The Georgia Masters is a team event where teams of four members played four games over two days. This event, from a competitive perspective, could not have gone worse for our team. When I filled out the 2023 goonhammer reader survey I had already said that community is more important than competitive play. I will say that I loved the team and we were united in our goal to finish our games and have fun. Additionally, I think that the vibes were great and this was one of the most fun events I’ve been to all year. One of the best parts of the event was getting in a player who had recently moved and just didn’t have the time to get out due to his growing family.

Over the past year I’ve become obsessed with making sure that my army allows me to get to time in all of my games. That means fewer models, less more elite builds, and a focus on making decisions and living with the results. I brought the Gal Pals as an attempt to slightly improve on the list that I brought to SFGE and fit within the confines of a team event. I felt pretty good about fighting ANYTHING including a pre-nerf OBR and Incarnate. The basic theme and playstyle is “Troggs Together Strong”. In every test game that it felt bad to split up my dankhold units so my plan was to keep them within 6 inches of each other for support.

My List

Gal Pals - click to expand

I really, really thought I included an endless spell but I didn’t. My last two adjustments were putting in the unit of hoppers for two units of spiders and putting in the madcap shaman with a Moonface Mommet and Itchy Nuisance instead of the Staff of Sneaky Stealing and Hand of Gork. If I was going to go up against OBR or anything with a high armor save I really wanted to get to that -4 rend to make sure that they didn’t get a save. In a singles event I think there would have been an argument to go with the staff and pump up the casting value using primal dice to unbind in the first few rounds.

The Event

Ten teams of four players fighting for honor and glory in the mortal realms. Each team had to decided if they were taking things seriously, practicing, and working in a systematic manner to win as many games as possible. Over the past few months my teammates and I floated a few lists around to each other, tried to figure out what to play, and ultimately decided to just roll with what we wanted. Our team captain took on the biggest sacrifice by playing Kruleboyz after the updated rules to Ard boyz made his Big Waaagh list illegal. Our formal prep after the lists were released was limited to filling out a “Green/Yellow/Red” matchup. While this was a private document I’m going to share what I filled out for the teams we faced.

Each team was given a packet with a sweet card that indicated your faction. During the complex pairing process there the cards were used, flipped, and picked by the captains to determine the mission (first two pairs) and the pairing (an arcane process that I never needed to learn). There was so much potential to do the John Wick style pairings dressed in suits, at dawn, in front of the Eiffel Tower. Instead, the pairing process for our team mostly consisted of me hyping up our captain before we went to our matchups and somebody said “I think we messed up pairings.” before playing the game. I had no complaints with the process and we got an epic Skaven vs. Skaven matchup and a Khorne mirror. I think our captain took on some matchups because he didn’t want other people to have a bad matchup and I appreciated all of my pairings.

Scoring was translated into a differential with a possible 20 points able to be earned in each matchup. Then, all of the teams scores were added together and the overall winner was the one with more points. In this team event a team could win three matches to end tight victories (12-8) and then loss the fourth match be a 0-20 and still lose the round so each primary point, battle tactic, and grand strategy matter.

Game 1: This Thing of Ours Vs. The Degenerates

Gloomspite Gitz vs. Lumineth Realm-lords on Geometric Pulse

Pointy Elf Villain List

Prior to the event we all filled out a spreadsheet with our matchups. We KNEW we were going to grudge this team since our captain had been popping off in various discords and and pickup games prior to the event. So going in we knew we had one of the favorites, a team with various members flying in to support the Georgia Warband club president. My assesment of my matchups were as follows:

I consider Mac and acquittance/friend and its a joy that miniature wargaming has brought us to a place where we look forward to seeing each other. Under normal circumstances there is no possibility that i’d be interacting with a Dr. who watches anime and drives a big truck. The only fencing in my family is to keep out animals, not travel internationally to swordfight with strangers. Let’s not even mention the problematic age gap between the two of us. Earlier in the planning process there was discussion of having a squatoffs to determine priority but the lack of free weights and a bar limited our ability test strength without the aid of dice.

In a team the captain calls the plays and we execute to the best of our ability. One thing that I liked was that I’ve played on pulse a few times and thought my gals could stand and deliver in the middle of the board. Looking over the list I really didn’t have specific plan other than “sit on circles and make charge rolls” since some of the more problematic units (shooting) in the LRL book weren’t present. The lack of a monster or fox allowed me to push my Loonshrine as close to the middle as I could. I deployed my two units of spiders at the edges for an early surround and destroy and everything else more or less in the middle. I had a slight bias toward my left and he had a slight bias towards his right but neither of us deployed in a manner that wouldn’t allow our slower units to be involved in turns three and four.

I had priority and gave him first turn. He cast a few spells, picked surround and destroy as his battle tactic, and capped a point for 3 VP. On my turn I basically did the same putting my hoppers on the center left point and placing my four gals next to each other near the center points. I completely forgot to deploy my spider and attempt the 9 inch charge but ultimately I have been failing the majority of those charges.

Turn two the moon to cover the board and I won priority and I deferred so I could pick the leftmost objective to start the pulse. He only had a single unit of dawnriders on the point and I could easily move my hoppers to take it back if (when) he wiped out my unit of spiders. During his hero phase he missed on a few of his most important spells or I was able to unbind sunmetal and speed of hysh. He was however, able to get out twinstones forcing a lot of rolls in the movement phase to see if I’m taking damage and if I’m ignoring spells with my gals. He smashed my spiders on the right side but I redeployed my spiders on the left so they could challenge on the objective next turn. I didn’t know, and didn’t ask, about the Alumnias ability to count as more models on the point.

In my turn it was time to boogie and take back some points. I needed to secure the leftmost objective, the center left objective, and be positioned to fight in the third round. I brought down my spider and pushed it into his ten man unit of spears wiping them out. I put a unit of troggs into the leftmost objective and dropped down my my spider on the center right objective.  Between the hoppers and my spider riders I was able to take the primary point back.

Priority into three went in my favor and I took the double turn. I wanted to score my points before he brought in a 20 man unit to the center points and wanted to lift as many models as possible. I was able to lift up a 20 man and 10 man and was left with his heros on the primary point. On his turn he was able to blizzard off my spider from the center right point and brought over his 20 man to attempt to kill my Dankhold Troggboss. Fortunately she was able to survive 20 spear models and only took 4 wounds before lifting most of the unit.

In turn 4 I was doubled back and starting losing trolls. During his hero phase I was able to use the Dankhold ability “Wade and Smash” to finish off his 20 man unit of spears and engage his unit of bannerlords. In my turn four I made a made a major error and piled in a unit of galpals into The Light of Eltharon after charging a unit of bladelords. I had anticipated losing one of the two pals but doing some damage and being stuck in combat for the next turn and preventing him from getting his remaining death engine into combat with something important. However, my unit was lifted and I needed to come either deal with the unit or tie it up to prevent it from getting things to the rightmost point.

In turn five I won priority.  Because Mac and I had been playing so quickly and the event had three hour rounds I took a few minutes to decided on if I would take priority. In the end I needed to keep my spider alive to get my grand strategy. I took most of my models over to the last two points and was able to run and charge with my squig hoppers covering a great deal of distance. I was able to control the final objective with some remaining spider riders and my last gal pal and put my general into his terrain to engage his caster and general. At the end of turn 5 I was up enough points and objectives that the only way for him to win was to kill my general and deny me my grand strategy. As many of the games had ended a few people had gathered since we had one of the closer games remaining and we’re both vocal talkers. A golden ticket holder said that my opponents 12 inch move to get on a point wasn’t actually 12 inches and I push the issue.

My wife has made me some lovely heavy clay tokens for my gitz and kruleboyz armies. In the last batch she’s put in one that simply says “game face”. There is a rumor and idea that I sometimes help my opponents to beat me in events and games. I may or may not had a drunken discussion with my round 5 opponent at LVO during turn 2 that there was no way for him to lose before he made a major error that may have cost him the game. I might be on a serial losing streak to a 13-year-old on Thursday nights because I refuse to correct him on rules. Beyond “playing more games” or “getting better with your army” or “designing a better list” this is the lever that will allow me to get better at competitive Age of Sigmar.

The final turn came down to a final attack on my general from… something elven hiding in a waterfall. My general heroically hid from The Light of Elathoron  A year ago I would have been confident that the dice would have been in Mac’s favor. However, the playfield had been leveled as Mac is a pater familias in his own right and I was able to win the game 12 -8.

Unfortunately our team only had two slight wins and took two BRUISING losses leading to us losing. 51-29.

Game 2 This Thing of Ours vs.  The Unreliable Alliance of Flesh, Bone, and Muscle

Gloomspite Gitz vs. Skaven on Nexus Collapse

Rats Villain List

This game had the best vibes and was the most interesting to think about when recapping the event. An outsider to our hobby looked at a picture and asked if I a gay orgy occured after it was taken. Honestly, you can judge the look but having never been invited to a gay orgy I don’t know how they start. This was, however, a prelude to epic battles in the mortal realms where honor was won and lost.

Nexus Collapse is a fun mission where the person BEHIND in points chooses objectives to destroy. Going up against rats and monster rats I didn’t want to get pinned in and be unable to move or accomplish battle tactics. I think this is one of the better missions in the current GHB but have only played it once or twice. I positioned the moon over his quadrant of the board so that it was coming towards me as I wanted to have some moon cover in the first round or two on his side.

In round 1 I deployed off all of the points and gave my opponent the first turn. I had thought about taking the turn and attempting to put up some buffs but wanted to force him to come closer. I didn’t, and still don’t, completely understand all of the buffs and prayers that his rats did but knew that it would likely not be great for me. He only took one objective and crept his army slightly closer, but safely out of range, of mine.

In my turn I repositioned some of my bodies for fighting in turn 2 and to get some battle tactics but didn’t aggressively move into the center of the board. I was able to score my battle tactic and took a point near my loonshrine and another on the flank. I knew I’d be up points and he would likely destroy points near me but I didn’t mind as I wanted to get into the fighting. Because of Thanquol I really didn’t want to be in a position to rely on spell casting.

Turn 2 saw the moon move over the entire board and priority was maintained with him going first. He moved his army up on his points and had a nice big line of rats protecting Thanquol and his other big rat. He failed to cast death frenzy and dreaded death frenzy during his turn and I felt there was an opening for me to go to work. My plan was to charge his entire screen line with my gal pals and general, lift his screens, and then pile into his fighting units and strike them. I was able to get off “itchy nuisance” to force him to fight last on his monster rat and felt really, really good about my plan.

My charges when off without a hitch and I was able to mortal wound/destroy most of his rat screens. My Dankhold Troggboss, who had successfully tanked and entire unit of elves earlier, was in position to absorb strikes from Plague Censer Bearers, heal D6, and issue all out attack. However, after all the wards and saves those rats did exactly 12 wounds and took my gal pal off the table. A few times per game you get one of those unlikely outcomes and just have to eat it.  However, I still had a unit of gal pals in combat with a 13 wound Verminlord Warbringer. Even with losing a key unit it would be an even trade to take off a monster, hold more points, and go into turn 3 with some momentum. Unfortunately for me I did 2 or 3 wounds and had to watch as my unit was lifted by a strike-last afflicted rat. It was a very Skaven way unwind my plans and I basically lost the game at that point.

When my opponent and I put back on our shirts and talked about the outcome I was initially resistant to the idea that I should have hung back and not scored the points in the first round. He talked about how he would have been forced to spread out on other points, about how I would have been able to fight under the moon, and how he really didn’t want to go into me under the Loonshrine. Even now, knowing the outcome and knowing that he didn’t want to advance, I’m still not sure he’s right. My biggest fear with my gal pals is being stuck in on something completely useless and not being able to get battle tactics. I try to have a bias towards action, or at least trying to take the initiative, and don’t know if getting behind on points is the right choice. I ended up getting smoked and lost 4-16.

Our team also lost the big fight 47-33 with two wins and two losses. We were 0-2 at the end of the first day with every member going 1:1.

Dinner

That night we went upstairs for a buffet style dinner that was demolished. Like a lot of events we were able to drink, talk about the day, and lament on how difference things would have been if fate had not been so unkind. Having an event with this number of people all starting the evening in the same spot was a good setup. It was a great opportunity to talk about what had happened, catch up, and most importantly FEAST. Since this was included in the ticket the vast majority of people stayed for some extra fellowship in the mortal realms

But the most important part for me was getting approval to cook up a list for the organizer of the event for the FLG Cheerokee event in February. I’m having a great time looking up rules like “When does a game of Age of Sigmar Start?” and “What happens if you cannot physically deploy a unit”? in order to force him into the most annoying list to play over five games.

Game 3 This Thing of Ours vs. Molly Whoppaz

Gloomspite Gitz vs. Ironjawz on Lines of Communication

Orcs Looking To Honor Gorkamorka in Combat

What a gift to be able to fight a destruction vs. destruction matchup first thing in the morning. Just a couple of armies looking to fight, charge, and krump over time. I’m pretty sure I didn’t want to fight the sharks under any circumstances but wasn’t that afraid of them.

There is a long version of this (see below) and a short version of this. The short version is I got the key double turn and won the game. Some people don’t like the double turn in Age of Sigmar. It makes it really hard to talk out games at the end of round three- the last two rounds can really have some swings in points. Some people think it’s not fair or “too random” but in this edition the rules have provided a lot of reasons to not always take the double. Command abilities make give a lot of interactivity when it isn’t your turn. It’s easy for somebody who doesn’t play the game to look at the “I got the double and won” reductive way I can describe this game and not see all of the choices that went into allow me to take advantage of a dice roll.

I was a little queasy on this pairing but really liked the mission. Lines of Communication allows you disrupt a phase to force an additional command point to be used and I was determined to be the disruptor, not the disrupted. My opponent had A LOT of Brutes and I was pretty excited when he deployed one unit of 10 near a teleport wizard. My deployment is was the opposite of what I typically have – with the gal pals in the back and the gobbapalooza and hoppers serving as a screen. In most matchups I welcome somebody rushing into my Gal Pals but I didn’t like the idea of buffed up brutes and a megaboss at rend 3 attacking me.

I gave him the first turn (to avoid a double) and disrupted commands in the hero phase to prevent him from cheaply moving up his brutes. I knew this put a wrench in his plans because the wording interaction would have required up to 4 additional command points to move 4 inches. He was able to get his tactic and had a large part of his force on the right and center point. My turn saw me fail a few spell casts and take the left point and put just enough hoppers on the central point to take it back. I won priority and gave away the turn as I wasn’t fighting anything good and he charged into my hoppers and gobbapalooza. I had positioned a webspinner shaman to sit and prevent a charge from the mawcrusher to kill the moon but didn’t have any significant offense as I lost my hoppers, my gobbapalooza, and a few spiders to a truly epic smashing and bashing sequence.

During my turn I pumped every single primal dice into itchy nuisance and cast it on the block of 10 brutes. I charged in the gal pals and positioned a unit so that they could pile into his support heros grouped behind the 10 man with a decent pile in. Unlike my last game everyone came through and I was able to lift the unit, get my battle tactic, hold more points, and be in a good position for the next turn. We rolled for priority and I repeated this sequence with the mawcrusher and basically ended the game. I think that if he had won priority I likely would have lost the game as his other 10 man would have attacked my trolls and his mawcrusher would have lifted the other unit of gal pals. I was able to just play for the primary objectives and won 14-6.

My team, however, wasn’t so successful and we lost all the other individual games and our overall matchup 49-31 bringing us to a solid 0-3.

Game 4 This Thing of Ours vs. Carolina Reapers

Gloomspite Gitz vs. Prisoners with Jobs on Power Flux

Chaotic Villain That Fought With Honor

I really didn’t want to play on Power Flux. I had never played on this mission before and the first set of pairings got a mission without choices to make. I was tired and didn’t want to lose a game because I didn’t make the right point activation choice. I got paired into a fellow GAW member and all around great guy who reminded me that I played him in his first event.

Fortunately for me I got matched into a very fighty list and was able to position my loonshrine so that my locust would always be sitting on the back objective. My opponent started to deploy and had a pretty big hole that I assumed a reinforced block of Chosen would fill. I deployed a unit of spiders on the line and had my gal pals right behind them ensuring that any unit that was drawn into combat. Unexpectedly he deployed his fast horse units on the point and I thought he might try to box me in my deployment zone. I really didn’t want to lose that, lose priority, and then not be able to get anything on the points but I didn’t really have anything useful to do in the first turn so I gave away the turn and picked our back objectives (A) to be active.

To my surprize and glee he charged in his horse unit and a Karakdrak and engaged all of the gals. I didn’t complain, nearly lifted the unit, and got extremely excited to play the rest of the game. In my turn I decided to charge with two units and retreat with two units – I wanted to throw my hoppers into his unit of warriors to prevent them from moving up and finish off the units on my point. I also teleported a unit of spiders into his territory to set up surround and destroy on the next turn. Since all of his heros were wizards I was able to pick up an extra VP by killing his Karakdrak. However, my general was down to 2 hit points after a really strong attack and needed to keep him out of the battle for the rest of the game.

Priority went my way and I kept the same objectives as active and went second. The moon didn’t move so I wasn’t getting the full +1 armor save. My opponent picked “Charge with a hero and a battleline and have one in combat at the end of the turn” and moved forward with his Chosen to target my Troggboss. Even a strong unit like Chosen are unlikely to kill my Troggboss and I wanted her alive for the clap back. I could have declined to ward but didn’t and ended up losing my spiders and troggboss causing my opponent to fail his battle tactic.

However, I failed my battle tactic when he redeployed away from my unit of troggs. I was able to pick up another VP for killing a wizard and retreated my two remaining hoppers to his open back objective after the redeploy. Missing out on the battle tactic wasn’t great but my opponent had failed on and my board position was extremely strong.

The next turn saw the move stay in the same spot and I picked intimidate the invaders as my tactic. Most of my gals were pretty far from the Chosen and I got the honor of picking priority again. My opponent selected his Chosen as part of surround and destroy and eliminated the gobbapalooza (gaining a VP) but basically taking them out of the game. I was pretty far ahead on points and spent the last few turns wizard hunting and keeping my spider alive and ended up winning the game 15-5 bringing me to a 3-1 individually.

Our team, however, lost our closest game 42-38 bringing our record to 0-4 on the weekend.

Final Thoughts

Whatever my next army configuration is I don’t think that it will be including the gal pals. At some point I’m going to need to include some goblins just to be more competitive on points. A surprise MVP was my unit of squig hoppers who had a lot more mobility than even the spiders and were able to steal a few points by running or retreating. I’ve grown extremely frustrated with the spider as my general. As a kruleboyz player I don’t really want to live and die on 5s and 6s to hit and he isn’t as survivable as you would expect. However, being able to fill out 90 point battleline units leaves lots of points for other fun units.

So was the weekend a success? I think everyone on the team had a great time and I was able to finish all of my games in short order. While individual results don’t matter in a team event I was happy to finally get two day 2 wins. Getting together a team of people for an event is a lot of work. A few teams, including the winning team, had people drop over the course of the planning. I thought having an event dinner at the hotel hosting was a great idea and really allowed us to have some extra time and rooftop drinks.

I also liked having longer rounds even if I didn’t need them. There was a point in a few of the games, and I’m sure I did this too, where once the game is decided the pace tends to slow down. On one hand it is an opportunity to talk with the pressure off but if I’m up I’m likely still in “Maxing out points” mode and if I’m down I likely don’t have much to do.

I’m looking forward to the Georgia Masters next year and hope it joins the ranks of the SFGE and Cherokee as close by events that attract more travel players.

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