Guest post: Battlereport from Nino with Old Dominion at Kelpie Con Tournament (english)

Since Hanna is always busy writing game reports about everything that is not quick enough, I decided to contribute a little bit and to write event reports more often in the future. KelpieCon shall mark the beginning.

For a smaller, local event, I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone and put the cool dolls on the table that usually only look good on the shelf. In my case, that meant unpacking Fallen Divinity. I rarely play her because I think she really wants to take a Hierodeacon and I'm not a fan of effectively playing the same WB twice with two Heavys each. I prefer a more medium-focused approach. Many Heavy selections also don't harmonize ideally with the gameplan of aggressively accumulating Dark Power points early on. Unless you really want to throw a lot of Legionnaires into the chipper. Our local meta of Hanna's Hundred Kingdoms, Tjade's Dweghom Ranged lists, and Nick with VCI + MMC doesn't have that much trouble stopping a T3 Divinity either - but the goal was: No comfort!

The list
FD/Xhili Vags & Cows [2000/2000]
The Old Dominion
== (Warlord) Fallen Divinity [330]: Eternal Discipline
* Kanephors (3) [210]:
* Kanephors (3) [210]:

== Hierodeacon [80]:
* Legionnaires (3) [155]: Icon Bearer, Standard Bearer, Optio.
* Legionnaires (3) [155]: Icon Bearer, Standard Bearer, Optio.
* Buccephaloi (3) [220]:
* Buccephaloi (3) [220]:

== Xhiliarch [135]: Legio I 'Primigenia', Regalia 1, Regalia 2.
* Praetorian Guard (5) [285]: Standard Bearer, Profane Reliquary.

If I have to play the same WB twice, at least I shall have different selections! Strictly speaking, 4x Kanephors would be the more effective choice, but the Buccephaloi are just absolute winners visually and I wanted something high-cleave but the Lady Goddess. The double Legionnaires with Optio/Standarte are currently an absolute must-have in my opinion. Since we would be playing Grind them Down, Head to Head and Breakout, they only fulfill their core task in the first one: scoring on turn 2; But if I just stuff in another Icon Bearer, T2 (or about 12 DPT) is very doable by turn 4 at the latest. For relatively few points. The Hierodeacon usually dies with his boys, but if it generates 3-4 DP it has fulfilled its Jop sufficiently. Core task therefore: First score, then run into some enemy shooting light regiment and finally kick the bucket. The Xhiliarch's job in Praetorian Block is to die less quickly and donate Regeneration 1 to his Lady. The FD in Tier 3 has to capture one flank in the mid-late game, meanwhile the Praetorians supported by the Kanephors hold the other. The cows have to look sexy (Ideally, they get on the field a little later and can counter-pick their favorite targets. If the opponent has a lot of fire they can aggressively come in earlier to speed up the DP machinery and prevent the Kanephors from drawing too much hate early).

International many like to play Dread on the FD, but it has no problems in melee in my experience and I don't want it in the middle of all my Heavys at T3. Eternal Diciplin is relevant against shelling even in earlier tiers.

I had done 3 or 4 test games with different setups beforehand to get a feel for the flow of the list. For example, I would have liked to play an Archimandrite for healing. Here the thinking was that a larger block of Spirits aggressively fires up the DP as well and trades in as reasonably as possible, but that would have meant usually leaving the Hierodeacon and a Heavy regiment or the Xhilarch and my single, stable Medium regiment at home. I didn't like either of those very much. The Late Game has been very tight in all of my games, and I didn't want to put down any more points exclusively for DP management. Legionnaires are simply the best cost-benefit option here and also score zones.

Game 1

In game I it was supposed to be grind them down against Spire. I unfortunately forgot to ask my teammates for their exact lists. Notable were an HCE in VCI plus 4 MMC, a Pheromancer between Brute drones, a Biomancer in an 8 block FGDs with Lethal demise and other dirty tricks, plus a 6 squad of Bound Clones and four Sentinels. Add 2 MSU Vanguard guys with spears.

=== The Last Argument of Kings ===
Kelpie Con Spires [2000/2000] The Directorate

== Biomancer [215]: Degenerative Aura, Fleshcarver, Mastery of Flesh 1, Mastery of Flesh 2, Mastery of Flesh 3
Force-Grown Drones (8) [240]:
Incarnate Sentinels (4) [280]: 

== (Warlord) High Clone Executor [150]: Biotic Hive, Infiltrator  Variant, Ablative Flesh, Disperse, Additional Neural Receptors 
Bound Clones (6) [265]: Ward Preceptor 
Force-Grown Drones (3) [90]:
Marksman Clones (4) [200]:
Vanguard Clone Infiltrators (3) [170]:

== Pheromancer [100]: Avatar Projection
Force-Grown Drones (3) [90]:
Brute Drones (4) [200]:

That was already an uncomfortable amount of fire for the FD and against the big block of FGDs neither the ladies nor my Heavys sell very well. So the basic idea would be to hold everything back for now, see where things are positioned and try to bring the Sentinels under control with the FD and avoid VCI. Unfortunately, I don't manage to roll anything in turn 2, so that only a troop of Suicide Legionnaires and Hiero comes in for the time being. My opponent gets 3000 points on the field. The VCI on the left flank, Marksmen in the middle left and FGD in the middle right. Bound Clones on the far right and another MSU block on each side to score. My Legionnaires run right into the favorite zone, at least scoring 4 points early and the Hiero has time to pray DP.

On the third turn, the Reinforcements don't fare much better. I bring the Praetorians in far left because they are my least favorable target for the VCIs and I can stay out of MMC range (they step on each other's toes a bit behind the FGD block, as a central building prevents the block from maneuvering). Once cattle on each flank are also really just there to stall for time, while my Legionnaires on the left move-charge very early to pin the Vanguard Clones in front of the 6 block Bound Clones. This takes them out of their 6" zone, so the following Legionnaire block, can score there again on turn 4. (On Grind them down it is better to score a zone in the outer zones only every 2 turns, than to stand in it). Conveniently, they also stand in the way of the Sentinels, who would open themselves up to a counterattack by the Buccephaloi if they intervene.

As the game progresses, my Praetorians make a massive run at the VCI on the left and are able to use a forest favorably. Since the VCI do little damage on the side and understandably don't want to engage, I can bring a unit of Kanephors in over the side far forward here. If I get the initiative, I can catch the VCI unfavorably in the flank and the following Brutedrones can't counterattack because of the angle. This is how it ends up and between Kanephors and Praetorians I dominate the left side, even if the regenerating BruteDrones don't kick the bucket until turn 8 or 9. 3 or 4 Stands Praetorians and a Kanephor remain, happily scoring in turn.

In the middle, the FGD block didn't expected me to completely ignore it, and due to the terrain, has to complete several expensive swings and reforms to be able to intervene. Points-wise it looks quite good. Since I keep holding my favorite zone and/or 2-3 zones, I manage to unexpectedly take the lead slightly ahead in the midgame and of course i get cocky. Against my better conscience I decide to intervene with the FD already shortly BEFORE Tier 3 and send it into the Block Bound Clones. After they fight back surprisingly fiercely and Marksmen shoot twice by means of dirty tricks the good lady falls in turn 6 or 7 ☹.

This leaves me lacking punch against the Sentinels and I have to disengage my Kanephors from melee with them (5 wounds, of course...) so they score the small zone back left once more. As a result, my last resistance on the right is broken, but not until turn 9 or 10. With the early decision on the left flank, I can still decide the game in my favor.

But lesson learned: no cuddling before Tier 3! I could have easily stayed back one more turn and probably would have dominated on the right.

game 2

In game 2, I get assigned to Hanna. Jay. Unlike me, she's completely free of moral qualms and has the good old super nasty stuff with her. Including four units of Crossbowmen and a couple of Ashen Dawn (the rest was kind of irrelevant). We chat briefly, but Hanna has more activations than me, significantly higher thread ranges, the better scenario play, and enough shelling that it gets veeeeeeeery uncomfortable for my D3 horde. Even if she has to march onto the battlefield earlier, her mounts are fast enough to switch flanks so that the AD can intercept the FD well (D4 Blessed, R5 and Immune to Terrifying and 6HP are not a good matchup for the FD) and to make matters even worse, Hanna is also a damn good player and knows how to play it down cleanly. She also doesn't get greedy like I did in game I.

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]:

The rest of the game is quickly summarized. It goes so absolutely crushing against me that even Hanna is unhappy with the game due to lack of a challenge (still a small win =DDD). I reach T3 in unprecedented speed. Only the FD survives the game, after it takes 5 or 6 turns to eat the 6 AD. At least I can wipe out a couple of Hanna's regiments including a WL and to my credit, score at least a few points by doing so. It still ends 26:54 or so.

Game 3

Never mind, clench your cheeks and play sensibly once again! Two wins as a daily goal are still feasible. The third game was against Nords. My opponent told me in advance that he has no OD opponent and therefore a very thin experience with the best faction of the game. So we go through my whole list before the game and I explain my gameplan in detail and what he has to pay attention to. We actually keep it similarly relaxed throughout the game and discuss our decisions and backgrounds almost continuously. The whole thing felt much more like a casual sparring match than the third game in a tournament. Despite all the hints, against OD it's hard to gauge how different each troop's output is compared to other opponents if you haven't seen it before. My opponent, however, shows a willingness to learn and fights back tooth and nail. I can surprise him early once because I just run into him aggressively. However, since I don't often play Nords myself, I forget every time that Bowchosen and Stalker don’t mind as much and promptly lose the Legionnaires regiment faster than I'd like.

Fortunately, my reinforcement rolls went quite well for a change, and the straggling cows bravely tie on. Coupled with some cheeky good defense rolls, I can block the center and right flank well here. As the game progresses, the trailing Ice Jotnar shreds most of the troops, but finally loses to the double load of Kanephores, which I also burn on the side.

In the middle, Bowchosen and a regiment of Buccephaloi are stuck in a never-ending duel for 4 or more turns. I don't mind, but behind them the Huskarls (?) and the Druid WL are wainting patiently.

On the left side, a lucky Superiority roll gives me the chance to engage the Beast Pack with the maximum width of Praetorians. Far away from any ranged fighters, the FD can keep short behind it and power up to T3. A Mountain Jotnar becomes her first casualty and she is also able to grab the trailing Sea Jotnar. Meanwhile, the Praetorians perish on a hexed Decay and the FD Aura. At least they take all the Valkyries in the process.

After a fierce slaughter on both sides, it ends here with a super close 27:26 for the OD. I think in the end only FD (left) and a single Kanephore (right) vs a block of Huskarls (center) were left standing in a zone each, shouting abuse at each other.

Conclusion

In the end, I end up a bit surprised in second place behind Hanna (There were a few SOS-Ties and third Tiebreaker had to decide). But either way I reached my two-win goal. And I am very satisfied with the ranking, especially with a very unusual list and way of playing for me.

But I'm also not sad to field my beloved legions of infantry again. The FD games always end up being tighter than I'd like and the mechanics of the Lady (sacrificing units early, hardly any support for other regiments) run somewhat counter to the faction's other strengths (good attrition and late game). And as mentioned before, I don't like playing four Heavy selections (unless they're all BoneLems <3).