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Post by Stormsmith Dropout on Mar 27, 2017 0:17:31 GMT
I've been trying to start writing up battle reports to help me better analyze my gameplay. I'm hoping it will help me to avoid the past mistakes and become a better WMH player.
I play Cygnar mostly, but occasionally play Searforge and might be picking up Grymkin in the future.
Hope these are enjoyable.
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Post by Stormsmith Dropout on Mar 27, 2017 0:18:23 GMT
Game 1: Cygnar (Stryker2) V.S. Convergence of Cyriss (Iron Mother)
This was a quick 35 point game between me and a convergence player. My list is Stryker2 with Jacks and Sword Knights. This is close to a list I've been running for a long time, but now with theme benefits. My opponent is playing Destruction Initiative (Convergence Theme) with Iron Mother Directrix.
35/35 Theme: Heavy Metal Lord Commander Stryker (+28) - Ol' Rowdy 18 - Lancer 10 - Lancer 10 - Squire 0 Sword Knights (Min) 8 Sword Knights (Max) 13 Archduke Alain Runewood 4
35/35 Theme: Destruction Initiative Iron Mother Directrix (+27) - Exponent Servitors 0 - Cipher 16 - Cipher 16 - Assimilator 16 - Corollary 6 Accretion Servitors 2 Accretion Servitors 2 Reflex Servitors 0 Attunement Servitors 0 Optifex Directive 4
The Scenario is Extraction. We roll off, and I elect to go first. It feels very important in this matchup, where both sides have extra deployment, to get down field fast. There's a forest right in front of my deployment's center, so my force immediately gets split. I send the min Knights with a lancer to the right, and everybody else goes left. Convergence deploys centrally with lots of servitors floating around. The Ciphers are set up to my left, with the assimilator to the right.
Cygnar Turn 1: Runewood gives min Knights Pathfinder, and then they run with a lancer to the right flag. Max Knights fan out on a hill. Lancer runs up. Stryker and Ol' Rowdy set up so that they can go to either flag.
Convergence Turn 1: Ciphers move up and shoot. They kill a lot of the max Knights. I may have grouped them into pairs of 2s out of habit. Defensive Line doesn't work for ranged attacks. Assimilator runs to a forest in front of the right flag.
Cygnar Turn 2: My Lancer on the left side runs to a conveniently placed wall nearby the flag. I figure that the extra defense will help keep it safe from the Ciphers right there. I position Rowdy to be barely contesting that flag, with Stryker behind him, and shoots 2 servitors. If a Cypher attacks my lancer, or moves in to contest then I will countercharge. The few remaining members of my max Knights unit run as far as they can to jam up the Ciphers. Some of the min Knights charge the Assimilator, some charge a nearby reflex servitor. The do some damage, but the're mostly buying time.
Convergence Turn 2: A Cipher walks over to the right side lancer, and tries to kill it. I countercharge and deal some damage. The Cipher does not kill the lancer. The second Cipher oddly walks closer and then shoots at Stryker, but does no damage. The 2 Ciphers are now nearly b2b, and easily in charge range for Stryker. The assimilator nearly kills my Left side lancer, but it is still holding on to dear life. Iron mother blows up the min unit of Knights, and hangs out by her objective.
Cygnar Turn 3: I now have a big oppurtunity for Stryker. If I kill the 2 Ciphers, and don't explode in the process, then that's pretty much game over. I load up rowdy, and Stryker overloads for 3. Stryker gets +16 Str (WOW!), and takes 9 damage. He charges the Cypher further back. He hits for 26 damage on the charge, and then kills it in the next swing. He smacks the other Cipher and hurts it pretty bad. Rowdy finished up. The lancer from that side runs straight towards the Iron Mother to give her something to deal with. I should have payed attention to Dominate. Runewood charges the assimilator, but doesn't hurt it too much. Rowdy is controlling a flag, I go to 1-0.
Convergence Turn 3: My opponent knows that he has to kill Stryker somehow, but with him camping 3, and with very few resources to work with it just doesn't happen. He dominates my lancer, and tries to poke Stryker. He doesn't roll what he needs. The assimilator finally kills the Lancer and Runewood. There's 1 sword knight left but its not contesting that flag.
Cygnar Turn 4: I could ride out the scenario at this point, but Iron Mother with Dominate makes me nervous around Rowdy. I load up my lancer, slap positive charge on it and send it in. It damages Iron mother a good bit. My last Knight charges her and finishes the job.
Cygnar win.
Thoughts: This was a fun game, and would have been much closer had my opponent not overlooked the destructive power of Stryker. He hadn't played into eStryker for a while, and put his heavies too far forward. I think list-wise, we were pretty even. I had lots of infantry, but he had ways to deal with it. Looking back, I probably could have gone for assassination a turn earlier, but it would have been kind of dicey, and killing the 2 heavies was the safer, more conservative option.
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Post by Stormsmith Dropout on Mar 27, 2017 0:19:13 GMT
Game 2: Cygnar (Stryker2) V.S. Cryx (Sturgis)
In this game I used my full Stryker2 Heavy Metal List. My opponent brought a strange Sturgis list. Looking at it, I thought I had a pretty good advantage. Looking back, that wasn't necessarily the case. My Stryker list doesn't handle lots of infantry or stealth solos too well.
75/75 Theme: Heavy Metal Lord Commander Stryker (+28) - Ol' Rowdy 18 - Stormclad 18 - Ironclad 12 - Lancer 10 - Lancer 10 - Squire 0 Journeyman Warcaster 0 - Charger 9 Sword Knights (Max) 13 Sword Knights (Max) 13 Archduke Alain Runewood 0
75/75 Sturgis The Corrupted (+31) - Skarlock Thrall 4 -Corruptor 16 - Defiler 8 - Slayer 10 - Reaper 13 Steelhead Halberdiers 11 Bane Warriors 17 - Bane Warrior Officer & Standard 6 Bane Lord Tartarus 8 Pistol Wraith 5 Gorman Di Wulfe 4 Saxon Orrik 4
It's the same table set up as last game, scenario is extraction. I get to go first again. I deploy a unit of knights to the right with an ironclad and a lancer. To the right is the other unit with the stormclad and lancer. Stryker is in the middle with Runewood, Rowdy, Junior+Charger, etc. Cryx places the halbardiers and Banes in a big group to my right. His jacks are all together on the left with assorted solos. Sturgis is hanging out in the middle.
Cygnar Turn 1: I run everything forward, making sure that the scenario will be well contested. I; worried about Cryx getting parasite onto Stryker, so i preemptively put AS on him.
Cryx Turn 1: His stuff runs up. His 3 jacks are on a hill. Gorman, pistol wraith, and skarlock all hide in a cloud. He staggers out his halbardiers and banes, making it so that he can send in multiple waves through the forest to contest the right-hand flag. Occultation goes on the banes despite my lack of shooting.
Cygnar Turn 2: I notice that my opponent has held back his halbardiers and banes far enough that I can really jam them out of scenario. I run a unit of Knights through the forest with a Lancer. Ironclad goes b2b with the right-hand flag to contest, and maybe score next turn. I run the left group of knights forward to jam his jacks up. I make a big mistake and put rowdy in front of the left flag in b2b. Stryker stays near the middle and readies for some scenario pushing.
Cryx Turn 2: I completely forgot about the Reaper's harpoon. Rowdy gets hit with parasite, hit with the pistol wraith to become stationary, then dragged up by the Reaper. He gets murdered by the jacks pretty easily. Cryx pushes forward with banes and halbardiers, and contests the right-hand flag with a couple of halbardiers.
Cygnar Turn 3: Rowdy's loss is sad, but I quickly start to plan out the game without him. With my charger, and junior and Stryker's handcannons, I kill the enemy objective. I feat, and run my knights on the left further up. Stormclad goes to left flag to control. The knights on the right-hand side attack the halbardiers nearby, and thanks to flank with a lancer they quickly kill them off. My Ironclad is still on the flag there. During my feat I deal some damage to enemy jacks and reposition around a bit. I go to 3-0.
Cryx Turn 3: Sturgis goes in and feats killing a bunch of sword knights, and pulling stuff towards him. The jacks on the left side kill some knights. The banes on the right side kill some knights. It's bad all around for the sword knights. Tartarus and a pistol wraith contest the left side flag, making the stormclad stationary. Banes jam up and contest the right side flag.
Cygnar Turn 4: So, I have to clear out a bunch of banes, tartarus, and a pistol wraith (who is not incorporeal at the moment). The charger risks a free strike, lives through it, and shoots the wraith to death. The stormclad shakes off stationary and kill Tartarus easily. And I manage to clear the other side as well. 5-0.
Thoughts: I made a pretty major mistake letting Rowdy get dragged in. It was really unecessary to put him so far forward. My opponent's list felt a little too mixed in intentions, and he could've steamrolled my right side by bricking together his halbardiers and banes. I didn't have the volume of attacks, or ranged power, to handle that. But by killing a few each turn, I was able to hold off the small waves of dudes. Sturgis, while not considered a great caster by most, does have one powerful counter to Stryker's personal assassination that kept me from trying it. That would be reversal. If I charge him, and I miss then I get knocked down, and that would be game. Stryker's tanky, but he can't handle ~8 autohitting pow13s, especially after an overload. My opponent seemed a little unpracticed, and forgot about scenario until it was too late, and I had scored. Still, a good learning experience overall.
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Post by Stormsmith Dropout on Mar 27, 2017 0:20:11 GMT
Game 3: Cygnar (Stryker2) V.S. Convergence (Syntherion)
More Stryker2! I'm playing into Convergence again at 50 points with eStryker V.S. Syntherion. Convergence actually has a fair amount of shooting now, so my Sword knights aren't gonna enjoy this too much.
Cygnar Army - 49 / 50 points [Theme] Heavy Metal
(Stryker 2) Lord Commander Stryker [+28] - Charger [9] - Lancer [10] - Lancer [10] - Ol' Rowdy [18] - Squire [0] Archduke Alain Runewood, Lord of Fharin [4] Sword Knights (max) [13] Sword Knights (max) [13]
Convergence Army - 50 / 50 points [Theme] Destruction Initiative
(Syntherion 1) Forge Master Syntherion [+27] - Cipher [16] - Cipher [16] - Corollary [6] - Diffuser [6] - Diffuser [6] - Monitor [16] Algorithmic Dispersion Optifex [2] Algorithmic Dispersion Optifex [2] Attunement Servitors [0] Elimination Servitors [3] Reflex Servitors [0] Reflex Servitors [0] Optifex Directive [4]
Pre-game: Scenario is 3 flags, I choose to go first. There's a big forest separating the center and left flag, a wall on the other side's center, a couple of small obstructions scattered around. As I have in the last few games, I deploy with Stryker+friends in the center with a unit of Knights to each side with lancers to accompany them. Convergence deploys with many servitors mingled everywhere for shield guards. Syntherion is central, right in front of a wall he will spend the game behind. The diffusers are to my left, and the heavies are all center right.
Cygnar Turn 1: Running up conservatively. There's a definite weakness on the left side. If I can clear it quickly, then I can start scoring. I run the left unit of knights up far, along with a lancer. Stryker and Rowdy move up to put pressure on the center flag. I run the right side lancer in to contest a flag, behind a small forest, but hold the right side Knights back to avoid losing them to AOEs.
Convergence Turn 1: Ciphers lay down a lot of rough terrain templates on the right hand side. Servitors run far forward to contest flags. Syntherion goes behind the center wall near his deployment. His jacks are hanging back to avoid getting smashed by Rowdy/Stryker. My charger gets hurt bad by a lucky shot, but its systems are still functional.
Cygnar Turn 2: Sword Knights on the left side kill off 4 servitors and an algorithmic dispersion optifex by the flag. The lancer nearby moves to b2b with the flag to score next turn. Nothing is close enough to contest next turn. Stryker and Charger shoot a couple of servitors away. Stryker and Rowdy move in to contest the center flag while b2b with each other. Right side lancer kills a servitor, contests that flag, and hides behind a forest. Left sword knights move forward a bit, but stay spread out enough to not get blasted away.
Convergence Turn 2: A rough terrain AOE lands on Rowdy, and magnetic hold gets cast on him successfully. Charger takes a little more damage. A diffuser moves toward the left flag, shoots a sword knight. The convergence heavies position closer, and shoot some knights. A handful of servitors move to contest the right hand flag. Nothing contests the left hand flag, and I score. 1-0
Cygnar Turn 3: Seeing that my center will soon be overwhelmed, since Rowdy is basically useless at -2 spd in rough terrain, I have Runewood give Stryker pathfinder. Stryker runs through the forest to get close to the left hand flag. My right side sword knights run up and around that forest and a couple charge the diffuser there. No significant damage, but its jammed. I score again. 2-0
Convergence Turn 3: Magnetic Hold is upkept, and a flare hits Rowdy putting him at Defense 8. Two Ciphers charge him and kill him and the nearby Charger. Some knights on the right side get killed, there aren't many left. The diffuser on the left kills a sword knight, and an algorithmic dispersion optifex runs over in an attempt to contest the left hand flag, but its too far away. He scores in the center, I score on the left. 3-1
Cygnar Turn 4: My opponent is pressed for time (not on deathclock, but irl) and he concedes. Based on the state of the game, we do decide that there wasn't really a way for him to contest the left side flag next turn, or get an assassination because Stryker is on the other side of a forest behind a wall of sword knights.
Cygnar Win
Thoughts: I'm starting to get the hang of Stryker2, I think. He offers a lot of solid options for play strategy and has a hell of a board presence. One thing I feel my Heavy Metal list is really missing is shooting power. My opponent definitely could have payed more attention to scenario from the start of the game, and because he didn't I managed to really take hold on one flag while being able to contest the others for many turns. I do think I've been spreading my army out too much in the last few games, and my natural tendency has been to split everything into 3 forces: right sword knights + lancer, left sword knights + lancer, and Stryker + Rowdy, with a few solos mixed in. Part of this is because of the scenarios I've been playing. Incursion lends itself to this approach because I can push hard for one flag and just ensure that the others are contested.
I enjoyed this game, and it didn't feel like either side had a really major advantage. Looking forward to more games with Cygnar.
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Post by Stormsmith Dropout on Mar 27, 2017 0:21:05 GMT
Game 4: Cygnar (Stryker2) V.S. Legion (Bethayne)
I got to play into Legion, and I'm trying out Stryker2 with some extra shooting power in the form of 3 chargers. On the other side of the field we have Children of The Dragon with lots of little beasts and infantry. Should be a good test.
Cygnar Army - 75 / 75 points [Theme] Heavy Metal
(Stryker 2) Lord Commander Stryker [+28] - Charger [9] - Charger [9] - Ironclad [12] - Lancer [10] - Lancer [10] - Ol' Rowdy [18] - Squire [0] Archduke Alain Runewood, Lord of Fharin [0] Journeyman Warcaster [0] - Charger [9] Sword Knights (max) [13] Sword Knights (max) [13]
Legion Army - 75 / 75 points [Theme] Children of the Dragon
(Bethayne 1) Bethayne, Voice of Everblight [+20] - Belphagor - Nephilim Bloodseer [8] - Nephilim Bolt Thrower [11] - Nephilim Soldier [9] - Nephilim Soldier [9] - Nephilim Soldier [9] - Stinger [4] Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion [6] Blighted Nyss Warlord [5] Spell Martyr [1] Blighted Nyss Hex Hunters (min) [9] - Bayal, Hound of Everblight [0] Blighted Nyss Legionnaires (min) [9] Blighted Nyss Swordsmen (max) [15] - Blighted Nyss Swordsman Abbot & Champion [0]
Pregame: Scenario and terrain are the same as game 3. I roll well, again, and choose to go first. On my side from left to right I deploy: Lancer, knights, runewood, junior, charger, rowdy, Stryker+squire, ironclad, charger, charger, lancer, knights. On the other side, loosely speaking, the swordsmen and bloodseer were to my left, Bethayne+Belphagor with Bolt Thrower, Hellion, solos, soldiers, legionaires, and stinger were center to center right. The hex hunters had AD and were evenly spread.
Cygnar Turn 1: I run stuff up as usual. There's a lot of stuff on the other side of the board, and I have to admit that I didn't know what to prioritize. Bethayne's feat makes all of her infantry hit really hard. I mostly just get ready to react to my opponent's play. Arcane Shield goes on Stryker
Legion Turn 1: His infantry all advances. Bolt thrower hits my ironclad and does 10 damage, also knocks him back a bit. Hellion moves up and uses wind ravager to prevent some shooting, however my chargers have a big enough range to ignore this. Hex hunters run up to jam my knights on either side and leave some breathing room for his other infantry.
Cygnar Turn 2: Using some chargers and Stryker's gun I kill the Hellion and a soldier. The knights on the left side kill a couple of hex hunters a prepare for when the swordsmen move in. Junior's charger puts a little damage into the bloodseer. I run my damaged Ironclad forward in an attempt to draw in some better targets.
Legion Turn 2: Bethayne feats and melds with Belphagor, also casts invocation of blood for some good defensive boosts. The bloodseer charges my left side lancer, but doesn't accomplish much thanks to set defense (I love that ability). The swordsmen charge in and kill some knights, but my opponent has some poor rolls and most of them survive. The hex hunters kill a couple of knights and put a little damage into the ironclad. The legionaires and soldiers finish him. I foolishly (really foolishly) countercharge Rowdy in to kill 1 legionaire. My opponent then charges Rowdy with a warlord. Because of flank, he can only miss on double 1s... which somehow happens. Through dumb luck I avoided an exploded Rowdy. Average damage would have been 19, and with precision strike he could put that anywhere. Rowdy kills him with retaliatory strike after that. Some sword knights die to a venom spell from the spell martyr.
Cygnar Turn 3: Maybe it was the new match up, maybe it was because it was getting late, I don't know. I saw an assassination possibility with Stryker, and tried for it. I totally underestimated Bethayne/Belphagor's current defenses. She had 3 fury, 13 defense, 20 armor, and 24 boxes. Using an average overload roll (3 dice=~10), Stryker can get to P+S 25. He needed to use 3 focus for velocity to get to Bethayne, so with the Squire's help he would have 5 attacks, one being a charge. With those 5 attacks, Oddsmachine says there was a 4% chance of success. I did not know this at the time. On top of that, I needed to kill 3 legionaires and a hex hunter who were in the way. My 3 chargers kill 3 of them, and Rowdy charges the last and kills the legionaire. Stryker overloads and gets +13 str in exchange for 7 damage. This puts the chance of success at a somewhat more comfortable 17.56%. When Stryker gets to Bethayne, the swordsmen champion countercharges him. Rowdy countercharges the champion, and goes b2b with Stryker in the process. The champion uses defensive strike on Rowdy, but doesn't crack his armor. Rowdy kills the champion with a retaliatory strike. Stryker hits Bethayne with 4 of his 5 attacks, doing a good bit of damage to her battlegroup through transfers. Stryker feats and he and Rowdy each get another attack (Stryker now at P+S 15). Oddsmachine says those extra hits make the run a 25% chance. Bethayne lives through it. Crap. Stryker is b2b with Rowdy, has AS but no focus, and he's in the middle of enemy lines.
Legion Turn 3: Bethayne hits Stryker with disintegration, and drops Stryker to 3 boxes! However, her attempt to throw him fails because Stryker is def 18 against melee. Bethayne does not hit him after that. The bolt thrower can't get the right angle to push Rowdy out of b2b, and the soldiers fail to kill him. Lastly, 3 swordsmen attack Stryker but can't hit him. Because of the placement of an obstruction, these are all of the attacks available. My opponent concedes at this point.
Cygnar Win
Thoughts: I really shouldn't have gone for the assassination there, although in hindsight it makes Stryker and Rowdy look really badass. Charging in, tag teaming models in the way, countercharging a countercharge and basically taking turns activating. It was cool.
Looking at mistakes, there were plenty, but IF I had to take the assassination run, I ended up activating perfectly. By ensuring that Rowdy and Stryker were b2b at the end of it, I really helped out their attack power. However, had I rolled an average 10 for Stryker's damage from overload, he would have died the next turn. My opponent remembered afterwards that he could have unmeled Bethayne during her activation, and probably gotten her to safety. This was probably true, unless I managed to clear the stuff around Stryker and velocity around to get a good angle for another charge.
I really like where this list is now, and will probably keep it mostly like this for a while. Next week, I will try out a caster to pair with it. Go Cygnar!
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