Ropecon Steamroller 35 - Kaya the Wildborne

The main event for me was Steamroller tournament on Sunday. There was a 50 point Iron Gauntlet style tournament, too. However, I wanted more games in and in Iron Gauntlet I would have played only three games and in Sunday's tournament I would get four.

I'm writing this tournament in two parts, and since I played two games with Kaya the Wildborne and two games with Morvahna the Dawnshadow, I thought I'll make one post for each warlock instead of a chronological order.

Tournament was 35 points with 40 minute deathclock, and otherwise rough schedule, too.

This post will handle my Kaya games.

My list was:

Kaya the Wildborne
- Feral Warpwolf
- Warpwolf Stalker
- Scarsfell Griffon
- Winter Argus

Tharn Bloodweavers
Swamp Gobbers
Druid Wilder
War Wolf
Lanyssa Ryssyll
Feralgeist


First game was against Minions, and it was the very first game in this tournament. It was Blindwater Congregate lead by Rask. The list:

Rask
- Bull Snapper
- Ironback Spitter
- Swamp Horror

2x Maximum units of Gatorman Posse
2x Croak Hunters

Scenario was... Incursion. Three times in a row Incursion with exactly the same flag disappearing. I dare to say Incursion is biased.

I believe Blindwater started game, and first picture is from the end of Minion turn 2. Rask has used his feat, so there wouldn't be too much charging around.

I thought I might warp for Berserk with Stalker and trample to beat Gatorman Posse. Stalker spent all available Fury on him to desperately buy attacks against crocodiles, but no. Not today. Three Furies worth of attacks yielded just two dead gatormen.

Feral Warpwolf warped for speed and tried to do the same, but could not get within melee range of anything. That qas quite disappointing. Tharn Bloodweavers try to make up for it by running to engage all the Gators. Maybe that would buy me time next turn, or maybe not.

If I'm not entirely mistaken, the Winter Argus sprays one of the Croak Hunters dead and uses its animus. Lanyssa Ryssyll then advances to engage the other Hunter, but doesn't kill the frog.

Then I get to do something I've always dreamed of with Kaya... I cast Spirit Door four times in a turn. First to pull Stalker back to safety, then Feral, then on Kaya to teleport to friendly flag and then on Feral Warpwolf again to block line of sight. I actually scored one control point this way, but as Kaya was going to be entirely without Fury, I didn't bring her to dominate.

Then it was Blindwater Congregation again, and Gatorman Posse (both of them) kill Bloodweavers entirely, as well as charge Winter Argus and Warpwolf Stalker. Damage rolls were high, and re-rolls against living targets really help against Defense 14-15. But worst thing was that Swamp Horror single-handedly killed Feral Warpwolf.

Stalker wasn't quite contesting the middle flag, so Minions scored one control point. It was 1-1 now.

I try what I can. Lanyssa tries to free Winter Argus from melee, but fails. Druid Wilder advances to the farthest corner of Kaya's control area, and Winter Argus then takes a free strike and goes to kill one gatorman who was engaging Warpwolf Stalker. I realised that I wouldn't be able to spray them both dead. First, it would have been difficult to get to Wilder's command range, and second the Gatormen were on a hill. Badly positioned spray could have also killed Warpwolf Stalker who had only a few damage boxes remaining.

So, instead Warpwolf Stalker just whacks the one Gatorman still engaging him dead. Stalker would have really been needed to deal with Swamp Horror, but as it also had Spiny Growth on, Warpwolf Stalker might have actually broken systems.

So... the question was - could Kaya and Scarsleff Griffon kill an Arm 19 heavy warbeast alone?

Hah, of course they cannot.

Swamp Gobbers charge Gatorman Posse and Feralgeist comes to contest middle flag. Come what may.

Gatormen and Bull Snapper kill War Wolf and Scarsfell Griffon. Much to my suprise Kaya's defense 16 was too much for Swamp Horror - she survived!

Ironback Spitter spits Warpwolf Stalker dead. So... I have three models remaining now. Don't remember about Lanyssa though.

Nothing important happened on Circle's last turn - Winter Argus contested middle flag, and then Kaya died.



Game 2:

Second game with Kaya the Wilborne was against Circle of Orboros. Opponent had following list:

Cassius the Oathkeeper & Wurmwood, Tree of Fate
- Gorax
- Warpwolf Stalker

Druids of Orboros
Maximum unit of Nyss Hunters
Maximum unit of Farrow Bone Grinders
Shifting Stones + Stone Keeper
Shifting Stones
2x Gallows Grove

Scenario was Close Quarters. Since Nyss Hunters don't ignore Stealth, Kaya found good use for her Occultation spell. I had quite a lot of Stealth going on there, as Stalker warped for Prowl. I think Cassius started game, and first picture is from the end of Kaya's turn 1.

Nyss Hunters mostly just came to harass Kaya's warbeasts on left, and that was it.

Then it's Kaya's turn, and War Wolf charges and kills one of the Nyss Hunters. The problematic one. Then Stalker warps for Berserk and tramples. Trample misses both Nyss Hunters, though. And its performance there at the enemy flag isn't very convincing either, as only one Nyss and one Shifting Stone breaks down.

Tharn Bloodweavers kill the two trampled Nyss Hunters in the woods and a Gallows Grove that came too close. Scarsfell Griffon teases Nyss Hunters... but damn it, there were still so many of them alive! Perhaps opponent used two minimum units? (Har har.)

Winter Argus attempts to spray one more Shifting Stone away, but even with two boosted POW 12's it didn't break.

Kaya calls Warpwolf Stalker back and hides behind a cloud from Swamp Gobbers. Feral Warpwolf tries to look menacing there at the friendly flag.

Next turn Cassius almost kills Kaya with two boosted Hellmouths. That 3" sure is a long distance... eww. Anyway, this meant that opponent used almost all of his resources there, and other casualties were quite low. However, dehydration from terrible climate and tiredness from the weekend started to kick in during this game - despite my low model count my clock was already running out.

Hastily Warpwolf Stalker warped berserk and trampled again, this time clearing a whole bunch of models. Scarsfell Griffon continued to torment Nyss Hunters, and Winter Argus tried to get a critical hit on Warpwolf Stalker. Didn't get it with three dice, but it did freeze a Shifting Stone with only two. How cool is that?

Kaya used her feat and destroyed a Shifting Stone and Gallows Grove, teleported away and healed beasts what she could. Feral Warpwolf ate the last shifting stone there at my friendly flag, and then I just hoped for best.

Warpwolf Stalker died to Warpwolf Stalker, hah. Opponent was running out of time, too. Still Cassius got time for one more Hellmouth, which dropped at least Feralgeist and Lanyssa Ryssyll.

Looked like I would still have one more turn, but I just couldn't figure out a way how I'd get to Cassius or Wurmwood. Now if only Scarsfell Griffon had had reach... Oh well. Feral Warpwolf kills enemy Stalker, and that all that's worth mentioning. Next turn opponent kills all Kaya's beasts so she has nothing to transfer to, and then Cassius and Wurmwood play some leapfrog together, and suddenly Kaya is fertilized into a wood.

I think both of these games with Kaya were more entertaining than those two with epic Morvahna even if I lost them. Well, one of the contributing factors is probably that I've never played against Rask or Cassius, and I always take a special pleasure in fighting against new warcasters and warlocks.