Post by derrickthewhite on Feb 17, 2022 16:19:43 GMT
I ran another solo game of HotT digitally, this time throwing an army of pandas with a ranged bent against hordes of undead. It was my first time playing with Heroes, Magicians, or knights
The pandas had:
1 Hero (general)
2 knights
2 archers
3 spear
2 artillery (rockets)
The Undead had:
1 Magician (general)
2 knights
2 Spear
3 warband
6 hordes
The battle was exceptionally swingy, due to both the unit types and the dice having strong opinions at times. The early game developed extremely slowly, with every pip roll being a three or less. As the Pandas had fewer formations, this might have given them something of an advantage. As did the fact that they had 10 AP of ranged units that didn't need AP to fire. This was also probably the battle I've done in which the terrain mattered the least: both forests where secured early in the game, leaving only a hill that really mattered.
When setting up the battle, I did not realize that knights quick-killed spear. With knights and spear forming over a third of the forces on the field, this had a huge effect on the game.
In the first phase of the game, the undead left and the panda right raced for a stand of trees, the spear trying to ensure that the warband couldn't use it against them, especially as the hordes let the undead have a much wider front than the pandas. In the center, a group of hordes charged towards a pair of artillery... and were promptly obliterated. Now I know what artillery is for. On the north end of the battlefield, The pandas charged into their enemy, with the primary objective of having the hero quick-kill the magician. So yes, the enemy generals engaged in a fight with an 80% chance of killing one of them. It ended in Panda disaster. They lost their hero, an archer, and had their battle line shattered. At this point, the game was technically over: The skeletons had a 4 point lead, had only lost hordes, and the enemy general was down, but I thought things were going too over and let the pandas fight on (with all actions taking twice the AP for being out of sight of the general). After all, the general was just ensorcelled...
The Pandas quickly rallied: a lucky high pip roll let them pull back the a shooter and knight from the shattered left flank, and then a desperation roll by the pair of artillery destroyed the enemy general. Since the pandas got their chance, I figured I'd give the undead the same opportunity, but their troops were awkwardly arranged, and when AP is low, ranged units count for a lot. Also, the hero more than earned his salt, personally destroying the enemy on the south while the knight and shooters held against the northern forces, and the artillery smashed what was left of the center. Once the undead lost 12 AP, I figured the game was up.
It was a really messy battle, I learned a lot, and the "Sudden Death" rules made things a touch more epic... if also more swingy.
I really liked the combination of knights and shooters together: they feel really strong, and they move basically the same speed.
So that's Pandas vs Skeletons!
The pandas had:
1 Hero (general)
2 knights
2 archers
3 spear
2 artillery (rockets)
The Undead had:
1 Magician (general)
2 knights
2 Spear
3 warband
6 hordes
The battle was exceptionally swingy, due to both the unit types and the dice having strong opinions at times. The early game developed extremely slowly, with every pip roll being a three or less. As the Pandas had fewer formations, this might have given them something of an advantage. As did the fact that they had 10 AP of ranged units that didn't need AP to fire. This was also probably the battle I've done in which the terrain mattered the least: both forests where secured early in the game, leaving only a hill that really mattered.
When setting up the battle, I did not realize that knights quick-killed spear. With knights and spear forming over a third of the forces on the field, this had a huge effect on the game.
In the first phase of the game, the undead left and the panda right raced for a stand of trees, the spear trying to ensure that the warband couldn't use it against them, especially as the hordes let the undead have a much wider front than the pandas. In the center, a group of hordes charged towards a pair of artillery... and were promptly obliterated. Now I know what artillery is for. On the north end of the battlefield, The pandas charged into their enemy, with the primary objective of having the hero quick-kill the magician. So yes, the enemy generals engaged in a fight with an 80% chance of killing one of them. It ended in Panda disaster. They lost their hero, an archer, and had their battle line shattered. At this point, the game was technically over: The skeletons had a 4 point lead, had only lost hordes, and the enemy general was down, but I thought things were going too over and let the pandas fight on (with all actions taking twice the AP for being out of sight of the general). After all, the general was just ensorcelled...
The Pandas quickly rallied: a lucky high pip roll let them pull back the a shooter and knight from the shattered left flank, and then a desperation roll by the pair of artillery destroyed the enemy general. Since the pandas got their chance, I figured I'd give the undead the same opportunity, but their troops were awkwardly arranged, and when AP is low, ranged units count for a lot. Also, the hero more than earned his salt, personally destroying the enemy on the south while the knight and shooters held against the northern forces, and the artillery smashed what was left of the center. Once the undead lost 12 AP, I figured the game was up.
It was a really messy battle, I learned a lot, and the "Sudden Death" rules made things a touch more epic... if also more swingy.
I really liked the combination of knights and shooters together: they feel really strong, and they move basically the same speed.
So that's Pandas vs Skeletons!