Game 56: Issyria vs Goreshade1

Game 56 – Vs Duncan Harradine – Cryx – 07/07/17

My list:

Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn (Shadows of the Retribution)

-Hyperion

-Chimera

Arcanist Mechanik

Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios

Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

Spears of Scyrah

-Soulless Escort

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Commander

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Commander

Min Mage Hunter Infiltrators

His List:

Goreshade the Bastard

-Deathwalker

-The Withershadow Combine

-Barathrum

-Leviathan

-Corruptor

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Soul Trapper

Bane Lord Tartarus

Saxon Orrik

Machine Wraith

Cephalyx Overlords

Max Satyxis Blood Witches

-Satyxis Blood Hag

One of the main reasons that I think Shadows is such an important theme for us at the moment is due to the current surge of Ghost Fleet lists in Cryx. With the amount of RFP in the theme, along with Hyperion’s cannon I think that more often than not the list will scare off Ghost Fleet, or have at least a good game into it if they call my bluff. But all that is worthless if the list can’t deal with their other list, so I got hold of Duncan for a game and he dropped his Goreshade list into me. I won first turn and off we went.

NOTE: My Colossals box had an incident and Helios was the least damaged model so he is proxying for Hyperion in this game. Apologies.

Issyria put Inviolable Resolve on Hyperion and Admonition on herself (she dropped the latter after turn 1 and never recast). Everything ran up the table with Eiryss and Narn on the left flank to counter the Incorporeal Machine Wraith. Everything ensured they were out of 14” of the Overlords to avoid their sprays.

Goreshade put up Lamentation and Shadowmancer and his forces ran up the table, his Stealth infantry staying out of 11” of most of my infantry and Barathrum, his most forward jack, Dug In to protect from my shooting. His Machine Wraith ran away from my magic attacks.

I spend a few moments considering whether this is going to be feat turn and I eventually decide to go for it. Before feating Hyperion fires it’s AOE into the Witches, getting a good scatter to kill 4 or 5. The ancillary attack is not so lucky and scatters away, only clipping and killing 1. Issyria feats and I set out in my head what I need her feat turn to achieve. The Mage Hunters on the right charge Barathrum, their distance boosted by Crusader’s Call, 6 getting into the jack and destroying it (5 dice damage dropping the lowest is fun). The left unit and the Mage Hunter solos kill the Overlord, removing a huge threat, and put 6 damage into Tartarus. Whilst it isn’t a devastating feat turn I feel that I have removed enough of the main threats to be in a good position.

Duncan’s response is strong. The Witches and other models on the right flank kill all but one of the Mage Hunters on the right, clearing the jack up to shoot into Hyperion. I choose not to Shield Guard any of the shots, preferring to keep my Spears alive than trigger Vengeance. On the left the Corruptor charges and explodes a number of Mage Hunters, and the Machine Wraith moves in to contest the zone so that nobody scores. 0-0

With relatively few models in either zone I feel that I can clear both and score 3CPs. Hyperion activates first and lands a Critical Consume on the Leviathan removing 2 of the Withershadow Combine and a Witch, and finishing off Tartarus with blast damage. His small guns deal with the last Witch in the zone. Eiryss failed to kill the Machine Wraith so I had to send in Narn to clear the zone. The rest of my turn was trying to put as much damage as possible into the 2 remaining heavy jacks. 2 Spears charged the Leviathan, burting it pretty well, and between 2 Mage Hunters, 2 Infiltrators a Spear and the Chimera the Corruptor is wrecked. Issyria moves over to the left zone to dominate and does not cast Admonition. I lead 3-0

Duncan realised it was assassinate or nothing, so went all in. Goreshade charged up, replaced Deathwalker (I had killed it the previous turn with a Mage Hunter) and feated, bringing in 6 Bane Warriors. After being given Puppet Strings by the remaining Withershadow member, 4 of them charged Issyria. Needing 10s to hit thankfully only one made contact, doing decent damage but not enough to kill. The other 2 Bane Warriors charge the Chimera, leaving just 1 vital box in its Cortex. He moves models round to contest the right zone to make my life as difficult as possible.

Goreshade is in a very killable position. I make a slight mistake by not casting Blinding Light to reduce his defence, but Eiryss hits nevertheless to remove his Focus, before the Chimera knocks him down with a head butt. After this I just charge in with models until the job is done, Goreshade being reduced to 1 box (after sacrificing Deathwalker) before Hyperion charges in to finish the job.

VICTORY

A much better feeling for how this list works, and it does feel like I could drop it into most Cryx and have a decent game. I will need to test against Coven and into the actual Ghost Fleet but have a good feeling about it so far. I enjoy playing the list, which goes a long way, so there is a good chance it may become part of my 3 lists for the Nationals.