With the first game being over relatively quick, we decided for a rematch. Luckily Haley won the roll-off this time. This is great practice for me because going second is often a completely different dynamic to going first!
:: Lists ::
Cygnar:
Captain Allister Caine - WJ: +5 (Effigy of Valor)
- Squire
- Ace - PC: 7 (bonded)
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 3
Alexia, Mistress of the Witchfire - PC: 4
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution - PC: 3
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - PC: 1
Acosta - PC: 3
Corbeau - PC: 2
Tactical Arcanist Corps - Leader & 2 Grunts: 4
Greygore Boomhowler & Co. - Boomhowler and 9 Grunts: 9
Rangers - Leader & 5 Grunts: 5
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team - Lynch, Ryan & Watts: 4
Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Pistoleers - Leader & 5 Grunts: 6
- Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer - Officer 2
Opponent:
:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::
Major Prime Victoria Haley - WJ: +3
- Squire
- Lancer - PC: 6
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 3
Haley Future - PC: 0
Haley Past - PC: 0
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution - PC: 3
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - PC: 2
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team - Lynch, Ryan & Watts: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 4 Grunts: 11
Tempest Blazers - Leader & 4 Grunts: 10
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 5 Grunts: 6
Stormblade Infantry - Leader & 5 Grunts: 5
- Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard Bearer 3
Part of the problem in this matchup is that I don't know how to effectively deal with murder ponies or Storm Lances (the latter with Arcane Shield). If Eiryss shoots off the vital upkeep, she's in charge range next turn (not to mention all the electro-leap madness she can get exposed to!) so that is a committing move.
What I tried in this game then, going second and all, was to have B13th vs the Lances to win the flank war. Their job wasn't as much about actually getting to the Lances as it was clearing whatever else was there. I tried ATGM on the other flank vs Blazers and the rest went down centrally.
:: Game ::
Stuff moves up, Arcane Shield on Lances.
I cast Blur on Acosta and Magic Bullet on Ace, who trickshots to kill Ryan + Eiryss off of a Storm Lance. Since I boosted the to hit roll (kind of needless since I ran a Ranger up) Caine had only 1 focus left and thus, no heightened reflexes. Alexia ran up to cover Caine, ATGM tried for ponies but I mis-judged the distance and only got 1. TAC ran up as did Boomies.
Haley decides to go for Caine by going for force hammer on alexia. This is a great angle but he is really unlucky as the slam distance comes up a '1', shy of Caine. Instead the feated Haley3 turns to attrition and I lose Acosta, 2 TAC, Alexia and 4 Boomies I believe. It's a devastating turn, but there's one big problem for Haley3 and that is her position.
With Madame Corbeau I am able to get into a cloud with Caine. ATGM shoot off the models physically blocking Haley, I get a Ranger within LoS and Caine feats to easily take her down.
:: Evaluation ::
:: Game ::
Stuff moves up, Arcane Shield on Lances.
I cast Blur on Acosta and Magic Bullet on Ace, who trickshots to kill Ryan + Eiryss off of a Storm Lance. Since I boosted the to hit roll (kind of needless since I ran a Ranger up) Caine had only 1 focus left and thus, no heightened reflexes. Alexia ran up to cover Caine, ATGM tried for ponies but I mis-judged the distance and only got 1. TAC ran up as did Boomies.
Haley decides to go for Caine by going for force hammer on alexia. This is a great angle but he is really unlucky as the slam distance comes up a '1', shy of Caine. Instead the feated Haley3 turns to attrition and I lose Acosta, 2 TAC, Alexia and 4 Boomies I believe. It's a devastating turn, but there's one big problem for Haley3 and that is her position.
With Madame Corbeau I am able to get into a cloud with Caine. ATGM shoot off the models physically blocking Haley, I get a Ranger within LoS and Caine feats to easily take her down.
Victory to the Swans!
Well, this is one game I surely should've lost. The lesson to be learned here is that a force hammer through an arc node is nigh impossible to defend against and with no easy way to deal with upkeeps (using Haley to take it off with rebuke is ineffective because FOCUS6 can't reliably hit Caine) I should simply have heightened reflexes up.
I also learned a few things here: ATGM is probably the weapon of choice vs Blazers and I believe they should have Blur on them. Boomies should be opposite Haley to jam the Trenchers and enable magic bullets off of them (don't be afraid to arcane shield them for ARM19!) to bounce behind the clouds. This also effectively prevents quite a few of the Haley-runs into Caine.
This game also opened my eyes to Haley3's possibility of replacing Caine as a generalist instead of Haley2 as an anti-arm caster. The combination of both cavalry units with revive and a smoke screen works wonders in a lot of scenarios. I'm not yet completely sold on the idea but it does trigger some interesting trains of thought. To be continued!
If Haley3 casts Repudiate at Caine shes rolling to hit with focus 8 or 10 on feat turn. With the reroll from the squire she hits Caine quite easily.
SvarSlettGood game though! I liked the game before this one when you used Alexia as a target for magestorm. Great idea
That is true, but doing so doesn't leave her with enough focus to also cast Force Hammer boosted, which she needs to do as Baby Haley can't reliably hit neither Alexia nor Caine. Granted she can make this work if she doesn't upkeep Future Haley I suppose...
SvarSlettremember past Haley doesn't need to hit Caine, she can always slam one of her models (with back strike) into him and the rest of the army kills caine (or future haley shoots him too)
SlettYes, that is why Caine was behind a wall (= obstacle) with Alexia in front of him: No place to put one of his own models so it could slam into Caine. Also, future Haley was too far away to shoot Caine.
SvarSlettRegardless, I should've died. Even with Heightened Reflexes up Haley can choose not to upkeep future Haley and get off both Repudiate and Force Hammer, after which the Blazers can move in for the kill.