NEWS

Are you sad about Kings of Winter, Renegade, Adepticon, Masters, Shiloh Slaughter, and just about every other Kings of War GT this winter getting cancelled or postponed? Well Iowa has you covered with another two day event called the Mantic Map GT.

Where – Prairie City Community Building

When – January 16 – 17th

How much – $40 payable to stephenlawrencederose@gmail.com via Paypal

Points level – five 2300 point games

How many players – 24 max

Covid/weather concerns – wear a mask and if need be we are ready to reschedule in April (hopefully it does not come to that)

If 10 or more players sign up we will provide lunch both days. If 14 or more sign up we will also cook dinner for everyone Saturday evening.

Well the Iowa GT for 2020 has come and gone. For a few months it looked like it might not happen, but 14 souls broke the several month long Kings of War silence, gathered together, and FINALLY got to play some in person games. First things first, here are the final results.

Rank	Name	Overall	Battle	Paint	Sportsmanship
1	Adam Ballard (Best Overall)	87	57	12	18
2	Travis Timm (Best General)	81	59	7	15
3	Billy	74	50	6	18
4	Eldon (Best Sportsman)	70	36	9	25
5	Garret	68	41	9	18
6	Jon Becker (Best Army)	68	34	16	18
7	James Grimaldi	63	40	8	15
8	Jonathan	63	38	7	18
9	Hari	63	33	15	15
10	Tony VanZee	56	30	8	18
11	Stephen DeRose	56	25	16	15
12	Michael	50	21	11	18
13	Dustin Gritters	39	17	4	18
14	Adam M	36	18	0	18

Congratulations to all our winners and thank you all who participated. But before we let this tournament fade into the annals of history it is worth bringing up one additional component that made this tournament just a little bit unique. But before I can explain that I need to show you the following map of Mantica created by the cartographer’s guild at Iowa Kings of War (a.k.a. my wife :).

Each table represented a different place in the world of Mantica. Every table had its own unique theme and special terrain piece.  Players fought over a Basilian cathedral, Oskan’s skull in the Abyss, a frozen outpost near the city of Chill, and many other places.Each special piece was an objective that granted its controlling player 3 points at the end of the game.  Just like normal objectives you needed the most unit strength within 3 inches of the terrain piece at the end of the game in order to claim it. 

In addition to being an objective, each terrain piece also had three different auras.  Each one gave a different bonus or penalty to units within six inches, depending on whether good, neutral, or evil controlled it.

Every terrain piece began controlled by one of the tree alignments.

Which alignment controls the terrain piece changed based on who won at that table during the last game played there.  If a good army won at that table, the terrain feature became controlled by the forces of good, regardless of whether good, neutral, or evil began with control of it.  And like so if a neutral or evil army won.

Each faction began with control of 4 tables

At the end of the tournament the forces of evil crushed all those who opposed them. Considering that evil represented half of the total armies present, seven of the top ten, and both best overall and best general, this is not surprising.

Sadly, the cursed Cornhole trophy will remain in Iowa… for now.

This year Iowa Kings of War is running a two day tournament on September 2rd to 3th at the Iowa Events Center in 2023.  This will be a five game tournament set at 2300 points per game.

Those interested with questions should email iowakingsofwar@gmail.com.

There will be a party after the tournament Saturday night.  Details to follow in the forthcoming rules pack.  Also, those in need of lodging should notify Iowa Kings of War either through email or the Iowa Kings of War facebook page.  Multiple club members have spare rooms to lend.  

With encampments built and battle plans drawn the generals of Mantica gathered their strength and tested each other’s defenses for a second time.  All the while their mages could clearly see the shard of Domivar’s blade forming in their dreams, and by now some of the rank and file felt an unfathomable power lurking deep within their subconscious. 

Battle One: Of Ice and Fire

Curtis vs Jonathan

Edgar the Lost Prince surveyed the windswept battlefield.  This was a fitting place to begin his ascent.  The Abyssal Dwarfs were hated amongst his people, and a crushing victory would garner more bannermen to his worthy cause.  For a fleeting moment he felt a warm confidence grow within his chest before another gush of cold brought the enemy’s profound tactics to light.  There were two distinct battalions forming on either distant flank.  The Prince smiled.  This was going to be far more difficult than expected, but well worth the effort.

(Three hours later…) Nope!  Never mind.  What happens when you combine Iowa State engineering with defense 6 everything and guns that vaporize anything that moves?  Well, exactly what you thought would happen.  Jonathon wins both games.    

Game Two: Murphy’s Law Before and After Death

Paul vs James

Sir Daniel the Ill Fated knew that today would be the day.  The evil necromancer Curtis could not have brought him back merely to be led like a lamb to the slaughter.  No, he had brought the knight to the land of the living so he could be smashed by trolls into jelly for their goblin task masters.  James combined with Paul’s dice in an unusually brutal display of what back luck working and youtube honed tactics can do to a man.  Sir Daniel died that day, again.  May his ill-fated soul rest in peace.  James won both games. 

Game Three: Scandalous Beauty and the Red Barron

Adam vs Dan

On the one side of the table stood Adam’s slender maidens, clad in the form fitting silk dresses that make absolutely no sense on a battlefield whatsoever.  On the other side stood, I mean flew, a Luftwaffe of Lugnut McNugins rumbling bi-wing airplanes whose engines were drowned out by the high-pitched squealing of their goblin pilots.  Bombs were dropped, lady elves spitefully spat lightning bolts, bombs were dropped, hoards of elven spearmen held their ground, bombs were dropped, drakon riders flew to the rescue, and did I mention bombs were dropped?  But in the end the elves fled before the might of the goblin aerial menace.  Two wins for Dan.

Battle Four: Revenge for a Prior Joust

Tony vs Henry

Many moons ago (I think like 20 plus or minus a week) the dreaded warlord known throughout the ashen wastes as “Triple Kill Altona” and his terrifying captain “Castrator of Kings” (please for goodness sake DO NOT ASK HOW HE GOT THAT NAME!!!) leveled a terrible blow to Rath the Awakened.  Normally killing a man would, well, kill him, but this being Kings of War and Rath being undead circumvents said permeance with minor technicalities and such.  The legal paperwork is not the point, rather, the real issue is that burning deep within Tony’s ever competitive soul was a yearning for revenge.  Now after oh so many long weeks Tony has acquired his much sought after prize.  The Castrator of Kings (again, do not ask questions about the name) lay dead, and Triple Kill Altona’s mighty army of demons flee to the netherworld from which they came.  Tony scores two wins. 

Battle Five: A Walk in the Woods

Dusting Vs Stephen

General Warwick’s prayers amidst the sacred grove were interrupted by the sound of something crashing in the distance.  A loud horn rang across the camp with just enough time for the men to don their armor and gather their weapons.  Then the creatures were upon the men.  Scale clad beings of monstrous proportions wielding great weapons, an upright turtle (or was it a tortoise) channeling the power of the forest, and a great, lumbering tree as large as a giant.  At first it seemed as if the Kingdoms of Men would defeat the forces of nature.  They fought the mystical forces back, but the spirits of the forest rallied and once more attacked.  Before the day was done Warwick knelt, captured before the ancient druid.  The general thought his final day had come, but the words which the sorcerer spoke shocked the aging general.  “Son of Adam, you have fought well.  Now, join the Green Lady, or join the underworld.”  The first battle went to Stephen but the second went to Dustin. 

Dan – Goblins – King Lugnot McNuggins (Leader, survived) -1 crop, 1 wood – Training Ground – 9 Campaign Points

Jonathan – Abysall Dwarfs (Mawler, survived) – 1 wood (+2 More) – 9 Campaign Points, Sacrificial Alter

James – Goblins – Snickrick (Leader, survived) – 3 wood, 1 brick, 1 Crop, 1 Metal – 8 Campaign Points (Built something by this point)

Tony – Empire of Dust – Rath (Hunter, survived) – 1 crop, 1 metal – 8 Campaign Points, Sacrificial Alter

Stephen – Kingdoms of Men – General Warwick (Leader, survived) – 1 Wood – 1 Sacred Grove – 6 Campaign Points

Dustin – Forces of Nature – Dutsu (missing in action) – 1 cattle (+3 more resources) – 4 Campaign Points

Curtis – Northern Alliance – Jult (Hunter, missing in action) – 1 wood, 1 brick – Necropolis – 1  Campaign Points

Paul – Undead – (missing in action) – 2 Brick – 0 Campaign Points

Adam – Elves – (missing in action) – 1 metal, 1 crop – 0 Campaign Points

Grant – Orcs – Warlord Gularzob (missing in action) – 1 cattle – 0 Campaign Points

March 7 – Tournament Postponed to April 25th

March 14 – March Hare Tournament in Omaha

March 21 – Next map based campaign day (Held at Dustin’s House starting at 1:00)

March 28/29 – Adepticon

April 25 – New date for the postponed tournament (rules packet to come, this will be a joint event with the Minnesota crew held at the Des Moines store)

June 13/14 – MuseOnCon in Des Moines, Two separate one day events (A doubles tournament and a speed tournament)