Game 193: Rahn vs Gaspy3

Game 193 – Vs John Tavernor – Cryx – 18/05/18

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:

Asphyxious the Hellbringer (Black Industries)

-Vociferon

-Nightwretch

-Nightwretch

-Nightwretch

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

-Slayer

Soul Trapper

Machine Wraith

Black Ogrun Ironmongers

And so we reach my favourite weekend of the UK Warmachine calendar, the Welsh Masters. After a 4 hour drive down through the Welsh countryside I wanted to get one last practice game in, and what better than to finally see the current meta-bender, Gaspy3 Slayer spam. John did indeed drop the list and I went with Rahn as I thought he game be the best shot into the 3 lists. I won the first turn, which felt pretty critical, and we got moving.

At least I have the chance to take up some board space before the Slayers run up. Both AFGs are TK’d and run up, with Polarity Shield on the right unit of Halberdiers. Both Halberdier units advance in Shield Wall but this was probably a mistake as with minimal guns they were probably better off running to take a more aggressive position.

Gaspy stays right back and puts out Mobility and Cloak of Ash onto a Slayer, before they all run incredibly quickly up the table, threatening well into my zones.

Time to make a start on the Slayers. I knock a couple down with Force Hammers and AFG shots, disrupting the most forward one with Cloak of Ash for good measure. I move the Halberdiers as aggressively as I dare, hoping to get work done with them next turn.

The Slayers come in and deal some, but not devastating damage. Gaspy has to spend his stack to cast Mobility and Hex Blast off Polarity Shield. A slight misjudgement means that he is able to get a Slayer to my Chimera, not killing it, but taking out the Arc Node. Other than that I lose a handful of Halberdiers and have a load of Slayers in my face.

I just don’t think the attrition game is playable at this point, but thankfully John has had to leave Gaspy empty to get his work done last turn. I run the Phoenix into Arcing range, feat with Rahn TKing Gaspy around the wall before Chain Blasting him for a bit of damage and moving the left AFG forward. It then advances up and shoots at Gaspy, needing 6s to hit. The first lands dealing a bit of damage, but the second shot misses. I still have an outside chance of Edrea’s gun finishing him off (didn’t use spell because Gaspy would heal) but I left him on 3 boxes. I concede as I really was all in.

DEFEAT

I did the oddsmachine calculation after the game and it put the assassination at 45% (assuming the first TK hits) which isn’t too bad. I can’t work out how it lined up on the table, but if I could have Force Hammered him in a way that didn’t put him out of 20” of the left AFG it would have gone up to around 60%, so I should have been looking at that. I think assassination is my only real way out of this matchup, it is so quick with so many boxes that I’m just not sure what to do. Kaelyssa could probably deal with it but with no real magic weapons in the list the list-chicken is horrible. I make a plan to dodge, and prepare for the main event the next day.