Battle Report #314: Haley3 vs Vyros1

:: Prologue ::

I need more training with Haley3. It really is that easy. I have a friend who wanted to try out Vyros1 and I offered to play Haley3. He took me up on the offer and off we went!

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Major Prime Victoria Haley - WJ: +25
- Haley Past
- Haley Future
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Thorn - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Ironclad - PC: 12
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Charger - PC: 9
Ragman - PC: 4
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - PC: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16

Opponent:

Dawnlord Vyros - WJ: +28
- Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker - PC: 4
- Chimera - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 8)
- Griffon - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 8)
- Griffon - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 8)
- Griffon - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 4)
- Griffon - PC: 8
- Griffon - PC: 8
- Griffon - PC: 8
- Sphinx - PC: 13
- Griffon - PC: 8
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Mage Hunter Infiltrators - Leader & 9 Grunts: 13

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

The scenario was Incursion and I went first. The Amon matchup was scary because of synergy. This matchup is more scary because of his speed. The idea was to get far up, quickly, so that he could not jam scenario shut and take a big lead.

:: Game ::

With last game's cav failure fresh in mind I weaved them into my lines this time around and made sure I had plenty of angles to engage through. I didn't bother with Tac. Supremacy because of Bird's Eye.

Sphinx hits a Grenadier, Lanyssa lands Hunter's Mark despite needing 9+ and it's on bottom of 1! A griffon goes in and does some damage. The rest run up behind to jam.

My opponent certainly has forced the issue here. I have to go in hard in return and it's what I do, feating and all. It turns out that Griffons are easier to kill than Crusaders...

...and they also hurt less in return. I feel quite comfortable here.

I mop up a lot and establish myself far up the field.

Vyros makes a desperate move personally.

Easy assassination setup which I go for. Vyros dies.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

It's a bit of a weird matchup but good training none the less. Haley3 definitely felt up here, it might be different if Vyros gets to move first though. In any case this was a lot better for me to face than Amon. I fear durability and sustainable hitting power over the speed this list has for sure.

Good training and I felt I managed my list better this time than last.

Battle Report #313: Stryker3 vs Magnus2

:: Prologue ::

Finally I had the chance to play Kingmaker's! I had no idea what to expect so I fielded the Strykeforce.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Stryker 3) Lord General Coleman Stryker [+28]
- Squire [5]
- Ironclad [12]
- Ironclad [12]
- Ironclad [12]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [3]
Gobber Tinker [2]

Opponent:

Magnus the Warlord - WJ: +28
- Mangler - PC: 15 (Battlegroup Points Used: 15)
- Nomad - PC: 11 (Battlegroup Points Used: 11)
- Nomad - PC: 11 (Battlegroup Points Used: 2)
- Talon - PC: 7
- Nomad - PC: 11
- Renegade - PC: 10
- Vanguard - PC: 11
Kell Bailoch - PC: 5
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor - PC: 5
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16

THEME: The Kingmaker's Army

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

Some Merc janky jacks, Trenchers. Seems like a lot of meh choices. How hard can it be? Famous last words...

We play Outlast and Maggy goes first. I spread out. I fear scenario the most. I want to create space and hopefully set up to contain the feat and keep attritioning.

:: Game ::

Magnus runs everything up. Trenchers Dig In I believe.

I cloud up. Don't want alphas. Lances spread out. Fury on the left Lances, iron aggression on a clad and escort are all cast.

I make am istake as a Lance in the middle can be seen by the Mangler. It charges in to try and cripple an Ironclad, but rolls poorly and fails. Magnus moves up, gets thrown or slammed or whatever and feats left + top, catching a ton of my models.

Hot damn that feat is nasty! With Feigned Death I really don't have a play to do much either. Magnus feating left is a mistake for sure and I intend to make him pay for it. I get a clad into melee and put up Fury on Trenchers + feat. The Trenchers kill a Nomad and the clad does a bit of work.

The slugfest ensues.

Since I had to commit Stryker to remove a crucial model I was highly exposed. An assassination is fairly probable here (we rolled it out and it failed though) so I think it's a mistake. In any case Magnus plays for scenario. This could get scary as I feel I'm losing attrition.

So basically I have to contest or I lose. I send in as much stuff as I can.

The Ironclad and Tinker are the models Magnus has to kill to win. The Ironclad goes down. Because of that the game boils down to two attacks on the Tinker needing 8+ to hit, unboosted. They both miss and thus the game is over!

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Wow, crazy game. The Magnus list is pretty raw and definitely could use some improvement. However the sheer power and flexibility of the combination of calamity, unyielding, feat... It's a lot stronger than it looks like on paper I think. Nomads don't scare me but throw in Unyielding, Escort and Calamity to the mix and it's a fairly nasty choice for its points.

The Strykeforce felt way out of its comfort zone here. I really missed the presence and flexibility of the Stormwall in this game, both for anchoring purposes, disruption, scenario presence and punching power. I might have to re-think my list.

It was a very, very tight game but I think we both felt we made too many mistakes. That being said I was super happy I finally got to play Kingmaker's though and I love seeing Mercs having so many powerful builds in Mk. 3!

Battle Report #312: Haley3 vs Amon

:: Prologue ::

I've played a handful of games this week which I haven't had the time to report on just yet. Expect a string of them to come up now in short time! First up is Haley3 vs Amon. I think this is an interesting test because if Haley3 has game into him, she might just be a decent Protectorate drop. The TL;DR of it is that it depends on a lot of things of course but this is a start.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Major Prime Victoria Haley - WJ: +25
- Haley Past
- Haley Future
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Thorn - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Ironclad - PC: 12
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Charger - PC: 9
Ragman - PC: 4
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - PC: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16

Opponent:

High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza - WJ: +29
- Hierophant - PC: 3
- Crusader - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 10)
- Crusader - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 10)
- Crusader - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Crusader - PC: 10
- Crusader - PC: 10
- Templar - PC: 15
- Devout - PC: 9
- Dervish - PC: 7
Allegiant of the Order of the Fist - PC: 3
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 3
Vassal Mechanik - PC: 1
Wrack - PC: 1
The Covenant of Menoth - PC: 4
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

We are playing Recon and Protectorate moves first. My plan is to see if I can force him to commit unfavourably and possibly even threaten a scenario angle.

:: Game ::

Fortify goes up on the Templar, Mobility + Synergy are cast. Shielding across the board.

Clouds, Distortion, Supremacy. Lances flank right. Probably too far out. I was afraid I would get jammed but with Ghost Walk it really is a non-issue. Furthermore, jamming that far out right puts them out of control. Poor play.

The Protectorate jacks decide to commit and try and form an impervious wall of steel. The thought is that hopefully there will be enough left alive post-alpha to hurt me.

I brainfart as I decide to send in Grenadiers instead of simply shooting and boosting. Since I have to buy melee attacks as opposed to getting them for free this is a waste of potential. My opponent also sang Shielding to prevent shenanigans (which I think is fair). In any case I decide to melee-commit just about everything. With aiming Grenadiers coupled with Flux they hit on 4s on engaged jacks and with Ragman are still PS15. I lose a lot of potential going into melee instead but oh well. The Lances are also horribly out of position. I send in Thorn to disrupt Templar +2 more. The alpha at least does work in the middle.

Synergy helps offset the worst of the disruption somewhat and Templar receives Empower. The retaliation is worse than I had hoped it would be. Amon's list really is tough.

The Ironclad was lucky to survive and even luckier as it rolls crazy dice with its open fist (hammer was crippled), killing a Crusader on full health I believe. I also manage to get some of the Lances in but it's still not spectacular.

The lines are really thinning out by now and it's a solid slugfest. For the next few rounds we just trade blows. My team is starting to run dangerously low...

Getting Haley out on the flag was something I should've done sooner. It finally puts the pressure on my opponent to commit to unfavourable fights and I manage to take the game home on scenario eventually, though at this point in time the attrition was in my favour as well because of the scenario pressure.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

This much armour definitely felt uphill. That being said, I'm fairly sure I played my Lances way, way wrong here. I seem to often do this with Haley3 and it pisses me off. How hard can it be? They're a broken cav unit, I should be able to produce stellar results with them. It's like I'm still stuck in Mk. 2 revive mindset with them. I really have to work on this.

Although chewing through all of this felt like an uphill battle I think better play on my part (Lances in better positions, shooting instead of going into melee with Grenadiers for example) might change the course of this game. I really want to try and get a rematch soonish to see if I can improve my play here and how that affects the matchup.

Interview with Patrick Dunford & Olov Winroth

One of the reasons why I keep posting tons of stuff about Warmachine is because I want to keep learning. I also want the people around me to learn, both because it motivates me and because I think that they in turn can help me improve. I've already gotten a ton of good discussions, valuable feedback and ideas from this blog so I most definitely intend to keep doing it. 

Obviously, with this being my blog the content here is polarized. Lately I've had several people comment on my lack of diversity in terms of what casters and lists I play for example. In order to broaden my perspective and provide you with something that isn't purely my ideas and thoughts, I've been lucky enough to have two of the very best Cygnar players on the planet sit down with me for an interview. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Patrick Dunford, who recently won the UK Masters, and Olov Winroth, who recently won the Iron Moot Invitationals. Let's take a look at some of their thoughts on Cygnar and recent experiences!

.::. What was the hardest game you had in the event you won?

Olov: 

"I had 2 really hard games. My first game vs. Tom Guans Wurmwood, because of unfamiliarity with the matchup and obviously facing a very skilled player. Also the final game vs. Johan Dyrlinds Vlad1, but mostly because I misplayed the final game horribly. Not to take anything away from Johan, he went for the right plays and is a skilled player but I had such a good matchup and almost screwed it up royaly."

Patrick: 

"There were two games that really stand out. Both were against members of WTC team Scotland. Not a coincidence. The first was against Frazer McFetridge playing Rask. I’d heard a lot about Rask and his tricks but had never played that matchup. I chose to drop Haley3 because her list had no hard targets where Rask could get value from the +6 damage buff on his beasts. The cloud wall and Temporal Distortion were also both really helpful. In the end the game played more or less as I suspected so I was pleased with my decision to pick Haley3 as it definitely gave me an edge in the matchup. The second was the finals against Alasdair Johnstone. We played the Haley2 mirror. The matchup is really weird but also very interesting. It plays out like a big puzzle in which both players have a ton of great options every turn but also have to think about a lot of threats. Dominate is especially scary and lets each Haley pick and kill an opposing warjack each turn basically for free. I got lucky and had an Arcane Shielded Stormclad survive being dominated into an opposing heavy. This swung the game in my favor and allowed me to Snowball from there."

.::. Going into the tournament, what matchups did you fear the most?

Olov:

"Wurmwood and Ossyan, the rest I thought I could handle somewhat reliably. As it turns out Haley3 is an ok drop into wurmwood though."

Patrick:

"Early in the edition it’s impossible to play against everything. I’ve found a lot of old casters have a new lease of life and many have a bunch of tricks that can catch you out if you’re not aware. I wasn’t worried about any caster in particular, but rather an opponent who was well practiced with a dark horse caster that I knew nothing about."

.::. Olov, you did not take Haley2 for any of the 2-list events at Iron Moot and the list you took to the IGQ was never played. Did you miss her? Do you consider a pairing without Haley2
to be our best one, potentially?

"I missed her ability to control games at times. Caine2 games tend to be quite volatile."

.::. Patrick, you have pioneered a rather unique approach for Haley2 for quite a while. Can you describe how you went about transforming your Mk. 2 variant of her to Mk. 3?

"I like to play hyper aggressive builds for Haley2 that maximize threat range and armor cracking. The idea is to deliver the army first and hard, feat to minimize retaliation and then hit again. Usually after that there’s not enough left of opposing forces to fight back. To achieve this I was running Stormclads and Lances in Mk2 so it was easy to transition to Mk3! One thing that made my lists unconventional was that I didn’t run Thorn in Mk2. There simply wasn’t enough Focus to fuel a hard hitting Stormclad and arc effectively. Of course Haley2 changed more than most casters between editions. Although she received numerous nerfs, Future Sight was a massive buff. With this ability she is the premier spell slinger in the game. For this reason I now always play her with an Arcnode. Powerup allows Haley2 to run a bunch of heavies and still arc all the spells she needs every turn. It’s the best of both worlds!"

.::. There has been a lot of talk about Cygnar's success recently, especially in Europe. Do you believe we are top dog now? If yes, why? If no, then who are?

Patrick:

"Cygnar are great right now, but so are a lot of other factions! It’s early days and I think people are often too quick to jump to conclusions about what is strong without getting enough games in. Most factions have powerful options and can hold their own. Standouts that have impressed me the most include Ret, Circle, Menoth and Mercs."

Olov: 

"I do believe Cygnar is in the very top, together with Ret and Khador."

.::. A lot of Cygnets out there struggle to grasp Cygnar's ability to deal with other competitive powerhouses. Do you have any tips for them?

Patrick:

"Cygnar is a faction that has a lot of powerful options to answer opposing threats. It can be tough to identify which of those options are necessary and figure out the best way to play them in specific matchups. The solution to this is practice! The more you practice the better you will be able figure out how powerful opposing options work and how to use our own forces to beat them. My second piece of advice is to not rely too much on standard Cygnar gun lines. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gun line as much as the next guy, but your opponents will see them coming a mile away. Guns are what our opponents expect to see from Cygnar and know how to beat. If I take a gun line to a tournament I always make sure to pair it with a melee focused list that plays very differently. This gives a lot more flexibility in choosing your lists and helps you avoid bad matchups."

Olov:

"1. Play Haley3
2. Summon Echoes
3. ??????????????
4. Profit"

.::. Patrick, I know you have a lot of love for Maxwell Finn. Can you explain what makes him so great?

"Have you read his card? He’s insane! Seriously, Maxwell is a powerhouse. He’s an excellent piece that can be used in a variety of ways. His defensive stats are high enough that he can play out on a flank and beat most things or contest a scenario indefinitely. However, it’s his melee abilities that make him really shine. Killing spree and grievous wounds combine to punish tightly packed infantry. Most of the commonly used infantry in the meta right now fall into this category. Sentinels, Trenchers, Ironfangs and Reeves all tend to have to clump up to benefit from defensive abilities or to make CRAs. Finn also makes great use of a lot of faction buffs. He’s a lot of fun with TK and Temporal Acceleration from Haley2, is a nightmare to deal with when he has Bullet Dodger and works miracles with feats such as Siege’s Breach and Jake2’s Powerhouse."

.::. Olov, your Haley3 build has become pretty popular with Grenadiers being picked up left, right and center. I've heard multiple players wonder if they can deal with multiple heavies with this setup. Is this a problem you've experienced in your games?

"My Haley3 list has 0 issues with multiple heavies, thanks in large to the Grenadiers. They are amazingly good at putting the hurt on heavies from range. Basically everything in the list kills heavies and you even have some control tools in Domination, Force Hammer and Disruption from Thorn."

.::. What is your favourite caster to play?

Patrick:

"I like to play a lot of different casters and enjoy the variety. Haley2 is certainly the caster who I have played the most though and that’s because she’s the most fun. Every game with her is a puzzle to be solved and even after 4+ years of playing her in tournaments I still find that executing effective turns can be really satisfying."

Olov:

"Haley3, hands down, with Caine2 as a close second."

.::. Following your experiences thus far in Mk. 3 and your tournament wins, what is your current 2-list even pair? How did you end up there?
Patrick:

"I chose Haley2 plus Caine2 for WTC this year. Between the two I was able to cover a lot of bases. Haley2 did armor cracking and strong scenario play. Caine2 was more of a gun line, though not a totally dedicated one. I also ran a Stormwall in my Caine list. Stormwall has been given a lot of flak in Mk3 for being a less efficient choice, but it presents a big problem for opponents to deal with and its presence in a pair can be a help in list selection. Colossals are also not vulnerable to a lot of the anti-heavy control options that are becoming increasingly popular in the meta. I expect that they will continue to play an important role in Cygnar lists going forward."

Olov:

"My current pair is Haley3 and Haley2. Caine2 is good, but Haley2 added some much needed stability to the pair and more matchups where I could drop both lists potentially which put me ahead in list-selection."

.::. Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply! Any closing words or shoutouts?

Patrick:

"You’re welcome! Thank you for tirelessly creating content that’s interesting and helpful to the community. The volume and quality of writing on your blog is second to none. Keep up the amazing work!"

Olov:

"Thanks for having me!"

Thanks a lot for your time guys and the kind words, Patrick! I'll try my best to keep posting quality content.

Post-WTC: Thoughts on the Current Meta

150 games played in Mk. 3 and a WTC disaster and I am left with a lot of thoughts and learning points. For this post, the focus will be on the current meta as I view it.

:: Pre-WTC Thoughts ::

First of all, prior to the WTC I had the current faction tiers:

S-tier: Khador, Circle, Retribution
A-tier: Cygnar
B-tier: Trollbloods, Legion, Minions, Cryx, Protectorate, Mercenaries, Skorne
C-tier: Convergence

The reasoning was as follows: Khador has some ridiculously strong casters and skews combined with a wide selection of viable casters and models. Karchev's dog-skew stands out here. Johan Dyrlind did very well at Iron Moot, placing 2nd for both the Iron Gauntlet Qualifier and the Invitationals, and Jocke Rapp took the Danish Masters with the same list concept (slight changes). Khador is admittedly very hard to play (at a high competitive level), with little tricks available compared to Cygnar for example it's so much about anticipating the way the game'll develop and position all your pieces accordingly.

Retribution features a ton of viable casters and have overall gotten a huge buff since Mk. 2. Issyria, Kaelyssa, Rahn, Vyros2 are all amazing casters and Ossyan is downright terrifying with his possible skews. Circle I feel is in a very bad spot design-wise because it boils down to the same choices over and over again but those choices are really, really strong: Sentry stones, wolf warbeasts, Snapjaw + Wrongeye and add caster to choice. Some variations exist and especially Baldur2 stands out as a solid caster with a choice of defensive abilities. Calling a spade a spade however it's really Wurmwood which puts this faction at the very top. He solely bends the meta because you cannot -not- have a plan for him.

Cygnar follows closely behind. I believe we do have viable builds against just about all the factions, but Haley2 isn't the same insane all-comers taker she was in Mk. 2. She lacks that little extra wtf-ness which you get against casters like Karchev and Wurmwood. Circle, Retribution and Khador I felt can all make a pair which has a solid chance against everything. Cygnar can largely do the same and thus I put them ahead of the rest of the pack: We lack that little extra but we are still a very, very solid faction. I'm glad they took away Haley2's edge because in Mk. 2 she was over the top. She single-handedly ensured that roughly half the factions in the game auto-lost to Cygnar unless they teched specifically for her and even then it was often uphill for them. Removing her ability to bring a solid gunline with flexible shooting was brilliant and has helped keep her in check. That being said, she's still amazing and one of the best casters out there. Anyway, I digress.

The next tier I had saw a lot of factions clumped together. I was generally unimpressed with what these factions could do in terms of a pairing. Sure there are amazing builds and casters our there but throughout my tournaments and helping friends build pairs I found it hard to build pairs as solid as Cygnar's or the top 3. Furthermore I believe that all of the factions at the B-tier cannot make a pair which handles all of the 4 factions above them fairly well. Assuming for example a Wurmwood/Tanith, Issyria/Kaelyssa, Karchev/Vlad1 and Haley2/Haley3 pairing, I don't see how any of the factions I listed as B-tiers can make a pairing and not be down against any of the above. That's before we even look at how they handle the rest. Remember that Warmahordes is a very well balanced game as far as miniature games go so the faction strength differences here are fairly small.

At the very last tier we have Convergence. I think it's a pity how badly these guys are off and to make matters worse they struggle so much against basically all of the top-tier factions.


:: Post-WTC Thoughts ::

Let's skip ahead! WTC is done, I've had a lot of time to think now that I've seen all the crazy lists and builds in action and been able to digest the results and a few key matches. I now believe the faction strengths are as follows:

S-tier: Khador
A-tier: Circle, Retribution, Cygnar
B-tier: Minions, Protectorate, Mercenaries, Trollbloods
C-tier: Legion, Cryx, Skorne
D-tier: Convergence

Having seen Jocke and Johan completely dominate with Karchev against a wide variety of opponents I am positive Khador is currently the best faction in the game. I'm glad they got a buff and I enjoy the challenges this faction presents. Games against Khador are always interesting, but I should that this is largely because I play Cygnar and we do have tools available. Many factions do not, which is a shame. As you can see I've kept the top 4 overall but I put Khador ahead and "upped" Cygnar a bit. Having seen what lists actually do well I think it's good for us Swans. I also think Retribution has a fair few conundrums out there in terms of pairing which sort of reigns in their power. Karchev and Wurmwood for example demand solid answers from them. Circle is still very far up but the sheer might of Wurmwood means he faces a lot of counters which makes pairing hard.

Minions surprised me, I thought they were more of a one-trick (Rask snake) pony than they appear to be. I have little experience against them so hardly a surprise. Protectorate likewise, but I fear they rely a lot on crazy High Reclaimer plays which will probably become worse once people know this matchup better. Mercenaries have multiple legit builds now with the Rhulics and Kingmaker's dominating their pairings, however I also believe Thexus is legit. Lots of tricks available and lots of sheer power overall for Mercs. Trolls are still solid.

Legion, Cryx and Skorne all seem to have big problems building solid pairs. It seems to me that no matter what they do they end up having some big gaps. Skorne might be a tad bit better but for now I think their builds have potential but they haven't been proven (from a point of "is this B-tier worthy?" perspective). Lastly I still rate Convergence at the bottom. Huge gaps against virtually all of the top factions.

I could go on to try and predict the future meta but this post is subjective enough as is and that would be pure speculation. Instead I want to give you something more specific to consider, discuss, disagree with and ponder. Let's go through the various factions, starting at the top, and look at what I consider typical competitive builds as of right now! A lot of the lists are copied and the brackets indicate where I have them from. Where the brackets contain the name of a county the list is copied from the WTC.


:: Khador ::

Karchev (Sweden)

Karchev the Terrible - WJ: +30
- Mad Dog - PC: 7 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Mad Dog - PC: 7 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Mad Dog - PC: 7 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Mad Dog - PC: 7 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Mad Dog - PC: 7 (Battlegroup Points Used: 2)
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Mad Dog - PC: 7
- Ruin - PC: 17
Gobber Tinker - PC: 2
Gobber Tinker - PC: 2

Vlad1 (England)

Vladimir Tzepesci, The Dark Prince - WJ: +28
- Ruin - PC: 17 (Battlegroup Points Used: 17)
- Juggernaut - PC: 12 (Battlegroup Points Used: 11)
- Juggernaut - PC: 12
- Juggernaut - PC: 12
- Juggernaut - PC: 12
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich - PC: 4
Winter Guard Rifle Corps - Leader & 9 Grunts: 13
- 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

Irusk2 (Australia)

Supreme Kommandant Irusk - WJ: +27
- Torch - PC: 18 (Battlegroup Points Used: 18)
- Juggernaut - PC: 12 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich - PC: 4
Man-O-War Kovnik - PC: 5
Winter Guard Mortar Crew - Gunner & Grunt: 5
Winter Guard Rifle Corps - Leader & 9 Grunts: 13
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
Man-O-War Shocktroopers - Leader & 4 Grunts: 16
- Man-O-War Shocktrooper Officer - PC: 4
Iron Fang Pikemen - Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
- Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard: 4

Khador has tons more solid casters as well: Butcher13, Strakhov, other variants of Vlad etc.


:: Retribution ::

Issyria (Sweden)

Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn - WJ: +29
- Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker - PC: 4
- Hyperion - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 29)
- Chimera - PC: 8
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen - PC: 8
Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber - PC: 4
- Discordia - PC: 18
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution - PC: 6
Heavy Rifle Team - Leader & Grunt: 4
Heavy Rifle Team - Leader & Grunt: 4
House Vyre Electromancers - Leader & 2 Grunts: 8

Kaelyssa (Norway)

Kaelyssa, The Night's Whisper - WJ: +29 (Fuel Cache)
- Hyperion - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 29)
- Banshee - PC: 18
Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber - PC: 4
- Discordia - PC: 18
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Dawnguard Invictors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16
- Dawnguard Invictor Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard: 4
- Soulless Escort - PC: 1

For Retribution we also see a ton of Vyros2 and Ossyan. The former inevitably spams jacks, typically Griffons, the latter spams shooting.


:: Circle ::

Wurmwood (Germany)

Wurmwood1 (Wurmwood Tree of Fate & Cassius)(-27 Pts.)
* Cassius the Oathkeeper (0 Pts.
* Ghetorix (21 Pts.)
* Megalith (20 Pts.)
* Feral Warpwolf (18 Pts.)
* Pureblood Warpwolf (17 Pts.)
Sentry Stone & Mannikins (5 Pts.)
Sentry Stone & Mannikins (5 Pts.)
Shifting Stones (3 Pts.)
Shifting Stones (3 Pts.)
Lanyssa Ryssyll (3 Pts.)
Farrow Bone Grinders (Leader and 3) (5 Pts.)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (2 Pts.)

Tanith (Sweden)

Tanith the Feral Song - WB: +31
- Gorax Rager - PC: 7 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7
- Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 8)
- Warpwolf Stalker - PC: 19 (Battlegroup Points Used: 16)
- Pureblood Warpwolf - PC: 17
Una the Falconeer - PC: 4
- Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
- Scarsfell Griffon - PC: 8
Wrong Eye - Wrong Eye & Snapjaw: 17
- Snapjaw
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Sentry Stone & Mannikins - Leader & 3 Grunts: 5
Sentry Stone & Mannikins - Leader & 3 Grunts: 5
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew - Leader & 1 Grunt: 2
Shifting Stones - Leader & 2 Grunts: 3

Baldur2 (Germany)

Baldur2 (Baldur the Stonesoul) (-30 Pts.)
* Megalith (20 Pts.)
* Feral Warpwolf (18 Pts.)
* Pureblood Warpwolf (17 Pts.)
* Pureblood Warpwolf (17 Pts.)
Wrong Eye (Wrong Eye & Snapjaw) (17 Pts.)
* Snapjaw (0 Pts.)
Lanyssa Ryssyll (3 Pts.)
Shifting Stones (3 Pts.)
Sentry Stone & Mannikins (5 Pts.)
Sentry Stone & Mannikins (5 Pts.)

Kromac12 and Kaya2 also seem to be somewhat popular.


:: Cygnar ::

Haley2

Major Victoria Haley - WJ: +25
- Squire - PC: 5
- Stormwall - PC: 39 (Battlegroup Points Used: 25)
- Lightning Pod
- Thorn - PC: 13
- Ironclad - PC: 12
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Firefly - PC: 8
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Ragman - PC: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 2 Grunts: 12

Haley3

Major Prime Victoria Haley - WJ: +25
- Haley Past
- Haley Future
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Grenadier - PC: 9 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
- Thorn - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 7)
- Ironclad - PC: 12
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Charger - PC: 9
Ragman - PC: 4
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord - PC: 4
Storm Lances - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Trencher Infantry - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16

Caine2

Captain Allister Caine - WJ: +27
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - PC: 4
- Stormwall - PC: 39 (Battlegroup Points Used: 27)
- Lightning Pod
Captain Arlan Strangewayes - PC: 4
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 4
- Charger - PC: 9
Gobber Tinker - PC: 2
Ragman - PC: 4
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Rangers - Leader & 5 Grunts: 9
Storm Lances - Leader & 2 Grunts: 12
Storm Lances - Leader & 2 Grunts: 12

Shameless copies of my own lists. Note that my Haley3 build is stolen from Sweden (or "traded" for Haley2 if you like). Cygnar also sees a lot of Sloan but I'm not sure she's as well suited for singles so I'll leave her out for now. Stryker2 might be a dark horse.


:: Minions ::

Rask (Sweden)

Rask - WB: +27
- Targ - PC: 4
- Blackhide Wrastler - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 16)
- Blackhide Wrastler - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 11)
Wrong Eye - Wrong Eye & Snapjaw: 17
- Snapjaw
Dahlia Hallyr - Hallyr & Skarath: 17
- Skarath
Totem Hunter - PC: 6
Bog Trog Mist Speaker - PC: 4
Rorsh - Rorsh & Brine: 15
- Brine
- Battle Boar - PC: 7

My limited experience against Minions means I don't feel qualified to say what else we should expect here. Could be Barnabas, could be Arkadius, could be Carver, could be someone else I suppose.


:: Mercenaries ::

Ossrum (Poland)

General Ossrum - WJ: +28
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - PC: 4
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6 (Battlegroup Points Used: 6)
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6 (Battlegroup Points Used: 6)
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6 (Battlegroup Points Used: 6)
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6 (Battlegroup Points Used: 6)
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6 (Battlegroup Points Used: 4)
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6
- Grundback Gunner - PC: 6
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios - PC: 7
Kell Bailoch - PC: 5
Horgenhold Artillery Corps - Gunner & 2 Grunts: 6
Horgenhold Forge Guard - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16
Horgenhold Artillery Corps - Gunner & 2 Grunts: 6
Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist - PC: 4

Damiano Kingmaker's (WTC Solo Masters)

(Damiano 1) Captain Damiano [+28]
 - Nomad [11]
 - Nomad [11]
 - Nomad [11]
 - Buccaneer [6]
Steelhead Halberdiers (max) [11]
Steelhead Halberdiers (max) [11]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
 - Trencher Infantry Officer & Sniper [5]
 - Trencher Infantry Rifle Grenadier (3) [6]
Steelhead Heavy Cavalry (min) [11]
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [0]
Stannis Brocker [0]
Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger [4]
Kell Bailoch [0]

:: Protectorate ::

High Reclaimer (Australia)

The High Reclaimer - WJ: +32
- Reckoner - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 16)
- Scourge of Heresy - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 16)
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4
Idrian Skirmishers - Leader & 9 Grunts: 1
- Idrian Skirmisher Chieftain & Guide - Chieftain & Guide: 5
Exemplar Vengers - Leader & 4 Grunts: 20
Flameguard Cleansers - Leader & 5 Grunts: 9
- Flameguard Cleanser Officer - PC: 4
Knights Exemplar - Leader & 5 Grunts: 9
Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard - Rhoven, Gius & Cassian: 9

Amon (Australia)

High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza - WJ: +29
- Reckoner - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 16)
- Reckoner - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 13)
- Dervish - PC: 7
- Dervish - PC: 7
- Dervish - PC: 7
- Dervish - PC: 7
- Crusader - PC: 10
- Crusader - PC: 10
- Vigilant - PC: 9
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 3
Vassal of Menoth - PC: 3
Wrack - PC: 1
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4

Severius2 (Canada)

Hierarch Severius - WJ: +26
- Blessing of Vengeance - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 13)
- Reckoner - PC: 16 (Battlegroup Points Used: 13)
- Reckoner - PC: 16
- Redeemer - PC: 11
The Covenant of Menoth - PC: 4
Vassal Mechanik - PC: 1
Vassal Mechanik - PC: 1
Wrack
Alten Ashley - PC: 5
Choir of Menoth - Leader & 3 Grunts: 4
Idrian Skirmishers - Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
- Idrian Skirmisher Chieftain & Guide - Chieftain & Guide: 5
Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard - Rhoven, Gius & Cassian

:: Trollbloods ::

Madrak2 (Norway)

Madrak Ironhide, World Ender - WB: +28
- Mulg the Ancient - PC: 19 (Battlegroup Points Used: 19)
- Troll Axer - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 9)
Fell Caller Hero - PC: 5
Fell Caller Hero - PC: 5
Troll Whelps - 5 Whelps: 4
Stone Scribe Chronicler - PC: 4
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Swamp Gobber Chef - PC: 1
Trollkin Fennblades - Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
- Trollkin Fennblade Officer & Drummer - Officer & Drummer: 5
Trollkin Fennblades - Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
- Trollkin Fennblade Officer & Drummer - Officer & Drummer: 5
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes - Leader & 5 Grunts: 9
- Stone Scribe Elder - PC: 3

Ragnor (England)

Ragnor Skysplitter, the Runemaster - WB: +30
- Trollkin Runebearer - PC: 4
- Mountain King - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 30)
- Troll Axer - PC: 10
- Dire Troll Mauler - PC: 15
Janissa Stonetide - PC: 4
Troll Whelps - 5 Whelps: 4
Feralgeist - PC: 2
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress - PC: 3
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes - Leader & 3 Grunts: 6
- Stone Scribe Elder - PC: 3
Trollkin Runeshapers - Leader & 2 Grunts: 9
Trollkin Runeshapers - Leader & 2 Grunts: 9

Gunnbjørn, Calandra and Doomie variants also seem somewhat popular. It feels like the Troll meta hasn't really found their ground yet I think. It's Madrak2 probably but what's the second list? Time will tell.


:: Legion ::

Vayl2 (Norway)

Vayl, Consul of Everblight - WB: +28
- Typhon - PC: 24 (Battlegroup Points Used: 24)
- Seraph - PC: 14 (Battlegroup Points Used: 4)
- Ravagore - PC: 19
- Nephilim Bolt Thrower - PC: 11
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Raptors - Leader & 4 Grunts: 18
Hellmouth - Hellmouth & 3 Tentacles: 6
Blackfrost Shard - Sevryn, Rhylyss & Vysarr: 9

Absylonia2 (Norway)

Absylonia, Daughter of Everblight - WB: +28
- Proteus - PC: 19 (Battlegroup Points Used: 19)
- Raek - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 8)
- Raek - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 1)
- Seraph - PC: 14
- Shredder - PC: 4
- Shredder - PC: 4
- Scythean - PC: 18
- Carnivean - PC: 19
Spell Martyr - PC: 1
Spell Martyr - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
The Forsaken - PC: 4

Lylyth3 (Canada)

Lylyth, Reckoning of Everblight - WB: +29
- Succubus - PC: 4
- Naga Nightlurker - PC: 8 (Battlegroup Points Used: 8)
- Typhon - PC: 24 (Battlegroup Points Used: 21)
- Nephilim Bolt Thrower - PC: 11
- Carnivean - PC: 19
- Seraph - PC: 14
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
The Forsaken - PC: 4
The Forsaken - PC: 4
Strider Scouts - Leader & 5 Grunts: 9
- Strider Scout Officer & Musician - Officer & Musician: 4

:: Cryx ::

Deneghra1 (England)

Warwitch Deneghra - WJ: +28
- Skarlock Thrall - PC: 4
- Kraken - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 28)
- Deathripper - PC: 6
- Deathripper - PC: 6
Necrotech - PC: 2
Ragman - PC: 4
Warwitch Siren - PC: 4
Black Ogrun Boarding Party - Leader & 4 Grunts: 11
Black Ogrun Boarding Party - Leader & 4 Grunts: 11
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters - Cylena & 9 Grunts: 19

Coven (England)

The Witch Coven of Garlghast - WJ: +26
- Egregore
- Skarlock Thrall - PC: 4
- Deathjack - PC: 23 (Battlegroup Points Used: 23)
- Barathrum - PC: 15 (Battlegroup Points Used: 3)
- Deathripper - PC: 6
Machine Wraith - PC: 2
Warwitch Siren - PC: 4
Bane Warriors - Leader & 5 Grunts: 10
Satyxis Raiders - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16
- Satyxis Raider Sea Witch - PC: 3
Soulhunters - Leader & 4 Grunts: 18

Skarre1 (Australia)

Pirate Queen Skarre - WJ: +28
- Skarlock Thrall - PC: 4
- Kraken - PC: 36 (Battlegroup Points Used: 28)
- Stalker - PC: 8
Aiakos, Scourge of the Meredius - PC: 4
- Stalker - PC: 8
- Stalker - PC: 8
Necrotech - PC: 2
Necrotech - PC: 2
Scrap Thrall - 3 Scrap Thrall: 2
Saxon Orrik - PC: 4
Soul Trapper - PC: 1
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor - PC: 5
Satyxis Raiders - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16
- Satyxis Raider Sea Witch - PC: 3

Scaverous and Skarre2 also seem to be popular.


:: Skorne ::

Makeda2

Supreme Archdomina Makeda WB+24
- Titan Gladiator - 14
- Titan Sentry - 15
Tyrant Radheim - 9
Morthieurge Willbreaker - 4
Morthieurge Willbreaker - 4
Tyrant Commander and Standard - 6
min Paingiver Beasthandlers - 5
Max Praetorian Ferox - 21
Max Praetorian Ferox - 21

I helped build the list above with a couple of local Skorne players. You can read the blog of one of them here. I'm positive the list above is legit but I'm not sure what pairs well with it. More experience needed! Rasheth, Naaresh and possibly Xerxis1 are the current most interesting casters in my opinion since they help shore up the weaknesses this list has to brick it out against tough opponents.


:: Convergence ::

Father Lucant (Norway)

Father Lucant, The Divinity Architect - WJ: +28
- Corollary - PC: 6
- Prime Axiom - PC: 38 (Battlegroup Points Used: 28)
- Inverter - PC: 15
Transfinite Emergence Projector - PC: 19
- Permutation Servitors
Transfinite Emergence Projector - PC: 19
- Permutation Servitors
Accretion Servitors - 3 Accretion Servitors: 2
Optifex Directive - Leader & 2 Grunts: 4

Iron Mother (Scotland) 

Iron Mother Directrix & Exponent Servitors +27
- Prime Axiom 38
- Assimilator 16
- Assimilator 16
- Assimilator 16
- Corollary 6
Attunement Servitors 4
Algorithmic Dispersion Optifex 2
Optifex Directive 4

--

That's it folks! This is all largely subjective of course but if nothing else I hope you've gotten some food for thought :)

Battle Report #311: Stryker3 vs Issyria

:: Prologue ::

Time for a rematch! This time I got to go first. Interesting...

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

(Stryker 3) Lord General Coleman Stryker [+28]
 - Squire [5]
 - Ironclad [12]
 - Ironclad [12]
 - Ironclad [12]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [3]
Gobber Tinker [2]

Opponent:

(Issyria 1) Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn [+29]
 - Hyperion [36]
 - Chimera [8]
Heavy Rifle Team [4]
Heavy Rifle Team [4]
Arcanist Mechanik [2]
Arcanist Mechanik [2]
Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber [4]
 - Discordia [18]
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (max) [19]
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution [6]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

The general idea was the same as in my first game: Spread out Lances initially, reposition as needed, get jacks up the middle behind clouds. 

:: Game ::

I still forgot the Tinker... Anyway I put up Escort and Iron Aggression on the Ironclad to the right. I mess up with a Trencher so one clad doesn't go as far as I would've wished for. Note that Trenchers run here to buy me space.

Nyss try and buy space and time on the left flank. Hyperion and Issyria advance on the other flank with the rest in the center.

When in doubt, push! I'm not sure if I can afford to chill out here so I jam my entire army up the table, the Lances getting scapegoat duty. Hopefully he can't kill it all.

Issyria feats to try and get back from this position. The Lances suffer horribly on both flanks. One clad gets disrupted, another losing its hammer. The disrupted one was the one in front with Iron Aggression.

It's definitely feat time! I think I can kill Hyperion here. With Fury on the Trenchers and feat I should get a ton of work done. I also have one clad which I can send in on full focus and a Lance. That should do it. Furthermore, since impact attacks auto-hit on feat I can have the remaining Lance on the left flank get to Eiryss reliably. This looks super juicy!

Stryker goes, feats, boosts a shot to kill a Nyss, repositions on the flag with pre-measured elements in range. The Lance on the left kills a Nyss and Eiryss. The Trenchers, now with Fury, charge Hyperion and Chimera. 2 of them kill the Chimera on their own. Lol. The 4 that get into Hyperion get a ton of damage as well. The right Storm Lance charges Hyperion for another bunch of damage, then repositions left to give the clads an angle. Iron Aggression clad goes in, disrupted can't stop free charges so another bunch of damage there. Lastly the fully-fueled 'clad charges and the Hyperion goes down. Woho!

Unfortunately I had spent Lanyssa to deal damage to the Chimera already so I couldn't run her to my opponent's flag. Bummer. The last clad moved to protect Stryker, both through blocking LoS and through providing +2 ARM from Escort.

My opponent tries to retaliate but can't get enough work done and in my next turn I win on scenario. Basically Discordia tried to kill 2 nearly full-health Ironclads, she only got one and that was that.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Another interesting game! I think my hyper-aggressive T2 gambit is a little uncalled for. I allow him to get way too much work done on the Lances by sending them into the Hyperion. Flanking wide is plenty. Other than that I think it's the right play to send stuff up. 

The Nyss gambit initially seemed like a mistake to me but it did get him control of the left flank and he nearly killed all of my lances as well in the ensuing turn, indeed only 1 survived on 1 box. Possibly the correct play, I'm not sure. 

In this game I really noticed the absence of Tinker. One 'clad losing its hammer bottom of 2 hurt my setup a lot. With the Tinker my position becomes even more lethal, and perhaps more importantly it becomes a lot harder for him to deliver a successful shooting alpha. 

Some technical mistakes and poor priorities from Retribution made this matchup a little easier than it feels like it should be, but I am still very happy with starting off at 2-0 with this list!