Catrul had been ravaging the minds of any mammalian creatures with her magic spells. More often than not this left target braindead, but what were they to do? In a foreign world with no language or a safe place, Blind Company needed any and all scraps of information to stand a chance for struggle. Yeah, that's how bad the situation was.
Aimlessly, a hunting party had found another raiding venue. Executrix Nirha had her hands full with organizing their refugee camp. Nonetheless, she was going to lead the assault at nightfall. But then there was this old cliche about plans and meeting with the enemy. Deg, a promising scout, was demanding a meeting with haste.
"A group of creatures is already scouring the area. If we want to get any provisions at all, we have to act now", Deg proclaimed.
How annoying. But first things first. It had not been that long since Twilight Kin had been living in the nightmare world below. Nirha had only one question: "Are they going to eat us?"
Deg was pondering. Hesitantly she said: "They wear armor and wield weapons. Also, they have a feline beast with them."
"I take that as a no. Bring us the supplies."
Last Sunday there was a campaign game day for Kings of War: Vanguard. I was missing one game from round 1, so that's where I started.
Game 1
Blind Company faces Basileans in Supply Grab mission.
Catrul, Healer/Summoner, Quartermaster Poosk, Reaper Guard Nirha and a member of citizen levy tackles them. There were five basileans.
The defensive nature of Basileans is a bit shocking. Only after three rounds of clear-shot shooting from a vantage point with burning power, and a retaliation attack from summoned Reaper killed their cat. Some other - or same - reaper slayed a crossbowman, but by now I had dedicated nearly everything I got to that flank. Three basileans started to close in on Catrul. After someone engaged, Catrul took a flight and went to secure at least one supply depot.
But again, I managed only to get two scenario points from supplies when opponent got three from the middle one.
Nista was promoted to become a budget healer. Poosk gained a rank and took a permanent point of ranged attack.
Game 2
Second in line are the Salamanders. This starts second round for the campaign for me. Game size is 125. Which is enough to squeeze the Executrix to my list. Scenario is the one where you attempt to seize some sort of plans, or details about a supply caravan everyone wants to raid in this case.
Executrix Nirha, reaper guard healer Nista and Grelpon, the generic reaper guard, Quartermaster Shadow Poosk, Shadow Tihuaru, and Blade Dancer Harpalk have a go at lizardfolk just as both parties had entered Greensway peninsula.
And, well, huh. This game was brutal. I suppose I got a wrong impression about the damage inflicted in Kings of War: Vanguard from fighting hardy Varangur and near invulnerable Basileans.
Poosk takes a shot at some sort of salamander. She gains clear sight, uses sheaf of arrows and even takes a power dice. This kills the reptilian in just one attack. This was unexpected.
Then, a stunted little lizard with blow pipe takes a shot at Poosk, and look at that. Again, instant kill.
Nirha advances to shoot a bodyguard lizard who had walked in front of the blowpipé. Instant kill.
I was a little worried when the little guy put a dart in funnel and blew real hard. I mean, if this lethality rate was an emerging pattern...
It wasn't.
Another big salamander charges Grelpon, who survives. Grelpon retaliates, and...
Instant kill.
Only one salamander was there at the objective, so they decided plans weren't worth this. They conceded.
Poosk makes a full recovery from her injury. Tihuaru is promoted into Master Scout.
Game 3
Third game is against Basileans, again. They have been following the same lead as Twilight Kin, and both parties met at the far end of Greensway peninsula, where there was a tower of some kind.
Executrix Nirha, reaper guard healer Nista and Holrotho, the generic reaper guard, Quartermaster Shadow Poosk, Master Scout Shadow Tihuaru, and Blade Dancer Harpalk.
Considering the painstaking struggles and difficulties the warbands had needed to undergo it was a litte suprising neither warband showed negligible interest in actually finding the mysterious cargo.
Poosk was on fire. She killed two models with ranged attacks and injured one. And then she, somehow, didn't die in the hands of basilean commander.
I may have been tad too confident in how much Whirlwind of Steel actually protects blade dancers. Blade Dancer and Nista suffered a group charge. Blade Dancer went down right away. Nista took a wound.
Executrix Nirha joined the fight, and gosh darn how overpowered she feels. She managed to tick Basileans with steady damage even when they had 8-11 power at their disposal every round for their warband special ability, and most of her targets had Parry. Paladins charge again, this time Holrotho and Nirha. Holrotho is struck down, but Nirha casualifies this aggressor. Which wasn't all that good, since now there was a charge line for even more basileans against her.
Some sort of paladin finished Tihuara, and I was one casualty away from breaking point. And Poosk was in melee with enemy commander, and had already one wound. But I already gave a spoiler how that went.
Nirha is a bastion against basileans. She managed to remove a melee sister of sorts that had attacked her. And after three rounds of combat with multiple enemies she only received a total of one wound.
Game ended in a draw. With no-one bothering to even check the middle flag.
Exciting game anyway, but then it was time for injury rolls. I had been avoiding those well until now.
Tihuaru had been battered for ages to come. She suffered Old Battle Wounds, which I deemed to serious of a detriment for a retinue member. Tihuaru got demoted, and Shadow Deg took her place. Blade Dancer received Suppurating Wounds, which means other Blademasters will take his place in the future. Armor save of 7+ is rather unconvincing for a melee warrior. Holrotho got left behind as everyone thought him dead. But he is about to return later with a little extra experience to boot.
Poosk gained her second rank. I wanted to give the skill tables a try, and she gained Parry. That makes perfect sense, actually, as she survived in melee for so long against all odds. But is it better than better nerve or extra wound?
Exploration gave the company a visit to tavern, so my warband for next game should be able to pull through any nerve-cracking situation. Other than horrible game term puns.
Next round is going to be played with 175 point warbands.
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