Instant promotion, ennoblement and coronation

Last... Thursday, was it? Yes, I think it was Thursday, when I played two 15 point league games of Warmachine/Hordes.

We have a new player here, who has just acquired a small collection of Cryx.

My list was:

Kaya the Wildborne
- Warpwolf Stalker
- Scarsfell Griffon

Swamp Gobbers
Blackclad Wayfarer
Totem Hunter

Opponent had:

Warwitch Deneghra
- Slayer
- Defiler
- Deathripper

Skarlock
Pistol Wraith

We didn't play other scenario than straightforward caster kill.

I'm not sure which one of us started the game, but first picture is from the end of Circle turn X, so it'll be Cryx activating next. Earlier Deneghra had attempted to cast Crippling Grasp on the Warpwolf Stalker, but as it was within a cloud effect and on a hill she'd have needed 11+ to hit. Not impossible with three dice, but it was a miss.

Stalker obviously beat Defiler into scrap metal, but what was a little bit more surprising was that Scarsfell Griffon did the same to Deathripper.

Next turn Deneghra used her feat, and Slayer single-handedly did the same to Stalker what it had just done to Defiler.

Pistol Wraith shot down my league hero model, which was (to my knowledge) first recorded league model kill in history. At least our history.

There was not much to do on my turn, then. I tried to bring all models I could to block a clear charge to Kaya from Slayer helljack, but -2 SPD and no run made for a rather lousy screen. Kaya saved three Fury for damage transfers.

Slayer trampled right next to Kaya, and scored one hit without a damage boost, and still scored nearly ten points of damage. Those were transfered to Scarsfell Griffon, who thankfully didn't break any life branches.

Next there was difficult choices to be made.

I might advance with Kaya first and attempt to score critical knockdown on Deneghra, but that meant a free strike from Slayer. Of course damage would have been transfered to Griffon, but a damage roll of 3d6+3 straight in could very well kill the Griffon.

Having faith in MAT 8 of the Griffon, the bird charged in first. Then Totem Hunter attempted to attack Deneghra, which was done in wrong order now when I think of it. Finally Kaya advanced to attack Deneghra, but all of Kaya's rolls are absolutely atrocitious - she barely hit Deneghra, and when she did, there was next to no damage. I vaguely remember that Kaya had only P+S 9, so perhaps she had Crippling Grasp on herself?

Anyway, Kaya used her feat and spent all Fury on extra attacks, and last possible attack made by her scores critical knockdown effect - and, funnily enough, leaves Deneghra lingering with just one hit box remaining.

That's it, then... oh wait. There is one more model that can make an attack, and now that Deneghra was knocked down, MAT 3 wouldn't be a problem...

Swamp gobber charges one of the most notorious warcasters of Cryx, and needs 10+ to kill. And it rolls exactly 10.

Uh oh.

No matter how well I may perform with my league hero during the remainder of league, I already know who the real hero was... is.


Game 2:

Second game was almost the same list, but Blackclad Wayfarer had rolled -2 arm for injury. I deemed that too bad an injury, and sent Sepoh Thalasland to detoxification treatment. He was replaced by Lanyssa Ryssyll.

Opponent, however, played a very different list:

Warwitch Deneghra
- Defiler

Maximum unit of Mechanithralls
Necrosurgeon & Stitch Thralls
2x Pistol Wraith
Skarlock

First picture from this game is from the end of Cryx turn X.

Totem Hunter had chosen Defiler as his prey, so he charged his prey. He didn't kill, but I think both Cortex and spray gun were destroyed. Warpwolf Stalker also attempted to charge the Defiler, as I saw little to gain from attacking Mechanithralls. Charge failed miserably - 11" carries far, but not that far.

Kaya repositioned Stalker to slightly better position, and that was it.

Cryx just rushes forward, and Deneghra is camping all of her Focus. Pistol Wraith on right scores a lucky hit against Def 17 Lanyssa and kills her.

I want to get rid of the Pistol Wraiths, and Warpwolf Stalker does exactly that to the corporeal wraith. Next one is a bit more challenging, since it is still incorporeal, and only Kaya has magic attacks. She charges Wraith and kills it, and teleports Stalker to screen her from charging Mechanithralls.

Totem Hunter survives a free strike from Defiler, and slams Necrosurgeon dead with his shield. Polearm weapon wrecks Defiler, so all in all it was a pretty good turn.

But then Deneghra uses feat, casts Crippling Grasp and Scourge on Warpwolf Stalker, and Mechanithralls charge Stalker dead. Totem Hunter isn't being charged because none of the thralls had Line of Sight, but when one dies to a free strike, two others turn to engage him.

Next turn Totem Hunter kills the two Mechanithralls and sprints 5" to engage Skarlock.

Kaya stands up and kill three Mechanithralls, and teleports to the relative safety of Scarsfell Griffon. And, well, that's it. Though I think I may have had to use Kaya's feat here, because Griffon has none.

Deneghra then personally kills the Griffon, and Mechanithralls charge to Deneghra. Six attacks later Kaya is still standing, but one thrall scored a hit and made Kaya to fall down to five boxes remaining.

Kaya cuts herself down to one hit box remaining, and even if Mechanithralls have only MAT 5, I didn't dare to risk a free strike with Kaya and go repeat the scene from last game. Instead she kills a Mechanithrall in front of her and attacks Deneghra with Spirit Fang. She scored 10+ for a hit, and some damage, too.

Deneghra was Totem Hunter's prey by now, and he was my only chance now. Though Deneghra suffered -2 DEF from Spirit Fang, I couldn't expect gobbers to have a double kill.

So, Totem Hunter charges and survives a free strike made by Skarlock.

I was rather disappointed when attack roll was 1 and 2. But after counting it about five times or so, it looked like attack was a hit anyway, thanks to prey bonus, back strike bonus and penalty from Spirit Fang. Damage roll was 5, 5, 5, which was more than enough to kill Deneghra.

Well.

The games were both quite close calls. Especially in the last game Deneghra's facing was the determining factor between victory and defeat... or, well, of course I would have had two MAT 3, P+S 5 attacks more it Totem Hunter had missed, if Swamp Gobbers were in range...

Gobber action

Okay, time to write this one up before a ton of other games come rolling in.

Last Thursday I played a 42 point game of Warmachine. I have an unexplainable aversion to the non-standard 42 point game size, but since it was tournament practice for the opponent, I did finally play my very first game of 42 points.

My list was:

Krueger the Stormlord (that's epic)
- Megalith
- Wold Guardian
- Scarsfell Griffon

Druids of Orboros
Shifting Stones + Stone Keeper
Swamp Gobbers
2x Gallows Grove
Blackclad Wayfarer
Lord of the Feast
Thrullg

Objective: Stockpile

Opponent had:

Kraye
- Stormclad
- Hunter
- 2x Charger

Maximum unit of Nyss Hunters
Rangers
Arlan Strangewayes
Squire
Journeyman Warcaster
Rhuper Carvolo

Objective: Effigy of Valor... or does it go by this name any more?

Scenario was the new one from Steamroller 2015, Recon. Cygnar started game, so Circle would actually need to struggle to win scenario. First poorly focused picture is from the end of Circle turn 1. Full Tilt is on Stormclad, and Arcane Shield from Journeyman Warcaster is on Kraye. Lord of the Feast was teleported by the Shifting Stones, and then he threw his bird at Stormclad. My initial thoughts had been in attempting to snipe Arlan out with the Lord, but when I walked over to opponents table edge to place my model, I noticed Squire was within reach, too. So Lord of the Feast ate Squire instead, a Nyss Hunter and dealt some random damage points to Stormclad.

Cygnar turn 2 (with even more poorly focused picture) light warjacks advanced around and tried to take shots at various targets, but the shots fell short because of Storm Wall. As a side note... I really wait to write a report of a game where I play epic Krueger against Cygnar with their Stormwall. That's bound to get confusing.

Anyway, Nyss Hunters ran forward, which was very annoying. I'd have to beat frail elves now instead of Stormclad I'd drag within my charge range.

And all Circle got to do was to beat some elves. Advance was painfully slow, and in the middle of my turn I decided to use Krueger's feat to blunt possible alpha strike that'd be coming my way otherwise. But still kind of lame feat, though it looks suicidally awesome in the picture when Krueger is standing almost in the front of my army with no screening whatsoever.

Turn 3 even more Nyss come to block any meaningful movement for me, and yet again many shots from the light warjacks don't get past Storm Wall. Something - probably a Nyss - killed one of the Shifting Stones.

And yet another turn of elf-beating commences. I do get rid of a few Nyss that were in really annoying positions, but that's about it. Griffon kills some Rangers, and all of my army packs into a small bubble in the scenario zone in an attempt to hide Krueger from sight and trying to be out of Stormclad's viable charge paths.

Oh, and Swamp Gobbers charge Rangers just for giggles.

Turn 4 Full Tilted Stormclad just advances into melee, though I think this was the turn where Kraye used his own feat. It was really a game of dice when Stormclad started beating Wold Guardian... but luck was in my favor, and Guardian stood still fully functional with six damage boxes remaining.

Charger kills Scarsfell Griffon, and another Charger attacks Megalith, which has taken considerable damage over the course of game.

And again the Nyss are in the way for anything. Two needs to be taken down somehow for Wold Guardian to get to beat Stormclad. One goes down with great effort and a lot of Fury from Krueger. The another Nyss has even greater will to live. I take a foolish risk when I declare a spray attack from Blackclad Wayfarer against the Nyss. The spray would easily clip Wold Guardian, which was indeed at six hit boxes. Of course I miss Nyss and hit Wold Guardian, and to pay for my foolishness Wayfarer manages to damage it! Two points only, though. Even with double sixes Guardian wouldn't die, but damn it, two damage to wrong column would break branches. But it was not to be, Guardian was now at four damage boxes and still fully functional.

Megalith has to sacrifice it's whole activation to get rid of that pesky Nyss. Well, it did get to make one attack at Charger.

Now Wold Guardian advances to critically cripple Stormclad, but thanks to high rolls Wold Guardian wrecked the warjack entirely.

After that last few rounds are mostly made of Cygnar attempting to pull off a lucky assassination and/or kill the wold warbeasts, but dice were not merciful here. In fact they were vengeful for no apparent reason, when Kraye charges Megalith and misses charge attack (MAT 8 vs DEF 11) and after that missing even one additional MAT 6 attack.

Something worth of mention did happen, though. When a Ranger broke off from melee with one of my swamp gobbers, the MAT 5 free strike was a hit. And as terrible as it is, damage roll had a decent chance of failing even against ARM 11, as Gobbers have P+S 5. Well, 7+ with three dice shouldn't be that hard, but needing 7+ against ARM 11 makes it a special case.

And 7+ it is. Another kill count for my swamp gobber!