Weirdly enough, it's another matchup I played at OTC, this time Batesinator running Merc ADR of Ossrum and Magnus2. It'll be Ossrum, because I haven't constructed a good answer. In this situation the Thexus list always has a potential win through an odd assassination angle or a lock play, so here we go:
Thexus1 (Operating Theatre) - 2x Wardens, Subduer, 3x Slavers, 2x Benders, Alexia with Dominator, 2x Overlords
vs
Ossrum (Hammer Strike) - 5x Gunner, 2x Siege Crawler, Ogrun Bokur, 2x Horgenhold Artillery, 3x min Forge Guard
It's Outflank, which with these lists sadly won't be super live for either side.
I win the roll and pick first, end up on a side with a central wall of mild use to me. If I recall correctly the rest of the terrain has a minimal effect.
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Thexus 1: Everything runs forward, Thexus casts Decel because dying to Herne and Jonne bottom of 1 to blast damage would be slightly embarrassing. A Thrall pops out and runs to the right. There's enough enemy shooting that the Wardens are on babysit Thexus duty.
Going first thankfully means I don't have the headache I got afflicted with last time we played, where bouncing artillerist shots killed Kayazy assassins on the deployment line.
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Ossrum 1: The right Crawler gets Snipe, Herne and Jonne get Fire for Effect. Those two units make the long ranging shots, I believe one Drudge dies and another toughs, a lot better for me than it cold have gone.
The Dwarfs hunch in hard, counterplaying the ambush Drudges. Meanies.
Thexus 2: Missed the photo. My dudes ran forward hard. I didn't ambush, lacking targets of opportunity and reasoning I would need more bodies later to extend out the game.
All the Monstrosities form up around Thexus, one Warden keeping in Shield Guard range of Alexia.
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Ossrum 2: One Crawler and two Bunnies toe into each zone, the Bunnies form a front line between the Battle Engines. The Siege Crawlers roll like garbage on their main shots, rolling three to miss the mighty defence of the Drudges. They still kill a bunch, however it is not as bad as expected. Ossrum stays way up the back. One Hammer Dwarf leaves the safety box to kill a Thrall Warrior that run up in the right zone.
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Thexus 3: I look at this turn as the point where I choose either to go for the long game or scenario. If I give up deflection, I can TK the Bunnies and Crawler out of the right zone, pop the two contesting Hammer Dwarfs and score that zone. Seems bad, as Ossrum then feats and devotes more stuff into the zone, I won't be able to TK or clear it out and down the game goes.
Instead most of the list lurches forward. Two Drudges on the left side that can actually get up there are Adrenalled, they go up and kill a Bunny on the left. The Subduer runs up to arc, Thexus uses it to throw a Hex Blast at Herne and kill him. Feels good. Jonne goes to one box.
The left Overlords run deep into the back field, intending to Influence the Mortars in the future.
Rightside version of the unit moves inward, using Influence on Hammer Dwarfs to wail on the right Siege Crawler for some damage.
The Ambushers charge/jam in, eating a Hammer grunt.
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Ossrum 3: The mini-general chump feats and the world explodes. The Crawlers pull their finders out, the left one getting well and truly into its zone. Between them, the various rear shots from the mortars, Bunnies and the Hammer Dwarves charging forward all the Pink Drudges die, the unit leaders of the Blue Benders and Green Slavers also pop, half the yellow Drudges including the leader plus the Subduer.
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Thexus 4: That turn was painful. To painful. Enough that not playing for other win conditions is problematic. Making loads of attacks on anything other than Hammer Dwarves is also not worth the effort with the feat buff, so the plan is to wipe out the right most unit and prep a push for the right zone.
The Monstrosities move to the right, one going into the right zone. Thexus arcs a TK that pushes the right Crawler out of the zone and away. He Then places that arcing Warden back so the centre Hammer chumps don't kill him. Decel comes up. I camp one, which should have been an Influence at *someone*. Need to use that spell on Thexus more.
Killing the right unit involves multiple units piling on individual opponents. We start with our elite combat unit of doom in this scenario, which is the right Overlords that charge in and Anatomical Precision half the Dwarves. Overlords are so sweet, if the theme made them FA: U like they used to be I'd try a list of mostly them (8 units, then some Agitators and Dominator on Eliminators or something). Anyway, the plan crumbles as the ambush Drudges charge into the Dwarf they have to kill, do a three man CMA and miss. Their MAT was one point short of the targets defence.
Oh well, plan foiled. Risen run all over the place and engage Hammer Dwarves.
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Ossrum 4: The Hammerdwarves clear out all the Risen. The Bokur and Gun Bunnies explode the right Overlords (SAD!). The left Crawler Periscopes a back Overlord, mows down a bunch of the blue Benders contesting the left zone.
Jonne walks backwards to pop one of the super flank Overlords.
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Thexus 5: The clock win is looking imminent if I can just hold on another couple rounds, Ossrum has got any points, however the left flank is basically some Benders.
The Overlords, like Darth Vader, come in from behind and spray down Jonne and one of the Mortar units (Little known fact: The Dark Side hates Dwarves. The more you know.).
The Blue Benders run to the edges of the left zone and pray.
Right side, the Agitator advances and Instigates. This proves of little value, as the Warden then charges to far to ensure he engages the bunnies that are in lazy Thexus sniping range. The Monstrosity makes attacks that are somewhat embarrassing, as only a P+S 14 Heavy can be.
Thexus sticks behind the trees and Decelerates, the few remaining Risen and Drudges swarm around.
The last Warden runs backfield, far enough to not be attacked and able to run and contest the left zone next round.
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Ossrum 5/Thexus 6: As soon as I ran that Warden I was convinced I'd thrown the game. Thexus is now going to get shot to shit.
Fortunately, Ossrum has only a few minute remaining and spends to much time attacking Risen and Drudges in the centre/right that don't matter. Another Overlord dies to something.
The left Crawler clears out the left zone, Ossrum goes up to a point. There isn't time to kill the Warden in the right zone. Ossrum has started running to the left zone.
I have a quick turn by dint of now having half a dozen models left. The models in the right zone run on the spot. The back Monstrosity runs to toe the left zone. The remaining Overlord runs into that scoring element as well.
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Ossrum 6/Thexus 7: Most activations get ignored, the left Crawler runs up to the Monstrosity toeing the zone and bumps him out. Ossrum gets into the zone, kills the Overlord and Dominates to 3, ends turn with 4 seconds left.
I start my turn, concession happens as soon as the Monstrosity runs to the centre of the left zone as the clock win is inevitable.
By dint of getting horribly massacred, I limp into the cut for the top 4. I really wanted to have a Gorten drop here, theorising that a High armour/box/repair plus stealthy dudes would present issues, which were then handily solved by the Siege Crawler rules being released and other Merc players having the competence and nonce to actually get the sodding models.
