For once following up on my not-as-much-Gorten statement:
Fiona1 - 2x Mule, Sylyss Elfspinter, Dahlia + Skarath, Nyss, 2x Eliminators, Acosta, Aiyanna + Holt, Commodore Cannon of Shenanigans
Objective: Bunker
Last time I took this for spin I took Fuel Cache, but I"d forgotten all about that and went with Bunker as a lazy default.
Skorne maintain their trend for surprising popularity, this time with the master of self jabbing:
Naaresh1 - Sentinel, Gladiator, Despoiler, Brute, Krea, Pain Givers, Tycom, Swordsman + UA, Incindarii, Swamp Gobbers
Objective: Bunker
Three heavies and an armour feat? Assassination plan it is! Though that is what I'm aiming to do more with my lists post-Wintercon, enough of this attrition nonsense. Lamentation is an issue, makes Fiona's magic missile into darkness plan harder.
We're over at Fortress Jeresh, so no clocking and nice things on the table all owned by him (I like to think the Skorne are fending of an invasion by the poorly painted alliance).
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Skorne Deploy: Skorne win the roll and pick first.
Pretty much infantry to the left, Beasts to the right. The unpainted Rhinodon with red on him is Despoiler.
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Merc Deploy: I picked this side do to poor decision making. That open house plan is a trench today, but I was seduced by that right flag wall when I should have said nay.
Mules/Cannon/Jayazy faced off against the Skorne infantry, Nyss with Acosta and the Snake to the right.
I don't like my deployment options here. Nyss want to go left to kill Swordsman, but then die to Incindarii. Mules want to soften beasts with guns, but if they aim to get range they'll be charged and killed.
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Skorne 1: Skorne all move up, Beasts compress to the centre to get around an obstructive forest.
Blur goes on the Swordsman, the Lamentation banner starts waving.
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Merc 1: On the left, one unit of Kayazy and a Mule go forward on the hill, intent being to stop Swordsman running and messing up the Commodore. Other Mule held back to deal with the inevitable jammers.
Other Kayazy unit get Telgesh and hang back with Aiyanna and Holt.
The Snake moves up into the forest, followed by Dahlia with Haunting Melody.
Acosta run to go behind the wall and is surrounded by the spread out Nyss who have Roth's Mercy.
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Skorne 2: Blur/Lamentation keep trucking.
The Swordsman run up and spread around, though they don't jam as much as I was expecting.
The Incindarii follow behind them after getting Press Forward from the Tycom and go for long lobs at Kayazy that don't work out.
Beast Bricks moves up to the top of the trench, the Brute goes into the cloud the Gobbers pop.
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Merc 2: Plan is to feat and run things in threatening spots.
Naaresh is safely ensconced in the trench behind the Sentinel and Despoiler, so early attacks on him are a no go. Nothing heavy hitting can get to beasts and I can't clear off either flag, so it's kill the jamming models and support as my target selection.
The Telgeshed Kayazy kill three Swordsman and side step forward, clearing off the forward Mule in the process. The Mules then shoot, popping an Incindarii and the Gobbers while bouncing off the Brute's face. The other Kayazy then go in and kill the officer, stopping their once a game effect countering Fiona's feat.
Holt and the Cannon then clear off the nearest Swordsman, keeping the Cannon safe.
In the central area, Fiona uses an Arcane Secreted Soulfire to box a Paingiver. She then feats and forward. The Snake gets Mistwalker, moves up and sprays down another pair of Paingivers.
The Nyss spread around in mimicry of the Swordsman and shoot down the rest of the Paingivers.
Acosta runs forward and engages the Gladiator.
I completely failed to activate Gorman. Whoops/
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Skorne 3: The Swordsman run back up and engage the forward Mule again. The Incindarii jostle a bit, one scatter a shot onto Fiona and a Nyss, setting them aflame. This is the point I looked at the cloud Gorman didn't make and sigh. One Incindarii gets on the back of an Eliminator outside of Fiona's feat and kills her.
Centre wise, the Sentinel goes onto the Snake, lands the charge for some below average damage and leaves it at that.
Gladiator and Naaresh both try to pop Acosta, who hits the warlock and causes him to transfer, then on later attacks bounces away. Despoiler also has a go and Acosta retreats away, having mucked up the Skorne enough.
Naaresh feats on everything.
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Merc 3: Naaresh is camping 2 and the beasts are unkillable, so it's go for it time. He's cast the Brute's Animus, so no knockdown shenanigans :-(
The Nyss move around, they do three CRA's into Naaresh. Each one does two point and I watch as his armour climbs higher.
After a lot of head scratching, I decide to just run things in. As surety Fiona moves back in the event I have to try again next turn, the Sentinel thankfully misses his free strike.
The three remaining Eliminators go in, one with a Gang Combo Strike, one without Gang. One forces off a transfer, the other misses.
Acosta charges in, the first attack hits and forces away the last transfer. He then misses the second stab.
Well, I thought that would be enough. Sod.
After a bit of screwing around, Dahlia drops her Fury to heal Skarath as much as she can then runs to be behind the Sentinel. Gorman then moves up and Blinds her and the Sentinel (After a quick check that Haunting Melody lets me attack my own model....).
The Snake moves away, the Sentinel thankfully misses it's free strike again. Skarath goes up and chomps Naaresh with the opening double boosted attack.
Success! Didn't make ideal choices assassination wise, thankfully the Sentinel was down with it. If I don't pull off the assassination there's some tricky Skorne choices, but I think Naaresh ends up in the trench, the Incindarii delete the Nyss/Commodore and I'm in a heavy trading long game that favours the beasts. The Kayazy/Acosta would be the tricky part, I think it comes down the warlock casting the Brute Animus, then Despoiler throwing the Krea to kill those assassination pieces.
