Battle at Lund: Swedish Masters Finals (#126): Haley2 vs Axis

:: Prologue ::

After a wonderful run I found myself in the finals. Yet again I was up against Convergence, but this time it was not Father Lucant and shooty madness of doom facing me. Instead I was up against Axis, into which I dropped Haley2. Jeppa, a seasoned Swedish veteran, was commanding the Convergence forces.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Major Victoria Haley - WJ: +5
- Squire
- Stormwall - PC: 19
- Lightning Pod
- Thorn - PC: 8
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 3
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution - PC: 3
Gastone Crosse - PC: 3
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - PC: 1
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt - Lady Aiyana & Master Holt: 4
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:

Axis, the Harmonic Enforcer - WJ: +6
- Corollary - PC: 3
- Conservator - PC: 7
- Conservator - PC: 7
- Conservator - PC: 7
Enigma Foundry - PC: 2
Enigma Foundry - PC: 2
Enigma Foundry - PC: 2
Enigma Foundry - PC: 2
Obstructors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 6
Obstructors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 6
Obstructors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 6
Reductors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 6
THEME: Sustained Attack - Tier 4

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Luckily I faced a very, very similar list in a recent game when I played Haley3. The long story short is that I believe Convergence will often approach this matchup with over confidence in their recursion abilities, underestimating my shooting game. If this would indeed happen, I would be optimistic. It would be easy to tell as well because if he runs turn 1 instead of going in Shield Wall I know I can get off to a great start. Furthermore the scenario was Outflank and I went second with a forest to hide Haley behind. What more could I ask for?

I deploy my forces weighted on the left flank because I want Haley behind the woods. Furthermore the 2-0 turn 2 under temporal shift move is a classic that all skilled players know and fear. Even if I don't get the opportunity, merely having the chance of doing so greatly affects the way the game plays. I follow up with Thorn and B13th on the other flank. Convergence deploy largely symmetrically, perhaps a tad bit on the offensive side (i.e. opposite me).

:: Game ::

Jeppa immediately starts running and I breath a sigh of relief. I have a big opening coming. He also spreads out in such a way that I can get almost every single shot I have to count.

Deadeye x2 is the name of the game and I remove significantly more models than his foundries can bring back. I also Arcane Bolt one or two if I remember correctly. Every single model matters here because of interest over time.

The "victim stats" boys are brought back and they all advance in a Shield Wall.

 I put 3 focus on Thorn to do as much damage as possible and this is the most focus-efficient way of killing victim stats models for Haley2. He makes me proud by taking down 4 or 5. Then something interesting happens: I reaction drive him after having cast Deadeye and one of the Conservators counter-charge. Interesting, as Haley still sits on 2 focus. Feat is already up as I'm looking for the 2-0 lead and I TK him away. Aiyana kisses him, ATGM Thunderbolts (which largely negates Shield Wall) to kill Obstructors and my heavier shooting starts pounding the Conservator. The Stormwall finishes it off, taking a few more models with e-leaps as well. A lightning pod even catches one or two I believe.

With Watts contending the off zone he gets 0 points and simply tries to jam yet again.

I clear the zone and kill another Conservator, bringing him down to 1 remaining. He is also down a unit or two so the Foundries will find themselves struggling to use their souls for anything. It's mostly a moot point though as it's incredibly hard for him to even get in a position where he contests me at all after my next turn is over as I move to 4-0.

Axis sees a desperate angle: By charging the Stormwall after feating he can beat back and slowly move around to try and get to Haley and kill her. In the process he rolls not only 1 but 2 (!) snake eyes, and even though he reaches Haley he gets there with too little focus to harm her:

He said prior to the run that if it doesn't work he'll simply give up, as such we didn't roll damage on the Stormwall or free strikes etc while he was at it. With Haley standing at the end of his turn then the game was over.

Tournament Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Swedish Master 2016, wow! I'm not even a Swede. I suppose it's fitting that a Norwegian should take the title seeing as the Swedes dominated the Norwegian Masters this year (fittingly, a fellow Norwegian who runs Frozen Forge came third as well!).

This game played out exactly as I had hoped it would. The eagerness of the Convergence infantry is what I believe spelled their doom. If they had taken a slower approach and gone in Shield Wall turn 1 I would be out of range for many of my guns, not to mention the fact that POW10 Snipes are rather ineffective against ARM18. 

My list is deceptive in the sense that it looks small and insignificant and people consistently underestimate its ability to deliver damage on the tabletop. I suppose that my 20-model or so army looks small compared to some Cryx spam variants for example, but if you sit down and actually take a look at the quality attacks it can produce then the results you see in turns 1 and 2 in this report aren't as surprising. B13th typically kill 5-6 models because of Mage Storm (lightning pod to assist if needed), ATGM 5-6 as well, Stormwall anything from 2 to 10 depending on e-leaps, junior and Haley often pick off one with their hand cannons, gastone is 1-2, Eiryss is 1 and so on. Every single model tends to bring down at least one enemy model. With the forces closing in Thorn becomes super-effective as well and really shines with his MAT7 PS13 melee-arcing abilities. 

The one mistake I wish I could've avoided was giving him an opening to Haley. Without those snake eyes it would've looked a lot worse. In all fairness though I didn't know he had beat back. I could've checked and put Haley in a safer spot so that beat back couldn't have theoretically given him an angle even. Live and learn! This time I got away with it. Apart from that I am very happy with how I played this game and I am of course very happy and proud I managed to win the entire tournament. Haley2 is a powerhouse of epic proportions and I feel like I'm finally learning how to play to her various strengths, ranging from scenario to attrition and assassination.