Game 89: Issyria vs Aiakos2

Game 89 – Vs James Lacey – Cryx – 09/09/17

My list:

Issyria, Sibyl of Dawn (Shadows of the Retribution)

-Hemera

-Sphynx

-Chimera

Arcanist Mechanik

Mage Hunter Assassin

Mage Hunter Assassin

Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios

Spears of Scyrah

-Soulless Escort

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

-Commander

Max Mage Hunter Strike Force

Max Mage Hunter Infiltrators

-Eiryss, Mage Hunter Commander

His List:

Captain Aiakos (Dark Host)

-Kharybdis

-Stalker

Wraith Engine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Darragh Wrathe

Machine Wraith

Max Bane Knights

Max Bane Riders

Max Bane Warriors

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Here we go then, UK Nationals weekend. I finished 2^nd in this event last year and whilst that is not going to happen this time round (I was on the Cygnar wagon last time out) I am feeling good about my chances of going 5-2 and hopefully getting a top 20 finish. There are a number of good Ret players at the event, but have my sights on best Ret. Round 1 puts me up against James and his Cryx. With no Coven Dark Host or Asphyxious1 I feel pretty confident dropping Issyria, and he throws down Aiakos in return. I am suddenly very glad to have got a practice game against him a few weeks ago. I win first turn and get moving.

Knowing the threat ranges involved here I take no chances and put up Admonition on Issyria, as well as Inviolable Resolve onto Hemera. Everything runs up, staying out of any threat ranges. James has deployed his Bane Riders on one flank, and as I have no easy way of destroying them I choose to just distract and tie them up with the 2 Assassins and the non-AD unit of Mage Hunters.

My opponent was pretty flustered due to struggling to get War Room working. Whilst we eventually find a solution for him I suspect his mind wasn’t quite in the right place for the game. He runs his forces up, triggering Prowl on Kharybdis, and puts out Scything Touch on the Riders. The Stalker flanks hard on my left to force me to deal with it.

Issyria’s Feat turn, and the one where I basically have to win the game. I start well on the left, the Strike Force dealing with the Stalker and adding a few points into Kharybdis. On the right one Assassin fails to kill a Rider, but the other and a 5 man CMA from the Mage Hunters take down one each. Between 2 shots from Hemera, one from the Sphinx and a charge from Eiryss3 and a Spear I am able to take down the Wraith Engine, which removes a real problem from the board. The Infiltrators charge in, dealing more damage to Kharybdis, dehorsing Darragh and taking Tartarus down to his tough check.

James starts trying to clear out models but the DEF14 is high enough to keep a lot of my guys alive and he realises that in my turn the attrition battle is going to swing massively in my favour. He decides to go for a long-shot assassination, Jumping Aiakos forward and throwing his Drag spear at Issyria. In a trench he needs a boosted 15 to hit, and misses.

Aiakos is standing in the middle of the table with no focus left. The Chimera Apperates into his back arc and boosts a Head-butt, knocking him down, at which point we call the game.

VICTORY

Always nice to start with a fairly quick victory, and good to get my Cryx-tech working on a high stage. James should probably have pushed the Riders through the middle to force me to deal with them but I suspect this would have only prolonged the issue. I completely forgot about Aiakos’ Drag spear, and so should definitely have kept a Spear of Scyrah within Shield Guard range to take the assassination completely off the table but thankfully I wasn’t punished for the mistake.