hits. If you’re going against Cleave(2) Huskarls still save on 2/3 with RR6 and I’m not sure what’s better here.
Hope you had fun reading it, there will be more to come in the summertime!
Daniel aka “Extune”