Battlelore Goblin Skirmisher, Riding Down The Spear Bearers

Finally my wife agreed to play Battlelore after a few approach by her lovely husband. This is not about whether she likes or dislikes board games but rather than this type of genre is not much fond of her interests like most women I guess. But anyway the game was on !! right in our living room on Saturday 14th April 2008, Jakarta, Indonesia

My wife : Joao I Grand Master of Aviz
Me : Juan I King of Castile

This scenario using War council level 6 and Victory conditions 6.

Joao I troops War council : 2 Clerics, 2 Warriors, 1 Giant spider and 1 Hill Giant. As first player, my wife decided to put Training camp hex tile in center area of hers and Hill Giant rock tile hex also in center

Juan I troops war council : 1 Commander, 2 Clerics, 2 Wizards and , 1 Earth Elemental, I put my monster Hex in center right next to the wood

Also some modifications been made in order to find a more balance starting lineups for Juan I , hence Dwarven were added into the game (Juan I’s troops), on the left side Blue Banner Sword unit replaced by Blue Spear Bearer foot unit. In the center, Blue Sword food unit replaced by Blue Axe Foot unit as well as Red Banner Sword unit replaced by Red Bagpipe unit.

The level of units in Battlelore are divided into three, starting from the lowest, green, blue and red banner.
So in total Joao I has 15 unit on the board , ( two mounted units, Giant spider and Hill Giant included ), and Juan I only 12 units on board ( + 1 Earth Elemental included later after being summoned and 4 mounted units included )

Prolog:
Portugal 1384, The Castilian rear-guard (Juan I ) had crossed the river, towards them facing Joao I’s mixed Hobgoblin units to prevent their advancing movements.

Turn 1
No attack from My wife’s side.
The Red banner Bagpipe infantry surprisingly kill three Goblins because this Goblin infantry has to retreat after hearing the magical song of the Dwarven and since the Goblin’s morale effect is frightened then my wife had to roll dice for panic loss check and lost three Goblin slingers. Meanwhile the Axe infantry could not succeed to summon Earth Elemental.

Turn 2
Goblin slinger unit failed to attack my spear infantry on the left area, even, they ran backwards after one flag as a rolled result from my Dwarf infantry. In the center My Dwarf Bagpipe infantry played their instrument to frighten the enemy, Hill Giant felt uncomfortable with the song and step back into Joao I territory.

Turn 3
My wife moved her Giant spider up to 4 hexes in order to have initiative in the next turn. All of her green banner troops moved forward, her green mounted unit were upgraded into red banner in the training camp. When it came to my turn, I charged the giant spider with my Blue banner Mounted unit coming from right area but fail. Luckily my Axe unit summoned the Earth Elemental . The frontal assaults soon will began!!

Turn 4
The Bagpipe unit was a serious threat to any opponent units, their songs can make any advancing units to pullback dramatically, knowing this , my wife ordered the red mounted unit to pursuit the bagpipe but failed to shut it up. On the right, my lone mounted unit were surrounded by my wife’s spear, sword and red mounted units, No doubt, I lost my unit.
I countered using my bagpipe unit again to force my wife’s red mounted unit in center to retreat again. I spent my five lore tokens to move EE and hit the green Goblin slinger unit in center, but it was a failure, it was only tremor, Goblin retreated and that was it!
Her: 1
Me:0

Turn 5
Knowing that all of her units were in the good positions, she played more aggressive by sending again her Red Goblin sword unit to attack my Dwarven crossbow unit, but even using four dice in attacking, she still failed to vanish my unit. That was in the left area, now, in center the Giant Spider came out from its nest and successfully webbed my Earth Elemental monster.
On the right area, the mounted units were face to face in battle and it was my turn so I stormed all enemy red mounted unit
Her: 1
Me:1


Turn 6
In the left, my crossbow unit was hit again, now I lost two pieces of dwarfs. In the center the Spider attacked even more brutal, my longbow unit was hit, but luckily no serious casualties taken.
After taken hits, it’s time to attack back, my red mounted units in the right area charged the Goblin spear bearer and sword unit next to it, with lack of support from behind the Goblin cannot be possible to attack back if they got flags, in fact the spear bearers could not do nothing and all killed by my Red mounted unit. Same destiny also happened to the blue sword unit
Revenge also happened between monsters, my Earth Elemental was trying hard to knock the disgusting Spider by the time I spent my lore token to free it from the web, after first hit, the spider ran into their perimeter to have safe haven
Her: 1
Me:3

Turn 7
The wind blew into my side, three swordsmen from blue banner from Joao I were killed by my red and blue mounted units in the right area.

Turn 8
All battles took place in the left area. , after hitting hard by my wife’s attack causing lost of two dwarf spearmen, I moved Earth Elemental monster to the left and forwarded the blue mounted unit in the left, I planned to ambush and annihilate using two units, but it was only flags, only forcing my wife’s red sword unit to retreat

Turn 9
It is difficult to avoid casualties when you’re surrounded, after having a victorious moment in turn 7, now I lost two horsemen from my two mounted units, both of them were knocked backwards. In Battlelore game system, you deal with command cards in hands plus lore cards to engage your movement, so it is all about card management that can bring you into victory, using the right card at the right moments will guarantee it. Now , the enemy positions were scattered, I ambushed again with monster and mounted unit, the result was really not disappointing me, my unit killed one horseman from my wife’s red mounted unit

Turn 10
In the left area, I was forced to pull my troops and at the same time I lost my horseman in the right area, killed by the spear bearer. It looks like I was going to hit with the big blows, starting on the right area, my two mounted units really gave a huge blows to two Goblin spear units, one of them was vanished from the board, while on the left area, again, my Earth Elemental ended one Goblin drum unit. Also, one Red Goblin unit was out of game
Her: 2
Me:5

Turn 11
The Goblin slinger consists only one man in the center desperately attacked my red sword unit , backing up by the Giant Spider, they hit my red sword unit well, at least one figure must be taken off board. On the right area, two of my units charged one Red Goblin spear bearer, but unfortunately only killed one spearman. I almost hit the score again but My Earth Elemental monster failed to kick one only Goblin slinger man in the center area

Turn 12
Spider without hesitation ran into my blue mounted unit and crushed it down, Giant Hill could force Earth Elemental into the forest but one single Goblin slinger which was dying in turn 11 killed the monster for good, amazing!! Killed only by small catapult slinger.
I looked into the game board…. No choices, I needed to end the game soon as possible , lucky me, I still held one attack command card for right area that ended the game by moving my blue mounted unit to the weakened Goblin spear unit and annihilated it.
Her: 3
Me:6

Epilog :
The Castilian rear-guard now have given valuable lessons to Joao I Grand Master of Aviz, soon , his general ordered all units to retreat and regroup to avoid more casualties before it’s too late, “it was only one battle, we will have our vengeance in another day” he said…….

Player’s note :

-When you play Battlelore using Advanced Battlelore rules, you must very carefully choose your war council member because it will determine how many command cards, lore cards and lore tokens you’ll use in combat. My units were less then my wife’s, so I chose wizards to have a magical pentacle in order to gain more for lore tokens because it can be used to activate lore cards and for my Earth Elemental monster movement cost

-The special character such as Goblin has Frightened morale ( Retreat 2 hexes for each flag and must do panick loss check per flag ) but more aggressive in charging enemies, so you have to be sure when to attack! Plus, must be covered by two other units in avoiding flags rolled by your opponent to have Bold morale ( never retreat for flags, instead battle back !! )

-A lot of type of units, ( mounted, foot, long sword, cross bow, axe, long bow, spear bearer, bagpipe, bass drum, green banner, blue banner, red banner, Monster abilities ) make you aware every time you plan to move , any combinations of cards and units or tokens or even terrains can give more varieties. The power of dice also can give big influence to the results of each combat sequence.

nice report !!

kebetulan gw abis nanya2 ini game ama vidor ... mantep2 ...