Battle Report #442: Haley2 vs Makeda2

:: Prologue ::

For our second game it was time for Makeda2 to come out and play. I was very interested in this because Haley2 used to feel bad into her. Would the added volume and points from Storm Division help even out this matchup?

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Haley 2) Major Victoria Haley [+25], Storm Division, Fuel Cache
- Thorn [13]
- Stormwall [39]
- Squire [0]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Firefly [8]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]

Opponent:

(Makeda 2) Supreme Archdomina Makeda [+27]
 - Despoiler [19]
 - Basilisk Krea [7]
Praetorian Ferox (max) [20]
Praetorian Ferox (max) [20]
Paingiver Beast Handlers (min) [5]
Mortitheurge Willbreaker [4]
Mortitheurge Willbreaker [4]
Tyrant Rhadeim [9]
Tyrant Commander & Standard Bearer [6]
Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew [2]
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [5]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Same map and scenario (this time there's no wall from a Skorne theme force on the right flank). Makeda goes first. My idea going into this matchup was that I need to bide my time and let the Stormwall get work done: Both in terms of shooting up kitkats and in terms of buying table space.

:: Game ::

Fort Makeda is established in the center and I have to start pushing. I get two cats down to 1 box each with the big guns and spread the lances out. Possibly a little too passive: If he goes all out to kill lances he can't reliably stay death. On the other hand, with reposition and Makeda simply running she can extend her stay death range remarkably far.

Makeda bides her time. I contemplate going for 2 CP because the middle flag is hardly contested and Orin's not within range to stop TK action on the cat nearby. I do however settle for 1 CP instead as I judge it too risky. The Stormwall shoots up another two cats down to 1 box. It's important to reduce these as much as possible before the engagement happens because the electro leaps in combination with Ionization suddenly force a lot more stay deaths.

I lose a lance on the right flank and basically the entire place is contested. The red tokens denote cats down to 1 box.

My idea here is to feat and start working on attrition. Hopefully I can get enough work done in melee so that the 'wall can shoot. If I can get past Makeda's fury stack then cats will start dying quickly.

We mess up because we forget about Radheim's granted dodge to cats is only in his CMD. This not only fucks up my play but I also roll poorly initially, my opponent dodges out and by the time we realize it's too late to reset. I also manage to run a lance too far away from the right flag and don't score a single point. Considering my commitment, having feated and all, this isn't optimal. At least I broke through Makeda's fury stack and killed a few models!

Some cats move to jam, the rest of Makeda's forces gather behind.

A little TK magic and some better rolls this time around mean that I score 1 CP now at least. Some cats also die. I did mess up Haley's position so have to spend Junior and Squire protecting her. Far from optimal. Stormwall's also in charge range of the Despoiler...

My opponent is low on models and even with feat he is unable to clear a path to the 'wall for his Despoiler. He settles for an attrition play instead but somewhat poor dice leave more lances alive than I had dared hoped for.

I kill Orin which enables me to TK the Despoiler into the Stormwall's threat range. He follows up with killing him. I clear out the left zone and move to 3 CP.

This grind has gone on for a -long- time and we're both short on our clocks. My opponent clocks out but we play the game to its end anyway. In a nutshell I've killed too many models and the 'wall is too hard to handle for him so I make my way to 5 CP before he does.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

This was a mess of a game. A number of mistakes on my part technically and probably some strategical ones as well. To be fair I don't really know this matchup at all and I'm not sure what Makeda's really capable of.

The worst part was my feat turn. Had I remembered Radheim's CMD I could've gotten so much more out of this turn. The thing about the Lances is that they really need to apply their volume of attacks to put the pressure on Makeda. With dodge that's kind of hard to do. I didn't properly set up to box the cats in (denying them dodge moves), something which also would've helped me out immensely.

The Firefly was huge in this game. Ionization was crazy, but its melee presence was pretty significant as well.

All in all I think there's definitely a game here for Haley. She might even be up. It's a very hard matchup to play though (probably goes for both sides) and I found it very interesting!