Internal Affairs Mk. IV Game 3 (#206): Sloan vs Makeda2

:: Prologue ::

I was worried about getting list-locked in the 4th game because there were multiple opponents I didn't want to drop Sloan into in my vicinity. However I got Skorne for my 3rd game and immediately knew I was good. True, my opponent had a pairing without Rasheth so I feel that Haley2 is a safer choice, but Sloan -definitely- is up against Skorne. I got Makeda2 and we were ready for Entrenched!

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Captain Kara Sloan - WJ: +28
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - PC: 4
- Firefly - PC: 0
- Firefly - PC: 0
- Hunter - PC: 0
- Hunter - PC: 10
- Defender - PC: 16
- Defender - PC: 16
Alten Ashley - PC: 5
Storm Lances - Leader & 2 Grunts: 12
Storm Lances - Leader & 2 Grunts: 12

Opponent:

Supreme Archdomina Makeda - WB: +24
-    Titan Gladiator - PC: 0
-    Titan Sentry - PC: 5
Mortitheurge Willbreaker - PC: 4
Tyrant Rhadeim - PC: 9
Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor - PC: 4
Totem Hunter - PC: 6
Nihilators - Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
Praetorian Ferox - Leader & 4 Grunts: 21
Paingiver Beast Handlers - Leader & 3 Grunts: 5
Tyrant Commander & Standard Bearer - Tyrant & Bearer: 6

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

My main worry here is scenario. If Skorne can position for a 3-0 lead I could be in trouble. Failing that I believe I'm good to go. The only other concern I have is keeping Sloan away from the cav with the insane threat ranges.

I position everything I have centrally and Skorne replies with Makeda centrally along with Nihilators. Close to nothing on the left flank and cav on the right.

:: Game ::

With Makeda centrally I very much doubt she'll go for scenario. I am thus in no hurry to get my Defenders into contesting positions but can instead focus on optimal shooting positions. I place the left cav in a position to counter an aggressive move centrally whereas my right cav position themselves to charge any Ferox going for the fence.

Makeda throws up Deflection and the Nihilators move up to protect her. The Ferox as predicted take the wall.

Given the slow progress of the game I am in no hurry to commit. I do however want to see if I can't force my opponent to either risk an assassination from Stay Death or to have him lose Ferox. Thus the Storm Lances move first. I do kill 3 Ferox but 2 tough and is kept alive by Stay Death. I keep one of my Lances behind the objective and put a Firefly toing the zone as well. I try and work on the Nihilators but I have some abysmal rolls and way fewer die than I had anticipated. The heavy shooting starts targeting the Sentry and with Alten Ashley (a swap I took from having played the GMCA for a while) I prevent his Handlers from healing him back up. At least for now.

Skorne creates a Fort Makeda on the hill with Nihilators in front and Makeda behind with Shield Guard, Ferox etc. I lose the right Lances but the Firefly + objective remain unscathed so scenario is no problem at all.

It's time to feat. I want to start moving ahead on scenario because it's so open and I see Makeda making her way to the right flank, possibly making a 3CP move later on. The Ferox on my right flank are getting too close for comfort so my priority this turn is to take out as many as possible. I finally get some better rolls with my Fireflies (who have missed, failed to wound and rolled 1 leap etc thus far) and the Nihilators are taking some big casualties. The heavy shooting barely manages to wipe out all the Ferox, Ashley's Grievous helping out. The remaining Lances take out his objective and I move to 2-0.

Makeda finally moves to the right flank. The Ferox solo dude and his Totem Hunter leave my rightmost Firefly on 1 box. The Gladiator kills a Lance.

I put 2 focus on the right-most Defender. The idea is to kill the Totem Hunter and the solo. I completely forget that Grievous prevents stay death so I could've killed the solo completely but at least he is dismounted. Sloan spikes and with the charge of the Storm Lances the Gladiator goes down. 3-0.

Skorne take 3 CP.

I kill the remaining contesting models, put a Defender in the right zone, put Sloan in the left zone and kill Makeda.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

I have played extensively vs Lylyth2 in mk. 2. The way to beat her is to get up the table and get work done and/or pressure her on scenario. The same works in reverse for Sloan. When my opponent instead slows down and goes for the DEF-skew of the hill, he basically buys me time. True, on a turn-by-turn basis my shooting is limited but at the end of the day I get more turns so it doesn't matter. 

Ferox are incredibly scary. They are one of Skorne's strongest options now I believe. Their huge threat range with Makeda2 makes them a pain to plan against and Sloan especially has to be very careful. 

All that said though the shooting my list brings is devastating and Makeda has to be careful at all times as well. I could probably have gone for assassination top of 2 here since she only had 2 fury left after my opponent elected to Stay Death on a Ferox. I prefer not to go for dicey runs like this and indeed I would've been close to auto-losing had it failed. It is a dynamic in the matchup with Skorne has to respect though.