Cygnar Musings

Cygnar's been all the rage lately and as I wrote recently in my thoughts on the current meta post, we are top dog now. I won't dig into neither the Cygnar hate debate nor the theoretical "what gets nerfed" guessing game, but instead I want to talk about where Cygnar is right now competitively. 

Let's start with a trip down memory lane. For as long as I have played this game, up until very recently, I believe Haley2 + Haley3 has been the optimal pairing for us. Many players, yours truly included, have often spent a lot of time before eventually reaching this conclusion in various metas. In Mk. 2 we saw variants of Caine2, ARM-skew with Stryker1 and some Haley1 builds, but at the end of the day it was Haley2 and Haley3 which proved to be the ultimate pair. No wonder, given their strength back then. That was on another level. Anyway, I digress. At the beginning of Mk. 3 lots of players explored Sloan and Caine2. I was one of them. It was not until I re-discovered Haley3 with the help of the Swedes however that I again found the optimal pairing. Haley2 and Haley3 saw me win the European Invitationals last year and I do not believe I would have done so with any other pair. Their coverage was quite frankly the best I could find in our faction and their plethora of angles and plays saw us go toe-to-toe with anything from Mad Dogs and Una2 to Cygnar mirrors and Legion. We were not the top dog, but we were trailing closely behind and we had game into pretty much anything. It was a good time for the Swans!

The past couple of months however have turned the meta completely around. First of all: I love it! The game is more balanced now than it's ever been. The main concern, as ever, is to buff the weaker factions. Give them some fun toys! Give them some seriously legit combinations to play with! I digress again. The main point is that most of the poor stuff has gotten better and most of the broken stuff has been toned down. On top of that the various theme forces mean that we see more of the in-faction stuff. Points is the premier balancing mechanism in this game. Thus far we've seen most factions with their command book out receiving really strong themes. I like this because it enables more options, it brings our second tier casters up a notch which helps to shake up the competitive meta. Look at the recent increase of Stryker1 and Nemo3 for example. If we look beyond our faction we see Convergence and Khador receiving very strong themes as well, not to mention how scary Amon is with Protectorate's jack theme. I hope this continues and I have high hopes for what themes can do with factions that need buffs (e.g. Cryx and Retribution).

For Cygnar there are 2 big themes. Thus far we have mostly seen Storm Division. Storm Division provided many casters with a big buff. Stryker1 and Nemo3 started gaining some impressive results. The +9 points are remarkably important, which again shows how crucial points are to balancing this game. Maddox is suddenly also a caster worth looking into and maybe even Stryker2 can reach the critical mass he needs to be worth taking in a pair. Obviously Storm Division gave Haley2 a buff as well.

There is another powerhouse on the horizon though: Heavy Metal. The rules have been released and Swans around the world are list dojoing left, right and center. I think this theme will enable Stryker1 even more. It also looks very, very interesting for Kraye (!), Darius and even Sloan as well. Haley2 can probably make something work (as per usual) with that amount of free points too.

On top of all the enabled casters in theme Haley3 isn't exactly out of the picture. Taking all of these casters combined show a surprising amount of casters which I all consider to be possibly strong enough to warrant a spot in the pairing (especially if you are running 3 lists): Haley2, Haley3, Nemo3, Stryker1, Maddox, Kraye, Stryker2, Darius, Sloan. 9 competitively viable casters and people complain Cygnar is boring? Let's take a closer look at them!

I have to start with my beloved caster, Haley2. She's easily my favourite to play. So many angles, so many decisions to make, so much power, so incredibly rewarding when you pull off a complex game plan. In the current meta with lots and lots of lists getting lots and lots of free points I think Haley2 has to play in theme to not simply be overwhelmed. Consider the fact that Stryker1 in Heavy Metal can play at 122 points for a normal 75-point list. Haley outside of theme gets 100 points so she's playing 22 points down. That is quite frankly massive. Both Storm Division and Heavy Metal look promising for Haley2 though, the former basically already being a proven approach. Let us look at two sample lists:

(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]

THEME: Heavy Metal Major Victoria Haley - WJ: +25
- Squire - PC: 0
- Charger - PC: 9
- Charger - PC: 9
- Ironclad - PC: 12
- Stormwall - PC: 39 (Battlegroup Points Used: 25)
- Lightning Pod
- Thorn - PC: 13
Captain Arlan Strangewayes - PC: 0
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 0
- Charger - PC: 9
Lieutenant Allison Jakes - PC: 0
- Charger - PC: 9

The first list here builds itself and virtually every Cygnar player's made it. Swapping out the 'wall for heavies is an alternative approach. The heavy metal variant is just to showcase how much pew-pew Haley2 can get with all those free points. As to whether it's viable or not I honestly don't know. A lot of the lists I present in this post are untested. Haley2 looks to be in a really good spot right now. I love it!

Haley3 is a difficult caster to build lists with now I find. I have yet to find builds I like with her in either of the themes. Trenchers and Grenadiers are just so big for her. The lack of threat range extenders, a time-walk feat and board manipulation combine to make her really, really want the clouds in my experience. However Legion's always felt playable even without so I don't know. I guess I can see it being worth it to try her out in themes. For now though I'm still a fan of the good ol' vanilla Haley3 list:

(Haley 3) Major Prime Victoria Haley [+25], Bunker
- Grenadier [9]
- Grenadier [9]
- Thorn [13]
- Defender [16]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Journeyman Warcaster [4]
- Charger [9]
Ragman [4]

The Defender has proven to be a very valuable piece. I sorely want the GMCA in this list but I quite frankly cannot seem to find the points. Haley3's biggest problem right now in my opinion is her inability to solve the meta problems better than our other available casters.

My new, favourite toy. Nemo3 is an incredibly strong caster. He has a lot of very, very, very good matchups and he has game into a lot more. In my Masters D heat at SmogCon I dropped him in 3 out of the 4 games I played and that doesn't feel like a coincidence: He solves so many issues. It's a combination of his ability to spread out, the durability of the list and the insane damage output on feat turn. I think Nemo3 prefers Storm Division but I can see him possibly thriving in Heavy Metal as well. For the sample list I'll just include the former to make this already long piece a bit shorter:

Theme: Storm Division
(Nemo 3) Artificer General Nemo [+25], Bunker
- Storm Chaser Adept Caitlin Finch
- Squire [0]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Dynamo [18]
- Lancer [10]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Firefly [8]

Since I first wrote this list it has not changed and there's a reason for that: It feels optimal. I would not change a thing. Every piece fills a role and I miss nothing.

The name of this guy's feat says it all: Invincibility! Patrick Dunford recently dominated SmogCon with this guy, not dropping a single game all weekend. Stryker1 is an incredibly powerful caster. The bonus points from the themes provide him with the critical mass to make him competitively viable. His amazing support spells come into their own with multiple big targets. I believe Stryker1 will see play in both Storm Division and Heavy Metal and the lists are different enough to warrant two samples here:

[Theme] Storm Division
(Stryker 1) Commander Coleman Stryker [+30]
- Charger [9]
- Stormwall [39]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Charger [9]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]

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

The former variant is currently the most popular, versatile and proven. Granted some prefer a Firefly but that's not exactly a big deal. I personally prefer a second Charger for the inevitable Lance Wars™ in a Stryker1 mirror. The Heavy Metal theme is incredibly durable with tons of shooting. The sheer melee presence of 2 (!) Stormwalls is also a thing.

Maddox feels like Stryker's younger sister. She trades his durability for sheer aggression. One of Stryker's problems could be to deal with other arm-skew variants, e.g. Amon and Harkevich. Maddox' feat however feels almost tailor-made for matchups like this. Having seen Stryker1 in play I doubt Maddox can outshine him but she's definitely an interesting caster right now! I don't see her playing anything else than Storm Division, like Stryker3 her spell list favours troops over jacks.

Cygnar Army - 74 / 75 points
Theme: Storm Division
(Maddox 1) Major Beth Maddox [+30]
- Firefly [8]
- Charger [9]
- Brickhouse [18]
- Squire [0]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Stormblade Infantry [10]
- Stormblade Infantry Storm Gunner (1) [2]
- Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard [0]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Charger [9]

Fairly cookie-cutter! Note that unlike Stryker1, Maddox gets the third free solo. Stryker1 really wants a 'wall and that pretty much prevents going to 60 points for 3 free options.

Woaah, where did that guy come from? Am I high? Let's look at the sample list first and I'll try and explain myself later.

THEME: Heavy Metal Captain Jeremiah Kraye - WJ: +30
- Squire - PC: 0
- Charger - PC: 9
- Charger - PC: 9
- Stormwall - PC: 39 (Battlegroup Points Used: 30)
- Lightning Pod
- Ironclad - PC: 12
- Centurion - PC: 17
Captain Arlan Strangewayes - PC: 0
Journeyman Warcaster - PC: 0
- Charger - PC: 9
Lieutenant Allison Jakes - PC: 0
- Charger - PC: 9

To understand this list, consider Haley2. Haley2, for all her power, comes with a tax. That tax is Thorn, and a somewhat lower Warjack points value than e.g. Kraye. How is Thorn a tax you say, he's the most broken and tableflip-incurring model in the game? Sure, Thorn is strong. No argument there. However sometimes Thorn isn't what you necessarily want or need. Sometimes you want shooting and/or sheer power. Thorn is neither. Thorn is a 13-point utility and support piece. When he's amazing, he's amazing. However the list above shows that we can effectively trade Thorn for a Centurion. That's a repositioning Centurion. Kraye lost a lot from Mk. 2, but Field Marshal Reposition 5" is positively one of the best field marshal abilities in the game. On top of that the heavy/light jacks all gain cavalry! Like the Haley2 list in Heavy Metal this list tries to create a catch22: It shoots very hard but has significant melee presence as well. How do you deal with it? The Cavalry rule and Kraye's feat ensure that the jacks are very dangerous. Impact hits -and- boosted charge attack roll? Too sad it doesn't apply to the Stormwall as well. How about the Centurion charging for free, killing its target, imprinting and then repositioning out? I'm not saying this list is better than the Haley2 variant, but I think it's interesting enough to talk about. If nothing else than to show how these theme forces have enabled versatility for Cygnar. I think this is the closest Kraye has been to be a legit caster, ever.

Lord Commander Stryker, aka Stryker2, is a caster I've long received critiscism for not believing in. I'm still not sold on him but that could have to do with how I don't like the way he plays. In any case I'm giving him the benefit of doubt by including him here.

[Theme] Storm Division
(Stryker 2) Lord Commander Stryker [+28]
 - Lancer [10]
 - Stormclad [18]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
 - Hunter [11]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]
Stormblade Captain [0]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Stormblade Infantry [10]
 - Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard [0]
 - Stormblade Infantry Storm Gunner (3) [6]

It's reminiscent of Maddox. Stryker's personal presence is on another level and his feat is different. Positive charge is an amazing spell and Rebuke can be a very useful tool so he's same-same but different, if that makes sense to you! 

Darius tries to do the same as Stryker1, largely: Skew arm and skew it hard. Due to his unique "innate TK's younger brother" place ability and Refuge, this guy can make a Stormclad pretty legit though. A Stormclad yoyo-ing around the table with two colossals on the field as well? Sounds interesting!

[Theme] Heavy Metal
(Darius 1) Captain E. Dominic Darius [+29]
 - Halfjack
 - Stormwall [39]
 - Stormwall [39]
 - Squire [0]
Lieutenant Allison Jakes [0]
 - Stormclad [18]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
 - Firefly [8]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]

Stormclad's base threat is 10". In an optimal world this list brings it to 14", possibly with Refuge to bring it back at the end of the activation. Darius is our most tanky caster. His feat is different from Stryker and probably harder to get right since reactionary feats suffer from hard alphas. As with Kraye though I believe this is the closest Darius has ever been to being competitively valuable. Unlike Stryker he has some amazing offensive capabilities for the Stormwalls (yeah, yeah, Earthquake I know). 

We've come to the end of the list and an old favourite-caster-to-hate-when-you-are-on-the-receiving-end makes an appearance. I tried for ages to build Sloan with a Stormwall but the points simply were not there. Guess what! Heavy Metal provides the points I so sorely missed. Giving up Reinholdt and Rangers isn't exactly optimal, but just look at this: 

[Theme] Heavy Metal
(Sloan 1) Captain Kara Sloan [+28]
 - Hunter [11]
 - Hunter [11]
 - Hunter [11]
 - Hunter [11]
 - Hunter [11]
 - Stormwall [39]
 - Squire [0]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
 - Charger [9]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]
Archduke Alain Runewood, Lord of Fharin [0]

5 Hunters and a Stormwall. That's some legitimate shooting! I'm not sure Sloan is a good fit for the meta right now but this is a build which looks pretty terrifying to face for more than a few. 

I hope this piece has given you a few thoughts about what Cygnar can do now and close so many of our casters are. There are probably more builds there which I have not thought about. Even Blaize (!) looks semi-interesting in Storm Division. Tons of Storm Blades for souls and 10 Lances with Crusader's Call for 15" charge threat? Gallant with Transference if you kill said Lances? 

The way I see it the Cygnar competitive choices are all over the place now. Personally I'll give Stryker1 Heavy Metal and Nemo3 Storm Division a run. You heard me, not a single Haley! I encourage you all to go out there and test stuff out. It's an amazing time to be a Cygnar player. If you have a caster you really love which isn't on this list I'll be happy to list dojo with you and toss ideas back and forth! 

Thoughts On The Current Meta

:: Introduction ::

I've made a couple of posts like this earlier and I intend to make this semi-regularly. With all the theme forces and new releases it's time for an update. My last "thoughts on the meta" post is from December and you can find it here.

While the theme forces are still fresh and not every gem has been found, the meta has shifted significantly, hence my inspiration for writing this blog post. There are more releases to come and we don't yet know how they'll impact the various factions. As always the meta is ever-changing, which is part of the reason why this game is so exciting!

Keep in mind that this is from a competitive point of view, obviously my opinion and compressed for the sake of my own sanity. Listing all permutations would take forever and provide little value, therefore I've deliberately omitted a couple of lists here and there.

:: Faction Ranking ::

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

Since last time Circle's lost their top spot. The emergence of various theme forces have made many factions more capable of better handling Wurmwood. Also, the Una2 nerf obviously hit hard. Mercenaries are part of the upper echelon because they have an amazingly strong list in Ossrum, Thexus is also catching up with people and Kingmaker's is still a thing. Khador have some amazingly strong builds in Harkevich and Vlad1, supported by a plethora of casters right behind them.

Legion jumped up a spot. Multiple legit releases, better equipped to handle the meta and an interesting theme list. I have also seen them win events since last time, ranging from small, local tournaments to CaptainCon. Skorne also look really solid now. The reason I consider these two below the top dogs is that they seem to have some glaring weaknesses, especially among the top dogs. The recent nerfs to Circle and Protectorate mean they also fall a bit behind with profound weaknesses among the top factions.

The next tier sees factions that have some-what fallen a bit behind. Cryx struggle with multiple other factions. Cygnar for example. Convergence have gotten better, they received an amazing theme force, but they still have big, big holes in their matchups. Retribution seem to just struggle more and more as the meta shifts away from their strengths. They can conceivably build lists to counter most things decently, but not all at once. Far from it. 

Lastly we have Trollbloods and Minions at the bottom. In my experience they just struggle with just about everything and it takes player skill to compensate for this. Rask used to push Minions up so much. However with the errata removing his throw-shenanigans -and- the meta preparing to fight stuff like Harkevich/Karchev ARM-skew and Amon in theme, I don't think his multi-heavy approach is viable any longer. This hurts Minions a lot. I seriously hope PP have some plans to buff the weaker factions in the game right now, the biggest issue as I see isn't that the strongest ones are too far ahead, it's that too many fall too far behind. I consider the balance among the top factions to be a lot better than among the bottom factions, hence this viewpoint.

Time for the sample lists!

:: Cygnar ::

(Haley2) Major Victoria Haley [+25], Storm Division,
- Thorn [13]
- Stormwall [39]
- Squire [0]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Firefly [8]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]

(Stryker 1) [Theme] Storm Division Commander Coleman Stryker [+30]

- Charger [9]
- Stormwall [39]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Charger [9]
Captain Arlan Strangewayes [0]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]

(Nemo3) Theme: Storm Division, Artificer General Nemo [+25]
- Storm Chaser Adept Caitlin Finch
- Squire [0]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Dynamo [18]
- Lancer [10]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Firefly [8]

I view Nemo3 as possibly one of our best casters now. Both he and Haley2 gained a lot from Storm Division, which in my opinion enable a lot more matchups. Stryker1 is a very, very legit caster now as well. I believe he can play both in Storm Division and Heavy Metal. Maddox looks interesting and even casters like Sloan and Darius can build some very interesting lists in Heavy Metal. Haley3 is still a strong caster but in my opinion she doesn't solve the current meta problems particularly well. 

:: Mercenaries ::

(Ossrum) General Ossrum [+28]
 - Grundback Gunner [6]
 - Grundback Gunner [6]
 - Grundback Gunner [6]
 - Grundback Gunner [6]
 - Grundback Gunner [6]
 - Grundback Gunner [6]
 - Grundback Blaster [6]
 - Grundback Blaster [6]
 - Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator [4]
Horgenhold Forge Guard (max) [16]
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt [8]
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios [7]
Anastasia di Bray [3]
Kell Bailoch [5]
Horgenhold Artillery Corps [6]
Horgenhold Artillery Corps [6]

(Damiano) Captain Damiano [+28]

Theme: The Kingmaker's Army

 - 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]

Kell Bailoch [0]

Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger [4]

(Thexus) Theme: Operating Theater, Exulon Thexus - WJ: +29
- Wrecker - PC: 14 (Battlegroup Points Used: 14)
- Warden - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 10)
- Warden - PC: 10 (Battlegroup Points Used: 5)
- Warden - PC: 10
Cephalyx Agitator - PC: 3
Cephalyx Agitator - PC: 3
Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges - Mind Bender & 9 Drudge Grunts: 11
Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges - Mind Bender & 9 Drudge Grunts: 11
Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges - Mind Bender & 9 Drudge Grunts: 11
Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudges - Slaver & 9 Drudge Grunts: 12
Cephalyx Overlords - Leader & 2 Grunts: 0
Cephalyx Dominator - PC: 1
- Lady Aiyana & Master Holt - Lady Aiyana & Master Holt: 8

Ossrum typically runs around with a couple of blasters now, to better handle anything from birds to Haley3. Apart from that not much has changed. Some people prefer heavies over Forge Guard with him. It's a matter of choice I guess, I don't know mercs well enough to say how it affects their matchups. Thexus is back in business. I've long thought of him as underrated and wondered why more people don't play him. Now he's beginning to see more action. Damiano is still very popular as well. What I've come to expect of Mercs is Ossrum with either of the two latter. 

:: Khador ::

(Vlad1) Theme: Winter Guard Kommand, Vladimir Tzepesci, The Dark Prince - WJ: +28
- 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

(Harkevich) Theme: Winter Guard Kommand, Kommander Harkevich, The Iron Wolf - WJ: +28
- Kodiak - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 13)
- Kodiak - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 13)
- Kodiak - PC: 13 (Battlegroup Points Used: 2)
- Juggernaut - PC: 12
- Juggernaut - PC: 12
- Marauder - PC: 10
- Marauder - PC: 10
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich - PC: 4
Winter Guard Infantry - Leader & 9 Grunts: 10
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Rocketeer - PC: 2
- Winter Guard Infantry Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard: 0

Vlad1 gets a crazy combination of shooting and melee in theme, together with advanced move. Tons of benefits. He does give up Ruin, Reinholdt and Orin, but he gains so much. Harkevich is a great toolbox and probably Khador's strongest caster right now. In addition to these two I see Sorscha1, Butcher1 and Irusk2 to an extent. The thing about Khador is that they are overall very strong and they seem to be able to simply swap casters at a whim depending on where the "meta winds" are blowing.

:: Circle ::

(Wurmwood 1) Wurmwood, Tree of Fate [+27]
- Cassius the Oathkeeper
- Feral Warpwolf [18]
- Loki [19]
- Pureblood Warpwolf [17]
- Warpwolf Stalker [19]
Sentry Stone & Mannikins [5]
Sentry Stone & Mannikins [5]
Shifting Stones [3]
Farrow Bone Grinders (min) [5]
Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers [11]

[Theme] The Wild Hunt
(Krueger 2) Krueger the Stormlord [+27]
- Feral Warpwolf [18]
- Pureblood Warpwolf [17]
- Woldwyrd [9]
- Woldwyrd [9]
Reeves of Orboros (max) [16]
Reeves of Orboros (max) [16]
Wolves of Orboros (max) [11]
- Wolves of Orboros Chieftain & Standard [0]
War Wolf [0]
War Wolf [2]
War Wolf [2]
Gallows Grove [2]

Circle has taken a bit of a turn lately. The nerf to Una2 is obviously huge. Is she still playable though? I don't know. Wurmwood seems like he suffers from sort of the same as Haley3: Inherently strong but doesn't really fit the meta. I still believe he is a top caster for Circle though and believe we should still expect to see him. Krueger2 is finally starting to see more play. He is a hard counter to Cygnar's Storm Division and I have long thought of him as underrated. His spell list is really good and he does a lot for Circle models. In addition to these I see anything from Morvahna2 to Baldur2 being played. Circle is still a little up in the air following the angry birds nerf. The lists above can possibly be improved upon (the Wurmwood list is just a rough draft of a variant better suited to take on heavy opponents), but they should still provide a good idea of what to expect I believe. 

:: Protectorate ::

(Amon 1) Theme: The Creator's Might, High Allegiant Amon Ad-Raza [+29]

- Dervish [7]
- Dervish [7]
- Dervish [7]
- Dervish [7]
- Devout [9]
- Templar [15]
- Crusader [10]
- Crusader [10]
- Crusader [10]
- Crusader [10]
- Hierophant [0]
Choir of Menoth (min) [4]
Choir of Menoth (min) [4]
The Covenant of Menoth [0]
Vassal of Menoth [0]
Vassal Mechanik [1]
Vassal Mechanik [1]
Wrack [1]
Wrack [1]

The HR nerf took down Protectorate's best caster a few notches. I'm not sure where he landed, but Amon stands out as the auto-include choice now in my opinion. I've played the list above and seen it in action multiple times. It's really, really scary. I believe Severius2, High Reclaimer or Feora3 will be the most likely candidates to pair with him. Early days yet!

:: Legion ::

(Lylyth3) Lylyth, Reckoning of Everblight [+29]
 - Naga Nightlurker [8]
 - Nephilim Bolt Thrower [11]
 - Succubus [4]
 - Typhon [24]
 - Carnivean [19]
 - Seraph [14]
Strider Scouts [9]
 - Strider Scout Officer & Musician [4]
Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]
Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]
The Forsaken [4]
Ogrun Bokur [5]

(Vayl2) Vayl, Consul of Everblight [+28]

 - Nephilim Bolt Thrower [11]

 - Seraph [14]

 - Typhon [24]

 - Raek [8]

 - Raek [8]

Blighted Nyss Raptors (max) [18]

Hellmouth [6]

Blackfrost Shard [9]

Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]

The Forsaken [4]

(Absylonia2) 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
-    Carnivean - PC: 19
-    Carnivean - PC: 19
Spell Martyr - PC: 1
Spell Martyr - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
Blighted Nyss Shepherd - PC: 1
The Forsaken - PC: 4


In addition to these casters I see a lot of Fyanna2. She seems super strong. Thagrosh1 also feels legit. I hope to have a Fyanna list for the next iteration of the meta post!

:: Skorne ::

(Makeda 1) Archdomina Makeda [+29]
- Molik Karn [19]
- Titan Gladiator [15]
Legends of Halaak [8]
Praetorian Ferox (max) [20]
Tyrant Rhadeim [9]
Mortitheurge Willbreaker [4]
Wrong Eye [17]
- Snapjaw
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [5]
Paingiver Beast Handlers (min) [5]
Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew [2]

I don't really know where Skorne has landed yet, or indeed if they have landed at all. I do know for a fact that Makeda1 feels extremely legit though. I hope that for my next iteration of the "meta post" I'll have more thoughts on this faction!

:: Retribution ::

(Issyria) Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn [+29]
 - Hyperion [36]
 - Phoenix [18]
Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber [4]
 - Discordia [18]
Arcanist Mechanik [2]
Arcanist Mechanik [2]
Dawnguard Invictors (max) [16]
 - Dawnguard Invictor Officer & Standard [4]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [4]

(Kaelyssa) Kaelyssa, the Night's Whisper [+29]

 - Hyperion [36]

Elara, Tyro of the Third Chamber [4]

 - Discordia [18]

Arcanist Mechanik [2]

Dawnguard Sentinels (max) [18]

 - Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard [4]

Dawnguard Sentinels (max) [18]

 - Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard [4]

(Vyros2) Vyros, Incissar of the Dawnguard [+27]

 - Imperatus [22]

 - Griffon [8]

 - Griffon [8]

 - Griffon [8]

 - Griffon [8]

 - Griffon [8]

 - Griffon [8]

Dawnguard Sentinels (max) [18]

 - Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard [4]

Arcanist Mechanik [2]

Arcanist Mechanik [2]

Arcanist Mechanik [2]

Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [4]

Rahn and Helynna seem to be quite popular as well, though meta-dependent. Kaelyssa variants with more shooting and Issyria variants with more melee exist as well. Vyros2 is fairly popular in theme with all-jacks as well. 

:: Cryx ::

(Deneghra1) Warwitch Deneghra [+28]
 - Nightwretch [7]
 - Nightwretch [7]
 - Barathrum [15]
Satyxis Raiders (max) [16]
 - Satyxis Raider Sea Witch [3]
Satyxis Gunslingers [7]
Satyxis Gunslingers [7]
Pistol Wraith [5]
Wrong Eye [17]
 - Snapjaw
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (max) [19]

(Coven) The Witch Coven of Garlghast [+26]

 - Egregore

 - Barathrum [15]

 - Deathjack [23]

 - Deathripper [6]

 - Skarlock Thrall [4]

Satyxis Raiders (max) [16]

 - Satyxis Raider Sea Witch [3]

Soulhunters (min) [11]

Soulhunters (min) [11]

Bane Warriors (min) [10]

Machine Wraith [2]

Coven and Deneghra1 make a pretty decent pair. Skarre1 is also a commonly seen Cryx caster. Cryx are somewhat rigid and their powerful builds are limited both in terms of caster and unit/warjack choices. This is their main weakness but they sort of make up for it by having a surprising amount of playable matchups against the top dogs. 

:: Convergence ::

(Lucant) 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) 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

Lucant is also very popular with heavy spam, leaving the Prime Axiom at home. With his new-found buff back to good old Deceleration I expect him to become a stronger caster by far. Axis is also somewhat popular still.

:: Minions ::

(Rask) 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

Unfortunately I'm still lacking experience vs Minions. Arkadius, Carver and possibly Midas in Thornfall Alliance look interesting.

:: Trollbloods ::

[Theme] Band of Heroes
(Madrak 2) Madrak Ironhide, World Ender [+28]
- Dire Troll Mauler [15]
- Troll Axer [10]
- Troll Bouncer [9]
Trollkin Fennblades (max) [15]
- Fennblade Officer and Drummer [5]
Trollkin Fennblades (max) [15]
- Fennblade Officer and Drummer [5]
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (min) [6]
- Stone Scribe Elder [3]
Stone Scribe Chronicler [4]
Fell Caller Hero [5]
Kriel Warriors (max) [11]

(Ragnor 1) Ragnor Skysplitter, The Runemaster [+30]
 - Mulg the Ancient [19]
 - Dire Troll Mauler [15]
 - Troll Bouncer [9]
 - Troll Bouncer [9]
 - Troll Axer [10]
 - Pyre Troll [9]
 - Trollkin Runebearer [4]
Northkin Fire Eaters [7]
Northkin Fire Eaters [7]
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (max) [9]
 - Stone Scribe Elder [3]
Feralgeist [2]
Feralgeist [2]

I don't know Trollbloods too well but this seems to be the two most popular ones. Doomie3, Horgle2 and Grim1 also look interesting. 

Keep in mind that this post is meant to be an overview, showing vanilla armies where possible. I've tried my best to select lists from tournament participation, preferably successful ones. If you have any input, please leave a reply in the comments below!

SmogCon: Iron Arena #2 (#432): Stryker1 vs Krueger2

:: Prologue ::

We have come to the very last game of SmogCon. Fear not however, it was also one of the most interesting ones. I dare say it was the best game I had all weekend. There is a lot of talk about the Storm Division theme, but have you seen what some of our casters can do in Heavy Metal?! I was fortunate enough to yet again borrow some models to test out a Stryker1 list I'd been drooling over. My opponent? Krueger2 with tons of anti-spell stuff...

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

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

Opponent:

[Theme] The Wild Hunt
(Krueger 2) Krueger the Stormlord [+27]
 - Feral Warpwolf [18]
 - Pureblood Warpwolf [17]
 - Woldwyrd [9]
 - Woldwyrd [9]
Reeves of Orboros (max) [16]
Reeves of Orboros (max) [16]
Wolves of Orboros (max) [11]
 - Wolves of Orboros Chieftain & Standard [0]
War Wolf [0]
War Wolf [2]
War Wolf [2]
Gallows Grove [2]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

We were playing Extraction and I got first turn. The idea was quite simply to let Snipe work for me here and save my feat for as long as possible. I wanted Chargers on both flanks since the middle would get crowded. 

:: Game ::

Stuff runs up. I put up Snipe on the yellow 'wall.

Krueger decides to feat. This catches both 'walls and 2 Chargers. Had he not feated I would've had so many aggressive options top of 2.

The Feral is exposed. I figure that if I can put some serious hurt onto that beast with shooting, Krueger will be forced to make a play. The idea is to back off, shoot a ton and then save my feat. The thing is that since I have to cycle Snipe to make this happen my blue/black Stormwall will be left with an upkeep on it, but no arm bonuses. I figure that Circle would rather go for the yellow 'wall since it's in a less awkward spot so I decide to cast Arcane Shield on it after the Snipe-cycling to at least force a bit of a decision for Krueger with regards to how he spends his fury.

The Feral takes a horrible beating from the POW15s hitting him. The covering fires also provide me with some sort of area denial.

Krueger goes all in! It's about the yellow Stormwall and he can get both Wyrds, Reeves and a War Wolf into it... All with Wraithbane! The math for this is scary, but dice aren't completely agreeing with my opponent so luckily for me the Stormwall survives on 10-ish boxes. The Reeves on the left remove both weapon systems from Jakes' Charger. No points are scored. Wolves Ambush.

I gotta feat but I feel I still cannot risk my backlines. therefore I absolutely have to deal with Wolves. My solos and Stryker himself get some initial work done but the sheer volume dictates a 'wall. The yellow 'wall gets repaired by Arlan and kills the Feral with shooting. No upkeeps are online now, so no purgation.

The yellow 'wall is again the target for Circle but ARM24 is a thing and it's good to go still. So much work, so much tank! Yellow 'wall is unfortunately outside of 4" of the flag (my bad) so Krueger goes to 2-0.

I clear out tons of Reeves and a Wyrd.

The 'wall has to die. A Wyrd and the Pureblood get it done. 3-0 for Krueger2.

Unfortunately for my opponent attrition is running too fast and I kill the last Wyrd. I also move to 1 CP here on the left flag. Krueger cannot contest it in his own turn so that's 2CP. The Pureblood tries to kill the Stormwall but it's not in contest range of the right flag. In my very last turn then I simply score both flags with Chargers and have the 'wall kill the objective for a 5-3 win.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

What a way to end the weekend! A super-exciting game with a very promising and interesting list. I think the Krueger1 list I met is a serious, serious problem for many of the Cygnar lists in play these days. Heavy Metal brings something quite different to the table than Lance spam though. I must admit: I quite like it! Looking towards casters like Kraye, Darius, Stryker1, Sloan and even Haley2 there are so, so many options here.

In this game I probably got too greedy. The 'wall is actually in real risk of dying with an upkeep on it, even if it's arcane shield. The wyrds make upkeeps a hazardous affair, yet at the same time Snipe is needed to get work done because of Windstorm. Perhaps the answer is to prioritize the Chargers for Snipe? I'll be sure to test this list out more in the time to come.

SmogCon was a great event. I'm really glad I went and I had an amazing time. Results weren't quite what I had hoped they would be. The Dice Gods Giveth And The Dice Gods Taketh Away! A special thanks to Daniel and Patrick for borrowing me a ton of models I could and should have brought myself. A huge thanks to Richard for bringing an army tray for me, a real life saver! Lastly a thanks to everyone I played with, talked to, drank with and had fun with throughout the weekend. I hope to see you around!

SmogCon: Iron Arena #1 (#431): Stryker1 vs Hexeris2

:: Prologue ::

The last day of SmogCon was here and I was in the Iron Arena looking to practice Stryker1. My first game saw me find a Skorne opponent with Hexeris2. Awesome, another caster I have too little experience against!

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

[Theme] Storm Division
(Stryker 1) Commander Coleman Stryker [+30]
 - Charger [9]
 - Stormwall [39]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
 - Charger [9]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]

Opponent:

(Hexeris 2) Lord Arbiter Hexeris [+27]
 - Archidon [10]
 - Titan Gladiator [15]
 - Titan Cannoneer [17]
 - Titan Cannoneer [17]
 - Cyclops Shaman [8]
Cataphract Cetrati (max) [18]
Cataphract Arcuarii (max) [17]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

We were playing Incursion and I went first. I simply ran my things up. Stryker put up Blur on himself, Arcane on Lances and Snipe on 'wall. 

:: Game ::

Arcuarii on the left move up far. Cetrati on the right go in Shield Wall.

I go for the Arcuarii on the left with the Lances. Junior's Charger helps out. The Stormwall and the remaining Charger pump shots into a heavy in the middle. Lances on the right shuffle.

It turns out Hexeris2 is a mini-version of Vayl2. Who knew?! The Archidon runs up and Hexeris tries a boosted Black Spot on a Stryker camping 0. Luckily the 12+ fails to connect and my opponent abandons his run.

See, this is exactly why I always seek out new matchups. It's so important to know these things and I'll remember this for a long time. However after the failed Black Spot this becomes more or less a clean-up for me: I kill the bird and feat while the Lances and shooting take a devastating toll and a 1-0 scenario lead. From here on out Skorne doesn't really put up a fight.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

There's not that much to say about this game I think: I need more experience against Skorne! Hexeris2 doesn't look that impressive on paper but he has some very interesting angles in-game. Skorne got a ton of buffs recently, well deserved, but their medium infantry is still far behind in my opinion.

SmogCon: Masters D #4 (#430): Nemo3 vs Lylyth3

:: Prologue ::

I was hoping to face a faction which would allow me to drop Haley2 for the 4th game so as to not be list-locked in my very last game. Legion however is not a Haley2 game in my experience. Far from it. I decided to go with Nemo3 and just take whatever in the last game because I can hardly imagine more tricky matchups for Haley2 than Lylyth3. Mateusz, my opponent, had travelled from Poland and was more than happy to drop Lylyth3 into Cygnar.

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Theme: Storm Division
(Nemo 3) Artificer General Nemo [+25], Bunker
- Storm Chaser Adept Caitlin Finch
- Squire [0]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Dynamo [18]
- Lancer [10]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Firefly [8]

Opponent:

(Lylyth 3) Lylyth, Reckoning of Everblight [+29]
 - Carnivean [19]
 - Naga Nightlurker [8]
 - Nephilim Bolt Thrower [11]
 - Seraph [14]
 - Typhon [24]
 - Succubus [4]
Strider Deathstalker [4]
The Forsaken [4]
Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]
Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]
Strider Scouts [9]
 - Strider Scout Officer & Musician [4]
Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

The scenario was Take and Hold. Terrain was terrible. I won the dice-off and at least got to go first. With no-where to hide though this would be a very aggressive game.

:: Game ::

I spread out the Lances and run stuff up. I am hoping I'll be able to skew Lylyth over to the right.

The right Lances received Electrify. Lylyth however got greedy and wanted a kill. She spent her entire fury stack killing off a single model and casting Windwall + Battle Host.

Looking at the picture above I think Lylyth is about as good as dead. She has 0 fury. That is completely crazy against Nemo3. Furthermore the Carnivean has put up its Animus -and- Lylyth is the closest model to it. This means I can hopefully leap off of it without killing it. The only downside is that I cannot get a Firefly within Ionization range of Lylyth. I run the numbers in Odds Machine:

I pretty much gotta take that shot. The only downside is that one of my Fireflies is outside of 16" of the Carnivean (its shot was not included in the calculation above). I was just sure I'd be able to get something else within 4" of it when the time came. Out of habit I upkept Magnetic Field and ditched Electrify. What I realized into my run was that getting a model within 4" of the Carnivean was actually very, very difficult. I had to run the Lance on the right flank, but he was engaged by the Deathstalker. Deathstalkers aren't known for being particularly strong in melee but this guy knew what the stakes were and managed to kill the Lance, just barely. As I'm sure you've probably guessed by now the assassination run failed. Dice simply did not co-operate. Had I upkept Electrify instead of Magnetic Field the last Firefly would've gotten its shot off. I rolled the dice for it and Lylyth would've died.

Sadly, a Loss to the Swans

:: Evaluation ::

Failing an 86% assassination run feels bad. It's a game of dice though and it swings both ways. I have survived similar runs myself from time to time. At least this time there was something else I could've done to up the chance even more. I failed to do so. When going for an assassination run like this it's important to consider absolutely everything. Unfortunately I missed the last piece of the puzzle this time around and Mateusz took home the win.

I dropped out of the tournament after this loss. My only goal was to qualify for the Masters top 8 on Sunday. I felt I came pretty close both in Masters A and Masters D, but this time it was not to be. I played 2 more games at SmogCon but they were both outside of tournaments, in the Iron Arena. 

SmogCon: Masters D #3 (#429): Nemo3 vs Montador

:: Prologue ::

The third game of the day saw me paired up against Amund, a club mate playing Mercs. He had Montador, Thexus and Ossrum if memory serves so I dropped Nemo3. In return he played Montador, something I absolutely did not expect. Ossrum's super legit into Cygnar in my experience and the scenario was The Pit, definitely one of his better options. In any case my opponent wanted to rid himself off the list lock and later told me he had some secret tech ready for me...

:: Lists ::

Cygnar:

Theme: Storm Division
(Nemo 3) Artificer General Nemo [+25], Bunker
- Storm Chaser Adept Caitlin Finch
- Squire [0]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Firefly [8]
- Dynamo [18]
- Lancer [10]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Major Katherine Laddermore [8]
Journeyman Warcaster [0]
- Firefly [8]

Opponent:

[Theme] The Kingmaker's Army
(Montador 1) Captain Bartolo Montador [+26]
 - Galleon [39]
 - Nomad [11]
 - Nomad [11]
 - Nomad [11]
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [0]
Trencher Infantry (min) [10]
 - Trencher Infantry Officer & Sniper [5]
Rangers [9]
Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger [4]

:: Pre-Battle Thoughts & Deployment ::

I win the roll-off and go first. The idea is to take as much space as possible and either launch a devastating alpha top of 2 or 3.

:: Game ::

Electrify on Dynamo, Shield on big Lances. I keep stuff out of Trencher CRA ranges.

Amund goes all in, running the Galleon up as far as possible. The Trenchers spread out with 4.1" in-between.

I feat and go for the Galleon. Dynamo rolls somewhat poorly. The follow-up gets gradually better but it actually comes down to my last attack to kill it off: An assaulting Lance takes it down. ARM22 is a thing when I don't get any melee attacks. I clear out some infantry dudes as well and Montador nearly dies from leaps.

Amund tells me he wanted to try and shoot Nemo to death with the Galleon. With Montador providing an upkeep which grants boosted ranged damage rolls he has a ton of shots to potentially connect with, even scatters can become dangerous. I didn't really consider that but I certainly will in the future! He now feats in return and takes out a couple of models with the Nomads going in.

I clear space on the left, spread out the Lances and conserve my forces as much as I can. One Firefly contests and Nemo runs. 1-1.

The Nomads wade in but MAT6 is unforgiving. In my ensuing turn I counter-attack hard and the game is essentially over.

Victory to the Swans!

:: Evaluation ::

Amund's bunnies don't have heavies but rather Forge Guard so I can see that not being the best idea into Nemo3 necessarily. Playing out Montador was an interesting gamble but ultimately one which I think is worse. That being said though I can see the point in trying to make something happen, indeed this is exactly what I had hoped to do the day before with my dropping Haley3 into Stryker1.

Going for the Galleon is the right play, but I should not have had Nemo on the hill whilst doing so. I could easily have blocked LoS to him. Sometimes sheer matchup inexperience doesn't make you consider the angles, but truly having him on the hill for everyone to see wasn't a smart idea regardless.