Battle Report #136: Haley3 vs Lylyth2

:: Prologue ::

After a relatively quick first game we went ahead for a rematch! Same lists, same map, same scenario. Let's get to it!

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Major Prime Victoria Haley - WJ: +3
- Squire
- Lancer - PC: 6
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 3
Haley Future - PC: 0
Haley Past - PC: 0
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - PC: 2
Captain Maxwell Finn - PC: 3
Ragman - PC: 2
Alexia1 & The Risen - PC: 5
Savio Montero Acosta - PC: 3
Storm Lances - Leader & 4 Grunts: 11
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 5 Grunts: 6
Horgenhold Forge Guard - Leader & 9 Grunts: 8
- Captain Jonas Murdoch - Murdoch 2

Opponent:

Lylyth, Shadow of Everblight - WB: +5
- Succubus
- Naga Nightlurker - PC: 5
- Nephilim Bolt Thrower - PC: 6
- Nephilim Bolt Thrower - PC: 6
- Ravagore - PC: 10
- Ravagore - PC: 10
- Ravagore - PC: 10
Strider Deathstalker - PC: 2
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
The Forsaken - PC: 2

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

I'm not sure how going 2nd affects this for me. I expect it to be worse but I'm not sure how I should approach it strategically. I end up deciding to go for largely the same as in game 1 apart from the Lancer who I elect to have on a flank. That proves to be an interesting choice!

:: Game ::

Legion runs a Deathstalker into the trench. 2 Ravagores and a Bolter moves toward my Lances.

I elect to jam up around the central hill and mini-feat with Murdoch. Alexia1 and Acosta are nearby. On the right flank I push up 1 Lance far and keep the rest in reserve. Lancer goes to that flank as well. Alexia1 makes a Thrall who runs to engage Deathstalker. I use Tac. Supremacy to spread Past out a little further.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture in his turn: Forsaken and Stalker fail to kill the Thrall in the Trench. Ok. Bolter moves up. He clears out the majority of the hill. I should've cast Arcane on Forge Guard and held them B2B for defensive line when I mini-feat: 4 of them died to Fire Continuous. Note to self: Remember that little thingy! 2 Lances die on the right side. Should've kept those in cover.

In return I get a ton of souls on Alexia so I spawn a lot of Zombies and move in to tie him down on the left flank. Acosta becomes angry and Swifts up the table to charge the Ravagore on the left with the aid of 3 Forge Guard, 2 of which are revived. It survives on a single box, much to my dismay. Some poor rolls there but dice happen!

Lances run 1 up to engage beasts and the Lancer puts himself on a corner for cover. I expect him to feat next turn and don't know how much I'll end up with.

He doesn't feat however, which I think is a huge mistake. Murdoch survives and Lances survive (1 guy far behind). With feat he probably would've gotten both, possibly with more fury left as well. With Future outside of 16" from Lylyth that leaves me without assassination options. Against 3 Ravagores and 2 Bolters that would be game I think.

With Murdoch alive however (a couple of Dwarfs too!) as well as a Lance, this can be solved in 2 ways: Feat-revive 4 Lances and take out as much as possible on the right flank while Alexia1 + remaining Forge Guard take out the Ravagore + Bolter on the left flank (basically leaving Lylyth with maybe a Ravagore and a Bolter with all my models in threatening positions). Alternatively, I can go for assassination. I wanted to go home so I went for the latter. My mistake in doing so was that he can transfer an early damage roll and kill off the central Ravagore, which gives him 2 more fury. Anyway: He forgot to do so and Lylyth2 went down to Force Hammer from Past onto a Trencher and 4 Revived Forge Guard.

*EDIT* I was told after writing this report that you can't reave Fury from a Warbeast which dies from transfer damage. Pretty important to know!

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Even though I won this game it's by and large a strategic loss when Legion gets the opening I gave them top of 2. Where did I go wrong?

I gave away 2 Lances and multiple Forge Guard for free. Driving up Lances aggressively is effective when I force him to deal with them -and- I benefit from the space gained by him doing so. In this game the aggressive moves from the Lances was uncalled for and bought me nothing. By keeping them in a more conservative position, perhaps with cover even, he is forced to make a much more difficult decision. Also, Arcane on Forge Guard keeps them significantly harder whilst mini-feating. 

The Lancer should also have gone in the middle. I failed to make him a threat T2 and he was more in the way for myself than anything else behind there. In the center he could've taken either the wall or the hill for DEF bonuses and by focusing him he will leave a lot of my other stuff untouched. 

All in all 2 games with lots of learning points. Playing Haley3 is tricky in different ways than Haley2. In explosive matchups like this she relies heavily on positioning and revive/melee-angles which require thinking at least one turn ahead. I'm getting there, slowly but surely!