HOTTBAP2003 Report
By Nigel Jones
Selective
Reports on The Wolfen at HOTTBAP 2003
This
Wolfen force was a tribal army of the Dark Step Wolfen derived from "The
Wolfen Empire" supplement to Palladium's RPG. The army comprised :
6
* Wolfen Rangers ( including 1 element with the General )
3 * Wolfen Hunters
1 * Wolfen Druid & Giant Wolf
2 * Giant Wolves
and
all elements were classified as "Beasts" for HoTT.
Game
1 Attacking versus 18 AP of Alan's Elephant men
The
intention was for the Druid and Wolves to sweep around the left flank, while
the Rangers pressed forward in the centre and on the right towards some areas
of bad going and the Elephantmen's Stronghold. The hunters were to follow up
and cover the gap between the Wolves and the Rangers.
As
the main battle lines met , I was surprised at how quickly the Wolfen General's
flank support was destroyed, which presented Alan the opportunity for his
"lucky overlap".
Goodbye
General - 0-48 and I started to wonder why I had turned up.
On
trying to workout how and why the Wolfen general had succumbed so easily, I
noticed that Alan appeared to have only 18 AP on the table, besides Kali on the
touchlines. It seems a blade element had been left in the box. So Alan was
fallible, but had needed only 18AP to trounce me.
Game
2 Attacking versus Tony Green's Fishmen
Tony's
army comprised a Blade General, two riders, a magician , an artillery element,
an Airboat and eight hordes
The
Druid and Wolves deployed in bad going on the left, the Hunters in the centre
and the Rangers on the right. The Rangers were deployed in two lines with the
general's element in the 2nd line.
On
the left the Wolves were pinned by the Airboat, while in the centre the Hunters
and Rangers slowly started to push back the hordes of fishmen opposing them.
The fishmen's artillery started to cause some Wolfen casualties, but it looked
as if the the game would run out of time in a draw.
However
a couple of Wolfen ranger elements on the right hand board edge continued to
recoil the opposing rider and horde elements until the latter were forced off
their baseline. Then the two Wolfen elements attacked and captured the
fishmen's stronghold as onlookers had been starting to comment about the game
running out of time and having to be declared a draw.
Game
3 Attacking versus Graham's Prisoner of Zenda army
The
wolfen deployed in the usual groups, one to perform a holding action on the
left, the general's group hanging back to cover the centre, and two groups on
the right opposing some shooters in bad going.
Heady
with the success of capturing the opponent's Stronghold in the previous game,
the Wolfen on the far right headed straight along the board edge for Graham's
stronghold, only to be stopped by shooting.
Meanwhile,
Rudolf Rassendyll (Graham's Hero) and his accompanying Hussars (Riders) carved
through the left hand Wolfen group, reached the Wolfen general's Group and
engaged the Wolfen General in combat.The Wolfen General fought Rudolf to
stalemate for one round, but died the next round.
A
2nd game lost with the death of the general. I should have kept the general
further away from the rampaging hero and I also mishandled the attempt on the
stronghold. The far right Wolfen group should have concentrated with other right
hand side Wolfen group in destroying the 3 shooter elements opposing them
before running for the stronghold.
Game
4 Defending versus James' Operatic Vikings
A
game that worked almost as planned, with great help from James' God who
appeared on table, only to disappear the next bound. The Wolfen general and
escorts held a position on a hill opposite James' spears and blades, while
groups of Wolfen on both flanks started to nibble away at the end units of
James' battle line.
The
bonus of fighting from uphill helped the Wolfen centre hold on long enough for
the flanking Wolfen to destroy 8 AP which with the departure of James' God gave
victory to the Wolfen.
My
thanks to Alan, Tony, Graham and James for some very enjoyable games.
As
or the Wolfen, 2 losses and 2 wins was a pleasing result for a first outing.
The speed and bad going ability of the beast type are very useful, but they are
vulnerable to mounted and I was lucky not to encounter more hero/rider or
similar combinations.
I
am sure that those with more experience and competence than myself would have
been able to make more of some of the openings and cover some of the weaknesses
to a greater extent than I did.