Apocalypse Tamer

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 duel’s outcome.

This Midgardian Riverford board had been chosen by flipping a coin. Basil’s five commanders would occupy the southeast part of the map in a tightly packed formation, whereas Walter’s 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 battle’s outcome.

Hagen, who acted as the match’s 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 fort’s owner will gain one resource point for each fort they control when their turn comes; resource points that go unused vanish at the turn’s end. Additionally, they will be able to summon newly purchased units on a seized fort’s adjacent tiles, as long as those aren’t occupied. Otherwise, players can summon units in their commanders’ starting tiles. Those cannot be occupied by the other player’s units.”

In Board & Conquest, maps determined strategy as much as army composition. Basil’s starting position made it easier for him to build a defensive line to protect his territory. Walter’s 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, Basil’s position favored defensive tactics while Walter’s 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 Basil’s demand, the chief’s shadow magic shall reflect the unit’s pain onto their owner.”

Walter shrugged. Hagen didn’t need to worry for his safety; he would win too fast for Basil to counterattack.

“Finally, each player has bet something on the match’s outcome. My chief has wagered one of his three Nidhogg miniatures. Whereas his challenger…” Hagen turned in Basil’s direction. “Will lose his soul upon defeat.”

If Basil Bohen was afraid, he didn’t 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, Basil’s 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.

Freyja’s 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 Basil’s 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. Walter’s Banshee would offset it by increasing Basil’s unit cost by one with her Disruptor power, but the fairy’s destruction would durably cripple the Tamer’s logistics.

The rest of Basil’s army worried Walter. His customer wisely kept most of his miniature army hidden in his inventory rather than within his fellow player’s 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 Basil’s Rockfairy: a trio of dwarves armed with pickaxes.

“It must be sad for you,” Walter taunted his rival. “Without my Banshee, those three wouldn’t have cost you anything.”

“I’ve 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 Witchmatrone’s 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. Walter’s 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 can’t cross the trenches! It’s trapped!”

“Not quite,” Hagen mused with a dark laugh. “Mummy Assassin’s 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 chief’s 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 battlefield’s northwest corner for safety’s 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 Basil’s 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 didn’t survive as long as he did without learning the value of patience.

“Eight, nine, ten…” Shellgirl squinted at the field. “Wait, why didn’t 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 Behemoth’s 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.”

Hagen’s guess was correct. Basil’s trench prevented Mummy Assassin from crossing it on foot. If it teleported across this obstacle, it wouldn’t be able to retreat back to the island. Trading an irreplaceable commander for a minor unit would be a costly mistake on Walter’s 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.

“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 rival’s 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 match’s audience failed to understand his words; except for Hagen, who laughed to his heart’s content. One by one, Walter’s 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. “That’s 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 Zombies were the only ones capable of swimming.

Walter summoned these three on his Mummy Assassin’s 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. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” she said, although her uneasy posture betrayed her true feelings. “They’re both weak and incapable of holding a fort.”

“You don’t 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 chief’s cannon fodder can pin down Basil’s forces in one place. Moreover, they’re perfect for Flanking Attacks.”

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

Of all of Board & Conquest mechanics, none were more important than Flanking Attacks. Walter’s zombies would play a key role in setting them up.

And then, of course, there was the small case of his Zombie Count’s special ability.

With three zombies as its personal guard, the count was already strong enough to defeat nearly all of Basil’s commanders. Walter would be in position to attack the Cat Archer and Rockfairy with it on his next turn.

“Go on, Basil.” Walter folded his fingers together. “The true battle begins now.”

To his surprise, Basil answered with a wicked smile. “You’re wrong, Walter. We’re two turns away from the real fun.”

“Bold words,” Walter replied calmly. His foe’s attempt at unsettling him fell flat. “Let's see if you can back them up.”

“With pleasure.” With five forts under his control, Basil now possessed eight resources to call upon. “I summon two Dwarf Shieldmaster.”

Two armored dwarf warriors with tower shields twice their size appeared on the field: one next to the Stonesiege Engineer and the other near the Witchmatrone’s fort.

Walter immediately figured out Basil’s strategy: to use the shieldmaster’s repositioning ability to strengthen the defensive line. Which he did after moving his Stonesiege Engineer a few steps toward the Zombie Count.

“I activate my Stonesiege Engineer’s special power,” Basil said. “Instead of attacking, it can turn three tiles in a line into wall tiles.”

A palisade appeared before Basil’s commander, turning three tiles into impracticable terrain for anyone but flyers and diggers. He then had a Shieldmaster move behind the Engineer and activate its power. Basil’s commander was pulled behind its protector and back onto its fort. Even if Walter’s zombies sidestepped the wall, the Engineer would remain out of range.

Next, Basil had his Trench Dwarves dig trench tiles on the land bordering the rivershore. The defensive line extended from three tiles closing the bridge to six extending facing the water. Although Walter’s Drowned Zombies could swim easily enough, they couldn’t bypass trench tiles. They would need to take a larger detour to find a land tile to walk on.

“Next, I have my second Shieldmaster shove one of the Trench Dwarves behind itself,” Basil said… which put the unit next to the Witchmatrone. “I now activate Refreshing Brew!”

The newly rejuvenated Trench Dwarf returned to the shore and expanded the defensive line by another tile, ending Basil’s turn.

Now with eight resources to spend, Walter took a moment to assess his options. As he suspected, Basil intended to play defensively.

Walter had many methods of bypassing walls and trenches, from his Mummy Assassin’s teleportation to flying units. However, each new defensive layer limited his mobility and options. Basil didn’t need to stop Walter’s advance. Slowing it down and funneling his soldiers into kill zones would work just as well.

These Trench Dwarves have a key flaw, Walter thought. Unlike my units, they don’t come back from the dead.

If Basil possessed other units with the ability to dig trenches or walls, he would have summoned them instead of Shieldmasters. Each Trench Dwarf was irreplaceable.

Only two of Walter’s units were in position to threaten them: his Mummy Assassin and Ragnarok Herald. Using the former was out of the question, as it would have to waste its teleportation power and find itself cut off from any possibility of retreat.

That wasn’t the case with Ragnarok Herald, since the wyvern-riding knight could fly over the trenches and river alike. It could target the Trench Dwarf, slay it, and flee back to safety since its Mobile power let it use unused movement after attacking.

The problem lay with the Underground Behemoth. The creature waited three spaces away from the most vulnerable Trench Dwarf. Its Blood Frenzy power would raise its power to seven should an allied unit be destroyed, which would be enough to overcome Ragnarok Herald’s defense of six.

Since Ragnarok Herald has a range of two and a movement of twelve, it will need to move seven tiles to strike the Trench Dwarf, Walter calculated. I could waste two more to strike the Underground Behemoth instead and deprive Basil of a commander, but then my Herald won’t be able to retreat. A Flanking counterattack would surely follow, and then we would be both short of a commander. Not the optimal play.

Meanwhile, the Underground Behemoth had a movement and attack range of three and a movement of two. Its digging movement would let it bypass the trench, but not the river. Even if Basil used a Shieldmaster to push it forward, it would be one tile short of threatening the Ragnarok Herald if it retreated after killing the Trench Dwarf. Both units would be too far ahead to benefit from Witchmatrone’s Refreshing Brew.

Did you see it, Basil? Walter locked eyes with his foe. Is this a misplay on your part, or a calculated trap? Are you willing to sacrifice one of your units to bait my commander two steps closer? Or does your arrogance know no bounds that you presume I wouldn’t see it?

Basil held his rival’s gaze, his eyes cold as ice. His poker face appeared made of solid marble rather than flesh. No mere human could see past it.

Basil, for all of your determination, you still do not understand what it takes to become a true player. Fairness, honor… Walter’s eyelids narrowed dangerously. Those values are shackles holding the human spirit back.

Walter Tye did not have such weakness. The only thing on his mind was always the same: victory at any cost.

It’s time to pick your brain, Basil. Violating his earlier promise, Walter began reading his opponent’s mind. As a B&C player, I’m sure you’ll understand not using my full power would be the real crime.

Reading minds was akin to flipping a book’s pages. An individual’s surface thoughts formed the preface, followed by the content of a dense memory grimoire. Since Basil kept his miniatures hidden in his inventory, Walter focused on identifying them. A hundred potential army line-ups passed before the necromancer’s eyes.

Did Basil suspect Walter of violating his oath and tried to shuffle his thoughts? Or was he reconsidering his choice of an army? Whatever the case, it wouldn’t fool Walter. The necromancer delved deeper into his opponent’s mind to better excavate the army composition’s memory.

He failed.

What? An eternity of hiding his true nature allowed Walter to keep a blank face in the face of surprise. I see… I see nothing.

It wasn’t that Basil kept a magical shield around his memories—Walter would have easily pierced through that under normal circumstances. No. The truth was much simpler, and somehow far more unsettling.

Basil Bohen didn’t know his own army’s composition.

That’s… that’s not possible. Walter had seen him summon miniatures from his inventory. How could he do that without knowing his own reserves? Unless… is one of his Perks protecting his mind by projecting false information?

Basil’s lips stretched into a smug smile. “You look unsettled, Walter. Has my play left you speechless?”

Walter didn’t bother answering. He was no newbie easily spooked by surprise. The necromancer would figure out whatever trick Basil used to hide his thoughts through observation.

I won’t let you psyche me out, Basil, Walter thought as he prepared to strike. You will regret insisting on that pain transference rule. “I sacrifice three resources to summon Vampire Ratking.”

A pile of white rodents materialized on a tile next to the Jujushaman, hungry for blood.

Since Jujushaman had outlived its usefulness after summoning Walter’s zombie army, the rats promptly devoured it. Now back to eight resources, Walter used them to summon an elite creature: a mighty, four-tiles sized mass of fused corpses. Hundreds of arms carried the abomination like a twisted centipede, while a cannon of bone surged from its top.

“Eight power points?” Shellgirl choked. “That’s enormous!”

“My army accepts nothing but the best,” Walter replied calmly. His Ghoulish Tank had been summoned near the Zombie Count’s fort and immediately went on the offensive. It blew up one of the wall tiles raised by the Stonesiege Engineer, leaving a gap in the defense. Walter immediately filled it with a normal zombie to prevent Basil from repairing the breach next turn. A pity his troops needed a little more set-up to get past the second Shieldmaster.

Next, Walter had his Ragnarok Herald move closer to the northern line. By using seven tiles, it flew within two spots of the nearest Trench Dwarf. Basil braced himself for what would follow.

“Now,” Walter said calmly. “I draw first blood.”

Raising its fiery axe, his Ragnarok Herald threw it at the Trench Dwarf like a tomahawk and shattered its skull.

A burning scar opened across Basil’s face the moment his miniature suffered a wound. An invisible blade carved a line across his face, with flames searing skin and flesh alike. Basil screamed in pain and surprise before nearly falling off his chair.

“Basil!” Vasi immediately jumped out of her seat with Shellgirl hot on her trail… only for Hagen to step in their path. “Out of my way!”

“No outside intervention,” the dullahan said pitilessly. “That’s the rules.”

Walter took no pleasure in listening to his rival’s screams. He didn’t feel any pity either. Basil had brought it on himself by invoking this stupid rule.

Walter liked his customer and appreciated his company. If Basil had been a mage, he might even have taken him as an apprentice. But he wasn’t a friend Walter felt sorry for, far from it. No friend of his would be unwise enough to challenge him at B&C under these circumstances.

“It’s… it’s fine, Vasi.” Basil grit his teeth and extinguished the flames on his face with a hand. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Vasi replied, her voice brimming with worry.

“It’s nothing compared to what we’ve endured together.” Basil gazed defiantly at Walter. “Trust me on this.”

Vasi chewed her lip, before exchanging a look with Shellgirl. Both spectators returned to their seats in sullen silence.

“Is that the best you can do?” Basil taunted Walter.

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

“I agree.” Basil’s gaze sharpened. “My turn.”

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

Images flashed before the necromancer’s eyes. Basil’s 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 wasn’t thinking of the battle.josei

“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 Witchmatrone’s fort… with no input whatsoever from Basil’s conscious mind.

“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 wasn’t reasoning or cold logic that guided Basil Bohen.

“My Dwarf Shieldmaster will now move in front of my Underground Behemoth,” said Basil’s 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 wasn’t 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 didn’t know what miniatures hid in his inventory because he didn’t need to think about them anymore; his body picked the optimal unit on its own.

Basil Bohen was playing subconsciously.

From the start… Walter’s 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 Basil’s Shieldmaster pulled the Underground Behemoth closer to his Ragnarok Herald. The latter was too far away to catch up on its own… but that didn’t 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.”

Walter’s 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 Herald’s 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 don’t 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 you’ve 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 shouldn’t 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!”

Walter’s wounded pride demanded revenge, but his cold, calculating mind assessed Basil’s words. His challenger was correct. Walter had played too cautiously, relying on his mind-magic to anticipate his foe’s 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 I’ve 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 Walter’s gaze met Basil’s. 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, it’s something else.”

“It’s a Player Resonance.” Hagen crossed his arms. “Now things are getting interesting.”

Vasi squinted at him. “Player Resonance?”

“It’s 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.”

“It’s not ridiculous, it’s 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 couldn’t 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.