I got lucky and drew Cryx for my 4th game. This allowed me to comfortably drop Haley3, which in turn didn't list-lock me for game 5. I am very comfortable with Haley3 into Cryx, it is in my opinion my game to lose. I learned a few valuable lessons at ClogCon also and as fate would have it I was playing Extraction yet again.
:: Lists ::
Cygnar:
(Haley 3) Major Prime Victoria Haley [+25], Bunker
- Grenadier [9]
- Grenadier [9]
- Thorn [13]
- Defender [16]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Journeyman Warcaster [4]
- Charger [9]
Ragman [4]
Opponent:
:: Game ::
Having learned from ClogCon that I need to focus on contesting one flag and not both I skewed to the left. Trenchers dug in, I wanted to have the cloudwall as far up as possible top of 2.
Cryx run their stuff up and on my right flank there's a Soulhunter all the way engaging me!
I Ghost Walk the Trenchers and put up the Cloudwall. The Lances then deal with the Soulhunter. I contest the left flag with a Grenadier. Sure, Andrew can move to 2-0 but it requires a commitment so big from him I think it'll break his back and cost him the game. The right flag is hardly contested. Prime moves out of the killbox and I block LoS to her as best as I can. The Grenadiers and Defender try a couple of shots and kill a model or two.
The Soulhunters run to engage me and the Satyxis on both flanks spread out. No points are scored for Cryx, but a Witch is in the killbox so I (!) move to 2-0.
I want to feat and get work done. However with so many Satyxis deep on the table I need my cloudwall still. Future and Prime allocate focus to jacks to let them get work done while Past intends to show off her melee powers. I clear up the jam around me, cloud up and contest the left flag with Future. I did contemplate going for a scenario move here since I had an unexpected 2 points but figured attrition is both better, safer and easier.
With Past's incorporeal lost Andrew made a play to get rid of her. Unfortunately for him 18/17 with camp was too much to get through and she survived. The Machine Wraiths both committed themselves to the fray.
Time to drop Tactical Supremacy. This time it's Future's turn to get work done so Past allocates to jacks. I clear up the wraiths with Future and the Trenchers all shoot. I move up my lines significantly to claim the table and score a point, taking me to 3 CP.
I had to stop taking pictures here because time was becoming an issue. I won in the next turn by killing the objective and clearing the flag, taking me to 5 CP.
:: Evaluation ::
Yeah, Haley3 against Cryx just feels super legit. I was too passive with Thorn and that cost me some melee presence and independent activation order flexibility mid-game but apart from that I think this game was textbook example of why this matchup is so heavily in my favour. I honestly don't know what Cryx could've done differently. At ClogCon I managed to take out Satyxis quickly with Lances. That did not happen here so Andrew forced the grind to go on for longer, but in the end that hardly matters as there are so few models capable of getting work done anyways. The cloudwall's just too strong and the feat (which was popped early) is hardly even a thing at all for my list. The -2 MAT/RAT is a nuissance at worst with Temporal Distortion.
4-0 and 1 game left. A win would see me qualify for the top 8 finals on Sunday!
(Helleana 1, Morgaen 1 & Selene 1) The Witch Coven of Garlghast [+26]
- Egregore
- Deathripper [6]
- Deathripper [6]
- Stalker [8]
- Stalker [8]
- The Withershadow Combine [9]
Satyxis Raiders (max) [16]
- Satyxis Raider Sea Witch [3]
Satyxis Raiders (max) [16]
- Satyxis Raider Sea Witch [3]
Soulhunters (max) [18]
Machine Wraith [2]
Machine Wraith [2]
Ragman [4]
:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::
I am playing Andrew's Coven. It is very similar to the build I faced at ClogCon, except of course it's Coven and not Deneghra1. That means that attrition is probably even more in my favour, but I need to be more careful with Prime. Andrew won the roll-off and wanted to choose sides. Given the terrain and the fact that scenario is possibly his biggest win condition I think this makes sense. Letting Haley3 go first is of course not exactly what you want to have happen, but sometimes it's just the lesser evil.
I am playing Andrew's Coven. It is very similar to the build I faced at ClogCon, except of course it's Coven and not Deneghra1. That means that attrition is probably even more in my favour, but I need to be more careful with Prime. Andrew won the roll-off and wanted to choose sides. Given the terrain and the fact that scenario is possibly his biggest win condition I think this makes sense. Letting Haley3 go first is of course not exactly what you want to have happen, but sometimes it's just the lesser evil.
:: Game ::
Having learned from ClogCon that I need to focus on contesting one flag and not both I skewed to the left. Trenchers dug in, I wanted to have the cloudwall as far up as possible top of 2.
Cryx run their stuff up and on my right flank there's a Soulhunter all the way engaging me!
I Ghost Walk the Trenchers and put up the Cloudwall. The Lances then deal with the Soulhunter. I contest the left flag with a Grenadier. Sure, Andrew can move to 2-0 but it requires a commitment so big from him I think it'll break his back and cost him the game. The right flag is hardly contested. Prime moves out of the killbox and I block LoS to her as best as I can. The Grenadiers and Defender try a couple of shots and kill a model or two.
The Soulhunters run to engage me and the Satyxis on both flanks spread out. No points are scored for Cryx, but a Witch is in the killbox so I (!) move to 2-0.
I want to feat and get work done. However with so many Satyxis deep on the table I need my cloudwall still. Future and Prime allocate focus to jacks to let them get work done while Past intends to show off her melee powers. I clear up the jam around me, cloud up and contest the left flag with Future. I did contemplate going for a scenario move here since I had an unexpected 2 points but figured attrition is both better, safer and easier.
With Past's incorporeal lost Andrew made a play to get rid of her. Unfortunately for him 18/17 with camp was too much to get through and she survived. The Machine Wraiths both committed themselves to the fray.
Time to drop Tactical Supremacy. This time it's Future's turn to get work done so Past allocates to jacks. I clear up the wraiths with Future and the Trenchers all shoot. I move up my lines significantly to claim the table and score a point, taking me to 3 CP.
I had to stop taking pictures here because time was becoming an issue. I won in the next turn by killing the objective and clearing the flag, taking me to 5 CP.
Victory to the Swans!
:: Evaluation ::
Yeah, Haley3 against Cryx just feels super legit. I was too passive with Thorn and that cost me some melee presence and independent activation order flexibility mid-game but apart from that I think this game was textbook example of why this matchup is so heavily in my favour. I honestly don't know what Cryx could've done differently. At ClogCon I managed to take out Satyxis quickly with Lances. That did not happen here so Andrew forced the grind to go on for longer, but in the end that hardly matters as there are so few models capable of getting work done anyways. The cloudwall's just too strong and the feat (which was popped early) is hardly even a thing at all for my list. The -2 MAT/RAT is a nuissance at worst with Temporal Distortion.
4-0 and 1 game left. A win would see me qualify for the top 8 finals on Sunday!
Hi Jarle, this was my most frustrating game all weekend, it felt like I had no game against you. I am moving to Cygnar currently and knew something of how the list worked together, but it was a different experience all together to see the layers of synergy build together into an impenetrable wall. Thanks for the report and superb blog.
SvarSlettHi Andrew, I'm sorry to hear that. Yesterday I finished off the writing with a compilation of the current meta and what lists I expect to see, faction strength etc. I agree that Cryx struggle horribly against Haley3. The thing is though that it's not only Haley3, far from it. There are multiple big issues for them and that is why I think they are in dire need of some more help.
Slett