Went into Chrisinger, one of those followers of Red. It's either Butcher 3 or eVlad.
My lists again, as they make exciting reading at this point:
Gorten - Earthbreaker, Thor, Hawk, Madelyn, Gorman, Tinker, Anastasia, 2x Press Gangers, pAlexia + Risen, Gun Mages + The Dude
Objective: Effigy of Valor
Durgen - Gunner, Blaster, eEiryss, Rorsh + Brine, Dougal, Reinholdt, Rockbottom, Ragman, eAlexia, Acosta, Gun Mages + UA, Aiyanna + Holt, 2x Press Gangers
Objective: Effigy of Valor
I didn't really look hard at the lists, there was no need. It was going to be Butcher 3 for sure, and in the odd case he doesn't do that I'm better off playing either list into Vlad.
The critical issue is that Butcher out threats Gorten and can camp through the whole list aside from the Earthbreaker, as I can't fit Eiryss into the list, which outside of this matchup hasn't bothered me yet. Butcher easily goes in, kill the Colossal, camps after feat and chortles.
For that reason I drop Durgen, with the intent to do a ranged assassinate, keeping my hard hitting pieces safe until I get the chance. It's Killbox, which works in my favour for that plan.
uButcher + Argii - Doge, 2x Juggernaught, Ruin, Regular IFP + UA, Madelyn, Raluk Moorclaw + Vanguard, Widowmakers, eAlexia
Objective: Fuel
Raluk and Vanguard were weird to me in place of the standard Bokur, but if this game shows anything it's that I can't especially question their inclusion in the tournament aftermath.
Merc Deploy: I won the roll and picked first. I want to position my pieces, and the linear in the wall is so dead centre sides don't affect it. The side I'm given slightly wedges my deployment between a forest and a building, but not in a meaningful way.
Rorsh is positioned on the AD line using the Highborn benefit to give Brine a Souie! move on turn 1. Because Ninja Pigs.
Khador Deploy: IFP and one Jugger on the left, Butcher, Vanguard and Alexia central, Jugger and Ruin on the right. Widowmakers go on the hill, I presume the reason he chose that side being that terrain piece, though of limited value this game.
Merc 1: Everything moves up the field, Primed goes on the right Press Ganger unit (Smurfs).
eAlexia runs up the left, anticipating soul collection off the IFP. Eiryss slinks into the forest on the right, hiding from any head hunters.
Khador 1: The IFP Spread out and Get Silence of Death from Butcher. Both Juggies go forward, Ruin hangs back. Widows go out on the hill and pot shot at Pressgangers, killing one and toughing out another.
Merc 2: Butcher is still to far away to assassinate at this point, so plan is to have a go at busting the painted Jugger in case Butcher ends up with a cautious game approach, something I'm not expecting but which has gotten me before. I'll also jam up, get Alexia souled up if I can and having range findered the Widowmakers I'll move my Gun Mages forward but out of range, so they'll have to leave the hill then have to fight aiming Gun Mages who win that contest.
Aiyanna tries to Harm the Jugger but is a couple mill short.Durgen advances, staying out of Butcher murder range, and pops out a Carpet bomb to feed two souls to Alexia (Had Harm Stuck I'd have done a boosted Armour Cracker into the Jugger). Both Press Gangers Units charge in, Alexia then rides across and throws down two Thralls who do little to the Jugger. Gun Mages advance as planned.
That was disappointing, but thankfully only bad for plan B.
Khador 2: The Juggers fluff around. Ruin walks up behind the Khador Objective and hits a Smurf, dispelling Primed (I struggle to remember that he does that, I should have Primed and spaced out the other unit to stop this shenanigan). Pikemen then go in and floor a bunch of Press Gangers, Butcher moves into the middle of his force. Alexia Hellfires and gains a couple Souls. A couple Widowmakers advance and do not much.
Merc 3: Bam, it's all set up for the kill turn. Plan is to knockdown Butcher, Durgen feat, Explosivo Eiryss strips focus (Vanguard is out of Shield Guard range), Acosta and Alexia Thralls finish off. Janky, but felt like the best game plan for me.
Savio Vengeance to be in front of the Linear obstacle.
Rorsh advances, pops smoke hitting Brine and Acosta (I mathed beforehand that the POW 6 blast couldn't kill Acosta). The Ninja Pigs then advance forward.
Brine turns into a green Proxy base, because though a model I love he's got some Skorne positioning issues. He then advances and two hand throws the painted Jugger at Butcher. The throw is successful, but I miss Butcher at the landing point (Got a 15 total, so War Dog bonus made it a miss). Jugger then scattered to the six one inch, causing Butcher to shift towards me and to the right.
This is the point I actually should have stopped the assassination run and played for a later game, saving pieces and my feat.
Gun Mages move out of the way, a few aim and kill two Widowmakers per last turns plan, they fail their command check.
Aiyanna then advances, Harms Butcher, Alexia burns a Soul to ignore it.
My next error, I could have harmed the forward Argus.
Holt does nothing relevant.
Durgen feats, Explosivo's Eiryss, Primes Acosta, clears out the Pikement blocking Butcher and does about six points or so to him.
Eiryss advances, strips off Fury.
Red Press Gangers move out of the way and kill some Pikemen.
That activation was the last one where I could save myself.
The issue is I didn't take into account the Vanguard Free Striking my assassination solos. I could have stopped early, or moved the Gangers to hem in his Line of sight (I lose the charge bonus on Acosta, pig whoop at POW 15 autohit weaponmaster).
Anyway, I have to accept the Free Strikes and pray they miss because Durgen is in death range.
Acosta charges, dies. Alexia rides up, spawns three Thralls as far out as she can, two are in Free Strike Range still and die, last does abysmal on damage just for a final poke in my eye.
Khador 3: Butcher shakes, stuff gets out of the way, Energises for one, charges Durgen and one shots him. My only chance was he flashing Blades first, kills Rorsh and Holt but not Durgen and Brine gets a Pigheaded Crit Knockdown. Alas, he didn't give me that.
Me on the left. Much time on assassination, but evidently not enough.
Had I spaced properly the turn before, moving my Warjacks to the right of the Linear out of Arcane Interference, they could have had focus and slammed the Argi into the Vanguard. Alas, win some....
Definitely highlights my relative lack of Durgen vs Gorten, though it was a cool plan of supreme convulution to throw together and attempt.
