Brave Humans with Sticks

Samstag, 22. März 2025

Tournament reports from the first World Event at the Teutoburg Forest.

Hey everyone,

On March 15th, Tycho invited us to the World Tournament in Bielefeld, and of course, we didn't want to miss out on that. After a few last-minute cancellations, there were still twelve of us ready to spend the day enjoying some good old-fashioned dice rolling.

The original plan was for Nino, Uziel, Nicki, and me to bring some casual, laid-back lists. But then Nick happened. And Nick’s idea of 'casual' was a list featuring a Biomancer, Siegebreakers, and double Marksmen—in other words, top-tier stuff for anyone looking to engineer their own downfall. So it was pretty clear to me: if he’s bringing out the big guns, then I’ll just dust off my friendly Wadrhun list from France. Sure, it’s not perfect (I’d really love to run more Veterans), but Lupus is dragging his feet and still hasn’t brought me the City States shields. Besides, I know Nick absolutely hates this list with a passion. So what better way to punish him for his betrayal than with exactly that list?

My List:

== (Warlord) Chieftain [130]: Conquest, Vision

Veterans (3) [170]
Veterans (3) [170]
Slingers (3) [150]

== Predator [100]: War

Braves (3) [130]
Hunting Pack (3) [120]
Apex Predator (1) [190]
Slingers (3) [150]

== Predator [100]: War

Braves (3) [130]
Hunting Pack (3) [120]
Apex Predator (1) [190]
Slingers (3) [150]

With this list, I’ve now won two solo tournamentsand with our team, we even took the ITC. Honestly, I’d love to swap out a Predator for a Winglord and bump up the size of the Veterans, but that probably won’t happen until mid-year at the earliest. For now, my practice is making up for the list’s weaknesses pretty well. Over the past few weeks, I’ve just put it on the table a couple dozen times.

Game 1: The Thing with the Mettbrötchen

For round one, there was actually still a grudge match pending against Nauthi. He had made an outrageous claim about the North German national dish Mettbrötchen with lingonberries, no less. Because of this culinary faux pas, Nauthi had already earned himself a permanent spot in the punishment zone beforehand. I figured we’d face each other on the Maelstrom scenario so I could deliver that punishment properly. I was prepared to go up against his Nords or Hundred Kingdoms, even if Maelstrom wasn’t exactly my first choice.

But then it turned out that Tycho had posted two different scenario orders one on the tournament page and another on Discord. In the end, we played Head to Head. And of course, Nauthi had brought his infamous Duisburg list the same one that won him that 26-player event. On Maelstrom, it would’ve been an exciting match. On Head to Head? That was a whole different story.

We’d practiced this match-up several times over the past few weeks, and I knew exactly how to deploy my list. The combination of fewer zones and a heavy focus on kill points played right into my hands. I had the game plan in my head and felt confident I could make life pretty difficult for Nauthi in this setup.

Nauths List

== (Warlord) Volva [100]:

Raiders (3) [155]: Captain, Shield Biter

== Konungyr [150]: Rjóða, the Red Bringer

Bow-Chosen (3) [200]
Bow-Chosen (3) [200]
Mountain Jotnar (1) [210]
Sea Jotnar (1) [240]

== Vargyr Lord [135]: Massive Frame

Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]
Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]
Goltr Beastpack (3) [160]
Werewargs (3) [170]

The terrain in Bielefeld was identical on every table: two ponds in the middle counting as Hindering and Water plus a few other terrain pieces that didn’t really have much impact on the game. Choosing sides was pretty irrelevant, too.

At the start of Round 1, I rolled in with my entire reinforcement list, while Nauthi only managed to bring in one of his Lights. That gave me the advantage of calmly watching his deployment and positioning my regiments exactly where I needed them. By Round 2, when he failed to get any additional reinforcements on the table, it was clear to both of us: this game was pretty much decided. A 12:6 command card advantage by Round 2 is always tough to come back from, and I immediately sent my Slingers after his Werewargs while I waited for the rest of his troops to finally show up.

But his reinforcements only trickled in, leaving Nauthi with no real chance to build any pressure. He tried to play it safe, but I was able to jump straight into his face pretty much at will without it costing me anything.

When his Bow-Chosen finally made it onto the board in Round 3, I dropped two Hunting Packs right next to them as my last activation. Then in Round 4, I won the initiative and managed to wipe out both Bow-Chosen regiments, because I correctly guessed which one he had put on top for the counterattack. Sure, Nauthi was able to take out two of my regiments afterward, but apart from his Raiders and Jotnars, everything else went down. And with that, there was no way for him to get back into the game.

Now it was supposed to be Nicki’s turn to pay for his betrayal. But then—plot twist: in his first game, Nick had just rolled over for Daniel (Serphios on Discord). My wish to be down-paired didn’t come true, and much to Nick’s delight, I wouldn’t be playing against him this round. I’d like to say I was pretty disappointed, but here’s something that might surprise you: I really don’t enjoy playing against Spires. It always feels super unfair to me. If I’d known that ahead of time, I probably would’ve brought the friendly Church or Sorcerer Kings instead.

But that thought vanished the moment I saw my second opponent’s list—Marvin aka Murrml. Three chariots. Nauthi’s only comment? Karma.

Game 2: City States Chariots

I’d already played against Marvin in Beckum before, and that one was close because I nearly shot myself in the foot. His list is pretty similar to what Lupus has been playing a lot lately, and he’s certainly given me a run for my money with it. So, I had a lot of respect for it. The list is roughly from memory, so no guarantees on accuracy:

The City States
== (Warlord) Aristarch [90]:
• Phalangites (6) [295]: Dorilates, Sacred Band Veterans
• Thorakites (3) [120]:
• War Chariots (1) [130]: Skorpios
• War Chariots (2) [260]: Skorpios

== Polemarch [180]: Aristia, Blades of Eakides, Combined Arms Drills
• Hephaestian (1) [240]:
• Talos (1) [260]:
• Thorakites (4) [205]: Andromachos, Minotaur Thyrean Auxiliary
• Agema (4) [220]: Sacred Band Veterans

Played on Divide and Conquer, and in the middle, a building split the battlefield. I always like this setup because it forces you into tactical decisions.

Round 1 started with a not-so-great setup: I only got the automatic selections, while he brought both of his Lights. That was a bit unsettling. In Round 2, I only got the Veterans and the last of the Slingers, but he brought in the three Chariots and the Phalangites. The Agema didn’t come up. Marvin decided to give up the right flank and concentrate everything on the left to launch an assault there. It was only then that I realized he was playing without the special rule Initiative which actually pleased me, as it severely limited his movement buffs from Aristarch Supremacy and Aristia.

By the end of the round, he moved the Thorakites into the zone, and my first Slingers easily shot at them. But he had forgotten about the third unit of Thorakites, which had just come in from reserve and broke the regiment. He looked at it and explained that his original plan had been to only deal with one unit of Slingers and start scoring points. Now, though, he was in exactly the situation he had tried to avoid.

From that point on, Marvin played more cautiously and stayed carefully outside of the 22". I did the same. I slowly pushed regiments into the zones and let the chariot fire come at me stoically. On the right flank, the Slingers simply pushed forward twice, and even though a Talos showed up all alone, it quickly realized it didn’t want to fight against Slingers, Veterans, and double Braves with a Hunting Pack. So Marvin completely gave up the flank and moved everything to the other side. My Hunting Pack, undisturbed, ate through the last Thorakites, while the other Hunting Pack tore apart a Chariot on the other side. I started to get comfortably ahead.

In Round 5, he tried to make a push, but the card advantage was too large, and by then, my Slingers had already circled around the building and were happily shooting the Phalangites in the flank. The half-hearted push ended before it even really started, and Marvin conceded.

On the other tables, Serphios won with an Old Dominion list that was nearly identical to Nino’s. By the way, Nino was tablet-ed by Nick after he found his mojo again. Fin from the Netherlands beat Uziel, who was playing a huge Forcegrown Drones block with ranged support. Both Fin and Serphios tried to dodge me, but the final match ended up being Old Dominion vs my beloved Dinos.

Game 3: Big Old Dominion Blocks

I hadn’t had the pleasure of playing against Daniel yet, but I knew he had been playing pretty solidly in the online tournament. He had faced off against Uziel and Nino, among others. His motivation for our game... well, if I wanted to put it nicely, it was rather limited. He knew exactly what I was bringing and that we were playing Maelstrom as the scenario. Ten cards against my Dinos, four characters on the field, and a scenario where it’s almost impossible to catch up on points. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been too excited either. Maelstrom and Foresight really need to be removed from the scenario pool.

I had a rough idea of his list, so no guarantees on accuracy:

Old Dominion
== (Warlord) Mounted Strategos [155]: Skofnung, Gladiator
• Kataphraktoi (5) [360]: Standard Bearer, Hetairos
• Legionnaires (3) [100]:

== Hierodeacon [90]:
• Cultists (3) [90]:
• Buccephaloi (5) [370]:

== Xhiliarch [145]: Legio I 'Primigenia', Aventine Armor
• Praetorian Guard (5) [260]: Standard Bearer

== Strategos [135]: Semion of the Legion, Cuirass of Hazlia's Shadow
• Athanatoi (5) [250]:

In the first two rounds, things went pretty smoothly for both sides. I got my reinforcements, he brought everything to the table except the Legionaries. That worried me more than I wanted to admit. Especially his Supremacy from the Strategos hung over my head like the sword of Damocles. So, I played it cautiously. Better to avoid any rash charges and instead try to lure him into making stupid charges that he didn’t take. Instead, he stayed out of my ranges, lost a horse, and I secured the first zone. I briefly thought about going for two zones, but I could smell the Supremacy in Round 3 and didn’t want to risk the world blowing up in my face. Especially not with Praetorians on my right flank that I wouldn’t be able to get rid of easily, and Athanatoi plus Kataphraktoi on the left who could knock my Veterans out of the game. Two Slingers were standing there, but had positioned themselves so poorly that I decided not to risk it.

So, the game continued... let’s say deliberately. In Round 3, almost everything came in, except for an Apex that took its time. Serphios and I were setting up more than we were playing. I shot a bit at horses and cows, but honestly, I wasn’t eager to put myself in range. Two zones were enough for me. Daniel was visibly annoyed, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him. What he was up against wasn’t a pretty sight. Eventually, I pushed forward two Hunting Packs one at the cavalry, one at the cows. The goal was simple: survive the Supremacy in the next round and ideally take out both regiments with Slingers.

Or maybe not. In Round 4, I swapped my card stacks, Daniel forgot his Supremacy, and nothing happened. My Hunting Packs were wiped out, his units kept standing around, and I just kept building up my point lead. Exciting? Not really. I had enough and sent my Apex Move + Charge straight through the Hindering terrain into his cavalry. The second Apex positioned itself neatly next to the Athanatoi. On the other side, the Braves charged the Praetorians in the flank. They were less than thrilled and did a little damage to the Braves, but that was it.

Round 5: Daniel finally triggered his Supremacy. The Athanatoi tried to take out the Apex next to them but left it with 1 health. His brother calmly ate up his horses except for one. I pulled back my second Veterans regiment to get a good shot at the Athanatoi's back next round, and my Slingers finished off the last horse. With that, the left flank was secured. In the middle, the cows came out of the woods and charged my Veterans. One stand went down, but the response was a Slinger barrage and a clash of the Veterans that nearly sent them to the eternal pastures. Two more zones for me.

Round 6: I took down the last cow. The Legionaries tried to take out the Apex, but of course, that didn’t work. The Athanatoi at least managed to finish off the wounded Apex. My Slingers made quick work of the Legionaries. And then time started running out—we called it.

Conclusion

Fin lost his game, and in the end, I was the only one left with three wins. Tournament victory! Daniel took second place, and Marvin third – congratulations to both of them!

On the last weekend of March, we’ll be at a tournament in Bedburg, and there will be murky forests again. In my opinion, this makes classic shooting lists significantly less attractive… or does it? I do know that Nick is already eyeing triple Marksmen plus VCI—or Underspire with double Marksmen. So, until the (completely inevitable) nerf for Slingers and Marksmen in April, I’ll be running this list or something similar again. The army just looks damn cool on the field. You can’t argue with that.

Turnierberichte vom ersten World Event am Teutoburger Wald

Moin zusammen,

am 15.03. lud Tycho zum World Turnier nach Bielefeld ein und natürlich wollten wir uns das nicht entgehen lassen. Nach ein paar kurzfristigen Absagen standen wir am Ende immerhin noch zu zwölft bereit, um den Tag mit ein bisschen gepflegtem Würfeln zu verbringen. Eigentlich war der Plan, dass Nino, Uziel, Nicki und ich einfach locker-flockig nette Listen einpackten. Aber dann kam Nick. Und Nicks Vorstellung von nett bestand aus einer Liste mit Biomancer, Siegebreaker, Doppel-Marksman, kurz gesagt: ganz großes Kino für alle, die gerne am eigenen Untergang feilen. Da war für mich schnell klar: Wenn er schon die große Keule auspackt, dann hole ich eben meine freundliche Wadrhunliste aus Frankreich wieder raus. Die ist zwar nicht optimal (ich würde wirklich gerne mehr Veterans spielen), aber Lupus kommt einfach nicht aus dem Quark und will mir die City States Schilde mitzubringen. Und außerdem weiß ich, dass Nick diese Liste abgrundtief hasst. Was gäbe es also Besseres, als ihn mit genau dieser Liste für seinen Verrat zu bestrafen?

Meine Liste:

== (Warlord) Chieftain [130]: Conquest, Vision

Veterans (3) [170]
Veterans (3) [170]
Slingers (3) [150]

== Predator [100]: War

Braves (3) [130]
Hunting Pack (3) [120]
Apex Predator (1) [190]
Slingers (3) [150]

== Predator [100]: War

Braves (3) [130]
Hunting Pack (3) [120]
Apex Predator (1) [190]
Slingers (3) [150]

Mit dieser Liste habe ich jetzt zwei Einzelspielerturniere gewonnen – und mit unserem Team sogar die ITC. Eigentlich würde ich gerne einen Predator gegen einen Winglord tauschen und die Veteranen etwas größer machen, aber das wird wohl frühestens Mitte des Jahres was. Die Schwächen der Liste gleicht aktuell meine Übung ganz gut aus. In den letzten Wochen habe ich sie einfach ein paar Dutzend Mal auf den Tisch gebracht.

Spiel 1: Die Sache mit dem Mettbrötchen

Für die erste Runde stand eigentlich noch eine Forderung gegen Nauthi aus, da dieser eine unerhörte Behauptung zum norddeutschen Nationalgericht Mettbrötchen mit Preiselbeeren geäußert hatte. Aufgrund dieses kulinarischen Fauxpas hatte sich Nauthi im Vorfeld einen festen Platz in der Bestrafungszone verdient. Ich ging davon aus, dass wir uns auf dem Maelstrom-Szenario treffen würden, um ihm diese Strafe gebührend zu verabreichen. Ich war vorbereitet, die Nords oder Hundred Kingdoms zu bekämpfen, auch wenn das Szenario nicht meine erste Wahl war.

Doch dann stellte sich heraus, dass Tycho die Szenarienreihenfolge auf der Turnierseite und im Discord unterschiedlich angegeben hatte. Am Ende spielten wir Head to Head. Und natürlich hatte Nauthi seine Duisburg-Liste mitgebracht – die ihm beim 26-Spieler-Event den Sieg eingebracht hatte. Auf Maelstrom wäre das sicherlich spannend geworden, aber auf Head to Head? Das war eine andere Geschichte.

Wir hatten diese Kombination in den letzten Wochen schon mehrfach geübt, und ich wusste genau, wie ich meine Liste aufstellen musste. Die Kombination aus wenigen Zonen und einem starken Fokus auf Killpoints spielte meiner Liste einfach in die Karten. Ich hatte die richtige Taktik im Kopf und war zuversichtlich, dass ich Nauthi in dieser Konstellation das Leben schwer machen konnte.

Nauths Liste

== (Warlord) Volva [100]:

Raiders (3) [155]: Captain, Shield Biter

== Konungyr [150]: Rjóða, the Red Bringer

Bow-Chosen (3) [200]
Bow-Chosen (3) [200]
Mountain Jotnar (1) [210]
Sea Jotnar (1) [240]

== Vargyr Lord [135]: Massive Frame

Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]
Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]
Goltr Beastpack (3) [160]
Werewargs (3) [170]

Das Gelände in Bielefeld war für jeden Tisch identisch: Zwei Teiche in der Mitte, die Hindering und Water waren, sowie einige weitere Geländeobjekte, die wenig Einfluss auf das Spiel hatten. Die Seitenwahl war ebenfalls irrelevant.

Zu Beginn von Runde 1 bekam ich die komplette Liste meiner Verstärkungen, während Nauthi nur eine seiner Lights erwürfelte. Das verschaffte mir den Vorteil, dass ich in Ruhe seine Aufstellung beobachten und meine Regimenter gezielt positionieren konnte. In Runde 2, als er keinen weiteren Reinforcementwurf schaffte, war für uns beide klar: Das Spiel war so gut wie entschieden. Ein 12:6-Kartenstand in Runde 2 ist immer schwer zu drehen, und ich machte mir mit meinen Slingern sofort seine Werewargs zu eigen und wartete, dass der Rest seiner Truppen endlich ins Spiel kam.

Doch diese erschienen nur tropfenweise. Dadurch hatte Nauthi keine Möglichkeit, Druck aufzubauen. Er versuchte, sich zurückzuhalten, aber ich konnte ihm fast nach Belieben ins Gesicht springen, ohne dass mir dadurch Nachteile entstanden.

Als in Runde 3 schließlich seine Bow-Chosen ins Spiel kamen, stellte ich als letzte Aktivierung direkt zwei Hunting Packs daneben. In Runde 4 gewann ich die Initiative und konnte sogar beide Bow-Chosen-Regimenter vernichten, weil ich richtig geraten hatte, welches Regiment er für den Gegenschlag oben hatte. Zwar konnte Nauthi noch zwei Regimenter von mir ausschalten, aber bis auf die Raider und Jotnars fiel alles, und es blieb ihm kein Raum mehr, um ins Spiel zurückzukommen.

Nun war Nicki dran, für seinen Verrat zu büßen. Doch dann das: Nick hatte sich im ersten Spiel gegen Daniel (Serphios im Discord) einfach auf den Rücken gelegt. Mein Wunsch, mich runterzupaaren, wurde nicht erfüllt, und so würde ich, zu Nicks Freude, nicht mit ihm spielen. Ich würde jetzt sagen, das war ziemlich enttäuschend, aber es wird viele überraschen: Ich mag Spire als Gegner wirklich gar nicht. Fühlt sich für mich immer sehr unfair an dagegen zu spielen. Nun, hätte ich das gewusst, hätte lieber die nette Kirche oder Sorcerer Kings eingepackt. Dieser Gedanke zerschlug sich jedoch, als ich die Liste meines zweiten Gegners, Marvin aka Murrml, sah. Drei Streitwägen. Nauth kommentierte das nur mit Karma.

Spiel 2: City States Streitwägen

Mit Marvin hatte ich schon mal in Beckum gespielt und das war knapp, weil ich mich da fast selbst ins Aus geschossen habe. Seine Liste ist ziemlich ähnlich zu dem, was Lupus gerade öfter spielt und mit dem er mir auch gerne mal ordentlich die Ohren lang zieht. Daher hatte ich ordentlich Respekt. Die Liste ist grob aus dem Kopf, also keine Garantie auf Fehlerfreiheit:

Gespielt wurde Divide and Conquer, und in der Mitte teilte ein Gebäude das Schlachtfeld. Sowas mag ich immer, weil es einen zu taktischen Entscheidungen zwingt.

Runde 1 begann mit einem nicht so tollen Setup: Bei mir kamen nur die automatischen Auswahlen, bei ihm beide Lights. Das war irgendwie nicht beruhigend. In Runde 2 gab es dann auch nur die Veterans und die letzten Slinger, aber er holte sich die drei Streitwägen und die Phalangites. Die Agema wurden nicht erwürfelt. Marvin entschloss sich, die rechte Flanke aufzugeben und alles auf der linken Flanke zu sammeln, um dort einen Vorstoß zu starten. Erst dann fiel mir auf, dass er ohne die Sonderregel Initiative spielte – was mich tatsächlich freute, weil das seine ganzen Movement Buffs auf Aristarch Supremacy und Aristia auf einmal ziemlich einschränkte.

Gegen Ende der Runde zog er die Thorakites in die Zone, und meine ersten Slinger konnten bequem auf sie feuern. Doch er hatte die dritten Thorakites vergessen, die gerade aus der Reserve kamen und das Regiment dann broken machten. Er schaute sich dann an und erklärte mir, dass sein eigentlicher Plan war, sich nur mit einer Einheit Slinger zu beschäftigen und vorzupunkten. Jetzt war er jedoch in genau der Situation, die er eigentlich verhindern wollte.

Ab dem Punkt spielte Marvin vorsichtiger und hielt sich brav außerhalb der 22". Ich tat das Gleiche. Ich schob langsam Regimenter in die Zonen und ließ den Streitwagenbeschuss stoisch über mich ergehen. Auf der rechten Flanke gingen die Slinger dann einfach doppelt nach vorne, und auch wenn da einsam und allein ein Talos auftauchte, merkte dieser schnell, dass er keine Lust hatte, gegen Slinger, Veterans und doppelte Braves mit Hunting Pack zu kämpfen. Also gab Marvin die Flanke komplett auf und stellte alles auf die andere Flanke. Unebehelligt fraß mein Hunting Pack die letzten Thorakites, und auf der anderen Seite nahm das andere Hunting Pack einen Streitwagen auseinander. Ich begann, mich bequem abzusetzen.

In Runde 5 versuchte er dann doch, einen Vorstoß zu wagen, aber der Kartenvorteil war zu groß, und meine Slinger hatten mittlerweile das Gebäude umrundet und schossen den Phalangites fröhlich in die Flanke. Der halbherzige Vorstoß endete, bevor er richtig begonnen hatte, und Marvin gab auf.

Auf den anderen Tischen siegte Serphios mit einer Old Dominion Liste, die nahezu identisch mit der von Nino war. Übrigens wurde Nino von Nick getablet, nachdem dieser sein Mojo wiedergefunden hatte. Fin aus den Niederlanden setzte sich gegen Uziel durch, der mit einem riesigen Forcegrown Drones Block und Beschussunterstützung spielte. Sowohl Fin als auch Serphios versuchten, mich zu dodgen, aber das Finalspiel sollte schließlich Old Dominion gegen meine lieben Dinos sein.

Spiel 3: Dicke Old Dominion Blöcke

Mit Daniel hatte ich bisher noch nicht das Vergnügen, aber ich wusste, dass er im Online-Turnier ziemlich solide gespielt hatte. Er war unter anderem schon gegen Uziel und Nino angetreten. Seine Motivation für unser Spiel... nun ja, wenn ich es nett ausdrücken wollte, war sie eher überschaubar. Er wusste genau, was ich dabei hatte und Maelstrom als Szenario. Zehn Karten gegen meine Dinos, vier Charaktere auf dem Feld, und ein Szenario wo man fast unmöglich Punkte aufholt. Gut, da wäre ich auch nicht sonderlich begeistert. Maelstorm sowie Forsight gehören einfach aus dem Szenario-Pool gestirchen.

Seine Liste hatte ich noch grob im Kopf, also ohne Gewähr:

Old Dominion
== (Warlord) Mounted Strategos [155]: Skofnung, Gladiator
• Kataphraktoi (5) [360]: Standard Bearer, Hetairos
• Legionnaires (3) [100]:

== Hierodeacon [90]:
• Cultists (3) [90]:
• Buccephaloi (5) [370]:

== Xhiliarch [145]: Legio I 'Primigenia', Aventine Armor
• Praetorian Guard (5) [260]: Standard Bearer

== Strategos [135]: Semion of the Legion, Cuirass of Hazlia's Shadow
• Athanatoi (5) [250]:

In den ersten beiden Runden lief es für beide Seiten ziemlich rund. Ich bekam meine Verstärkungen, er brachte alles auf den Tisch, bis auf die Legionäre. Das machte mir mehr Sorgen, als ich zugeben wollte. Vor allem seine Supremacy vom Strategos hing mir wie ein Damoklesschwert über dem Kopf. Daher ging ich es vorsichtig an. Lieber keinen unüberlegten Vorstoß, sondern ihn zu blöden Charges verleiten, die er nicht nahm. Stattdessen blieb er außerhalb meiner Reichweiten, verlor ein Pferd und ich sicherte mir die erste Zone. Ich dachte kurz darüber nach, direkt auf zwei zu gehen, aber ich roch die Supremacy in Runde 3 und hatte keine Lust, dass mir dann die Welt um die Ohren fliegt. Besonders nicht mit Prätorianern auf meiner rechten Flanke, die ich nicht so einfach loswerden würde, und Athanatoi plus Kataphraktoi links, die mir die Veterans aus dem Lendenschurz hauen könnten. Zwei Slinger standen zwar da, mussten sich aber so blöd stellen, dass ich es lieber bleiben ließ.

Also blieb das Spiel weiterhin... sagen wir: bedächtig. Runde 3 kam fast alles, nur ein Apex ließ sich noch Zeit. Serphios und ich stellten mehr als wir spielten. Ich schoss ein bisschen auf Pferde und Kühe rum, aber so richtig Lust, mich in Reichweite zu stellen, hatte ich auch nicht. Zwei Zonen reichten mir. Daniel war sichtlich genervt und ehrlich gesagt: Ich kann es ihm nicht mal übelnehmen. Was ihm da gegenüberstand, war einfach kein schöner Anblick. Irgendwann schob ich dann zwei Hunting Packs vor. Eins in die Reiter, eins in die Kühe. Das Ziel war simpel: nächste Runde die Supremacy Überleben und am besten beide Regimenter mit Slingern töten.

Oder auch nicht. In Runde 4 vertauschte ich meine Kartenstapel, Daniel vergaß seine Supremacy und es passierte gar nichts. Meine Hunting Packs wurden zerlegt, seine Einheiten standen weiter da rum, und ich baute meinen Punktevorsprung einfach aus. Spannend geht anders. Da hatte ich genug und schickte meinen Apex Move + Charge durch das Hindering Terrain direkt in seine Reiterei. Der zweite Apex stellte sich artig neben die Athanatoi. Auf der anderen Seite chargten die Braves die Prätorianer in die Flanke. Die hauten dann, wenig begeistert, ein bisschen auf die Braves ein das war’s.

Runde 5: Daniel zündete seine Supremacy. Die Athanatoi wollten den Apex neben sich weghauen und ließen ihn mit einem Leben stehen. Sein Bruder fraß in aller Ruhe seine Pferde auf – bis auf eins. Ich schob die zweiten Veterans zurück, um nächste Runde den Athanatoi schön in den Rücken zu fallen, und meine Slinger erledigten das letzte Pferd. Damit war die linke Flanke abgehakt. In der Mitte kamen die Kühe aus dem Wald und chargten meine Veterans. Ein Stand ging, aber die Antwort war ein Slinger-Trommelfeuer und ein Clash der Veterans, der sie fast komplett in die ewigen Weiden schickte. Zwei Zonen mehr für mich.

Runde 6: Ich erschlug die letzte Kuh. Die Legionäre wollten noch den Apex umhauen, aber das klappte natürlich nicht. Die Athanatoi schafften es immerhin, den angeschlagenen Apex auszuschalten. Meine Slinger machten kurzen Prozess mit den Legionären. Und dann wurde die Zeit knapp – wir brachen ab.

Fazit

Fin verlor sein Spiel, und damit blieb am Ende nur ich mit drei Siegen übrig. Turniersieg! Daniel wurde Zweiter, Marvin Dritter – Glückwunsch an die beiden!

Am letzten März Wochenende sind wir in Bedburg auf einem Turnier und dort gibt es wieder undurchsichtigen Wälder. Meiner Meinung nach macht das klassische Beschusslisten deutlich weniger attraktiv… oder?. Ich weiß jedenfalls, dass Nick schon mit dreifach Marksmen plus VCI liebäugelt – oder Underspire mit doppel Marksmen. Also werde auch ich, bis zum (völlig unvermeidlichen) Nerf für Slinger und Marksmen im April, diese oder eine ähnliche Liste nochmal ausführen. Die Armee sieht halt einfach verdammt cool aus auf dem Feld. Da kann man nix sagen.

Donnerstag, 13. März 2025

Reports on the ITC Bezons 2025 in France

Hey everyone,

On the second weekend of March, Corcaedus and Guillaume hosted an ITC tournament in France.

The event took place in a bright, spacious town hall or youth center in Bezons, not far from Paris. The venue offered plenty of room, lots of natural light, and a relaxed atmosphere. On top of that, there was good food and drinks available throughout the event. The entry fee was 60 euros per player. Included in that were not only free drinks but also two breakfasts, a lunch, and a group dinner at an Italian restaurant. As a bonus, every participant received a welcome package: a bag with the club logo, mission markers, a pin, and a stylish water bottle.

Guillaume had originally planned for even more in terms of equipment and extras. Unfortunately, the number of participants fell short of expectations. Several last-minute cancellations in the weeks leading up to the event made things difficult for the two organizers. They really did everything they could to find replacement players on short notice and fill up the teams again. However, this also caused delays in list submission and reduced Guilli’s sleep schedule to an almost unmeasurable minimum.

ITC France – Lists, Teams & Rules

You can check out all the ITC lists, teams, and rules in English right here:
👉 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WqDctd0Z4CEPpL06bMjFq1Q4bJRAHqDO

In my battle reports, I’ll focus on the lists of my direct opponents and also share a bit about our own thoughts during the pairing process.

Our Tournament Planning & Lists

When we decided to make the trip to Paris, the first question we had to answer was: which players and factions did we want to bring? Our strategy was to build a well-rounded team that could handle anything, since we had no idea what to expect on-site.

For me personally, the Sorcerer Kings were quickly off the table. That army is just too inconsistent for my taste, especially when it comes to Reinforcement rolls. On top of that, their mechanics are pretty complex. And that was a double problem: on the one hand, you don’t want to play a list you can’t rely on 100%. On the other hand, constantly having to explain rules in English would have been a real hurdle for me. Let’s just say my language skills are solid enough for slow small talk, but things get tricky when it comes to complex interactions and special rules. I wanted to spare both myself (and my opponents) that kind of stress.

That basically left me with a choice between the Hundred Kingdoms and the W'adrhŭn. The latter have gotten a bit of a bad rep in our club—mostly because of my list, which includes three units of Slingers. Sure, there are more efficient or optimized builds out there, but you can’t underestimate the psychological impact of this list. No one really enjoys playing against it, which can definitely work to your advantage in a team tournament when it comes to pairings.

With that in mind, I was allowed to bring out my W'adrhŭn list again for practice at the club—much to the "delight" of Nauthi and Marcus—and eventually take it with me to the ITC in France. We were pretty confident that many teams would run similar concepts. The classic Dweghom token-castle seemed like an obvious choice, and with Uziel’s Nords list, we thought we had a good counter lined up. What we didn’t realize was that lists like these had already disappeared from the French meta. That was our first nasty surprise on day one of the tournament. And the second surprise came soon after: contrary to our assumption, not every table was playing a different scenario each round. Instead, everyone played the same scenario each round.

That left Nino. At first, he built a current, popular Old Dominion ghost list, which is very trendy in the current meta. However, he wasn’t happy with the results, especially at the top tables. After lots of testing, he decided to switch things up: instead of running three ghost units, he went for more Athanatoi combined with a fully defensive Praetorian block.

In hindsight, the more aggressive Linebreaker version probably would’ve been the better choice for this tournament. But the Spanish and French players were running completely different concepts compared to what we were used to back home.

Uziel (Captain) [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Volva [125]: Ty Jokull, the Rimeheart
* Raiders (5) [220]: Captain

== Vargyr Lord [175]: Massive Frame, Wild Beasts
* Werewargs (3) [170]:
* Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
* Goltr Beastpack (4) [210]:
* Goltr Beastpack (3) [160]:

== Jarl [120]: Reyngeir, the God Spear
* Raiders (3) [140]: Captain
* Bearsarks (3) [200]: Savage
* Raiders (3) [140]: Captain
* Steel-Chosen (3) [200]: Shield Biter

Nino [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Strategos [160]: Legio I 'Primigenia', Aventine Armor, Eternal Discipline
* Athanatoi (3) [170]:
* Athanatoi (3) [170]:
* Praetorian Guard (5) [260]: Standard Bearer

== Hierodeacon [90]:
* Cultists (3) [90]:
* Legionnaires (3) [115]: Optio
* Buccephaloi (3) [220]:
* Buccephaloi (3) [220]:

== Archimandrite [110]:
* Legionnaires (3) [100]:
* Legionnaires (3) [115]: Optio
* Moroi (3) [180]:

Hanna [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Chieftain [130]: Conquest, Vision
* Veterans (3) [170]:
* Veterans (3) [170]:
* Slingers (3) [150]:

== Predator [100]: War
* Braves (3) [130]:
* Hunting Pack (3) [120]:
* Apex Predator (1) [190]:
* Slingers (3) [150]:

== Predator [100]: War
* Braves (3) [130]:
* Hunting Pack (3) [120]:
* Apex Predator (1) [190]:
* Slingers (3) [150]:

Game 1 – Amour & Ruins (W'adrhŭn, Nords & Dweghom) on Grind Them Down

Our first encounter with the French meta was against Team Amour & Ruins. At first glance at their lists, we felt well prepared and didn’t expect any major hurdles. The W'adrhŭn list was solid standard, the Nords lacked much in the way of Linebreakers, and the Dweghom list was a Raegh build. At first, it didn’t look particularly dangerous. We had tested similar concepts from the U.S. in the past and considered them less optimal, so we were feeling relatively confident.

That said, Uziel wasn’t entirely sure if his list could deal enough damage against a Dweghom army, so we decided he’d get the pick in pairings and go forward first. Our preferred setup was for him to play against the W'adrhŭn, which would give me the opportunity to face the Dweghom list, leaving Nino to take on the Nords. But things didn’t go the way we expected: their team decided to send in the Dweghom list instead of the Nords, and they chose to challenge our Old Dominion, which completely caught us off guard.

That left me paired up against Valentine with his Nords list. At first, I was a bit confused—it almost felt like they were "sacrificing" him in this matchup. After all, my list was pretty well suited to handle Nords. But after a quick chat, it became clear why they made this decision: Valentine hadn’t played many games yet, and the team thought the smartest tactic was to let him face me, as they considered the other two matchups to be much more favorable for them.

Valentine [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Vargyr Lord [165]: Figurehead of the Naglfar, Written in Bones
* Werewargs (3) [170]:
* Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
* Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
* Mountain Jotnar (1) [210]:

== Blooded [140]: Rjóða, the Red Bringer
* Trolls (4) [240]:
* Ugr (3) [150]:
* Ugr (3) [150]:

== Volva [125]: Ty Jokull, the Rimeheart
* Valkyries (5) [250]:
* Raiders (3) [120]:

The game picked up pace quickly, and I was able to take control early on. Both of our Reinforcements arrived reliably and right on target, giving me a clear advantage. In the second round, the Slingers really came alive and managed to shoot down both the Raiders and the Werewargs—despite the Figurehead of the Naglfar. That gave me a significant card advantage, so I wasn’t too bothered by falling behind on points at the end of round two. It was a bit of a twist, sure, but just a temporary snapshot in my eyes—I already had the upper hand by then.

Valentine tried to put some pressure on me and gain a small advantage through terrain. However, the obscuring terrain that was supposed to protect him was poorly positioned from his side. The water feature in the middle of the board further restricted his movement, which allowed me to push far forward, apply pressure, and deny him control over the battlefield.

In round three, he tried to overwhelm me by presenting too many targets at once, but it ended up working against him. I was able to focus down his units in the zones one by one, breaking them apart and pulling ahead on points.

In round three, his Trolls fell to my Hunting Pack and Veterans, while my own Veterans were nearly wiped out by the counter-charge from his Ugr. Overall, it was a very bloody round, and I lost my first cards. But even though he managed to trade 1-for-1 on cards, I was already five cards ahead and could absorb the losses without any issues. It became clear that his options were running out, and his situation was steadily worsening.

In the following rounds, I seized the opportunity, and both of my Apex Predator units broke through on both flanks. The Apex that was originally just supposed to hold up the Valkyries ended up wiping them out in just two Clash actions. I eventually won the game 70:6 and was the first one on our team to finish.

While I was celebrating my victory, the others were still fighting. Uziel had been feeling confident about his chances, but the dice simply weren’t on his side. Several of his charges failed to hit their mark, and when a Quatl survived with just one wound remaining, the game was all but decided. He narrowly lost the match, 26:33.

Our hope now rested on Nino, who focused on the seemingly easy win against the Dweghom. However, we hadn’t accounted for the Thanes block of the Dweghom, which could potentially come in from the flank in round four. This block turned out to be a real problem and put Nino under immense pressure. It felt as though nothing was really dying on either side, as the Dweghom, with their Raegh, were securing zones more efficiently than Hazlia’s servants. I stepped back from the battlefield and supported Nino from afar with prayers to the great Hazlia.

In the end, Nino managed to secure the win with a close 23:17. Even though he won, the relief was evident, and he expressed that he’d prefer not to face Dweghom Raegh lists in the future. Thus, the first round concluded as an educational start, opening our eyes to the peculiarities of the French meta, with a 2:1 result in our favor.

Game 2 – Chocolatines (W'adrhŭn, Old Dominion & Dweghom) on Forlorn Hope

After a long lunch break, we faced the Chocolatines. I didn’t have a strong preference for the matchup but was hoping to avoid the mirror match, as the Chosen of Death block would simply advance toward me with its shooting and crush anything that stood in its way. Our captain decided that I wouldn’t be set up to avoid this exact mirror matchup. However, Uziel was convinced I could win the match, so we could better control the other pairings. To ensure Nino got a good matchup as well, he would face a Dweghom Raegh list. Since he now knew what to expect, it seemed likely to work out, and Uziel was up for the challenge of taking on Hazlia’s undead legions. The plan worked perfectly: we got exactly the "desired" pairings.

WAALEX [1990/2000]

== (Warlord) Matriarch Queen [140]: Death, Beads of Death, Cure
* Apex Predator (1) [190]:
* Chosen of Death (5) [360]:

== Mounted Predator [120]: War, Death's Reach
* Quatl (1) [170]:
* Raptor Riders (3) [180]:
* Hunting Pack (3) [120]:
* Hunting Pack (3) [120]:

== Chieftain [100]: Death
* Veterans (3) [170]:
* Veterans (3) [170]:
* Slingers (3) [150]:

I had played the mirror match several times before and knew that the player who becomes too aggressive and overextends is the one who loses. My plan was to stay a few inches back, drawing him toward me. Since he wasn’t generating Conquest tokens, I hoped to outmaneuver him and catch him off guard with precise attacks in the late game.

In the first round, all of his Lights appeared, while only one of my Slinger regiments didn’t show up. He marched aggressively toward me, while I held back a bit to stay within the maximum range of my Slingers. I had to offer him a Hunting Pack, but I was confident I could take two cards from him in return. In the second round, one Hunting Pack died early on each side, and I took my time maneuvering his troops. He tried to destroy his objective and used his Quatl for the task, but he had to move it very close to my unactivated Hunting Pack, which gave me the opportunity to deal with his flying dinosaur. This also denied him a zone and allowed me to take the lead—an unexpected but very welcome turn of events.

In the following round, my Hunting Pack was killed early by the Chosen of Death, but it managed to delay my key activations long enough. Now, he was forced to come to me if he wanted to win the game. In round four, his entire army charged toward me, blocking my left flank’s zone, and I only managed to hold it with great difficulty and many chants. However, on the right flank, Waalex became too greedy: he sent the Chosen of Death via Move Charge into my Veterans, who hadn’t had their Chieftain activated yet. The combination of Evasion 3, RR6, Tenacious, and Indomitable is very unpleasant, but Flurry Veterans are too. The Chieftain challenged the Queen to a duel and surprisingly defeated her. This took away many of the block's special rules, and in the Clash between the Veterans and the Volley from the small Slingers shooting from the side, three stands went down. This caused his right flank to collapse and gave me the chance to slowly push forward on the other side. In the end, I managed to secure the game with a clear 71:15 (approximately) victory.

Nino, on the other hand, had to face another intense game against the Dweghom and managed to narrowly win with a 38:34 score. Our overall opinion on the Raegh lists had changed by now, and we looked at Uziel's board with confidence. However, he lost due to the dice being too good—his regiments surprisingly survived much longer than expected, causing him to trip over himself and ultimately lose his desired matchup.

Game 3 – Ebro (Nords, Hundred Kingdoms, Sorcerer Kings) on Melee

The final game of the first day was against Lord Kragan from Spain, who had brought Kilian along as a mercenary for the tournament. With this team, which eventually placed second, we were in for some big challenges. The night before, we had dinner with Kragan and Javier, chatted a lot, and everything felt relaxed. Uziel had teased Kilian with his jokes at the bar, which naturally left a small grudge that now needed to be settled. So, we offered to sacrifice our captain if we could get to choose the other matchups. Uziel declined this offer. As a result, Kragan was set and sacrificed himself in the safe mismatch against me to further support his team. Nino faced Javier with the Sorcerer Kings, and Uziel and Kilian also had their duels.

Kragan [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Blooded [130]: Coils of the Serpent
* Stalkers (3) [140]:
* Trolls (6) [360]:

== Konungyr [140]: Reyngeir, the God Spear
* Huskarls (4) [200]:
* Bow-Chosen (3) [200]:

== Vargyr Lord [140]: Figurehead of the Naglfar
* Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
* Werewargs (4) [230]:
* Goltr Beastpack (3) [160]:
* Goltr Beastpack (3) [160]:

Kragan explained to me that these were their preferred matchups. While he was fully aware that he was being sacrificed, Kilian considered the matchup against me on Melee to be a 50/50 and they preferred two favorable matchups over three balanced ones. Additionally, according to Kragan, Javier was simply the much better player and was playing Old Dominion himself.

Kragan got a bit lucky with the board setup. A dense forest on one side provided good cover for his Werewargs, while he positioned his troops in a way that made it difficult for me to shoot at them effectively. I began slowly whittling down the stands of his regiments, always being careful not to get too close to his army. I had much greater range with my troops, so it was important to control the zones and avoid getting caught in a fatal counterattack.

I steadily accumulated points in the early rounds, while he tried to position himself for a better position. However, I gave him few opportunities for mistakes and made small but steady progress. This left him with little chance to do anything other than wait and hope for a mistake on my part.

After about an hour, Uziel came to our table and said the game was over. We looked at him confused, and I was about to start offering some encouraging words when he explained that he had won 95:25. The test games against the Bielefeld players, who had also fielded double Archangels, had paid off. This put Kragan under pressure, and now he had to decide how to proceed.

He left his safe position and gave me a chance to charge. Since I had more cards and it was a clear opportunity, I seized the moment. Eventually, his flank turned into a red cloud of destroyed units, and I was able to secure the game for myself.

While I defeated Kragan, Nino managed to convincingly win against Javier and his Sorcerer Kings with a 95:31 score. The reinforcements for Javier just didn’t come through, which was exactly the reason I hadn’t chosen Sorcerer Kings for the event.

Thus, the successful first day ended, securing us an excellent starting position for the second day of the tournament. Afterward, we all went to an Italian restaurant on tournament expenses and planned to go to bed early. However, we ended up staying late again at the hotel bar.

Game 4 – Team Next Door (W'adrhŭn, Hundred Kingdoms, City States) on Farsight

None of us had clear preferences for the final matchups. City States weren’t exactly my ideal opponent, but honestly, I saw the scenario itself as the real problem, no matter which list I would face in the end. The rest of the team felt similarly. So, we paired up Uziel first, who willingly took on the Hundred Kingdoms. I was sent into the second W'adrhŭn mirror, and Nino took on the City States.

Michael [2000/2000]
== (Warlord) Matriarch Queen [135]: Conquest, Beads of Death, History
* Chosen of Conquest (4) [270]:
* Braves (3) [130]:
* Apex Predator (1) [190]:
* Quatl (1) [170]:

== Chieftain [100]: War
* Veterans (3) [170]:
* Veterans (3) [170]:
* Thunder Riders (3) [220]:

== Predator [115]: War, Hide of the Silent Hunter
* Raptor Riders (3) [180]:
* Slingers (3) [150]:

The communication was... let's say, sportsmanlike. His English was virtually nonexistent, and we mostly communicated with gestures, feet, and a shared understanding of how our faction works. The fact that we both knew W'adrhŭn well made it easier.

What I noticed, and had seen in two previous games as well, was that the French were extremely focused on concealing their automatic selections and reinforcement rolls. Every time, everything was placed face down as if some massive mind-game advantage depended on it. I personally play it openly; the decisions are usually obvious, and I just don't see a reason to make it a secret.

Our reinforcements arrived as expected: unremarkable, within the bounds of probability. He disciplined himself to stay outside my shooting range and movement distance, and I did the same. The few times I could actually shoot, my Slingers let me down. Three or five hits weren’t enough to build pressure, and I started to get nervous. Especially since I wasn’t good at guessing the zones in this scenario. I’ll stick to it: this scenario is just stupid.

Eventually, I managed to catch his Raptor Riders, which gave me some breathing room. His Quatl then nearly wiped out my small Slingers, but was then killed by my Braves. From that point on, I had a solid card advantage. I became a bit bolder, which the game directly punished. So, I returned to the boring but safe version: going through the center and avoiding unnecessary risks.

On the right flank, he still had a block of Chosen of Conquest and a regiment of Veterans, facing my Apex, a Hunting Pack, my Veterans, and a few Slingers. They didn’t really dare to move forward, which was perfectly fine for me. This allowed me to pressure the center with my Slingers while simultaneously controlling the zone.

When I finally managed to get my Veterans (without Chieftain) into his Slingers and wipe them out in melee, the center completely collapsed. In the meantime, he had rolled up my left flank, but the exchange — once Slingers and Braves for Apex, Veterans with Chieftain, and Quatl — was nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory for him.

As I was slowly heading towards the finish line, we received the news from the other tables: Our team had already won. Uziel and Nino had already secured the victories for us. So we agreed to end the game after the current round. He still wanted to test what would happen if his Chosen of Conquest on the right side dared to attack. Short version: They die. Completely. Down to the last stand.

With that, our last game was also over. There were a few boxes as prizes, quirky gnomes with cheese hats, and a golden "Fishgnom" trophy. Unfortunately, there was only one trophy for the three of us, but it was sponsored by Para Bellum themselves, who were also on-site.

In conclusion, there’s not much more to say. The kind invitation, the great games, and the smooth organization made it a lot of fun for us. It was truly a fantastic and entertaining weekend, and we had an amazing time together. The atmosphere was super relaxed, the prices for food and drinks were more than fair, and most importantly, we felt incredibly welcome the whole time.

I really enjoy when people eat together instead of everyone organizing something for themselves. It gave the whole event a family-like, friendly touch and just made it special.