9th Age Clubtournament

Yesterday we had the second 9th Age tournament in our local club in Vienna. I fielded following Vampire Covenant list:

– Vampire Count: Von Karnstein, Storm Caller, Level 2 Wizard (Death), Great Weapon, Dragon Mantle, Talisman of Supreme Shielding, Shielding Scroll, Potion of Swiftness
– Necromancer Lord: Level 4 Wizard (Fire), Unholy Tome
– Barrow King: Great Weapon, Battle Standard Bearer, Tullius Tooth
– Necromancer: Level 1 Wizard (Necromancy), Dispel Scroll
– 3xBanshee
– 31+30 Zombies: Musician, Standard bearer
– 40 Skeletons: Halberds, Champion, Musician, Standard bearer, Banner of Speed
– 2×5 Direwolves
– 2 Bat Swarm
– 6 Phantom Host
– Cadaver Wagon: Endless Horde, Bone Pyre
– 10 Wraiths
– Shrieking Horror

Round 1: Paul „Paulizei“ Kohl (Saurean Ancients, Diagonal:Secure Target)
We both had quite some respect. He from my screams and my ethereal units, I from his Stegadons, Magic Phase and Magic weapons. For 4 rounds, basically nothing happened. I secured the centre target and sent my left zombies to contest the other.

In his 5th round he tried to push to the centre. I backed away, redirected the Temple guard with a Banshee and screamed at the Stegadon (only little effect). I also pushed with my Wraiths from the right and with my Phantom hosts on the left, now that no magical weapons and no counter was present there. I even managed to put Burning Ramparts on the Skinks/Kroxis.

In his last round, my opponent marched to the target with his Skinks/Kroxis, losing a lot of them (half points). He put another skink unit to the target and shielded it with his flying hero with magic weapon.

Banshees and Shrieking Horror screamed at a Stegadon, leaving it with 1 HP (half points). My Zombies charged the Skinks/Kroxis but the Buffs were dispelled and I wasn’t able to break them.

At this point I learned that in order to contest a target, you need MORE banners than the opponent, leaving me only with a small 12:8 victory. Still satisfied.

Round 2: Christoph „Teclis“ Müller (Daemon Legions, Flank Attack: Hold the Ground)
Daemons, the one army I was hoping to avoid. He got the flanks, left his shooting units and his greater Daemon, right his fiends and in the centre his block units. I stayed compact in the middle.

First he tried to push over the left. I pinned his shooters and his chariot was unlucky against my Phantom hosts (2 wounds against the forest, 2 in cc). In round 3 he made the mistake of putting his general in my scream-reach. With the dispel scroll already gone, I decided to push for the win: One snipe and 4 Screams later the Daemon was dead.

Of course my Shrieking Horror and a Banshee died and also my Phantom Hosts were unlucky against the Daemons. I was now in the centre and my opponent went all in: Tallymen in the front, fiends in the flank. I was very lucky against the Tallymen but took heavy losses against the fiends.

The fight lasted to the end with my unit „alive“, all tallymen dead and the fiends and horrors (which joined later) still standing. During magic I managed to get some more points and of course I held the centre, resulting in a surprising 19:1 victory.

Round 3: Dolce „und“ Gabana (Sylvan Elves, Classic: Breakthrough)
A nasty list with two trees and two fast very fighty characters. He deployed first and I put my units in the opposite corner of his nasty stuff, hoping for a quick breakthrough. In my first round I made a huge mistake with my carrier. I pushed a little to far so that the wild riders on the right were able to charge to my left side, the Tree on my left slightly past the impassable to my right side and the nastiest fighter who was hiding behind the tree (not even visible here) saw 2 millimetres of my right side and so was able to confront my general.

All units managed to reach me and I started to pray. And really, my general killed 4 Riders before they could attack (initiative potion for the win!) and saved all 4 wounds (Multiple wounds D3!) from the opponent. With the tree in the challenge, I won the combat and the nasty elf fled, though the Tree kept on fighting.

Now it was looking quite good again! My zombies started for the enemy deployment zone, Banshees and Horror positioned to scream and my Wraiths had my back against the second unit of wild riders. I started magic with 3 dice to remove the white magic token on the fleeing character and reduce his leadership. POOOFF, 22 Skeletons gone. I really needed those … At least the elf died as well. Another close combat round later, I had very little skeletons left.

The riders and the BSB (2nd nasty character) joined the fight. I forgot to use my one use Karnstein ability, but since I only killed one rider with my general it wouldn’t have mattered anyhow. At least my BSB killed the Elf-BSB before my unit crumbled to death.

I only had one more chance to prevent a complete disaster: I needed both my Zombie units in the the opposite deployment zone. Luckily one opponents standard fled after I fireballed the eagle, so he also only was able to put two units in my zone. I used my banshees to redirect the trees and in the very last magic round I needed a Dance Macabre to get to the zone: 5:3 dice, high roll, yes!

The game resulted in a 7:13. Who says you always get wiped, when your general dies? In the end it was the 4th place (out of 16), I’m satisfied.