Hello everyone,
Let me tell you a story. It came to pass in those days that Saint Nicholas visited the land and the usual warriors of our realms were tied up with obligations. Nevertheless, the venerable Sidequest in Bremerhaven joyfully noted that 16 brave players still found their way to the gaming tables.
The hall trembled as the W’adrhŭn war horns sounded in the wind, and the eyes of the warriors shone brighter when the majestic vegan carnivores appeared on the field of honor. But the heart of the tournament, the undisputed jewel, was the almost immeasurable beauty of the painted armies, which I had the pleasure of facing no fewer than three times. It’s simply more fun to play against painted armies that aren’t just dull grey. Even the first Weaver army was almost completely painted.
After your beloved Queen of Lübeck had played her friend Emanuel’s Sorcerer Kings list from Italy, and the treacherous Mahut had paid off his debts from last time, she dared to take on the W’adrhŭn flying dinosaur list in Bremerhaven. A small image to give you an idea of the majestic and terrifying sight: Emanuel loves his feathered friends, regardless of faction, and you can feel that on the battlefield. This list, admired and copied by brave warriors from Poland and Italy, not only looked deadly but also made the eyes of every seven-year-old child sparkle like the shimmering feathers of a young dino.
Birds of Prey [2000/2000] – The W'adrhûn
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(Warlord) Thunder Chieftain [150]: Conquest
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Thunder Riders (3) [220]
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Thunder Riders (3) [220]
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Quatl (1) [180]
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Quatl (1) [180]
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Winglord Predator [220]: War
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Hunting Pack (3) [120]
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Apex Predator (1) [190]
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Winglord Predator [220]: Death
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Hunting Pack (3) [120]
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Raptor Riders (3) [180]
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The army itself had only been half finished the evening before and had seen just a single small test game against Timm. It was therefore led onto the battlefield more or less blindly, with the warning not to play too aggressively and to provoke the enemy for as long as possible until he made a mistake. That worked just barely, and accordingly expectations for the following day were rather low.
In addition to a generous prize pool from Para Bellum and the “disposable gifts” that the Queen, like a modern Robert Loxley from the southern realms, was able to gather, every brave warrior was allowed to choose a box or even a special character. A small remainder was left over, which is to be distributed among the needy folk at another tournament in January.
Game 1 against Dennis Sorcerer Kings on Bulwark
Jarl Dennis faced the W’adrhŭn Air Force Four bravely and with confidence after deciding to turn his back on the unwashed northerners and embrace the civilizational achievements of the Sorcerer Kings. Since it is always cold in the far north, it was hardly surprising that he devoted himself to the Court of Fire and did so with his whole soul. Thus, the Sorcerer was chosen as the warlord of his host.
Sorcerer Kings Liste [1995/2000]
(Warlord) Sorcerer [115]: Shu’laat, Court of Fire, Bound to the Elements
Ghols (3) [110]
Ghols (3) [110]
Efreet Sword Dancers (3) [170]
Raj [135]: Prijm Khanjar, Court of Fire, Elemental Feedback
Rajakur (6) [240]
Efreet Sword Dancers (3) [170]
Efreet Flamecasters (3) [170]
Maharajah [135]: Court of Fire, Elemental Projection
Dhanur Disciples (3) [140]
Ghols (3) [110]
Efreet Flamecasters (3) [170]
Rakshasa Ravanar (1) [220]
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Without the usual stone throwers and with a questionable reinforcement curve for turn two, the Queen felt anything but comfortable. When three Ghôls marched onto the battlefield and she herself could deploy only two regiments, she already sensed trouble. The Ghôls were deployed wide, while the Raptors and the first Hunting Pack were positioned more toward the center. Where exactly they would be needed was not yet clear, only that they kept a great deal of distance from the mages who could cast twice.
In the second round, a Winglord and a Quatl appeared, while on the Sorcerer Kings’ side only the Rajakur with Raj stood on the field. Four cards to five was acceptable, and both birds set their sights on the central objective. The Raptors stayed at threat range. When Dennis unexpectedly pushed the outer Ghôls far forward, the Hunting Pack seized the opportunity to elegantly eliminate one unit of Ghôls.
Round three began like a courtly banquet: both players received all their cards, with only one Medium card not being rolled for each side. The W’adrhŭn decided to hold one Quatl back for the time being, while the Sorcerer Kings went without a regiment of Flamecasters. In principle, the survival of the Hunting Pack, which was treated like a precious jewel on the battlefield, had priority. However, on the left flank there was the option to neutralize any unit of Ghôls with the Raptors, and the Queen grew greedy. In addition, the likelihood that the Hunting Pack would die was quite high anyway.
The Sorcerer Kings started. Raj with the Rajakur cut down the Hunting Pack, which gave the friendly Raptors the opportunity to banish another unit of Ghôls from reality. Troops marched onto the field. On the right, the Ravanar behind the Rajaur, the first Sword Dancers, and a few archers. On the left and in the center, the Thunder Riders, Apex, and another Winglord were deployed. The latter could fly straight into the zone, as the reinforcement line was incredibly far forward and the birds, with Movement 9, are cheekily fast. Opposite them, Dennis positioned Sword Dancers with the Sorcerer and both Flamecasters. This left the entire Sorcerer Kings army stretched very wide, which suited the W’adrhŭn just fine.
Finally, on the left flank, the Winglord decided to act. He shot down the objective and charged unopposed into the Rajakur, accompanied by the Quatl. Not optimal, but both zones and a marker were secured, which created a solid points lead, and four stands of Rajakur became bird food.
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Round four brought a problem. If the Rajakur died, the great Ravanar could simply eliminate one of the friendly flying dinosaurs. If the Rajakur survived, several fire spells and archers threatened to do the same. Since any decision there would lead to losses, the focus once again shifted to the left flank. The Queen decided to place the Raptors high in order to enable an auto-charge against the Sword Dancers with the Sorcerer. Dennis recognized the threat and also placed his Sword Dancers high.
As so often, evil triumphed and gained the upper hand. The Queen’s Raptors dealt with the Sword Dancers and Sorcerer, secured the left flank, and later survived despite numerous hits from both Flamecasters. On the right, the second Sword Dancers had to perform a move-charge into the Hunting Pack, which narrowly survived. However, on the right flank the remaining Rajakur and the Ravanar lurking behind them were still the problem. The Winglord failed, but the Quatl accomplished the task. Shortly thereafter, the Winglord was shot down by archers, but the Quatl drifted aside and offered the Ravanar an unfavorable charge, which it gratefully declined and instead moved into the zone. The last Quatl appeared from the side, pressed toward the archers, and prepared for the next round. The Apex Predator secured the central marker, and the lead could be extended further.
Round 5, and the Queen looked upon the battlefield with satisfaction. Flying dinosaurs were everywhere, ready to maintain order. On the right, the Thunder Riders were within move-charge range of everything in the zone; in the center, the Apex would soon engage the Flamecasters, and no problems were in sight. To keep it that way and to compensate for unforeseen events, all flying dinosaur cards were placed on top of the deck.
But Dennis got to start. Some small Ghôls, overlooked on the battlefield, attacked the Quatl that had taken cover in front of the Ravanar. The second bird eliminated the archers and the Maharajah in a single, precise volley-charge-clash, yet the resulting card advantage was still not enough. Dennis’s remaining activations did not go as planned: the Flamecasters desperately tried to take out the bound Quatls and failed, while the last Raptor got grilled. In addition, the Thunder Riders chose a move-charge against the Sword Dancers, who survived, leaving the Ravanar able to reach them only with a reform-charge and potentially contest the zone. That’s exactly what the big bad cat then did. A clash was impossible without line of sight, but the image clearly shows that the poor, innocent W’adrhûn suffered a harsh setback when the cat swiped at them! One of the riders fell from his triceratops in shock, and the zone once again belonged to the Sorcerer Kings.
In the meantime, the Apex Predator decided to devour the remaining Ghôls, since the Quatl couldn’t handle it alone. Thus ended round five.
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In round six, it finally became clear why the Quatls had increased in point cost. Both attacked the Ravanar from the rear and the flank. Two reform-volley-charges were enough to bring down the big bad cat and decisively secure the game for the W’adrhûn.
At the other tables, the Weaver armies unfortunately lost, making it very unlikely that one would be seen again at the table in game two.
But enough of the story for today. Next time, I will report on how the Birds of Freedom tried to preserve friendship, love, and harmony in the world against Prince Jerrek’s brave humans from beautiful Heidelberg.
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