ClogCon: Steamroller #2 (#343): Haley3 vs Una2

:: Prologue ::

For my second game of the day I was facing Robin and his angry birds (read: Una2). This is the new hype and not without reason. That list is fairly ridiculous to be honest. Anyway, I was eager as always to try something new and I figured Haley3 might have a trick or two up her sleeve to deal with this madness. I have faced Robin once before in a great game at Lund. I was hoping for another quality and enjoyable game here and boy did I get it!

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Haley3) Major Prime Victoria Haley - WJ: +25 Bunker
- Haley Past
- Haley Future
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Thorn - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Ironclad - PC: 12
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Charger - PC: 9
Ragman - PC: 4
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - PC: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16

Opponent:

Una the Skyhunter - WB: +29
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Gorax Rager - PC: 7
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
-    Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Blackclad Wayfarer - PC: 4
Shifting Stones - Leader & 2 Grunts: 3
Shifting Stones - Leader & 2 Grunts: 3
Sentry Stone & Mannikins - Leader & 3 Grunts: 5
Sentry Stone & Mannikins - Leader & 3 Grunts: 5
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew - Leader & 1 Grunt: 2

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

We are playing Recon and I go first. My idea here is let the smokewall do its job, let him commit as per usual vs Haley3 and then let various kd-tech loose to allow me to shoot birds dead. Apart from that I suppose I just have to wing it.

:: Game ::

Not much exciting happens turn 1. I decide not to cloud because reasons. TL;DR the stones will get work done if they want to anyway and the rest are too far away. Better to get the positions I need and not spend time unnecessarily.

The Sentry Stones opt for conservative flanking plays instead, biding their time instead of going all-in. The Birds converge in the center.

I cannot give up the zone so I have to advance. I realize that this is probably one of the matchups where I need the Lances in front (kind of like vs Ossyan) so that's a mistake from me. Lesson learned, or so I hope at least. Anyway, I can shoot the closest bird with a Grenadier so that's worth going for methinks. I have to get up the table and Grenadiers are after all fairly expendable.

One bird dies, clouds are put up, I am ready. Bring it!

Una feats and the birds kill Trenchers and Grenadiers.

Everything is packed in tightly. Perfect! Now I just have to kill birds dead. The idea is to Tremor a Trencher on the right flank and double Force Hammer the rest more or less. The Charger's duty is to kill the bird on the left flank, assist if needed by Lances.

I make a huge mistake. I thought I had sorted everything out before I activated anything but alas, that is not the case. I needed Thorn to move away so I could get a Trencher there to Tremor. When I forget that it's just a big clusterfuck unfortunately. The rest of the plan goes fairly well, I force hammer slam 3 or 4 griffons but the Ironclad has to tremor Thorn. Ugh. On top of that I forget that the Griffons have stealth so 3 lances are out of range. Such sadness. I kill quite a few griffons at least! Ragman helps out.

Thorn is killed, Ironclad is killed, Future is killed, objective is killed. Una moves to 3-0. Ouch.

That is what a fuckup will cost you. I don't remember just what it is I do wrong now but for some reason one of the birds (which at this point in time is very angry) survives. Definitely should not have happened. I bring back Future.

Una runs to the flag on the right flank and thus gets 4 CP.

I have to contest Una so Future runs over. Prime charges and kills the last bird. Stones are cleared and I do a number on the Gorax.

Una simply has to kill Future or get her away from the flag. She opts to go for Hand of Fate + 3x Thunderbolt shots. She needs 12s to hit with aim because of Dirge from Mr. Piper, but with that many attempts and Hand of Fate it should be doable. The last shot connects and pushes Future away, netting Una her 5th control point. 

Sadly, a Loss to the Swans.

:: Evaluation ::

First things first: I learned the next day that Incorporeal models cannot be pushed in Mk. 3. Mind blown, I know. This would of course have changed how our game ended but regardless I don't think it's that big of a deal. I only considered this Steamroller as practice games anyway and Robin might very well have found another angle to win.

The game suffers from a strategic mistake (not putting Lances in front to threaten birds from landing far up like they did) and a few crucial technical mistakes, first and foremost how I handled the Tremor play during Una's feat. Not moving Thorn cost me so dearly and then forgetting Stealth for the Lances on top of that... Suffice is to say I think that given these lists and the scenario I felt like I was up but Robin played the better game and got a deserved win.

Fatigue is one of the number one concerns when you play multiple games. Doubly so when you have games like this and my last one vs mad dogs. While they were both amazing games they were also very taxing on my brain. As such I decided to sit the last game of the Steamroller flight out in order to be better prepared for the Invitationals.