Game 94: Vyros2 vs Zerkova1

Game 94 – Vs Jim Gradwell – Khador – 10/09/17

My list:

Vryos, Incissar of the Dawnguard (Forges of War)

-Sylys Wyshnaylrr, The Seeker

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Aspis

-Aspis

-Imperatus

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Artificer

House Shyeel Magister

House Shyeel Arcanists

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

Koldun Kommande Aleksandra Zerkova (Legion of Steel)

-Marauder

-Juggernaut

-Juggernaut

Iron Fang Kovnik

Iron Fang Kovnik

Uhlan Kovnik Markov

Min Iron Fang Uhlans

Min Iron Fang Uhlans

Great Bears of the Gallowswood

Max Iron Fang Pikemen

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Min Black Dragons

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Round 6 puts me up against Jim, an English WTC team member who schooled me pretty hard with Zerkova2 the last time we played. I was pretty certain that he was going to drop the Zerkova1 list this time round, and have played against Richard Beech with it before, so know its power. I get first turn, which helps, and I get moving.

I run everything up. I don’t know how to win this matchup, but know I’ll need board presence to have a chance, so Fleet and run with all the Griffons, and get aggressive with Imperatus behind the central cloud.

Jim advances his Pikemen in Shield Wall, flanking with one unit of Uhlans, and holding the other behind the jacks. Zerkova puts out Watcher and throws a few Pikemen forward for some early scenario presence.

I do not like this match up at all. The more Jim and I talk the worse it starts to look. The combination of Precision Strike and Critical Knockdown on so many attacks means he can knock down my lights and snipe out their Cortexes, leaving them useless but not triggering my feat. I suspect that I have an assassination shot, so go for it. He has positioned all models out of 11” of Imperatus, but the Magister pulls the Juggernaut 2” closer. I build up Synergy and engage as many Counter-Chargers as I can, shooting off another with Vyros. Imperatus charges in, but unfortunately with the Watcher move he is able to block off any Side-Step routes, and the assassination is off the table immediately. Vyros is flapping in the breeze and I concede.

DEFEAT

I have no idea how to deal with this matchup. Played by a top player like Richard or Jim it is an incredibly potent weapon, and I just don’t know what to do about it. I panicked and went for an assassination that probably wasn’t there and lost as a result. 4-2 is still a strong position and I just want to get the last game won to get my 5-2 target.