Tuesday Night Gentleman's Club: Kulten

[Mason]

Nice cult, Mr Dweller.
 

I make you right: Dont let those fellas hog all the fun.
There is something even more disturbed about a Conglomerate with pink hair, though!
 

[styx]

So I couldn't let Mike and James have all the fun, so I got a cult together ready to cause chaos and death on Tuesday nights.

Here is my Death Cult...



Player Profile
Basement Dweller


I'll add some details tomorrow about why I chose the Death Cult and the models I started with...and how they will deal with all the crazy snake and fish people that will be interfering with my nefarious plots...

Next orgy scenario will be a threesome! 

[Basement Dweller]

The Orgy scenario is actually pretty entertaining and awkward...even more awkward (if that is possible) with the undead.

Here is the details of my cult:

Magus - Mummy (8BP)
A soild boss except for his poor resolve.  He's good in HTH and tough to bring down.  As others have mentioned, you need your boss to live the game so a boss with some beef is a good thing.  He currently is equiped with just the maul he comes with, but a cleaver and a tommygun are likely upgrades onces the money starts rolling in from all my victories.  I have an unhealthy love of undead with automatic weapons...

Blasphemous Construct (20BP)
A huge point sink but the meanest model any gang can start with, so its hard to not take one.  His stupidty and slow speed makes him miss a lot of the action, but it is rare for him to go out and its fun crushing other peoples models when you get the chance.

Conglomerate (9BP)
Probably the best bang for the buck for the undead.  His extra body parts make him fast (rare for the death cult) and he can cut through cultists like a hot cleaver through hot butter...or something more witty than that.  Speaking of a cleaver, I gave him one for the parry to make him even deadlier.  Do note that the VUK conglomerate is stupid, so he will let you down sometimes...but not enough to keep him off my list.

Cultist with shotgun (2BP)
Need some humans to do the shooting at the start and get in the way to allow your big guys to do all the killing.  As a Death Cult you are limited in your weapon selection so a shotgun (or maybe a BAR) is a good weapon to start with.

Cultist with pistol (1BP)
Need someone to die and be sacrificed when you want that favor badly.  As well, he can shoot which many of your models can't do at the start.  Another fun (and frustating) part of the Death Cult, is all the fear caused by the animated, rotting carcasses...so you have to be conscious all the time where your human models are and ensure they are suddenly running in fear from your Magus when you need them most. It will happen, you just want to keep it to a minimum.

I played my first game against D@rth and got to fire up my newly formed Cult against the fishes...the gory and horrible details to follow...

[D@rth J@ymZ]

Sorry it has taken me longer to post this up than I had wanted, but I wanted to get this up and posted before the next thrilling installment of the Tuesday Night Gentlemen's Club.

Some pre-game musings:
Basement Dweller has a pretty well rounded cult to contend with in this scenario.  While he only has a single command model and some generic mooks he sports two very decent models including the Blasphemous Construct and Conglomerate.  The Construct is one of the heaviest hitters in the game and is more than a match for my mighty Deep One, so I will have to bit more cautious.  The Construct is pretty slow, so the trick is staying out of the way and making it slowly lumber towards you (or more appropriately, where you were)  I try to stay at least one move ahead of this juggernaut because he is extremely dangerous against both your toughest and squishiest cult members.

The Conglomerate on the other hand, is relatively fast and the extra parry makes him a decent threat despite the fact that it is stupid.  I will have to keep my fishy eyes on these two throughout the entire game, if I am to eek out a much needed win.

So without further fanfare, I present: Surprise Attack!

It was a dark and stormy night.... 
The pre-game sequence involves the cult with the lowest rating (in this case Dweller's starting cult) rolling to see how many models of mine (0-5) will not be taking part in the festivities and frivolity.  Unlucky dice rolling (for him!) resulted in none of my cult having to sit this one out!  The stars might finally be coming into alignment for the Dagonites...

As the cult with lowest overall rating (or TCR), Dweller sets up the table and deploys his Death Cult on one edge 5" in and the Dagonites take the opposite edge, also 5" in. 



The first few turns involve both Kults advancing towards each other, taking advantage of cover, snagging the prime shooting locations and jostling for prime position in advance of the mayhem to come.



The Death Cult prepares their favourite seafood chowder recipe in anticipation of the catch of the day:


The Dagonites hurry into position to grab the best seats for the upcoming "surprise" attack:


The Dagonite Tommy Gun Cultist quickly moves into position and opens fire on the Death Cult Shotgun Cultist, causing a Major Injury and resulting in the nearby Pistol Cultist to pick up his robes and flee. Ka-blam! First blood to the Dagonites.

Not to be outdone, the Deep One unleashes a surprise of his own: Fish Sauce. This projectile vomitous mass doesn't cause any actual damage but forces the target model to make a Dexterity check or go Face Up.  Very useful against standard mooks and undead things with high DEX profiles.  The Conglomerate slips in the reeking secretion and goes Face Up.


I had actually picked up this particular Dagonite-exclusive skill after my first game but failed to use it in my last game, as the Deep One was taken out quite early.  What a nasty surprise for the Death Cult!

Perhaps being covered in fish sauce is a pleasing thing for the undead, because it sure didn't slow them down much. The Conglomerate recovered in the next turn, dismembered my tommy gun cultist and made a beeline straight for my unsuspecting Kult Leader and right past my Deep One, ignoring it entirely. The best laid plans and all that...



This is where things began to get out of hand.  The Dagonite Bolt Action Rifle cultist picked off the remaining Death Cult cultist with pistol, leaving the Magus Mummy, Blasphemous Construct and Conglomerate.  The scenario ends when one of the cults is down to 50% of their starting number of models.  This meant that the Dagonites had one more Death Cult member to remove in order to win.  Not an easy choice but the Conglomerate seemed the best candidate for my fishy wrath.

The Dagonites were perilously close to disaster themselves.  With only 5 starting members (thanks to a bad outing at the Orgy of the Damned), I could only afford to lose one more model.  The obvious target was the Bolt Action Rifle Cultist and with the Conglomerate laying waste to human cultists with ease and advancing quickly, I had so do something quickly or else it would be game over.  The Deep One was too far away to charge this turn and Fish Sauce would only slow the Conglomerate down a bit, so The Magus stepped in to battle the Conglomerate.



Well, that didn't end the way I wanted it to and the Magus was removed (again) with a minor injury, thus ending the game. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  I guess the Parry skill on the conglomerate was a good choice after all and maybe in hindsight I should have used Fish Sauce to try to slow down the Conglomerate at the end.

Post Game:
The Death Cult's shotgun cultist succumbed to his wounds and died while the pistol cultist received a leg wound.
The Dagonite Kult's tommy gun cultist was also not fortunate and "expired"

The Death Cult acquired no skills in this outing, while the surviving Dagonite cultist with bolt action rifle learned how to shoot his rifle with "Lightning Fast" speed!

The Death Cult earned 5 RP to use in the post-game while the Dagonites earned merely the cost of this game's upkeep and walked away with nothing in the end.

Neither cult were successful enough to earn the favour of their particular deities. 

[D@rth J@ymZ]

My Dagonite list has now managed to take two losses in back to back games, all the while earning no significant Resource Points.  Adding insult to injury, my Magus was once again removed during play with an injury making him uneligible for RP generation in the post game despite my earlier reminder to keep him alive.  This has huge ramifications for my next game, as I only have 4 Kult members and cannot afford to buy back any replacement cronies (not even a standard mook) or any weapons. The loss of the Tommy Gun cultist sets me back significantly as I lose both the cultist and the weapon (combined 4 RP cost - 1 RP for the cultist and 3 RP for the Tommy Gun).

My strategy for the next game will involve an early tactical retreat aka yellow bellied cowardice...

In VUK, an early tactical retreat can have certian advantages including:
1) Skill Phase - models that survive still gets a chance to earn skills.  Running away is still survival! 
2) Cult Management - a better chance of Resource Point generation with all the uninjured models including the Magus.

My hope here is to save as many of my remaining members as possible, maximize my Resource Point generation in the Cult Management Phase and hopefully earn enough to buy back some members of my congregation.  With only 4 members in my Kult, my upkeep is only 1 RP per game, which gives me decent odds at having enough left over to bolster my membership numbers.

[styx]

My Dagonite list has now managed to take two losses in back to back games, all the while earning no significant Resource Points.  Adding insult to injury, my Magus was once again removed during play with an injury making him uneligible for RP generation in the post game despite my earlier reminder to keep him alive.  This has huge ramifications for my next game, as I only have 4 Kult members and cannot afford to buy back any replacement cronies (not even a standard mook) or any weapons. The loss of the Tommy Gun cultist sets me back significantly as I lose both the cultist and the weapon (combined 4 RP cost - 1 RP for the cultist and 3 RP for the Tommy Gun).

My strategy for the next game will involve an early tactical retreat aka yellow bellied cowardice...

In VUK, an early tactical retreat can have certian advantages including:
1) Skill Phase - models that survive still gets a chance to earn skills.  Running away is still survival! 
2) Cult Management - a better chance of Resource Point generation with all the uninjured models including the Magus.

My hope here is to save as many of my remaining members as possible, maximize my Resource Point generation in the Cult Management Phase and hopefully earn enough to buy back some members of my congregation.  With only 4 members in my Kult, my upkeep is only 1 RP per game, which gives me decent odds at having enough left over to bolster my membership numbers.

Yea, I would have just routed instead of going toe to toe with the big nasty undead monster....

[LidlessEye]

Yea, I would have just routed instead of going toe to toe with the big nasty undead monster....

That always does seem like the best idea in retrospect, but somehow or other, in the midst of the actual game, many of us end up listening to the daft little voice that keeps saying "You can still get him - CHARGE!!!!"

[Uncle Mike]

This is usually my strategy. Darth never plays this way and always reprimands me for my poor choices after the game.  It is nice to see this in print on the internets. 

See you for a game tonight Darth? 

[Mason]

Great report.
We need to get some Cult Vs Cult action going soon.
 


D@rth: I sympathise, mate.
Getting stuck and trying to win the game is what it is about.
You should earn some points for NOT being a bottle-job, I reckon.
 

[styx]

This is usually my strategy. Darth never plays this way and always reprimands me for my poor choices after the game.  It is nice to see this in print on the internets. 

See you for a game tonight Darth? 

I guess UM wants sloppy seconds...or is it thirds now. 

[Basement Dweller]

Sorry UM, I am not braving the weather tonight...to afraid I will encounter giant penguins on my journey over.

On my post game...

I have some RP to spend, but will hang on to them for now.  I might save up for a territory or keep it in the bank to avoid the situation D@rth is in...the game can be bloody and you don't want to find yourself running out of bodies.  I tend to play more conservative until I have a few favor to help keep my important models alive.

I am a little sad i didn't get a skill.  The skills can be huge for the undead...fresh is a game changer for the blasphemous construct.

There is always next time...

[aggro84]

Yet another cool AAR.
I look forward to these updates.
 

[styx]

Sorry UM, I am not braving the weather tonight...to afraid I will encounter giant penguins on my journey over.

On my post game...

I have some RP to spend, but will hang on to them for now.  I might save up for a territory or keep it in the bank to avoid the situation D@rth is in...the game can be bloody and you don't want to find yourself running out of bodies.  I tend to play more conservative until I have a few favor to help keep my important models alive.

I am a little sad i didn't get a skill.  The skills can be huge for the undead...fresh is a game changer for the blasphemous construct.

There is always next time...

At least they are not rabid, cannibal giant penguins....

You guys should pack your crap and move to Florida, weather was in the 60's last night, 80's during the day....granted we are going into our colder months. Then I could game with you guys!

[D@rth J@ymZ]

Half of the fun with the last couple of scenarios was doing something "outside the box" from my normal strategy.  Knowing that my opponents are familiar with my usual tactics and style of play, I made a semi-conscious decision to do something out of the norm and hopefully catch them off-guard.  I tend to be a much more calculated and conservative player in most SA and VUK games until I have built up a bit of a cushion (RP points in reserve, Favour points, extra congregation, more skills etc.) - just as Dweller pointed out in his post-game comments.

Unfortunately (for me, anyways), things didn't turn out the way I had hoped.  On the bright side, it shows the versatility in the gameplay and the pitfalls of short vs. long term strategies regarding building and maintaining a viable Kult.

Oh well, time to turn the page... I played again last night against Uncle Mike, using a special holiday scenario  (keep your eyes peeled for an announcement from the UMW staff real soon!) and although I was prepared for an all out retreat, I was able to hang around and get some much needed RP to start restocking the shelves.

[Uncle Mike]

The air grows cold and a vaguely goaty smell reminds you that the holidays are a good time to be afraid! This time Darth and Uncle Mike showcase a new scenario and Daemon: Krampus! Have they been bad? Undoubtedly. So, let's get it on...  

Orphan Pie!

Both cults are out looking for an orphan that they can bake into a delicious pie as a holiday thanks to all the members...but once again the old nemesis(ses?) have returned to ensure that this won't be as simple as anyone had hoped for...also, Krampus stalks the frosty streets, looking for naughty children (or cultists...) to thrash with his switch and stuff into his basket.

Here is where it all happened, this snowy hell-hole of inexplicable carnage! Note the three orphans in the center of the board, they is some good eatin'.



Before you can say 'Gawd bless uz every one' the Krampus magically appears in a puff of brimstone and peppermint and heads for the orphans. Just look at that licky tongue of his and consider how scared those children will be! Fun, right?



Hampered by the death of their Cult Leader the Serpent Worshipers have some (few...) of their least frightful members approach that tasty little orphan...the canny observer will notice that the little girl has climbed the ladder to the second floor of the ruined building. I hope she will be safe from those evil guys!



Cautious avoidance on the part of the Dagonites allows the lowly cultist from the Serpent Worshipers to snatch up the first orphan...all the while the Krampus makes those really weird noises that he makes...and inches ever closer!



The Dagonites decide to throw caution to the wind and scramble to get one of those scrumptious ragamuffins for themselves. Remember that plucky little girl who we all wished a happy ending for? She sees the Deep One, has a Fear induced panic attack, slips on a bit of loose masonry and falls...breaking her sweet little neck! Oh No! The death of an innocent child has some unfortunate consequences as a Threshold Agent with shotgun and cleaver leaps in to stop anymore needless kid-killing, Frenzies and causes the Deep One two wounds!



The Dagonite Magus rushes in and beats the Agent to a bloody pulp before he can do anymore damage.



Krampus makes a bee-line for the last available orphan (as the Serpent Worshipers spirit their orphan and Magus off the board) and runs afoul of the Deep One, who Throws the poor Yuletide Daemon over the fence.



The Dagonites grab the last orphan as the Serpentman Warrior dispatches a cultist and the Cult leader...



...before getting smacked down by the Deep One...


Did they get to slow roast those kiddies until they were 'fall of the bone' tender? What was with that Krampus getting thrown all over the place and failing to get any orphans of his own to mistreat? Who won that game anyway? And what kind of sicko reads this stuff?

More introspective musing after a cup of eggnog...