Thursday 27 December 2018

OGAM The Emperors Birthday Game!

We wanted a change.  A refreshing of the pallet.  The diary gave the inspiration- today is the Japanese Emperors birthday.  Plus the incumbent is standing down.  Near enough.

One of my better OGAM trials was to match up mortal units with a legend(ary) leader.  So I used that as the basis for this game.



I changed the standard Spring of Youth scenario slightly.  In this one a sacred object has been taken (in the process of eating the carrier) by Kappa back into their home pool.  There are 6 pools, each marked by clusters of bamboo.  Two Goddesses rush to retrieve it using the method assigned to destroy or defile the original.

I thought we would have a lazy day, so I did a small (for us) game as most 28mm games.  Wrong, thanks to free parking we got in 2!

I normally use (largest) 3x Legends as the total.  Subtract legends and god, that's what I spend on mortals.  If you look at my Winter Olympics games (1,000 points, 3 legends) you'll see this works well, as weaker gods get more mortals who can invoke! This time I simply kept to rough thirds.


Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun with sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven. 300 points
Q2 C4 Burst of Light, Breathtaking Beauty, Combat Master

Emperor Jimmu 90 points Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter (Long), Good Shot (with)
6 Warrior Monks (CO) 19 points Q4 C2 Fanatic

Hero Q3 C3 Armoured Group Fighter = 86

Legendary Hero Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter (Long), Mounted ,Long Move, Group Fighter, Good Shot and Legendary Shooter =136  (with)

Samurai (CO) Q4 C2 Armoured, Mounted, Long Shooter (Long) and Good Shot 4x47 = 183





God 300
Legends 312
Mortals 297
Total 1,009

Yes, there is cake.  Weep, oh mortal!
Izanami, Goddess of Creation and Death 280 points Q2 C4 Culling of the Weak, Confound, Tremble Before My Might, Sacrifice.

Jorogumo, Spider Woman 60 points Q3 C2 Labyrinth (The Labyrinth Trait represent the Jorogumo binding her targets with spider webs.)

Giant Spider 70 points Q3 C3 Big, Poison, Rare (1)

Hero Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter (Long), Mounted ,Long Move, Group Fighter = 130 (with)
Samurai Q4 C2 Armoured, Shooter (Long) and Good Shot for 32 points. 4X32= 128
Followers Q4 C2 5x15 points = 75
Follower Archer Q4 C2 Shooter (Medium) 4x 20 points = 80

Hero Q3 C3 Armoured, Shooter (Long), Group Fighter = 100  (with)
Samurai (CO) 22 points Q4 C2 Armoured, 4x22= 88

God 280
Legends 360
Mortals 371
Total 1,011

Forces deployed.  No one within one long of a pond edge.  Deliberately crowded table.  I take Amaterasu,  unusually Tony gets the initiative.  The objective is close, real close.







The red dice is the objective.




My legend dashes in and does some crap shooting.


Advance!


I'm a long way away!


Amaterasu runs in.  With so few mortals, its difficult to zoom-.


My cavalry shoot down a legend.  Gets you a crate of Sake for that one!



Rewenge rushes in, kills one, pushes my cavalry back with flashing naginatas.



They follow up and do very well!  I'm left with one!  Considering that's 75 points to 183-.



Amaterasu heads for the prize, Legend (having forsworn his leadership role)  runs interference.


The snicker, snicker of little feet on bare rock.


It's brewing up!


Here she is--


Can my lone hero hold them back?


He pushes them back-.


Scratch one hero who couldn't shoot his way out of a rice sack!


I think Amaterasu is outnumbered?


More move in-.


Slash!  First blood to her-.



Behind you!


My left is a problem.  I need the monks to invoke, but that leaves the Emperor all alone facing the archers.


Invoking, this is not good-


The spiderwoman (insert song here) moves in and she leaps!  Down hill, outnumbered, pumped up by invocations-----


Hah!  a few retreat, but no-one runs.


Now it's the turn of that damn spiderwoman- but she's only pushed back.




Slowly those followers are pushed back.


And with a Pop! Izanami is back!


She takes her ire out on my hero.


Pesky creatures-


The Emperor crashes into the back of those followers.


Spider slain-


That woke 'em up, now for some shooting.


Spiderwoman next.


And my Emperor.



Get out of my way!



Prize in sight, she moves-


Clash!


Noooooooo!


Her turn to go Pop!  But those monks are a long way back-.


Yes, it's them again.  Getting a good workout aren't they?


But in the meanstwhile, Izanami gets the invocations and goes for the prize!



Ignoring the followers Amaterasu dashes!


But the wicked Izanami has the prize and goes off, leaving her followers to their doom!


Game 2 go on, you say it.  At least the objective is central this time.





Like a magnet the prize pulls them in.


Hah!


This is how not to roll dice.  The 3 white are from invoking units, red normal.  The 3 1's are potential reactions for Amaterasu As the 2 of the 1's are the same colour,  that's also a turnover.  I love this game!  The plot thickens and changes!


With those reactions Amaterasu deposits the prizeoff table then comes back for more bashing.







Emperor and his monks move in to assist.



Pushed back and down- morale doesn't go so well.



My first round of "come back!" invocations doesn't go well.


Hero shoots hero.


That sword is hungry-.


All quiet over here.



Cavalry slowly moves forward.


The hero takes on the monks, pushing them back.


Hitting my infantry to stop them invoking is the plan.



Now that's shooting!


Pile in!


Pushed back.


That allows her to pick her target.  Spider first.


Back at last, but all the way back-.


Hero goes down to shooting.


Cue music-.




Smitten down!  But the prize has gone!




The lone hero gets it.


AND she's back.


Bite that hero!




Dashing in to help, the monks kill the spiderwoman.



Charge!



The samurai archers, already pummelled by the Emperor succumb to the cavalry.


A hero dies.



Form a line!


But you've cavalry up your ass-


The monks are getting stomped by the hero.


And so for the last time-



Amaterasu is down again!  Quick, the cavalry-.


Crunch.


With the 2 mortal units below 4, Amaterasu has no chance of recovery.  But she has the prize off-table so technically that's one win all!

Excellent games.  I must do a similar Greek game.  I should have included the Kappa as a couple of legends to be overcome. Kappa 76 points Q3 C3 Amphibious, Armoured.

The Japanese list isn't in the book, but is a free download from Ganesha's website.