Game 198: Rahn vs Abby2

Game 198 – Vs Jan du Toit – Legion of Everblight – 20/05/18

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:

Absylonia, Daughter of Everblight (Oracles of Annihilation)

-Succubus

-Proteus

-Carnivean

-Carnivean

-Seraph

-Blight Wasps

-Raek

-Shredder

-Shredder

The Forsaken

The Forsaken

Spell Martyr

Spell Martyr

Farrow Valkyries

The next morning I woke up fresh and ready to go. The aim from the start was always to win Best in Retribution and there was another player on 4-0 overnight who needed to be hauled in. The first game in the morning saw me up against Jan’s Legion, and we ended up playing Rahn into Abby2. It was a matchup that I felt reasonably confident in but that could easily go wrong. I won the first turn and we got moving.

Everything gets up the table with a bit of care for the impressive threat ranges that Abby can put down. Both AFGs are TK’d and Polarity Shield goes on the left unit. Lynus and Edrea again have nothing much t do and go position ready to contest the right zone in later turns.

Both of Jan’s Carniveans put up Spiny Growth and Trample up the table, with Proteus keeping in line with Bracer cast on him. The Seraph moves up to shoot at a couple of Halberdiers, killing one. The Wasps move up the left flank with the Raek on the right, and Abby herself moves up behind the main line.

Abby’s threat ranges are incredible, but I can tone them down a bit if I can take out the Seraph. The Phoenix moves up for Rahn to Arc a TK into it, and the AFG on the right opens fire, leaving it on a handful of boxes, which are taken care of by a couple of charging Halberdiers. On the left I hold back a bit, waiting for Jan to commit something to the zone.

Abby’s Feat turn, and it does an incredible amount of damage, taking out the full unit of Halberdiers on the right as well as the Phoenix and Eiryss. Jan has to run incredibly hot on Fury to do it as many of the Beasts had ran away from the Forsaken, so that offered some hope for next turn. Jan clears the right zone but is unable to score it, so we start at 0-0.

I need to get some serious work done this turn, ideally killing 2 heavies, and it just doesn’t happen. I turn around Proteus before shooting into him, but miss 2 shots with the AFGs, leaving him pretty comfortably alive. On the left Skyreth Issyen triple 1s his attack roll into the Carnivean, meaning I have to commit a whole unit of Halberdiers to it, thankfully taking it out. I clear the left zone for a 1-0 lead.

Jan continues to push, completely taking over the right flank by removing Lynus and the AFG, whilst killing off a number of Halberdiers on the left. He decides that ideal position for attrition is more important than scoring CPs at this stage, so just scores his own flag to level at 1-1.

I just keep doing what I can, knocking down the Carnivean and killing the Raek. I try to clear the left zone to start scoring back but just can’t get there, leaving a Shredder on a single box. Jan scores his flag again for a 2-1 lead.

With the game all but secure Jan moves the 2 remaining Valkyries into the right circle to accelerate the scoring and just concentrates on keeping Abby safe. He charges and takes out the Arc Node with Proteus (who is starting to look worse for wear) and just floods my zone with his remaining models. He scores 2 for a 4-1 lead.

I finish off Proteus. The game is long gone but I consider it a personal victory. Again I narrowly fail to clear my zone, leaving just a Shredder. I contest all the elements to hold the score at 4-1.

Jan just kills my 2 contesting models to win 6-1.

DEFEAT

This game is a real example of how a couple of small mistakes can steamroll into a crushing defeat. I don’t think that going for the Seraph on turn 2 was a mistake as such, but I shouldn’t have risked my Phoenix to do it. Ideally it and the Chimera should have been the other way round, but as they weren’t I should have just put faith in 5s to hit with the AFG. As it was I lost my heavy jack and just couldn’t pull it back from there. Jan was an amazing opponent, apologetic when the dice went a bit weird and finished the event as best in Legion.