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.
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