Only Misery Remains

 Played a 50 points game of Warmachine few days ago. 

My list was:

Cryx

 Lich Lord Venethrax [+26]
 - Defiler [8]
 - Harrower [16]
 - Helldiver [6]
 - Malice [15]
 - Skarlock Thrall [4]
General Gerlak Slaughterborn [6]
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist [4]
Misery Cage [2]
Saxon Orrik [4]
Black Ogrun Boarding Party (max) [11]

Opponent had:

Protectorate

Grand Scrutator Severius [+28]
 - Dervish [7]
 - Indictor [14]
 - Purifier [8]
Allegiant of the Order of the Fist [3]
Deliverer Arms Master [3]
The Covenant of Menoth [4]
Vassal Mechanik [1]
Choir of Menoth (min) [4]
Deliverer Skyhammers (max) [13]
Deliverer Sunburst Crew [5]
Knights Exemplar [9]
Temple Flameguard (min) [7]

Scenario was the one from main rulebook that needed to tag all five flags on the board. Protectorate generously gave Cryx the start (this is probably one of better, or even the best, scenario to go second.)

And I don't know what the heck. I knew a big AoE was coming my way via Sunburst crew. Yet I still did not bother to check if my Black Ogruns were not practicing social distancing. Boom! One dead, two on fire. Doesn't matter though. It's not like I was outnumbered over 2:1, right?

But that's not all. One thing I also didn't bother to check was if Saxon Orrik was deep enough in the forest not to be seen at all. Turns out he wasn't. Deliverers took a shot at him and the dice just wouldn't roll 3+ for deviation. Saxon down.

I have to admit I was a bit demoralized by this, but at least Deliverers had packed themselves real tight to shoot that fatal rocket. Defiler ran forward and Venethrax cast Blood Rain on them, killing... two. But at least three more had corrosion.

Venethrax and Skarlock manage to kill some warrior models to trigger Dead Weight on both Indictor and Dervish. 

Black Ogruns miss their harpoon on Purifier, but Rat 5 against Def 15 goes only so far. With Saxon dead, only one Ogrun got in range and, ech. It was going to get ugly.

At least Protectorate wasn't able to do anything productive with his Indictor and Dervish, and opted to clog my warjacks with infantry models. All those souls for Harrower and Malice.

Allegiant neared the flag that had Gerlak sitting next to it. It was either a choice of denying me a point with no Shifting Sands, or letting me have one point and be nigh invulnerable. Sands it was, which is recommended action when you got a Mat 8 murder machine ogling you.

On my turn I'm trying to figure out how to best deliver Malice to Indictor. Only feasible way is to trample to it, buy an attack and... alright, I just slapped myself on the forehead. While writing this I realized I trampled with Malice before casting Terminal Velocity. 

Anyway, Malice triggers Vision and Possession and brings Indictor and it's back arc to face Harrower. Venethrax Dead Weights Dervish and casts Terminal Velocity. Then Harrower charges Indictor and while damage had been okay-ish, the columns were not. Damn. That one missed focus point from Malice could have dealt the few remaining damage points to various systems, say, Cortex.

Helldiver had surfaced to tease Sunburst crew. Gerlak took a free strike from Allegiant to gain back strike bonus, but 8+ wouldn't come.

At least the ratio of our forces had been kept about the same as in start.

Opponent then flooded Malice with attacks, and destroyed despite its Def 13 Arm 20. Protectorate souls don't protect that well, I guess. 

But this had been about expected. But what severely hampered the future of Cryx was when the only damage Harrower took was just enough to break melee hand. I was left with Venethrax, Gerlak, a weaponless Harrower, Helldiver far from anything, and Misery Cage. 

Venethrax butchers Dervish, and Gerlak misses Allegiant again. Harrower gave Indictor a friendly scratch. 

Opponent had steadily collected flag points, and was able to score all five. But that wasn't all.

Allegiant also killed Gerlak, something removed Harrower, Severius beat Helldiver into a wreck with a stick, and a lucky shot from Sunburst crew removed one focus from Venethrax, and still four points came in.

Three remaining Exemplars tore through Venethrax's focus camp and left him dying. Then the last remaining Flameguard charged the warcaster and dealt the killing blow.

Only Misery Cage remained to witness the crimes committed here.