Battle Report #435: Stryker1 vs MacBain

:: Prologue ::

Yesterday I played 4 games. Yesterday was a good day. When I got home I was too tired after a long weekend (including a 3-hour long concert with Dream Theater on Saturday), but now it's time to get those reports up! First up is a very interesting game between Stryker1 and MacBain.

:: 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 Kingmaker's Army
(MacBain 1) Drake MacBain [+30]
- Buccaneer [6]
- Galleon [39]
Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (min) [11]
Steelhead Halberdiers (max) [11]
Steelhead Heavy Cavalry (min) [11]
Steelhead Heavy Cavalry (min) [11]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Stannis Brocker [0]
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [0]
Kell Bailoch [0]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Together with my opponent I dojo'd MacBain on the plane home from SmogCon. The basic idea was that MacBain could be built to handle Protectorate. By going theme with him you can get so many bodies on the table. Boomies were supposed to be the feat-jamming unit (because they cannot be trampled) with the damage dealers following behind. Stryker1 should prove to be an interesting test as well: Covering Fires is a serious problem, but feat and counter-measures should help buy time. Let's jump into the game!

:: Game ::

Mercs have advanced behind Trencher clouds. Counter-Measures are up on the right unit of Steelheads (yeah, some heavy proxing involved here). In return I advance, put up covering fires and shoot 4x big gun shots on the Galleon. It takes significant damage.

Feat rolls max. and the front line of Trenchers + Cav receive the benefits. The beauty of feating on Trenchers like this is that even if they're knocked down they can upkeep the clouds the next turn.

I can't kill much and counter-measures prevent me from trying to get work done at a distance as well. The right 'wall throws a cav model onto another. This gives me a 5" bubble to shoot from with the other 'wall and Junior's charger. I feat in return because otherwise I fear I'll just lose a 'wall, if not both.

So here's the gist of the MacBain dojo: Post-feat you simply jam. You flood the table with models, keep MacBain safe behind clouds and wait for openings to appear. Counter-Measures is switched over to the Steelheads.

I try and kill off the Steelheads but I can't get them all so the last Stormwall has to punch stuff in melee. Ugh, not good.

The rest of MacBain's models run/charge in. The Galleon kills the right 'wall with help from Jackhammer.

It's looking bad. I'm behind on CP and attrition, I cannot reach the Galleon and Orin blocks my trample path. I decide I'll try an Earthquake on Stannis and have Jakes and her Charger deal with Orin and then trample up. If nothing else that should open the board up quite a bit. In any case Stryker fails his Earthquake despite the re-roll from Squire so there's that: Would have taken too many free strikes so I abort the plan and try and clear out around the 'wall instead. It doesn't work out, I can't even kill Stannis with full focus.

Galleon goes in and leaves the 'wall without Cortex, on 3 boxes or so. Crucially, MacBain is knocked down by his Buccaneer...

I have one last shot: Charge MacBain with Jakes' Charger. To do so I have to kill Orin. Jakes does this. The Charger goes in but ARM17 is a thing and he's left on a couple of boxes. Stryker can Arcane Blast the objective and boost blast damage on MacBain. I go for it, needing 11+ to kill him, but unfortunately I cannot make the roll and thus lose the game.

Sadly, a Loss to the Swans.

:: Evaluation ::

Very close and interesting game! MacBain's feat is a pretty sick timewalk in more than one situation for sure. It completely shuts down my list and counter-measures ensure I can't keep the rest at bay either.

I think I had a bit of an over-cautious position with Stryker early on. Failing to have angles for Earthquake meant I had to respect the cav too much on MacBain's feat. If I could've knocked them then the Stormwalls would be more free to deal with other models. As it were I simply couldn't afford to have them fully operational, with flank they're just so brutal.

It was really cool to see MacBain working as intended. The Boomies were bad because they frankly aren't fast enough so I anticipate these'll disappear quickly in favour of more cavalry models.

A great start to the day, I had many games lined up to better my understanding of various matchups!