Sabbath of Blackness

Hi,

So, last night, we finally got in the long awaited "historical guys playing Warmahordes game".  4 player multi-game, nominally 15 points, but two guys were using battleboxes.  We had my Skorne, Foxlington's Cygnar, and Chris B. and ernieR using Chris B. lovely Menoth and Cryx boxes.  Good times.




We each deployed in a corner, I gave a very preliminary run-through of the rules, and we set out.  First turn was me mostly explaining the difference between focus and fury, units and solos, etc., and generally trying to give the guys a sense of what the could do, and what they had to do in order to do what they wanted.









The game fairly quickly evolved into two one-on one games, with Fox squaring off against me on our half of the table, and the Cryx / Menoth fight on the other.  This was triggered when I misjudged the threat of a sniped Defender, and Fox drew early first blood on my Savage.



If I remember, another shot and a charge from a focus-laden lancer(?) later, and my poor Savage was the first casualty of the game.




On the other side of the table, ernieR and Chris B. were a little more cautious in their approach, as they were still feeling out the game.



I think the downside of having 4 players in one game, three of them new (and one rusty), is things took a while.  People who's turn it wasn't had to wait around much longer than usual, and weren't necessarily involved in where the action was.  Something to consider for future "demo" games.

My goal was mainly to try and show as much of the stuff that I think makes Warmahordes distinctive and cool - what you can do with focus, power attacks etc.  For example, two hand throwing the Lancer at the Defender.



On the right, I gave a bit of "coaching" to both players, trying to show Chris B. how Kreoss' feat can open up tactical opportunities, and ernieR how Cryx mobility, coupled with Deneghra's spells and feat, make her a dirty cheating witch.



The net effect was that while Chris B. chewed through both the slayer and a Death Ripper, ernieR snuck a Defiler around to Kreoss, and over a couple turns, Venomed him into puss and bile.




On our side of the table, I was discovering the joys of the Titan gladiator, and the role Fury (and Beast Handlers) play in keeping your beasties functional despite a beating.  This was amply demonstrated by my gladiator successively plowing through a Lancer:



a Defender:



and eventually, Stryker:



despite taking beatings from a number of opponents that almost (but never quite totally) finished him off.

I'm not sure how well the game has "taken", though I noticed a good chunk of the club perusing the selection upstairs after the game.  I think a few more on-on-one games are necessary before people really get a sense of it, but Foxlington is definitely on board, so I should be able to get in a game on a semi-regular basis.







It was great having so many nicely painted figures on the table.  I'm used to playing with painted stuff ( I actually felt a fair bit of geekshame at putting primed stuff down), and I'm definitely stoked to get some more stuff done.

As a list, I was running:

System: Hordes


Faction: Skorne
Casters: 1/1

Points: 15/15

Lord Tyrant Hexeris 

* Basilisk Krea 

* Cyclops Savage

* Titan Gladiator 

Paingiver Beast Handlers (Leader and 3 Grunts) 

Extoler Soulward

I didn't get much use from the Extoller and the Savage,  though I can see the utility of the former, and figure the latter is more of a jamming piece anyway.  Krea I don't know.  She's cheap, and she's got a useful animus, but she doesn't seem to do much, if you follow.  Hexeris, I don't know.  I really want to like him, but I don't think I've got a real handle on him or how he works yet.  I figure I'll keep the same list for a while, and run with it, trying to work on learning what I have rather than switching out.  The "growth plan" is to add a Bronzeback and Arcuarii and the extra Beasthandlers as 10 point increments.  Fairly excited.

Next week we have (hurrah!) a Maurice campaign game, and I've got a few things to post up on the weekend as well - some test figures for our foray into Muskets and Tomahawks.

FMB