22 June 2009

Madrak Ironhide, World Ender vs Grand Exemplar Kreoss

Madrak had a bad feeling about coming this close to the PKA's territory but he felt there was no choice. If they succeeded in securing the land they were scouting it could mean a new place for his Kith to settle in. The unrest of his army lately would lead to foolish mistakes if he could not find and outlet for them soon...

Tournament practice for our Escalation tourney coming this Wednesday. We played saturday to make some last minute adjustments. Which is to say, which caster am I going to bring, Madrak or Grissel.

My Army
Points: 748
Madrak Ironhide, World Ender Points: 74
Dire Troll Mauler Points: 111
Mulg The Ancient Points: 138
Fell Caller Points: 35
Stone Scribe Chronicler Points: 19
Trollkin Hero Points: 38
Trollkin Hero Points: 38
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes [6] (2 added) Points: 50
Stone Scribe Elder [1] Points: 18
Trollkin Champions [5] Points: 106
Trollkin Champions [5] Points: 106
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew [2] Points: 15

His Army
Army Points: 745
Grand Exemplar Kreoss 73
Hierophant 19
Redeemer 81
Redeemer 81
Fire of Salvation 113
Knight Exemplar Seneschal 34
Choir of Menoth (Full) 22
Knights Exemplar 69
Knights Exemplar 69
Exemplars Errant (9)118
Exemplar Bastions (3)66

We used this Steamroller Map

He rolled highest and opted to go first.

"Grand Exemplar," the Scenshal reported, "We have indeed found a large contingent of Trolls moving thorugh the lower marshes... Madrak himself is with them, I suggest we move to attack immediately while our presence in unkown to him."

Deployment
PKA - He put one KE on each flank with the EE towards his left flank and Bastions towards his right flank with the rest of his army right in the middle.
TROLLS - Mulg Left, Mauler Right, and umm... you guys know the brick right? Eveything bunched up right in the middle with Champs up front.

TURN 1
PKA - His EE spread out towards my left and the KE run wide up each flank. Bastions move up towards my middle right and the Rocket jacks toss a few errant shots the rest of the main group heads up the middle. He puts upkeeps on everything, damage back to me on the fires and activation loss for killing crossbow dudes.
TROLLS - Champs run just to my right of the closest wall some even covering with it. Mulg takes the left Mauler take the right, Chronicler uses the first chapter of the left unit of Champs closest to the crossbow dudes. Everything else bunches up behind the wall of Champs. Maddy casts his upkeep and I finish by using the you can't move me and I am immune to bast damage aura then gobber smoke between crossbow dudes.

TURN 2
PKA - He shoots with is rocket jacks doing piddily, but his crossbow dudes manage to kill one Champ. His KE move to flank even more taking advantage of my grouping up and heading up the middle. His Bastions and Fires of Salavation end just outside of charge range and he is done. Rocket jacks shoot to no avail as the blast damage is useless against me. Admittedly some armies would just get destroyed by that barrage with rof3 each.

Madrak underestimated how much unrest his forces were, they were edgy and seemed to be reacting just a hair too slow. This was uncommon as he had the best of his Kriel with him today. With the grimness of death around him he began to issue orders, "Blood group go get those rockets, Death group core out the middle, we will leave the big Warjack to Mulg..."

TROLLS - My front line charges he Bastions and his Fires jack with one unit of Champs killing a bastion, the other unit running around the Fires to engage the shooty jacks. Madrak heads over and uses ricochet to plink a KE and the unit leader on the right side and uses a token to move 1" back into the brick. Mauler uses one kill to move 3" so he can now charge the rest of them. Hero moves up to absorb the counter attack from that side. Mulg also used the 3" movement to get a clear lane to the Fires and moves in hitting the first two attacks, whiffing the third and rolling under 4 on the last three leaving the Fires with his cortex and mace. Hero on the left Charges the Senschal and KE flanking to tie them up and gets the Scenschal good. KSB you can't move me aura and gobber smoke on the Bastions.

"They have taken the bait and are almost completely surrounded my lord though our left flank is collapsing," reported the runner from the Exemplar Errants. "Excute the manuever and destroy them," Kross smiled, he knew how tough Trolls were, but he had no doubt he could clease even their best from the world of the living today.

TURN 3
PKA - He feats, and the proceeds to kick the poop outta me. Seven Champions die the last one to Kreoss himself. There was even eight tough rolls in there but it didnt keep them alive at all. Mulg dies, the Mauler gets reduced to four wounds. Thats pretty much it, I have Stone Scribes two Heros way out of position, some gobbers and my Mauler left. He is still largely unhurt.
TROLLS - It's time to go for it, since it is clear I am done on the next turn, so I do. KSB pops the +2 Str aura, Mauler rages Madrak then Tramples his whole choir eating them all, healing up all but two wounds. Chronicler charges the Fires and finishes it off (yeah how about that, he actually did something). Madrak moves up as far as he can and throws at Kreoss with a PS20, boosting to hit and nailing him for nine or so damage, he then ricochets into the Heirophant killing him and getting a blood token. Madrak then feats, and proceeds to throw at Kreoss again killing him. (As I type this I am unsure of if his feat affects himself or not, I didn't think about it untill just now).

Seeing his units execute their ambush perfectly made Kreoss nod approvingly as he moved in to finish a Troll himself. These Trolls had gained a large repuation against his countrymen recently and he was happy to put them down for once.

As he looked up to survey the battlefield, he hoped to find Madrak and end his menace for good. Seeing Madrak struggle to salvage what was left of his army he saw the bastions and his Fires of Salvation fall. Kreoss began issuing orders to finish Madrak when he saw him stand up on the wreckage of his Fires of Salvation and throw his big axe right at him. Trying to dodge out of the way the axe glanced off his shoulder sending pain down his arm. He watched the axe bend around him and embed itself into his Heirophants chest. A courageous move, but it would cost Madrak his life. As he regained his bearing and began once again to issue a kill order on Madrak, that same axe appeared in his chest. Not quite understanding how that had happened he vaguely remebered his own Redeemers carrying him swiftly from the battlefield pausing slowing to fire rockets at any possible following Trolls. Then his conciousness faded to blackness...

Synopsis - He kicked my tail, and I got lucky pure and simple. This game reminded me why Madrak likes to bring an Impaler. Mulg is out, and Axer and Impaler are in.

4 comments:

  1. Wow, I so wish I could be there for this tournament. It sounds like an intense one. Also do you have any info on John. I miss reading his blog and it is apparently gone?

    ReplyDelete
  2. He was "obsessing too much" and decided marriage is greater than WM blog.

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  3. Anonymous23 June, 2009

    Very nice work, fan of your work! Keep it up and loving it!

    Grtings fellow Trollblood player (NL)

    - trollbloodsmarch.blogspot.com -

    ReplyDelete