Vanguard test game

Well let's get this one written up.

Some time ago I got to play my first game of Kings of War: Vanguard.

Mechanics were fairly easy to grasp, as they shared a lot in common with Deadzone.

However, I had no miniatures. With correct base sizes at least. To figure out at least something, I dug up my Carnival of Chaos/Cruor et Caedis warband with the circus theme.

I chose Forces of Nature as my warband, as it seemed easiest to build around my circus models.

So there was forest shambler the circus bear, gladewalker druid Jack Saturn and salamander with heavy weapon as the strongman. Like that.

It was a 150 point game.

I had
Gladewalker druid (wicked dagger + lucky charm)
2x Naiads (with harpoon and sheaf of arrows)
Salamander with heavy weapon
Salamander with wicked dagger
Salamander
Forest Shambler

Opponent had Basilean warband.

Scenario was to hunt down a deserter from Cruor et Caedis - a bard. Jack wanted her dead because she had somehow broken through his spells, and Basileans wanted her dead because she was from this horrible circus. At least this is how I construct the narrative now.

Bard kept sprinting 12" a turn, with only one 6" in-between. Jack used Barrier of Vines to shield bard from Basilean attacks - vengeance was reserved solely for Jack.

I got surprised with the movement rules, though. I thought I was secure, but it was merely an illusion when there isn't that much of an impassable terrain feature in Vanguard. Some sort of bow user climbed on top of ruin's rooftops, and kept shooting my models down - all the while being impervious to whatever I tried to do to him or her. Jack's lightning bolt was a good try, but Basilean special army power foiled that.

I had brought forest shambling bear to bard's route. Lying in wait. I built up that ambush attack with all power I had at my disposal. Charge + extra die meant 5d8 attack, hitting on 4+ or 5+ or something.

There was exactly one hit. Fine use of resources, I must say. I had saved a power for forced fatigue attack, but eh. Bard still had three wounds remaining, so I just left her be.

Then she took another run with 12". Looked like neither player would be able to kill the bard, and result would be draw.

I had one chance, though. Naiad with sheaf of arrows and extra power die did a 4d8 shot with piercing 2. Still, three wounds would be rather unlikely result.

But hey. Five wounding hits hit four dice.

Bard saved two, I think, and the end result was - Bard stopped singing. Forever. Somehow her lute did not stop playing. It was probably demonically possessed.

Unlikely attack results caused the game to end in draw, as the lone Naiad was able to fend off the basilean He-Man cat and survive attacks by some other knight person. Neither player was able to pick up the lute and there was no sixth round.

Later in the game my models started dying off. Though end result looks quite one-sided, I stood a chance here - even if we won't consider the main objective of killing bard. But even when odds were stacked in my favor, basileans somehow managed to survive without a scratch. Sure their army special power helped here, but still I failed to kill anyone even when that power was not used.

Well, whatever.

Bard is dead. That's good enough for me.