4th Edition: Battle #005 FoN vs Northern Alliance in Loot

Intro and Lists

We had a nice 4th Edition meetup recently, encouraging some 1,000 point games to more quickly try out list and unit changes, as well as the new rules. For my second game, Grant and I were having a rematch, though both of us were mixing things up and trying out some new things. Grant swapped over to his Northern Alliance: 

Despite all the synergies and utility the Northern Alliance can be known for, this list was pretty straight-forward. Hrimm still exists in the new edition, and here leads two hordes of CS2 Tribesmen and two troops of Tundra Wolves. 

I mixed things up as well, though not nearly as much. We're sticking with Forces of Nature, but eschewing the limited Herd options, and trying out multiple heroes and a Surge list. I'm knocking around a few ideas for the Herd and that tournament, and wanted to see what my old Forest Shamblers were up to in the new edition, as they could potentially be some core choices for me. Up to comment on is everything:

• Druid with Surge and BC. Once we got to pick the spells we wanted, I came to really like the Druids in the previous edition. Very Inspiring was hard to come by, and they were very cheap source of it and Bane Chant to help the Herd punch through thing. She's gotten more expensive here, but With Shambling units, we’re trying her out.
• Centaur Chieftain with Surge/Tome. Two heroes at 1,000 points is probably not a good idea in this edition since they are so much more expensive these days, but we’re expressly trying to be a bit foolish in these smaller games, so I'm trying it. We're playing with Surge and I want plenty of chances to use the spell. The testing distinction I am trying to make is how Speed impacts Surge now, so we’re comparing the speedy Chieftain against the Druid on foot. Surge spell values seem to have trended down as well, so I really wanted two sources when trying this out.
• Forest Shambler Troops. A bit surprisingly, Troops of these can help count towards the Core Tax, so we’re taking a few and seeing how they do, and if those might be builds worth pursuing.
• Forest Shambler Regiment. These got a nice price decrease, though this is alongside small nerfs to their number of attacks and the distance one can Scout. They were never really taken for their combat prowess though. They have ok stats and can take up space, and we’ll see how they do in these regards.
• Centaur Troop. The Centaurs are intriguing. While the change to Pathfinder hurts their likely combat output, they are some of the few cavalry options that retains CS, they are Nimble, and they gained a few extra attacks, which almost makes them real cavalry! They now got moved into the Herd camp for traits, which gives them a few more options now. They are still a weird liminal unit though. I’m not quite sure what to make of them, but wanted to try them out.
• Beast of Nature. The Beast still looks like a great option for the Herd. The Fly upgrade just grants the ability now, so is less attractive, but they stole the Hydra's special rule, and damage on them means extra attacks. We are taking the Beast again, as it does seem like a very fun unit.

Table and Terrain

The meetup was out at Gamers Realm in New Berlin, and I again succumbed to some second-hand purchases. Our game made use of the shop's terrain and mat. While terrain specifics have shifted slightly, we (stubbornly) continued with the older rules, running the buildings as Height 9 blocking terrain, the forests as Height 6 Difficult Terrain, fences as Height 2 Obstacles, and Hills as just Height 3, and the ponds and fields as some Height 0 difficult terrain for our games.

Still seeking some easier scenarios, we opted for Loot this time. There is a Loot Token in the center, and then we each place one along the center line. The loot tokens must be picked up to control them, and whomever holds the most at the end of the game will be the victor.

The table, and tokens. I cannot remember who placed where.

For deployment, the Alliance kept it simple with a mirrored line. We have Wolves on the wings, and the Tribesmen Hordes flanking Hrimm.

Deployment.

I had won the roll for sides, and had been lazy, staying put. For the Forces of Nature we have Centaurs hiding behind the hill, a Forest Shambler troop in the center with the Druid. Most of my stuff went out on my right, where we have an angled Forest Shambler regiment, the second Shambler Troop, and then the angled Centaur Chief along with the Beast of Nature.

Scout moves, thanks to my opponent.

My opponent won the roll for turn order, but as we were getting into it, he remembered I had Scout moves, and let me rewind. Scout has been downgraded to just an Advance move, moving just your speed. That is probably the right call with all the extra pivots! I take the moves, but we let him still take the first turn.

Top of Round 1: Northern Alliance

The dance begins, and the Northern Alliance move up, but stay our of my charge ranges. 

The Northern Alliance, moving up.

The only thing that really slows down their advance is the hill. With Line of Sight much easier to draw, my opponent opts to just play it very safe. The Tribesmen are just infantry, but supported by the very speedy Tundra Wolves, who also have Pathfinder. 

Bottom of Round 1: Forces of Nature

With Tundra Wolves around, I am likely not going to get the first charge, so the overall approach is to spread out, hopefully draw them out, and the collapse into the other opposing units. 

The Forces of Nature spread their line very thinly.

We try to set that up. On the left, the Centaurs can't run ahead to be threatening, so are forced to hid behind the hill. With the new Line of Sight rules, we are forced pretty far back.

The center troop of Shamblers inches back, and the rest of the trees look to hang back. The Beast runs ahead at the double, and declines to pick up the token. The Centaur Chief takes his free reform at the start of the Movement Phase to face forward, then will run ahead and pivot at the end of the movement .

Top of Round 2: Northern Alliance

The Tundra Wolves are loosed. One unit charges in to occupy the Beast, landing 2 damage. The other troop charges the Shambler Horde to occupy them, also dealing 2 damage.

Pinning charges from the Northern Alliance.

Hrimm has a breath attack still, and is able to just get the Centaurs into range. The Frost Giant rolls hot, landing 5 damage onto the Centaurs. I believe they are wavered with a hot check..

The Hordes of Tribesmen inch ahead, but the scary things have been occupied for a turn by the very speedy wolves.

Bottom of Round 2: Forces of Nature

I'm getting to the report about one very bust week later. I believe the Centaurs are wavered and sidestep, but they look to travel pretty far. It might be a visual trick with the hill though, or I goofed up a measurement somehow. They do not charge.

Charging Hrimm is a dumb idea, But I look ,and I can get them surged into the flank of Hrimm thanks to the Druid, and be safe from the Tribesmen on my right, which feels smarter, so I do that, and underperform, dealing 3 damage, one shy of the expected result. 

The regiment of Forest Shamblers hold, and thump 7 back into the Tundra Wolves, and will pick them up. Safe from any charges currently, they hold. The Druid issues a blessing here via the command orders, and heals them for 1, getting them down to 1 damage.

Out on the right, the Beast holds, fighting the Wolves, but underperforms slightly, landing just 4 damage. The Centaur Chief tries to guide the Shamblers in with a Command order but it fails, and the Shamblers only contribute 4 as well. The Nerve check on the uninspired unit is a 3, and the wolves eagerly stick in this fight.

Top of Round 3: Northern Alliance

Hrimm reforms, and is joined by the Tribesman horde in smashing the Forest Shamblers. Reforms are a little dicey though, as things are threatened by both the Centaurs and the Forest Shambler regiment. I believe both are giving flanks to the Centaurs and a front to the trees, but it's possible the trees have a flank into Hrimm. I did not take great notes for this game.

On the right, the Tribesmen make a hindered charge into the flank of the Shamblers, and will devastate and rout them, while the Wolves deal nothing to the Beast of Nature.

Bottom of Round 3: Forces of Nature

I believe Hrimm and the Tribesmen are both giving a flank to the Centaurs and a front to the Shamblers, and with lower Defense but higher Nerve, we go into the Tribesmen. I'd like to Bane Chant, but can't get the Druid into a safe position, so just run her ahead at the double. 

This looks weird, but accomplishes several things for me. The first is keeping things Inspired over here. The second is preventing an alignment slide down from the Forest Shamblers, we're charging, but have trapped the Tribesmen. Out leader point is way out on the flank, so if the Shamblers aren't dealt with, I can threaten a reform, turning this into a flank charge. 

Unfortunately, the Centaurs underperform, dealing 6 damage, and the Shamblers underperform as well, dealing just 3. About 14 damage should be expected from this. Probably not enough to pop them, but great damage against a list that doesn't heal. This isn't bad though as this fight is pretty safe, and I am threatening a nice reform next turn, I just need to hold on.

On the right, I opt not to heal the Beast with a Command Order, being greedy and looking for those extra attacks. The Beast will shred the Wolves on the second attempt. I measure, and opt to just change facing since I can't really sidestep out of arc like I was hoping to.

The Centaur tries to leave the field but can't. My brain is struggling with the new edition. I have Pathfinder still, and that only works in the movement phase now, and I definitely can.

For the scenario, both of us have preferred to just brawl, and no one have picked anything up yet.

Top of Round 4: Northern Alliance

The Tribesman make a hindered charge into the Beast, roll hot to add double digits of damage, and will then break the monster. I believe it was uninspired due to my goofs and confusion with the Centaur Chief. In victory, they'll turn to face the center, looking to continue the fight.

The Beast falls, and that's a big pickup for the Northern Alliance.

The other Tribesmen are fighting on two fronts and thump the expected 11 damage onto the Shamblers, and then pick my inspired unit up. They cannot reform though, so that's a small victory for me.

Hrimm will breathe onto the Druid, land 3 damage, and get a waver.

Things are not looking good.

Bottom of Round 4: Forces of Nature

The Druid takes her free reform, then backs up with the movement phase pivot, to land atop a token and pick it up, putting me in the lead!

The Centaurs continue on.

The Centaur Chief moves his 8" out of the terrain, which again could be much longer, I'm just blanking out on Pathfinder. He's looking to try and get out to the far left token if he can. Realistically, he should have stuck close and just picked up the one on the right.

The Centaurs prevail!

I finally get a taste of hot dice myself, and the Centaurs go bananas, landing 11 damage onto the injured Tribesmen, and will pick them up. The Centaurs back up, also looking at claiming the left token.

Top of Round 5: Northern Alliance

I measured, but forgot about Wild Charge, and the Tribesmen make another hindered charge into the Druid, slay her, and steal her token. 

The Northern Alliance press on, each unit picking up one of mine.

Hrimm moves up, breathes more frost into the Centaurs, and easily picks them up.

Bottom of Round 5: Forces of Nature

It's over. The Centaur Chieftain avoids terrain and makes a break for the token on the right, ready to claim it in Round 6, but there is no way I'm taking another one back. 

The Centaur Chief tries. Sort of.

With the move made and the picture taken, I'll concede here.

A victory to the Northern Alliance!

Game Conclusions

Well, we did not have a lot going for us this game. Our list was scatter-brained, clearly inferior, and also rather countered by Hrimm’s Slayer and the high Nerve and copious amounts of CS. I also had some costly errors with the Centaur Chieftain to further handicap myself as the game progressed. Dice were dice and rather one-sided again, but that's the breaks with wargames, and we were going to have an uphill battle here no matter what. Thankfully, we’re not concerned with wins, still had a great time, and definitely learned a lot!

Testing Conclusiuons

• Druid with Surge and BC. She is still a decent support option, though like all heroes, her price went up. Speed 5 hurts a bit, and I never got to try Bane Chant as she was busy moving and trying not to die. I also don’t think she’s a good primary Surge-caster. With the Forces of Nature roster to splintered I think you want to run the Gladewalker for Elementals, and the Forest Warden for Verdant stuffs, though she can be a good secondary option.

• Centaur Chieftain with Surge/Tome. Extra speed is always welcome, I just completely spaced and botched the use of him and Pathfinder. Grabbing the token from the right and just moseying around to support the Beast would have been a fine use of him this game, and I just did not have the brainpower to do that.

• Forest Shambler Troops. Yes they can pay the tax, but this was a terrible match up for them against Slayer and all this CS. I think it will depend on the meta a bit. If you have loads of low-tier (Zombies) or mid-tier (say, Kingdoms of Men Shield Wall) paying core taxes, then these could be enough. With the ding to Scout though, these are less fun, and don't seem quite my style.
• Forest Shambler Regiment. I struggled to get the large units to work for me in 3rd, and the trend continues! Thankfully they are cheaper now, but just don’t do all that much. You could potentially flood the board with them, but I don't know how fun or effective that would actually be.
• Centaur Troop. They were unlucky all around here, and this was not a great game for them. With all the changes together, I think they could have a place in a Herd-focused list, but I think they are going to have the same pitfalls as all of the other Cavalry units now. If you can spend a few turns outriding and using Pathfinder and getting behind enemy lines, they could be deadly, but that seems unlikely, and these seem more likely to be run as another one-of with the Boots, like regular cavalry.
• Beast of Nature. I did not use them well, and should have tried to heal them with the Command Order when I had the chance. The misplays with the Centaur Chieftain really did the Beast in this game! The Beast still looks like a fun unit, but can’t be left to fend for itself and absolutely still needs support, which I failed to give it here.

It was a fun day! The biggest takeaways here for me deal with the list-building. The Forces of Nature is split between the Herd, Elementals, Verdant, and Brotherhood. That’s a silly amount of sub-factions, and the unit offerings are spread very thinly among all of them. I was messing around with three of the four factions here, and that is a poor plan, especially in a smaller game. I focused on the Herd in the previous game, and I would have done much better by focusing on just Elementals or just Verdant stuffs here, and I think trying to keep it to two sub-factions in a larger game would be a good guideline for any FoN generals getting into the game.

Overall, it was a great day getting out, playing a few games, and learning some things about the new 4th Edition! Thanks for making the trip out Grant!