Lucky Bastard (No, not Goreshade)

Saturday was quite full, as I double-booked myself to play Warmachine and a board game. All things combined they took about eight hours - almost full working day. Well, except for the fact that I was having fun. And that I wasn't tied to other time schedules other than having some fun later. And also I was not getting paid.

I guess it wasn't even nearly a working day, when you think of it.

Anyway, yesterday had a big suprise, when one of the underground Warmachine players needed some back-up to give in some games for two new Warmachine players that appeared out of nowhere. It was too good chance to make contacts.

As I was in a bit of a hurry, I just threw up (that sounded wrong... how do you say it? Threw together?) a following 35 point list I thought would be really fast to play:

Master Necrotech Mortenebra & Deryliss

- Harrower
- Leviathan
- Slayer
- Ripjaw

Minimum unit of Soulhunters
Warwitch Siren
Necrotech & scrap thrall

I was against Legion of Everblight:

Rearguard tier 4
Rhyas
- Typhon

Maximum unit of Swordsmen + Unit Attachment
Maximum unit of Ogrun Warspears + Chieftain
Maximum unit of Ogrun Warspears
Ogrun Warmonger

We had no scenario, and Cryx went first.

First picture is from the end of Legion turn 1, and Slayer is already gone. It was the prey target for Warspear unit, sure, but still it was a bit disheartening to see a heavy warjack fall to a few thrown spears. I guess I should have placed Spectral Steel on the Slayer instead of Harrower.

Next turn I decide to use Mortenebra's feat, coupled with Terminal Velocity. A lot of weight was now on Harrower's shoulders. And sure it mulched a lot of infantry - two Warspears along with their Chieftain, plus four Swordsmen and an abbot (or champion? Anyway, one of the unit attachment models.) Deryliss had cast Overrun on the helljack.

But then I kind of messed up with Leviathan, who tried to take a shot at Warmonger Chieftain... who had Occultation on. Pew. Leviathan, you aren't still convincing me of your usefulness! (Yes, I'm blaming Leviathan instead of the one who wasn't paying attention to Occultation... but isn't that the Cryx thing to do? Blame useless minions, not yourself.)

Ripjaw luckily managed to kill the Warmonger with Armour Piercing attack.

Soulhunters charged to the other unit of Warspears, but one charged away from Mortenebra's control area, and one couldn't charge anywhere thanks to linear obstacle. Meh. I guess there was some potential in Mortenebra's feat there, but I thought that if Harrower launched itself deep into the Legion, there wouldn't be much models left for me to take advantage of Recalibration.

Next Rhyas uses feat, too. She casts Dash, and takes a couple of swings at Harrower, not doing much.

Typhon, on the other hand, did quite much. Single handedly it took down the Arm 20 warjack.

Warspears on left killed two Soulhunters, and Swordsmen went completely nuts. They wrecked Ripjaw, and after only two Swordsmen who got into contact with Leviathan, the last warjack of Cryx was left with one box remaining in right arm. That hurt.

Yeah, I pretty much lost all of my damage potential that turn, but it wasn't the scariest thing that happened.

The three remaining Warspears from the 6-headed unit launched an assault at Mortenebra. I had left her quite forward, as I was sure that shooting wouldn't do much to her effective DEF 19. And, well, all three spears did miss.

But charge attack from first ogrun didn't. Ten points in. Six remaining. Extra attack from Rhyas' feat hit. Three points in. Three remaining.

Second ogrun. I was sweating blood here. Necrotite, I mean. Charge attack is mercifully a miss, but extra attack from feat isn't. Dead Mortenebra on 7+. Damage roll is 6. And nobody else could attack her, so she was left alive with one box remaining. Well, I had completely underestimated the threat from Warspears. I didn't take into account their ability to ignore free strikes with Dash, and that Relentless Charge is, in fact, tactics and not a granted ability. Huh.

Next turn Warwitch Siren seduces a Nyss Swordsman, who goes and takes a swing at Ogrun Warspear that is blocking Mortenebra's route to Rhyas. It's a hit, but doesn't kill. Deryliss advances and casts Doom Spiral on the same Warspear - doesn't kill. And then the last possible has to clear the way - the Necrotech Solo. And that MAT 6 P+S 10 attack did the trick.

Next Mortenebra would need to get two free strikes from remaining Warspears. She was camping all seven focus, so she was sitting on Arm 23. Ogruns would kill her on a damage roll of 11. Both attacks hit, but highest damage roll was exactly ten. The amount of luck she had had started to feel surreal, and a bit unfair.

Anyway, charge attack missed Rhyas, and here was again one more possibility to kill Mortenebra - Rhyas' riposte. Either attack missed or damage didn't break the armor, but damn, did missing with steadily disappearing pile of Focus start to look rather threatening. But at that situation what could I do other than carry on, and hope for the best?

Second attack hit, and dealt enough damage to bring Rhyas down to 9 points remaining. First attack bought with Focus also hit, and now Mortenebra had only two focus for her. So either one 3d6 roll of 11+, or one 7+ damage and one 6+ damage on 2d6, with a possibility to miss.

Well, after all Mortenebra would have been dead next turn, so it wouldn't really matter if she died to Riposte. I went with two unboosted damage attacks. And, well. I almost feel like a dirty cheater, when she actually rolled 7+, hit with the last attack and killed Rhyas.

Really.

What this thing is with my Mortenebra? Not all, but most victories with her have come from these kinds of situations, where she is fooling around with less than four boxes remaining. It almost feels like some sort of charm - but I shouldn't believe in it. After all, right after I had started to firmly believe that my Scaverous was cursed to fail in every way possible he started winning games. So if I'll admit there's a charm on my Mortenebra, she'll lose it for sure.

Oh no. I said it.