Harlequin Grand Masque Test Games #2
In both games Mark took the following E-UK Squat list:-
300 BERZERKER BROTHERHOOD (1 Hearthguard, 7 Berzerker units, Rhinos, Grand Warlord)
200 BERZERKER BROTHERHOOD (1 Hearthguard unit and 7 Berzerker units, Rhinos)
200 BERZERKER BROTHERHOOD (1 Hearthguard unit and 7 Berzerker units, Rhinos)
200 BERZERKER BROTHERHOOD (1 Hearthguard unit and 7 Berzerker units, Rhinos)
200 HEAVY SUPPORT (6 Thudd Guns)
250 OVERLORD (Overlord Airship)
250 IRON EAGLE (4 Iron Eagles)
175 THUNDERFIRE (3 Thunderfire cannons plus transport)
175 THUNDERFIRE (3 Thunderfire cannons plus transport)
350 LEVIATHAN (1 Leviathan)
500 CYCLOPS (1 Cyclops, Living Ancestor )
I wanted to see how wraithgates worked in a predominately Harlequin list.
Grand Masque with Biel Tan allies.
575 Harlequin troupe (5x Harlequins + Great Harlequin + 5x Venoms)
275 Promenade (5x Harlequin jetbikes)
325 Promenade (5x Harlequin jetbikes + Troupe Leader)
425 Harlequin troupe (5x Harlequins s + Troupe Leader + Death Jester)
450 Mimic (5x Mimes + Master Mime + Shadowseer)
300 Mimic (5x Mimes)
150 Guardians (Farseer, 6x Guardian, 1 Support weapon)
250 EoV (Storm Serpent)
250 EoV (Storm Serpent)
For speed, we used the same terrain and objective deployment as before.
This time the Harlequins kept both Mimes, a Jetbike, Harlequin and the Guardians off table, deploying both Storm Serpents, Great Harlequin and the other Jetbike formation together huddled centrally behind terrain. The Squats spread out along their baseline as before.
Deciding to be a bit bolder, Cegorach was placed near the Squat Deployment zone covering the Thudd guns, a Berzerker formation, the Leviathan and Cyclops.
The Mimes were teleported to the left of the table as before.
Turn #1
- Winning the strategy roll, the Mimes assaulted the Thudd guns with the Shadowseer being positioned as far as possible away from the other Mimes, where he enthralled two units. The rest were wiped out as before, the two ‘survivors’ running away past the nearby Berzerkers and Leviathan babbling about coloured blurs and the mysterious voice in their head. Meanwhile the Mimes followed them towards the Berzerker formation where the Shadowseer enthralled a further two units.
Retaining, the second Mime formation then assaulted the Berzerkers and, with the support of the Shadowseer who enthralled a unit, killed all but the Hearthguard and a Rhino for the loss of a Mime. These units also fled spreading stories among the remaining Squats
In reply, the Squats Leviathan sustained, shooting the second Mime formation, killing three units and breaking the formation. - A Storm Serpent attempted to double on the Garrisoned Thunderfires, whose OW fire blew it away (three unsaved hits
)
The Squats moved a Berzerker formation forwards into terrain. - The second Storm Serpent doubled over the wreck of the first.
Retaining, the Guardians emerged out of the ‘gate and assaulted the Thunderfires, destroying the formation for the loss of three units.
In reply, the Cyclops advanced and blew away that Storm Serpent as well, despite it being in cover! - With both mobile gate destroyed, the Harlequins were reduced to doubling the Harlequins and Jetbikes from the Wraithgate on the table edge behind terrain on that side, and moving the Great Harlequin’s troupe and the other Jetbikes behind terrain to the left of the table center.
Meanwhile the Squats moved formations around on the right hand side of the table. Effectively both armies were advancing on their Left flank, rotating the battle around a point in the center of the table.
Turn #2
Cegorach was repositioned about 15cm to the right, covering the Cyclops, Leviathan, two Berzerker formations and the remnants of the earlier assaults.
- The left-hand Jetbikes assaulted the remnants of the Thudd guns, killing both units and placing BMs on three surrounding formations in support range (Berzerkers, Leviathan and Cyclops). The Jetbikes remained where they were, being in position to support further assaults
Retaining, the Great Harlequin assaulted the Berzerkers, again assuming the role of Shadowseer under the gaze of Cegorach. The Harlequin Troupe’s First strike and subsequent assaults were much more successful this time breaking the Berzerkers and placing further BMs on the nearby Squat formations.
We had to stop the game at this point with the result hanging in the balance and the entire battle rotating clockwise.
The remaining Mime formation was poised to use a second retain to assault another Berzerker formation, and the remaining Squat formations on the left-hand side of the table had either been destroyed or activated leaving the Harlequins able to contest or control their T&H objectives and the Squat Blitz.
However, while the Harlequins had destroyed four formations they had also lost four formations, and the Squat formations on the right-hand side of the table were free to advance on the unoccupied Harlequin Blitz and Squat T&H objective.
