Finally played my first game

[DynamicCalories]

I don't know the etiquette for starting threads but I hope I am not breaking it!

 

So after a decade away, and two months back, I played my first game at GW. I was ill prepared (the store didn't have an open copy of the Chaos Handbook so I had to use the app) but who cared? I was there to roll dice.

The format was Open - a Path to Glory campaign which had a bad turnout because of the poor weather and heavy traffic and probably other factors like impending uni deadlines, people being cool on AoS etc. Everyone agreed to take what they had, and work towards their rolls over time. I had Nurgle, Comprising of: 1 Lord Of Plagues, 12 Chaos Warriors, 10 Plaguebearers, 1 Herald of Nurgle, 3 Plageudrones, 5 Putrid Blightkings.  

My Opponent had Ironjawz, led by a Mawkrusha, a warchanter, 2 units of 'ardboyz, 1 unit of goregruntas, and a unit of regular boyz. He's a long time 8th Ed fan apparently, a really nice guy who was happy to give me the chance to make lots of his stuff whiff because of how tightly synergised his army were, but I didn't care. I was there to roll dice.

He started off by sprinting towards me, as orruks do I guess. For me, things got off to a bad start when I forgot about Grandpappy's gift on the one turn it would have been , and ended up only using my plaguedrones to do 1 poxy wound on his regular boyz, and move everyone up at an incredibly slow pace. In the next turn, the clash happened, as it was only a 4x4 table and his mawkrusha unleashed a total barrage of attacks against my warriors, whilst his GoreGruntaz got stuck into my plaguedrones. 

 

Combat went back and forth and in the end I crumpled under his heavy hitters just as my blightkings got stuck in and let me roll lots of dice. They didn't do anything, but I still rolled a lot. 

I had fun, even though he apologised profusely for how much powa his orruks had. I was left feeling that Nurgle are actually quite good at being tank - disgustingly resilient is an excellent ability, and Warriors with shields make a good sponge for things that like mortal wounds. 

Outside of the plaguedrones and heroes however, nothing really has much bight. The tables say I need to pick up some more blightkings, and a rotbringers sorcerer, but the store is very casual on us sticking to the lists as it knows the GHB ones aren't too hot. I was thinking of going with another 5 BKs and maybe some Knights? I've read they aren't that punch, but would be interested in what folk have to say.

 

Much Love, Grandpappy's #1 best boi

 

Ps. I am sure I got almost every rule wrong. It was my first game, and his second ever game. We muddled through. I feel like we cocked up combat, pile in, and battleshock, but other than that, it was good fun, which I guess is all that matters!

[Nico]

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I don't know the etiquette for starting threads but I hope I am not breaking it!

It's traditional to raise a toast to Slambo! 

[DynamicCalories]

Hail Slambo! Slámbiente!

[Nico]

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it was good fun, which I guess is all that matters!

Indeed.

If you're having a blast with Nurgle, that's a great sign. Truth be told, there are more exciting factions, but they'll have their day in the sun plaguemist one day.

Ironjawz are good fun to play against. They are faster than you would expect, but don't have any pew pew.

A Chaos Sorceror Lord would be a lot better than a Rotbringers Sorceror.

I personally prefer the Nurgle Daemons (as you say the Ward save - disgustingly resilient) is key! A Nurgle Daemon prince is reasonably tough and modestly choppy or a Nurgle Soulgrinder or maybe Orghotts? I would avoid The Glottkin - mine will be converted into an Exalted Greater Daemon of Nurgle soon. 

[DynamicCalories]

We're kinda half sticking to the PtG charts and half doing our own thing, it's very casual because there isn't a huge community here in Glasgow for AoS yet, which precludes me from going full Daemons, I quite like the dudes in armour though, a nice challenge to paint. I am terrible at min/max and synergy, but I don't particularly care as I am a hobbyist first and foremost - I love my painting.

 

I am thinking of picking up 5 chaos knights w/glaives off ebay, just to give me a little bit more mobility on the opposite flank. I know they aren't super tough, but they get rend -1 on charge and if I can use the LoP's Command ability on them, then there tankiness can hopefully cause a few wounds for me next phase. 

 

The challenge of PtG I guess is that the small unit sizes limit the bonus you can get. There's absolutely no reason not to get 10 more Plaguebringers, especially as I know the Sylvaneth player has some shooting, and I know that the excuse to roll for battleshock is actually god for them thanks to their ability to regain models.

I definitely want a Maggoth Lord and my first big conversion attempt is going to be a Dameon Prince for sure, I want to try and model the same stomach-mouth that's on the Plaguebringer for him! 

If I get a Sorcerer, am I best just picking up a vortex for him anyway? I hear they're good.

[Haanz]

2 hours ago, DynamicCalories said:

Ps. I am sure I got almost every rule wrong. It was my first game, and his second ever game. We muddled through. I feel like we cocked up combat, pile in, and battleshock, but other than that, it was good fun, which I guess is all that matters!

Oh man, this is all too real for me. I've just started playing games myself in the past month or two with an old friend who quit the hobby when I did over a decade ago. When I came back, I made myself a gaming board and some terrain, and started building two armies in parallel so that I could play games despite not really knowing anyone else still in the hobby anymore. So, we're both learning from scratch without anyone to keep us right, as it were.

Our first, relatively small game took hours because every phase of every turn we had our noses in a book double checking everything. The next game we got a little better and things started to flow. The third.. uhhh, disaster. We forgot to roll off for turns on the 2nd and 3rd turn, despite me getting to decide and giving him first (so I had a chance at a double turn on the second), we missed out special abilities left right and centre, and just made a bit of a pigs ear of it!

Maybe it's because we invest so much time in assembling and painting up our miniatures, or maybe it's just because I'm new to the ruleset and don't have very high expectations of myself, or maybe it's just the social contract of playing the game in person over a board, but it's amazing how much fun the game can be compared to other formats - even when you forget rules, have units wipe to some horrible roll, or plain old make bad decisions!

[Oberael]

If you're set on Nurgle, I'd probably suggest getting some more Blightkings. Though they perhaps don't look like anything special on paper, they're definitely one of those units that are ripe for buffing - and amazingly tanky, too. A unit of 10 of those guys with some healing behind them would be a huge pain to shift.