Failing CMD with Cryx? Almost every game

Last Thursday I played a 35 point game of Warmachine.

Ropecon cut my attempt at stacking games on Asphyxious the Hellbringer, but finally it's time to get him up to fifteen-ish games.

My list was:

Asphyxious the Hellbringer & Vociferon
- 2x Helldiver
- Ripjaw
- Cankerworm
- Erebus

Maximum unit of Satyxis Raiders + Sea Witch

Satyxis Raider Captain
Necrotech & Scrap Thrall
Warwitch Siren

Opponent had:

Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight
- Ravagore
- Scythean
- Carnivean

Maximum unit of Blighted Ogrun Warspears
The Forsaken

Scenario was Rally Point, and Cryx started game.

First picture is from the end of Legion turn 1, and start of Cryx turn 2... before checking for Continuous Effects.

Three heavy warbeasts looked intimidating, as only Erebus and Asphyxious himself had a decent chance of knocking them out. Cryx didn't have access to anything that could remove warbeasts from play - Bone Shaker does that only to warrior models.

Well, I thought that even if some Satyxis died, they'd kill just about all Ogruns with Power Swell, and then Everblight would have only five models to activate per turn. Satyxis had Ashen Veil on, and Scything Touch was on Erebus.

Dreams on Power Swell went down the drain when Continuous Effect Fire from Ravagore who used its animus burned the Sea Witch.

To make matters even worse - Satyxis decided to charge anyway. After all they'd be annoying to remove with effective Def 16 in melee thanks to Ashen Veil.

They roll 9 for their Terror check.

Base CMD of Satyxis is 8.

Ah well. Maybe I might at least get Thagrosh to use his feat next turn, when Erebus with three focus and a focus-less Cankerworm attacked Scythean. Funnily enough Cankerworm advanced ~0.25" into Thagrosh' -2 Strength aura.

Erebus charges Scythean under effects of Mobility and unleashes a combo-strike and some additional attacks - and Scythean is left with two hit boxes and Critical Corrosion from Scything Touch.

That was a really bad turn, but Asphyxious was quite middle in the field with his feat on. I opponent did anything with warbeasts and Thagrosh, he would surely bring the hell next turn. Different question would be if he'd bring it enough to kill at least 3 heavy warbeasts so the attrition game would be on equal level, as Cankerworm and Erebus would surely die.

It's Legion of Everblight next, and I guess it was some sort of relief that only one Satyxis Raider died. Ashen Veil is a disgusting spell on them, I fully agree.

Scythean assaults Erebus, and leaves Erebus with only five boxes remaining.

Thagrosh heals Scythean a little and leaves four or five Fury for transfers.

Scythean fails its activation quite miserably, and Cankerworm is left fully functional.

Ravagore shoots Necrotech all sorts of dead.

All of this yielded 11 souls for Asphyxious.

Game breakers in this game were the Helldivers. Both were allocated two Focus to double insure a succesful slam attack on Ravagore who'd knock down Thagrosh. Thagrosh with 4-5 transfers might very well have survived an Asphyxious with 12 Focus for attacks if Asphyxious needed to boost attack rolls.

Well, first slam was succesful, and it was in fact perfect. Ravagore was slammed full 3" away meaning that its base wouldn't be left over Thagrosh's - and perhaps move Thagrosh away from Asphyxious' reach.

Asphyxious cast Mobility and charged Thagrosh.

All things considered - Asphyxious couldn't have assassinated Thagrosh if he had only been on full Focus. Asphyxious had three Focus remaining when the last attack landed on the prophet.