Battle Report #434: Stryker1 vs Amon

:: Prologue ::

Rematch time! We switched up the Amon list to our experimental variant and my Stryker list remained the same.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

[Theme] Heavy Metal
(Stryker 1) Commander Coleman Stryker [+30]
- Charger [9]
- Stormwall [39]
- Stormwall [39]
- Squire [0]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Charger [9]
Lieutenant Allison Jakes [0]
- Charger [9]

Opponent:

Theme: The Creator's Might
3 / 3 Free Cards     75 / 75 Army
High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza - WJ: +29
-    Hierophant - PC: 0
-    Judicator - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 29)
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
-    Dervish - PC: 7
Vassal Mechanik - PC: 1
Vassal Mechanik - PC: 1
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 0
Covenant of Menoth - PC: 0
Wrack - PC: 1
Wrack - PC: 1
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Same scenario and terrain. This time I got to go first. The idea was to commit more centrally now and see if I could wait things out more. Judicator is a super dangerous piece with Amon, on my feat turn I risk losing a 'wall if I'm not careful. That's... scary.

:: Game ::

Snipe on a wall, Arcane Shield on a wall, run stuff. Jakes on the left, Junior on the right.

Fortify on Judicator, spread out forces.

Bide my time, shoot a little, Snipe on Stryker for Disruption, Arcane on both 'walls.

Judi receives battle to try and kill my objective. She fails.

The state of the game is a lot more open now. I intended originally to try and make a play here for scenario. It ended up kind of being that as well: If I could contest his zone in his turn I'd be good. However I failed to place one of the Chargers within feat range. That's... Bad. Shooting did some work, since he sang Battle last turn I had a few more targets now.

Both Chargers died. 2-2.

I make a mess of a turn: I was thinking the 'walls could get close together but that would leave one within Judi's charge range. Not good. I clear the zone and go to 3 though.

My opponent jams me up as best as he can and kills the objective. 4-3 favour of Amon.

I have to get so much work done here and still kinda be lucky. The idea is to kill the jamming Covenant in front of my right Stormwall, have that kill the Dervish in front of the left Stormwall, have the left Stormwall kill the two Dervishes in the zone (one had 1 box left) and lastly have Stryker disrupt the remaining Dervish on the hill. That leaves Jakes and a full-health Stormwall for Amon to kill, as well as a pod.

The first Stormwall fails to kill the jamming Dervish. Really? I try to help out with Jakes. Still not enough. Desperately I try Arlan. Still not enough. Oh wow. The 'wall has to run then, but at this point I am contesting only with the 'wall and there are 2 Dervishes which can charge it on full focus to help out. Odds are definitely not in my favour. Amon makes the kill, contests my zone and thus wins the game 5-4 on CP.

Sadly, a Loss to the Swans

:: Evaluation ::

Again a really close and exciting game. Judicator's sheer presence is problematic for sure. Even on feat turn she can dish out a ton of pain against a 'wall, outside of feat turn she's a nightmare. I managed to play the ranged game a lot better this time around, getting off Stryker's pistol to help out, using the Chargers better (though I think I threw them away and feated too early in hindsight) and getting the 'wall with Magical from Arlan in range to shoot Dervishes with chain cannons as well.

Matchup feels really even. I'm not sure whether Judicator on Amon has come to stay but it sure is an interesting piece and he grants a colossal a lot of what it needs: Speed, durability, hitting power, accuracy. What's not to like?

Amon's damage output has made me think a little about my intended pairing of Stryker1 and Nemo3. The reason in theory I'm replacing Haley2 with Stryker1 is because they both basically have a time walk feat. However they are quite different because Haley's feat is largely a time walk against melee armies whereas Stryker's isn't necessarily. Sure it is effectively a time walk in mirrors but Cygnar is objectively pillow-fisted. The damage levels other factions can get to are sometimes high enough to simply power through Invincibility. I haven't made any decisions yet but I need to look at the various matchups involved, indeed perhaps I'm better off simply going Haley2 + Stryker1, thus having Stryker replace Nemo instead of Haley. Patrick took SmogCon with that pairing so I can easily see that being the best.

More games will follow on Sunday and in the meantime I'll keep analyzing matchups and strengths among these 3 casters. Decisions!