After an astounding run of technical difficulties trying to sort this format concept out (I hate you, Apple walled garden), we're back with a City States vs Spires commentated battle report. Thoughts on how this works as a format greatly appreciated as I've found it challenging to remember to take photos of every single round of a ten-round game (which this game absolutely was!)
This is a great battle report format. Good view of the gameplay with tactical commentary. Minimal editing required to make these too. Would love to see more reports like these.
It may be good to have a short pre game of the lists to give a bit more context to the game plans we see unfold in the next turns. I do love the sped up game play and Commentary. Great work again!
I love City States aestetically. What are the thoughts on Sacred Band? Less damage, more durability, and they can heal if they arent pressured so they can truely feel like theyre fighting in the shade. Put your decked out Polemarch for blades of eakides, +1C, and tenacious on top of their built in indomitable and blessed. Not to mention theyre D3 with phalanx but dont have shield so dont suffer from the flank as badly. Im considering using hoplites as a proxy for two 6 stand blocks which will leave me at 7 stands for resolve and scaling. Plus they like to activate early to turn on their reroll all defenses buff so it adds a level of stalling on the more fluid activations. Curious if youve played vs that warband or used it yourself. I feel like theyre even more resiliant to things like charges from 100k.
I think they're probably one of the most challenging units in the fact (maybe the game) to evaluate on paper. They have some really obvious strengths but also some internal tensions, to whit: * seer attachment doesn't stack with adding a Polemarch to the unit, meaning they'll generally want to run solo and therefore are only an anvil, not a hammer * their Othismos spell is scaling which makes larger unit sizes generally only going to attempt to cast heals (but heals are good) * having to take an action to cast a spell can be very limiting even for a phalanx regiment All of which makes that mean I need to see them in play, because even with those little issues, the baseline as an anvil seems really solid. Is that something that City States need when hoplites exist, though? A 6-trooper Lochagos hoplite unit for almost the same cost as a 4-trooper Sacred Band unit is probably similarly durable and more dangerous and a mainstay, which means the Sacred Band need to be making use of their sustain through healing and the fact that they generate interference. But man, if you do take them, Blessed Def4 Resolve4 Indomitable is a hell of a drug.
I wouldn't put a Polemarch in the unit though as the interaction between a Polemarch's native flurry and getting Relentless Blows from a Hoplite Dorilates is too good to pass up.
@R0bertShepherd I think there's potential with a Polemarch because you'd have tenacious AND indominatable (with the seer) and you're really only losing that little resolve bonus which you do end up paying for nothing. Does the interference provide make them take an edge over a hoplite blob? I do see the plus to having dorilates, however, being flanked or being hit with shield breaker being much less impactful on our anvil that has some punch to it and can outlast whilst casting othismos for a lock down on the objective they sit on seems so powerful. I believe priest 5 with a free "turn a fail into a success" makes the scaling with atunement 3, consistent. It also allows flexibility with the rest kf the army since the sacred band wants to go first many times to cast early BUT can use blessed if an early activation is needed elsewhere. I'm not saying they're auto include, but im curious if this was all factored into your analysis. Thank you so much for replying! Love your battle reports and will continue to watch any City States content!
And don't forget, if you go early to ATTACK with the sacred band with Polemarch, you get to reroll all hits and then you'd lose the blessed rule afterwards, getting your cake and eating it too! (At least that's how I read it)
After an astounding run of technical difficulties trying to sort this format concept out (I hate you, Apple walled garden), we're back with a City States vs Spires commentated battle report. Thoughts on how this works as a format greatly appreciated as I've found it challenging to remember to take photos of every single round of a ten-round game (which this game absolutely was!)
This is a great format love it, would you be able to elevate the camera a bit more though?
This is a great battle report format. Good view of the gameplay with tactical commentary. Minimal editing required to make these too. Would love to see more reports like these.
It may be good to have a short pre game of the lists to give a bit more context to the game plans we see unfold in the next turns.
I do love the sped up game play and Commentary. Great work again!
great report
I love City States aestetically. What are the thoughts on Sacred Band? Less damage, more durability, and they can heal if they arent pressured so they can truely feel like theyre fighting in the shade. Put your decked out Polemarch for blades of eakides, +1C, and tenacious on top of their built in indomitable and blessed. Not to mention theyre D3 with phalanx but dont have shield so dont suffer from the flank as badly.
Im considering using hoplites as a proxy for two 6 stand blocks which will leave me at 7 stands for resolve and scaling.
Plus they like to activate early to turn on their reroll all defenses buff so it adds a level of stalling on the more fluid activations.
Curious if youve played vs that warband or used it yourself. I feel like theyre even more resiliant to things like charges from 100k.
I think they're probably one of the most challenging units in the fact (maybe the game) to evaluate on paper. They have some really obvious strengths but also some internal tensions, to whit:
* seer attachment doesn't stack with adding a Polemarch to the unit, meaning they'll generally want to run solo and therefore are only an anvil, not a hammer
* their Othismos spell is scaling which makes larger unit sizes generally only going to attempt to cast heals (but heals are good)
* having to take an action to cast a spell can be very limiting even for a phalanx regiment
All of which makes that mean I need to see them in play, because even with those little issues, the baseline as an anvil seems really solid. Is that something that City States need when hoplites exist, though? A 6-trooper Lochagos hoplite unit for almost the same cost as a 4-trooper Sacred Band unit is probably similarly durable and more dangerous and a mainstay, which means the Sacred Band need to be making use of their sustain through healing and the fact that they generate interference. But man, if you do take them, Blessed Def4 Resolve4 Indomitable is a hell of a drug.
I wouldn't put a Polemarch in the unit though as the interaction between a Polemarch's native flurry and getting Relentless Blows from a Hoplite Dorilates is too good to pass up.
@R0bertShepherd I think there's potential with a Polemarch because you'd have tenacious AND indominatable (with the seer) and you're really only losing that little resolve bonus which you do end up paying for nothing. Does the interference provide make them take an edge over a hoplite blob? I do see the plus to having dorilates, however, being flanked or being hit with shield breaker being much less impactful on our anvil that has some punch to it and can outlast whilst casting othismos for a lock down on the objective they sit on seems so powerful.
I believe priest 5 with a free "turn a fail into a success" makes the scaling with atunement 3, consistent. It also allows flexibility with the rest kf the army since the sacred band wants to go first many times to cast early BUT can use blessed if an early activation is needed elsewhere.
I'm not saying they're auto include, but im curious if this was all factored into your analysis.
Thank you so much for replying! Love your battle reports and will continue to watch any City States content!
And don't forget, if you go early to ATTACK with the sacred band with Polemarch, you get to reroll all hits and then you'd lose the blessed rule afterwards, getting your cake and eating it too! (At least that's how I read it)