Overview:
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Good evening,
After the successful opening against the fiery Sorcerer Kings, a fresh wind swept across the battlefield. For it was said that Prince Jerrek from Heidelberg had personally appeared in Bremerhaven, though not, as one might expect, with the wild W’adrhŭn at his side, but with the honorable soldiers of the Hundred Kingdoms, ennobled by the brush. The Queen was very pleased by this, not only because of the splendor of colors, but above all because it was the first time their paths crossed on the battlefield. Before that, however, a meal was enjoyed at Sidequest, with delicious cake for dessert, and then the battle horn sounded, calling everyone to their tables.
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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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Game 2 against JerrekCarnelian with Hundred Kingdoms on Breakout
The Breakout scenario was played, and as the gods of terrain building would have it, a large house stood between the two zones, separating them like a commanding guardian. On one player’s side, massive hindering terrain restricted movement, while on the Queen’s side a deep pond shimmered, one that neither man nor horse would willingly ride into. Since the Queen’s Thunder Riders also disliked the terrain and there was little cover on her side, she was somewhat disheartened to see a large block of longbowmen in Jerrek’s army.
Combined Arms III [1995/2000]
(Warlord) Mounted Noble Lord [150]: Olefant's Roar, Tourney Champion
Household Knights (5) [280]:
Longbowmen (5) [220]:
Household Knights (3) [170]:
== Imperial Officer [145]: Dynastic Ally, Gilded Rampart, Seize the Advantage
Gilded Legion (6) [280]:
Mercenary Crossbowmen (3) [110]:
Hunter Cadre (3) [160]:
Steel Legion (3) [160]:
== Noble Lord [120]: Armor of Dominion, Weapon Master, Graceful Combatant, Front of the Line
Men at Arms (6) [210]: [Veteran]
As befits two brave field commanders, all Light regiments entered the battlefield in the first round. The Hundred Kingdoms placed a few Crossbowmen in the center, ready to put the marker under fire in round two. The W’adrhŭn responded with a Hunting Pack that, curious and determined, also moved to the center to scout the situation. Prince Jerrek then deployed the Longbowmen directly behind the Crossbows, and the Queen suddenly found the right-hand zone, with its line-of-sight-blocking house, incredibly attractive. As a result, the second Hunting Pack and the Raptors advanced onto the right flank.
Round two brought a Quatl for the Queen, while Prince Jerrek was able to field all of his Medium regiments. A moment she did not like. The wind grew harsher, and caution became a virtue. While on the left flank the Prince’s shooters dealt two damage to the marker, the Hunting Packs in the center decided this was the right moment to bare their teeth. A move-charge into the Crossbowmen followed, elegant and decisive.
The Prince countered immediately. The large Household Knights appeared next to the Crossbows, and the Men-at-Arms formed up behind the Longbowmen. The situation grew uncomfortable. The Queen refused to send the Quatl into the left zone, as a charge from those foolish knights would have meant its end. So she chose the unpleasant but necessary path: the flying dinosaur joined the Raptors in the right zone, sheltering behind the cozy house. Prince Jerrek reacted promptly and deployed his small knights and the Hunter Cadre there, the latter specialized in hunting big game. Now the Queen was forced to play for initiative in the next round while also trying to guess which card the brave humans would have on top. An annoying situation that almost made her forget the small points advantage she still held.
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Round three brought the Queen all remaining cards, and for the humans the two remaining Heavies also appeared. The Queen’s reasoning was as clear as the sky over Bremerhaven: the Raptors had to be placed on top so they could act with a volley-charge-clash supported by War Chant. If they were charged by the Household Knights, they would likely fall immediately. The Hunting Pack, on the other hand, might be able to survive a charge from the Hunter Cadre, as the humans were standing in hindering terrain and were themselves at risk.
The worst possible outcome would have been Jerrek getting the first activation, killing the Hunting Pack, forcing the Queen to activate the other Hunting Pack in the center, and then losing the Raptors afterward as well. That was not an option. Therefore, the Raptors were placed on top, followed by the Hunting Pack. The second pack would likely be dead or ineffective as a third activation and was largely ignored in the planning.
The dice were rolled, and the W’adrhŭn gained the first activation. Only a single knight died in the volley-charge-clash, which was somewhat sobering. As expected, Jerrek’s first activation was the Hunter Cadre, which killed two stands of the Hunting Pack. Later on this flank, a total of three flying dinosaurs would appear, along with the Steel Legion on Jerrek’s side. However, he placed them directly behind the Household Knights, sparing them from the Queen’s attention. The three flying dinosaurs shot down the Hunting Pack, and one Quatl even made a solid charge into the Household Knights, leaving it stranded afterward. Overall, the flank was overrun exactly as expected by the overwhelming presence of the birds.
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But before all of this could unfold, a small tragedy occurred in the center of the battlefield, one that must have even made the dice gods smile. The Hunting Pack, the W’adrhŭn’s second activation, bravely attacked the Crossbowmen, yet failed at its task almost as miserably as the Raptors had earlier against the knights. A single stand and a few lost wounds were all the humans gave up, clearly far too little to leave any real impression.
The large knight block of the Hundred Kingdoms, however, did not hesitate for long. It charged like an enraged mountain ram and slaughtered the small, lovable dinos without mercy. Yet, grim as the day was for the dinos, this act opened a door into the center for the Queen. The Apex Predator, the Thunder Riders, and the second Quatl could now move into position with almost no punishment. The Quatl itself even glided completely safely into a zone and, for the moment, felt surprisingly secure there.
Unfortunately, the freed Crossbowmen found enough time to shoot the marker to pieces, and the Men-at-Arms marched decisively into the zone. As a result, the hard-fought lead of the W’adrhŭn remained small and almost symbolic. The appearance of the Gilded Legion on the left flank surprised no one. It had only been a matter of time. Overall, however, the round could be recorded as a success for the dinos.
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At the start of round four, the Thunder Riders were 17 inches away from the Household Knights. A possible charge that could have ended in pure annihilation. The Queen therefore firmly expected Sir Jerrek to place the knight card very high. Neither the Men-at-Arms nor the Gilded Legion could achieve a good charge despite Imperial Officer Supremacy, which is why the Queen did not expect Sir Jerrek to spend his Supremacy solely on the Gilded Legion, even though he could have done so.
On the other hand, she also knew that if her Thunder Riders committed too early, they would face brutal counterattacks from both the knights and the Men-at-Arms, especially if Supremacy was used. For that reason, she pushed both Thunder Rider cards far down in the deck. First, the winged friends were to take control of events. A Quatl on top certainly didn’t hurt the situation, and somehow it was simply a few inches too close anyway. If it were to die, there was still another one on the opposite flank with a useful task to fulfill.
As it turned out, the Queen was allowed to start, and Sir Jerrek, almost as greedily as the Queen herself, triggered his Supremacy. In doing so, he revealed his intention: he wanted the Quatl. Very well then. If that was the case, he would get it. The Quatl flew forward and executed a move-volley-charge into the flank of the Household Knights. After both the Raptors and the Hunting Pack had previously failed and paid dearly for it, pure fear now drove this bird onward. Every die hit, and in the name of heavenly justice, Sir Jerrek failed every single armor save. The impact hits struck like thunderclaps as well. Suddenly, three knights lay in the dust. For a Quatl that had been intended merely as a voluntary sacrifice to keep the Gilded Legion out of the zone and to pin the knights, this was an unexpectedly glorious performance.
After that, the knights could accomplish very little. Since the Queen had foresightfully activated her entire right flank early, almost nothing happened in the center except that the Gilded Legion killed the Quatl even before Resolve. However, once the last human on the right side had fallen, the W’adrhŭn gained a small card advantage. The Thunder Riders were then free to crash into the Men-at-Arms and the remnants of the knight block without resistance. The Apex casually strolled into the left zone, and once again two zones belonged to the W’adrhŭn.
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At the start of round five, both Thunder Riders were on top of the deck, with the flying Flap-Flaps directly behind them. This time, however, it was not the Queen who began, but the Gilded Legion, which immediately killed a regiment of Thunder Riders. The remaining Triceratops took their revenge, tossing the Men-at-Arms from life and suffering a bit of damage from the desperate fighting of the Noble Lord. Almost unfazed, the Thunder Riders then moved deep into the forest of Longbowmen to toy with them a little.
Surprisingly, the Longbows were eager for close combat, and together with the Crossbows, which continued to fire cheerfully, two Thunder Riders fell. One had already been half-shredded by the Noble Lord, but it was still unpleasant enough.
The birds rushed in from the adjacent zone, preparing their attacks. Meanwhile, the Apex danced around the Gilded Legion, having no desire to seriously engage them. Once again, the W’adrhŭn controlled two zones.
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The last Thunder Riders fell to concentrated fire from the Crossbows. The Longbows clashed with the flying dinosaurs and the last brave Raptor, while the W’adrhŭn, thanks to Chants and free volley actions, were once again able to take out the objective. The Queen controlled two zones once more.
Only two, because the Gilded Legion turned to prevent the Apex from being flanked and to keep as many stands as possible in the zone. In the following round, the Apex fell, but along with it also the Gilded Legion, as it had a Flap-Flap and one stand each of Hunting Pack and Raptors in its rear. They clearly didn’t appreciate that. This decided the game definitively in favor of the W’adrhŭn, and the sight of the majestic flying dinosaurs filled the Queen’s heart with joy. In the end, love and justice, the names of the Winglords, prevailed.
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