We arise eight and a half hours before dawn (Note: As far as I'm concerned dawn starts at Midday) and travel up to the countries false capital (If you contextualize capital cities as being the one containing a building where politicians can be safely segregated from the population they purport to serve).
Sadly a smaller event than the previous iteration, hopefully it picks up again next year.
I've gone with the Gorten maybe-you-should-stop-thinking-it's-perfect list and the Ossrum Bunny farm.
So I've gone in, filled with Uniqueness, Nerve and a lie about degree of talent. To discover I'm as about as unique as a case of Syphilis, for I am the third Ossrum Bunny list. At least one other was paired with Gorten and some Lessers. Ye gods, Cancon's Merc lists wereall different and with a more numerous player total.
Round 1 is announced as the Pit, so it's already looking good. I get drawn into Skorne, so that Flippant statement from the last Skorne game can go through its test.
Gorten1 - 2x Gunner, 2x Driller, 2x Blaster, Wrongeye + Snapjaw, Rorsh + Brine, Aiyanna + Holt, Ragman, 2x Eliminators, Tinker
vs
Xerxis1 - Tiberion, Krea, Legends of Halaak, Zaadesh + Gladiator, Cetrati + Vorkesh, Swordsman + UA, Paingivers
Possibly some Skorne bits missing. The Other list was Makeda1 with a Hydra, regardless neither list looked like Ossrum wanted a bar of it. Plus this scenario might as well be written for G-dorf to win as far as I'm concerned.
I'll note this was KR's first game in a few months. Awkward.
I won the roll, picked the side which lacked a wall that might hamper me.
Noteworthy terrain being both flags having a large Hosue obstruction next to them, a circle forest in almost the centre of the zone and skorne having said long wall.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6ZI7Whayf13dA_452sYzwmmRQsKQ4ssJfY3OFnnCXf2vcpvOFHX4bfW_0jIUQwrHlV9bbHRbthka_ZjgtOSf5Af20KUIqz4DQZBa4z4sQumkEnr_y6R9Q67GZdE93FyTOmBmtTxdWrL7/s1600/003+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Round 1: Gorten and battlegroup head for the Merc flag, Solid Ground and Strength of Granite on one Driller. Crocs go central, that kind of forest is usually a good means of him projecting Star Crossed with little danger.
Rightwise, Ragman hides behind a small obstruction, Kayazy and Acosta go in front of it (Obscured in photo by said terrain). Ninja Pigs go hard right because I love to flank and threaten the Skorne flag, plus with his Animus Brine is probably the best model once arm debuffs are applied to kill Tibbers when he gets Defenders Wardered and stays out of Driller threat range.
Skorne deployed with a weird slant, which gets mirrored as they run up.They get the Gladiator on their left side and Tibbers on the right.
Behind the wall is the Praetorisns and Xerxis, Legends are on the right flank of the brick.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0erjCNWes5WglN0S_LYDnXaocpOtot8JPW2CrGvO5m3yvHddjFcmEw5OdvoLbjP2obOII5WvRkyYvZxEA4nnFwmdJpfLnIpDi4CneRmDp8Oim6WzfxUcXd7HLWP8LijicZdfi9F-0mM8e/s1600/004+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Merc 2: I set up the "Attempt to score on the opposing turn".
Gorten goes to my flag, Rockwalls forward. Bunnies and one Eliminator unit go to blocking locations. The Gunners do some winging shots on the Gladiator, its under the Krea Animus so the small damage they do is just Gravy on them getting to the locations I want.
The Crocs fall back to this lot and put up Star Crossed. Strength of Granite Driller also goes to this side, as I might need to do some damn heavy clearing out on Cetrati.
The other Driller and Aiyanna/Holt fall back a bit in case Tibbers wonders this way and I have to set up a feat positioning game, though the Elf/Human pair should have been behind the little obstruction for more free movement (So little opposing guns the Line of Sight block isn't needed, just habitual thinking/practice at work their).
On the right, the Pigs travel way up right as they are wont to do. The other Eliminators and Acosta then go between the Pigs and Tibbers, though I ensured the Skorne Heavy couldn't get sight on Brine and would have to trample if worst came to worst.
My optimism their was Tibbers would get dawn in, then Aiyanna and Brine could get him killed. This left me with a Ragman positioning uncertainy, as I'd want Dark Shroud up their for certainty, whislt I would also most certainly want it near the Gorten blob for the Cetrati.
I ended up decided that the Cetrati were a certainty, whereas the Tibbers plan is a silly gamble as it relies on opposing Player error, so Ragman goes to the left.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC1j20FXsCLMV61tFk3OqddgsxulsXm1MyLzhZY5z2Hjvk88U6LgO3xti7zwobdIePY3V_XjkeVOP4xRrgTl0st-IbfJvqx7L3JD2WNi8FioW3VP5yiKPRZo6mPJewAEHIwjbAHpB2NF7/s1600/005+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Skorne 2:On the right, the Legends come in to clear out the Eliminator and Acosta. The Kayazy dies with ease, then it's one attack from the Spear model on Acosta needing 7's to hit. This is basically what I think of as a classic Savio gamble, if it hits then all good, you can't field Acosta and not expect him to be terminated with extreme prejudice. If she misses however, then all the Legends are going to die and he can threaten it next turn.
Alas, he decides to try to swallow the pointy stick and carks it. Oh well, it was a 58% hit chance.
Tibbers doesn't fall for the death trap, he gets Defenders Ward and hides behind the forest.
The Cetrati go up to my wall and stab at Bunnies. With the wall and Star Crossed, they miss every attack.
The rest of the Skorne list hovers around the wall, mostly in front of it. Xerxis is in the middle on 3 camp.
Nothing got in range to contest and I go to 1 CP.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKi7r35AIaevoWxRWhxNsceItmDcw8HavOoQoeNG2zTWBEPXDpIQY4wDWU2udjyglBBH2M4x_41021Ttso5tM5voMF2g32ESlhakVegs6fVHbES5ZqVHXpaDGg_nNCKYnjXWuWaPaJSPn/s1600/006+%2528800x450%2529.jpg [/img]
Merc 3: So I have an excellent assassination chance of pushing Xerxis to the right into Brine range. Howeverm regardless of how good it is, I have to move Gorten off the flag to nab a blocking Praetorian and I feel my scenario game a 99% win chance, so that's a no go.
The first part is keeping my flag secure. Gorten moves through the flag to feat on the Gladiator, Xerxis, Tibbers, the Cetrati and some Swordsman. Cetrati/Tibbers don't move, everything else goes way left, taking the Gladiator in particular far out of Zaadesh' control and stopping Rush being a factor.
The Bunnies do nothing, Strength of Granite Driller moves to the right side of the warjack blob. The other Driller and Snapjaw move to threaten Tibbers, if he doesn't back up or go somewhere meaningless he'll be in a spot I can get quality attacks on him.
Now the bonus point, attempting to score the Skorne flag.
Holt just has to clear one Legend, naturally he just wings it and does a damage point. Dammit Holt.
Brine goes in and kills the two right most legends, now it's all down to the one Kayazy. She moves up, hits the Legend, sidesteps, thankfully not killing her allowing a second stab which does and lets her sidestep to the Skorne flag.
There's a quick stare at the table, Kellbro puts forward that he can't see how it doesn't lose, I also don't see any way for him to do much so we call it there.
Obviously I enjoy The Pit, whilst completely understanding why it is going away. It's been some great Sprinkler time in the meanwhile.
