Concluding the warmachine journeyman league

Note: This is the final report for my LGS’s 50-point journeyman league.  See previous entries for the dirty details regarding how I got here.

 

              I spent the preceding month reading up on rules and ordering adjustable measuring sticks from:

http://www.productsforwargamers.com/screw_measuring_sticks.html

I hoped that the sticks would cut my turns down since I would not be counting notches on the red plastic any more.  Thanks to JDAntoine for the suggestion.  I was as ready as I was going to be without additional playtime.

              This was the day.  I got to put on my big commandant pants and play a 50-point list.  After the last session, I knew I needed some hitting power.  Malakov running a juggernaut was my answer to Josh’s hope breaker ™ formation.  Two axe wielding robots, one of which would benefit from red line, would deal with just about anything (or so I hoped.)  The angel of retribution was sitting on my unpainted pile.  I figured this was as good a time as any to put her on the table; so, I had my painting guy (he insists on being called a painting goddess after my pet name for my other painter got out) prepare the epic mage hunter and Malakov.  The widowmaker marksman needs no introduction.  He is the bringer of most precise ranged damage, the breaker of cortexes, the bane of tough-guys everywhere.  I figured the sniper boat could disable jacks, beasts, and infantry.  Eiryss is disruption on a stick.  I like her ability to counter magic and spell defense.  Malakov is focus efficiency and threat extension all in one.

 

My list, Kozlov gets some competent help:

·       Lord Kozlov, Viscount of Scarsgrad

• Decimator
• Juggernaut

·       Kovnik Andrei Malakov

·       Juggernaut

·       Man-o-War Demolition Corps (Full)

·       Widowmaker Scouts

·       Widowmaker Marksman

·       Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

 

As with the previous session, the tournament organizer let me camp on one table to minimize movement issues.  We played the same scenario both games.  Each player placed an objective on the center line of their deployment zone 10 inches out.  Each objective counted as a large base, had 5/18 defense/armor, and massed 30 boxes.  We won by caster kill or taking out the opposing objective.

       I played the same table side both games.  From that perspective, there was an 8 inch high building on my left within easy reach of my advance deployers first turn.  A small hedge sat a couple inches forward of the building making a decent charge-stopper.  There was a hill with scattered rocks on my right that funneled me down the center line.  The center of the board featured a large forest which blocked line of sight from both our deployment zones unless I climbed to the top of that building.  If I swung a little to the right of the forest, there was a section of clear terrain that lead straight to the opposing objective. 

 

My first challenger was Josh, he of last month’s Menoth fame. 

Josh’s list, the hope breaker MKII or a persuasive argument for fire insurance:

·       Malekus, The Burning Truth

·       Repenter

·       Repenter

·       Castigator

·       Crusader

·       Initiate Tristan Durant

·       Vanquisher

·       Choir of Menoth

·       Exemplar Cinerators (Full)

·       Vassal Mechanik

 

Josh and I were the only participants to embraced the new all-heavies-all-the-time environment.  His repenters and vanquisher gave him a better ranged presence but my three heavies out-classed him in terms of raw melee output.  I think he had a more challenging task building up to 50 points than I did.  Kozlov is a bare bones caster—pick a unit, add buff, apply to enemy’s dome.  Malekus forces you to pick between fire generating ranged models and utility brawlers like the crusader.  If you fall too far on the ranged side, you will have problems dealing with a dedicated armor cracking list.  If you go too far on the melee side, you will not have enough models to take full advantage of Malekus’s feat. 

              I won the roll-off and picked second.  I set up with Malakov behind his juggernaut anchoring my right flank.  The decimator took up station behind the objective to malakov’s left with Kozlov behind the second juggernaut bracketing the decimator.  The demolition corps crammed in to the gap between Kozlov’s juggernaut and the base of the elevated building—anchoring my left flank with a couple tons of red steel.  I debated putting the snipers and mage hunter off on a far flank to sweep in and/or bate some of the protectorate away from their objective.  Then I remembered we were playing a 50-point game and we would be lucky to get 4 turns.  I decided to dump them in the building where they could give my crimson wedge some covering fire.

              I think Josh had a similar plan which is to say charge the field, try and overwhelm the defenders with positive piece trading, pick off an assassination or objective win, but aim to win on points.  From my right to left, he deployed the crusader, vanquisher, castigator, repenter, cinerators, and the second repenter.  The choir, mechanic, and casters set up behind his iron wall.

1.       We do the standard bum’s rush toward the opposing side.  Tristan fortifies his vanquisher.  Malekus ignites the castigator.  The choir sang something irrelevant to my plans.  The left hand repenter breaks formation to get a shot on my left flank next turn.  Malakov redlines his juggernaut and advances to keep his jack in his puny control range.  Kozlov puts fury on the demolition corps, reposition on the decimator, and walks up and a little to the left to catch some cover while keeping his force in control range.  The snipers take up overwatch on the top of the building covering the entire left midfield.  Eiryss zips through the building like a boss and tags the recently ignited castigator with a disruption bolt.  Josh opts to keep the upkeep so the mage hunter draws first blood with one point on Malekus and a couple points on the castigator.  Eiryss repositions back into the building to grab some cover but cannot completely make it out of sight of the repenter.

2.       Josh adopts his patented wedge of sadness™.  The vanquisher walks forward with the crusader behind and right while the castigator goes left into the forest for an angle on the objective.  The left hand repenter moves up and attempts to fry the angel of retribution but her high defense saves her in spite of a boosted roll.  The vanquisher’s flame belcher hits the Men-o-War dead center, killing 1 and wounding 2—plus setting stuff on fire.  The other repenter sets one of my jacks on fire and does trivial damage.  Malekus—clearly unsatisfied with the amount of fire present—moves up and casts open fire on the left repenter—missing Eiryss again.  He does something else and scratches my jacks.  The choir sings no-shooty on the castigator.  The vassal continues to be unremarkable.

I check Kozlov’s control range, and several charge distances.  These measuring sticks are amazing—they cut at least ten minutes off my turns.  Fire continues on all counts but does no damage.  Redline does 1 to Malakov’s juggernaut.  Lord goat upkeeps fury and gives 2 focus to the decimator.  Malakov upkeeps redline and gives 2 to his juggernaut.  Kozlov pops feat catching the entire army.  He moves up in anticipation of battlegroup advancement and casts chosen ground putting him on 0 camp.  The sniper corps hit every shot and rip the flame thrower off the left repenter.  Eiryss hits the repenter with a disruptor bolt just to be careful.  The decimator checks range, keeps the aiming bonus, and does 12ish damage to the vanquisher.  Malakov’s juggy makes an easy charge to the crusader while ending in base with the vanquisher as well.  What is this 12-inch threat range?  It feels like Christmas.  The juggy uses his initials and 2 of his focus to remove the crusader.  His final focus buys an attack on the vanquisher.  The demolition corps charge forward and finish off the vanquisher.  Kozlov’s juggernaut runs into the forest and engages the castigator.

3.       We are running short on time.  I talk through order of activation re-Malekus.  The cinerators charge Malakov’s juggernaut doing decent damage but leaving him mostly functional.  The castigator does an ok job on the second juggernaut but cannot get through that armor 22 to finish him off.  Malekus and the fully functional repenter cut loose, popping feat and killing off the demolition corps while spreading more fire around.  During this activation Josh gets half way through damaging one of the juggernauts before I remember the +2 armor from Kozlov’s feat.  We agree to take one box off the systems he has damaged as a compromise rather than reworking the entire turn.  Saving the best for last, it turns out that I was a little too aggressive with Kozlov’s movement.  He is just in range for Malekus to light him up.  The roll is boosted and Kozlov barely escapes thanks to his defense.  We do the math and call the game as I have him on points and my final turn would just be making the situation worse.  Kozlov takes protectorate concession.

 

This was my favorite game of the league.  I faced Josh every-single-time.  He was a great sport playing hard while not taking setbacks and serendipity too seriously.  It turns out I accidentally trolled the poor guy.  I grabbed a shirt at random that morning.  It said “inflammable? Challenge accepted.”  Regardless of the outcome, I wish every game played like this.

 

Game II, Khador faces Skorn—Fight!

 

Peter’s list, the elephant in the room:

·       Lord Assassin Morghoul

·       Agonizer

·       Archidon

·       Mammoth

·       Cataphract Incindiarii (Full)

·       Paingiver Bloodrunners

 

Peter is convinced his list is broken.  I am convinced it isn’t.  I suppose the best way to test our theories is to fight it out.  Peter wins the roll and opts to go second.  I deploy exactly the same as before except a little farther back due to the 7-inch starting zone.  Peter puts the mammoth just behind the objective, drops the blood runners ahead and to the left, drops the incindiarii opposite the forest, and leaves the archidon to anchor his left flank.  Morghoul and the agonizer back up the assassins.

1.       I send everyone forward.  Kozlov puts fury on the demolition corps and tactical supremacy on the widowmaker scouts.  He holds a little left to keep everyone in control range.  Malakov redlines on his juggernaut and moves up in anticipation of an upcoming charge target.  I feel like rubbing my hands together in gleeful expectation.  The sniper corps runs further into the building.  Half of them make it to the elevation, the other half are stuck climbing next turn.  Eiryss sets up to bate Peter’s left flank.  Peter rushes everything forward.

2.        Redline does 1 to Malakov’s juggernaut.  Despite half the scouts not qualifying for the aiming bonus, the sniper corps snipes out the archidon’s spirit—that thing that keeps them from forcing.  Eiryss hits an incindiarii for 4 points and retreats to the board edge.  Peter moves up, shoots Malakov’s juggernaut for nontrivial damage but leaves all systems functional.  The wounded incindiarii hits Eiryss with its spray attack leaving her on one box and on fire.  Morghoul takes one look at my three heavies and waves the mammoth forward.  The agonizer drops Kozlov’s juggernaut’s axe by 2 p+s.  Blood runners charge the demolition corps, killing the leader and injuring two more.

3.       Eiryss burns to death.  Redline does 2 to Malakov’s juggernaut.  Kozlov allocates 2 focus to the decimator and upkeeps his spells.  Malakov upkeeps redline and allocates 2 focus to his juggernaut.  The Men-o-War consolidate and kill 3 blood runners.  I could have probably killed another but the field promotion lost me a combat action.  Kozlov pops feat and moves up and to the right still wary of last game’s barely avoided assassination.  Malakov’s juggernaut charges the mammoth—mostly killing it.  The decimator shoots the mammoth twice leaving it with 8 boxes of body.  The other juggernaut picks his way ahead hoping for a shot at something juicy.  I think we both had lost track of time at this point.  There were a bunch of rules clarifications and strategic takebacks—especially as Peter realized that the agonizer was the only beast left he could use for fury.  The mammoth clubs Malakov’s juggernaut with his initials doing significant damage.  The archidon walks over and dings up the juggernaut a bit more leaving him with his axe and movement crippled.  The blood runners walk out and back into combat by virtue of apparition.  They kill one more Man-o-War.  Time is called and I lose on points since Eiryss is the only complete unit selection killed.  Next turn I am pretty sure I could have cleared out most of his board but the clock is an unforgiving mistress.

 

I left this game with mixed feelings.  There were a lot of miscommunications and false rules assumptions at play.  I checked battle college later and found that unless they have changed, incindiarii do not have 10 inch sprays.  Eiryss still might have died to blast damage but the incindiarii was definitely outside 5 inches when he took the deciding shot so who knows.  Mistakes were made on both sides so I’m going to call this one a wash.  The lesson I took from this match was learn your models.  I will be making a spread sheet with all my army stats and leaving it in drop box on my phone.  In spite of some rules-fuzzy-plays, I felt on solid ground with the rules for the first time since the end of MKI.  The portable PDF makes everything accessible for the first time in my PP experience.

 

General thoughts before I write up a review of Kozlov from battle box to killbox:

1.       Demolition corps just did not do it for me this league.  There was never a situation where I would have rather had them over shock troopers.  This is not to say they are useless but they offer nothing substantive besides a single point reduction over a full unit of shockies.  I’ll be playing shock troopers in the upcoming narrative league so maybe my opinion will change.  Until then though, hammer boys are firmly on the casual side of the bag.

2.       Malakov is an absolute monster under Kozlov’s feat.  Screw the d3 damage, the free charge leaves that third focus available to get serious work done.  Add 2 extra inches of threat on top of red line and very few heavies are going to survive or out-threat your alpha.  I felt like I was cheating—he was that good.

3.       This was my first time out with all the widowmakers.  With elevation and aiming bonus, there was not much my opponents could do.  They rendered multiple models combat ineffective.  I felt like they shined best when I gave my opponent bigger problems to deal with—letting them survive long enough to cripple key components.  They fit my play style well.  Reposition or tactical supremacy combines with premeasuring to make them a serious problem…if your opponent can spare enough resources to seriously threaten them.  In my testing, my heavy hitters are so attention getting that the snipers get a free hand. 

4.       Ok, so I was wrong about the decimator—I can admit it.  I used to think it was a pretty crappy jack for the points.  He got work done in every single game.  I don’t know if he did 16 points of work but those 2 pow 15 shots set up other models to decisively finish off other heavies.  His melee capacity is rubbish.  After you spend 1 focus to charge, he does not have enough juice to finish the job.  If he could fire his gun twice on the charge I would take him every game.  Still, he is a vast improvement over the destroyer.

5.       Juggernauts, juggernauts, say it with me, juggernauts.  Just so sweet.  They require resources to shine but man are they a great value for the points.  I am looking forward to playing my marauders and seeing how they stack up.  The difference between MKII juggernauts and MKIII is beyond words.

6.       Eiryss was a solid player for the points.  I like her toolbox more than version I even though it is less intimidating.  She always had a target.  I put her on the ground in front of the widow makers to split my opponent’s forces.  She succeeded in both games.  She pesters your opponent until they cannot help but send something to deal with her.  I am not sure I would take her at less than 50 points but at this level she did a great job.

7.       Kozlov is so close to being a really great caster.  Right now, he feels like a feat on legs.  He is durable, he just does not have the offensive capacity to spearhead attacks single-handed.  I just wanted him to be close enough to the rest of his army to feat and upkeep fury.  Everything else was situational.  Outside his feat, Malakov had a bigger impact than the “warcaster.”

8.       The marksman feels odd.  He unquestionably gets work done.  Still, his status as a solo feels “off.”  I wish they made him a command attachment that granted prowl and tactics swift hunter rather than the poor man’s Kell.  There is something about his entry that just feels unsymmetrical.

9.       Honorable mention goes to the Man-o-War Kovnik or sir not appearing in this battle report.  I gave serious thought to whether I wanted Malakov or the Kovnik—I had the points for one or the other, not both.  I figured desperate pace was useful for shock troopers in that it boosts their movement while they get to shield wall.  He makes them one inch short of a charge for their threat range while keeping their defenses at maximum.  Demolition corps have no such reason to avoid running/charging.  In fact, they have no special actions at all.  I ended up playing at least one point down both of the last 2 games.  Even if I took shock troopers, I think Malakov was the better choice between the two given the point restrictions.

10.   Next month we start the current narrative campaign at 15 points.  I am torn between fielding Kozlov for more data and Zerkova I to broaden my experience base.  Kozlov has the advantage of stupidly simple strategy.  However, I have wanted to try MKIII lady Z ever since I read her updated card.  Either way, Malakov is probably coming along for the ride—he is that good.

 

I took second overall for the league.  Josh took first place and best sport and rightfully so.  Lessons were learned, foes were vanquished, and fun was had by all.  Now to prepare for my starter box review and next month’s shenanigans.

Winter is coming

              I associate winter with stark beauty.  It is the season of cold nights and hot apple sider.  It smells like smoke and the dusty burnt sugar of oncoming snow.  There is peace in the quiet after a winter storm—when all is muffled—pure—consumed by frosty fallen crystal.  I revel in winter’s crisp bite.  It calls to me as others yearn for the dog days of summer and the burgeoning weeks of new-spring.

              Winter has its dark side too.  Just as I find solace in its terrible glory, it saps my will to strive—leaving me careless of whether to rule in hell or serve in heaven— as long as I can delay the battle for another day.  Summer prompts me to walk for miles across sun-warmed beeches.  Spring bids me seek its promised greenery.  Fall—winter’s prodigal sibling—calls me to walk in woods aflame with the golden corpses of seasons past.  Ah, but winter pulls me into myself.  The circle constricts to the memory of those lost—paths not taken—old regrets and poignant joy.  I leave holiday parties to walk into a cave of bitter sweet remembrance.  Who am I to decline an offer of food or drink?  The goals of brighter days seem as passing as Autumn leaves.   I want to seek, strive, not to yield but Winter weighs me down with cold complacence.

              Winter is the season of cutting.  I search for the trivial—the less valued—the things that fell short of expectation.  I throw away the dross.  It will not make me happy but I will take cold pleasure in an office stripped of extraneous distraction.  I find comfort in the prospect of a new year unfettered by detritus.  I am boisterous and introspective by turns—good company for a few hours before cold night settles o’er my thoughts.

              Here in the soon to be 70-degree warmth of a Maryland autumn I have heard winter’s heralds.  The crunch of leaves—pumpkin bounty—gift trees and holiday schedules sing the coming change.  Hot tea and closed windows quietly proliferate.  Burnt sugar and smoke is in the air—waiting for shortened days and wind-blown nights.  Winter is coming.

A correction and thoughts on a changing game state

              It has been brought to my attention that I made a significant oversight in my list construction commentary regarding my last journeyman league session.  It turns out that Man-o-War demolition corps do not in fact have combined melee attack.  My apologies to anyone I may have misled.  Credit to Esper for the catch.

              This highlights one of the personal challenges I face dealing with the edition shift and dynamic updates.  This being my third iteration of warmahordes, I have a lot of outdated model profiles rattling around en la cabesa.  For example, MAT 8 was a lot more prevalent in MKI than now a days.  I have to constantly pulse check not only what has changed between MKII and MKIII but what has changed since MKI as well.  Add to this the fact that my first impressions of 3^rd Ed came from the unofficial official spoilers and—well—Fury maybe not so smart as he think he is.

              This particular mistake points out how easy it is to screw up a game—even when you have the cards for reference.  My opponents were holding my cards and did not notice the error either—which is no mark against them—it is not their job to fact check my assumptions.  Apparently I assumed that since bombardiers have CRA and shock troopers have CMA, demolition corps get CMA too…right?  This was entirely my fault and does not seem to have arisen from any source material—I just got this one dead wrong.

From my limited experience on the field of honor and reading multiple forums, honest misunderstandings are a bigger issue than in previous editions—partly for the reasons I have mentioned—and partly because war room, battle college, dynamically updated text, and the physical cards do not always agree.  I cannot “read” my cards or war room (which does not work with the iPhone’s voice over function.)  So I end up defaulting to Battle College when I need to reference unit abilities.  This is an imperfect solution but one that generally gets the job done.

              While PP has said that they will make every effort not to muck with published material unless absolutely necessary, I worry that this sort of floating oversight problem may become more of an issue as theme forces alter balance levels and PP seeks to correct the game state.  A certain amount of post-release-editing was bound to happen what with the sheer number of models and rules requiring consideration.  I have been happy with this edition’s design choices in broad strokes—so I am inclined to cut Privateer press some slack—Skorne’s

 upcoming rewrite notwithstanding.  That being said, when I hear people asking if a physical card differs from war room it makes me wonder how much dynamic updating is going to take place every six months and how that frequency will affect the community.

              A final thought regarding demolition corps.  If I have this right, Hammer boys are P+S 16 with critical freeze.  Apparently an increase of one point, the loss of critical freeze and -2 power nets shock troopers combined melee attack, shield wall, higher armor, and a limited ranged option.  This does not feel equitable—doubly so since apparently demolition corps are the only Man-o-War unit not to have a combined attack skill.  I am going to continue playing them—if nothing else the models are awesome—but I am unimpressed.

Big red hits the table, or the first rounds of journeyman Khador

              Last month I entered a 50 point journeyman league.  As my experience in the new edition could at best be called “limited”, I wanted a way to ease into the new environment.

 

My LGS has been around for decades but has only been doing minis for about 15 years.  The local wargaming population has ebbed and flowed due to venue changes, varying store choices, and market pressures.  I have bopped in and out of the community at different points dating back to MKI.  No matter how many stores or game systems I part ways with, I always seem to end up across the table at this store.

              We had so many inexperienced players that September’s

 installment started with 8 of us playing a massive 4-4 box set battle using the trial by fire scenario.  The thought was that we could read the rules together and learn from everyone else’s questions—and since half the table had played 0 games in MKIII that sounded better than having a couple of us constantly answering global shout outs.  I took the new Khador battle box.  I teamed up with 2 more Khador players and legion to face down Circle,, Menoth, and Trolls.  Half of the field had the new battle boxes while the other half ran alternate casters with jacks/beasts totaling 0 points based on WJ/WB.  We laid out 4 circular felt scoring zones, went over deployment basics, and started the destruction.

              The game quickly devolved into 2 2-2 games with the menoth and Cryx players facing down the legion player and my red wall.  I am not going to cover every detail of this contest since there were a lot of talk-through-turns and takebacks as we were working through our options.  My observations follow:

·       Moderate cost beet stick heavies like the juggernaut and crusader are the gold standard for this environment.  They are not threatened by many lights and multipurpose heavies but are capable of one-rounding almost anything.

·       Trial by fire comes down to who can piece trade in such a way as to leave enough scoring models that their opponent cannot clear the board.  Against some factions that is not difficult, but against any battle group with two heavies and a decent combat light Khador has to draw first blood or run out of models with which to get work done.  Kozlov looks like a scenario monster on paper but in this game he needed to start off looking for the assassination.

·       Gone are the days when battle box games boiled down to everyone using some small variation on the same rule sets.  Hordes plus a new crop of casters means that you really really have to read the rules and know your cards in advance.  For example, managing fury—a key element of hordes list strategy—was a challenge for this group.  Since all the casters/locs have their own unique abilities, there is a small but noticeable knowledge bar to minimally competent play.

·       I was not impressed with Kozlov in this arena.  Granted, it was an informal very non-standard setup.  However, he just did not seem to push the scenario.  He was always an accuracy, damage, or movement buff away from getting work done.  Some of that is my fault —I need to remember slams are a thing—but his toolbox struggled for relevance with just a battle box to work with.

·       If you have a strategy in mind, premeasuring makes turns fly by.  If you do not know what to do then premeasuring induces decision catatonia—see my previous note on knowing your models rules in advance.

 

My side “won” so I earned a destroyer point.  I learned a lot which in retrospect was what I needed.  I feel bad that several of the new players spent so much time waiting for the rest of us to take our turns but I think if they were paying attention there was a lot to be gained from the experience.

 

       October’s league featured a 25 point installment.  The Menoth and Legion players returned and we picked up a Skorne player.  The store employee who played circle last month while running the event graciously stepped down this time so that the rest of us could fight a round-robin.  Games were 1 hour long using the trial by fire scenario.

       I looked at my options for 50 points and 25 points with an eye toward having some fun using models that would not normally get table time.  I ended up playing 2 points down so that I could play a better 50 point list in November.

 

My list:

• Lord Kozlov, Viscount of Scarsgrad
• Decimator
• Juggernaut
• Man-o-War Demolition Corps (Full)
• Widowmaker Scouts

 

My painting goddess just finished the hammer boys.  At P+S 16, MAT 7, and CMA, they looked like great targets for fury.  They are somewhat durable.  They do not need much support.  I added the scouts because I needed something to defer infantry plus, they are just a good all round unit even outside the sniper boat.

              My first opponent was an acquaintance from previous league play.  She loves painting and sometimes comes out to test her masterpieces on the field of honor.  We took our time walking through setup and turn priority to make sure we had the basics down.  She won the roll and opted to go second.

 

Jess’s legion:

• Lylyth, Herald of Everblight
• Harrier
• Harrier
• Raek
• Carnivean

·       Seraph

·       Blighted Nyss Shepherd

·       Strider Deathstalker

 

I played the same side of the same board for all my games for everyone’s convenience.  Trial by fire makes a lot of the board irrelevant unless you care about elevation or you are bogged down without pathfinder.  From my perspective, the deployment zones directly opposite the scoring circle were clear of terrain.  I had a small forest ahead and to the right and a ruined building foundation slightly ahead and to the left.  They created a virtual funnel toward the center point.  My opponent (again from my perspective) had a multi floor ruin ahead and to the right but was otherwise untroubled with terrain—not that either of us lacked for pathfinder.

1.       I deployed my army in an iron wall across the funnel gap intending to power walk my way to the objective.  From left to right I had the decimator, juggernaut, and demolition corps with Kozlov slightly behind his jacks.  Jess deployed her beasts centrally with her caster and sheperd bringing up the rear.  The widowmakers advance deployed into the right hand forest while the deathstalker climbed into the building for maximum field of fire.

2.       Round 1, Kozlov casts tactical supremacy on the decimator and fury on the juggernaut.  He pops feat and the iron wall advances at best speed toward the coveted scoring circle.  The widowmakers check range and advance ahead and to the left to be able to cover the zone and rush to contest if required.  Legion advances at my force with the seraph roosting at the top of the nearby building.

3.       I premeasure and decide my best bet is to toe the zone with my Man-o-Wars.  My jacks should be able to deal with the two melee beasts and then the game is essentially over.  I very carefully put my jacks outside carnivean charge range on the edge of the zone.  The widowmakers consolidate their field of fire and square up their line.  I remember thinking to myself “they’re defense 14, they’ll be fine.”  The seraph advances to the front building edge and converts 3 of Khador’s finest into piles of ash.  The deathstalker shoots the last one and pings a Man-o-War.  The Carnivean walks forward and breaths on 2 demolition corps—setting them on fire.  It maxes out on fury to use spiny growth.  The raek walks forward to cover the carnivean with its countercharge bubble.

4.       I let tactical supremacy expire, allocate 2 focus to the juggernaut, and check my ranges—all of them this time.  The juggernaut charges the carnivean.  The reak countercharges the juggernaut doing trivial damage.  The juggernaut drops the carnivean—taking 14 points of damage from spiny growth in the process.  The decimator has no valid targets due to range and cheaty cheaty legion stealth.  Kozlov walks onto the zone in expectation of domination!  My Man-o-Wars take this opportunity to charge the raek and save the day…defense what?  They CMA twice (2&3 each) and miss both swings.  @@######!  This is our last round, so Jess opens fire with everything she has.  She cannot clear me from the zone but if she can kill off the demolition corps she will win on points.  We spend a couple seconds discussing whether the seraph is out of control and whether it has to frenzy or not.  In the end, rather than draw out the turn  based on a rules question that she would have fixed earlier anyway, we agree to let her ret-con the deployment and she ends up killing all but one man-o-war.  Damaged, on fire, and surrounded, he endures to win me the game.

 

It was nice starting off with someone willing to walk through turns systematically.  I made some mistakes especially not reviewing what the seraph can do in this edition.  That being said, I learn best when stomped by the none-too-gentle boot of experience.

 

My next opponent was Josh with Menoth:

• Malekus, The Burning Truth
• Repenter
• Castigator
• Crusader

·       Initiate Tristan Durant

·       Vanquisher

·       Choir of Menothh

 

This was exactly the kind of list I feared.  Protectorate jacks are almost as tuff as Khador’s, cheaper, and benefit from fantastic synergy.  Three heavies and a solid light with extra focus from the journeyman is a tuff nut to crack.

 

1.       I won the roll and picked second turn.  Josh deployed in what he called the wedge of sadness.  I think it should have been called the hope breaker.  Tristan set up on the left behind the vanquisher.  The crusader, castigator, and repenter deployed from left-to-right with the castigator leading the charge.  Caster and choir took up supporting spots behind the wedge of sadness ™.  I deployed in the same manner as the first game hoping that Josh’s lack of long range fire would let me push the zone with my widowmakers.

2.       We do the normal bum’s rush to a very slow rendition of chariots of fire.  Tristan puts fortify on the vanquisher.  I put fury on the juggernaut and tactical supremacy on the decimator.

3.       Menoth steps into the circle.  He does not have much range to do anything so plays conservatively.  Jacks move to take best advantage of fortify.  The decimator moves up and blows the repenter’s flail off.  It steps back out of charge range with tactical supremacy to remain relevant in future piece trading.  Widowmakers work 4 boxes toward stripping the crusader of its mace.  I should have worked on the repenter with these shots as it was already heavily damaged.  Man-o-Wars move up with one model contesting the zone hoping that my jacks will be able to counter attack and start the attrition war.

4.       The vanquisher hits my juggernaut with a flame belcher shot and manages to set Kozlov on fire.  The castigator and repenter move into the zone and remove the contesting demolition corps.  We discuss popping or not popping feat until I point out that with my caster on fire he is never going to get a better chance to go for straight damage.  Malekus moves up, pops feat, and uses open fire on the repenter  to finish off another Man-o-War.  He goes to 2 control points.  I look at the board and realize that I need to get in the game.  Kozlov takes boosted fire damage leaving him on half health.  The clock is running out.  I allocate max focus to my jacks, let tactical supremacy expire, and do a bunch of measuring.  The juggernaut walks over and removes the castigator.  Widowmakers take shots at the repenter doing minimal damage.  The game is about to end on time when I realize that Malekus is within charge range of the decimator which is loaded with focus…hmm…I cannot say I planned it this way but the alternative is a loss on scenario.  The decimator spends one to charge, spends one to boost to hit and misses.  He buys another attack and misses—again.  Game goes to the protectorate.

 

This was a fun tactical game.  I felt like I had a better grasp of this force than the legion circus—though I feel like I lost track of scenario conditions on turn 2 which lost me the game.  If I had left the decimator a little farther forward I might have been able to contest and I would have won on points with the castigator down. 

 

My last game came against Peter with Skorne:

·       Lord Assassin Morghoul

·       Agonizer

·       Mammoth

·       Paingiver Bloodrunners

 

I had mixed feelings looking at this list.  On the one hand it was not technically legal by journeyman standards (he could not have used the mammoth in the first month and the agonizer would not have brought him up to wj-4 or better.)  The list felt a little shady.  On the other hand, Peter clearly wanted to play the elephant—who was I to deny him?  the list itself looked like something I could handle.  Since I cannot see that well, the size and appearance of a model have no effect on me.  The mammoth was just 56 high arm boxes to kill—less than I was fielding between my two heavies.  This would be my first game with or against a huge base so I figured at the very least I could get a sense of how they work.

 

1.       I won the roll and opted to go second.  Gigantor started off to the left with the blood runners aiming for a full court press on the zone.  The agonizer and Morghoul held back a little.  I used my standard deployment but switched the widowmakers to the left for some game on the giant snipable target.

2.       First turn everyone charges the zone.  Man, bloodrunners are fast.  If I had single wound infantry out they would be of concern.  The decimator gets tactical supremacy and the juggernaut gets fury…sweet sweet fury.

3.       The mammoth takes a couple shots at my jacks which deviate away into oblivion.  His infantry move up.  Widowmakers snipe out 4 mind boxes.  The decimator blows off 15 boxes from the gargantuan.  I am out of charge range and forget to move into the zone.  He goes to 2 control points.

4.       I do not remember the next 3 turns very well.  It was getting to the end of the session and I had been playing for over three hours straight.  My focus was beginning to suffer.  We had to double check several rules.  By the beginning of my turn 4, the clock was running out, the mammoth was almost dead, half the bloodrunners were gone, Morghoul survived one assassination attempt already, and I was still losing on scenario.  I had to take morghoul down.  I reserved all my focus and charged the high-assassin with Kozlov.  He hit him twice, leaving him on 2 boxes.  The three remaining Man-o-Wars tried to leave combat to finish him off but died to free strikes.  Skorne claims the win.

 

This was another “learning game.”  My biggest takeaway was that there is a world of difference between discussing piece trading, assassination, attrition, and scenario play in the abstract of the forums and actually melding them into a seamless strategy.  The theory of the game only gets you so far.  Along the same lines, I am used to reading coverage of tournaments where the meta is determined by top tier players who pick lists to deal with national competitive trends.  This means that they often have the exact tool they need to deal with problem match ups.  In these smaller less polished venues you will run into situations where you just have decent tools and they will not always be employed in easily exploited strategies—doubly true since you will often face model combinations ignored by the competition minded.

       This game brought home how unfamiliar I am with the new face of warmahordes.  I used to be familiar with everything—at least in a general sense.  Now, not so much.  It is a brave new world out there filled with new stat lines and abilities.

 

Things I need to remember next time:

1.       Scenario, Scenario, Scenario.

2.       I need to refresh my memory on power attacks, especially throws and slams.

3.       The feat needs must be popped turn 2 or 3 to get stuck in.  Do not wait till the perfect moment—there is no such animal.

4.       If I am going to lose on scenario I should angle for assassination from the beginning.

 

That is all for now my red painted Brethren.  You shall hear from me soon.