ICON 2014 Warhammer Fantasy Part 2

Well time for the follow up on ICON.

It's time for the last few matches, experience and results. 

My final battle for the Saturday I got a BYE, for each match someone was randomly selected to get a pass for the match since we had an uneven amount of contenders. This was actually good since it gave me some time to take a look around the convention. Saw some interesting stuff and cool cosplay costumes. It was great to see such a variety of people and board games at one convention. After a stroll around and collecting a few souvenirs I headed home to prepare for the next day. 

Match #4: Lizards vs Orcs & Goblins

The next morning was chilly,  my voice was nearly gone, but my dice were ready and lizards eager.

First battle I ended up against orcs and goblins,  his 3000 point list was well balanced and had a few nasty surprises besides the fanatics which i expected. In a large regiment of not so subtle black orcs hid the infamous Grimgor Ironhide, which I fortunately knew, though i usually fielded him. Being a tournament I did not expect named characters, so that was quite a surprise.

The scenario had a massive chasm right through the center,  8 inches wide with 3 bridges each 7 inches wide.  So they were just wide enough for my regiments hopefully. Our special effect was a -1 to our WS and BS. So we started and things started quite well. I blocked the bridges each with a Saurus regiment to the sides and a proper regiment with temple guard. My skinks had the range to harass the trolls and orcs coming too close. My flanks were supported by a few cold one regiments.  The Stegadons were deployed the sides of my Temple guard with a Bastiladon armed with a solar engine to boost the initiative. So the plan was sound and my harassment worked.  I whittled down his forces while he struggled to get on a bridge.  Eventually his Black orcs moved over and i had to defend with my Temple guard. The battle was bloody, that was until Grimgor got into combat.  He slaughtered them by the droves without breaking a sweat.

 Luckily I was what you would call saved by the bell. Before the last few temple guards fell the tourney organiser informed us we were out of time.  The only problem was the scenario,  where you got victory points for destroyed enemies and for every unit who crossed a bridge you also got the victory points that unit is worth. The battle was difficult but with Grimgor and his boys over the river it was a massacre.

Match #5: The Mirror Match

After the carnage we had a break and for my last match I would go up against a fellow lizardmen army.  The special effect could really change this match.  We had to do an initiative test for each unit before he moved.  If he failed,  he had to subtract one from his movement characteristic. The one place I had an edge, keeping my bastiladon close to my Temple guard will make them strike first. So i had an idea,  except that my mage was plagued by a devastating miscast. So yes having magic kill you more then your opponent it's severely demoralizing. His unit of temple guard eventually caught up with mine,  even though I hit first, lord Kroak did enhance his regiment just the bit he needed to gain the upper hand.  Even though I hit first when his unit hit back the halberds sliced through my Temple guard like they were skinks.

Battle lost, but so much leaned.

ICON 2014 Warhammer Fantasy

G'day tabletop war gamers, nerds, geeks and other pale skinned ones.

This was the first time I could actually attend the South Africa ICON, with cosplay, boardgames, war-games and role playing. I entered the tournament and had 5 matches scheduled, a 2000, two 2500 and two 3000 point games. Being in South Africa does mean
we do not have a massive community, but there was a total of 15 entries for WH fantasy and 24 for 40k.

My first match was the most beautiful i personally ever played on. Both armies were fully painted, all the scenery was perfect and the board was done with the most intricate detail. It was the 2k match,  Lizards vs Warriors of Chaos. I thought I had a solid 2k list, though I did not expect his army to have that many cannons. He fielded 2 Hellcannons and a demon prince. To put it mildly all went okay,  until my regiment of temple guard and his demon prince got into combat. His demon prince slaughtered my Temple guard and eventually worked his way through to my Slann. The cannons tore my infantry and stegadons to shreds. Eventually when my Slann fell it was game over. 500 Victory  points in that casualty. 

The match was lost. The experience was amazing even though I lost seeing everything painted to such an level was unforgettable.

 Now here are a few extra eye candy pictures that will make you understand as to why I say it was really an awesome experience.

Seeing terrain like that is not something that happens every day, seeing two fully painted armies like that is even rarer! Having it happen in Africa, well that give me hope :)

MATCH 2: The Dark Elves

After my first crushing defeat I got drawn for a match against the elves. Now they have a low toughness and strength.  I knew they would end up hitting first,  but I also knew i would hit that much harder. 

The scenario we played made it possible to have more than 12 power dice and each wizard generated an additional power dice. So I knew this is where my Slann would shine! On a side note of much less importance when you miscast, you would have to miscast again. 

Deployment was in a diagonal line in a pre-set order of march for this custom scenario. He had a few interesting units and quite a few war machines. The one reason I had a few Ripperdactyls in my list.

The first turn started great,  kinda. Cast Tempest that you need a mere 8# for with my 13 dice I decide not to be too stingy with and roll 2, get double sixes when I really do not need it. The first miscast kills 11 of temple guard, the second miscast drops him 3 levels of magic and makes him pretty useless. Though he survives. The Ripperdactyls get in touch with his 1st repeater bolt throws and destroys it over ruins into the other and destroys that. Stegadon manages to charge his 30 odd elves and stars taking them out effortlessly. The entire match just goes quite well.  Eventually when we finish I miss a victory against him with about 30ish points! 

Fortunately I am doing better!

So in my next post I will discuss my next 3 matches,  until then,  keep rollin.