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.

Game 308: Garryth2 vs Deneghra1

Game 308 – Vs John Tavernor – Cryx – 17/02/19

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:

Warwitch Deneghra (Slaughter Fleet Raiders)

-Satyxis Blood Priestess

-Nightmare

-Nightwretch

-Ripjaw

Axiara Wraithblade

Eilish Garrity, the Occultist

General Gerlak Slaughterborn

Max Black Ogrun Smog Belchers

Max Blighted Trollkin Marauders

-Jussika Bloodtongue

Max Bloodgorgers

Cephalx Overlords

Sharde Dirge Seers

A couple of games on a Sunday afternoon, the first testing my slightly adjusted Garryth2 into Cryx, in particular into a Deneghra Slaughter Fleet list. John won the first turn and we got moving.

After my Advance Moves John runs everything forward, staying mostly out of my pretty significant threat ranges.

John had accidently positioned one model (an Overlord) in my threat range, but that’s all Garryth really needs. I move up, put down a Mage Sight and cast Road to War, before taking the shot and removing the model. This allows the left Harpy to move forward and kill one of the Smog Belchers that had previously been out of threat. Everything else runs up.

Deneghra arcs a Crippling Grasp onto my Ellowuyr and the Smog Belchers open up into them with their guns, building a cloud wall in the process before Repositioning back. The Bloodgorgers run up behind and toe the zone. On the right John moves up fairly cautiously, and redeploys Nighmare to help out on the right.

This needs to be Garryth’s Feat turn, but I don’t think I can afford to aim for the extra Control Range. This is because I want to put down a Mage Sight on the two models that are in the zone to allow me to start scoring on the left. I shoot one off with Garryth before opening up with my guns on the left, taking out the objective, clearing the zone, and shooting the Arc Node off the Ripjaw. On the right I take out as many Marauders as I can, and am able to take out Jussika due to a mispositioning by John. I score to lead 2-0.

John decides to mostly hold off on my Feat, just using his guns to deal what damage he can. He does charge in a couple of Marauders, some being taken down by my Feat and some dealing damage into my forward Harpy, taking out the gun. John takes out my objective to close to 2-1.

I expected a defensive Feat from Deneghra last turn, but John clearly wanted to hold it for the offensive benefit as well, so I have this turn to deal as much damage as I can. I do a pretty decent job, with Mortality going on the Marauders and allowing my Ellowuyr to reliable Cleave through them. I fail to take out the Ripjaw but leave it on a single box and out of Deneghra’s Control range. On the right the AFG and Ryssovass are slowly grinding away, crucially taking out the second Arc Node. The score stays 2-1.

John does Feat this turn, clipping most of my army, but he doesn’t really have enough models left to capitalise on it. He takes out Moros, the rest of my Ellowuyr (apart from the Prey buffer at the back) and most of my Ryssovass. John clocks this turn, the time taken to play round my Feat really took it’s toll. We decided to play on regardless as the game is interestingly poised. John moves into a 3-2 lead.

At this point the game will be decided by who can keep contesting the zones the longest, so I just clear out what I can, scoring the left zone to level at 3-3. The two remaining Rysovass charge Nightmare and cut out it’s Cortex, significantly reducing it’s threat.

John clears the right and central zones, contesting the left to move 5-3 ahead on the top of turn 5. I need to pull this back quickly but I think I have time on my side.

I shoot off all the models in the centre and left, leaving John with only one model that can really ever contest the left again. I score twice to close at 5-5 again.

John needs to clear my whole HRT unit in the centre, and with the Overlord failing he has to commit Deneghra to within 14” of Garryth to do so. He does remove the unit to score the zone again to lead 7-5 on the top of 6.

I am confident that I can grind it out from here as I can shoot off Eilish with a Harpy and from there John can never contest the left again. Moving the AFG into the central zone would shut down him scoring that, meaning the right would be his only avenue, and I would have enough models around to contest it long enough to win. But with Deneghra in range of Garryth I can’t refuse the assassination. The AFG moves to within 5” of the Overlord and slams it into the Caster. After a Mage Sight, Garryth’s Armour Piercing shot leaves her on a couple of boxes, and the Harpy moves in to finish her off.

VICTORY

I’ve never been one to love the long grindy games that really appeal to some people (I’m looking at you, Haley3 players), but Garryth2 seems to be really good at them, and I finally have a caster that I’m enjoying in that style of game. I really like the list now with the second HRT and one of each melee unit, and the Ellowuyr are doing just enough to keep their place for the time being. John was a great opponent through this game, and it was nice to get revenge for the SR final I lost to him at the start of the year.

Game 305: Garryth2 vs Old Witch 2

Game 305 – Vs Jonny Jennings – Khador – 10/02/19

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

Max House Ellowuyr Swordsmen

-House Ellowuyr Swordsman Officer & Standard

Max House Ellowuyr Swordsmen

-House Ellowuyr Swordsman Officer & Standard

His List:

Zevanna Agha, the Fate Keeper (Wolves of Winter)

-Rager

-Ruin

Greylord Forge Seer

Koldun Lord

Koldun Lord

Doom Reaver Swordsmen

-Greylord Escort

Doom Reaver Swordsmen

-Greylord Escort

Doom Reaver Swordsmen

-Greylord Escort

Doom Reaver Swordsmen

-Greylord Escort

Doom Reaver Swordsmen

-Greylord Escort

Min Greylord Outriders

Second game with Garryth2, and my first against the new reworked Doom Reavers, played by Jonny and led by Old Witch 2. Jonny won the roll to go first and we got moving.

Witch puts up her 18” Wind Wall and the everything runs up the table. It is a pretty daunting sight to be honest.

I am far more scared of the Outriders than I am of the Reavers due to their magical sprays, so I push up on the right flank whilst holding back on the left, hoping that things would look better over there next turn. Garryth casts Road to War allowing him to kill on Doom Reaver and a Harpy to kill a second. It’s a start I guess. The Ellowuyr on the right use their Mini-Feat.

I was so pre-occupied with the sprays from the Outriders that I completely forgot that UAs have them as well. I lose 8 Ellowuyr from my right unit to the mistake. Aside from that Jonny pushes up, not wanting to commit too much into my guns, and the Outriders run hard up the left flank, putting my in real danger next turn.

I have to deal with them, so the left AFG turns to see two of the unit, hitting one of the 8s required to kill them. My Ellowuyr go pretty crazy this turn, Cleaving through a lot of Doom Reavers, and (along with shooting from the Harpies and right AFG) removing 3 of the UAs to reduce the incoming sprays. Garryth Feats to make it very difficult for Jonny to deal with my forward models. I don’t score the zone I cleared, because I’m great at this game. 0-0.

My Feat stops most of Jonny’s retaliation on the right with Garryth even shooting off one of the Doom Reavers. Ruin is pushed out of the zone by a Harpy but still kills a couple of Ellowuyr. On the left Jonny casually reduces the armour of the AFG by 4, and reduces it to 7 boxes with a couple of attacks. Nobody scores 0-0

Doom Reavers are one of those opponents where it is difficult to see how well the game is going, but I definitely feel that I’m in a good position at this point. I take out the Rager, making Witch very scared of Eiryss, and keep everything important out of range of Ruin. On the left I continue to grind through the infantry, and in the centre Moros does great work working through the support solos. I score the right zone to lead 1-0

Jonny clears the left zone by finishing off the AFG, and runs his last Outrider into my backfield to threaten my support next turn. Ruin continues killing what he can, but Jonny’s momentum has gone now. 1-1

The game is really a clearup from this point. Garryth and the AFG take out Ruin, my HRT turns round to finish off the Outrider and the Harpies shoot the objective. At the end of the turn I have a 4-1 lead and Jonny has the Witch, a Koldun Lord and one Doom Reaver. He concedes.

VICTORY

Going into this game I thought the matchup was pretty good, but then when Jonny started pulling magical sprays out of every orifice I realised I was in real trouble. But the list worked, you don’t need a lot of Ellowuyr to survive in order to grind through the Reavers and Cleave is almost equivalent to Berserk once you have two players spacing properly. The difference was that I had enough guns to make the difference, and Road to War was huge in making up the range deficit created by Wind Wall. I definitely don’t think that this list is the finished article, Ellowuyr just aren’t worth 21 points in their current state, but as a framework I’m really happy with the list.

Game 304: Garryth2 vs Siege1

Game 304 – Vs Stuart Cargill – Cygnar – 10/02/19

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

Max House Ellowuyr Swordsmen

-House Ellowuyr Swordsman Officer & Standard

Max House Ellowuyr Swordsmen

-House Ellowuyr Swordsman Officer & Standard

His List:

Major Markus “Siege” Brisbane (Heavy Metal)

-Squire

-Charger

-Charger

-Charger

-Charger

-Triumph

Storm Strider

Storm Strider

Captain Arlan Strangeways

Journeyman Lieutenant Allister Caine

-Ace

Min Field Mechaniks

A couple of casual games this Sunday, and with the final rules for Garryth2 releasing on the Friday it seemed pertinent to give him a try out. I built a list that I thought would be fun to play and have some interesting interactions, plus I hadn’t put the Ellowuyr Swordsmen on the table for a very long time. First up was Stuart with an infantry blending Siege1 list, poor Ellowuyr… Stuart wins first turn and we get moving.

Caine puts Fire for Effect onto Siege, who in turn puts down a Foxhole which he walks into. The Chargers all run up the table along with the right Strider, but the left holds back a bit, concerned about the pressure from the AFGs.

Garryth casts Occultation on the left unit of Ellowuyr and moves up into the trench in my zone where he would stay for the entire game. Everything runs up the table, being as aware as possible of Electro-Leaps.

A mispositioning of Moros means that Triumph is able to get his Sentry shot on him, dealing decent damage, before the Cygnar forces open up. The results were bad, but not too bad. There are a lot of ways for that list to see through Stealth and so I lose more Ellowuyr than expected (mostly to a FFE Ground Pounder). In total I lose 11 over the two units and take a bit of damage on my Jacks.

Garryth Feats and uses his Armour Piercing shot to more than half kill the Charger on the left, with a couple of charging Ellowuyr finishing it off. I deal quite a lot of damage around the place but don’t take out any other models, leaving the left Strider on around 7 bokes and the right on about half. I could definitely have directed and ordered my attacks better (I forgot about the Black Penny element of the Feat) in order to finish something off fully, but I’ll just have to face the consequences of that. I score twice to lead 2-0.

This is Siege’s Feat turn, but the pressure I’m putting on him means he can’t push up too far to apply it. The Storm Striders both charge in, the right dealing considerable damage (but taking a pretty nasty free strike) and the left committing all its resources to making sure Eiryss dies. The rest of his shooting finishes off both Harpies and all of a sudden my right flank is looking a bit rough. 2-1 to me.

I briefly look at a plan to score 4 and win, but abandon it fairly quickly. Instead I focus on attrition, and manage to finish off both Striders and another Charger, really cutting down Stuart’s offensive power. I score my left zone (I can’t afford the shot to remove the Gobber in my zone) to lead 3-1.

Stuart’s dice don’t help him out this turn and despite throwing a lot of attacks he can’t remove the DEF19 Ellowuyr in the right zone, allowing me to keep contesting over there for another turn. He is also starting to run out of contesting models on the left, and this turn throws a Charger and the Squire in to slow down my scoring. Moros is finished and Stuart starts the slow grind through the AFGs. 3-2 to me.

Similarly to Stuart I have run out of models to contest his far zone, so the CPs are going to start rocketing up. I kill both contesting models on the left, and all but one of the Gobbers. I make a mistake leaving the 2 remaining Ellowuyr within 4” of each other on the right. I cast Occultation on my objective, to force Stu to cast Mage Sight if he wants to shoot at it. 5-3 to me.

Due to my misplacement Stuart is finally able to clear the right zone and both score it and contest mine with the last Gobber. The AFG keeps taking damage, but Carapace is holding it together pretty well. 6-5 to me.

At this point I’m pretty sure I win if I survive, and so Garryth starts aiming for Stealth. I kill the last Gobber to remove any chance of Stu scoring the right zone without running with Siege and put some damage into the objective and Triumph. 8-6 to me.

At this point Sturat is just trying to keep parity on scenario. He reduces the front AFG to 3 boxes and shoots at my objective, narrowly failing to take it out. 9-7 to me.

All I’d been looking for in the past few turns was to start a turn 2CPs up. This allows me to slam the Charger out of the zone, shoot off the objective and run the Lys Healer in to Stuart’s zone to contest. I score 3 to win 12-7 (bottom of 6)

VICTORY

This was a great game, and it was really good fun to get an exciting new caster on the table, even if I didn’t really use many of his tricks. I just managed to get ahead and stay there over the course of the game, despite Stuart playing around my Feat really well. He probably put too much weight on killing Eiryss, as she was always going to struggle to do anything too relevant, but sometimes that’s what she has to do in the list.