Hey everyone! The post-Adepticon patch is out in full force, and Nords got a huge glow-up and rework of some core rules. Tribal Tactics got a place now in the army, Raiders are back and much more.
Lukas and I decided to put the new rules to a test, we both had two army lists prepared and played two games.
Without further ado, here is my first List:
=== The Last Argument of Kings ===
Taste of the North [2000/2000]
Nords
== (Warlord) Konungyr [160]: Ty Jokull, the Rimeheart
* Huskarls (6) [325]: Thegn
* Steel-Chosen (3) [160]:
* Steel-Chosen (3) [160]:
* Ice Jotnar (1) [240]:
== Jarl [110]: Occultists Charm
* Raiders (3) [130]: Captain
* Bearsarks (5) [250]:
== Volva [115]: Ancestors' Blessing
* Ulfhednar (3) [150]:
* Valkyries (4) [200]:
Trying out the Konungyr with a packed Huskarl block, they have bastion and access to hardened now. Supported by Bearsarks and trying to use the new Rampage rule, and Volva+Valks for some healing and staying power.
Lukas was fielding this:
=== The Last Argument of Kings ===
Waar [1990/2000]
The W'adrhŭn
== (Warlord) Scion of War [160]: Vision
* Chosen of War (4) [270]:
* Warbred (3) [180]:
* Warbred (3) [180]:
* Warbred (3) [180]:
== Matriarch Queen [105]: War, History
* Braves (4) [160]:
== Chieftain [135]: War, Kiss of the Dilosaur, Tontorr Rider
* Veterans (3) [160]:
* Tontorr (1) [300]:
* Veterans (3) [160]: The new Scion of War in action with a bunch of Chosen of War, followed by a healing Matriarch Queen and a Chieftain on a Tontorr with a whole lot of Warbred and Veterans. Cleave is incoming!
The Scenario was: Maelstrom
You gotta contest and control at least the middle and one other zone. If you fall behind too far, its hard to catchup because there are no bonus points for Warlord/Regiment kills!
Turn 1
No lights for the Wadruhn and I got to pick how my Raiders should be: light or medium? What a cool new mechanic! You cannot score Turn 2 on Maelstrom with Raiders, so I chose to bring them on as lights to get some boardspace, right down the middle.
Glorious Raiders….and beer 🙂
Turn 2
Reinforcement rolls where bad for myself, getting only one other regiment onto the battlefield. I chose my Huskarl brick as well as one Steel Chosen to apply some pressure. The orcs got four regiments on and stampeded onto the battlefield: two Warbred flanking Veterans on the left side ready to pounce onto the zone and a single Veteran MSU on the right side.
Here I made the fatal mistake of opening with my Huskarl brick: I gave Lukas the chance to deploy his linebreaking, cleave 2 CoW right down the middle infront of my Huskarls, which I hadn’t thought of, but I already spoil some things!
Huskarls marching right behind the Raiders, protecting their rightful king!
Turn 3
My reinforcements where better this round: My other Steel Chosen, as well as Valkyries and Volva came in. For my heavies I had some flanked Bearsarks thanks to the Jarl and picked the Ice Jötnar.
The Wadruhn got their Chosen of War with Flank as well as the Tontorr as their heavies. And rolled only the braves onto the field.
So more positioning this turn all around: At the left side I tried to keep out of his 11′ Charge from the Warbred and waited for reinforcements of my Steel Chosen and Valkyries, otherwise I would just lose some Regiments for nothing.
In the middle I positioned my Raiders right infront of the zone to try and block of his Chosen of War from scoring next turn. However the Warbred on the left hand side from the Raiders could try and get a charge in next turn which I misjudged.
And on the right side we had the Tontorr rolling up, Veterans scoring the zone and me opposite from them trying to setup pressure with Bearsarks on the far right and the Ice Jötnar right infront of the Tontorr.
This meant Wadruhn had the two outer zones, Nords the middle one. 2:2
Some Steel Chosen had to be proxied, because they are missing color for the raiding!
Setup in the middle!
The menacing looks continue on the right flank
Turn 4
Here I chose my first tribal tactics for the game thinking I won’t have too many clashes and needing the Relentless blows for next round, choosing Tenacious 1 for my whole army (except the Jotnar)
So, what happened? The surpremacy went to me and I chose to go first, because I had my Raiders in place to flank-charge his Warbred but going out of the way of his Chosen of War. Nextup I wanted to stall as long as possible for my Steel Chosen, Ice Jötnar and Huskarls, thinking to strike back at his advancing force.
Raiders charged the Warbred on the left side, binding them. Nothing much of a clapback there. Valkyries in place and his Chosen of War stepped onto the middle field, right in front of my Huskarls.
Then after a bit of moving around and stalling I tried a charge onto his Veterans on a 5+ with my bearsarks and not making it. Damn. However I was greedy: his Braves already activated and I saw that my Ice Jötnar was in range for a march charge and out of sight of his Tontorr. I took the opening thinking the Ice Jötnar would crush his healing Braves block later on.
On the left hand side with my last activation I charged his Warbred who where bound by my Raiders, getting the charge bonus and making it on a 5+, decimating the Warbred but not enough for killing it.
In the middle we had the first clash of my Huskarls against his CoW, but they kinda just bumped off of them, not doing enough against D4 R4(+1)!
Scoring went 4 points to Wadruhn for the flanking zones and middle coming to a 2:6 for my opponent.
Turn 5
Now the heat was on, we where engaged on all sides and I made some huge gambles and was ready to see them pay off or die trying!
I Wanted to go first with my Bearsarks thinking to get his Tontorr in the flank, followed by my Ice Jötnar and entouraging into my Konungyr with my Huskarls.
However, surpremacy went to my opponent:
Ouch, two to three for him!
I chose to deploy my Konungyr surpremacy this round, Relentless Blows, Tenacious 1 and better Flank Charging for everyone! Lukas also deployed his Hardened (1) from his Scion of War. And the carnage began.
He chose to go first and activated his Tontorr as a first go. The Tontorr absolutely smashed my Ice Jötnar to pieces and then follow-up charged into the Flank of my Huskarls. My Bearsarks where outmaneuvered and could only charge into his Veterans blowing them up but making them vulnerable to a counter charge of his Warbred and Braves with the Queen. The right side was lost.
In the middle he also was one card ahead of me and completely decimated my Huskarls: Cleave 2 (with Chant), Linebreaker makes my D2+Shield+Hardenes go up in flames. Saving on ones with untouchable is basically nothing and he destroyed my 500 points bunker. This was coming from turn 2 onwards and I completely fell for it. Middle was lost.
On the left side I was activation first my Raiders killing the last remaining 4 wounds of the Warbred and reforming them. Then my Steel Chosen were able to flank charge his Veterans completely evaporating them with Relentless,Fury,Flurry C4 and A7. I threatened with my Valks the middle, but they basically where no match anymore for his two huge bricks. The other Steel Chosen kind of just walked into the middle to start doing something and I positioned my Ulfhednar for scoring on the left side.
Devastating turn for Nords. Scoring went 1 points for Wadruhn to 2 Point for Nords making it a 4:7 for my opponent.
Turn 6
So to make things a bit quicker: I basically lost the two sides already, except for a huge gamble on the right side: Clashing with my Bearsarks uninspired trying to kill the Warbred and not getting flank charged by his Braves. The middle was lost and the right side was mine as long as I could hold out in the middle long enough.
I won the surpremacy tried to clash the Warbred with my Sarks but not enough came through even though with Rampage they hit on C4 with A6 and Cleave 2. Close call! This opened my flanks up and I lost the right side.
In the mid the Raiders charged the CoW and tickled them. Tontorr charged my Valkyries but I got to heal most of it up again. And I tried to get my other Steel Chosen into place.
On the left side the Warbred march-charged my Ulfhednar btu they where already activated and they stole the zone.
So Wadruhn has 2 zones for 3 points, Nords nothing. Making it a 10:4 for my opponent
Turn 7
Okay this turn went pretty quickly; I got my tribal tactics back and went for Relentless Blows and also got the surpremacy. My Ulfhednars clashed the Warbred to only one stand giving me the left side for one more turn.
The middle was just a bloodbath both CoW and Tontorr just smashed my Valks, Raiders and Steel Chosen to pieces making me basically unable to score. The Tontorr had about 20 wounds left and the CoW had 2 full stands a healing Matriach Queen in their rear.
I gave up after this round giving the win to my opponent!
Great game as always, love playing against my buddy Lukas. We both enjoy the fast paced games with lots of stuff going on, always a great time.
Closing thoughts:
I definitely am still in the trap of thinking: “I play Nords, I dont care about your special rules like Cleave or Linebreaker, hurr durr, I have Evasion 2 everywhere!”
Positioning and deployment mistakes all around and I have to get used to the timings of the Tribal Tactics with the Konungyr. Raiders are completely awesome now, so are Steel Chosen but that was not a surprise afetr reading the new rules.
I also love the new Bearsarks, they pack such a huge punch and innate R5 is strong and they sometimes even survive some clap-backs! (Even though they definitely are glass cannons haha)
Hope you enjoyed this first game after the update.
See you in Eä
Daniel “Extune”