Twilight Imperium 4 - 2023 Game

Saturday saw the annual trip into Kernow to play Snake-eyes favourite game - Twilight Imperium. Steedo kindly picked up DK, Sylon and myself and drove down - he was rewarded with a Harty Breakfast at Strawberry Fields. 

Snake-eyes picked some of the least played (difficult factions) and created a balanced board. It was the first time we were using some factions and rules from the Prophecy of Kings Expansion - would this make an already epic game any longer? Snake-eyes claimed that it wouldn’t, as there were more ways to get stuff for points - exploration (which I didn’t use very effectively after I pick up the drone tech - d’oh). We rolled off to pick factions - I picked first … the factions/players were;

Vul Rath cabal - Morts (pink)

Mahaact Gene Sorcerers - DK (yellow)

Arborec - Sylon (green)

Embers of Muaat - Snake-eyes (orange)

Ghosts of Creuss - Steedo (blue)

Nekro Virus - no one (but they would have been red) 

Unfortunately Tiger-King has been struggling with a virus for a while so missed out on the game - which is why there was player for the Nekro Virus and between myself and DK Snake-eyes had placed “space lanes” which meant systems were “adjacent”. However in the post game analysis the “empty” hexes were a psychological barrier to movement. 

The initial set up (around midday) - Steedo to the my right and DK via space lanes on the left. Sylon opposite me with Snake-eyes on his left. Everyone was worried about Snake-eyes WarSun … very early to see in a game. 

Early game (2 hours in) - myself and Snake-eyes are expanding well, vying for the lead - Steedo is struggling to get an engine for the ghosts going, but was scoring a few objectives. DK and Sylon are blocking each other in limiting their ability to score points. 

Above around 6pm - Steedo had made an early run at Mecatol Rex, but agreed to move out of the way of the WarSuns of Snake-eyes! To try and prevent Snake-eyes running away with the game - I tried to fight him off, but I got a good beating … however this was a second activation so we had undo it … but later Snake-eyes came after me and the result was the same … I was tango’ed! However to do this attack Snake-eyes vacated Mecatol Rex … which would allow Steedo to re occupy it and then move it with wormhole tech. I think this was a turning point in the game as Steedo then made a rush on Snake-eyes home system with a very large fleet - no WarSuns available to stop it! This also stopped Snake-eyes scoring anymore public objectives and effectively ended his run for victory. The game was tight, I was trying to find a home system to win in (which would give me one secret VP and a 2VP on a public objective).

Around 2230 - With the move of Mecatol Rex - Steedo started moving up the scoring track - Snake-eyes and myself passing 10 - we were going for a 14 point game. Things were getting tense I had got to 13 points but was having trouble scoring my last point - Steedo had taken Snake-eyes (12 points) home system so Snake-eyes could score - Steedo had moved up to 11 points and held Mecatol Rex some could gain a Victory point for that … I had managed to swap my secret agenda to a more achievable one of winning a space battle with my flagship, as Steedo had massively protect his and Snake-eyes’ home systems (and Sylon’s and DK’s systems were too far away for me to get too). For some reason Snake-eyes decided to turn one of my systems into a supernova- again blocking one of my routes to a VP.

The final turn was quite short Sylon had picked leadership, DK diplomacy, myself politics … Snake-eyes I can’t remember and Steedo - Imperial so 1 VP as he had Mecatol Rex … my rush for victory happen, my flagship and 3 dreadnoughts pounced on one of Sylon’s lone dreadnoughts … only to be thwarted by Sylon playing the “masterful retreat” card, and in that moment I lost the game … and then Steedo swooped in a scored another 3 points for the win - again!I am cursed  to be the only one in the group not win Twilight Imperium … and the game takes only 12 hours to play.

So Steedo’s name goes on the trophy again - the game was quite tight in the end and could have been one by a number of us. Steedo with the ghosts did a blinding job after a frustrating start for him - at one point I think I might have been able to take his home system and he might have only had 1 or 2 systems. He was scoring, keeping himself in the game but wasn’t really a threat to myself and snake-eyes for the first half of the game - in the second half he started using the wormhole faction ability, which made a big difference to how he was playing - so it was a really impressive comeback with 6 points in the last 2 rounds - well done on the win.

The other factions did well - Snake-eyes Embers did very well early on and I thought he was going to win at one point, but looking back his spectacular destruction of my flagship with his WarSuns opened up Mecatol Rex for Steedo to move and then distracted him enough, so that he lost his home system which stalled his run on the points track. But those WarSuns are tough to fight against from the beginning of the game. My space dinosaurs were fun to play - eating up other players ship and then being able to re fashion into new ships or tech was great - but something I didn’t use as well as I should have. It could be used to limit other factions access to ships and the heroes’ ability to destroy and capture ships on a dice roll - scary (but the dice gods need to be on your side - which they weren’t in this game). DK was steadily getting to grips with the Sorcerers - always in the game, but not quite getting an engine running for a run on the victory track. Sylon had a tough day at the gaming table with the Arborac - these seem a really difficult faction to play and score points with (as Snake-eyes knows) - he was also hampered by DK and the aggressively “peaceful” Embers which prevented him from expanding.

Anyway congratulations to Steedo on a surprising (based on his situation early/mid game), not surprising (cause he is a cunning player - who manages to get us all to look at the other “threats”) and thanks to Snake-eyes for hosting. 

On Monday evening I managed a win for the first time  (doubles with Higgins) at Evo’s snooker hall - which was nice and mild balm for the lost on Saturday.

Morts

First post of 2023

It has been a busy couple of weeks since the new year - no paint brush picked up yet - possibly because I need to do some remedial work on some hobgoblins I thought I had finished before Christmas - no pictures here so they can’t be quite “right”. Work has been intense - short staffed so extra cover to do on top of getting back into routines. 

The weekend just gone saw a wander around the moor - very wet and some low cloud.

CW from top left: Hare Tor, Sharp Tor from Hare Tor, Meldon reservoir and dam.

I have managed to assemble my Phobos Kill Team - this was originally the 1st edition set of Reivers, but I have added a few infiltrator models for the 2nd Ed team - got a bit of green stuff to do. I got some Space Wolf pauldrons to make them look swish. I might see if I can get hold of a couple more bodies so that I can have another knife man for this team, and a carbine man for my Argonauts chapter (6 marines needed for a 2nd ed Kill Team - they only have 5 reivers). 

After the game with Steedo I had a little look at the Blooded - Traitor Guard list and picked up the enforcer (commissar) and ogryn. The team will be a little light on specialists as GW changed some of the minis from Blackstone Fortress to the Kill Team versions of the traitor guard - but it is another team to get to the table. 

The last pictures are of what will be part of a clear out - but sad to sad I will be parting company with most of the 25/8mm DBA armies (Greek Hoplite, Persian, Macedonian and Thracian) - storage is an issue and they have not been touched since the first lockdown in 2020 … and if I checked the blog a while before then. I will do some nice pictures of the armies for the blog and selling - sad times. There is also an unpainted Carthaginian army by Renegade miniatures to sell. My biggest issue is timing the sales on eBay with when I can get stuff to the post).

Also Onus kickstarter than Steedo and I went halves on should be turning up soon and I don’t need the duplication.

Saturday should see an epic Twilight Imperium game down at Snake-eyes place. New factions and set up some should be interesting.

Morts

Kill Team - Ad Mech versus Orks

In the quiet ish time between Christmas and new year I invited the collective over a go at multi player Kill Team - so Steedo turned up with his newly painted Ork boyz. I chose to face him with the recently defeated Ad Mech team. Looking at the Compendium Steedo had two Boyz fire teams - one with 5 boyz armed with Sluggas and Choppas (and gunner with a Rokkit launcher) , the other with 4 Shootas (one with a big shoot a) and the Leader (with a nasty claw thing - although he might have been a Commando leader …). The table was roughly symmetrical, with plenty of cover. We chose not to use Tac-Ops or the scouting phase and just get stuck in with the game. I cunningly convinced Steedo that we wanted to play long ways across the table … an advantage for the shooting heavy Ad Mech. 

The victory points were scored by having a operative controlling one for 1 point in turns 1 and 2. Then we each removed an objective marker at the start of turns 3 and 4, but they were now worth 2 points for control.

Initial starting points - I had ready orders for the whole team (in fact I didn’t use a conceal order all game - shoot and shoot more), where as some of Steedo’s Orks were hiding … the Transauranic Arquebus was effective at this point, but was on the receiving end of heavy counter firing, leaving the ranger wounded for the rest of the game … some good saving going on. However Steedo’s Rokkit Launcher did turn my leader into mush - so I wouldn’t be getting anymore Command Points this game! Steedo was leading with the Victory points 1-0.

Second turn the Orks skulking behind the rig, while the brave Skitari move forward to sweep the Greenskin menace from the world. There was a fair bit of tit for tat killing in this turn. Steedo was using up command points to redo shooting attacks … although we did discover that we were reading his dice wrong … “kill team” logo a one and the Ork symbol a six (we thought that they were both 6s at one point. But the dice did seem to roll either ones or sixes … Steedo holding the lead 3-1.

Turn 3 Steedo was getting worried about the number of causalities his team was collecting, the saves that my team was making and the melty power of the plasma gun … (and the Arquebus, Arc Rifle and even the Radium Carbine was getting in the action). The Sicarians were also matching the melee Orks in the up close and personal fights. The infiltrator did go down to the Ork boss after inflicting some damage … this sacrifice then allowed the arc gunner to blast him clean off the objective marker he was trying to claim … which was nice. 4-7 on victory points now. 

The Skitari move onto objectives and shoot at the 3 remain, seriously wounded Orks … achieving to quote Steedo “a total party kill” - picking up another 4 victory points for an 11-4 … go Ad Mech!

Final picture of the killing field … a really exiting game (which hopefully Steedo enjoyed), the final turn was a little harsh on the Orks. 

The post battle debrief brought up that Steedo needs to get the Ork specialists fire team painted up - I also think he needed to get the melee boyz in closer and quicker on the Skitari - with only 7 wounds they would only need one hit to become wounded, fortunately I put the Sicarians in the way this time. The Orks also struggle with poor saving and shooting, both 5+. A little more thought into the list would really help - but this can be done and we were limited by what had been painted so far.

Steedo’s figures were nice to see on the table - contrast paints, but a really neat job - 11 figures in a couple of sessions … 

Thanks turning up Steedo … I do know how you feel after the visit to Tiger-Kings …

Happy New Year 2023 - the usual Twilight Imperium epic coming in mid January.

Morts

Christmas Haul and a few games

 So an unusual Christmas for me in that I got quite a lot of gaming stuff …

I also got some paints in my stock and got One Night Werewolf - as Thing 2 had talked about the “mafia” from University, which Werewolf is based on (with knobs and whistles). Managed to get a couple of games of Werewolf in on Christmas Day, then again on Thing 2’s birthday … some much for my better half’s comments about games being a waste of money!

On boxing day we played Ticket to Ride Europe - which was good (it is years since my one play of the first version of Ticket to Ride), a win to Thing 2 … Thing 1, had forgotten to do any of her routes. Then we had a game of Pandemic, which with a bit of accidental cheating we cured 2 diseases, but still lost due to a cascade of outbreaks (of a disease we had the cure to?!) - some good gaming fun!

The Kill Team annual has multi player games rules, but I already had the rules for the Ad Mech … I might have to buy the Euclidean Starstriders as an extra faction … 

Worth noting that Thing 1 had a couple of games of Dungeonquest, with friends …I was asked to play, but I had Steedo coming over for some Kill Team (I did get them through the first few turns to get the rules right) … perhaps Catan  next time?

Morts

Kill Team - Ad Mech versus Tyranids

I went down to Tigers-King‘s to play a game of Kill Team (and to collect the rules). I prepped two teams - Space Marines Intercession (mix of assault and normal) and an Ad Mech Hunter Clade with a mix of Skitari Rangers/Vanguard and Sicarian Ruststalkers/Infiltrators to face Tiger-King’s Tyranids. I used BattleScribe to get the team roster done - now this was useful, but I couldn’t get it to print in a useful way (I think the default set are US letter rather than A4 Amy couldn’t work out how to change them on the iPad).

We were fighting over a crowded kill zone which was beautifully painted. We decided not to used tac-ops cards as it was both of ours 3rd game (and I’d hadn’t played for a long time). We did the scouting phase and I won the initiative.

The starting point for the half the Ad Mech - the other half moved forward into position but didn’t have any targets and were too far away from any objectives to make it worth using a dash action. Tiger-king’s terrain was also too high for my troops to get on to the vantage points in one turn with move/dash actions (which meant neither of us used it). I also discovered at this point that the Tyranids shooting was rather dangerous - However I manage the high point of the game with 3 critical saves - much to Tiger-kings chagrin. Unfortunately he took out my infiltrator in one shot … the Ad Mech with 7 to 10 wounds seemed a little fragile. But it was 1 all for victory points at the end of the turn.

The Tyranids advance into a moderately effective fire storm … I move the ruststalkers over to counter the genestealers in melee. The nasty ‘Nids shooting was taking out the numerical advantage the Ad Mech rather quickly. 

All 3 of the Vanguard were dead … and annoyingly the Tyranids had a counter to the Rad-saturated count as injured. I managed to kill a couple of genestealers, but virtually all of my troops were now injured - either from the shooting or melee - the damage was usually fatal for the skitari. However the Transuranic Arquebus, was being pretty effective, but not enough to actually kill a ‘Nid outright. But I was leading 3-2.

The brood lord and warrior having cleared out the Ad Mech left flank - at this point I think I had 4 skitari rangers left - but going into the final round it was all square 4 all in victory points. I also remembered to start looking at the tactical ploys for the Ad Mech. 

The final round with my key to victory or drawing was to hold the objective under the platform - but unfortunately the skitari was turned to red mist. This meant that at the end I lost 5 - 6. I had  used command points to heal wounds on 3 warriors, as this mitigated the injured penalties. My leader and Arc gunner were killed - which were the only fighter which could use overwatch - a downside of the Transuranic Arquebus is that it is unwieldy. So I ended the game with just one survivor … Tiger-King and his Tyranids had given me a good beating. 

An enjoyable game - which we have to play again soon. 

The poor run of form in either version of kill team continues for the Ad Mech - can’t be anything to do the command of the team ...

Probably the last game before Christmas - I wonder what Santa will bring. 

Morts 

Dartmoor in the Snow

On Saturday I was out on the moor with work for a training walk … unusually it had recently snowed, but I thought I would share so of the photos from the walk .

West Mill and Yes Tor. 

Oke and Steeperton. 

The north of High Will-hayes.

Dinger Tor

I think Yes and High Willhayes from Okement …

A view north west from Steeperton. 

A view east ish from Steeperton.

Another view with Steeperton in the background. 

A cracking day - really cold (stayed in 5 layers all day!). 

Morts. 

Bloodrage - 2nd game … after a long break.

 The collective got together for a festive game of Bloodrage - minus Sylon who was on his works do, so getting a little tipsy and Tiger-king who was claiming man flu illnesses …

The rest of us had played DK’s beautifully painted Bloodrage a long while ago, so effectively it was a first play (Bloodrage’s first play through is somewhere on the blog, but I couldn’t find it. Edit - February 9th 2019 so nearly 4 years ago).

As a quick reminder of how to play, each player is given 8 cards from which they pick one, then past to the left and repeat until each player has 6 cards (the reminder are discarded). The cards can upgrade each players clan, warriors, leaders or mystics OR they can improve your figures in a fight OR access monsters OR you can complete a quest at the turn. To play cards you must spend rage (action points) - once you have run out of rage you can’t do any of the free actions - pillaging an area … and some other things I can’t remember. 

Turn one - the area with the reward for pillaging - red more rage, blue more figures on the board and green  - I can’t remember … the game didn’t start well for me as I wasn’t sure what was going on - I had high fight cards, but my quest for for warriors to die …), so I finished the first age in a lowly 4th place - Steedo thwarting my quest (to get 4 warriors into Valhalla) by not pillaging areas where i expected him too. I had played a upgrade card that meant when I lost a battle I was able to place a warrior for free, which turned into a very useful card.

Some of the really nice figures from the game, expertly painted by DK … I’m not jealous … really I’m not … git!

The second turn was very good for me - as the drafting when around I was able to pick up 2 quest requiring at least 4 warriors in Valhalla before the Ragnarok and an upgrade to the clan so that every warrior returned to me after Ragnarok got me 2 victory points (the last thing I played so they couldn’t see the plan) … so my plan was to pillage when ever I could (and lose) so that I would get a warrior into Valhalla and on the board for no action points, so this appeared to be self perpetuating … meanwhile DK over populated the board which his figures - there is a maximum number of figures you can have on the board, unless to can upgrade your clan or gain the extra by pillaging a blue axe (?) area … this meant that DK had to remove a number of figures from the board, which did rather bugger up his plans. Steedo and Snake-eyes were going for area control quests to get victory points. However I managed to get most of my warriors in Valhalla, so completed quests and lots of points from the figures in Valhalla, which shot me into the lead … which was nice.

The final round also saw me as the first player - and must of the drafting worked for me. I was able pick up a card which got me 3 points for each figure in Valhalla - this stacked, so it was 5 points! But most of the cards were attack focused or area dominance (which I had avoided). I continued with my plan to pillage a lose … unfortunately the others allowed me some wins, as this stopped the repeated pillaging of an area (can only be done once) and meant I couldn’t place for free … I did force Steedo and Snake-eyes into a three way Pillage in the area about to be destroyed in Ragnarok (figures in that area got you extra victory points), so I could squeeze a figure in there myself. DK had a mare of a turn as Steedo thwarted has quests in the final round - upheld claims that he missed out on 54 points in the final turn …

Snake-eyes and Steedo got some of the area control, but the 5 points per figure in Valhalla was crucial for me. Final scores on the doors were DK 62, Steedo 135, Snake-eyes 136 and myself 151. A nice win for me, and such a surprise and unusual event, the collective have sent many nice messages.

Apparently I was playing the “Loki” strategy, which is a thing in the game - apparently with more plays it becomes less of a thing, as it can be blocked  in the card drafting, but this was effectively our first game. I am also not sure if we were doing the pillaging correctly, as this seemed to boost my upgrade and then amplified the Loki/Valhalla points.

A win and a fun evening - I then departed as I had a busy day on the morrow  .

The others stayed and managed to get in a game of Unmatched - Jurassic Park (win for DK) and Splendor (win for Steedo).  

Morts