Game 183: Vyros2 vs Skarre1

Game 183 – Vs Mark – Cryx – 29/04/18

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

Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress

House Shyeel Arcanists

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

Pirate Queen Skarre (Dark Host)

-Skarlock Thrall

-Stalker

-Stalker

-Stalker

-Deathripper

Wraith Engine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Scrap Thrall

Max Bane Riders

Max Bane Riders

Max Bane Warriors

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Round 2 of the Leeds Steamroller put me up against Mark and his Cryx. He was really just using the one list, but I made my list choice as if he had both, which forced me into the matchup of Vyros2 against Skarre. Not necessarily the worst matchup in the world, but I would need a bit of help from scenario/first turn. Spread the Net. Lost the roll to go first. With trepidation, we got moving.

Between Advance Deploy on the Stalkers and the natural speed of the cavalry Mark’s list is absurdly fast, and gets right up the table projecting threat deep into my zones. Skarre doesn’t cast anything, she doesn’t have to, and instead just runs up into an aggressive position camping her entire stack.

This feels like a horrible situation, so I just need to try and negate the attacks Mark can get on my next turn and hope I have enough left to grind through. Vyros sends out a Twister to block the charge of one of the Bane Riders and everything keeps out of threat of the left unit and Stalker.

Skarre Feats, putting her +5 Arm and Strength bonus on all the important models in her army, before casting Dark Guidance and healing herself back up to 6HP. Her army then presses forward, and between Stalkers, the Wraith Engine and the Bane Riders, 4 Griffons are destroyed and another pretty badly injured. It is a pretty horrific attrition turn to try and turn around, especially with all the important models being at +5 armour.

I don’t see a good way back into the game at this point, but there is an outside chance of an assassination so it is worth looking at. Skarre is not camping anything and is on just 6 boxes, but at Armour20. If I can clear an area for Vyros then he can move up and take 2 fully boosted gun shots into her, with a chance of taking her out. A Magno Bolt from the Artificer moves a Bane Rider back before my Jacks combine to take out the Stalker and Wraith Engine. Vyros moves up and takes his gun shots, but at Dice-8 he can’t get it done and she survives on a couple of boxes. Mark scores 3CP on my turn and can just instantly win at the end of his.

DEFEAT

I’m starting to think beating Cryx just isn’t meant to be. Like when I played Ryan a month ago I was in a difficult matchup, again my life has been made almost impossible by going second on Spread the Net. I don’t know how this game would have gone if I’d gone first, or indeed if I’d dropped Rahn, but Cryx is definitely the main thing I’m struggling with at the moment and I’m struggling to find a good solution. “Dodge” is an acceptable option right?