Argatoria: Sorgax vs Arox 750pts game

Report & Strory: Jarek Westermark & Tetyana Orlovska & Jakub Polkowski

Story

Omecíhuatl was sitting motionless on the cold stone floor with his legs crossed. He was watching as the drops of water were flowing down the cave walls. The hall was hidden in the viscera of the mountain and the wall he was looking at was reaching the mountaintop on which was a frozen lake. The drops were coming straight from the sacred lake to the hatching chambers below his current location. His eyes were following each water drop and by this, he was looking for the patterns and hidden messages from the Gods. He heard whispers, unfinished words and puzzles. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily. He gasped and his heart started to beat rapidly when the afterimages shaped into understanding.

He rose rapidly and his knees reminded him of his age with stabbing pain.

He didn’t care. There was no time. He rushed through the gates where Tlilpotonqui was waiting for him. His bodyguard was wearing ornate armour and a great hammer. He stood in silence not wanting to disturb the sacred melody of falling water drops but there was an unspoken question in his eyes.

Omecíhuatl tried to catch his breath. He laid his trembling hands on the huge warrior-lizard arms and spoke.

— Muster your legion. Fast. Now. The Warmbloods are coming.

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Armies

Arox

Arox

Howdy, y’all! I can’t say I was really looking for a new system to play, but have had an eye out for Argatoria for a while. The models look ace, the Howardesque vibes are really strong, and the scale promises a chance to paint up a force rather quickly! So when the mighty Kuba of battle-reports.org set up a deal with Spellcrow to get us two armies to exchange blows (and photograph said exchange for posterity!), I jumped on the chance to visit the blighted wastes of this barbarian world.

I got the choice of the army and after a quick look, decided to go with the one with the most frogs per square meter (obviously). That meant the ancient Arox. I painted them up to be albino frogs, as you do, and after a few weeks marched them up to do battle! Little did I know that before meeting Kuba’s barbarians on the field, I would get a chance to play against Tetyana, also known as Lady Argatoria herself! Her colourful lizardfolk looked stunning and very different from my army, which neatly showed how a paint job can completely transform even similar models and give them a whole different vibe.

As for army composition, I went with the rule of cool. That meant frogs. Lots of frogs. Some big, some small, some wielding golden swords and others in golden armour! Add to that a pale dinosaur and a set of heroes chosen to boost the (as I imagined) all-important charge ranges of the army, and I believed I had a fighting chance not to embarrass myself on this first outing.
To war!

Sorgax

Sorgax

So, what was my plan to prove the indisputable might of the Water Temples? Well, it's quite simple. Apart from daily gatherings of my General and his reptilian councelors who were brewing a masterful plan of the Arox's doom, my forces set off on a tough training a few weeks in advance. Sounds promising, doesn't it? If only that was true! The truth is, I had no actual plan. First and foremost, I wasn't sure what to expect from my adversary (of course I knew I'll face the bloody Arox who dare to call themselves almighty). I saw a glimpse of Jarek's beautiful painting of his albino forces somewhere on the internet, and – truth to be told – I thought that if he's such a splendid painter, maybe the battle won't be too tough. You know, having spent so much time refining his warriors... he would be prepared... just like me! So not that much!

With this jolly thought in mind, I went for "a-bit-of-everything" army, but giving up on the hordes and large beasts. My aim was to make it difficult for Jarek to pick an easy target, and for me to have slightly easier choices during the fight. Because if I decided to get a big horde, I would need to be way more careful. A failed charge of a smaller unit is not that painful, wouldn't you agree? In that case, there were just various smaller units sprinkled around the battlefield. I added one rank of the magnificent cavalry, Crushers on Scalyvars. They've got a quite high cost per base (especially for such small points), but I just love these models, plus I'm always down for risky long-distance charges. I hope this time they won't disappoint me, causing some serious trembling of Jarek's pants (no double meaning)!

Now, let's check whether all my brilliant theories prove their worth in the battle.

armies

Pre battle

Scenario:

Domination, 20 Blood Points. First deployment map.

Deployment:

The standard size of the battle in the Argatoria is 90cmx150cm. We played on a bigger mat but used this size for deployment.
Arox had to deploy the whole army and next, it was Sorgax's turn to deploy.

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In Argatoria the terrain in set after the deployment of both the armies. Each player roll a dice - on 1-4 You can deploy a single piece of terrain(or two - dependant of the scenario).
Both armies managed to get one piece of terrain to deploy.

 

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Battle

Turn 1

Roll-off for the initiative was by the Arox. They had to activate 4 units.

The first unit that moved was the Liagulians, who dashed to the side of the battlefield. They were followed by the Golden Guards, Ropuchons and the horde of the Reptilians.





The Sorgax army seemed not to be rushing, as a single activation was made. The Ropuchons made a move to gain some terrain on the right flank.



Arox had 2 activations and a mighty Desauros with Sun Monolith moved forward. Then the Reptilians on the left flank moved as well.




Sorgax once again activated 1 unit - the Reptilians on the left flank spread the battle line.



Arox activated 2 remaining units - the 8 lizard-strong unit of Liagulians aligned to the centre line with the Desauros and horde of Reptilians. The Sanctified moved behind the small unit of Reptilians.




Now it was time to move all remaining Sorgax units.
The Slagors used their underneath move to jump in front of the battle line. The Crushers on Scalyvars dashed forward, close to the buildings and the rest of the units moved slightly forward keeping the deployment formation.






It was a time for the heroes phase. In Argatoria there is a separate roll-off who activates units, and a second one - the winner has to activate all his heros.


The Arox was the first to move its heroes. They moved closer to the units to spread their auras. The Mystic of the Reborn managed to cast the Whispers of the Gods. There were no orders given.



It was Sorgax's turn to move heroes. Champion of Death wanted to join the cavalry unit, but they moved too far away. Champion of the Wrath moved the centre of the battle line. There were no spells to cast or orders to issue.






Arox 0 : 0 Sorgax

Turn 2

With active Whispers of the Gods, winning the Initiative roll was an easy thing for the Arox.

With the single activation, the 4-bases strong unit of Liagulians was moved to block the march of the Sorgax flank.




The Sorgax roll for the activation was 5. The Ropuchons on the right flank moved forward, and the Reptilians on the left flank passed the Scalivars and took position in the middle ground. The second unit of Ropuchons moved to the buildings in the centre.
The 8 lizard-strong unit of Repsolians and Liagulians Warriors stood still.


Arox had 2 activations and the Golden Guard and the Ropuchons moved slightly towards the enemies in front of them.


The remaining three units were activated. Crushers on Scalyvars moved out of the buildings into the open area. The Slagors dashed forward and the Repsolians aligned to the units in the middle of the battleline.


It was time for Arox to move all their units. The Desauros with Sun Monolith moved forward. This allowed the horde of the Reptilians Warriors to declare a charge into the Slagors. They tried to pray but the gods were elsewhere. But thanks to the Mystic of the Reborn aura and Command Group nearby and 6 on 1 dice for a charge distance it was successful. Even more - it was a flank charge and Slagors had to align with the horde.



The amount of attack dice was astonishing.


Even though only 10 of them managed to cause wounds, it was more than enough to kill the Slagors.



The horde consolidated backwards their battle line.


The rest of the Arox rotated and moved to the centre of the battlefield.

It was time for heroes to make a difference.









The Arox won the roll-off and their heroes reacted first.


The heroes moved closer to the units.
Then the Mystic of the Reborn tried to cast a Blizzard on the Crushers on Scalyvars but failed.
The General tried to give an order to the Desauros but the giant beast did not respond!
It was time for Sorgax!


Champions joined the Reptilians Warriors on the left flank, Crushers on Scalyvars and the Ropuchons in the centre.
It was time to give an order and the Crushers on Scalyvars reacted. They lowered their hammers and charged straight into the 8 lizard-strong unit of Liagulians.


They got a healthy 16-attack dice.


Thanks to their special rule they slaughtered the small lizard warriors with ease. They consolidated into the Arox Champion and Mystic of the Reborn but luckily - they both managed to flee to the nearby units!




Only the Sorgax spell caster was not activated in this turn.


He tried to cast the Whispers of the Gods and succeeded! It was the end of turn 2.








Arox 4 : 8 Sorgax

Turn 3

With both armies placed in position to attack it seeded that this might be the crucial turn.


The dice flew and thanks to the Whispers of The Gods it was the Sorgax who had the initiative!


The roll for the activations was better than good! 5 units responded to the call!


The first activated unit was the Ropuchons. They prayed for the Gods and the Fortune was granted to them. Next, they decided to charge into the horde of the Reptilians Warriors.



But the roll for both hit and wound was very bad and only a single base of Arox warriors was removed even though the Big Frogs spit on the enemies.


Then the Champion of Wrath activated his ability that gives +1 to the WS on the second unit of Ropuchons, who made a long charge into the Liagulians on the flank.


Again the roll was not great and only 2 of the small lizards were slayed.


The third unit activated was the Crushers on Scalyvars. They charged into the small unit of the Reptilians Warriors with the Command Group.



The unit simply disappeared under the might of the hammer blows.


The Crushers on Scalyvars consolidated forwards catching the Command Group on the way.


The Liagulians on the right flank prayed to the Gods but their prayers were not heard. Even though they decided to charge into the flank of the horde of the Reptilians Warriors.
The roll was a double "1" and the charge failed.

The last activation was a short movement of the Reptilians Warriors on the right flank who decided to remain stationary.

It was a time for an act of revenge from the Arox! The roll for activations was 5 as well!


Champion of Nature used his ability on the Desauros with Sun Monolith, who turned and with a mighty roar charged into the flank of the Crushers on Scalyvars.


Only 3 out of 11 attacks hit and 5 wounds were inflicted. This meant that 1 mounted warrior was killed and the second one was heavily wounded.


The Golden Guard charged into the Ropuchons to rescue 2 remaining Liagulians.


Their spears pierced through the 3 of the Ropuchons with ease. The faith of the last one was much worse - the venomous saliva hit him. The whole unit was wiped out! The Golden Guard then consolidated sideways making more room for the Ropuchons behind them.


The horde of the Reptilians Warriors was next, and it was a big surprise that only two Ropuchons were killed. But the Blood Points were collected, and it was really close at this stage.


The Sanctified prayed successfully for the Fortune and tried to finish off the Crushers on Scalyvars, but they failed - the last one survived with a single wound left!


The blooded unit of two Liagulians prayed for the Fortune and charged into the flank of their far cousins.


They managed to inflict 5 wounds in total, killing 2 bases of lizards from the Sorgax army.



After that it was time to move the remaining Sorgax units.


The big unit of the Reptilians Warriors rotated and moved toward the centre of the battlefield.


The last unit from Sorgax army was the Reptilians Warriors moved along the building in the center.


Arox's last unit was the 8 Ropuchons, who managed to fill in the gap between the horde of the Reptilian Warriors and the Golden Guard.

With that, the units phase was over and the crucial heroes phase started. At this point, it was a tie - 15:15.

The Arox won the roll.


The Command Group joined the Golden Guard and the Mystic of the Reborn moved closer as well to spread his aura.




Sox’Augatir issued his last order and managed to activate the Golden Guard, who made a 21cm charge into the Liagulians.


11 wounds were inflicted, which was enough to finish off the unit and secure the victory for the Arox!




FINAL SCORE

Arox 21 : 15 Sorgax

Epilogue


The day was gone. They lost the battle but the war was not. Omecíhuatl roamed on the battlefield listening to the cries of the ghosts of the fallen warriors trying to remember their stories, so he could pass them to the next generations of the temple guardians to learn from.

He found the shattered body of the Tlilpotonqui and his steed lying in the sands near a strange construct. Omecíhuatl kneeled next to him. He gently removed the chest plate of his protégé and took his deeds' necklaces. It should be stored in the main temple of Reptoss to honour the decade-long duty of the noble reptilian who sacrificed himself for the future of their kind. Then with his sacrificial dagger, he cut off one of the claws and put it in his pocket. Part of Tlilpotonqui's spirit was safe now and would join those before him when the time was right. The silence of the night was broken by the howls of the carnivorous beasts that came to feast on the fallen.

Omecíhuatl stood up and made a final prayer to their Gods thanking them for the warning that they gave him. The price in blood they paid was high, but this was only one step on the long route ahead of him and his kin. It was high time for him to return to the Temple of the Gods Tears. They bought enough time for the hatching to begin and his duty was now elsewhere. The next generation has to learn about the pain and the strength that it brings.

Post-game

Sorgax

What can I say... That was close!

Every battle in Argatoria teaches me something new and tells me what I still need to work on. Desperate craving for the enemy's pain leading to hasty moves in the beginning? Check. Not being able to give my cavalry the support from any Champion in the first cycle as a result (I did it in the 2nd cycle, but still)? Check. Blocking at least one friendly unit with another one, delaying its attack? Check. There's always something to learn, but the funny thing is, these are usually the same lessons – exactly the same as in many battles before. I don't know about you in that case, but it's very true for me!

I used the terrain to my advantage, splitting the forces and trying to create a sort of dilemma for Jarek ("Should I take the unit on the right and gain 4 Blood Points or the unit on the left and gain 4 Blood Points instead?" – this is what I call a tough nut to crack). My hammer-wielding cavalry was waiting eagerly for the best possible target in sight, so when they spotted juicy Liagulians, they couldn't wait any longer! With the Champion of Death whispering behind them, they defeated the Arox's spearmen with ease. A slaughter to remember.

That first charge gave me a nice advantage but the further ones were far from ideal. For instance, the charge of my Ropuchons into the Reptilians' horde. Although gods listened to their prayer, they still managed to take down only one base. What a shame! However, to be fair, such a small unit against a full horde should never be something to expect much from. Still, better to charge the enemy first than let him charge you. It's at least 8 attack dice less for him, which can make a huge difference. As you could see, the Ropuchons stood their ground after the Reptilians tried to crush them. Never underestimate the power of a few dice (and also enemy's bad luck)!

When my Crushers on Scalyvars almost perished after two successful charges of the Arox's Desauros and The Sanctified, I knew it's getting dangerous, since before that happened, I still had had high hopes for them. I tried not to let Jarek feel my Sorgaxian grip loosening though. I moved my Reptilians to the centre, hoping that perhaps I'll take down some more warriors from the enemy's horde. But I was too far. And that final charge of the Golden Turds (it is said to be their real name) in the last cycle was enough to call it a day.

After giving it a lot of thought, we – the Sorgax – want to officially announce that the victory of Corks of the Sun Cities, as we like to call them in our underground halls, is one of the very last. After the necessary reinforcements, and once our experiments are done... soon there will be nothing left of the Arox's warriors.

Arox

Well, that went… way better than expected! I think that first big fight when my horde showered the Slaagors with dice (who can forget the Pyramid of Blood(red dice)!) really boosted my army’s morale. So then later, after the thunderous charge of enemy cavalry, which was seemingly unstoppable, wiping out unit after unit, when I thought all was lost, my little frogs managed to pull through. The Champion of Nature made a difference, sending my dinosaur crashing into the cavalry’s flank and, most importantly tying them up for the duration. Dino on dino action! What’s not to love?

Then the Froggy Golden Guard secured my left flank and the numbers advantage of the horde in my middle began to tell. Against all odds, I started to feel like I might actually pull through. My lines buckled but held.
I kept up the momentum by rewarding my elite guard with a chance to actually break the enemy and bathe in the cool spawning pit of eternal glory. I also promised each as many flies as they could eat if they just made that horrifyingly long charge. And so they did! Croak!

The loss of the cavalry on one flank, my bold attack on the other and a protracted losing battle at the centre all proved too much for the Sorgax, and they turned their lizard tails and fled, leaving my pale army victorious.

Wow! I’m sure I made some right calls and some wrong ones. It’s all hazy when you start a new game. I tried to play aggressively, that’s for sure. What exactly made it all work out in my favour? Was it Lady Luck who chose to smile upon my pale frogs, or Lady Argatoria?
YOU DECIDE!