First ever ASOIAF Tournament in Finland

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Song of Ice and Fire by CMON Games is a rather young game combining elements of modern board games and unit based & skirmish wargaming.

About a year ago we bought the starter set with a mate from our Nopat & Takriikka Club and I’ve been sold ever since! Number of players in Finland is not yet great, some 15 maybe, but the number is growing. In order to “build the community” I decided to organise a tournament for the game. Read on to learn how it all went down...

Tournament preparations

The idea was to make a "New player friendly tournament". So how would one achieve this? 

• Our more seasoned players offered their armies for people to use (the ones we weren't using ourselves)
• Concept of "Reinforcements points"
• Each player has 2 Reinforcements points available for the tournament
• 1 can be used per game to recruit an additional NCU or unit attachment of max 3 points
• Each unused Reinforcements points counts as a tournament in the end
• Wargaming tournament tradition in Finland and at our club demands painted armies, I chose to reward points for painted armies, but not demand it
• Communicate and underline relaxed  and gentlemanly approach 

Points scoring in the tournament

• Games
• 3 points for victory
• 1 point for draw
• 0 points for defeat
• Painting
• 2 points for a completely painted army
• 1 point for partially painted army
• Reinforcements points: 0-2 points

My army

I’ve been playing mostly with Starks and as I had finally started to win with them, I decided to take the, to the tournament as well, even if most of the units in my two lists were from Houses UMBER  and Tully.

Stark children played an active role in my list: Arya was a mainstay in my NCU selection - I just love her do the unexpected -ability! It combines very well with mobile & aggressive Starks and my Umber Berserkers have gotten many surprise flank charges with it, typically on round two (I always prefer not to start the game to build the momentum for round 2.). Rickon with Osha and Shaggydog are a cheap way to get a Wolf into the list. In one game I lost Rickon - I was wiped out - and he gave the extra point to the enemy.

Two separate lists were allowed, a named my two lists as "Power" and "Speed"

Stark Power army

I used this army for the two first games.

Stark Speed -army 

• Catelyn Stark 4p.
• Arya Stark 3 p.

The Gathering

6 players gathered for the tournament and we started the day with a briefing and toasting from GoT shot glasses.

Fighting begins!

Scenario for the first round was 1.5 beta version of Clash of Kings:

In my first game I faced Esa's Boltons, whom he called Stark's most

loyal vassals! His list bolstered 2 units of Flayed man...

Mika was playing (and teaching the game)  with his Boltons against Dimitris' Starks

And Heikki faced off with Oskari: Lannsiters vs. Nigths Watch.

Lannister troops must have been wondering, what the hell are they doing

in the middle of all that snow and ice!

Game 1. vs. Esa's Boltons

In this scenario one only deploys 2 units in the beginning, including the army commander attachment in one of them. I deployed my bowmen in the right flank, facing one objective and  covered by woods, while my slowish Great Axes, with Brynden, started marching towards the left flank objective. Esa's Flayed man pushed forward ignoring the objective with murder in their eyes... they were supported by Cutthroats led my Ramsay himself.

Stark bowmen take out the second rank of Flayed man, without a crannogman! OK,Esa's saving throws were pretty bad.

Then the Flayed man charged, but my Bowmen managed to  survive the charge 
(I think I had weakened the FM)

Berserkers arrived from the reserve - round 2. I think.

Berserkers proceeded to charge FM into the rear  and finished them off (dropping 2+ save to 5+) - Bowmen were saved and  I was in a good position...

More reserves arrived and  on the other side of the battlefield my Great Axes took in a charge from yet another FM unit... but they are Set for Charge and really blunt the attack and then proceed to chop the enemy to pieces in the imminent future! This was a pretty awesome combo of cards, as it also made the enemy weakened!

Midgame

More and more units entered the fray and also respawned. As I held the left objective, I was able to bring my Tully Swornshields with Rickon in from the right, practically into the rear of the enemy (even if more FM might arrive to threaten them). In the meanwhile Shaggydog ate the smaller dogs from a Bolton's Bastard Girls -unit, already whittled down by Bowmen. Shaggydog controlled the objective!

Fight for the centre objective raged between Ramsay's Cutthroats and my Berserkers, while re-spawned Flayed men moved in to challenge Shaggydog

Round 4 or so.

Several units had been destroyed and re-spawned. Great Axes with Brynden Tully were steadily scoring 2 VP each round in the left flank, while a re-spawned FM unit was holding the left after killing Shggydog (which also had re-spawned). Tully Sworn Shields were fighting re-spawned Bastard girls in the far left corner.  

Shaggydog charged the Cutthroats contesting the central objective as both units counted as having a one rank and re-spawned berserkers charged the FM unit, contesting the right flank objective. Quite a stand off really!

Poor Theon was eaten by Shaggydog in the end!

Result: victory for my Starks!

• My list was pretty well built for defending objectives (Great axes with Brynden, Swornshields...)
• I was able to really blunt the attack from FM and then dispose them
• While my Brynden was scoring 2 points each round, I denied the other objectives from Esa by contesting them
• All my units performed well - including the bowmen!

Game 2. vs. Mika's Boltons

Scenario for round two was Fire and Blood 1.5 Beta version

Mika is an excellent and experienced ASOIAF -player (he actually thought us the game) and I was quite anxious about facing him and his Boltons (who's cards and tricks I was not so familiar with either). I chose to continue with the same army list as Boltons are really bad asses in melee ( so I wanted to shoot them from distance) and they play around with panic tokens (so I wanted units with good morale).

Deployment

I had Umber units in each flank and Bowmen protected by them and the stakes

Mika placed Bastard Girls in both flanks and his Cutthroats in the middle.

During round 1. Mika played some cards, but actually retreated  with most of his units to stay of range from my Bowmen. Only his Bastard Girls in my right flank advanced. I Crown zapped some Cutthroats.

Round two

I played Arya before the start of round 2 and moved my Great Axes forward to get into charge range of the BGs and in they went! I expected them to wipe out the enemy with their Mighty Cleave attack!

BUT!!!!

After a lot of axe waving and bloodshed that cunning Bronn was stillstanding!!!

DAMN IT!!!

Rapidly a Cutthroat unit charged my Axes into flank...

So I had sent my Sworn Shields towards this fray to save Brynden and his men! Only the Bowmen were left to hold the left flank against two enemy units!

Unfortunately Sworn Shields couldn't reach the enemy fast enough and Brynden was lost! With this I also lost the ability to place additional victory points on enemy units... Things started to look really bad... even if my archers managed to wipe out a Bastard Girl unit.

Game was very intensive at this point and I didn't even take any photos...

Finale

This picture tells the story of this battle - my units almost but not quite manage to take out an enemy unit! In this particular situation, if my Bowmen (a marked unit) would have destroyed Ramsey's unit 

( a marked unit) I would have scored 3 VP, but it was not meant to be!

In the end I was wiped out around round 5 or so. Clear victory for Mika's Boltons.

Why did I loose?

• Mika played extremely well (cautiously)
• I failed to destroy enemy units - should the  Great Axes have done this (and then surged forth), game would have been quite different with them threatening enemy flank
• With Brynden lost I couldn't place additional VP on units
• I think I should have played with my speed list as now Boltons were able to avoid me quite well 

Game 3. vs. Oskari's Night's Watch

Scenario on round 3. was Game of Thrones 1.5 Beta

In this final battle I was facing Oskari with my Speed list. Quick recap on what happened and how my cavalry performed...

Round 1. Taking positions

Rickon and Stark sworn Swords park on an objective, while Tully Cavliers push forward in the middle... Stark Outriders are outriding...

Night's Watch battle line with Crossbows in the middle

Round 2. Hammer and anvil

Stark Outriders are deployed behind the enemy...

And with Sudden Charge card they charge Brothers into their rear - eventually destroying them!

This is soon avenged by NW Conscripts, whom manage to take out Outriders (whom don't have enough space to use their free retreat!)

NW flank is collapsed as Berserkers AND Tully Cavalies smash them Conscripts (nobody seems to care about objectives!)

Flank taken!

Rampage continues

While Rickon was steadily (and safely) scoring points on an objective Tully and Umber units (what a great vassals they are!) continued to trash enemy units!

Jon and his banner bearer dish out 10 attacks between them against Crossbows, whom are being frantically healed by Oskari

Result: clear victory for my Starks!

Results

Final scoring for the tournament was as follows:

Winners:

1. Heikki, Lannisters - 11 points

2. Teemu (myself), Starks - 9 points

3. Esa, Boltons, 8 points

(Mika also had 8 points, but Esa won with tiebreaker)

Esa was also awarded the prize for a best painted unit.

Besides them other prizes - Heikki now has
the privilege to wear this Hand of the King -pin.
And we're calling him "Your Grace"

...at least until the next tournament!