Game 158: Rahn vs Zaadesh2

Game 158 – Vs Ryan Longthorne – Skorne – 10/03/18

My list:

Adeptis Rahn (Defenders of Ios)

-Sylys Wyshnaylrr, The Seeker

-Chimera

-Phoenix

Arcantrik Force Generator

Arcantrik Force Generator

Arcanist Mechanik

Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen

Max Houseguard Halberdiers

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Max Houseguard Halberdiers

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr

His List:

Lord Tyrant Zaadesh (Imperial Warhost)

-Basilisk Krea

-Basilisk Krea

-Agonizer

-Bronzeback Titan

-Cyclops Shaman

-Titan Gladiator

-Titan Sentry

Siege Animantarax

Siege Animantarax

Bog Trog Mist Speaker

Paingiver Beast Handlers

Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew

The final test game for Rahn this weekend saw me up against a classic beast brick with a number of anti-gunline elements, to test whether Rahn has enough tricks to be able to overcome. With Zaadesh’s ability to put up clouds it was going to be key to keep Edrea safe, especially until the Seige Animantarax were dead and the shooting threat removed. Ryan won the roll to go first and we got moving.

The Paingivers whip the Animantarax, giving them 3 Rage Tokens ready for next turn, before all of Ryan’s forces run up the table, the 2 Battle Engines flanking the central beasts. Zaadesh puts up Battle-Charged to give his beasts Counter-Charge and Inviolable Resolve onto the right Animantarax.

I have to be careful of Ryan’s threat ranges, but still need to get up the table. I flood the right zone with things that he can’t charge, getting both AFGs and Polarity Shielded Halberdiers into it. On the left I move Halberds and my Phoenix to the edge of the zone. Lynus and Edrea stay at the back, waiting to see where clouds may need to be removed next turn.

My Phoenix was positioned much too far forward and Ryan punished me for it, charging in his Battle Engine, and taking it out with its guns and melee attacks with a couple of Halberdiers thrown in. On the right the other Battle Engine takes out a number of Halberdiers and puts its gun shots into Skeryth, leaving him with 2 boxes on his horse. The rest of the beasts move up behind clouds to threaten next turn.

I start to look at an assassination run involving slamming models over a zero camp Zaadesh, but abandon it to play the attrition instead. I TK both of the Animantarax away and backwards, before charging the left one with Team Efforted Halberdiers, my Chimera, and Skeryth, destroying it. The one on the right is a tougher nut to crack, as it still has Inviolable Resolve up, but with my other Halberdiers, both AFGs and Eiryss finishing it off with a Deadly Shot it goes down as well. I score the left zone for a 1-0 lead.

Ryan strikes back but with him unable to charge anything on the right there is a limited amount that he can get done. The Bronzeback gets Rushed and walks up to my Chimera, destroying it and removing my final Arc Node, and the Sentry on the right is able to get into the Halberdiers, removing a reasonable amount of them. Again Zaadesh puts down some clouds and Feats, placing himself on the flag to level up the score at 1-1.

I feel well up on attrition and so just need to keep it up and grind out CPs or wait for an assassination opportunity. With both Arc Nodes goneI have to move Rahn up and Feat to Force Hammer the Bronzeback and TK the Sentry, before moving myself back behind the building. The AFGs take out the Sentry and have a spare shot to slam the Krea into the building, and the Halberds on the right can take it and the Mist Speaker out. On the left Skeryth Precision Strikes  the knocked down Bronzeback, taking out it’s Spirit, before the Halberdiers on the left finish it off, but in my excitement I forget to reposition them. I score the right zone to move into a 2-1 lead.

Ryan feels that the game has gone and chooses to see how much work he can get done. Zaadesh charges into my Halberdiers and buys Flashing Blades until they are all gone, and on the right the remaining Titan Tramples over to my AFG, but is unable to kill it. Nobody scores so it remains 2-1 to me.

Assassination time. I run a Halberdier back to back with Zaadesh, before Rahn Force Hammers him, knocking both down. Eiryss shoots off his Fury with a Disruptor Bolt before the AFG shoots him to death.

VICTORY

A really useful game to see what the list can handle, and despite a few errors on my part (mainly giving away the Phoenix early) the list performed really well. I still feel like I need more reps with the list, and am not entirely sure how it fits in a pair, but I have a Steamroller next weekend to work that out in.