Grail Quest 2010 Sportsmanship and Painting Scores Format

 

Soft scores at tournaments are always controversial.  Last year, at Grail Quest, I handed out separate painting and sportsmanship scores, but kept the main rankings limited to Battle Points.  This year, I'm including painting and sports, but they still will have a low impact on the Overall winner.

Each game will get you (with points in parentheses):

Massacre (15) / Solid Victory (12) / Marginal Victory (10) / Draw (5) / Lose (0)?

You can also earn 2-3 points per round in Scenario Points.

Each round, players will use the following Painting Checklist, each of which awards a painting point:

• The army looks like a cohesive force (or Bretonnian Pageantry, etc.)

• The army is colored in a pleasing and consistent manner.

• The army uses highlighting or shading techniques to add depth and lighting to the models.

• Character models and army centerpieces stand out.

• Time was taken to paint the details of the models/units to bring out the individuality of the army (i.e. gems, lenses, ribbons, etc).

• The army is in the top 25% of armies represented at this tournament.

• The army is in the top 10% of armies represented at this tournament.

• All models are based in a consistent or cohesive manner

• The army contains some conversions.

• Some models have extensive and intricate basing.

They also answer the following Sportsmanship Questions, each awarding a Sportsmanship Point:

1. Was your Opponent on Time and Prepared to play with all needed items? YES/NO

2. Did your Opponent Measure accurately and play at a timely pace? YES/NO

3. Did your Opponent know his/her rules and handle rules disputes reasonably? YES/NO

4.  My opponent was (Circle One):

a.  The worst opponent I ever played

              b.  An awful sportsman

              c.  An average sportsman

              d.  A better than average sportsman

              e.  A very good sportsman

              f.  My new Super Best Pal for Life / The Best Durn Sportsman Ever

If you chose option a. or f., explain why:

The formula for best overall is:
Overall Score = (Game and Battle Points) + (Average Painting Score / 2) + (Average Sportsmanship / 2) + (Points for being chosen as someone's favorite opponent (1) and painted army for the day (.5).)

So if Bob Smith had 48 Battle and Game Points from Playing, an Average Paint Score from opponents after three games of 6 (I believe it's out of eight), had a Sports score of 5 (again out of eight), and had one Best Painted (.5) and one favorite opponent (1)...he'd end up with 48+(6/2)+ (5/2)+.5+1 = 55, with soft scores contributing 7 points.

I'm giving prizes for:

Best Overall
Best General
Second Best Overall
Third Best Overall
Best Sports
Best Painted Army

I expect about $300 in the overall prize pool minimum, so prizes should be good. 


Ideas and opinions on this are very welcome, as I'm always looking to improve the system. 

Up to My Ears in Tournament Preparation

 

Every year, I run Grail Quest, a 2,250 one day Warhammer Fantasy Tournament.  It's two days away, and I'm officially stressed.  Aside from the creation of scenarios and score sheets, I need to make sure there are enough tables, find a ringer (after mine backed out for the second year in a row), and I'm not sure what else, but I know there has to be something.  So it's a bit crazy right now.  

But it'll be fun in a couple days.

Interlude: 2250 Beastmen First Game!

 

Last night, I got to field my new Beasts for the first time, and play against the new Skaven for the first time, all in one game!  Tom is one of my regular opponents here in Durham, and is a great guy to play against.  

I brought:  

Doombull with Brass Cleaver, Blackened Plate, Shield, Gouge Tusks, and Gnarled Hide

Gorebull with Ramhorn Helm, Heavy Armor, Shield, Sword of Battle

Gorebull with Chalice of Dark Rain, Biting Blade, Heavy Armor, Shield

Bray Shaman with two Dispel Scrolls

Eight groups of five Ungor Raiders

Five Warhounds (with the Doombull)

Two groups of three Minotaurs with Additional Hand Weapons (each got a Gorebull)

Two Razorgors

Five scouting Harpies

Ghorgon

Jabbersclythe

He brought (from memory):

Gray Seer on a Bell w/ 40+ Clanrat Warriors

BSB

Plague Priest on a Furnace w/ 35+ Plague Monks

Three Units of 25+ Slaves

Two units of Plague Censer Bearers

Doom Wheel 

Hell Pit Abomination

He had two huge unbreakable units in the middle, with the Wheel and the HPA on (my) left flank.  His two units of Censer Bearers covered his other flank and rear, with slaves scattered through the line.  

I put my two units of Minotaurs and my unit of Hounds down in the middle, and covered them with screening Ungor Raiders.  The Ghorgon held my left flank, and the Jabbersclythe my right with the Razorgors.  My harpies managed to scout behind some trees on his right flank. 

First Turn:

On my first turn, three units of Ungor Raiders ambushed in on the right side of the board near his line.  They didn't do anything, but were march blocking some slaves, which would soon spark the wimpiest side war in game history, in which fifteen Ungor Raiders and twenty-five slaves battled the whole game for a board quarter.  The rest of my stuff moved up.

On his turn, his Doom Wheel shot forward eighteen inches towards my Ghorgon!  It then misfired, and shot another eighteen inches off the side of the board!  His lines moved up, but I just managed to hold down his shooting and magic.  

Turn Two:  

I moved my lines up a bit more, and used my Ungor Raiders to make him charge me with his big blocks and turn them at an angle.  I did the same to his Abomination.  I charged his Slaves with one group of Ungor Raiders, who managed to whittle away at them, but lost just the same...they held on, though!  

In his turn, he charged with his Abomination and two big blocks.  Shockingly, they destroyed my Ungors.  The Plague Monk block overran through some other Ungors, who fled, into one of my Minotaur Groups.  Whoops!  The Abomination overran and was hanging out in front of my Doombull (who would charge it in the front) and the other Minotaur group (who would flank it).  His Doom Wheel came back on and shot my Ghorgon for three wounds. 

Turn Three: 

My Jabbersclythe charged a unit of Censer Bearers and ate them, but had a huge overrun to land in front of another group of Censer Bearers.  My Doombull charged his Abomination, as did the other Minotaurs.  The Doombull promptly beat it to death...wow!   It was at this point that I really started to realize his monstrous potential, which would come out full force this game.  The Minotaur group that had been waiting to fight the Abom had a nice overrun into the side of the Plague Monk block, while the Doombull charged into the front of some Slaves.   This allowed me to use the Minotaurs in the Plague Monk Combat.  Long story short, I chopped up 15-20 monks, and he wounded the Minotaurs in front just a bit.  I win, but he's unbreakable.  

In his turn, he killed my Jabberslythe, and then his Doomwheel got S 10 shots and killed my Ghorgon.  My Doombull killed his Slaves, and my Minotaurs continued to grind Plague Monks, steadily getting more and more frenzied.  My Razorgors were stuck out on the east side of the board, and one would die to Crack's Call.  The harpies and remaining Ungors were hanging out and claiming quarters.  

Turn Four:  

I continued to grind Plague Monks.  My Doombull headed over near his other big block.  I should note that his other big block had pretty much gotten stuck between the Plague Monk combat, my Razorgors, and a river, and was trying to back up to do something.  It hadn't moved all that much.  

In his turn, he shot some Minotaurs with his Doom Wheel, but they finally killed the Plague Monks and the Furnace.  At this point, they were each attacking a lot.  

Turn Five:  

My turn started with one Gorebull charging his Doomwheel, and everything else charging the front of his huge Gray Seer / Clanrat block.  They killed roughly twenty of the rats in one round of combat, and he didn't do much back.  My Gorebull on his Doomwheel (there to keep it out of the back of my Doombull) did some wounds to it, lost, and held.  

In his turn, I killed the remaining Clan Rats, and his Doomwheel killed my Gorebull.  At this point, my regular surviving Minotaur was making ten attacks a turn, and my Doombull was making thirteen or fourteen.  It was nuts.  

Turn Six:

My Doombull beat his Gray Seer to Death despite the 4+ Ward Save, and my Minotaur and Gorebull killed his BSB.  I moved the Harpies over to prevent his Doom Wheel from charging my Doombull.  In his turn, he killed the Harpies.  

Results and Analysis:  

I killed everything he had on the table minus the Doom Wheel.   He killed about 1100 points worth of stuff, mainly the two big monsters, 1.5 units of Minotaurs, a Gorebull and a couple handfuls of Raiders.  

Minotaurs are real combat monsters, and against big blocks of unbreakable stuff will just go absolutely crazy.  Combined with the Brass Cleaver, there were a few turns of the Doombull dishing out over a dozen S6 attacks.  Getting these guys into combat is awesome.  

Ungor Raiders are, as expected, a pain in the opponent's butt.  Protecting the big guys is something I need to work on, but they keep the opponent busy trying to get them killed.   Overall, I'm pleased with the army's performance, and will see where they go from here.  

 

Beastmen Book Review, Part Three

 

It's good to be back.  

Let me start by saying how sorry I am that there weren't updates the second half of last week.  That little cold I had turned out to be a full blown stuck in bed on my back disaster, and I'm finally recovering from it, although I'm still not fantastic.  At least I'm able to get back to work, and maybe get some games in.  Speaking of which, I'll get my first couple Beastmen games tonight, so lets talk some Beasts!

Lords and Heroes:  There are two interesting choices here for me, with the Great Bray-Shaman taking third place.  

Beastlord - The Beastlord provides one single attribute that the rest of the army sorely lacks:  leadership.  With Ld 9, this is the choice that will keep other units moving and stop them from running quite as much as they would otherwise.  He can be tricked out to be a pretty good fighter, as well.  He will have to be in a chariot, which to me always seems to make him an easy cannon target, or in a group of Gors, Ungors, or Bestigors.  I give him a B+.

Doombull - A true close combat monter, especially if he gets the charge.  I'm running him tonight, in a group of poison hounds.  If you want to smash things left and right, the Doombull is your guy.  As with all Minotaur characters, he'll provide the blessing and curse of frenzy to his unit.  He's a mean machine, but only Ld 8.  I'll give him a B, since he's got the lower leadership and frenzy to offset his obvious killing skills.

Great Bray-Shaman - At leadership 8, and with a weak lore, he's the weakest choice right now, and a C.  If magic changes with Eighth addition, perhaps his score will as well.

Core:  An pretty wide selection here, but much of it is pretty poor.  Gors and Ungors are separate now, and rank and file.

Ungors - Cheap and junky...kind of like a cross between man and goblin.  C-.

Gors - A little less junky but way too expensive.  With ambushing, I think you could spam these semi-effectively, but the price would rapidly get too high.  I can't see going beyond 10 under the current rules. At least it's an upgrade to ranked Ungors. C+.  

Ungor Raiders - Cheap as heck skirmishers with short bows that can ambush.  I love these suckers for march blocking and hunting war machines early on.  You can do it at a bargain price, and use the non-ambushing units to screen.  These guys get an easy A.

Warhounds - Cheap and easy screeners.   I'll also use them from time to time to give my Doombull some ablative wounds.  B+, but only because the Raiders take their spots somewhat.

Tuskgor Chariots - You'll have to spam these to be effective, but with a Beastlord this can be a very good option.  The loss of rerollable psychology and scythed wheels is a bit rough, but at least the price is right, as is the slot.  B+. 

Sick Day

Yuck!  I try to update seriously every weekday, but I'm just falling down sick at the moment and am not going to be able to dig through the Beast book today with any real thought.  For those dying for something to read, I present to you:

Ron's awesome Shrike conversion WiP via From the Warp:  http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2010/02/shrike-conversion-part-1.html

The latest Ogre Kingdoms rumors from Drinkin' and Modelin':  http://drinkinandmodelin.blogspot.com/2010/02/ogre-kingdoms-new-army-book-rumors-part.html

See you tomorrow!

Beastmen Book Review, Part Two (Army Special Rules and Magic)

 

 

Now that we've talked about the fluffy and pretty stuff in the book, we can move on to the meat and potatoes (or in the Beastman's case, meat and more meat).  An army book eventually boils down to the last few pages of charts, numbers and fancy items, and while the Beastmen may not have received the feast that some other books have enjoyed, they aren't left to starve either.  

Army Special Rules:  We've got two special rules.

Primal Fury - Beastmen (but only the actual Beastmen and not Minotaurs and the like) take a leadership test in close combat.  If passed, they gain hatred.  On a double one, they gain hatred and frenzy.  This test is taken in every round of combat. 

So remember when the Dark Elf book was coming out, and there were a lot of cries that Hatred would make the army awful, because overruns and such would become unmanageable?  Hatred actually makes the army fantastic.  There's whining now about Primal Fury, and how it's awful and terrible.  This is like Super Hatred.  Sure, our leadership is low, but important units will most likely have a character or be near the General, while smaller support units (little Ungor units) shouldn't count on passing the check all the time.  When they do, what a fantastic bonus.  I think Primal Fury is the hidden gem of the book, in that people haven't realized how great it is yet.  I give it an A.  

Ambush - Units are held back to ambush.  Each turn a d6 is rolled per unit.  On a one, the opponent places the unit on a board edge.  On a two or three, it doesn't come on at all.  On a four, it comes on anywhere on the left side, and on a five, the right.  On a six, it enters whatever board edge you like.  

At the moment, it's a bit unclear how this rule will actually work.  There are two interpretations.  The first interpretation is that you can have a unit of one type not ambushing, and then multiple units of the same type and of equal or lesser size ambushing.  The second interpretation is that for each ambushing unit, you'll need an equal or greater non ambushing unit of that type.  I'm going to play my army under the second, more conservative interpretation until GW FAQ's the issue.  

The question will become whether to ambush at all or not.  Especially under the conservative interpretation, it's an all or nothing deal, because you'll need plenty of ambushers to make it work.  I plan on attempting multiple small units of ungor raiders and perhaps a small Gor Heard in order to try ambushing effectively.  If it works, being able to put any kind of distraction in the opponent's backfield on Turn 1 is incredible. 

If it turns out that the more liberal interpretation of ambushing was somehow the case, this ability will become amazing.  As it is, it requires big investments and is shaky, but can have a great upside.  For the vagueness of the rule, and under the conservative interpretation, I give it a B-.  

The Wild Lore:  So Beasts got their own magic.  It's kind of like how Warriors of Chaos have their own three lores, except we got one, and it's not very good!  Oh well, let's see how what works and what doesn't.

0.  Bestial Surge - Our default spell, which casts on a 7+...which is a lot!  All units within 6" move d6+1 inches towards the closest enemy.  They can't charge.  This spell is pretty garbage with it's high casting value and restrictions (nearest enemy, can't charge).  I give it a D.

1.  Viletide - 7+, 5d6 Strength One Hits.  Absolutely terrible for a cheap magic missile, F.

2.  Devolve - All enemy units within 12" take a leadership check and take wounds for what they lose by, with no armor saves.  Casts on a 9.  Pretty great situationally, and for protecting a shaman.  B+

3.  Bray-Scream - 10+, Str. 3 breath weapon from any character within 12", no armor saves.  Nice spell.  B+.

4.  Traitor-Kin - Makes monsters and mounts attack crew and riders, casts on a 10+.  This can be very useful for things like Hydras and against certain armies like Bretonnia.  A-.

5.  Mantle of Ghorok - Casts on a 13, +D6 Str and +D6 Attacks for a turn.  If sixes are rolled, take a wound.  C+ for a high casting value and the drawbacks.  

6.  Savage Dominion - On a 16, summons a Jabberslythe, Ghorgon, or Giant.  The shaman can't do anything while the monster is summoned, and takes toughness tests as the monster is wounded.  A B for coolness, although the effectiveness of the spell is questionable, as I can't see getting it off very often.  

The Lore as a whole suffers from high casting values, and will have trouble working unless you go extremely magic heavy with all the bonus items.  For smaller magic, I'd go with the other available lores.  I'll give the magic a C.