(un) Friendly Reminder

Last Thursday I played two practice games for tournament that's held this weekend. Both games had the same list:

Cassius and Wurmwood
- Warpwolf Stalker
- Shadowhorn Satyr
- Woldwatcher
- Gorax

Tharn Bloodweavers
Druids of Orboros + Overseer
Shifting Stones
Swamp Gobber Bellows
Lord of the Feast
Night Witch
Druid Wilder
Blackclad Wayfarer
Lanyssa Ryssyll
Gallows Grove

Objective: Bunker

Opponent had:

Archdomina Makeda

- Molik Karn
- Bronzeback Titan
- Titan Gladiator
- Cyclops Brute
- Basilisk Krea

Minimum unit of Beast Handlers
Maximum unit of Nihilators
Aptimus Marketh
Agonizer
Mortitheurge Willbreaker

Objective: Bunker

First game had Incursion scenario. Circle started game, and the picture is from the end of Circle turn 2 where Cassius has desperately used his feat to try to block Molik Karn from doing things. There had been about three millimetres in between Molik Karn and Cassius when Cassius had attempted to cast Stranglehold on the cyclops chieftain.

There is nothing else to say, really.

Molik Karn didn't even need to use side-steps to walk within 2" of Wurmwood.

We played another game after this sorry affair.

Game 2:

Lists were the same, but we switched sides. Skorne started and scenario was Fire Support. I think these lists were quite balanced against each other. Both had counter options for moves opponent would be able to make. Skorne had completely absurd walking distances with Pathfinder available, but I had Stranglehold and Pathfinder removal, plus the 10" forest feat with me. Makeda had a a feat to bring back Nihilators, but I had some remove from play -effects. I had ways to lower MAT and relatively high defense, and opponent had Carnage. And so on.

First picture is from the end of Circle turn one. Woldwatcher shot one of the Nihilators into a forest.

Turn 3 opponent rushes forward with Nihilators. They kill a couple of Druids of Orboros. Molik Karn came close. Too close.

Turn three was also the turn when Cassius used his feat. But before that Lord of the Feast threw his crow at a Nihilator. He jumped in to make his thing with Nihilators and hopefully make a dent at Basilisk Krea. Well. Just as in last game, he hit with zero attacks against infantry models. Sometimes MAT 8 takes you only so far. Sometimes, like, two times in a row.

Druids of Orboros pull Bronzeback Titan a total of four inches closer. Gorax or Wilder cast Primal on Warpwolf Stalker, who then warped for Strength and proceeded to attack the warbeast. I think Stalker wasn't in Agonizer range, because it was able to kill the Bronzeback.

Rest of the army killed off Nihilators, Bloodweavers taking out Defender's Ward in the first place.

Now Cassius tried to be smart and cast Stranglehold on Molik Karn through Gallows Grove, without exposing himself too far just yet. Stranglehold hit Karn and dealt some stray damage points in. Molik missile never again. Or at least next turn.

Lanyssa Ryssyll fell a little short from getting Molik Karn within Winter Storm. The only reasonable thing to do was to use Push power attack on her with Woldwatcher.

Turn 4 Makeda uses her feat. Nihilators kill Lanyssa with the aid from Carnage. After that Titan Gladiator used Rush on itself and walked to attempt a double handed throw against my Warpwolf Stalker. This was one of the first times, or perhaps even the first time I have witnessed the throw target resisting a double-handed throw. Though it wouldn't have worked without Primal and warping for strength.

Bloodweavers and Hellmouths and whatnot all over the place destroyed the rest of the Nihilators, so Makeda wouldn't be able to return any models into play with her feat. Not that there were too many Nihilators that had been honestly destroyed.

Two Bloodweavers did some damage in to the Titan Gladiator, and Warpwolf Stalker had done it's frenzy attack against it. But those were quite not enough to kill it. Agonizer was giving -2 to damage rolls. Druid Wilder cast Primal on Shadowhorn Satyr - which would still be making attacks only with P+S 14 and 13 despite Primal! But this goat is not Gnarlhorn Satyr, no. Shadowhorn advanced, used Bounding Leap and killed Titan Gladiator - with one blow!

Cassius Strangled Molik Karn yet again.

Turn 5 Skorne got rid of Gallows Grove, which could possibly get Molik Karn out of Stranglehold's reach.

But this turn Molik wouldn't be able to do anything meaningful. Cyclops Brute tried to attack my warbeasts, but killed none. I don't remember what Krea did, except that it died on my next turn.

Circle turn 5, or so called "why, oh why did I do this" turn. Woldwatcher shot one Beast Handler into a forest, and the rest of Druids of Orboros cast Vortex clouds. This turn it looked like I had expended all of my good damage rolls, though, when Warpwolf Stalker, frenzying Shadowhorn Satyr and a stray P+S 9, weapon-masterish Bloodweaver didn't kill Brute. Should've used Primal on Stalker, I guess...

I advance Cassius and try to kill thr Brute with Stranglehold, but that accomplished nothing. He moved Wurmwood to safety.

Attrition game was looking good, but it doesn't really matter, when Makeda removes a couple of Bloodweavers from Molik's way, has Carnage on and Aptimus Marketh casts Savagery. Then Molik made a casual walk to Cassius and kills him.

Well, okay, it wasn't that casual. Cassius had been less than half an inch too close to Molik Karn. But that's all what it takes...

It's not entirely impossible that after these experiences I'm starting to fail to enter killbox in future games whenever enemy has Molik Karn.

Adventures of Winhorn Satyr vol I

Last Friday I played a practice game for an upcoming tournament. I didn't quite know that I'd be going to a different tournament the very next day... but that's another story.

Anyway, my 50 point list was:

Cassius the Oathkeeper & Wurmwood
- Warpwolf Stalker
- Shadowhorn Satyr
- Gorax
- Woldwatcher

Druids of Orboros + Overseer
Tharn Bloodweavers
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew
Shifting Stones
Lord of the Feast
Bloodweaver Night Witch
Lanyssa Ryssyll
Blackclad Wayfarer
Druid Wilder
Gallows Grove

Objective: Effigy of Valor

Opponent had (I think):

Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight:
- Blightbringer
- Naga Nightlurker

2x Maximum unit of Warspears + Chieftain
Minimum unit of Warmongers
Minimum unit of Spawning Vessel
Warmonger War Chief
Forsaken

Objective: Arcane Wonder

Scenario was Destruction and Circle started game. First picture is from the end of Legion turn 1. Thagrosh had a little accident just before the game and as a result lost his upper torso. He didn't waist his feat on bringing it back. Oh god. That pun.

Turn two I decided to use Cassius' feat already. Hey, why not? I figured I could take one hit from Blightbringer with Wurmwood - especially when guarded by Woldwatcher. This might give me a chance at playing scenario. Lord of the Feast throws his teleport bird at the Spawning Vessel and slaughters all of the chefs. So, damage from Legion is negligible on turn 2, and only three Ogruns come to contest the zone. Well, three Ogruns and a Shredder from Spawning Vessel.

It was all too easy to dominate for three points on Circle turn three. Or... was it?

I need to buy new dice. The amount of total of threes was astonishing. In next write-up I'm going to complain even more about hitting on 6+. But let's not get ahead of things.

Only models that did really well were the Bloodweavers and Druids, who pushed two Ogruns out of the zone. Warpwolf Stalker, Shadowhorn Satyr, Lanyssa, Woldwatcher, Blackclad Wayfarer, Gorax and Cassius with a couple of souls would be more than enough to get rid of the three, right? Right? Well, it was, eventually. Once absolutely everything else had already activated, there was only Shadowhorn Satyr and Gorax left to activate and opponent still had Shredder and objective. Gorax used Primal on Shadowhorn Satyr, who trampled over Shredder (killing it) and also wrecked the objective. Whoa. The thing has worse P+S than Gnarlhorn Satyr, and yet it managed to save the day (or what could still be saved)? I think this guy deserves its own tag. Even if it serves no purpose, at least it's there to add to the shame of my Gnarlhorn Satyr.

But really. With only a couple good rolls (or heck, a couple of mediocre rolls more instead of the abysmal ones!) I could have got so much better turn. I had originally planned to dominate for three scenario points, but I felt like I couldn't risk it as I had achieved only the bare minimum with maximum efforts. Shadowhorn would frenzy next turn, and there were far more Ogruns around than I had hoped for.

Turn 3 Legion wasn't exactly the dice rolling champ either, as Woldwatcher and Druid Overseer and a couple of Bloodweavers were the only casualties. Both heavy warbeasts took heavy damage, but at least they were still alive...

But now there was a gargantuan sitting on the zone that I had failed to dominate. Game became an admirable grindfest from there on. Satyr frenzied and attacked Blightbringer. Stalker thinned down Ogruns and sprinted away. Rest of my army tries to scrape at the Ogruns, but don't really accomplish anything. Cassius casts Curse of Shadows on Ogrun Warspear unit. Legion then kills Shadowhorn Satyr and a number of my infantry. Miraculously Gorax survives all of this.

Cassius continues to upkeep Curse of Shadows on Ogruns. Remaining Bloodweaver make a dirty charge at the Warspear chieftain, killing him. Then Cassius juggles Curse of Shadows to Blightbringer and even managed to damage it with Stranglehold, making it to forfeit either action or movement. Then Warpwolf Stalker charged it and killed a nearby Ogrun to trigger Sprint. Night Witch killed at least The Forsaken.

Gorax dies next, but Night Witch somehow escapes death. I'm starting to have wild fantasies about making the final blow to Blightbringer with Hellmouth. That would mean opponent would get Naga back with the feat... or a Shredder, why not.

Night Witch pokes Blightbringer to make it un-healable, and Warpwolf Stalker did the "ogrun for Sprint + attacks at Blightbringer" trick again. Blightbringer was left at four hit boxes remaining. Warpwolf didn't Sprint back to Shifting Stones, but rather tried to hide behind the gargantuan.

Then Thagrosh activates and kills Blightbringer with his own... claw! Not sword, mind you. That one removes from play, while claw doesn't. Thagrosh feats Blightbringer back and Warspears shoot Stalker dead. Damn it.

Now there was no longer any chance of winning the game. I conceded after figuring out for ten minutes for anything at all. But no.

Originally I had been thinking of walking or charging with Blood Witch through Blightbringer (which had Curse of Shadows) and hopefully hitting Thagrosh with second attack. That would've denied damage transfers. Warpwolf Stalker would've killed Thagrosh then, if able.

After losing Curse of Shadows on Blightbringer and Warpwolf Stalker, none of this was possible. I could have tried some weird Hellmouth/Stranglehold assassination if Night Witch could have landed the "no transfer" hit. Very unlikely, but not completely impossible, unlike this situation now.

Exciting game nonetheless. Little did I know that next game I'd play would be against the Prophet of Everblight again in about eleven-twelve hours, or so... but that's for a bit later.