HOTT/DBA Double-Header

Taking a break from the Savage Worlds East Front Campaign, I decided to play some Hordes of the Things this evening (in no small part because I finished up the last stands I needed for my Phoenix Clan Army. Because the games are quick we also got in a game of DBA!

Only John showed up this week – which worked out fine as he and I got to have a couple one on one games…

Sorry about the photos - not up to the usual standard. My camera died and I'm trying to figure out Amanda's old one and can't quite figure out a few things... like how to get the dang thing to focus on what I darn well WANT it to focus on... or how to turn OFF the flash. I hate flash photography...

GAME ONE – HOTT

Forces

The Phoenix Clan (tim)
1x Mounted Samurai General (Rider)
3x Shugenja (Magicians)
1x Earth Elementals (Blade)
1x Avalanche Guard (Blade)
2x Void Guard (Blade)
1x Samurai Archers (Shooters)

Burning Sands Orc Tribe
1x Uruk Kreuger and retinue (Hero General)
7x Orc Wolf Riders (Riders)
2x Wolf packs (Beasts)
1x Orc Foot (Warband)
1x Goblin Archers (Shooters)

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Orc invaders arrayed for battle!


The Phoenix Clan prepares to defend their homeland!

The Phoenix Clan sports the “Triple-Wizard Combo”. May seem like a gamey-cheesy- one-trick-pony… but it makes sense for me for the Phoenix Clan – they are pacifist mages… Shugenja are at the fore and if they can enscorcel and enemy and disperse his troops without spilling any blood… well… that seems like a perfect fit.

On my first turn the mages advanced. One their next move the orcs had advanced close enough to blast them with magic! Conveniently I rolled a four – just what I needed! All three Shugenja threw all their magical energies the enemy generals way. Magician +4 vs everything, Hero +5 versus everything, +1 for being General, -2 for two aiding magicians… even odds – I roll higher than John, the game is over.

I didn’t.

The next bound the orcs made contact!


CRUNCH!


When the dust settled one stand of shugenja were out of action and one band of Wolf Riders were down…


On my next bound the Samurai archers shot up some Wolf Riders and forced them to retire, momentarily…


Unfotunately the Orc General then rode down another group of Shugenja! I’m down 8AP to the Orcs 2AP!!


The Phoenix Shugenja work best under pressure, I guess, because the next bound they finally ensorcelled the Orc General… Because I’d lost more the game didn’t’ end right there with the loss of the General. Though I was still down 8AP to the orcs 6AP, it was still the beginning of the end for them.


The Wolves charged into the forest and attacked the Samurai Archers!


The Archers stood their ground, however, and drove the wolves back!!


… and back – right off the table!!


The Phoenix General then rode down a group of Wolf Riders and that was about it…

GAME TWO – DBA

Forces
Vikings (tim)
1x Blade General
11x Blade
1x Bow

Normans (John)
1x Knight General
6x Knight
1x Light Horse
2x Spear
2x Bow


John and the defending(!?) Normans. Oh, those aggressive Vikings... What were they thinking. Must have been drunk. Drunk and in charge of a long ship.... Friends don't let friends drink and invade Normandy!


The two lines charge towards each other!


Crunch!


GRAAARRRrrrrr!


The first clash saw two stands of Viking Blade rode down by Norman knights… but three other Knights were thrown back, and a fourth was locked in combat. Better still another stand of Norman Knights was cut down by a withering storm of arrows from the Viking archers, and a band of Norman Archers were routed by the ferocious Vikings.


Round two – my bound, one pip. Drove off the Light Horse and destroyed another band of Norman Archers. But the Hirdsmen locked in combat from the previous turn were overcome and ridden down… pretty much tit-for-tat, so far…


The next bound the Norman knights wheeled back for another charge!


…and that was pretty much it. though antoher band of knights died before the archers, and the Light Horse forced to FLEE, my General and another stand of Blade were ridden down!

Final Tally; Vikings lost five Blade (including a General), Normans lost two Knights and two Bow.

Good fun!!

I think I’ll be adding some more DBA/HOTT elements into the to-be-painted pile on my workbench…

NEXT WEEK

Not sure… could be HOTT/DBA… Could be Contemptible Little Armies… Could be the Savage Worlds East Front Campaign - which I may start reporting on this blog rather than Savage Timmy’s Playhouse (where I have been posting the battle reports…).