Anyway, super aggro Aurora meant a re-rack, this time I plonked down the caster I like without reason (Ok, not true, I like him because he's the only model I've bothered doing a conversion that required effort, which has yet to overpower my thoughts on how good he might actually be, which is not a lot).
Darius1 w/adult digger toys - Rowdy, Centurion, Gallant, Thorn, Squire, Junior w/Sentinel, Stormcallers, Gorman, Tinker, Lanyssa, Versh
So.....probably need to explain this mess.
Basically, I made a Haley list. Then I made a Darius list. Then I realised that as I'd just taken the Cygnar models I liked the rules or appearance of and constructed the same list twice, so quickly changed the Darius list by swapping out the Stormwall for Rowdy, the Centurion and Gorman without applying much thought.
Tinker and Storm Callers should definitely be replaced, or at least some other 5 point model(s) put in with the Tinker as a points fill.
Otherwise, it's most of the character jacks bar Dynamo, who I don't own, and Triumph, who I feel no compulsion to own.
Ye old Frenemesis is doing the righty and actually practicing a list instead of throwing random junk at the table for the sake of amusement:
Aurora1 - 2x Conservator, Diffuser, 3x Angels, Shield Wall Medium based guys, the Sidestep Medium based guys, 2x the Soul collector solo, three man repair unit, Flare bots, 2x Steelsoul Protector
Scenario flips to the pit, one side gets a hill/wall, the other gets a wall/forest/water, the house sticks out on one flank.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipweeoPAoCr1vZCvAS8PQWoUT9h98d6XGYxi7_dw5VYvI1j6qWfvvs2syQIzKUc-EhmlmfNgSOmO_E8Zwo4tK8C4tLlfagnT7mEAyFCU86rm888z_qY35y_f1VPFsO8Hp3GA2yZIahoU6F/s1600/009+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Round 1: I win the roll and take second. I've bemoaned not getting to go first with Darius for years, but at this table I'm even more disinclined to try to deal with the anti-Menoth forest in front of one deployment zone so took the other side with a nice wall I can plonk Darius behind.
CoC advance, Aurora is across my flag so I early on veto the idea of trying to score defensively on my flag. No good getting a point then being defenestrated.
The Sidesteppers run into the water, then Aurora and a unit of Angels are behind that wall at the top of the zone. One Vector is then on the left side of the forest, Shield Wall unit in said forest, other Vectors are to the right side of the forest.
The other two Angel units go hard right, one is mostly invisible aside from the wing tips protruding from the house they are presumably trying to rent. Front doors on the other side guys.
Aurora gets Admonition.
I mostly deployed in response, so mainly my models just shuffle up. I'm conspicuously keeping a relatively compact deployment, partly because of hte scenario, partly because ofthe outflanking Angels, but I suspect mostly because I put the Centurion out of control last time I played Darius and that was a painful experience.
I do have one proxy, Valachev is standing in for Lannysa as she is still in the painting process.
The halfjacks and Stormcallers go out to the right, my theory being it'll either draw the angels forward to kill my expendable models or I'll get to plonk mines around my flag and discourage scoring off it by the lighter CoC elements.
The Centurion gets a focus from Arlen, puts up Polarity Field, receives Arcane Shield from Junior and runs up near my flag. Gallant walks up a short distance behind him.
Squire, Harlen and Darius all go behind the wall, Gorman walks up and clouds in front of Darius, I then crane him to the back of his cloud for Lannysa to run in and proc Prowl. Thorn, Rowdy and the Sentinel go to the right. Thorn and Rowdy are technically in the Conservators charge range, but that's taking into account Hunters Mark that I can Shield guard.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipweeoPAoCr1vZCvAS8PQWoUT9h98d6XGYxi7_dw5VYvI1j6qWfvvs2syQIzKUc-EhmlmfNgSOmO_E8Zwo4tK8C4tLlfagnT7mEAyFCU86rm888z_qY35y_f1VPFsO8Hp3GA2yZIahoU6F/s1600/009+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
CoC 2: The various Angels lead out, the centre Angels go out to the left, engaging a halfjack. The housebound unit stays hiding away, the right unit runs in and threatens my backfield.
The Sidestep guys spread out in a half circle near my flag, trying to ensure I can't pop the whole unit.
Aurora sticks behind her safety wall, the Vectors and Shield Wallers just advance in the top of hte zone, The Diffuser and pair of Steelsoul Protectors leading out the front.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipweeoPAoCr1vZCvAS8PQWoUT9h98d6XGYxi7_dw5VYvI1j6qWfvvs2syQIzKUc-EhmlmfNgSOmO_E8Zwo4tK8C4tLlfagnT7mEAyFCU86rm888z_qY35y_f1VPFsO8Hp3GA2yZIahoU6F/s1600/009+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Cygnar 2: My planning is a bit disjointed this turn. I'm ahead on clock and haven't lost any models, so I'll just go with killing stuff and playing it safe. Scoring is off the table.
The Centurion, Gallant, Thorn and a couple Jackhammers kill off all the sidesteppers. Honestly took a lot more effort than I expected, most important piece being the Centurion who was able to get up and pop the furthest couple of models in the unit.
Rowdy charges the Diffuser and popped it without any focus allocation. Sometimes you just have to be good?
I then did the random model activation's, where my dice decided to be heroes of our time. They could have even rolled an Australian boosted 9 this day I reckoned.
Tinker went into an Angel on the right, landed the boxcars to hit and killed him. Sentinel then walked in and blatted one with his shield without focus (As expected, Junior is so far back he's not even in the pic). Gorman walked up, did an out of range throw at one of the Shield Wall guys, scatted the Black Oil onto the two right most Shield Wall chaps and both Steelsoul Protectors. Marvelous.
Lastly for giggles Harlen, who was the recipient of Crane this turn, moved up and drew a bead on Aurora that voided the wall bonus, though it required nuzzling up to Thorn who is at best emotionally distant. Only rolled two shots alas, first was shield guarded, second burnt through a focus point to do four damage. Harlen loves him some opposing Admonition.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipweeoPAoCr1vZCvAS8PQWoUT9h98d6XGYxi7_dw5VYvI1j6qWfvvs2syQIzKUc-EhmlmfNgSOmO_E8Zwo4tK8C4tLlfagnT7mEAyFCU86rm888z_qY35y_f1VPFsO8Hp3GA2yZIahoU6F/s1600/009+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
CoC 3: Aurora decides its Agro time once more.
The Angels go first, they run in to engage various things. Aurora then feats, moves up and starts stabbing Gallant and Thorn with Flashing Blades. In the same way my dice were heroic, Chrisanthenums decided that giving their owner hope was beyond their means. Aurora, with Flank, missed the opening attack on Thorn, then missed another with flashing blade, allowing him to Dodge twice away. One of these triggered a Defensive Strike that also missed. Glorious.
After that desultory effort, she re-positioned further up the hill, outside of walk and stab range of the Centurion and Gallant, who was also minimally hurt, camping two with Admo up.
Just realised we didn't apply Mechanical Seizure and Gallant should have been Stationary. Doh. Would have been relevant to.
The Shield Wall and Steelsouls advance up, one Protector triggers Rowdy's Counter charge which kills it. They Shield Wall guys do a single CMA of doom on Versh. It misses.
Other than that the Vectors and various support pieces futz around, one does stab Gallant outdoing Aurora (5 damage versus 4 for a total of 9).
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipweeoPAoCr1vZCvAS8PQWoUT9h98d6XGYxi7_dw5VYvI1j6qWfvvs2syQIzKUc-EhmlmfNgSOmO_E8Zwo4tK8C4tLlfagnT7mEAyFCU86rm888z_qY35y_f1VPFsO8Hp3GA2yZIahoU6F/s1600/009+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Cygnar 3: Well, its not hard to feel confident after seeing all those failed to hit and damage rolls.
Simply plan, kill Aurora. Plan is to trigger Admonition, then move Gorman up, Black Oil, move a jack to engage and Jackhammer to Victory.
I start by spawning a Halfjack that runs to be in a the right Slam position. Thorn then slams him, taking two free strikes that lop off both arms. Aurora triggers Admonition and moves closer to my edge, making her travel distance in the game officially double that of Darius'.
Salt in the gears as Thorn then misses the four for the Slam anyway.
The plan was going so well I had to mess it up. Darius goes over his safety wall, does a shot on Aurora that blows through another four or so health after the focus point. I then realise the plan was to Jackhammer, so I hadn't allocated to sodding anybody, but I'd activated Darius early. Sodding Genius.I cast Full Throttle instead, it's all good, still recoverable.
I then trample Gallant, who gains a Versh focus as well. I curse my ineptitude once more, as I spaced on getting Gormans sticky stuff out. Just the worst at war dollies over here.
Full Throttle makes up for it thankfully, as Gallant's bought attacks land with the boosted hit rolls and just cap Aurora off thanks to the early damage Versh did.
Blargh. Why do I insist on making this harder than it needs to be?! I had one attack to come from the Centurion and Gorman still to activate.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipweeoPAoCr1vZCvAS8PQWoUT9h98d6XGYxi7_dw5VYvI1j6qWfvvs2syQIzKUc-EhmlmfNgSOmO_E8Zwo4tK8C4tLlfagnT7mEAyFCU86rm888z_qY35y_f1VPFsO8Hp3GA2yZIahoU6F/s1600/009+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Me on the right.
CoC wise, I can't help but think on review that the proper play is to Admonition a Vector, Hang Aurora behind the forest with Arcane Might and boost damage when applicable. But then, armour skew is also not Aurora's thing as far as I can tell.
Happy with my plans. Let's not talk about the execution thereof though. As to the list....
It's bye bye to Junior, need more pieces to do stuff. As an unimaginative muppet I've just copied the net and thrown in Sword Knights and Dougal, now to dig up those models and despair at the needed repair work. Plasticize more stuff PP. The only other real question is whether or not I cycle the Stormwall in.
