Excelsior Entertainment Forums
Chronopia => Events, Army Ideas, Battle Reports => Topic started by: DogOWar on December 26, 2008, 03:23:40 PM
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Last Tuesday the 4-State Militia had our end of the year blowout! As usual it would be a long drawn out battle forcing us to exhaust ourselves, mentally, and ending in a well deseved visit to our favorite waterhole, for some much need libations.
I had never played Shadow Tribe before and was not sure of my army selection. There was, however, and army I had been itching to try for some time, although I was rather unsure of its worth. I entitled this army as my "ARMY OF DARKNESS" after one of my favorite movies. My plan was to lure my opponents into a protracted struggle with my massive unliving warbands and then crush them with a combinayion of Devout individuals.
Shadow Tribe (ARMY OF DARKNESS)- Undead Champion w/standard, Necromancer w/summon undead, (2) Soulflayers (using a tormented to proxy one), Abyss Crawler, Wyrd w/Blessing of goddess and savage roots, 4 Berserkers, and 7 units of unliving.
Crystal Lotus- Lotus eater, Crystal Knight, (2) Flying Dragonbanes, (2) units Axemen, Unit Dreamwarriors, Lare unit Militia.
[color=green]Stygian-[/color] (2) Ophidians, Venom Spawn, (2) max units of Warriors, (2) units of Reapers.
THE PLOT
The Lotus Eater could not believe his eyes. It was as the Ice Witches foretold. The Stygian would not only not attack them, but would act as allies until the defeat of the Shadow Tribe. Something to do with their prophecies. "The enemy of our eneemy will be our friend, this once". The lotus Eater shook his head and went back to preparing his troops for the struggle ahead.
The Shadow Tribe has decided to sieze the Ice Caves for themselves. Crystal Lous cannot afford this loss, and the Stygian do not want the Shadow Tribe to become stronger and thereby threaten their tenuous hold in the Wildlands.
[b]SETUP[/b]
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08001.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08002.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08002.jpg)
Turn 1- the game opened up with suprise on both sides. Toy and Canonball did not expect my undead army, and I did not expect 4 flyers on their side! My Necro summoned 4 Orc Risen Archers, and my Unliving shambles forward at a good clip, thanks to the Undead Champion. My Wyrd cast Blessing Of the Goddess(BOG) and gave an extra would to the Berserker Leader, as the Berserkers moved to swing around the right flank to get in behind the enemy. My Soulflayers assumed a defensive stance until I figured what to do about all those flyers! Abyss Crawler moves forward tunneling to diddle of board.
On the CL/Stygian side, troops moved forward and the Ophidian and Venom SPawn got closer to contain my Flyers and spit their nasty venom at my beloved undead. Elven Militia moved forward to hole the middle part of the board with the farmers house as an anchor point and some protection form my flyers. Elven Axemen move to the other side of the house on their right flank to counter my unliving/Berserkers. Stygian move up the hill to secure it and deny my unliving thier right flank.
End O Turn 1 PICS
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08006.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08007.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08008.jpg)
Turn 2- Necro summons more Orc Risen Archers to help with those flyers. Abyss Crawler (look for blue Gingerbread Man) comes up and tramples through Elven Militia and some Dream Warriors to almost no effect as the Allies save like the Gods wereon there side. Unliving shamble towards middle of the board and their destiny. Stygian rush troops toward middle of board and Elvish Axemen hold their left flank.
End Of Turn 2 PICS
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08009.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08010.jpg)
Turn 3- Wyrd BOGs another Berserker, while Unliving continue shambling forward. FDB takes up position outside range of Soulflayer (so he thinks) on Elves Left flank with Axemen in support. Soulflayers move into position with Risen archer support, while Necro and Undead Champion huddle together praying to the Dark Lord that notheing that spits venom or throws javelins gets into range (They pretty much do this the whole rest of the game). Stygian continue to move forward on all fronts and spitting acid as they come.
Turn 3 PICS
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08011.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08012.jpg)
SORRY, GOTTA GO, WILL FINISH LATER.
Sorry about the delay. Now for the rest of the story.
Turn4- Unfortunaltely for Troy-the-just he forgot that Soulflayers have 3 actions......shudder.....and his FDB pays the price as it is Balefired to cinders. Canonball's spitters keep melting my unliving, which was really starting to anoy me and I was force to forge ahead with my new Battle of Chronopylae plan. If I could force all the fight into the middle of the field I could neutralize my opponents speed advantage and bring my heavy hitters in range to do some serious damage. In general there was an advance by both sides into the valley of death, with the unliving and the much hated Elvish Militia coming to blows. My Risen Archers where able to inflict some wounds on a Ophidian which caused them to find some cover and with the arrow threat present, sent the other Stygian on my left flank scurrying back down the hill.
End of Turn 4 Pics
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08013.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08014.jpg)
Turn 5- Well thing s are really starting to heat up. The Alies shield wall continues to hold well, with many unliving falling to Militia and Stygian, man do I hate facing Troy-the-just's Elven Militia. My Abyss Crawler surfaces and tramples an entire unit of Dream Warriors ;D sending Troy into a fit! is Lotus Eater wisely raises his skirts and FLEES for his life. Elvish Axemen turn and move towards the AC with one getting into CC with it and locking it above ground for the moment. I was actually hoping for this as I wanted to keep the Axemen from moving to fortify the shieldwall in the middle and because of the Aerial fight that was about to commence, and did not want any more enemies in range to help. The Berserkers had by this time broken from the cover of the Unliving and were moving into position in the rear of the allies. My Soulflayers move into position for what is hoped to be a 1-2 punch in the sky fight.
Turn 5 Pics
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08015.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/DogOWar143/Chronopia12-08016.jpg)
Turn(s) 6,7,8- The Allies become desperate and Sky Chariot a band of Reavers ithing distance of my Unholy Campion and Necro (Very smart move I would say), but sadly my Soulflayer is within range and swoops in and Balefires all but one, who engages the Unholy champion and is cut down. Whew....that could have been ugly. ;) More bodies pile up at the shieldwall as my unliving are not rolling dice very well and the Allies are.....ARRRRGGGHHH. I bring 1 of my soulflayers in over the middle of the board a few heightbands up which bring the Ophidians into the middle of the baord grouped together with the Venom Spawn and The Flying Dragonbane moves closer looking for an opening. My Soulflayer takes a wound or two from the Ophidian and is in turn wounded by my Archers. The stage is now set for the big Aerial Battle. My Abyss Crawler is engaged by the Axemen and over the next 2 turns is cut to ribbons.
As the tide begins to turn on the shieldwall with my other unit of Unliving hitting the Elven Militia from teh Flank/Rear, all eyes turn to the sky as all hell breaks loose. For the next 2 turns blood rains down form the heavens as 2 Ophidians, a Flying Dragonbane, and 2 Soulflayers tear into each other with streams of caustic venom, blasts of Balefire, hurling javelins, shinning lances, snapping teeth of Dragonbane, and hewing Bone Cleavers. It is truly a Battle Royale. In the end only a sigle creature is left alive, a very wounded Soulflayer, exhausted with only 2 wounds and out of activations hovering in hightband 2. Canonball senses an oppurtunity to even the playing field and attempts to move stygian against my poor wounded Soulflayer, but I finaly remeber that I cause Dread!!! Sadly, the poor stygian fail their save and cannot attack :'(. My Berserkers move to surround my Soulflayer and protect the endangered creature from its hateful enemies. on trun 8 more of the allies die as they attempt to break the Berserkers and my unliving begin to poor thru the gapping hole in the Allies line. The Soulflayer cooks some Stygian and then retreats out of range and my Berserker (having 2 wounds) go on the offensive cutting down stygian. At this point the Allies see no hope for victory and concede.
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Applaud button hit, even though I should smite ya for bein' such a tease!! I gotta know how this one ends. The suspense is killing me. I love the shots of the big beastie flyers on the terrain. I look forward to reading the rest of the story and seeing the pics.
Brilliant. I need to organize more big games like this, but I'm surrounded by Warzone, and figured I'd just cave into peer pressure. No worries. I'll still be Chronopia first.
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Great Battle Report.Looking forward to more info.Cany believe how many Unliving you have.
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I thought the same thing too, Andy. That's a lot of those dudes.
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I have been sorting through my Chronopia collection and have found loads of First born.Lots of Dwarves too ;D.
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If you can't make Talamania, I may have to take a trip to England and show you how great this game plays. Obviously I won't have to pack any pewter. :D
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Left hainging!
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Great report! Looks like you have been busy!
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It would be great to make it to Talamania.So many cool people attend that it would be nice to meet them in person.I will have to start and save for one of them.
Any updates and more pictures ;).
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It would be great to make it to Talamania.So many cool people attend that it would be nice to meet them in person.I will have to start and save for one of them.
Any updates and more pictures ;).
End of April, my good man. Arrive on a Thursday, leave on Monday.
If I am reading the site I looked at, its 278 Pounds for you.
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If you don't mind the sofa, and aren't allergic to dogs, I've free crash space, and their are inexpensive hotels near Dave's too.
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Sounds like a plan.I will have to look into getting a passport.
Just noticed that the Unliving units have Slingers in them.Still way more than I have.Looking forward to more updates.
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Sounds like a plan.I will have to look into getting a passport.
So Andreas and Andrew both may be coming in from Europe? And thus the name reveals itself......Talamania III - Invasion of the Euro-Andy's ;) ;D
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Let the invasion plans be draw up.Battle plan needed and forces mustered.Let loose the dogs of war(or maybe chickens of the Blackblood Empire).
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Let the invasion plans be draw up.Battle plan needed and forces mustered.Let loose the dogs of war(or maybe chickens of the Blackblood Empire).
That's Petrifying, Plucked Pullets of Doom to you sir. ;D
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I have now finished the report. Sorry about the delay. It was a fun battle. Hope everyone enjoys it.
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Sounds like a plan.I will have to look into getting a passport.
Just noticed that the Unliving units have Slingers in them.Still way more than I have.Looking forward to more updates.
You are right. I only have about 30+ unliving, the rest are slingers. Seem like everytime I got a lot of SOK I got a dozen slingers with it. Atleast I got to use them for something.
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Great report.Well worth waiting for.Lots of action and good inspiration to get some games in and miniatures painted.
Note to self must buy more Unliving.
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I really had a good time with this army build. It takes some patience as you have to wait for the numbers to kick in to see anything happen, and you need to choose your support carefully. Plus, I got to use berserkers, something I don't use alot in the 1000-1200 point range, due to their cost vs. effectiveness (IMO) ratio. To be fair the Berserkers were the right unit, in the right place, at the right time.