Twenty Years and Dust

I hunted a level 1 Sunstalker next. It was a relatively short, but quite interesting fight. Nobody died, though Kara Black took a couple of severe injuries from the heat. Evasion + shield dodger survivor started tanking Sunstalker when it had zero cards in it's AI deck, giving other survivors plenty of time to mine the salt. When survivors came back, event was Weird Dream, and Armored Strangers tossed a huge carcass at the settlement, giving six basic resources.

All in all I received crazy amount of resources. Enough to build Sunspot Darts, Cycloid Scale Jacket, Sun Lure & Hook and Sky Harpoon. And an extra Bone Dagger and Bird Bread.

Settlement innovates Scrap Smelting. Even with symposium my choices were terrible.

A survivor uses Shared Experience, which triggers Age for her. She gets Burning Focus fighting art. She learns Heroic right away. Kara tries to pull up the guidepost, but fails.

Next I'm going to take my chances against level 2 Butcher. Stupid perhaps, but I have a certain trust in my +4 defense blocker. Even his most accurate attacks will hit only on 7+. I have a fairly reliable way of making Butcher lose 1 point of toughness. I got automatic hits. I just don't have Kara Black, because she broke her spleen in fight against Sunstalker. It takes a while for her to learn to live a spleenless life. Not that much ideal either, being the marrow-hungering abyssal sadist.

Fight with Butcher was a table flip rage quit inducing act of cruelty.

Until now, the fights have been exciting. Nemesis encounters have been really tough fights that in the end I somehow managed to pull through.

This fight looked like it could be like those. And I believe I could have won if Butcher would have kept his aim at my blocker. But no, I was constantly drawing Lantern Frenzy. One by one Butcher killed everyone with Lantern Frenzy, never picking my blocker as the target. On top of that I drew Overpower twice.

Perhaps I could have won even with Lantern Frenzy doing it's thing, but every damn Severe Injury roll was 1-2, though once I rolled 3. It was head location, though.

When the last survivor perished, Butcher had two cards left in it's AI deck. Annoying and depressing. Let's take a look at my lost resources:

Resources:
1x Broken Lantern.
Monster Organ
2x Large Flat Tooth
Beast Steak
Bladder
1x Pustules
2x Muculent Droppings
1x Love Juice
Black Lens
Fertility Tentacle
Cycloid Scales
Small Sunteeth
Tail Feathers
Wishbone
Fresh Acanthus

Settlement Event was Rivalry, but since there were no returning survivors, I had to draw a new one. Second one was Open Maw, which was left open as I had no endeavors.

At least I cannibalized 2x Broken Lanterns, a Monster Hide and Love Juice. Love Juice was used instantly, but settlement received only one baby.

Oh my. What to do.

To complete my Screaming Armor set, I hunt level 3 Screaming Antelope.

First hunt space was Migration, so without 1.4 rules I would have been smiling the coldest smile I have ever smiled. At least the beast stays on the hunt board now, even if I have to suffer starvation.

Next event is Object of Desire. I have realized I played the lonely tree incorrectly in this campaign because of the typographical errors. Maybe I'll do a little better this time.

Kara Black is nominated and she rolls 6.

Next hunt event is Carpet of Ticks, which is one additional face palm moment. Only Kara has any hunt experience. Luckily only one survivor has their survival reduced to 0.

Next space is 83, Flesh Monolith. One survivor needed to spend 1 survival to not get dead.

Then we get 42, Surgeon. No-one has to go in, so no one does.

Then Overwhelming Darkness happens. As I got Song of the Brave, everyone chooses the path of the brave. Except for Kara, who takes Path of the Insane. She rolls 5 and deals a little damage to other survivors, while one survivor gets +1 strength, -1 evasion and two remaining survivors take -1 accuracy each.

Then Antelope hunt event is Skittish. Rolled event is 41, Nightmare, and Kara doesn't care.

Then I have placed Sky Fishing special event, and I get a Bugfish. Yay. A bugfish.

Beneath the special event is 30, Rotten Faces, and I'm lucky enough to lose two footwear worth of stuff, and gaining nothing in return.

Last Antelope hunt event is Stampede, which causes 2 brain damage for everyone.

Now we get 65, Statue. Again. But it's been long since I had any 9+ Understanding survivors, so no-one notices that it was a familiar face there, on the statue...

Last space before showdown. Forty-five, Jagged Valley. Everyone else spends a Survival other than the survivor who has none.

And finally we're at the fight. Starvation completely empties settlement resource storage.

Random terrains are Toppled Pillar and Debris.

Fight was a long and excruciating one. And one that resulted in a loss.

Once again first severe injury roll killed one of the survivors I had kitted to deal damage. Bird bread using tanker did a fine job, allowing Kara to slowly grind Screaming Antelope down to five cards remaining in it's deck.

I got only one survivor remaining in settlement any more, and I decided to awaken the Watcher and die horribly, alone and forgotten.

Two full wipes in a row were too much to handle.

Second settlement ended on lantern year 20.

I will have permission to start settlement three when I got The Hand painted and all but the wings finished on the Phoenix.

Resources:


Storage:
1x Cloth
1x Bone Darts
2x Rawhide Headband, Vest, Boots, Gloves, Pants
Rawhide Gloves, 2x Boots
Cat Eye Circlet
King Spear
Whisker Harp
2x Monster Grease
Catgut Bow
Claw Head Arrow
Bone Axe
Bone Blade
2x Bone Dagger
Bandages
Monster Tooth Necklace
Lion Headdress
Scrap Dagger
Scrap Sword
Screaming Coat + Leg Warmers, Skirt, Bracers
2x Blood Paint
Counterweighted Axe
Lucky Charm
White Lion Helmet + Boots
Leather Mask, Leather Cuirass, Bracers, Boots + Skirt
Rawhide Drum
Leather Shield
Brain Mint
Skullcap Hammer
Blue Lantern
Dormant Twilight Cloak
First Aid Kit
Scavenger Kit
Giant Stone Face
Phoenix Helm
Sunspot Darts
Cycloid Scale Jacket
Sun Lure & Hook
Sky Harpoon
Bird Bread


Sculptures: Tough, Heroic

Population: 0

Innovations & Principles:
Language, Ammonia, Bloodletting, Paint, Lantern Oven, Sculpture, Pottery, Partnership, Drums, Guidepost, Cooking, Inner Lantern, Song of the Brave, Scrap Smelting
Spear mastery!
Cannibalize & Protect the Young & Barbaric

Locations:
Lantern Hoard
Organ Grinder
Skinnery
Bone Smith
Stone Circle
Weapon Crafter
Leather Worker
Barber Surgeon
Plumery
Skyreef Sanctuary

Lantern years 12-17

Last time I survived this so called "database crash", though luckily I managed to save the important bits. As it is, I keep my inventory updated here. Of course other things are stored in physical object, too, like innovations and equipment and such, but since there is no actual storage of resource cards I have them only here.

Anyway, here goes, starting from the lantern year 12.


I hunted a level 2 screaming antelope to get Barber Surgeon. I rolled badly in the Overwhelming Darkness space and again had two survivors start the showdown with zero survival. I did find two founding stones on the way, though.

In this showdown I noticed the flow on Lone Rampage. Whoopsie. All this time I've just taken in that flight...

Also, I just complained how I seem to get Tall Grass all and every time, and, for comparison I have never got an Ore Vein, which has equal likelihood. I guess someone, somewhere heard my annoyance when I got... both Tall Grass cards from the terrain deck!

Anyway, fight seemed to take an eternity because again I had to be extra careful. I did take a couple of brain traumas during fight and one dried acanthus was eaten, perhaps, I'm not sure because I didn't take detailed notes when I lost it. I just know I only have one dried acanthus in bank right now.

Still I don't get the horns I need to complete Screaming armor set. Oh well, I make Screaming Leg Warmers back, plus Round Leather Shield for upcoming fight with The Hand. Settlement innovates Inner Lantern, and world seems to smile at me once more.

Settlement Event is Triathlon of Death, and the survivor I found from the statue starts to look like my next shining star once Accunaicus is going to die to Murder event next Lantern Year. This is exciting time indeed, because if I manage to score one wound to The Hand with Accunaicus with her spear, I will get Spear Mastery innovation. If I don't score that wound, well, she ain't getting proficiency level and she's going to get murdered. Even if she wouldn't get murdered, she would transform into a King's Man next.

Shuddering with fear I begin showdown with The Hand.

And I do feel like a cheater.

Random terrain was Nightmare Tree. I got three broken lanterns from there.

Gilded Codpiece was among the first three hit locations. The Hand raises a finger.

First a survivor lobs a Founding Stone at The Hand. Then Accunaicus comes and wounds The Hand, gaining instant respect. Since the revealed attack was going to hit Accunaicus, I didn't rush things. Perhaps I should have, because the attack disemboweled Accunaicus. However, she was able to get away from the 2-wide zone of death when Wartel threw the second Founding Stone at The Hand, getting the attack with ten damage and -4 to severe injury tables. Wartel took a severe injury, which burned dried acanthus.

Showdown was over.

I got three broken lanterns and one general scrap from The Hand being such a sore loser. He threw the lantern at Accunaicus, making her doubly deaf.

Lunicor got +1 permanent accuracy from Age, and Santel took Leader fighting art. How useful, since she has shattered jaw.

Settlement event was Lights in the Sky.

And then starts a disturbing amount of Story Events that have all piled up to this lantern year. First I resolve Murder, since it's a settlement event anyway. Both Accunaicus and Santel, the victim and the murderer, are killed. I get Monster Bone and Monster Hide.

I think I actually get only two Broken Lantern resources, because there's only two in the basic resource deck and they haven't been archived yet.

Hooded Knight leaves a tattered parcel for Lunicor. Silver City Stark Raving disorder seems to be a natural choice for Lunicor, then.

I nominate Wartel for Hands of Heat, and he gets +1 Speed from branded feet. I spend nameless scrap, a broken lantern, monster organ and monster hide on the feast.

Since Lunicor is a returning survivor, I have him use his matchmaking abilities right away. I pick result 7 rather than 9, since Armored Strangers are making a visit once again. I make a Skullcap Hammer for Statue person to use.

Statue person uses Bloodletting and cures Prey disorder.

Reamope makes a statue out of Heroic, and Lunicor learns Tough fighting art from sculptures.

Alright. Things are going so well that it's time for me to jump to bigger game. Next hunt is either Phoenix or the Sunstalker.

To make acquaintances with base game content, I chose to hunt the Phoenix.

I was fairly confident in my survivors. When I rolled "44", opportunists, I was pondering if I should go for the big kill. I was afraid Phoenix hunt events and I wanted the Plumery, so I thought I'd hunt the weakened phoenix even with far less resources at stake. I'm happy I did.

It was a god-awful fight.

My survivors missed around 70% of their attacks. All of my survivors had 7 survival at the start of the fight. At the end of the fight only two had any survival left. They were the Rawhide set users. Dash & Surge should have done wonders, but not when there is a general inability to roll over five or six, when many attacks required 6+ or 7+ to hit.

I fought the Phoenix three full rounds when it had zero AI cards. That was distressing. Most of the survivors were one or two bleed tokens short from dying. Rolls from triggered Age events also just gave useless fighting arts. I would not have survived the adult encounter.

Then when the survivors come back home, there's an ongoing plague.

I was dreading to see this event pop up, as the last time it nearly destroyed my settlement. But that was before settlement had Ammonia. Third roll for treatment gave 9+, so I still have one endeavor left.

Armored Strangers toss some resources on me, and I get all things combined 2x Monster Bone, 2x Monster Hide, Broken Lantern and Monster Organ.

I get Pustules and Muculent Droppings from Phoenix.

Endeavor is spent on leather making, and I construct First Aid Kit and Leather Mask.

Next I attempt Kara Black challenge scenario with the intent of training Twilight Sword user a little. Turned out the challenge was way too easy. But still I did not get the horns I need to complete Screaming armor set. Instead I built leather boots, scavenger kit and innovated Song of the Brave.

One endeavor is Intimacy via Lunicor's matchmaking. Lunicor also uses augury and gains +1 Understanding, triggering Insight.

Year 16 I decide to go for The Hand level 2. This time I will try to survive until applause. I threw most of the newborn survivors at the nemesis. Reamope was the only "old face", so to say.

In the end The Hand applauded my efforts. Only Kara Black survived, though. She gained +1 permanent strength.

Then The Hand is a sore loser and he throws a broken lantern at Lunicor, the Twilight Sword wielder. And killed him. Four dead survivors in one go. Only one Endeavor to spend.

I did get resources from scavenger's kit and from the board, plus resources from cannibalize. Skull, 2x Monster Organ, Monster Bone, Monster Hide, Broken Lantern and ???. Plus the projectile scrap The Hand used in killing my best survivor outside of a fight.

Settlement Event is Skull Eater. This made me do a heavy sigh. I knew one should not let outsiders join settlement... Kara Black gets the Marrow Hunger. She rolls 4, meaning someone is getting murdered next year. That someone is most likely the statue person.

To try and save the settlement, I make a love juice with Pottery. With a hovel I would have received a savior, but I got twins instead. Maybe it's for the best.

At the death of Lunicor relieves me from the pressure of training Twilight Sword user.

Statue person is two steps away from Club Mastery. I don't think I got other choice than to hunt Phoenix and try to get some age tokens. But not too many.

When I remember to roll for Kara's Age story event, she gets a fighting art, which is Abyssal Sadist. Makes perfect sense.

I made a Screaming Skirt.

And start hunting the Phoenix.

During hunt, though, an unmaking made me lose a few items. Monster Greases most notably. One result also caused nasty event damage, but I managed to arrive relatively intact.

This bird was bored, and I managed to put some wound locations with Eye of Storm in succession to the Bored mood. Early critical hit made a mess out of Phoenix's materialize and displacements.

It mauled the fresh face pretty badly - named Phoen, by the way, but she did not die. Which is good, as she was nicely aged to become a murder target for Kara Black.

There were also a couple of other permanent injuries, but Huice got her dismembered arm grown back at least.

Rewards were amazing. It includes everything from actual rewards, plus from cannibalized murder victims and critical hits and unmade items:

1x general bone and 2x general organs.
2x Broken Lantern
2x Monster Hide
2x Monster Bone
Wishbone
2x Pustules
Small Feathers
Tail Feathers
Hollow Wing Bones
Muculent Droppings

Settlement event was Silk Storm. Hooded Knight offers to teach fighting arts.

I make Phoenix Helm, Leather Bracers and two Monster Greases back. Finally settlement innovates Symposium.

Statue person learns Heroic from a sculpture (should combine nicely with his Burning Focus) and I make one Love Juice from Pottery. Resist cures her Apathetic disorder with Bloodletting. Huice uses bloodletting "just because."

I'm saving Love Juice for next year so that Armored Strangers will give me goodies once more.

Resources:
Skull, 1x Monster Bone, 3x Broken Lantern and ???.
2x Large Flat Tooth
Beast Steak
Bladder
2x Pustules
2x Muculent Droppings
1x Love Juice

Tail Feathers
Wishbone


Fresh Acanthus
scrap


Storage:
1x Cloth
1x Bone Darts
2x Rawhide Headband, Vest, Boots, Gloves, Pants
Rawhide Gloves, 2x Boots
Cat Eye Circlet
King Spear
Whisker Harp
2x Monster Grease
Catgut Bow
Claw Head Arrow
Bone Axe
Bone Blade
Bone Dagger
Bandages
Monster Tooth Necklace
Lion Headdress
Scrap Dagger
Scrap Sword
Screaming Coat + Leg Warmers, Skirt, Bracers
2x Blood Paint
Counterweighted Axe
Lucky Charm
White Lion Helmet + Boots
Leather Mask, Leather Cuirass, Bracers, Boots + Skirt
Rawhide Drum
Leather Shield
Brain Mint
Skullcap Hammer
Blue Lantern
Dormant Twilight Cloak
First Aid Kit
Scavenger Kit
Giant Stone Face
Phoenix Helm


Sculptures: Tough, Heroic

Population: 6

Innovations & Principles:
Language, Ammonia, Bloodletting, Paint, Lantern Oven, Sculpture, Pottery, Partnership, Drums, Guidepost, Cooking, Inner Lantern, Song of the Brave
Spear mastery!
Cannibalize & Protect the Young & Barbaric

Locations:
Lantern Hoard
Organ Grinder
Skinnery
Bone Smith
Stone Circle
Weapon Crafter
Leather Worker
Barber Surgeon
Plumery

Hack City

I finished the magnetized male survivor and some assorted limbs.

I used strong neodymium magnets, and I am surprised how well they do in a project like this. The limbs have a small bit of iron wire pinned into them with a bit of green stuff to make the limb stay in a preferred position. And they stay perfectly.

I tried to use as little armored pieces in the survivors as possible, as they're supposed to represent early game survivors.

There's one left and right arm that have no equipment, one dismembered left hand, Catgut Bow and this Elder Cat Dagger that I plan to use for some other less epic daggers, like Bone Dagger.

Warmachine tournament at Ropecon

Last year I skipped Warmachine tournament that was held in Ropecon. Mk3 had just launched and all, and I felt somehow exhausted. But this year I took part, and these were my 75 point tournament lists:

List 1:
[Theme] Infernal Machines
Deneghra, the Soul Weaver
- Corruptor
- Kraken
- Nightwretch
- Skarlock Thrall
Necrotech
2x Pistol Wraith
2x Soul Trapper
Mechanithralls (max)
- 2x Brute Thrall
Necrosurgeon & Stitch Thralls
Soulhunters (max)

List 2:

Asphyxious the Hellbringer
- Desecrator
- Malice
- Ripjaw
- 2x Stalker
Bane Lord Tartarus
Darragh Wrathe
Satyxis Raider Captain
Machine Wraith
Necrotech
Bane Warriors (min)
- Bane Warrior Officer & Standard
Bile Thralls (min)

First game was against Issyria. I chose Deneghra, and I lucked out when I got to play against the list which had Imperatus in it. Mortality was pretty devastating tho Phoenix protocol.

Ambushing Mechanithralls and Soulhunters wrecked one flank completely.

I played aggressively with Deneghra, and I suppose it worked out somehow. The Retribution battle engine spent a couple of turns shooting at Deneghra, but seemed to miss more often than it should have - Issyria had no problems landing Blinding Light on Deneghra.

Eventually it was a scenario victory for Cryx.

Game 2:

Second game was against Gorten Grundback, and I had picked Deneghra3 again. I didn't have an idea what I should be doing. At one point looked like I could try to start grinding some scenario points by seizing three control points, but then dice went all kinds of awry and I was left with only one. Plus I made mistakes in my positioning elsewhere, too - I had to leave Deneghra in a terribly vulnerable position.

Opponent didn't even have to bother with scenario, he just shot Deneghra into smithereens.

Still it was a nice game - even if I was a bit clueless, I still felt like I was at least doing something.

Game 3:

I played against the newly released Morghoul3. I am always especially excited when I get to play against new warcasters, and I had never faced Morghoul3 even during Mk2, where he did not exist. I chose Asphyxious3 as my list.

Bile Thralls did well enough in removing some Praetorian Swordsmen. I was too greedy and waited too long to use Asphyxious' feat. Even a couple of extra focus points could have made the difference, when I got Malice to shoot a harpoon at Morghoul3 who had Calamity, dragging him within Dark Shroud of Bane Lord Tartarus.

But even more impact than a less greedy usage of feat would have been if I would have moved Darragh Wrathe or anyone to take a point from my flag. I didn't.

And then I lost.

Game 4:

Last game I chose Deneghra once more, as I was against Cryx. Opponent took Asphyxious2.

Game was very exciting and brutal. Opponent made one tragic mistake, where he charged with Bane Riders - only to find out the last cavalry model, unit leader, was stationary.

Opponent also missed a couple of critical attacks, most notably ones targeting Kraken and Pistol Wraiths. I did have my share of bad luck a turn earlier, though, where despite everything I threw at enemy Darragh Wrathe, I just could not bring him down to start scoring scenario.

But yeah, Kraken lasted far longer than it should have against Bane Warriors. Ambushing Mechanithralls were amazing once more and I have to say I quite enjoy Infernal Machines theme.

Though I don't think I used Hyper Aggressive even once. But it's not that often when you want to go Hyper Aggressive with a Night Wretch... or a Corruptor, for that matter.

Eventually it was a scenario victory for Deneghra.

2-2, not bad result considering I haven't played in tournaments for ages. I was happy that none of the games were decided because of Deathclock - though some matches were pretty close. I think in the last game I had like three minutes left in my clock.

Settlement 2, Lantern Years 9-11

I'm relatively angry right now, or I could be if I had the tendency to be angry about things.

I had this long post for Lantern Years 9-11 where I went and copied a batch of text to make a new draft. I closed the draft and blogger told me I had unsaved progress that would be lost. Since I hadn't done any modifications, I thought I might discard them.

Well, Blogger deleted entire draft.

Luckily the copied part was inventory. But still... those juicy details how exciting fight against King's Man was. All gone now. The way I triumphed over a level 2 White Lion that attacked me in place of level 1 Screaming Antelope. All gone now. Thank you, Blogger software.

To make somewhat of a recap: everybody else died except for Accunaicus, who received King's Curse. I lost Butcher's Cleaver, and later when Accunaicus was recovering from something I lost Lantern Halberd too to the level 2 white lion. The Hand came and rolled 4, instead of 5-7, and made me lose all my hard earned resources.

In some hunt phase a survivor switched places with a statue.

Erm. What else.

Scaverous vs Xerxis1

A somewhat traditional Warmachine/Hordes game from Ropecon against a particular friend.

My list was:

Lord Exhumator Scaverous

- Defiler
- Erebus
- Nightmare
- Ripjaw

Iron Lich Overseer
- Leviathan
Warwitch Siren
Satyxis Raiders (max)
- Satyxis Raider Sea Witch
The Withershadow Combine

Opponent had:

Tyrant Xerxis

- Tiberion
- Titan Gladiator
Tyrant Zaadesh
- 2x Cyclops Brute
Cataphract Cetrati (max)
Legends of Halaak
Nihilators (max)
Paingiver Beast Handlers (min)

Scenario was Breakdown. I started game.

I had absolutely no idea what I should be doing, so I tried to jam enemy a little with Satyxis Raiders - so that I would lose just the unit, not warjacks.

But I did lose the whole unit and Erebus. And then opponent used feat, too. The threat range of Tiberion is scary in this list, and now opponent was pretty much unassailable because of the defensive bonuses.

Well, Skorne wasn't the only one in this match who could threat with scary ranges.

Scaverous used feat, cast Telekinesis on Nightmare and charged Tiberion. There he cast Telekinesis on Xerxis and put Icy Grip on him, too. With last remaining focus he cleared a line of sight for Leviathan to Xerxis.

It was a cheap victory, but only one I could have even attempted.

Brief Note vol 2

Alrighty, this game dates back a little before Ropecon. I'll write an extra short summary here so that I can start building up the Ropecon writeups with a clean conscience.

I played against Wurmwood with following list in a 50 point game:

Lord Tyrant Hexeris
- Agonizer
- Basilisk Drake
- Cyclops Savage
- Rhinodon
- Titan Sentry
Thrullg
Feralgeist
Paingiver Beast Handlers (max)
Praetorian Swordsmen (min)
- Praetorian Swordsman Officer & Standard
Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew

Opponent had Wurmwood with at least Gnarlhorn Satyr, Pureblood Warpwolf and Gorax, a couple of Sentry Stone units and a unit of Wolves of Orboros.

A good obliteration wreaked havoc among Wolves of Orboros, and my warbeasts decimated front on the right. Opponent had Pureblood in a forest harrying Praetorian Swordsmen when it would have needed to be killing my warbeasts. Well, it was more of a practice game for a beginning Circle player. Wurmwood tends to have quite a high learning curve.

In short: Hexeris won a game.