Strakhov
-Torch
-Juggernaut
-Berserker
MOW Kovnik
-Devastator
Thor
-Blaster
-Blaster
Nyss
Widowmaker Marksman
Kell Bailoch
OK, looking at my list now, It seems I was a point over. That's what happens when you throw a list together in a hurry without a pencil and paper. Anyway, I don't have many options at 50 points (the only other models I could have used were swapping in slightly more expensive jacks, the war dog, and my mechanics - Sylyss and the Koldun Lord are currently on the painting table).
My opponent's list (more or less, I think I've missed a few bits):
Venethrax
-Slayer
Satyxis Raiders
Satyxis Witches
Bane Knights
Gerlak Slaughterborn
Bloodgorgers
Pre-game:
The table is already set up for Scenario 8: Rally Point (two zones, two objectives), we just leave it like that. He loses the roll-off and chooses to go first, so I chose the side of the table with the wall. My main plan is to try to blow up the Berserker to thin out his infantry. That's pretty much the only thing I can think of to deal with all that infantry. Most of my forces will concentrate on clearing out my zone, while the Devastator stands around in his, and maybe opens up if he bunches up his models enough.
Deployment:
He put his Banes on my left, Witches on my right, the Bloodgorgers and his Caster in the middle.
I put Strakhov on my left, Thor in the middle with the Nyss, and the Kovnik on the right.
He Advance Deployed the Raiders opposite Strakhov's module. I put Kell in the center and the Marksman on my far left.
 |
| The Marksman is out of frame on the left. |
Turn 1:
He runs everything up.
That line of Raiders backed up by a second wave of Banes is really worrying me. I decide that I need to take out the raiders ASAP, which means blowing up my Berserker in their face, so he gets 3 focus. Problem is that even if I put Superiority on him, he still won't be able to make it into combat, which he needs to do in order to use that focus. I decide to use my Feat for the singular purpose of blowing up my own warjack. Happy times.
The two snipers activate first. Standing still to aim, they get a total of three RAT 10 shots. Which all miss. Strakhov Feats, casts Superiority on the Juggernaut, stands still for the aiming bonus, and kills a Raider with his gun. The Berserker then charges at a knot of Raiders. I boost his initial attacks and, at MAT 5, kill two raiders. Then I buy an extra attack, which kills the third Raider without boosting. He then fails to explode.
Wait, what just happened? Everything is going backwards! Well, so much for those plans. The Juggernaut charges up and kills another Raider. I can't reach the other Raider nearby because I positioned him so that he's hidden from all the Banes by the forest (without actually touching it). Torch tries to walk up and flame another Raider but can't reach. Thor uses Pronto to position his Blasters and uses tune-up for no reason at all. The Basters stand still and shoot at the two Raiders facing them, but one misses the boosted RAT 8 shot. The Devastator and Kovnik run up.
Turn 2:
Four Raiders charge Strakhov and roll 17 damage on their first CMA.
Postmortem:
... I'm not very good at this game.
I didn't realise Raiders had CMA, and I figured Strakhov could survive two or three if they managed to reach him. Looking back, there was no real reason not to hide him behind something - killing a raider or two was not worth leaving him exposed.
Game 2
Strakhov
-Marauder
-Juggernaut
MOW Kovnik
-Devastator
-Destroyer
Thor
-Blaster
-Blaster
Nyss
Widowmaker Marksman
Kell Bailoch
I've been meaning to give the Marauder a go, so this was my chance. My opponent was running:
Mordikaar
-Bronzeback Titan
-Gladiator Titan
-Basilisk Drake
-Basilisk Drake
-Basilisk Krea
Nihilators
Cataphract Incindiarii
Paingiver Beast Handlers
Tyrant Commander and Standard Bearer
Agonizer
Extoller Soulward
Void Spirit
Pre-game:
We stuck with the same scenario. I won the roll-off and chose to go second, and stayed on the same side of the table. I was quite tired and made a lot of mistakes in this game.
Deployment:
Hi put his heavies on my right, the Incindiarii on my left, Nihilators in the middle.
I put the Kovnik's module on the right, Strakhov in the middle with Thor, and the Nyss on the left. The Marksman was Advance Deployed on the far right, and Kell in the center. I think I had some vague idea of sending Strakhov's heavies after his, the Devastator to hold the the right zone, and the Nyss and Blasters after his infantry.
Turn 1:
He moves everything up.
I give a point of focus to the Marauder. I make a mistake here and cast Superiority on the Juggernaut - I had been planning to put it on the Marauder and send him up first. I also wanted to put Sentry on the Destroyer but I very intelligently left it too far away, so I have to walk towards it first instead of... I don't actually know what I would have done with him otherwise.
Everything moves up except Kell, who I decide is best of staying where he is. The Destroyer takes a speculative shot which I think scatters over and kills a Nihilator.
Turn 2:
His infantry attack my Nyss and kill a few. A few Nihilators run to engage Kell, Thor, and the Bashers. He toes the zone with a couple of warbeasts. It seems he intended to feat this turn but forgot when he was activating his Warlock. I activate Sentry and the Destroyer shoots at the Drake but misses and scatters harmlessly.
I really should have run the Destroyer up so it would be in a position to try to do something about the Agonizer. I know it won't do much, but I consider to trying to slam the Drake over it with the Marauder. I decide putting some damage on the Broneback is the better play. Of course that means he needs Superiority and Overrun, leaving me with only one focus to allocate to the Marauder. Strakhov moves Superiority around (I don't even think to move the Juggernaut first to take advantage of the extra speed), casts Overrun, then takes an aimed shot at the Nihilator... who I forgot was engaged and toeing the forest. Strakhov missed. I have to fall back to my original plan and charge the Drake, slamming it a mighty 2 inches. It is however left with only three boxes.
The Juggernaut and Devastator run up. I position the Kovnik behind the Devastator thinking that will stop him from being slammed out of the zone (I need to re-read those rules). The Destroyer walks up shoots something for little effect. Thor uses Tune-up and Pronto on the Blasters to position them out of melee - they take a tiny bit of damage from free strikes. They then kill the Nihilators and leave another knocked down, who Kell finishes off. The Marksman kills a Paingiver, and the Nyss charge and kill some infantry. At this point I've killed most of his Nihilators.
Turn 3:
So Mordikaar has been collecting souls from his Nihilators, and he starts this turn with something like 14 fury. He brings back a bunch of Nihilators, who then - with the help of the Incidiarii - cut the Nyss down to a single man. Who fails his command check. They also kill Kell. Thor dies to a Drake's spray. The Krea and Bronzeback kill the Marauder. The Agonizer does it's thing. Oh, and he also used his Feat, giving his whole army +3 DEF (and if I miss an attack I get pushed back d3 inches).
It's really late at this point and I have to go, so I decide to play one last quick turn for fun before conceding. At this point my dice explode.
For some reason I use Strakhov to kill a Nihilator to trigger Overrun, then I realise that I don't need overrun, so I end up just leaving him in the middle of nowhere camping two focus after popping his Feat. The Juggernaut charges the Agonizer and splatters it with his axe, then finishes off the wounded Drake with his fist. This is despite needing 10s to hit on both unboosted attacks.
The Devastator gets between the Juggernaut and the Bronzeback and pushed it away with Bulldoze (if I hadn't been planning to concede this would have helped keep the juggernaut alive next turn). Then, with a firm admonition to "not let me down this time", I charged the Bronzeback with the Kovnik, doing a ridiculous 14 damage with one hit! He also uses his Drive on the Destroyer, which follows his lead and does a solid 13 damage with it's charge attack. Buying another attack, I get the 9 I need to hit and the Destroyer finishes off the Bronzeback.
Flush with this little victory, I concede.
Postmortem:
I was not thinking straight in that game. Having said that, if I had been playing on and therefore paid attention to where I put Strakhov that last round, I think I would have been in a decent position. After all, I had three untouched heavies and he was down to just one, the Blasters were almost untouched and could still contest and do a bit of damage. I was going to start losing points very quickly on the left zone and the forest would make it hard for me to get my Jacks over to contest it, but I think I had a chance - in fact, in retrospect I could have pushed the Krea out of the zone and started scoring in that last round.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, the Kovnik did good work and I'm considering running him with two jacks more often - at least if I know I'm going to be facing an Agoniser.
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