Called up one of the local residents, this one likely possessing the ability to look smick in a stovepipe hat and old timey suit. Arranged to try out Gorten vs the OTC Axis list, which I think is good for me but hey, confirmation is a good thing. Threw down Two Fronts, as it's the worst scenario I want to play the short stuff on (Incursions demise leaves me with no regrets, I don't want to play Gorten on that scenario ever).
Ergo, It's Gorten with a battle group of doubles of the good Rhulic Jacks (Drillers/Blasters/Gunners), Ninja Pig, Handbag patrol, Eliminators, Acosta, various support.
The Axis list, in a shocking turn of events for this time period of the game, is in Destruction Initiative! Such wonder. Many wows. The Doge meme is overrated.
Anyway, it's double TEP, triple Donginators, the Shield Guard heavy that cares about nature (Cause he's a Conservator. Get it? GET IT?!), the repair humans, three lots of Dig In/explode Servitors, two lots of flare bots.
This list diverges from local practice by the complete lack of guns on the battlegroup, where Cipher's making Rough terrain and Diffusers have work arounds for Axis' RAT.
Threw out some flags, ended up with a pair of hills, forests, a trench and a wall.
I win the dice roll and make my first piece of failed conjecture, opting for first to alleviate the opposing increased deployment zone. Garbage decision, as one side of the board has a wall and forest near the flag that don't obstruct it, whereas I end up with a forest inconveniently positioned from where Gorten would like to be at the top of 2. Good to know.
Deployment wise, My battlegroup goes centre, Lesser Warlocks go on the left. CoC has the TEPs go to the far left and the Inverters stacked on the right, the various AD Servitors actually deploy behind this frontline, a good response to Shield Guard and my natural desire to plink targets of opportunity throughout the game.
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Round 1: Everything runs forward, no need to waste time submerging and popping smoke at this juncture. I put Strength of Granite on a Driller and Solid Ground on Gorten. The Eliminators go out front of the battlegroup with Acosta, they are across from the Inverters so no fear of random death. Habit makes me keep them in Solid Ground anyway. One Gunner runs to the right side of my forest, intending to free up spacing for my attacks next turn.
Convergence broadly just runs forward, the repair dudes each take up a spot behind the Inverters. Conservator goes up to the Convergence flag, everything is careful to stay out of Gorten's walk and feat range
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Merc 2: Let the dance begin! My spacing intent is to try to tempt out the Axis feat for not a great deal of gain, which then lets me wait a round to counterfeat and crush it.
Rorsh goes way left on the board, Rorsh hangs back a little. Rorsh is in range of one of the TEPs, IF Axis feats. The Crocs just backpedal, I want them for late game.
Aiyanna sadly didn't move far enough up to get a harm out, so that's something to bear in mind. The Gunners end up plinking down some Shield Guards on the far right Inverter, the Blasters split up, one going a bit to the left, the other dropping back behind the forest for late game. The Eliminators Press Forward, killing a couple repair guys and taking some damage from suiciding Land Mine Servitors. Acosta charges the right most Inverter, has a disappointing charge and so ends up doing 12 points overall. In hindsight this was not a good use of him, he should have run far to the right to be around for the late game or as a potential hitting piece when I feat.
Gorten runs to start getting his way through the forest.
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CoC 2: Axis and the Conservator go to the CoC flag, ignoring my feat bait.
An Attunement Servitor flares Brine, who then gets wailed on by a TEP, leaving him on four odd boxes with no Spirit. A couple Reflex Servitors go up on either side of the BE. The other TEP just moves up to the flag as well.
On the right, the Inverters are joined by the Corollary, they have enough boosted attacks to pop the Eliminators and Acosta. I kept one Kayazy back contesting my flag, so she'll have to avenge her comrades.
Convergence go to 1.
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Merc 3: Time to wait out feats and counterscore. Not scoring the bottom of 2 is the principal reason for going first being an error.
Rorsch heals Brine and shoots down a Reflex Servitor, the left most Blaster moves up to my sides hill and kills the other that threatened knocking a Big pig aspect out on the Countercharge. A random Attunement fella dies as well.
Brine charges for free, kills it exactly (Thank god for no CID changes for the next tourney....)
I wanted there to be Death Field on it for surety, but alas Ragman couldn't get the distance.
I sadly have to run up a Driller to stop the opposing score, lacking another relevant disposable model. The Conservator charges and takes out a column.
Gorten puts down a wall in front of the Merc flag and charges to get to my flag.
The remaining Eliminator charges a backfield Attunement Servitor, then sidesteps into the back arc of the last mechanic and misses the swing.
The Gunners advance up to suicide positions that deny a landing spot near Gorten for the potential murder pieces, they shoot the right most Inverter after Aiyanna harms it. I roll poorly , doing maybe a third of its health and taking out no systems.
The other Driller moves up to stop the Conservator getting to awkwardly close to the Dorf, the Tinker stays backfield. Wrongeye pops Star Crossed and charges across, trying to get his control area up there. Snappy hangs back and Submerges.
Scores level at 1 apiece.
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CoC 3: Axis feats, getting the front edge of my stuff (Brine, the Eliminator, the Drillers and a Gunner) and all the CoC models. He then backpedals hard to deny any assassination, given Gorten will have charge targets shortly.
A Reflex Servitor charges Brine after he gets flared, spikes the roll and kills him. Sadness.
The TEP manages to get over the wall with the speed boost and sprays at Wrongeye, stripping his Transfer but failing to kill him.
All three Inverters charge in, killing the sacrificial Driller, the left Gunner and taking out the Cortex on the right one/mangling the second Driller. The Conservator charges Wrongeye and manages to bin him (Swallow Sadness!).
A couple Servitors hide out in the CoC forest, but I see them Azalea. I see them.
Score remains 1 apiece.
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Merc 4: Time to feat and push the scenario. I allocate the Driller extra for him to swing on the Conservator.
Do some mini-bit operations first, the Tinker repairs the Driller, Rorsh moves up on the left and shoots down a reserve Flare bot hiding in the backfield. Ragman runs to a point where he can run and contest the CoC flag if that comes up.
I then screw up by not doing the Driller attacks, as I activate Gorten and feat push back the two Servitors in the forest, the Inverters and the Conservator. Gorten then moves to the far side of the flag to be just shy of the TEP threat range, allowing him to blow his stack putting down a wall that stops the Conservator being able to run and contest. Gorten then does a double shot on the right most Inverter, leaving it on 2 boxes.
Aiyanna harms the Corollary, which is the only model that can contest me next round (Gorten was out of range on it). Holt, the remaining Gun Bunny and the Kayazy all attack, the damage inflicted is sadly underwhelming and my plan seems to be sunk.
The left blaster walks back into control, bounces off the Conservator. The right blaster tries to finish off the two box Inverter but doesn't get it done. Dangit.
The Driller moves up behind the wall to hopefully be usefull next turn, though I expect it get TEPped.
Mercs get up 2 v 1 CP.
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CoC 4: The Corrolary charges the Gunner, which would put it in contesting range and let is pass focus around.The Eliminator freestrike kills its movement and it geets barely anywhere. Success!
The Conservator runs to engage the Tinker, the Inverters all shuffle around painfully.
The TEP trundles across towards my flag, Kills Aiyanna/Holt and slightly dings the Driller
Mercs go up to 3 v 1.
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Merc 5: Rorsh runs into the backfield, Ragman futzes around waiting to be a contesting model.
The Eliminator kills the Corrolarry with a Combo strike. The right blaster moves up and again fails to kill the 2 box Inverter, so I try and fail with the Gunner. I'm going to kill enough to keep Gorten away from a Heavy while scoring, so he backs up, shoots down the super damaged Inverter at least and throws a Molten Metal at one Inverter. The Driller gets repaired but can't otherwise go anywhere without dying to a countercharge, so it sits there to at least force an attack roll on it.
Convergence have thirty seconds to try to TEP kill Gorten which fails.
We play it out after that anyway, I get to four off Ragman running to the Convergence flag when only Axis is on it as I kill all the Inverters, the TEP ends up contesting my flag while the Conservator protects the CoC one. We go to round 8 in which I just can't get the 5th CP, eventually Axis Domiantes it out as I flub damage rolls on the TEP.
Content that the match is good for me, considerably better in other non-Incursion scenarios. Going to be awful when I screw this matchup at the OTC.
