Ghyrrshyld's Return

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

-Aspis

-Manticore

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Artificer

Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

The Dreamer (Dark Menagerie)

-Cage Rager

-Crabbit

-Gorehound

-Skin & Moans

Death Knell

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.

Game 259: Vyros2 vs High Reclaimer

Game 259 – Vs Paul Watson – Protectorate of Menoth – 13/09/18

My list:

Vryos, Incissar of the Dawnguard (Forges of War)

-Sylys Wyshnaylrr, The Seeker

-Griffon

-Aspis

-Manticore

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Artificer

Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

The High Reclaimer (Exemplar Interdiction)

-Judicator

Exemplar Bastion Seneschal

Knights Exemplar Seneschal

Scrutator Potentate Severius

-Dervish

Vassal Mechanik

Wrack

Min Choir of Menoth

Max Exemplar Errants

-Officer & Standard Bearer

Knights Exemplar

-Officer

Knights Exemplar

-Officer

Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor Guard

One list I didn’t get the opportunity to practise against before flying to Poland was the High Reclaimer plus Judicator list that seems to be everywhere. Theorising it in my head I don’t think it is a good match up, middle defence (12) and middle armour (18, as Blessed ignores Deceleration) is exactly what the Judicator wants to be shooting out, so positioning was going to have to be perfect. I win the roll to go first and we got moving.

There is no point in casting Deceleration so I just run up the table, getting Vyros into an aggressive spot behind the building. I put up Force Wall with the Artificer and make sure that everything that could possibly die to blast damage is within 3” of it. I can’t fully stay out of the Judicator’s threat, doing so would surrender too much table, but I make sure to be out of the 15” walk and spray range so that I only have to take the rockets.

Hand of Fate is cast onto the Judicator who moves up and puts some decent damage onto a couple of Griffons. Errants shoot with their crossbows but at dice-8 don’t have much impact.

I commit pretty hard in an attempt to start the attrition. I take out a load of Errants before putting a max Synergy Griffon into the Dervish, but rolling pretty badly to leave it alive. I put up Covering Fire in front of both Knights Exemplar units to reduce damage next turn and Feat, hoping to open up some options for next turn.

A combination of the Judicator, Dervish and Knights take out the 4 lights I had committed with, with High Reclaimer Feating to bring back most of the Errants that had been killed in an attempt to keep the Manticore away from the Judicator. 1-1

I do manage to clear a path for the Manticore, and kill most of the Knights on the left flank as well as the Seneschal. The Manticore rolls pretty badly, including missing an attack, on the Judicator, dealing pretty minimal damage. I put up some covering fire on the right to try to protect my contesting jacks. 2-1 to me.

Through some clever angles and use of Tactician Paul is able to take out the Manticore before activating the Judicator. The Judicator aims and shoots Vyros down to a few boxes, with an Errant charging in to finish him off.

DEFEAT

With practice maybe this matchup gets better for us, but I’m really not sure, it seems to just get around everything that Vyros wants to do. The more popular list seems to have Vengers and Cinerators instead of Knights and Errants, and the reduced number of attacks may make that a bit more manageable for me, but it is definitely a game I’d be looking to dodge at the WTC.

Game 258: Vyros2 vs Haley3

Game 258 – Vs Brett Wilkie – Cygnar – 13/09/18

My list:

Vryos, Incissar of the Dawnguard (Forges of War)

-Sylys Wyshnaylrr, The Seeker

-Griffon

-Aspis

-Manticore

Arcanist Mechanik

House Shyeel Artificer

Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress

House Shyeel Arcanists

His List:

Major Prime Victoria Haley (Gravediggers)

-Ironclad

-Thorn

Captain Maxwell Finn

Commander Anson Hitch

Patrol Dog

Ragman

Trench Buster

Trencher Master Gunner

Alexia Ciannor & the Risen

Trencher Express Team

Min Trencher Infantry

-Officer & Sniper

-Rifle Grenadier

Max Trencher Long Gunners

-Officer

Every time I play against Haley3 I wonder what would have happened if I commit harder to wherever the Long Gunners are. My usual play is to use terrain and distance to keep them out of the game as long as possible, but then I often find myself underwhelmed by their damage output into ARM20 jacks. This seemed as good a time as any to try it. Brett went first.

Echoes are summoned and Tactical Supremacy cast.

I run up, 5 jacks up the flank with the Long Gunners on it. I had committed to this plan before the game, but the set-up of Brett’s first turn made it really tempting to go to the other side of the building and push from there. Deceleration is cast.

A combination of guns and Trencher charges makes a real mess of my left flank, and had a missed Domination from Haley hit things would have been even worse, so I decide that the “run at the Long Gunners” plan is probably a failure. Worth a try though.

We play the game out anyway, and I decide to go for an assassination on a zero camp Haley. Manticores need 13s to hit but I’ve got a few shots at it and after one of the Manticore shots lands and spikes damage, Vyros is able to take her out with a Twister.

VICTORY

Worth seeing if that kind of play would work, and it definitely didn’t even though it opened up a lucky assassination. Back to the original plan of trying to keep the Long Gunners quiet as long as possible, and deal with the threats mentioned in the last game’s summary.

Ghyrrshyld's Return

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Friday, 21 September 2018

Game 260: Vyros2 vs Dreamer

Game 259: Vyros2 vs High Reclaimer

Game 258: Vyros2 vs Haley3