Telekinetic

Since there was one weekend with less of other pressing matters, it could be sanctified for gaming purposes! Yay. Another game of Warmachine on the following day with 50 points.

My list was:

Cryx

Dark Host
Lord Exhumator Scaverous [+27]
 - Deathripper [6]
 - Leviathan [16]
 - Reaper [13]
 - Ripjaw [7]
 - Skarlock Thrall [4]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
Bane Warriors (max) [16]
 - Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [0(5)]
Wraith Engine [15]

Opponent had:

Protectorate

Exemplar Interdiction
Grand Scrutator Severius [+28]
- Blessing of Vengeance [13]
 - Crusader [10]
 - Indictor [14]
 - Hierophant [3]
Exemplar Bastion Seneschal [0(5)]
Vassal Mechanik [1]
Vassal of Menoth [0(3)]
Vassal of Menoth [0(3)]
Choir of Menoth (min) [4]
Exemplar Bastions (max) [15]
Exemplar Cinerators (max) [13]
 - Exemplar Cinerator Officer [5]

Cryx won starting roll and chose to go first because I was confident in the disparity between the speed of our forces.

Wraith Engine took one flank, and was to face Indictor and Blessing of Vengeance and an assortment of solos. Both armies had their infantry go in the middle, and one flank was a duel between Deathripper and Crusader. Ouch.

Second turn I was able to start shooting. Reaper dragged one Bastion to its death, and Leviathan managed to kill Bastion Seneschal in one shot. 

Opponent then engaged with most of his army, which was good news for Bane Warriors. I figured that if I don't use my feat on turn 3, I won't have a feat because of Severius' own. Scaverous allocated some focus for Leviathan, and started with casting feated Feast of Worms on Cinerators, and a Telekinesis on Crusader that was barely standing on zone on the right. 

Here we both forgot defensive strike from Bastions. It might not have changed things that much - my warjacks would've needed to dedicate themselves for Bastions, and maybe Feast of Worms would have gone to different direction, saving a couple of Cinerators. But as it happened, both units vanished from the board. Even one Machine Wraith entered the fray. Scaverous netted a total of six souls, which is about on par with Asphyxious3 on feat turn. Go figure.

Opponent removed Wraith Engine as was expected, but most of the Banes survived even after two Ashes to Ashes, which was unexpected. Crusader smashed Deathripper to bits, so opponent would start scoring points from scenario soon. 

There were some options for me to assassinate Severius, some more illegal than others. Fortunately the warcaster fell to shooting, since I had completely forgotten about the fact that Severius had fried Ripjaw's cortex system earlier in the game, meaning it should not have been able to run as far as it did. I had planned to launch Feast of Worms on top of Hierophant, but then I kind of forgot even that and spent my 13 focus spamming some worthless telekinesises... 

Well, at least Severius died. 

Darkest Host

Alright, I need to write this one down in haste, though I've got one game that was played earlier. But here this time I forgot my camera, and my phone is lost so I couldn't take pictures with that one either. And memory is such an unreliable tool.

It was a 75 point practice game for upcoming tournament in Ropecon. We were both playing Dark Host theme for Cryx.

My list was

[Theme] Dark Host
Lord Exhumator Scaverous [+27]
- Corruptor [14]
- 2x Deathripper [6]
- Desecrator [14]
- Reaper [13]
- Skarlock Thrall [4]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
Darragh Wrathe [9]
Bane Warriors (max) [16]
- Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [5]
Wraith Engine [15]

Opponent had

[Theme] Dark Host
Lich Lord Asphyxious [+28]
- 2x Deathripper [6]
- 2x Stalker [8]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
2x Machine Wraith [2]
Bane Knights (max) [15]
- Bane Knight Officer [0(4)]
2xBane Riders (max) [20]
Bane Warriors (max) [16]
- Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [0(5)]


Opponent had so little magical weapons available that I dared to run Wraith Engine pretty much to middle board on my right side - far from opponent's objective that could give magical weapons.

On second turn Asphyxious would actually have been within walking distance of Wraith Engine that benefits from Death Ride and Telekinesis. I wasted precious minutes in trying to figure out a way for me to land Telekinesis and Icy Grip on Asphyxious and throw Feast of Worms into the mix.

But I couldn't find even a theoretical way to do that.

Game in short summary: I was flooded with Banes. I had some AoE available for example in Corruptors gun, but Asphyxious could easily force Corruptor to expose itself for charges.

I conceded after fifth turn, because I had lost every important piece to even dream of an assassination, and had too few models left to contest zones in a meaningful manner. I pretty much wasted Scaverous' feat and opponent used his to remove Wraith Engine from board that had finally taken a few swings.

Befuddled

So I got a game against new and improved Fiona the Black. This is my story of survival.

My list was:

Dark Host
Lord Exhumator Scaverous [+27]
- Deathripper [6]
- Desecrator [14]
- Inflictor [13]
- Nightwretch [7]
- Reaper [13]
- Skarlock Thrall [4]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
Darragh Wrathe [9]
Bane Warriors (max) [16]
- Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [5]
Wraith Engine [15]


Opponent had:


The Irregulars

Fiona, the Black [+27]
- Rover [14]
- Toro [13]
- Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker [0(4)]
Alten Ashley [0(6)]
Anastasia di Bray [3]
Gastone Crosse [4]
- Nomad [12]
Croe's Cutthroats (max) [16]
Idrian Skirmishers (max) [15]
- Idrian Skirmisher Chieftain & Guide [0(5)]
Kayazy Eliminators [5]
Kayazy Eliminators [5]
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt [8]
Press Gangers (min) [7]


I played Dark Host for a change. And once again I misplaced the theme clouds and blocked my own line of sight for some charges. Oh well.

No sooner than round two I learned a thing or two about Befuddle. I was somehow thinking Inscrutable would protect Wraith Engine. Also, I wasn't paying attention that Aiyana & Holt can give magical weapons. There went my glorious Wraith Engine.

Wait. What? It didn't? There were some... rolls... involved. Idrians with magical weapon and Prey on Wraith Engine, along with Gastone Crosse somehow didn't crack through the battle engine. It was left alive with two damage boxes remaining. Well, at least it had Death Ward on, but this combination of magical weapon, prey and a random 3" confusion of a colossal necromechanical inscrutable monstrosity machine kind of overwhelmed me. Didn't see that one coming, not yet.

Well, at least Fiona didn't use her feat yet. I might be able to do something.

I decided to use Scaverous' feat now. Three telekinesis' shuffled two enemy warjacks around and Reaper closer to enemy. Scaverous had to remove one Idrian with Excarnate.

Skarlock turned Wraith Engine around, which then charged Gastone Crosse and managed to kill him. Whee. I got my very first free Machine Wraith, ever. This had unexpected extra boon: Nomad fell inert deep within Kill Zone. Fiona probably wouldn't go an fetch it.

Bane Warriors scored my first control point by destroying enemy objective. Reaper drags Toro with harpoon, and then whatever I have left try to take it down. I thought I'd be able to make it without the help of Inflictor, but if opponent didn't wreck Wraith Engine, neither did I any damage of consequence to the mercenary warjack. So I don't think I have any rights to complain here.

Opponent destroys Wraith Engine next for sure. From then on the game goes odd. Fiona also uses her feat, and my next turn is a mess. My biggest achievement was to destroy the Toro or Rover or whatever it was I had dragged with Reaper.

Both sides are slowly whittling away, and it's probably seventh turn when I get a spot for an assassination. Scaverous charges an Idrian, bringing himself within 8" of Fiona. This also gave soul for Scaverous, so Reaper wouldn't need to be that afraid of missing with harpoon.

But it didn't miss. Fiona found a harpoon bolt sticking through her tummy.

Not a result I could have expected. Befuddle was cast on almost every round. Could be that first round was the only exception. Had Wraith Engine died when it should have, I doubt I could have put on much of a fight.

Ropecon 2018 Warmachine Tournament

I played in a Warmachine tournament during Ropecon 2018.

My lists were:

[Theme] Infernal Machines
Lord Exhumator Scaverous [+27]
- Deathripper [6]
- Erebus [16]
- Reaper [13]
- The Withershadow Combine [9]
Bloat Thrall [4]
Darragh Wrathe [9]
Necrotech [2]
Pistol Wraith [0(5)]
Ragman [4]
Soul Trapper [1]
Soul Trapper [1]
Warwitch Siren [0(4)]
Bile Thralls (min) [9]
- Skarlock Commander [3]
Mechanithralls (min) [6]
- Brute Thrall (2) [4]
Necrosurgeon & Stitch Thralls [4]
Soulhunters (min) [11]



[Theme] Dark Host

Master Necrotech Mortenebra [+24]
- Desecrator [14]
- Kraken [36]
- Seether [13]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
Darragh Wrathe [9]
Machine Wraith [2]
Scrap Thrall (3) [2]
Soul Trapper [1]
Soul Trapper [1]
Bane Warriors (max) [16]
- Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [5]

For the record, this was my first time using Dark Host theme.

Game 1: Master Necrotech Mortenebra & Deryliss

First game was against Trollbloods, and opponent had a list something like this. Might contain some inaccuracies:


[Theme] Band of Heroes
Kolgrima Stonetruth, Winter Witch [+28]
- Dire Troll Mauler [15]
- Earthborn Dire Troll [14]
- Trollkin Runebearer [0(5)]
Fell Caller Hero [0(5)]
Saxon Orrik [4]
Trollkin Champion Hero [0(5)]
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (max) [9]
- Northkin Elder [3]
Trollkin Champions (max) [16]
- Skaldi Bonehammer [5]
Trollkin Champions (max) [16]
Trollkin Long Riders (max) [20]

An exciting game to say at least. Most of the game was at the brink of destruction - would Kraken hold? Would it survive charging weapon masters while at effective Arm 23?

It did, until heavy warbeasts decided to enter the battle.

Also, there was this major mistake made by me when Deryliss had used Tune Up on Kraken, who had killed some trollkin in melee and then used Kill Shot on Stone Bearers. I kept on boosting this thing, as I was thinking Tune Up. After realizing this I removed the focus points spent on boosts from Mortenebra - she was in base contact with Kraken. I would have rather spent those focus points on attacks against the trollblood in melee.

But when the Kraken fell, so did Mortenebra.


Game 2: Lord Exhumator Scaverous

Second game was such an optimized build of Haley3 and Gravediggers theme that I can't get the points right.

It was a desperate struggle. There was a glimmer of hope when I got a nice purge in that melt away Patrol Dog and an Express Team or something, and Mechanithralls got a charge in and killed a Master Gunner. The one Brute Thrall would have needed to kill Alexia, though, but this was not to be. I'm not saying I had won had that happened. I just might have stood a chance to find some kind of opening.

I did score some six scenario points, and there was a moment in the game where I actually had the lead. But once that blob of Trenchers was in middle of the field there was little to be done to contest. They had shot my warjacks dead. So I lost something like 6-11.

It was a hellish game, but an interesting new experience.



Game 3: Lord Exhumator Scaverous

Last game was against Khador, and with a list that I probably reverse-engineered incorrectly:

[Theme] Jaws of the Wolf

Vladimir Tzepesci, the Dark Champion [+27]
- Behemoth [25]
- Devastator [14]
- Marauder [11]
- War Dog [3]
Manhunter [0(4)]
Manhunter [4]
Saxon Orrik [4]
Yuri the Axe [0(6)]
Battle Mechaniks (max) [5]
Kayazy Assassins (min) [9]
- Kayazy Assassin Underboss [4]
Kayazy Eliminators [5]
Kayazy Eliminators [5]
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt [8]
- Koldun Kapitan Valachev [4]

Early in the game Vladimir2 used his feat and launched two feated Manhunters and Kayazy Eliminators to tie up my leftmost flank. Luckily Manhunters did not wreck my warjacks, though they did take heavy damage.

I was distressed. I couldn't reliably kill those four pesky models, and that would give all the time Khadoran warjacks would need to get into position for scenario victory. And what was I to do to those mentioned warjacks? I had suicidal POW 12 sprays and P+S 13 combo strikes, all with defensive statistics that would fall in swathes to Behemoth bombarding.

So.

It's time to figure out a far fetched assassination plan that's bound to fail sooner or later.

Far too much time went to trying to free Reaper from melee. All the resources that I could not assign to assassination went to killing those few models.

Bile Thralls, Erebus, Soulhunters, Pistol Wraith and Scaverous (!!) later none of the four feated models were dead. One was stationary from Pistol Wraith, though.

Well, obviously Scaverous did not spend all of his focus into futile attacks against these models. He instead cast Icy Grip on Vlad, telekinesis on Vlad and a couple of telekinesis's on Manhunter. Deathripper had ran to arc position earlier. Objective had given Pathfinder for Reaper, and Tremulus cast Puppet Master on Reaper. I don't remember if it was Maelovus or feating Scaverous that cast telekinesis on Reaper.

Anyway, then MAT 7 Reaper was free to walk into melee with Vlad, who had left his dog far behind. Vlad had perhaps one focus for mitigating damage.

Four attacks later Vlad had died.

Maybe I need to play Scaverous a little more, since my awkward assassinations seem to work slightly better with him.



Great tournament, as I had never played any of these warcasters before during Mk3. And for some odd reason I had not even once played against Cygnar in this edition. As far as factions go, I'm still missing Minions and, of course, the Crucible Guard.