15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: January 2016

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

OGAM gets wet Poseidon vs Ryujin

All Hail the Hydra!

Achaean

Poseidon Q2 C4 280 points Amphibious, Part Waters, Release the Kraken, Water god

Mortals

Royal bodyguard Q4, C3, Armoured, Greedy, Steadfast (CO) (23-3+5+3) = 28 Rare (4) 4x28=112

Early tower shield spear (CO) Q4 C2, Greedy 12 points 16x12= 192

Early tower shield javelin (CO) Q4 C2 Greedy, Shooter (short) 15 points, 8x15 =120

Javelin (OO) Q4 C1, 11points, shooter (short) 11x8=88

Legends

Medusa the Gorgon Q3, C3, 90 points, Poison, Turn to Stone,

Stheno the Gorgon Q3, C3, 94 points, Armoured, Turn to stone,

Euryale the Gorgon, Q3 C3 120 points, Flying, Long move, Turn to stone,

Lernean Hydra Q3 C4, 116 points, Combat master, Armoured, Huge

God 280

Legends 420

Mortals 512

1,212

Japanese

Ryujin, the Dragon King 396 points Shapeshift as human : Q2, C5), Water God, Weather Control, Armoured, Flying, Part Waters

Legends

Orochi, Water Dragon 82 points Q3 C3 Amphibious, Huge, Armoured, Rare (1)

2x Nure-Onna, Snake-Bodied Woman 72 points Q3 C3 Amphibious, Huge

Kappa 76 points Q3 C3 Amphibious, Armoured

Mortals

Same-Bito, Shark Men (CO) 56 points Q4 C3 Amphibious, Steadfast, Rare (4) 4x56 224

Goblins (CO) 15 points Q4 C2 15x8 = 120

Goblin archers (CO) 20 points Q4 C2 Shooter (Medium) 20x8 160

God 396

Legends 302

Mortals 504

1,202

This is the probably the most-unusual OGAM game we've played. Despite playing since it came out we have avoided the big-league gods and have yet to use all of them, let alone every possible variation.

The Japanese list is rich in amphibious choice, but other than the gods, none for the Greeks. On hindsight I could have made the swamp living hydra amphibious.

The Table, roughly divided between water and land. A temple on the hill on a double sized hill. I forgot that the Temple under siege scenario called for the attacker to have an extra 20%. We were already “in the zone” when I reread it so decided to go ahead. We play for fun, not competitively.

I had the Achaeans and put the hydra in the temple and numbered my right flank 1&5 and front 2&6 then 3 the wet left &4. Tony's rear.

Tony had 2 moves before I could get in on the act and sent his naga's into the temple. I managed to push them back before the shark men could get in on the act.

I had no choice but to bring on Poseidon first and my only flying unit, Euryale second. Both came on “3” and I was able to use a lucky reaction to Part waters. I had to stay defensive, but I was lucky for a quick turnover as the next 2 activations also turned up on “3”. I also got skirmishers on 1 (my right).

In came the sharkmen and I was lucky to throw them back. Then the dragon Orochi attacked Poseidon (if he went, so did the bridge) and got cheesed despite me having no extra dice. Poseidon raised the Kraken and launched him at Orochi, who killed it easy.

On the landward side I got Medusa next to the skirmishers and close enough that when the goblin charged my skirmishers (who failed to get out of way) and they rolled a “1”, not only did they get pushed back, one poor chap got stoned.

The hill was turning into a dumping ground, with the pushed back naga's and survivors of the sharkmen waiting for their chance. But Ryujin was just below and I was expecting an almighty thump. I managed to get my Gorgons to attack. Stheno hit a naga, both killing and turning to stone! Medusa was not so lucky and was killed by the sharkmen. Euryale flew into the temple, preparing to take on Ryujin.

Finally I was able to get all my infantry off the bridge (and safe to invoke), freeing and dicing up Poseidon to attack Ryujin and the Kappa. Ryujin is dead! This has little effect on his troops, except the goblins go back far enough to be free of those pesky skirmishers and invoke him back. This allows Euryale to take out the last naga before moving on to the Kappa who swats her down. Poseidon moves in to kill the Kappa.

In the centre the archer-goblins were mentioned in dispatches. First they stood off and sent reeling spears to their front, then another spear who appeared in their rear. Before they could be sandwiched they swarmed to take the hill, taking care to ignore the hydra and gorgon behind them.

As he had reappeared to Tony's rear-left Ryujin started to move on the flank and rear of my infantry getting ready to assault the archers uphill. With a temporary reprieve, Tony took a real risk to get all his invoking before sending Ryujin into Poseidon, whose turn it was to die, the hydra actually went backwards. I managed to get him back to my rear-centre but it was all over, Tony had lost too many.

A very good game with some interesting tactical decisions. I'm sure we will look at this one again swapping sides.

Kraken - honest

archers face attack from rear

Sort of a cat fight

Last remaining sharkman commits honorable suicide charge

He's dead - note damage done by the archers on my spear

Sunday, 3 January 2016

Kings of War vs Hordes of The Things

I thought I'd try something a little different, we haven't done any “regular” fantasy for some time.

This is taken from the free rules and army lists on Mantic's site. Achaeans use the human list, Japanese the Goblin list and Skeletons from the Undead list. There is no points system and I'm a bit confused as to why, when points lost is required, a unit is not dividable by its number?

Spears

Unit Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts per figure.

Regiment 5 4+ 4+ 15 13/15 120 (6)

Big Shield All attacks front arc treat its defense as 6+.

Archers

Unit Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts (7.5)

Troop 5 5+ 5+ 3+ 8 9/11 75

Javelin

Unit Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts (7.5)

Troop (10) 5 5+ 5+ 3+ 8 9/11 75

Big Shield All attacks front arc treat its defense as 6+.

Skeleton Spearmen

Unit Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts (5)

Regiment 5 5+ 4+ 15 –/16 105

Big Shield All attacks front arc treat its defense as 6+.

Shambling cannot be ordered ‘At the Double’, except when carrying out a Vanguard move.

Satyrs & Amazons

Unit Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts

Horde (40) 5 5+ 3+ 25 19/21 115 (3)

Total 490

Greenbacku-san's Goblin Infantry Unit

Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts

(20) 5 5+ 4+ 15 12/14 95 (5)

Goblin archers

Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts

10 5 6+ 5+ 3+ 10 12/14 43 (4)

Spiders- Cavalry

Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts

Troop (5) 4+ 4+ 7 9/11 95 (19)

Special Thunderous Charge (1), All melee hits inflicted by the unit have a +1 modifier when rolling to damage.

Unit loses this bonus when Disordered or during Hindered charges. Nimble can make a single extra pivot of up to 90 degrees around its centre while executing any move order, including a Charge! Except Halt.

Oni Large Infantry Unit

Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts

Horde (6) 6 4+ 5+ 18 14/17 190 (32)

Special Crushing Strength +2,

Regeneration (5+) Every move order (including Halt!), before doing anything else, roll a number of dice equal to the amount of damage currently on the unit. For every result of (5+) or higher, the unit recovers a point of damage.

Hero Cav

Unit Size Sp Me Ra De Att Ne Pts

1 10 6+ 4+ 1 8/10 55

Inspiring If this unit, or any friendly non-allied unit within 6" of this unit, is Routed, the opponent must re-roll that Nerve test. The second result stands.

Total 478

First impressions – far too many stats and paperwork. Obviously aimed at people with large armies of snot gobblin greenies and similar. The lack of a playsheet is annoying. Layout is poor, no index and having to flit between start and end of rules while organising a real pain.

We did the same game twice, the first time I had overlooked that a unit being attacked does not fight back, cannot fail in its attack. For morale, if figures lost was used instead of points, some units might stand losing more than one figure.

I had the Achaeans and decided to waive the large shield rule, as it cost 0 but allowed the bulk of my troops to stand there twiddling thumbs while attacked. Rather unrealistic, shall we say? Yes the results would have been different, but who wants to play a “super army”? I can many players buying cheap (points) figures and filling the table edge to edge, oh, wait, no, that couldn't be – no!

Tony concentrated his trolls and cavalry/ Oni and Spiders, on his right and sent them crashing into my poor horde. His hero did a double move to take the temple, I moved my archers up, but she was in cover so I couldn't touch her. So she came out to play and routed my archers. My javelin caught by Greenbacku's gang and routed.

The troll/Oni turned and attacked my spear in the flank while I was pinned,and killed, the hero. More manoeuvrable, the riders flanked my skeletons whilst pinned by Greenbacku..

And that was that. Hardly inspiring, but quick.

Hordes of The Things.

I quickly found my old copy and organised the standard 24 point forces:

Japanese 4 goblin warbands, 1 Archer, 1 beast, 2 behemoths 1 Hero

Achaeans 2 satyr warbands, 4 spear, 2 archer, 2 skeleton hordes, 1 blade, 1 hero

That's it. I didn't have the playsheet to hand but p22/23 had the bulk needed.

Apologies to the purists, I used the bases to hand with no regard to basing conventions. 1 base = 1 unit.

Wet set up too far apart, but the moves gave us a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the differences.

Surprisingly we both kept fairly straight lines. Tony started by sending in the warbands in a good tight group. This worked, as it destroyed one of mine and allowed the hero to push back my spear. Next time he came on strong (a 6PIP) and his hero and warband wiped out my spears in one glut. My reserve archers pushed back the hero!

In the centre my hero took on a behemoth and was pushed back then killed. My hordes failed to do their hold & annoy, one being destroyed- and that was the end of me.

Conclusion

HOTT has stood the test of time and shows its long pedigree. No fight is a forgone conclusion, different troop types react to others realistically. No reams of paperwork and point-counting. A lot quicker (and cheaper) to organise and play, 55 (not including sub-lists) army lists and campaign all inclusive.

I'm still looking for the reason resin 15mm figures cost 3x that of metal?