A Game of Fire

During my trip I got in a game of Warmachine, too.

We played a 35 point game with Killbox artifice.

I had brought my Skorne with me, because I wanted to get more games in for epic Hexeris.

This was my list:

Epic Hexeris
- Bronzeback Titan (bonded to Hexeris)
- Basilisk Drake
- Cyclops Shaman

Maximum unit of Praetorian Swordsmen + Unit Attachment
Minimum unit of Cataphract Cetrati
Minimum unit of Paingiver Beasthandlers
Venator Flayer Cannon
Extoller Soulward

Opponent had:

Feora, Priestess of the Flame
- Avatar of Menoth (represented by the Crusader)
- Dervish (Devout acts as a stunt for Dervish)
- Repenter

Knights Exemplar
Daughters of the Flame (Umm... Slightly disgraceful proxy here. They're the Bone Grinders + Feralgeist. Later we remembered that they were a 6 member unit, though.)
Holy Zealots + Monolith Bearer (swamp gobbers wanted to throw some bombs here...)
Reclaimer (if Rupert can play a bag pipe when running, sure he can claim a couple of protectorate souls too, right?)

I think I won the starting roll. It's been a couple of days now, so my memory is starting to fail on these little details now. How sad.

First picture is from the end of opponents first turn. Ashen Veil was put up on the Swordsmen and Ignite was on Dervish.

It was my turn next, and I was thinking if I should use Hexeris' feat for a lame "alpha strike" against enemy infantry. I quit upkeeping Ashen Veil and ran two swordsmen as far as possible. Now, I had woefully overestimated how far I could reach with 12" run. I wanted to fry a couple of Choir members too with Ashes to Ashes, but it wasn't viable at all. However, all but two Daughters were wiped out by the spell later. Hexeris also put Ashen Veil back on Swordsmen that turn. He did not use his feat.

Opponent then was going to start lobbing bombs on my Bronzeback. Counter charge probably saved a lot of damage points, because now it took only about 6 points in from lucky rolls. Zealots put up Greater Destiny, though. Repenter fried a few Praetorians, but most notable it did 11 points in to Hexeris, and set him on fire. Damage was transfered to Basilisk Drake, though.

The good stuff here was that Avatar had been accidentally blocked by re-grouping Daughters. I was thinking I got a good spot to use my feat now.

However.

I was way too excited to use my feat. I completely screwed up my activation order. I activated and riled only Cyclops Shaman to full fury when I activated Hexeris. What could have been a well-thought feat turn for epic Hexeris came out as a single Ashes to Ashes that missed its target.

Quick change of plans, then. I was planning on filling up Reclaimer with souls and then using Hexeris' feat a little later so Hexeris wouldn't be without fury to leach the turn after.

Well, I decided to shoot Reclaimer with Flayer cannon who had gotten Eyeless Sight from Extoller Soulward.

Misses, misses all.

Luckily Basilisk Drake (who was healed a little by beast handlers) fried three knights exemplar and the reclaimer too.

Swordsmen did some damage to already damaged Repenter, but despite their best efforts, the jack was still standing.

And then it was opponents turn.

Feora advances and uses her feat. Only Hexeris (already on fire), Flayer Cannon, Extoller and two Cetrati were away from it.

Cetrati were a good counter to Zealots, though neither unit could get away from either. Cetrati had too few attacks to get rid of Zealots, and Zealots had too puny strenght.

Knights Exemplar killed Basilisk Drake, and Dervish charged the Bronzeback. Dervish somehow managed to make two misses during whole course of attacks, which saved a lot of Bronzeback. After all, every attacl was coming in with P+S 17.

Avatar used Gaze of Menoth and ran forward, getting in just about everything except Hexeris.

But now was the time for Lord Arbiter's feat turn.

And what a turn it was!

First, three shots from Flayer Cannon and a hit from Cataphract Cetrati to Dervish wreck the warjack. I must admit, the damage rolls were all rather excessive.

This meant Bronzeback didn't even need to suffer a free strike. It charged the Avatar, but a little bit of a pity was the fact that it wasn't enraged. Feated fires from Feora killed two beast handlers, which triggered a command check, which was failed.

Well, Grab & Smash knocked down Avatar eventually, which brought its armor down to more manageable levels. But still, Bronzeback couldn't tear it down.

Extoller Soulward with a boosted damage roll could, however. For two points that solo truly offers awesome finishing blow on big targets, as well as good utility even if you don't pack any ancestral guardians in your forces.

Then Cyclops Shaman took an aimed shot at Repenter and left it with only one or two boxes left.

Hexeris activated and shot Ashes to Ashes to Repenter and scored full 6 extra hits. Three exemplars, Feora and a zealot and the monolith bearer got a pow 10 hit.

First two exemplars died to unboosted damage rolls, so I decided to boost the damage on last knight and Repenter. All destroyed or wrecked.

I don't remember what I did with the extra fury from use of feat, but getting rid of all the warjacks was what counted.

Opponent then decided to get rid of Bronzeback. Feora came and beat the titan down, so Hexeris was left with only one Fury 3 beast. Feora had already taken some damage in, but it was still difficult to say who was actually winning.

The two remaining Daughters of Flame rushed to flank my forces, but two amazing hit rolls later they were pincushions for Flayer Cannon's needles. About Flayer Cannon - this model has rarely been totally crap investment. And when it has been, it's been due to my brain, not its rules. In this game it performed overly well.

Anyway, Cyclops Shaman tried skewer Feora, but it was only a bad attempt.

Next turn, Feora cast Engine of Destruction again and got rid of Hexeris' last warbeast. Tough times ahead.

Aaaand I manage to make an idiot out of me.

Cetrati charge Feora, as does Extoller Soulward and last remaining beast handler. Since only one choir member was standing besides Feora at this moment, I probably had the game in. All of this brings her down to 11 hit boxes remaining.

Why, oh why did I ever move Hexeris that close to Feora?!

There was a real possibility of me losing the game there, and because I did something so foolish I probably should have deserved to lose.

Feora cast Engine of Destruction and advanced to melee with Hexeris. This created free strikes from two Cetrati, beast handler and the Extoller.

First I roll for Cetratis. Both hit.

Despite P+S 11 + 4d6 versus Feora's armor of 21, first does one damage point and second does two damage points. Beast Handler misses completely.

But Extoller rolls something like 5,4,4. With POW 17, thanks to Engine of Destruction. Sweet dreams, Priestess of the Flame.

Hero of the Game must be Extoller Soulward.

That little, melee-weaponless solo made finishing blows to both enemy warcaster and Avatar of Menoth.