Report by Black Flame Zealot (Chris Tulach)
8th April 2004
Hello all.
Well, we had a crazy minis extravaganza weekend up here in Milwaukee, WI. I organized two minis tourneys - on Friday night, we had a 200 point Archfiends sealed Quick Strike tourney, followed by the all-day premiere event - the Archfiends Release tournament (200 point constructed Quick Strike).
Both tournaments were held at Virtual Magic Games / BFG Paintball Park (largest indoor paintball field in the Midwest), just north of Milwaukee in Germantown, WI. This is our normal locale, and we've always had a nice turnout - the previous three tourneys all had 12 participants.
Friday
Friday night, I was surprised by number of players (they just kept coming ...) - we wound up with 16! Many of them had purchased very little or no Archfiends, so it was great fun to see them "test drive" some of the new minis. Each entrant paid $30 for 2 expansion packs of Archfiends, and either one Harbinger entry pack (for new players that didn't have one already) or two Dragoneye packs.
Our tourney start time was 6 pm, but it wound up being more like 6:15. Everyone ripped open their boxes, and began warband construction. They had 45 minutes to build a warband using standard sealed rules with the 32 miniature bounty they had just pulled.
After construction time was over, they proceeded to play four Swiss rounds of Quick Strike (since time was important, we opted out of playing elimination to determine the winner). At the end of it all, the top four armies are as follows:
#1 - Odd Couples (played by Jason Bulmahn)
As a note, Jason has yet to lose a minis game in tournament play in Wisconsin (16 games in a row). He's ranked number 1 in limited play globally, and people are beginning to get scared of him. - Dwarven Defender
- Evermeet Wizard
- Urthok the Vicious
- Human Dragonslayer
- Medium Water Elemental
- Orc Raider
- Soldier of Cormyr
- Elf Spearguard
- Abyssal Maw
- Goblin Skirmisher
- Hobgoblin Warrior
Tiles: Mushroom Tangle, Treasure Room, Shrine, Rubble Assembly
#2 - My Bad Luck with Archfiends Continues (played by Brayden Glad)
Brayden has always been a top-four contender, and he won the constructed tourney we had a month and a half ago.
- Urthok the Vicious
- Thayan Knight
- Dwarven Defender
- Human Dragonslayer
- Dread Guard
- Dark Moon Monk
- Cleric of Moradin
- Abyssal Maw
Tiles: Statue Room, Treasure Room, Corridor, Statue Assembly
#3 - The Coven (played by Dale Gaus)
This was Dale's second tourney, and he's been very competitive. He also had an awesome pull in sealed, and his knowledge of terrian tile setup allowed him to obliterate two of his opponents while they were still in the assembly area.
- Red Wizard
- Halfling Wizard
- Clay Golem
- Drow Wizard
- Cultist of the Dragon (he also drew an Abyssal Maw to summon)
- Warrior Skeleton
Tiles: Corridor, Abattoir, Shrine, Rubble Assembly
#4 - Shake Hands with Beef (played by Jesse Kindwall)
Jesse's first tourney (he went with the Harbinger entry pack), and a really strong showing.
- Cleric of Order
- Githyanki Fighter x2
- Aspect of Orcus
- Greycloak Ranger (drew a Wolf)
Tiles: Treasure Room, Shrine of Slaughter, Statue Room, Rubble Assembly
The tourney concluded in round 4, with the two undefeated players (Brayden and Jason) playing off to determine the winner. In a close match, Jason came out on top.
At just before midnight, the tournament concluded, and the players retired only to come back tomorrow ...
Saturday
The next day came and tourney start time was 11 am. Although we had a few depatures from the day before (both Jason and Dale were not present), we ended with a net gain of 2, for a total of 18 players!
I was very happy to see the good-numbered turnout, for 2 reasons:
1. It was really nice to have a sizable release tourney.
2. It gave a good "litmus test" for future constructed 200 point games, with a variety of armies and play strategies.
Everyone who showed up received 2 sheets of the really sweet damage/effects counters (they have almost everything), and an alternate paint Zhentarim Fighter (which is the best repaint since the Stalwart Paladin). Of course, the glass trophies for first and second place were also a treat, as well as the nice prize support. Thanks again to the RPGA and WotC for the wonderful swag!
We ordered out for subs, since I knew the tourney was going to be an all-day affair. 18 people meant 5 Swiss rounds, followed by an eight-person elimination tournament. There was a lot of parity, and approximately 40% of the matches had to be called on time, and points. (At the sealed tourney the night before, well over half had to be called on time, and two tied on points and came down to closest mini to the center!)
After 5 rounds, Brian Nowak was undefeated; Brayden Glad and Sam Hilgendorf each were 4-1. Since I know that people really like to keep an eye on the constructed scene, below I've posted all the warbands, and their rankings going into the elimination tourney.
#1 - Drizzt's Raiders (played by Brian Nowak), CG, 5-0
- Drizzt
- Cleric of Corellon Larethian
- Halfling Wizard
- Ember, Human Monk
- Greycloak Ranger x3
- Devis, Half Elf Bard
Tiles: Shrine, Mushroom Tangle, Abattoir, Rubble Assembly
#2 - The Warband with an Incoherent Name (played by Brayden Glad), CE, 4-1
- Tiefling Captain
- Aspect of Lolth
- Ogre Ravager
- Red Samurai
- Abyssal Maw x3
- Orc Warrior x2
- Orc Spearfighter
Tiles: Treasure Room, Corridor, Statue Room, Statue Assembly
#3 - Hit or Miss (played by Sam Hilgendorf), CE, 4-1
- Cleric of Gruumsh
- Drow Wizard
- Githyanki Fighter x2
- Ogre Ravager x2
- Orc Warrior
Tiles: Mushroom Tangle, Shrine, Treasure Room, Rubble Assembly
#4 - Dwarves and Dragons (played by Todd Ammerman), LG, 3-2
- Purple Dragon Knight
- Cleric of Lathander
- Gold Champion x2
- Cleric of Moradin
- Dwarf Axefighter
Tiles: Corridor, Abattoir, Statue Room, Statue Assembly
#5 - BLOOOD!! (played by Ben Harris), CE, 3-2
- Eye of Gruumsh x2
- Orc Champion x2
- Orc Raider x2
- Orc Spearfighter x2
Tiles: Shrine of Slaughter, Abattoir, Corridor, Rubble Assembly
#6 - Beginner's Luck (played by Josh Molter), CG, 3-2
- Champion of Eilistraee
- Clay Golem
- Halfling Ranger x3
- Halfling Wizard
- Jozan, Cleric of Pelor
- Lidda, Halfling Rogue
Tiles: Abattoir, Rubble Room, Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Assembly
#7 - Bob (played by Michelle Palmer), CG, 3-2
- Copper Samurai x2
- Elf Pyromancer
- Halfling Outrider
- Drunken Master
- Nebin, Gnome Illusionist
- Daring Rogue x2
- Devis, Half-elf Bard
- Gnome Recruit
Tiles: Shrine, Shrine of Justice, Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Assembly
#8 - D&D Minis Rule (played by Greg Marks), CE, 3-2
- Drow Cleric of Lolth
- Eye of Gruumsh
- Orc Champion
- Orc Druid
- Orc Raider x4
Tiles: Shrine of Justice, Abattoir, Shrine, Rubble Assembly
#9 (so close!) - Talking Monkeys (played by Marie Delgado), CE, 3-2
- Drow Wizard
- Aspect of Demogorgon
- Ogre Ravager
- Ogre
- Drow Archer
- Abyssal Maw
Tiles: Shrine of Slaughter, Shrine of Justice, Abattoir, Rubble Assembly
#10 - Aristocracy Overdrive (played by Rick Brown), CE, 2-3
- Vampire Aristocrat
- Drow Wizard
- Orc Champion x2
- Abyssal Maw x7
Tiles: Shrine, Shrine of Slaughter, Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Assembly
#11 - Southbound Pachyderm (played by Jesse Kindwall), CE, 2-3
- Tiefling Captain
- Aspect of Orcus
- Githyanki Fighter x2
- Cursed Spirit
- Abyssal Maw
Tiles: Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Room, Shrine of Slaughter, Rubble Assembly
#12 - We Are Chaotic (played by Chris [Garth] Dodd), CE, 2-3
- Eye of Gruumsh
- Drow Wizard
- Large Red Dragon
- Red Samurai
- Hyena
Tiles: Mushroom Tangle, Shrine, Abattoir, Statue Assembly
#13 - Crimson Tide (played by Tim Bailey), LE, 2-3
- Red Wizard
- Mind Flayer
- Cultist of the Dragon x2
- Dread Guard x2
- Medium Water Elemental
- Warrior Skeleton
Tiles: Rubble Room, Mushroom Tangle, Abattoir, Rubble Assembly
#14 - When Good Orcs Go Bad (played by Joe Frohne), CE, 2-3
- Eye of Gruumsh
- Cleric of Gruumsh
- Orc Druid
- Orc Champion
- Orc Raider x5
- Orc Warrior x3
Tiles: Corridor, Mushroom Tangle, Treasure Room, Statue Assembly
#15 - Against the Giants (played by Alex Kiedrowicz), LG, 2-3
- Purple Dragon Knight
- Dwarven Defender
- Hound Archon x2
- Cleric of Moradin
- Dwarf Axefighter
Tiles: Shrine of Justice, Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Room, Rubble Assembly
#16 - Ravagers (played by Steve Schauer), CE, 1-4
- Vampire Aristocrat
- Tiefling Captain
- Ogre Ravager
- Githyanki Fighter x2
- Orc Raider
Tiles: Abattoir, Shrine, Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Assembly
#17 - Power, Not Finesse (played by Jeff Nagel), CE, 1-4
- Drow Cleric of Lolth
- Tiefling Captain
- Hill Giant x2
- Troll
Tiles: Corridor, Shrine, Shrine of Justice, Rubble Assembly
#18 (there's always one, unfortunately) - Justice (played by Teo Delgado), LG, 0-5
- Paladin of Torm
- Cleric of Lathander
- Purple Dragon Knight
- Hound Archon
- Cleric of Moradin
- Medium Earth Elemental
- Healer
- Dalelands Militia
Tiles: Shrine of Slaughter, Shrine, Mushroom Tangle, Rubble Assembly
At about 5 pm, the Swiss rounds were done. We took a 20 minute break while I resolved tie-breakers to determine placement, and which of the 3-2 records would go on to the quarterfinals. After finishing the calculations, Marie just missed out on placing in the top 8; all the others with records of 3-2 or better were then matched off in the first round of the elimination tourney.
#1 (Drizzt's Raiders) vs. #8 (D&D Minis Rule)
Brian, having swept the Swiss rounds, was quite the favorite to win the tourney. Greg, who has always been a strong competitor, finishing in the top 4 many times, had squeaked in at 8th place. In what was clearly the upset of the whole tourney, Greg beat Brian to move on to the semifinals. D&D Minis Rule advances.
#2 (The Warband with an Incoherent Name) vs. #7 (Bob)
Michelle, having played well throughout the tourney, was a relative newcomer; Brayden, a tourney veteran, defeated her soundly. The Warband with an Incoherent Name advances.
#3 (Hit or Miss) vs. #6 (Beginner's Luck)
Sam had the experience, but Josh had both luck and a solid CG army. Once again, another upset, with Josh beating Sam. Beginner's Luck advances.
#4 (Dwarves and Dragons) vs. #5 (BLOOOD!!)
In their previous meeting during the Swiss rounds, Ben's army demolished Todd's LG force; Todd only managed to take out a single Orc Raider before falling. This time, the tables were completely turned, as Todd obliterated Ben's army, while sustaining no losses of his own. Dwarves and Dragons advances.
So, the semifinals began, with seeds 1 and 3 both out. At this point, Brayden was definitely the one to beat.
#8 (D&D Minis Rule) vs. #6 (Beginner's Luck)
Greg attempted a serious gamble during the game to kill Josh's commanders, and it almost paid off. However, Josh managed to hold on to move forward to the final round! Beginner's Luck advances.
#4 (Dwarves and Dragons) vs. #2 (The Warband with an Incoherent Name)
Brayden's CE army seemed to be built to take down this warband, but Todd played excellently against it, and luck was on his side for much of the match. In what was the closest match of the tourney, Todd was up by 4 points when time was called. The players had final activations to make, and on the very last one, Brayden charged the Purple Dragon Knight with his Tiefling Captain and dealt the killing blow to win the game! The Warband with an Incoherent Name advances.
Final Round
#6 (Beginner's Luck) vs. #2 (The Warband with an Incoherent Name)
Josh was definitely at an experience disadvantage here; Brayden had placed in the top four of the last three tournaments, and this was Josh's first go-around. However, the Clay Golem proved to be too much, and Josh defeated Brayden to take home the trophy and the title of Archfiends Release Champion!
So, the final standings were:
#1 Beginner's Luck, CG, 6-2
#2 The Warband with an Incoherent Name, CE, 6-2
#3 Dwarves and Dragons, LG, 4-3
#4 D&D Minis Rule, CE, 4-3
#5 Drizzt's Raiders, CG, 5-1
#6 Hit or Miss, CE, 4-2
#7 BLOOOD!!, CE, 3-3
#8 Bob, CG, 3-3
The tourney rounds concluded at about 8:30 pm, making for a very long, but fun, day.
A few observations I made while judging the event:
1. The Clay Golem is a powerhouse. With the advent of spellcaster-heavy warbands, and his construct nature, the Clay Golem is certainly a force in a CG army ... in CE, he's effective, but not nearly as much.
2. CE is not the dominant faction any longer. When Dragoneye was released, Maw-based and Ravager-based armies ruled the roost (at the last constructed tourney I had in February, three of the top 5 warbands were Maw-based; one had both Maws and a Ravager); not so any longer. Out of 18 players, 11 played CE (well over half). Only 4 of those armies made it into the top 8; all of those were run by tournament veterans.
3. CG is better than ever. The lower-priced ranged attackers, good spellcasting, and the addition of the Clay Golem shows that CG is certainly going to be a tough opponent. We only had 3 people play CG, but all 3 (including 2 new tourney players) finished in the top 8.
4. AC is becoming less important in 200-pt. games. The high attack values of several pieces make any AC below 20 a joke, and even the low 20's are nothing to worry about. The Orc Champion was often chosen over the Ogre Ravager for this reason alone.
5. The games are taking slightly longer, but not too long. While a number of games had to be called on time, and points counted, most were already heavily leaning one way or another. Constructed games tend to take less time; in sealed or draft formats, the inefficient builds tend to stretch the time, and in our Friday night tourney, two tied games on points had to be decided by closest mini to the center (first time for that!).
6. LE seems to be lagging ... People just don't seem to be hyped to play LE as much as they used to. The Aspect of Bane (which I have tried out) seems a bit overcosted (doesn't do enough damage); other minis like the Bone Devil, Snig, and the Dread Guard are fine, but the Red Wizard's commander effect and warband ability (which you want to take advantage of) can seem like some of your warband building options are predetermined. The Gauth is an exceptional piece, but speed warbands (particularly in CE and CG) are being built to counter their (and other spellcasters') effectiveness.
7. 200 points means versitility. Most people building 200 point warbands are looking at speed, melee, ranged, AC, and spellcasting as the focus points, and picking about 3 of those areas to build an army around. An all-AC army frequently won many games in 100 point play, but now is unappealing. Ranged and spellcasting have improved to the point that most serious warbands develop ways to deal with them. A lot of spellcasting or ranged warbands commonly choose one or two "tank" minis to give them melee power, and sometimes medium-strength melee to help guard the casters.
Favorite Archfiends minis I've seen in play:
- Clay Golem - a big construct beat stick that's immune to magic; awesome
- Githyanki Fighter - a pair of these bad boys will cause havoc in the opponent's backfield
- Cleric of Lathander - a decent commander in his own right, his auto-cure with rally is really nice
- Orc Raider - this guy is definitely an MVP for many of the armies below; he's sort of the 200 point Abyssal Maw
- Halfling Ranger - the scout ability and this mini's stoutness really impressed me
I was not impressed by the Hill Giant. His attack bonus is just too low, although he is a great intimidator piece on the battefield.
Well, so there you have it - my tourney report for our long weekend of minis goodness. I'm certain that several of the players who lurk these boards will provide their own insights into their individual games; I wish I could've been more detailed, but bouncing back and forth making rules calls takes you away from watching much of the action.
Oh, and if you're in the Milwaukee area on Sunday, May 9th, drop me an email and I'll send you directions to Virtual Magic Games; we're running a 200 point Constructed Triad format game. On Sunday, May 23, we'll have the big show - the D&D Minis Championship Qualifier! Hope to see some new faces there!