Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm - Game Two

 Finnegan and I played a second game of Direchasm on Sunday afternoon. Normally I'd be taking Keria out to Irish Dance lessons (there are currently only two left in the class, and often the other one doesn't show up and Keira gets a private lesson, protocols are in place, masks are worn, it's all good) - but we woke up to -50°C windchill this morning and decided we would not be leaving the house today!

To switch things up, Finnegan decided he'd like to try out Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven, so I got to try out the Dread Pageant.

Despite trying to take more pictures and take more notes for this game report, this game went MUCH quicker than the previous game! Yay! (or... maybe... not-so-much... as we shall see!) 

I won the first roll-off and had Finnegan place the first board. the second one I placed off-set, just to try something different. The downside of letting him place boards first is he gets to place Objectives first and that, generally means he gets three in his territory and only two in mine (and I happen to know Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven has an Objective Card that gives three Glory Points if they control all Objectives in enemy territory!). 

ROUND ONE - Action Phase

I won the roll off, and went first. 

Glisette took a step onto an objective. Of the three Objective cards I had, one was an end phase objective awarding two Glory if two Friendly Fighters were on Objectives. Of the others, I misread one and thought it was another and the third was another end phase objective that gave points in NONE of the enemy fighters had move or charge tokens on them at the end of the turn. I figured there was ZERO chance of THAT happening and decided on trying to focus on the first two! 

Lethyr then charged into our territory and attacked Slakeslash - failed to cause damage, but drove him back. (Which he later realized was probably a mistake, as a next move could have meant she had two in contact with the beastie, with one giving support) 

For my second activation, Hadzu moved up to a second objective and took a shot at Lethyr, missing. Objectives secured, looked like THAT one was sorted.... 

For Finnegan's second activation, Kyrae the Melusai Stalker moved up and took a shot at Slakeslash, causing a wound! 

I moved Slakeslash around behind Lethyr, in a desperate bid to score one objective, I'd thought it was the one that gave me a Glory Point for having a friendly fighter in contact with two enemies... and then Slakeslash attacked Lethyr and took her out of action... DOH!? As it was scored at the END of the activation, it no longer had two enemies in contact... I did get the ONE Glory Point for taking an enemy out of action... so... there was that... 

I also used Slakeslash's special ability to give ITSELF a wound after attacking! The Dread Pageant only inspires if there are a total of SIX damage/wound tokens on surviving fighter's cards!? Slakeslash being the beefiest, I figured it was safe to give him a few wounds... 

and I used that first Glory Point to upgrade Slakeslash with a Sadistic Goad... because I could... not that it made his attacks any better... 

Next, Morgwaeth herself got in on the action, charging up and attacking Hadzu - with her reach two glaive... and totally took him out of action!? GAH!? 

The Blade-Coven scored one for taking him out of action, then anotehr with a surge objective (Perfect Kill) for taking an enemy out with exactly the number of damage points to take them out! 

Finnegan upgraded Morgwaeth with the Victor of a Thousand Duels and Kyrssa with Rapturous Defence. Morgwaeth then used her own ability to inspire herself (she can inspire one of her warband every time an enemy is taken out of action) 

I used a Gambit to push Slakeslash between Morgwaeth and Kyrae, hoping to score that surge objective after the next activation.  

I moved Vasilic onto the Objective to maintain control of two (and hopefully, at the very least, score that ONE objective card!?). Vasilic has reach and was able to attack Morgwaeth, with Slakeslahs supporting. he scored a hit and caused two damage.... and it was THEN that I realized I and TOTALLY MISREAD that objective, rather than the one that gives Glory for one friendly fighter being in contact with two enemy, it was the one where two friendly fighters need to be in contact with the same enemy!? (the Dread Pageant have both such cards in their objective deck)... so... not only had I TOTALLY WASTED the gambit that got Slakeslash into that position, it was a terribly dangerous position for it to BE in!? AND it would have been SUPER easy to score the card that I DID have AND much safer to do so...

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!

Moron. 

Well... lessons learned... 

READ THE FREAKING CARD!? 

For the Blade-Coven's final activation of the first round, Khamyss - the Sisters of Slaughter - charged Slakeslash attacking TWICE with her whip and bladed buckler combo... between the two she caused three damage... and took out Slakeslash... 

Felt a little silly about having given it that extra damage token after it's attack... 

Felt a little silly about putting it in a position where it could be attacked with TWO supporting enemies... 

So many lessons being learned this game. I'm going to be SUPER SMART next time I play... 

(or... probably just make MORE of the same stupid mistakes!?) 

So Khamyss was inspired (via Morgwaeth's special ability) and a Glory was scored for taking an enemy out of action, and then another was scored with a surge objective - Torturous Death - for attacking the same enemy three times in the same round. 

ROUND ONE - End Phase 

Well, I did get to score Excess of Idolency - the objective requiring holding two Objectives. I don't think Finnegan scored any at this point. So the Blade Coven was winning at this point, 4-3. 

But things were looking pretty grim with HALF of my warband - including my toughest, hardest-hitting warrior - out of action and being outnumbered 2-1... 

Objectives and power cards were discarded (like that one giving points for the enemy NOT having any movement or charge tokens - I can't see that being useful in too many games unless the Dread Pageant was playing VERY aggressively and moving into contact with enemy that they didn't kill and said enemy just spent their activations standing still and attacking...? Not going to happen against the Blade-Coven - or any warband with numerical supremacy - as I imagine they would always be moving stuff to gain advantage with support!) 

ROUND TWO - Action Phase 

Finnegan won the roll off and went first. 

Morgwaeth stabbed Vasilic... and killed him... 

GAH!? DAMMIT!? I'd had one gambit (Vicious Barbs) I was going to play in the first Power Step (after the first activation) which would uninspire a character - which would have been Morgwaeth... which would have reduced the damage she did to two, rather than the three she scored to take out Vasilic. I had a second I was going to play to heal one of his wounds... AND if he'd gone first, after attacking he could have healed another of his wounds!? 

So... another Glory for Morgwaeth (for taking an enemy out of action)... and then ANOTHER for a surge objective (Consecrate to Khaine) for taking an enemy that was holding an objective out of action... 6-3 for the Blade Coven. 

I was able to upgrade Glisette with Dance Without End... but then realized it was TOTALLY USELESS as it read; "Reaction: After a Friendly Fighter's move" (although, now that I think about it... she could have used it as a reaction after her OWN move... which might have changed what I did, had I realized that DURING the game....) 

My first activation for Round Two... Glisete feeling pretty lonely out there - outnumbered 4-1... As ALL of the objectives I was holding were TOTALLY useless (being impossible to actually do with only one) I used my activation to discard one and pick up another. It didn't help. 

I also played a Gambit called Dark Desire. I picked an enemy fighter and then Finnegan had to decide if he wanted to give that fighter a move token or let me push her one. I picked Khamyss. HE TOOK THE MOVE TOKEN!? I'd really hoped he'd let me push her, as there weren't any lethal hexes adjacent and no matter where I pushed he she'd STILL be able to move into contact with Glisete... I'd hoped to push her on to the objective, as the objective card i'd just drawn was one that awarded a Glory Point for taking out an enemy that was ON an objective!? 

Next, Kyrae moved and took a shot at Glisete scoring one wound. I used the Fuelled By Sensation gambit to heal it. 

Glisette moved out and charged Khamyss. She was the only one within reach that she had any hope of taking out of action... and I really needed to take someone out. 

She missed. 

I DID score a surge Objective, though, Endless Revel, awarding one Glory Point if EVERY surviving friendly fighter had a movement or charge token... and she did... so... 

Then Morgwaeth stabbed her and my warband was all gone... 

Another Glory point for the Blade-Coven... and... SOMEONE got inspired... 

half way through the game and I'd been tabled. I think Finnegan would have rather ended it there, but I was curious how it would play out (as the rules DO suggest finishing) . I think he was winning 7-4 at this point? 

For my next activation I discarded and drew an objective card - curious to see if there was ANYTHING I could score!?  

Finnegan moved Kyrssa. 

I drew a Power Card. 

ROUND TWO - End Phase

I scored nothing. 

Finnegan scored Devoted Disciple - awarding a single Glory Point if at least one surviving fighter had a damage token - and Purposeful Strike - awarding a Glory Point if a friendly fighter holding an objective had a charge token. 9-4...? 

ROUND THREE - Action Phase

Yes. We played out the third round. I mean, there was ZERO chance I was going to win... but the rules suggest doing so, and I wanted to see just how many MORE points Finnegan could score. 

Finnegan won the roll off... 

Morgwaeth moved to an objective. I played a gambit in the first Power Step following her activation - Cruel Pangs - which caused one fighter one damage... so... HAD there been one of his warriors with only one wound left, I COULD have conceivably taken her out of action and scored one more glory... heck... if she'd been taken out in such a way that it fulfilled the conditions of an Objective, I might have scored MORE!? I totally didn't though... still 9-4....

I drew a power card.

Khamyss sauntered onto the adjacent objective. 

I discarded and drew a new Objective Card.

Kyrssa moved onto an objective. 

I discarded and drew another Objective Card. 

Finnegan discarded and drew another Objective Card... because... really there was NOTHING ELSE TO DO!?

I did the same again. 

ROUND THREE - End Phase

That last Objective Finnegan drew was one hew was actually able to score!? He scored Proof of Devotion - Awarding THREE Glory Points for either taking all enemy fighters out of action OR holding all objectives in enemy territory (he was doing BOTH). He scored Ritualized Formation, awarding 3 Glory Points for holding three objectives. He scored Blessings of Khaine, awarding one more Glory Point if two or more friendly fighters were inspired (all four were). 

So.... 

We ended the game with Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven winning 16-4. 

Despite the utter thrashing I still like the game and actually had a LOT of fun playing it with Finnegan. Finnegan was a little concerned that Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven was a little "over-powered" - at least against the Dread Pageant. I think it's still a little too early to make any such claims, having only played two games. I think it was more a case of he got some good cards at the right time and put them to good use playing a really solid game... combined with me drawing crap and making some stupid mistakes... SO MANY stupid, stupid mistakes... 

Hopefully I learned something....? 

Probably not... 

Maybe I should get some of these other Warbands finished up to try THEM out!?