'Ard Boyz, Soft Stomach

Hello again, internets. Let me take this chance to assure that I am not dead, contrary to popular apathy. I would also like to assure you that getting strep throat and a secondary infection together, while it may seem awesome, is actually not all that much fun at all. Resist the temptation.

But enough of all that! 'Ard Boyz scenarios are up, and that means it's time to start churning those brain-gears and figuring out last-minute changes. Of particular note is that the Semifinals are more objective-focused than the Prelims were; two of the three scenarios are dependent on objectives alone, and the third one has secondary objectives. Also of note is all of the deployment types making an appearance and Night Fighting showing up as well. However, all the games are fixed turn length again (at six), so no changes there.

Scenario #1 is relatively simple- three objectives, all of them in neutral territory. The wacky trick is that there's Night Fighting on the two neutral board quarters (but not the 12" bubble in the center), so in all likelihood it's going to start out tough for shooting armies. Starting turn 2 there's a 50/50 chance it goes away, but I think we all know how that tends to go when you're actually playing the game. Pretty basic stuff for the extra battle points as well, although bizarrely it wants you to have a scoring unit in the opponent's deployment zone, which only really seems feasible if you have ridonkulous numbers of them (Guard) or can string them out so as to claim an objective as well (Orks). Seems like an okay mission overall, if possibly a bit unkind to shooting armies.

Scenario #2 has... randomly placed objectives? And the one nearest the center counts as two? Setup is just pitched battle. Interestingly, "ties" go to whoever had more KP (if they take it by four or more), so it's much less likely to see them here. Extra battle points for killing scoring units and getting out of yours and into your opponents deployment; awkward, given the objectives. Also, a bonus point for... holding all the objectives. Cute.

Scenario #3 is straight-up kill points, deploying via Dawn of War and with a "bonus" short table edge to approach from. Hrm. Extra battle points for controlling the objectives (Capture/Control style), killing troops, and killing the biggest guy. The crazy-huge spread of deployment seems like it will screw with a lot of people, especially a static gunline of any kind.

So overall, there's no retarded game-breaker as there was in the Prelims. Wipeouts being a major victory, rather than a massacre, is also good. Focus on objectives is good as well. Mission #3 sticks out a bit as a little bit of a "crazy bullshit" thing with the free outflank, but it's not too terrible, so I think overall I'm a lot happier with these missions in many ways. These feel much more like a set of 5th Ed missions with some adaptations to mix things up (which you may like or dislike, depending on how you feel about that sort of thing) rather than "let's play a totally different kind of game, everybody!" that the Prelims featured.

Of course, now I have to try and find a way to cram Hardwired Blacksun Filters into my list. :P

Shas'el, 2 Bodyguards (MP, PR, MT, 1 guard w/HWDC + GD)
3 Crisis (MP, PR, MT, TL w/HWDC + GD)
3 Crisis (MP, PR, MT, TL w/HWDC + GD)
3 Crisis (MP, PR, MT, TL w/HWDC + GD)
6 Fire Warriors
6 Fire Warriors
6 Fire Warriors
10 Kroot + 4 Hounds
10 Kroot + 3 Hounds
8 Pathfinders + Devilfish (DP)
8 Pathfinders + Devilfish (DP)
2 Piranhas (1 Fusion, 1 TA, 1 DP)
3 Broadsides (ASS, TL w/HWDC, GD, SD)
3 Broadsides (ASS, TL w/HWDC, GD, SD)
3 Broadsides (ASS, TL w/HWDC, GD)