Minsc and Boo were there

Oh, I completely forgot to publish this one when I was in Kuhmo. So, these games were played during Christmas time, when I got to play my first full games of Betrayal at Baldur's Gate.

A total of five games were played, with all but one being played with four players. One was done with three instead.

I think we got a pretty good distribution of different haunts. One with no traitor, one with bogus traitor, one with all players kind of being traitors, and two "honest" traitors. Of course I cannot know for sure how many alternate versions there are, but I think the only one we missed was one with a hidden traitor.

1st game: Fire in the Sky 38 (four players)

Here suddenly fire rained down from the sky for various reasons. Adventurers needed to carry some civilians to the safety of a teleportation circle to win. There were no traitors here, so I suppose it was a good introduction to core mechanics without the hassle of an asymmetrical ruleset. Adventurers won, although it was a close call.


2nd game: Rabble Rousers 10 (four players)

I was playing the dwarf warrior who was able to take hits for other players. With Cursed Armor, Berserker Axe and Iron Flask of Tuerny (spelling?) I was the traitor. Being able to take hits for the citizen who was guarding the treasure chest gave me a plan: lure all adventurers to the neglected shrine, take hits for the citizen to deny adventurers opening chest all the while attacking other players. Then, once all are in, I'd lob the flask, unleashing a demon to attack everybody. Bwahahaha.

Well, I rolled poorly for the peasant movement, so they weren't of much use. And first player to enter same square with me dealt around six or seven damage to the peasant. There were... some limits in how valiantly I would sacrifice my character, so the chest was opened. Which unleashed the monster.

It went down relatively easy - after all, no players had been injured by peasants (or my dwarf, for that matter) and nobody died. Except for the monster.

3rd game: The Big Score 36 (three players)

This scenario had players eventually competing against each other. First the halfling rogue found Star of Cthay, but it was stolen from her by evil wizard. From evil wizard it was stolen by... uhh... I don't remember which character I played. It was probably the evil monk. And at last, evil halfling stole it back and won the game.

Nice game it was, as each player held the Star at least once. Instead of one-sided run-through we had players using more or less violent methods to acquire the treasure.

4th game: Priscilla 21 (four players)

And here drow ranger proved to be the traitor, who was possessed by evil spirit. It was a close call, this one. Eventually Priscilla was able to seize enough eyes to win the day - victory for the traitor, that is. However, the players did have at least two chances to succeed in their banishing ritual.

5th game: Bottled Lightning 29 (four players)

Halflings are not to be trusted. The rogue was a homicidal maniac who valued a little ornament over the life of her comrade. The druid, on the other hand, went whole-hog in demonic manifestations. Her bloodthirstiness was her undoing, however. She, too, found it more appealing to murder all the people she once knew instead of trying to stop a particular chamber from flooding. While multiple adventurers died, the chamber was soon inaccessible and traitor lost the game.


Throughout all the games, each adventurer was being played at least once, which somehow pleases my completionist tendencies.

Baseless Collapsing

First time in three years, I got to play a game of Pillars of the Earth. We had four players, which I have found is the best for this game. With just three players there i is not enough competition for where to place your master tokens. Suddenly turns out that Prior Philip doesn't automatically carry you to victory, when other players can shut you down from entering monastery.

Late bloomers won the day, soaring into stellar point counts in the last two rounds, averaging at 15 points per turn after hanging a long time at the bottom of the scoreboard.


The winner had 53 points, and there was a large gap before the remaining players, who were nearing forty points at most.

Also, it's relatively odd that a part of a cathedral can collapse before any has been built.

Here, kitty kitty

Santa's elves had exploded a whole deck of kittens for me as Christmas present.

First day we played five rounds with four players. Second day we played five rounds with five players.

It's an easy filler game for sure. A steady flow of unexpected situations, sprinkled with moments when you mistakenly arrange your own death. Via kitten explosion. Also the game's name is misleading. You lose when a kitten explodes on you. You get no points from it. This is important. For the kittens, at least.

Baronified

Traditional Christmas visit to my parents ended up with love letters left and right on Christmas eve.

We had four players, and that changed the dynamics of the game a lot, when I've used to playing with two players.

A session of three rounds was played both before and after Santa came to explode some kittens. And during second session, the way I was haunted by Baron was bordering on supernatural.

When he wasn't my initial card, he was the second. When Prince dropped something from my hand, replacement was Baron. Multiple times I had two Barons in my hand. And I dare say this was no confirmation bias, as everyone else noticed it too. More often than once or twice I was kicked out of the game before I had a turn - by someone's guard, guessing I had Baron. When I didn't get both barons during game round, it was because the other baron was the card that was set aside that round.

Well, at least he has a pretty rose.

Update: another session of five games.

Long past due

Amidst Christmas hurries I managed to squeeze in a 50 point game of Warmachine about a week ago. My list was:

Lord Tyrant Hexeris [+28]
- Agonizer [6]
- Aradus Sentinel [14]
- Archidon [10]
- Cyclops Shaman [8]

- Rhinodon [12]
Bog Trog Trawler [3]
Extoller Soulward [3]
Praetorian Swordsmen (max) [13]
- Praetorian Swordsman Officer & Standard [4]
Paingiver Beasthandlers (min) [5]


Opponent had:

Kaya the Wildborne [+32]
- Feral Warpwolf [16]
- Gnarlhorn Satyr [12]
- Wild Argus [7]
- Wild Argus [7]
- Winter Argus [8]
Lord of the Feast [6]
Totem Hunter [6]
Warpborn Skinwalkers (max) [15]
- Warpborn Skinwalker Alpha [4]

Scenario was one from main rulebook, Mosh Pit style scenario with 12" circle in the middle of board.

Skorne advanced in a brick towards the zone. Skinwalkers engaged my front line, and Circle warbeasts went in the back.

Praetorian Swordsmen used Power Swell, which on the hindisght was probably unnecessary. They took out Lord of the Feast and a few skinwalkers. All but one remaining Skinwalker were brought down by Aradus Sentinel and Rhinodon. I had wanted Rhinodon to do a bit more damage to Gnarlhorn Satyr, but the turtle had trouble hitting def 12.

Primaled Gnarlhorn takes down Rhinodon and Wild Arguses come to tease Aradus and Archidon. Here situation looks dire for Skorne, but relief comes from unexpected sources - heavy warbeasts miss and fail non-stop against Circle light beasts, but Extoller Soulward shoots Gnarlhorn dead, and Praetorian Swordsmen kill Feral Warpwolf. What just happened...?

Losing her heavies, Kaya takes full offense all by herself. She smacks a few Swordsmen dead, but in return is killed by MAT 9-10 swordsmen.

JMG Warmachine tournament V

So there was a Warmachine tournament in Jyväskylä.

With my practice games I had practiced enough that I scrapped Aiakos list for the most part and did a new one. My lists were:


Black Industries
Captain Aiakos [+29]
- Corruptor [14]
- Helldiver [6]
- Nightmare [18]
- Reaper [13]
- 2x Stalker [8]
- The Withershadow Combine [9]
Machine Wraith [2]
Pistol Wraith [0(5)]
Swamp Gobber River Raider [1]
2x Warwitch Siren [0+4]
Bile Thralls (min) [9]
Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
Mechanithralls (min) [6]
- Brute Thrall (3) [0(6)]


Scourge of the Broken Coast

Goreshade the Bastard [+27]
- Leviathan [16]
- Reaper [13]
- Seether [13]
- Satyxis Blood Priestess [0(4)]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Satyxis Raider Captain [0(4)]
2x Warwitch Siren [4]
Wrong Eye [17]
Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]
Satyxis Raiders (max) [16]
- Satyxis Raider Sea Witch [4]


Game 1:
First game was against Circle of Orboros, tharn theme lead by Iona. I had taken Goreshade.

I made the mistake of giving opponent free points from the zone on right by turn two. I also learned a thing or two about Ravagers - if Rapid Healing caught me by surprise earlier, now it was the Vengeance. I pretty much wasted my unit of Satyxis Raiders by charging them to few Tharn Ravagers, then using Reposition to engage them even more. Clever move, I must say.

At least Leviathan managed to shoot a tharn ravager dead who had been blocking the lane to Feral Warpwolf. Reaper then pulled Warpwolf and Snapjaw snapped it's spine.

However, opponent's game was ruined by Wrong Eye's Star Crossed. Circle had some bad rolls too on turn three. (they only butchered seven satyxis raiders and their captain, took almost half of boxes off from Reaper and one Cephalyx Overlord... on bad rolls) Me, on the other hand, had some good damage rolls. Against my own objective, that is. Sure Seether destroyed the Wolf Rider Champion, but berserk attack brought my objective down to five boxes remaining.

Second turn in a row, Star Crossed ruined the day of Tharn Ravagers. Seems like the magic with Star Crossed is when you need 6's or 7's to hit. Not when you need 4's or 3's, but I'm getting ahead of things now. Scenario game was slowly going towards Circle victory, although otherwise my position seems surprisingly secure. Especially after Bane Warriors and Seether destroyed Ghetorix.

Had there been more time in deathclock, perhaps I could have seized the zone on left and the middle zone, but when we both had only a few minutes left in the clock, we both started making hasty decisions. Iona ran to zone on right where Seether could charge her. End of Iona, and I was left with less than forty seconds on my clock.

Game 2:

Second game was against the newest faction, Infernals, lead by Zaateroth. I decided to give Aiakos2 a go, as opponent could benefit from my souls in my Goreshade list.

However, I gained nothing from stealth on Stalkers, Sirens, Withershadow Combine and Aiakos, as well as nothing from Incorporeal on Pistol Wraith and Machine Wraith, as just about all models opponent had sported magical weapons and eyeless sight.

Zaateroth was extremely cautious of my threat ranges, which gave me a jump start in scenario game. But this also put me in a vulnerable position, and casualties started piling up. I had some good options to contest, but opponent was able to zap my point scoring models off the table, so I was not able to go even near victory here.

With heavy horrors appearing left and right, I couldn't even bring them down to their starting number, although Nightmare did good job in killing one with unboosted initial attacks. Sadly three additional attacks were not enough to take a second horror down.

It was a scenario loss for me.

Game 3:

Last game was against Legion of Everblight and Absylonia2. I chose Goreshade.

Absylonia had a list with, what, nineteen shredders or so, with more to come from two spawning vessels and those minion croc pots.

It was insane list to fight against.

Again, I was unfamiliar with Absylonia's tricks and made the mistake of giving her models to kill so that it triggered extra MAT for her battlegroup.

Then sharknado happened, and lesser warbeasts were all over the map. With good rolls opponent could have scored all five points required to win on turn two.

Luckily rolls were not that good. Three Shredders shredded Reaper, and most of Satyxis died. Satyxis had made a good job in culling the herd of shredders - it's rare to use red mist ability, but here I did, along with Power Swell. Had the whole unit been able to engage Shredders, I dare say I could have removed half of them. But it was not to be.

Opponent scored "only" three points. I struggled to remove all the tiny pests. If only I could have arranged enemy to gain one less point and remembered on my turn to run a Bane Warrior to enemy rectangular zone, perhaps game I could have stood a chance. Opponent would have needed to score four points and deny my point. But like this it was far too easy for Legion to gather three points from somewhere.

Anyway. Opponent started with nineteen lesser warbeasts. During game, Cryx killed twenty. When game ended, there were still seven lessers around.

Practice vol nil

Earlier this month I played these two games of Warmachine to practice for upcoming tournament. That was held today. But those will have to wait.

I used same kind of list for both. The only difference was me switching Soul Trapper for Swamp Gobber River Raider in the second game.

My list was:

Black Industries

Captain Aiakos [+29]
- Kraken [35]
- Nightmare [18]
- Reaper [13]
- The Withershadow Combine [9]
Machine Wraith [2]
Necrotech [2]
Pistol Wraith [0(5)]
Soul Trapper [1]
Warwitch Siren [0(4)]
Bile Thralls (max) [15]
- Skarlock Commander [3]
Mechanithralls (min) [6]
- Brute Thrall (3) [0(6)]

First game was against Circle of Orboros, but opponent forgot to use two of his requisition options.


The Devourer's Host
Wurmwood, Tree of Fate [+27]
- Feral Warpwolf [16]
- Gorax Rager [7]
- Shadowhorn Satyr [12]
- Warpwolf Stalker [17]
- Wild Argus [7]
Bloodweaver Night Witch [0(4)]
Gallows Grove [2]
Gallows Grove [2]
Tharn Ravager Shaman [4]
Tharn Ravager White Mane [0(5)]
Shifting Stones [3]
Tharn Bloodweavers [8]
Tharn Ravagers (max) [15]
- Tharn Ravager Chieftain [0(5)]

Scenario was Spread the Net. Megalith in the pictures is a proxy for Feral Warpwolf. This was a terrible match-up for Bile Thralls, as I found out. Ravagers with their Rapid Healing were not choice targets for suicide purging. There were only half of the unit left, as five or so had died to a Hellmouth. Well, at least that cost Wurmwood his mobility, as I was able to remove Cassius. But for five purges you'd somehow expect a little better performance than one dead ravagers and a White Mane. Mechanithralls ambushed and killed a couple ravagers more.

Harpoon missed Shadowhorn Satyr, so that was kind of wasted activation. Nightmare killed Feral Warpwwolf, who had come hiding behind a building.

Next Wurmwood activated his feat. Opponent trusted sevens to hit Nightmare and Reaper, which was their saving grace. Warpwolf Stalker in particular landed only one hit that dealt some damage.

Cryx struggled with Ravagers and their DEF 15 - fully loaded Kraken was able to kill two ravagers and one Bloodweaver over the course of whole game. That's well spent 35 points. However, Cryx had gained the upper hand in scenario play and was able to secure victory through control points. I wasn't impressed by the performance of my list. But I wanted to try it again, because I considered it had faced a list that was good counter for Kraken.


Game 2:

This game was played few days ago, and I was troubled of high defense, high armor infantry with Tough once again.

Trollbloods
Band of Heroes
Madrak Ironhide, Thornwood Chieftain [+29]
- Dire Troll Mauler [15]
- Troll Axer [10]
- Troll Bouncer [9]
- Trollkin Runebearer [0(5)]
Fell Caller Hero [0(5)]
Trollkin Champion Hero [0(5)]
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (max) [9]
- Northkin Elder [3]
Trollkin Champions (max) [16]
- Trollkin Sorcerer (1) [3]
Trollkin Champions (max) [16]
- Trollkin Sorcerer (1) [3]
Trollkin Fennblades (max) [15]
- Trollkin Fennblade Officer & Drummer [5]

In this game Kraken once more failed to do anything to enemy. Even with Carnage on, it could kill only one Fennblade over the course of whole game. Then smaller Champion unit wrecked it. I was hoping to kill two Champions (I didn't know about their damage transfer capabilities...) to clear Line of Sight to a krielstone bearer who was outside of shield guard range. But at least I got the Fennblade down for killshot, and took a shot that was promptly guarded away.

I could have also pre-measured some things, but I didn't. Somehow it didn't even cross my mind. I also lost Nightmare to Dire Troll Mauler.

There was a point when I had small lead in control points, but it all went downhill soon enough, and trollbloods took a scenario victory.

Although I did some stupid mistakes, I was horrified by my list's functionality. Granted, match-up was bad once again, but for the actual tournament I ended up scrapping my list and building another.

Establishing Sanctuary

Yet another year in Burkstad.

Brave group of Ennhilde, Igorina, Cohenia and Surrelia... oh, who am I kidding. They were not brave at all. Two survivors had one point of courage and that's it.

Anyway, these four poor souls tried to tackle a Sunstalker - mightiest monster we've hunted to date. Ennhilde took four points of damage to two hit locations right off the settlement, so it was a promising start. I guess. Surrelia and Cohenia were both females, and they were Partners thanks to Rivalry. Now, when Cohenia found some cuddling skeletons, perhaps she realized she'd never feel the blessings of motherhood. She became emotionless. Igorina dreamed a point of courage for herself. Hooray.

Showdown started. We got an easy start, since Sunstalker did absolutely nothing. All survivors were in the light, and it targeted all survivors in shadow. Cohenia knew how to use Attack Pattern tactics, and all in all survivors orchestrated a fine turn, giving three wounds in. Wow. With some luck, the monster could be dead on turn three...!

Nope.

Two or three complete rounds later, survivors still hadn't had done even one additional wound, and had drawn trap twice and two out of three survivors had Black Blood. Ennhilde had had Black Blood too, but she was already dead at that point.

Using my unsurpassed gifts of premonition, I knew this was the last showdown for Burkstad. Heck, even Shade minions outnumbered the survivors almost two to one. On top of her emotionlessness, Cohenia had received warped pelvis and destroyed genitals. Igorina had suffered broken ribs. Surrelia, who was wielding cumbersome bow, had been continuously tossed twelve spaces away from action.

But then, somehow, the miracle of Burkstad started to trickle in. Showdown called for at least ten severe injuries, and nobody died to those. Ennhilde died to a Shade stacking bleed tokens on her.

Only one trait/mood rose up from AI deck during game, and even this wasn't enough to stop the bleeding, mauled and broken ragtag group of survivors from lucking out a victory. When Sunstalker was finally slain, there were two survivors with Black Blood and four bleeding tokena. Cohenia with destroyed genitals and warped pelvis was also emotionless and became megalophobic. And as they say how people in long relationship start to resemble each other... well, Surrelia became emotionless, too.

But hey, victory. Igorina even triggered Bold and became stalwart.

For resources we gained nothing useful - from our newly gained Skyreef Sanctuary, we could have only built the lure & hook.

Settlement event was at least Weird Dream, where Surrelia dreamed of delicious food, hunting another survivor and realizing that she is the delicious food.

Igorina slept off her broken rib and Cohenia gained enough understanding from auguries to become Tinker. I suppose emotions somehow cloud your understanding.

A total of two Intimacies were rolled, and here Burkstad was again. Going strong at a "steady" population of eight. Settlement innovated Pictographs, because our choices were Pictographs, Face Painting, Sacrifice and Scarification.

We decided to hunt for another Sunstalker next to get access either to cycloid hat or vest or harpoon or at least something else other than lure & hook. Hunt ritual was a success.


Burkstad

Population: 8

Principles:
Protect the Young
Graves
Barbaric


Innovations:
Language
Hovel
Ammonia
Bed
Nigredo
Symposium
Paint
Family
Bloodletting
Inner Lantern
Cooking
Sculpture
Partnership
Shrine
Petal Spiral
Pictographs

+Guidepost


Locations:
Lantern Hoard
Bone Smith
Skinnery
Organ Grinder
Catarium
Gormchymist
Gormery
Weapon Crafter
Leather Worker
Skyreef Sanctuary

Gear:
2x Cloth
3x Stone Noses
Full Rawhide Set
1x rawhide vest, 1x Rawhide Gloves, 1x Rawhide Headband
Gorment Boots
2x Skull Helm
Bone Dagger
Bone Darts
Rib Blade
Greater Gaxe
Leather Shield
Cat Eye Circlet
2x Monster Grease
Lucky Charm
Monster Tooth Necklace
Bandages
Catgut Bow + Claw Head Arrow
White Lion Coat, White Lion Gloves
Scrap Sword
Flower Knight Badge



Resources:
Sun Stones
Black Lens
Sunshark Blubber
Shadow Tentacles
Prismatic Gills

Monster Organ
Skull
???