We go into the Gatling Gun, who gave me one of my two best games at the OTC so a rematch was something to look forward to.
It's Convergence, so at least I have loads of practice into it. Last time was my practiced Gorten into Axis, the current iteration isn't nearly as good into double TEPs so I was a lock into Thexus. The opposing pair had Iron Mother, which is also doable if long and tricky. We end up with:
Thexus1 (Operating Theatre) - 2x Wardens, Subduer, 3x Slavers, 2x Benders, Alexia with Dominator, 2x Overlords
vs
Axis1 (Destruction Initiative) - 3x Inverter, Conservator, Corrolary, 2x TEP, 3x Reflex Servitors, some flarebots, healy dudes unit
It's the same CoC list as the OTC game, it's powerful however a lack of Diffuser makes it's threat ranges manageable if you keep Counter Charge on the Vectors in mind.
It's Recon, the same scenario we played at the OTC. I lose the roll and get to pick table sides, once again choosing the side with a defensive forest. Noteworthy terrain otherwise is a forest in the centre of the zone and wall on the CoC half of the board placed perpendicularly next to the zone.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUZwVD8zvZHvvyDUQpcaXBwCrAr0-AJ5RncchsxatLj-NPuIlATe6uCYJNN4L9r9MfzCcfwJ9NnkpGA_WOfxgEaTkvbyHLenWvm1XnBIkQWI0mkWnKov3DwIMcYLiGCKV_1qkV5NbmkRV/s1600/016+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
CoC 1 - They're coming right for us! TEP's flanking, Servitors out front, Inverters central. Iron Aggression goes on the Conservator, repped this day by a flying stand base due to the model being a temperamental Prima Donna.
Axis also puts out a Razor wall between my objective and defensive forest, making getting Drudges up into the zone harder to do.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWZmhR7cQUWD_q_HochPIirUUeuojZ7Ict80cvV_NBUHVnme12EoR6nRz-XEEyX65xm9aufV-SxWrM49DfRuW665qApq8Xpx1nKjjm9nfj4Mkel6yPWp9ccmHwZbsRFf50eifYGZ2O6Wk/s1600/012+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
Merc 1 - Stuff runs up, Drudges stopping shy of the Razor Wall of death. Thexus and Monstrosities hang behind the safety forest with Deceleration up. Overlords actually move in from the flank a little bit to kill three Reflex Servitors. Everything hangs back out of TEP range aside from a few Drudges.
A Thrall Warrior spawns from Alexia, runs up and dies to a counter charging Reflex Servitor (Free model trade complete!)
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHFvy3Y7L0Aotd4MwH0EIZ1zgcX67icHC0-zaZsmvYs8YEXFQKMjMdCNqRNLRAwBcV8o22J4Gh6CZ3oHJeNIx11UMBKPKaCGboPuaf_Pyp6KYGAYiZWQtEunm6TEi3zSPwSfLc2UXXpoK/s1600/013+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
CoC 2 - Conservative Convergence confluence of circumstances. Which is a lame way to see this is a set up turn and they don't kill anything.
The Razor Wall sticks around, four Reflex Servitors runs forward and jam various points (I really like Gatters' Servitor play, it's done very well).
The Vectors advance into the top third of the zone, the TEP's move....tepidly.....an inch or two forward. Other Servitors just hang around.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK4wZttlFXlVSj7Lf6QYs_lJsxXbEBrJd3xxa4AtdQkEtPRblDKf01-BIHnJy0CrPtyxniM4mDRvL-TBiOTFbcddoQJYUwWLRoOtJJlvNtoIYGMXPBVqJs18kkbJTES1TCzt0rxeq70Bq/s1600/014+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
Merc 2 - It's the best time of all: Killing TEP time. Ambushers pop out the right, I only get one free Battle Engine kill this game so it'll be the one that can threaten Thexus (Well, the Mosntrosities really, still).
The right Overlords advance and spray down various Servitors in the way of the Ambushers.
The Blue Benders then advance and Adrenal three of the Yellow Ambush Drudges.
One Warden runs around the right edge of the forest, from who Thexus arcs some TK's, moving the TEP on that side across to the Ambushers and turning around the nearest Inverter.
Deceleration goes up.
The Yellow Drudges then charge the TEP and bin it with ease.
The Green Drudges shuffle up to the Razor Wall to contest the centre zone. Alexia spawns a Thrall Warrior that charges into the left pair of Inverters.
Left wise, the Overlords use spray nonsense targeting to clear out most of the jamming Reflex Servitors.
The Pink Drudges get Adrenaled by the Purple Benders, they charge up the board. One of the buffed Grunts doesn't get the room he needs, so goes into a flarebot, the other two go into the left most Inverter (He's turned around solely so the Drudges could get up to the base. Giant Clockwork Robots have huge arms, which isn't a subtle innuendo because it looks like a violent strap on as it is).
A turn in which a TEP dies is hard to complain about. So I won't.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQbAtj_XJcba8ujSWocbdTCsmqfKDhCpLI81UctdwXNBbvNgUAJYuQnayul9Cnq6N005vqYIxsrHKUKEnHiBrRZx9_gkEiZjFf404nv0_kjaZHz8hWEWQNdvyfHnUpfMLSYzLikcVrOut/s1600/015+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
CoC 3 - Ah, Shakey cam. I genuinely enjoyed Cloverfield incidentally, though seeing the actual creature design lessens it somewhat. The Razor Wall goes away.
Axis trundles up the back of the zone, pops feat, gets all my front rank stuff and Battle Group.
The TEP and leftmost Inverter pop Pink Drudges and the Thrall Warrior.
The other two Inverters and the Conservator all get up into my grill in the zone, killing a couple of he Green Drudges and the Objective. Fortunately awkward charge angles leaves some contesting Drudges alive, so the Dominate doesn't trigger.
Convergence finish a point up.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZv3MOQA_IyQebECPMtnE4RvuhFfvC_bGJiZBRXTZN0X-8rzJORGW9ZGYuU4uHnQTBnkdN3-fLbFrkSHMetu9eddnisTA9RtzOiAomJ6bc1qqwsO21WZQ88AU6l6_dkLe5HPwB91jZolkb/s1600/017+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
Merc 3 - All my outlying stuff just stumbles forward, with the Overlords doing some spraying.
My main focus is around the safety forest, the CoC Vectors have to be dealt with before they get to Thexus.
We have a tricky line of sight deal go on, in which I really want the Subduer to shoot the Inverter behind the forest without moving, as the Aim bonus is pretty good on a RAT 4 model and his gun shoots at the same distance as the Counter Charge range.
Alas, the forest is just the tiniest bit too wide (Need to trim a single shrubbery).
Thexus ends up feating, pushing stuff around to get the line of sight and otherwise moving CoC models back. Hen then backs up in case it all goes wrong, puts up Deflection and TK's one Warden so he can stumble into melee.
The Instigator walks across in the forest, keeping out of Line of Sight. He Instigates. And is actually called an Agitator, but whatever. Self Editing is work.
The Subduer shoots the Inverter. The Conservator Shield Guards it. I blink at my ingenuity.
Alright, one wasted Heavy activation done, next!
Alexia charges the most forward Inverter, burns every single Risen and manages to kill it. Been a good while since I did that.
The Green Drudges get Adrenaled, they walk up to the Conservator and knock off some health.
Each Warden then goes in, one toes the zone and kills the Conservator, the other puts the remaining forward Inverter on 5 boxes with no Induction node or repair bots in range.
For an Axis feat turn I was quite happy with that.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZwGmJRwE6IylUeGqMVpqmeKDDdVGQhZVVr2Mdhb3ZTao65zmxZBkad-6KM4nQMsbY755AL2q61YR-VzS-5c7Tfyf2Hv6edaK84LQJZGLp0pwCBeN1bvNcJ7YRPXJtOCBMUPX3yFe1qpi/s1600/018+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
CoC 4 - Axis moves to the other side of the CoC objective, away from the Yellow Drudge horde.
The damaged Inverter punches down the Warden that scuffed him.
His fellow comes forward, attacks the Green Cephalyx Slaver, misses everything.
The TEP is inspired, moves across, sprays down three Drudges and misses the left Warden with the bots all in the damage boosting spot.
It was impressive in....I guess a sad way? Maybe it could be considered mathematically exciting for the odds required to miss that many times? Def 10. Sometimes it works.
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTT-qCuxYEGRgOBnW_GdC1lvCh18BDpkjreR5eEaK1WK4I8xcoFAQ7PuBvfCkogLEef-L3ExUnlP1-DDzwgRCwRGVOHZV7FT6RxpcX3CzdlI6N2tQAGNe6YGLBU4IDTYdayUh2oabXBRd/s1600/019+%2528800x450%2529.jpg[/img]
Merc 4 - I can't reliably kill Axis or the Objective, whilst Thexus isn't going anywhere near the flags. Ergo the plan is grind until points get scored on the centre zone.
The Left Overlrods spray down the TEP's little bots and spike hard on the Battle Engine, each of htem managing to do some damaged. The left Bender unit is vastly rediced, but manages to advance and Adrenal one of the two Pink Slaver Drudges, who charge into the back of the TEP and also spike hard. Last Alexia charges, burns four or so Risen to finish it off. Killing TEP's feels good enough to qualify as sinful behaviour.
The Wardens go into each of the remaining Inverters after the Agitator Instigates, manages to pop both. Drudges barrel into the zone, Thexus stays in hiding.
CoC concedes at that point, with only Axis, the Corrolary and a repair dude left, I've got enough time on my clock to scenario it or kill Axis if he does anything so that's an absolutely fair decision.
I think I would have to add a Diffuser into the opposing list, probably dropping the Conservator. Which is an easy statement to make without considering the non-Thexus matchup.
In any event, sweet game, lovely opponent, he'll probably smash me next time.
