Monday, September 13, 2021

Paths to Glory 3rd Edition Campaign

    With 3rd edition coming out, my friend Michael, wanted to run a paths to glory campaign. Something gentle for us to get used to the new rules - also keeping it open for new players in the area to jump in and learn. 

    We would start in August at a 600pt Vanguard list increasing monthly, September Warband 1k, and by October have a 1500pt Brigade. For August I played one game, a beginner game with Xander. I built my list around cavalry, Bladebringers, Seekers and Daemonettes (for the batteline tax). The Bladebringer  Herald on Exalted Chariot, was 60 points too expensive, so I went with the Bladebringer Herald on Seeker Chariot. Just squeezing into the list at a hefty 190 points! 

    Sslithian Luxsion could feel a ripple in the atmosphere atop of her exalted chariot. There was something stirring in the Realm of Ulgu, their search for their Lord of Excess was communicating to his loyal servants. "Our search is nearing an end." Daraetha Heartslake, the Heartseeker, affirmed to the leader of the Pining Thrust. Sslithian smiled, "Don't be so eager to reach the zenith of our journey so quickly. Ghur is such a wretched place, full of creatures that are blemish on life, murdering and eating, no grace or finesse." Looking over the vegetation littered clearing, kruleboyz camped out gorging their selves on weak prey, no thought or reasoning to their slaughter, she felt the yearning call of her master. His need for overindulgence, massacres, debauchery, idolizers and Sslithian would give all that her master desired, and it wouldn't be a quick death for these fowl foes.

Battlepack

Xander rolled off to see which mission we would be playing, I don't recall the name, and don't have the core rules (only the smaller version - which doesn't include battlepacks or the path to glory rules) But the objective was for the attacking player to get half their force to their opponent's deployment zone. After rolling of for roles, I won and chose to be the attacker. 

Forces

Pining Thrust - Slaanesh

Sslithian Luxsion - Bladebringer Herald on Exalted Chariot (190 pts)

Daraetha Heartslake - Seekers x 10 (300 pts)

Terashon Mhal'Pr'athis - Daemoettes (110 pts)

Total - 600 pts

Da Pale Boys - Kruleboyz

Killaboss on Great Gnashtoof  (200 pts)

Gutrippaz (180 pts)

Hobgrots Slittaz (95 pts)

Man-skewer Boltboyz (120 pts)

Total - 595 pts

    On the initiative, Slaanesh won, also choosing to go first, like the greedy daemons they are. Seekers and Daemonettes advanced up the flanks, they they both could run and still charge later in the turn.

First round setup

Seekers quickly close in on their prey.
    
    Seekers move at 14" and they get to roll 2D6 instead of D6 for their run, making it super easy for them to sprint right across the board in the first turn and charge! Unlike all my other units, the Chariot could instead retreat and charge on the same turn. I moved it up, because caution is for chumps, and my daemonettes, bless their good intentions, tried to tie up the Gutrippaz. 

Chariot hiding till next turn.


    My Seekers and my Daemonettes had charged into battle on the same turn, choosing to attack first with the Seekers, meant that the Daemonettes fought after the Gutrippaz. These cruel orks tore them to shreds with their 6's to hit cause mortal wounds. Xander had rolled 9!? 6s on his first swing. Yeouch! The remaining single Daemonette didn't roll a 1 on her mortal test to blink back more daemons into existence. I forget if she survived for a turn or not, as Depravity Points are based on how many models less a unit has, in this case 9 points! 

    The Seekers did some damage, suffering a couple loses, by the bottom of turn 1, I had around 20 DP. At the end of next turn's movement, my hero could summon one unit to the battlefield. To put this into perspective, a Keeper of Secrets was worth 12 Depravity Points. Lucky for Xander, I am poor and don't own a Keeper, so instead a unit of 5 Seekers were spawned.


Turn 1 Orks

       Gutrippaz charged into combat with the Chariot, lucky for her, there was WAY less 6s being tossed around. Striking hard at the orks, but they were tough at two wounds a piece. Sslithian slaughter close to half before running away, summoning Seekers the next turn.

    As always when I have the choice of winning a game or asking myself What Would Slaanesh Do? I retreated from one battle only to CHARGE right back into the remaining Boltboyz and Hobgrots on the opposite flank hoping to fight with the big bad Killaboss too!

I believe the wounds were counting up, otherwise this would have been more silly.

    Sslithian's chariot bounded over the uneven terrain, tearing up dirt and foliage as it crossed to meet the Killaboss. The Gnashtoof growled as the Seekers neared, gnashing at one of the front mounts. Sslithian cracked her whip across the Killaboss' chest. Furious, the savage ork ignited his jagged boss-stikka, flames licking the air around it. His wide swing toppled riders from the Chariot, sending it off a deep ravine. Shaken, the crew gathers up the Seekers, and the mistress to fight another day. Sslithian felt she was off her game, maybe she was more excited then she let on to see Slaanesh back in the mortal realms again.

    With only one unit reaching the opponent's deployment zone - they need to be 9" away from enemies and stay for one turn if I recall. We didn't count summoned units as part of half of my army, but either way I would have needed 2 units to stay alive for a turn in Xander's side.

    Clearly, that did not happen. But it was fun playing the hedonites, glass cannons for sure.

Next on the Hobby Desk

    I haven't had another chance to play in the Path to Glory campaign, Rachel had a minor surgery at the beginning of August. Which meant no bending or like picking up a 15lb baby, pretty hard when you breastfeed a baby several times a day. Rachel is doing much better now. I have a bunch of painting to show off, and also a bunch of purchases from over the summer.