Find the Lady Crown vs Empire 2K

 

So I finally got a second army assembled, and so did my regular opponent. Today we move away from Union vs Crown to the more standard Crown vs Empire. We played Find the Lady, which ended up a lot more interesting and tense than I expected it to be. It was also the first game which actually ran to the end, the game being decided on the second to last activation of turn 5.

Deployment

 

Crown Forces

I had decided in advance that the Monarch would go on a flank, to hopefully always have a target outside of the minimum range, but well forward so that it could get its secondary weapons into play. Each objective got a unit that could grab it turn 1 to hopefully be able to shape where the main battle would take place. Sapper Tristans in the center to hopefully cause some pain to the Laoshan, and Spitfires in position to support as needed. Basic Sapper units on a hill and in the center would hopefully give me spotter to priority targets.

Tonight on Fun with Flags

Empire deployed some solid firebases between the objectives, with the Laoshan and Terracotta able to menace the flank and center objectives. His jump infantry were ready to grab the northern objective, with a similar plan to my spitfires. I’m not quite sure what the lions were doing so far down, but it worked for him in the end.

I decided to use forlorn hope on my middle spitfires to enable a T1 objective grab, since it looked like my Monarch would be fine early on and didn’t need the extra speed to be able to engage immediately. My Horse Guard and the Empire Fanguns ended up in reserves.

Deployment

Round 1

The Empire seized the initiative and immediately jumped their Bulnabang to the top objective, finding nothing. My Spitfires mirror them at the southern end of the map, and now it’s a fight for the center. The battle now began in earnest, the Laoshan rumbling forward to blaze away at the supporting Sappers and Stirlings. A lone sapper survives, but the Stirling is subsequently taken out by an artillery barrage. They had seemingly decided on a decapitating strike to remove my commanders from the board.

The Monarch rumbled forward at top speed to avenge the fallen. Counter-battery fire took out most of the enemy artillery, while the main cannons engaged the landship and the anti-personnel turrets hit some winged infantry. Under the cover of this barrage, the Spitfires soared between the dueling behemoths to grab the objective, but the Steambikes notice this brazen theft and charge in. While they do manage to drive off some of the infantry, they are ultimately beaten back by the superior crown troopers.

Steam Bikes: Not a melee unit

 The Empire Firebases now begin their bombardment. Jezzail Railguns along with a rocket barrage account for another command Stirling (RIP moral immunity, I hardly knew thee). The other rocket unit arcs their barrage over the central ridge-line to hit the Spitfires making off with the objective, scattering the unit and leaving it free for the taking. Crown Artillery returns fire, but only causes minor casualties to the rocket teams.

Meanwhile in the center, the Tristans advance and disgorge the Sappers, who charge into the bikes screening the Laoshan. The Lion Automata open fire at the target of opportunity, but miss completely, unable to deal with the sudden appearance. The Sapper’s combat shovels make short work of the bikers, driving them back into the grinding roller of the Empire’s own Laoshan, a grisly end. 

First blood on the deathroller proved to be from their own troops

The round ends with the Full Strength Spitfires charging the Bulnabang, wiping the unit and then falling back away from the Terracotta warriors and towards the objective (Though more aggressive play might have been the better option here, in retrospect). The round ends with the Empire leading 11 to 5, their efforts to take out my command paying off.

End of Round 1

Round 2

Reserves arrived, both the Horse Guard and Fanguns succeeding on their Flank Attack. The Horse Guard readied a charge against the bottom firebase of Jezzails and Rocket Teams, while the Fanguns came for my artillery. 

 

 

The Laoshan rumbled forward into the Sappers, reaping a heavy toll but taking some damage from the survivors. The lighter guns also swat the nearby Spitfires. But to its rear, the Horse Guard dressed their lines and prepared a glorious charge into the Empire Rocket and Jezzail Firebase. Striking from the rear, they thundered into the infantry, only to stumble on the slopes. The combined defense breaks their charge and drives them back in ignominious defeat. But seeing the failure of their brethren, the Dragoons advance and unleash heavy fire on the Rocket Teams, breaking the unit.

On the other flank, the Fanguns had found their target. A heavy volley goes out, destroying the majority of the artillery battery outright and suppressing the remaining gun. But gathering their courage, the last Bors fires on the remaining Jezzails on the southern hill, finally clearing the firebase. The Terracotta Automata also stride forward, crashing into the remaining Command Platoon and wiping them from the field.

In the center the struggle for the objective continues, and the name of the game was blocking the advance of the Empire forces. Spitfires move out to block the approaches of the Lions and Laoshan, knowing they will give their lives to buy time for their Comrades to escape. The Tristans went to block off the Command Platoon, driving them back with their flamers. And finally, the Monarch speaks, doing heavy damage to the Laoshan and the remaining Rocket Team.

Forth go our heroes

Empire still leads, 16 to 9, but the Crown forces have a hold on the objective, fragile as it may be.

Round 3

Start of Round 3, after the Monarch's activation

The Crown finally managed to win the initiative, the Monarch immediately shelling the Laoshan. Explosions ripple across the command deck before setting off the magazine deeper in the structure, shrapnel taking out most of the Spitfires blocking its advance before it came to a permanent stop. The secondary batteries also rained fire down on the command platoon, which combined with the supporting fires from the Dragoons to wipe the unit. 

Behemoth down!

On the northern flank the Fanguns roll forward and take out the last Bors, while the Terracotta Warriors charge towards the Monarch. With mechanical precision they chop at the behemoth, leaving it battered but still somewhat functional. On the southern flank, the Lion Automata charge into the Dragoons but are driven back after an inconclusive exchange.

Was that really necessary?

But the true fury of the Empire is reserved for the troops securing the objective in the center, as soldiers fall to rockets, bullets, and academical bombardment. Still, some survive to fight back, and claim the objective.

The Empire’s lead has narrowed considerably, 28 to 27, and the objective is now in Crown hands. Will our brave Spitfires escape?

Round 4

Start of Round 4

Seizing the Initiative, the Spitfires light their engines and escape, taking cover in the southern woods. Hopefully safe from Empire forces, or so they think. The Fanguns attempt to put on a burst of speed to chase them down, but are fouled by the snow. However, the Lions are not so hampered and rush around to spot for the remaining Launcher, which proceeds to lay down a withering barrage on the Spitfires cowering in the woods. Almost all of them fall, but the battered remnants hold firm.

Meanwhile the Terracotta Automata are not idle and again tear into the Monarch. This proves too much for the venerable behemoth, and it goes up in a great conflagration, taking the remaining sappers with it. The remaining crown forces reposition, the Tristan preparing to block the way of the Fanguns and Terracotta, while the Dragoons prepare to engage the Lions.

While the Empire’s lead has opened again, 39 to 27, the objective is still in Crown hands.

Round 5

Start of Round 5

Seeing the array of anti-personnel fire pointed at them, the Spitfires decide that discretion is the better part of valor and scurry into the waiting Stirlings. The Lions can only watch impotently as the transports speed off, having been preparing to charge into the woods. Light alchemical bombardment follows them, causing minor damage to a Stirling.

Time to pull a runner

But the Empire General had worked out a cunning plan. Clearing the path for his tanks with the Automata through the last remaining Tristan, the Fanguns open fire at the very limits of their range, hitting the Stirlings in the flank and destroying them. The objective falls unremarked into no-man’s land, but the Empire forces have cleared enough Crown forces from the field for victory, 48 to 25.

Summary

What a game. It was literally anyone’s game until the 2nd to last activation. I’m happy with my general plan (go for the objective and delay the Empire forces) but the execution particularly in the endgame was not optimal. Kudos to my opponent for figuring out how to win there and making it happen. Find the Lady devolved into the midtable brawl as I expected, but the back and forth for control was lots of fun. I’m somewhat unsure if Automata can grab the objective in this mission; we played it as yes but it didn’t come up though the threat of it did shape my plays.

Lessons Learned

Earlier mistakes include not finishing off the last launcher, being a bit too focused shooting already activated units, and possibly the deployment on the Dragoons. I’m happy with how the Monarch performed, though high rolls on the part of the Automata meant it died a turn earlier than it should have. Counter-battery fire worked, and I had targets for all of its other attacks, albeit activated ones T1. The Assault Dragoons are probably the best midtable brawlers Crown has, tougher than regular infantry and with a good melee profile to defend themselves if charged (They were usually shooting since their threat range there is a lot better).

The Horse Guard, discounting their awful roll on the initial charge, proved very inflexible. Only having a melee profile means that if your opponent gets outside your front arc, you can’t do anything for a turn, and even if you do it often ends up suboptimal, like having to charge the lions twice. I think next time I’ll try to have a secondary target lined up for them behind the unit I’m planning to wipe, or possibly deploy normally with them.Lions also had this problem to some degree, but their anti-light profile ameliorated the issue. Melee looks to be powerful but requires setup and planning ahead, as well as being open to counterplay (arc dodging).

Keeping enemy units back with sacrificial roadblocks like empty transports and basic infantry units proved reasonably successful, but did give up a decent amount of victory points. I think it’s something you shouldn’t be afraid to do, but this list went a little too heavily on. On a similar vein, I’m going to have to play my Command Stirlings more defensively than I do Union Ironhides. Slower speed and no bail out means they’re worse at the kind of plays I usually pull. Still, they’ll be a valuable tool. I’m probably also going to leave one infantry command unit hidden somewhere way in the back to keep the moral immunity ability, it’s very useful especially for late game break tests.

On the Empire side, the Laoshan in the center worked well, though it’s somewhat light on anti-infantry weapons when not in range to charge. I think a second push threat would have helped, such as an automata unit where the infantry command was deployed. They could have pushed through my Tristans and allowed his infantry command better access to the objective. Rocket Fireteams were great as flexible damage dealers, though maybe spending a turn deploying shields could be worth it to make them even more annoying to shift.

Reserves once again proved a very useful tool for dealing with artillery. I’m going to have to think on how to screen or deal with that. A gamey solution if you have initiative would probably be a strong melee unit and a basic infantry unit in reserves, with the basic infantry deploying to block the withdraw of the target. I’ll have to see.

 

My List

Closing

Thanks for reading, I hope I got across how fun this game ended up being. If you’re interested in discussing the game, the warcradle discord is pretty active.