Game 90: Kaelyssa vs Helga

Game 90 – Vs Sean Murchie – Minions – 09/09/17

My list:

Kaelyssa, The Night’s Whisper

-Helios

Arcantrik Force Generator

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

Max Dawnguard Sentinels

-Dawnguard Sentinel Officer and Standard Bearer

Max Dawnguard Sentinels

-Dawnguard Sentinel Officer and Standard Bearer

His List:

Helga the Conqueror (Thornfall Alliance)

-Battle Boar

-Gun Boar

-Road Hog

-Road Hog

Meat Thresher

Efaarit Scout

Efaarit Scout

Max Farrow Brigands

-Warlord

Min Farrow Bone Grinders

Gobber Chef

Rorsh & Brine

Game 2 of the Nationals saw me play Sean who had come down from Scotland and his Minions. My main decision to play Kaelyssa was based on him having Arkadius in his lists, and hit threat under feat really scared me. Kaelssa’s feat completely shuts this down, and as she was the list I was leadt confident in finding a chance to drop (The tournament was D&C1) I saw this as a good an opportunity as any. I won first turn and started plodding up the board.

Kaelyssa’s usual suite of upkeeps goes out, with Refuge starting on the AFG and Blur on Helios to stop any early pot-shots. My forces run up but I have no idea where to put Eiryss, who mostly runs around on the right flank aimlessly all game.

Sean puts Defender’s Ward onto the Meat Thresher to boost it’s already impressive armour and runs everything up the table, the Brigands spreading out to protect against AOEs from the AFG.

The three heavies in Sean’s list are the only thing that can really threaten Helios, so if I can remove those then I can start bullying the table with the colossal and grind the game out. I start by knocking Brine and the left Road Hog down with the AFG, dealing some damage to both, before pulling the former in with Helios and killing it. Kaelyssa relieves the Meat Thresher of its upkeep before Feating and Refuging to safety. My Sentinels run up into threatening positions and Mini-Feat, with both units sending some tempters forward to hopefully trigger Vengeance.

Sean concentrates on the right hand unit of Sentinels, killing 4 and setting 3 more on fire. The rest of his units manoeuvre around trying to stay out of Helios’ threat as much as possible and the Gun Boar shoots a High Explosive shot at Eiryss that thankfully misses.

All 3 Sentinels that were on fire perish in flames, with the rest just using Vengeance to prepare charges into the Road Hog. The AFG cannot find lines to either heavy so just shoots 2 Brutal shots into the Battle Engine, making a start on its huge number of boxes. Helios misses 2 of its shots into the left Road Hog, so can only push it into range of the Sentinels. Both units of Sentinels charge their respective Pigs and destroy them. Eiryss runs back behind the building to contest the right zone and Helios scores the centre for a 1-0 lead.

Whilst the main threats to Helios are now gone, the threats to my Sentinels are very much still alive, and I lose a huge number this turn. The Brigands open fire into my left unit, who they had made their Prey, killing 8, whilst the Meat Thresher kills off all but one of the right unit. Helga casts a Distraction at Helios and stays more than 7” away and out of my charge arc, and some Brigands reposition in to block my movement. Nobody scores, leaving the score at 1-0 to me.

Sean has unfortunately left a Trample lane for Helios to get to Helga, who is camping 4 Fury, but with only the Gun Boar available for transfers, so I eye up an assassination. The AFG aims, knocks her down and deals some damage that is transferred to the Gun Boar, leaving it badly hurt. Kaelyssa advances up, puts Phantom Hunter on herself, steals both the remaining Fury, and finishes off Helga with her final shot. Helios was still there to trample up to finish the job, but my dice and Sean not quite understanding when to transfer against Kaelyssa meant that I got the job done an activation early.

VICTORY

A pretty textbook example of how my Kaelyssa list is supposed to work, and I can’t wait for a Dawnguard theme to possibly make the list even stronger. With only 3 heavies I could control the table pretty well and grind out the win. Had the assassination not been presented I’m sure I could have finished off the Thresher and started working on Brigands, leaving him no way back into the game. I always like getting to 2-0 in any event, from that point you know you are going to have tough games, but are in the running for the event. Bring on round 3.