Battle report, post-game thoughts, and model analysis after the break!
Lists:
My List:
Forward Kommander Sorscha (*6pts)* Victor (18pts) [Bonded]
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2pts)
Battle Mechaniks (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
* Koldun Kapitan Valachev (2pts)
Great Bears of Gallowswood (5pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)
Winter Guard Infantry (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
* Winter Guard Infantry Officer & Standard (2pts)
* 3 Winter Guard Infantry Rocketeers (2pts)
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich (2pts)
Objective: Bunker
* Revelator (19pts) [Bonded]
* Reckoner (8pts)
* Hand of Judgment (10pts)
Choir of Menoth (Leader and 5 Grunts) (3pts)
Holy Zealots (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
* Holy Zealot Monolith Bearer (2pts)
Reclaimer (2pts)
The Wrack (3 wracks) (1pts)
Vassal Mechanik (1pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
This is the same Sorscha2 list I've been running for awhile, just with Victor swapped out for Conquest. The one point that frees up is very interesting: it can most easily net the third Rocketeer for the Winter Guard Infantry (WGI) unit, it can get Reinholdt back into the list (love the little guy with Sorscha2), or the two Rocketeers can be dropped to then allow something like Eiryss2 into the list (which makes it stronger against colossals and Cryx).
All the options have merit, though for now I just went with the third Rocketeer. I'm starting to appreciate them again after years of not using them so having a third should be fun. Eiryss2 is the most compelling, but it also presents character issues with my other list so that iteration may stay on the drawing board.
My Friend's List:
Feora, Protector of the Flame (*6pts)* Revelator (19pts) [Bonded]
* Reckoner (8pts)
* Hand of Judgment (10pts)
Choir of Menoth (Leader and 5 Grunts) (3pts)
Holy Zealots (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
* Holy Zealot Monolith Bearer (2pts)
Reclaimer (2pts)
The Wrack (3 wracks) (1pts)
Vassal Mechanik (1pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
Objective: Fuel Cache
This is the same list my friend was running the last time we got a game in. He's been getting reps in with this list, and it seems very, very solid. It is a helluva gunline that can easily transition to powerful melee, all while backed up by Protectorate's excellent warjack support, and the ever present threat of your 'caster becoming a crispy critter.
Game Notes: Because we're using my Playskool terrain, a few clarifications on terrain:
- Dark brown area w/green spots: Forest.
- Light brown area w/brown spots: Rough terrain, concealment.
- Black area w/red lines: Ruined building, blocks LOS (~colossal height), cover, can't move through the red areas.
- Creme and green area: Hill.
- Red vertical terrain: Walls (linear obstacles)
Proxy Notes: Conquest will be subbing in for Victor. The Judicator will be representing the Revelator, and the Scourge of Heresy will be representing the Hand of Judgment (HoJ).
Feora wins the roll off and opts to choose table edge
Scenario: SR2015 Destruction
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Deployment:
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| Deployment and Round 1 |
- Dark brown area w/green spots: Forest.
- Light brown area w/brown spots: Rough terrain, concealment.
- Black area w/red lines: Ruined building, blocks LOS (~colossal height), cover, can't move through the red areas.
- Creme and green area: Hill.
- Red vertical terrain: Walls (linear obstacles)
Proxy Notes: Conquest will be subbing in for Victor. The Judicator will be representing the Revelator, and the Scourge of Heresy will be representing the Hand of Judgment (HoJ).
Feora wins the roll off and opts to choose table edge
Round 1:
Sorscha Turn 1:
Sorscha casts Iron Flesh on herself and Shatterstorm on the Nyss (more out of habit than utility) and Boundless Charge on the Victor to get it up the table a little faster.
Everything else runs/charges forward, with the WGI getting Tough and Fearless from Joe.
Feora Turn 1:
Feora allocates 2 focus to the Revelator and 1 focus to her other warjacks. Feora leads off the turn by casting Escort, then advancing forward.
The Zealots use Greater Destiny and Warding then run up the table. The Choir Battle chant for the warjacks. The Reckoner Assaults a Nyss but misses, then the Revelator kills three Nyss between direct shots and drifting templates. HoJ runs forward.
Sorscha casts Iron Flesh on herself and Shatterstorm on the Nyss (more out of habit than utility) and Boundless Charge on the Victor to get it up the table a little faster.
Everything else runs/charges forward, with the WGI getting Tough and Fearless from Joe.
Feora Turn 1:
Feora allocates 2 focus to the Revelator and 1 focus to her other warjacks. Feora leads off the turn by casting Escort, then advancing forward.
The Zealots use Greater Destiny and Warding then run up the table. The Choir Battle chant for the warjacks. The Reckoner Assaults a Nyss but misses, then the Revelator kills three Nyss between direct shots and drifting templates. HoJ runs forward.
Round 2:
Sorscha Round 2:
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys), lets Shatterstorm drop. She keeps all of her focus.
Sorscha starts the turn by advancing up into the Killbox, casting Shatterstorm on the WGI, and giving them Desperate Pace.
Joe gives the WGI boosted attack rolls, then the WGI advance under Bob & Weave. Some WGI engage the front line, while those that can take shots on the Reclaimer, a Choir, and a Vassal, killing all of them (a Shatterstorm blast also detonates a nearby Wrack).
The Nyss advance and Valachev Zephyrs them forward, but they are out of range of everything except the nearby Vassal, which they missed with ranged attacks.
Victor advances to interpose itself between Sorscha and everything else (minus the Revelator on the hill) and throws a Siege Mortar shot back into the Choir, killing two and setting the nearby Vassal on fire.
The remaining models shuffle around for later turns.
Feora Round 2:
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| Round 2 image missing Approximate table state pictured |
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys), lets Shatterstorm drop. She keeps all of her focus.
Sorscha starts the turn by advancing up into the Killbox, casting Shatterstorm on the WGI, and giving them Desperate Pace.
Joe gives the WGI boosted attack rolls, then the WGI advance under Bob & Weave. Some WGI engage the front line, while those that can take shots on the Reclaimer, a Choir, and a Vassal, killing all of them (a Shatterstorm blast also detonates a nearby Wrack).
The Nyss advance and Valachev Zephyrs them forward, but they are out of range of everything except the nearby Vassal, which they missed with ranged attacks.
Victor advances to interpose itself between Sorscha and everything else (minus the Revelator on the hill) and throws a Siege Mortar shot back into the Choir, killing two and setting the nearby Vassal on fire.
The remaining models shuffle around for later turns.
Feora Round 2:
During the maintenance phase, fire goes out on the Vassal.
Feora upkeeps Escort, gives two 2 focus to the Revelator, and 1 to the Reckoner. Feora maintains her position on the hill (inside the Killbox) and pulls a focus off of the rear-most Wrack, which does not explode.
The Zealots chant Fervor and lay into the WGI, killing 8 of them (the WGI pass their CMD check).
The Choir advance and chant Battle for the warjacks, who then combine their attacks into the remaining Nyss. Between the Revelator's attacks, a Reckoner shot, and two sprays from HoJ (using Ancillary attack from the Vassal), Cylena is the only one of the unit to survive (she passes her CMD check).
Feora upkeeps Escort, gives two 2 focus to the Revelator, and 1 to the Reckoner. Feora maintains her position on the hill (inside the Killbox) and pulls a focus off of the rear-most Wrack, which does not explode.
The Zealots chant Fervor and lay into the WGI, killing 8 of them (the WGI pass their CMD check).
The Choir advance and chant Battle for the warjacks, who then combine their attacks into the remaining Nyss. Between the Revelator's attacks, a Reckoner shot, and two sprays from HoJ (using Ancillary attack from the Vassal), Cylena is the only one of the unit to survive (she passes her CMD check).
Round 3:
Sorscha Round 3:
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| Start of Round 3 |
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys), lets Shatterstorm drop, and allocates 4 focus to Victor.
Joe advances, gives himself and the WGI boosted attack rolls, and kills a Zealot with his Handcannon. The WGI advance (with one dodging a free strike) and spray/shoot with their Blundebusses and remaining Rocket, killing 4 of the Zealots and 2 of the Choir (the remaining Choir member fails its CMD check and flees).
Victor starts shooting. It's right Autocannon gets 3 shots, all of which go into the enemy objective. The first two connect and destroy the objective with high boosted damage rolls (+1 CP for Sorscha). The left Autocannon shoots gets 3 shots, and puts all three into the only Zealot in range, killing it. Victor fires a boosted Siege Mortar shot (Crater) at HoJ, but misses, and the template scatters far behind HoJ.
Cylena aims and shoots the Vassal, hitting and doing just enough damage to kill it.
Aiyana & Holt run to behind the forest. Everything else continues to shuffle around and wait.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Feora Round 3:
Joe advances, gives himself and the WGI boosted attack rolls, and kills a Zealot with his Handcannon. The WGI advance (with one dodging a free strike) and spray/shoot with their Blundebusses and remaining Rocket, killing 4 of the Zealots and 2 of the Choir (the remaining Choir member fails its CMD check and flees).
Victor starts shooting. It's right Autocannon gets 3 shots, all of which go into the enemy objective. The first two connect and destroy the objective with high boosted damage rolls (+1 CP for Sorscha). The left Autocannon shoots gets 3 shots, and puts all three into the only Zealot in range, killing it. Victor fires a boosted Siege Mortar shot (Crater) at HoJ, but misses, and the template scatters far behind HoJ.
Cylena aims and shoots the Vassal, hitting and doing just enough damage to kill it.
Aiyana & Holt run to behind the forest. Everything else continues to shuffle around and wait.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Feora Round 3:
Feora upkeeps Escort, gives 2 focus to the Reckoner, 1 focus to the Revelator, and keeps the rest.
The Zealots continue to fire bomb the WGI, killing all but the Standard Bearer (passes his CMD check).
The fleeing Choir member rallies.
The Revelator aims and shoots at Conquest, connecting with the Light Bringer shots and doing mild damage. One of the drifting Conflagrator shots floats backwards, kills a Zealot, and sets the Reckoner on fire.
The Reckoner Assault charges one of the Great Bears, but misses its boosted attack shot against it.
HoJ repositions to the back corner of the zone. Feora pulls a focus off the rear-most Wrack again, which causes it to detonate.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
The Zealots continue to fire bomb the WGI, killing all but the Standard Bearer (passes his CMD check).
The fleeing Choir member rallies.
The Revelator aims and shoots at Conquest, connecting with the Light Bringer shots and doing mild damage. One of the drifting Conflagrator shots floats backwards, kills a Zealot, and sets the Reckoner on fire.
The Reckoner Assault charges one of the Great Bears, but misses its boosted attack shot against it.
HoJ repositions to the back corner of the zone. Feora pulls a focus off the rear-most Wrack again, which causes it to detonate.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Round 4:
Sorscha Round 4:
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| Start of Round 4 |
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys), gives 2 focus to Victor, and keeps the rest.
Aiyana & Holt creep around the forest to attack the Reckoner. Aiyana misses her Harm, but Holt lands his Handcannon shots for minor damage. The Great Bears then charge the Reckoner, doing sizable damage but leaving it alive (with its left arm remaining).
Victor double handed throws the Reckoner into HoJ, doing damage to both of them and knocking them both down.
Cylena advances and shoots the remaining Choir member down.
Joe and the last WGI kill another two Zealots, leaving only the unit leader and UA.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Feora Round 4:
Aiyana & Holt creep around the forest to attack the Reckoner. Aiyana misses her Harm, but Holt lands his Handcannon shots for minor damage. The Great Bears then charge the Reckoner, doing sizable damage but leaving it alive (with its left arm remaining).
Victor double handed throws the Reckoner into HoJ, doing damage to both of them and knocking them both down.
Cylena advances and shoots the remaining Choir member down.
Joe and the last WGI kill another two Zealots, leaving only the unit leader and UA.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Feora Round 4:
During the maintenance phase, fire persists on the Reckoner and does the remaining 2 points of damage needed to kill it.
Feora upkeeps Escort, gives 2 focus to HoJ, 3 focus to the Revelator. The HoJ uses 1 focus to shake knockdown.
The HoJ advances and shoots the Great Bears, hitting all three and killing two (one Tough roll). The spray also catches Victor, doing some damage on a boosted damage roll.
The Revelator attempts to charge Victor, but ends up about 1/2 inch short.
Feora pulls a focus from the remaining Wrack (no explosion), advances, and shoots her Heavy Flame Thrower at the enemy objective, catching it and Joe under the spray. Joe is hit and killed, while the objective takes 4 damage and is set on fire. Feora then pops her feat, gaining 3 focus immediately. She then moves fire from the objective onto Sorscha.
The Zealots advance towards the zone, and the unit leader kills the last remaining WGI with its bomb. The lone Vassal Mechanik runs to stay glued to the back of the Revelator.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Feora upkeeps Escort, gives 2 focus to HoJ, 3 focus to the Revelator. The HoJ uses 1 focus to shake knockdown.
The HoJ advances and shoots the Great Bears, hitting all three and killing two (one Tough roll). The spray also catches Victor, doing some damage on a boosted damage roll.
The Revelator attempts to charge Victor, but ends up about 1/2 inch short.
Feora pulls a focus from the remaining Wrack (no explosion), advances, and shoots her Heavy Flame Thrower at the enemy objective, catching it and Joe under the spray. Joe is hit and killed, while the objective takes 4 damage and is set on fire. Feora then pops her feat, gaining 3 focus immediately. She then moves fire from the objective onto Sorscha.
The Zealots advance towards the zone, and the unit leader kills the last remaining WGI with its bomb. The lone Vassal Mechanik runs to stay glued to the back of the Revelator.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Round 5:
Sorscha Round 5:
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| Start of Round 5 |
During the maintenance phase, none of the fire effects can expire due to Feora's Caustic Presence. Sorscha takes no damage from the fire, Victor takes 2 damage, and the remaining Great Bear dies.
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys) and allocates 3 focus to Victor.
Aiyana & Holt advance slightly, Harm the Revelator, and Holt does 6 damage to it with his Handcannons.
Sorscha activates and pops her feat, catching the Revelator, HoJ, and Feora.
Victor charges Revelator, and between its initial attacks and purchased attacks, kills it does severe damage to HoJ.
Cylena advances and shoots the Mechanik, hitting, but not doing enough damage to kill it.
Feora Round 5:
Feora lets Escort drop, keeps all of her focus.
The Zealots move into the zone and throw a bomb at the objective, doing minor damage. Feora moves up and shoots at Sorscha, but misses.
HoJ smacks Victor with its mace, doing some damage.
The Mechanic advances into the wreck marker to gain cover.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Round 6:
She then advances, casts Fire Step, and shoots at Sorscha with a boosted attack roll, but misses.
End of turn, due to a lack of contesting models, Sorscha scores 1 CP for controlling the zone.
CPs: Sorscha 3 - Feora 0
Round 7:
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys) and allocates 3 focus to Victor.
Aiyana & Holt advance slightly, Harm the Revelator, and Holt does 6 damage to it with his Handcannons.
Sorscha activates and pops her feat, catching the Revelator, HoJ, and Feora.
Victor charges Revelator, and between its initial attacks and purchased attacks, kills it does severe damage to HoJ.
Cylena advances and shoots the Mechanik, hitting, but not doing enough damage to kill it.
Feora Round 5:
Feora lets Escort drop, keeps all of her focus.
The Zealots move into the zone and throw a bomb at the objective, doing minor damage. Feora moves up and shoots at Sorscha, but misses.
HoJ smacks Victor with its mace, doing some damage.
The Mechanic advances into the wreck marker to gain cover.
CPs: Sorscha 1 - Feora 0
Round 6:
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| Round 6 Photo Missing Replacement image courtesy of my van |
Sorscha Round 6:
During the maintenance phase, Sorscha and Victor both burn. Sorscha takes 8 damage, Victor takes a few points.
Sorscha upkeeps Iron Flesh (free w/Sylys) and keeps the rest of her focus.
Cylena aims and kills the Mechanic.
Aiyana & Holt advance, Harm the Zealots, then Holt kills the last unit member and puts damage onto the Monotlith Bearer. The Mechaniks charge in and finish off the Monolith Bearer.
Sorscha advances towards the forest, then casts Cyclone to make it the rest of the way (no, I don't know why she didn't just run over; I blame the clock).
End of turn, Sorscha scores 1 CP for controlling the zone.
CPs: Sorscha 2 - Feora 0
Feora Round 6:
Feora keeps all of her focus.She then advances, casts Fire Step, and shoots at Sorscha with a boosted attack roll, but misses.
End of turn, due to a lack of contesting models, Sorscha scores 1 CP for controlling the zone.
CPs: Sorscha 3 - Feora 0
Round 7:
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| Start of Round 7 |
Sorscha Round 6:
During the maintenance phase, Sorscha burns, taking another 4 damage.
Sorscha survives, and with nothing left to contest the zone she runs in to dominate for the final 2 CPs to win the game.
CPs: Sorscha 5 - Feora 0
During the maintenance phase, Sorscha burns, taking another 4 damage.
Sorscha survives, and with nothing left to contest the zone she runs in to dominate for the final 2 CPs to win the game.
CPs: Sorscha 5 - Feora 0
Result: Sorscha wins via scenario!
Post-Game Thoughts:
This game ended up being nuts. The combination of a dwindling clock (you can see it on the side of the table and it is getting awfully damn low by the end of the game), late hours, and both of us being low on sleep made for some interesting decisions. And then some zany rolls kicked in to juice things up even further.
I am legitimately amazed that neither of us ended clocking out. I figured I would end up clocking out after I took some relatively long turns early on, and then as the game went on (much longer than I think either of us expected) both of us were racing to complete turns as fast as we could (hence some of the more...tactically dubious decisons that ended up happening).
A very fun game, and it ended up being much more tense and exciting than it looked like it might be around turn 3 or so (when my army melted).
I am legitimately amazed that neither of us ended clocking out. I figured I would end up clocking out after I took some relatively long turns early on, and then as the game went on (much longer than I think either of us expected) both of us were racing to complete turns as fast as we could (hence some of the more...tactically dubious decisons that ended up happening).
A very fun game, and it ended up being much more tense and exciting than it looked like it might be around turn 3 or so (when my army melted).
Things That Went Well:
Miraculously, scenario play ended up working out for me. I thought that was going to be my best bet to win long term (Feora isn't really susceptible to the most prominent assassinations this list can put forward), and I was quite sad when I failed to score multiple CPs on key turns early in the game. Somehow I was able to stick it out and finally turn that around, but it very easily could have gone the other way.
Cylena was a damn rock star. She makes for a pretty great shooting solo, turns out. Shame that I spent 12 points to get her.
I knew immediately upon losing the roll off that Sorscha was going to have to be greedy and keep Iron Flesh on herself all game. It wasn't going to be a huge help to any of the infantry - everything they were facing was either using blast damage, or accurate enough to have a fair shot at hitting regardless - and Sorscha was facing the very real threat of getting shot by Revelator from probably around turn 2 onwards (since it is large enough to stay on the hill and still have range with its RNG 14 guns.
Getting hit by those shots early in the game would suck - boosted POW 12s (due to Battle) followed by being on fire from that early point. Not fun. Iron Flesh at least pushes the Revelator towards needing high rolls on the move, or being extremely difficult to hit if I can manage to keep her in cover. Which I did for most of the game out of fear/respect for the guns, but that also had a heavy oppoturtunity cost.
Even with my boneheaded use of the Nyss (more on this in a minute), I did manage to thin out the Protectorate battlegroup support fairly quickly, which is always important against this kind of faction.
I managed to pre-game shooting Victor into the enemy objective well, which is something I don't always get right when setting up colossal shooting (its easy to mess up firing arcs). I got him into position the turn before and made sure his facing was such that I could dump both Autocannons into the objective, with the hope that a few boosted damage rolls would be enough to kill it. That ended up working out when I was able to take those shots the next turn, and the aiming bonus would have been very helpful, though I'm 90% sure I forgot it in the heat of the moment and was just throwing around RAT 4/0 shots.
I also managed to successfully skirt the distance on having Victor get charged by the Revelator, which could have easily led to a very dead Victor (Feora2's colossals are some of the nastiest in melee thanks to her having Ignite and Escort).
Cylena was a damn rock star. She makes for a pretty great shooting solo, turns out. Shame that I spent 12 points to get her.
I knew immediately upon losing the roll off that Sorscha was going to have to be greedy and keep Iron Flesh on herself all game. It wasn't going to be a huge help to any of the infantry - everything they were facing was either using blast damage, or accurate enough to have a fair shot at hitting regardless - and Sorscha was facing the very real threat of getting shot by Revelator from probably around turn 2 onwards (since it is large enough to stay on the hill and still have range with its RNG 14 guns.
Getting hit by those shots early in the game would suck - boosted POW 12s (due to Battle) followed by being on fire from that early point. Not fun. Iron Flesh at least pushes the Revelator towards needing high rolls on the move, or being extremely difficult to hit if I can manage to keep her in cover. Which I did for most of the game out of fear/respect for the guns, but that also had a heavy oppoturtunity cost.
Even with my boneheaded use of the Nyss (more on this in a minute), I did manage to thin out the Protectorate battlegroup support fairly quickly, which is always important against this kind of faction.
I managed to pre-game shooting Victor into the enemy objective well, which is something I don't always get right when setting up colossal shooting (its easy to mess up firing arcs). I got him into position the turn before and made sure his facing was such that I could dump both Autocannons into the objective, with the hope that a few boosted damage rolls would be enough to kill it. That ended up working out when I was able to take those shots the next turn, and the aiming bonus would have been very helpful, though I'm 90% sure I forgot it in the heat of the moment and was just throwing around RAT 4/0 shots.
I also managed to successfully skirt the distance on having Victor get charged by the Revelator, which could have easily led to a very dead Victor (Feora2's colossals are some of the nastiest in melee thanks to her having Ignite and Escort).
Key Mistakes/Things To Do Differently:
I think the biggest mistake I made during this game was the use of the Nyss. I know how to use them in a general sense - hit and run, or projecting shots deep into the enemy back lines - but even when I identify how they need to operate, I don't always do it in the best way.
This game was a great example: I needed them to give me the force projection necessary to get at those final few pesky support models I wasn't going to be able to get to. But! I needed them to start in on that job around turn 2 or 3; after the Protectorate forces have started to commit forward.
Instead, I ran them up the table as fast as I could, with the thought that they'd be shooting at Choir and Vassals shortly thereafter. That was definitely not going to be the case; my opponent was very concerned about the Nyss and was moving up carefully because of it. All that ended up happening with the Nyss was that they ran forward and were summarily gunned down.
It is even more sad because they had a perfect base of operations: a forest they could have hidden safely behind, until it was time to strike. I could have easily had the entire unit available until turn 3 (which would have helped in a few different ways), but instead I lost 3 models round 1 (which is usually a great indicator that you've made a big positioning mistake), and almost the entire rest of the unit the next turn. Cylena ended up stepping up and contributing in a big way afterwards, but she just as easily could have fled (not without precedent) or not have had such cooperative dice (killing ARM 13, 5 wound solos isn't at all likely with a single POW 10 shot).
I am somewhat conflicted on the best course of action with Victor's shot on turn 2. On one hand: there was an awfully juicy spot where a 5" template drift could have set a big chunk of the Zealots on fire (which will kill them the turn after Greater Destiny lapses). Thinning them out would have given me more WGI to work with, which would have given me some disposable models to commit to the zone (I was running seriously low, and only my objective ended up saving me from having to commit Vitor and pray).
On the other hand: the shot I did take that turn killed 2 Choir and set the other Vassal on fire. If that fire hadn't expired, HoJ's fire damage buffing aura would have given me good odds on that Vassal immolating (even with Iron Sentinel).
On the other-other hand: if I don't just throw my Nyss into the incinerator, they can probably pick off that support themselves. Which eliminates any real decision matrix here. So let that be an example of how one bad decision can cascade on you.
I go back and forth on whether jamming the WGI into the Zealots was the correct call. It kinda-sorta worked out in the long run, but at the time it felt like I basically threw the WGI away in order to guarantee a kill on the Reclaimer, a Vassal, and a Choir or two (which isn't altogether a terrible trade with how this Feora2 list operates).
An alternate course of action would have been to run the WGI straight back, essentially resetting the neutral game. The Zealots may have been able to advance and throw some bombs into the WGI, but it would have been better than allowing them to aim, and the reprisal would have seriously hurt. The downside to that course is that it totally opens up the zone for Feora to start scoring on the bottom of turn 2, which totally changes the course of the game.
I wanted to be able to, on turn 3, advance Sorscha forward, Freezing Grip the Zealots, then retreat to her little fort. In order to be able to do that, however, I would have had to move Victor over and give up a portion of LOS to her. I think it probably would have worked out, so long as I stayed outside of aiming range of the Revelator's Light Bringers; DEF 19/23 wards off even boosted Protectorate shooting fairly well (though dice spikes will hurt, as usual).
I'm not 100% sure what that Freezing Grip would have bought me. It would have made it much easier to deal with the Zealots that turn (and probably the following turn), and it would have probably put pressure on the rest of his army to step up and try to clear out more of the WGI. But I think the Revelator had enough Conflagrator shots to go around, so I'm not sure it would have made much difference. An interesting thought exercise though.
This game was a great example: I needed them to give me the force projection necessary to get at those final few pesky support models I wasn't going to be able to get to. But! I needed them to start in on that job around turn 2 or 3; after the Protectorate forces have started to commit forward.
Instead, I ran them up the table as fast as I could, with the thought that they'd be shooting at Choir and Vassals shortly thereafter. That was definitely not going to be the case; my opponent was very concerned about the Nyss and was moving up carefully because of it. All that ended up happening with the Nyss was that they ran forward and were summarily gunned down.
It is even more sad because they had a perfect base of operations: a forest they could have hidden safely behind, until it was time to strike. I could have easily had the entire unit available until turn 3 (which would have helped in a few different ways), but instead I lost 3 models round 1 (which is usually a great indicator that you've made a big positioning mistake), and almost the entire rest of the unit the next turn. Cylena ended up stepping up and contributing in a big way afterwards, but she just as easily could have fled (not without precedent) or not have had such cooperative dice (killing ARM 13, 5 wound solos isn't at all likely with a single POW 10 shot).
I am somewhat conflicted on the best course of action with Victor's shot on turn 2. On one hand: there was an awfully juicy spot where a 5" template drift could have set a big chunk of the Zealots on fire (which will kill them the turn after Greater Destiny lapses). Thinning them out would have given me more WGI to work with, which would have given me some disposable models to commit to the zone (I was running seriously low, and only my objective ended up saving me from having to commit Vitor and pray).
On the other hand: the shot I did take that turn killed 2 Choir and set the other Vassal on fire. If that fire hadn't expired, HoJ's fire damage buffing aura would have given me good odds on that Vassal immolating (even with Iron Sentinel).
On the other-other hand: if I don't just throw my Nyss into the incinerator, they can probably pick off that support themselves. Which eliminates any real decision matrix here. So let that be an example of how one bad decision can cascade on you.
I go back and forth on whether jamming the WGI into the Zealots was the correct call. It kinda-sorta worked out in the long run, but at the time it felt like I basically threw the WGI away in order to guarantee a kill on the Reclaimer, a Vassal, and a Choir or two (which isn't altogether a terrible trade with how this Feora2 list operates).
An alternate course of action would have been to run the WGI straight back, essentially resetting the neutral game. The Zealots may have been able to advance and throw some bombs into the WGI, but it would have been better than allowing them to aim, and the reprisal would have seriously hurt. The downside to that course is that it totally opens up the zone for Feora to start scoring on the bottom of turn 2, which totally changes the course of the game.
I wanted to be able to, on turn 3, advance Sorscha forward, Freezing Grip the Zealots, then retreat to her little fort. In order to be able to do that, however, I would have had to move Victor over and give up a portion of LOS to her. I think it probably would have worked out, so long as I stayed outside of aiming range of the Revelator's Light Bringers; DEF 19/23 wards off even boosted Protectorate shooting fairly well (though dice spikes will hurt, as usual).
I'm not 100% sure what that Freezing Grip would have bought me. It would have made it much easier to deal with the Zealots that turn (and probably the following turn), and it would have probably put pressure on the rest of his army to step up and try to clear out more of the WGI. But I think the Revelator had enough Conflagrator shots to go around, so I'm not sure it would have made much difference. An interesting thought exercise though.
Noteworthy Model Thoughts:
Cylena Raefyll, Ventilator of Solos - Epic Nyss Character Solo. I'd buy that, but apparently there is no need if you already own the unit; she's been there all along.
I was legitimately astounded by how well the WGI fought back on their flank. The WGI were a force of nature in early Mk. 2, so of course I didn't use them very much (though I did watch them clean sweep a few tables). I had forgotten how well that unit can fight back against other infantry, even with a low model count (assuming a few things go your way, such as the Standard Bearer hanging in there).
Noteworthy does not always mean "did well", so its time for the inaugural edition of The Boo Box: Aiyana and all the Great Bears get to spend some time in the box for how they did this game. Aiyana missing Kiss of Lyliss on the Reckoner demoted a "very likely" kill to just a "likely" kill. Not to be outdone, the Great Bears then proceeded to choke at bat, whiffing one charge attack and doing mediocre damage with the attacks that did connect.
Aiyana earns herself a short time in the box since she managed to stay alive long enough to successfully Kiss the Revelator (making it much easier for Victor to kill it on feat turn), but the failure of the Great Bears punted what should have been a solid exchange turn (kill both heavies, force Revelator to commit, kill it under feat and leave Feora with nothing). Hope you jerks like scorpions.
Finally, the main reason I ran this list: Victor. It subbed out for Conquest in this build, and based on my initial experiences with Victor, it seemed like Conquest may be perma-benched. I've cooled to that impression - Victor is almost certainly strongest with Harkevich, making that a bit of a loaded first experience - but I do still like Victor quite a bit.
I have a lot more to say about Victor vs. Conquest in a separate post, but the short version is: Victor seems like a better colossal for anti-infantry purposes, or as a generalist colossal. As that is the more of the role I'm looking for with this Sorscha2 list, I think Victor is the better fit. Freeing up that extra point for another Rocketeer doesn't hurt its case either.
I was legitimately astounded by how well the WGI fought back on their flank. The WGI were a force of nature in early Mk. 2, so of course I didn't use them very much (though I did watch them clean sweep a few tables). I had forgotten how well that unit can fight back against other infantry, even with a low model count (assuming a few things go your way, such as the Standard Bearer hanging in there).
Noteworthy does not always mean "did well", so its time for the inaugural edition of The Boo Box: Aiyana and all the Great Bears get to spend some time in the box for how they did this game. Aiyana missing Kiss of Lyliss on the Reckoner demoted a "very likely" kill to just a "likely" kill. Not to be outdone, the Great Bears then proceeded to choke at bat, whiffing one charge attack and doing mediocre damage with the attacks that did connect.
Aiyana earns herself a short time in the box since she managed to stay alive long enough to successfully Kiss the Revelator (making it much easier for Victor to kill it on feat turn), but the failure of the Great Bears punted what should have been a solid exchange turn (kill both heavies, force Revelator to commit, kill it under feat and leave Feora with nothing). Hope you jerks like scorpions.
Finally, the main reason I ran this list: Victor. It subbed out for Conquest in this build, and based on my initial experiences with Victor, it seemed like Conquest may be perma-benched. I've cooled to that impression - Victor is almost certainly strongest with Harkevich, making that a bit of a loaded first experience - but I do still like Victor quite a bit.
I have a lot more to say about Victor vs. Conquest in a separate post, but the short version is: Victor seems like a better colossal for anti-infantry purposes, or as a generalist colossal. As that is the more of the role I'm looking for with this Sorscha2 list, I think Victor is the better fit. Freeing up that extra point for another Rocketeer doesn't hurt its case either.
List Changes/Tweaks:
As we were setting up, I said to my friend: "I was planning on swapping out my objective type for Effigy of Valor in this list, but I'm going to play everything as written, so I'll stick with Bunker". Turns out, that was a very good choice.
I am consistently torn on whether Valor or Bunker is better for this list. The list hinges on two big units that are not Fearless. The WGI are fairly well insulated against CMD checks with CMD 9 and a re-roll, and Joe can always auto-rally them in an absolute pinch. If the Nyss flee, however, that is super bad times.
That said, I'm not sure how valuable Valor really would be. The Nyss are almost always a flanking unit, so they're far the hell away from any friendly objectives I may have on the table (assuming we're even playing a scenario that uses them). Bunker, on the other hand, has proven to be very valuable in some match ups - Impervious Flesh makes it a huge drain on resources to shoot to death, which in turn makes it either eat an inordinate amount of gunfire, it is ignored entirely, or the opponent has to melee it to death. All of those are favorable for my list (so long as I can plan/adapt for them), and I think it helps a lot more in the scenario game than Valor would.
Fighting against a list like this also, of course, lends more merit for putting in Eiryss2. Feora2 doesn't really have any upkeeps I want to get rid of (though dropping Escort and stripping focus camp makes her much easier to assassinate), but the degree to which this list relies on its battlegroup (and feeding it focus) makes her valuable as at least a one-turn denial bomb. I can force a difficult situation by holding Eiryss2 for late game, then run her to within 5" of the Revelator the turn it needs to get loaded up and commit.
The downside to that (such a dual-sided game discussion, this one is) is that this Feora2 list isn't that bad at picking her off unless I keep her way the hell back (which in turn limits her ability to run in and deny allocation). And the three points that would have gotten her into the list would have come out of the Rocketeers, which pulled their weight this game (accounting for the pesky Choir and Vassal I couldn't have otherwise reached).
So, much like the Bunker, I'll probably just leave the Rocketeers in, and leave Eiryss2 in my other list. Butcher3 is a fine Denny2 drop right?
Match Up Evaluation:
New section! Woo hoo!
I've had several discussions with friends recently about match ups, so I think it is also valuable to start going over match ups for each battle report. Hopefully this will be insightful into the strengths and weaknesses of each list, and give clarity as to what would be a good alternative/paired list.
So, how do I think my Sorscha2 list matches up against this Feora2 list? I think this is a great example of a "bad, but playable" match up.
This Sorscha2 list has the benefit of a colossal and Mechaniks to give it some ARM and staying power, but the majority of the heavy lifting comes from the infantry - WGI, Nyss, and Great Bears. Although infantry hate is as strong as ever, this combination of infantry along with Iron Flesh and ranged attacks frequently allows for them to survive decently well.
Feora2 tips all that on its head. The Revelator can kill chunks of infantry easily with its templates (even ignoring the fact that anything that survives will be set on fire), pick off models at far range with its small guns, and the HoJ can (and almost certainly will) spray down infantry effectively with what ends up being a RAT 7, POW 16 SP8 (ignoring Fuel for the Flames for the "magic band" of POW 18). And in an absolute pinch, Feora can torch her Zealots, then move the fire to my infantry, cooking it.
What happened this game is likely to be the way it plays out most of the time: Feora2's army will work its magic and clean out the infantry fairly quickly, leaving me with not a whole lot to fight two heavies (that project pretty fantastic melee threat) and Revelator (who can shoot heavies off the table with HoJ's aura in range).
I would want to avoid this match up with Sorscha2. Ideally my alternative list would handle this match up better, though I'm not convinced that my current Butcher3 list does - it does have the benefit of him as an anchor/threat (and no pesky enemy upkeeps to worry about), but it also relies on a lot of infantry to get work done, so I think the fight may play out in a similar way (though possibly with a better endgame with Butcher3 as the anchor; hard to say).
As I said earlier, I would still classify this match up as on the bad side of playable, and the way this game played out illustrates why: although the Feora2 list is very well equipped to deal with the primary strength of this list, it still ultimately comes down to dice, placement, and scenario. I actually got lucky winning on scenario - Destruction is exactly the kind of scenario this kind of Feora2 list wants, and I very easily could have lost this at a few points - but the difficulty the Feora2 list would have in spreading out would give me a lot more game in a more spread out scenario.
Positioning also makes a big difference in this game. This Feora2 list operates at its best when it can move forward in a fairly small nugget; the absolute best thing that can happen for it is that the opponent commits into it hard (so long as it is able to remain relevant in scenario). If I had been smarter with my Nyss, I could have forced Feora's army to push further forward in order to exert pressure, which in turn would have afforded me better opportunities to break up the nugget.
Lists like this Feora2 list have traditionally given Khador trouble, and its not hard to see why. She has largely filtered out of the meta due to other factions rising to prominence and giving her trouble, but the Revelator may see her resurgence. Any flavor of Khador infantry build is going to be hurting going into this match up, so if you have an ARM oriented build, this is the place to drop it. Otherwise, hope for a favorable scenario, position carefully, and don't give up more than you need to.
Oh, and don't let your 'caster burn to death. Not a great place to drop an ARM 14/15 'caster, especially with Killbox.
I am consistently torn on whether Valor or Bunker is better for this list. The list hinges on two big units that are not Fearless. The WGI are fairly well insulated against CMD checks with CMD 9 and a re-roll, and Joe can always auto-rally them in an absolute pinch. If the Nyss flee, however, that is super bad times.
That said, I'm not sure how valuable Valor really would be. The Nyss are almost always a flanking unit, so they're far the hell away from any friendly objectives I may have on the table (assuming we're even playing a scenario that uses them). Bunker, on the other hand, has proven to be very valuable in some match ups - Impervious Flesh makes it a huge drain on resources to shoot to death, which in turn makes it either eat an inordinate amount of gunfire, it is ignored entirely, or the opponent has to melee it to death. All of those are favorable for my list (so long as I can plan/adapt for them), and I think it helps a lot more in the scenario game than Valor would.
Fighting against a list like this also, of course, lends more merit for putting in Eiryss2. Feora2 doesn't really have any upkeeps I want to get rid of (though dropping Escort and stripping focus camp makes her much easier to assassinate), but the degree to which this list relies on its battlegroup (and feeding it focus) makes her valuable as at least a one-turn denial bomb. I can force a difficult situation by holding Eiryss2 for late game, then run her to within 5" of the Revelator the turn it needs to get loaded up and commit.
The downside to that (such a dual-sided game discussion, this one is) is that this Feora2 list isn't that bad at picking her off unless I keep her way the hell back (which in turn limits her ability to run in and deny allocation). And the three points that would have gotten her into the list would have come out of the Rocketeers, which pulled their weight this game (accounting for the pesky Choir and Vassal I couldn't have otherwise reached).
So, much like the Bunker, I'll probably just leave the Rocketeers in, and leave Eiryss2 in my other list. Butcher3 is a fine Denny2 drop right?
Match Up Evaluation:
New section! Woo hoo!
I've had several discussions with friends recently about match ups, so I think it is also valuable to start going over match ups for each battle report. Hopefully this will be insightful into the strengths and weaknesses of each list, and give clarity as to what would be a good alternative/paired list.
So, how do I think my Sorscha2 list matches up against this Feora2 list? I think this is a great example of a "bad, but playable" match up.
This Sorscha2 list has the benefit of a colossal and Mechaniks to give it some ARM and staying power, but the majority of the heavy lifting comes from the infantry - WGI, Nyss, and Great Bears. Although infantry hate is as strong as ever, this combination of infantry along with Iron Flesh and ranged attacks frequently allows for them to survive decently well.
Feora2 tips all that on its head. The Revelator can kill chunks of infantry easily with its templates (even ignoring the fact that anything that survives will be set on fire), pick off models at far range with its small guns, and the HoJ can (and almost certainly will) spray down infantry effectively with what ends up being a RAT 7, POW 16 SP8 (ignoring Fuel for the Flames for the "magic band" of POW 18). And in an absolute pinch, Feora can torch her Zealots, then move the fire to my infantry, cooking it.
What happened this game is likely to be the way it plays out most of the time: Feora2's army will work its magic and clean out the infantry fairly quickly, leaving me with not a whole lot to fight two heavies (that project pretty fantastic melee threat) and Revelator (who can shoot heavies off the table with HoJ's aura in range).
I would want to avoid this match up with Sorscha2. Ideally my alternative list would handle this match up better, though I'm not convinced that my current Butcher3 list does - it does have the benefit of him as an anchor/threat (and no pesky enemy upkeeps to worry about), but it also relies on a lot of infantry to get work done, so I think the fight may play out in a similar way (though possibly with a better endgame with Butcher3 as the anchor; hard to say).
As I said earlier, I would still classify this match up as on the bad side of playable, and the way this game played out illustrates why: although the Feora2 list is very well equipped to deal with the primary strength of this list, it still ultimately comes down to dice, placement, and scenario. I actually got lucky winning on scenario - Destruction is exactly the kind of scenario this kind of Feora2 list wants, and I very easily could have lost this at a few points - but the difficulty the Feora2 list would have in spreading out would give me a lot more game in a more spread out scenario.
Positioning also makes a big difference in this game. This Feora2 list operates at its best when it can move forward in a fairly small nugget; the absolute best thing that can happen for it is that the opponent commits into it hard (so long as it is able to remain relevant in scenario). If I had been smarter with my Nyss, I could have forced Feora's army to push further forward in order to exert pressure, which in turn would have afforded me better opportunities to break up the nugget.
Lists like this Feora2 list have traditionally given Khador trouble, and its not hard to see why. She has largely filtered out of the meta due to other factions rising to prominence and giving her trouble, but the Revelator may see her resurgence. Any flavor of Khador infantry build is going to be hurting going into this match up, so if you have an ARM oriented build, this is the place to drop it. Otherwise, hope for a favorable scenario, position carefully, and don't give up more than you need to.
Oh, and don't let your 'caster burn to death. Not a great place to drop an ARM 14/15 'caster, especially with Killbox.
Closing Thoughts:
This was a helluva game from two tried-and-true 'casters using some awesome new models. I can't add much beyond what I've already said in the batrep: this game was an absolute blast with all sorts of twists and turns, and a damn close finish to wrap it all up. I'm hoping the next time won't be so damn harrowing!
I'll be continuing to use Reckoning models whenever I can get games in. I still want to play Harkevich/Victor/Victor again against different styles of army - if I'm going to potentially spend $200+ on models for one list, I want to be damn sure its worth it - and I really want to get Zerkova2 on the table. Then there are the Butcher3 lists I want to run. And a game or two with the Karchev + Mad Dog spam that seems to be fun. And...
There isn't enough time for all the lists I want to play. Though that is a good problem to have.
Until next time, thanks very much for reading!
This was a helluva game from two tried-and-true 'casters using some awesome new models. I can't add much beyond what I've already said in the batrep: this game was an absolute blast with all sorts of twists and turns, and a damn close finish to wrap it all up. I'm hoping the next time won't be so damn harrowing!
I'll be continuing to use Reckoning models whenever I can get games in. I still want to play Harkevich/Victor/Victor again against different styles of army - if I'm going to potentially spend $200+ on models for one list, I want to be damn sure its worth it - and I really want to get Zerkova2 on the table. Then there are the Butcher3 lists I want to run. And a game or two with the Karchev + Mad Dog spam that seems to be fun. And...
There isn't enough time for all the lists I want to play. Though that is a good problem to have.
Until next time, thanks very much for reading!
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