The Final Round of the Tournament The final day of GenCon saw the conclusion of the Storyline Tournament. The finalists were a Corrupt Scorpion army played by James Wilkinson (the storyline winner from last year's GenCon tournament) versus a Shadowlands army played by Matt Lewitzky, whose admission to GenCon was paid by James! Both players were local to Milwaukee, and played each other often in tournaments there. James won the toss of the coin, and now contemplates which side of the table to claim as his deployment zone. In the end he picked the most convenient one (the one right in front of him!). The Scenario The table for the final battle was a beautiful custom-made terrain set for this scenario. The table was made by Dylan Gould, an AEG Bounty Hunter, and looked terrific! The valley floor was lightly wooded, and there were 3 objectives set up diagonally across the floor of the valley. The objective on each player's left was the closest, and the one on their right the farthest away. The site of this battle was a jade mine located in a small valley in the Worlds' Edge Mountains. The mine was thought played out, but rumors of jade had reached some unseemly ears. Now two armies race to be the first to claim the valley for their own nefarious purposes. The valley had three entrances to the mine one in the center and one near either wall. If either player controlled one of the mine entrances, it would earn him VP depending on which mine it was. The nearest mine was worth 1 VP, the middle 2VP, and the fartherst 3 VP. Control of the mine was defined as being the last model to touch it without an enemy model touching the objective as well.Specifically, the unit had to touch the area in front of the actual entrance to the mine. If at any later point an enemy model gained control of the mine, the player would lose their VP, and the opponent would gain an appropriate number of VP. The walls of the canyon were declared Impassible Terrain, so the battle would be fought on the valley floor. The Army Placements The Scorpion Battle Lines were drawn up as follows: The Ogre Bushi was being protected by the Shadow Assassins, so that the enemy could not destroy him at range. The Ninja Bowmen were in the Scorpion center, with the House Guard and a unit of Elite Spearmen behind them. The second set of Straw Targets (not pictured) were set up on the left flank (just along the valley wall) to make a run for the nearest objective. The Elite Spearmen on the Scorpion's right flank would have a long march to reach the far Objective. You can see a copy of the Scorpion roster here. The Shadowlands Battle Lines: The Shadowlands army used a classis Flank-denail formation, setting up the bulk of his army on his left flank. Only Oni no Tsuburu was left to vie for the farthest objective. The Corrupt Fire Dragon and the Oni no Sanru Lord were both capable of flight, giving them good command of the Shadowland's left flank. The Ogre Bushi and Oni no Akuma would have to contest the central objective with the Scorpion army. You can see a copy of the Shadowlands roster here. The Battle Note that in all descriptions of movement, when something is described to be to the right or left with regards to a particular unit, then the right or left is the bearing for the Player commanding the troops, not for the actual model itself. Likewise any description of the distance of an objective is based on the acting player's point of view (so the mine entrance closest to the Shadowlands player would be the closest objective to him, while the mine entrance on the far side of the board would be the farthest objective. Throught the whole battle, Bayushi Kachiko kept a sharp eye on the tactical hand of the Shadowlands, and Aromoro countered their most powerful strategies as much as possible by forcing the discard of tactical cards. Turn 1 Scorpion forces advance to the right of the center mine, under cover of smoke. Elite Spearmen headed left of the center objective in column and under the influence of Wind Born Speed. The Elite Spearmen on the right were likewise imbued with the speed of the wind, moving along the valley wall on the far right flank. The Scorpion House Guard advanced up the middle in column as well. Oni no Tsuburu moved around the far side of the forest in front of him, and then headed for the spearmen, ignoring the far objective. The other Shadowlands forces began to make their way around the forest before them. The end of turn one is pictured here. Turn 2 The situation at the start of the Primary movement phase is shown here. Note that the Shadow Assassins left the Ninja Bowmen a clear LOS to the approaching enemy. Both forces continue their advance. The Spearmen in the center of the Scorpion forces move out of column to face the oncoming Oni no Tsuburu. The Sanru Lord took flight, headed toward the Shadow Assassins. Akuma moved toward the gap between the forest on the left and the central objective, with the Bushi coming up behind. The Fire Dragon hugged the woods, trying to stay in cover while advancing as best he could. The Elite Spears on the Scorpion center moved into the gap left of the central objective, toward the advancing Oni no Tsuburu. Turn 3 Oni no Tsuburu angled left across the front of the forest, trying to avoid the Bayushi Elite Spearmen, who went into Archer Row in anticipation. The Oni no Sanru Lord headed in the general direction of the Shadow Assassins. As the Fire Dragon had now cleared the far side of the forest on the right, he was shot by the Ninja Archers, taking a single wound. As Oni no Tsuburu attempt to move across their view, the Bayushi Elite Spearmen did 3 wounds to the Oni, requiring a Morale test, which the Oni passed. The picture on the right is just after the Spearmen fired. The Fire Dragon cast Fury of the Elements on the straw targets, doing 14 dice of damage. All but the last peasant was killed but he passed his Morale test with a 10! During reserve, the Bushi moved in behind Akuma, and the final peasant elected to stand where he was. The Straw Targets on the far left gained control of the nearest objective (1 VP for scorpion). The spearmen on the Scorpion's right advanced again, and then went into Archers Row. The last peasant from the Straw Target unit elected to move behind the forest on the Scorpion right, denying the Shadowlands a VP for the unit as long as he stayed alive. The position at the end of the turn is pictured at left.. Turn 4 Night Fighting was lost to the Shadowlands thanks to the cunning of Bayushi Aromoro. The Fire Dragon uses Path to Inner Peace on himself to remove his wound. The smoke continued to screen the Ogre working for the Scorpion, their protection proving their taint for all to see! The Elite Spears reactionary fire as Tsuburu attempts to move out of range, but do no damage. The dragon advanced almost to the smoke line. The Shadow Assassins retreated to the nearby forest, clearing a path for the Bushi. The Sanru Lord flew through the smoke on the way toward the Ninja Archers. Tsuburu continued toward the center of his side, staying a good distance away from the central objective. The Fire Dragon advanced, and was met with reactionary fire from the Ninja Bowmen (1 wound). Just after that, the Sanru lord did a dive on the archers, although he was still choking on the smoke. The Elite Spearmen on the right flank refused to come out of Archer's Row. The Fire Dragon breathed on the House Guard, doing 2 wounds. Even though he did no wounds to them, the fearful visage of the Sanru Lord they were engaged with broke the nerve of the ninja (Fear 2, two previous tests). The Elite Spearmen on the Scorpion's right flank continued to refuse to leave Archers row during Reserve movement. Turn 5 The Elite Spearmen on the left swung around the rock of the central objective, then returned to Archers Row. The Ogre Bushi contested the central mine, if only temporarily, with the Bayushi House Guard. The Scorpion Ogre moved into the smoke left by the Shadow Assassins, and under the path of the flying dragon. The rightmost spearmen finally come out of Archers Row, and begin to swing toward the center of the field. The shadow Assassins moved out of the woods again, now that the danger of the Dragon and Sanru have flown past. The Dragon flew towards the Scorpion House Guard, and Oni no Tsuburu moved in behind the Shadowlands Ogre to support him. The Straw Targets on the Scorpion Left, moved off their objective, and toward the center of the field. During Reserves, the Spear on the right flank advance forward. The Ninja Bowmen rallied. Turn 6 The Fire Dragon cast Path to Inner Peace on Oni no Tsuburu, removing his wounds. Smoke pots flew, affecting the Fire Dragon and the Sanru Lord. The Sanru Lord engaged the Bushi behind him, who broke in the face of so fearfull a foe. The Shadowlands Ogre charged the Scorpion House Guard, and they performed a Retreat in Good Order, leaving the beast unformed and possibly broken. That maneuver left the Shadowlands in sole control of the central mine, however (2 VP). The Fire Dragon flew forward, and the Ninja Bowmen shot the Dragon for a wound (1, since he had healed the previous wound). Akuma engaged the Shadowslayers. The Dragon engaged the Ninja Bowmen in the Cavalry phase, but they managed to make their Morale test. The Scorpion Ogre died to the Sanru Lord, who spitted him upon his spear. The Shadowslayers routed in the face of Oni no Akuma, and the Ninja Bowmen broke in the face of the Corrupt Dragon's attack. James seemed unable to make one Morale test this round! Turn 7 The Elite Spear on the Scorpion's right go into Archers Row facing toward the Sanru Lord. The House Guard turns around, but for some reason they refuse to engage the Fire Dragon in its flank. The Ninja Bowmen rout off the table. Oni no Tsuburu moves around the confused Ogre, who seems unable to gather himself to return to the fight. The Fire Dragon sought fresh victims in the Bayushi House Guard standing along his flank. The Elite Spearmen came out of Archers Row, did an about face, and then returned to Archers Row once more. The Sanry Lord begins moving toward the Spearmen on the Scorpion right, since the ninja are all fleeing the field. The House Guard took 7 wounds from the Fire Dragon, but stood their ground. The Fire Dragon takes little damage in return. Turn 8 Tsuburu charged the Bayushi House Guard, under a hail of reactionary spears which caused him 2 wounds. The Oni no Sanru Lord flew just to the right of the Elite Spears. Oni no Akuma turned back to attach the last set of Straw Targets, who were swinging around the far side of the central objective. The Shadowlands Ogre turned to defend the objective from the Targets as well. The Shadowlands Ogre manages to reform at last! In the Close Combat phase, the Scorpion House Guard took 4 wounds, and one model was swallowed whole. The Dragon took 1 wound, and so did Oni no Tsuburu. Tsuburu used Void to recover the wound, as did the Fire dragon. Turn 9 Kachiko challenged Tsuburu to a duel, and did 2 wounds to him! Tsuburu then used the last of his Void to heal one of those wounds. The Sanru Lord turned toward the Scorpion spearmen, who moved out of Archers Row as they watch him decending upon them, then turned to face him and returned to Archers row, even in the teeth of a Loss of Face. The Spearmen react as the Sanru Lord dives in to attack, but only do a single wound. In the Close Combat phase, all the House Guard remaining die along with their Lady Kachiko in the combined onslaught of the Oni and the Dragon - Aromoro survives but takes 2 wounds himself. The Sanru Lord killed 6 spearmen, but they managed to make the ML test. Since the entire unit of House Guard was slain except for their comander, Oni no Tsuburu suddenly found himself without an opponent, and exposed to the Scorpion Spearmen! Turn 10 Oni no Tsuburu was healed of 2 wounds by the Fire Dragon, leaving 1 wound outstanding. As Tsuburu moved to engage Aromoro's flank, the Elite Spear reacted with 4 wounds, killing the Oni. The Elite Spear facing the Sanru Lord could not come out of archers row, but did avoid becoming unformed. The Targets retreated before the advance of Akuma and the Bushi. The Dragon did not swing, and Aromoro failed to wound the dragon. the Elite spears did nothing to the Sanru, taking 6 wounds in return -- leaving one figure left which broke. Aromoro broke in the face of fighting the Dragon by himself. The Scorpion conceded at this point. Aftermath You can read about the aftermath of the story line win here.