Hey all, I thought I'd start this thing off.
I ended up having my best tournament showing ever, which is to say I actually posted a winning record for once, and I got what I wanted off the prize table (R˙chean's long coveted by me lava set), so I was happy. I went 4-1 and took third place overall. Ironically enough, not owning any Thaelunk Tundra sets meant no practice on
Dolin's Switchback (except 2 games courtesy of Cheddar Limbo) or
Hide and Seek, which of course meant I played all 5 games on those 2 maps!
I brought swords to the gunfight and fielded:
Silver and Gold
Knights of Weston x 3
Sir Gilbert
Deathreavers x 1
Nilfheim
Game 1:
Map:
Hide and Seek
Opponent:
neo0149
His Army:
Cyprien Esenwein
Major Q9
Raelin
Sonya Esenwein
Finn
M started off leading with Finn, which I knew he wanted me to kill so he could boost Cyprien. I did not oblige. I moved out the rats and took the Defense +1 glyph. My problem was that Finn was blocking the central part of the map and I could not circumvent him quickly enough to get to Q9 with my knights.
I managed to surround Cyprien twice with 4 knights both times and rolled a total of 2 skulls! The day was looking bleak. Q9 meanwhile had killed my rats engaged to him and Cyprien was having a tasty feast. I finally realized Finn had to go, so I could get around.
And in the background: "10 minutes! 10 minutes!"
I've got one rat, half my knights, a wounded Gilbert and Nilf.
He's got fully healed everyone with spirit-boosted Finn on Cyprien.
My confidence in my army was at an all-time low. For all that practice, all those games against Stingers and Krav and 4th Mass and Q9 that I'd dominated, it meant nothing right now.
I finally move out Nilfheim.
He engages Cyprien while adjacent to Gilbert and Nilf has height. Eight dice. 2 skulls. Seriously, what the eff is going on? He flies away to feast on a knight for some healing, and I guess he didn't think I'd risk disengagement. I did.
Floating voice: "5 minutes! 5 minutes"
I engage Cyprien again with Nilfheim, while on height, while adjacent to Gilbert with OM 1. He'd postioned Cyprien in a bad spot, so I got that same 8 attack dice attack again. 8 dice, 5 skulls. Dead Vampire.
2 things: I feel some vindication in my army although a little too late, and I think, why didn't I bring Nilf out sooner.
On OM 2 I engage Raelin with Nilfheim. One attack, she goes down (in part thanks to a previous wound). On OM 3, I go for Sonya Esenwein back in the start zone. She has the love of Cyprien blinding her and took the two wounds for his demise. I take no chances. Straight up attack. 4 skulls. Dead vampire chick.
Voice: "Finish up the OM! Finish up the OM!"
I turn to Q9 with his one wound against my 5 wounded Dragon, but can do nothing because time's called and I get the game on points.
Him: 180 points (Q9)
Me: 400 points (1 rat, 2 knights, Gilbert, Nilf)
Record:
1-0
Game 2:
Map:
Dolin's Switchback
Opponent:
Velenne
Velenne's Army:
Nilfheim
Zelrig
Rats x 3
Marro Warriors
My first thought when I saw I was playing Velenne was I would be 1-1 after this match because I have
never beaten him in a tournament game before and I've played him at least 3 times before! And in some mad props to Velenne, he has never fielded the same army twice in any of those tournaments, not even the same units! Kudos Velenne! But hey, the sun shines on a dog's arse every now and again (as I told R˙chean when he faced his monkey-on-the-back Rodriquez in the next game).
Rats abounded for the first two rounds of this game. Velenne was getting set up pretty well. Somehow I managed to get the Wound glyph with one of my rats. In a stroke of brilliance, I see that Velenne decides to lose a Marro Warrior because of the Wound glyph (that he can later revive - again brilliant!)
I do my best with Jandar's Dispatch to spread my knights around as much as possible and avoid the effects of Majestic Fires. I land my rat on the other glyph - Intercept Order - and manage to intercept Velenne's OM 1 on Zelrig. That little bit of luck helped me spread out my remaining knights enough to roll up my sleeves and begin the fight. I wasn't making much progress, so I flew Nilf out and starting Ice Sharding his rats and taking the occasional shot at Zelrig. He moves out his Nilf and does the same to me and my knights.
In classic confrontational style, Velenne engages my Nilfheim. We go toe to toe for almost 3 rounds. Velenne, who has never rolled bad to my knowledge, didn't seem to roll more than one, maybe two skulls. The sun was peaking out. (Remember the dog comment?)
I wasn't faring much better, and we both knew, whoever won that battle had a huge advantage. Velenne wins that battle. But on my next OM, my knight engaged with his Nilf has height and Gilbert adjacent, and rains down 5 attack dice and if I recall correctly, 4 skulls! Dead dragon.
So it's back to being a slugfest. I managed to keep one solitary knight engaged to Zelrig through 3 rounds of Majestic Fire, and since he was wounded, Velenne wasn't going to risk the disengagement. I engage Zelrig, with three knights. Another dead dragon!
It was cleanup after that as the Marro went down and never did much and I got Velenne's last rat.
The monkey was off my back and the sun was shining (see the dog comment above).
Record:
2-0
Game 3:
Map:
Dolin's Switchback (again)
Opponent:
Podwest
His Army:
Braxas
Rats x 2
Stingers x 4
Otonashi
I was really apprehensive having to face off against Braxas and having been owned by Podwest in several home games at Dignan's place over the past few months.
It started as usual with me sending out my rats to try and gain the glyphs, followed by the knights. But as I finished up my 3rd OM in round 1, I realized, maybe I should change things up a bit and send Nilfheim out early. I think it paid off because I Ice Sharded several rats and Stingers. I got a shot or two in on Braxas also with the dragon breath.
Podwest managed to not Acid Breath a single knight or rat on one turn and I capitalized by wounding the dragon a bit more and eventually killed the beast. Niflheim fell to some Stingers and it was simply a matter of trying to finish off the remaining Stingers and the few rats with my Gilbert and knights.
Again it came down to time and I got it on points. I would love to have finished that game because I think I would've won but Podwest is crafty, so who knows. (That's some props to you, Drew!)
Record:
3-0
Game 4:
Map: Dolin's Switchback (yet again)
Opponent: Nathan the Third (I don't know his screen name, but Velenne and I are the first two Nathan's)
His Army:
Braxas
Raelin
Stingers x 2
Isamu
Rats x 3
This felt like I was virtually playing Podwest all over again on the same map at the same table since they both had Braxas, Stingers and Rats! N the T played his Rats extremely well and took the high ground and held it most of the game. I managed to get the Defense glyph and position one of my rats at a chokehold and hold the glyph most of the game. That extra defense helped.
Everywhere I turned with the knights, N's rats were blocking the way. I decided enough was enough and brought out Nilfheim yet early again. I started Sharding rats and Stingers as best I could, with a potshot or two at Braxas. I finally managed to engage Braxas with my dragon and took the Acid Spitting wench down.
The voice was back: "3 minutes! 3 minutes!"
This was going to be a close finish. I was going for Raelin, when I should have focused on the lone remaining Stinger. The voice was standing at our table watching N the T take his final order marker. Isamu. On Nilf. Dead Dragon. We added points and I had it.
Me: 245 (maybe more, I don't remember if I had a rat left, by virtue of Gilbert and 6 knights)
Him: 190 (by virtue of Raelin, Stinger, Rat, and Isamu)
Record:
4-0
Game 5:
Map:
Hide and Seek (second time)
Opponent:
Brandon (DrL'sBroInLaw)
His Army:
Ornak
Tornak
Grimnak
Isamu
Heavy Gruts x 3
I have to say, this was my funnest, most intense game all day. We both knew whoever won, got the championship and the bragging rights!
It was a knockdown, smashmouth, no-holds-barred, in-your-face slugfest.
I move out rats but couldn't get the glyph before Brandon did. It was Move x 2. I thought that might not be so bad as he can close the distance to my start zone and then I can more easily surround his Heroes. As in game one, there was a giant fustercluck of our figures in the middle of the board. I got a rat on height and managed to nibble on Grimnak's leg for one wound before Grimnak Chomped.
I managed to get a nice shot off on Grimnak from height (3 skulls!) and the big dino whiffed his defense. One dead dino! Score one for me! I think I actually began to breathe at that point.
But not for long. Brandon, with some incredible rolls, took down Sir Gilbert. My my knights are now moving almost twice as slow as the move-enhanced orcs (4 vs 7 move). That's not good.
I then managed to take down Tornak shortly thereafter. I was feeling good again and Nilfheim was doing his job. He ends up having four wounds on him by the end of OM 3 on that round.
Then comes what I will forever after refer to as "
the mistake". And I knew it. But I still made it anyway.
I put OM 1 and 2 on Nilfheim. I knew I should've just went one order marker and put 2 and 3 on the knights. But I got greedy, or careless, or ..something. I don't really know.
Brandon wins initiative and Nilfheim dies. I lose my turn 1.
Brandon goes his turn 2. If I had put my OM 2 on the knights, I could've gotten height on his orcs (I think only 5 left now) and maybe taken down one or two. Then take out Ornak for the victory and the championship.
But alas, in the real world, my OM 2 was on Nilf. Another lost turn.
Brandon goes OM 3 with his orcs, and kills 3 knights (that may've taken out those same said blasted orcs in an alternate game if I'd played the OM's better!). That was huge.
The voice calls out: "5 minutes! 5 minutes!"
I managed to take out the remaining orcs and put a wound on Ornak.
The voice calls "3 minutes! 3 minutes!"
Brandon look down at the board and looks up smiling. I do the same. We are both sitting with 110 points on the board. Him: Isamu and a wounded Ornak. Me: 2 knights and 3 rats.
I engage Ornak with the rat and Isamu with the other rat. The third rat was making his way toward Isamu. Ornak goes for the rat (the rat lives) and I engage Ornak with my knights. Nothing. Ornak goes. Dead Knight.
"1 minute! 1 minute!"
We're not even thinking anymore, we both know it's gonna come to points and we're both trying to finish as quickly as possible. Brandon wins initiative as the voice hovers at our table and kills my lone remaining knight.
Match, Win, Championship. Game over, Brandon gets it. I think if we could've kept going, who knows? I still had three rats and Ornak had three wounds on him. It would've been close. It
was close. And who knows what would've happend if I'd played the OM better regarding Nilfheim.
Record:
4-1.
Overall: 3rd place.
Congrats Brandon. And everyone. It was much, much fun.
Save for that blasted "
mistake"...