It's the other list that I've never played before:
Gorten1 - 2x Driller, 2x Blaster, 2x Gunner, Wrongeye w/Snapjaw, Rorsh w/Brine, Tinker, Ragman, Aiyanna + Holt, 2x Eliminators, Acosta
Objective: Bunker
Into the Questor seeking to be a hero (I'm essentially the mini-boss who has been confused for one of the larger four or five behind him).
Axis1 - Cipher, 2x Inverter, Diffuser, Corollary, Steelsoul Protector, 2x Obstructors, Reductors, 2x Enigma Foundry x2
Or to translate:
WHERE'S YOUR THEME FORCE NOW?! - Terrain/Flare Heavy, double Donginator, small Flare bot, mandatory focus juggling orb, Ogrun Bokur mark 2, 2x small shield tosser, small base vomit men, pair of robot ant queen soul factories (Dammit, that one sounds way to metal)
Anyway, it's Outflank. We've got double water, double forest, double wall and a hill.
I lose the wall, get lumped with the side penalised by having the water on the left and centre with a forest that has half its mass in the right zone. There's a wall on my side as well, though it's not super relevant. We face a symmetrical deployment, with Obstructors either side and Foundries behind, axis dead centre, heavies either side. Diffuser(Flare light fella) leans toward the left.
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Merc 1: I opt for the split groups deal, Wrongeye takes his Defence Posse left side, Gorten goes to claim the right zone with Brine on the extreme right.
I Solid Ground and Strength of Granite the centre line Driller.
I've only put one heavy centrally, hoping to draw out Axis' feat by offering a Strength of Granite Driller, I then leverage my feat to push hard on the right as the Croc scream out "pay attention to me".
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CoC 1: Stuff runs up. Axis is tauntingly open and 15 inches away. Urk.Oh the taunting.
Onslaught is up, that's the Diffuser and a Dongilator on the left with the Cipher/2nd Dongilator on the right.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgynKrVQVP1-x7nujiYc4zKcCUtFVaJZOergJrIMRzofRJVMkku8OC2ksV_mKbaSzfgoO-HDW0LB4xZK7boaPqoorfPKoOxm6-jDSNfhql0ZRQwFwC4mqMuSnbL7s0o25-jUEfQ7_9O4A/s1600/017+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Merc 2: Axis being dead centre gives hope to the wide split list plan, the intent is to force a Convergence feat. Depending on end positioning I'll then either hold my feat (Optimistic) or counter feat (Realistic).
The Strength of Granite Driller and Gun Bunnies move up into threat range as Axis feat sacrifices, I also get a lucky roll on my shots and ping off the Enigma Foundries, so that was nice.
Other the left group hoves to the left, using stealth, submerge and distance to make the Diffuser Flare irrelevant. Star Crossed popped.
On the right I move up the second Driller around the right edge of the forest, toeing the zone. My thinking is he will stop the score and give that final impetus for Axis feat, as he'll be in charge range of a few Obstructors. I keep the Tinker in Axis feat walk and repair range in case, he only needs his Cortex left then for a perfectly fine turn.
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CoC 2: It all pans out as wanted, which I think is the right call for the Gearheads anyway.
Axis moves up, pops feat. Stays further than 12 away from Gorten.
Both Inverters come forward to kill jacks, one pops the bait Driller, the other crunches the Gunners. It was kind of like a boot descending on an aluminium can. The jacks were an ant in the can.
The Cipher futzes around the back, drops some terrain on the Inverter in the right zone. I like that move, whilst simultaneously resenting it.
The left Obstructor unit just runs up, wasn't in a position to do much.
The right unit charges the Driller, CMA's for a wollop that takes off its right arm.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh086Mn_bt4PsK0VfjrR_qixDdpoSJlO_CT4S25n8t0kVCkwmV5MBZTgwRWFcT95vohLtuD7vPYFE771kI86XnyIN1iSpove_oxWj5uMeU5TE7oJQTyGI4p0XeNefqnK6sG8n6KlrEuch9X/s1600/020+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Merc 3: I've contested it out, so can seize the scoring initiative.
My strategical errors are revealed to me in the manner of a grotesque nightmare fuel half man half mechanical fiend ramming a piston arm into my temple. I've divided myself far to much with the Driller and Snapjaw unable to support each other, I'm going to have to feat for scoring and to buy time but the long game isn't looking that good.
In any event, plan is to clear the right zone with feat.
Gorten toes the zone, this triggers a countercharge which doesn't do a great deal of damage, my fear being the charge would be enough to get the Inverter next to Gorten and be unpullable, thankfully the Onslaught/Countercharge interaction was in my favour this time.
I shunt everything to the left, everything being Axis, the Heavy Vectors and most of the infantry in the right zone, then Spray Bunnies clear most of the zone, only issue being a Reductor up the far end that Holt, being a dick, decided not to kill. This meant I had to send in Brine, which was quite distasteful, as I wanted him centrally placed to threaten Axis' position.
I unthinkingly activated the left side first, which had some very bad consequences. My feat turn was the opportunity for Snappy to move in and threaten the nearest Inverter, instead I fell back with him and his bros.
I go to 2 CP and embrace the sun eventually going nova.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7F3g2iFP4OEYCZP2w5RI76fTNlUY3adcq-6mAOse7aOI5Idt3IpxpVtLJuZs7opfykniBitUxZZvcUJ7IPPIxi95vNdA3FMRGQX1Pp0CQZgdML5Uy1lQGnETy2YOeYC_ZLvXbzO7LZoG/s1600/021+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
CoC 3:My feat stops to much from happening. Everything shuffles around, thing move into the zones. The left Obstructors Shield Wall up, the Reductors spray Brine and do some touch damage.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbgmY9I0xWbYOfvhT2_tXUZYWDbbDt7n906FR1oO9fkt88uguZ_ZUAAapZoatQRNmxcm5HwrHooJWFm-qTUk3Qa9ZUJswJeN72944rraO488dbtyV8ovOqzcemGSAKvD9ySWDcecWWjmi/s1600/022+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Merc 4: Reacting super late to my mistakes, the Croc boats moves forward, Acosta runs up to engage the left Inverter. I ping the other Inverter with Harm and Holt/Rorsh shots, doing some damage but not removing anything important. I then slam it with a spray Bunny, which just Barely gets it out of the zone as Brine throws a Reductor to clear it.
Gorten goes into the forest, plonks down a wall. The forest limits it's placement, so I then go to run the Tinker and remaining Bunny to block spots. Accept if I do that, the Inverter countercharges in. I settle for running them up as far as I can, for which it is self evident will not be sufficient.
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CoC 4: Spray Bunny is slightly blocking, so gets killed by the left Inverter. Cipher flairs Gorten with a scatter. Right Inverter goes in and kills him with ease (two tough checks short).
So much greed. I didn't need to go to 4 points, 3 would have been fine with the clock advantage I head, plus I can then probably swing Heavy attrition (though not infantry). Gorten just needed to back up and Molten Metal the right Inverter, that and his Gun plus spray Bunny probably takes out a relevant pair of systems if it doesn't kill.
At the very least Acosta could have been on the right much earlier. Ragman is probably alright left on that side, but we'll never know.
This was the first game were the errata changes really hurt. Gorten fights Control casters by threatening them with throw + feat, the lack of it.....
Anyway, Thexus soon hopefully, need to practice the tricky blighter. Though I'm honestly dojoing mostly Minions at the moment.
