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Viks wiped out by Collodi


Serigala

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I played in the recent tournament at Leeds Wargaming Centre on 7th May. This was my third game, and definitely the toughest, but I post an account for those who have yet to face the joys of Collodi.

I was playing Craig Johnson, who won all three of his games, gaining max 24 points and only yielding 4 points to his opponents. Unsurprisingly, he won the tournament.

Collodi, 3x stitched, 3+ marionettes, 3+Wicked dolls

Strategy: Slaughter

Schemes: Eye for an Eye, ?

Viks, 3x Ronin, Freikorps Trapper, Freikorps Librarian, 7 SS

Strategy: Treasure Hunt

Schemes: First Blood, Assassinate

I had never even read the stats for Collodi, but Craig gave me a quick rundown of the models, only part of which I took in. I was only half listening when he said that Collodi can push damage onto Marionettes, and still decided to take Assassinate (mistake 1). I then figured that with all the little things on the table I’d have no trouble killing a couple quickly and so thought the Viks scheme First Blood would be a no brainer (mistake 2).

Turn 1: 3 stitched put up an impenetrable cloud which blocked line of sight to the rest of his models, while I moved my models up, positioning the gun Vik on the treasure. When I had finished activating, he crossed the table with a Marionette and took the Trapper down to a single wound, only to be finished off by a wicked doll. Bang goes 2 points for First Blood. Collodi was pulled to the Marionette, but another Marionette then pulled him back behind the 3 stitched.

Turn 2: My Viks weren’t close enough together to Companion, but Collodi was close enough to get a charge with the Gun Vik into a group of 3 or 4 models. Perfect for Whirlwind. The Vik hit but Collodi pushed the damage onto a Marionette and after a discussion with the refs, it was ruled that the Whirlwind trigger didn’t work as the defender (Collodi) was not damaged even though the Marionette became the target. Can’t complain. I think RAW this was correct, but it pretty much cuddled the Viks, and had I known this I might have played a bit differently.

(Edit: This has since been clarified in the Viks favour in this thread http://wyrd-games.net/forum/showthread.php?t=20898&page=2 )

I should have focussed on all the other models around Collodi which would have been easier to hit, and would have fallen to the Whirlwind (mistake 3).

My fourth mistake was using the Ronin on the Stitched togethers, accelerating the death of two of them (though they actually died to failed Gamble my life). As they are the biggest damage dealers, this seemed sensible, but when they die they get another reactivation IN THE SAME TURN. With Fast, Casting Expert and a (0) action these models each had 5 actions each activation giving them both 10 actions in a turn, effectively allowing them to have turn 3 while I was still on turn 2.

(Edit: This has been corrected below. The stitched should not have benefitted from Casting Expert of Fast in a subsequent activation)

All their attacks were against the Viks WP of 6 which they matched, and I spent almost all of my soul stones keeping my Viktoria alive. She was taken down to just one wound, before I was able to pull her out of trouble with the other Vik, and heal her back to full wounds with the Librarian.

Looking back, if I had let him kill the Vik I would have had plenty of soulstones left to bring her back with a Ronin. As it was, by the end of the turn I was out of stones. Had the Ronin focussed on the little models, they would have probably killed a good number of them, and it was they who went on to gang up on the Ronin the second Viktoria and the Librarian in the later turns.

I did manage to retrieve the treasure with a Ronin, but the next turn saw the third Stitched together take out the Gun Vik with another 10 action attack.

I was left with the Swordmistress, the Librarian and a Ronin, but over the next two turns they were wiped out to a woman by a gang of wicked dolls and marionettes.

Craig did say that I had killed more models than anyone else had in the tournament, but it was small consolation. Final score 0:8.

I’d like to play Collodi again. It would still be really tough, but it wouldn’t be the walkover that this game had been. I would focus on killing the Marionettes first and ignore the stitched togethers. Killing them just gives them another turn early, so it really doesn’t help.

Killing all the Marionettes cuddles Collodi’s movement, which would then set him up for a Vik charge, and if all the little models are already dead he can’t pass the damage onto them. The wicked dolls are the main damage dealers in melee, but any of the models in a Vik crew can take them down.

Edited by Serigala
Edit re Whirlwind clarification and reactivation of the Stitched
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I think my 2nd scheme was Hold out, and it was 3 Stitched, 4 Marionettes and 5 Wicked Dolls, leaving me 4SS off the top of my head.

I don't neccesairly think assassinate is bad vs Collodi, but as you said toward the end, you have to get rid of the marionettes and force Collodi wasting a turn to bring one more up (For a 2 action).

Other than that I can only apologise for WP8 stitched with reactivate, and wicked doll's (0)ing everywhere! As I said to you, I didn't intend to bring her (I'd rather have had Sonnia!), and she won't be coming out for a fair while now.

It would have been interesting if you had just let me kill the viks and bring her back, seems viable, especially as I probably would have lost one stitched anyway...

If you fancy a rematch at some point I'm back in Harrogate over summer and plan on coming to leeds, and I'll let you choose from Ophelia, Collodi, Marcus or Sonnia!

Thanks for the game and sorry about the crew....!

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No problem. It was an education. I'd definitely like to play Collodi again, though we do have at least one other player at the club who has proxied a crew, si I might get a chance before we meet again.

If I had let you kill the Vik then I suspect the Stitched would have just moved onto the rest of the crew, and all of them would have been lower WP with no soulstones. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

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My fourth mistake was using the Ronin on the Stitched togethers, accelerating the death of two of them (though they actually died to failed Gamble my life). As they are the biggest damage dealers, this seemed sensible, but when they die they get another reactivation IN THE SAME TURN. With Fast, Casting Expert and a (0) action these models each had 5 actions each activation giving them both 10 actions in a turn, effectively allowing them to have turn 3 while I was still on turn 2.

Just to say that this is wrong.

Barring a change in text on the card, the fast and casting expert given to the wicked dolls will not apply to both the activation and the re-activation.

(I guess unless they were given them after activation the previous turn and then again after "death" that turn)

Action modifiers, unless otherwise specified, only apply to the next activation.

Phil

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I'm comfortable with the fast not carrying over, its exactly the same as slow which is the more commonly given out action modifier, and it gives one extra general action point in the current or next activation.

I think having read the rules manual the other action modifiers are worded the same in their duration, but its a rare thing, and some models do say the model has fast for the rest of the turn (Student of Conflict).

Phil

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I have been playing with a student of conflict for the last few weeks, having not used Collodi since Feb, so maybe I got the idea of it being a turn from Mr. Student. I only used the fast on reactivate in the last game after asking a ref, even so, my apologies Ian

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I add this to the discussion, not out of sour grapes, but more for reference for the sake of anyone reading the report.

The way the Ref at the event ruled Whirlwind has since been clarified in this thread.

http://wyrd-games.net/forum/showthread.php?t=20898&page=2

The Viks should have been allowed to cut the strings on the marionettes and slice his sorry ass.

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  • 2 months later...

I don't know about new puppets in Book 3, but I can guarantee we will see some Collodi lists with the Puppet Wars miniatures.

You'll get more discussion on this if you start a new thread rather than asking in an old Battle Report.

Edited by Serigala
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