KOW - Game: Ratkin vs. Forces of Nature in "Kill"

Yesterday I had my first KoW game in four years - and obviously first game of v3 - versus Carson and his Forces of Nature.

Because it was first game back, we decided to play "Kill" so we could focus on the game mechanics and ease back in.

The terrain was set up thus. That is a piece of blocking terrain on the left - burnt out building on a hill, a couple of woods, couple of H4 hills and another piece of blocking terrain towards the middle.

Carson chose sides and I ceded first turn to him. His lines make immediate progress across the table - a Horde and two Regiments of Forest Shamblers. Behind them are the Tree Herder in front of a Horde of Earth Elementals. Beside that (in the top right) are Owlbears (Horde of Fire Elementals), a Regiment of Scorchwings Air Elementals and a Horde of Wyrmriders.

Facing them are a Horde of Wretches, a Horde of Shock Troops in front of the Brood Mother and two Regiments of Vermintide. On the right are a Horde of Warriors with the Tangle behind them. Out of shot on my far left is a Mutant Rat Fiend.

Here you can see the rest of my deployment (actually end of Ratkin T1), the Daemonspawn behind the Warriors, second Horde of Shock Troops and out of shot on my right, another Mutant Rat Fiend.

FoN Turn 3. The three units of Forest Shamblers removed the Wretches (T2) and then were charged by the rats. One Regiment was removed by the Shock Troops and the other by the Daemonspawn. On the Ratkin right the MRF managed to flank charge the Unicorn removing it.

The counterpunch came from Nature. The Horde of Forest Shamblers who had held to the combined charge of MRF and Vermintide, countercharged the MRF. The Earth Horde hit the Vermintide in the flank removing it. The Fire Elementals are into the Daemonspawn while Tree Herder plus Wyrmriders have hit the Shock Troops. The Scorchwings Air Elementals have hit the Warriors in the front.

Bar the Vermintide, all Ratkin units will survive.

Here is the same point from the FoN viewpoint (with and added close up of the central action).

In Ratkin Turn 3, the Daemonspawn routs the Fire Elements, while the Shock Troops countercharge the Wyrmriders. Fired by the Tangle and the Brew of Strength, the Shock Troops need a successful Nerve Roll to break the Wyrms. On the re-roll, they get a Double 1. 

The Scorchwings Air Elementals hold against the Warriors but the MRF breaks the Shamblers.

On Nature Turn 4, the combined charges of Tree Herder and Wyrmriders routs the Shock Troops .

Into Ratkin Turn 4 and the Daemonspawn charges the Tree Herder who has turned to face him. The Brood mother sees a chance and corkscrews into the flank. The remaining Vermintide move to block the Wyrms.

The Warriors rout the Scorchwings Air Elementals with the help of a Shock Troop Horde flank charge.

As we begin Turn 5, unfortunately for the Ratkin, the Wyrmriders have room to turn and charge the flank of the Warriors. The Tree Herder countercharges the Brood Mother.

The Brood Mother routs as do the Warriors.

The Daemonspawn charges the Tree Herder again and this time needs 4+ to rout him - roll a 3 on the second roll. Curses. However the Shock Troops charge the Wyrms and this time need a successful Nerve test to rout them. Again on the second rooll, I get a double one (these must be the luckiest Wyrmriders in Naiad!!!!).

Unfortunately the upshot of that is a Greater Earth Elemental in the flank which removes the Shock Troop Horde in FoN Turn 6. 

There is just time in Ratkin Turn 6 for my Daemonspawn to remove the Greater earth Elemental (it had taken a lot of damage from my right hand MRF) while the Vermintide go into the flank of the Wyrms (doing diddly squat).

The roll for a seventh turn is unsuccessful.

WRAP UP

In the end the Forces of Nature have 720 points left to the Ratkin 570 points. This puts it inside the 10% so a draw.

Great game which was going to the Ratkin before the heroics of the Wyrmriders and Tree Herder.

Happy with my choices for the Ratkin except it was clearly a mistake to charge the Tree Herder flank with the Brood Mother. If anything she and Vermintide should have gone into the Wyrmriders....or she should have got out of Dodge.

Great, fun game....enjoyed being back. Thanks Carson!