Schism Results

Played the Schism tourney @War & Pieces yesterday and had a blast!
I played three games, the first against Joey, the store owner with his Darius Cygnar list and the last two against Ian and his Testament of Menoth Protectorate list.

I want to say this now, I could have cleaned up for the survivor medal but I didn't even think about it, I went in to have fun. At the end of the 2nd game I realized I had a shot at it, but because my first game went so long and my second game I sacrificed my Earthborn I failed :(

Here's what I should have done:
1.) I should have decided on winning that medal prior to the tournament.
2.) Run all my lists beast heavy. at 750, I can run Borka with 4 heavies and 3 lights for 18 VPs. At that point it's all about sacrificing your Warlock. Run him up to your opponent's warcaster and he has two choices. A.) allow you to walk up to his caster and beat him down at full fury and get all the VPs or B.) Kill your lone warlock and you still get the VPs.
3.) In all my games, i needed to sack my warlock. just as above, run him up, screaming and yelling, and collecting VPs.

shoulda-woulda-coulda-but didn't. damn.

I ended up with 16 survivor VPs. The winner of survivor had 22. Not a big margin, had I not sacked my EBDT in game 2 I would have been 3 points closer :)
Im on the lookout for the next one of these. At 750 I should be able to scoop up 18 VPs a game. :)

Oh and for all my hard fighting, I lost all three matches.

Friendly Games @ Home

Rick and his girlfriend, Ashe came by yesterday for a couple games. Rick had been a little down on WM/H and wanted to play fluffy armies outside of the normal league or tourney nights.

I played Ashe first, she wanted to play a 350 point list, I went to the Trollbloods battle box (I hate that battle box, it so boring).

She played:
Faction: Circle Orboros
Points: 355
Model Count: 4
Victory Points: 13

Krueger the Stormwrath
Argus
Pureblood Warpwolf
Woldwarden

I played:
Faction: Trollblood
Points: 286
Model Count: 4
Victory Points: 11

Madrak Ironhide
Troll Axer
Troll Impaler
Troll Impaler

The game went well. Ashe almost got me, if Kreuger hadn't moved into range of my axer's melee I would have lost. She had her warden and pureblood closing in on Madrak. but Madrak pulled it out and his axer took a swing from behind and sliced Kreuger in half.

Second game against Rick went a little longer (we should play scenario!)

I played:
Faction: Trollblood
Points: 497
Model Count: 11
Victory Points: 18

Hoarluk Doomshaper
Troll Axer
Troll Impaler
Dire Troll Mauler
Earthborn Dire Troll
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes [5] (1 added)
> Stone Scribe Elder [1]

Rick played:
Faction: Protectorate
Points: 494
Model Count: 25
Victory Points: 18

High Executioner Servath Reznik
> Redeemer
> Revenger
> Castigator
High Paladin Dartan Vilmon
Wrack
Wrack
Wrack
Choir of Menoth [6] (2 added)
Holy Zealots [10] (4 added)
> Monolith Bearer [1]

I wrote up an entirely new list because Rick had shown frustration with people who play uber-competitive lists. So I wrote up a very fluffy, beast heaavy list. I marched up the battlefielf slowly, keeping the squishy nougat of Doomy under the Metamorphose and KSB effects. I realized how badass Vilmon was so I avoided him like the plague, so much so that my entire army ended up shifting far to the right to avoid him and also because Reznik was over that direction, hiding, like a little bitch :)
When Vilmon got close enough to Doomy I just said *fuck it* and charged him. One swing with Gnarlroot is all it took. I was very surprised.
I fouled up at the end and instead of charging into the zealots to avoid the goddam firebombs I ran. I could have smoked 7 of them with all Doomy's fury he had camped, causing a command check and being VERY far away from Reznik.

Troll MVP: Dire Trolls (both), they destroyed jacks left and right, at the end all he had left was his Revenger, while I was throwing the Redeemer and Castigator around.
Protectorate MVP: Those goddam Zealots and their bombs.

Letter to Obi-Wan

Ok, went to the TO's house last night and got in a "learning game" against his Menoth (yes, it was recorded in my Win/Loss chart with a large L). He taught me a few crucial lessons:

1.) Do not divide your army unless you will be bringing a superior force, this just allows the opponent to pick you apart piece by piece.
2.) Be mindful of the terrain - both in the game we played and my last game at the tournament I charged my champs up into the exact center to hold the mosh pit. Not necessary, I had room outside the terrain feature that I could still hold the area and be in a better tactical position with my models where they would have their charge lanes unhindered.
3.) Layer attacks. Do not use the army as a bunch of solos, but use them in concert with each other. For example striking first with my Longriders then following up with the champions to clean up what is left.
4.) Be able to deal with certain situations: Infantry heavy hordes (not Hordes) armies and Hard as nails Models (Behemoth, etc.) while still being able to face down the assassination list.

Anyways, this is the email and list I worked up for our next match:

Ok, after our discussion last night I thought about what models kept poppoing up in all the lists:

in no particular order with their benefits:
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes: give a +2ARM buff to protect other models
Trollkin Champions: Concert increases melee effectiveness with each model in line; Brothers in arms increases melee DEF +2; 8hit points per model=40hp unit; very good ginsu unit
Fell Caller: Reville stands up units without having to waste an action or movement; War Cry +2 MAT/RAT buff; Open Road grants pathfinder
Trollkin Longriders: Hard as nails; easy slams; mounts crit knockdown
Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew: Concealment.


I took those and created a list:
Faction: Trollblood
Points: 497
Model Count: 17
Victory Points: 17

Grim Angus - 13" headhunter range, manhunter knockdown, sees through forests, can allow models in his army see and charge through forests
Earthborn Dire Troll - his interaction with grim allows for possible +4" charge range (12" total), gives Grim +2 armor if in base to base, is able to take out the heavy hitters (behemoth, devout, etc)
Fell Caller - see above
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes [5] (1 added) - see above
Trollkin Champions [5] - see above
Trollkin Long Riders [4] (1 added) - see above


Champs allow me to take on the horde-type infantry with the KSB and Fell Caller backing them up. The long riders would be able to either be the initial strike at such an an army or would be able to come in the flank and mop up what the champs don't kill. Grim and Earthborn would be able to hunt down enemy caster as the Earthborn gives his armor to a model in base contact, protecting Grim. Grim would be able to snipe softer targets while EBDT will be able to smack hardened targets.

I've been thinking a lot about the "layers" you were talking about and I see this list as being able to satisfy that well.
Thoughts?

Ray

Protectorate 1, Trolls 0

Played a game tonight, troll warpack versus the Menoth battle box.

Lost.
Miserably.

As usual I'm learning from my losses.

Where did I go wrong?

• Didn't use the Impalers to throw their spears. crit slams are badass and can lock down the opponent's army


• Didn't use Madrak's Sure Foot.
  1. against Kreoss' feat (which DESTROYED me) this is a huge help
  2. I didn't realize it would give the DEF bonus.
  
  
• Guided hand, only used it once. Guided hand should be on an impaler as much as possible. crit slams rock socks!!


• When playing vs. Warmachine, don't concern myself with the Jacks unless they're immediately important, make my way to the caster and get him out of the way.

Ok, so on to another game...