Quick Tournamentreport from Bonelem Cup

In the blazing summer lull, where boredom seemed omnipresent, the Lord of the Bonelems emerged from the shadows of invincibility and introduced his visionary idea to the world: the epic, magnificent, legendary, and unparalleled Northern Bonelem Invitational Cup. This two-day masterpiece promised a conquest tournament in a round-robin format, sprinkled with barbecues, karaoke nights, and the chaotic presence of a bewildered Nick.

Despite the numerous cancellations that loomed like ominous harbingers on the horizon, the event delivered on its promises. It wasn’t just legendary; it was Bonelem-like in its purest form. Five thrilling games, delicious food, and the sacraments of the Bonelems, humorously serving as an added bonus – all came together for a truly entertaining weekend.

The Bonelem Cup was not only symbolically imbued with the glory of Hazlia’s greatest creation. As bellies swelled with grilled meat in praise of the Bonelems, the troops on the various fields of honor were also filled with their exalted roundness. In other words, there were some amusing special rules in the event designed to lighten the mood and entertain.

Hazlia created the BoneLem, and Eä saw: It was round.

At the beginning of the event, each player receives the 6 Sacraments of the BoneLems (physical markers will be provided).

1. Each Sacrament can only be used once per player during any game of the event.
2. Each player can use a maximum of one Sacrament per turn.
3. The intention to activate a Sacrament in the upcoming turn (not which one!) must be communicated to the opponent as the first action of the Command Phase (before building the Command Stack).
4. A Sacrament is activated during the Activation Phase on a regiment. This is done as the first step after drawing the Command Card, explicitly before effects like Chants, AoD, and Draw Events. At this point, the opponent must be informed which Sacrament is being activated. The effect takes immediate effect.
5. Each Sacrament ends at the end of the turn in which it was activated.

The 6 Sacraments of the Bonelems:

1. The Persistence of the BoneLem

   • The affected regiment and attached character models gain Hardened (+1).

2. The Speed of the BoneLem

   • The affected regiment and attached character models gain Unstoppable and Impact (+2).

3. The Glory of the BoneLem

   • The affected regiment and attached character models gain Aura of Death (+3).

4. The Presence of the BoneLem

   • The affected regiment and attached character models change their Class to Heavy (for all purposes).

5. The Grace of the BoneLem

   • The affected regiment and attached character models gain Relentless Blows.

6. The Power of the BoneLem

   • The affected regiment and attached character models gain Cleave (+2).

Some may wonder, especially those who don't regularly attend German events, why the focus on the Bonelems is so central. Nino, one of the more active Old Dominion players, has a particular fondness for the Bone Golems. On one hand, they somewhat resemble his body shape; on the other hand, he finds the kit and the rules quite entertaining. As a result, he frequently took a ~18 Bone Golem list to tournaments, with results that were not too bad at all. However, in the North, this led to many amusing jokes. Since there was to be a theme for the tournament, the suggestion of the Bonelem Cup was chosen with great enthusiasm.

Five rounds were played over two days, and despite the disastrous test games of the past few weeks, I decided to go with Sorcerer Kings. The list is almost a mono-fire list, with the exception of the Warlord, who is there solely to buff the Flamecaster. The currently popular variants usually play only one or no Bakasura, but I highly value the guys with the four swords. The equipment on the second Maharajah (Scimitar & Niyantran) was only added because I had points left over. Jadoo, on the other hand, is the best item of the faction and grants the entire army 6+ rerolls in both melee and ranged combat. I had skipped it in the last three events, but at the Bonelem Cup, this item proved to be absurdly good.

Wave 3 [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Maharajah [140]: Shu'laat, Court of Air
 * Dhanur Disciples (3) [140]:
 * Rakshasa Bakasura (1) [260]:

== Sorcerer [130]: Jadoo Kavach, Court of Fire
 * Rajakur (3) [120]:
 * Efreet Sword Dancers (3) [170]:
 * Efreet Sword Dancers (3) [170]:
 * Efreet Flamecasters (3) [160]:
 * Rakshasa Bakasura (1) [260]:

== Maharajah [170]: Dancing Scimitar, Niyantran, Court of Fire
 * Rajakur (3) [120]:
 * Efreet Flamecasters (3) [160]:

Game 1 Old Dominion

In the first game, I faced Anna with a Xhiliarch army list.

Roughly off the top of my head:

1x Xhiliarch mit Cleave 2, Flurry
2x 3 Varangians mit Standarte
5x 3 Legionäre
2x 3 Bone Golems
1x 5 Prätorianer mit Strategos, AoD 4, Untouchable und Teneacois
1x Archi

The game was Breakout, and the armies deployed on the battlefield, ready for an epic contest. Anna chose a cautious tactic and held back her Praetorians in the initial rounds, fearing the devastating Torrential Fire attacks from the Flamecaster. This caution played into the Sorcerer Kings' hands, as I was able to collect ritual markers undisturbed.

However, Anna’s strategy paid off on the flanks, where she gradually gained the upper hand. My plan was to avoid a frontal assault and instead secure the flanking zones, leading the Bakasuras into the center. When both regiments of Bone Golems and the Xhiliarch with Varangians gathered on one side, it made my decision easier. A regiment of Sword Dancers volunteered to act as a living roadblock. Thanks to this sacrifice and the support of a Flamecaster, complemented by the Warlord’s rerolls, I managed to wipe out a regiment of Legionnaires and destroy the objective. By turn four, I controlled both flanking zones, and in turn five, the two Bakasuras and the Fire Maharajah secured the center. In the following turn, the Praetorians ultimately succumbed to the attack. Control over both flanks and the center was secured. The rest of the game consisted of placing as many obstacles as possible in the way of the Old Dominion to prevent them from capturing the central zone. This proved more challenging than expected, as everything fell apart as soon as it came into contact with the Varangians.

Game 2 Nords

In the second game, I faced Uziel’s Nords. He’s extremely excited about the new pigs for the Nords and is currently playing a Ugr block with a Vargyr Lord and Spear. Admittedly, the list is quite unusual, but so far my Sorcerer Kings have only received very harsh treatment from it.

Bonelem Cup | v2 [2000/2000]

== (Warlord) Jarl [135]: Wolf, Golden Torc
 * Huskarls (5) [280]: Skald, Thegn
 * Raiders (3) [120]: Captain

== Blooded [165]: Wolf, Coils of the Serpent, Wealth of a Hundred Raids
 * Trolls (5) [305]: Standard Bearer
 * Stalkers (3) [160]:
 * Stalkers (3) [160]:

== Vargyr Lord [135]: Reyngeir, the God Spear
 * Ugr (5) [260]:
 * Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
 * Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:

The game was Grind Them Down, and my reinforcement rolls turned out quite well. By round two, only the Sword Dancers and the Bakasuras were missing, and by round three, my entire army was on the field. Uziel could, of course, score points before me, but I initially held back and then gradually pushed forward. In round three, I managed to eliminate a regiment of Stalkers, which earned me 14 cards for round four, while he only had nine.

The two rituals for round four were not intended for the Bakasuras, as they were facing the Huscarls and could have rolled if necessary. Much more problematic were the Trolls and the Ugr Impact Block. Therefore, I placed the Sword Dancers with the rituals face down to punish Uziel if he advanced too far. This turned out to be extremely effective, as the crucial actions for me were activated early. The Ugr went into the water, and I didn’t want to engage with a -1 Clash penalty. Additionally, the Trolls failed their Move Charge on the Fire Maharajah. Because of this and because the Huscarls moved slightly forward, I was able to attempt to charge them with the Bakasuras. This succeeded in both cases, and four stands were destroyed. Then, I pushed another regiment of Sword Dancers in front of the Ugr Block—slightly angled to prevent it from attacking anything else. The other Sword Dancers went into the flank of the Trolls, and, thanks to Jadoo, I scored 5 Impact and 16 Clash hits. The Trolls did not like that at all.

In the following round, a Conflagration killed the Trolls, and the Sword Dancers were able to turn, charge, and attack. In the center, the Huscarls died from the Aura of Death. Even though Uziel was still able to inflict some damage, the loss of two of his three blocks was too severe. One round later, two Flamecasters were within Torrential Fire range of the Ugr, and I finally wiped them out.

Game 3 Hundred Kingdoms

Nauth didn’t deploy with his usual Spire this time but led a brave troop of humans wielding many sticks onto the field. The scenario was Off Balance, where we only had to control two zones, which naturally favored Nauth’s two large infantry blocks.

Nauth’s list:

Boop the Snoot mit Stöckchen [2000/2000] The Hundred Kingdoms Relentless Drill  

== (Warlord) Imperial Officer [90]: Brace for Impact, On Your Feet
 - Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
- Gilded Legion (6) [310]: Standard Bearer, Drillmaster
- Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:

== (Warlord) Noble Lord [95]: The Unwrought, Weapon Master, Graceful Combatant
- Household Guard (6) [285]: Standard Bearer, Armsmaster 

- Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [105]:
- Household Knights (3) [140]:
- Longbowmen (5) [215]:

== Priory Commander (Sealed Temple) [110]:
- Order of the Sealed Temple (3) [190]:
- Order of the Ashen Dawn (3) [250]:

After fortune favored me with Uziel, it seemed that Fortuna wanted to balance things out. In round two, I only had my mandatory selection, and in round three, two Bakasuras and a Flamecaster joined the fray. At least Nauth's army was not too fast in the scenario.

I positioned both Bakasuras opposite the Household Guard. It was risky, but I trusted that fortune would intervene. By round four, the rest of my army finally arrived on the field, and on the right, Crossbows that had ventured too close to my edge were taken out by the Fire Maharajah and a single Flamecaster. On the other side, I immediately lost my Warlord to the Sealed Temple and was unable to achieve much in return. Nevertheless, the Bakasuras, boosted by Jadoo and a Sacrament, performed exceptionally well. The first Bakasura executed a successful charge, rolling a 4 without rerolls or rituals, against the Household Guard. He positioned himself so that nothing else could attack him and devoured four stands of the Household Guard with gusto. Thanks to the Sacrament of Persistence, he survived the counterattack from the Household Guard. Meanwhile, I tried to send the second Bakasura into the flank of the Ashen Dawn. Thanks to Sandstorm, they had only D2, and indeed one of the heavy cavalry fell. The Longbows then tried to shoot the Bakasura near the Household Guard, but Hardened 1 kept him in the game.

The left flank was very shaky; Nauth had the upper hand, and I decided to sacrifice my Sorcerers with Rajakur to give the Bakasuras a chance to survive. This significantly hindered Nauth’s movement, and I applied the same tactic in the following round with the Sword Dancers, which proved to be decisive. We exchanged Rajakur and Sword Dancers for Ashen Dawn, Sealed Temple, and Household Guard. On the other flank, the Fire Maharajah with Scimitar and eight dice wreaked havoc. With the support of the Flamecasters, they systematically cleared out the Household Knights, Crossbows, and Longbows. They then held the flank zone, which allowed me to gradually close the gap and ultimately win this game.

Game 4 Old Dominion

After we only had two games on the second day, we decided to have a brunch before the first game. Energized and motivated, I then faced Nino’s Old Dominion.

His list, roughly:

1x 5 Athanatoi mit Xhiliarch mit Cleave 2, Flurry, Untouchable und Evasiv +1
4x 3 Legionäre
2x 3 Bone Golems
2x 3 Prodromoi
1x 5 Prätorianer mit Strategos, AoD 4, Untouchable und Teneacois
1x 3 Kultisten mit Archi

The game began with a déjà vu; I only received my mandatory selection in round two. Since we were playing Forlorn Hope, the name of the scenario immediately set the tone. In round three, a Bakasura and another Fire Maharajah arrived. I considered retreating to my edge of the battlefield, as otherwise, the entire Old Dominion army would be in my face in round four. With the Strategos Supremacy, this would have been no problem for them.

I decided against it, as I risked Old Dominion controlling all the zones, and I wouldn't be able to catch up. In short, it made no difference since I didn’t start. Nino’s three broad regiments spread out with Supremacy and closed the distance in no time. The few troops on the field were quickly wiped out, and we decided to end the game and enjoy a beer and some grilled meat instead.

Game 5 Spire

In the final game, I once again enjoyed the spotlight and faced Nick, also known as Hickmix. Armed with his brand-new Leoniden toys, Nick fought with the Directorate, and our scenario was Divide and Conquer.

His list, roughly:

2x 3 Leoniden
1x der neue Leoniden Charakter
1x 3 Bound Clones mit Biomancer
2x 3 Stryx
2x 3 Bruter Drones

1x Pheromancer in den Brute Drones

1x 5 Centuar
1x 3 Centuar

At first, my hopes were not very high until Nick asked me what my army was capable of. Since he hadn't played against the Sorcerer Kings before, I explained the mechanics and characteristics of my troops to him. As I’ve mentioned before, one simply has to see what happens on the table because the Sorcerer Kings can break through some things very hard.

After Fortuna had made a misstep in the last game, she ensured that all my reinforcements arrived promptly this time. I immediately positioned my spellcasters in the zones while Nick cautiously approached my battle line. He diligently gathered points in the first two rounds, and I was able to collect ritual markers. Then he positioned his Leonids strategically. Despite my warning that he might be advancing too close, he stuck to his plan, which was based on an aggressive start for the following round. But Fortuna was against him.

 

Nick stared in disbelief at the battlefield as a Ritual Stryx half-destroyed a Bakasura, which then leapt across half the board and devoured his Leonids, while I took cards from him with minimal losses. It’s one thing to hear about the ranges, buffs, and damage effects of the army, but something entirely different to experience it live. A Bakasura standing on the left flank and taking out a regiment on the right flank in its death is unusual. While such tactics are now known in Bremen, Nick was surprised and just shook his head as his army dissolved. I wouldn’t achieve this so easily a second time, but I gladly accepted the victory.

 

And so the weekend at the Bonelem Cup ended with a 4:1 record after five games and a second place with the Bonelem Trophy. After the award ceremony, the remaining food was grilled, and we made our way home.

 

I was generally pleased with my army list, even though I felt that many games were strongly dependent on the dice rolls for reinforcements. This particularly bothered me with the Sorcerer Kings and also the Dweghom. The options for flanking are simply too limited. Jadoo proved to be exceptionally strong in every game, especially in the last one, when the Bakasura went into the forest and still landed 12 hits. Whether I will use them again for future tournaments remains questionable. At the moment, there’s a bit of a lack of variety.

 

I hope you enjoyed the brief reports and impressions from the tournament. Since more detailed reports often take longer to complete and the reinforcements were somewhat one-sided, I opted for the shorter version. If you have any suggestions or improvements, or just want to share your thoughts on the games and the report, please leave a comment

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