And now, with the misleading title from this blog, I wonder what kind of visitors I'll be inviting...
Anyway, to break the suspense, the title is referencing an epic battle of WarMachine I had last Saturday. It is a table-top war-game played with pewter miniatures. I liken it to a game of chess, but on a bigger board, played with more pieces selected from a wider choice of pieces.
And these pewter minis also had to be lovingly assembled, carefully painted, and meticulously detailed to bring out their best. It's a very nerdy hobby, but I find the craft pleasantly relaxing, and an excellent purgative for mental or emotional stresses. It's like reaching a vapid mental state, without the hangover nor the expenses of drinking. And remember the trouble I had with the Malaysian Customs, it had everything to do with this hobby.
What got me hooked on this game was the fantasy world built around the army pieces. Privateer Press began with some amazing creative talents, some names like Brian Snoddy and Matt Wilson, even I have heard of them before they formed this company. They began by creating the Iron Kingdoms fantasy world for an RPG system. Populated the world with xeno-races and monsters. Wrote the history, drew the geography and updated the politics of the kingdoms.
And finally creating the armies of the four warring kingdoms, each with their unique flavour and carefully fleshed-out protagonists. And each permitting different styles of armies and strategies. Then, last month, they added Hordes, the feral twin of WarMachine with new game mechanics whilst remaining compatible with the original game. Thus bringing four new factions into the Iron Kingdoms. And this was the new game that I HAD to get via mail order, in case the distributors here fail to receive their stock in time.
It's a good game. And there's a bunch of fun people playing it at Wolf's Game Shop, where I often hang out when I can. The hours spent battling, recounting past battles, brainstorming strategies, speculating on future expansions, discussing the stories (fluff), sharing painting tips, teaching or learning techniques, etc... It keeps my weekends full.
Sounds silly? Well, at least I'm not living my life vicariously through a soccer team half a globe away.
And I'm even the local PressGanger, responsible for running WarMachine tournaments and corrupting new players. Check it out, my name's listed.
Anyway, my opponent last Saturday night was Saleem, a Cygnar player. We played opposing sides of a vicious sibling rivalry illustrated in this story. This was the first time a 750pt game was played at Wolf's shop, and both of us were using new Warcasters for the first time.
Following is the battle report, which will make no sense to many...
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. ....
...whooops.... wrong notation...
My Cryx Army:Epic Denneghra
1 Gorman de Wulf
2 Pistol Wraiths
2 Bloat Thralls
8 Bile Thralls
10 Croe's Cutthroats
1 Deathjack
4 Nightwretches
---748pts---
(Those who know my collection, will know that there's a lot of proxies here)
Saleem's Cygnar
Epic Haley
1 Lancer
10 Swordknights
2 Stormsmiths
1 Journeyman Warcaster
1 Thunderhead
1 Centurion
6 Trenchers
2 units of Battle Mechaniks & assorted gobbers
1 Eiryss, Magehunter
Cygnar deployed first. Knights on one flank with Lancer. Trenchers up the middle covering the two jacks.
I deploy my Biles to meet the knights. Croe and Pistols up one flank to greet the Trenchers. Bloats right up the middle. Deathjack up the middle waiting for a charge opportunity.
1st Turn
Cygnar advances. Trenchers felt threatened by Croe, and moves towards them. Centurion turns towards the assassins too.
Denny goes incorporeal and RUNS right into the frontlines. Croe's guys took a few unsuccessful shots at the Trenchers, but did kill a Stormsmith.
2nd Turn
Cygnar runs the Lancer forward. Hijacks an arcnode. Dominates another arcnode and tried to use it to belch on my Biles, without success. Some firepower was brought to bear on the Bloat, and killing it, but at some cost to tempo. Eiryss disrupts another acrnode. Centurion charges my ninjas, hitting only one. Trenchers did something useless. Dunderhead still hiding behind Trechers.
I wanted to slam the Lancer into the ditch. But the bone-jack I intended to use had its back turned the wrong way. Move one chicken to belch a grenade on the Trencher commander and kills him. Deathjack casts Dark Seduction on the remaining Trenchers and successfully turned them over to the dark side. Moved my new Trenchers away, giving free strikes to the Dunderhead, so that he helps me thin the numbers down to two. Thus opening a clear space to the Dunderhead. Denny moves up, stabs it with Eclipse, and Dark Banishes the 154pt Warjack into the ditch. ***PPPHHHHHIIIIISSSSHHHHH***
Pistols & Croe did something inconsequential. Biles moved in ever closer to the juicy SwordKnights.
Epic Denny was exposed. But she's just popped her feat, Shadowbinding all enemy models around her so they can't move. She only needed to survive this turn.
Turn 3
... This turn was unspeakably horrible...
A Telekinesis spell channeled through my own arcnoded hit my Deathjack and teleported him 2" to the right, into the ditch, right on top of the drowned Dunderhead.
And the rest of the battle.... Saleem will be bragging about it for months to come, so I won't bore you. But a double 6 from a Stormsmith did *just* enough damage to take out Denny. Lucky dice-rolls.
Else, my Croe would have the back charge against the Centurion, at (10+4d6)x8 points of damage. Biles would neatly take out the Swordknights and Eiryss. The Lancer will go into the drink. Epic Denny will heal up, then stay back, as the rest of my still intact army (with the exception of the swimming Deathjack) will corall Haley into her pen and lay down the hurts.
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