This is only my third game with the beta rules but I thought I would create a report so people can see how the game plays in its simplest form.
The rules for Mantic's Kings of War game (written by Alessio Calvatore of 40K 5th Edition fame among other things) and army lists are available free to those who sign up to the Mantic Games newsletter. To do so just visit their site at www.manticgames.com.
Anyway, on to the report. I have tried to put Kings of War rules in red so people can get used to seeing and reading them. Here are the two army lists I used. Both come to exactly 500 points:
Undead -
- Liche King (150)
- Skeleton Regiment with Banner & Musician (115)
- Zombie Regiment (90)
- Ghoul Troop (45)
- Wraiths (100)
Elves -
- Mage Queen (120)
- Spearman Regiment with Banner & Musician (135)
- Bowman Regiment with Banner (165)
- Scout Troop (80)
Deployment
The Elves rolled higher on the deployment roll and set up a unit. Players (or me as I was playing against myself) take it in turns to place one unit at a time. It ended up looking like this:
Undead on the left from top to bottom: Wraiths, Liche King (left),Ghouls (right), Skeletons (left) and Zombies (right).
Elves from top to bottom: Spearmen, Mage Queen, Bowmen and Scouts.
After a roll off in which the Undead won, they chose to go first to limit the number of shots the elves could get on them before they got into combat.
Turn 1
Forward! Most of the Undead have a rule called Shambling which means they are very slow but less likely to stand there like lemons when things get rough. So the Zombies, Skeletons and Wraiths all lurched forward their basic Sp (speed) value. The Ghouls aren't subject to this though and could advance at double speed. I wanted to use the Liche King's Zap! in the shooting phase so chose to Advance with him using his basic Sp.
In the shooting phase, the Liche King un-liched (hehe) his Zap! on the Bowmen causing 3 points of damage. Whenever a unit takes damage it must take something called a Nerve Test. This is a check to see whether the unit stays Steady, whether it is Wavering, or whether it is forced to Rout and be removed from the table. In Kings of War, models are not removed when damage is caused, but markers are used to show the amount of damage (whether it be physical or mental) that accumulate over the course of the battle. The Bowmen passed with ease having only 3 points of damage.
With no Melee to deal with the turn ends.
Turn 2
Hoping to take advantage of the shambling rules of the Undead, the Elves decided to hold back and shoot as many of the beasts as possible. The left flank pushed around to draw sight on the Undead's exposed flank.
In the shooting phase the Elves let loose. 10 Shots from the Scouts saw 4 shots hit but the Elves' Elite rule allows them to reroll one miss which brought the total of hits to 5. A gust of luck saw all of the hits cause damage on the Ghouls. The Bowmen were equally successful causing 6 damage points on the regiment of Zombies.
Enthused by her fellow warriors ranged success, the Mage Queen unleashed her Zap! ability on the Wraiths. Wraiths are tough to damage with a Defense (De) of 6 but the Zap! ability has the Piercing rule which helps when rolling to damage. However even with this help she failed to cause any damage.
The Nerve test for the Zombies saw them hold steady, but the Ghouls cringed under the onslaught and began Wavering. This limits their movement options in their next turn and prohibits them from shooting.
Again, with no melee it was on to the next turn.
Turn 3
The Undead continued their slow advance with the exception of the Ghouls who stood quaking in their boots.
The Wraiths shot down the Elves' right flank trying to get out of the charge arc of the Spearmen. Units can only charge if their Unit Champion can see the target and he has a 90 degree arc to his front.
In the shooting phase, the Liche King decided to heal the Zombies and reduce their damage markers. He has a heal power of 5 and managed to take 1 damage point off of the Zombies.
No melee again so on to the next turn.
Turn 4
In Kings of War, you can measure distances anytime you like. The Spearmen decided to charge the Ghouls by moving double their Sp value. The Zombies were still out of charge range so the Scouts and Bowmen decided to stay where they were and shoot some more.
The Scouts let fly a volley of arrows causing another 7 points of damage on the Zombies. With the Zombies now within 12", the Elves have more chance to hit.
The Bowmen chose to focus their shots on the Liche King but unfortunately he was over 12" away which means they incur a -1 penalty on their Range (Ra) attack rolls. The Liche King also has the Individual rule which adds a further -1 to the roll. With these penalties the Bowmen failed to damage the Liche King.
The Zombies now had 13 damage markers on them but they still managed to hold their nerve thanks to their shambling rule which treats Wavering results as Steady instead.
Since the Spearmen charged the ghouls they get to attack in the melee phase. One of the concepts of the Kings of War ruleset is that turns are self-contained and the player whose turn it is currently is the only one who rolls any dice. This means that only the unit that charges gets to attack. The Elven Spearmen have the Phalanx rule which means they attack with 5 extra attacks giving them 15 attacks with a reroll due to their Elite skill. With this they managed to cause a huge 9 points of damage. The Ghouls with their measly Nerve (Ne) value of 1 routed and were removed from the table. When an enemy routs the attacker can choose from a number of Regroup manouveres. The Spearmen chose to advance D6" forward to take them out of the Zombies charge arc.
Turn 5
With the Spearmen out of the way, the Wraiths saw a chance to sweep down on the flank of the weakling elves.
The Zombies continued their lumbering walk forward with the Liche King beside them.
The Skeletons turned to face the Spearmen, setting themselves up for a flank charge in their next turn.
In the Shooting Phase, the Liche King bared his rotting teeth in a fearsome grin as he spied his prey, the Mage Queen, across the battlefield and let the energies flowing through his body burst forth from his withered fingertips. His Zap! attack caused 3 points of damage on the Queen, spasming her body and draining her will to fight. He watched in glee as he felt her spirit wavering.
Turn 6
Hearing their beloved Queen screaming in fear, the Bowmen turned to face the Wraiths approaching from their flank, hoping to draw their attention from the wavering ruler.
The Spearmen, sensing the threat of the skeletons, burst forward to take themselves out of their charge arc, knowing their superior speed should help them reposition for the attack later on in the battle.
As the Bowmen turned to protect the Queen, they exposed their left flank to the stumbling Zombies. Fearlessly, the Scouts, normally the last to enter into melee, rushed at the Zombie flank in an attempt to draw their attention away from the Bowmen.
In the shooting phase the Bowmen released a hail of arrows at the Wraiths but most flew through the ethereal forms as they flitted in and out of reality, yet one arrow found its mark taking a point of damage from the horrifying spirits but failed to shake their nerve.
The Scouts flank attack on the Zombies caught them unaware and the Scouts doubled their attacks. Despite their efforts and numerous limbs being severed, they only caused 1 damage point which the Zombies easily shrugged off. The Elven Loremasters obviously didn't tell their troops they have to cut off the heads! The Scouts pulled back from the attack to regroup and prepare for the onslaught of Zombie offence. In KoW, melee is more akin to clash and break encounters as opposed to drawn out duels. It is like the scene from 300 when the Persians attack the Spartans and the two armies lock in, and then the Persians are pushed back and the Spartans get to strike back.
Turn 7
In rage, the Wraiths used their Fly skill to zoom over the Mage Queen to avenge the wound they had taken at the hands of the Bowmen.
The Liche King once again drew aim on the quivering Mage Queen.
The Skeletons and Zombies turned to face their respective opponents relishing the chance to whet their blades, claws and teeth in battle.
Sensing her impending doom, the Mage Queen turned to face the Liche King with a defiant look of hatred just as his Zap! of energy struck her, adding another point of damage and forcing her to fail her nerve check and crumble to the ground mortally wounded.
The Wraiths, spurned on by her gurgling choke, struck at the Bowmen but only managed to cause one damage point and were pushed back after the Elven nerve stayed steady. However this was not before the souls of the elven dead were trapped as they left their bodies and swallowed into the void that was the Wraiths, boosting their strength and removing a point of damage with their Evil Dead ability.
Turn 8
Realising they had run long enough, the Spearmen turns to face their Skeleton pursuers.
A savage pain tearing at their hearts after witnessing the death of their beloved ruler, the Bowmen and Scouts both charged into their unnatural foes.
With the time for bows at an end, it was straight to melee, but fatigue was setting in and the Bowmen failed to even cause a single point of damage on the Wraiths before they were forced to fall back and regroup.
The Scout charge fared better adding another 4 points to the 13 the Zombies had already accumulated and breaking the bond between Zombie and master, forcing them to rout and crumble to dust. With momentum behind them they turned to aid their Spearmen brethren.
Turn 9
Finally, the Skeletons drew into range of the Spearmen and surged forward, bones clicking against rusty armour.
The Wraiths swept in again for another attack on the Bowmen while the Liche King crept alongside the Scouts ready to unleash his supernatural powers once more, blasting them for 3 points of damage but failing to shake their nerve.
Both the Wraiths and Skeletons inflicted 2 damage points on their respective foes but the will of the Elves was still strong and they held their positions ready for another round of combat.
Turn 10
With the last of their energy, the Elves all charged into the Undead horde, swinging wildly with reckless abandon.
The Wraiths once again laughed at the weak blades of the Bowmen as forced them off without so much as a scratch, feeling the Elves will to continue fleeing as fast as the arrows they shoot.
With the Skeletons engaged to the front, the Scouts swept in with a Rear Charge, allowing them to treble their attacks causing a massive 13 damage points in one round. This coupled with the 2 points the Spearmen inflicted meant the Skeletons had 15 damage points and a nerve of 6. There was only one way to stay in the battle, a piercing screech echoed across the battlefield as the Liche King yelled Hold your Ground and the Skeletons rolled a double 1 for their nerve test, automatically making them steady. The Elves bounced back, amazed and shocked at such resilience.
Turn 11
With both armies running out of steam, the Skeletons once more pressed into the Skeletons as the Wraiths moved in for the kill on the Bowmen.
The Liche King took advantage of the bewildered Scouts as they struggled to understand how the Skeletons were still standing and decimated them with his Zap!. 3 more damage and a failed nerve test had them fleeing the battlefield.
The Wraiths delivered the same fate to the wilting Bowmen and forced them to Rout.
Only the brave Spearmen, resiliant from the beginning, had the power left in them to repel the Skeletons once more. A single damage point was not enough to break their nerve and they held.
Turn 12
With only the Spearmen left, the Elves rushed in to destroy the Skeletons. Swinging for their lives and adding 2 more points to their enormous damage collection. Even the protestations of the Liche King couldn't hold the weakened magical bindings together any longer and the skeletons fell into piles of armour and bones.
As the last Skeletons fell, the Elves looked across the battlefield and caught the eye of the Liche King. A wide grin spead across his face as he looked behind him to where his Wraiths were feasting on the souls of the Bowmen. He looked back to the Champion of the spearmen and they both knew the battle was done.
Final Scores:
Undead - 365
Elves - 250
A win for the Undead.
