Internal Affairs Mk. IV Game 4 (#207): Haley2 vs Butcher3

:: Prologue ::

After 3 rounds we were only 2 players with a 3-0 score. Unfortunately the other undefeated player had to leave so technically the tournament was over. However we decided to play another round for everyone else's sake at least since we had announced at least 4 games. My final game was against Khador, a Butcher3 list with 5 heavies. Bring it!

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Haley 2) Major Victoria Haley [+25]
- Thorn [13]
- Stormwall [39]
- Squire [5]
- Ironclad [12]
Journeyman Warcaster [4]
- Firefly [8]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [4]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [3]
Storm Lances (min) [12]

Opponent:

(Butcher 3) Kommander Zoktavir, The Butcher Unleashed [+22]
 - War Argus
 - Juggernaut [12]
 - Juggernaut [12]
 - Juggernaut [12]
 - Juggernaut [12]
 - Ruin [17]
 - Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker [4]
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [5]
Saxon Orrik [4]
Winter Guard Rifle Corps (max) [13]
 - Winter Guard Rocketeer (3) [6]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

The scenario was Extraction and I seized the initative. Games between Haley2 and Butcher3 almost inevitably boil down to B3 killing the Stormwall and Haley2 trying to kill him in return afterwards, unless a scenario opening comes. I place the Stormwall on one flank, Haley on the other and most of the rest in the center. Khador replies with the heavy across from the Stormwall and the Rifles across Haley2.

:: Game ::

I run stuff up. Thorn behind the woods on the right. Lances move to contest Rifles midgame.

B3 puts Silence of Death on himself. Jacks move up, Orin behind. Rifles spread out.

I contemplate going for an early feat to take out Orin with a pod. The problem is that it's too aggressive and I'll likely have too few options if B3 takes out the Stormwall. Instead I decide to stay 13.1" away from Ruin and just shoot him since he's by far the most dangerous jack. I spike more than a bit and his cortex is crippled.

The Khador train advances and my opponent moves to 1-0.

I have an opening here to move the Stormwall in to kill Ruin and a Jugger without any other jacks being in energize + melee range if I feat. This forces Butcher's hand and it's a decent move as I have pretty good counter-attack options and the scenario hasn't gone long enough yet for Butcher to be able to ignore the Stormwall and try and get to 5 CP in time. It also allows me to pod out Orin. I go for it but the Jugger survives on 1 box.

Butcher moves in and casts flashing blade to kill the Stormwall. He feats and continues and has 3 focus left when it's all told, that's even including a snake eyes roll. Sylys is just great for this when you know Butcher eventually has to go in himself because when that happens he is PS18 weapon master. Rather than camp it all he elects to Energize to position a string of jacks between the Ironclad and himself.

How to find an angle? Well the Ironclad is almost certainly out. I have to spend an obscene amount of focus if it's even theoretically possible. I quickly discard the idea in favor of trying with my other jacks instead. I put 1 on Thorn and 3 on the Firefly, Junior helping out and all. The idea is to TK Butcher out of the Trench, drop a Time Bomb with boosted damage on his head, Hunter's Mark with Lanyssa and charge with Firefly (who has to buy an attack, boost and kill the jugger to let Thorn have space to enter) and lastly Thorn.

It's dicey but it all works out in the end, luckily, and I Butcher goes down to Thorn.

Tournament Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

The Butcher3 pain train with many heavies is really powerful in my opinion. It's too early yet to say what the optimal lists are for him but this list has so much redundancy, just endless amounts of boxes and high-powered attacks coming through. I probably could've positioned the Ironclad better and that would have been significantly stronger for me. By anticipating the possible Energizer I could've had other angles and less of a distance to close. 

I do believe the list has more than enough potential to take on Butcher3 in most shapes and sizes, it's all about playing more games and finding the intricacies that can be exploited. 

4 great games, a great tournament and a great start for Mk. 3!