Hamlet's (kolakoski's) Armies (with Poll!)

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Iconically, Hamlet's fatal character flaw, that the hero of a Tragedy must always possess, was the inability to make up his mind. When it comes to army building (and other things too personal to go into here ), I share it.

I have been posting, in a rather didactic and random way, as they come to mind, the various armies I am considering for whatever my next game/tournament is upcoming, most recently The Lost City of Ashra! http://www.heroscapers.com/community/blog.php?b=1942 To simplify this process, I have created a poll, containing the various armies I have considered for The Lost City of Ashra! up to now. Please help me make up my mind what to field.

1. Drow Doomslayers

140 Eltahale
140 Drow x 2
110 Drake RotV
110 Brunak
100 Syvarris
600, 11 spaces

2. Ornak's Heros (riff on 6.)

170 Drake SotM
120 Hydra
110 Brunak
100 Ornak
100 Syvarris
600, 7 spaces

3. Pistols and Bows (further riffing)

170 Drake SotM
120 Kaemon
110 Brunak
100 Agent Carr
100 Syvarris
600, 6 spaces

4. Some Like It Hot! (Shurrak!)

160 Shurrak
140 Eltahale
110 Brunak
100 Syvarris
80 Kumiko
10 Isamu
600, 8 spaces

5. Souldiers' Disciples

180 Q9
170 Drake SotM
150 10th x 2
100 Marcus
600, 12 spaces

6. Ornak's Kabal (named after its creator, Shedrim Kabal)

140 Eltahale
120 Hydra
110 Brunak
100 Ornak
100 Syvarris
30 Air Elemental
600, 8 spaces

[Shedim Kabal]

Well, here were some armies I came up with that I expect you might face in the "Lost City" format:

Steamroller
Capuan Gladiators X3 210
Spartacus 410
Crixus 500
Retiarius 590/12

Dwarven Clutch
Axegrinders of Burning Forge x2 140
Darrak Ambershard 200
Migol Ironwill 310
Mogrimm Forgehammer 430
Moltenclaw 600/12

Wizard's Ball
Arkmer 50
Chardris 140
Emirroon 220
Jorhdawn 320
Kyntela Gwyn 340
Morsbane 440
Ulginesh 590/9

Heroes' Bane
Cyprien Esenwein 150
Werewolf Lord x2 430
Wolves of Badru x2 590
Isamu 600/12

What I've decided is that 600/12 is an awesome point/hex limit to make armies for. There's so many cool combos that start to seem really viable, higher point heroes that can be tapped... Great stuff, and with the flying handicap you can't just take dragons and expect to swoop over everything.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

From the armies you came up with, and your previous comments, I deduce that you believe victory will hinge on the Points Remaining VP of the scenario, relegating the Kill Acolarh and Most Treasure Glyphs VPs to afterthoughts. I hope you are wrong. In any event, the Gang of Four has a tendency to field armies with an eye to plans like mine

It may well be that this scenario will be, in reality, primarily about who is the most efficient killer, but my plan, to be first to Acolarh, kill him, and then vie for the other 2 VPs, still seems viable

however ill-conceived , to include lower Power-ranked, little-used units, in addition to the "usual suspects."

I made the scenario 600 points/12 spaces (and HoB initial placement) to accomodate chas' preference for larger armies (no 350 pointers for us ), and the necessity of cramming 4 such armies onto half a card table (to leave room for our cards, dice, etc.), outside the City. Happily, a 12 space limit for army size mitigates the tendancy to just play more squads at higher point totals. As I prefer to play exactly 2 of any given Common Squad (with an extra hero or two), this format as perfect for me.

P.S.: I started a blog post (in draft) about my obsessive posting on this subject. I've decided not to publish it in my blog, but some of you may find it amusing.

Spoiler Alert!

When it comes to scenario writing and, especially army building for one, I might as well be posting on Twitter. Why am I compelled to post every step in their progression towards completion (even if it is in a spoiler, so those who have complained about my longwindedness don't have to scroll through it).

Perhaps it's mere vanity. I am very proud of a good portion of my scenario writing and, thanks to the contributions from chas and the rest of the Community, I believe I've become pretty good at it. The same can be said about the Maps I create for my scenarios. (I believe the one for The Lost City of Ashra! is a work of art.) Army building is another thing entirely. It must certainly be the height of self-absorption to consider mine to be somehow special, because of my unique approach to it, exemplified by the process by which I have arrived at my current (for the moment) army for The Lost City of Ashra! (Details will be supplied upon request, if you haven't been following along.)

Then again, I do not create scenarios only for my own amusement, but for the benefit of the Gang of Four and the Community as a whole. I believe that the experience of playing Heroscape is enriched immeasurably by beautiful mapmaking/scenario writing, and I want to share the joy. I believe that there is more to army building than putting the "strongest units/army" together. (Again, details available upon request.)

[Shedim Kabal]

Originally Posted by kolakoski

From the armies you came up with, and your previous comments, I deduce that you believe victory will hinge on the Points Remaining VP of the scenario, relegating the Kill Acolarh and Most Treasure Glyphs VPs to afterthoughts. I hope you are wrong. In any event, the Gang of Four has a tendency to field armies with an eye to plans like mine.

There are three main assassins who can reach Acolarh quickly under the starting conditions: Sgt. Drake 2.0, Eltahale, and Mika. I would expect my teammate to have one of them, since offing the elf is 1/3 VP (?), so I want armies that concentrate on grabbing Treasure Glyphs and knocking out the other heroes - with the off chance of hitting Acolarh should he be alive when my OM1 or 2 comes around.

That's why I'd take the Dwarven Clutch. Commander Strike can finish Acolarh, or put the first wound on him if you're using Mercenary rules. I'd have just enough Axegrinders to tie up big threats like Braxas (nasty with a couple Treasure Glyphs), Brunak, or the Werewolf Lord (threat to my heroes). Plus I have four heroes to go after glyphs; three of them while bonding. All the dwarven heroes are tough to bring down, and Darrak can bypass whatever nasty trap the Amazon's have thought up to guard their treasures. Moltenclaw is there for a special attack and to horde glyphs that are dropped when heroes start to go down (which should be after the Wind Glyph is cleared).

Obviously you know the Gang of Four's army style better than I would

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Sounds great! But you'll have to wait 'til round 3 to try and get by the WoA, who will have height advantage and bows. The top-ranked army thus far

5. Souldiers' Disciples

180 Q9
170 Drake SotM
150 10th x 2
100 Marcus
600, 12 spaces

could make things hot for you from a good position outside the City, or come for you once you are otherwise engaged (with the WoA and whatever else), and Drake will certainly beat you to Acolarh and/or the Treasure Glyphs. Any of the armies with Syvarris/Brunak could decimate you unless your teammate has a counter to them. Not to mention Kaemon. Within the City, Eltahale has some very interesting options against you too, after/while taking Glyphs/killing Acolarh. Of course, it all depends on what your teammate brings to the party, and what your enemies bring. What if your teammate thinks like you do? And, even if he doesn't, that leaves him facing 2-1 odds above the WoA line. You could take Drake SotM instead of Moltenclaw . . .

[chas]

I voted for the Souldier's Disciples, but actually your teams are not all balanced between shooters and melee as usual. I would replace Q9 with Eltahale on this team, and further change up to use all the points in the resulting variant!

Are they really 'soldiers' (sp) or are they warriors with soul ("Souldiers")?

Shedim Kabal has interesting ideas, although his are mostly not armies our group would field.

And only a sick mind would think of using Moltenclaw, which is probably why I thought of him too! However, there is a question whether even a small figure with wings would fit in the city, with its restricted spaces.

I asked you on the blog whether this rule of 'cancelling the wind glyph'
was serious, but you didn't answer. Is there really a Wind Glyph on the board?
How would you cancel it? By landing on it?

[kolakoski]

Originally Posted by chas

I voted for the Souldier's Disciples, but actually your teams are not all balanced between shooters and melee as usual. I would replace Q9 with Eltahale on this team, and further change up to use all the points in the resulting variant!

Are they really 'soldiers' (sp) or are they warriors with soul ("Souldiers")?

Shedim Kabal has interesting ideas, although his are mostly not armies our group would field.

And only a sick mind would think of using Moltenclaw, which is probably why I thought of him too! However, there is a question whether even a small figure with wings would fit in the city, with its restricted spaces.

I asked you on the blog whether this rule of 'cancelling the wind glyph'
was serious, but you didn't answer. Is there really a Wind Glyph on the board?
How would you cancel it? By landing on it?

Well met!

5. Souldiers' Disciples

180 Q9
170 Drake SotM
150 10th x 2
100 Marcus
600, 12 spaces

So, you would replace Q9 with Eltahale, and "further change up" how?

Soulborgs + Soldiers = Souldiers.

Moltenclaw should have no problem moving around. However, he can't use ladders.

From the 13th comment to the blog (chas' comment and my answer):

1. '"Clear" the Wind Glyph?' Making up more rules in your head that you're not sharing with us today, K.?

In this case, "clear" means killing Acolarh. Once he is dead, and no longer standung on the Glyph of Rannweig, units will be able to fly (at least until another unit is moved onto it). The whole idea of ther being a Wind glyph, as opposed to just declaring there to be a permanent Wind condition, was to add another tactical wrinkle to the scenario.

From the map description in the scenario itself:

The Glyph of Rannweig is on the highest point on the Map, at the top of Acolarh's Tower (under Acolarh).

So, to re-answer your question, yes, there is a Wind glyph on the Map, under Acolarh, and, once he is killed, units will be able to fly, until such time as another unit moves onto it.

[Shedim Kabal]

Originally Posted by chas

Shedim Kabal has interesting ideas, although his are mostly not armies our group would field.

Hey now.

Originally Posted by chas

And only a sick mind would think of using Moltenclaw, which is probably why I thought of him too! However, there is a question whether even a small figure with wings would fit in the city, with its restricted spaces.

I suspect he might fit since kolakoski keeps trying to add Shurrak to his armies. Dude's got broad shoulders.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Unfortunately, chas is correct, in that the stairwells are inaccessable by double-spaced figures.

However, most of them can reach figures on the Towers (other than on Acolarh's level). Jotun, the Frost Giant, and Tor-Kul-Na cannot pass under the entrance walkway, thus making it impossible for them even to enter the City. Shurrak can enter the City, and Knockback units from the Towers (attacking them as aforesaid). And, of course, the Hydra can Reach such units.