Game 260: Vyros2 vs Dreamer

Game 260 – Vs Mat Hickling – Grymkin – 14/09/18

My list:

Vryos, Incissar of the Dawnguard (Forges of War)

-Sylys Wyshnaylrr, The Seeker

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon

-Griffon      

-Griffon

-Aspis

-Manticore

-Manticore

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Artificer

Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress

House Shyeel Arcanists

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

The Dreamer (Dark Menagerie)

-Cage Rager

-Cage Rager

-Cage Rager

-Crabbit

-Crabbit

-Gorehound

-Gorehound

-Gorehound

-Skin & Moans

-Skin & Moans

Death Knell

Gremlin Swarm

Gremlin Swarm

Gremlin Swarm

Gremlin Swarm

For a number of years every Friday night at the WTC has seen the Ashes grudge match between England and Australia. This year it was an 11 vs 11 event, with matchups drawn at random on random tables. I was drawn against Mat with his Grymkin pair of Dreamer and King of Nothing. Despite trying to psyche each other out, I think we both knew the matchup would come down as Vyros against Dreamer, and with Mat winning the first turn, we got moving.

Mats army runs up with Dreamer putting Mirage onto one of the Gorehounds on the left flank.

Vyros moves up and throws out a couple of Twisters in the general direction of the rightmost Gremlin Swarm, with neither scattering onto it. The rest of my army moves up, staying out of threat of the heavies, but within range of the Gorehounds to tempt them in.

Mat does commit with a couple of Gorehounds, sending a third on a hard flanking manoeuvre to threaten my support. The 2 charges to a bit of damage, but nothing too serious. The rest of the Grymkin forces line up behind, and Dreamer puts down an Artifice of Deviation to make it more difficult for me to counterattack.

I look at an assassination run on zero-camp and corporeal Dreamer, but at the time couldn’t find a way to go it without giving the Dreamer transfers. I’m looking at it again now and think it might have been possible by casting Easy Rider with Vyros, then using Beat Back from the Aspis to open up a charge lane for the front Griffon. Instead I went for some attrition, hoping my Feat would blunt the retaliation I take out both Gorehounds and a Cage Rager, leaving a second on relatively few boxes. Nobody scores

Mat begins his retaliation, taking out a Manticore and 3 Griffons. He activates the Gorehound pretty late on in the turn, killing 2 support models and allowing Vyros two Feat moves to get into position to attempt an assassination. He takes a Free Strike on a Phantasm, and since I know I’m all in on the assassination attempt I kill it, triggering Sacrifice on the Cage Rager. Mat scores the left zone to lead 1-0.

I opt for going for the assassination with Vyros’ gun rather than spells, and so need to clear him a landing zone. I manage to do so with a Griffon and send Vyros in. I need 9s to hit with dice-4 damage, so really need a miracle. I roll exactly a 9 on the first hit, rolling a 15 on 3 dice to leave her on a handful of boxes, the second shot comfortably hits and finishes her off.

VICTORY

We shake hands, look at the table and comment on how lucky I was. Then we look at the table again and realise that Vyros is stood next to a Gremlin Swarm. With Annoyance factored in we could easily know that the first show would have missed, and so it was a simple act to reverse the result, giving Mat the deserved win.

DEFEAT!

Disappointing to lose the game in this manner but these things happen, and I’m glad that we spotted it quickly enough to get the right result. Had I not started my turn 2 looking to assassinate I think I could have played a better attrition turn and possibly swung the game my way a bit, but it is a very tough game. Mat was a great opponent and despite him winning this game England ended up as Ashes winners 8-3. I retired with my team to discuss some pairings options and got a good night’s sleep ahead of the main event.