It has been over 9 months since I final performed Spearhead! Via a convoluted sequence of distractions, my thoughts had settled on “giving it another go”… so I picked up the brand new Sand & Bone set, painted all of the terrain bits, and was able to play Wednesday afternoon!
Orion met me on the Warhammer Retailer together with her Soulblight Gravelords military and we tried out the brand new Sand and Bones set.
I introduced the Sylvaneth Bitterbark Copse.
I received the roll off and determined to be the attacker. Orion selected the Ossia (sand) aspect of the board to play on and the angled Deployment Zones.
We arrange the Crypt of Blood in the course of the board. There’s really NOWHERE within the guidelines that explains had been the Crypt of Blood or the Icon of Neferata are for use.
Having learn by the Twist Card Decks for the 2 sides of the board I might found that the Icon of Neferata is positioned on the Dolorum aspect of the board if a selected twist card is drawn. There was no comparable twist card within the Ossia Twist Deck. I did discover a teeny-tiny icon with “Crypt of Blood” printed in tinier letters on one of many deployment maps in Battleplan sections… it is on the picture exhibiting the angled deployment zone. The examplt is the Ossia map… however there’s noting that STATES that is for the Ossia map solely, it might simply as simply imply the Crypt of Blood is ready up within the middle of the map if utilizing the angled deployment… The one factor which may counsel in any other case is that the foundations for putting the OTHER terrain bits states that they can’t be positioned on an goal space… and the Dolorum aspect of the map has an goal space proper in the course of the map…?
On my first flip the Tree-Revenants rushed ahead on my proper flank and secured the target space there…
On the left flank the Kurnothi Hunters lumbered ahead and secured the target space there, and took a number of photographs on the Deathrattle Skeletons there… had I remembered how terrain and canopy works (it would not…) I’d have shot on the Vampire… alas… a number of of the skeletons had been shattered by the arrows of their nice bows.
Within the centre the Treelord plodded as much as one of many Goal Areas and frolicked right here.
And that was it. I made no try and get into contact and assault any enemy models… The aim is not to kill enemy models. Although there are SOME benefits for those who simply kill all of them off… It is simpler to maneuver round and rating targets if there are not any enemy on the desk… the Soulblights are simply SO HARD to truly kill!? They simply preserve coming again like a foul case of herpes! So, I prevented confrontation on my first flip as I used to be unlikely to do something helpful… they usually’d simply get extra possibilities to prune my timber.
On the finish of my flip I scored 5 factors. Three had been for holding greater than two targets, and the opposite two had been from Goal playing cards (one required I’ve models inside 3″ of the enemies lengthy desk edge – which the Kurnothi had been – and the opposite required holding the Necropolis Goal – which… one in every of my models was holding…
On the Soulblight Gravelords flip, the Blood Knights charged the Treelord.
The Bloodknights drank of the Crypt of Blood – a factor a unit can do if inside 6″ in the course of the Fight Part – they roll d6, on a 4+ they get +1 to all assault rolls (so, for the Bloodknights, they might be hitting on 2+), in the event that they fail (roll 1-3) they take d3 mortal wounds… which do not actually matter in any respect to the Bloodknights as for ever wound they deal, they heal one wound! (Except they failed and rolled a 3 on the d3… that might have taken out a bloodknight… however there was solely a 16% likelihood of that occuring and a 50% likelihood of hitting on 2+, so Orion went for it… and succeeded)
In order that they killed the Treelord on Spherical One… earlier than it even acquired to hit something!?
The Vampire Lord and a unit of Deathrattle Skeletons charged the Kurnothi.
One of many Kurnothi was killed and one other injured…
The Tree-revenants fought the opposite group of Deathrattle Skeletons.
I feel a number of Tree-Revenants had been killed, however I forgot to take away them earlier than taking the second image…?
The Soulblight Gravelords additionally scored 5 victory factors – two for Goals they managed and THREE from playing cards! No underdog in Spherical Two!
I largely tried to AVOID the Vampires… it looks as if anytime I struggle them. I do a number of wounds… then they kill my guys and heal proper again up!? Identical with the Skeletons… you kill a number of… then they simply get proper again up on their subsequent flip (they roll a die for each at present out of motion and on a 5+ they return to the unit…)
On my flip, I used Strike and Fade (to maneuver the Kurnothi that had been in fight) and Walkers on the Hidden Paths (to maneuver the Branchwych who wasn’t), to grab the target within the center that wasn’t held – to carry one goal and rating two playing cards (for 3 extra victory factors, bringing my whole to eight)
The Bloodknights maneuvered to cost…
AND FAILED.
That is most likely the one cause I wasn’t completely worn out on Spherical Two…
On the third spherical, Once more I used Strike and Fade, Walkers on the Hidden Paths, and a card that did the identical factor to maneuver models to locations away from the Vampires… although there actually ISN’T anyplace on the tiny board that they can not get to you…
A minimum of on MY flip, none of my military was dying!
In the long run I held two targets and scored a card and a few factors regarding the Twist, for one other FIVE factors – bringing my whole to 13!
I feel I additionally introduced again one in every of he Kurnothi – with the magical therapeutic powers of the forest… or… one thing…?
The Bloodknights simply wheeled round and charged EVERYTHING… and had been joined by the Vampire Lord
The Deathrattle Skeletons and the Varghiests that arrived that flip tried to get in there… however could not make it..
They did not actually NEED to, although…
The Bloodknights simply murdered the Branchwych and took out one other Kurnothi.
the Soulblight Gravelords additionally scored 5 victory factors bringing their whole to fifteen.
I might been simply going by my deck, on the finish of every spherical, if I hadn’t used a card I discarded it… becaues I KNEW there was a card in that deck someplace that…
Let me carry again a unit! And so I introduced again the Treelord. It solely had 4 wounds remaining… however it was there and it HIT HARD…
If it ever GOT to hit… I attempted to cost the Vampire Lord, however it reacted with a card that allowed it to maneuver.. it moved away, seized an objecive I might flipped with one of many Twists… and ended up simply far sufficient away that MY cost did not make it…
I scored two factors from playing cards… my last whole being fifteen victory factors.
Bloodknights murdered Kurnothi and Tree-Revenants… and healed up all their wounds – as a result of, because it seems, maple syrup is simply as sustaining for vampires as blood!
after which the Vargheists and Vampire Lord attacked the Treelord… I THINK it was nonetheless standing on the finish of the sport…?
Regardless, the Soulblights scored FOUR extra factors, bringing their whole to eighteen! So I solely misplaced by three… which, I assume, is an enchancment as all the opposite video games I performed I misplaced by 4 or 5… or extra…
I feel I could have forgotten to make use of the Ley Strains skill for many whole sport – on the finish of each flip mine and opponents (so, twice per spherical) every pleasant unit inside 3″ of any terrain function is healed 1… would have been tremendous helpful… (I could have remembered it within the fourth spherical!?). Additionally, I nonetheless have not totally wrapped my head round the best way to correctly use the Strike and Fade and Walkers of the Hidden Paths talents (each talents that enable me to take away models from the desk and set them up once more – at sure instances and below sure circumstances…).. discovering one of the best ways to arrange models to have the ability to make use of them… I did okay with it, higher than earlier sport.. however I really feel like I might do higher with it… Additionally, it wasn’t till AFTER the subsequent sport the next day that I can use a NORMAL MOVE skill BEFORE utilizing Walkers of the Hidden Paths, to carry a unit nearer to a chunk of terrain to have the ability to transfer them concerning the board.
Ugggghhh… I am again to feeling like I ought to simply persist with role-playing video games…
I just like the IDEA of Spearhead, for a lot of of he identical causes I LOVED De Bellis Antiquitatis and Hordes of the Issues; smaller armies, small taking part in house, fastened military lists, faster video games, all the foundations are in ONE BOOK (you do not want a $70 codex or Battletome for EACH ARMY you need to play)…. however it is not almost as… elegant…? And, whereas I acknowledge that I am simply not that nice of a participant of video games (and Orion could be very, VERY good at video games) I do really feel like these armies aren’t actually as balanced… Not that every one DBA armies had been totally balanced…
Anyway, nonetheless going to provide it one other go and see if I can get some extra video games in and get some extra of the armies I’ve PAINTED!!
Though, possibly bouncing round from military to military, taking part in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, is not the BEST solution to be taught. It’d most likely be smarter to PICK ONE and simply be taught to play THAT ONE… however my momma did not elevate no geniuses!
I did get in one other sport the next day (Thursday) and I’ll have a sport report for that at SOME level… Hopefully earlier than I play some MORE video games this week!!