Game 46: Vyros1 vs Ossyan

Game 46 – Vs Retribution of Scyrah – 18/06/17

My list:

Dawnlord Vyros (Shadows of the Retribution)

-Imperatus

-Griffon

-Manticore

-Manticore

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios

Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Mage Hunter Strike Force Commander

-Soulless Escort

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Mage Hunter Strike Force Commander

His List:

Lord Arcanist Ossyan (Shadows of the Retribution)

-Manticore

-Hypnos

Arcanist Mechanik

Mage Hunter Assassin

Mage Hunter Assassin

Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Commander

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Commander

Max Mage Hunter Infiltrators

-Eiryss, Mage Hunter Commander

-Soulless Escort

Spears of Scyrah

Game 2 in the mediocre tier Steamroller put me in another Retribution mirror match. With both of us having a Shadows theme list, and another list that would be destroyed by it, the eventual matchup was pretty obvious. He had a more significant Mage Hunter presence but I had a larger battlegroup. My opponent won first turn which felt pretty important and we got moving.

My opponent runs up, staying out of advance and see through stealth range of all my models. Quicken goes on the Infiltrators, Shatterstorm on the left unit of Mage Hunters and Fortune on the right.

With no better ideas as to how to play this turn and matchup I just run everything up to engage as much as possible. Narn has a route into an awkward spot but missed the 6 needed to hit twice and is stuck in the middle of his army. The 2 Manticores advance and put down covering fires.

My opponent has no need to feat and so backs off with Ossyan and starts working on my front lines, killing more than half of each unit as well as Narn. He puts down his own covering fire to deny me some response charge lanes.

I am pretty certain I know how the game plays out from this point. I kill a handful of his Mage Hunters, then he feats to remove my battlegroup, and the game meanders towards a victory to him. I have an out though, both Manticores are within 20 inches of Ossyan who is camping 2. I clear out the route for them, fully power them up and send them on an assassination run. Of the 4 shots I manage to roll 2 hit but do nowhere near enough damage and I shake his hand.

DEFEAT

This feels like a matchup where first turn is key. With so much Advance Deploy the first player gets to set up an aggressive line and force the second player in. I am sure I could have played this better if I had thought about it more, possibly by loading one flank with all the Strike Force, but it feels like a really rough position. I’m not sure how many more chances I can give this list, I like a lot about it but I feel let down by it so often. Onto the last game of the middle Steamroller and a win would put me 4-2 over the weekend which would be pretty acceptable.