Editron rocked out some experimental Khador that I haven't seen in yonks.
pIrusk - Torch, Silly Willy, Uhlans, IFP + UA, IFP Kovnik, Markov, Gorman, WGI Deathstar minus a Rocketeer, eEiryss
Objective: Arcane Wonder
Theoretically paired with eZerkova. I really should have practiced Durgen, but the previous mauling was still stinging a little and I'd rather try to keep Gorten alive against the Spray Pony Go than Durgen.
Gorten - Earthbreaker, Hawk, Madelyn, Anastasia, Rhupert, Gorman, Thor, Reinholdt, ATGM + UA, 2x Press Gangers, pAlexia + Risen
Objective: Effigy of Valor
Merc Deploy: I won the roll and picked first. In previous games where Recon hasn't panned out for me I'd go with second and try to pull out the Destruction scenario style juju, that hasn't been meshing so I picked first to either force the turn later scenario play or kill Irusk, he is a lot more fragile a caster than I'm used to Ed throwing down (Vlad for daaaaaaaays. I'm actually not legally allowed to complain as he has played about sixish casters into MacBain a stupid number of times).
The zone has a forest on one side and a hill on the other. I put my Earthbreaker on the non hill side as it means the opposing Linear counts for considerably less and the elevation bonus is far enough way that the SP 4 Colossal isn't going to be able to get up safely enough. Also reduces how much the forest congests my support units (Gun Mages/Alexia)
Khador Deploy: First time with the list for Ed Von Red, though I don't think there's much to really change. The IFP ignore the Earthbreakers knockdown with the Kovnik, the Uhlans can loop around to chew on the Funbreaker and there's going to be infantry no matter where the WGI go.
Merc 1: I flood half the zone, intent is for everything to be under Solid Ground. Gorten hides behind a Gorman cloud, Madelyn runs to be within command of the opposing Objective.
Earthbreaker goes on the left of my Objective, Gun Mages go up the other side to head for the hill and Alexia holds the centre.
Khador 1: Eiryss pops a Communist because she is an agent of McCarthy.
The Uhlans move up to the left flag for the wide flank, most of the IFP stay behind the linear. The WGI run up and spread out.
Irusk puts out Inhospitable Ground, Superiority and Iron Flesh on the WGI, then gets a cloud wall courtesy of Torch/Gorman.
Merc 2: Inhospitable Ground is annoying, but an issue this list has tackled before. In a broad frontage scenario it's an issue, but it's not a huge deal when there's a compact central scoring area, the units just suck it up and push forward. Piper can pathfinder, but I'd usually only do that if Alexia is getting into something that must die, the Press Gangers are chaff ready to die for the cause.
Only one real goal this turn, kill Gorman. I had one Risen and a Madelyn move. The plans:
1 - Gun Mages move onto hill, shoot him down
2 - Hawk Madelyns forward, then charges Gorman
3 - Alexia creates a Thrall, the Earthbreaker clears the blocking WGI chump, then said Solo charges in.
I really wanted plan 2 as a backup, but Inhospitable Ground and lack of Pathfinder reduced Hawk to a measly 7 inch threat, which I eyeballed off the zone as being about an inch short. The Risen spawns far forward, the Madelyn move shuffles Gorten up to better measure my Control Range.
After all that, I upkeep Solid Ground and give two to the Earthbreaker.
The Smurfs run around in front of the WGI, opening up LoS for the Gun Mages and engaging a few WGI.
The Gun Mages move up, half of them go onto the hill. The opening shot kills Gorman. Plan complete! The rest try to ping the WGI officer, I score a hit and do a couple damage points.
The Commies fan out to the left, prep to be mown down by the Uhlans.
Gorman moves up to free other activations, plonks down a cloud. Then I bungle the next part of my plan. No longer having the need to do a long odds Thrall into Gorman, Gorten moves up to get his control area in range of the WGI, so I can strategically place a Risen to be the target of the Earthbreaker AoE on three super Def WGI. I then go to the Earthbreaker before activating Alexia to move the Risen into position. Gorten also plonks down a wall, the forest made it tricky to get an ideal position, so I took a best guess on what might at least limit the Uhlan charge.
So much for shortening the reports. Anyway, the Earthrbeaker gets boosted damage, trundles up into the Gorman cloud for LoS, is half an inch out of the WGI with its blasts. One scatters and kills an IFP, the other does pop three WGI so that works out (The Risen shot gets four, unlikely chance on a fifth). The mini guns don't really have good shots at this point.
Alexia moves up and prepares to be overwhelmed with Corpses. Anastasia runs behind the wall, Ed isn't likely to give me an Esponiage and I'm more invested in blocking junk going for the Earthbreaker.
Hawk runs up behind the enemy Objective, threatening some Super Aggression.
Khador 2: Irusk keeps the spells going, feats and falls back with a camp. Pretty much the entire army moves up and annihilates Press Gangers. Alexia overfills on maximum Risen by about six.
Markov manages to dust Hawk, the wall placement was alright as only two Uhlans get into the Earthbreaker, taking out its left arm.
The IFP Shield March and occupy the zone.
Merc 3: I can feasibly drag Irusk in and go for the assassination, but feel the scenario game is stronger even my Attrition has been well and truly pantsed. Clock isn't terrible, but Ed goes into player man mode when he gets to 15 minutes on his clock.
The Risen horde emerges on the right vertical side of the zone.
Checking my control area, Gorman is just out of engagement range so Madelyn moves him out of the way to clear up room for Gorten. Tinekr repairs the Earthrbeaker for one, returning his left arm.
Gorten charges an IFP, kills him and feat pushes max distance to the left board edge. I get all the Uhlans, all but the standard on the IFP, Torch, Markov and a few of the WGI, one of them is in the zone but goes next to the objective. I plonk a wall near Torch/Markov to stop them getting deep into the zone.
Gorman throws the green stuff, kills an IFP and corrodes another.
Thorbreaker moves up, kills the Objective and WGI guy in the zone. Gun Mages all go on the hill, they kill the WGO officer.
The Risen form an undead ring on the edges of the zone.
Mercs go to 3 CP.
Khador 3: Gorman implodes to the IFP, Risen die to Markov/Torch who manage to toe the zone. WGI sprays clear the right line of Risen, only one gets in the zone.
Merc 4: I need to get Torch, Markov, the Kovnik and a WGI out of the zone to win.
The Rock Wall goes away. The Gun Mages push Torch, Markov and the Kovnik out. Madelyn, having Intrigued herself forward, walks up and seduces the WGI out of the zone.
Mercs go to 5 CP.
Me on the right.
Good game, Ed suffered from it being his first game with the list. Battle Lust could have done a lot more to the Earthbreaker, but positioning Irusk while my feat isn't expended is damn hard without getting him easily killed. The way this scenario played out makes me think in this iteration I have a definite list advantage, even though the WGI sprays really hurt, conceivably I should have attempted a more serious pop the officer plan, but that would be hard to manufacture with the positioning.
I still loathe Torch.
