Battlereport brave Humas vs Timms Fallen Divinity

In a few weeks, there is a 1500 points tournament in Beckum, and Timm wanted to practice. I decided to adjust my Goblin list for this occasion. However, I am not entirely satisfied with the streamlined version, especially since the first scenario in Beckum will be Melee, and points will be awarded for destroyed cards – something that could quickly prove detrimental.

1500 Punkte Brave Humans with Sticks
Armeeregel: Relentless Drill

== (Warlord) Imperial Officer [75]: Fire First, Aim Later, Aim For the Head
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
 * Steel Legion (3) [175]: Standard Bearer

== (Warlord) Mounted Noble Lord [110]: Weapon Master
 * Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer
 * Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
 * Militia Bowmen (3) [75]:

== Mounted Noble Lord [115]: The Unwrought, Weapon Master
 * Militia Bowmen (3) [75]:
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
 * Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer
 * Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer

Overall, this list provides a dynamic mix of mobility, ranged, and melee pressure. Although it struggles with dealing with significant threats like Ashen Dawn or Tontorrs, slowing them down rather than outright eliminating them, the primary focus lies in aggressively pursuing scenario points and obstructing the opponent. The later I am forced into real melee engagements, the better, as it ideally limits the opponent's scoring, delaying their comeback.

1500/1500 Punkte The Old Dominion

== (Warlord) Fallen Divinity [330]: Eternal Discipline
 * Kanephors (3) [210]:
 * Kanephors (3) [210]:

== Hierodeacon [80]:
 * Legionnaires (3) [120]:

== Xhiliarch [145]: Legio I 'Primigenia', Aventine Armor, Regalia 1
 * Varangian Guard (3) [200]:
 * Praetorian Guard (4) [205]:

The Fallen Divinity reaches its full potential with fewer points in play. At only 1500 points, in combination with two Kanephors, it becomes a challenging force to control. If the Fallen Divinity appears on the battlefield early, there's a chance to hunt and potentially defeat it. The effectiveness of this strategy depends heavily on Timm's Reinforcement rolls, as the arrival of all Heavys in Round 3 could pose a serious problem. Overall, I feel a certain discomfort facing this combination with only three shooting regiments.

Now, onto the battle report:

In the first two rounds, I successfully made all Reinforcement rolls, setting an impressive scene on the battlefield. Since the Old Dominion, except for the Hierodeacon with Legionnaires, had nothing in the second round, I deployed my troops widely, hoping to catch the Fallen Divinity at a vulnerable point, securing a 7:0 lead..

In Round 3, unfortunately, Timm received the complete rest of his army, placing the Fallen Divinity directly behind/at the lake. Despite the apparent trick of reduced Clash value in water, making it relatively safe at Level 2, both Kanephors were near the nightmare. I devised an alternative plan – ensuring the three stayed close together, bringing the Fallen Divinity to Level 3, and watching the Kanephors perish with minimal effort. The additional damage they receive when ending their activation within the radius of a Level 3 Fallen Divinity is probably more than my army would usually inflict on D3 Blessed without Resolve. On the left, the Varangians entered a forest, and on the far right, the Praetorians, not staying out of the range of my Crossbows, lost a stand immediately. This brought me joy as I secured three zones, ending the round at 17:0.

Round 4 became interesting, and I leisurely shot down the Praetorians, as Timm had no luck with his protection rolls. While not enough for Level 3, after the Kanephors killed a part of my screen, I managed to kill enough with shooters and Household Knights from one regiment. This ensured that he would start Round 5 at Level 3. Meanwhile, the Fallen Divinity dealt with the peasants, and my Knights got another round of mercy. Additionally, my Steel Legion slowly trotted from behind, and on the left, the Varangians continued hiding in a forest, fearing the impacts of the Riders due to their size. Again, three zones under my control, securing a comfortable lead of 27:4.

In Rounds 5 & 6, the hefty angel on Level 3 wreaked havoc, wiping out one regiment every turn but inflicting enough damage on the Kanephors. This allowed my shooters from the right side and the Knights to eliminate them. Thus, the angel stood on a zone, and much of my forces slowly withdrew, encircling it and giving it the choice to either destroy a zone or a regiment. On the right, I pulled back my Riders to let the Varangians have the zone but positioned them just enough to allow effective charging. He accepted the gift, and it took two rounds to kill the Varangians. Surprisingly, as there were only three stands, this went quite well. Thus, from Round 6 onward, I again held three zones, and Timm had only one Hiero with a stand of Legionnaires and the Fallen Divinity against a substantial force on my side.

Timm decided to leave the zone with the Fallen Divinity, and I obediently placed fresh fodder for him in a way that allowed him to destroy only one regiment each turn while I held all zones. My army slowly dwindled, but he had already lost too many regiment points for it to be relevant. The fact that I threw both Warlords into the grinder for 6 points each was incidental, as I, in turn, scored at least 10 points each round. Thus, the whole affair ended with a score of 55:30.

Conclusion: The Fallen Divinity's unique Dark Power Pool is a disadvantage because one would ideally want Praetorians and other interesting options at Level 2. However, if the Fallen Divinity's pool is not fed, it performs poorly. This creates a tricky dilemma. Additionally, it must marauder from the rest of the army, as the damage to one's own troops is challenging to compensate for. 

While the Steel Legion, despite appearing somewhat lost, ultimately contributed by slowly advancing from the rear and building pressure, I might prefer additional shooters or Riders for a more effective 1500-point list. I'll see how the next game with this list unfolds.