Grudge Match 2: This time it's Grudgier (A Team tournament preview)

 This Saturday (26th Feb) sees the return of the Grudge Match between your erstwhile heroes at Drawn Combat vs the nefarious villains of Rebel Base Gaming. The format will be a 4 round 500 point tournament, but with a twist in that the last round you will be randomly assigned one of the 16 armies that have been brought to the event! We have drawn the first round so lets have a little preview. It's worth mentioning that RBG won the first Grudge Match (definitely cheated, it's the only explanation) so we here at DC are fighting for pride this time!

(To address the Mumak in the room, I know we did one of these previews for the first Grudge Match and never followed up but that's because sadly several of team DC were struck with COVID and/or childcare issues right before the event and so it went ahead with reduced numbers. It was a bit of a bummer for those who couldn't go so we didn't try to hard to follow up. Hopefully this time will be different!)

Scenario 1: Clash By Moonlight

Game 1: Rivendell (RBG) v Army of Thror/Iron Hills (DC)

Erestor (General)

1 High elf; bow, spear
3 High elf, shield, spear
1 High elf; banner, shield, spear
1 High elf, shield
6 Rivendell Knight, shield

High Elf Captain; Horse, Lance, Shield
7 High elf; spear, shield
2 High elf, shield

VS

Thror
8 guardians of the King

Dain on pig
2 goat riders
7 Iron Hills dwarves with spears


Elves vs Dwarves in our first matchup. The Elves' shooting is severely hampered by the scenario but will become more deadly up close. That being said the Dwarves' throwing axes are going to be extremely lethal. This game could well be decided in the shoot phase!






Game 2: Shire/Lothlorien (RBG) v Corsairs (DC)


Meriadoc, Captain of the Shire Pony, Shield
13x Hobbit Militia: Axe, Battlin' Brandybucks

Farmer Maggot 

Grip, Fang and Wolf
8x Hobbit Archer

Haldir, Elf Bow, Heavy Armour
4x Galadhrim Knight, Shield
5x Wood Elf Warrior, Bow, Wood Elf Spear
5x Wood Elf Warrior: Wood Elf Spear
Wood Elf Warrior: Banner, Wood Elf Spear


VS

Dalamyr
8 Corsairs: Shields
8 Corsairs: Spears

Delgamar
6 Corsairs: Shields
6 Corsairs: Spears
3 Corsairs: Bows

Bo’sun
5 Corsairs


This is going to be another deadly shooting battle but, thanks to the scenario, the Corsairs have been given a slight reprieve from being murdered at a distance. Once the lines clash the pirates will mull through the Hobbits but could come up against an issue in the Elves. 





Game 3: Grand Army of the South (RBG) v Ugluk's Scouts (DC)

Mumak Warleader
5 Mahud Warriors; Blowpipe
6 Haradrim warriors; Bow
1 Haradrim Warrior, Spear
1 Haradrim Warrior

VS

Ugluk
5 Scouts: Shields
6 Scouts: Bows
1 Scout

Mauhur
6 Scouts: Shields
5 Scouts: Bows
1 Scout: Banner, shield

Grishnakh
8 Orcs: Spears
4 Orcs: Shields

The Mumak Warleader! I know I am supposed to be rooting for DC but THE MUMAK WARLEADER! I do think there will be a lot of squished Orcs and Uruks but the Scouts have a lot of Might to fling at heroic moves, and with Animosity the elephant could get in trouble quickly!






Game 4: Minas Tirith (RBG) v Minas Tirith (DC)

(RBG)

Faramir (Heavy Armour, armoured horse, shield, lance, leader)
2 guard of the fountain court (shield)
2 knights of minas tirith (shield)
5 rangers (one spear)
2 warriors of minas tirith (shield)
3 warriors of minas tirith (shield/spear)
1 warrior of minas tirith (shield/banner)

Hurin (horse)
2 guard of the fountain court (shield)
2 knights of minas tirith (shield)
4 rangers
3 warriors of minas tirith (shield)
3 warriors of minas tirith (shield/spear)

VS

(DC)
Boromir: Horse, Shield, Banner
5 Warriors: Shield
3 Fountain Court Guard: Shields
3 Rangers: Spears
2 Knights: Shields

Hurin: Horse
5 Warriors: Shields
3 Rangers: Spears

It's a family feud! Boromir vs Faramir, who will show the most quality? Boromir has the Might and Fight advantage (so does his battle line) but has sacrificed troop numbers to do so. Can he Might his way to victory? A barrel of tomatoes to the winner!





Game 5: Vanquishers (RBG) v Easterlings/Khand (DC)

Saruman the Wise
Galadriel Lady of Light

Gandalf the Grey

VS

Amdur on horse
5 acolytes
4 warriors with pike and shield

Captain on horse
4 acolytes
4 warriors with pike and shield

Khandish chieftain on chariot
3 Khandish horsemen


Yes that's right, dear reader, the scoundrels at RBG brought Vanquishers. Sigh. It's a shame the depths some will stoop to just for a win. The chariots have had issues with Vanquishers in the past but now they have been toned down a notch will they get ground under the wheels? I think this game is going to have a sad loser either way!

Game 6: Harad/Corsairs (RBG) v Depths of Moria (DC)

Dalamyr -Leader
5x Black Numenorean
5x Corsair Spear and Shield
6x Arbalester 

Suladan on Horse
3x Serpent Rider
5x Haradrim with spear
1x Haradrim with bow
8x Haradrim with bow and spear

VS

Balrog
6x Goblins with Shields
6x Goblins with Spears

Goblin Captain with Shield
4x Goblins with Shields
3x Goblins with Spears
3x Goblins with Bows

3 Heroes of Legend on this table, and a scenario that wants you to kill heroes. I think that Goblin Captain is going to be hiding for a lot of this game! Can the RBG squad deal with the Balrog? Time will tell...

Game 7: Mordor (RBG) v Erebor Reclaimed (DC)

Witchking; Crown, Fellbeast, 3/16/3

4 Morannons; Shield
3 Morannons; Shield, Spear

Gorbag; Shield
3 Morannon; Shield
3 Morannonss, Shield, Spear

Kardush

3 Morannons; Shield
3 Morannons; Shield, Spear

VS

Thorin: Goat
8 Iron Hills Dwarves: Shields, Spears
1 Iron Hills Dwarf: Shield, Spear, Banner
1 Goat Rider

Dwalin: Goat
8 Iron Hills Dwarves: Shields, Spears

Big heroes vs inescapable magic. I feel like I've said a thing or two about this before... Once the lines clash the Dwarves should have an advantage but I don't think those two mighty heroes are going to do much except get Transfixed and the Felbeast-ed. No need to worry though, if Thorin just rolls 6s he'll be laughing!





Game 8: Ugluk's Scouts (RBG) v Angmar (DC)


Ugluk 
7 Scouts (shield) 

6 Scouts (bows)
2 Scouts 

Mauhur
6 Scouts (shield) 
6 Scouts (bows) 

Grishnakh 
12 Orcs (spear and shield) 

VS

The Witch-king of Angmar: Crown of Morgul, 2x Extra Fate, 3x Extra Might, 3x Extra Will, Horse
7x Angmar Orc Warrior: Shield
7x Angmar Orc Warrior: Shield, Spear
1x Angmar Orc Warrior: Banner, Shield, Spear

Buhrdûr, Troll Chieftain

Barrow-wight
5x Angmar Orc Warrior: Shield

6x Angmar Orc Warrior: Shield, Spear

Yeah, I know, we brought Angmar. Sorry. No Gulavhar though so not too bad. The sheer number of Scouts is scary but they are definitely outclassed in the hero department. Could be down to the courage checks in this one!

So there we go? A stunning victory for DC? Inevitable really. But the real question is who will get the Mumak in round 4?! We'll let you know who did (and who won I suppose) next week!

February FAQ: Lady of Loneliness and Vanquishers Vanquished?

Oh boy, we've got a new FAQ and its a big shake up for some competitive pieces.

Firstly, the elephant in the room, Vanquishers. Whilst these haven't been quite the meta terror everyone feared, they are certainly not fun to play against. Well with a few quick changes they have been nerfed down to "fun tier" along with the rest of the all hero armies. Now you must include Gandalf (by far the weakest of the pieces) and you can't cast some key spells into combat (Sorcerous Blast, Wrath of Bruinen, Nature's Wrath). This means that there is now a 470 point spend just to write the word "Vanquishers" at the top of your army list which is crazy. Gandalf also adds the least to this list, and takes up one of the slots, of which you were generally only getting 4. So either no more combat prowess from Elrond or no more healing from Raddy. Added to this, you now have to actually fight your enemies fairly (i.e. when they are on their feet) since you can't yeet them out of a combat with spells. So long Vanquishers, you will not be missed.

Sticking with the theme of oppressive wizards, Galadriel Lady of Light is now a Hero of Fortitude. This means she can no longer be allied into yellow alliances, which was virtually everyone except Rivendell, without bringing a White Council buddy along with her. In practical terms, she will now no longer see play, it's as simple as that. The cheapest other member of the WC is 130 points so it'd cost 260 to bring her along. No chance of that happening. Personally I quite like soup lists as they are a bit different, but they will now be missing a key ingredient and will not be as delicious anymore. This could also have a knock on effect on Boromir of Gondor as these were often taken together since LoL covers Boz's weaknesses really well. He's still very cheap for what he does though so maybe I'm wrong. The other effect this may well have is allowing some Evil lists to take the top spots. LoL was particularly effective against Angmar lists, so I think they are going to come out and claim their former glory again. 

Next, Dragon Cult Acolytes may now be taken by Dragon Knights. This one really shouldn’t surprise anyone – we all saw it coming, and a lot of people were already house ruling it. As Acolytes are the mid-point in a Black Dragon’s training to become a Dragon Knight, it only made sense that they’d be eligible in their warband. This really does help them to find a home on the table, though. List building for Easterlings can get tricky, especially at small points values, and Dragon Knights have always been tough to include due to their restrictions – they can only take 6 models, and only models with the ‘black dragon’ upgrade. The trouble is, Black Dragons really wanted to be in with the rest of your pike block – so taking one or two Dragon Knights resulted in an awkward shuffle to try to get your models in place at the start of the game, particularly for scenarios with maelstrom deployment. Thankfully, this change will mean that both Acolytes and Dragon Knights can deploy where they want to be, which is generally on the flanks. This should help Acolytes, which have been tricky to slot into an Easterling list, to find a more natural home. A good change which will presumably just tide us over until the ‘Defense of the North’ supplement arrives.

Lastly, the Lord of Rivendell himself got a slight adjustment in the wording of his 'Foresight' ability. Not the biggest change but makes a little sense when it comes to the ebb and flow of a battle. That being that he actually needs to be present to make a difference and not waiting to arrive on the board. I hadn't personally seen this come in to effect pre-FAQ, with Elrond using his Foresight points in a maelstrom/reinforcements scenario. Again, not the biggest change but pays to have it clarified! 

What did you make of the new changes? Were the nerfs to Galadriel and the Vanquishers too heavy, not enough or even handed? Let us know in the comments!