Battle Report #506: Haley2 vs Vlad1

:: Prologue ::

With Karchev proving to be a bad choice vs Haley2 the question is: What does Khador do vs Cygnar? Our next matchup saw us default to Vlad1.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Cygnar - Technical Death Metal v6
[Theme] Heavy Metal
(Haley 2) Major Victoria Haley [+25]
- Cyclone [13]
- Stormwall [39]
- Thorn [13]
- Firefly [8]
- Squire [0]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Charger [9]
Lieutenant Allison Jakes [4]
- Stormclad [18]

Opponent:

(Vlad1) Vladimir Tzepesci, The Dark Prince - WJ: +28, Winterguard Kommand
- Juggernaut - PC: 12 (Battlegroup Points Used: 12)
- Juggernaut - PC: 12 (Battlegroup Points Used: 12)
- Marauder - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 4)
- Marauder - PC: 10
- Marauder - PC: 10
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich - PC: 4
Winter Guard Rifle Corps - Leader & 5 Grunts: 8
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
Winter Guard Rifle Corps - Leader & 5 Grunts: 8
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
Winter Guard Rifle Corps - Leader & 5 Grunts: 8
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
Winter Guard Field Gun Crew - Gunner & 2 Grunts: 0
Winter Guard Mortar Crew - Gunner & Grunt: 0
Battle Mechaniks - Leader & 3 Grunts: 3

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Same scenario as I had vs Karchev. This time I get to go first. my plan is to have a lot of shooting on one flank and try and establish a "base" there with the Cyclone being left to itself on the off flank. Probably feat top of 2 if Vlad plays aggressively or hold for a turn if he wants to drag the game out. The key is whittling down heavies before the 'wall goes down. If that can be done I think I'm good. 

:: Game ::

I run stuff up, taking care not to put anything in Rockets' range. Force Field on Haley.

Khador indeed goes all aggro on me.

I feat and kill a heavy. Nearly kill a second. Shooters do work, taking out multiple rockets and some rifles.

My opponent elects to tank double free strikes with the seriously damaged heavy to disengage Thorn. This allows him to shoot it with the Field Gun. A hit ensures KD. He gets it and the various shooty pieces kill Thorn dead. This is not that big of a disaster really because Thorn's primary usefulness in this matchup is ensuring that I have a solid setup for attritioning down the heavies, which I do now. Losing him hurts, but that shooting would've hurt something important regardless. May as well be Thorn, really. The cyclone and Firefly both take some beating as well.

Haley dominates a jack out of Vlad's control, hitting another jack while doing so. Some abysmal rolls from the Stormwall ensures he doesn't even kill a single heavy despite having Temporal Acceleration. The Stormclad doesn't kill one either. Shooters keep clearing Rockets and a couple of rifles.

The remaining heavies try their best to kill the Stormwall. I was unable to kill the nearby mechaniks so they have their systems intact. They do a ton of damage and the remaining shooting tries to finish the job. Luckily for me the Stormwall ends up surviving on a handful of boxes.

The remaining heavies are taken out with ease and with that, my opponent concedes the game.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Vlad1 certainly feels like a better drop here than Karchev. It's very close whether his shooting does enough or not. If he spikes a little and kills a few of my own shooty jacks early on or the Stormwall goes down I believe it's game over. This matchup feels like it can swing both ways. A true fight of attrition. 

I think it's a mistake sending the Cyclone on the off-flank here. I think it's better to try and overload one flank entirely. More games needed!