It ends up being another repeat game with slightly changed lists, as Haley1 faces Malakov2. I didn't really look at the second list, it was telegraphed what was being dropped.
Once more:
Haley1 - Stormwall, Squire, Jakes + Thunderhead, Gun Mages, Arlan, Trenchers (Min) + 3x Grenadiers
Objective: Bunker
Now going into:
Malakov2 - 2x Kodiak, Behemoth, Juggernaut, Ruin, 2x Eliminators, Gorman, Orin, Mechaniks (max)
This was alright, but the scenario is Incursion, which is the other scenario my list doesn't handle well.
Plan is to put Thunderhead one way, Stormwall the other and just throw contesting bits into the Khadoran mulch machine on the centre flag. I'll essentially have to wait out a feat turn and control the game after that.
Same table as last time, so central water, one side with a hill/forest, another with a forest/wall/obstruction.
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Round 1: Everything moves up. Both lists are essentially centre table blobs, mine because that's how it works and the opposing because it is hemmed in by the forest and obstruction.
Stormwall goes left, Thunderhead right.
All the Trenchers make a cloud wall and I have no idea why. Just a waste of time.
Given Ruin looked to be Thunderhead hunting, I put Arcane shield on the Stormwall.
Khador wise, everything runs up, Eliminators spread out in the mix.
Behemoth takes the left, Ruin takes the right.
Gorman hops over the wall, Malakov stays behind it Prowled in the Veil of Mists.
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Cygnar 2: Delay, pop some shots.
Stormwall and Thunderhead both move to their corresponding flags contesting position and light up a character jack each, they don't do that much.
The Gun Mages move up, knock back a Kodiak to be next to Gorman. Trencher Grenadiers then shoot the Kodiak to blow up Gorman, the other tries a scatter hoping to get to the Mechaniks but instead attacks a bit of ground.
Trenchers wall up in front of Haley, again more cloud then needed, especially given they've had to move into threat ranges to get the clouds in the right spots. Primarily the far right two should be on the hill in front of jakes.
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Khador 2: Behemoth lumbers forward, blows up three cloud Trenchers including one Grenadier.
Ruin charges up, pop another Trencher. The right Eliminators go, one runs to engage two right Trenchers, the other pops them, with sidestep stabs.
Everything else basically runs, the left Eliminators and one Kodiak hover around the left flag, the other Kodiak goes in front of the centre flag, vents steam to creaete a flag then backpedals to score, Jugger hangs around behind Behemoth.
Malakov moves up into a Veil of Mists, Prowls himself and feats.
Khador goes to 1 CP.
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Cygnar 3: There's a trade Thunderhead for Ruin play on the table, but it doesn't feel strong enough to be worth doing (Or rely on a Kodiak not being able to kick Sidekicked Thunderhead). Basically Thunderhead Energises forward, walks up and throws Ruin toward Ragman outside of Malakov's feat, then he gets killed by the Stormwall. I opt to try the scenario play instead, but really I think this is just not the plays to make, I should have been looking to set up an assassination with Thunderhead in future turns. The lack of something able to kill a Heavy in the middle of the board is causing some grief.
End plan is I'll score with Thunderhead on the right and otherwise play some sweet holding action.
Around the left flag Stormwall moves up to threaten Behemoth (10 vs 9) and throws the left most Kodiak way to the left at a place Stormpod. I fail to arrange to kill the Eliminators, so can't score alas.
Haley falls back, puts up Temporal Barrier.
Right side, Thunderhead moves up, butt facing Ruin (MAX DISRESPECT YO) and pulses down the right side Eliminators (Point of the facing was an unlucky damage roll would trigger Malakov's feat). Jakes then Energises Thunderhead to the right, outside of Ruin's LoS so at best he can trample over and get two attacks.
Centre wise, the Grenadiers move up and kill a couple mechanics. I dream of some lightning.
Lastly the Gun Mages have sod all to do, so for jollies Thunderbolt Ruin a short distance back.
This was a reasonable turn until that final line. First is a conceptual issue, Ruin will walk to go to the right anyway, all I can possibly do is give him a free move with Mally's feat. It does something else instead as I don't spike damage, we'll get to that.
Score equal at 1 apiece.
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Khador 3: I've knocked back Ruin to have line of sight on Thunderhead to charge. Just.....the.....worst....at....dollies......
Ruin gets fuelled up by souls, charges Thunderhead, surprisingly fails to kill but knocks off the right arm and Cortex.
Centre Kodiak pops a different cloud, moves to the front of the flag to stop Thunderbolt shenanigans.
Orin pops around, Lightnings down a Trencher and two Gun Mages (OOOORRRRIIIINNNNNN!).
Behemoth blows up the other remaining Trencher.
Left Kodiak and Juggernaut move toward Stormwall.
Malakov goes back behind the wall, two Mechanics go to be Sucker targets.
Khador takes the lead 2v1.
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Cygnar 4: Alright, I have to survive this turn and try to assassinate next turn.
Jakes runs way up the right side of the Board as Thunderhead flails embarrassingly.
Stormwall with two focus moves up to the left Kodiak, if all my attacks hit on average with Dark Shroud I kill it. Unfortunately a jamming Eliminator creates some awkward movement, so I misplace Ragman and don't get Death Field in range by about 5mm.
Stormwall swings away, in theory average dice with a single spike still kills.
I hadn't activated Haley yet, so 2 of my 4 attacks miss with 3 on the dice. Urk. Blargh. Sorrow. Emo poetry. Knock off an arm at least, though given the Kodiak was super outside of Malakov's allocation I should have gone into the Juggernaught anyway. A pod also contests the centre flag.
Centre wise, the remaining pair of Gun Mages kill Orin.
Haley ducks left, pops Temporal Barrier, Scrambles the Jugger (Had the Stormwall gone into him I'd have disrupted Behemoth) and camps 1.
No new scores, but hey, maybe Behemoth just blows Haley up and I can stop the poor decision making train.
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Khador 4: Malakov stays chilling behind the wall.
Behemoth aims, shoots Haley, first shot down a ton of damage, second shot misses, scatter hits, damage rolls, left with 5 boxes and no camp.
Aha! Still have a technical chance!
Left Kodiak and Juggernaught stumble toward Stormwall, Kodiak gets to do some ineffectual swings. Centre Kodiak advances, Vents to kill a Pod and Gun Mage, then Tac Supremacies back to the centre flag.
Ruin picks Thunderhead up like a child and slaps his head off.
Khador goes to 4.
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Cygnar 5: Malakov didn't run behind the Obstruction, ahoy 30ish percent chance to win!
Loads of clock time, so don't exactly worry myself about screwing around. Mally is behind the wall with two Mechanik Sucker targets and a pair of focus points.
After a bunch of pre-measuring, Haley charges the centre Kodiak, Feats, hits Arcane Bolt on Malakov for a few point.
Lone Gun Mage moves up, shoots down one of the Mechanic Sucker targets and misses the other.
jakes walks and Energisers forward, shoots Malakov to remove the final Sucker target.
Arlan puts the Stormwall on max focus, Stormwall advances across, coping an irrelevant freestrike. Shoots Malakov three times, boosting to hit, leaves him on about 5 boxes I think.
Sadness.
I concede at that point as it's a diceless win from here (Centre Kodiak moves across, vents steam on the Gun Mage, Tac Supremacy's back to the flag to score to 5).
Ho hum, another Haley1 punched out by Malakov. I wish the Gun Mages were terrible instead of seriously handy so I'd stop misusing them. Otherwise wasted Trenchers and the Stormwall later on, but I'm sure there's a game there.
That's probably it for the Cygnar run, unless I work out a Nemo3 list that satisfies.....my inner masochist I guess?
