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UK Challenge Cup 2006 - Tournament Report
So the game became reality.
This report is, of course, from my perspective, and I hope others will chide in an give their views.
The preamble - I spent a lot of time considering various warbands, including my favoured archmage in various build, death slaads again in various builds - but I was drawn to Helmed Horrors. I played a tournament with the HHx3, Dark Naga, Gravehound, Bluesx2 and a goblin skirmisher. The band won a local tourney and I went 4-0, against the best players here in Manchester, England. I still didn't like the build - the HHs really need magic weapons from fairly low cost mini. I tried two commander version with Hobgoblin Sergeant and a Kobold Sorcerer. Again, I wasn't happy - they were simply to slow, and did very little as time moved on. I started to study the maps to see which one I could guarantee tile points only and realised the truth of the Outpost map - the central bridge is only 13 squares from either assembly area. That's when I decided to use the Rakshasa - the slide spell could move a HH one step and get it to the central area in one move. I also decided to make it especially difficult to win points from the warband and so included kobold miners x 3. The idea was simple - stand in the centre, use slide and Bigby's to maximise the effect of the HHs. The magic weapons would be supplied by the excellent Dark Moon Monk.
My final warband:
Rasta Horrors (after the Rakshasa's hairstyle).
HHx3
Rakshasa
Dark Moon Monk
Kobold Miners x 3
Drow Outpost
I only had a chance to play this warband 3-4 time before the game - and I played my friend, Eric from Belgium, on Vassal against a HH mirror matchup with the original Dark Naga build. I beat it, just. It gave me confidence to take it down to the tournament. Eric's skill level gave me the confidence that it would be competitive there!
The journey - arrived at FB3 at 07:30 and started filling up the car with their stocks (we had stocks in two estate cars) and headed down in an independent convoy. As is so typical on the M6, there had been an accident and there was a long queue, and time was passing - we would be late for the tournament I had been organising. Do'h. Once we had got passed the 4 mile queue, we managed to make up some lost time and got there about on time. FB3 set up their stall as we started registering the warbands - list at bottom:
Round 1: Tom
Tom's a fairly new gamer at Manchester and had spent some time thinking up a warband idea for the game. I won map init, and - really, that was the game. The LG guys were just to slow to get tile points and I could guide the game my way. However, he did inflict some serious pain from Rask on one HH and got rid of my Kobold Miners. Tom is improving a lot and will start showing up soon with his warbands at the Manchester venue (Fanboy3) - 1-0
Round 2: Ron
I've never played Ron before, but his reputation is strong. His warband wasn't what I had expected - only 5 activations. Anyway, this matchup was a very tough one and I had to work out some kind of way to win it. The idea was fairly simple - get rid of his commander and protect my own points. We played on the Outpost and I had the setup area at the top, opposite side to the outpost itself. I like that one for HHs. I spread out the HHs by running one down to the bottom, used the slide to get a HH on the tile grabbing area and one more within a magic weapon range of the DMM. On the next round I managed to base his Kobold Sorcerer in the outpost building and proceeded to kill it - however I managed to get that HH surrounded by two of his! The game progressed as he killed two of my HHs and I killed two of his. The end result being the first round tile points and the difference in points between my DMM and his Kobold Sorcerer - 115-100, 2-0.
Round 3: Gritbone
I always despair in playing my son in DDM - we design the warbands together and they tend to be pretty solid. His gaming style is very aggressive (that'll change I suspect). He was 2-0 at this point also. The trouble I have in playing him is 1) he's a very strong player - especially considering he's only 13 and 2) do I let him win, or go easy? Well - I have made the decision to play him the way I'd play anyone else - that way, when he starts winning, it's all his own doing - on that day, I'll be the proudest dad around. He knew my strategy pretty well and blocked my ability to get tile points in the first round and he was up by 10. I set up my favoured - spread HHs from the top right side of the Drow Outpost to be able to get into combat quickly around the bridge. However, he won 2nd round init and shortly had inflicted 40 damage on a HH and had Crow Shamans waiting to do more! On my turn I started to move one of the HHs in to muck around his support units and surrounded his AoK with the other two. I got in a few hits, but not enough to cause a Morale Check. I managed to get a successful Bigby's on the AoK and got further hits. I think he passed Morale Check. The next round I killed the AoK and had HH:s in his support area. He saw no way of winning and conceded. 200-30 - 3-0
Round 4: Pawel
Pawel is a great player - and a specialist Archmage player. Having spent a fair bit of time on the Archmage myself, I knew that I could hide my support units well enough to force the tempo. Again, I won map init (against Ryld - wow) but he chose to place first in my favoured top right area. I got great rolls for placing my Miners and managed to cover the central area just right to stop his Pegasus from getting into it at all unless he used the Archmage to kills a miner. The plan was simple - kill all his support units and win on tile points. If I could get at the Archmage - that would be a boon. I could kill 102 points - he could likely only kill one HH, my miners and the DMM and Rakshasa = 101 points. I needed to ensure I was getting tile points all the time. I decided to get the battle to stay inside the outpost. Pawel placed two swords on one of my HHs (the one I thought I'd lose). He also moved into the outpost with the Pegasus - it didn't take long to kill it - but I also lost my commander - however, at the cost of his commander - so far the game was going to plan. He had also forced a Morale Check on my DMM - which I failed. As the game progressed, I had cleared his minis on the bridge and he no longer was getting any tile points. His Archmage also started being hit by the HH in the outpost and he had nothing to really hit back with - in the end the Archmage was forced to a morale save, which he failed. As he flew away, I was still getting tile points and he conceded. 4-0
Particularly pleasing was the fact that this is the first time this warband has been beaten in his hands - and I've lost to it twice before. Pawel is a great sport.
Round 5: One_Wing
I've not played One_Wing before and this was a lesson. I thought I could win this matchup - however, he won map init and we played on the mushroom map - not a map I've spent any real time on (I'll do that more now though). The game went bad from the beginning - I chose and area to have the battle - and really should've done something completely different. Hindsight is excellent. I made huge mistakes and he punished them severely. I managed to get Rikka off the board (well - we did that part after the conceding). I simply couldn't hit the darned bear often enough and when it needed a morale save, it passed. I lost two horrors to it and the FB and then placed my commander one square too close to the FB - he came and hit me for 30 and I failed Morale and ran off the board - ouch. At that point I had a badly injured HH left and conceded - well played James. - about 51-200. 4-1
Round 6: Lwc
Lwc is one of the better DDM players in Manchester and regularly beats me with his non-standard builds. He also has a knack of getting the best rolls when needed. Something he knows... Anyway, I won map init - and he placed in my favoured area. The problem really for him is that his warband was so slow - and the bridge really punishes this. I spend some time arranging so that I can get all my pieces magic weaponed by round 3 and get onto the bridge with my first MW piece, blocking access to the outpost side for any non-flying (or non-burrowing) warband. The game goes badly for Lwc and I feint a move up and over with one of the HHs, drawing away some of the attention from the bridge - nice if I can get him to completely buy into the feint - but he only does so with little commitment. The battle commences on the bridge in round 2 and I soon rout one of the "spinning tops" - GDS's - and start the death of the dwarves. The next round the first slayer dies. The next round the second one. Shortly after, both remaining GDSs are dead and his commander routs and dies on the resulting AOO. Lwc concedes - 5-1.
At this point I find out that Ron has managed to do what I couldn't - beat One_Wing! So the final is between the two of us.
Finals: Ron
The strategy here is similar to the original one - try and kill off two HHs without losing my third, protect my additional pieces and win on tile points and the extra points for his commander. Ron won init and used the Hellspike prison. The first round I got tile points from my KMs - but they were soon dead or running away. I spent the first round pulling his warband over to my side (the one over at the bottom right, under the shrine). I managed to surround one of his HHs and he came in guns blazing with all 4 HHs against my 3. Now - his rolls were awful and that is the one reason that I managed to get rid of 2 of his HHs. More importantly, I got one of the HHs to base his Sorcerer 12 squares away on the other side of the battle map while he was still pounding (and missing) my second HH. Once his second HH had died, his Kobold Sorcerer had routed off the board he managed to kill my second HH. At this point it was a matter of grabbing tile points - and I moved the Rakshasa across the board to get the DMM into command and placed in the Victory area. Ron kept his second HH on the VP area - the stalagmite area at the bottom - and had the second pursue my Rakshasa the next round. However, as I moved away from it, he rolled too low (again) to hit the Rakshasa on his AOO and it ran into the shrine area 16 squares away. With him being out of Command I was able to gather Tile points and play hide and go seek until he left the tile grabbing area and go across the board to engage my undamaged HH that was protecting the DMM. It was only a matter of time before the tile points added up to the requisite 200. I think the final score was 200-160.
The main learnings from this competition is that you 1) need to know your own warband well and 2) Learn the maps that you might encounter. Also - if you can - have a plan and don't rely on luck. Choose a strong tactical approach that should bring you victory and then pursue it aggressively. Only divert from it if it isn't working.
Lwc:
Cleric of Lathander
Slayer of Domiel x 2
Celestial Dire Badger
Gold Dwarf Solider x 3
Dwarven Raider
Richard:
Chraal x 3
Orog Warlord - Orc Brute and Orc Savage
Mongrelfolk
Scarlet Brotherhood Monk
Mike:
Urthok the Vicious
Mercenary Sergeant
Duergar Champ x 2
Chraal x 2
Kobold Soldier
Stephen - XAos:
Inspiring Marshal
Rikka
Frenzied Berserker
Elf Pyromancer
Wizard Tactician x 2
Guillaume - Sam:
Dark Naga
Efreeti
Helmed Horror x 2
Dark Moon Monk
Blue
Kobold Miner
Alex:
Stone Giant
Purple Dragon Knight
Justice Archon
Gold Dwarf Soldier
Cleric of Moradin
Celestial Dire Badger
John:
Greenfang Druid
Dire Bear x 2
Inspiring Marshal
Graycloak Ranger x 2 - Timber Wolves
Xeph Warrior
Gritbone - my son:
Graycloak Ranger x 3 - wolves
Aspect of Kord
Inspiring Marshal
Crow Shaman x 2
Devis
Arthur:
Troglodyte Captain
Green Dragon
Helmed Horror x 2
Kobold Soldier
Duergar Warrior x 2
Pawel - honorary Englishman from Poland:
Ryld
Celestial Pegasus
Archmage
Wold Elf Raider
Xeph x 3
Orcmonk - Chris:
Couatl
Ulmo Lightbringer
Justice Archon x 2
Hill Dwarf Warrior x 4
Charlie:
Efreeti
Helmed Horror
Dark Naga
Gauth
Kobold Sorcerer
Kobold Miner x 2
Skeletal Dwarf
Jason - Tritex
Drow Arcane Guarg
Lolth's Sting x 4
Xendrick Champ
Ryld
Large Deep dragon
James - One_Wing
Greenfang Druid
Dire Bear
Frenzied Berserker
Rikka
Aramil
Timber Wolf x 2
Ron - Rondom:
Kobold Sorcerer
Helmed Horror x 4
Steve - Dr. Who:
Moon Elf Fighter
Wizard Tactician
Frenzied Berserker x 2
Devis
Wild Elf Raider
Elf Warriors x 2
Nick - Drago F
Justice Archon x 4
Exorcist of the Silver Fire
Loyal Earth Elemental
Tom:
Half Orc Paladin
Rask
Regdar - Adventurer
Slayer of Domiel
Caravan Guard
Warforged Wizard
Royal Guard
Declan:
Sword Archon
Marut
Gold Dwarf Soldier
Man at Arms
Mercenary Sergeant
UK Challenge Cup 2006 - Tournament Report
So the game became reality.
This report is, of course, from my perspective, and I hope others will chide in an give their views.
The preamble - I spent a lot of time considering various warbands, including my favoured archmage in various build, death slaads again in various builds - but I was drawn to Helmed Horrors. I played a tournament with the HHx3, Dark Naga, Gravehound, Bluesx2 and a goblin skirmisher. The band won a local tourney and I went 4-0, against the best players here in Manchester, England. I still didn't like the build - the HHs really need magic weapons from fairly low cost mini. I tried two commander version with Hobgoblin Sergeant and a Kobold Sorcerer. Again, I wasn't happy - they were simply to slow, and did very little as time moved on. I started to study the maps to see which one I could guarantee tile points only and realised the truth of the Outpost map - the central bridge is only 13 squares from either assembly area. That's when I decided to use the Rakshasa - the slide spell could move a HH one step and get it to the central area in one move. I also decided to make it especially difficult to win points from the warband and so included kobold miners x 3. The idea was simple - stand in the centre, use slide and Bigby's to maximise the effect of the HHs. The magic weapons would be supplied by the excellent Dark Moon Monk.
My final warband:
Rasta Horrors (after the Rakshasa's hairstyle).
HHx3
Rakshasa
Dark Moon Monk
Kobold Miners x 3
Drow Outpost
I only had a chance to play this warband 3-4 time before the game - and I played my friend, Eric from Belgium, on Vassal against a HH mirror matchup with the original Dark Naga build. I beat it, just. It gave me confidence to take it down to the tournament. Eric's skill level gave me the confidence that it would be competitive there!
The journey - arrived at FB3 at 07:30 and started filling up the car with their stocks (we had stocks in two estate cars) and headed down in an independent convoy. As is so typical on the M6, there had been an accident and there was a long queue, and time was passing - we would be late for the tournament I had been organising. Do'h. Once we had got passed the 4 mile queue, we managed to make up some lost time and got there about on time. FB3 set up their stall as we started registering the warbands - list at bottom:
Round 1: Tom
Tom's a fairly new gamer at Manchester and had spent some time thinking up a warband idea for the game. I won map init, and - really, that was the game. The LG guys were just to slow to get tile points and I could guide the game my way. However, he did inflict some serious pain from Rask on one HH and got rid of my Kobold Miners. Tom is improving a lot and will start showing up soon with his warbands at the Manchester venue (Fanboy3) - 1-0
Round 2: Ron
I've never played Ron before, but his reputation is strong. His warband wasn't what I had expected - only 5 activations. Anyway, this matchup was a very tough one and I had to work out some kind of way to win it. The idea was fairly simple - get rid of his commander and protect my own points. We played on the Outpost and I had the setup area at the top, opposite side to the outpost itself. I like that one for HHs. I spread out the HHs by running one down to the bottom, used the slide to get a HH on the tile grabbing area and one more within a magic weapon range of the DMM. On the next round I managed to base his Kobold Sorcerer in the outpost building and proceeded to kill it - however I managed to get that HH surrounded by two of his! The game progressed as he killed two of my HHs and I killed two of his. The end result being the first round tile points and the difference in points between my DMM and his Kobold Sorcerer - 115-100, 2-0.
Round 3: Gritbone
I always despair in playing my son in DDM - we design the warbands together and they tend to be pretty solid. His gaming style is very aggressive (that'll change I suspect). He was 2-0 at this point also. The trouble I have in playing him is 1) he's a very strong player - especially considering he's only 13 and 2) do I let him win, or go easy? Well - I have made the decision to play him the way I'd play anyone else - that way, when he starts winning, it's all his own doing - on that day, I'll be the proudest dad around. He knew my strategy pretty well and blocked my ability to get tile points in the first round and he was up by 10. I set up my favoured - spread HHs from the top right side of the Drow Outpost to be able to get into combat quickly around the bridge. However, he won 2nd round init and shortly had inflicted 40 damage on a HH and had Crow Shamans waiting to do more! On my turn I started to move one of the HHs in to muck around his support units and surrounded his AoK with the other two. I got in a few hits, but not enough to cause a Morale Check. I managed to get a successful Bigby's on the AoK and got further hits. I think he passed Morale Check. The next round I killed the AoK and had HH:s in his support area. He saw no way of winning and conceded. 200-30 - 3-0
Round 4: Pawel
Pawel is a great player - and a specialist Archmage player. Having spent a fair bit of time on the Archmage myself, I knew that I could hide my support units well enough to force the tempo. Again, I won map init (against Ryld - wow) but he chose to place first in my favoured top right area. I got great rolls for placing my Miners and managed to cover the central area just right to stop his Pegasus from getting into it at all unless he used the Archmage to kills a miner. The plan was simple - kill all his support units and win on tile points. If I could get at the Archmage - that would be a boon. I could kill 102 points - he could likely only kill one HH, my miners and the DMM and Rakshasa = 101 points. I needed to ensure I was getting tile points all the time. I decided to get the battle to stay inside the outpost. Pawel placed two swords on one of my HHs (the one I thought I'd lose). He also moved into the outpost with the Pegasus - it didn't take long to kill it - but I also lost my commander - however, at the cost of his commander - so far the game was going to plan. He had also forced a Morale Check on my DMM - which I failed. As the game progressed, I had cleared his minis on the bridge and he no longer was getting any tile points. His Archmage also started being hit by the HH in the outpost and he had nothing to really hit back with - in the end the Archmage was forced to a morale save, which he failed. As he flew away, I was still getting tile points and he conceded. 4-0
Particularly pleasing was the fact that this is the first time this warband has been beaten in his hands - and I've lost to it twice before. Pawel is a great sport.
Round 5: One_Wing
I've not played One_Wing before and this was a lesson. I thought I could win this matchup - however, he won map init and we played on the mushroom map - not a map I've spent any real time on (I'll do that more now though). The game went bad from the beginning - I chose and area to have the battle - and really should've done something completely different. Hindsight is excellent. I made huge mistakes and he punished them severely. I managed to get Rikka off the board (well - we did that part after the conceding). I simply couldn't hit the darned bear often enough and when it needed a morale save, it passed. I lost two horrors to it and the FB and then placed my commander one square too close to the FB - he came and hit me for 30 and I failed Morale and ran off the board - ouch. At that point I had a badly injured HH left and conceded - well played James. - about 51-200. 4-1
Round 6: Lwc
Lwc is one of the better DDM players in Manchester and regularly beats me with his non-standard builds. He also has a knack of getting the best rolls when needed. Something he knows... Anyway, I won map init - and he placed in my favoured area. The problem really for him is that his warband was so slow - and the bridge really punishes this. I spend some time arranging so that I can get all my pieces magic weaponed by round 3 and get onto the bridge with my first MW piece, blocking access to the outpost side for any non-flying (or non-burrowing) warband. The game goes badly for Lwc and I feint a move up and over with one of the HHs, drawing away some of the attention from the bridge - nice if I can get him to completely buy into the feint - but he only does so with little commitment. The battle commences on the bridge in round 2 and I soon rout one of the "spinning tops" - GDS's - and start the death of the dwarves. The next round the first slayer dies. The next round the second one. Shortly after, both remaining GDSs are dead and his commander routs and dies on the resulting AOO. Lwc concedes - 5-1.
At this point I find out that Ron has managed to do what I couldn't - beat One_Wing! So the final is between the two of us.
Finals: Ron
The strategy here is similar to the original one - try and kill off two HHs without losing my third, protect my additional pieces and win on tile points and the extra points for his commander. Ron won init and used the Hellspike prison. The first round I got tile points from my KMs - but they were soon dead or running away. I spent the first round pulling his warband over to my side (the one over at the bottom right, under the shrine). I managed to surround one of his HHs and he came in guns blazing with all 4 HHs against my 3. Now - his rolls were awful and that is the one reason that I managed to get rid of 2 of his HHs. More importantly, I got one of the HHs to base his Sorcerer 12 squares away on the other side of the battle map while he was still pounding (and missing) my second HH. Once his second HH had died, his Kobold Sorcerer had routed off the board he managed to kill my second HH. At this point it was a matter of grabbing tile points - and I moved the Rakshasa across the board to get the DMM into command and placed in the Victory area. Ron kept his second HH on the VP area - the stalagmite area at the bottom - and had the second pursue my Rakshasa the next round. However, as I moved away from it, he rolled too low (again) to hit the Rakshasa on his AOO and it ran into the shrine area 16 squares away. With him being out of Command I was able to gather Tile points and play hide and go seek until he left the tile grabbing area and go across the board to engage my undamaged HH that was protecting the DMM. It was only a matter of time before the tile points added up to the requisite 200. I think the final score was 200-160.
The main learnings from this competition is that you 1) need to know your own warband well and 2) Learn the maps that you might encounter. Also - if you can - have a plan and don't rely on luck. Choose a strong tactical approach that should bring you victory and then pursue it aggressively. Only divert from it if it isn't working.
Lwc:
Cleric of Lathander
Slayer of Domiel x 2
Celestial Dire Badger
Gold Dwarf Solider x 3
Dwarven Raider
Richard:
Chraal x 3
Orog Warlord - Orc Brute and Orc Savage
Mongrelfolk
Scarlet Brotherhood Monk
Mike:
Urthok the Vicious
Mercenary Sergeant
Duergar Champ x 2
Chraal x 2
Kobold Soldier
Stephen - XAos:
Inspiring Marshal
Rikka
Frenzied Berserker
Elf Pyromancer
Wizard Tactician x 2
Guillaume - Sam:
Dark Naga
Efreeti
Helmed Horror x 2
Dark Moon Monk
Blue
Kobold Miner
Alex:
Stone Giant
Purple Dragon Knight
Justice Archon
Gold Dwarf Soldier
Cleric of Moradin
Celestial Dire Badger
John:
Greenfang Druid
Dire Bear x 2
Inspiring Marshal
Graycloak Ranger x 2 - Timber Wolves
Xeph Warrior
Gritbone - my son:
Graycloak Ranger x 3 - wolves
Aspect of Kord
Inspiring Marshal
Crow Shaman x 2
Devis
Arthur:
Troglodyte Captain
Green Dragon
Helmed Horror x 2
Kobold Soldier
Duergar Warrior x 2
Pawel - honorary Englishman from Poland:
Ryld
Celestial Pegasus
Archmage
Wold Elf Raider
Xeph x 3
Orcmonk - Chris:
Couatl
Ulmo Lightbringer
Justice Archon x 2
Hill Dwarf Warrior x 4
Charlie:
Efreeti
Helmed Horror
Dark Naga
Gauth
Kobold Sorcerer
Kobold Miner x 2
Skeletal Dwarf
Jason - Tritex
Drow Arcane Guarg
Lolth's Sting x 4
Xendrick Champ
Ryld
Large Deep dragon
James - One_Wing
Greenfang Druid
Dire Bear
Frenzied Berserker
Rikka
Aramil
Timber Wolf x 2
Ron - Rondom:
Kobold Sorcerer
Helmed Horror x 4
Steve - Dr. Who:
Moon Elf Fighter
Wizard Tactician
Frenzied Berserker x 2
Devis
Wild Elf Raider
Elf Warriors x 2
Nick - Drago F
Justice Archon x 4
Exorcist of the Silver Fire
Loyal Earth Elemental
Tom:
Half Orc Paladin
Rask
Regdar - Adventurer
Slayer of Domiel
Caravan Guard
Warforged Wizard
Royal Guard
Declan:
Sword Archon
Marut
Gold Dwarf Soldier
Man at Arms
Mercenary Sergeant
