Maybe the defender can win Aaryglynn

[Greybeard]

I posted my lament for a back-to-back loss as a defender at Aaryglynn last month.
I left the map set up downstairs to await new attackers, in the persons of John and Bryan, the kids across the street.
I may have had an unfair advantage in that they are brothers and don’t always work well together. Time ran out before we finished, but by Round 10, it was clear that the defender can win by just hanging on.

As defender, I had Raelin, Syvarris, DED, one unit of Snipers, the Kozuke, the Krav Maga, one unit of Einar Imperium, the Tarn Vikings, the Nakitas (aka, Charlie’s Angels), the Gorillinators and Marro warriors.
John favoured wings: one unit of Einar, Taelord, Kelda, and Saylind. He also took two units of zombies, the Anubian wolves, the Ninjas, a swog rider and Krug as his heavy hitter. He didn’t use his entire points total because he felt he had enough to do the job (pride goeth before a fall).
Bryan opted for extra moves, with MacDirk and his Warriors, Marcus and his Romans, and Eldgrim. He also took the other unit of Snipers (to keep them out of my hands, I suspect), Guilty, Kiova, Runa, Me-Burq-Sa and Kee-Mo-Shi.

I placed too many units -- Charlie’s Angels, the Gorillas and Einar -- in the outer courtyard. Although that denied the initiative and range glyphs to the attackers for the first round, and cost the attackers Runa, one Sniper, and one Wolf, my courtyard contingent was wiped out by the end of Round 3, mostly due to the unleashed fury of the Anubian Wolves (although Krug killed one Einar and two Charlie’s Angels) and Krug was banging on the door the next round.

Once Bryan occupied the initiative glyph, he was first player for seven of 10 rounds... even the round that he rolled a "1!"

I put a lot of order markers on DED, with the aim of taking out Krug, but not a hit. Good rolls by my Snipers on the battlements eliminated the Wolf-pack, Kiova, and by Round 6, Krug. My victory dance was short-lived: that same round, John used Saylind to seize Door Space #4, summon Taelord and open the door. Bryan began using the multiple moves of Marcus and MacDirk and their soldiers to rush the door.

Since the attackers had not picked many units with long-range attack ability, my Snipers had been unscathed, and this began to pay off. They fired through the opening in the upper wall walk and in rapid succession (and good rolls) eliminated Saylind, Kelda, three MacDirk Warriors, one Einar and in one lucky turn, both MacDirk and Taelord. Possession of the door see-sawed, with a Tarn Viking moving in after Saylind was eliminated, and then being himself eliminated by the Romans. The Tarn fought back, getting one Roman, but were all eliminated by Round 9 by Marcus and his Romans.

John’s Einar landed one at a time on the upper wall walk, and although each time did damage (one Sniper lost and Syvarris hit) the Kozuke and the Snipers got them. The Krav Maga accounted for four zombies and Guilty.
On Round 10, a lucky turn with Syvarris eliminated Bryan’s last ranged units, two Snipers. With the flying units and ranged units gone, John and Bryan would have to use the ladders to get at my units and I could just pick them off.
Although the attackers had started out with 39 figures to my 29, at this point, we had 15 each.
Barring disastrous dice rolls, the attackers were unlikely to put more figures into the inner courtyard than the defender could. It was over.

It could have gone differently if the attackers had chosen some heavy-hitting soulborgs or a flying beast, but then it could have gone differently if DED had made a single shot.
Getting MacDirk and Taelord by the Omnicrons on the same turn was a highlight (and shows what can happen if you weaken MacDirk by using the overextend attack too often).
If I play this again, I promise never to waste any units in the outer courtyard.

[Hendal]

Hello Greybeard,

Nice report, sounds like a long battle, I have not tried that one yet, but I love the castle. You definetly need more range or flying when going against the castle, having ground guys with no range is a drag.

Bummer about DED, he is one of those that can let you down when you really need him, although I love him to take out some KM. He is tought to get the roll against the big guys, he is best verses Med units, IMO.

Welcome to the boards, sounds like you are enjoying HS like the rest of us here at scapers,
Game On!