Axeless -- A Madrak3 Journey

Madrak3 vs Harkevich1 -- Outlast

Harkevich -- Winter Guard Kommand
*Decimator
*Decimator
*Devastator
*Kodiak
*Kodiak
*Marauder
*Marauder
Min Mechaniks
Field Gun
Field Gun

List Thoughts

Hoo boy, this is does not seem like an ideal matchup for me.  My opponent had a theory that Decimators are being foolishly ignored by the Khadoran community and wanted to test two as opposed to taking cheaper jacks and maybe fitting another weapon crew in there. 

Pre-Game

I lose the starting role and get stuck going second.  On the bright side, it means I get the side of the table with the least amount of terrain to bunch up my nearly 40 infantry models, but my only plan was to jam the jack wall out of the zones and attempt to score as quickly as possible.

Instead, I'll have to try to grind out an attrition game, baiting out one or two jacks for my Maulers and Champs while the Warriors and Fenns stick themselves in any nook or cranny they can find.  This isn't going to be easy.

I deployed in what will probably be standard formation: Kriel Warriors in the center, Fenns with CA on the right flank, Fenns without CA on the left flank, and Champs, Madrak, Maulers, and support deployed behind the Kriel Warriors.  Doing all of this at the 12" mark in Band of Heroes isn't really necessary, but it is a lot of fun.

Early Game

I apologize for the lack of pictures, so you'll just have to believe that an oppressive iron curtain and unfurled around the 24" mark of the table with the Devastator front and center.  I tossed a couple Warriors into the gaping maw and lined the Fenns out of charge range of Marauders on the flanks.

This effectively kept the jacks at bay, but they were still sitting comfortably in both zones.  I charged in all of my ten-man units and feated, barely scraping the paint on everything except one Marauder which took quite a beating from the Fenns on the left.  I make somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 Tough rolls on my feat turn, and the board state nearly looks the same.

Mid Game

Unfortunately, Harkevich's feat effectively does the same thing.  Decimators and Field Guns fire a fair bit of damage to both Maulers and take a Champ off the table.

Things aren't looking great as I have to sit out a turn thanks to Hark's feat, but ARM 19 Kriel Warriors actually survive fairly well against Vent Steam and Reposition is limiting the amount of Fenns that can actually get punched on any given turn.

Both our clocks are winding down as this attrition fest slogs on.

Late Game

I see an opportunity to finally commit my backfield and potentially clear the right zone.  One Mauler walks up and removes an untouched Marauder from the table, and the Fenns kill off a Mechanik and Field Gun Crew contesting.  Unfortunately, there's still a half-beaten Kodiak and a fully functional Decimator that can contest the right zone.

My Champs take charge of the center, begging the Devastator to open up and potentially eat Retaliatory Strikes.  Much to my surprise, the Kriel Warriors are still kicking around in there and typing up the occasional Field Gun or Decimator (sadly, Kriel Warrior free strikes are nothing to a Khador heavy).

After I go to 1-0, my opponent starts eyeing his dwindling clock a little leerily.  He can only get one Kodiak into the right zone, but his Decimators and the second Kodiak completely remove both Maulers from the table.  That was the fault of my own positioning more than anything, but the each beast had been shot to half health in the previous turns.

Going all in, Madrak charges in and kills the contesting Kodiak to bring me to 3-0.  I can't stop the untouched Decimator from walking in on the following turn, but my opponent only has little more than a minute left on his clock.  He has to go in on Madrak, but runs out of time trying to shoot him to death.

Victory: Madrak3

We do, however, roll out the last couple shots on Madrak and he does go down, taking a bit of the air out of my chest.  Still, this was a solid learning experience and a potent example of how this list can fair into the absolute drag that facing high ARM, high box skew can be.

Post-Game Thoughts

It's a tad too early to think of changing the list, and i know I'm happy with several aspects of it.  I was unsure of the Kriel Warriors, but ARM 19 keeps them alive against POW 10-12 anti-infantry tech (Vent Steam absolutely obliterated the Fenns by compairson).

Double Maulers are nice to ensure you have Rage as long as one is alive, but Madrak gets knocked down freaking all the time.  I may switch it to Mauler/Earthborn soon if too many Kriel Warriors are getting chucked in Madrak's face.

Comparing to Madrak2, this list would have had a heck of a lot more punch, but I keep thinking of the number of infantry that should have died sans Madrak3's feat.  Having a little staying power fits in with my playstyle better as it prevents the often tilting effect of seeing 75% of your list wiped off the table trivially.

This game has me very curious as to how the list will stand up to Rifle Corps.  Ideally, I should be able to engage post-feat and neutralize the threat of rockets into my heavies, but my theory never seems to line up with practice.

Thanks for reading!  I'll update again soon.