4th Edition: Battle #043 Abyssals vs Northern Alliance

Intro and Lists

Schedules aligned for a moment, and Trevor of Data and Dice and I were able to line up a solitary game. Fresh off of recapping US Masters 2026, Trevor was riffing on a Northern Alliance list inspired a bit by attendee and fellow Midwesterner Jeff Schiltgen, with the following:

Jeff's list used a quirk of the Pack Hunters to apply some disproportionate pressure at range, since the Javelin-swap actually helped their Shooting value. In games, they were on the front line along with a Lord on Frostfang, all blocking and pressuring for the very-very killy CS2 Tribesmen, with some Ice Queens supporting them. There is no Barkskin to be had here though, and Trevor has swapped out even more Tribesmen hordes for the comparably-killy-but-easier-to-position Hearthguard regiments, as well as his pet Cavern Dweller monster unit. 

There was a mighty pull for me to run the Herd and atone for some rules goofs from our last match, but as you can see, exploring the also-new Forces of the Abyss won out. I'll try to be more diligent on these changes, particularly with the new Commands. The triumphantly returning Abyssal Guard look super-strong, gaining the ability to play as a horde, while inexplicably picking up an innate CS1 while still keeping the ability to swap to two-handers. My old pet unit unfortunately has a lot going for them now, but I couldn't noodle out a good list here, so we're running plenty of other things to explore! Just about everything here got some kind of change with the update, so up to comment on is everything:

• Bas'su'su the Vile. We already like this Warlord. He's quick and strong, but also pretty survivable. With Fracture, he got a nice list-building buff, turning one Gargoyle Troop into a Core unit. This is weird - typically infantry-sized troops don't count as core, but given the reclassification for 40mm Large Infantry, there is a precedent for unlocking troops. I think this is mostly a nod to "Bas'su'su's Vile Brood", a unique upgrade for a unit of Gargoyles from 3E, which made them better combatants.  
• Efreet, Talisman, Fireball, Dark Pit. I don't think the Efreet is all that strong. I think he needs to either Inspire, be able to drop the Fireball, or be moved over to something like Specialist. I really wanted to try the Dark Pit, but our spellcasters are so darn limited. I think the Warlock is by far a better choice overall here (the Warlock has Regen, better Nerve, and is not Yielding, nor an Individual), but we're giving the Efreet a chance to prove me wrong. 
• Hellequin Blood-Masque. The newcomer! I hobbied him up just in time. With the Warlord's Gargoyle swap, I wanted to try the new Horsemen swap as well. He's a decent combatant too, and we'll see what trouble he can get up to.
• Flame Bearers. I needed a few Core units, and went with the Flamebearers, even though, like the Efreet, I am not sold on them. They are supposed to be a mobile shooter, but their Shooting value got dinged with only a points decrease to compensate, making them really underwhelming. Depending on the match-up there might be some play with the Dark Pit and them though, which I wanted to explore. 
• Gargoyles. With Speed 10 being rarer now, I still really like the Gargoyles, and still want to incorporate a few units whenever I can.
• Berserkers, Brew of Strength. I do like where the Berserkers ended up - they feel like a fair unit ever since the reduction to their speed, and they are still quite useful for the army. They apparently lost Retaliate in the revamp, and do still like carrying an item, and so they got the Brew of Strength this time. 
• Tortured Souls. The Souls were also tweaked in the revamp, losing Fly and 1 Speed; trading Fearless for Headstrong; trading CS1/TC1 for a flat TC2; and gaining Strider; all resulting in a teeny-tiny discount. Strider is always nice, but this seems like a real downgrade. The theme of the list is being open to being proven wrong though, so we're giving them a try.
• Abyssal Horsemen. The Horsemen also got a small tweak, unfortunately trading Fearless for Headstrong, while also getting a small price hike. Booo. The switch to full TC was already tough, but a regiment of cavalry with the boots can definitely be strong, 
• Molochs. For better or for worse, these are still essentially a staple for the Abyssals. They hit hard, and if you can support them, their high Nerve and Regeneration can work wonders in a grind. We're taking only two, and we'll see how they do.

Oof. The Abyssals are up against a shooting-heavy list while a number of my important units have lost Fearless, and my own shooting contingent was not only outclassed, but most likely going to be stuck firing into Stealthy units too. It was looking like a tough match-up. 

Table and Terrain

We were at his place, making use of his luxurious table-top setup, and home terrain. We had Forests with Height 10, the blocking Buildings at Height 7, Hills with Height 3, fallow field and shallow pond as Height 0, and Obstacles as Height 2.

We got Loot for the scenario, and it's been a long time since we played it. We have a Loot token in the center, and two placed on the center line. All can be picked up, and all are worth a VP if held by a unit at the end of the game. Easy enough!

Overview of the table.

My opponent won the roll for tokens, placing the one nearest the building, and then won the roll for sides, forcing a switch. He played rather compactly, looking to play hard for the middle token, and what will be the token on the left for this report.

View of the left token.

Left to right, we have Pack Hunters, the Lord on Frostfang, Pack Hunters and more Pack Hunters, screening for both Hearthguard units. The Def5 Tribesmen were dead-center, supported by the Healing Ice Queen. A Cavern Dweller was on the line with the Def4 Tribesmen in reserve. Near the woods were two troops of Pack Hunters and the Blizzard Wizard, with the units juuust able to get into the terrain to see out. Snow Foxes ended up on the far right.

View of the center token.

For the Forces of the Abyss, we have angled Molochs on the far left, with the Blood Masque, and Tortured Souls screening for Gargoyles behind the hill. The woods blocked for the Gargoyles, and Abyssal Horsemen were nearby, seeing around the terrain feature into the center of the field. Centrally, we have Tortured Souls screening for Molochs, and Berserkers here too. The building split the line a little, but we have Bas'su'su, and then both Flame Bearers, the Efreet, and more Gargoyles on the far right.

View of the right token.

Jumping from army to army and list to list can make deployment difficult, but overall, I was happy with mine here. The Flame Bearers are finally not front-and-center. The Molochs are a little too spread, but within a turn that should be fixed. The hardest thing was the positioning of my heroic choices. It works, but it's a little rough, and my Inspiring coverage isn't great.

I win the roll for turn order. While sticking the Northern Alliance with a turn or two of lost shots is tempting, I have a speed advantage, and feel like I need to take ground and try to pen the tundra fighters in as much as I can. I'll kick things off for us.

Top of Round 1: Abyssals

On the right, my Gargoyles have a speed advantage against the Snow Foxes, and move up as far as we can to force some tough decisions. The Efteet isn't going to be able to do much this turn, so he too runs ahead. I suppose I could be getting a few more inches

Most of the Abyssals move up. Ba'su'su is busy directing and delagating, apparently.

I was unsure how aggressive to be with Bas'su'su, and ultimately forget to move him. I should have moved him up near the center line.

Everything else moves up, but stays a bit over 17 inches away. The Berserkers move up zone things out and force some decisions from my opponent. The Building has a bump in the footprint that I want to respect, so we pivot them slightly to clear it in a future turn. Tortured Souls move up with Molochs in tow.

Pressure applied around the other two tokens.

I think my play with Cavalry right now is to stick them in terrain to help with deployment, and then make sure I use the boots. This should give them Cover against any shooting, and make deployment a bit easier. They get into the woods, and are joined by the Gargoyles, and both should be safe from Javelins.

The Gargoyles reposition.

Tortured Souls on the left move up, basically safe from Javelins. On the left, the Molochs move up, staying safe, and the Gargoyles use their prodigious Speed to get to their left and see around them.

Technically, range is drawn from closest point, so a max move and pivot could maybe get a throw or two off down the line of battle, but all of the Abyssal units like, 12 and a half inches away, and any serious pivots could put units in danger, or really mess up the line, so overall, this feels fine for this turn.

Bottom of Round 1: Northern Alliance 

On the left, the Pack Hunters move up, and choose to keep a tidy line, and forgo any tosses. The Lord on Frostfang hangs slightly back, to prevent a wild charge out from me, which could gum up all three units.

The Northern Alliance inch up, but hold onto their javelins.

The reserve Hearthguard mostly keep pace, keeping room to pivot too, in case the need to reposition arises. Centrally, the other Pack Hunters move up and keep pace, and the Cavern Dweller moves up as well, blocking for the Tribesmen hordes. If memory serves, I have solo charges into the Pack Hunters or Cavern Dweller, but my opponent is very keen to prevent any multi-charges yet.

More advancing Pack Hunters, plus a Cavern Dweller!

The troops of Pack Hunters enter the woods, and prepare to camp out for a bit. The Blizzard Wizard enters as well, and with her center point in the terrain to ignore it, attempts a Blizzard into the inner unit of Flame Bearers, but no hits land.

The Snow Foxes choose to retreat.

The Snow Foxes are able to cleverly back up, and be out of range of the Gargoyles, while still covering just beyond the token with their own charge range.

Top of Round 2: Abyssals

I've still got the charge range advantage out here, and am ok with slowly shooing the Foxes away. The Gargoyles again fly up to threaten the Foxes, while staying safe from them. The Efreet hops up and hides behind the hill, and summons a Dark Pit near the Ice Queen, and Cloak of Death is able to hit her, both troops, and the 2H Tribesmen in reserve.

The Abyssals press ahead.

The Flame Bearers don't need to move, so don't, and fling into the inner troop of Pack Hunters. I'm still tossing into Stealthy and Cover, so need 6's, but am able to land 4 damage with my shooters, and even get a waver, thanks to Dread, courtesy of the Dark Pit. 

I remember Bas'su'su this time, and get him up nearer to where he should have been last turn. We're running a turn behind with him, and it would be nice to have jumped the hill this turn, but it's fine. We're just being cautious...

A standoff is forming over these two tokens.

Centrally, I am safe from charges, and with staring down so many combat units, I am not eager to fight in the slightest. Javelins are going to do what they're going to do, and I just need to endure for now, and see what happens. 

The Berserkers and Tortured Souls inch ahead while staying safe from charges, and the Berserkers get a Fireball 3 from a Command. I think they landed 1 damage into the Troop of Pack Hunters, but do not recall exactly. The Horsemen likewise inch up through the woods. The Lord actually has a charge into them, but that doesn't seem like a good play for him, so I risk it. The Gargoyles will inch back to stay safe though.

The Gargoyles reposition again.

After a lot of hemming and hawing, the Tortured Souls get the Betrayal Command and move up, daring a charge from the Pack Hunters and opposing Lord. If things fight them, one opposing unit will be using my Melee score and CS. This screening move lets the Molochs move up a bit, and the Blood-Masque can get into the hill.

On the far left, the Gargoyles again use their speed to reposition, now threatening to jump the building, or flank charge some Pack Hunters if they get aggressive.

Bottom of Round 2: Northern Alliance 

The reservist Hearthguard are wary of the Gargoyles jumping the lines, and will pivot and move to block this off. A 20 inch fly will land atop the infantry, and I don't think I can draw line of sight to the unit to just charge them. 

Javelins fly!

The Pack Hunters near the Lord hold, and toss into the Tortured Souls, landing 11 damage. I am Inspired, but they do get the waver, and we'll be forced to hope for Headstrong next turn. 

The center regiment inches up and tosses into the Tortured Souls, but scores no damage. The Cavern Dweller sidesteps towards the left table edge, again, trying to make charges awkward. Had the Dweller not moved, my Horsemen had a flank, and things could reach the horde of Tribesmen, but now I am again presented with Pack Hunters of the Cavern Dweller to fight. 

More impactful shooting out on the right.

On the right, the wavering Pack Hunter Troop gets the Tactical Retreat order, and gets out of the forest, and they get a small Heal from the other Ice Queen too, going from 5 down to 3 damage. The remaining troop holds, and tosses into Ba'su'su', landing 3 damage against the Individual, with the Blizzard Wizard landing 3 as well. My Warlord is Frozen, but holds.

On the far right, the Foxes decide to force the issue. They cannot charge, but scamper ahead, seeing around the hill to threaten the Efreet, and a decision from me.

Top of Round 3: Abyssals

Thankfully, I have the little corner undo markers, but I probably spend a good 20 to 30 minutes trying to decide stuff, and fortune punishes the shrewd. The easy play is Ba'su'su into the Snow Foxes. He'll Regenerate 2, getting down to 4, but only lands 3 damage into the Def2 Foxes, which looks about right, math-wise, but feels bad. 

A 10 inch fly from the Gargoyles can't clear the Foxes, so they fly 20 inches ahead, to force a reaction from my opponent. The Gargoyles aren't going to pick anything up, but can stick it up for a combat. In retrospect, I probably should have joined Ba'su'su in the charge. I forgot about the second pivot on the move, but another option would have been getting by the hill for a Command Fireball. Oh well, the pressure still seems ok. 

Charges against the Cavern Dweller.

The Efreet jumps the hill, and we try a Dark Pit at the far edge of the woods, to hit everything again, as well as the Cavern Dweller, but the spell fizzles.

The Flame Bearers hold, and toss into the other troop of Pack Hunters. We're fishing for 6's again, and again land 4 damage, but we do not get the waver here this time.

The Tortured Souls don't shake it off.

Centrally, if I am clever and lucky, I could actually fight several things, though I ultimately choose not to. The central Tortured Souls and Horsemen can get in against the Cavern Dweller, and do so. Berserkers could get in against the nearby Pack Hunters, but with Hearthguard and Tribesmen on standby, that doesn't seem like a wise play, and so the Berserkers and the Molochs reposition, staying out of charge range of all the Tribesmen units, though that means I cannot pick the token up yet.

The Cavern Dweller falls!

Hoping to buy time, the Blood-Masque needs to reposition for a command, but fails to land the Betrayal one on the Gargoyles as they charge out of the woods into the Pack Hunters, with the goal being to protect the Horsemen. Hindered, the Gargoyles will claw just 2 damage onto the Hunters, but are still taking up the space I need them to.

The Cavern Dweller is just barely not Inspired, and the Souls will land 3 damage thanks to Striding, with the Horsemen contributing 10 on their clean charge, thanks to the Boots. We didn't get the Dark Pit like I had hoped for the Cloak and Dread, but do manage to luck out and break the Dweller before it can contribute to the game, which feels amazing. 

The victorious Abyssal Horsemen back up an inch, and reviewing thing, the Tortured Souls just hold, as nothing can get in against the Horsemen, which is the goal for these reforms.

Headstrong fails on the wavering Tortured Souls, and so they just slightly change facing, allowing the Molochs to gain a few more inches of ground. The Blood Masque needed to get out and risk a charge from the Lord to get the command off, but that seems ok.

Positioning on the left, with the Gargoyles adjusting yet again.

The Gargoyles on the left are sorely tempted to flank charge the inner Pack Hunters. They would tie them up, and block up the Lord on Frostfang, but that doesn't quite seem worth it, so they just inch ahead, safe from the Hearthguard, any maybe out of arc of the Pack Hunters near the building, but still threatening a fly over and good pressure.

Bottom of Round 3: Northern Alliance 

On the left, the Hearthguard decide to ignore the Gargoyles, and turn their attention back towards the center of the field, and the tokens. They position behind the building, and are able to get out of line of sight of the pesky Gargoyles.

Charges from the Northern Alliance!

The Lord on Frostfang does take the charge into the Blood-Masque, and will land 2 damage. The Pack Hunters pounce on the wavering Souls. One is Hindered, but the other gets a Vicious command, and they will easily devastate and rout the troop of spirits, as is proper. The goal is to overrun with the outer unit, and on a 2+, my Molochs will be boxed in and unable to pivot past to flank the Lord on Frostfang. They get the successes needed, and bump into my monstrous infantry unit, and the other will back up.

The Northern Alliance commit hard to removing chaff while they can.

Centrally, the Def5 Tribesmen reposition, and Hearthguard charge in to help the Pack Hunters against the Gargoyles, who are obliterated. The 2H horde of Tribesmen make a hindered charge into the Tortured Souls. They have Elite and get a Vicious command, and the Souls take a ridiculous 19 damage, and are devastated and routed, as proper.

Reforms for the Northern Alliance.

Reforms are a little rough though. The Hearthguard hold, wary of the Molochs. Pack Hunters overrun, bumping up against the Abyssal Horsemen. They are offering up a flank to me now, but I also can't pivot past and will be stuck fighting them. The horde reforms a bit, trying to ensure that the Berserkers will be hindered, should they charge in. 

The outflanking Gargoyles are shot off.

Out on the right, the Snow Foxes claw 2 damage onto Ba'su'su, taking him back up to 6 damage, though my Warlord does hold.

Both Troops and the Blizzard Wizard turn to face the outflanking Gargoyles. The troops land 7 apiece, and a nice 5 damage from Blizzard will devastate the Gargoyles, and they break. 

Top of Round 4: Abyssals

We've claimed some units, and really just lost chaff so far, so things are not too bad? I still have a lot of very scary units in front of me though, and I am still hesitant to commit to any big fights.

On the right, Ba'su'su fights on against the Foxes, and will land another 3 damage, and will manage to pick them up this time. He regenerates 2, and will sidestep to his left, trying to get closer to the real fights. I see an opening, so one Flame Bearer unit wades out of the pond and towards the token, and the other moves ahead at the double, ready to offer itself up as a sacrifice later. 

The Berserkers make a cheeky charge.

The opening is a rear charge into the Blizzard Wizard from the Berserkers. That seems like a good idea, and the Efreet takes the hill to gain some ground and land a Dark Pit in the woods for good measure, pinging the Tribesmen, both troops of Pack Hunters, and the Ice Queen too. Things are damaged already, and 25 new damage is expected, so my opponent offers to fast-forward things here, since we have spent a lot of time thinking and talking in the early turns. The Ice Queen is no insane, and the Berserkers need less than an inch to connect with the rear of a Pack Hunter troop, and with similar expected results, the Hunters are also not found to be insane, with the Berserkers now spinning around to keep the remaining troop in front arc, and threaten some other nasty charges if they decline to fight.

Reforms, after besting a few units.

The Abyssal Horsemen take the flank charge, which we agree is their only option. We'll land 22 damage, but they are found to be insanely courageous. The Horsement are going to be in for a rough time, but were going to be in this position anyways, so it's not terrible.

The Molochs could get in hindered against the Hearthguard or hindered against the 2H horde of Tribesmen, and neither option is appealing. With the Berserkers breaking out, they inch back, getting out of charge range of the Hearthguard.

The flanked Pack Hunters are found to be insanely courageous...

Out on the left, I feel like my patience has somewhat paid off. The Gargoyles have a clean flank charge into the Pack Hunters, and take it, while getting the Betrayal Command from the Blood-Masque, who fights the Lord on Frostfang. The Molochs also luck out with a clean frontal charge into the other Pack Hunters.

The Abyssals push back on the left, with the patient Gargoyles taking a flank charge.

The Gargoyles land 11 damage, and will shred the Hunters and reform. The Molochs underperform with land 9 damage into the Pack Hunters, but also luck out on the Nerve Check and break them. In victory, they sidestep to get out of the way of the obstacle.

Reforms for the Abyssals.

We had to look up the rules for Duelist, as neither of us have encountered it before. Apparently it was changed, targeting "Heroes" now, which is a unit super-type, I guess. Ba'su'su is a Hero (Infantry), and the Lord of Frostfang is a Hero (Large Cavalry), so it looks like it triggers, and I must say, I like this change. Fighting already, I've lost TC, and the extra attacks don't amount to much, with the Blood-Masque regenerating nothing, and only landing 2 damage against the Lord on Frostfang.

Bottom of Round 4: Northern Alliance 

Wary of the Molochs again, the Lord on Frostfang decides to withdraw, after we determine he won't hit the Gargoyles. He passes, but only rolls up 4 inches. It could be worse though, as he does make it into the field, gets the nearby Molochs in front arc, and will be forcing hindered charges, and the other Molochs are too far away.

A tiny, but successful Withdraw move. It could be worse.

The Hearthguard go in against the Gargoyles, and the Ultimate Betrayal hits them... The Hearthguard are hindered, and forced to use the Gargoyle's stats for the fight, and just 2 damage lands. The Nerve check is a warm 8 though, which unfortunately is still enough to break my troop, and the Hearthguard will reform, keeping slightly in the field to force a hindered charge into them.

The other Hearthguard move up, and then think better of it, as they can't keep a Moloch unit out of their flank, and they end up holding. 

Meanwhile, the upstart Abyssal Horsemen are assailed from every direction, with Tribesmen hindered and in the rear, in the flank cleanly, and with devastated Pack Hunters continuing on from the front. While I am curious if we could break the damage record of 61 (looks like 50+ damage is expected, though this could be pushed higher with Vicious Commands or a Bane Chant), my opponent opts to fast forward the combat when I offer, and the Horsemen are bested.

The Horsemen are quickly bested.

Reforms again prove tricky. I belive the flanking horde backs up, while the hindered horde in the rear reforms. The insane Pack Hunters hold.

The Pack Hunter troop fights to delay the Berserkers.

Out on the right, the Pack Hunters do their duty and charge the Berserkers, landing 2 damage, and commanding their attention.

Top of Round 5: Abyssals

Out on the right, the Flame Bearers happily grab a token, putting me in the lead for VP. Ba'su'su flies 20" while regenerating another 2 to get down to just 2 damage. He's had a slow start, but is poised to be a hassle in the late game.

The Flame Bearers grab a token or get in the way, while the Berserkers brawl.

The Berserkers will fight the troop, break them with ease, and then victoriously sidestep, getting out of arc of the horde of Tribesmen in the woods. The other regiment of Flame Bearers will run their 5 inches up, and box them in while bein ready to throw.

The Molochs are still safe, and get a Fireball order from the Efreet for Fireball 4, and we have three units staring down the insane Pack Hunters... The Molochs hold, and throw, landing 1 hit, which blasts into 1, which results in 1 damage, and on 23 damage, the Pack Hunters are considered dealt with. 

The Flame Bearers toss into the Tribesmen Horde in front of them. They are Def4 with the two-handers, but we only manage 1 damage. Wanting to actually try and cast something other than the Dark Pit, the Efreet does try his Fireball 7 into the horde, taking a cover penalty. We get 1 hit, blasting into 1, which fails to wound. Ouch.

Reforms, after another cheeky charge into an unexpected unit.

On the left, I still feel like I need to be cagey. Any charge into the Lord on Frostfang will likely be fighting both him and at least one unit of Hearthguard. I can manage a strong multicharge against the Hearthguard by the building, and so forgo the token to fight them instead, with the Blood-Masque taking the hindered charge by the field, allowing the Molochs to hit cleanly. 

I forgot all about it, but we could be using the Blessing of the Dark Gods for Elite and Vicious, but don't. The Molochs land 11 damage, with the hindered Masque contributing 2, and we'll manage to pick the Hearthguard up. We luck out further, as both units are out of arc of the other Hearthguard unit. We've done a surprisingly good job at hitting the Northern Alliance from odd angles. For reforms, the Molochs pivot 90 degrees to threaten the token - anything wanting to pick it up will be threatened. The Masque is very close to the Lord on Frostfang, so just also pivots 90 degrees, eyeing up the center token with a charge.

Bottom of Round 5: Northern Alliance 

The Hearthguard get into the field, threatening things, while the Lord on Frostfang grabs the token, and positions to force a hindered charge from the Molochs.

The Northern Alliance secure two tokens.

The Berserkers are causing a headache. The Ice Queen moves to prevent good alignment into the rear of the Def5 horde of Tribesmen as they run ahead to grab the middle token, and put my opponent in the lead. 

The Northern Alliance struggle to defend the center.

The horde with two-handers makes a hindered charge into the Flame Bearers, which getting a Vicious Command and a Heal spell. They'll carve 13 damage onto my shooters, and then pivot, to get the Berserkers in front arc, and better protect the rear of the other horde.

Low on units and options, the Northern Alliance mange to take the lead!

Top of Round 6: Abyssals

The Abyssals also do not have a lot of units or options at this point, and are now playing catch-up. 

The Berserkers need to play for a Round 7. They don't have the inches to reach the rear of the Hearthguard, and we agreed that the Ice Queen and the Hearthguard prevent a proper alignment into the rear of the Tribesmen with the token. So, the Berserkers make a hindered charge into the Queen.

Big charges and a Dark Pit from the Abyssals!

The Queen didn't move far, and was able to present the front facing. After charging, I remember that the Queen has Ensnare, and suddenly my Berserkers are fishing for 6's. I get four hits, and manage just 1 damage. It's an underperformance, but it is what it is, and it is not the important combat.

The Efreet moves in close, and is able to land a Dark Pit at the edge of the field, hitting the Lord of Frostfang, Hearthguard, and Tribesmen with the token.

The Molochs charge the Def5 Tribesmen in the front, with Ba'su'su hitting them in the rear. I again forget about the Dark Gods. The Ice Queen has been Healing well, and Cloak of Death is the only damage on them as combat starts. The Molochs swing hard, landing 12 damage, but the Individual Ba'su'su flubs, contributing just 1, and even with Dread, the horde holds with ease, and I'd need a Round 7 to try and wrest this away.

The Blood-Masque gets in the face of the Hearthguard, but doesn't charge, as the Molochs take their hindered charge into the Lord on Frostfang. We neglect the Dark Gods here as well, due to forgetfulness. The Molochs flub, landing 5 damage to take the Lord up to just 8 damage. Dread is in play, but we fail to remove this unit too, and firmly need a Round 7 to win.

Bottom of Round 6: Northern Alliance 

The Hearthguard make their hindered charge into the Blood-Masque. Vicious fails, but they will still deal 11 damage, pick the unit up and reform. We're talking it out, and we think it is best for them to mostly spin around, as this will again prevent the Beserkers from being able to align into the Tribesmen with the token.

Very strong rebuttals from the Northern Alliance as they defend their positions!

The Lord on Frostfang defends his token, slashing 3 damage into the Molochs, but they hold.

A horde of Tribesmen spins around to protect and potentially avenge their comrades, but the horde is able to defend their token as well, getting a Vicous order, and carving 14 damage onto the Molochs, and besting them in one fight. Ba'su'su is still engaged with them, so no reform, but it seems unlikely he'll be able to break them by himself. 

We do not roll up a Round 7, and this is a well-deserved win for the Northern Alliance!

Game Conclusions

It was a loss for the Abyssals, but I can't complain in the slightest. It was a very tough match-up, but we had a pretty clean game with our decisions, and really made Trevor work for this. As a plus, we got to explore a lot of stuff from the update as well! The Dark Pit is inconsistent but amazingly fun, and there are some neat options here for builds.

Testing Conclusions

• Bas'su'su the Vile. He had a slow start due to my forgetfulness. His output wasn't great, but you can't really carry as an individual, and he still got around and was disruptive, which is that you want from him. He's still fun, and the Gargoyles slot swap seems very useful.
• Efreet, Talisman, Fireball, Dark Pit. The Dark Pit was a LOT of fun, if a little unreliable on two dice. Fireball was used just once, but was a dud due to dice, which happens. The Efreet themselves were just ok. We had good mobility with them, but I'd still like it if they were innately inspiring; had Fireball as an option; or were in a different slot. 
• Hellequin Blood-Masque. Duelist is a neat change, but my Inspiring coverage and Command coverage was very taxed this game, and the new Blood-Masque was just ok as well. 
• Flame Bearers. It was a stark comparison to see them across from the Pack Hunters, but we still managed to get some great use out of them. There was some play with the Pit, and I think I will try mass Flame Bearers at some point, but I just don't think the output is going to be there when you are hitting on 5's innately, and being a middle Circle unit, we don't have much synergy with the Commands.
• Gargoyles. Overall, they did great. They ultimately all broke, but did so while delaying things and forcing some weird angles from my opponent, which is what you want from chaff. 
• Berserkers. I will still praise the speed change, and these had a nice game, and both the Brew of Strength and Brew of Sharpness are great on them. 
• Tortured Souls. They downgrades work nicely with the Betrayal Command, but that's about the only nice thing I can say. We got some use out of them, but the stat changes are rough, and eating up a precious Specialist slot now instead of just being a troop is also a bit of a bummer. I think Regiments might be the way to play these now, but I think you'd end up with a very elite list, and 
• Abyssal Horsemen. In terms of damage-dealt, they did amazingly! They found an insane unit, but we had offered them up to die and delay, so that discovery wasn't too bad. The 4E and Fracture changes are a bummer, but they only had Fury for a long while, so the downgrade from Fearless to Headstrong isn't outrageous or anything. It is however a big step down with regards to game mechanics. As a more normal cavalry unit right now, their utility in the new Edition is likely going to be much more limited. 
• Molochs. Overall, I did well to protect them, and they entered Round 6 completely healthy. Unfortunately for me a fighty horde beats a fighty regiment it seems! Without the old upgrade for Brutal and Vicious, they output has suffered a bit, and we didn't have Bane Chant to help with the Def5 either. Still a decent brawler, and cheaper now, but perhaps not as potent as they once were for the army.

It's been a busy summer, but I'm immeasurably glad that my opponent and I have still been able to make some time for games. A big thanks to my opponent for this one, and for hosting!

Hobby Update: Northern Alliance Ice Queen

Up now is an odd, quick addition to a Pathfinding army, an Ice Queen for the Northern Alliance! 

I have run demo days here and there, but the club still hasn't quite found our collective footing since the closing of our main shop back in May. Since then, the Free Dwarfs have mustered for me, and replaced the Imperial Dwarfs in my demo box. Now with Fracture released as well, I was looking at the Forces of the Abyss, and redoing their demo list too, swapping in Nagarri to make the list a little cleaner. While I was at it, I picked up some second-hand minis, among which was a Mantic Ice Queen, so we could give the Northern Alliance a more streamlined list too. Only the Undead are untouched,  

The ice has neat colors, but I overdid the gloss. It is thick and bubbly, but looks fie on the table.

My previous approach to demos was to have multiple lists around, switching the units up depending on the choice of Champion. Champions can be very determinative in lists now, and while that is a neat approach, it also gets a bit messy, with lost of extra units to transport, and lots of paper lists floating around. For the next stretch of demos, we'll try more static lists, just focusing on a single Champion. 

The Ice Queen was second hand, picked up from my local Noble Knight Games. They continue to be an amazing shop and shopping resource! The mini was weird, with the previous owner having taken one of the cloaks from the NA Elves and glued it a bit awkwardly onto the mini. I didn't like the orientation of the cloak, but did like the idea, so I carefully broke the cloak off, attached it to the model in an orientation I liked better, and then I tried some quick green stuff hair to strengthen the join. It works well enough! The original ice wall was neat, and I liked it to remind me about Ensnare, but I didn't like the look of it on the larger 40mm base. Instead I took a thin 20mm square base (from Fireforge, I think?) and just started carving it up. I used the straight edges to guide the glue, and then affixed a bunch of shards to the base for a quick and dirty facsimile of the original idea. Everything got some quick paint, and we're good to go!

The cape, and green stuff hair join. Not bad!

I am fond of Inspiring, Spellcasting Champions in 4E. With very limited slots, I think you need your heroes to be doing more than ever now. Combat heroes, even if they are not individuals seem risky, and running your Champions in a supporting role seems wise if your like your Command Orders. The Orders for the Northern Alliance are meh, but the Ice Queen can grab Heal and Bane chant for cheap, and has Elite on the spells, making her very potent and useful in this supporting role. 

Despite the Varangur being in a very weird spot, I quite like her there, and think she'll do great in the demo list as well, showcasing the larger roster with my Dwarf Clansmen and Elf Berserkers. This was an unexpected little hobbying tangent, but was a nice way to spend an evening, and it's good to have around and done now!

4th Edition: Battle #024 NA (Varangur) vs Halflings in Loot

Intro and Lists

We were at the March meetup for Kings of war Wisconsin, still struggling a bit with Daylight Savings, but I was lucky enough to get in a second game, this time against Rob and his Halflings! Even I will admit that the Halflings got hit pretty hard in the new edition, and Rob is still trying to adjust his old approach. He ran the following:

We’ve got Mama Beata to issue double commands with three dice, a special Champion Engineer with the Banner, and a normal Engineer to assist. We have a horde and two regiments of rifles, a horde of Spearspikes, four units of Grenadiers, which the FAQ says can stack variable Brutal to their little hearts content, and then two Harvesters, and two Iron Beasts around to smash.

I continued on with the Varangur! The army has lost essentially all of its uniqueness, and as a result is not likely to see too much play in 4E from me until and unless they get a book, but there is a little bit worth exploring still, and up to comment on is everything:

• Magnilde of the Fallen. She’s ok, with good fighting stats, though has lost a bit in the edition transition, including the one-time Fly and an attack, going down to just 6. I need the Warlord Magnilde to run the Varangur properly though, so we’re forced into taking her, thankfully, she is not too expensive.
• Thegn on Frostfang. I liked the leaders on Frostfang before, and they are neat in 4E. You can’t buy additional attacks anymore, but you do get Rallying, which should be neat, and we’ll try building around a bit.
• Human Tribesmen. With good stats, these impressed me in my early, learner games. Data and Dice showcased them as an efficient unit, and so we’re testing them out ourselves, with some regiments, as well as a horde with Elite.
• Snow Foxes. A list needs chaff, but the list is wonky, so we’re only taking one. We’ll need to use it well!
• Snow Trolls. This time we’re leaving the more-straightforward Hearthguard (heavy) infantry behind and taking two units of Snow Trolls to better explore the weaker unit. The Trolls don’t hit as hard, but I think they might do alright as a grinding anvil unit. We’ll put them in danger and see what happens.
• Hearthguard Thunderers. One of two Varangur-only units, and by far the least interesting. They are boring, no-frills Knights. They lost the Brutal/Stealthy options, lost CS, all knightly units were bumped up to their attack profile now, and you can only take these as Regiments. I just don’t think there is much here worth getting excited about, but we’ll take them for a spin and see. As one does in 4E, we’re giving our one unit of Cavalry the J Boots. How original.
• Fallen. I like a lot of their stats and rules, but 4E spun down their attacks to just 16, and still just CS1 is a little rough. Sure, they can pin stuff down, but that doesn’t seem worth it, so we’re taking the Brew of Strength (again) to make them more dangerous.
• bn. They have Strider, which is even better now in 4E! They are rather expensive though, and in the very demanding Support slot, so we’re only taking one unit, and giving them the Brew of Sharpness to try and make the most of things.

Table and Terrain

We were out at Gamers Realm in New Berlin, WI, and making use of their tables and terrain, Unfortunately the store's selection seems to be in a bit of flux, and I couldn't find any obstacles, but we had some Height 10 Forests, the blocking Buildings with Height 7, Hills with Height 3, and a field and rough terrain as Height 1.

We got Loot for the scenario, with a token in the center, and then we each play one more token on the center line. My opponent wins the roll and places to one side, and after some measuring, I double down on that same side. We’ll see what happens!

Overview of the table.

My opponent wins the roll for sides, and chooses to switch! We’re playing the structure and not the base, but the lane is still a bit troublesome on the edge for his liking. Left-to-right the Halflings had an Iron Beast and a Harvester, with Grenadiers in support, an Engineer (I think the normal one), a regiment, then a horde, then another regiment of Rifles, with two units of Grenadiers and Mama in reserve, then Spearspikes in the woods, then I believe the named Engineer, Harvester, and Iron Beast on the right, with more Grenadiers in reserve.

The building was indeed a bit troublesome! I deployed Trolls there early, and then later reinforced with a reserve unit of Tribesmen and a Thegn nearby. The Tribesmen horde came down near the middle token, with Trolls and Thegn in the woods with their center points in the terrain, then Tribesmen and Hearthguard Thunderers, struggling to see around the hill. The Frostfangs were next, with the Foxes in support, and Fallen out on the far right flank.

The half-baked plan was to deploy wide, and then try to collapse into the Halflings. Winning the roll for turn order, the Halflings chose to seize the initiative and kick things off for us.

Top of Round 1: Halflings

On the right, the Iron Beast chugs forward, but stays safe. The Harvester pulls in behind, and the right contingent with the Spearspikes and such all inches ahead.

The Halfling contraptions move up on the right.

Centrally, Mama uses the Nimble Feet command on the horde of Rifles, getting 2 successes, which lets the horde move up 7" and then shoot with their 18” weapons since things are just now in range. Neat move! They shoot with a cover penalty into the Snow Trolls in the woods, and with Fire-Oil, they eek out 2 damage against my monstrous unit.

The rest of the right moves up, with the horde of Rifles taking some surprise shots.

Nearby, the remaining Rifle regiment, and Engineer move their speed and set up for next turn. On the far left, the Harvester, Iron Beast, and Grenadiers do the same.

More contraptions steam ahead on the left.

It was a neat opening round! With an eye for my Abyssals and the Flame Bearers, it's been neat to see how Rob has approached the shorted-ranged shooting. 

Bottom of Round 1: Varangur

On the left, it’s not great distance hopping the Tribesmen ahead, so the Trolls take point, moving ahead and touching and picking up a token. We’re trying to test their durability after all, and might as well force the issue. The Tribesmen pull up to support, and the Thegn positions to help. I’m pretty sure he could have gotten closer – I think I was measuring 20” off the Grenadiers out of habit. Oh well, this is good enough.

Movement on the left. The Varangur take the lead!

The Tribesmen horde moves up, a little over their Speed. The building is awkward, but eyeballing things, I think I can still see anything that hits the Snow Trolls, and that could be a nice trap.

The center inches up, and the Snow Trolls regenerate.

In the woods, the Snow Trolls regenerate 1, getting down to 1 damage, and they move up as far as they can while keeping their center point in the woods. The Thegn cautiously does the same. He has fighting stats, but with just 5 attacks, keeping him around to Inspire and play the late game is much more important to me than threatening any early charges.

The Varangur try to pressure and contain out on the right.

The Tribesmen move up. The Thunderers touch the very beveled hill, as we are playing the full piece as elevated, so they can now see things. The Foxes though cower behind the hill, hiding from the Grenadiers, who I believe are just within range of things. They can be shot, but are out of charge range of the Iron Beast too.

With slightly longer charge ranges, the Fallen and Frostfangs pivot move and pivot, threatening but staying safe themselves out on the right.

Top of Round 2: Halflings

The Iron Beast backs up, and pivots, denying I believe both charges out here. The Harvester likewise hangs back. The Beast is still just within range to hit the stealthy Foxes though, and fires, landing 2 damage.

The Foxes take some shots.

After some discussion, I reiterate that the Thunderers are trying to touch the hill and see, so the Grenadiers go in. I am ok with this. I’ll be disordered, but likely to survive and should (hopefully) be able to push back and pick them up. The Grenadiers land no damage, and while the knights are engaged and will lose TC, we’re otherwise fine and unbothered.

As do Snow Trolls, and the Tribesmen.

I believe the named Engineer dings the Tribesmen regiment for 1, while all the Rifles and the other Engineer shoot into the Snow Trolls. I have cover, but 11 new damage piles in, and I am wavered. The Bear Trap command hits the Rifle Horde.

The Snow Trolls take a multi-charge and hold.

On the left, the Iron Beast and Harvester to go into the Snow Trolls, but when we're checking things on his turn, my Tribesmen are out of position, and the fight is just out of arc. Whoops! I should have double-checked that. If I was back an inch I’d have the flank of the Harvester. If I was ahead another inch, I’d be threatening the Rifle horde, and if I have pivoted slightly, I could be doing both. Alas.

The mechanical duo flub though, and with low rolls only 5 damage makes it in against the unit of Snow Trolls. As-mentioned, I can’t punish the commitment here, but at least I am holding. 

Bottom of Round 2: Varangur

The Snow Trolls thump a surprising 4 damage back against the Harvester, despite the Big Shield. I can’t get the Thegn into the fight here due to the darn table edge, but he runs up. The Grenadiers can’t fit, and we’ll be threatening things next turn.

The Varangur adjust on the left. Not off to a great start, but we are holding.

The Tribesmen horde now move up and adjust slightly, actually threatening things with confirmed arcs and inches.

The Snow Trolls regenerate a few, ending on 8 damage. They are wavering though, and I opt not to do anything with them. They have a Wild Charge and should be able to hit something next turn, if they stick around.

Tribesmen move up to instigate.

The nearby Thegn and Tribesmen move out, threatening things. And meanwhile the unblemished Hearthguard Thunderers strike back against the Grenadiers, with Magnilde joining in, and the knights roll well despite no TC, and we’ll pick the unit up. Both units sidestep, and the Thunderers remain touching the hill and seeing over it.

Foxes get in against the Iron Beast!

On the far right, the Foxes go in against the Iron Beast. The Foxes have some overhang, and the Harvester will need a pivot to get around, so both the Fallen and Frostfangs hide behind that line, trying to be safe.

Top of Round 3: Halflings

On the far right, the Grenadiers make use of flying, leaving the woods, moving at the double and block out my Fallen and Frostfangs while the Harvester and Iron Beast crush the Foxes. Fliers and terrain came up at the first meetup for 4E. With charging rules being more lax, and fliers not being hindered when ending on or starting in terrain, I don’t think fliers can move out of terrain at the double, and the FAQ has been poor so far. We’re playing it this way, though I disagree.

Ope, the Halfling contraptions break through.

Spearspikes and Grenadiers hit the Tribesmen, with the former hindered, and the latter getting a Brutal +1 from a command. The duo will take them up to 5 damage, but the Tribesmen will grimly hold.

Some surprise charges from the Halflings. 

Another salvo fires into the wavering Snow Trolls. I was a bit surprised that the Grenadiers weren’t “Brutaled” and flown in instead, allowing for shots elsewhere, but they would have been Hindered, and with the Snow Trolls regenerating down to 8 damage, that does seem chancy and greedy. It's good for me though, as the Snow Trolls eat up a third round of shooting. 

With the Snow Trolls confirmed devastated, a few errant shots hit the Tribesmen horde, taking them up to 3 damage, and Grenadiers fly out to block them up.

The Foxes break and Grenadiers interdict.

The Snow Trolls on the left had regenerated down to 3 damage, and take 7 more, going up to 10. They are Inspired, but will break all the same. Nuts. The Iron Beast confiscates the token and then sidesteps to create space, and the Harvester pivots as much as it can with the Thegn taking up space so nearby.

Bottom of Round 3: Varangur

On the left, the reinforcing Tribesmen step up to delay things, will charge the Harvester. It received some heals from the Engineer, but the barbarians will do well and take it up to 8 damage. Not bad! But it is inspired, and does hold.

Charges from the Varangur on the left.

The Thegn moves to go into the rear of the Grenadiers. I can see a darned third or their rear facing, but we’re playing by intent, and my opponent had measured them safe on his turn. I must not have been paying attention here and agreed, rather than check things myself. I acquiesce, and we’ll charge the Engineer instead… dealing just 1 damage. The Thegn's 5 attacks just don't really cut it.

Only the horde gets to victoriously reform, which tracks.

The Tribesmen charge the Grenadiers, and are ordered to be Vicious. My opponent is a carpenter, and after finagling, had put the leader point of the Grenadiers 4” from the terrain, meaning, I will overhang the field by what ~0.07 inches and be hindered here, which is clever, but why I wanted the Thegn in the rear. Sheesh. I don’t like messing with millimeters. With Vicious, we’ll thump them and reposition, getting the Rifle Horde into front arc. I don’t want the horde to be pinned down.

The Frostfang Cavalry find a good flank charge!

Centrally, the Tribesmen held against the Spearspikes and the Grenadiers. The Tribesmen hold, and Thegn comes to their aid against the Grenadiers. After some measuring, I can get the Frostfangs into the flank of the Spearspikes, and that becomes a priority this turn. I think that will do it, so opt to hold the Hearthguard Thunderers back in reserve.

Magnilde will join the Fallen as they brutalize the Grenadiers.

Reforms on the right for the Varangur.

It is very close quarters out here. I am excited and roll the Frostfang fight first, but can’t really pivot them since Magnilde is so close. My choices are to hold, spin around and face the contraptions out here, or overrun. Given the tokens are all on the left, I overrun, getting just an inch or two. The Thegn I believe sidesteps, and the Tribesmen get all the good dice for a ridiculous 6 on their overrun.

The Grenadier fight is last, with Magnilde in the flank and the Fallen in the front. We’ll break them. The Fallen try to change facing, trying to block the contraptions in, but aren't quite touching the leading Harvester. I think Magnilde steps back, trying to create some space for the Fallen, and avoid the hill.

Top of Round 4: Halflings

The Frostfangs are giving a rear and have a small corner in-arc of the Iron Beast since I rolled so low on the overrun. Where there is a will there is a way with Rob, I will give him that! He can’t back up or move around, but after we’ll say several minutes of thinking, the Harvester will nudge ahead, enough to pivot and then move ahead more to park itself in front of the Fallen, flank exposed. The forward motion lets the Iron Beast make a full 90 degree pivot to steam ahead and connect with the other corner of the rear of the Frostfangs, landing 14 damage when all is said and done. The Frostfangs will rout. It was a lot of fiddling over millimeters here, but it is what it is, and kudos are due for figuring out a solution to the goal here! Had I just rolled better on the overrun this could have been avoided!

The Iron Beast crushes the Frostfangs.

A regiment and the horde of Riflement shoot into the overrunning Tribesmen, taking them up to 12 damage, but they are Rallied and Inspired and hold. They end atop a token, but don’t pick it up.

Both Tribesmen units endure some heavy fire.

A Rifle regiment moves into the small field, and will shoot the Tribesmen horde. The Engineer will withdraw from the Thegn and do the same, taking them up to 6 damage.

On the left, the Harvester will get a Brutal 2 but just 1 damage, and Iron Beast will roll hot with 9 damage, and while also Rallied and Inspired, this regiment will break. The Harvester and its treads will comically sidestep, and the Iron Beast will reform to face the center.

Bottom of Round 4: Varangur

There are only 3 Tokens in play this game. The Halflings hold one, and I am not doing well to grab the others. The surprise rear-charge and subsequent breakthrough on the right changes things for me, and removes a big striding hammer that was set to get into the center of the board for me. It being Round 4, the plan now is to just fight, and hope for a Round 7, as I think I need more time to fight for these tokens.

A hindered flank charge into the Harvester.

The Tribesmen horde takes the flank charge in the damaged Harvester. The Engineer has brought Radiance of Life over and tried the Running Repairs order a few times, healing a few damage. The Tribesmen started a bit in the terrain, so this is hindered, but it’s still 50 attacks into the Def4 flank, and we will pick the unit up, and hold, as we are Rallied and Inspired for now. I am not going to be able to fight this Iron Beast, so the horde’s job is to get in its way and prevent it from grabbing a second token.

The Thegn originally went far enough ahead to threaten a rear-charge into the rifle horde next turn, but needs to back up an inch or so to keep the Tribesmen supported. Threatening the flank seems ok too.

The Varangur pin down the Rifle horde.

The other Thegn hits the horde in the front, with the severely injured Tribesmen regiment hindered, but hitting the horde in the flank, which will prevent any withdraws or reforms. The duo land 13 damage, but the horde holds firmly.

And the other Harvester is flanked and felled on the right.

On the right, we’re fighting for positioning for the late game. The Hearthguard Thunderers make a front charge into the Iron Beast, hitting cleanly, while Magnilde hits the flank to prevent withdraws or reforms here, and 9 damage lands, which seems pretty good against Def6.

The Fallen take the flank of the parked Harvester, and will then reform. Their leader point is in the rear arc of the Iron Beast, and with it stuck in, we should be able to pick it up next turn.

Top of Round 5: Halflings

The Iron Beast on the right crunches its gears and grinds 4 damage into the Hearthguard Thunderers, who hold strong. The named Engineer here hops out to shoot at the white Thegn on the other side of the board, joined by the other Engineer and the regiment of Rifles, who move up and double-pivot to spin around to grab a token while shooting. Just 4 damage lands against him.

The Hearthguard Thunderers hold.

The Rifle horde gets Brutal 1, and lands 2 damage into the Thegn. Ther other regiment of Halfling Rifles makes a hindered flank charge into the maimed Trimbesmen regiment, lands 1 damage to take them up to 13, and my opponent gets what he needs to break this unit. They will overrun to get nearer to the token, and protect their flank from the white Thegn.

And the Tribesmen horde hold too, though the maimed regiment does break.

On the left, the Iron Beast grinds against the horde of Tribesmen, taking them up to 10 damage, but they hold.

Bottom of Round 5: Varangur

We get Vicious on the horde again, and they bonk a few damage into the Iron Beast, but again, we just need them to hold, and hopefully the can do so for just one more turn.

The Thegns fight the injured horde of Halfling Rifles.

The Thegns double charge the horde, and will that them up to 22 damage, about as-expected, and the horde will break. Both will turn to face the middle token and that fresh regiment of Halfling Rifles.

The Iron Beast and Riflemen horde are both picked up!

The Fallen take the rear charge into the Iron Beast, and we’ll break it this turn, though Def6 makes it closer than I’d like! The Fallen sidestep, facing the center and moving toward the opposing deployment zone, Magnilde overruns onto the hill, and the Hearthguard Thunders wheel around with their victorious reform, eager for another charge before the game ends.

Top of Round 6: Halflings

The named Engineer enters the woods, and the other Engineer does his free individual pivot and then receives the Halt order. They and both regiments of Rifles will shoot into the more damaged white Thegn, landing 6, but they fail to waver him.

The Tribesmen horde hold fast!

The Iron Beast on the left grinds against the Tribesmen horde, but only produces 5 new damage, and the horde is Rallied and Inspired, and does hold.

Bottom of Round 6: Varangur

I don’t quite have the inches to get the Hearthguard Thunderers into a good charge. They move up as far as they can while still touching the token, when they will stop and then pick it up. Agonizingly, I am just over 10 inches away from the flank of the Rifles.

Charges for the Varangur to close out Round 6.

Also fighting for position, the Fallen make a striding rear charge into the departing Rifles in the woods, will pick them up, and reform, also eager to fight for the middle token, though time is short.

...and only one regiment of Rifles breaks.

Both Thegns charge the Rifles holding that middle token. We have Strider, but flub, dealing just 3 damage, about half what is expected. The Rifles here hold on, clutching a token, and the Iron Beast on the left still has one, making this 2:1 in favor of the Halflings at the bottom of Round 6.

…but I manifest a Round 7 for us!

Top of Round 7: Halflings

The FAQ basically says you can just ignore Yielding individuals in all cases unless you happen to share space and overlap with them. Unfortunately, sticky combats won’t help the Halflings here. If seems the Halflings need units to actually tie my units up, and those are in short supply for the tinkerers.

The Halflings best the horde but not the Thegn.

The Iron Beast gets a Brutal and grinds out the Tribesmen horde. The Saucer charges in, hindered, into the rear of the injured white Thegn, hot soup flying in every direction. She contributes no damage, and the Rifles also fails land a blow through the armor.

Bottom of Round 7: Varangur

I can only fit two units into a units facing nowadays. The Thegns aren’t cutting it, so I want to practice some of the new options. I aim to Withdraw with the black Thegn, to let the Fallen get in, do grisly work, and win the game. I’m on 2 damage and… roll boxcars for the Nerve check. We’re reading through things, and I still pass, but take an additional 1d6 of damage as self-doubt creeps in. (We’re at the bottom of Round 7 and don’t actually roll the damage). I then roll up snake eyes for the distance traveled, which will prevent the Fallen from getting into the front here. Ugh.

Final charges from the Varangur.

Very fortunately, I have a backup plan here. The Thegn flubbed it, but the Hearthguard Thunderers can drop the token, pop their books and make a glorious flank charge into the Rifles. The Fallen are then able to hop over to pick up the dropped token.

Thanks to the Boots, it’s a clean flank charge on a damaged unit, and we fast-forward, and the Rifles are not found to be insane. The Thunderers hoist the loot high.

The Iron Beast holds a token for the Halflings, but the Thunderers and Fallen each hold one for the me now at the bottom of Round 7, making this a 2:1 victory for the Varangur!

Game Conclusions

As-ever, it was a hard-fought game against Rob! It's been neat to see the Halflings play more into their shooting components. I was outplayed early, but the list the list has some staying power, and I was lucky enough to get the extra turn I needed to endure everything and to come away with the victory here.

Testing Conclusions

• Magnilde of the Fallen. Again, Magnilde is just ok now in 4E. She’s strong enough to add a damage or two into most combats, and getting her into a flank (preventing reforms and withdraws) seems like a good use of her, though that can be hard to do. She did very well both games but individuals, particularly fighty individuals, are in a very rough spot right now.
• Thegn on Frostfang. As in the previous game, being stuck on 5 attacks really limits their potential output, and two damage feels like the most I can ever really expect out of these. With only two units fighting per facing, adding these into fights is a bit dubious, unless the unit is relatively weak, or you are just trying to tie them up, or you are finding flanks. Rallying plus Inspiring is quite nice though, making them a little more impactful as a supporting unit lurking behind the main line. With the new FAQ really limiting individuals now, and 4E already hitting the type with cost increases and all sorts of limitations, I think the Frostfang mount is quite desirable, letting the character fully play the game. They really should have just done away with Individuals.
• Human Tribesmen Horde, with Elite. As in the previous game, I completely forgot about the item and Elite here. The Vicious order was used a few times though, and I was lucky enough to have it go off on just two dice several times. The Blessing still seems like a nice item for a horde, despite my forgetfulness. And still, the horde did well for itself and does indeed seem like a great pick for the army help anchor down a line.
• Human Tribesmen Regiments. The regiments really shone in smaller games. In “proper” games, they lack the attacks to really carry a list, but again, the a few simple regiments were able to each take some hits and each hold their own. They are very fine for filling out a battle line or core tax.
• Snow Foxes. They got to charge in and tie something very scary up for me. I couldn’t quite get the follow-up and contain accomplished, but they at least did their jobs and were used well.
• Snow Trolls. I totally forgot about Vicious, which can definitely help in the grinds that I was hoping for. I’ll try to remember that in the future! Here though, they took a fair amount of punishment, regeneration was actually decent, and they were able to endure it.
• Hearthguard Thunderers. These actually impressed me this game. I used them as bait against some Grenadiers, but they were still able to get two clean charges off and gave me options at the end to win the game. One unit, aggressive and on the line with Boots seems the most common, but I’m wondering if aggressive, expendable infantry units paired with second-line knights might be viable. I think this could be something for the Kingdoms of Men to explore, as I am still overwhelmed by all their playstyle options.
• Fallen. They are decent pressure piece for the army, but unfortunately really need the Brew to be an effective threat, and even then still aren’t that great of a hammer. They are still the more fun and interesting of the two Varangur units to field though, as Strider is so valuable now. I could see maybe a “quality” build, with Tribesmen and Fallen and going wide maybe.
• Frostfang Cavalry. Where there is a will there is a way it seems! Sheesh. I couldn’t quite protect them here, but the overrun was still the right call I think, I just needed to roll average. Overall, these were still used well though, and their sacrifice set up the charges for the late-game piece trades I needed to win, and thankfully the extra turn let me get there.
• Varangur, generally. The Varangur lost a lot of their uniqueness with the transition to the new edition. Magnilde is just ok, and the two units she unlocks are neat, but I’m not sure is worth getting too excited about. Despite the grumbling, this was still a very fun list with a little more depth than I was anticipating. There are definitely some fun ideas to still explore, but from a Varangur-perspective, I don’t think it’s really worth digging in or trying to optimize anything or dig too deep until their book comes up. This is a big shortcoming of the new edition. I know a lot changed, but I really hope the codex-lite approach is done away with once all the armies are brought up to speed, and the yearly Clash update returns. That wholistic approach to the game and to balance was a huge selling point for the game, and I hope it comes back.

The shift of the Halfings over to Rifles and heavier shooting combined arms has been really intriguing to me, as I know from my own Abyssal play over the years that 18” shooting can be unforgiving to work with! Taran Bligh or the striding Aeronauts and a more Tinker-heavy and positional game could be neat for Rob to explore though, and we’ll see where the Halflings go next. It's always a tough game, but always lots and lots to learn from. Thanks for the game Rob!