Battle Report #451: Haley2 vs Amon

:: Prologue ::

Yesterday after our Stryker1 mirror, my opponent and I discussed how Lance-based lists (read: Storm Division) can effectively deal with colossals. We agreed that somehow you absolutely have to whittle them down over multiple turns. Haley2 has a tool to unique do this: Telekinesis. By charging in, repositioning out and TK-ing the Lances out of melee while covering them with feat you essentially get two turns.

For the last matchup of the day where I was requested to play Vanilla Division™ I was looking for angles to try this out in person. My opponent played a Judicator-variant with Amon, which should be interesting...

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

"Vanilla Division"
(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:

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 map and scenario, this time I go first. The idea is quite simply to run far, far up and see what happens from there. I see my winning condition as one of 2: If I can kill the Judicator -or- all Dervishes I'm good. Sounds easy?

:: Game ::

I prioritize a TK on Haley instead of Force Field. Probably a mistake in this matchup.

Judicator wants to abuse the fact that my 'wall is blocked by a big stone and runs up to claim a very lucrative spot. My opponent sings Shielding on both groups of Dervishes.

I basically have exactly what I wanted to try out: A position from which tons of Lances can charge Judicator and then have Haley2 TK them back out to (relative) safety and cover them with feat. Since my opponent didn't sing Passage I might as well try and pack on some more damage though, so I run the Firefly up.

Lances assault and I make sure to position them as such that a model here and there can reposition out of the Judicator's melee range without tanking free strikes. What happens though is that the Lances do a ton of damage, the 'wall follows up with some big gun shots as well so when Haley activates it's nearly dead. I boost a Hand Cannon shot which brings it extremely low so I decide to try and kill it outright with Time Bomb. It leaves Judicator on a single box, which is not the cortex. Without repair boys in range/out of feat it's one sad colossal.

I lose a couple of Lances but as per usual Haley2 feat is sad for Amon.

Retaliation kills enough to leave Amon with just 3 jacks. My opponent looks for angles, finds none and concedes.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Not singing Passage and not taking care to leave Judicator further behind broke my opponent's back in this game. The experiment was interesting but ultimately I feel the greater threat range of the 'Lances kills the Judicator idea. Even if I can't alpha it as hard as I did this time, the TK-out play is solid and I can also simply go for Dervishes. Furthermore, if he sings Passage I can Time Bomb Judicator to reduce its threat range to 9", giving me a lot more space to work with.

What's interesting is that Haley2 Vanilla Division™ feels "legit enough" into the problems I designed the Electrobots for. If the Electrobots indeed is a "win harder" kind of list I need to find out how these two approaches compare to eachother in other matchups. Sure, having amazing matchups is good, but avoiding bad matchups (i.e. making more matchups playable) is a priority to me.

So many decisions these days! For sure a good time to be a Swan. I have a tournament on Saturday and I'm eager to see what everyone's bringing.