Hey, y'all! I just played in (and won) my first games with the new rules at a small local event. Figured I would type up a round-by-round review, for anyone wanting to hear how the new rules work "in the field". It was a 1000 pt, ten-player event: two rounds, highest score after second round wins. For background: I've been playing since the start of AoS, but haven't had a chance to try the new rules, even in a casual game. I like big stompy dinos, so obviously gonna go Thunder Lizard.
Game 1 - TL vs. Kruleboyz Mission: Frontal Assault Terrain: five blobs/rocks in an 'X' shape, centered on the battlefield. It wasn't particularly influential either way. Opposing forces: Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker (general) Swampcalla Shaman Hobgrot Slittaz (two units) Guttrippas (two units) Man-skewer boltboyz Total: 970 My list: Scar-vet on Carno (general, prime warbeast, blade of realities) Oracle on Troglodon (light of chotec) Ripperdactyl chief Saurus warriors (spear) Skinks (boltspitter and shield) Terrawings Total: 995 Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
Setup - opponent had one drop deployment, put his whole army in the center, ready to take center objective. I put the Saurus Warriors in the center opposing him, with the Trog and the Ripper flanking left, the Scarno and the Terrawings flanking right. Round one - he went first, moving the Snatchaboss, both Hobgrotz, and one of the Guttrippas into center. The other Guttrippas stayed in the back, guarding the Boltboyz and Swampcalla. Boltboyz took a shot at the Trog through cover, but missed. I took right objective with the Terrawings, left with the skinks, and tossed the warriors at the center; Scarno got a long charge into the forward Guttrippas, while the Trog shot and charged directly at the Snatchaboss. Scarno ate one Guttrippa, stomped another to death (love the double rampages!), and killed all but one of the rest in combat. It fled during battleshock. The Trog put out a lot of wounds at the Snatchaboss, but about 40% got pushed off to the Hobgrotz. He got wrecked in return, with the Snatchaboss' mortal wounds taking him from first damage track to last in one round (he survived though!). The warriors split attacks between Snatchaboss and Hobgrotz; they put a couple more wounds on the big guy, and killed most of the Hobgrotz. I failed to complete my tactic. End of round: 3 points scored
Round two - opponent won roll for first turn Opponent kept the remaining Guttrippas back to protect the Boltboyz, who shot in to wound the Trog some more. The Snatchaboss finished off the Trog, and put a dent in the Warriors, but they survived with 3-4 left On my turn, I moved the Ripper into charge range on the Boltboyz, flew the Terrawings in to charge the Swampcalla, and took potshots at the Guttrippas with my skinks (who stayed on the objective). The Scarno charged in and just deleted the Snatchaboss, the Ripper ripped through the Boltboyz, and none of my other units did much of anything (bad rolls). The Guttrippas piled in and destroyed the Ripper. At end of turn, I controlled all objectives, and completed my tactic, for a total of 5 points.
Round 3 - I won initiative (double turn!) I charged the Scarno into the Guttrippas, using the Stomp and Eat rampages, while the Terrawings pestered the Swampcalla. The skinks moved forward, but failed to put wounds on anything. As usual, the Scarno destroyed the remaining Guttrippas, and while the Terrawings didn't kill the Swampcalla, they got it close. For his turn, he just attacked the Terrawings, and they killed the Swampcalla with their attack. As that was his last unit, I 'won' there; but, per event expectations, we scored the remaining battle rounds as well, finding tactics I could complete (I know Aggressive Expansion was one, don't remember the other) Total: 26 points (3+5+5+5+5+3 for grand strategy)
Second Game! Mission: Rising Power Terrain: same as previous battle (losers walk) Opposing Forces: Sisters of Blood Hag Queen on Cauldron of Blood (general) Gladiatrix Doomfire Warlocks Blood Stalkers Witch Aelves (two units) Khinerai Lifetakers Same list for me
Round 1: Setup: Opponent put doomfire warlocks flanking to (my) left, and lined up witch Aelves->gladiatrix->cauldron of blood->blood stalkers->witch Aelves stretched between the middle and right (my perspective) objectives. Khinerai Lifetakers were left off the board to deep strike. I put the skinks on the left objective, flanked the Trog far to the right, and stacked the remaining forces in the center. Back to front, they went: warriors->scarno->ripper->Terrawings. The toad marker went on the Cauldron of Blood. I won initiative, so I moved the skinks to just within 6 of the left objective (as far from the warlocks as possible). Similarly, moved the center stack so that the warriors were all just within 6 of the center, and stacked the scarno right behind them. The ripper and Terrawings went slightly to the right of them, but stayed behind the line of skirmish. The Trog moved forward just into range of the right objective and shot at the rightmost witch Aelves, killing two. Tactic: take the center. On opponent's turn, he stacked buffs on the leftmost witch Aelves, and ran them, the gladiatrix, and the cauldron forward to the center. Doomfires moved forward towards the skinks, but failed the charge roll. The blood stalkers moved forward enough to shoot the Trog for two damage, then the rightmost witch Aelves ran/charged at him. The trog's stomp killed two more Aelves. The warriors weathered the witch aelves' first attack, and wiped them completely out on their turn. The gladiatrix tried and failed to wound the warriors (bonus defense for contesting, plus she was in the Trog's stench bubble). The Trog then attacked the witch Aelves on him, but completely whiffed. At end of round, I controlled two objectives, he had three (we forgot to roll for the important objective). I completed my objective. Score: 4 points