Overview
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Introduction & list
On November 25, 2023, Ruebezahl and team invited to the largest German Conquest tournament to date in Bedburg. With twenty participants, three scenarios from a prepared pool of five were to be played. The exact line-up would only be announced on the day of the tournament.
Together with Hanna, Uziel and Hicksmix, we would drive a good four hours to Bedburg and were eager to meet new people, see lists and play exciting games.
In addition to miniatures, we also had a few ambitions in our hand luggage. My personal goal was 2:1, so with quite a few unknowns (scenarios, meta and fellow players) in the equation, I decided to avoid risky experiments like at the last event (looking at you FD!) and rely on the tried and tested. So I handed in the current version of my feel-good list. I had already done well with a similar one at other, larger German events in the past and I can set up my favorite miniatures (BoneGolems <3). Conveniently, two new units had just been painted. Apart from a familiar list and painted miniatures, only one thing is missing for success: lots of practice. The final training counter for Hanna, Uziel and me was fairly evenly distributed with just under 30 games between the three of us in the four weeks before the event. So let's get to the list:
The Old Dominion
== (Warlord)
Strategos [85]:
* Legionnaires (3)
[120]:
* Legionnaires (3)
[145]: Standard Bearer, Optio
* Kataphraktoi (3)
[200]:
* Kataphraktoi (3)
[200]:
== Archimandrite
[100]:
* Legionnaires (3)
[120]:
* Legionnaires (3)
[145]: Standard Bearer, Optio
* Bone Golems (3)
[210]:
* Bone Golems (3)
[210]:
== Xhiliarch [175]:
Legio I 'Primigenia', Aventine Armor, Eternal Discipline, Regalia 1
* Praetorian Guard
(5) [285]: Standard Bearer, Profane Reliquary
At the end of the day, scenario points win the game (shocking! I know). With OD, this usually means giving up points in the early game, struggling in the midgame so that the difference doesn't get too big, and breaking through and overtaking in the late game. In my experience, a difference of around 16 points in round seven is still easy to make up, but anything more than that is difficult. Always assuming there are at least three rounds left to play and score points for Hazlia's proud troops (which is not always the case in tournaments). This means that the earlier and more advantageous the melee and Attrition starts, the better (the opponent scores less/with difficultys and the catching up starts earlier).
Fast engagements by choice are therefore the core idea behind my list. The Strategos offers the best supremacy for this: Safe Dark Power Tier (DPT) Two avoids tedious Dark Power Point (DPP) farming in advance and the free reform not only makes it easier to navigate around terrain and disruptive units, but also "extends" the charge range by about 2" per stand next to the leader (due to the fact that the outer corner swings forward when turning around the center point).
Since everything revolves around speed, I largely dispense with heavy units. By turn three, most of the regiments should have arrived on the board so that I can use the Supremacy to make contact at the start of turn four. BoneGolems are ideal for this. Move six and unstopable allow them to attack targets at around 28" very reliably in turn four. Praetorians have almost identical ranges and often run four or five stands wide onto the field. Both selections benefit greatly from Aura of Death four to still deal damage after they have performed Move Charge. Afterwards, there are 61 health points in the other player's face, which they have to chew their way through (the Xhiliarch is equipped to make this chewing through as difficult as possible). In the meantime, there are constant auto hits and plenty of attacks according to the quantity over quality principle. Where quality is lacking, the Kataphraktoi come into play. Two stands wide, they almost always find a gap with Move Charge to contribute 12 Brutal Impact two hits. They rarely win an engagement on their own, but they are ideal for tipping the scales or handling small regiments.
Legionnaires perform three important tasks: They generate as many early activations as possible, so the opponent often has to bring valuable regiments into play before my own deploy, and I can pre-select objectives right there. The Optio/Standarten regiments can run 16" onto the field and either score points as early as turn 2 or intimidate/bind overly aggressive light regiments and push the reinforcement line back. In the lategame, they block flank attacks on the active regiments and otherwise run into the zones where their stands contest the opponent or score points for me.
The Archmandrite acts as a "joker". If the opportunity arises, he heals or contributes his hits from the baptism. He very rarely buffs Aura of Death. He only becomes important every few games when I need a unit on DPT two but don't want to fire the Supremacy yet. This is most likely to happen if the Reinforcement Rolls are going very badly or the other player presents a very strong Light Unit, in which case the Kataphraktoi sometimes have to step into the breach.
Overall, I can throw
the list into pretty much any match-up and scenario. Very aggressive
early-game lists with a strong ranged game are difficult (aggressive
Wadhrun with double Raptors/Hunting Pack and Slingers; Spire with
double VGI and Styx, Hanna's 4x CBM/Knight lists) if they play
aggressive scenario pressure at the same time. Fortunately, these
lists are not easy to play and I have a lot of experience in the
match-ups. A lot of attacks with Cleave 2 can be a problem and
shouldn't come into Bone Golems. Here it helps that I can often
determine the engagements due to the high range/mobility and avoid
the worst case. Defense four and blessed is difficult, but
fortunately this is very rare. Unfortunately, Hanna has all the
problem cases combined. And she knows how to play her own list
flawlessly, and she also knows mine very well... Well, there's always
a bit of a gap, and I can pray to the dice gods as a last resortn
(although Hanna has made some kind of dark pact here too).
Game 1 Echolon vs 100 Kingdoms
==
Priory Commander Crimson Tower [110]:
*
Order of the Crimson Tower 3 [215]: Standard Bearer
*
Order of the Ashen Dawn 3 [255]: Standard Bearer
==
Warlord Imperial Officer [125]: Gilded Rampart, Brace for Impact,
Fire First, Aim Later, Tactical 1, Tactical 2,Tactical 3
*
Mercenary Crossbowmen 3 [105]:
*
Steel Legion 6 [345]: Standard Bearer, Drillmaster
==
Warlord Mounted Noble Lord [120]: Laurean Lance, Weapon Master
*
Household Knights 3 [165]: Standard Bearer, Tourney Champion
*
Household Knights 3 [165]: Standard Bearer, Tourney Champion
*
Household Guard 3 [165]: Standard Bearer, Armsmaster
*
Men at Arms 6 [230]: Seasoned Veteran
Echolon is quite feasible for Old Dominion. My own zone is 13.5" from the edge, so it's well within Legionnaire's range and if I can keep it constant, the opponent has little opportunity to score far ahead. If things go badly, I have to make up 11 points: Three times three for Objectives and +2 extra points. But on the one hand, this is quickly made up if I hold both zones twice (six points each), and on the other hand, an objective can often be secured and the leftmost one is easy to defend.
Terrain doesn't seem super relevant. My distant objective is somewhat shielded by a mountain. A bit of obstruction on the flanks. Only the pool in the middle is a little annoying, you don't really want to get caught in it.
My opponent has balls and decided against the double Crimson Tower, double Ashen Dawn Warband. Instead, two more infantry blocks run across the field. And pleasingly few archers. I'm not really sad about that. There probably won't be much pressure on the two objectives in my half. The Steel Legion block looks threatening, but should suffer more from AoD than the Knights (well, it's almost immune to morale). Overall, I even have an activation advantage.
In turn one I watch as usual. A lone regiment of Crossbowmen places itself in front of his objective. Then I know what they'll do for the next three turns.
In turn two, I roll two additional cards. Due to a lack of counter-pressure, I opt for Flitze Legionnaires (I have to score points!) and my character regiments. The Strategos regiment is ready to throw its bodies into the zone on turn three, the Archmandrite runs a bit more centrally with its gang. The four dudes are well in the water. Opposite, the HHK run in conservatively and score the zone for him. Crossbowmen (CBM) continue to shoot happily.
In rounds three and four, we have to show our colors a little more. I don't think the CBM manage to do any damage to the objective, so the HHK have to make up for it. The Steellegion comes onto the field a little further to the right and stands on the CBM's feet. I decide to put less pressure there and threaten his zone instead. So on the right, only the legionnaires block the front edge of the zone against HHK and bonelems run behind it to threaten range in counterattack.
On the left, the plan is to use my objective as a shield. He can't get it off in one turn and thanks to my free reform I can punish an attack hard. If I have the chance in the following turn I jump through, engage him in his half and see how it goes. So there are Kataphractoi cuddling with Praetorians and Bonegolems. Opposite are Ashen Dawn and Crimson Tower. The latter, however, are somewhat unfortunate in the Hindering Terrain.
Lady Luck is with me and the five-man Praetorian block can bridge 16" thanks to the Supremacy Move, Reform, Charge and tie up the larger HHK regiment. He probably only lives there for a short time, because Crimson Tower could charge into the flank (thanks to Terrain but then without Imacts, alternatively Move Charge with Impacts is possible) and if losses are properly removed, the Ashen Dawn will also join the party. But it's worth the risk to me. I pretty much expect the HHK to be in the stack first and lose at least one stand of AoD (which happens). After all the protection rolls, I don't lose a stand to their Clash. Instead, the AD now have room and charge in. Thank goodness for the forest, but without Impacts or Inspire. Two stands die here now, if I remember correctly. If the Crimson Tower should also charge into the flank, it gets hairy, but that would also mean that they would open themselves up for a counter (flank) attack by the Bonegolems or Kataphraktoi. My opponent sees this and, after much deliberation, decides on a riskier move-charge on my Kataphraktoi to at least take them out of the game. But even with Reroll, the required four (or maybe it was just a three) doesn't come, so they stop in front of my Kataphraktoi in a super unfavorable position. You take a gift horse and in the Charge Clash of the Kataphraktoi the Crimson Tower bursts directly. The Bonegolems just blow away my objective. The left suddenly looks super good. On the right, the CBM don't get out of the way of the Steel Legionnaires enough, so they probably need two more turns to make their move. My sacrificial Legionnaires die and the Knights retreat again to avoid ending up in Bonelems.
Later on, the Praetorians put one or two really good protection rolls on the table. Combined with very suboptimal protection rolls on the opponent's side, the left flank first gets stuck and then tips over. The remaining HHK and Ashen Dawn need three more turns and simply can't get rid of the Praetorians. In doing so, they block the Man at Arms. This allows the Kataphraktoi to go into all three flanks one after the other and I start scoring both zones. On the right, the Steel Legion suffers some ping damage from the Archmandrite from time to time and simply doesn't get enough stands in the zone, as I can block again and again. The Bonegolems are killed by them, but that doesn't help much. My second Kataphraktoi also intervene on the flank and clear Household Guard, the last HHK and finally the Steellegion.
In turn eight, I wipe out the remaining regiments except for the CBM and am already in the lead in terms of points.
The 100k simply couldn't exert enough pressure here and couldn't mount any really good charges. The scrambled Crimson Tower charge broke his neck here, without the Kataphraktoi it would have been much harder for me to break the advancing troops. On the other hand, the HHK should have been more aggressive on my zone, but the fact that the Steellegion had to maneuver two turns too many made that difficult. But I thought the list was really cool, those big infantry blocks just look mega good and it could have gone either way. I think in the end it was 24:14 or something like that. The hero of the battle was the Kataphraktoi, who were able to finish off five or six regiments after being pinned down by the rest.
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