Last night I faced off againt Menoth in a 35 pt battle. It was fairly one sided and standard, but a text book example of how Mulg still eats face.
Points: 35
Hoarluk Doomshaper, Rage of Dhunia (*6pts)
* Troll Axer (6pts)
* Earthborn Dire Troll (10pts)
* Mulg the Ancient (12pts)
Farrow Bone Grinders (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Kriel Warriors (Leader and 5 Grunts) (4pts)
* Kriel Warrior Standard Bearer & Piper (2pts)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (1pts)
Saxon Orrik (2pts)
Stone Scibe Chronicler (2pts)
Points: 35
High Executioner Servath Reznik (*6pts)
* Templar (8pts)
* Vanquisher (8pts)
Avatar of Menoth (11pts)
Choir of Menoth (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Exemplar Bastions (Leader and 4 Grunts) (8pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
So, a little forward. I was expecting this to be a little dance where I would need to cast spells and maximize my ranged ability with the Bone Grinders band even sacrifice my Axer whose animus I could retain with the grinders themselves. At any rate, I was expecting to need to sacrifice and place my beasts for an assassination. Fortunately I distracted my opponent well enough that he didn't expect what I could do.
Deployment
Mulg was blazing a trail through the dessert terrain toward a small oasis looking for something to eat trailing a small force behind him. Saxon, unafraid, strode next to Mulg, but having to poke him with his skinning knife from time to time to keep him from scooping him up errantly as a snack.
Doomshaper kept in stride despite his age undaunted by the heat prompting his Kriels and Beast to keep in step. He had some Bone Grinder and Swamp Gobbers in tow as he found them at a wrecked caravan a few miles back and convinced Mulg not to eat them as he sensed there might be more to feast on later.
Trolls
I won deployment so decided to go first and deployed nearly deed center with the Kriels heading towards the right flank and my big beasts on either side of Doomy and the axer backing them up. The solos and mercs bring up the rear and Saxon AD's right in front getting ready to make the forest dead center of the map a great place to bide my time for an opening.
Reznik strode confidently through the sand lead by something faint. "I sense those who need to be cleasned," he said, as he motioned his Bastions forward. "Today the fire we bring shall trun the very desert to glass in Menoth's might!"
Menoth
He deploys mostly on the ride side of the map getting ready to take advantage of a low wall. The Vanquisher is on my right flank, the templar next to his bastions, Reznik and the Choir behind and the Avatar on the far right flank. He has a vassal apiece supporting his vanquiser and avatar.
Turn 1
"This way, I see fresh water in the forest and some Menoth forces behind. This would be a good place to rest and we would be wise defend it." Saxon said as he started to wade into light Brush. The beasts quickened their pace and started to skirt their way around the oasis and the Kriels ran headlong into the brush hoping to find water before the fray. Doomshaper tapped into his Axer and moved strongly into the Oasis readying himself for the fray but being strangely silent.
Trolls
I move Saxon into the forrest in center and make sure he pathfinder pretty well make that forrest a perfect place to hide fr the time. Kriels Swift foot and run in a T formation with the piper, leader and Standard trialing. The Chronicaler advances and puts tale of mists on the kriels. Doomy passes out animi, casts Wild Agression on Mulg and moves into the forrest. My big beasts run to either side of the forrest getting ready to pincer into the Menoth lines. The axer trails into the forrest playing body guard for the time being.
Reznik commanded his Vanquisher, "FIRE! I know they are in there even if we can't see them. Burn the forest down to drive them out."
Menoth
Pretty much everything except for his Vanquisher runs. Reznik puts Iron Agression on the Templar and Ignite on the bastions. The Vanquisher shoots at my Saxon in the forrest auto missing and hoping for a good deviation. His first shots misses and deviates poorly, doing nothing. The vassal gives him
another shot and it deviates so it hits Saxon and does 1 point of damage and sets him on fire.
Turn 2
Saxon patted the fire out on himself and stared angrily ahead at the Iron menaces throwing fire at him. "Don't worry my blue skinned brothers, I'll see you through this brush." He shouted as he took a shot with his Military Rifle at a Choir member. "Take care Saxon, it's not wise to play with fire." Doomshaper grimaced as he moved further into the brush commanding his Kriels to run and engage as much as they could.
Trolls
Fire goes out on Saxon thankfully as his pathfinder is going to be crucial in my turn. I'm ready to setup my charges so I run the Kriels up and engage as much as I can falling short on most cases but preventing any charging from happening. All in all I get his Templar and most of his bastions so they
can't advance or charge really. The Chronicler moves up and puts Heroes Tradgedy on the Kriels because I know some will die and hopefully he'll kill some and knock down his own crap. Doomy Throws out animi, upkeeps Wild Agression on Mulg. He sits on a few fury because I know it's possible for bad AOE drift to get to him and fire still hurts armor 15. Saxon is a tough old boy who moves up a bit away from anything crucial and shoots a Choir killing one. Mulg runs near the edge of the forrest waiting to get the charge the same with the Earthborn lining up close to where his Avatar is but out of it's range. The Axer moves up into the forrest and chills in case something goes wrong and I lose a beast or something unexpectedly. Gobbers drop smoke on Doomy just in case and the Bone Grinders run into the forrest for safety.
"FIRE AGAIN! And wipe those trolls from my front line I want a clear shot at the withered one I sense in the forrest" Reznik shouted again as he moved up to judge the souls of the fallen.
Menoth
Reznik upkeeps both and drops 3 on the Templar. The Vanquisher goes first and is hell bent on taking Saxon out so he moves within 5in and take a shot at Saxon that misses and deviates onto both of them. Saxon dies and the Vanquisher takes 2 damage as my opponent rolls two 6's. The Vanquisher is on fire and done. TheBastions activate and start swinging on Kriels and manage to kill a few on the front line leaving 2 and knocking down 3 of the 5 in their unit. The Templar activates and wipes the remaining front line Kriels and my piper before he beat backs his way leaving a nice lane for Mulg and Knocking himself down due to Heroes Tragedy. The Avatar moves up on the other side of a wall moving him in range of my EB in the open, but is enlivened by the Vassal. The other vassal moves up and enlivens the Vanquisher before the turn ends.
Turn 3
"Saxon!" Doomshaper screamed as he watched Saxon get incinerated in a large explosion. Doomshaper delved into Mulgs mind and glared at Reznik with burning hate. He thought one word..."dinner."
Trolls
This is the big turn and I have managed to set it up for a great overtake chain strait to Reznik who is sitting on only 1 Focus. Doomy leeches and is one short because I can't add apparently but cuts for 1 and upkeeps knowing I can simply regen during my activation. I'm about 90% certain I am going
to get to Reznik so I am just looking to cause as much damage as I can. The remaining Kriels attempt to Box in the Avatar so he doesn't have anywhere to enliven to. With the aid of the Chronicler, I almost do it. Almost. Doomy moves up, passes out animi and feats still in the forest but waiting just in case my assassination fails. My EB the charges the Avatar easily making it and connecting. Right after I did it I knew I should have simply Slammed him instead to prevent him moving away. Oh well, but 7 points on the Avatar and it creeped away. So, it was all down to Mulg. I charge a Priest in the choir and overtake to the next, kill it and overtake to Reznik. Three swings later he falls. Had my opponent not killed those Kriels I would have had to take a free strike or two in order to get through, but I don't think it would have mattered. Either way, I am rightly convinced Mulg is strong enough right now, but the 11 point cost would be more appropriate. I had to dangle him real close and hope my opponent didn't kill off the stuff engaging him so he would get charged. I took a risk that payed off, but generally I would prefer not hanging 12 points out there when I can avoid it.
Most people thus trample with Mulg, and then use Goad alongside Overtake, which extends the threat-range by quite a bit, and helps defend against free-strikes.
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