Hamelin vs Parker

[Zebo]

A couple of days ago, I played My first Vassal game, and could give a try to a crew which still have not the models. 

 

Recover Evidence

Flank

Assassinate, Claim Jump, Leave Your Mark, Catch and Release, Runic Binding. 

 

My crew was:

Size: 50 - Pool: 3
Leader:
  Hamelin
    Servant of Dark Powers
Totem(s):
  Stolen
  Stolen 2
  Stolen 3
Hires:
  Benny Wolcomb
  Nix
  Obedient Wretch
  Hodgepodge Effigy
    Effigy of Fate
  Winged Plague
  Winged Plague 2
  Winged Plague 3
  Prospector

 

I wanted to give a try to a crew made to swarm the opponent with rats, and it was really fun. 

The Effigy was there to act as the healer, with options to be better in the middle game. 

 

My opponent crew was:

Size: 50 - Pool: 4
Leader:
  Parker Barrows
    Wanted Criminal
Totem(s):
  Doc Mitchell
Hires:
  Mad Dog Brackett
  Sue
  Hodgepodge Emissary
  Convict Gunslinger
    Soldier for Hire
  Prospector
 

He was the attacker and made me deploy behind a train, which really missed with my options. 

I took Assassinate and Leave your Mark. 

 

Turn 1:

Started with both crews positioning. I dropped easily 5 scheme markers for Benny to summon, and one stolen used moldy cheese to teleport to the front lines and then turn into two rats. 

Mad Dog killed some rats and one Stolen (big position mistake by my side), while Sue and Parker punished a bit Hamelin. Hamelin lured Sue and send some suicidal rats to hurt and put some Blight on him and Mad Dog. 

 

Turn 2:

Benny made more rats (turn 1 left a lot of markers from both Parker and Benny), but Mad Dog cleaned like 4 of them. Then Hamelin killed Sue and Parker left Hamelin heavily injured. Nix made some damage on the Convict Gunslinger, and healed he own damage while giving Blight to him, his Emmisary and Parker. The Obedient Wretch finished Mad Dog. 

 

Turn 3:

Parker killed the last Stolen and then Hamelin. Wingued 1 took one strategy marker and the Convict Gunslinger one-shot it and then killed Benny hitting moderate twice without focus and with some lucky masks. 

With my crew suddenly decimated and no option to use the rats in other way, I made them turn into two Rat Kings, but they didn't do anything remarkable. The Obedient Wretch made some damage to Parker, but Nix failed to finish the enemy Prospector, who had advanced up to the center point and had engaged him. 

End turn:

Plague 1 (Recover Evidence) 

Bandit 1 (Leave Your Mark) 

 

Turn 4: 

Parker failed to kill the Obedient Wretch, and the Rat King failed it's focused attack to the Prospector. Then the Convict Gunslinger finished the wounded Wretch and killed the second Rat King (again with moderates). Nix managed to kill the Prospector, but it was pointless. His Emmisary took one strategy marker. 

End turn:

Plague 1

Bandit 2 (Recover Evidence) 

 

I call the game shortly in the fifth turn, with no real chance to turn the game in my favour. I had no chances to score anything, and couldn't stop my opponent to score his second Strategy and Leave your Mark (his second scheme was Claim Jump on some killed model).

So 4-1 for Parker. 

I made A LOT of mistakes, including some flagrant forgets (that's the word?). 

Like not healing Hamelin with SoDP when killing. 

Not activating the WP with Hamelin Bonus action. 

Droping two of the first three scheme markers in places where the Rats where gonna be out of LoS of Hamelin. 

That blighted enemies cannot cheat against OW. 

That models activating near the Emmisary heals. 

Scoring in the second turn instead of the third. 

The Rat Kings can eat scheme markers. 

Nix is ethereal and can move through terrain (wasted his first turn surrounding terrain). 

Nix is ethereal and cannot block movement (I tried to block the Convict Gunslinger) 

And some more mistakes. I don't regret my crew choices, although maybe next time I play only 2 WP and start with more stones. 

[ShinChan]

I was @Zebo's opponent and it was a very intense game. It had been a while since I played Bandits, but it was like riding a bicycle.

I forgot some stuff, like using Wanted Criminal during the first 4 turns, or forgot that Benny could turn any scheme markers in rats, so I gave him like 6 rats for free between turn 1 and turn 2.

Between the Obedient Wretch and Hamelin, neither Sue or Mad Dog lasted more than 2 turns. Plague is a keyword that can easily stack Blight tokens, even at distance unless you bring some tech like anti-demise.

I got some really lucky flips to be able to kill the Rat king with only 2 attacks from the Gunslinger and being able to walk directly through Nix in order to shoot at the Obedient Wretch before he could kill Parker.

[Zebo]

Yeah, thanks for posting. 

My memories are not the best, and surely I end mixing things and mistaking turns, so if you see anything wrong you can correct me. 

This game was my first with Hamelin, and still was learning how to deploy and move his crew. Also did some big mistakes like approaching the Stolen too much and allowing Mad Dog to kill it with blasts. 

I've learnt a lot from this game.