75 Point game, MacBain (Kingmaker theme) against The Dreamer running a Beast spam. Opponent was RobShepherd, I expect he'll put his own views and accounting in the vicinity.
Intent being to examine the viability of Rattler Spam, tested items in Bold.
Mercenary Army - 75 / 75 points
[Theme] The Kingmaker's Army
(MacBain 1) Drake MacBain [+30]
- Buccaneer [6]
- Galleon [39]
- Nomad [11]
- Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan [4]
Kell Bailoch [0]
Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor [0]
Steelhead Halberdiers (min) [7]
Steelhead Halberdiers (min) [7]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
- Trencher Infantry Rifle Grenadier (3) [6]
Rangers [9]
Objective: Armory
Grymkin Army - 75 / 75 points
[Theme] Dark Menagerie
(Dreamer 1) The Dreamer [+28]
- Cage Rager [14]
- Gorehound [6]
- Gorehound [6]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Rattler [8]
- Crabit [0]
- Crabit [0]
- Crabit [0]
- Crabit [0]
Lady Karianna Rose [4]
Gremlin Swarm [0]
Gremlin Swarm [0]
Gremlin Swarm [3]
Gremlin Swarm [3]
Gremlin Swarm [3]
Objective: Fuel Cache
Arcana: All Fall Down, Tantrum, Ruin
I'd originally posited that Injury would be a selected Arcana, based on MacBain's feat, this was decided against as that Arcana is relatively easy to play around, whereas Tantrum has a broad and potentially exponential affect on the Rattler spam list. Ruin wasn't discussed prior to the game, so I cannot provide thoughts on that.
Game was played without clocks and averaging of dice sets that dipped excessively below or above the average. Movements/plans talked through to prevent Gotcha moments and tactical blunders of any severity.
Scenario is Extraction, I win the roll and pick first.
My side has a trench to the left and water to the right, the centre of the table has a hill and a pair of clouds. Grymkin have a wall next to their objective and a number of scattered forests.
Grymkin side taken primarily on the basis of reasonable pathfinder equivalents and a forest being more tactically usable than the water.
Deployment sees the Galleon taking the water side as my own pathfinder response (The Objective forces the Galleon to either stay backfield or advance up one side of the table in any event).
Halberdiers on either flank, Trenchers central, Rangers and Kell in front of the Galleon.
Merc 1: Everything advances forward without to much excitement. The Nomad heads for the Trench, intending to gain Cover as mild protection from Abyssal Gate while Orin hangs around the Galleon.
Halberdiers go up either flank, Trenchers/Rangers skirmish out the front.
The existence of the Ruin Arcana caused me some pause, as it makes the standard upkeep shifting mode MacBain likes to play with the list more difficult.
Part of my decision making is thankfully handled by the lack of guns in the opposing list rendering Counter Measures not especially relevant, so the Galleon gets Failsafe and the Trenchers recieve Fortune.
Grymkin 1: Most of the Grymkin run up to be behind the hill, with three Rattlers gaining Elevation. Two if those three further Benefit from Artifice of Deviation, as do a number of Crabits and the Cage Rager. The Dreamer is safe behind the Fuel Cache Cloud, she uses the Cage Rager to arc Enfeeblement onto a forward Trencher.
The Hounds and one Rattler run to the left, the Hounds sit in the forests for Prowl.
Gremlin swarms proliferate around for Serenity duty.
The right most Rattler, in the midst of a forest, has his Animus and is in the forest courtesy of a charge attempt on the Galleon.
Merc 2: Both clouds go away at the end of the Grymkin turn.
I feat for 7 models, selecting the front row of Trenchers and one Ranger.
The Ranger advances into the Gremlins to Mark Target the Cage Rager. This triggers the Rattler Countercharge, this is done to stop a line from the Ranger unit on a Crabbit in the back, essentially stopping an early binning of a Shield Guard. The Ranger unit mostly sit around the right flag and try to light up the Cage Rager as being the least disastrous target from the Artifice/hill Def boosts. They predictably do little. One Ranger is kept back as Mark Target insurance in later turns.
The Trenchers form a blocking line in front of the bulk of the Grymkin force, the Grenadiers and a pair of two man CRA's take out an exposed Crabbit on the left of the beast block. A larger CRA glances the Cage Rager.
Halberds run to be a reserve on the back left and far right.
Galleon lights up the Cage Rager with its little guns, I roll high on the amount of shots and do about half of its health, plus killing a Crabbit with blast damage and badly hurting another that took a Shield Guard.
The Nomad goes in the trench, stays outside of most of the Rattlers.
Grymkin 2: The Dreamer casts Manifest Destiny, goes incorporeal and goes on the hill in Artifice of Deviation.
Half of the Rattlers throw my feated front line into each other to free up movement lanes.
A series of freestrikes are made, as I need to get damage out on the many boxes. One of them is used to trigger Tantrum.
One Hound and a Rattler go into the Nomad, the Rattler with Enrage. They do about half of its health. A Gremlin Swarm then runs to get in base to base with said Heavy Warjack.
A pair of Rattlers do a Berserk/Overtake rides with Manifest Destiny up, they clean out most of the Trenchers, Rangers and a few of the right Steel Heads. Said Rattlers end up into the Galleon, where they do a few Columns as they max out their Fury. One Gremlin Swarm runs to be base to base with the Colossal.
A small based Phantasm spawns during this turn.
A Gremlin Swarm scores off the left flag.
Merc 3: MacBain is going to have to run to safety and as much work needs to be leveraged as possible, so the upkeeps drop and all the jacks get fully fueled.
The Nomad swings at a Rattler, puts it on one box.
Steelheads on that flank then charge in, All Fall Down gets triggered this turn. Several Halberds fall over as both the Hound and Rattler around the Nomad die.
Madelyn runs to contest the left flag, the Trenchers mostly stand up and make irrelevant attacks.
Around the Galleon, the Buccaneer gets Magic Weapons off the Armoury and stabs down the Galleon Gremlin Swarm. Steelheads, Kell and Orin kill of the Lights around the Galleon, though in the middle the Colossal has to move and take a freestrike.
Galleon tries to finish off the Cage Rager, kills some Shield Guarding Crabbits and kills Karianna Rose with Blast Damage.
Grymkin 3: Three Gremlin Swarms Apparition and get to the Nomad, they Special Action it to death.
The Dreamer stays on the hill in Artifice, puts up Manifest Destiny.
Gorehound kills a Trencher, uses Sprint to take the place of scoring on the left flag.
Rattlers chew through most of the remaining infantry, one ends its run into my objective and leaves it on two boxes, another gets into the Galleon and finishes off its right side.
Buccaneer dies and becomes a Phantasm.
Grymkin go to 2 CP.
Merc 4: MacBain casts multiple Failsafes to punch through the Ruin Arcana card, Galleon tries a long odds shooting assassination and that's game. I can contest for a turn, ultimately can't stop the scenario and/or assassination win next Grymkin turn.
** Red ** (definite rule problems / abuses)
I don't feel that strongly on any item at this stage.
** Orange ** (serious concerns over rules or balance)
Dark Menagerie/Gremlin Swarm/Tantrum - The impression I have received from this game is that this trio of items all share the same root problem, specifically the FA increase granted to Gremlin Swarms in this theme. FA 5 worth of Swarms makes the theme viciously difficult to contend with on scenario and severely limits the potential plays of an opponent that lacks the multiple tools potentially required to deal with Gremlin Defences (Incorporeal/Stealth/Tantrum Card). The mass of Serenity makes the cheap Light Beast Spam readily able to advance with no Fury risk, which feels against the intended changes made to Hordes in Mark 3.
My recommendation would be to remove the FA increase on Gremlin Swarms in the theme, to be replaced by an alternative benefit. If Beast Spam is the desired outcome, I'd recommend the removal of Gremlin FA and Serenity to be replaced by an alternative rule along the lines of "Warbeasts in this list can opt to run for free in round 1". Alternatively, if Beast Spam is to not be encouraged I'd given a benefit that parses a benefit to beasts based on alternative selections, such as "Beasts gain advance move for every unit in the list".
** Yellow ** (possible problems, needs more testing)
Gorehound - Appeared to work as intended (Stealthy, lesser hitter, Sprint model), more games needed to evaluate costing
Rattler - Extremely Destructive this game as they should be in the matchup. Testing into other list archetypes required.
Phantasms - Not particularly relevant to this game, evidence lacking to draw an appropriate conclusion,
Ruin Arcana Card - I believe I as a player gave this card more weight early in the game than was warranted, more tests required though at present I expect it would fit in fine with other upkeep denial abilities. It's universal availability might be a concern, as it forces upkeep reliant casters to always play uphill into the Grymkin faction. Potential fix to have Arcana cards determined at List Creation.
All Fall Down Trump Arcana Card - Not particularly relevant this game, more attempts required.
** Green ** (good to go!)
Cage Rager - Served a particular role in the list that did well (Occasional Arc Node, using its Animus as an assist).
Crabit - No issues, appeared as reasonable Shield Guard models in a useful roll with an appropaite point bracket.
Karianna Rose - Well costed for the options given.
The Dreamer - Appears serviceable, used spell list to deliver/assist army, nothing to egregious appeared from her personally.