Warhammer Underworlds - Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven versus The Dread Pageant

Wednesday evening, Amanda and I played another game of Warhammer Underworlds - still trying to decide on a warband for the event on Sunday. This time I tried out the Dread Pageant and Amanda played Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven again, but this time with the Rime-Locked Relics Rivals Deck. 

This is a super-classic Direchasm/Beastgrave era match-up. I think the first Warhammer Underworlds game I ever played was Dread Pageant versus Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven. As was the first game I played with Amanda!

I figured if I'm building at Hedonites of Slaanesh Vanguard force to play Spearhead games in the soon-to-be-released new edition of Age of Sigmar, I should at least CONSIDER bringing the one Hedonites warband to the event. I love the models of this warband, but I've always struggled with playing them... things just never really worked out... I don't recall winning very many games with them... It got marginally better when I put together a deck (which would now be called a "Relic" deck) and that did okay... but because I was only playing against Amanda at the time, she got bored of playing against them and I kind of stopped playing them... 

Amanda was trying out a totally new deck again this evening. She's played AGAINST Rime-locked Relics a number of times - Orion's played with them a lot. I used them with Thundrik's Profiteers, just last Friday! But she pays very little attention to what others are doing and what cards they're playing! 

I set up fairly aggressively - I had an objective card called Godseekers - which gave two glory if all surviving fighters were in Enemy Territory... Also I had an objective that required a Friendly Fighter be adjacent to TWO Enemy Fighters and one that required taking an Enemy Fighter on and Objective token out of action... The last one was tough... one one hand I KNEW she would jump Kyrssa and/or Lethyr onto Objectives and 3/4 of my warband could take either out with one successful attack... BUT... my warband only inspires if there are a total of SIX wound counters on fighters... and KILLING them means there are no wound counters on them... so I had to focus on ones that could take more damage (and maybe shoot one of them with Hadzu, who only dealt 

In the first round, Kyae shot Glisette dealing one damage. 

Vasillac charged Morgwaeth and missed. 

Morgwaeth maneuvered around Vasillac and hit. (so that's ME with three Damage tokens!)

Slakeslash charged Morgwaeth and hit, dealing two to her, and one to himself... boom... SIX Damage dealt and my entire warband inspires. 

I had a card that healed one of Vasillacs wounds. 

Is this two of the same picture...? I guess... 

Ah well... So that freed up Glisette to charge Lethyr - who was on an objective token and take her out of action, scoring me a bonus glory for the Objective Card! 

Khamyss charged Vasillac and hit, thinking it was going to take him out -as she had forgotten I'd used a card to heal him! 

Hadzu moved up and shot at Khamyss and missed. 

I scored for everyone being in enemy territory and one for all having move or charge tokens that I'd drawn to replace the surge I'd scored earlier... 

Starting off round two, Vasillac stabbed Morgwaeth taking her out of action. 

Then Khamyss killed Hadzu... and no one got to inspire because Morgwaeth was gone (She has a special ability to inspire a Friendly Fighter every time an Enemy Fighter is taken out of action). I played deadly embrace which allowed Hadzu to attack back before he died, and he hit and dealt Khamyss one damage... 

Slakeslash charged Khamyss... and MISSED!! Whoopsie! 

Khamyss hit Slakeslash and knocked it off the objective it was on.

Glissette stabbed and killed Khamyss 

Kyrae shot and killed Glissette. (I briefly considered using Shared Pain - which allows a Friendly Fighter that takes damage to transfer the Damage to a Friendly fighter within three hexes and pass all the damage dealt to Slakeslash - who could take it! In the end I didn't as it would have left THREE fighters with only one or two wounds left... It meant I couldn't score an objective I had which required holding two objectives... but it would probably keep Vasillac and Slakeslash alive and the two of them could deal some SERIOUS damage! 

Vasillac stabbed and killed Lethyr... 

It was quite the SLAUGHTER!!

The Third Round started with only Kyrae left. Amanda went first and shot at Vasillac, hitting and dealing one damage! (he had only one left... but I was still holding onto my shared pain card from ROUND ONE! 

Then Slakeslash charged and killed Kyrae... 

I had to charge with Slakeslash to keep him within three of Vasillac, in case my first attack missed. If it had been Vasillac that went... and missed... and Kyrae attacked and hit, Slakeslash would not be close enough to use Shared Pain (and pass any damage dealt to Slakeslash - who could take it!)

Also, if Slakeslash missed, and Kyrae just attacked again, Slakeslash would be supporting and also support when Vasillac charged. Amanda probably wouldn't have done that, she'd have charged vasillac, but at least Slakeslash would be close to soak wounds and maybe move in and attack after Vasillac did a charge...? I don't know... 

I had given Slakeslash an upgrade that increased its Damage to 3, but Amanda had given Kyrae an upgrade that reduced Damage by one... which meant the blow itself wouldn't take her out... I briefly considered NOT pushing her back into the Lethal Hex and finishing her off... on the chance that I could get Vasillac in next to her and score Excess of Carnality (two or more Friendly Fighters next to the same Enemy Fighter)... but she probably woudn't have stayed there and it could potentially give her a chance to score more things and/or take out Vasillac... so I just finished her off!!

This actually allowed Amanda to score an objective for two points! (a friendly fighter with a rime-locked relic is taken out of action!?) 

I cycled through objectives and move Vasillac to score Excess of Paramountcy (for my leader holding an objective in enemy territory) along with Excess of Indolency (No enemy fighters with move or charge tokens!) 

In the end I scored THIRTEEN Glory!! Amanda only scored... five...? She was pretty cranky about it... but did admit there were some pretty cool cards in the deck she was playing with and there was "definitely something here" and she'd try it again... and acknowledged that it was probably because she hadn't read the cards before trying to play with them!?

I don't fault her for not being able to do that. I know that **I** have a really hard time reading cards and figuring out what they really mean and how they work together without seeing how it works in the game... I need a LOT of plays with a warband/deck before I can remotely feel competent with them... and that's why we're playing games all week! 

Warhammer Underworlds - MORE Terrain Bits

I finished up another little terrain piece from the Beastgrave terrain pack this week. 

Mostly we use these terrain bits to make Blocked Hexes a bit more clear...

But this one (as with a few of the others) look more like they are meant to be HAZARD or LETHAL hexes!? 

Getting to be a few of them.

I'd still like to make a few for the frozen caverns of Deathgorge or the Underseas depths of Harrowdeep... 

I am very nearly finished the Cado Ezechiar model - so close I put varnish on him... and then realized I missed a few little bits!? DOH!!

Also working on the Chaos Gargant and Kairic Acolytes for Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower! 

Warhammer Underworlds: Battles in Shadespire and the Beastgrave

Once again Orion and Nick joined us for a couple of games of Warhammer Underworlds on the first Sunday in April.

We started off with a game set in Shadespire (only using boards from Shadespire/Nightvault) 

I wanted to try out the freshly painted Sons of Velmorn with their own Rivals Deck and selected Katophrane's Reliquary board. Amanda wanted to keep playing Elathain's Soulraid, still just using their own Rivals Deck and took The Cursed Oubliette board). Nic was playing Grashrack's Despoilers with a Nemesis deck using Break Neck Slaughter on The Ruptured Seal. Orion was playing the Sepulchral Guard with a Nemesis deck using Rimlocked Relics on The Cursed Oubliette.

Starting things off, Nic charged in with Draknar, smashing Helmar the Hewer to bits... 

Draknar did not get to celebrate that victory long as Sir Jedran stepped up and cleaved the beast in twain! 

Um... and then everyone ran away from me and over to the Sepulchral Guards side of the battlefield!? 

Deepking and Beastmen and skeletons all mixing it up! 

More beastmans and skeletons... 

Um....? I only have three move over here!? Wait for me!!!

Grashrak Fellhoof charged the Sepulchral Warden... it did not go well for Mr. Fellhoof... 

I did have a card that brought Helmar the Hewer back... in my own territory... 

As the Sons of Velmorn moved up, it drew the attention of Elathain's Soulraid and Tammael charged Sir Jedran. 

Marchal Faulk moved up and despatched Tammael...

Elathain moved up and with a pair of nasty blows, took down Sir Jedran and with the stolen soul, revived his harpoon chucking thrall, Tammael! 

So, I killed Tammael, to release Sir Jedran's soul... 

Amanda had given Elathain, like five or six upgrades... reducing damage, reducing attack dice of foes... there was no way I was going to take them down... so I focused on scoring a few hold objectives... 

And tried to chase down Fuirann!? I hit and dealt 3 damage - which SHOULD have taken her out... but Amanda had given her an upgrade blessing her with +1 wounds... So one of Orions rotten little skeletons stepped in a finished her off! FIE!!!

Orion, once again, just trashed all of us, scoring 23 Glory Points!? I did... okay... scoring 15, Amanda wasn't too far behing me with 12, and Nic (who was tabled in the second round) only managed to score 9 Glory. 

For our second game we played in the Beastgrave

I decided to change things up and broke out Wurmspat with a Nemesis Deck using Break Neck Slaughter Nemesis Deck and chose the  Pool of Fangs board. Amanda continued with the Idonth Deepkin but switched to Cyreni's Razors, just using their own Rivals Deck on the Hive of Sacrifice. Nic tried out Sons of Velmorn with own Rivals Deck on Ravaged Hall. And Orion continued to use Sepulchral Guard with the Rimlocked Relics Nemesis Deck (on Abandoned Lair)

I took Wurmspat because I knew there was a fair chance I'd have to duck out a bit early to get to my book club. I thought I'd just suicide charge them at... whoever... thinking I'd try and score as many points as I could before dying, quickly... But the, after the first round, it looked more like Amanda's warband might get wiped out (by ME!?), so I suggested she could play my warband when I had to leave. 

First activation, Ghulough charging Cyreni! 

Amanda has sent Alathyrr across the table, deep into the Sepulchral Warden's territory, hoping to take out the warden and STOP them from raising over and over and over... 

But Renglaith stuck around to try and defend Cyreni - gave Gulough a good poke! Then Sepsimus also charged in... 

Fecula would also charge in and... I think I took out Cyreni... and then for my fourth activation I could have scored an easy point moving Fecula onto an objective... but decided to attack Renglaith again, hoping to finish him off before he got to finish off Gulough in the next round (and score the same amount of glory!?) ... and I missed...

So at the beginning of the second round Renglaith finished off Gulough... I had a new plan, though, based on the cards I drew. I had an upgrade card that I gave to Fecula, that allowed allowed her to move from any edge hex to any other edge hex. 

So, Sepsimus ran off and killed Cephanyr the squid... 

and then started trying to bonk the sons of Velmorn. 

Fecula charged to the nearest edge hex and flung a curse off at Renglaith, hoping to finish him off... and MISSED!?!? 

So I think The Prince stepped in a finished off Renglaith... (those fucking sepulchral Guard always stealing my kills!) 

BY the time I left only Fecula Flyblown was still alive... and one of Amanda's Thralls, Alathyrr - who was wounded... and standing next to two of the Sepulchral Guard - including the Warden... I thought for sure the Thrall was doomed and she'd just be playing Fecula... (albeit with a COMPLETELY unfamiliar deck!?) I gave her a few pointers about what I'd been planning and ran off to my book club! 

Later Amanda reported to me that both her Thrall AND Fecula survived to the end... but, again, Orion scored 23 Glory... Nic scored 10, Amanda scored 9 and the Wurmspat scored only 7... 

I'm sure Wurmspat had 6 or 7 when I left!? So I'm guessing Amanda didn't really DO much with Fecula and just concentrated to doing stuff with Alathyrr...? Ah, well...   

I had been pretty stoked about trying to knock out Zondara's Gravebreakers, but I think Zarbag's Gitz might be the next warband I finish up!? (along with the Squigherd I'd picked up earlier this year...) 

Warhammer Underworlds TERRAIN!?

I finished up a few more of the little terrain bits I picked up ages ago. For both Nightvault and Beastgrave, Games Workshop released little terrain bits that could be used for blocked hexes (and maybe hazard hexes?). Some bits directly matched bits on some of the boards, others were more generic. 

four more of the bits I finished up. Not the greatest painting I've even done.. but they are DONE and I have so much to do, I can't get too worked up about it... Calling them done and moving on! 

I'd previously finished two of the bits from Beastgrave and had them handy to use in a game the previous week... so I worked on a few of these in between other things I've been working on all week and managed to finish them off. 

(there was a fifth one I finished... but forgot to bring downstairs.. I'll probably have a few of the others finished up in the next week or so, so I'll include it there. 

While they're fun to throw out on the table for Warhammer Underworlds, they could easily be used as generic scatter terrain in any other minaiture tabletop game. 

Still chugging away on the Asatra Militarum self-propelled artillery... and at least a half-dozen Warhammer Underworlds are being painted in fits and starts - Grinkrak's Looncourt being the closest to being finished now... 

I played a couple of FOUR-PLAYER games of Warhammer Underworlds over the weekend... should have a brief report of that action up tomorrow! 

Warhammer Underworlds - Morgwaeth's Blade Coven vs Mollog's Mob

Friday evening Amanda and I finally got back to playing Warhammer Underworlds. This was to be our final Battle in Beastgrave/Direchasm (for the time being). We are saying that Morgweath's Blade-Coven found a portal they believe could be a way home... More on that next game... 

Before they could make it through the portal, they had to pass through a cavern occupied by Mollog the Mighty- a Dankhold Troggoth and his assorted squig-beast hangers on!

THE GAME 

Amanda won the roll-off to determine who selected a board first, and she made me do that - giving herself the advantage of being able to orient the second board as she pleased. I chose the Hive of Sacrifice, largely because of the distribution of Start Locations on it, I wanted to be able to start with MOST of my warband as close to Enemy Territory as possible, regardless of how she oriented it. Amanda selected the Abandoned Lair and set it up short end to short end - making a long hall to play in. She has speed, and Mollog moves slowly, so it was to her advantage to do so. 

I got to set up objectives first, though. So I set up the first one in Enemy territory as close to my territory as possible, but positioned as such that no others could be placed FURTHER from my territory. Amanda's warband is ALL ABOUT controlling objectives, and mine was just about SMASHING the other warband, so I wanted to keep them all as close to the middle of the board as possible. 

I finished set up first. Stalagsquig is set up AFTER everything else is set up and can be set up ANYWHERE on the board... I had thought of setting it up in Enemy Territory

 

But unless I set it up completely out of the way in a corner where it could do NOTHING, I figured it would just get murderified on the first activation... So, I set it on the objective location nearest Enemy Territory... Sure, they'd probably move up and kill it... but then someone else would have to move to take the objective... and that would just bring them closer to Mollog... 

ROUND ONE

We rolled off and I got to choose whether I went first or not, and so I did... I probably should have gone second, but whatevs... 

I had objective cards that gave Glory if three moved into enemy territory (or something like that...?) and one that gave glory if ONE character made four activations during the round. So, I could potentially do one or the other. I think the other objective was to kill someone and deal twice the damage needed... which COULD happen if Mollog inspired as he deals FOUR damage then (and 3/5 of the Blade Coven only has two wounds!) 

Mollog shambled up into enemy territory. Not within range of anybody. but close enough to that objective location that he could SMASH anyone that stepped onto it... 

In retrospect I should have moved into range of Morgwaeth... Sure, she might have stabbed Mollog... But that would have been a GOOD thing - as the warband inspires when he takes 3 damage! 

Khamyss danced onto objective #3 and Amanda played Regal Vision - which inspired Khamyss... 

I moved up Spiteshroom, thinking I'd go for the move my guys into enemy territory objective. Morgwaeth then charged off to the side and chopped up poor Spiteshroom... though the spores that burst out from it as it died dealt one damage to Morgwaeth... so... 

Morgwaeth then inspired and Khamyss was upgraded with Champions Fortitude (allowing her to re-roll a defence die)... 

I decided to charge Kyrae, the bow-armed Melusai Blood Stalker that hadn't activated yet... and hopefully be in a position to smash Khamyss the next round without having to move. 

Kyrae was taken out of action with a single shot gaining me the Primacy token. I think I upgraded Mollog with something...? Great Fortitude? 

Khamyss attacked Mollog and dealt two damage! 

Bat Squig Charged Morgwaeth. I rolled a crit and a success - looking pretty good! and Amanda also rolled a crit and a success... so bat squig pushed her away. Probably not the greatest idea, as Bat Squig was still in range of Morgwaeth's attacks... but Bat Squig would have to charge to attack again... 

Khamyss attacked Mollog again, but missed this time. 

ROUND END

I gained one (spent) glory point for having the Primacy token.... that was it. So I had two Glory Points and Amanda had nne? Both of us discarded a pile of cards and drew new handfuls of Objective and Power cards

ROUND TWO

Amanda won the roll off and decided to go first. 

Khamyss charged away from Mollog and over to where Stalagsquig sat on Objective #2.... and killed it, gaining one Glory Point. Morgwaeth Inspired Lethyr. Amanda then played Consecrate to Khaine to gain a second Glory Point for taking out an enemy on an Objective. I played Illusory Fighter and moved Mollog to an empty start space in my own territory (adjacent to Morgwaeth).  Amanda played Catechism of Murder to inspire Kyrssa (now all of her warband was inspired) and upgraded Khamyss with Great Fortitude (so now she got to re-roll a defence die and had +1 wounds) 

On my turn, Mollog took a swing at Morgwaeth... and missed. 

Morgwaeth ran off to Objective #2 

Mollog slowly turned around and moved one hex closer to them... bringing him within range of both Morgwaeth and Khamyss AND Objective #4. 

Lethyr moved to Objective #4 and Amanda scored Swift Capture (+1 Glory for holding one Objective in her own territory and one objective in my territory).

Mollog took ANOTHER swing at Morgwaeth... and MISSED AGAIN. Amanda scored Steadfast Defender (+1 Glory for being attacked while holding an objective and surviving) 

Kyrssa moved onto Objective #3 

Mollog took a THIRD swing at Morgwaeth and took her out! I gained +1 Glory and the Primacy token for taking out a leader. I upgraded Mollog with Great Strength (+1 Damage - now dealing 4!).

ROUND END

In the round end Amanda scored Dominant Position (+2 glory for holding more objectives than opponent) bringing her to seven Glory Points. She'd also had TWO other cards that EACH would have scored her three Glory Points for holding objectives, but I'd wrecked that plan by killing Morgwaeth... PHEW!  

I gained one spend Glory point for the Primacy Token, and scored Master of Battle (for a fighter taking three or more actions in the Round) and Unassailable (Scored if my leader as the only surviving leader, or I had the Primacy token... I had BOTH! But still only scored it once) for two more, bringing my total to six. 

ROUND THREE

I went first this round and Mollog smashed Lethyr, gained the Primacy Token and scored Crushing Force (for making as attack that dealt at least twice as much damage as needed to take their target out of action...) 

Khamyss ran away - all the way to Objective #5, deep in my own territory. Further than Mollog could go in one move... So I played Predatory Growls - allowing me to push an Enemy one hex... and moved her OFF the Objective. 

Amanda was displeased... 

She did play Drilled to Perfection (giving a Guard Token to Kyrssa) and Fanatical Faith which would reduce any damage I did in the next round to 1... which didn't matter, because no one was within RANGE of Mollog and I'd be spending the round moving... 

Mollog moved on my turn. I COULD have moved towards Khamyss... and gotten to withing range to hit her... but she has Range 2 attacks as well... and 2 defence dice with a re-roll... Kyrssa had a Guard Token... I went for Kyrssa... 

Amanda discarded an objective card and drew a replacement. 

Mollog took a swing at Kyrssa. For the SECOND TIME this game, I rolled a crit and a success and thought that was the end of Kyrssa, only for Amanda to roll the exact same result... but I tied, so I knocked her back into the Lethal Hex dealing ONE damage!? 

Kyrssa charged out of the Lethal Hex, past Mollog, onto Objective #4, and took a stab at Mollog. THAT was a tie as well!? 

Mollog turned around and smashed Kyrssa (+1 Glory for me!) 

ROUND END

I scored Unassailable Primacy (for having the primacy token two rounds in a row) and Awesome Predator (which can be scored for having the Primacy token OR having one or more Attack actions with a Damage characteristic of 4+... again, I had BOTH) and an additional spent Glory, just for having the Primacy Token... bringing my total to THIRTEEN!? 

Amanda had nothing she could score... Her total remained at seven Glory Points

So Mollog's Mob turned out to be pretty BAD ASS! I did do a fair bit of deck editing before the game, though... 

Normally, when trying a new warband, I generally try using the cards that come with them - to get a sense of what they're supposed to be about and how well those cards work. 

Mollog's Mob is one of the Shadespire releases (the first group of releases) and... it shows... Just a quick glance through the cards it became pretty apparent that a LOT of the cards were just garbage and playing them would be very, very frustrating. 

So Friday evening before playing, I quickly edited the deck... I ditched all but two of the Objective cards and got rid of almost half of the Power Cards. I mostly just grabbed things that would be easily attainable. With a bit more deck editing, it could be a really, REALLY nasty warband to face! 

It was nice to finally get back to playing Warhammer Underworlds. This was the final game we were playing in Beastgrave/Direchasm (for now). I've played TEN games in that setting so far this year, ticking off one of the games on my 10x10 Challenge list.  

For the rest of the year we are planning to play game set in Harrowdeep on Wednesday evenings (plus two extra games over the holidaze), which will get in a futher 10 games of Warhammer Underworlds: Harrowdeep - for the 10x10 Challenge. 

My plan is to also paint a new warband every week for Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven to face...