Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm - Game Eight!

Another Sunday, another game of Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm. 

Once again, Amanda played Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven and I played Khagra's Ravagers.

Amanda won both roll-offs in the set up phase - she chose to set up a board first and then made me set up my warband first. Strangely, we both placed objectives in each others territory. My first one was at the closest point to my own territory, that would effectively block her from placing objectives any deeper into her own territory. She placed stuff in my territory, close to her own territory.

This kind of  worked for me, because I'd hoped I'd be able to desecrate the ones nearby and then press on into HER territory. 

ROUND ONE

I actually won the roll-off and went first. Khagra moved one hex to close everyone in together and I was able to score a surge objective - scored when four or more fighters on the battlefield are in a single group in which each fighter is adjacent to at least one other fighter in that group. +1 Glory. 

Then I played Wrack the Land, which allowed me to pick an objective token in an empty hex within 1 hex of one or more friendly fighters and Desecrate it! I chose Zarshia to desecrate the one next to her, which was the one deepest into my own territory. 

THEN I played Ravaging Advance which allowed me to push each friendly fighter not in enemy territory up to 1 hex towards enemy territory... which put Dour Cragan and Razek on the other two objective tokens in my own territory... so long as they REMAINED there until the end of the Round they would automatically desecrate those objective markers and I would inspire my whole warband AND score another objective I had in hand - Desolate Domain - for desecrating all objective tokens in one players territory. It was only +1 Glory... but it was the only other one I had in hand that seemed remotely possible.

And THEN I used that Glory to Upgrade Khagra with Unearthly Charisma (+1 Dice to other friendly fighters' Range 1 Attack actions if they are within 2 hexes of her) 

The other two I had were Glorious Slaughter (+2 Glory if three or more enemy fighters are out of action) and Underdog (+2 glory if opponent either has the Primacy token or has scored 3 or more objective cards more than you...). 

Amanda was pretty FURIOUS at this first activation. She tossed her cards on the table and was ready to just quit right then and there. I thought she might flip the table. We'd all been having a not great day... and what I'd done in this one activation had COMPLETELY RUINED whatever plan she'd come up with... I was having a really hard time feeling any sympathy for her as that is exactly what's happened to ME - EVERY round of EVERY game we've played so far!? 

Time to read some SunTzu, lady... or at least learn that ONE line - the best laid plan never survives first contact with the enemy. 

(Actually it's probably be best, for me, if she never read Sun Tzu... she'd probably learn a lot from it and incorporate it into every game and I'd NEVER win another game again...) 

One interesting development that came of this first activation was that Amanda actually said; "So... there are other cards that I can add to this deck, or swap out cards with....? I'm going to have to have a look through those..." I just about fell off my chair at this point. I NEVER thought she would EVER be interesting in deck construction. She has NEVER shown any interest in such. She isn't even interested in reading rules. Like, EVER. And cards are just little pieces of paper with rules on them!? 

I mean, she'll play games with cards in them, and is fine with reading the cards as she draws them and try to figure out how to use them (I mean, that's what she's doing in THIS game). She even likes Dominion, which is a deck building game - but the deck-building is IN GAME and limited to a very small set of cards that can be added to the players deck - further reduced by the resources one has in hand on any given turn. But pre-game deck-construction is a whole different level of engagement with a game! 

WAY back in the 90s - the heyday of CCGS - I think I did convince her to lay Illuminati: New World Order a few times (the only CCG I ever really played with any regularity) but she NEVER built her own deck. I just had piles and piles of the cards and about a dozen ready-built, standing decks that I could pull out and play at a moment's notice - or loan to someone to play, but I'd have to explain the theme or idea or concept behind the deck and what you wanted to try and do with it in the game. 

I figured I would tinker with Khagra's deck until I figured out a strategy that could actually beat Morgwaeths... and then I'd have to tinker with Morgwaeth's deck to deal with... whatever Khagra's was doing to win... but if AMANDA is actually thinking about tinkering with her OWN deck... well... that could add a whole new level of interest and excitement to this game. Or... a whole new level of despair... (for me!). 

She calmed herself and shot Dour Cragan with Kyrae, and pushed him back, OFF the Objective Marker he was on, into a Lethal Hex - causing a total of two wounds. 

That thing about plans being ruined... 

Yeah.... I wasn't really sure what to do next. MY plan, such as it was, kind of hinged on Cragan and Razek holding objectives until the end of the round... I didn't want to just move Cragan back onto the objective, as Kyrae would just shoot him, AGAIN and push him BACK into the Lethal Hex and that would finish him off... So, I just gave Razek a Guard token and left Cragan where he was (out of range of Kyrae's arrows). I figured I would just move back onto it in a later activation...? 

Then Kyrae charged - moving ON to the objective and shooting Cragan again... for another wound... he now had 3 damage - one more and he'd be out of action!? 

Cragan charged around behind Kyrae and attack (with a bonus die, because of Khagra's Unearthly Charisma). Four attack dice to one defence die. I rolled three successes! She rolled one Crit. so... missed...

Lethyr moved onto one of the objectives in her own territory.  

And then she played Regal Vision - inspiring a Friendly Fighter holding an Objective - Kyrae (she could have played it at the end of her own activation... but she forgot about all the cards she was holding when I'd ruined her plan and was still recalibrating... 

Zarshia moved up and attacked and, as I'm writing this, I realized she should NOT have rolled three dice, as she did, because Unearthly Charisma only works for range ONE attacks - and I attacked at range two. Not that it mattered, I COULD have moved one more hex, and also I rolled three successes to her single success. The attack did one damage and I pushed her off into the Lethal Hex causing a second. 

Then Kyrssa moved onto an Objective Token in her territory. 

ROUND ONE - END PHASE

uh.... well... with nothing to score, we both just discarded our hands and drew new cards and had nothing to score.... 

I instantly regretted discarding about half of my cards - both Power and Objective. What I was holding seemed weak or unscorable on not of much use and wanted a fresh hand. What I got was a bunch of stuff that would have been useful with cards I HAD been holding, but were not of much use on their own at all... 

GAH!?

So... I was "winning" at this point, with ONE Glory point. 

ROUND TWO

I won the roll-off, Cragan moved onto the objective and took a swing at Kyrae... all I had to do was ONE damage to finish her off (though he does two) I had FOUR dice again... roll three successes... but she rolled one crit again... so... 

Morgwaeth charged and attack Khagra doing two damage. She them played Crimson Rejuvination (which healed one of the damage I'd dealt to Kyrae) and Catechism of Murder, which Inspired Morgwaeth. I kayed Eternal Vendetta (which would allow me to re-roll ONE attack die in the next attack action).

Khagra swong back and did 3 damage to Morgwaeth - actually rolled a crit - didn't even need the re-roll from the Ploy I'd played. 

But then Khamyss swooped in and finished off Khagra - gaining +1 glory and the Khainites the Primacy token. 

Zarshia attacked Morgwaeth - I figured I better try while she still had support from Cragan. All I had to do was ONE damage and I could take her out. Zarshia had two dice and was looking for hammers and support 3 of 6 die results would be a success and a crit is a crit... so 66% chance of hitting with each die. I ended with successes on both... but she rolled a crit.... so... miss... 

Kyrae attacked Cragan and rolled three successes... totally thought he was dead... but then rolled a crit!!! So nice to pay her back with the same she seems to do to me ALL THE TIME... 

It was a short-lived success at best. 

Zarshia took another swing at Morgwaeth and missed (thanks to ANOTHER defence Crit) 

And Kyrae took another swing at Cragan.... no crits for me this time, so he died. +1 Glory for Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven. 

ROUND TWO - END PHASE

Amanda gained a Glory Point from having the Primacy token... but that was it... She was now winning, though, 3-1. She upgraded Lethyr with the Tome of Glories. 

Again I just ditched all my cards and drew new, equally useless garbage.... Ugh... time to edit the deck again. Or at least go through it and remind myself of what's actually IN it and what I might conceivable draw which may or may not be of any use!? 

ROUND THREE

Morgwaeth attacked Razek and did 3 damage. 

In the following Power Step a whole lot of cards got played. Amanda started off my upgrading Morgwaeth with Rune of Khaine. The I played a gambit Spell - Whispers of Chaos - which I actually successfully cast! It pushed Morgwaeth one hex and then dealt her a damage... which finished her off! That gained me a glory and the Primacy token.... unfortunately I had NO upgrades in my hand!?  Amanda did two more upgrades Kyrssa got Rapturous Defence and Kyrae got the High Oracle's Butcher. 

I moved Zarshia onto an Objective and played Ritual Desecration which desecrated a third objective and inspired her and Razek. 

Then Razek died. 

I played Haymaker - giving +2 dice to the next attack hoping I MIGHT roll a crit (because I had a card that would deal an extra damage if a crit was rolled and that would finish off Kyrae). I did NOT roll a crit, but, for once, neither did Amanda. So, Kyrae was back to two damage - one wound remaining. 

Lethyr spent an action to use the Tome of Glories - which gained Amanda another Glory Point. 

I spent the next TWO activations attacking Kyrae... just needed to do ONE more damage to take her out... missed both times. She just can't stop rolling crits for defence - which always trump any amount of successes I roll... Seriously, I should start taking pictures of the dice rolls... it's unbelievable. 

Kyrssa charged in to attack Zarshia - and, of course, rolled a crit for her attack - which did extra damage... but not enough to take her out... so.... there's that... 

ROUND THREE - END PHASE

Well, I actually scored an Objective - Unafraid - Scored in an end phase if each surviving friendly fighter is within 2 hexes of one or more enemy fighters.... easy-peasy... +2 Glory. AND I scored one for having the Primacy token - bringing my total to a WHOPPING FIVE!!!!

Amanda scored Devoted Disciple for another Glory Point, brining her total to six. 

Wow. 

Well at least she didn't win with TWELVE to my five again. 

Part of me wants to tinker with Khagra's deck again.  Double down and focus even MORE on scoring Objectives that DON'T require me to roll dice successfully! I think I may actually try and push to finish up a new warband to try out. Maybe I'll work on doing both... just in case... (in case I don't finish the new warband... or in case I actually get to play TWO - or more - games next weekend!)  

My friend John brought by two copies of Nightvault this past week. One for me, and one for me to paint for him. The Nighthaunt warband included - Thorns of the Briar Queen - looks interesting. There are SEVEN members of the warband. Most are totally weak (two wounds) and unlikely to do much damage with an attack (one attack die, causing one damage, if they're really lucky!). But there are some cool gambit cards that let them do neat things. It looks like they want to focus on controlling Objectives - and have not-entirely-corporeal bodies to do it! Being weak, I worry that they'd bleed Glory to the other warband as they are all wiped out!?  

We shall see...