Tournament Round-Up 37: Roving Rippas

The Snarlfangs hit the tournament scene!

I’m back with another tournament round-up from late in 2019! This time I’m going into detail about my exploits with Rippa’s Snarlfangs. Normally I split these up into individual articles as I’ll be covering 2 tournaments but my backlog is huge and I don’t have the time to spread them out. Tournament-wise I’ll be briefly going over the tournament I attended at the Gaming Den in Basingstoke and then the event at Warhammer Stevenage in detail.

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The Gaming Den

Back in November I attended the store tournament at the Gaming Den in Basingstoke. I was quite sick at the time but I felt fine (until I departed of course) plus it’s run by some great TO’s as well as being a local-ish London tournament which I always pledge to support. I was basically using the Championship Format deck I made for Rippa’s Snarlfangs in their warband review article. It was an aggro deck with a few cards to completely shutdown hold objective players including running Conquered Land to be a backup to aggro failing.

I lost the first round game 1-2 against regular opponent Dan and his Rippa’s. It was a close game that came down to a few key dice rolls which is expected in an aggro mirror. Round 2 I won 2-0 against Grymwatch comfortably, shutting them down and wiping them out both games. Round 3 I narrowly lost again 1-2 against Gary and his Stormsire’s Cursebreakers.Overall I finished 13th and had a lot of fun but I learned some crucial things: I tech’d my deck too heavily into crush horde warbands like the Grymwatch and now struggled against elite warbands. The deck was also too confused as Conquered Land went against charging forwards, forcing me to stand in place. Taking all these into account I made some changes, talked to some friends (including the Jay Clare) for advice and tested them out at my local gaming night in London.

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Decklist

Playstyle: Aggro

Deck link

The deck is pure aggro, when playing Rippa’s Snarlfangs you have to accept that fact, they struggle trying to flex. I’ve included a lot of passive objectives but they all are aggro objectives. Bold Conquest is there over Leading the Charge as it’s more reliable over Rippa making a successful charge action. Gathered Momentum and Cover Ground are easy Surges for this warband that don’t involve attacking. Steady Assault is pretty reliable and Calculated Risk too. I dropped No Mercy for Strong Start as the former was actually really hard to score against warbands with lots of 2 wound fighters. Cruel Hunters is auto 2 glory vs horde warbands and Loaded with Plunder is very easy as well. Keep Them Guessing was super easy but it’s forbidden now, I’d probably drop it for Opening Gambit or Team Effort, less glory but reliable. Great Gains was a win more card that’s quite easy to score with Tome of Offerings and Trophy Belt. Versatile Fighter is my favourite. Easy with Mean-Eye and Rippa while he’s inspired. Fired Up because Rippa always inspires.

For the power deck I was running 22 cards! Gambits had Spectral Wings and Tracking. These 2 gambits doubled up to help score Cover Ground and Gathered Momentum while also helping the warband close the distance for far away targets. Pit Trap and Snare are my extra damage cards. They allow Rippa or any successful Snarlfang’s Jaws attack action to kill a 4 wound fighter. Defensive Manoeuvre is great after a charge action for extra defence and blocking objectives. Pack Tactics is super Sidestep while Furious Reprisal is really useful in the mirror match as well as against opponents who fail to drive back the Snarlfangs. Unbridled Ferocity makes the Snarlfangs into machines whereas Vindictive Attack is an amazing dice buff. Distraction is there due to being as useful as ever. Narrow Escape is also supremely annoying for your opponent.

Upgrade-wise I dropped the Amberbone weapons for Nullstone Sword and Swordbreaker. The reason is they’re both 3 smash and 2 damage, I need to make successful kills over the potential extra glory. Spectral Armour makes Rippa 3 dodge when inspired. Prized Vendetta helps with crucial re-rolls, even if it is only against a single target. Bonded is just amazing with free supports. Loping Strides combos with Cover Ground and Gathered Momentum. Tome of Offerings and Trophy Belt make those kills even more rewarding. Great Strength and Sting of the Ur-Grub provide essential damage buffs. Survival Instincts keeps friendly fighters in-place and crucially on guard.

Board Information

Wolfy Combat Key:

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Warhammer Stevenage

It was a Saturday and I had just partaken in my work Christmas party that Friday night before. I have won tournaments in the past after doing a 12.5 hour nightshift directly before (I’m mad) but how could I deal with the power of…the hangover? Anyway there were 10 players which was a great turnout, especially for a place I’ve never been to before. There would be 3 rounds of best of 1 then a final with best of 3. I had water, lots of water, and I was ready.

Round 1

George and his Zarbag’s Gitz was my first opponent. I won the board roll and chose to go first, placing the Shattered Refractor. George then placed the Living Rock with a slight diagonal configuration.

I won the priority roll and chose to go second. George began to Scurry and spread out with Snirk going on guard. I drew a card and after another Scurry I played Tracking. Stabbit charged, missing Zarbag but killing a Grot with a crit which scored me Cover Ground and Gathered Momentum. George surrounded Stabbit and had Zarbag poke him down to 2 wounds with 2 successes. Mean-Eye charged, firing his bow to wound then drive back a Grot off an objective then miss with the Snalrfang’s Jaws. Zarbag attacked again but I rolled a crit. I then inspired Rippa with 2 upgrades but failed to hit on both attacks! Still he was in a prime position now and I scored Versatile Fighter along with Fired Up.

Round 2 had Rippa go on the kill. With Tome of Offerings he killed the 2 fighters adjacent to him with multiple crits, scoring Strong Start along the way. He was charged by Drizgit who failed to hit. This inspired my other fighters and trigger my Furious Reprisal which succeeded doing 2 damage to Drizgit, driving him back and scoring me Steady Assault. My warband quickly capitalised on this by jumping ahead in glory and kills. Zarbag was killed by Rippa charging to score Bold Conquest. I then proceeded to score Keep Them Guessing, Loaded with Plunder and Cruel Hunters.

Round 3 was just going for killing who was left. Although I was unable to wipe out the opposing warband I still managed to win 21/9. It was close at first but the Snarlfangs just took the lead from round 2 and an early Tome of Offerings was just too much for the Gitz to handle.

Round 2

Brandon and his Mollog’s Mob were next. This was a matchup I was dreading because of Mollog. I lost boards and placed the Living Rock first. Brandon then set the Mirror Well with a slight diagonal configuration.

Winning priority for round 1 I let Brandon go first who drew a card. I did the same. He then played Transfixing Stare and moved Mollog inbetween Rippa and adjacent to Stabbit. I then charged Stabbit away with Spectral Wings into the Spiteshroom, Stabbing it with a crit and killing it with Snare so I took no damage, scoring Cover Ground. Mollog charged Mean-Eye but completely missed. I shot into the Stalasquig but missed. Brandon drew another card and I charged in. The first bow attack was successfully defended. Mean-Eye’s Snarlfang’s Jaws rolled a single smash while the Stalasquig, on 2 defence, rolled dodges! It died and I scored Steady Assault. In the end phase I scored Cruel Hunters, Versatile Fighter and Fired Up.

Round 2 saw inspired Rippa charge the Bat Squig, killing it with 3 smashes and scoring Bold Conquest with Gathered Momentum and Strong Start! After that Mollog moved up and charged but failed to hit anyone. Round 3 was just pounding on Mollog for the sake of it. I failed to kill the Troggoth but still got my passive objectives like Keep Them Guessing to put me on a 20/2 win.

Round 3

Finley and his Rippa’s Snarlfangs would be my 3rd opponent. Now here wad a matchup I was very prepared for. My plan was simple, ignore Rippa. That’s it. Losing boards I placed the Living Rock. Finely then set the Soul Refractor with a slight diagonal configuration.

Finely went first charging Rippa into Stabbit, unfortunately all his attacks missed. To bait in the rest of his fighters I put Stabbit on guard. Finely took the bait and charged his Stabbit into mine behind his Rippa, unfortunately he missed. My Stabbit then attacked but missed as well. The enemy Mean-Eye charged from afar and managed to ping down 1 wound off of Stabbit. I then charged into Finely’s Stabbit with mine, whiffing with the spear but doing 2 damage with a crit thanks the jaws and scoring Steady Assault. After Finely drew a card I played Vindictive Attack. Mean-Eye charged next to the other Mean-Eye. The bow crit’d into enemy Stabbit, doing q damage and killing him via the lethal hex to score Strong Start. The Jaws attack was countered with a block so I drove him away. In the end phase I jumped ahead in glory thanks to Fired Up (Rippa) and Versatile Fighter.

Round 2 had enemy Rippa attack Stabbit but missed again. My wolves then pounced upon the enemy Mean-Eye. With Tracking and Bonded, my Rippa charged him and tore the opposing Mean-Eye apart with multiple crits to score Gathered Momentum and Cover Ground. By the end of Round 3 only my Rippa’s Snarlfangs were left standing. The lone enemy Rippa could do nothing next to 3 powered up wolf bois leaving me on a 12/1 win.

Round 4

Robin and his Chosen Axes was my final opponent, I was on the homestretch. Chosen Axes were an interesting matchup as Grimnir inspired can destroy my warband. Also failing to drive them off objectives via attacks would be an issue too. Robin won boards and placed the Soul Refractor. I set the Mirror Well in wide configuration.

Due to the universal movement of 2 for the Chosen Axes I deployed very aggressively with Stabbit ready to punish anyone who charged Rippa. I won priority and let Robin go first.
Vol moved onto objective 1. Stabbit then charged to the left of Vol so that he was in range of Maegrim but not for Grimnir. The spear attacked missed but the Snarlfang’s Jaws rolled a single smash, Robin rolled a dodge so Vol then proceeded to die to the lethal hex and scored me Strong Start. Maegrim charged Stabbit but missed. I then went on guard with Mean-Eye. Grimnir moved onto objective 2. Mean-Eye moved within 2 hexes of Grimnir while Robin moved up Tefk. Finally Mean-Eye attack with his bow, rolling 2 fury and driving Grimnir back. He pushed back onto the objective but I Distracted him off. Then he pushed on again and I was out of ways to get him off. He inspired but I scored Keep Them Guessing and Fired Up for Rippa.

Round 2 began with Grimnir charging Rippa as Robin rolled a single smash while I rolled a crit in response. He reacted with Oathsworn Attack but rolled double supports with the new attack roll. Breathing a sigh of relief, Rippa attacked back with his sword doing 2 damage via 2 smashes and a crit then with the Snarlfang’s Jaws rolling 2 fury to hit. Grimnir was then finished off with Pit Trap. With Grimnir dead there was not much Robin had left to do. Maegrim whacked Stabbit for a single point of damage with 3 fury. He was then charged by Rippa and killed in 2 successive successful attacks which scored me Steady Assault. In the end phase I scored Loaded with Plunder and Cruel Hunters.

By round 3 there was very little left to do. Tefk was killed by Rippa while Vol managed to survive due to a flurry of missed attacks from my other Snarlfangs. Still the game ending in a 14/2 win for me.For game 2 I lost the board roll again. Robin placed the Shrine of the Silent People so I set the Ruptured Seal in wide configuration.

Going first, Robin drew a card and I did the same. Tefk moved onto objective 5. I drew a card again. Grimnir then moved onto objective 4. I played tracking and charged Rippa into Grimnir. Rippa missed but his Snarlfang managed to hit and drive back Grimnir thanks to a single smash. After this I scored Cover Ground and Gathered Momentum. Vol then moved onto objective 4. Mean-Eye charged adjacent to Maegrim but shot his bow into Tefk. My fury was met with a block but I drove him back off the objective and into the lethal hex. I then missed Tefk with a single smash. I had no kills but did scored Fired Up due to Rippa and Versatile Fighter.

I won priority and immediately had Rippa attack into inspired Vol. I rolled crits both times and the Fyreslayer died to score me Strong Start. Grimnir charged in with a crit and a smash to successfully damage Rippa but I reacted with Narrow Escape to reduce the damage to 2. Rippa then went on guard while Maegrim swung away at Mean-Eye, doing 1 damage via a number of fury symbols. Playing Vindictive Attack, Mean-Eye charged into Meagrim. With 5 dice the bow easily wounded Margrim and he was then taken down by the Jaws rolling double fury. Tefk moved onto objective 5 while Stabbit, armed with the Nullstone Sword, charged into Grimnir. With a multitude of Smashes and supports, Grimnir died.

Winning priority and using the Swordbreaker Mean-Eye charged through a lethal hex into Tefk. A tripplesmash meant the end for the Duardin as he took 2 damage from the sword and then 1 with Snare. I then drew into Bold Conquest. With not much else to do I cycled through cards and the game ended 16/2 to me.

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I had done it! 5 games and no drops as well as best painted warband too! My deck worked much better this time but there was no denying my hot dice all day. Objectives synergised way more and the swapping of the Amberbone Weapons for Nullstone Sword and Swordbreaker helped so much. Having Tracking, Spectral Wings and Loping Strides was essential. They made Cover Ground very reliable and meant my opponents couldn’t keep all my Snarlfangs out of range easily. Calculated Risk was the only iffy card bt Narrow Escape helped mitigate its effects. My positioning was really good but it was mainly the dice but that’s the thing with pure aggro and the Snarlfangs. Let the dice decide.

I was really happy with how I did with Rippa’s Snarlfangs but it was clear to me it mainly came down due to my endless attack successes. As I said early it’s not a bad or surprising thing but I realised I couldn’t take the Snarlfangs to the January 2020 Warhammer World Grand Clash. There’s no way I could rely on my dice for potentially 8 rounds in 2 days, it’s just something you have to keep in-mind when playing pure aggro. Not even I can roll that many crits reliably!

Overall I’d highly recommend going to Warhammer Stevenage if you’re in the area. Really nice locals and the store manager was really great. It’s always good to see when someone has a great head for Toing and running the store at the same time. It was a smoothly ran tournament with the Bo3 final being a nice addition. You can check out Warhammer Stevenage here as well as the Gaming Den here.With Rippa’s Snarlfangs done that has me on 2 Beastgrave warbands who have earned me glass. Next time, as I work through the backlog, sees me use a certain dreaded warband. Even the dead can roll crits.