WFB: Return of The (tourney winning) Tomb Kings

The Titan is a custom model that Cody built using parts from several kits.Up until the week before he was still waiting on the legs to arrive from the supplier.

The entire upper body is a NecroSphynx body with some sculpting done so that it would fit the legs.
The arms were then filed to get the bracers on.

Scales are a chariot standard cut in two and the front panels from a chariot glued back to back.

The legs are a kit ordered from Rothand Studios. (**Note from Cody: “I think Rothand is based outta Poland. Company will build you one for like $200 but I love mine.”)

Deployment: Battle Line
Rules:
– To claim the hill a unit must be partially on the hill.
-Only one unit may claim the hill even if multiple units are on the hill.
-The hill is claimed by the unit that has the most wounds remaining (excluding characters)
Points Awarded:
+100VP points for the unit on the hill
+100VP point if the claiming unit has a banner (excludes BSB)
+100VP points per rank bonus of the claiming unit (maximum 300)
Special Rules: STEADY BOYS All unit on the hill have the ITP special rule

Game 1 Cody faced off against Jesse’s Skaven army. Jesse was one of the members of Dimensional Cascade up from Seattle.

This was Jesse’s first time at Wet Coast, I met him Friday night when they arrived. Jesse had a Grey Seer and BSB inside a small unit of Clan Rats, a horde of Plague Monks with a Plague Hero pushing the Plague Furnace, a horde of Storm Vermin led by a Warlord with the 100 point sword, a suicide Engineer, several small units of Plague Rats as re-directors, Doomwheel, Warp Lightning Cannon, two 40 man units of Slaves, and a Hell Pit Abomination.

Cody went for the mission to kill Jesse’s BSB, which was sitting right beside his Grey Seer. 

Cody got first turn, moved up his archers and “deleted his unit of Plague Monks pushing the cauldron (Desiccation was on them which helped the archers)”, there were 6 monks left after the shooting was done, moving very, very slowly to push the Plague Furnace. Jesse’s Doomwheel was frightening as it made its way up Cody’s flank but it ended up exploding instead of causing all the damage that Cody was worried about. Cody took advantage of Jesse’s focus at dispelling death magic to draw out dice before casting Tomb King magic to boost his units (this becomes a theme). Mostly Cody was able to slow down Jesse’s units with the help of Usirian’s Incantation of Vengeance. Jesse was further thwarted when Cody got a Screaming Skull to drop directly on the Warlord’s Storm Vermin and after they had to roll roughly 6 panic checks that failed they ran off the board. The Hierotitan had set up to face gutter runners which it killed, and the archer block beat up both slave units in combat.

In the end Cody pulled off a win against the tide of rats.

Deployment: Blood and Glory
Rules:-There is no breaking point for fortitude-A banner is considered destroyed if a unit containing a banner no longer has a banner by any means. This includes breaking from combat, destroyed by magic or shooting, also units that have fled off the table and have not returned by the games end have there banners counted as destroyed.
Points Awarded:
+100VP per banner destroyed
+300VP for a destroyed Battle Standard
Special Rules:
DEATH FRENZY Nominate an enemy unit, this unit gains the Frenzy special rule. The unit nominated can not be a character or warmachine. If the unit already has frenzy it gains no additional attack. 

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Game 2 Cody faced off against Scott’s Warriors of Chaos. Scott was fielding 2 daemon princes, 2 chimeras, 2 gore beast chariots, Nurgle mauraders, and dogs. Somehow I never wound up meeting Scott over the weekend so I am not sure what all he had in his list–so Scott if you’re reading this and can update us please do!! (for that matter if anyone who was at the event happens to know please comment with the list).

Cody was trying to the mission to kill Scott’s general.

Again Cody got first turn, and got lucky with the casket opening and immediately destroying both Chimeras. The archer block was able to drop one daemon prince right out of the gate (the general) which was against the odds but certainly in Cody’s favor. Khalida’s unit turned it’s attention to the other daemon prince and whittled away at it until it too finally died. The gore beast chariots did not move too quickly across the table. Cody charged both his chariots and necro-knights into the Nurgle mauraders and literally bounced off them, doing nearly nothing and falling apart (in true tomb king style). Scott seemed to focus on dispelling death spells which left him with no dice to stop the Tomb King spells which beefed up Cody’s army.

Cody wound up winning that game too, though commented “to say my rolling was hot in this game and Scott’s dice walked out on him would be a huge UNDERSTATEMENT poor guy couldn’t buy a decent roll to save his life.”

Scenario #3: Fickle Winds

Deployment: Dawn Attack
Rules:
-Characters are not rolled for random deployment and are instead deployed normally
Points Awarded:-All VP scored from wizards, or characters that can channel are doubled.
Special Rules: POWER DRAIN When channeling POWER dice a roll of a “1” causes you to lose a power dice.

 In this game Cody faced Jordan (my game 2 opponent) with his Warriors of Chaos. To remind you Jordan had a single hellcannon, several chariots, skull crushers, two marauder horsemen units, two casters, a unit of warriors, a chimera and a daemon prince. Many people thought that Jordan would easily beat Cody’s list, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Cody was trying for the mission to kill Jordan’s highest level caster (a daemon prince).

Cody said that with “against tons of speed and armour I was feverishly making a priority targets list before the game (while Jordan drank)”. He then used the block of archers to shoot off the Chimera and got off Caress of Light to take off the level 2 sorcerer while the rest of his army advanced in turn one. Turn two he was able to take the Daemon Prince down to one wound and Jordan’s skullcrushers failed their charge against Cody’s chariorts and the skull catapults took out one of Jordan’s chariots. Jordan’s luck continued to fail him in turn three when “Khalida’s unit did a painful turn exposing the butts and fired at the Daemon Prince” while Cody “decided the only way I’m killing the crushers is with the chariots so off they went to be damn heroes!” and charged them into the the skullcrushers who lost combat, fled and were caught. Turn 4 Jordan’s chariots took out Cody’s while the Daemon Prince and Titan fought a battle. Cody adds “I tried to resurrect the chariots I PROMISE I DID! But even heroes die…the risks of war! *Zap Rannigan*” Turn 5 Cody was able to shoot off some of Jordan’s chariots before the rest got into the unit of archers.

In the end the hard fought win went to Cody. Cody said that in all his games “Jordan was the unique one. He didn’t let me get double shots at all, I had to mix up my spells and think death? Or casket? which was wierd for me.”

Scenario #4: Death and Honor

Deployment: Meeting Engagment
Rules:
-Characters are not rolled for reserves and are instead deployed normally
-Nominate a single unit to be your “Honor Guard” this unit is deployed with out rolling for reserves and gains the ITP special rule, this unit must contain a banner and may not be a character.
Points Awarded:-All VP scored from the “Honor Guard” are doubled
Special Rules: SHOCK AND AWE A unit that has been selected as the “Honor Guard” may once per game reroll it’s charge distance.

Game 4, the fateful game where he lost, Cody faced off against Dale’s Ogre army. Dale’s army was themed around the White Walkers from the Game of Thrones, and contained: Slaughtermaster, Bruiser, Butcher (with Hellheart), Ironguts (7), Ogres (6), Gnoblar (2 units of 10), Maneaters (6), Mournfang (4), 3 Sabertusk packs, and 2 Ironblasters.

Cody was trying for the mission to kill the largest core unit–the Ironguts.

Dale won first turn (maybe that in itself should have signaled a change in Cody’s luck/) ran his army forwards in a line with no ranks (risk of purple sun) with the maneaters powering across the right flank and the cannons into range of Cody’s army. The Ironblasters took out the Hierotitan first turn. Cody didn’t move much first turn, but was able to get off the spell to to give his archers double shots and -1 Toughness to the Ironguts, then uses his Power Scroll to get Purple Sun off, killing 2 Mournfang, 2 Ironguts and 4 Gnoblars. Cody finishes off the Ironguts with shooting. After this Khalida and the archers don’t do as well. The Maneaters ate the Snakeriders and then bounced into the archers. Sabretusks kills the skeletons that vanguarded. The Mournfang charge a lone character and overrun into the archer block.

Dale was able to cast a Comet towards the back of Cody’s army where the casket and catapults are as well as a Curse of the Midnight Wind on the archer block. Both Ironblasters misfired (one explodes, one can’t shoot for a turn). Bulls (with characters) and Maneaters charge the archer block (Maneaters can’t fit). Dale was able to get Harmonic Convergence bubbled (being a user of Heavens magic myself, when I heard that I sighed and thought “Bad idea Cody letting that one through”). Dale was able to direct attacks at the characters in the archer block killing the Hierophant, BSB and a Level 1 Caster and Cody loses a lot of models to combat res.

Crumble from losing the Hierophant causes Cody to lose both Catapults. Then Cody is able to charge the chariots into the Mournfang (finally as Dale had used his Sabertusks to keep the chariots out of things to this point) but because of Harmonic Convergence Cody wasn’t able to do much else. Dale won combat and the archer unit and a couple chariots crumble. The Casket crumbled right as the Comet finally comes down with nothing in range for it to damage.

Cody lost that game having only Khalida and 2 chariots left whereas Dale had a considerable amount of his army left. Cody commented “my biggest mistake was that I didn’t think how important Harmonic Convergence was for ogres. I already knew from playing a buddy that Ogres is the army Tomb Kings always bounce off. Was a good game and Dale showed his experience in some moves he made.”

Dale secured all three objectives as well as completed his mission card.

Scenario #5 Land Claim

Deployment: Battle Line

Rules:-The board is divided into 6 2’x2′ sections of disputed new land-A unit is only eligible to claim a section if it has a banner-If a unit spans mulitple sections it can only lay claim to the section where it’s banner is (Whichever section the banner is in)-No more than one unit may claim a section.-If more than one unit lays claim to a section the unit with the most wounds wins the claimPoints Awarded:+100VP per section of land claimedSpecial Rules: FOG OF WAR Any unit wishing to fire a weapon in the shooting phase on turn 1 must first roll a dice to see if it can find it’s target through the fog. On a roll of 4+ they see the target and may fire normally, otherwise the attack failed, and no other target may be selected.

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In game 5 Cody faced Darren’s Wood Elf army. This was the first tournament in our area with the Wood Elves using their new army book. Darren fielded an elf on Dragon, glade guard, 2 units of wild riders, treeman and waywatchers.

For this game Cody needed to get a unit with a standard into Darren’s deployment zone at the end of the game.

Cody did get first turn, but with the Fog of War only about 5 horse archers were able to fire. For this game Cody castled in the middle of his deployment zone, archers with all the mages and herald in the center, chariots on one side of them, snake cavalry on the other. Darren deployed both wild rider units and the dragon to go up the middle of the table straight at the archer block with his own archers deployed behind those to be able to shoot at Cody’s flanks. Cody once again got first turn. Nothing eventful happened other than Cody being able to cast Doom and Darkness on the Dragon which Darren forgot was a remains in play spell. In turn two Cody was able to get Spirit Leach off on the Dragon, which killed the rider, he passed his monster reaction test. He also killed most of one unit of wild riders. Then the Treeman died to the impact hits of the chariots. The Dragon and Wild Riders did get into the archer block, while the Way Watchers killed 15 of the archers, the dragon failed to kill Khalida, however with Soulblight and extra attack Khalida had 6 ASF WS9, I9 attacks. All hit with 2 poison, 4 total would and the dragon hailed 2 4+ Armor saves, the dragon died to Khalida in 2 rounds of combat.and then died to poisoned attacks back.

In Darren’s mind the dragon’s death marked the beginning of the end of the game. Magic and shooting played a large roll in this game. Darren says:

“His chariots were hilariously good. I killed 11 chariots out of a unit that only had 6 over the course of the game. He just kept getting 3 wounds back on every spell. We had a good laugh at that. Great game, could have gone much different if I had dispelled Doom and Darkness. Still kicking myself for that.”

Cody wound up winning the game agreeing with Darren that “The Chariots were damn heroes!”, securing all three objectives, as well as completing his Strategic Mission Card (killed Darren’s General).

In the End