Theoretical mix is my normal pair vs Ossrum/Cyphon.
Look, it's Caine all right? We all know that's going to happen. I've just made a slightly different Stryker list I'm actually enthused to play out, but won't get around to that for a bit (Got one more Caine game in storage, but I'll be spending the next week or so getting tanked in Brisbane on other nerd business).
eCaine - 'Ol Rowdy, Squire, Rangers, Boomhowlers, Gun Mages + Dude, pAlexia + Risen, Aiyanna + Holt, TAC, Piper, Reinholdt, eEiryss, Journeyman Warcaster
Objective: Effigy
Ossrum - Earthrbeaker, Thor, Dougal, Gun Mages + Dude, Nyss, Herne and Jonne, pEiryss, Aiyanna + Holt, Reinholdt, Gastonne
Objective: Effigy
Reconing we are.
Pretty sure Rob-don could have dropped either of his lists and had a game, but out comes the Thorbreaker. I reason this'll be another hide off, I'll need to leverage the Cloud Dwarves to live. I also have to have the Clouds forward enough that the opposing Gun Mages don't hit a dwarf, knock him to the edge of his cloud and put Caine in blast range of the Earthbreaker's AoE 4, because Caine has the survivability of a depressed Lemming who believes in that fake documentary about them running off cliffs.
Merc Deploy: Rob wins the deploy roll, that's pEiryss trying to balance on her base behind the forest. Gun Mages to the left, Nyss to the right, Ossrum stuck in the middle with you.
Cygnar Deploy: I had the choice of putting my Gun Mages opposing their traitorous twins or the Nyss, I picked the Nyss which didn't take into account that Snipe would give them plenty of Range to chill out in a trench. I initially had Caine in the dead centre, then threw him to the left so he wouldn't be flooded by friendly infantry that would be blast targets.
Merc 1: The Mercs advance, between Fire Effect on Herne, Snipe on the Nyss and Artillerist I lose three Rangers, which was not ideal. Eiryss/Gastonne run behind their objective.
Really should keep Rangers back in the ranged matchups, the Marked Target ability was worth a lot more than trying to get work out of them without good Prowl areas nearby.
Cygnar 1: A pair of Risen spawn, one is way out the front. The Boomhowlers run forward, the Risen spread out, the Centurion gets Arcane Shield and just walks. Caine puts Heightened Reflexes on the Boomies, Blur on the TAC and Magic Bullet on a Ranger.
TAC move as far as their stubby legs will take them and cloud. The Gun Mages spread out in a wasteful manner. The Ranger with Magic Bullet pops the Risen and kills Eiryss.
Merc 2: Fire for Effect/Snipe upkept. Aiyanna/Holt move up to the friendly objective and Harm the Boomhowlers. The Nyss and Gun Mages plink some Boomhowlers, including a Thunderstrike to push Greygore next to Alexia. Ossrum feats and cycles Snipe onto the Earthbreaker, who kills Greygore, half a dozen Risen and Alexia.
Cygnar 2: Ossrum feat made my choices reasonably easy. I couldn't get a bead on Ossrum and the Erthrbeakers extra armour meant I didn't want to have a go at killing it just yet. Plan was to keep Aiyanna back, jam/kill what I can, next turn harm, feat and take out as much of the Earthbreaker as possible, then repeat the turn after without the feat to finish it off and ride Caines gun blazing with High Def TAC cloudage to a win.
Blur sticks around.Caine goes up, Magic Bullets to kills Aiyanna and Gastonne then Gate crashes back. Gun Mages kill a Nyss, which is better than nothing by about the length of a Millipedes leg. Boomies run forward as is their wont. Piper Dirges the TAC. Centurion trundles into the zone and Polarity Fields.
Merc 3: Earthbreaker puts rough terrain on the Centurion and kills Boomhowlers, leaves one survivor far off to the left. It also misses the TAC three times. Herne walks forward and blows up the Objective and scatters onto Aiyanna and killing her, which was....unfortunate.
Nyss put in their official application for squatters rights to the trench and shoot more Gun Mages and the last Ranger down.
Mercs go to 2 CP.
Cygnar 3: Plans are to kill Herne, Cyclena, the Gun Mages and move Caine a bit more toward the zone to plan out the assassination. No Aiyanna makes the Earthbreaker a leap to far.
Blur continues because it is hilarious. Caine Magic Bullets a Gun Mage and shoots down some Gun Mages. Two of the TAC cloud up, one throws a fire bomb to kill a pair of Gun Mages on the hill. The last Boomhowler walks over and kicks a Gun Mage down. Risen pathetically run into the zone and whimper. Centurion crawls back to the zone and Polarity Fields. Gun Mages hit Herne, the Magic Bullet kills Cyclena, but they leave the Ogrun on one box. Eiryss sprints into my back field. Holt does sod all.
Merc 4: Earthbreaker kills the Boomhowler and the Risen. The last in command Gun Mage pushes the Centurion out of the zone. Dangit. Herne and the Nyss kill my last few Gun Mages. Ossrum goes into the back edge of the zone to Dominate.
Mercs go to 4 CP.
Cygnar 4: Assassiante or bust. Holt runs up, Caine charges him, Gate crashes into Ossrum. Boosts his to hit rolls after feating, flubs it and Ossrum Dodges away.
Sadness. Caine then gets smooshed by Herne.
Me on the left.
Interesting threat range off, though Mercs have the distance. This game sold me on the TAC. I misdeployed the Gun Mages, they would have been better off on the left with the Rangers to outshoot their opposing number while Caine should have been in the middle focusing on Magic Bulleting from turn 2 onward. The Centurion also needed to run turn 2 to get into the guts of the zone unless I can pop out enough of the opposing Gun Mages.
I played a game after this, but again won't be able to throw it up for a week or so.
