Desperate Time Scenario 3 - Imperfect Ambush

Legion versus Circle 750 points

The third scenario in a campaign from Privateer Press' No Quarter No. 9.

Description

Scouts have discovered the depot at Spinepoint is attached to an outpost further up the slope used in warmer months to watch over traffic passing along the Dragon's Tongue River. The Cygnarans also temporarily abandoned this location due to harsh weather. The soldiers feared being trapped if the single, treacherous road should get buried in snow. The unusually heavy snowfall has collected in a precarious heap that could collapse at any moment.

Special Rules and Set Up

A hill was placed between 8"-10" in diameter in the centre of the table. Then a Gun Emplacement was placed in the centre of the hill. A warrior model in base to base contact with the Gun Emplacement's back arc may forfeit its action to fire, reload or change the facing of the Gun Emplacement. After rotating the Gun Emplacement the warrior that changed the facing is placed in base contact with the back arc. The RAT of the warrior firing the gun us used to resolve ranged attacks with the Gun Emplacement (RNG 16" ROF * AOE 4" POW 16). The Gun Emplacement cannot be harmed in any way.

Players alternated placing three terrain pieces each. Terrain could not be placed within 3" of a deployment area. The hill with the Gun Emplacement (a Mule stood in for this feature) had a rocky, impassable left side. Three impassable rocky hills surrounded the centre hill and the table was completed with the addition of three forests - two flanking the centre hill and the third in front of the rocky part of the hill.

Defenstrator chose the rockier side of the table leaving me with a forest and a rocky hill on my side of the centre line.

Beginning

The attacking player deployed first and took the first turn. Since he had won the previous scenario, Defenstrator was the attacking player and deployed his force as normal.

Victory Conditions

A player holds the Gun Emplacement by having one or more models of his or hers in base-to-base contact with the gun and no enemy models in base-to-base contact with the gun. A player scores one scenario point by holding the Gun Emplacement during his or her maintenance phase. The first player to score three scenario points wins the game. The scenario continues even if one warlock is destroyed or removed from play.

Rewards

Scouts: The victorious army routs its enemy and surveys the surrounding area before the next battle. During "Scenario 4, Home Fires". The winning player may place one additional terrain feature.

Tactical Advantage: Tally the victories for the first three scenarios of the Desperate Times mini-campaign. The player with the greater number of wins is the attacker in "Scenario 4, Home Fires".

Forces

Circle:

• Kaya, the Wildborn
• 9 Wolves of Orboros + Huntsman
• 4 Tharn Ravagers + Beast Lord
• Shifting Stones
• Argus
• Argus
• Woldwatcher
• Warpwolf
• Woldwarden
• Lord of the Feast
• Totem Hunter

Legion:

• Lylyth, Herald of Everblight
• 9 Blighted Swordsmen + Vassal
• Spawning Vessel and 6 Acolyths
• 4 Warmongers + Apostle
• Harrier
• Harrier
• Seraph
• Seraph
• Teraph
• Carnivean
• The Forsaken
• The Forsaken

Legion Set Up

Defenstrator set up his forces in essentially two ranks along the front edge of his deployment zone. In the first rank (from left to right) was Seraph 2, the Carnivean, Lylyth, the Swordsmen, Teraph and the Warmongers. Behind Seraph 2 and the Carnivean were Harrier 1 and Forsaken 1 and behind the Swordsmen were the Spawning Vessel, Harrier 2, Seraph 1 and Forsaken 2.

Circle Set Up

I was able to set up a single row along the front edge of my deployment zone so my line was a little easier to deal with. From left to right I had the Totem Hunter, Ravagers, Argus 2, Woldwarden, Kaya, Warpwolf, and the Wolves. Using the Advance Depolyment option I placed the Lord of the Feast in the forest by the objective, the Stones to the left of the rocky hill and the Woldwatcher to the right of the same hill.

The Battle

Legion Turn 1

Defenstrator had won the last game and as a result all his models would have +2" of movement for the first turn of this game. The Swordsmen used this advantage to run to the Gun Emplacement and start to surround it. Running beside them to give support were the Teraph and Harrier 2. Seraph 1 ran behind the Teraph and Forsaken 2 moved behind it to remove the Fury it collected on its run.

Lylyth cast Slipstream and then cast Taint on Seraph 2. She opted to burn the rest of her Fury before she moved up to the nearest rocky hill. The Carnivean was moved forward by the Slipstream and then charged the Woldwatcher. Since it was too far away only the Dragon Breath was in range. It boosted both the hit and damage rolls and did 5 points of damage. Serpah 2 moved behind the Carnivean and attempted to shoot the Woldwatcher but was out of range. It then riled for 1 Fury. Harrier 1 simply ran to join the Carnivean.

The Acolyths ran towards the Swordsmen on the hill in a snaking line to maintain coherency with the Spawning Vessel which also moved forward. The Warmongers ran up the right flank towards the trees.

Circle Turn 1

The Woldwarden moved forward into the Stones and attempted to cast Spirit Fang on Harrier 2 but missed. The Totem Hunter and Ravagers walked to join the Lord of the Feast in the forest as the Wolves moved up the opposite flank. Argus 1 walked up behind the forest to join them.

The Woldwatcher shot the Carnivean but even with boosted hit and damage rolls did no damage. The Warpwolf warped to give itself +2 ARM and then moved behind the large rocky hill behind the Woldwatcher. Kaya moved up behind them and cast Cloak of Mists on the Woldwarden and burned 2 points of Fury. Argus 2 walked up to join Kaya and the Warpwolf.

The Stones and the Lord of the Feast both did nothing this turn.

Legion Turn 2

Legion received 1 Scenario Point for holding the Gun Emplacement this turn.

Lylyth leached as much Fury as she was able but had to leave some on Harrier 2 due to it being out of her control range. Luckily it didn't frenzy. She chose not to upkeep Taint.

The Swordsmen began the turn by continuing to surround the Gun emplacement. Those at the back loaded it, changed its facing and shot the Stones destroying one.

Lylyth moved onto the hill and initated Field of Slaughter. She shot the Woldwatcher with Hellsinger and with a boosted damage roll did 5 points. Eruption of Spines followed for an additional 2 points on the Woldwatcher but did no damage to the nearby Warpwolf.

Harrier 1 cast True Strike and charged Argus 1 but did no damage.

Seraph 2 cast Slipstream and moved beside the Carnivean and then shot the Woldwatcher. With a boost to hit the first time and rolling 6 extra shots the Woldwatcher was destroyed. The Slipstreamed Carnivean was now in front of the Seraph and had a clear path to charge the Warpwolf. With a miss on the charge attack it only managed to do 20 points of damage so the Warpwolf would survive. Forsaken 1 moved beside Lylyth and took 3 Fury off Seraph 2.

Harrier 2 simply moved forward.

The Teraph shot the Ravagers and boosted damage. It managed to do 3 points to one of them and, because the models were so close, also damaged the Lord of the Feast for 4 points and a second Ravager for 2 points. Seraph 1 then flew over the Teraph to shoot at the Ravagers as well. With 5 extra shots it managed to kill two of them. Forsaken 2 moved up to take 3 Fury off the Teraph.

The Warmongers charged the Totem Hunter, using their reach to engage it in the trees. Two attacks and they killed it with a Berserk Warmonger whacking one of his fellows for 4 points of damage. The next Warmonger also reached into the trees and killed the Lord of the Feast and missed his fellow.

The Acolyths moved in front of Lylyth and the Spawning Vessel continued its slow movement up the field.

Circle Turn 2

Kaya leached all the Fury available to her and chose not to upkeep Cloak of Mists.

With the front two dead the Ravagers were able to charge the Warmongers and killed 3 of them with leaving a Heart Token on one of their number.

The Woldwarden charged Seraph 1 and missed with both attacks.

Argus 1 attacked Harrier 1 and also missed with both of its attacks. Not exactly the start to the turn that I was looking for. The Wolves abandoned their plan of getting around Seraph 2 to turn and move to attack Harrier 1. With their Combined Melee Attack they were able to kill the Harrier.

Argus 2 moved to engage the Carnivean and in an extreme effort reared back and double Head Butted the heavy. With a boost to hit the Carivean was knocked down.

Kaya cast Spirit Door to bring the Woldwarden behind her and away from Seraph 1 and then used the rest of her Fury to heal the Warpwolf of 3 points of damage.

The Warpwolf warped to give itself +2 STR and laid into the Carnivean. The knocked down beast was easily dispatched between the automatic hits and Chain Ripper. The inclusion of Argus 2 in the fight gave the Warpwolf +1 on every hit because of Kaya's Pack Hunters ability.

The two remaining Stones surrounded Harrier 2.

Legion Turn 3

Legion received it's second scenario point for holding the Gun Emplacement. Lylyth leached Fury and then Serpah 1 and Harrier 2 made their Threashold checks and did not frenzy.

The Acolyths moved forward again, snaking over the hill and forming a wall in front of Lylyth.

Forsaken 1 cast Blight Shroud with 4 Fury and killed the Warpwolf.

Seraph 1 shot at the Ravagers and got 6 extra shots killing the leader and one other.

The Teraph charged the Stones and destroyed one. Harrier 2 then charged the Woldwarden and did 1 point of damage.

The Warmongers killed the last of the Ravagers and then turned and killed the final Warmonger leaving only the leader of that group.

Lylyth moved forward and shot Argus 1 for an awesome 10 points of damage. The following Eruption of Spines killed the Argus and 4 Wolves.

The Swordsmen once again loaded the gun and this time shot at the final Stone doing 2 points of damage.

Seraph 2 shot Argus 2 and got 5 extra shots. Luckily for me only the first two hit for 7 damage points.

Forsaken 2 moved up and removed 2 Fury off Seraph 1.

Circle Turn 3

There wasn't much hope left for me in this scenario. In one more turn the Legion would have secured enough points that the conditions would be won so I decided to at least try to make it a game rather than a run away victory.

Kaya leached to full Fury but was forced to leave one on the Woldwarden. The Woldwarden attacked Harrier 2 and did 10 points of damage in the one hit that connected.

Argus 2 walked up to Seraph 2 and also did 10 points of damage in one hit. Kaya opened a Spirit Door just beyond Argus 2 which just allowed her to squeeze past the Acolyths and engage Lylyth. Boosting to hit she managed the caster kill in 2 blows and then called upon Wild Mastery. She attacked Forsaken 1 and killed it and then turned to Seraph 2 but only managed to do 1 point. The remaining Wolves combined attacks on Seraph 2 but only managed 2 points.

Finally, in a move that shocked Defenstrator, the final Stone telaported into base-to-base contact with the Gun Emplacement contesting the final scenario point.

Legion Turn 4

All the beasts turned tail and fled towards the nearest table edge.

The remaining Warmonger Apostle ran toward the centre hill and Forsaken 2 boosted to destroy the final Stone.

The Acolyths attacked the Wolves, Argus 2 and Kaya but all missed except one who did 4 points of damage to Kaya. The Spawning Vessel produced a Harrier, which moved up to block access to the field gun.

The Swordsmen loaded and changed the facing of the gun to shoot at the Wolves. With the 4" area of effect 5 Wolves were killed and 1 point of damage was done to Argus 2. The final Wolf ran and was cut down by an Acolyth.

Circle Turn 4

There was no Fury for Kaya to leach so the turn began with the Woldwarden moving to attack the final Warmonger. Although it did 8 points of damage in the first hit the second did nothing and the Chain Attack of Druid's Wrath missed.

Argus 2 attacked the Acolyths, killing two of them and then riled for a final point of Fury. Kaya also attacked the Acoloyths but did nothing.

Legion Turn 5

Legion won on scenario points for holding the Gun Emplacement.

Final Thoughts

Myantek: The best that I can say about that is that I managed to turn it into a game for a turn at least. I think I got the hang of the balance between offensive/defensive that Circle needs to play to win games and if I'd had a little more time (or a little better luck with at least the Woldwarden) then I might have been able to pull it around.

I knew that he was going to be on the objective fast one way or the other so there was no point in trying to take it until I had whitled down his beasts a little. With the Forsaken pulling Fury off it was a bad idea to get too close too fast, even with troops because when one of them decides to blow then it's good-bye to any models that are too close.

I keep making the error of attempting to use the trees as a means of protection for my models. So very little in Legion is actually affected by terrain that it's really much simpler to envision your side of the battlefield as a blank slate. As usual, it was the errors in placement that lost me models right at the beginning. Had the Woldwatcher been a little bit further behind the rocky hill then I might have been able to do something with him. Same for the Totem Hunter in the forest. It's the first time I'd fielded him and was looking forward to finding out what he could do, instead, he died before I did anything more than move him forward.

In this particular campaign I'm finding the take and hold scenarios have been killer. Circle has a much stronger end game than it has a front game and by the time we get to the point that I can really get in and get going the game's nearly over due to victory conditions.

In my mind I won a victory. I killed Lylyth and caused all the beasts to run. That's usually enough. I did better than the last few games I've played. I still lost but I think I may be getting close to turning things around.

Defenstrator: Well I can't deny that she scared me. It looked like the game was firmly in the bag when all of a sudden my warlock was dead and the point contested. I had horrible visions of Kaya and her remaining beasts whittling my remaining forces down and then just standing by the gun on top of a heap of corpses. Fortunately my Swordsmen came though with the gun to blow away the Wolves and any chance that she would be able to kill enough models in time to stop me.

As usual going first in the scenario was a big advantage. I'm not sure if the extra 2" to movement reward from the previous scenario was really needed. I was up the field and on the objective so fast it was tough for Myantek to break through and take it back. What did cause me problems was Lylyth's small control area and my lack of pathfinding models. With the trees on the flanks I was pretty much trapped in the centre of the board. Fortunately I had enough shooting that I was able to make a bit of a firebase on the top of the hill and punish the approaching Circle models.