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Storm of Magic test game; SoM: Spellbinding success? Or all Winds and...
Topic Started: Oct 16 2011, 12:55 PM (435 Views)
DeclanJones
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Storm of Magic test game

Storm of Magic, Warhammer's first proper rules expansion in a long while, has been released fairly recently, but until now has been untested by club members. Simon, another gamer from the club, and I decided to delve into the full horror of it all, to see if its skeptical reception from the club was well-deserved...

This was originally intended to be a full battle report of a test game, with review, but the Magic phases turned out to be so bulky, they couldn't actually be recorded without the aid of a dedicated scribe (which we didn't happen to have). Therefore, the battle report will be condensed quite considerably.

In brief synopsis, the basic premise of Storm of Magic involves competing for objectives, called Arcane Fulcrums, which can only be stood on by Wizards, and grants Wizards the power to cast more powerful spells and protection, viz. a 3+ ward save, amongst other things such as protection from Stomps. Additional mosters and magic items can also be purchased, just to add to the novely of it all.

Deployment largely consisted of a battleline, Simon's Ogres opposing my Bretonnian cavalry. Additional monsters and magic chosen were a Dawnstar Sword and Zoat, and a Hippogryph and five Unicorns respectively. Arcane Fulcrums were arranged with 1 per table quarter, so both players were in control (or could at least easily stake a claim on) two at the start.

Turn One largely entailed combat troops advancing towards each other during movement phases, owing to both of us having fairly 'up-and-at-'em' styles of playing. The only combat was between Nunn's Maneaters and Jones' Hippogryph on the left flank, which was uneventful. Magic largely entailed Nunn utilising his magic to buff up his hordes of Ogres. Jones' magic phase, on the other hand, was largely ineffectual. Suffering early miscasts, one of his wizards were wounded seriously, with little great effect in the magic department.

Nunn's Mournfang Cavalry charged in Turn 2, only to be staved off by Jones' Knights. His magic phase was used somewhat more offensively, as he targeted Knights with a Cataclysm Spell, cunjouring a mini-Great May in a Purple-Sun-esque display, only with fewer casualties on the whole. This conjuration menacingly sauntered towards Jones' Field Trebuchet. Simon suffered miscast misfortune as well, although it only turned his Wizards temporarily into frogs. Meanwhile, the final nail was struck in Jones' coffin. One wizard died of another violent miscast, while another, transformed as a Great Fire Dragon, was transported behind his own lines, swapping places with one of Nunn's Butchers while being drained to Level 0! Although the immediate tactical advantages of the situation appeared apparent, Jones no longer had sufficient claim to the Arcane Fulcrums given the current situation. Although another unit of Knights had made a brave attempt to shift a Slaughtermaster, it was no use, even with the Ogre having been transformed into a frog.

That said and done, the game ploughed on to Turn 3. Key combats were: the Mournfangs being utterly destroyed by the Unicorns, Jones' Hippogryph being killed by the Maneaters, one Knight of the Realm somehow chasing off four Leadbelchers, after having his comrades mullered by all flavours of arcane death, and a huge melee involving Ogres, Grail Knights and a great Fire Dragon. Combat looked to largely swing in Jones' favour, until Nunn's Tyrant, Dawnstar Sword in hand, and his Maneater retinue, felled both the Grail Knights and Jones' Battle Standard.

Combat seemed too close to call at this point, but Nunn's command of the Fulcrums was unrivalled by Jones', both being all too happy to call it a day after nearly four long hours of gameplay.

End Notes: Storm of Magic may be all right for some, but I was never grasped by the novelty of it all. The 'monsters and magic' options all just seemed a tad trite, while the scenario itself revolved several tedious-to-read rules around a patently insubstantial concept. This is, of course, entirely subjective, but I just didn't find it that thrilling.
One could argue that we never really gave it a fair hearing, but I don't really think it merits one, purely because my doom was sealed within the first two turns, making the game, in effect, unplayable. It would be a far better system to include VPs in the victory conditions- without them, Storm of Magic's strategic element seemed null. One could further this argument, and say that therefore, the test game probably didn't merit playing either. For the thirty-five minutes it took per magic phase, I'd've been far better off. I'm not saying "Don't buy this game;" I am merely retelling my experiences as I percieve them.
Edited by James Baillie, Nov 18 2011, 06:40 PM.
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