Battle Report #443: Stryker1 vs Absylonia2

:: Prologue ::

Ditching Nemo3 from my pairing means that I need to be sure that I can handle Legion. Today I got two games in! Up front I was hoping to play Stryker1 vs Lylyth3 but my opponent was of the opinion that it was not even a point to play it. I'm not sure I agree but I can see the point so instead we played Stryker into Absylonia2 and Fyanna2. The first game was against Absylonia on The Pit.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

[Theme] Heavy Metal
(Stryker 1) Commander Coleman Stryker [+30]
- Firefly[8]
- Stormwall [39]
- Stormwall [39]
- Squire [0]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Charger [9]
Lieutenant Allison Jakes [0]
- Charger [9]

Opponent:

Absylonia, Daughter of Everblight - WB: +28
-    Carnivean - PC: 19 (Battlegroup Points Used: 19)
-    Carnivean - PC: 19 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
-    Carnivean - PC: 19
-    Naga Nightlurker - PC: 8
-    Proteus - PC: 19
-    Seraph - PC: 14
The Forsaken - PC: 4
Spell Martyr - PC: 1

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Legion seizes the initiative. I want to make my shooting work for me here and get to the flag reasonably quick. I put Jakes on my right flank with her Charger so that Junior can be safe on my left flank. Stormwalls both skew left, I intend to completely murder anything that comes there so Stryker can move onto the flag.

:: Game ::

Legion runs up. Initially my opponent is wary of the 19" threat range from the 'walls but he runs a couple of Carniveans further ahead.

I allocate to 'walls and put up Snipe on one. They both unleash hell on a Carnivean which is down to a few boxes. I contemplate the value of taking it out. It's going to cost me. If I go for it Jakes' Charger will be exposed and will not have Sidekick because I need Energizer. I figure that if I make the play and my opponents want to capitalize on it he'll probably initiate a piece trade. I'm ok with this, I think: My shooting can keep doing work but I have to start podding soon to contest scenario which means Alpha Hunter will be trivial to proc. If we're all in melee in the center however that doesn't matter.

TL;DR the Charger kills off the Carnivean.

Proteus goes for the Charger while the rest stay behind. In a display of dice rolling which is nothing short of astonishing, he manages to do -6- boxes worth of damage. To make up for this (I think?), 2 Carnivean sprays and a Naga shot kills the Firefly. Still though, that Charger...

It's go time! I gotta feat now for sure, however despite the +5 ARM I'm pretty sure it's not safe for Stryker to go to the flag, the Carniveans are simply too dangerous and with Abby's feat they can both see and move past the 'walls. I kill the Proteus but not much else.

My opponent runs the numbers on going into a 'wall on my feat turn. It's not looking good. He backs off and consolidates his position. I do the same and shoot him up. His Seraph Frenzied so I took it out. The Carnivean the furthest to the right is shot down to 1 box remaining. 

Absylonia, a Naga and a Carnivean tries to kill the 'wall in the zone. Feat and Wraithbane make them scary, but it's full health and survives on quite a few boxes. 

I clear the zone which takes me to 5 CP!

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

A bit of a messy game with some poor choices here and there. At least so it seems! The start, letting me shoot those Carniveans, sets up for something very interesting: The piece trade which is initiated costs me dearly. Furthermore, not having the left 'wall run T1 doesn't allow me to sweep around on my left flank as much as I would've liked bot of 2. Of course, Proteus failing to kill the Charger was a big deal, but at the same time getting the Firefly was pretty sick so I guess that sort of evens out.

The matchup feels close and like it could go both ways. Stryker's shooting is absolutely batshit. The irony for Absylonia is that she wants to buy time so the pods have to come out which will enable her to proc alpha hunter, but in doing so she needs to deal with the withering shooting. I think a more cautious approach with tramples, terrain and spiny growth is worth considering.

I take this game away because I have a clear view of what I want to do and how I'm going to do it I think. I didn't get Stryker to the flag as quickly as I wanted to, but the attrition opening I got was too good to pass up. Indeed it was my positioning in the first place which enabled the plays I made as well. Taking two minutes before a game starts to figure out what your victory condition is most likely to be is hugely important.