Battle Report #147: Kraye vs Feora2

:: Prologue ::

More Krayze action! More Protectorate opposition! Today I had a date with Feora2. She's hot. Enough with the bad puns, let's get to the game.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Captain Jeremiah Kraye - WJ: +6
- Squire
- Stormwall - PC: 19
- Lightning Pod
- Stormwall - PC: 19
- Lightning Pod
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 3
Stormsmith Stormcaller - PC: 1
Stormsmith Stormcaller - PC: 1
Stormsmith Stormcaller - PC: 1
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist - PC: 2
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt - Lady Aiyana & Master Holt: 4
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team - Lynch, Ryan & Watts: 4

Opponent:

Feora, Protector of the Flame - WJ: +6
- Hand of Judgment - PC: 10
- Redeemer - PC: 6
- Reckoner - PC: 8
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 2
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution - PC: 3
Reclaimer - PC: 2
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 2
The Covenant of Menoth - PC: 2
Wrack - PC: 1
Exemplar Errants - Leader and 9 Grunts: 8
- Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard - Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard 2
Holy Zealots - Leader and 9 Grunts: 6
- Monolith Bearer - Monolith Bearer 2
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 2

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Well, on paper this looks hard. Zealots will buy time and I am relying on a few select models to buy me time in return. However the awesome threat ranges and ranged game means he can't fool around: He has to commit fast, which might create openings.

The scenario was Destruction and he went first. My idea here was to let him have a scenario lead and spend the time to get the flanks under control so I could hopefully jam him home bottom of 3 with tons of stuff in the zone.

:: Game ::

Forgot a picture after Protectorate T1, unfortunately. The thing is, he ran up the Zealots -very- close and the Errants went up to screen the zone. In return I just -had- to take the opportunity with Ryan and I shot a scattered Mage Storm 14" straight ahead. It landed Boom! on Zealots, killing 7 of them. Best scatter ever. Both Stormwalls received 2 focus with which they boosted hits on Errants with their big guns, killing 4. I then put down covering fires throughout the zone. Very happy with the start.

Redeemer lands a boosted scatter on Ryan to return the favor and she dies. Nothing else of value was lost. Errants skew left, jacks enter the zone.

I need one more turn to clear out the models around the flanks so I decide to give him a 3-0 opportunity. I move my right flank up and kill the objective. Kraye casts Guided Fire and skews right, camping 3 and toing the hill to go 16/20. Stormwalls clear the Errants but the real beauty is the pods landing on either side of the jack group, allowing the Stormcallers to buy me the time I need.

Good times!

He forgoes the opportunity to take a 3-0 lead in favor of doing some damage to my supports and the left Stormwall. Feora does however enter the zone on 5 focus + Escort.

I completely brainfart as I forget that Feora benefits from Escort while the Redeemer is alive. For some reason I thought it was only the heavy jacks. My idea is thus to remove the book with the left Stormwall + Stormcallers and proc Enliven on Hand: If he remains within 3" of Feora I kill him, if he doesn't I kill her. He moves out and thus Kraye feats and my remaining Stormwall charges Feora. Suffice is to say I'm a little surprised to find out that I'm dice -4 instead of -2 but hey, fortune favors the dumb I suppose as the assassination run works out and the Red Woman dies.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

I had a plan which worked out flawlessly. I lost Gorman and Ryan T2 to scatters but honestly, such things happen more often than you might think with the Redeemer. Apart from that everything was more or less what I had hoped for, until I brainfarted the assassination run of course (the entire turn should've been played different but I was massively up so for practice purposes it hardly mattered). It should also be noted that I wanted to finish the game quickly to perhaps get time for one more (which we did!).

Stormcallers were absolutely amazing vs Menoth. I knew they had the potential but disrupting his entire line of jacks was just ace. This also really helps the Stormwalls in the attrition game because I essentially get the defense which Kraye otherwise lacks.

Also: Don't clump your models together vs Ryan. Sure I was lucky with a perfect scatter, but it's not worth taking the risk. That Mage Storm -will- be launched regardless.

Overall a game I was happy with but an ending that was sheer and dumb luck. Next time I'll hopefully remember that Escort ARM bonus of course works off of lights as well.