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Temysry
Sergeant
512 Posts
    
 | | 07/27/2007 6:04 AM |
| We had another 8 player turnout for our monthly Epic tournament with the Thursday Knights. A little suprisingly, only two Raistlin bands appeared. When the card was first known, I posted a band on our forums that I thought might work well and this would be the first opportunity for me to try it out. Despite the fact that people would know what I was playing, I ran it anyway. Of course - perhaps because I had posted it, they might have thought I wouldn't play it... Regardless, here's what happened:
My band:
Ryld Argith
Epic Raistlin Majere
Epic Thrall of Blackrazor
Large Black Dragon
Demonic Gnoll Priestess
Orc Wardrummer
Cursed Spirit
Small Black Dragon
Bat Familiar
Map: Hellspike
As I mentioned, 2 of the 8 bands featured Epic Raistlin and wouldn't you know it - they get paired against each other in the first round:
Round 1: vs. Grubbis
Epic Werewolf Lord
Epic Raistlin Majere
Longstrider Ranger x4
Demonic Gnoll Priestess
Map: Hellspike
I managed to win side initiative and started from the more hidden side so that some of my creatures could avoid the first turn meteor swarm. We both avoided using Raistlin immediately and instead burned activations advancing some units - trying to place them in a way that would make it as difficult as possible to catch them all with a meteor swarm. Since I had the activation advantage (and won first turn initiative) I had three activations left after all of his were done. He chose not to use Raistlin and keep him as hidden as possible in his start area. I opted to use the time stop and move out 6 squares. After that, I could move another 6 and have his WWL within range of a finger of death (due to blindsight and perfect targetting). He failed the save. I followed that up by another move of 6 squares to a point near his forward start area which barely had LOS to all of his remaining minis. I failed the SR on the Gnoll, but everyone else took the 40 damage and two of the rangers ran off the board. For my last activation, I used a lightning bolt which wounded another but didn't really help much. I ended the round by double-moving the Thrall to the centre of the board. After winning the next round's initiative, I double-moved the Thrall again to base his Raistlin and used my Unholy Haste to make a full attack and finish him off. He conceded the game at that point.
Round 2: vs. Pumpkin King
Elminster of Shadowdale
Lyrandar Skyfire Captain
Epic Guenhwyvar
Archmage
Dire Tiger
Wild Mage
Wild Elf Warsinger
Bat Familiar
Map: ?
I don't remember his map, but I ended up winning map initiative so we were playing on Hellspike anyway. I again started from the more secluded side and purposefully kept Raistlin hidden from sight and surrounded by allies. Again, I won first round initiative and allowed my opponent to go first, giving me three activations after he was finished. He began by buffing the Tiger and Guen and tried to keep everyone hidden enough to prevent as much damage as possible from the meteor swarm. At the end of the round, I activated Raistlin and used time stop. After moving another 6, I had Guen in range and used the finger of death. Being only level 10, he obligingly failed the save. Unfortunately, I was now based by the LSC so I had to take an AOO to continue moving to a good spot for the meteor swarm which caught everyone who was left on the board. This time, I opted for the +5 damage instead of the DC increase and it decimated the bulk of his band even though Elminster made the save. Breath weapons from both dragons routed the dire tiger and the Epic Thrall ended the round by double-moving and using his unholy haste to take another single move and attack the archmage who was hiding in the corner where my alternate start area is. The attack hit which dropped him to 5hp (and based by the Thrall). In the second round, the Thrall managed to miss with both attacks against the archmage and Raistin cast another lightning bolt through Elminster and the Tiger. After my LBD moved in to finish off the tiger, he conceded the game since El couldn't use any of his spells effectively when I was in the smoke and his Archmage was effectively neutered.
Round 3: vs. Orcdoubleax
Aspect of Bahamut
Large Gold Dragon
War Weaver
Human Commoner x3
Map: Teleport Temple
I figured this game was going to be decided mostly by two rolls - the most important of which was map initiative. We both had CR8 for the init roll, but I was lucky enough to win so the first hurdle was passed. Now I knew I would be able to get my finger of death off before he could kill Raistlin so it would come down to another important series of rolls to see if I could drop the Aspect without actually having to engage him. If it worked, it would be easy to finish off the LGD with what I had left. He won side init and opted to take the more secluded side to help prevent the openning round meteor swarm/finger of death. He won first round init as well and opted to go first, hopping two commoners out to block the passage into his start area. He used the LGD to plug the rest of the hole. I simply advanced most of my warband but kept them far enough apart so that breath weapons would not catch too many. He opted to keep Bahamut back in his starting area and wait for me to come to him. I ended the round by using the meteor swarm anyway which simply killed the two visible commoners and damaged Bahamut a little. I decided to leave Raistlin far back near my own starting area. In the next round, I started to put a beating on the Large Gold Dragon with the Thrall while he advanced the other commoner and War Weaver to help with SS on the LGD. Again he decided to keep Bahamut back, letting the LGD do all the work. I still didn't have a good way to get to Bahamut, so I did nothing with Raistlin this round. I won the following init and advanced my LBD to a flanking position on the Large Gold, using a breath weapon to eliminate the commoner and wound the War Weaver who unfortunately passed the save. Now with the flank, the Thrall unloaded two full attacks (thanks to unholy haste) into the Large Gold and dropped him. With practically nothing left, he opted to advance Bahamut and breath in a way to catch a number of minis including the Thrall in his cold cone - dropping him to exactly 60 hp. I took my chance and after basing him with the Cursed Spirit, used time stop with Raistlin. I swift moved to my forward start area and after moving 12 squares total I dropped two lightning bolts on WW/Bahamut before using the finger of death. I won the coin flip and Bahamut dropped. I figure that if he had passed the save I might still have a chance, but it would have been mighty slim.
Overall, my thoughts regarding Raistlin are as follows: He isn't as powerful as I had first thought - he's actually much more powerful than that. With an over activated band and a good commander rating, he has a good chance in the first round to drop most of your support pieces and eliminate your most powerful creature with the finger of death. Even Bahamut with his SR and level 15 only had a 48% chance of surviving once based by the cursed spirit. Of course, there are ways around this - using undead or constructs would be one way, immune fire would also help. I don't believe Beholders are actually too much of a problem when running with Ryld since you have a good shot at your own map, and he'll destroy them on hellspike. There were two Epic Strahd warbands last night which could have posed some serious problems but I believe they both lost their initial games so I never met them. Personally, I believe multi archmages or Epic El + 1 or 2 archmages would have a good chance to beat a Raistlin band. I wonder if a mostly fire-immune LE distributed hitter band could do it...
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A Proud Gelatinous Dude
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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zdrake
Warrior
279 Posts
Albany, CA (near Berkeley)
| | 07/28/2007 9:03 PM |
| | Thanks for these 500 pt reports. They're about the only Epic tournament reports I can find. | |
Champion of Acererak the Demi-Lich (w/ Epic Card)
D&D minis gathering in Berkeley, CA at Games of Berkeley (every other Tuesday, and sometimes every Tuesday.) | |
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Temysry
Sergeant
512 Posts
| | 07/29/2007 11:48 AM |
| | Well - we only run them once a month, but I'll keep it up as much as possible! | |
A Proud Gelatinous Dude
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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Custom Title
WakeXX
Warlord
10147 Posts
Edinboro PA
| | 07/29/2007 11:27 PM |
| | Nice report...now to get me one of these epic raistlins... | | | |
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Pedro
Commander
3926 Posts
Czech Republic
| | 07/30/2007 2:39 PM |
| | Very nice. Raistlin is a beast. | |
2007 & 2008 Czech Republic Champion
2008 Czech Republic's Player of the Year
2.0 Champion of Necromancers! (preferably not Evil:-))
Next Icon Called Shot: Baldur's Gate pack - Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc (and BOO!), Imoen, Xan, Sarevok...
Against the Giants Called Shot: Phoenix (/no luck)
Demonweb Called Shot: Yagnoloth (I like demons!)
Feywild Called Shot:
Starter 2009 Called Shot: | |
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