Thexus1 - 3xWreckers, 3x Wardens, Subduer, 3x Agitators, 2x Eliminators + Dominators
Objective: Stockpile
On a break from rolling in the snow in a red jacket, Edchev throws down some Puppies who owners enjoy rolling in the dirt.
Kaya2 w/Laris - Wilder, Ghetorix, Stalker, Feral, Pureblood, Blackclad Wayfarer, Bloodweaver Night Witch, Gallows Grove, Shiftting Stones w/UA, Sentry Stones + Evil Twigmen
My personal bugbear from last edition, the Circle menace. Comparable threat ranges, I'm fairly sure I can play better than I am on this day, while Edusk is on his fourth or so Kaya game. Equal enough.
Basically I want to kill a heavy, sacrifice two Monstrosities to get rid of Kaya's feat, then trade up losing a Monstrosity to deal with the Stone units.
Scenario is Take and Hold (Nearly wrote Close Quarters, I mocked three people for calling it that, so bullet. Dodged. Two inch movement have a lot less of an effect out of the game. Moving on...), with two enormous hills in the centre of the board. One board has a nice wall/trench/forest deal, the other has a wall and one of my very early attempts at making water terrain from long ago. It's like seeing the hand made decorations on the Christmas tree you made when you were 5 (ie. made in the spirit of appeasing the grown up tasked with looking after you in the day hours, from which you could construct much superior product nowadays. Half of that is applicable anyway).
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT1W3jVTmnsP5DfjUBQ3fTPpkZVCwZ-b3x2SrMd_hsDnJ_ycxxjMeKg3IHvM0B3frrAtzabfF3hLFyLjctpxcJTC8uKDRJNSfcEtZ3SbKjd0AG34maEttFPhVsYR3EWxwzeViF1ZKpNM/s1600/023+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Merc Deploy: Stuff. I deploy more stuff on the circle flag side.
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Circle Deploy: The evil empire. The rigid hierarchical Cephalyx are the logical foe of the anarchist Wurm showing up fearing tree peeps.
Left side has the Stalker/Pureblood, right side gets Feral/Ghetorix.
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Merc 1: Stabbing, TK's, Slams, runs. The usual innovative stuff. Eorscha points out Thexus has Pathfinder, which I've apparently decided in my affront at his lack of flight can't exist. Huh.
Wreckers end up out front, Subduer stays central. The plan is afoot.
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Circle 1: Kaya hits a blunt, ponders why Morvhana is such a female hound about everything.
She wanders into the trench, is careful to be 14.5 away from the nearest Wrecker (Feat doesn't affect Warnouns, so Wrecker charger plus a friendly and enemy model TK is 14). Shadowpack is cast for the first and definitely not last time.
Sticking with her off left of centre most of the heavies and solos chill out, Manikins and Sentry Stone up front. The Stone pops a forest in front of Kaya.
Out left, the Nightwitch confuses the clock for Big Ben and rushes over for a photo. Damn tourists.
On the right, Ghetorix positions himself 14.5 away from the right side Wrecker and gains Forced Evolution/Spiney Animus thing. A Shifting Stone pops in front of him.
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Merc 2: Ghetorix is in the 16 inch feat and multi-TK range, I decide I'm better off holding my feat for later in the game. That said killing Ghetorix falls perfectly in the plan.
Last game still fresh in my mind, it seems Rampager will be my saving grace one more time!
The right Wrecker runs up, Thexus then TK's the stone across out of command range, I roll out the Rampager, needing a boosted 8.
1 in 6 times it fails everytime. This is one of those times.
The plan had been to walk him forward, drag him in with the Subduer and kill him with the central Wrecker. New plan was to stare at the dice and ponder what Zeno of Citium would preach.
I learn a little bit after last game and opt to not have Monstrosities in the 15 inch threat range of the heavies, lets have only one Wrecker be the cost of that failed tactic. Thexus personally has to keep a bit over 18 away from Laris, Exulon is sufficiently soft and needs to be spending enough focus that Laris run + Kaya Teleport and melee attacks have not terrible odds of straight up killing him.
I also run a Kayazy to contest the Circle flag, I've no idea why. This is exactly the wasteful move I avoided doing in my first game of the day when I was full vampire-exposed-to-daylight mode.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg9765VMqOa_DyQPkNBrT1JWdB0UmgTu3GLfOdTXqId7lr-wBwShIXaQwmG_9X7fxozsn4ISM3oKwmdr5ypEQtMTsrzE9BnGdcXn3bv4xJcqdsTcMfSw6tII8IBMaIzRqIdexCdzwKXo/s1600/028+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
Circle 2: Well, when given heavies, why not take?
Ghetto warps Strength, goes into the node Wrecker, it takes him enough swings that at the very least he can't afford to put up Spiny growth. The Shifting Stone pops back in front of him. Laris then runs into the forest next to the giant werewolf and his much smaller stone guardian (It's an Obelix/Asterix kinda deal).
The Manikins aim and kill my Eliminator. The central stuff jostles around.
The Nightwitch runs up, going to the wall on the left of all my support models. I much prefer being the outflanker, this is nonsense!
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Merc 3: Plan remains the same, though there is more pressure to leverage my feat well this turn now.
I was also having a lot of difficulty working around the Laris shift junk, enough that this turn I decided to prioritise killing Kaya's favourite pet over Ghettodude.
Number crunching now, it's more difficult then I thought. Basically, she needs Flank to get it done reliably, if I pop Ghetorix and stay out of Laris' run and engage range then the only way would be the Stalker charging near max distance, killing a Monstrosity, using his Animus and walking over to barely engage Thexus.
Alas, that wasn't realised and I over prioritised the smaller dog. Next time gadget!
That's a lot of words for not getting around to what happened in the actual turn.
A Warden runs up in the suicide role previously taken by a Wrecker.
Thexus goes to my flag, boosts a Rampager at Laris. Needs a boosted 9.
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It hits.
Laris advances forward, turns around, blunts his teeth on the Sentry Stone.
I TK the Subduer forward for the other half of the plan I haven't bothered to write about yet.
Feat tags the Wayfarer, Circle UA, Manikins. They shift around in relatively unimportant ways, the only feat move of note is the Pureblood who gets shoved into a spot between a Shifting and the Sentry stone.
Wrecker goes into Laris and Sentry Stone under the Instigate of the right Agitator, easily kills both.
The other plan this turn was the Pureblood, the feat pushes him just into advance and pop range of the Subduer. This plan also had a good seventeen head scratches about how to get rid of the impeding Manikin on the drag path before I finally realised I was feating anyway and could shunt him across.
I also failed to Instigate before the Subduer activation, so he needed a boosted 10 instead of a boosted 8. He lands it anyway (Better lucky than good is a facetious approach to life,but I'll take it in the super serious land that is war dollies).
Subby then does some love taps, before an Agitator Instigates and the left Wrecker comes in and easily polishes the Pureblood off.
The Left Warden runs to engage the Night Witch, he wouldn't have had much to do anyway and if I leave her then either I lose support models I can't afford or she runs into my deployment zone, causing both mockery and enormous difficulty in later turns. A life running Thexus is a life spent in fear of your leader loser exploding to a gentle caress (Intimacy issues, its a problem for Cephalyx).
Mercs go to 1 CP.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHyQmY9889-T6HrCzwU0faVfdU0cwZJ2gzqADmmwOjd0u3X0IN0WXBAMyKG4lEasn_OodNvhx84J3_goorvIh0FoQmo596xKYQ8FZ-5OihvmTi5ssWjClEwA3g6loX2tdG3njhQSCisk/s1600/030+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Circle 3: Kaya walks across to the right, feats, put Primal on Ghetorix.
Ghetorix starts slapping the Wrecker upside the head. I was expecting the Wrecker to die and the Warden to take damage, my hope was the Warden would just keep one box of Brain. I can work with a brain box (Years of radiation at work do weird things to your mind).
Sadly Ghetto takes out the middle chunk, leaving just the arms still going.
The Stalker and Feral go into the Subduer/Wrecker that killed the Pureblood and avenges their fallen, then pop back to Kaya's side (Wait. Is her feat just a bloody dog whistle?!).
The Sentry Stone vwarps across, throws down a forest in front of Kaya. The Manikins move across in front of Thexus, kill a pair of Eliminators.
The Gallows Grove pops to the Circle flag and annoys me, the Night Witch moves around, does a little damage to the engaging Warden.
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Merc 4: Oh god. Help me Satan, you owe me.
I'm down to three Wardens, one of them so damaged that he can't do work (It goes like: Heal Brain. Stab to give focus. Watch the Brain go out.).
The manner of how that interaction works, plus the fact Kaya is camping 2, means I have to try for the long play, trying to slowly gain CP until I can pounce with my superior control to pull ahead.
Ok, so really I'm hoping Elakov screws up somehow and I get to kill Kaya, but that would be very uncharacteristic.
Ghetorix has to frenzy from the Primal, so plan is to move him away, fall back with my models and start the slow healing process.
Thexus TK's through the damaged Warden, turning Ghetto around and ready to frenzy on the Stalker. The Sentry stone would have been a better choice, at the time though I was counting Heavies and every bit of damage helps. Thexus then Hex Blasts down the Wayfarer (Got to get rid of that damn Hunters Mark), pops Psycho Surgery followed by backing the hell up, just toeing out of the kill box.
The Heal needy Warden then runs for free thanks to Thexus' Reaction ability, moves to be within three inches of Exulon lest he be attacked by the Manikin sprays.
The Middle Warden moves to the left, shy of the Ferals threat range, in a position to hopefully effect the Circle flag.
The left most Warden moves up as far as it can while still engaging the Night Witch, blats her.
The Dominator without any slaves left to control runs to contest the Circle Flag. Wasteful use of limited resources.
All Wardens for the end game. Usually happens, the Wreckers/Subduers greater threat range makes them the early trade pieces.
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Circle 4: Ghetto frenzies on the Stalker, does an excellent 14 damage. Woot!
The Grove ports away to a position of annoyance. A Shifting Stone pops up to contest my flag in case I get ideas, the Stone Keeper moves to the left and kills the thrown away Dominator.
Feral Moves to the left of the Circle backfield, pops his armour warp.
Stalker gets healed by some Fury and the Wilder, waddles a short way across.
The Sentry Stone taps dry of Fury as the Manikins spray the damaged Warden, doing some not terrible damage. Not terrible for Circle, I was regretting not having Ghetto kill that damn Stone as the Movement and Brain go away.
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Merc 5: Having the Brain would equate with a dead Ghetorix for a damaged Warden, the twigsters denied that joyous dream. Continuing on, the plan is to get my med kit addicted Warden away from attacks, arrange a Warden/Feral trade while scoring and use TK/Rampage to control one beast, kill the Stalker and finally be up in the attrition.
Warden moves onto the left hill, eats the Gallows Grove. Agitator walks up for his (presumed) last Instigate. Thexus floats across the pond, heals again, Boosts a Rampager to move the Feral in.
The Central Warden then charges the Feral, eats him and the Stone Keeper, touches the Circle flag.
Heal addicted Warden runs back and around Thexus' pond (He's had a loooong journey for not killing anything).
Mercs go to 2 CP.
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Circle 5: Kaya returns back to the warm, loving embrace of the trench. Stalker sadly gets healed some more.
Manikins move around, they pop the Agitator, as expected.
The Shifting Stones pop forward to claim my flag.
Ghetto runs up onto the hill in front of said flag, blocked from being pulled forward by the Manikins.
The Wilder runs across to contest range of the Circle flag.
Stalker with Forced Evo charges the Warden on the flag, polishes him off without to much difficulty.
Mercs: 2 CP
Circle: Up to 1 CP.
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Merc 6: Plan is go, kill the Stalker, control Ghetto.
Hill Warden gets fully loaded, Centre Agitator moves up and Instigates.
That Warden charges the Stalker, he's still quite damaged and I need 9's to hit, so I boost all the initial attack rolls. I miss the charge attack, so I then need to roll relatively well on my other initials. I don't alas, so the salvageable situation is now looking a great deal harder. Thexus hits Ghetto with the Boosted Rampager at least, I send him walking backward where he swings on the Sentry Stone. Cranks the roll, but sadly leaves it on one box. If only he'd Warped Strength the turn before....
Thexus then bobs across to the right.
The right side Agitator charged a Shifting Stone, for the sake of contesting, predictably bounces off.
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Circle 6: The awkward "Please check the killbox moment". Thankfully my model moving across angle is on point and I don't throw the game away.
The Stalker walks around, casually murders his failed Warden assassin.
Kaya goes to the Circle flag.
The Manikins easily clear off the Agitator on my flag.
Ghetorix runs back toward my flag.
Mercs: 2 CP
Circle: Up to 3 CP.
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Merc 7: I decide its time to try assassinating, I'm losing out on the scoring side and just don't have the contesting pieces.
Kaya is camping two focus, took three points from the Hex Blast that killed the Wayfarer half an hour before. Unyielding and High defence are significant factors.
I need to maximise attacks and get a knock down, key point being that I have to move the Stalker to just the right position for the follow up from the Warden slam to get the Monstrosity in melee range after the Follow Up move.
I give three focus to the Warden, the damaging for focus normal mode isn't workable when I need to both maximise attacks and he has only a thin layer of Brain/Movement.
Thexus successfully charges an enemy model, being the Shifting Stone on the flag. It felt so wrong. He actually kills it to.
I boost a Rampager into the back of the Stalker, need a boosted 6 and I have a shot.
Dice throw down.
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It's a 2.
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And a 2.
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And a 1. I miss.
Where's the paddle Thexus? WHERE'S THE GOD DAMN PADDLE?
Alas, it's time to jump into the Creek and see what Happens.
The Warden Slams the Stalker, hits the boosted Slam, kills the Wilder in the Process, follows up, engages Kaya. I can't kill her, so settle for finishing off the Stalker.
The only other models I have are the last Kayazy and her boss, they run across to contest my flag. The Dominator falls shy of contesting range.
No CP's for anyone.
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Circle 7: Ghetto warps Murderous, kills the Elminator. Kaya runs, sends the freestrike hit to Ghetto, goes to my flag and scores the final CP's for the win.
End clocks were me with 9 minutes to 6 and a half. Without the clock extension Circle clocked out when I had about ten minutes, though in that situation it's unlikely, Etavir plays notably more efficiently than I do under clock pressure, that 15 minutes gets streeeeeeeetched.
I think this is now my favourite Mark 3 game (Alas game 19, you have fallen), was a gloriously long epic. Half a turn shy of my longest game.
Definitely better plays on the Circle end, should have killed Ghetto over Laris and put said fella into the Sentry Stone on the Primal turn, the output that unit got throughout the game was far in excess of its point value.
