Headless rumours everywhere

Some time ago I played this 75 point game of Warmachine.

I'm still tinkering with Goreshade1 in Slaughter Fleet Raiders. My list was two points short, because I haven't got my hands on a Misery Cage yet. Though I suppose that's relatively useless model for Goreshade.



Slaughter Fleet Raiders
Goreshade the Bastard [+27]
- Harrower [16]
- Leviathan [16]
- Nightwretch [7]
- Slayer [10]
- Slayer [10]
- Stalker [8]
- Satyxis Blood Priestess [4]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Saxon Orrik [4]
Black Ogrun Boarding Party (max) [11]

Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]


Opponent had:

Hammer Strike
General Ossrum [+28]
- Ghordson Basher [9]
- Ghordson Driller [10]
- Ghordson Driller [10]
Ogrun Bokur [0(5)]
Steelhead Gunner [3]
Steelhead Gunner [3]
Horgenhold Artillery Corps [0(6)]
Horgenhold Artillery Corps [0(6)]
Horgenhold Forge Guard (max) [16]
Horgenhold Forge Guard (max) [16]
Hammerfall Siege Crawler [18]
Hammerfall Siege Crawler [18]

In the pictures the colossal is a proxy for another Siege Crawler.

Cryx started. Opponent had carefully placed his warjacks out of my melee threat, so in order to do something I decided to use Goreshade's feat on turn 2a.

Harrower, Leviathan and Black Ogruns opened fire, before Goreshade put some Bane Warriors on board. Banes mulched only one Driller, but Basher was damaged enough that Stalker with Leap managed to wreck it. Plus poke Grievous Wounds on the remaining Driller that had lost Cortex.

In turn I lose all Bane Warriors and all but one Black Ogrun Ironmonger plus objective. Ossrum had retaliated with his feat, so I guess things could have been worse.

Well, of course there was still the extra armor part...

Cephalyx Overlords heroically spray dead opponent's gunner who was trying to score points at opponent's flag. Stalker went and poked another Grievous Wounds on Driller. No other damage there.

Harrower and Slayer clear my rectangular zone from Forge Guards despite them not giving it easily. Tough was giving me tough time. Slayer could have done it all by itself, in the perfect world. Scenario points went 2-2.

But then Forge Guard destroys Harrower and severely damages Leviathan and Slayer. Opponent scored only one scenario point, but I was running out of troops.

I do my best at contesting, and thanks to Blood Priestess getting into melee to finish what Slayer could not do, scenario goes 3-5 for Cryx.

But then both Slayers become smoldering scrap heaps, and I got only a handful of models left. Opponent probably catched me on scenario points, too.

Ossrum was hiding behind a wall, behind an Ogrun Bokur and Leviathan was tied up in melee with Forge Guard.

Axiara releases Leviathan from melee, who then proceeds to shoot Ogrun Bokur off. It was already down to one hit box remaining, so it was well withing probabilities. Leviathan got three shots and did some random damage points even to Ossrum - by rolling double sixes to hit.

Now Goreshade had a free charge to Ossrum, with Deathwalker negating his bonus from intervening terrain.

But even with attack boost Goreshade misses charge attack and then it's just rolling dice for giggles, hoping enough 7+ on two dice to kill There were some, but three focus points coupled with too many misses made the assassination a failed one. If memory serves, Ossrum was left with thirteen hit points, so even a double six on my last attempt in dealing damage wouldn't have done it.

Goreshade lost shade and turned into gore.

Reclaimed Bastard

Few days ago I played this 75 point game of Warmachine.

My list:

[Theme] Slaughter Fleet Raiders
Goreshade the Bastard [+27]
- Harrower [16]
- Leviathan [16]
- Nightwretch [7]
- Reaper [13]
- Seether [13]
- Stalker [8]
- Satyxis Blood Priestess [4]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Black Ogrun Boarding Party (max) [11]

Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]


Opponent had:

[Theme] Exemplar Interdiction
The High Reclaimer [+32]
- Judicator [34]
Exemplar Bastion Seneschal [0(5)]
High Exemplar Gravus [8]
Scrutator Potentate Severius [0(6)]
- Dervish [7]
Exemplar Errants (max) [16]
- Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard [0(4)]
Exemplar Errants (max) [16]
- Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard [4]
Knights Exemplar [9]
- Knights Exemplar Officer [4]
Knights Exemplar [9]

Scenario was Mirage.

I let opponent start the game, because I didn't want High Reclaimer hiding behind a building.

Early on Judicator nearly shoots Reaper into a smoldering wreck with sprays.

This had Judicator close enough for Seether to charge - as well as the feated unit of Bane Warriors. I just had to clear a few exemplars that were blocking the way. As an extra challenge I wanted to clear my round zone to start scoring points.

This plan succeeded.

Removing Judicator, on the other hand, succeeded too well. Seether was able to destroy it, so it promptly removed three bane warriors with berserk attacks as well. Oh well. At least it was a colossal warjack down in one round. Something I usually have a fair bit of difficulties.

Less surprisingly, exemplars then butchered all of my warjacks except for Leviathan and Nightwretch.

Overlord sprays and desperate attempts had been clearing enemy infantry. From the thirty five exemplars that began the game, I can count only thirteen from the picture. Though the structure might hide someone.

But there was no more game for me once I lost last Overlord, Leviathan, Axiara and a couple of Ironmongers. Opponent had also rocketed too far ahead on the scenario points. It was a loss.

Still, I think there might be something in this theme/caster pairing. Gang + Dark Shroud is an amazing combination.

Irregular Fleet Raiders

Here's two Warmachine games that were played a while ago.

As I have begun to get bored of Infernal Machines, I decided to try something new. My list was:


[Theme] Slaughter Fleet Raiders
Goreshade the Bastard [+27]
- Harrower [16]
- Nightwretch [7]
- Seether [13]
- 2x Slayer [10]
- 2x Stalker [8]
- Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan [4]
Axiara Wraithblade [0(6)]
Black Ogrun Boarding Party (max) [11]
Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]

Even if I don't have that many Slaughter Fleet units, I wondered if I could make something out of my collection. Goreshade the Bastard looked like he'd alleviate my lack of proper models - bringing Gang Fighter bonus wherever needed with his feat.

Black Ogrun Iron Mongers are still on the painting table. And that's where I forgot them. Axiara Wraithblade, on the other hand, has not even arrived yet. So there's some proxies on the table.

I think opponent had a list something like this:

[Theme] The Irregulars
Ashlynn d'Elyse [+29]
- Freebooter [9]
- Nomad [11]
- Vanguard [10]
- Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker [0(4)]
Dahlia Hallyr [17]
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios [0(7)]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [4]
Major Harrison Gibbs [4]
Ragman [4]
Rorsh [15]
2x Kayazy Eliminators [5]
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt [8]
Press Gangers (max) [12]

Game 1:

First game was over sooner than it had begun. The astonishing threat range of Rorsh caught me by surprise, so we decided to play another game.

Game 2:

Second game took quite a bite longer.

Otherwise my list seemed to somehow work - Curse, gang fighter and Dark Shroud stacks in a manner someone might find disgusting. Warjacks were able to do at least a little something even during Ashlynn's feat. But Goreshade doesn't have enough focus. Maybe the new Satyxis warcaster attachment would help there by upkeeping Lamentation. But still it would not be enough for this many warjacks.

When opponent engaged with his heavy warjacks, he had some really bad luck and did not wreck a thing.

Opponent can't get to Goreshade and I can't get to Ashlynn, and neither side was scoring scenario points in a reliable manner. Play became a version of Cat & Mouse, with after many turns Goreshade finally won.

However, such a victory feels hollow, when had it been an actual tournament game opponent would have won via deathclock. And if we would have counted turns, there would have been a good chance that by the end of seventh turn opponent would have had the lead.

But last game showed how this approach to list building might actually work.