The Tournament
This is a GBHL 100pt two day tournament, that is effectively two in one with a 600pt army limit. Day one is the qualifier stage, where all 90~ players compete over four games and by the end of the day, have ended up with rankings decided.
Day two, the top 8 compete in a knockout, as do 9-16th (if I gathered that correctly). The rest of the players are split into pods of 8/16 going down the table. Their scenarios are decided by the veto system, with a pool given to the whole tournament.
My Army
I wanted to bring an army that could hold its own, but wouldn't be too nasty if I ended up in a lower pod for day two. I settled on Mordor as I have been feeling the Shagrat love recently. I initially wanted the Shadow Lord for a spellcaster and ranged protection, but was talked round by the group chat to take the Witch King to provide a second striker.
Lastly, with combat ability covered, I needed a counter to terror and something to speed up my infantry force of Morannons and a few Mordor orcs. First thoughts led me to either a Captain for marching, or a Shaman for Fury, problem being that neither covered both issues, and having both would leave me with very few troops.So eventually, I listened to the chat again and took Kardush, before deciding to add an Orc Drummer for speed.
After a few practice games, I dropped a point of will off the Witch King and his horse's armour to add a Morgul Blade.
The final list was:
The Witch King of Angmar w/ Crown of Morgul, Morgul Blade, Horse and 3/13/3 LEADER
Morannon Orcs x10 w/ 6x Shield and 4x Spear
Mordor Orcs x4 w/ 1x Banner and 3x Spear
Shagrat w/ Shield of Cirith and Heavy Armour
Morannon Orcs x6 w/ 3x Shield and 3x Spear/Shield
Mordor Orcs x4 w/ Spear
Kardush the Firecaller
Orc Drummer
Morannon Orcs x4 w/ 2x Shield and 2x Spear
Numbers: 32
Game 1- Fog of War (Vs. Azog's Legion/Hunters (Connor))
Opposing Heroes: Bolg, Yazneg and Fimbul
Opposing Troops: Hunter orcs, mounted Hunter Orcs and Gundabad Berserkers
My opening game was against the dreaded Bolg, luckily I had tools to deal with him and wouldn't be required to kill him. For my objectives, I chose to capture the yellow obelisk (top off centre in pic), slay Yazneg and defend Kardush.
I deployed the Witch King to the right, Shagrat to the left and Kardush in the middle, using two ruins and an obelisk to form a defensive wall. Bolg's forces charged in and Kardush did a channelled Flameburst after the Witch King sapped Bolg's will. The Flameburst hit and Bolg's warg was burned, leaving the Bringer of Death aflame. Yazneg lost a fight and found himself dismounted and Fimbul was forced to use his last two might to avoid suffering the same.
A small group of Hunter Orcs went around the ruins to my left in an attempt to flank and cause problems, so I sent Shagrat to deal with them. He quickly killed them off with a good charge and heroic combat, finishing off the remaining in the next turn.
The Witch King keeps Bolg from causing too much damage with an immobilise each turn, since he killed four in his first turn of combat. He then turns on Fimbul and loses a combat, ending up losing his horse. A berserker leaps through the ruined window on a 6 and pounces on Kardush and the Drummer! Fortunately for me, they fend him off and the Drummer slays him. But then a Hunter orc does the same! To my horror, Bolg breaks free as the Witch King's will runs low and Heroic Combats onto Kardush across the ruined wall.
I have also called a Heroic Combat and Shagrat leaps onto Yazneg, cutting him down brutally. The Witch King manages to catch Fimbul and this time triumph, plunging the Morgul blade into him. The Drummer takes a wound from the Hunter Orc, but succeeds with his fate. I'm horrified, when Bolg gets past the barrier and lands two wounds. However, he also passes his fate and the game ends on its first roll. This would turn out to be an incredibly fortunate string of events for me.
Connor had intended to capture the yellow obelisk behind me and kill the Drummer. So by the end, he had broken me, while I had killed Yazneg and kept the wounded Kardush alive, leaving me on a lucky and narrow 4-3 victory.
Game 2- Retrieval (Vs. Host of the Dragon Emperor (Tom))
My next game was going to be a tough one, facing down the Emperor and Rutabi. I had a rough idea of attempting to channel a Black Dart on the Palanquin to slow the Emperor down, however, I forgot to call the Heroic Channel (D'oh!)
Gaining the first priority, and not wanting to give the Easterlings a chance to flank me, I only advanced an inch or two. Realising what I had forgotten, I instead attempted a Sap Will on the Emperor, who resisted.
In the opening turn of combat, it was an encouraging start, as Rutabi fluffed her Heroic Combat and took a wound. Before I managed to kill off 4~ Easterlings, while losing 3 myself. But the following turn, the martial prowess of the Easterlings came back into effect. Despite Shagrat cutting through more of the Glimmering horde and the Witch King casting a Kataphrakt aside, I lost 10 more orcs, and was suddenly very close to breaking!
With this sudden shift in power, the Easterlings seized the chance. They won the roll off and yet more orcs fell before them. Before long, the Witch King was isolated and cut down by Rutabi. A kataphrakt managed to take my objective and started to get away with it, but didn't manage to get to their own half of the board before the game ended.
Only Shagrat survived from the Mordor force.
Tom had managed to break me, kill my leader and had his objective in my half for an 8-0 victory over me.
Game 3- Divide and Conquer (Vs. Isengard (David))
This ended up being my favourite game of the weekend. I decided that I would take the approach of trying to pin and destroy Mauhur's isolated unit, before bringing the fight to the middle. I quickly realised that I had forgotten they were Marauders and could outpace me, so I adapted and intended to cast a Compel to pull Mauhur out of the unit and towards me. However, David's crossbows fired through the ruins and dismounted the Witch King. Which ended up putting him out of range of the spell by an inch or two. So instead I used the compel to pull the banner away from the unit, and have Kardush promptly fail to flameburst him.
Mauhur's unit then took a hard right towards Shagrat, which surprised me but I was happy to let it happen and moved my uruk's warband closer to engage, as the Witch King and Kardush led theirs to the middle to face Lurtz and Gorulf. But the following turn, I realised the ploy as Mauhur suddenly pulled away and sandwiched the Witch King's unit between the two Isengard halves! Shagrat could only move forward and watch helplessly as many of my orcs were slain!
The next turn, I decided that I needed to level the playing field. The Witch King compelled Mauhur away from the battle and back to Shagrat. David sent a couple of Marauders to prevent a trap and Heroic Combat, but Shagrat knocked the Uruk down with a Heroic Strike and slew him instead, regaining the might. The two Marauders were also slain.
In the centre, I lost yet more orcs and Kardush blew a good chance to burn Lurtz. Luckily, he fluffed his combat and took a wound through his fate from the orcs. The Witch King was getting slowly surrounded, but clinging on, when Shagrat hit the right flank and smashed his way in, knocking Gorulf down and reducing him to 1w, 0f. Unfortunately, all 4 orcs on the right objective all fled, leaving me holding none!
With time running out for the round, I thought David had the game completely in the bag. When I remembered something I had tried in a practice game, I called a Heroic Move with the Witch King and cast Instill Fear, from right in the centre of the Uruk horde! This caused many of David's troops to scattered in all directions and suddenly, the central objective was looking much more balanced! The Witch King took his chance and lunged at Lurtz!
Shagrat charged at troops in an attempt to clear them off the objective and Gorulf was pinned to the floor. Sadly, due to the earlier losses, I didn't have enough troops to protect the Witch King fully and he was counter charged. Despite this, he fought and won! Ending the game by plunging the Morgul Blade into the enemy leader!
It had been a game of big swings and unexpected twists. By the end, I had slain the enemy leader and David owned the left objective while breaking me. But the central objective was to be the deciding factor as things stood at 3-2 to David, but it was worth 3VPs to decide the outcome. We counted up the troops within range and found that after that Instill Fear, he only had 7 Uruks there, to my 6! Meaning David had edged it 6-2.
Game 4- Contest of Champions (Vs. Breaking of the Fellowship (Sean))
Opposing Heroes: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin
My final game of the qualifiers was to be against Sean, who I have played a couple of times previously. This was definitely going to be an uphill struggle for me, as my solution to big heroes would be magic. However, this Legendary Legion has a big answer to that.
We had a piece of ruins across the centre, so I decided to use that to my advantage and deployed with the Witch King out of sight and/or charge range, so that I could react if I didn't move first. Aragorn called a Heroic March with priority and Gimli stopped in the doorway as the Fellowship ran past.
I adjusted my formation to turn to follow them so I wouldn't be flanked, the Witch King attempted a Sap Will on Aragorn and fluffed his dice. So I moved him around to the far side of the ruin, out of Legolas' sight and placed Kardush in front of the lines after a failed Flameburst as bait.
Gimli threw an axe at him and caused a wound, a small surprise but so be it. What was the nastier surprise, was when Legolas then fired through the window, hitting and wounding Kardush twice more, killing him! No might had been spent.
The Fellowship came around the ruins on the other side, so I engaged, hoping for a quick kill or two, if I was lucky to give me a start. It didn't work out and a few orcs were slain. The next turn, I threw Shagrat at Boromir, the Witch King attempted to compel Gimli aside (simply because I didn't really know what to do). And it ended up working well, as Sean was so paranoid about 'why I threw 3 dice at it', that he threw both of Gimli's will and a might at it to resist. I then poured orcs onto the rest of the heroes and crossed my fingers again.
The Witch King fluffed his Heroic Strike and Gimli dismounted him, before taking away some fate. Shagrat similarly lost to Boromir, but suffered a wound. And the orcs were slain around them.
The following turn, with a great cry, Gimli felled the Lord of the Nazgul. This meant the only way I could now win, was to table the Fellowship. But never say die, so I engaged again, with their might now on fumes, things started to turn against them, as my Drummer thumped Samwise to death. This was followed by Merry against a couple of orcs.
Still Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli continued to hack apart my troops! Frodo had put on the Ring, with the Witch King safely gone. Shagrat fell to Aragorn and Boromir's combined might. To my great shame, it was Frodo, who impaled the great Uruk with Sting to finish him.
In the final few turns, the orcs pushed as hard as they could against so great a foe, and eventually, only Aragorn, Gimli and Frodo remained.
Aragorn had killed 8+ compared to the Witch King's blank slate and I had broken, giving Sean a 9-0 victory. I will see if I can avenge myself at the next rematch!
After day one was all done and dusted, I sat around 80th out of the 90 players with 1 win and 3 losses. This meant I would be playing in the Spoon-off for day two!
Game 5- Retrieval (Vs. Breaking of the Fellowship (Carl))
Opposing Heroes: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin
It appeared that I wouldn't have to wait long for a shot at vengeance against the Fellowship. Carl won the roll off for vetoing, and opted to have me make the first choice. I elected to drop Seize the Prize, as I decided that, if they were to get ahold of it, I would struggle to get it back. Carl then decided to play Retrieval.
The Fellowship deployed in a tight line across a chokepoint to protect their objective, clearly feeling that an aggressive approach wouldn't suit them here. I deployed front and centre and immediately began the advance with my Drum being sounded.
Once our lines met, Gimli called a Heroic Combat. Luckily for me, he rolled poorly (we forgot about the hair rerolls all game) and I successfully bashed him to the floor. Frodo beside him took a wound, which he saved with fate and Legolas ended up spending all his fate to avoid two wounds. The rest of the Fellowship fared better as Aragorn, Boromir and the other three hobbits, killed several of my orcs at the front.
Over the next couple of turns, the Fellowship spent yet more of their might, but killed even more of my orcs. Kardush threw up a Fury, to help in the fight against Boromir's horn. Legolas was forced to spend his might to avoid being killed by orcs, only to be hit by Shagrat the next turn and slain. Frodo used his final fate point and began a retreat from the frontline. Gimli rose to his feet and began angrily chopping through the Orcs.
As the flank had opened up, Shagrat flung himself into Merry and quickly slew him, using the Heroic Combat to slingshot himself just behind Frodo. Who was saved as Gimli appeared between them, from a Heroic Combat of his own. An orc managed to grab my objective and began to slip around the fights, careful to avoid the rampaging Aragorn and Boromir. Pippin ended up dropping a combat, as did Sam and both were killed.
In the final few turns, Shagrat watched Frodo slip further and further away, as he wrestled with Gimli, both reduced to 1/2 wounds and no fate. As the objective got around the back of the fights, Aragorn finally lost a combat, while trapped, and found himself facing 6 strikes from orcs and 6 more from the Witch King (who was using his Morgul Blade). All needed 5s to wound.
Not a single one landed above a 3...
As time was almost up, I sounded the Drum in the final turn. As I was broken, but had the objective in Carl's half, we were sitting at a draw. But if I could get it into my half, I may win.
However as Kardush escorted the objective carrier over the halfway line with his Fury, the remaining orcs now couldn't charge to assist the Witch King, so he would have to survive a single combat with Aragorn.
Fortunately for me, he did as Carl rolled a 5 highest to wound.
I had captured the objective, within my board half and Carl had broken me. This gave me a 5-3 victory.
Game 6- Domination (Vs. Easterlings/Khand (Ian))
For my second game, I came up against an Easterling/Khand alliance, with a few chariots that were just dying to run down my orcs. Ian won the roll off for veto and we ended up choosing Domination.
I deployed the Witch King and Kardush to the left of a central ruin and Shagrat to the right. Ian won the roll off for the Heroic Moves in turn 1 (I had intended to get the Witch King to cast a compel on a chariot and run one into another, hopefully killing a driver.) Instead those chariots barrelled towards me, and killed maybe 3/4 orcs, but far less than I had feared. His horsemen charged into Shagrats unit and the Easterlings joined the chariots. Since my initial idea had fallen through, I instead compelled the banner out of formation and Kardush fired a Flameburst on it. He naturally rolled a 1 to wound.
In combat, Shagrat called a Heroic and killed his horseman, before running around the back of a Chariot and shattered it to pieces with his troops. I had a rather fortunate turn with relatively few casualties, while giving some back.
In the following turn, I got the move off and pinned the cavalry, while engaging the Easterlings and managed to kill the driver of the other warrior chariot. While my orcs cut down the horsemen to my right. Shagrat got onto the back of the King's chariot but this time only caused 1 wound upon it.
I had taken more deaths this time around however, and a horseman had slipped in behind to grab an objective. I sent the orcs to my right up to capture theirs, held in place by Shagrat's stand fast. And the Witch King, led a desperate struggle to take the centre. In which, he just about survived a savage attack from Rutabi. But in the final turn, she catastrophically rolled a snake eyes for her courage test to charge and froze. Her troops engaged the Witch King and remaining orcs in the middle, but the horseman on my objective failed his courage and fled.
Shagrat was desperate to run back and join the fight in the middle, but I needed him to keep the orcs on the far objective in check. The combat phase was hard fought, but the Witch King endured the attack and didn't take any wounds. This meant he had crucially contested the centre and not been wounded/killed.
I controlled the far objective, while Ian controlled the centre, but it was contested and we had broken one another to edge me a 3-2 victory.
Game 7- Fog of War (Vs. The Black Gate Opens (James))
James had been telling me in the approach to this game that he dreaded facing my army, as magic would counter his big heroes hard. I gave him the first choice of veto after winning the roll off. He voided assassination and I scrapped Clash by Moonlight, wary that his heroes could be harder to kill.
So we were left with Fog of War. I decided to try and assassinate the Mouth of Sauron, believing that James may hide his Captain at the back. I also chose to protect Kardush and capture the yellow obelisk (top right of the pic).
At the beginning of the battle, I sounded the Drum and advanced up the board. The orcish lines met and over the two turns of approach, the Witch King had sapped the will of the Troll Chief and the Mouth. I also hid my Drummer behind a small ruin near the frontline, suspecting that he could be the target. However, despite this good start for me, the turn of combat went horribly as I lost many orcs in the fighting, while inflicting very few kills myself.
I reorganised my lines the next turn, as best I could and the Witch King fired off a Channelled Black Dart at the Mouth as he was indicating a withdrawal. It caused two wounds, but he saved one with fate. I lost yet more orcs this turn and things were turning awkwardly against me.
The next turn, James seized the Heroic Move and rushed my remaining orcs on my left, including Kardush as a couple of orcs slipped past and pinned him with a spear support. I then got my move, and fired off another Black Dart at the Mouth, it successfully cast and I just needed a 3 to kill him, even a 2 would do as I had the might.
It was typically a 1. The Mouth ran out of reach the next turn. As I lost even more orcs and broke, the Witch King charged into some orcs and slew them, trying to balance the numbers out. I then saw that the Captain had strayed too close and also charged him. I used the Morgul Blade, with the intention of giving James a red Herring and scaring him into believing the Captain had been the target all along. Naturally, I rolled a 5 highest and missed the chance, before the Witch King disappeared. He had spent his final will point on that fight.
My Drummer fled that turn and Shagrat made a last ditch effort to seize the obelisk, but it was in vain as many orcs were sat around it having sensed the danger. He then fell that turn to the fury of the Troll Chief.
I had lost, having been tabled by James. But he won in the VPs regardless, having slain his target (Kardush), kept the Mouth alive (although wounded), captured his terrain piece (the ruin in the bottom right of the pic) and broken me. I had wounded my target, to give a score of 10-1.
After the dust had settled, I sat on 2 wins and a loss for day 2. Giving me an overall result of 3 wins and 4 losses. I ended in 78th place, having finished just within the top half of my pod.
While I had been resoundingly beaten several times, none of my games were bad experiences, all had been against friendly opponents and played in good spirit.
Tournaments that I'll attend
18/19th Feb- Escalation in the East
4th March- March Fourth, All Legions
1st April- Fool of a Took
No comments:
Post a Comment