The tragedy that goes by the name of failing memory

Yesterday I had a special occasion of playing two games of Warmachine at the local gaming shop Fantasiapelit Jyväskylä.

They were both 35 point caster kill games, and my list was on both occasions:

Iron Lich Asphyxious
- Cankerworm
- 2x Nightwretches
- Harrower

Maximum unit of Satyxis Raiders + Sea Witch
Skarlock
Warwitch Siren
Satyxis Raider Captain
Ragman

And first game was against forces of Circle Orboros with following list:

Epic Kaya & Laris
- Feral Warpwolf
- Pureblood Warpwolf
- Warpwolf Stalker

Shifting Stones
Druid Wilder
Lord of the Feast
2x War Wolves

I won the starting roll and went first. The hill in the middle is a rough terrain hill. Asphyxious is standing there just because he wants to look cool.

Picture is taken from the end of opponents first turn. This was my first time facing epic Kaya in Mk2, so I didn't know exactly what to expect. Also, pardon the pictures, my camera was running out of batteries so it didn't focus right. Heh. Focus right. (Okay, someone hit me now, hard.)

Anyway, on my next turn all I did was wrecking one shifting stone and killing war wolves. The distance to opponents juicy targets was way too big.

I tried to position satyxis & the rest so that Lord of the Feast needed to risk a lot to score a solid hit and wreck face. I didn't even try to escape the damage it could do, just make pulling it off difficult.

But then, this is actually last picture of the game. Opponent does something completely unexpected.

Laris activates first and runs close to Asphyxious. Kaya uses her feat and casts Laris' animus and teleports next to Asphyxious. Now, I was fortunate enough that she scores no hits and left only one fury left for transfers.

However, my warcaster was surrounded with three warpwolves and enemy warlock who had def 18 thanks to Laris.

If I had had any other warcaster the chances for killing her would have needed plenty of lucky rolls. Thanks to Soulsplitter's Sustained Attack I needed only one. Asphyxious scored a hit on second attack. The game was over.

And as the first game was so fast, we decided to play another one.

Game 2:

This time opponent took Retribution of Scyrah as his army, and this was his list:

Kaelyssa the Night's Whisper
- Phoenix
- Discordia

Full unit of Mage Hunter Strikeforce + Commander
Stormfall Archers
Arcanist
2x Mage Hunter Assassins
Sylys Wyshnalyrr

Opponent won the starting roll, but let me go first. I was a bit weirded out by this, but saw why very soon, actually.

Since Mage Hunters ignored just about everything else except elevation bonuses, I packed as much of my pathfinders on the hill as possible.

Then it was opponents turn.

Retribution of Scyrah closed in and Mage Hunter Strikeforce wrecked Nightwretch for starters. And then Kaelyssa used her feat.

That was... just not fair. My full unit of Satyxis Raiders were ready to wipe most of opposing infantry and... and... Bah.

Well, I decided that maybe I'd be better off backing off a little and then launching a devastating charge next turn. But, this second picture is taken from the end of opponents second turn:

Not exactly too much troops anymore for any kind of a charge.

First, Discordia marched up and fried two Satyxis and their captain.

Kaelyssa herself shoots a couple of whip wielders down (She had Phantom Hunter and her own True Sight going on and everything.) and Stormfall Archers set Harrower and two satyxis on fire.

Strikeforce shoots up some damage to Harrower.

I was ready to do some suicidal charges on my next turn. I just didn't know which charges were suicidal and which were not.

Skarlock cast Scything Touch on Satyxis Raiders, who used Power Swell and charged Discordia.

Their damage rolls were godlike. Really. Those three that got into contact with Discordia wrecked the undamaged myrmidon. Such unexpected rolls made me almost feel bad.

But then Harrower charged the Mage Hunter Strike Force. That one didn't go too well. It had been allocated two focus, but still it managed to kill only four from the unit, though it had about eight of them within reach. Really, that was a moment when I missed Infernal Machine or Terminal Velocity...

Well, then. Mage Hunter Assassin charges Harrower and the remaining Strikeforce members make a huge combined melee attack, making a wreck out of the helljack. I guess what comes around, goes around.

Kaelyssa moves forward and starts shooting Asphyxious.

Asphyxious is left with six hit boxes. But he lives. Or unlives, exists, whatever.

Now, I had a busy turn. Asphyxious moved up to the hill, cast some stuff, including Scything Touch on Cankerworm! and used his feat.

The feat killed almost all Mage Hunter Strikeforce members, which was somewhat soothing.

I had to change my plans on the go, as I remembered Kaelyssa had Witch Hound, and I didn't want to mess up everything as almost happened with my recent encounter with Reznik.

And at last Asphyxious teleported into some measure of safety.

Other models cleared a path for Cankerworm to engage Kaelyssa.

I make a replicator attack first and boost attack roll. 1, 1, 1.

Well, then I make a bite attack which thankfully hits and deals enough damage with it's measly P+S 11 to bring Kaelyssa down to 2 hit boxes. She was already a bit damaged from Feedbacks from Satyxis Raiders and one free strike from Satyxis Domintatrix.

That was all I could do.

Kaelyssa advances and takes a free strike from Cankerworm, who misses.

Then she shoots Asphyxious down.

We pack up stuff, chit and chat and do stuff and then we go home.

And when I'm walking home it struck me.

Cankerworm, the poor bastard, had Scything Touch on. And Kaelyssa was left to 2 hit boxes. And Scything Touch gives +2 to damage rolls.

Lé Sigh. Learn to remember your upkeep spells was the lesson of this game I guess. Heh.

Anyway, it was nice and refreshing to meet armies that are less common here in this city, and games were good too. Last game especially was damn tough and hopefully the horrible blows struck where it hurts by both teams will make me less bitter about the whole Cankerworm business.