Push on through

My latest game is once again King of War and its one of my favourite scenarios - Push. Each side has 3 loot tokens and there is a central one. You score 2 point for each you hold in the enemy half and one for each in your half. So lots of options for strategies.

My orignal plan was to contest the central token with my most powerful units (Knights and Ogres) whilst forming a bubble with the Paladins who would try to get the unit carrying all three tokens up the table. The Undead spread theirs across the line.   

Sisterhood scouts hold the woods

The Undead army featured a large unit (horde) of elite revenant heavy cavalry. This is unwieldy but very hard to stop. Luckily it was only carrying one loot token. Deploying last I spotted one flank was largely open and so placed by loot token carrier there where it could move up unmolested. The Paladins would instead try to delay the enemy horsemen.    

Undead cavalry enmass

The action in the heavily contested centre was fast and bloody. My cavalry were able to get several flank charges and clear the left of the board where my loot carrier was advancing. Centrally though I was subjected to several waves of attacks that killed my Ogres.

Mhorgoth-the-unspellable in his first outing

About 4 turns in I was holding up the Undead in the centre and had been able to slowdown the cavalry advance on my right. At this point my loot carrier arrived in a safe spot on the enemies side giving me 6 points. A couple of dreaded double-1s cost the Undead horse a couple of moves as my Sisterhood Scouts clung-on in the woods longer than they should have.

6-points TVM !

By the end of the game losses were heavier for me than the Undead but I was 8-5 ahead. This was a scenario where the plan really matters and in hindsight the Undead should have placed all the loot with the large cavalry unit to score 6 points and contest the centre with their other units.

Hammer house of horrors

Something about the current lock-in has got me painting Undead at a decent rate. Over the last couple of weeks I've completed some Revenant cavalry, Zombies, Vampire infantry and a further unit of Mummies.

The ranks of the Undead are growing rapidly as the loo roll supplies diminish.

The Zombies are based as Troops so could double as Ghouls - fast moving units that screen the slower moving heavy hitters.

The chap at the front is a Vampire halfling - an ankle biter indeed.

 

Mhorgoth-the-mispelt isd at it again

Having won two if the last 3 games Mhorgoth is on a bit of a roll. So he attacked Basilean territory again in the Loot scenario. There are three Loot counters which you must capture and hold. They can be moved but the units holding them are slowed to 5" and lose any movement enhancing rules.

The Undead opted for their customary tough centre of Mummies, Vampires, and Revenant skeletons. Their left featured Werewolves and Vampire cavalry backed by more skeletons. I'm think this is a hammer horror army.....  

I deployed with a mobile flank of Knights and Elohi angelic troops supported by a mounted Priest to keep them healed-up. Centrally Paladin foot and Ogre palace guards formed the line. Way on my right was an Ur Elohi angelic hero who would seek to turn the enemy flank.      

I'm ronery, so ronery

My plans was a pretty simple one. I would push up with my line troops whilst three of my heroes would try to grab all the loot tokens and then escape for the rest of the battle. As the Undead have lots if slow Shambling units they might then struggle to catch me.  

Turns 1 and 2 saw a fierce battle on my left as the Knights clashed with the Werewolves. Loses were pretty even but it gave time for General Gnaeus to grab a Loot token and begin to make his way bravely to the rear.  

In the centre the Ogres managed to push through the woods and allow another hero (Samacris) to also grab a token. Simultaneously the sisterhood battle-nuns charged the dangerous Vampire infantry, pinning the Undead 's centre in place.

The central battle was a bit of a grind but some good rolls meant the Basileans were able to destroy the Vampires before they did much damage to my lines. The Ur Elohi eschewed a tempting flank charge in order to grab an objective.  

The game ended with all three Loot tokens in the hands of Basilean heroes and a solid 3-0 win for the forces of light. The army choice made a big difference here with the Basileans fast heroes a large factor in their victory as they could grab 2 loot tokens by the end of turn 2.  

This left the position as before - Mhorgoth in control of two territories.

 

Surgenanigans by Mhorgoth-the-mispelt

We had another game today in the ongoing KOW campaign - pretty sure its Sunday but who can tell these days! The scenario was Dominate again - points score for Unit Strength within 12" of the table centre (marked by a tower in this case).

The title needs explain though. Shambling units can nt double but can be Surged by wizards casting a spell. Each hit moves them forward 1" in the shooting phase. Surge (5) is fairly typical and means 2" - 3" forward on average. This out of sequence movement has lots of subtle possibilities but is random.
Undead have many Shambling units and surgenanigans as a key tactic.

The Undead had a more elite build than previous games with the centre containing 2 * Mummy Regts, 2 * Revenant elite skeletons, and the very nasty Vampire infantry unit. The fast flank was Werewolves and skeletons in support.  

The Basileans featured some additional chaff units with the Sisterhood battle nuns screening the core troops from attack.

On my left the cavalry faced-off against the Werewolves. The Lycians were channelled by the terrain into attacking serially and were eventually defeated in detail by my Knights.

Centrally the Sisterhood charged the Vampires and were able to waver them, so pinning them in place for a couple of precious turns. While my Ogre Guards got stuck into the skeletons on my left. This was a longer fight than I hoped (the dreaded double's saving the Undead again!)  

At dawn, look to the East 

Over on the right I was eventually able to mop-up the Werewolves but lost my cavalry in the end. a 2-1 swap so a good one for me, but it did leave a large unit of skeletons unharmed.

Soulreaver Vampire infantry

As we entered the Undead move in turn 6 (I moved first) I was 17 - 6 ahead on Unit Strength, wining handsomely.  This called for some long-shots by the Undead.

• Having spent 5 turns wavered on hung-up on chaff the Vampires charged and broke in a single turn a Paladin Footguard Regt sat in cover.
• A horde of skeletons was triple surged a total of 9" to attack one of my units in the rear and rout them

The next effect was for me to move from a 17-6 lead to a 13-11 loss thanks to surgenanigans and the Vampires hot dice.       

           
So another win for the Undead and a second territory captured by them.

WWII Engineers

Although I've been painting lots of fantasy stuff recently its not been all zombies and dragons. I bought some additional Russians way back in September at Colours. I have finally got around to painting them.

Flamethrower team - the nozzle is cunning disguised as a rifle

60mm mortar

Also in support is an SU-85 to give some punch.

They will see action in a forthcoming WWII campaign against the Germans.

An English victory

Nigel's  been indulging in some more solo play - he notes

Some more pics of a Old English v Romano British game. All 28mm from variety of manufacturers.

Fought with Kings of War rules again and resulting in a narrow Old English win (of course)

 

Pics  are  - 2 pics of Old English shield wall, Hengist (Old English Warlord), 2 x pics Romano British line.