Game 100: Helynna vs Krueger1

Game 100 – Vs Paul Sheard – Circle – 04/07/17

My list:

Magister Helynna (Legion of Dawn)

-Banshee

-Sphinx

-Manticore

-Manticore

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Dawnguard Sentinel Scyir

Max Dawnguard Sentinels

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Max Dawnguard Sentinels

-Officer & Standard Bearer

His List:

Krueger the Stormwrath (The Devourer’s Host)

-Ghetorix

-Gorax

The Death Wolves

Max Tharn Ravagers

-Chieftain

Max Tharn Ravagers

-Chieftain

Max Bloodtrackers

Max Tharn Wolf Riders

Tharn Ravager Shaman

We have new themes! I’ve played 100 games of Ret (plus a few unreported with new players)! There are so many things I want to try out after the changes, but almost all of them require a load of stuff to be painted (Nyss Hunters are on the table first, really interested to play them with Vyros1). So I decided to give another shot to a list that I have basically run before, Helynna with all the Sentinels. With the theme benefits and restrictions this means I am able to get 4 heavies into the list as well, which complimented my Rahn list well. Paul is going a bit Krueger mad at the moment and had both as his pairing, dropping Krueger1. He won first turn and off we went.

Krueger’s first turn is him casting Gale Winds to increase the Def of his army, and Skyborne to increase his own Defence to ridiculous numbers, especially after he advances into a trench. Guess I’m not shooting him to death. His forces all run up, with the Death Wolves and Wolf Riders advancing up the right flank. There are a lot of guys on the table.

I don’t want to feat this turn as I’m not going to be able to get my jacks involved, so I have to be tentative with my positioning. I Mini-Feat with both units of Sentinels, mainly to protect them from Krueger’s feat, and advance them up, throwing a couple forward as potential Vengeance triggers. The Manticores put down Covering Fire to keep the Bloodtrackers back.

I had made a mistake with the positioning of my Sentinels and Paul quickly took advantage of it. Whilst I was hidden behind a cloud from the Death Wolves I had left him able to charge one of my advances Sentinels and Overtake into my main lines. My Minifeat meant he needed 7s to kill them but he still took down 3 before running out of steam, with the Wolf Riders shooting off another. He advances round the Covering Fire in the centre and takes up a position behind the forest on the left flank.

This is the turn I need to get work done. I have Vengeance triggered on the right unit and use it to take out one of the Death Wolves and a couple of blocking Bloodtrackers. The Sentinels continue to try and grind through the Corpse Tokens on the Wolves, but can’t kill a second. Covering Fire is put down again and the left Manticore takes up a position where Ghetorix can’t get to him. The Banshee goes into the Ravagers on the right, killing 3 and knocking down a fourth. I feat to boost my armour, and as everything is contested nobody scores. At this point neither of us has a clue who is ahead.

Paul has a pretty brutal turn of killing off Sentinels. Despite my feat, by the end of the turn I only have one left from the right unit, and 7 from the left. The left unit of Ravagers charged and dealt decent damage to the left Manticore, but the rest of my jacks are essentially untouched. Ghetorix moves into an aggressive position and Paul makes a start on trying to destroy my objective. Nobody scores.

I continue the grind. The Manticore kills 3 Ravagers on the left, I finish off the unit and another Death Wolf on the right, and ensure the Wolf Rider leader is within 5” of the Banshee to prevent orders through Wailing. Helynna casts Hand of Fate onto Ghetorix before pulling it forward, but needing 8s to his the Manticore still misses it twice and fails to kill it. Still neither of us can work out what a Control Point is.

Unfortunately, in trying to get work done I had overreached with Helynna. She was on a hill but camping no Focus. Paul was able to clear out the Sentinels with Ghetorix, allowing a single Ravager to get through to her, dealing a fair chunk of damage. From there it was a simple task for Krueger to feat, put all 3 AOEs down on Helynna, the first boosted damage roll killing her.

DEFEAT

Bit of a disappointment for my 100^th game as I don’t think I played particularly well. Credit to Paul though, his list seems super-solid (he took it to 3^rd at a SR the weekend after this game) and he played it well. I am still not feeling Helynna with Sentinels. It just doesn’t have any tricks which since playing Vyros2, Issy and Rahn I am really beginning to appreciate. I definitely want to try out some more Dawnguard theme, but it will probably take a different approach.