Battlereport Kelpie Con Tournament Game 1: Hundred Kingdoms vs Spire (english)

Overview:
Game 1
Game 2 & 3

Like previous years, we were at Kelpie Con again and instead of a fancy demo table, there was, for once, a tabletop tournament. Due to the many positive feedback from participants, guests and the Con Orga, we are currently considering making it much larger next year and possibly taking place over both days. More on that on the German Discord and T3. For the link to the Kelpie - Con T3 page just click here.

I thought about what I should play at the tournament for a long time and after every sample list disappointed me massively, I decided on a similar variant of the Silent Seeker because I wanted to test it out. He actually still had banners with the Ashen Dawn and Militia Bowmen instead of Rangers, but I like the guys with the cloaks. Plus there's a lot of feel-good stuff and goblins aren't an option when Head to Head is in the pool.

Kelpie Con  [2000/2000]
Relentless Drill

 == (Warlord) Imperial Officer [75]: On Your Feet, Fire First, Aim Later
* Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
* Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
* Imperial Ranger Corps (3) [120]:

 == Noble Lord [80]: Weapon Master
* Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [110]: Standard Bearer
* Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
* Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer
* Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer

 == (Warlord) Priory Commander (Crimson Tower) [110]:
* Order of the Crimson Tower (3) [215]: Standard Bearer
* Order of the Crimson Tower (3) [215]: Standard Bearer
* Order of the Ashen Dawn (3) [240]:
* Order of the Ashen Dawn (3) [240]:

After Nino unpacked a Fallen Devinity meme list on the day of the tournament and Uziel slapped together a makeshift list from his new Nords, which he hadn't played for a week and only briefly twice, I wanted to look for one of the Lübeck players as a claim. The first one to come over was Nick and he's always happy when he can stomp my poor, brave Humans into the ground. Since he had also packed the appropriate list for this, it was rather counterproductive, but at least I had already played the Grind them Down scenario once before.

SP Stryx HCE Rush LH [2000/2000]
The Directorate

 == (Warlord) High Clone Executor [160]: Biotic Hive, Infiltrator  Variant, Burrowing Parasites, Disperse, Additional Neural Receptors
* Bound Clones (3) [120]:
* Vanguard Clone Infiltrators (5) [290]:

== Pheromancer [100]: Avatar Projection
* Stryx (3) [120]:
* Stryx (3) [120]:
* Brute Drones (4) [200]:

== Lineage Highborne [140]: Attracting Pheromones
* Avatara (3) [165]:
* Avatara (3) [165]:
* Incarnate Sentinels (3) [210]:
* Incarnate Sentinels (3) [210]:

On lap 1 both of us had lights except one and where he oriented more to the left I moved to the right and held the center slightly offset. Nick looked at my stuff and overlooked the fact that my Lord was in crossbows with a banner and could run directly into the zone in front of the VCI next round because I simply didn't select him. In round two I of course chose the Crossbows with Lord as an automatic selection and got a regiment of knights while Nick only got his Pheromancer with Brutes. Lord and knight go left, the lord takes the zone and I take a comfortable 7:4 lead.

Round 3 I get everything except a Heavy and am delighted, but with Nick I get everything except a Medium and I send my Household Knights into the VCI. They inflict 5 wounds and the VCI retreat, shoot from their backs and turn around again. Thanks to absurd armament rolls, I can withstand the hail of fire with only 4 wounds and also the batch of Brute Drones with exactly one life. Nick takes a small stand on the right because he sees the Ashen Dawn coming and has tremendous respect for the Crossbows. So I get two zones again by simply sending my Imperial Officer to the other side of the battlefield with double time and expand my lead to 14:5.

Round 4, Nick thinks I'm in his nasty trap and ignites his Supremecy. Through the three activations, the Incarnates on the right entangle my Rangers, the Stryx in the middle entangle my Crossbows, and the Brutes on the left entangle the Crossbows with the Lord. I cheer inside and explain to Nick that this is going to hurt a lot and he shouldn't do that because knights will wipe out the Incarantes. We discuss the move for a while, as we have often played similar matches and the Seek new Escort trick doesn't worry him either. Especially when his avatar on the right also reaches the crossbows in the forest with move charge and he sees my army disintegrate in two rounds. I joke around that he's the only Spire player I never see using burnout and it feels like nothing ever happens. Nick rolls the 9 decay dice and places 7 wounds on the avatar with the words: I'm used to worse. Slightly stunned, I almost feel bad for what I'm about to do and let my commander jump into the far right Ashen Dawn. Then Operation Living Shield starts, the Rangers and the central Crossbows retreat, die in the process and both Ashen Dawn charge into the opponent. The Incarnates simply burst and with the Stryx I do 5 damage each to myself and them. On the far right comes the second block of horses and I the Reform Crimson Tower eat a few brutes. Nick tries to bind the Ashen Dawn with the second Stryx so that you don't hit the flank of his second, centrally positioned Incarnates and also makes his Bound Clones appear right. His left avatars run in front of the far left zone on my side because my Crimson Towers are already ready to be cleared. Somewhere in between the VCI shoot the Lord and I only score my desired zone and Nick scores three zones without a desired zone. 19:9

I start round 5, fire my Supremacy and my middle Crimson Towers kill the remaining Brute Drones without Inspire and get the charge against the middle Incarnates. With Blessed I land 7 hits and inflict 11 wounds. the last brave activates Crossbows and does exactly one damage and the regiment is broken. Nick now spoils the game by getting his high clone onto the mound and out of the zone with Fluid Formation. This will almost wipe out the central Crimson Towers, but he won't score. Since my second Crimson Tower then tries, manages and wipes out the absurd move Charge against the left avatars, Nick gives up and goes to buy new dice. We agree on 25:10