Battle Report #360: Haley2 vs Kaelyssa

:: Prologue ::

As part of Norway's WTC 2017 preparations we have started playing simulation games. Today was such a game and because of that it was time to bring out the Haleys again. I was facing Retribution with a Rahn/Kaelyssa pairing on Extraction. It would be an interesting game to play Haley3 in, but I'm not confident in my ability to play her vs Kaelyssa so I went with the safe choice. My opponent didn't have Hyperion with Rahn and was too afraid of the inherent weaknesses of a heavy being dominated so he dropped Kaelyssa.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Haley2) Major Victoria Haley - WJ: +25 Fuel Cache
- Squire - PC: 5
- Stormwall - PC: 39 (Battlegroup Points Used: 25)
- Lightning Pod
- Thorn - PC: 13
- Ironclad - PC: 12
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Firefly - PC: 8
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Ragman - PC: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 2 Grunts: 12

Opponent:

Kaelyssa, The Night's Whisper - WJ: +29
-    Hyperion - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 29)
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber - PC: 4
-    Discordia - PC: 18
Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen - PC: 8
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Dawnguard Sentinels - Leader & 9 Grunts: 18
-    Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard: 4
-    Soulless Escort - PC: 1
House Vyre Electromancers - Leader & 2 Grunts: 8

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

I win the roll-off and move first. My idea here is to advance in a straight line and exploit any openings as soon as they present themselves. My opponent drops Sentinels diagonally opposite the Stormwall, so no intention of charging it early on for sure. On the bright side (from Retribution's point of view), covering fire would be less relevant.

:: Game ::

I run up and TK twice, Firefly and Ironclad.

Kaelyssa advances heavily and feats, thinking she's safe...

...and the game is over. I throw Firefly on Kaelyssa, TK + TA Thorn. She camps 3 but it's not close to being enough.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

My opponent told me he intended to move Skeryth to block off the throw angle but he activated Sentinels first and then basically fucked up after that. Not exactly sure why he suddenly forgot about it. Then again, rather in a training match than in a tournament!

If Kaelyssa had been hidden away properly I'm not entirely sure what I would've done. His right flank is relatively weak so I'd probably push hard across the table, shoot what I could and e-leap off of a pod to try and score a couple of Sentinels (no vengeance). The following turn I'd have Thorn and Ironclad poised to either deal with Sentinels or Hyperion depending on what they'd do.

My deployment and T1 play was more or less perfect. I got tons of angles and Retribution had no choice but to feat early. That is disastrous against Haley2, doubly so on a scenario which can snowball like Extraction (take control of a flank and it's really hard for your opponent). With T1 Kaelyssa might have more of a game but when Haley moves first and gets this much board space, I'm not sure what she can do (if anything).