EPIC! Kreoss, EPIC! Doomy, EPIC! Feats, EPIC! game.

The preparations for Tourney season carried on against Cal and a formidable beast heavy list.

(EPIC!) Hoarluk Doomshaper, Rage of Dhunia
* Pyre Troll
* Troll Axer
* Dire Troll Mauler
* Earthborn Dire Troll
* Mulg the Ancient
* Trollkin Runebearer
Trollkin Runeshapers (Leader and 2 Crew)
Janissa Stonetide
Troll Whelps
Troll Whelps

Reinforcements:

Trollkin Scouts (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Trollkin Scouts (Leader and 5 Grunts)

I was originally going to take eFeora to give her her debut but Dark Sphere didn’t have the model for me to buy (or that I didn’t think her list would pack enough punch against what was likely to be a beast heavy list). So I went with a variation of my eKreoss list:

Grand Exemplar (EPIC!) Kreoss
* Fire of Salvation
Daughters of the Flame (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Exemplar Bastions (Leader and 4 Grunts)

Exemplar Errants (Leader and 9 Grunts)
* Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard Bearer
Knights Exemplar (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Knights Exemplar (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & 2 Honor Guard
Exemplar Errant Seneschal
High Exemplar Gravus
Knight Exemplar Seneschal
Knight Exemplar Seneschal

Reinforcements:

Flameguard Cleansers (Leader and 9 Grunts)
* Flameguard Cleanser Officer

We drew up the scenario for the game which was Outflank, Outfight and Outflank with Reinforcements. Neither Cal nor I had gotten to use the Reinforcement rule yet so this was going to be a lot of fun.

Cal won the roll-off and decided to go first. eDoomy sat in the centre flanked by Troll Moses and Janissa with the Runeshapers in front. Cal placed the Mauler, Mulg and the Pyre facing my right flank and the Earthborn and Axer facing my left.

I set up with a front line of Bastions and both units of Knights (the Knights looking to make an early claim for the right hand control zone). eKreoss, FoS, Rhoven and Co and both Knight Sennys standing behind. The Errants, Errant Senny and Daughters Advance Deployed near the forest looking to take the left hand control zone.

Turn1

Cal ran everything forward as one with the exception of Doomy who threw Wild Aggression on the Earthborn and Refuge on the Pyre.

Kreoss goes first and puts Inviolable Resolve and Sacrosanct on the Knights (I forgot to use their Advance Move, probably just as well). Both sets of Knights run forward towards the control zone just about getting a toe in. The Bastions also run forward to try and clog up the middle of the field. The Daughters drift in from the left to the centre to see what the Runeshapers would do, While the Errants got cosy in the forest contesting the zone.

Turn 2

The fun began when Cal brought on his reinforcements. The first Scout unit deployed at the front of the reinforcement deployment zone, with the second unit just behind them. The first unit activated and Assaulted the Errants and made quite a big dent in their numbers (six Errants kicked the bucket), while the second Scout unit moved up in support. Cal’s next action was to get Moses to use Harmonious Exaltation on Doomy who had upkept his spells and feated. The Runeshapers move forward and try to blast the Daughters but can only kill one. The Earthborn, who had Rush cast on him by Doomy, charges into the Bastions taking three down, leaving the remaining two on one wound each. The Axer follows suit and threshers three Daughters. Having seen what was happening on the other side of the table, the Mauler decided to get in on the action and charge the Knights. This charge, thankfully, failed by the closest of margins. Mulg moved closer to the Control Zone and Janissa threw down a Rock Wall in front of the Pyre and Mulg. The Pyre also tried to Spew at the Knights but couldn’t cause any harm or make the fire stick due to eKreoss’ Elite Cadre: Aegis.

After a big turn from Cal, it was time for a big turn from me. I brought on my Reinforcements and deployed them as far as they could go. Kreoss kicked things off allocating one Focus to FoS and upkeeping his upkeeps. He moved forward and then feated (everybody auto-hits and get an extra attack each) keeping hold of the rest of his Focus. I started with the Bastions and charged the Axer. Credit goes to the Axer for staying alive on two points after four Weapon Master attacks. One of my Knights Senny (now with STR buff for Menites dying nearby) charged the Earthborn getting off his Chain Attack. This caused a lot of damage. Gravus (full up with souls of fallen Menites – love that double dipping) charged in and finished off the Earthborn. Rhoven moved up with his Honor Guard and used Negation to take a point of Fury away from the Axer (not that it made much difference to Doomy). The Errants struck back at the Scouts killing three from the closest unit and two from the other, their Quick Work ability not working to full effect). The two remaining Daughters ran past the Axer and took on the Runeshapers taking killing two with a total of six attacks. I tried to squeeze as many Knights around the Mauler as I could but failed as I so very nearly killed the big troll. In the end, the Cleansers had to pitch in with their sprays to kill the Mauler.

Turn 3

Cal started off with the easy bit and got his scouts to finish off the Errants and gain the first control point of the game (we both thought that I had score the first but after looking at the wording in the Steamroller pack, I only contested the zone as I had less than half the Errants in the zone). The Axer, who still had Wild Aggression upkept, then managed to kill the Knight Senny in front of him. Fortunately, Cal forgot about Restoration so the Senny came back after some nearby Knights were killed. The last Runeshaper ignored the Daughters in front of him and tried in vain to kill a Knight. Janissa showed him how it was done by killing two (and not getting knocked down from Sacrosanct like we thought as she was Steady). The Pyre activated next and knowing he was going to do didly-squat to the Knights, he gave his animus to Mulg to make him hit far harder than he should (in my opinion anyway). Mulg then did what he does best and SMASH!!! He took out a handful of Knights to clear some space.

Time for me to get a bit of a move on before I was wiped out by Mulg so I kicked off with Rhoven who got his Guard to charge the Axer to finally finish it off. Gravus gets a charge in on the Scouts and kills three, clearing the control zone as a result (I would score my first point at the end of the turn). I then charge one of the Daughters into Troll Moses while the other stays engaged with the Runeshaper. Unfortunately, they are unable to kill either Troll. The Knights then get charges in on the Pyre and the Whelp that is standing right next to Mulg. The Whelp dies, but the Pyre hangs on with a few points left. I then get the other Knight Senny at Mulg. Both initial attacks hit but I then fail with the Combo: Smite attack. Finally I bring in the Cleansers to start spraying Mulg, careful not to hit my guys. They pile on a bit more damage.

Turn 4 (queue missing pic for Cal's turn 4)

With both Mulg and the Pyre maxed out on Fury, Cal has to decide which beast is going to frenzy. He goes for Pyre who has the most uninspiring frenzy and fails to kill what’s in front of him. The Scouts make charge moves at the Errant Senny and Gravus. The Senny stands unscathed while Gravus only suffers five points of damage. Moses uses Harmonious Exaltation on Doomy who pimps his friend Mulg with Wild Aggression and the Pyre’s Flame Fists. This does not look good for FoS. Janissa then uses Tectonic Shift and moves both Daughters and the two Knights engaging the Pyre towards my table edge. Then Mulg goes for it. He Threshers both the FoS and the Knight Senny, causing FoS to lose two columns and kills the Senny. This activates FoS’s Righteous Vengeance. FoS moves in and whacks Mulg. Because of his Affinity with Kreoss, his weapons have Dispel meaning Mulg is now just normal Mulg. Mulg carries on buying attacks and leaves FoS with only his left arm (Open Fist) in working order.

The Knights Senny, Errant Senny and Gravus combine to kill three out of the four Scouts left on the board, the last one contesting the control zone. The Daughters finish off Moses and puts a few points of damage on Janissa. FoS gets a hit on Mulg causing a few points. The Knights charge the last Runeshaper (killing him), Mulg (more damage) and Doomy (left with only a few points but still with a couple of transfers). I then get the Cleansers to activate and half start spraying Mulg taking a few points at a time until they kill him and the rest spray Doomy with the same result.

The negative streak ends after an EPIC three and a bit hour, four turn game. I really enjoyed using reinforcements, they really changed the game. Cal’s choice of two units of Scouts was genius, coming on and making sure that things died with their Assault moves made my trusty Errants look quite flimsy. My Cleansers made quite an impact too. It had been a while since I last used them and enjoyed the extra dimension that the Officer (just purchased hours before the game) lent to them. My feat turn would not have been quite as devastating as it was if the charge of the Mauler had not failed, the Cleansers and others would have had to work that little bit harder. Everything in my list worked quite well. The Daughters get special mention despite losing four very early, they didn’t need to use Anatomical Precision that much to take down Cal’s support. The best thing about Rhoven was not his abilities which are quite situational at times, but it was his guard. Two MAT 8 Weapon Masters!!! If something needs to be taken down, Cassian and Gius can really make sure it is either done or make it easier for others to finish off. Kreoss was safe and FoS wasn’t really in any position to cause much harm, although he saved himself with his Dispel attack on Mulg.

All in all, I’m satisfied with my eKreoss list and not sure if I should change it to accommodate for a second unit of Daughters or not. I may not get to much time to test this out as I really should begin working with Feora (p or e) and Vindictus.