Thief in the night

Last game of round three for Vanguard campaign.

My twilight kin was against the basileans in this ones. Again my company was the aggressor. What can I say. Executrix Nirha just wants to wake up people.

Round was 175 points, and I had Executrix Nirha, Reaper Guards Nista and Holrotho, Quartermaster Poosk, Summoner Crone Catrul and Bruberdge the Butcher in my team, and was facing a million immortal Basileans. I might be exaggerating somewhat.

First round we had some missile action. A member of Basilean sisterhood shot Nista down right on the first attempt. By now no-one is surprised when it was this one particular crossbowyer who indeed is a force to be reckoned with.

Not to look any worse, Quartermaster Poosk did exactly same thing to some Basilean of which I don't recognize. Catrul ventures too deep into the forest, as she was easily caught into melee there. Fortunately I had packed a potion of haste to Butcher, and he was able to run into the woods and even take a swing with second action. And later even a forced fatigue swing. One grunt was down, but by then the woods were already flooded with panthers and paladins.

Poosk was being charged by veteran sister and another member of the enemy team, and she was struck down like a twig.

In terms of kills it was even, but then again, I had five models remaining and opponent had eight. Or nine, if you count the very sleepy commander.

Fortunately Catrul was adept at summoning Reapers, who stalled Basilean ranged brigade long enough for executrix Nirha to make a major breakthrough that was littered with Basilean corpses. Unfortunately Holrotho had perished, too. Citizen levy had also been an early casualty, so my warband was broken.

At least I passed nerve tests when it came to fleeing models. However the case, my model count was too low now to effectively search every tent. I might have had one go at the Basilean leader, but situation never came up. The commander was that sleepy headed.

I should probably have chosen to be the defender, because those couple early casualties really took a toll on my tent searching capability. As a defender I probably couldn't have stopped that tiny army of humans from ransacking my tents, but Nirha is quite the murder machine.

Post-game both Poosk and Holrotho received horrible scars and Nista made full recovery. Exploration phase was horrifying. My warband encountered a thief. And to make matters worse, that thief made off with two of my campaign golds. So I only got twelve coins from this round. But I try to think that maybe my warband survives this setback. Maybe...

Waky waky

It has been coming for a long time, but finally Vanguard campaign saw the beginning of third round.

So it was 175 point game with Kill the Commander scenario. This was played a couple of weeks ago or something.

My list was:

Executrix Nirha with Long Bow and Large Shield

Quartermaster Poosk with Sheaf of Arrows
Master Scout Shadow Deg
Healer Reaper Guard Nista
Reaper Guard Grelpon
Summoner Crone Catrul
Bladedancer Lomps with Battle Potion and Heavy Weapon

Opponent was playing salamanders and was the defender. Salamanders, being cold-blooded creatures of fire, sleep in tents which are formed out of cooled down magma. Logical, right? The rock pillars are representing tents.

My first turn had me a little scared if those cursed d8's were yet again opposing me in a manner most unsuitable. Executrix exchanged fire with a tiny little skink-thing, and with her ranged skill of 3+, scored exactly one hit and no wounds. In return the ranged salamander attacked her and injured her, because 4+ armor with extra power die is reliable like that.

Now, it didn't get much better when blade dancer charged fire elemental. Friend + charge + used battle potion + power die had her swinging eight dice, and heavy weapon gave a little crushing strength which dancers are lacking. Astonishing number of hits is countered by equally astonishing number of armor saves. Exactly one (1) wound was dealt by this ordeal.

But then things began to change.

So much so, that there were next to no salamanders remaining nearing the end of round four. Well, except of course for the salamander commander who was sleeping in a tent, snoring mightily enough to rise above the sounds of fierce battle all around him.

He was about to put up a good fight - whenever he retaliated, Twilight Kin blood was spilled. Executrix was the most terrifying near-casualty. She fell down to one wound remaining, so summoner crone decided to toss four dice worth of power to be able to cast Heal on her. Which succeeded in healing all wounds she had suffered. Even all the emotional scars received during childhood. That's how well the dice was rolling.

I had lost three warriors during game. One had to miss next game, another would be at -1 wounds for next game and Reaper Guard lost a point of melee attack skill, which he had leveled with ranks earlier. Of course this means he ain't going to gain 3+ skill ever again.

What do Zombies and Crossbowmen have in common?

Played a 125 point game of Kings of War: Vanguard about a week ago or so.

It was somewhat of a campaign game - I had played the second round of games for the campaign, but opponent had not. This meant my group wouldn't gain or even lose anything by playing these extras.

Twilight Kin vs Undead it was. Scenario was Recover the Plans.

I started by running a Speed 7 blade dancer to spy objective as my first activation. Real plans turned out to be on the extra objective on my side of the board.

I thought I would've had the speed advantage, but I was wrong. Of course it didn't help that opponent rolled 7-8 power per round when I had to struggle with three. So this extra movement ability didn't really cost anything for the undead.

Wraith made a group assault with a ghoul against my Shadow, and somehow didn't kill her. Blade Dancer replies by launching an assault of his own against ghoul, killing it and using follow up move to engage Wraith.

My Executioner charges the Wraith also, and doesn't score even a single wound despite having six dice and lucky charm to boot. Eight hits were caused, and also as many saves by the Wraith.

Then a random chance has Blade Dancer deal a lucky wound to Wraith. But then as equal random chance kills Blade Dancer - a charging zombie (three dice) who hits with 7+ kills Blade Dancer, who even has a re-roll to Nerve test from nearby leader.

Alrighty then. One of these games.

So the answer to title question is: when you see one charging at you, RUN.

It was fourth turn, so my Reaper Guard goes and picks up the plans. Two revenants and a skeleton use this Run + walk with fatigue action maneuver to engage aforementioned Reaper Guard. Next turn. Because it's fifth and possibly last turn, I decided to break out from melee with Reaper Guard by taking three saves. One revenant and the skeleton were fatigued, so wouldn't be coming after me.

Three saves + one melee from Revenant and victory could be mine.

But there were no two 6+ rolls and zero eights in those four dice I used in breaking out.

... ok.

I was three models down, so from now on Twilight Kin would be taking Nerve tests. But since my leader was in melee with two zombies, ghoul and a wraith and my last remaining Shadow was too far to be useful in this situation, I conceded.

Third round games have Kill the Commander scenario and 175 points.

Blindness Extends

More survivors had been found. A score of their kin, few dozen or so. While this was a promising prospect for the revival of their species, right now it was an added layer of difficulties. Many were already starving. Blind Company had tried assaulting outskirts of any small enough settlements, but so far resistance had been fierce.

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.

Paint Campaign

So I've been painting my warband for Kings of War: Vanguard campaign.

When I enlisted myself for the campaign, I already had a couple of magnetized Kingdom Death survivors up and coming. So I quickly re-assigned them to another game. There's also third magnetized survivor in the picture. After campaign ends I'll remove them from their bases and hand them over to subconscious nightmare world.

Here are Executor, Shadow and Citizen Levy that are to stay on 20mm bases.

The three survivors I'll arm as needed to represent different warriors on board. Six models ought to carry through one or two game rounds. Next we'll be playing 125 point games.

There's also some extra miniatures in picture that are being worked on. There are two Summoner Crones, a Blademaster, Reaper Guard with Heavy Weapon and a reaper model for Catrul to summon.

I'll probably construct either a Reaper Guard or Blademaster with Large Shield. Maybe some other model, too. We'll see.

Blind Executor and Her Company

"Ancient prophetic vision had held true and saved the Kin... for the time being.

Ages had passed when their kind had disappeared from the surface of Greensway Isles, digging until they found cavern complex that was habitable enough.

Whatever the threat had been back then was forgotten now. And, really... who in their sane mind would found a city under an island, in the middle of sea? The Kin would have needed another prophetic vision fit for this day and age. Unfortunately they had no such thing, and when entire city was crushed by enormous bodies of water, only a few escaped.

One of them being Executrix Nirha and Quartermaster Poosk, and a handful of other survivors. None had ever been above ground. This world was so very much unlike their own. They arrived at night, which felt adequate illumination. But once the dawn arrived, survivors underwent a peculiar form of pain they had never experienced before. With few supplies they had each survivor put together crude shades. Even tattered cloths or hides with tiny slits were better than nothing.

Executrix Nirha, once a member of their former domain's guard, named their ragtag bunch the Blind Company.

Next they'd have to secure more supplies from surrounding landscape. Perhaps there even might be some other survivors somewhere?

So. I take part in Kings of War: Vanguard campaign that's being held here in my home town.

My company is Twilight Kin roster. Since it's been a long, long time since I've played actual fantasy miniature games (well, except for the group of demented circus folk that seemed out of place in Mantica) I had to face the fact that I don't have any proper miniatures.

But what I do have is a huge swathe of unbuilt survivor miniatures from Kingdom Death. Why not use them for something, since I'll never need all of them for the actual board game.

Faction choice was not a meaningful one. Twilight Kin seemed like it would have a rather low body count, so I picked them.

So far I've played one game of the campaign.

It was against Varangur warband.

I took Quartermaster Poosk the Shadow, Summoner Crone Catrul and Reaper Guard Nista. And an unnamed citizen levy. Catrul had switched Lightning Bolt for Summon the Reaper spell.

Scenario was Supply Grab. I picked the side where there was one supply container closer to me, and with a forest in between Varangur and Twilight Kin. I thought securing it would be a piece of cake...

But the Varangurs just pressed on. Mind Storm (awesome spell, by the way, with Range Booster) gave a random point of damage to their magus. But their warriors...

Just one hit and my summoned Reaper was down. One hit and my Citizen Levy was down (honestly, though, that one isn't such an amazing feat.) One hit and my Reaper Guard was down. All the while I can't do even a single point of damage, no matter how much I stack dice. At least Reaper Guard was doing fine with his nerve checks.

I decided to run to middle supply container and summon another reaper to contest the objective Varangur had taken from me with such disrespect. Also, Quartermaster Poosk managed to shoot down enemy Magus, so at least there was that.

But game ended because there was no sixth round, and I lost. Not that it would have been a guaranteed victory anyway had the game continued. But at least there were no permanent casualties, and I found quite a bit of loot.

Blind Company acquires another Lucky Charm, a Large Shield and a Wicked Dagger for 5 campaign gold, and Catrul fills vacancy of a healer slot in retinue.

That's all for now.

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.