So this week, i wanted to try something different. I wanted to play something i normally wouldn't, but i wanted something competitive. The beholder is hard to keep alive, so i don't often play it. With the Forgepriest, however, the opponent has a tough choice: let the beholder do his thing, or jump the beholder and hope you can keep the giant away long enough. I filled up on activations (10), and chose the new Frostfell Rift map for line of site and lots of pits.
1st Matchup (win) - Lion of Talisid, Brass Samurai, Lillend, Halfling Slinger x3, Warforged Scout, Hero of Valhalla
Map: Frostfell Rift (he had no map)
Side: B (he won, he chose A)
My opponent was a young kid, new to the game. His build looked neat, and those slingers are surprisingly useful. I spent most of the time trying to show him options and strategy.
2nd Matchup (win) - Thundertusk Cavalry x2, Cleric of Syreth, Eberk, Adventurer, Sacred Watcher x2, Warforged Scout, Timber Wolf
Map: Frostfell Rift (his choice)
Side: B (he won, passed choice)
This matchup was crazy. Both sides had merit, i had the advantage of doing enough damage to maybe rout the pigs in a round during combat (if fully engaged). He had the benefit of high AC and mobility. I managed to manuever the beholder in such a way that round one i got a disintegrate (fail) and inflict (pass) on a pig. Won init and inflicted it again, while moving just far enough to eye the other pig ... for a flesh to stone (fail). Both of those fails were ones. He played out a good game of damaging my giant, who couldn't hit incorporeal. I finally TKed a watcher into a pit where it died, then took out syreth (after killing all but syreth and last watcher) for game (tile points). He played a great game after the round 2 double kill, but the beholder had done its job.
3rd Matchup (win) - FGF, Maug, Helmed Horror, Snig the Axe, Goblin Skirmisher x2, Goblin Warrior, Dire Rat, Greenspawn Sneak
Map: Caves of Chaos (his choice)
Side: A (he won, passed choice)
Semi Mirror match. I didn't want to deal with losing LoS in the forest, so i chose the Cave side. I new were going to duke it out on the Blood Rock, so i setup the Beholder with easy LoS to it (the small start area). I was able to get an early slow on his helmed horror, which proved to be useful in keeping it from getting an attack off. He moved well to drop snig, but i managed to get a well timed set of attacks on after a move i don't think he saw originally that let me drop the helmed with a cleave to his forgepriest. He placed maug in way to beholder, which i slowed, then TKed out of LoS to see forgepriest next activation. My sneak managed to withstand 4 rounds of 2 ranged attacks a round only to route and take 3 rounds to run off the board! Even with a crit from the maug, he didn't do enough damage fast enough. I did pass morale when the time came, and by then i killed the maug, blocked off his giant with the thug, to force him to waste an activation on it. I then used Fear eye ray to route the giant, who failed, then failed both rally attempts (was far enough away that he got two tries). I still had my giant with 70 hp left (his had 80 hp left) and my untouched beholder so i think had it rallied or never routed, i think i would have taken him.
*TK = Telekenesis
**Fiery Eyes: Thanks Meg!
Fun band, i suggest you try it!
