A couple weeks ago I ran my store’s
third week warmachine narrative campaign.
One of my friends came off a three-year hiatus to play Cygnar. Much was learned—painfully in some cases.
My list or going full defense:
· Koldun Kommander Aleksandra
Zerkova
I do
not tech against specific players. I do
customize my lists to the mission. I
knew I would need to escort a messenger, so I went with the iron wall of shock
troopers and some ranged punch with the decimators. I hoped the Kovnik could speed things up and
act as a backup messenger should Holden fall.
Most of my crew are
very new to MKIII and warmachine in general.
I chose to face my friend’s list so as to get in some quality
teaching. I suspected it would be an
up-hill fight and I was right.
Cheryl’s list, Melee? Where we’re
going we don’t need melee:
(all in
the sons of the tempest theme)
My initial reaction was “Gee, the first
two turns are going to suck but after that I should be in melee.” This was mission 3 in season 1 for crossroads
of courage. I had to Shepard a messenger
around the board till he came within 6 inches of the drop off point…which
Cheryl picked in advance but I did not know about beforehand. The major terrain elements were a large hedge
and wall in my zone slightly behind and to the right of a huge central
forest. Farther back in Cheryl’s zone
was a large hill section.
1.
Cheryl won the role off and chose to go
first. The firefly, gun mages, and
cyclone took the right while the black 13th, Sloan, and the hunter
split left. I refused flank to the right
with my jacks bracketing the shock trooper wall just in front of Zerkova and my
kovnik. I figured that with speed 4, I
was not going to get to much terrain so assassination was my only real option.
2.
Team long shot ran forward after it was determined
that even Sloan could not shoot my list on turn one through a forest, obstacles,
and cover—let alone in my deployment zone—though she came darned close. Zerkova cast ghost walk on the shock troopers
and ran forward. The Kovnik gave
shockies desperate pace and walked around the hedge. The Shockies ran 10 inches straight forward
ignoring the hedge (ghost walk is the nutz!)
Both jacks ran around the hedge.
3.
Sloan cast fire group and guided fire while
moving up to take a shot at one of my jacks.
Cheryl split her fire (am I the only person stunned that gun mages can
get 14 inches on their guns?) The
firefly and hunter got a shock trooper down to 1 box. The damaged decimator blew the gun off the
firefly. The Kovnik gave the man-o-war
desperate pace. The shockies moved
forward in shield wall. Zerkova dropped
some clouds to block off the gun mages line of sight (stupid true sight jacks.)
4.
Cheryl moved up her infantry to support her
forces with the black 13th up front, the cyclone and hunter running
interference, and the gun mages camping out with Sloan on the hill. I lost a shock trooper and took significant
damage to a decimator. I ran everything
forward and popped feat. I pushed as far
forward as I could manage knowing that Fire group put Sloan and the hunter
outside her control range and thus in assassination territory if I was careless.
5.
This is where the game fell apart—what-the-fuck?!?! Fire group means that all those jacks have 2 inches
longer range. Cloud wall is useless
since true sight cuts through it like butta.
If I put Zerkova forward enough to cover her army at maximum range, she
gets assassinated. If I held her back
then everything (even the gun mages can get up to range 14 on their own) can walk
into range of something while holding outside her feat. Sloan popped feat, casts guided fire, and
fire group. With the hunter’s help, she
took down one of the decimators. The
rest of her army unloaded. I ended up
with another trooper dead, one more on one box, my other decimator damaged, and
seriously demoralized. I tried to counter
with an all-out run into combat/a long shot decimator assassination but the
range was not there. I killed what was
left of the firefly but by the end of Cheryl’s next turn I was left with some
of a jack, my Kovnik, Holden (dead once already), and Zerkova. I conceded because Sloan and reasons. Victory to Swans…and Cheryl…and Sloan…frigging
Sloan.
Thoughts:
1.
My challenge with Sloan is not her lethality or
that of her battle group (which is considerable.) A basic two-inch range extension on jacks
that shoot farther than me, more accurately, and come stock with longer base
movement is difficult to counter without dedicated list shenanigans. The hunter has a combined thread of 22 inches
under Sloan (14 gun plus 2 for fire group plus 6-inch base move.) The cyclone (arguably one of Cygnar’s worst
value heavies) makes it up to 19 inches.
Sloan aint just whistling Dixie at 22 inches herself either—and that’s
before we count in refuge. The destroyer
has a maximum threat range of 18 inches including a nice walk. The decimator caps out at a measly 14
inches. Sure, I can buy up to a colossal
or a gun carriage but at a certain point the investment hits diminishing returns. I can’t repel firepower of that range increment.
2.
The gun mages thunder slamming my shock troopers
out of shield wall was…how shall I delicately put this…frigging rude. That extra four-point unit attachment would
have made a big difference. It probably
would not have won me the game but it would have made the shock troopers a legitimate
obstacle—something else to get painted.
3.
I am withholding judgment on the MOW Kovnik. Maybe with something worth advancing my opinion
will change. He did not make much of a
difference in this game but then I cannot think of anything I could have spent
his 5 points on that would have swung the tide.
4.
It feels like Cygnar is objectively better value
than big red. This is not a complaint as
much as a design observation. Sloan’s combination
of tools and and abilities kicks most balanced lists out of the ball park. I have no hill to stand on (I have been
hiding behind my impenetrable cloud wall for most of this season.) It is the difference between Zerkova capping
out at focus 8 instead of 7. One
counters basic shooting. The other locks
down all but the biggest guns and fastest platforms on Z1’s feat turn. Sloan
does exactly what she was intended to do and has a great toolbox to pick
from. By comparison, I feel Zerkova
comes up a little short. I suppose the
grass is always bloodier on the other side.
5.
Lest my bitching give the wrong impression, this
was a great game. I learn best by getting my teeth kicked in and I have not had
to concede a game in three years—ah the sweet pain of knowledge. Warmachine is a game of rock-paper-scissors. My rock got covered by the paper shell casings
of Cheryl’s barrage. You learn to deal
with reality or you rage quit—and I am not a quitter. This is why tournaments allow multiple lists
and specialists.
6.
I honestly do not know what I am going to field
for Sunday’s end of season game. I
really do not like 25 points—just enough room to make you feel like you have
some flexibility but not enough room to really take some options.
My new job limits my writing time
so the next update may take a while. Be assured
I shall chronicle the end of season one as well as my thoughts on several
models/units.
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