I couldn't make it to this tournament and it seems many of our regulars didn't bother going either.  Regardless, they got the minimum number to run the event and a friend of mine wrote up the report which I'll copy here:



Only 4 players at O2000 today, but some great games nonetheless. My band was an ever-popular (since Unhallowed, at least) 3x Large Black Dragon variant.

3x Large Black Dragon
Tiefling Captain
Tielfing Warlock
Small Black Dragon
Cursed Spirit
(7 acts, 200 pts)
Map: Mushroom Cavern

Though the core is well-known, the Tiefling Warlock and Small Black are fairly unorthodox. However, I really like them both in this band - each gives auto-damage, which is exactly what the dragons need after a few attacks. Every practice game I've played, the Warlock especially has been instrumental in helping me finish off pieces that the dragons might miss.

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My first match was against Tomcat with:
High Inquisitor
2x Corm War Wizard
3x Arcanix Guard
Harmonium Guard
Village Priest
3x Bat Familiar
(11 acts, 200 pts)
Map: Dragon Shrine

The Arcanix Guard/Inquisitor combination was one I had read about but hadn't seen - with the War Wizards providing their usual hefty damage output, this was a very interesting warband.

I won both map, side, and first turn initiative. I set up on the left side of Mushroom Cavern, and let him go first (of course, after my 7 pieces, this still left him with 3 activations after mine). Worried about first-turn lines, he didn't move far, making sure to keep his figures reasonably seperated, with the War Wizards not too close to the action, but close enough to cast spells the next round. My 3 large dragons spread out, one in my close victory area, one in the middle, the 3rd near the bottom of the map. The Captain kept them all in line of sight.

I won initiative the second round as well. I went first, and with the 3rd farthest-down dragon based both one War Wizard and the High Inquisitor. The dragon then lined through the Inquisitor, hitting it and two Arcanix Guards. I got very lucky when the Inquisitor failed his save, as well as one of the Guards. The warlock moved next - his spell hit the failed-save Guard, killing it, and bounced to the Inquisitor, causing a morale save - he failed this save too, almost running off the board. (He forgot to use the Zealotry of the Inquisitor, I forgot to take an AOO with the dragon). His turn, he lined a dragon, hitting it for 15, then moved away the based wizard (the dragon missed), lining the Warlock to cause a morale save
- out of command, it failed.

The next two phases brought in the remaining two large blacks, who each lined to kill another Guard, the Village Priest, and rout the Harmonium Guard off the board (the cursed spirit was giving them all -2 on the saves). At this point, Tom conceded.

Low levels and low hp are a bad combination against the dragons On the other hand, I did get a lot of lucky rolls. 1-0.

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The next game (the final, with only 4 players) was against Nephilim with:
Inspiring Marshall
Virtous Charger
Asura
Rikka
Celestial Pegasus
Wild Elf Warsinger
Mialee
Timber Wolf
Bat
(9 acts, 198 pts)
Map: Field of Ruin

A very interesting combination of pieces made up Nephilim's band. With the Grant Move action, high speeds, and 9 activations, he could almost guarantee being able to engage first round.

He won his map and side, setting up on the right side of the map. After his grant move action and all my guys had moved, he had the opportunity both to hit a large dragon with the VC and take two shots at my Warlock with the Asura. Amazingly, the VC's first attack was a crit, hitting for 40 damage! The second also hit, bringing the dragon to 30 hp, causing a morale save on the first round. To my intense relief, it passed the save (to be fair, it was saving at +16). The two Asura shots both hit, passing conceal, and caused the Warlock a morale save - which he also passed. The Celestial Pegasus also moved in to flank the damaged large black. I did manage to line the Pegasus and VC, giving the Pegaus 15 damage and the VC 10. We both got victory points - after one round (and 35 minutes) the score was at 10-10.

The crucial initiative roll of the second round was won by Nephilim. But, to make up for the crit last round, his VC, after moving back and forth (taking 20 from the dragon), missed with both attacks. The Celestial Pegasus then smote the dragon down to 10 - but missed the second attack. Fearing that this would be the last round of play, I was in trouble. After this, I'm a bit unsure as to how the round went. I killed his Pegasus and a bat (before it could use the VC's heal). I also forced a morale save on the VC, which it passed. He killed the wounded dragon (with the Warsinger!). At the end of the round, the score (I thought) was 58-64 in his favour. Just before the round ended, time was called.

At this point, Nephilim very graciously offered to go another round, as he knew the play had been very slow. I thanked him and agreed to the offer - 2 rounds isn't nearly enough for a 1-hour game. Of course, as I realized after the game, I actually *was* winning after the second round - since he didn't bring out Rikka, she counted as victory points, and so at the end of the second round, I was winning 89-64! Neither of us realized, though, and so we started up the decisive 3rd round.

This turn he brought out Rikka, and won initative again. Rikka critted, and the VC hit with one attack on my second large black dragon. This brought it down to 35 - but again, it was lucky enough to pass the morale save. My two activations were the wounded large black and the Warlock, killing a timber wolf and bringing the VC down to 10 hp. His Asura killed the Warlock. However, my 3rd black dragon lined the VC, automatically killing it. Since he couldn't kill anything else that round, the third round ended 113-99 in my favour. 2-0.

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I continue to be very pleased with this large black dragon variant, and would seriously consider it if I was playing in a large tournament. Thanks for the games guys!