It's the big event of the year as we are roasted to death at the arse end of the Earth.
Games! Shitty FOMO buying options! Friends! Escape from the drudgery of our day to day existence as we march to our coffins! A big stack of the underrated Lovecraft Letter!
Mostly felt apathy, haven't been enjoying the games massively of late. Community needs to grow, have sadly determined that I get no joy from teaching and that drive to the game store is more and more not looking worth the resulting activities.
Intent going in is to play some hot garbage MacBain/Durgen (Bored of Arkadius, probably the caster I play best in the current ruleset ['twas Gortenback when he could be thrown by non-Grogspar]), look at some other games to pickup for a couple months and see how I'm going.
MacBain has a Gall-won because I want to sodding use the model. Otherwise double Press Gangers, Alexia1, Aiyanna + Holt, various solos and for no particular reason the Devil's Shadow Mutineers. Well, the reason being I never use the models. Solos are Eiryss1, Kell, Eilish, Hawk. Mostly so I can kill the Hellmouths before I get crushed by Primal Terrors.
Durgen is the same jack heavy crap fest from the previous pair of casual games with him. Also the list that has had games, so it's clearly what I should drop into games. Except it isn't, it's so garbage it might as well be a presidential candidate.
ROUND NUMERO UNO: Just need to draw some scrub like the current me and we'll be sweet.
MacBain vs Sturm and Drang on Standoff
Sod, it's Azahul. Sigh. Time to go down early while on fire. He did a detailed writeup that looks accurate, you can find it at http://lormahordes.freeforums.net/post/126534/thread
The infantry spam ring rust is real, he's dropping a Sturm and Drang that is just so Azahul of Will Work for Food lessers, including Mire with a Dracodile. List basically has shield guards, rough terrain and preventative upkeeps to just keep pounding sand. Getting first lets me jam up, I try for the scenario play alas ultimately the Press Gangers aren't hardy enough and it all crumbles away. There's a few turns of killing pieces alas I drop off on attrition and clock, the end result not really being in doubt after the opening exchanges and the feats being blown.
To the funsies bracket!
ROUND THE SECOND, BEING THAT IT OCCURED AFTER THE 1ST YET BEFORE THE 3RD
MacBain vs Mckay, Epic Pit
I won the roll and nabbed first. Opposing list is pair of trains, the choo choo lady herself, triple Toro, the support artillery stuff, Prospero with an arc node jack.
Importantly, it's not sodding Sylvestro so the upkeeps work. Plan is dodge Purifiers, so everything is slinky (I believe he wasn't in the pairing, other list being....Locke?).
The centre of the board is a yawning expanse of openness aside from a 4 inch cloud template, such that an Agoraphobiac spider wouold shrivel upon itself. There also thankfully isn't anything impeding my travel forward to much and lack of Vulcan means I can live the "feat is relatively usable" dream. Basically what we all hope for with our casters right?
Pressgangers run forward, about four from each unit going into range of the trackless tanks. Thinking being I can lose that many and keep countermeasures useable. Plus they become Risen, which is nice. Alexia hides behind the cloud, Eiryss hides behind a backfield forest with MacBain to ensure safety.
The otherwise blankness of the centre table means the Guard have to be blocked in for hte scenario threat to happen, slowing them down with pot shots is intended towards that end.
Sure enough bottom of 1 involves the Railless putting forward and flinging out some shots, half a dozen Pressgangers almost-willingly give their lives for the cause. The Toros move up in front in a spread of vague Counter Charge overlap fields. McKay throws Return Fire on all the Thomas Engines.
Top of two plan is to feat and jam. There is one fatal flaw in this plan, being that Prospero's little jack has dispel on his attacks so has to be killed.
Pressgangers have to be feated on and run up first, no other way to clear back board positioning. The Toro countercharges were stopped by Risen baiting, the thinking being that a charge probably gives me a good harpoon target.
Gallwon moves up and pew pews the light jack. Does a bunch of damage. Thrall Warrior charges in to finish it off, leaves it on one box.
Balls.
Well, Countermeasure Jam plan is looking bad, Alexia and Eiryss move up to the centre with feat tokens on for the assassination attempt.
Cruci-lames go, Mckay off the bat tries some shots. Is stopped by Countermeasures, so that was nice. She puts Failsafe on Prospero's jack. It had a box of Cortex left, so does a boosted attack roll on a Countermeasured Press Ganger. Misses. Glorious.
That attack roll causes big conniptions. Models jiggle and juggle around, some irrelevant models die yet ultimately the only play of note is a side train bulldozing an Eliminator away to get to the right rectangle that I've foolishly not contested properly, so it kills the objective and scores another point. Whoops. Foolish placement of a Boomhowler Grunt also means I don't score the centre, lack of battlegroup models means the left zone isn't scored. I'm doing so well.
In any event the atrocious scenario play is irrelevant. No shield guards in the opposing list, Eirys is actually in a position to aim and Disruptor bolt McKay, Kell and Press gangers scratch her up, Galleon has max focus and shoots her down to the box. Pretty sure I had MacBain's gun and a charging Thrall Warrior to go.
ROUND MENAGE A TROIS MINUS THE STICKY BITS (But not the fun!)
MacBain vs Magnus2, Invasion
Look, Durgen is just trash alright! Even moreso in the terribad list I made for this event!
Into another Mercs player who is also shunning Ossrum, though I fail to remember the pairing. Whatever it was I very much expected the Maggy2 jack spam drop, Irregulars with double Nomad, three Toros, Eliminators, Gorman, Anastasia, Hutchuck, Aiyanna/Holt. Sodding Unyielding. Oh, Ninja Pig. Knew I was forgetting something.
I think I win the roll and get first? Yeah, that sounds near enough. 50% chance of accuracy or so.
My table side has a trench on the right and some inconvenient water, whereas the enemy Mercies have a small rear forest and a big diagonal one that cuts through half the left zone.
The Galleon lines up to deal with that patch of water. Awkwardly this plonks him in the lane of the large forest which can be used to hide heavies to come whirling in and do some juicy murder on his great landshipness.
My stuff runs up, the Press Ganger units split up on either side of the watery mess. Galleon moves up. MacBain casts Fail Safe on the Galleon, Countermeasures on a Press Ganger unit and Fortune somewhere for giggles.
Devil's Shadow Mutineers go up the left flank. Eliminator unit holds back, they need to be kept safe to please Gandalf and run in on Magnus2's feat to contest as required.
In reply the enemy traitor Mercs (What is this City State madness?!) run up, Eliminators on each flank.
Ninja Pig holds back as the jacks split up in a random assortment. Most noteworthy is that Magnus, Gorman and two of the jacks run in a spread line in that order around the edge of the forest, one Jack in position to stop the Galleon getting to the fella behind him. Escort on Maggy and Bullet Dodger on a random central jack.
Top of 2, I see a pretty good chance to make things hard for the money grubbing enemy (So unlike our polished coin). MacBain opts to feat, so I can't use it to counter Magnus' own iteration, however it ensure I get first opportunity to score on 3 and I'm planning on going hard at this point and trying to ride the momentum from their.
First plan goes marvelously. Galleon walks up, picks up a jack and throws it into his counterpart. Eilish Puppet Strings Eiryss, who then gets in range of Magnus whilst using Gormans Stealth to see through his blocking base. Lands the disruptor bolt, no focus regen for you!
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Happy with that. The Devil's Shadow then move up, Zira pops Gorman. Could have just done that first I spose.
On the right, Alexia charges the forward most Toro.
Things do not go well. All the Risen are burnt, think I do half a dozen boxes? Reeeeeallly needed harm, alas he ran up and engaged. Should have fortuned them on turn 1.
Otherwise Press Gangers jam around.
Bottom of 2, Magnus uses his Silly Willy to keep the Escort up and active.
Think that line can stand on its own. Magnus shuffles up and feats, the various Jacks move in and smack stuff down. On the left Hutchuck and Anastasia manage to come in and kill all three Devil's Shadow Mutineers. I lose a few random Press Gangers. No one scores.
Top of 3, feeling pretty good about how things are going for the most part. Magnus' feat is awkward, both deployment zones are picked so my models can only sideways shuffle with the important stuff (Galleon, Alexia, Boomhowler) all under the box of death.
Need to start removing jacks with the Galleon and get rid of the enemy Aiyanna/Hutchuck.
First though it's the convoluted keep-the-momentum-going play.
Step one is Galleon pew pewing, dragging the Nomad in front of it in. The little guns wanted to kill the enemy Eliminator unit and Hutchuck, they fail dismally. Hmmmmm. MacBain shuffles across and Jackhammers the Nomad away.
Not the worst issue, the drag was to allow anther Eiryss shot. First Anastasia has to be removed out of the way, the only viable attack available is Eilish, who walks over and bleeds her to death. Eiryss then stands up and plinks another shot at Magnus, casual 5 to hit and we're looking sweet.......
......it was a 4.
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Incidentally, I really like the evolution of OOTS over time in both art and writing. Can clearly see where the author's viewpoints on the world started to change.
Anywho, sure did invest a fair bit in that play. Just couldn't find a way to kill Anastasia and give Puppet Strings out. Someone else that should have had fortune.
On the right Infantry charge Kayazy/Jacks and basically bounce off hard. Oh dear.
No points once more.
Bottom of 3, Galleon gets Harmed and Rusted. It was placed to be relatively safe from Jacks,provided they could be focused buffed. Whoops.
Takes some finagling, ultimately......something happened.
I *think* one jack got in and took out a bit over half health of the Galleon.
Elsewhere bit pieces fight over the zones, Magnus' rightside Eliminators gaining the upper hand. Alexia and Eiryss both get killed, the former by the jack she wailed on poorly, the latter via Juicy Eliminator murder.
The game goes another two rounds, ultiately the Galleon kills another Jack via being 'hammered and shoots down the left enemy Kayazy and my own start contesting the left zone, ultimately another jack goes in and wipes the colossal and my hitting power at that point is far to reduced to deal with the remaining Jacks and Ninja Pig and I'm attritioned out. Great game though, probably the most informative list wise. Also pointed out Press Gangers were only armour 11, so even the weakest of attacks will kill them (POW 6 blast?! RUN FOR THE HILLS!).
ROUND 4: FECES SMEARED ON THE MIRROR
I'm quite conflicted on how to write this one up. Usually when I have a bad time in warmachine I don't bother writing the game, an event that happens with insanely low frequency (Think there's two? It's the ones lacking a report to link to in the opening posts). This one is a little different as the game was fine, though redundant, it was the aftermath that was shit.
Straightforward Report anyway: It's final round and I'm playing the pair down into someone that had no wins. I drop Durgen because he's a pile of garbage, it's going into Butcher3 with 5 odd Khador Jacks and repair bros. Awful matchup for me, he just has to advance appropriately, maybe lose a couple jacks then get engaged up and down I go.
There's a round of Khador advancing and getting shot up. I disrupt the Shield Arms jack and send the Roackram in to try to kill Ruin, he falls short so Alten lands a Grievous Wounds shot to stop the repair at least.
Khador Jacks basically don't move, kill the Roackram. Ruin falls back to a wall to await repairs.
Butcher goes to a stupid spot behind a forest. There's a puppy in front of him, however with a solid 5mm wide path between the puppy and trees.
Pull out the laser, plonk it down and get the line of sight. Aiyanna harms the puppy to get the unit. Eiryss is puppet stringed, moves up and shoots off Butcher focus. Durgen and four odd Bunnies shoot Butcher down.
I'll take it, I'm screwed if I try any other play. Things seem find, abrupt end to to the tourney, it happens.
Opponent then says puppy got bumped and was meant to block line of sight. Didn't announce it when the dog moved, didn't say anything when the laser line went down, not a peep when models moved to interact with it.
I've chewed 30 minutes of clock and moved most of my models. The Avalancher could have aimed and done a boosted 7 to knock the puppy down (Probably should have anyway). I shrug at this point, spit some line about I didn't touch the model and there's not much we can do about it.
Don't get me wrong, not a great response. In hindsight every other opponent got a warning that life hadn't been rosy of late and to pull me up if I was an Arsehole, didn't state that at the beginning of this one, it's a consideration that I don't think impacts.
Khadoran stomps off and whinges to the TO.
That's what gets my goat, you got a problem that's fine. Need space, that's fine. Can't talk to my face about it at any point for three days? Get fucked mate.
Anyway, sour end note cause adulting is hard and human brain structure rather irritatingly remembers the bad far better than the good. Onto the thing I actually get out of reading these things back, list notes. I never really feel the need to re-examine gameplay (Only took 900 reports to get to that conclusion).
Three great, fun games anyway. MacBain feels close to not sucking, though Devil's Shadow do nothing and you need multiple battlegroup models for scenario play, MacBain isn't a dweeb yet doesn't want to go in swinging unless options are bad. Galleon is a fine model with him, just hoping the Pirate CID makes him cheaper as it's the cost that burns. Not enough hitting power in the list either, struggled against half a dozen unyielding Merc Jacks so one can only wonder what manner of horrible hellscape I enter into if I hit up Armoured Corp or a Troll brick.
Plus Judicators. Things are wonky as at the moment. Had Hawk in it for this tourney thinking I might need it for a Primal Terrors game, never came up and the 'gangers probably are insufficient to the task in any event.
Durgen sucks so hard he could clean up Wall-E's earth in an instant. My list WAS trash admittedly.
Anyway, that was Masters, day 1 of Con-o-Can's is done, happy I played it. Landing 2 Disruptor bolts in the day equals the number of times I did that in all of Mark 2.
