Still have one more game to go through in any event, probably last iteration of the Rocinante list unless the Rover is Kardashian vapid levels bad, though it worked reasonably enough in the journeyman (Though that was an artifact of Snipe Mangled Metal abuse, because I'm terrible).
Ashlynn1 - Gallant, Rocinante, Sylyss, Dahlia w/Skarath, Rorsh w/Brine, Wrongeye w/Snapjaw, Aiyanna + Holt, Anastasia
Objective: Bunker
Into our our Ruski on a brief moment of worshiping some worm (sadly evil god monster thing rather than tequila related).
Tannith1 - Feral, Stalker, 4x Scarsfell Griffon, Shifting Stones, 2x Sentry Stones, Druid Wilder, Druid Blackclad, Reeves of Orboros (Max)
Proxes: A Sentry Stone on a Medium base and some Winterguard are one of the Sentry Stones, I think one of the Griffons was a different sort but given I can't tell teh difference between the models it's not super relevant.
I still have a Ranger subbing in for Sylyss.
Rolled up Incursion, same table as last match so we have a couple hill, wall, clouds and an obstruction/trench scattered around.
Looking at it I was certain that I lose the long game. Sentry Stones can happily contest the far flags and take more effort than their points should dictate to remove, making scenario difficult, the griffons wait out my feat turn then come in and kill Ashlynn or the Lesser locks and I lose.
Plan is to look for an aggressive play and alpha hard enough that Ashlynn can then find a position of safety while the Lessers mop up.
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Merc 1: I won the roll, normally I'd nab second and take the side with the safest terrain piece, but in accordance with THE PLAN i nabbed first to get in murder position the top of 2.
I put Quicken on Brine and Admo, then Ashlynn charges up the guts.
Gallant and the Snake go left, Rocinante, Crocs and Brine go right, the Pig goes out ahead in the Trench.
Anastasia is ambushing.
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Circle 1: Sure enough, each Sentry Stone heads in the vague direction of each outer flag. Because they're dicks.
Otherwise a Griffon goes out each flank, everything else blobs up in the centre, Tannit being that green model behind the wall and the two heavies.
Most importantly, one Griffon gets Admonition and goes up to the centre flag.
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Merc 2: As the circle turn progressed, Tannith activated fairly early and moved up. I then spent the entire turn hoping for incompetence, but alas the heavies moved in the way and Brine could no longer straight up murder the lead hippy. Foiled! A real game we must attempt then. Time to enact THE PLAN.
My goals is to kill the Admo Griffon and the heavies, run everything forward and hope the three Griffons and buddies can't get it done, allowing me to attrition further ahead and run Ashlynn away.
I really wanted to shoot that lead Griffon down, Harlan was practically salivating at the possibility. Shame about that stealth thing, at least that kink got worked out before money was spent on leather...........items.........
Spells upkept, Ashlynn feats and charges the Admo Griffon. The Light caw caw creature admo's backward, into a blocking position in front of the two heavies. I wanted to kill the Griffon anyway, so Ashlynn triggers her own Admo, falls back to be just in stealth negate range of the Griffon and does a Gallows Grove. I hit, a 2 lets Brine in, 3 or higher and Skarath can charge in and blat him.
Naturally the 1 rolls up. Balls. It's straight dice damage, so that hurts it a bit, but my odds just plummeted.
Gear change, I have to shoot the stealthy Griffon down.
Skarath moves up as the best chance, hits, boosts damage, leaves the Griffon on 2 boxes. Casts Counter Blast.
Last piece that can do it is Rocinante. He takes the shot, scatters onto the mob of three beasts. Nothing happens to the big fellas obviously, but I boost on the Griffon, need a 9 to finish him off. I get an eight and do one box.
I sign and mentally scrunch up my imagined image of a notepad page with "THE PLAN" written on it.
I try the only recovery I can see, throw Brine in to kill at least one heavy and jam up as much annoying effects as possible.
Rorsh moves across, pops smoke, hides in the cloud. Brine pops Animus, walks in, easily kills the Feral, misses the Griffon once, buys an attack to horribly overkill the light.
Gallant charges up on the left to kill a Manikin after Versh just embarrasses himself, Dahlia runs up ahead of Ashlynn, intent to get the unit under Haunting Melody. Snapjaw is a couple mill out of charging the remaining centre Griffon, so runs up but is out of engage range (The curse of Blood Thirst: If you can't charge a living model, you can't run and engage). Snapjaw Submerges and casts Star Crossed for MOAR DICE.
So I do multiple errors this turn, all on Ashlynn.
* She didn't need to Admonition, which is her safe guard again throws/slams.
* Didn't take the Handcannon shot, forgetting about Dual attack. Foolishly rolled it out, would have done the two boxes remaining on the griffon.
* Didn't Arcane Secrets, would possibly have spiked the Gallows rolled and given even better odds of a hit.
The admonition one is probably the most egregious error, definitely based solely on the greed of getting a Skarath charge in.
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Circle 2: Circle tank time! Or gold mining really, I like to think I presented a pretty strong puzzle, though as mentioned above it could have been so much better.
There's some per-measurements and rules clarifications, I'd read the Griffon card at the start of the game so sadly knew the pain that was incoming.
The left most Griffon runs across, avoids the Gallant free strike (Should have run him. Damn you greed!). Though there was another Griffon on the right that could serve the same purpose.
Tannith falls back out of Ashlynn's control area, feats herself, puts Affliction on the Griffon to be thrown (This is my favourite part of the Circle plan. That's just glorious). Dark Shroud on a stick goes on the Stalker, arcs a "Why not?" spell at Ashlynn, burns through a focus and does a third of Ashlynn's health. Eugh. This is why I couldn't recast Admo.
The Griffon of power advances, does a 6 dice throw power attack on the griffon in front of it dropping the highest three, needs a 5.
Gets exactly a five. Dangit.
I concede at that point, the Stalker can walk with no Free Strikes and easily kills Ashlynn.
That was thoroughly enjoyable, though that's always true of games with Drawde. It was a nice complete 180 on the list plan, though I maintain it's the plan that works. Normally I'd say Ashlynn could have held further back, but the Admo on the opposing Griffon makes me think that's not true the way this panned out.
Given the above mentioned list changes, I'd expect when Gibbs releases he'll replace Sylyss, particularly with the way Gorman's cloud now works, reposition and Hot Food in this list are all magic.
