A Spearhead gaming day with the friends

 So, following up on the Spearhead try-out day with friends from a few weeks ago, we did another such get together past sunday.

And this time, I had a fully painted Spearhead with me, albeit Elathain himself did stand in as the leader, as the Soulscryer is the only model I hadn't finished up yet (read: not even assembled).

 

But that means I was ready to face a random opponent, as we where with a nice lot of 6 for the games.  The plan was 2 games of Spearhead, while I had a Underworlds Rivals format game lined up as well against Philip, who wanted to try out his newly finished warband.

 

But first things first, Spearhead!  For this battle I faced Peter and his Ossiarch Bonereapers, and in order to prepare for the rather big force with a heavy hitting monster, I picked the Ethersea Predators to heal my cavalry, and Mind Flare for some protection for my general. 

We deployed on the straight line, and as I suspected he would pick the first turn, I kept rather back.  My movement will be able to cover most of the terrain anyways.  

The Bonereapers started moving forward, ready to collect their tithes to Nagash.  

The lines closed, but my Morsarr Guard bypassed all enemy forces to go and claim the objective on the other end of the table, which they need to do without using a Fight ability.  

The Mortisan Soulreaper however is charged by a unit of Namarti Thralls, as well as by the ferocious Allopex, and torn assunder swiftly.

On the flank, the other unit of Thralls becomes engaged with the unit of Mortek Guard, joined by my Soulscryer.

And so the first turn ended with a 7-4 lead for the Idoneth Deepkin who managed to score all their cards as well as the Ghyran twist.

Starting the second turn, the Kavalos Deathriders approached the troops in the center.

Where they wouldn't need to face the Allopex, as the beast is shot down by the Gothizzar Harvester's Death's Head Maw.  

The Kavalos Deathriders then charge in, duly eliminating the Thrall unit, but not before they managed to take the Harvester, who had already received damage in the previous turn from the shark's harpoon launcher, down.

On the other flank, the general and the other Namarti unit keep fighting it out with the Mortek Guard.

 

 In my turn, the Namarti returned and aided by the fact it was Flood Tide managed to join the Morsarr Guard in charging the Bonereapers cavalry. 

After a flurry of electrical blasts, flashing swords and savagely snapping eels, only a single wounded rider remained.  The scoreboard went to 11-7 for the Idoneth after the second turn.

At the start of the third turn, the second unit of Mortek Guard appeared on the battlefield at my tableedge.  

With the Deathriders also eliminated, I had the speed in my third turn, albeit not the big numbers anymore, a single Deathrider returning as reinforcements as the Thralls engaged the Mortek Guard and the Morsarr Guard swooped around to take objectives.  The result was a lead that extended now to 18-13 for the Idoneth.

In the final turn, the Deathrider gave chase to the remaining Thralls and my general, but while he took down both Thralls, the general remained unscathed before taking out the lone rider himself in the combat.

 

 

In my turn, the Namarti reappeared and together with the Morsarr Guard charged the last remaining Mortek Guards, taking them all out and nailing an impressive 24-14 victory for the raiders from the oceans.

 

A battle hard fought even though the result shows differently, but mostly thanks to the speed of the Eels.  I kept them out of combat for 2 out of the 4 rounds, even though they hit really hard, just to have them secure objectives and rake in the points.

 

 

 For the second game, I faced Vincent and his Sylvaneth force, including a mighty treeman I just did not want to engage in combat.  I lack anything to seriously try and take it down, and if I did commit would cost me a big portion of my army for perhaps minimal gains if the dice went bad.

I hoped as such to be able to use my higher speed and shennanigans to be able to strike where I want, and hopefully score the points all around the field as both forces faced off against each other.

The Allopex and Morsarr Guard immediatly went for the alpha strike on the Tree-Revenants, in order for said quick scoring, wiping out the entire unit.  But the Hunters piled into them as the treeman caused some damage.

The Tree-Revenants reappeared close to my general though who went out to grab an objective, as the first round ended 5-5.

In the second turn, the advance of the Sylvaneth began, the huge tree lumbering forward.  The Namarti survived combat with the Kurnoth Hunters, as the Allopex bit one in pieces.

However, no longer protected by the Mind Flare, the general was torn assunder by the Revenants on the far flank, as for the most part it was a game of movement and the score went to 9-8 lead for the Idoneth, as both armies kept punching holes in the air.

As the Thrall went to try and capture an objective in the third turn, the Allopex finally took down the last of the Hunters, and the score now went to 15-15, while I couldn't get much benefit of my High Tide, units moving to score objectives mostly.

So it all came down to the last turn and the battle tactics card that could be drawn, added with a twist that granted an extra VP for controlling the large terrain piece in the opponent's territory.  Vincent scored solid, and so in my turn the infantry had to cover all flanks, while it would come down to the Allopex.  He needed to use a Fight ability without dying itself, and take out enough Revenants to control the terrain piece, and I would bag the game at the last moment.

And then duly rolled a double 1 for the charge... thus ending the game with a 19-21 defeat in a darn tactical game this time round.  

 

So that was two fun games of Spearhead this afternoon, one win and one loss is nice enough for me.  I keep getting a better handle of the Deepkin, and often not going for the attack "just yet" to score the cards while trying to run around my opponent.  I also now tried both deployment methods (today and a few weeks ago) and if given the choice in future game, it will always be the diagonal deployment with these guys, to allow the "funnel effect" for them to start the soulhunt out of a deployment corner instead of the spreading out that happened twice today.

 

But there was more to come after dinner, as Philip had painted up his newest Underworlds warband and was looking for a Rivals game to give them a first try out.  So Zarbag Gitz stepped (well, scurried) up to the challenge!

 

 

 Both warbands deployed, cards where drawn and off we went to try and bite some Stormcast in their ankles!

Xandire herself was immediatly besieged by Drizgit, who was assisted by his two Squigs, and smacked for two damage.

 

  Her warband came to her aid, and took down poor Bonekrakka, but Gobbaluk immediatly avenged his matey and bit off Xandire's face in a storm of teeth and bouncing muscle.

 

 But the poor little, innocent squig was then himself picked to pieces by Taros, the bird being inspired and with Grievous doing some serious hurting pecking attacks.   

The first round ended with the Gitz leading 4-3 as the opponent hadn't entered my territory just yet, allowing me to score that glory point for Squalid Lair.

In the second turn, lord chromedome aka Dhoraz Giant-Fell scythed around with his hammer, and luckily I had protected Snirk with a card to make him untargetable, as the other little Gitz weren't so lucky.

Snirk survived as such, but was getting surrounded at all sides, but luckily he had failed his attack and would be inspired come turn 3.

There wasn't that much happening for the rest of the round though even if I managed to ping and wound Dhoraz for two, and breaking his card that saved one wound along the way, and the score went to an impressive 6-9 lead for Xandire.

But turn 3 brought "The Snirk Moment" as the Fanatic set off at a wheeling round of utter destruction.  I rolled luckily with the chain, and managed to hit Dhoraz THREE times, killing him, but also scoring Obliterated (with an inspired Snirk for additional glory), Malicious Kill (as he had 2 upgrades) and Not So Tall Now, netting an impressive 5 glory in one crazed exploit of insane gobbo power.

The surviving Stormcast, Stormrider, and his bird went after my netter, though the brave Git managed to wound the huge warrior first for one point of damage before being stomped in the groud... by Talos.

But it was to no avail for the Stormcast, as I kept my 2 objectives secure for Gitz Everywhere, and scoring some more glory as such for a 14-11 victory in the end.

And thus ended a fun afternoon / evening of Age of Sigmar fun-ness, and it was time to return a la casa.  Now to unpack my models and get ready to upgrade my forces and warbands some more for the next playdate!