Just a few moments ago I finished giving a demo game for a new potential player.
This presented somewhat of a weird challenge for me. I mean, for the statistics...
I mean, if in some time in the future I've given lots of demo games to random people with my own models with lists I've constructed myself, I feel it would fudge my win/loss ratio unfairly.
So I decided that I will not note down demo games I've given to people under my faction and caster based statistics.
However, I made a separate field in my spreadsheet for demo games. As no matter what, they are still games and need to be counted up... right? Am I crazy?
Anyway, as I have only one faction (yet...) for Warmachine, I had to make two demo lists using Cryx with both.
I made 11 point lists that were:
Warwitch Deneghra
- 2x Deathrippers
- Slayer
Satyxis Raider Captain
and
Iron Lich Asphyxious
- Ripjaw
- Nightwretch
- Reaper
Necrotech & Scrap Thrall
When I gave demo games in Mk1 I always wanted to include a solo in the demo armies too. Well, I think I never gave demo games to players who had no earlier experience with miniature games, so I felt that one model that worked a bit differently than most models wasn't too much.
My "opponent" played with Deneghra's troupe.
He actually played pretty well for a first-timer, instinctively figuring out what a boon knock down effect is for landing shots at normally def 15 bonejacks.
However, one little thing undermined a little this particular demo game.
Times I rolled 6,6,6 or 6,5 or 5,5,6 for damage were a bit too... often. And opponent had more than one persons share of double 1's or otherwise much below average rolls.
Actually I should have lost the game as opponent managed to score one awesome damage roll at Asphyxious with Satyxis Captain, dealing 8 points in.
Then, a round later, Deneghra got a charge at Asphyxious after casting Ghost Walk on herself and upkeeping Crippling Grasp on Asphyxious. Boosted charge attack hit, but dealt only two points of damage. Second attack with a damage boost dealt zero damage. Asphyxious had armor of 17 at that moment as he was camping 3 focus.
Then it was Satyxis Captain's time to win the game and she dealt 5 points of damage in, leaving Asphyxious at 3.
After that Asphyxious just skewered Deneghra, against all odds.
Anyway, the "demoed" one seemed interested about the game despite my disgusting rolls and his equally pitiful rolls, let's just hope this city's scene eventually gets a new player.
Interesting that you went for a somewhat counter-synergistic Satyxis Captain and not, say, a Skarlock or Warwitch Siren... although I suppose Deneghra's quite good enough without extra focus or free spells flying around... but the new person was playing Deneghra... oh, I don't know. It seems to have worked out, anyway.
ReplyDeleteYes, I didn't try to make optimal 11 point armies. Also because I had to give demo with Cryx versus Cryx, I wanted the different groups to have somewhat "different" feel to them. Which meant that Deneghra had a living solo instead of an undead one :P
ReplyDeleteI don't think less than optimal demo armies are an issue, as I try to avoid pulling off the real disgusting combos that might not be apparent to a new player (like here running an arc node close to Deneghra and throwing 4x Breath of Corruptions at her, with one available damage boost), but not doing amazingly stupid things either (Oh, you got a Slayer and Satyxis Captain both within my Reaper's charge range? Well, I'll charge the captain instead!)
... which interestingly leads to my dilemma with adding demo games into my statistics! :D
if it was a real demo, you deffo should have lost :) The best way to make someone interested is usally to puff them up a bit, taking a loss and having fun :)
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in purposefully losing, yet I do play a lot more carelessly in a demo :P In fact, had Deneghra rolled even average dice on her assassination run for damage, Asphyxious would have died. But dice were definitely not smiling on my opponent. Or if they did smile, they did it mischievously.
ReplyDelete