Warcry - No Quarter!

I picked up the Core Rules and the four Grand Alliance books for the first edition of Warcry... and then played it ONCE...!? I liked it. I think Finnegan did too. Seemed like a clever little game that needed some more exploring... but then we never did play again!? I think that was also around the same time I picked up Warhammer Underworlds and kind of just ended up playing that... a LOT! 

Apparently, at some point, I bought the second edition books for Warcry - this time only two - Core Rules and a single compendium of ALL the warriors that can be played... and then never got around to trying it out... UNTIL NOW! 

This kind of came about because Amanda and I are planning a trip to the UK and part of that trip will likely include a visit to Warhammer World and when I mentioned all the events that go on there, Amanda suggested we play in one?! I'd not really thought of that - not being that much of a competitive tournament player... but once she'd suggested it, I though it might be fun to say I've played games at Warhammer World... Because we're travelling around a bit, it would not be practicable to bring full 40K or Age of Sigmar armies with us and lug them around (even spearhead might be a bit much!)... but if there happened to be a skirmish game event - Kill Team or Warhammer Underworlds or WARCRY - that might be more doable. So, we decided it was time to try out Warcry! 

Amanda's had a pretty busy few weeks since returning home from a little trip to the wet coast, and we just haven't found time to try it out yet. 

Vera (the human formerly known as Orion) had some extra time off work, though, so we met up Thursday evening to give it a try. 

Vera brought her Soulblight Gravelords along and cobbled to gather a warband:

• Kastellan (Blood Knight Champion)
• Blood Knight with Templar Lance
• Vargheist 
• Skeleton Champion with Halberd
• Skeleton Warrior with Ancient Blade
• Skeleton Warrior with Ancient Spear
• Skeleton Warrior with Ancient Spear
• Skeleton Warrior with Ancient Spear
• Dire Wolf

I quickly put together a small force of Nighthaunts

• Knight of Shrouds on Etherial Steed
• Dreadblade Harrow
• Dreadblade Harrow
• Chaingast
• Chaingast

We set up some terrain and rolled for a scenario to play and came up with No Quarter! The battlefield is divided up into four quarters and whoever controls the most quarters at the end wins... To control a quarter, however, one needed to have at least one of their own models wholly within said quarter - and NO ENEMY within said quarter... it seemed an exceedingly difficult thing to do... unless you could whittle your opponents force down to three or less... and still have at least four of your own... that were spread out enough to have one in each quarter?! 

Set up and ready to go. One Battlegroup didn't show up until the second round - for both of us that included our leaders!? 

I had two chainghasts halfway up the middle. Orion had a band of Skeletons in a similar position (they are hiding behind the building opposite!). On one flank I had my two Dreadblade Harrows. On the other was the Vargheist with another Skeleton. 

Somehow one of my Dreadblade Harrow galloped clear across the table to fight a skeleton!? 

The Chainghasts got stuck in with the Vargheist in the middle of the table. The other Dreadblade Harrow joined them... 

On the second round the Blood Knights came galloping onto the table and the one with the lance charged my Dreadblade Harrow and stabbed them right in the etherial bits! 

The Kastellan galloped in and smashed through the Dreadblade Harrow as well... it took a Skeletal warrior to sneak up and finish off the Dreadblade Harrow. 

The Knight of Shrouds galloped onto the field of battle and put down a rather mangy-looking Dire Wolf! 

aaaaand then a couple more rounds happened and I didn't take any pictures... I was too busy looking things up and trying to figure out how to play the game. There isn't nearly as much stuff to keep track of compared to Age of Sigmar or Warhammer Underworlds - it is a pretty slick and simple system... but still fairly new and different enough it required checking on things and re-reading rules... I think after a few games I should be running a bit more smoothly! 

In the end it was a draw... we both had models in all four quarters. As I'd suspected, it turned out to be a very difficult scenario to WIN at! 

Doing a little MATH-HAMMER and considering the short length of the game, how slow a lot of units move, the number of models and how many attacks they make and how effective those attacks are and the health scores of various models... it seems like it would be a very difficult game to do... well... much of ANYTHING in the four short rounds that are played?! I guess we'll have to play it some more and try out some different forces and scenarios. 

I probably should have ignored he Vargheist... maybe tried to tie it down with one or both of the Chainghasts and galloped about with the others trying to take out all the little skeletons...