In mid-September, it was that time again: Nick invited us to another relaxed tournament in Lübeck, which has now become a staple of the northern German tournament scene. Out of the initially over 20 registered players, 16 remained in the end – a core group of enthusiasts, including some long-distance travelers from Dresden and Kiel. This once again shows how popular the Lübeck tournament has become. Despite the reduction in player numbers, the atmosphere was excellent, and the anticipation for exciting matches was high.
Before the tournament, I was faced with the question of which faction to bring to the battlefield. I had been thinking for a long time about playing the Nords, an army that has been close to my heart for a while. Unfortunately, Uziel was missing a few models for my ideal list, so I was forced to make other plans. Additionally, I spent the evening before the tournament frantically painting his Magmaforged, and I wouldn’t have had the time to paint three more Nords regiments. As it turned out on the day of the tournament, this was a wise decision: A third of the participants fielded Dweghom, and they all brought the new Magmaforged units. Those are quite troublesome for the Nords.
So many Dweghom in one place hadn’t been seen in the North for a long time—probably not since the big Dweghom update, when this faction dominated nearly every tournament. It didn’t take long before the first voices started warning of a return to Dweghom supremacy, especially due to the powerful Magmaforged units. However, I found such concerns to be unfounded. Most of the Dweghom players were simply excited about the new units like the Stoneforged and Magmaforged and, of course, wanted to test out their freshly painted toys on the battlefield. As a result, the Dweghom were well-represented once again, but without throwing the tournament's balance out of whack.
As for me, I finally unpacked my Hundred Kingdoms again after a long break. I had originally practiced Kilian's Worlds list, even experimented with a slightly modified version of it, but somehow I quickly got bored. Since I often play against the Pommesmann – a loyal and passionate fan of the Breton knights – I eventually caught his enthusiasm and decided once more to field a large Crimson Tower block. I had already played this list in Bedburg, and once again, it proved itself. My first warband, unsurprisingly, consisted of the classic units: 2x Sealed Temple and 2x Ashen Dawn. This combination is almost indispensable if you want to be competitive with the brave men of the Hundred Kingdoms in tournaments. It is a bit unfortunate that this warband dominates so much and almost becomes a mandatory pick, but there’s simply no alternative at the moment. Personally, I would welcome it if the Ashen Dawn were slightly weakened and the rest of the human units were buffed. A well-thought-out army rule would also be a sensible addition, but for now, I stuck with my "great" and unfortunately rather useless Support (2).
== Warlord Priory Commander Sealed Temple [110]:
* Order of the Sealed Temple 3 [205]: Standard Bearer
* Order of the Sealed Temple 3 [205]: Standard Bearer
* Order of the Ashen Dawn 3 [265]: Standard Bearer
* Order of the Ashen Dawn 3 [250]:
== Warlord Imperial Officer [90]: Brace for Impact, On Your Feet
* Men at Arms 3 [105]:
* Mercenary Crossbowmen 3 [105]:
* Mercenary Crossbowmen 3 [105]:
* Mercenary Crossbowmen 3 [105]:
== Priory Commander Crimson Tower [160]: Olefant's Roar, Long Lineage
* Order of the Crimson Tower 4 [295]: Standard Bearer
In the first game of the tournament, I faced Jens Karacho, as I often do. By now, he’s a staple of the northern German tournament scene and one of the most active and successful players (NTR 6 on the day of the tournament). Over the past few months, both Jens and I have switched factions a bit, but so far, we’ve only ever faced off in duels between Hundred Kingdoms and Dweghom. And this time was no different. His list was led by a Sorcerer Warlord with fire magic, which brought back dark memories of tough battles in the past. Fortunately, Uziel had beaten me up with his Dweghom a few times in the days leading up to the tournament, so I was well-prepared and knew exactly what dangers lay ahead.
Dweghom [2000/2000]
== Ardent Kerawegh [125]: Memory of Breath, Focused
* Flame Berserkers (4) [235]: Standard Bearer
* Flame Berserkers (3) [180]: Standard Bearer
* Magmaforged (3) [200]:
* Magmaforged (3) [200]:
== (Warlord) Tempered Sorcerer [165]: Cthonic Flame, Fire School, Hellbringer Sorcerer
* Hellbringer Drake (1) [200]:
* Fireforged (3) [180]:
== Tempered Sorcerer [135]: Fire School, Hellbringer Sorcerer
* Hellbringer Drake (1) [200]:
* Fireforged (3) [180]:
The scenario we played was "Declined Flank," an interesting and tactically demanding mission. We agreed that the zones declared by the players as non-scoring would also not count as "seizing" zones. There are some conflicting interpretations of this in the international Discord, but Jens had understood it differently there, and I didn’t mind in the end. Playing with Jens is always very relaxed, as we communicate openly and amicably, which helps to avoid many potential issues during the game.
One thing particularly worth mentioning was the organization of the tournament, especially how the terrain and scenarios were set up. The tournament organizers had already arranged the terrain during the breaks, which is unusual for Lübeck. Normally, players are allowed to place the terrain on the field themselves, but the Lübeck team used many small pieces of terrain that the organizers cleverly arranged to make them feel more relevant and larger. This added more strategic depth and impact to the games. The hill and the mountain in our game, in particular, played a key role and fit perfectly with the thematic design of the game mat. Such details always contribute to the atmosphere, and I think it’s great when organizers put in so much effort.
Jens deployed both of his Berserkers in the first round, while I brought in two units of Crossbows. Jens positioned his Berserkers on the flanks, whereas I placed my Crossbows in the center.
In the second round, Jens only received his Hellbringer Drake along with the Warlord, while I brought in both Sealed Temple units, my remaining Crossbows, and the Men-at-Arms. This was a significant setback for Jens' Dweghom on the "Declined Flank" scenario. I chose the left zone on his side as non-scoring, and he did the same on my side. Thanks to my card advantage and having two characters, I didn't need to move anything significant until the Berserkers were dealt with. The Drake advanced on the right flank, but my Sealed Temple positioned themselves smartly to face him. Before that, I moved my Men-at-Arms into a zone and used my Crossbows to eliminate one Berserker stand on the right side. The Sealed Temple also secured the right zone. With a solid 4:0 lead and a strong position, I was feeling optimistic about the next round.
In the third round, I received the Crimson Tower and one Ashen Dawn unit, while Jens got everything except his second Magmaforged. As in the previous round, I again chose the left zone on his side as non-scoring, meaning that only his Drake could score this round. It was too tempting not to go for the first kill, so I pushed the Sealed Temple and two Crossbows forward, followed by the characters, the last Crossbows, and the heavy cavalry. Fortunately, I was able to go first and immediately drew Supremacy. The distance between the Drake and my Sealed Temple was 17 inches, which meant an automatic charge for the Sealed Temple. They only managed 17 impacts, but with Blessed, and the Dweghom only had two tokens. As expected, the Drake barely survived, but the Crossbows were ready to finish him off.
Before that, Jens' Warlord was able to cast a devastating spell on my cavalry, but it failed due to their armor. Just like my Sealed Temple, the Drake stubbornly withstood the shooting from both Crossbow units, so we agreed to activate other units first. Jens’ Berserkers advanced slightly on the left side, followed by his Fireforged, while I positioned my Ashen Dawn and Crimson Tower to face them. In the center, another Drake with a mage and Fireforged marched into shooting range of my Sealed Temple and barely managed to wipe them out. However, with the Warlord on the Hellbringer Drake having lost his steadfastness, he fell to the final bolt from my Crossbows. So, we essentially traded Warlords – a deal I was more than happy with.
On the right, the Berserkers tried to take down my Sealed Temple, but thanks to Blessed, they held their ground and killed one Berserker stand. The Magmaforged began marching towards the center, but that would only become a problem in the later rounds. The score was 8:0.
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In the fourth round, we received our remaining units. I was satisfied with my lead and planned to maintain it by using my Crimson Tower on the left for a breakthrough. Since I wasn’t in a rush, I positioned the heavy cavalry down in the deck and moved my Sealed Temple and the rest of the right flank to the top. Jens went for a risky charge clash with his Berserkers against my Ashen Dawn, and while he succeeded, Blessed prevented any significant damage. On the other side, I eliminated his Berserkers and got my troops into position. However, Jens managed to control two zones, and due to his Ardent, my Ashen Dawn didn’t score. My lead began to slip, which wasn’t part of my plan. But I still had the Crimson Tower. I aimed to catch the Fireforged on the left flank, who had moved into the zone. I opted for a Crimson Tower charge on a four or five, but even with a reroll, it didn’t work out. That was a greedy move – I could have simply eliminated the Berserkers, but now my Ashen Dawn had to step in, and they failed as well. With 20 health and armor 5, the opponent was tougher than expected. Still, I held onto my lead. The second Magmaforged and my second Ashen Dawn finally faced off in the center, glaring at each other grimly. The score was 12:4.
The fifth round began, and my plan was clear: I wanted to bring the Ashen Dawn into play up top, followed by the Crimson Tower, to completely dominate the left flank. My goal was to ride down the Dweghom on that side. I briefly considered the right flank, but after a quick assessment, I decided not to act there. The mage was out of range, and the Fireforged couldn’t engage effectively due to the hill. So, I chose to ignore that side for the time being and put all my efforts into the left flank.
Jens started the round and used his Ardent's abilities to once again prevent my Ashen Dawn from scoring. This forced me to remain passive on the right flank. His Berserkers then almost took down one of my riders, but finally, the moment I had been waiting for arrived: my Ashen Dawn were ready to strike. With a determined blow, they finally slew the Berserkers that had been harassing me for rounds. However, the cost of this success was high. To secure control of the zone, I had to move a second Ashen Dawn unit into it. I immediately recognized the danger of this decision: Jens' Magmaforged would now be able to attack my Men-at-Arms without much resistance. It was a risky move, but I had to trust that my Men-at-Arms would activate before them to retreat before being wiped out.
Jens started the round and used his Ardent's abilities to once again prevent my Ashen Dawn from scoring. This forced me to remain passive on the right flank. His Berserkers then almost took down one of my riders, but finally, the moment I had been waiting for arrived: my Ashen Dawn were ready to strike. With a determined blow, they finally slew the Berserkers that had been harassing me for rounds. However, the cost of this success was high. To secure control of the zone, I had to move a second Ashen Dawn unit into it. I immediately recognized the danger of this decision: Jens' Magmaforged would now be able to attack my Men-at-Arms without much resistance. It was a risky move, but I had to trust that my Men-at-Arms would activate before them to retreat before being wiped out.
Before this threat unfolded, though, the Hellbringer Drake came into play. A move followed by some good dice rolls wiped out almost an entire regiment of my Crossbows—a bitter blow, but not the end. After all, my Crimson Tower was now up. A simple two-inch charge was all that stood before them—child’s play, I thought. Yet, despite a reroll, they failed miserably. The Fireforged calmly shrugged off this failure and shot one of my knights as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Things didn’t go much better for Jens on the other side: a single stray Fireball killed one Sealed Temple and left me out of range for his second spell. Only one stand remained, but it rallied and still secured the zone for me. It felt undeserved, but in moments like these, you take what you can get.
Then it was my Men-at-Arms' turn. They took a step back and taunted the Magmaforged by sticking out their tongues. The Magmaforged advanced for the next round, and at the end of the round, I noticed a few of my Crossbows and a Drake were within range. I decided to focus everything on these units. Despite the opponent's tokens, I managed to deal nine damage. It was a small success that gave me the confidence to finish things off in the next round. The score was 16:8.
In the sixth round, my Men-at-Arms were at the top of my deck, followed by the Crimson Tower and the Crossbows. My goal was to finally take down the Hellbringer Drake, but luck was on Jens’ side as he started the round. We selected the scoring zones once again—Jens chose the zone where both of my Ashen Dawn were positioned, and I picked the zone with the Drake and the Fireforged. Jens began by eliminating another one of my Crimson Tower knights with his Fireforged. However, the remaining knights did not let this go unanswered: they charged forward, killing the enemy regiment with their impacts alone, securing control of the zone. They then reformed to position themselves better for the challenges ahead. Before this, I had executed a charge into the Magmaforged with my Men-at-Arms to avoid the Aura of Death. I wanted to avoid a clash, as my priority was to keep the unit alive and in a position to enable a future move charge for the Ashen Dawn. My Men-at-Arms defended themselves bravely against the enemy assault and managed to rally thanks to their officer, who was further down in my deck. Meanwhile, the Ashen Dawn seized the opportunity and charged into the flank of the Magmaforged. The second Magmaforged unit couldn’t leave the zone without giving up important victory points, but the mage continued wreaking havoc on my Crossbows. I was slowly running out of models on the right flank, but a single stand of Crossbows made a desperate move charge against the Fireforged. This action blocked the Fireforged, and more importantly, the Hellbringer Drake couldn’t get through to attack my Sealed Temple. This gave me a much-needed extra round, even though the lone Crossbow stand met its inevitable end. Their sacrifice wasn’t in vain—brave souls, indeed.
On the left flank, my Ashen Dawn maneuvered around the hill, preparing for the next round. The score stood at 24:10.
In the seventh round, the Dweghom theoretically still had a chance to catch up. Therefore, I planned to once again place my Crossbows in front of the Fireforged and finally eliminate the Magmaforged. Jens started the round and chose the zone with my Crimson Tower, while I targeted the zone with the Drake. The Drake was positioned at the top. The Hellbringer Drake went all-in, using a number of Overcharge tokens to take out my Crossbows. However, to Jens' disappointment, he failed, and the Crossbows, though broken, stood resolutely in front of the Fireforged.
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Unfortunately, the mage then arrived, and the Fireforged were able to shoot at my Sealed Temple, causing me to lose control of the right zone, but Jens did not gain it.
Now it was time for the Ashen Dawn to take charge. However, one unit failed to reach the zone, so the Magmaforged remained undisturbed there. The other Magmaforged unit briefly considered attacking the Ashen Dawn but then targeted the Men-at-Arms instead. As expected, the Men-at-Arms were crushed. Then the second Ashen Dawn came in and took down two stands of Magmaforged. However, they themselves lost five health, with a significant portion of the damage to both units coming from Resolve. At the end of this round, both Jens and I controlled only one zone each. The score was now 26:12.
In the final round, Jens was fortunate enough to go first again. His Magmaforged left their zone to assist their comrades, but my Ashen Dawn held firm. They then wiped out the last stand of Magmaforged, dashing the Dweghom's hopes of scoring. Jens could no longer catch up, and although we continued the game to the end, the winner was clear: I triumphed with a final score of 32:20.
Conclusion
Looking back, I can say that I played too greedily at crucial moments, almost throwing the game away despite having a secure win. There were two clear opportunities where I should have sealed the deal, but instead, I made overly risky decisions. The result was correspondingly unsatisfying—the missed opportunities nearly cost me the victory. But for the nect Game, i get a secoend chance against Dweghom. Link to Game 2
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