"Master" "Strategist"

So, last Thursday there was a bit larger gathering for Warmachine Riven Bonds league at The Basement.

I got three games in that night, and this post gives away the two I played against Protectorate of Menoth.

First game was a 35 point game, and my list was:

Mohsar the Desertwalker
- Gnarlhorn Satyr
- Gorax
- Argus
- Woldwatcher

Maximum unit of Wolves of Orboros + Unit Attachment
Shifting Stones + Stone Keeper
Swamp Gobbers
2x Gallows Grove
Tharn Ravager White Mane
Sepoh Thalasland, the Blackclad Janitor

My adversary was:

High Reclaimer
- Repenter
- Dervish

Maximum unit of Choir of Menoth

Maximum unit of Exemplar Bastions
Minimum unit of Exemplar Errants
Minimum unit of Deliverers
Maximum "unit" of Paladins (2x paladin + Vilmon)
... which, I now realise, cannot be done in the league. Oh well. Happens.
Vassal of Menoth
Wracks
Hierophant

Scenario was the Cutthroat Keep that shoots two AoE 3" templates at the end of every turn that causes POW 10 blast damage roll to everyone underneath... Circle doesn't approve. In fact... it's a weird scenario. Without very specific army builds I can't imagine that Cutthroat Keep would be won by a scenario at least in 35 points, or less! Perhaps there are more hard hitting tools available at 50 points and beyond.

But enough of that.

Protectorate started game, and first blasts from the keep caused massive casualties check on Swamp Gobbers, who failed and started to flee. Afterwards during whole game the poor little gobber didn't succeed in regrouping.

I think this first picture is from the end of Circle turn 1.

Not much happened yet. Turn 2 Protectorate dealt first two damage to the keep with a combo-striking Dervish. Exemplar Errants shoot a couple of Wolves dead, and High Reclaimer creates a smoke screen for the main body of his army. The most important thing was Repenter shooting down one of the Shifting Stones, preventing Gnarlhorn from teleporting next to High Reclaimer next turn.

Anyway when my turn starts I see a somewhat unlikely chance for assassination. Gnarlhorn Satyr had the Mirage on itself, so it was teleported 2" in Circle control phase. Gnarlhorn wasn't just yet in the Burning Ash cloud, meaning it couldn't see through the AoE. The distance looked like it was less than 1", though.

Defying the odds is always a struggle of will for me. So I decide to give it a go. Gorax casts Primal on itself, advances behind Gnarlhorn and makes Power Attack: Push. Animus made Gorax Strength 11 versus Gnarlhorn's Strength 11. Strength test comes out as 6 for both Gorax and Gnarlhorn, but after consulting the rulebook about this obscure Power Attack, it turned out that defender must beat the attacker's score. Attack succeeds if the roll is a tie.

Gorax pushes Gnarlhorn into the Burning Ash cloud, and then Mohsar advances and casts Primal on Gnarlhorn, who then charges High Reclaimer. Repenter gets a free strike on the way, but doesn't break any branches. Then Gnarlhorn Satyr breaks High Reclaimer.


Game 2:

Since first game had been so fast, we decided to play another 15 point game in the wait for the other board to clear.

I had decided at home that if I get two consecutive victories, last game would be played with Morvahna the Dawnshadow to maximise chances of gaining Master Strategist milestone.

But... Morvahna the Dawnshadow at 15 points?

Hell yeah, let's try that one out!

My list was:

Morvahna the Dawnshadow
- Pureblood Warpwolf

Maximum unit of Wolves of Orboros + Unit Attachment
Sepoh Thalasland, the Blackclad Janitor
Gallows Grove

I was against:

High Exemplar Kreoss
- Crusader

Minimum unit of Choir of Menoth
Minimum unit of Exemplar Errants
Minimum unit of Deliverers
Hero Paladin

Scenario was Close Quarters, and I was a bit worried about the amount of infantry models opponent had. I had only one warbeast, that would easily fall to ranged weaponry if DEF was dropped down to 5...

So I decided to try to pull off an annoying and difficult-to-counter assassination. Even with epic Morvahna I doubt I'd outlast the attrition game.

Wolves of Orboros hack down Gallows Grove, and Morvahna uses feat to bring it back close to Kreoss, who was camping only one Focus. But sometimes that one Focus is all it takes to survive.

First Sunder Spirit caused what, eight points of damage or something like that. I thought it was good enough score, so I didn't re-roll. But again I was horrified when I remembered in the middle of action that Kreoss has astonishing 18 damage boxes. So last attack needed to score quite high to actually kill Kreoss.

Second damage roll caused damage enough to bring Kreoss down to two boxes remaining. Which, incidentally, is exactly how much the one camped Focus lessened incoming damage.

Morvahna re-rolls, and the score only becomes worse. Kreoss is left with three hit boxes.

Kreoss decimates most of Circle's army next turn. Around six Wolves of Orboros and Blackclad Wayfarer are still standing after Protectorate is done beating.

Kreoss had been upkeeping Lamentation, and was camping some Focus, too.

With nothing additional to lose, Morvahna advances and casts Sunder Spirit with four Fury she had cut from herself. Attack is a hit, but damage roll was something like 1,1,3. But since it was epic Morvahna after all, that quickly turned into some 2,5,6 or whatever. Enough to kill, anyway.

I believe Protectorate should have used feat last turn to get rid of Morvahna's army entirely, but I guess opponent was saving it up for shooting/beating Morvahna personally down after the one and only Warbeast had fallen.

Master Strategist, my arse. Master Opportunist, perhaps, followed by a Master Damage Roller.

But however the milestone was gained, it was mine now. And Sepoh Thalasland gained some bats in the form of Crown of the Wild.

Fourth league game coming up sooner or later.