Game 312: Ravyn vs Deneghra3

Game 312 – Vs Duncan Harradine – Cryx – 22/02/19

My list:

Ravyn, The Eternal Light (Defenders of Ios)

-Fane Knight Guardian

-Hyperion

Arcantrik Force Generator

Arcantrik Force Generator

Dawnguard Trident

Dawnguard Trident

Arcanist Mechanik

Fane Knight Skeryth Issyen

Lys Healer

Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

His List:

Deneghra, the Soul Weaver (Slaughter Fleet Raiders)

-Satyxis Blood Priestess

-Nightmare

-Nightwretch

-Scavenger

-Deathripper

Axiara Wraithblade

General Gerlak Slaughterborn

Ragman

Max Black Ogrun Smog Belchers

Max Black Ogrun Boarding Party

Max Bloodgorgers

-Jussika Bloodtongue

Sharde Dirge Seers

The Devil’s Shadow Mutineers

Game 3 on a Friday evening and I’m up against regular opponent and former Pressganger Duncen. I decide it is the perfect time to try out the silly list I’ve had planned for a while. Ravyn with 5 huge bases and a load of solos designed to keep her alive. It isn’t subtle, but I love the way it looks on the table. If you’re looking for high level tactical play, this battle report isn’t for you. Duncan won the first turn and we got moving.

Deneghra puts up Grave Wind on herself and gives the Bloodgorgers Ghost Walk to get them through the water in front of them.

Ravyn casts Snipe on herself and walks up to shoot into a group of bunched up Trolls with a Blaster shot, killing 3 and Swift Hunting back. She switches Snipe onto a Trident which moves up and kills another. Everything else just runs up to take board position.

Duncan puts out Mortality on the right Trident and Hyperion. He charges a Bloodgorger into the former, dealing minimal damage, and shoots into Hyperion, rolling well to deal 25 points or so. Nightmare runs through the building to engage Eiryss. Deneghra Feats to give herself a big next turn.

Ravyn Feats, and the shooting begins. She starts things off herself by walking up to kill a Bloodgorger before firing a Blaster shot into the rest of the unit. This is the first time I’ve used Ravyn since the rules change and she is so much fun now, as she Sprints back to safety. The rest of my army deals decent damage into the Cryx, taking out Ragman and decent chunks of the infantry, including all of the Dirge Seers at the back. I knock down and Disrupt Nightmare, dealing with him for a turn. 0-0

Duncan has a strong turn, putting Mortailty back out onto the right Trident and Hyperion, before throwing attacks at them until both were dead. He scores the left zone to lead 1-0.

I shoot more stuff, finishing off Nightmare and almost clearing the right zone, but Jussika just wouldn’t die, but thankfully isn’t in the zone to stop me scoring. 2-2

Duncan keeps pushing up, this time taking out my left AFG with the Boarding Party. He scores twice again to lead 4-2.

I remove most of the Boarding Party and move my Trident over to the left to help out, clearing the right zone with the two Fane Knights. Unfortunately I don’t move either of them to the flag, or Ravyn into the zone, and so I don’t score and Duncan goes 5-2 up, winning easily next turn.

DEFEAT

This game wasn’t really about the result and was an absolute blast to play. Some real errors from me all over the place including completely forgetting about Swift Hunter on my Feat turn, and not scoring any points in my last turn. I want to play this list more, but don’t think it’s particularly competitive. I might take it to York alongside my Helynna list and have a lot of fun through the event before concentration on competitive lists from there. I’ll just have to not tell my WTC captain…

Game 311: Helynna vs Terminus

Game 311 – Vs Becky Red – Cryx – 22/02/19

My list:

Magister Helynna (Forges of War)

-Chimera

-Discordia

-Manticore

-Manticore

-Manticore

Dawnguard Trident

Dawnguard Trident

Arcanist Mechanik

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Arcanists

House Shyeel Arcanists

-Soulless Escort

His List:

Lich Lord Terminus (Dark Host)

-Barathrum

-Slayer

-Nightwretch

Wraith Engine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Machine Wraith

Machine Wraith

Max Bane Knights

-Bane Knight Officer

Max Bane Warriors

-Bane Warrior Officer & Standard Bearer

Max Bane Warriors

-Bane Warrior Officer & Standard Bearer

It isn’t long now until the York event where I have to play Helynna so I wanted another practice game or two to get back into Rhythm with her. Bex wanted to try out the new Bane Knight Officer and so the leftmost unit of Bane Warriors are Knights. With Bex winning the first turn we get moving.

Terminue casts Malediction on himself and everything runs up, pushing over to the left flank under the protection of the forest and the theme benefit clouds.

The sheer number of Banes in this list is pretty intimidating, but right now I can afford to get up the table aggressively to try and exert some scenario pressure. I don’t have any cheap throwaway pieces to contest with so I need to take a strong opening position.

Becky pushes up further through the forest, moving her Machine Wraiths over to the right flank to contest and score the flag and my zone in later turns.

I want to start scoring as much as possible, and so concentrate on clearing the Banes out of the central zone. A Manticore and Discordia get the job done, allowing me to put down 2 Covering Fire templates down, before moving out of threat with Rhythm of War. I score to lead 3-1.

At this point Becky commits her force en masse, running through to engage my lines with the Bane Knights and some of the Warriors, holding back with others to charge into me next turn. One of the Machine Wraiths runs to the flag to contest, and so we both score our own zones to move to 4-2

I need to score 3 uncontested points to win, which realistically means m own zone and flag, and either the flag or central zone to win. The flag would be easier, so I arc a Force Strike from Helynna, taking out the machine Wraith. From here it is a matter of clearing out the Banes around my flag, which I manage before moving into Becky’s zone with Rhythm of War. I win 7-2 on scenario.

VICTORY

Becky was probably a bit slow to move towards the scenario elements in this game, and underestimated how easily I would be able to remove the Machine Wraiths. From there it was a matter of keeping the pressure on and killing the Banes as they came forward, which was honestly pretty satisfying

Game 310: Garryth2 vs Morvahna2

Game 310 – Vs Paul Sheard – Circle – 22/02/19

My list:

Garryth, Eye of Vengeance (Defenders of Ios)

-Harpy

-Harpy

-Moros

Arcantrik Force Generator

Arcantrik Force Generator

Arcanist Mechanik

Lys Healer

Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

Heavy Rifle Team

Heavy Rifle Team

Max Ryssovass Defenders

Max House Ellowuyr Swordsmen

-House Ellowuyr Swordsman Officer & Standard

His List:

Morvanha the Dawnshadow (The Devourer’s Host)

-Argus Moonhound

-Storm Raptor

Bloodweaver Night Witch

Gallows Grove

Lord of the Feast

Tharn Ravager Shaman

Tharn Ravager Shaman

Max Tharn Ravagers

-Tharn Ravager Chieftain

Max Tharn Ravagers

-Tharn Ravager Chieftain

Max Tharn Wolf Riders

As part of my testing of Garryth2 I wanted to see whether he had decent game into Circle, as Mortailty feels like a good way to get around Tharn healing up all over the place. The terrain wasn’t particularly friendly, with a large forest on each flank to protect Paul’s advance. Given this, despite Paul winning the roll, he opts to choose sides and I get moving.

I put up Occultation onto the Ryssovass and Road to War on Garryth himself and run up the table.

Part of the reason that Circle are so punishing at the moment is that the slightest mispositioning is really punishing, and that comes into play early on here. I had moved a Harpy up about an inch too far into range of the Storm Raptor, so it moves up and shoots me around 75% dead. Morvahna puts up Fog of War and Carnivore onto the right Ravagers. One of each Ravager units run up aggressively, with the rest holding back.

Paul had used quite a few rerolls last turn trying to take out Ellowury, and so Morvahna is only on 6 boxes and a handful of transfers. I take the Eiryss shot to strip her focus, and just miss the 8 I needed, so I abandon the assassination and look at attrition instead. Garryth Feats and I shoot off what I can, triggering Vengeance on both units but keeping largely out of threat. I don’t feel good about the game state.

Paul pushes up and loses a couple of guys to Feat shots before finishing off my Harpy with the Raptor. Paul scores his own flag to lead 1-0.

I really need to get some work done this turn but so much of Paul’s army is in areas I just can’t get to. I clear out what I can, using Mage Sight to clear the left zone, allowing me to start scoring. I jam the right unit as best I can, but the pressure is really piling up and I just can’t get off the defensive. I move into a 3-1 lead.

Between a Raptor pulse and the two units of Ravagers I lose a lot of infantry this turn, as well as being pushed out of the right zone to allow Paul level the score to 3-3. He starts to do Morvanha’s Feat but I save us both some time by conceding the game.

DEFEAT

I don’t really know what to take from this game. I saw enough from my army to think that there might be something there into Circle, but Morvahna is a different beast altogether and on a table with 2 huge forests giving only a 3” and 4” gap to the central building it was always going to favour the Tharn. I’ll probably look at this matchup again, especially into casters like Iona or Wurmwood.