Tournament Report from Lübeck Game 3: Hundred Kingdoms vs. Spire

Overview
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3

First, here's my list again for reference, along with the scenario:

Unkreativ [2000/2000]

The Hundred Kingdoms
Relentless Drill

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

 * Order of the Crimson Tower (3) [200]:

== (Warlord) Imperial Officer [90]: Brace for Impact, On Your Feet
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
 * Men at Arms (3) [110]: Standard Bearer 

== Noble Lord [90]: Weapon Master, Graceful Combatant
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
 * Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer
 * Household Knights (3) [140]: Standard Bearer
 * Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [110]: Standard Bearer

And now, little Nicki's list

Like nothing ever changed [2000/2000] The Spires The Directorate == High Clone Executor [130]: Infiltrator Variant * Force-Grown Drones (3) [90]: * Vanguard Clone Infiltrators (3) [170]: == (Warlord) Biomancer [140]: Master of Flesh * Force-Grown Drones (3) [90]: == Lineage Highborne [140]: Attracting Pheromones * Avatara (3) [165]: * Avatara (3) [165]: * Incarnate Sentinels (3) [210]: * Siegebreaker Behemoth (1) [190]: == Pheromancer [100]: Avatar Projection * Stryx (3) [120]: * Stryx (3) [120]: * Brute Drones (3) [170]: The list may seem peculiar, but it boasts quite a few tools and tricks, especially when it comes to the Biomancer. His ability to count a regiment as scoring per turn is useful, but it gets complicated when he can also apply that to the Stryx. Being a Warlord, the regiment can be on the other side of the battlefield, and of course, he can perform a triple activation every round. Add to that a hail of bullets from VCI with Deadly Shots, which is always taxing. Last time in the forest, they shot down two Ashen Dawn, which was annoying, but such things leave an impression. Another trauma in the game was the Siegebreaker, who with UE and Burnout immediately comes to Movement 10 Clash 5 and jumps right into your face. All in all, quite challenging.

We start in round one, and I get two Crossbows while he gets everything except one unit of FGD. So, he has six cards available. After I've positioned myself, he places one unit of Stryx on each flank and the rest in the center.

In round 2, I receive Knights, Man at Arms, and the remaining Crossbows. Nick gets the Brutes, FGD, and Avatara once. A disadvantage of four cards. I decide to advance on the right flank and place my horses there to possibly deter the Stryx from an attack. However, I change my plan and place the Man at Arms on the left flank since Stryx are expected to appear there and not be wiped out by the Noble Lords and Crossbows. It was a mistake to leave them alone on the flank, knowing that the objective would heavily impede me. Why they were still there, I couldn't recall. Damn pre-5-minutes-past-Hanna.
His Avatara advance on the right flank, and his Brutes on the left. When I'm done, the Biomancer strengthens the Spire with buffs, giving the Infiltrator with UE the opportunity to eliminate my Crossbows and then move into a zone to score. The minor damage from Decay is immediately healed. 0:3.

In round 3, Nick gets the rest, as the Spire can flank for Brutes, and for me, I get Ashen Dawn, Crimson Tower, and Household Knights. Nick continues to let me run into emptiness, while on the right flank, I engage the first Stryx with Move Charge. I inflict two damage on them and suffer four from Lethal Demise. Not as planned, but I manage to eliminate the other Stryx with the Crossbows. Then there's a lull, and I need to bring the remaining Knights onto the battlefield. Crimson and Household Knights on the right, and Ashen Dawn on the left flank. Then it's Nick's turn with the rest, advancing with the Incarnates on the right flank, putting the Siegebreaker against the Ashen Dawn, and the VCI almost shooting down one Ashen Dawn in the forest before retreating 9 inches and healing the damage from Burnout. It doesn't feel fair.

In round 4, I need to start acting decisively. A new plan is needed as I haven't been consistent in finishing off the others. I decide to apply pressure on the right flank, as it lacks the firepower I've consistently placed on the left flank. So, the other Crimson Tower and Ashen Dawn march forward on the left flank. No questions asked. Even Nick looked in puzzled, searching for the master plan behind it. Probably because of the Siegebreaker to whom I still owed bloody revenge from the last game.

In short: My previous plan is scrapped, and I attempt to lure him in, but he politely declines. His Incarnates obliterate the Household Knights, and my other Household Knights struggle against the Avatara, causing minimal damage but losing a rider. Then Nick takes down an Ashen Dawn with the VCI, and my Crossbows dispatch two Avatara, making room to bring the Crimson to the FGD. Nick looks surprised at the zone now under my control. He briefly considers holding the zone with his FGD and the Biomancer but deems the latter too valuable to risk losing. Therefore, he safely retreats his Biomancer behind the Brute Drones using double March.

In round 5, I use my Supremacy and must start becauser things aren't going well. Sir Nick reconsiders his deck construction for what feels like 20 minutes, trying to decipher my twisted thoughts and plans. If he only knew that I currently had no plan myself... well, just to be safe, he goes to the bathroom again and returns pale and bloodless, only to roll a one for the starting roll. Bathroom break... right. Ritual sacrifices to summon an abomination with which he has probably made a dark pact would be more accurate.

What follows is the triple activation, starting with the VCI with UE, which shoots down two Crimson Towers, followed by the second Avatara with Burnout, pinning down my guys. I survive with 4 health and consider the right flank lost. There's no meaningful option left to fight the VCI, so I attack the Brute Drones, causing enough damage that even after healing, one is still dead. Then the Man at Arms march in front of the Ashen Dawn, hoping to lure Siggi, who politely declines. In the right zone, the Household Knights and the Avatara fall, and a unit of Crossbows attacks the VCI.

At the start of round 6, my options are running thin, and it's clear that my Crimson must continue pounding on the Brutes before the Man at Arms can lend a hand. Nick activates the VCI and Avatara through the Biomancer, eliminating a portion of my troops. By the end of the round, the Brutes have even suffered two more damage than they healed. At least Siggi finally dares to enter the fray and effortlessly dispatches the Man at Arms. This opens up the opportunity for me to attack with three Ashen Dawn, but I only manage to inflict 8 damage, which isn't enough to defeat him. More importantly, Nick breaks my Crimson Tower, gaining more stands in the zone, while his Stryx are on the verge of reaching my far-right zone. Because the Biomancer can score with Stryx on the other side of the battlefield if they're in a zone. Well, things look bleak, but if I start next round and maybe kill the Siegebreaker... then perhaps I could still turn this around.

In round 7, Nick starts and once again ignites a triple activation, resulting in the death of both Crimson and Ashen Dawn. My last two Ashen Dawn make a desperate charge attempt to kill Siggi but fail. At that point, I concede. Those constant triple activations at the beginning were just too much for the valiant humans, and the game ends 2:64.

Conclusion: Lübeck was filled with joy as Nick emerged victorious, and I pondered how to improve the matchup. An important factor is that this defeat gives me ammunition to complain about the Spire in Redbeard's presence for about three-quarters of a year. But most importantly, Nick obviously rolled much better than I did and therefore emerged victorious. That's how it always goes in tabletop, and the damned triple activation of the Spire, which they've had for years and is damn nasty, is of course also to blame. My tactical genius was undoubtedly flawless, and the fact that I consistently failed to finish a plan and spread myself too thin had nothing to do with the defeat. Playing to my strengths by consistently focusing on one flank and sacrificing both units of Household Knights bluntly into the VCI to control it would have been an option. But why would one do that?

Upon evaluation, it turned out that I had the best Strength of Schedule (SoS) with a score of 7, earning me a spot on the podium. Nick claimed the first place with the imba Spire, and second place went to the anointed Hazlias Nino, who led an army of Bone Golems shaped in his likeness onto the field.

Postscript: Nick insisted that I include the photo of him with the trophy. Proud as a peacock, little Nicki: