AoS Kilvakar's First Tournament Batrep

[Kilvakar]

So I did end up going to my first tournament! It went... Ok? I ended up going 1-2 out of a 3-game tournament.
The list I went with was:

Allegiance: Seraphon
- Constellation: Thunder Lizard
- Grand Strategy: Beast Master
- Triumphs: Inspired
Engine of the Gods (265)**
- General
- Command Trait: Prime Warbeast
- Artefact: Cloak of Feathers
- Mount Trait: Beastmaster
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Slann Starmaster (265)*
- Spell: Celestial Equilibrium
Skink Priest (80)*
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
Skink Starpriest (130)*
- Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
- Spell: Hand of Glory
5 x Saurus Guard (115)**
Stegadon (265)**
- Weapon: Skystreak Bow
Stegadon (265)**
- Weapon: Skystreak Bow
6 x Kroxigor (300)**
- 2x Moonhammers
- Reinforced x 1
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)**
Emerald Lifeswarm (60)
*Command Entourage - Magnificent
**Battle Regiment
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 91
Drops: 4

There were 16 people in total. 4 brought Seraphon, 4 brought Stormcast (only one did Dragon spam though) 3 brought Kruleboyz (Big Yellers, of course), 1 Ironjawz, 1 Idoneth, 1 Khorne, 1 Legion of the First Prince, and one Gloomspite Gitz. I played against a mirror match vs. Thunder Lizards, vs. Kruleboyz and Ironjawz.

To sum it up because it would take way too long to go turn by turn for the whole thing:

Game one: I beat Thunder Lizards in the mirror match! Here's what he had:
Allegiance: Seraphon
- Constellation: Thunder Lizard
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Sever the Head
- Triumphs:
Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur (270)
- General
- Command Trait: Prime Warbeast
- Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
- Mount Trait: Beastmaster
Skink Oracle on Troglodon (270)
- Spell: Fiery Convocation
Skink Priest (80)
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Skink Starseer (145)
- Spell: Hand of Glory
Slann Starmaster (265)
- Spell: Stellar Tempest
5 x Saurus Knights (110)
- Blades
20 x Saurus Warriors (210)
- Clubs
- Reinforced x 1
20 x Skinks (150)
- Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
- Reinforced x 1
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)
*Command Entourage - Magnificent
Prayer

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 108
Drops: 10

Neither of us were playing anything close to a "meta" list, but I will say mine was probably better. Plus, he rolled pretty poorly on his double Bastiladons trying to take out a single Stegadon on my side, which messed up his battle tactics for two turns in a row. I won by a large margin by the time the time was called on turn 4.

Game two: I lost to Kruleboyz. Here's his list:
Allegiance: Kruleboyz
- Warclan: Big Yellers
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs:
Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast (315)
- General
- Command Trait: Egomaniak
- Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
- Lore of the Swamp: Sneaky Miasma
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (105)
- Lore of the Swamp: Choking Mist
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (105)
- Lore of the Swamp: Nasty Hex
Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof (170)
- Mount Trait: Fast 'Un
20 x Gutrippaz (360)
- Reinforced x 1
10 x Gutrippaz (180)
9 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (360)
- Reinforced x 2
3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (120)
10 x Hobgrot Slittaz (80)
3 x Rippa's Snarlfangs (70)
Beast-skewer Killbow (130)
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 138
Drops: 2
I'm a bit salty about this one. First of all, because my opponent *KEPT. ROLLING. NOTHING. BUT. SIXES! and dumping mortal wounds on me like nothing I'd ever seen before. "Oh, my three Boltboyz shooting at your Bastiladon roll 4 6's to hit? Automatic 8 mortal wounds!" He had the Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Swampbeast as his general, and he comes with an aura that increases the mortals done by their poison ability, and his two Shamans just kept handing out mortals on 5s and extra buffs to his guys the entire time.

Second, I still only lost due to time limits. I managed to kill both his Snatchaboss and Killaboss as well as wiping out both units of Gutrippaz and Rippa's Snarlfangs. I lost my Bastiladon and both my Skink foot heroes, as well as all the Saurus Guard and 4 out of the 6 Kroxigors. I definitely could have (and almost certainly would have) come back and won in turns 4 and 5, but it was a timed event so when we got the call for dice down in turn 3 he was ahead on VP and so won. Still a good game. Kruleboyz are like a slot machine, and he put it. You either roll high and melt everything, or you don't and you get melted. I definitely think this is true.

Third game was against a true "meta" Ironjawz list.
Allegiance: Ironjawz
- Warclan: Bloodtoofs
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs:
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)
- General
- Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
- Command Trait: Hulking Brute
- Artefact: Armour of Gork
- Mount Trait: Mean 'Un
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)
- Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
Orruk Warchanter (115)
- Warbeat: Fixin' Beat
Orruk Warchanter (115)
- Warbeat: Get 'Em Beat
6 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (340)
- Jagged Gore-hackas
- Reinforced x 1
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)
- Jagged Gore-hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)
- Jagged Gore-hackas
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1955 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 118
Drops: 2

This was the last game, and it was against my first and still most hated army to play against, Ironjawz. I tried to deploy as defensively as possible with all of my foot units in the Realmshaper and my Bastiladon and one Stegadon blocking either side of it with terrain, protecting my other Stegadon and my Engine. Of course he went first and turn-1 charged me with both his Maw-Krushas and the big unit of piggies. One thing I was not prepared for was for him to simply smash my Realmshaper with the monstrous action. I lost a Kroxigor and a Saurus Guard to this, and everyone was dumped on the ground. The TO said that afterward you remove the terrain piece from the board, so they were all just sitting there with their pants down.

He killed my Bastiladon with his general and the piggies, and killed a Stegadon with his other Maw-Krusha. but in my turn I was able to bring down his general Maw-Krusha only because I got Curse off. I *needed* the double-turn to be able to recover, but we tied on the priority roll and I conceded because there was no way I was surviving another round of his other Maw-Krusha and pigs stomping on me and no way to get out of my deployment zone to take objectives. So I said GG and he was grateful as he said earlier that he would probably have given *me* the game if things weren't going his way after the first couple rounds because he had to leave a bit early.

Some things that went my way:

I got a lot of damage off from the Realmshaper in the mirror match game.

I got Curse off vs. the Maw-Krusha and was able to kill it as a result.

I rolled pretty good on the Coalesced ward saves from terrain in some key moments, allowing my units to live just a little bit longer. Especially considering how many mortals were coming at me from the Kruleboyz army, lol!

I did ok on battle tactics. I was able to make all of them vs. Seraphon and most of them vs. Kruleboyz.

I was able to save my Slann from the Swampbeast by un-garrisoning him from the Realmshaper and hiding behind it.

Not having to play vs. the Dragon spam list or any of the multiple Krondspine Incarnates that were on the field

Things that did not go well for me:

Rolled to hurt myself twice in one turn on the Engine...

Kruleboyz absolutely dumping buckets of mortal wounds on me.

Me forgetting key things like "This unit has the Starpriest's buff" or "This unit has an extra +1 to save from the Priest's CA" due to feeling rushed because of the time limits.

Getting my Realmshaper blown up. I don't know how anyone uses faction terrain vs. fast monsters when they can just smash it on a 3+...

Time limit screwing me out of what almost certainly would have been a win vs. Kruleboyz if the game had been allowed to go all the way.

Not having screens vs. some armies like IJ, but they of course don't need screens because they're going to go first and smash you no matter what.

3e's smaller boards *suck.* That's my official opinion on that Any armies that want to bum rush you are able to do it pretty much guaranteed. While armies that need to castle or play the long game are punished by having *maybe* one turn to shoot or set up before they get charged.

All in all, it was fun and I'm very glad I went. Such a good learning experience! And I did say before that if I won one game, I'd be happy. So I am!

I was hoping to get a chance to play against armies like the Gitz or the Stormcast, but all I got was more Orks, lol! Still, they're a popular meta pick for a reason. And I'd still rather face the piggie herd than the Dragon rush any day, lol!

This really did solidify some of my opinions about the game, though:

For one, I definitely dislike the smaller boards. I will continue to use the larger ones in my home games, although when playing on TTS I'll use the new sizes.

Another thing that seems pretty clear is that against armies that are currently updated and good at combat, +1 to save for Seraphon means nothing. I know that sounds hyperbolic, but when everyone's coming at you with rend -2 or -3 or just dumping mortals (both of which armies other than Orks can do) having a +1 to our nearly army-wide 4+ saves is kind of useless. The only time I had a unit survive thanks to OOD was my Kroxigors vs. the Gutrippaz.

Other people also can't hit with Carnosaur jaws, it's not just me

3e is freaking complicated! There are so many things to remember that I forget several of them a fair bit of the time. How many CP do I have? Have I used this CA yet this phase? Can I use it? What about Heroic Actions? Monstrous Rampages? Prayers? Spells? Special Warscroll abilities? Allegiance abilities? I was just getting the hang of 2e when they changed it up, and despite getting more than a couple games in for 3e I still can't remember everything most of the time...

I much prefer to play through unless someone wants to concede. Ending a game early that you know you could have won due to arbitrary time limits is annoying as heck, even if it's a necessary thing from a TO's perspective. You can't have some people playing round 1 for 5-6 hours, lol!

Seraphon are still good, but are definitely going to need a major overhaul in the stat department in our 3e book. We know for a fact that subfaction abilities are going away for the most part, and our 2e strategy of "buff the heck out of one unit, suicide it into whatever you want dead, repeat until game ends" just does not work. We still have some buff stacking that we can manage, like throwing Prime Warbeast, Great Drake, and Beastmaster on our monster general. Or some lucky combos like getting Curse off on a key target and then following up with a good unit with the Starpriest's buff. But compared to other 3e armies, our attack profiles are bad. Our saves are bad. Our damage is mediocre. Our rend is pathetic.

But before anyone gets offended by that, it doesn't mean our army is currently bad. It just means that, in my opinion, we are going to need the type of warscroll buffs that some people are hesitant to call for because they worry it will take away from the uniqueness of our army. But I don't think that stat buffs will hurt our actual playstyle. The problem I see is that we have a very large model range and thus *should* have a large variety of playstyles available. So we don't have to just be a cheap horde army, or just a monster mash army, or just a magic denial army, etc. Just follow the Stormcast example and make us able to do everything! But don't make any of our units as grossly overpowered as Stormdrakes, Fulminators, or Annihilators, ok GW?

 

[Kilvakar]

Here's the few pics I managed to take while playing! I wish I had gotten some photos of some of the other armies there. The Idoneth, Gitz, Kruleboyz and Legion of the First Prince armies all looked really good!

Game 1 turn 1:



Game 1 bottom of turn 2

Very blurry view of the bottom of turn 3

Because am dumb I didn't get a photo of the start, but this is game 2 turn 2. Engine is next to the Stegadons behind the building

Closer view?

Start of turn 2

Stegadons about to take some Orks to Krump town!

End of the game after wiping most of the Kruleboyz but still losing to time limits

Me observing my oncoming doom.

The Waaagh! approaches. It was all over next turn, although the Maw-Krusha he's measuring for went down with me

 

[Just A Skink]

So I did end up going to my first tournament! It went... Ok? I ended up going 1-2 out of a 3-game tournament.
The list I went with was:

Allegiance: Seraphon
- Constellation: Thunder Lizard
- Grand Strategy: Beast Master
- Triumphs: Inspired
Engine of the Gods (265)**
- General
- Command Trait: Prime Warbeast
- Artefact: Cloak of Feathers
- Mount Trait: Beastmaster
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Slann Starmaster (265)*
- Spell: Celestial Equilibrium
Skink Priest (80)*
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
Skink Starpriest (130)*
- Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
- Spell: Hand of Glory
5 x Saurus Guard (115)**
Stegadon (265)**
- Weapon: Skystreak Bow
Stegadon (265)**
- Weapon: Skystreak Bow
6 x Kroxigor (300)**
- 2x Moonhammers
- Reinforced x 1
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)**
Emerald Lifeswarm (60)
*Command Entourage - Magnificent
**Battle Regiment
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 91
Drops: 4

There were 16 people in total. 4 brought Seraphon, 4 brought Stormcast (only one did Dragon spam though) 3 brought Kruleboyz (Big Yellers, of course), 1 Ironjawz, 1 Idoneth, 1 Khorne, 1 Legion of the First Prince, and one Gloomspite Gitz. I played against a mirror match vs. Thunder Lizards, vs. Kruleboyz and Ironjawz.

To sum it up because it would take way too long to go turn by turn for the whole thing:

Game one: I beat Thunder Lizards in the mirror match! Here's what he had:
Allegiance: Seraphon
- Constellation: Thunder Lizard
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Sever the Head
- Triumphs:
Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur (270)
- General
- Command Trait: Prime Warbeast
- Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
- Mount Trait: Beastmaster
Skink Oracle on Troglodon (270)
- Spell: Fiery Convocation
Skink Priest (80)
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
- Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Skink Starseer (145)
- Spell: Hand of Glory
Slann Starmaster (265)
- Spell: Stellar Tempest
5 x Saurus Knights (110)
- Blades
20 x Saurus Warriors (210)
- Clubs
- Reinforced x 1
20 x Skinks (150)
- Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
- Reinforced x 1
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)
*Command Entourage - Magnificent
Prayer

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 108
Drops: 10

Neither of us were playing anything close to a "meta" list, but I will say mine was probably better. Plus, he rolled pretty poorly on his double Bastiladons trying to take out a single Stegadon on my side, which messed up his battle tactics for two turns in a row. I won by a large margin by the time the time was called on turn 4.

Game two: I lost to Kruleboyz. Here's his list:
Allegiance: Kruleboyz
- Warclan: Big Yellers
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs:
Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast (315)
- General
- Command Trait: Egomaniak
- Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
- Lore of the Swamp: Sneaky Miasma
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (105)
- Lore of the Swamp: Choking Mist
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (105)
- Lore of the Swamp: Nasty Hex
Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof (170)
- Mount Trait: Fast 'Un
20 x Gutrippaz (360)
- Reinforced x 1
10 x Gutrippaz (180)
9 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (360)
- Reinforced x 2
3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (120)
10 x Hobgrot Slittaz (80)
3 x Rippa's Snarlfangs (70)
Beast-skewer Killbow (130)
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 138
Drops: 2
I'm a bit salty about this one. First of all, because my opponent *KEPT. ROLLING. NOTHING. BUT. SIXES! and dumping mortal wounds on me like nothing I'd ever seen before. "Oh, my three Boltboyz shooting at your Bastiladon roll 4 6's to hit? Automatic 8 mortal wounds!" He had the Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Swampbeast as his general, and he comes with an aura that increases the mortals done by their poison ability, and his two Shamans just kept handing out mortals on 5s and extra buffs to his guys the entire time.

Second, I still only lost due to time limits. I managed to kill both his Snatchaboss and Killaboss as well as wiping out both units of Gutrippaz and Rippa's Snarlfangs. I lost my Bastiladon and both my Skink foot heroes, as well as all the Saurus Guard and 4 out of the 6 Kroxigors. I definitely could have (and almost certainly would have) come back and won in turns 4 and 5, but it was a timed event so when we got the call for dice down in turn 3 he was ahead on VP and so won. Still a good game. Kruleboyz are like a slot machine, and he put it. You either roll high and melt everything, or you don't and you get melted. I definitely think this is true.

Third game was against a true "meta" Ironjawz list.
Allegiance: Ironjawz
- Warclan: Bloodtoofs
- Mortal Realm: Ghur
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs:
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)
- General
- Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
- Command Trait: Hulking Brute
- Artefact: Armour of Gork
- Mount Trait: Mean 'Un
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)
- Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
Orruk Warchanter (115)
- Warbeat: Fixin' Beat
Orruk Warchanter (115)
- Warbeat: Get 'Em Beat
6 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (340)
- Jagged Gore-hackas
- Reinforced x 1
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)
- Jagged Gore-hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)
- Jagged Gore-hackas
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1955 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 118
Drops: 2

This was the last game, and it was against my first and still most hated army to play against, Ironjawz. I tried to deploy as defensively as possible with all of my foot units in the Realmshaper and my Bastiladon and one Stegadon blocking either side of it with terrain, protecting my other Stegadon and my Engine. Of course he went first and turn-1 charged me with both his Maw-Krushas and the big unit of piggies. One thing I was not prepared for was for him to simply smash my Realmshaper with the monstrous action. I lost a Kroxigor and a Saurus Guard to this, and everyone was dumped on the ground. The TO said that afterward you remove the terrain piece from the board, so they were all just sitting there with their pants down.

He killed my Bastiladon with his general and the piggies, and killed a Stegadon with his other Maw-Krusha. but in my turn I was able to bring down his general Maw-Krusha only because I got Curse off. I *needed* the double-turn to be able to recover, but we tied on the priority roll and I conceded because there was no way I was surviving another round of his other Maw-Krusha and pigs stomping on me and no way to get out of my deployment zone to take objectives. So I said GG and he was grateful as he said earlier that he would probably have given *me* the game if things weren't going his way after the first couple rounds because he had to leave a bit early.

Some things that went my way:

I got a lot of damage off from the Realmshaper in the mirror match game.

I got Curse off vs. the Maw-Krusha and was able to kill it as a result.

I rolled pretty good on the Coalesced ward saves from terrain in some key moments, allowing my units to live just a little bit longer. Especially considering how many mortals were coming at me from the Kruleboyz army, lol!

I did ok on battle tactics. I was able to make all of them vs. Seraphon and most of them vs. Kruleboyz.

I was able to save my Slann from the Swampbeast by un-garrisoning him from the Realmshaper and hiding behind it.

Not having to play vs. the Dragon spam list or any of the multiple Krondspine Incarnates that were on the field

Things that did not go well for me:

Rolled to hurt myself twice in one turn on the Engine...

Kruleboyz absolutely dumping buckets of mortal wounds on me.

Me forgetting key things like "This unit has the Starpriest's buff" or "This unit has an extra +1 to save from the Priest's CA" due to feeling rushed because of the time limits.

Getting my Realmshaper blown up. I don't know how anyone uses faction terrain vs. fast monsters when they can just smash it on a 3+...

Time limit screwing me out of what almost certainly would have been a win vs. Kruleboyz if the game had been allowed to go all the way.

Not having screens vs. some armies like IJ, but they of course don't need screens because they're going to go first and smash you no matter what.

3e's smaller boards *suck.* That's my official opinion on that Any armies that want to bum rush you are able to do it pretty much guaranteed. While armies that need to castle or play the long game are punished by having *maybe* one turn to shoot or set up before they get charged.

All in all, it was fun and I'm very glad I went. Such a good learning experience! And I did say before that if I won one game, I'd be happy. So I am!

I was hoping to get a chance to play against armies like the Gitz or the Stormcast, but all I got was more Orks, lol! Still, they're a popular meta pick for a reason. And I'd still rather face the piggie herd than the Dragon rush any day, lol!

This really did solidify some of my opinions about the game, though:

For one, I definitely dislike the smaller boards. I will continue to use the larger ones in my home games, although when playing on TTS I'll use the new sizes.

Another thing that seems pretty clear is that against armies that are currently updated and good at combat, +1 to save for Seraphon means nothing. I know that sounds hyperbolic, but when everyone's coming at you with rend -2 or -3 or just dumping mortals (both of which armies other than Orks can do) having a +1 to our nearly army-wide 4+ saves is kind of useless. The only time I had a unit survive thanks to OOD was my Kroxigors vs. the Gutrippaz.

Other people also can't hit with Carnosaur jaws, it's not just me

3e is freaking complicated! There are so many things to remember that I forget several of them a fair bit of the time. How many CP do I have? Have I used this CA yet this phase? Can I use it? What about Heroic Actions? Monstrous Rampages? Prayers? Spells? Special Warscroll abilities? Allegiance abilities? I was just getting the hang of 2e when they changed it up, and despite getting more than a couple games in for 3e I still can't remember everything most of the time...

I much prefer to play through unless someone wants to concede. Ending a game early that you know you could have won due to arbitrary time limits is annoying as heck, even if it's a necessary thing from a TO's perspective. You can't have some people playing round 1 for 5-6 hours, lol!

Seraphon are still good, but are definitely going to need a major overhaul in the stat department in our 3e book. We know for a fact that subfaction abilities are going away for the most part, and our 2e strategy of "buff the heck out of one unit, suicide it into whatever you want dead, repeat until game ends" just does not work. We still have some buff stacking that we can manage, like throwing Prime Warbeast, Great Drake, and Beastmaster on our monster general. Or some lucky combos like getting Curse off on a key target and then following up with a good unit with the Starpriest's buff. But compared to other 3e armies, our attack profiles are bad. Our saves are bad. Our damage is mediocre. Our rend is pathetic.

But before anyone gets offended by that, it doesn't mean our army is currently bad. It just means that, in my opinion, we are going to need the type of warscroll buffs that some people are hesitant to call for because they worry it will take away from the uniqueness of our army. But I don't think that stat buffs will hurt our actual playstyle. The problem I see is that we have a very large model range and thus *should* have a large variety of playstyles available. So we don't have to just be a cheap horde army, or just a monster mash army, or just a magic denial army, etc. Just follow the Stormcast example and make us able to do everything! But don't make any of our units as grossly overpowered as Stormdrakes, Fulminators, or Annihilators, ok GW?

This is great, @Kilvakar. I'm amazed that you could hold up against all of the MWs from Kruleboyz, and it IS crumby that you "lost" due to time limit. That IJ battle was... shocking. That army really moves across the board. Anyway, it was good to read your experience and your observations. Well done!

 

[Kilvakar]

This is great, @Kilvakar. I'm amazed that you could hold up against all of the MWs from Kruleboyz, and it IS crumby that you "lost" due to time limit. That IJ battle was... shocking. That army really moves across the board. Anyway, it was good to read your experience and your observations. Well done!

Hey, thanks! It was really fun, even though I lost two games. I kind of knew what to expect from the Kruleboyz, and actually they would have done even less great if they hadn't just kept rolling tons and tons of 6s. I honestly think the main problem I had the entire tournament was just not being that good at 3e's much more complicated rules and a very short time limit. I don't think Kruleboyz are going to be a crazy-hard matchup for us. Their entire army strategy relies on rolling 6s to hit. If they roll a lot, they melt you. If they roll average, they do average. If they don't roll a ton of 6s, even if they still are making their hits and wounds, they're just not that scary. Even though I got my Bastiladon, Guard and Skink heroes blasted in the first couple turns, he didn't finish off my Kroxigor unit, my Slann, or any of my Stegadons and all he had left was 8 Boltboyz, 2 Shamans, and 10 Hobgrots. I could easily have recovered on VP but it would have had to go to turn 5.

I've beaten Ironjawz before, but that was always on the 2e larger boards. On the tiny 3e boards, they're going to get you no matter what. I tried to deploy as defensively as possible, which would have worked out were it not for the fact that any monster can now just smash your terrain on a 3+. (And we all thought the Lumineth foxes were OP for being able to do this when they came out...) As ProfessorSkink pointed out in his Kroak summoning thread, the IJ would have had a bad time if I got the double-turn. But I didn't so that was that. I know people love the IJ, but they to me just seem like one of those armies that does only one thing and it's brain-dead easy. Use as many CP as you have to charge across the board, charge everything, declare Waaagh! kill stuff and get to keep fighting for free as long as you keep killing stuff. Then they die in the counter-punch if their opponent weathered the assault and got the double-turn, or they just steamroll what's left of the army if they win the priority roll on round 2. I've played against them a LOT in 2e, and we never had a game that went to turn 3 because they always forced me to concede or were forced to concede by the bottom of turn 2.

 

[Putzfrau]

IJ lists really need screens to play against, unfortunately. Kruelboyz you should be able to outrange with your basti and stegs and just a matter of picking off the boltboys before bum rushing the heroes, its all pretty squishy.

All in all, sounds like you had a reasonably fun time. Playing to the time limit is something i think everyone could use a little more practice doing, its not really something you think about until you're actually doing it haha.

When your building is destroyed you pop the units out first and don't actually remove the building. It just removes all their keywords, you should have been able to just pile all your stuff behind it or off to the sides and been relatively safe.

3e (and seraphon) has a lot going on, but becomes second nature with a little practice. Tokens definitely help with remembering all that little stuff.

I think after seeing the NH book, the seraphon book will probably be set up similarly. Tons of battle traits, with some specific bonuses in the subfactions.

I think our biggest concern will just be a point hike. I'd imagine a pretty massive one.

 

[Kilvakar]

IJ lists really need screens to play against, unfortunately. Kruelboyz you should be able to outrange with your basti and stegs and just a matter of picking off the boltboys before bum rushing the heroes, its all pretty squishy.

Yeah, I was hoping to play against something besides Orks, lol! But still, Seraphon are really versatile but don't have a "this is the best list" like a lot of factions do. So you're always going to run into things that you do really well against and some things you get crushed by. If I had brought screens, I probably would have won vs. Ironjawz, but they wouldn't have done anything against the mirror match or Kruleboyz. But I didn't bring them, and I had to play IJ, so I knew I was going to get crushed if I didn't get the double-turn. That's just how the game is.

All in all, sounds like you had a reasonably fun time. Playing to the time limit is something i think everyone could use a little more practice doing, its not really something you think about until you're actually doing it haha.

It was definitely fun! Met a lot of cool people. The Kruleboyz player was just an all-around cool guy. We chatted the whole time and really had fun during our game. The assistant TO was also really nice and was very welcoming and helpful to everyone there. The Seraphon player I went up against was nice, but honestly worse at remembering the rules than even I was and was constantly trying to do things they couldn't do like add jaw attacks to the Bastiladon and stuff, lol! The IJ player was also very nice, but you could tell he had that "pro player" mindset. Very professional, not super chatty, knew everything by heart and was very sportsmanlike as he described exactly how he was about to kick your ass But he also was clearly very happy to compliment my army's appearance and to talk about his custom Maw-Krusha conversions and weapons on his Gore-Gruntas.

When your building is destroyed you pop the units out first and don't actually remove the building. It just removes all their keywords, you should have been able to just pile all your stuff behind it or off to the sides and been relatively safe.

I did not know this, and the TO said to remove the building. I'll have to ask them about this next time.

3e (and seraphon) has a lot going on, but becomes second nature with a little practice. Tokens definitely help with remembering all that little stuff.

This is definitely a good idea! I'm actually ordering some 3e Seraphon tokens from ProPaintedStudios, they make some good stuff.

I think after seeing the NH book, the seraphon book will probably be set up similarly. Tons of battle traits, with some specific bonuses in the subfactions.

That's what I'm hoping for. Lots of allegiance abilities since we know subfactions only get one special ability. Warscroll buffs would be nice for some units too

I think our biggest concern will just be a point hike. I'd imagine a pretty massive one.

Yeah, I imagine everything goes up in points. But to me it would be worth it if we get to use all of our units and not just 2-3 units and the heroes who support them best.

 

[Putzfrau]

It was definitely fun! Met a lot of cool people. The Kruleboyz player was just an all-around cool guy. We chatted the whole time and really had fun during our game. The assistant TO was also really nice and was very welcoming and helpful to everyone there. The Seraphon player I went up against was nice, but honestly worse at remembering the rules than even I was and was constantly trying to do things they couldn't do like add jaw attacks to the Bastiladon and stuff, lol! The IJ player was also very nice, but you could tell he had that "pro player" mindset. Very professional, not super chatty, knew everything by heart and was very sportsmanlike as he described exactly how he was about to kick your ass But he also was clearly very happy to compliment my army's appearance and to talk about his custom Maw-Krusha conversions

That's awesome to hear! I've found the social side of the tournament scene to be pretty awesome. Met so many cool new people through it.

And congrats, 1-2 for your first tournament is awesome, especially considering those lists! Really ran a gauntlet there with some tough matchups, even kruelboys is pretty good into thunder lizard cause of the mortals (as you saw!)

Thinking you'd do another one?

 

[Kilvakar]

Thanks! I'll definitely do another one for sure. The group that set up this event is going to be attempting to do them somewhat regularly, so I should be able to have the opportunity at least a couple times a year.

 

[BiddoPaints]

Thanks for sharing! I also just played in my first tournament and I really enjoyed reading through this and learned some things. I'm going to have to remember your move of un-garrisoning your Slann from the Realmshaper and hiding behind it. I agree with you that 3E is complicated! I'm going to have to make myself a really good cheat sheet before my next tournament.