Game 91: Vyros2 vs Coven

Game 91 – Vs Matt Townsend – Cryx – 09/09/17

My list:

Vryos, Incissar of the Dawnguard (Forges of War)

-Sylys Wyshnaylrr, The Seeker

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Aspis

-Aspis

-Imperatus

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Artificer

House Shyeel Magister

House Shyeel Arcanists

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

The Witch Coven of Garlghast (Dark Host)

-Egregore

-Desecrator

-Deathripper

-Deathripper

Wraith Engine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Max Bane Riders

Max Bane Riders

Min Bane Warriors

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Min Bane Warriors

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Game 3 of the UK nationals and I’m up against the list that I was most dreading at the event, and being played by a strong player. I mentioned in my report of game 1 that I was confident with Issyria into any Cryx that didn’t include Gaspy1 or Coven in Dark Host. Matt had both. I thought long and hard about what to drop, second guessing myself several times, before dropping Vyros, my thought being that at least Curse of Shadows can only effect one model at once, and Imperatus has the chance to win any match-up should my opponent make a mistake. Matt won first turn, which certainly didn’t help. Off we go then…

Matt runs his forces up, not as far as he can with the Bane Riders, choosing instead to keep his battle line more consistent. He cycles Infernal Macnhine between first the Desecrator and then a Deathripper to get them far up the table, and puts out a Veil of Mists to protect some of the Bane Warriors.

There is no way that I can stay out of his threat ranges or I will lose on scenario very quickly, so I have to get up the table. I run up all the lights into a line where they can be charged by the Riders but are out of range of the Warriors. Imperatus sits behind the main line ready to counterattack. I opt not to feat, figuring that the Riders will only be able to kill one or 2 jacks, and that I would be able to use the movement bonus to my advantage following his feat turn.

The Bane Riders come in but with him only really able to get 2 onto any one light he is unable to kill any. The Desecrator charges up the middle and does kill a Griffon, before the Witches put Curse of Shadows onto Imperatus before hitting him with a Stygian Abyss, dealing a huge 12 points of damage. They feat, with the Egregore catching my entire army.

I have the sniff of a chance at an assassination, and against this list I feel I absolutely have to take it. A 2 inch move from Whip Snap puts Imperatus within 8 inches of a Bane Warrior, and 2 Side-Steps will take him to the Egregore with no focus on it. My entire army uses it’s activations to clear out the models in the way, removing the Desecrator, and the Bane Rider in the way, before killing off a few other models while I composed myself. TO get in Imperatus had to hit the first Bane Warrior on a 4, Side-Step to a second and hit on a 4, and then have that second Warrior not Tough, allowing me to move to where it stood and kill the big rock. I miss the first 4 to hit and shake my opponent’s hand.

DEFEAT

I did the maths afterwards and it came out as a 56% chance to get there, and then essentially a guaranteed kill with 3 focus so I don’t regret going for the kill but the more I look at the game the less certain I am that I had to go for it. I may have panicked a bit and had I just attacked and killed as many Bane Riders as possible I may have been up enough on scenario to grind the game out. Always impossible to be sure of course and I would have still needed to deal with the Wraith Engine somehow but it would be interesting to play the game out again. I was generally pleased with how I played it though, and once again the Whip-Snap play proved its worth. I moved onto 2-1 and was still well in range of a good finish.