Waving a flag

A 50 point game of Warmachine on War Table. 

My list:

Horruskh with Inviolable Resolve and Windstorm
-Ravener
-Tyrant with Relentless Charge, Shield and flail
Ulkor Barragers
Strike Reavers + Standard
Warwitch Sirens

Command cards: Careful Reconnaissance, Infiltration, Old Faithful, Power Swell, True Inspiration

Opponent had:

Cryx Dark Host
Bane Witch Agathia
-Desecrator
-4x Deathripper
-2x Ripjaw
Bane Warriors
Pistol Wraith
Necrotech

Command cards: Old Faithful, Blessing of Gods, Breakthrough, Infiltration, Power Swell

We were playing a Steamroller 2023 scenario. Cryx started, with Nanes and three bonejacks to the left, Pistol Wraith and remaining three bonejacks to the right, and Desecrator, Necrotech and Agathia in the middle. Agathia had cast Hellwrought on Desecrator.

Orgoth had Ravener rampage through the woods to my side flag, with Strike Reavers in the middle behind an impassable tower. Tyrant and Horruskh were there too. Horrusk gave Inviolable Resolve for Strike Reavers. Ulkor Barragers closed in from the left.

Desecrator shot at ARM 19 Strike Reavers. It was a direct hit, but damage didn't penetrate that armor. Howeer, two out of three blast damage rolls somehow succeeded at that. Go figure?

Everything opponent had on the left packed themselves to trenches. Pistol Wraith claimed flag, and the bonejacks there started to pivot to center. 

It was time for Horruskh's feat now. Remaining Strike Reavers got Tough from command card, walked near centerpoint and started shooting a Ripjaw that was hiding behind the tower. They managed to do some damage, but the kill shot was made by Tyrant's shield cannon.

Horruskh put up Wind Storm and went to control a flag. 

Ravener advanced behind Strike Reavers. Ulkor Barragers managed to kill Necrotech, but they also triggered Hellwrought with unfavorable tradeoff for Orgoth.

Ulkor Barragers were killed easily enough after Agathia arced Parasite on them. As an added bonus, Desecrator certainly had a thing going on with blast damage rolls in this game. Two Bane Warriors were removed by the finalizing shot made by Desecrator.

The flock of bonejacks continued to swarm the circular zone, leaving the right side with only incorporeal Pistol Wraith scoring points. However, Ulkor Barragers had been my only models contesting circular zone, so Cryx took the lead in scenario.

Since I had not hired enough solos to control flags, Horruskh was stuck at Orgoth flag. At least he had Fate-Blessed to support his team. 

Strike Reavers went to contest circular zone and shoot at bonejacks, dealing random damage points here and there. With some help from Reavers, Tyrant was able to remove remaining Bane Warriors. 

Ravener charges Pistol Wraith with fell cleaver, destroys the ghost and goes berserk on Cryx objective. Thus, Orgoth took lead in scenario.

While Agathia did respectable job personally killing Strike Reavers, the flock of bonejacks and Desecrator didn't fare as well against Tyrant. Although that was probably thanks to Agathia missing her boosted Parasite against Def 11 target. 

This gave me quite of a lead in scenario play, as now I was able to contest the circular zone with Ravener. Unfortunately Tyrant wasn't able to thin the number of enemy models, well, at all. Not even when Warwitches were supporting with Dark Shroud.

It was already turn five, so even if I was leading with points, I didn't think my models would last long enough to actually give me even scenario victory. 

This time Tyrant went down with ease, as Agathia cast Parasite on it for good measure. Bonejacks tried to kill any Warwitches they could find. They missed one. 

Another Deathripper wasn't enough to challenge Ravener, but it blocked its way to reach Agathia. With the aid of some finger maths, I reckoned Ravener and a singular Warwitch would have to survive for a one full round to give me scenario victory - or kill Agathia now.

Horruskh tried to blow Deathripper that was engaging Ravener away with Thunder Strike. Despite melee bonus, the spell hit and Ravener was free to get blocked by another damn Deathripper. No matter how I tried, there just wasn't a way to get to Agathia. So, the monstrosity just wrecked the bonejack and started to pray.

Its prayers went unanswered. In fact, the Ravener took absolutely horrendous damage rolls in. It almost looked like last Warwitch from coven would be the one to defy odds, but now. Last possible attack made another Deathripper sealed her deal, and Horruskh started his sixth turn with only him remaining. 

For a while I had been four points above Cryx in scenario game, so now Horruskh just needed to survive, or opponent would have to score four points. So, Horruskh cast Inviolable Resolve on himself, went hiding behind a flag and waved it... not to surrender, but to taunt.

A couple of Hellfires just weren't enough to kill undamaged Horruskh with five focus for damage blocks, so it was a tiebreaker victory for Orgoth.