Chapter 130: B&C Interlude: Undeadtide I

Chapter 130: B&C Interlude: Undeadtide I

Two armies faced each other on a field of wood and paper.

The B&C board, which spanned thirty tiles per thirty, represented a standard city split by a river. Water separated the northeast corner of the map from the rest with the exception of a large bridge. Thirty forts were spread across the battlefield; the ownership of these logistical keystones would determine the duels outcome.

This Midgardian Riverford board had been chosen by flipping a coin. Basils five commanders would occupy the southeast part of the map in a tightly packed formation, whereas Walters would be spread over the other three-quarters of the battlefield. Both players analyzed the map in utter silence, their minds utterly focused on planning their eventual victory. Shellgirl and Vasi made up the audience, the former cheering on Basil while the latter nervously crossed her arms.

Her boyfriend had bet much on this battles outcome.

Hagen, who acted as the matchs referee, laid down the law for the two challengers. As per the players wish, this battle will be waged according to Solo-Campaign, Forbidden Tournament rules. Both players will begin with five commanders and gain three resource points per turn. No teammate will come to their rescue.

The situation pleased Walter. While he usually played with Hagen as his back-up, the dullahan was not quite as talented as his master. As two expert B&C veterans, Basil and Walter preferred to eliminate luck and misplays from their strategy.

A fort is considered seized as long as a unit stays on its tile, Hagen explained. The forts owner will gain one resource point for each fort they control when their turn comes; resource points that go unused vanish at the turns end. Additionally, they will be able to summon newly purchased units on a seized forts adjacent tiles, as long as those arent occupied. Otherwise, players can summon units in their commanders starting tiles. Those cannot be occupied by the other players units.

In Board & Conquest, maps determined strategy as much as army composition. Basils starting position made it easier for him to build a defensive line to protect his territory. Walters commanders were more vulnerable due to being spread out, but they would have an easier time flanking their foes and seizing forts spread across the map. In short, Basils position favored defensive tactics while Walters encouraged a quick-paced offensive.

This was the perfect strategy for a necromancer such as him.

Challenging me was a mistake, Basil. Whatever sympathy Walter felt for his customer vanished the moment they both sat at the gaming table. There could be no mercy at B&C. I will show you the terror of utter domination.

The battle will end when one of the players loses all their commanders. Hagen marked a short pause. As per Basils demand, the chiefs shadow magic shall reflect the units pain onto their owner.

Walter shrugged. Hagen didnt need to worry for his safety; he would win too fast for Basil to counterattack.

Finally, each player has bet something on the matchs outcome. My chief has wagered one of his three Nidhogg miniatures. Whereas his challenger Hagen turned in Basils direction. Will lose his soul upon defeat.

If Basil Bohen was afraid, he didnt show it.

Your arrogance will spell your demise, Basil, Walter thought as he spread his five commanders miniatures on the tiles specially prepared for them. I feel sympathy for you, but not enough to hold back.

His headless Dullahan Duke and wyvern-riding knight Ragnarok Herald were set on the northwest quarter of the map; his ghostly Dark Elf Banshee and decaying Zombie Count were moved to the southwest; and his mummy assassin took over the island in the northeast.

In contrast, Basils commanders were a motley crew tightly packed in the southeast side of town: a silver cat archer; a hunched dwarf hag; an equally old dwarf engineer wielding a hammer too big for him; a fairy made of diamonds; and a mighty, coiling sandworm occupying four tiles at once instead of one. As an expert B&C player, Walter recognized them all.

Freyjas Cat Archer; Duergar Witchmatrone; Stonesiege Engineer; Rockfairy; and Underground Behemoth. Interesting crew. A novice player would fail to see the running theme between them, but Walter immediately understood Basils choices. Utility over raw power.

Rockfairy would have to go first if possible; though she lacked any offensive options, her Gemstone ability reduced the resource cost of units by one. Walters Banshee would offset it by increasing Basils unit cost by one with her Disruptor power, but the fairys destruction would durably cripple the Tamers logistics.

The rest of Basils army worried Walter. His customer wisely kept most of his miniature army hidden in his inventory rather than within his fellow players sight. Since Walter had graciously agreed not to read his mind during battle, it would potentially allow Basil to take him by surprise.

He was mistaken, of course. Walter would graciously lull him into a false sense of safety before striking a killing blow.

Hagen flipped a coin to decide who would go first. Walter chose tails, and called it wrong.

Heads, Hagen said. Basil shall open the match.

My turn, Basil said with the certainty of an expert player. He shuffled his commanders around to better fill his quarter of the map. Due to the forts positions, he moved his Stonesiege Engineer, Cat Archer. and Rockfairy west. Walter watched on as the miniatures walked across the board, trampling grassy tiles under their feet. I will now sacrifice all my resources to summon three Trench Dwarves.

Three new miniatures appeared next to Basils Rockfairy: a trio of dwarves armed with pickaxes.

Trench DwarfCost: 1Range: 1Move: 5 (Foot)Pow/Def: +1/+1Trench Digger: Can turn a Land tile into a Trench tile (cannot be crossed by Swim or Foot Units) instead of attacking.

It must be sad for you, Walter taunted his rival. Without my Banshee, those three wouldnt have cost you anything.

Ive taken it into account, Basil replied with confidence. But thank you kindly.

Basil next moved his Duergar Witchmatrone, Underground Behemoth, and his three Trench Dwarves north towards the northeast bridge. Since three forts were located on their way, Walter expected his foe to seize them all.

He was wrong. Basil claimed two forts with his commanders, but he had something else in mind for his other troops.

I activate my Witchmatrones Refreshing Brew ability, Basil said, his three trench diggers awaiting orders around the aforementioned commander. All adjacent allies can act again.

His newly invigorated dwarves continued their advance, ignoring the forts on the way and instead reaching the bridge. Basil immediately had them dig a trench at its entrance. Since the bridge was only three tiles long, the path was cut. Walters Mummy Assassin commander was now trapped on its island with no way out.

Aha, yes! Shellgirl grinned ear to ear. Since Mummy Assassin is a Foot unit, it cant cross the trenches! Its trapped!

Not quite, Hagen mused with a dark laugh. Mummy Assassins Ambush special ability lets it teleport five tiles in one direction on top of its usual movement of five. Walling off the bridge does limit the chiefs options though.

Basil sank back into his seat. Your turn.

Walter gave the battlefield a cursory glance. Since Basil clearly initiated a defensive strategy, he needed to cut the grass under his feet; the longer Walter waited, the better prepared his foe would grow.

First of all, he moved his commanders around to free their starting tiles for future summons. Keeping his Dullahan Duke in the battlefields northwest corner for safetys sake, he moved his Mummy Assassin closer to the bridge. His Ragnarok Herald, whose insane movement range of twelve tiles trumped everything in both players arsenal, flew across a third of the map toward the isolated island. His Zombie Count and Banshee moved east towards the nearest forts within their reach, which would soon put them on a collision course with Basils Cat Archer and Rockfairy.

Most importantly, each of his commanders claimed a fort of their own. Walter would have to wait for his next turn to benefit from new points, but you didnt survive as long as he did without learning the value of patience.

Eight, nine, ten Shellgirl squinted at the field. Wait, why didnt Mummy Assassin attack the Trench Dwarves? With its crazy teleportation power and its attack range of two, it could kill one of them.

But that would put it within reach of Underground Behemoths counterattack, Hagen pointed out. Its Blood Frenzy ability temporarily increases its power and defense by one for each unit destroyed on the previous turn. If the chief kills one of the trench diggers, its power will increase to seven; more than enough to destroy Mummy Assassin.

Hagens guess was correct. Basils trench prevented Mummy Assassin from crossing it on foot. If it teleported across this obstacle, it wouldnt be able to retreat back to the island. Trading an irreplaceable commander for a minor unit would be a costly mistake on Walters part.

Nevertheless, his turn was far from over.

Now that the starting tiles are free, I sacrifice three resources to summon Jujushaman. Walter waved his hand and summoned a new brave minion onto the battlefield: a rotting necromancer wearing tattered robes.

JujushamanCost: 3Range: 2Move: 4 (Foot)Pow/Def: +0/+0Necromonger: Zombie miniatures cost 1 resource less to summon.

Here it comes Hagen chuckled darkly, for he had seen his employer play this miniature countless times. The Undeadtide.

Walter smirked cruelly upon catching the first sign of tension on his rivals face. He knew exactly how many Zombie miniatures existed in B&C.

I summon fifteen zombies in three waves of five, Walter said softly.

For a moment, it appeared the matchs audience failed to understand his words; except for Hagen, who laughed to his hearts content. One by one, Walters soldiers teleported onto the board: a motley crew of rotting corpses, pallid undead, and other charred abominations. Each wave moving away from their arrival spot was immediately followed by another.

Fifteen zombies?! Shellgirl choked. Thats an illegal move! You can only have three copies of a single miniature in B&C!

That is the case, Walter replied with a pleased smile. I have summoned three Mushroom Zombies, three Drowned Zombies, three Dirtbound Zombies, three Frostscarred Zombies, and three Helbound Zombies.

All of them were little more than skin variations of a base template, with one major exception.

Drowned ZombieCost: 1Range: 1Move: 4 (Foot/Swim)Pow/Def: +1/+0Revenant: Cannot hold a fort. This unit can be summoned again after being destroyed at no cost to the user when the turn ends.

Drowned Zombies were the only ones capable of swimming.

Walter summoned these three on his Mummy Assassins island and had these minions jump into the river. The rest of the horde marched south, with two groups of three backing up his Banshee and Zombie Count.

While Shellgirl despaired at the sheer number of undead, Vasi kept her composure. Its not as bad as it looks, she said, although her uneasy posture betrayed her true feelings. Theyre both weak and incapable of holding a fort.

You dont play at B&C too often, do you? Hagen mused. Units cannot bypass others without either using a special ability or killing them first, so the chiefs cannon fodder can pin down Basils forces in one place. Moreover, theyre perfect for Flanking Attacks.

When a unit initiates a battle, it wins if the attackers Power exceeds the targets Defense, Walter thought. However, if the target is within the range of the attackers allies, then their Power adds up to his.

Zombie CountCost: Commander.Range: 1Move: 4 (Foot)Pow/Def: +4 (7)/+6 (9)Zombie Force: Gains +1 POW/DEF per allied Zombie within 2 spaces.Dwarf ShieldmasterCost: 4.Range: 1Move: 4 (Foot)Pow/Def: +0/+8Cover: Can pull an adjacent ally behind itself.Vampire RatkingCost: 3.Range: 1Move: 6 (Foot)Pow/Def: +2/+1Consume: Can destroy any number of adjacent ally units. The owner gains a number of resources equal to the destroyed units cost until the turns end.Ghoulish TankCost: 8.Range: 3Move: 2 (Foot)Pow/Def: +8/+7Juggernaut: Can destroy any terrain obstacles within attack range, including walls.

No, Walter replied calmly, before having his Ragnarok Herald retreat far beyond the Underground Behemoths range. You were right. The real fun begins now.

I agree. Basils gaze sharpened. My turn.

Here is it now, Walter thought as he activated his mind-reading. Show me your secret.

Images flashed before the necromancers eyes. Basils own illustrated, conscious thoughts formed a wonderful tapestry of a puss-in-boots feeding on a roasted chicken.

What? For the first time in many years, Walter blinked in astonishment. What the

Basil Bohen wasnt thinking of the battle.

I sacrifice five resources to summon Dwarf Catapult!

He was thinking of what he would feed his cat after winning the match!

Walter watched on, astonished, as a primitive steampunk-styled catapult appeared next to the Witchmatrones fort with no input whatsoever from Basils conscious mind.

Dwarf CatapultCost: 5.Range: 3Move: 4 (Foot)Pow/Def: +1/+5Catapult: Can propel an adjacent unit five tiles forward in one direction, bypassing any obstacle in-between.

I move my Dwarf Catapult forward, Basil said, his miniature rolling across the battlefield toward the Underground Behemoth. My Witchmatrone will follow it and then use Refreshing Brew.

Walter was a rational, strategic player. He considered all possible outcomes, weighted risks, and benefits, then selected the appropriate move. He expected all high-level B&C players to work the same.

But it wasnt reasoning or cold logic that guided Basil Bohen.

My Dwarf Shieldmaster will now move in front of my Underground Behemoth, said Basils mouth while his mind debated about which sauce he should use for dinner, and pull it two tiles closer to your Ragnarok Herald.

It was instinct.

Much like a bloodthirsty tiger preparing to pounce on unsuspecting prey, Basil wasnt planning future moves at all. His mind worked on autopilot, following strategies and tactics rehearsed so often that they had become as natural to him as breathing. He didnt know what miniatures hid in his inventory because he didnt need to think about them anymore; his body picked the optimal unit on its own.

Basil Bohen was playing subconsciously.

From the start Walters cold dead pulse suddenly quickened in his icy veins. He has been playing me from the start!

Much to his horror, he could only watch on as Basils Shieldmaster pulled the Underground Behemoth closer to his Ragnarok Herald. The latter was too far away to catch up on its own but that didnt last long.

Now that Refreshing Brew let it act again, I move my Dwarf Catapult forward by four spaces. Basil put his damned machine right behind the Underground Behemoth. And I use it to throw my commander five spaces forward.

Walters fingers trembled as the Underground Behemoth was flung across the battlefield right in front of his Ragnarok Herald. His wyvern-riding knight looked like a toy when compared to the giant, bloodthirsty worm.

Attack, Basil ordered.

The Underground Behemoth opened its toothy maw and bit the Ragnarok Herald in half.

Walter immediately felt phantom fangs sink into his torso. Pain, followed by the bitter sting of humiliation, raced through his withered undead flesh. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten how much he hated the sensation. The sudden agony caused Walter to nearly fall off his seat.

Chief? Hagen leaned towards his employer, but did not offer a hand. Do you feel well?

No. Walter grit his teeth in anger. His immense undead resilience let him shrug off injuries that would have killed a man. The damage was more psychological than physical.

For a brief moment, Walter Tye had felt the cold call of death.

The necromancer had dedicated his entire existence to triumph over it. His Heralds destruction only reminded him why. That feeling of loss, nothingness he loathed it with all his heart.

Walter. Basil glared at him from the other side of the board. You dont deserve to call yourself a B&C Player.

Walter seethed in impotent rage. You dare insult me, Basil?

I dare. Basil pointed a finger at Walter. The first rule of Board & Conquest is victory at any cost, and youve forgotten it! A true player should be able to sacrifice everything to win! Their pain, their pride, their soul! But rather than play boldly with all your might, you would rather pull back your troops to avoid a counterattack!

Walter clenched his jaw. He tried to clear his mind from the pain; it shouldnt be enough to shake his confidence.

If you had attacked my Underground Behemoth while your Herald still had the most power to kill it, it would have cost me a commander, Basil pointed out. Instead you went for the safe, predictable play! You mistook cowardice for caution, and it cost you!

Walters wounded pride demanded revenge, but his cold, calculating mind assessed Basils words. His challenger was correct. Walter had played too cautiously, relying on his mind-magic to anticipate his foes counterattack rather than rely on his own judgment.

Walter had underestimated Basil, and it cost him dearly. He should have anticipated him to counter both his mind-reading powers and play. This man was no cannon fodder, but an elite warrior who had slain countless foes to reach past level seventy.

Have I truly been so craven? Walter glanced at his torso. Marks of sharp teeth left holes in his robes and pallid flesh alike. This pales before the agony Ive suffered through in the service of the Great Work.

Had he become like the gods he despised, lulled into a false sense of safety from atop a throne of corpses?

Never!

Red lightning crackled around the board as Walters gaze met Basils. An invisible pressure fell upon the shop, growing heavier with each passing second.

What is this? Shellgirl wondered in confusion. She raised a hand to catch the lightning and winced in pain upon succeeding. It hurts?

Is that a lightning spell? Vasi scowled. No, its something else.

Its a Player Resonance. Hagen crossed his arms. Now things are getting interesting.

Vasi squinted at him. Player Resonance?

Its a rare phenomenon that occurs when two professional B&C players fighting spirits perfectly align, Hagen explained. Their wills clash and generate magical energy. Sometimes, a duel grows so intense that it starts a thunderstorm.

Vasi considered his words for a minute, before swiftly massaging her forehead. This is getting ridiculous.

Its not ridiculous, its Board & Conquest! Hagen replied proudly. Casuals like you will never understand!

Walter Tye did not pay attention to his audience. As far as he was concerned, they no longer existed. He only had eyes for the fearsome enemy in front of him; a true warrior who deserved his respect.

You have done me a great service, Basil. Walter adjusted his position on his seat. You are correct. I have forgotten what it means to be a B&C player.

He had been willing to bet everything on victory once.

And now he remembered why.

Walter Tye couldnt stand losing to anyone.

Thank you for reminding me. Walter had relied on his magic and tricks so long that these advantages had become crutches. I shall give my all from now on.

Basil smirked. I expected that from the start.

Walter would fight fairly from this turn on and win anyway.

The true battle had only just begun.