Tournaments never stop happening.
I was back down at Magic Madhouse on Sunday for their recent Underworlds tournament. The last time I went here back in March of last year, I had won so I was hoping to repeat that trend. This time I’d be using Garek’s Reavers. I’d won with them already but there’s not much you can do when the trophy gets pulled.
Decklist
The deck remained mostly unchanged from its last iteration. Superior Tactician being restricted meant that Escalation was dropped. No Sudden Growth and Deathly Fortitude allowed for Challenge Seeker and Potion of Constitution. Heroslayer was thrown into the mix because it’s hilarious and I can actually make it reliable with Haymaker and Blood Offering.
Symbol syndication:
Round 1
Game 1 had me off against Rob and his Magore’s Fiends. I had beaten his Defensive Steelheart’s at a previous tournament with my Sepulchral Guard fresh off of the (then) new banned and restricted list. Would I be able to win again? Winning boards Rob placed Mirror Well first while I put down Penitent’s Throne in diagonal configuration.
Going first I simply drew a card. Magore then moved up with Commanding Stride. He charged into Targor but failed to roll any smashes. Targor charged and failed. Magore attacked again with Second Wind but failed to hit for a 2nd time. Karsus charged and hit Magore with 2 fury for 1 damage. Saek then charged and killed Magore with a crit and a smash to score Blood for the Blood God. Riptooth charged up but failed to hit. I pushed him back with Distraction. Next I equipped Arnulf with Heroslayer and played Haymaker. With a crit and a smash Riptooth died, scoring me Draw the Gaze of Khorne.
Phase 2 was simply moving up. I wasn’t able to do much but I played Great Strength, Spectral Wings and Blood Offering on Saek. He catapulted himself into Zharkus and killed him with a single smash while netting What Armour? and Cover Ground. Phase 3 had little action and it ended with a 10/2 win to me.
Game 2 had boards remain the same. My hand was pretty bad but I decided to hold onto it despite 4 upgrades as I had Ready for Action and Martyred. I hung back while the Fiends did the same until Magore charged in and killed Targor. This scored me Martyred while my opponent got Strong Start off. He played Spectral Wings with Riptooth to then score Cover Ground. I used Faneway Crystal and Ready for Action to get Garek adjacent to Zharkus but Rob then played Ready for Action with Concealed Weapon. 2 smashes drove back Garek and left him on 2 wounds.
In phase 2 I tried to claw it back but it wasn’t helpful when you ditch your entire hand to draw into 4 upgrades and a ploy again. Saek was able to kill Riptooth but I had lost too many fighters a long the way with Garek dying at the start of 2. Phase was mostly just trying to stay alive and it ended on a 5/14 loss for me.
Losing boards in game 3 I placed the Arcane Nexus to for lethal hex damage which was responded with Mirror Well.
Being given first activation, I moved Arnulf back and passed. Rob played Sidestep on Ghaetok so I used Hidden Paths to get Garek out of harm’s way. From that, we both sat back and drew cards for 2 action phases.
In action phase 3, Riptooth charged into the bottom left corner to score Cover Ground but failed to kill Riptooth. I then charged with Saek and Spectral Wings to score Cover Ground. Saek hit with 2 smashes but Rebound was played. It didn’t go off but stopped my Twist the Knife. This then blocked me in while Riptooth was given Great Fortitude. I had bricked and blocked myself in as Ghartok killed Arnulf to score Strong Start. Magore charged in and missed but scored Change of Tactics. In the end I lost 3/8. I had approached the game wrong by trying to starve the Fiends (correct) but lacking any real passive objectives to starve with (le bad).
Round 2
Next I was up against John and his Mollog’s Mob. Would my Reavers be able to beat the Troggoth again? Losing boards we both placed Soul Refractor set long.
It started with me drawing a power card. Mollog charged up and killed Targor for Advancing Strike. Next I charged with Arnulf and failed to roll a fury. John then played Tome of Offerings and Inspiration Strikes. Mollog killed Arnulf with 2 smashes to score No Remorse for 3 glory. Karsus charged in with 2 fury, doing 1 damage and driving Mollog back. Mollog then moved away to score Longstrider. Now out of range, I just moved Saek up.
Phase 2 had Hidden Paths sneak Garek behind Mollog but his attacks failed and was thus swiftly killed. Saek charged the Stalasquig, killing it with a smash and a crit to score What Armour? Mollog then proceeded to kill Karsus. Phase 3 had Saek try to kill Mollog but fail. After dying there was not much to do and the game ended with a 7/15 loss to me.
Game 2 had me win boards. John placed the Cursed Oubliette while I set up the Arcane Nexus in diagonal configuration.
Going first, I charged the Stalasquig on objective 5 with Targor but failed to hit. I then played Distraction to push Mollog off of the edge hex. Next Arnulf charged the Stalasquig for a single fury doing 1 damage. Mollog moved into charge range. Using Blood Offering, Garek charged the Stalasquig and rolled 3 smashes with a crit to kill the stone beast scoring Blood for the Blood God. Mollog charged in but missed, scoring Longstrider. Karsus then charged Mollog but missed.
Losing priority, Mollog swung at Garek but I rolled a crit for Rebound doing 3 damage to the Troggoth. He was then equipped with Soultrap while I put Shadeglass Dagger on Arnulf and played Haymaker. Charging in I rolled 2 crits and a fury. John rolled for Soultrap and failed which meant Mollog died and scored me Giant-Slayer! The rest of phases 2 and 3 involved the Reavers eliminating the rest of the enemy warband to give me a 15/6 win.
Game 3 had the same boards. Going first again I drew a card while Mollog advanced. Next I charged Spiteshroom and missed but scored Cover Ground thanks to Spectral Wings. Next I played Hidden Paths to bring Saek out of Mollog’s range and onto the far right edge of the board. Targor took Mollog’s charge and died to 2 smashes. Garek next charged the Spiteshroom thanks to Faneway Crystal and killed it with a Smash.
Karsus began phase 2 by charging onto an objective to hit Bat Squig but was deflected by 2 dodges. Mollog charged Arnulf but he missed. Garek then charged Bat Squig only to miss as well. Mollog attacked again but Arnulf was saved by Last Chance. I then played Great Strength on Arnulf and Ready for Action. I moved him through 2 lethal hexes to kill him. This scored me Martyred and inspired the warband. Saek then charged Bat Squig, killing it with 2 crits to score Change of Tactics, Blood for the Blood God and What Armour?
Round 3 had me just trying to survive. Saek and Great Speed killed Stalasquig while Mollog used Hidden Paths. Garek ran away to safety but Karsus was less lukcy. Mollog chased him down via Spectral Wings. 2 smashes meant he was dead. At the end of the game I scored Khorne Cares Not as well as Superior Tactician for a 16/9 win.
Round 3
Next up was my good friend Daniel and his Spiteclaw’s Swarm. I have played this match up too many times as Skaven so it would be fun to be on the other side again. Winning boards, we both went with Katophrane’s Reliquary.
Going first, I began poking with Arnulf and Targor who both missed. I then made a gutsy charge with Karsus on Skritch, succeeding with 2 fury to cause 1 damage. Skritch hit back with 2 smashes and I failed to dodge. Reacting with Rebound, I rolled a crit (trademark, do not steal) and Skritch was dead! Garek closed off phase 1 by killing Lurking Skaven to score Keep Chopping.
Phase 2 had Saek start off by chopping up Festering Skaven with a smash. He then charged Krrk and cleaved him apart with 2 smashes scoring What Armour? With that the rest of the clan rats were dead and we called it at the end of 2 as neither of us had any more objectives to score. The game ended 12/2 to me.
Game 2 had me win boards again. Dan stuck with Katophrane’s Reliquary while I went with Mirror Well.
It was an interesting game. Phase 1 consisted of most of our attacks failing. Garek was able to kill Hungering Skaven while Skritch killed Arnulf. The same thing happened again in phase 2 where our attacks either missed completely or were successfully defended. Phase 3 had the same problem! While my attacks missed Dan smartly moved onto the objectives. He was able to score Supremacy and we tied on glory at 7/7 each but he won due to being on objectives.
For game 3 I finally lost boards. I placed the Shyishian Stardial first while Dan set the Katophrane’s Reliquary in diagonal configuration.
Going first I began by drawing a card. Krrk next moved onto an objective. Festering then did the same. Karsus was put on guard then charged with Spectral Wings at Festering Skaven. He missed but I scored Change of Tactics and Cover Ground. Skritch hit back but Last Chance kept Karsus in the game. I used Distraction on Skritch (who was already inspired) then gave Targor Shadeglass Dagger and used Hidden Paths to put him next to Skritch but 1 hex from Krrk. Dan then played Scratching in the Shadows on Targor after I played Blood Offering on him, pushing the Reaver next to Krrk. I attacked but rolled 5 smashes and supports. Krrk attack back but missed.
Phase 2 had me win priority and charge Skritch with Garek. 2 smashes won through to do 2 damage. Equipping Garek with Potion of Rage I reacted with Ready for Action. 1 crit and 3 smashes later, Skritch was dead. Krrk tried hitting back at Targor but missed. He then hit back and killed Krrk with a crit.
Phase 3 had the Skaven try to secure 3 objectives. The plan was almost a success until Saek stepped up and killed Festering Skaven. Even Targor was able to pull his weight thanks to being damage 2 while inspired, killing Hungering Skaven. Game 3 ended with a 14/6 win to me. Another tough but fun set of games.
Round 4
It was now time for the final round with Steven and his Chosen Axes! I had never played this matchup before so I was unsure how it’d go. Winning boards my opponent placed the Ruptured Seal while I set the Katophrane’s Reliquary wide.
Steven went first but I baited out the charge from Tefk. I planned to use Last Chance but Tefk just missed instead. Arnulf charged and did 1 damage via. a fury. Tefk attacked with Second Wind but missed again. Karsus charged, 2 supports leading to 1 damage. Maegrim moved onto an objective while Garek charged and killed Tefk to score Blood for the Blood God. Grimnir moved onto an objective with Treasure Lust and charged into Arnulf with Spectral Wings, splitting the Reaver in half with his axe. Saek then counter charged and rolled a smash and a crit. Grimnir was alive, until I played Twist the Knife.
Phase 2 had Saek charge into Vol. Now inspired and with Great Strength, he cleaved the Fyre Slayer apart to score What Armour? Maegrim charged in but was only able to knock Saek down to 1 wound. Garek with Glory Seeker and Spectral Wings chased down Maegrim and cut him down to score Cover Ground and Draw the Gaze of Khorne. Phase was spent drawing cards and I won 13/5.
Game 2 had me win boards again. Steven placed Soul Refractor while I placed Katophrane’s Reliquary again.
Winning priority, I decided to be ballsy. Saek charged Grimnir and rolled a smash. Grimnir defended with a block but was trapped! Reacting with Twist the Knife, Grimnir was dead. Vol and Maegrim moved onto objectives while Tefk was charged by Arnulf with Heroslayer thanks to Distraction. I rolled a crit (who knew) and Tefk was sliced apart.
Phase 2 had me sacrifice Arnulf to score Martyred. Saek, now inspired, charged into inspired Maegrim. His Glory Seeker upgrade meant the Duardin was cleaved apart to score What Armour? Karsus charged Vol and missed. Phase 3 had Vol dogpiled by Reavers and eventually he was dead which left me on a 15/6 win.
At the end of the day I had managed to come 3rd out of 14! Not bad. Rob had gone on to win and it was rightly deserved. It was a shame my Reavers had lost but the flaws with my deck and how I played them eventually came to me. It was a good learning experience and I had a great time to boot. If you’re interested I’d recommend popping down to Magic Madhouse, it’s got a solid local crowd.
On a sad note, I just wanted to say goodbye to Ibuywargames. They recently announced their closure and it’s a shame to see such an amazing store disappear during these hard times. It was one of the best hobby stores in the country and it’ll be sorely missed. If anything, please always try to support your friendly local gaming store (FLGS) or Games Workshop. They’re amazing places to shop, play and chat.
That’s it for now, it looks like I need to refine my deckbuilding for my last 4 warbands! That and roll more crits of course.
Can You Roll A Crit? 