Hi everyone! First time, long time.
I wanted to share this for discussing tactics and ideas with other players on what to expect playing for and against new KO. I'm probably higher on the army than a lot of other people, and I think something is there, so I wanted to share my experience and maybe trade thoughts on it. If you rather not read a dry report, go to very bottom for the TLDR and Analysis.
1000 pt match: KO (Barak-Urbaz) vs Ogors (Unknown Allegiance)
Realm - Aqshy
Realscape Feature - Boiling Geysers
General - Arkanaut Admiral (Command trait: War Wound, Artefact: Proclamator Mask Hailer)
Arkanaut Frigate (Breath of Morghrim)
10 Thunderers
3 Endrinriggers
1 Grundstok Gunhauler
10 Arkanaut Company
General - Slaughtermaster
Firebelly
4 cannon-shooty Ogors
4 cannon-shooty Ogors
9 basic Infantry Ogors
Endless Spell: Gnashing Jaws
Endless Spell: Burning Head
Mawpot Terrain
Battleplan: A homemade plan where each army sets up 8 inches off edge of the side of the board (4 x 4). Every round board territory becomes "on fire" and at the end of the round units in fire take d3 mortal wounds. Points are scored by being 12" from the center of the board (1 per round), Killing a model (1 per round), killing a unit (1 per dead unit).
Setup: KO sets up the Endrinriggers and Gunhauler in one corner of board, Company 8" off edge in the middle, and Frigate with Admiral and Thunderers garrisoned in other corner of baord. Barak Urbaz nets a second gold for Frigate and Admiral
Ogors set up in a line, 8" of edge, along their side of the board. Slaughtermaster and Firebelly off on the flank, Then shooters, then Infantry. Infantry are over Middle of the board.
Round 1:
Ogors lets KO go first. Frigate, Gunhauler, Admiral, Thunderers, and Endrinriggers teleport to 9" from Sluaghterbrute. Company moves 4" towards center of board. Thunderers spend gold to reroll hits and KO holds onto its command point. Endrinriggers, Gunhauler, and Frigate shoot into Slaightermaster and drop it. Thunderers shoot into Firebelly, leaving it at 1 wound left. Lots of 1s on to-wounds.
Ogors turn: Realmscape Geyser goes off, d3 wounds to Endrinriggers (1 wound), Gunhauler (3 wounds), and Frigate (1 wound). Firebelly stays at distance, fails to cast magic. Firebelly drinks mawpot to +1 wound. Shooty Ogors move, shoot (Command point to reroll 1s) and kill 1 endrinrigger and do 2 damage to frigate, Infantry Ogors move towards center of board. Firebelly can't charge due bad positioning and Shooty Ogors fail charge roll. End of Round 1 it's KO 2, Ogors 2. 6" all over board edge catch fire.
Round 2:
KO wins the roll and elects to go first. Geysers do not activate. War Wound goes off and KO has 3 command points. Frigate heals to full, Gunhauler heals 2. Thunderers disembark from Frigate. Frigate moves towards engaging Infantry Ogors. Endrinriggers moves to 3" from Firebelly. Gunhauler moves to 3" from Firebelly. Company moves 4" towards middle of the board. During Shooting Endrinriggers shoot Cannon Ogors, Gunhauler gets to reroll hits of 1 shooting thanks to mask and shoots at Cannon Ogors, Frigate and Thunderers shoot at Infantry Ogors, spending a gold to reroll failed hits, Admiral shoots at Infantry Ogors. Gunhauler and Endrinriggers charge Firebelly. Frigate and Admiral charge Infantry Ogors. Frigate does d3 wounds to infantry, General does 6 damage in combat, Gunhauler bombs kill firebelly. Cannon Ogors are w/i 3" of Endrinriggers and kill one Endrinrigger. Infantry Ogors do 6 damage to Frigate which spent a command point to reroll saves of 1. Endrinrigger with Saw kills last of 1 cannon Ogor unit. Infantry Ogors down to 4 models from 9. KO spends 1 command point this half for reroll hits of 1 in shooting for thunderers.
Ogor turn 2: Geyser goes off, hits Gunhauler for 3 damage. Second group of 4 cannon ogors moves towards last Endrinrigger. Endrinrigger is shot to death. Cannon Ogors charge Thunderers, killing one model on charge. Command point spent for thunderers to reroll saves of 1. Thunderers surprise in melee. By end of combat Cannon Ogors left at 1 model. By the Infantry, Admiral spends a command point for reroll hits of 1 for Admiral and Frigate, and spends a gold to reroll saves for the Admiral. Infantry Ogors eat Frigate, and Admiral escapes boat safely. Round ends, the score is Ko 7, Ogors 6 and move land disappears. Now 10" from edge is on fire.
Round 3: KO wins the roll again. Only gains 1 command point. Gunhauler moves to between Admiral and remaining Infantry Ogors. Thunderers shoot last Cannon Ogor. Gunhauler shoots Infantry and spends a gold to reroll failed hits during shooting. Gunhauler Charges infantry. Bomb Rack goes off. Gunhauler commits to Melee. Gunhauler gets Infantry down to 2 models. Infantry attacks gunhauler and kills it.
Ogors turn 3: Geyser goes off again, does 3 mortal wounds to Company. Two remaining Ogors charge Admiral who spends gold to reroll saves. Admiral survives. Admiral spends command point to reroll failed hits, smashes remaining ogors.
Final:: Ogors tabled, KO Loses Frigate, Gunhauler, 3 Endrinriggers, 1 Thunderer, 3 Arkanaut Company. KO wins on points.
TLDR Analysis: Sorry for the bare bones report, but my assessment was that I enjoyed the amount of command points I was spending to supplement the aethergold I could spend. Aether gold is, after all, 1 gold per phase so if you're spending it on save rerolls at best you get saves vs. enemy shooting, and saves vs. enemy combat, but then you can't spend it on your own attacks, hence the bonanza of Command points to get attack bonuses. The manueverability to appear and launch a salvo at an enemy general was major, and thunderers in a boat are well worth their cost to shoot off their rifles and other guns along with the broadsides of the boat. The battleplan wasn't big on hunting objectives, but fly high is such a key ability to ambus and neutralize a primary threat (Slaughtermaster general casting Endless spells). Basically I find with KO you NEED those gold and command points to keep pressure on opponents and (while not being a total alpha strike army) cripple the opponent's army/denying the key resources in the form of leaders. The gold is amazing but its 1 gold per phase limitation makes command supplementation a must. I found though that being Barak-Urbaz for the D3 extra gold wasn't that worth it. What was worth it was the ability to choose my own command trait as an Admiral-general, and choose my own hero's Artefact.
