Game 309: Helynna vs Borka2

Game 309 – Vs Gary Stewart – Trollbloods – 17/02/19

My list:

Magister Helynna (Forges of War)

-Chimera

-Discordia

-Manticore

-Manticore

-Manticore

Dawnguard Trident

Dawnguard Trident

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Arcanists

House Shyeel Arcanists

-Soulless Escort

His List:

Borka, Vengeance of the Rimeshaws (The Power of Dhunia)

-Trollkin Runebearer

-Earthborn Dire Troll

-Earthborn Dire Troll

-Mulg the Ancient

-Rok

-Storm Troll

-Troll Axer

Troll Whelps

Troll Whelps

Max Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes

-Stone Scribe Elder

Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew

Another practice game with Helynna and I’m up against Borka2 again, but this time in the Beast theme. My game plan will be much the same as it was against Rob, but with three differences. Firstly, the beasts threaten a bit further as Gary has a Troll Axer for Rush. Secondly, we are on a much more live scenario than before and thirdly, I don’t win first turn this time. With some issues to play around, we get moving.

Borka puts up Counter-Charge and Snow Shroud and fuels the stone before everything runs forward.

I get up the table as far as safely possible. Neither Earthborn has a speed boost at the moment so the threat ranges are fairly manageable.

Gary Feats with Borka and moves his battlegroup up, putting the Earthborn animus on himself (as he would for the rest of the game). He moves a Whelp to the right flag to allow him to score in my turn.

One of the weaknesses in this list is not really having anything to score flags, so I have to take an Arcanist out of the right to do so. This turn is a lot of awkward positioning. I largely back off to avoid having to Feat, giving up some scenario presence in return for a turn of safety. To counteract this, I am able to charge a Trident up on the left, take out the Gobbers and a couple of Whelps before repositioning out of range of the Earthborn. I lead 2-1.

Gary is uncertain how to play this turn, as I don’t think he expected me to back off so aggressively. He charge the Axer into my left Trident, leaving it on 8 boxes, before pushing up with the rest of his battlegroup, hoping to overwhelm me with targets. 2-2.

This is the turn where I need to get work done, and I don’t do particularly well. The Earthborn on the right being Defence 16 against my shooting means the Trident doesn’t get much damage on it, and the Manticore I commit can’t finish it off due to having to boost to hit. On the left things go better, the Trident takes out the Axer, and Discordia and the Manticore combine to take out a Hand of Fated Mulg. 3-3.

Gary does what he can into my feat, but struggles to get too much damage done. The right earthborn gets Primal and reduces the Manticore to around 8 boxes, the left tickles Discordia a bit, and Rok walks through the forest to kill the Chimera. 4-4

Here we go, its been a long time since I had to write up a turn I played this badly. It should have been simple, kill 2 heavies, leave just Rok alive and stroll to victory. Instead I triggered Counter-Charge on Borka, who hit the Crit-Smite on my fully fuelled Manticore, as a result the left Earthborn survived to threaten me next turn. Then some pretty bad dice (Trident midding a boosted 8) meant that the right Earthborn just wouldn’t die, taking my entire right flank to remove it. I do clear the top left zone through to at least pull ahead 6-5 on scenario.

Time to see if I get away with my mistake or not. Helynna is behind a wall with 3 Focus so essentially a 17/20 caster but this could still easily go wrong. Gary plays it well, clearing out the blocking Manticore with Rok before putting Primal on the Earthborn and sending him in. He rolls pretty well on the assassination, hitting 2 of 3 unboosted 9s to hit, but some slightly under average damage rolls mean I survive with a single box, for the second time in a weekend. The game is over here, as I would go 2 CPs up in his turn (the assassination was his last activation) and would just need to clear my right zone to win.

VICTORY

I played a lot of this game really well, before completely falling apart at the end. I could easily have got both heavies onto the Earthborn without triggering Counter-Charge but just forgot about it and nearly threw away a really strong position. I really enjoy playing Gary, and he’s becoming a really strong opponent in what is a great Merseyside meta. I won’t have too many more games before the York event, and then after that I will be building towards the Welsh and then the WTC. Garryth2 coming out means it’s a really exciting time for the faction and there seem to be so many options at the moment. Its now been 40 games since I last played Vyros2, I feel like I need one of those Alcoholics Anonymous badges.