OK, week four, here we go.
Lets start with a spoiler: I got beat, again - 3rd week running, and saw my stats rating drop to 1444.
Here's the thing though, I actually don't care. I'm enjoying the game and the community, plus the matches have all felt close, really close, I've been within touching distance of the win in most games. I've just not been able to close it out. I do feel like I'm learning more every week but I'm not sure I can count myself as new anymore (23 games in) so I really need to fix shutting games down and scoring points. The games have often pivoted on one or two decisions, and given the plethora of options the game offers at any given time I'm still certain that next week will be different. Unless it's not in which case I'll moan about the game being shit on reddit then turn this blog into a Red Dwarf re-watch site. Anyway.....
We started the week with Ste unbeaten at the top and Colin holding him a close second, but due to the irregular game days, it's still all to play for.
Follow the league live here: www.wotnw.com
Here's this weeks fixtures (and stats links):
Brynden Tully getting some serious love this week.
Jamie's baptism of (ice and) fire continues this week against Ray.
Things all really kicked off in turn 3 with a barney over the central objective which ended in the Baratheons favour, not before the The Mounatins Pyromancers took out half a unit of Rose Knights on a single roll... along with nearly half their own due to, well wildfire init. The tide of battle shifted in the Baratheons favour once Vargo Hoat choose not to deal anymore with the Boltons and killed Ramsey dead. The game ended 11-6 with time for a friendly game afterwards, two games in one night - good times.
Brian managed to get in two games this week too, and wrote a double battle report, although having seen the lists it must have felt a bit more Deja vu, with both Stark players, Ste and Dale, bringing identical list to face off against Brian's pre-rolled entries. You can obviously see the scores below but it's worth the read to find out all about 'that one time Dale rolled four twos then four ones' - classic episode that. Oh also, Ste won again, completely wiped Brian, but it could have been very different had Brian's Neutral been able to hold on for one more turn.
Thursday fight night rolled around with plenty of games on the go.
Roose vs Asha, Col vs Me.
So I lied a little up top when I said that I didn’t care about my losses and that my games where all close. This one was not and I was fucking seething about it. After deployment Col elected to set me as first player in Fire and Blood. Ok, outflank early it is then - otherwise it’s turn three before I can get them on. So, with the first action of the game, Euron Crows Eye in some Ironborn Reavers drops just next to the Boltons Bastard Girls. Now this is where I mentally lost the game, I deployed those Reavers in a position where they could be attacked off the swords. Let me just write that again, in case you didn't believe what I just typed, because it’s so bloody stupid, I deployed my Reavers in a position they could be attacked off the swords.
This rather than putting Col on the back foot I handed the advantage to him. I knew range had a shift before shoot, I knew I had to be two inches away to prevent this but yet I still did it, in the heat of the moment I made a stupid mistake and just didn’t ever feel like I recovered from it. The rest of the game happened, but I don’t really recall anything after that outflank, I even forgot I’d had Tyco and just let my Reavers die, continuing to hand the win to Colin on a plate. Fair play to Col though, my head wasn’t in the game but he took full advantage of that and completely wiped me off the board.
Next up, Dario & his pet dragon vs King Joffrey, playing Here We Stand. This isn’t a game mode we often play so was an interesting choice by Alex who was obviously hoping Joffrey could maintain board control. It’s nice to see things get mixed up. Having played Andy and his Targs last week I know Alex is in for a rough ride, especially against a high movement list like Andy brought to this (2x outriders, Harrakas, Jorah and pikemen), and he was chuffed to be able to bring them all painted to the table, top work that.
Greg vs
Ste, Mance vs Bryden, in a Feast for Crows.
Greg steps up to his second league game against the 4 for 4 Ste. This one saw Greg bring his image not found chariots again.
Along with taking Outflank, one of my favourite mechanics despite me not knowing how to use it (see above), and using it to drop some trappers behind the Sark Sworn Swords and miles out of the way for the Stark Cav to charge in, giving Ste something to think about early game. Ste running a very similar list to his other games, loads of Cav, but with Bryden infantry commander in Stormcrows, he was ready to face Mance in Trappers, but both commanders just sat on points being boring bastards but scoring loads for most of the game. Ste took it up to charge the Chariot with his Tully cav but failed an ended panicked and one inch away. Having seen the Chariots do serious damage last week against Cols Nights Watch Ste must have been pleased he put his brown pants on, however they managed a grand total of one wound. Allowing Catelyn to active and kill the chariots, surging forth getting ready to charge the trappers. The second chariot faired no better doing a few wounds to the Tully Cav then dying of the swords the following turn.
The game continued with the pair trading blows, endless horde bulking up the dwindling free folk army nearly took out the Tullys but Tycho saved them from dying. The Tully Cav charged the outflanking horde and a crown zap saw them off. The game ended 13-6, with Ste taking the win again.
In other news:
The league has three of the top ten ranked UK players on stats competing for first place which is great for the rest of us because it keeps our standard high, plus it also explains why some of us keep getting our heads kicked in.
It was also good to hear cmon talking about balance patches coming soon(tm) and about their plans for a living game. Fingers cross they deliver on this, unlike the delivery of my Greyjoy Hero’s 1 box!
So that’s the week, we’ve passed halfway and Ste remains unbeaten, with Col, Andy, Brian and Ray all chasing him down. I’m fighting for the bottom spot with Jamie, Dale, Alex and Greg - the real competition.
Everyone’s still keen, so drop by next week where I’ll be discussing Dave’s chances with Kochanski (Clare Grogan, obvs the best Kochanski) and if Arnold will pass the astro navigation exam.
Aden.
