On a little tangent, I've been looking for a good miniature group for some time now. Most of the crew at Shieldbreakers was really cool, but as they were all the way in Aurora & I've been living in Littleton for well over a year, I've been itching to find a spacious place to play, with an outgoing, casual group that meets regularly to boot. Enter stage right the Wednesday Knights Hobby Group. They recently moved from the iconic Bonnie Brae Hobby Shop (R.I.P. good friend!) to Enchanted Grounds' newly opened second location, which also happens to be here in Littleton with me. Having always been a fan of the original store in Highlands Ranch (despite it being a little bit of a drive), they were the catalyst for a perfect storm of what I was looking for. These guys have been incredibly friendly, fun, & informative. Add to that the wonderful ambiance of Enchanted Grounds, I have absolutely no problem spending 4-5 hours there every week!
When one of the members of the group, Kyle, mentioned he was going to pioneer a Journeyman League, I jumped on board! Finally! Here's a chance to learn such an amazingly detailed game with a tight set of rules, & even tighter fluff! If you aren't familiar with the league (or escalation leagues in general), you spend several weeks painting & assembling models while you learn the game. The scenarios start at smaller points levels, then grow in scale & difficulty to help players get a good foundation on the mechanics of the system, while also giving a realistic approach to most people's time available to paint & assemble their models. It's also a great way to meet other players of varying experience levels to hone your skills at the game along the way. Finally there are prizes in the form of patches as you accumulate points.
We discussed the options, I reviewed the rules, & narrowed it down to Khador as mentioned above. Of all these newly acquired models in my possession, it was by far the easiest one to maximize my points for each week of the league. While only having enough time to prime & basecoat most of my models for week one, what I have planned makes it easily attainable to get everything painted quickly & well by league's end. The first week utilizes only the models in a Battlegroup Box Set, so with my faction selection I choose Kommander Sorscha as my warcaster plus her two heavy warjacks, Destroyer & Juggernaut. The scenario for week one was Mangled Metal (Warmachine)/Claw & Fang (Hordes). It is a brutal clash between warjacks & warbeasts in which the only goal is survival. Such a battle proves a warcaster or warlock & their 'jacks/'beasts are the equal of an entire army. Each player is allowed only a single warcaster or warlock. Besides that, each army can include only warjacks or warbeasts; units & solos have no place. A player wins the game when he has the only remaining warcaster or warlock in play or when all their opponents' warjacks or warbeasts have been wrecked or removed from play.
My first game was against George who fielded his Cygnar Warcaster Commander Coleman Stryker & his Ironclad Heavy, Lancer, plus Charger Light Warjacks. The first game was also my first time on my own. I think Sorscha can put it best:
"I was on patrol with my 'jacks when across the valley I stumbled across a Cygnar Commander & his own retinue. They must have seen me coming first as not a moment later they began charging up a hill at me. I guided my Destroyer & Juggernaut to a nearby wall for cover while we prepared for their advance. With the Cygnar Charger keeping our heads down with its Dual Cannon,while my Destroyer's Bombard continued to scatter from our target, I finally had my Juggernaut charge his Ironclad as it crested the hill flanking our left. As the man who became known as Stryker & the rest of his 'jacks continued to advance, my Juggernaut fought hard to hold them back. Unfortunately my Destroyer just could not land an accurate shot, which allowed the Lancer to advance right up to the other side of the wall we were shielding ourselves with. It poked its war spear over the top, narrowly missing us. With a sinking realization there was nothing left loose, I summoned a feat of Icy Gaze towards my enemies, cast Boundless Charge on my Destroyer, & sent him off to face the enemy Warcaster alone. Fortunately, the Motherland was on our side, as my Destroyer was able to backhand the Commander with a single blow. Victory, was ours."
After a surprising win for my first game, it was on to face Kyle himself with his Legion of Everblight. I was already familiar with Lylith, Herald of Everblight, her Carnivean Heavy Warbeast, & four Shredder Lesser Warbeasts, I was a little more nervous about game two. However, Sorscha lived to fight another day:
"After a tough battle, we continued our patrol only to meet another foe. Lylith & her blighted beasts had my scent & quickly engaged us. My Destroyer faired a few better shots, however managed to become swarmed by the Shredder hoard that remained. Before the Carnivean had a chance to flank my Destroyer, I sent my Juggernaut forward to guard his blindside, which played out flawlessly as he intercepted the heavy warbeast. With all the beasts engaged, I shot another Icy Gaze to my foes, cast Wind Rush to set myself up for a clear lane of fire, finishing with another casting of Boundless Charge on myself. Upon finishing the charge, enough blows fell upon the warlock to sustain another successful battle"
The day was not over yet, though. My final battle I became cocky & greedy. It was a reminder to know thy enemy. Anthony too fielded Legion, yet a much different list this time. I faced Thragosh, Prophet of Everblight alongside Ravagore Heavy, Nephilim Soldier Light, & Harrier Lesser Warbeasts. Had I known what Hordes warlocks were capable of!
"As we made our way back from patrol, we encountered another Legion warlock. His Warbeasts moved with a swiftness I'd never witnessed before. We dived for a defensive position in a nearby crater, to no avail. As soon as we cleared the crater walls we were met by a Nephilim Soldier. Although we took it down swiftly, he was replaced by a Harrier, soon after another Soldier. At wits end, I tried the same series of events that worked against Lylith in an attempt to bring down Thragosh. It failed, almost like every hit to him was transferred to one of his beasts. He returned my assault with an onslaught of his own, one we could not weather."
All around, I had a very great time my first night. I look forward to learning this game through trial, error, not to mention the sage wisdom of those seasoned veterans sharing their experiences with myself & fellow rookies. Till next time...
-Weekend Warrior CJ
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