Battle Report #379: Sloan vs Vlad2

:: Prologue ::

Last game today: Sloan vs Vlad2! This list is really hard to play against, it jams so incredibly far and is so hard to deal with effectively. It's but a matter of trying more though so here I am, at it again.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Sloan 1) Captain Kara Sloan [+28]
- Hunter [11]
- Hunter [11]
- Hunter [11]
- Hunter [11]
- Hunter [11]
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator [4]
Rangers [9]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [4]
Gun Mage Captain Adept [5]
Alexia Ciannor & the Risen [10]

Opponent:

(Vladimir 2) Vladimir Tzepesci, The Dark Champion [+27]
- Conquest [37]
Iron Fang Uhlans (min) [12]
Iron Fang Uhlans (min) [12]
Winter Guard Rifle Corps (max) [13]
- Winter Guard Rocketeer (3) [6]
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich [4]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Outlast vs Vlad2. My idea going into this game was to skew on one side and hope that Vladdy-boy would be unable to contest said side for long enough while I would be able to contest his side. I also hoped this would allow me to concentrate my firepower so his cavalry would have to be really careful.

:: Game ::

I went first and I'd really like to go second here because of the scoring dynamics. I start skewing towards the right...

...and Vlad feats, throwing jamming cav in my face. I forgot to take a picture but the Uhlans on the right all received the feat buff to run up and jam 2 Hunters on the right flank whereas the Dragoons also got feat niceness to run in. The last 3 Uhlans followed on the left without feat bonuses.

In return I feat and cast Guided Fire. Sloan misses one attack and cripples a Hunter arm. Lol. So much for aim + rangers. This cascades down the line and I "only" kill the 6 Uhlans, 3 of which didn't even have feat bonus.

Vlad2 is able to run into the zone now being safe from me because I'm over the hill(s) and far away. He comes dangerously close to scoring 3-0.

I start pushing back, killing the Dragoons this time around. The Conquest and the rifles are starting to worry me. Alexia runs her risen into the left zone.

Not all Risen are cleared out so there's still a game! Just 2CP for Vlad.

I start working on the Rifles now and thin them out substantially. A Trencher clouds in front of Sloan to keep her safe.

Well, hello Wind Blast! Kind of forgot he had that. Vlad charges a Ranger in the zone, casts Hand of Fate on the Conquest and blasts away the cloud. Sloan's camping 2 but alas, it's not enough as the Conquest pew pews her down to a few boxes and a rifle boy with jozef's buff removes -just- enough boxes.

Silly me for not casting Refuge and moving behind the woods. I even charged the Conquest with a Hunter to prevent him from trampling to Sloan.

Sadly, a Loss for the Swans. 

:: Evaluation ::

Vlad2 is such a strange matchup. I can't figure out when I'm supposed to feat and how I'm supposed to deal with the jamming elements. Perhaps I should simply ensure that he doesn't jam my jacks by running up risen in front. That sounds like a good idea. 

The problem with feating as a counter-feat is that my shots end up doing so little damage. Indeed, if I can make him feat and jam Risen, is it an option to just leave the cav be and feat for the Conquest? After all the cav doesn't do a lot of work without charging and I can sacrifice Risen. Taking out Conquest gives me more space and him less angles. With 5 Hunters being dice off 4 it should go down on feat turn.

Again a very interesting game. Vlad2 is hard for sure, an underrated caster methinks.