Less mopey about random games, got to hammer in some Cryx which is definitely a faction I need some reps against. Match ends up as:
Thexus1 (Operating Theatre) - 2x Wardens, Subduer, 3x Slavers, 2x Benders, Alexia with Dominator, 2x Overlords
vs
Asphyxious2 (Dark Host) - Desecrator, 2x Bitey Nodes, Bane Cav, Bane Knights, Bane Warriors + UA, Skarlock, Wraith Engine, Darragh Wraith
Ah. Gaspy2. de-Mothballed to awaken my ancient Mark2 nightmares. Gorten with a pair of huge Bases isn't going near that garbage.
Thexus it is, big fears being how to handle the Wraith Engine on conesting terms and dieing to Gaspy getting souls and popping Excarnates into Thexus over a couple turns.
Scenario is Epic Pit, Cryx pick the healing objective and I pick the magic weapons one. Truly a shocking turn of events.
I lose the roll, get given second. The centre of the table is marked by an obstruction, then it's a matter of choosing the side with a wall/forest/trench versus a hill/forest on the opposing side of the centre zone. There's also a forest/hill deal on the far left, they are unlikely to matter a great deal.
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Cryx 1: Slayer is a proxy for the Desecrator.
Knights go up the left, Warriors centre and the Bane Cav cram into a forest on the right. Gaspy, Wraith Engine and Darragh hang back a little in the centre.
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Merc 1: Aside from just running up, I also want to try to pop the damn arc nodes. One has run up to be beside the Bane Cav on the right, so plan is to throw a shot into that.
Stuff runs up, while the Wardens and Thexus hang back behind my sides forest. Subduer gets up on the right, using the Objective to stop easy charge lane from the Cav next turn, arcs a fully boosted hex Blast. Hits the Bones jack, does 12 damage, alas the only system removed is the head. Ideally I'd have thrown two Hex Blasts in with boosted damage, alas Monstrosities have to be fed at some point and unboosted 6's to hit suck hard enough to make an exhaust pipe sparkle.
Otherwise, Overlords go up either flank, the left Benders get a little more exposed than the right as they are more likely to have to support Ambushers, as the Bane Cav have kept more central.
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Cryx 2: Left side, the Knights run into the top edge of that rectangle zone and triangle up. The Desecrator joins them, firing a shot that kills a blue Bender and causes two to tough.
Centre wise the Warriors advance forwar, spreading out and using the centre obstruction to put models in positions that are hard to clear. The Officer stays super far back, the standard bearer stands so far back he thinks steam powered toilets are a far fetched idea.
Gaspy moves up onto the hill and in his theme cloud, arcs through the right node to put out a Death Knell that melts most of the Green Slavers including the Cephalyx Leader. He then throws a Parasite onto the Subduer. Wraith Engine, Tartarus and Darragh go up behind him.
Right wise, the Cav Press Forward, one comes up and pops the Thrall Warrior I ran up as a distraction, one gets to the Subduer and does eight points. They then Repo back, while the rest of the squad stayed in the forest.
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Merc 2: Gaspy is camping nothing and doesn't have Hellbound up. I can get three Adrenal Drudges into him.
I set up an attrition play as well if I need to, ambushing Drudges in on the left as they can get into the Bane Knights. and hopefully the Objective.
The Wardens stay as Thexus' bodyguards, moving forward just far enough for Thexus' feat to trigger.
Thexus wobbles forward, feat pushes for days, clumping up the Bane Cav, moving some of the Knights out of a triangle, pushing Warriors out of the way amd opening a path to Gaspy. There was one obstinate Warrior in the way, so I Hex Blast him down with an arc via a Warden.
I do my attrition work on the left, Overlords spray down some Knights. I should have just ran one up to provide the to hit bonus on the assassination, oh well.
Blue Benders Adrenal three Pink Slavers, the unit Press Forwards, they charge Gaspy and the first two kill him.
Had that failed I lacked the tools remaining to clear the centre zone due to a Bane Warrior at the back that my feat couldn't push far enough, the few Green Slavers would kill a Bane Cav and rightside Arc Node then the Subduer would go up and knock down all the Cav. It looks like a good attrition position, however it is hard to calculate how far Gaspy's feat can pull it back, assuming it's not used to kill Thexus if I give an opening.
