I promised a Cyrenia Report and here it comes!
I got to play into an interesting circle build today. Its has been growing a bit in popularity despite a large number of internet warriors declaring its no good. Its a fairly strong list that I think asks some hard questions for infantry based builds. Normally I would drop HR, because Gravus denies stationary but I decided I need practice with Cyrenia and so I dropped her to see how things would go despite my concerns about the match up.
Lists:
Circle:Kaya3: CotW
-5X Winter Argus
-2X Moonhound
-Pureblood
-Feral
-Brenos
2 Units of Stones
2 Wayfarers
Gobber chef
Protectorate:Cyrenia: FM
-Judi
-Hierophant
2 Max Idrians with UA
Min Chior
2X Champ of the wall
2X Monks
Villmon
Vassal
2 Mechanics
Wrack
Scenario and Deployment:The scenario was standoff. My opponent wins the roll off and chooses to go first much to my dismay (was hoping to force a turn 1 feat) Prey for the red idrians goes on brenos and the yellow unit puts it on the pureblood
Turn 1:
Circle: He does what everyone does on turn 1. Runs...Kaya cast Fog of war and soothing song.
Protectorate:Because I have scenario advantage I stay out of his threat. The red idrians minifeat to be extra spiteful to brenos I bait him with a champ, putting him in threat of a single Winter argus. My goal here is to bait out the moonhound on the left flank to kill it and make my feat more potent. +2 rat means the sprays need boosted 9's instead of boosted 11's which is actually a big deal. Ir goes on the Judi and I decide not to place rock wall because sprays.
Turn 2:
Circle:He decides to come on forward. Monnhound gets within 5" of the champ and the monk. The yellow stones port a silver stone to allow the silver unit to port a winter argus. Said argus boosts to hit the champ, manages to land the crit with the first shot (go figure) then spikes damage doing about 4. His second spray leaves the champ on 5 health he repos a bit to be annoying. The pureblood shoots the monk, needing an 11, manages to land it and I fail the tough check he repos back into the woods. On the right he just moves up passively. All the winter argi pop their animus to be annoying. (models that end an activation within 2 become stationary.) Kaya pops soothing song, feats, and chills. Brenos tries to lob a AOE at the idrians but scatters harmlessly away.
Protectorate: His feat is annoying But with Idrians and the Judi I should be able to kill both the Dogs on the left this turn. Cyrenia upkeeps IR and gives a focus to the Judi. Villmon gets out of the way of the judi spray and stone and mortars. Judi activates, sprays m champ in the back and catches the Moonhound, I boost to hit and boost damage but wiff the damage roll. I decide to lob a rocket that hits with the double 6's I boost damage again but the dog is left on 2 boxes. My second flamethrower goes into the moonhound and even with a boost misses. (I need an 11 with signs and portents) My rocket decides to go less danger close and clips the winter argus for a few damage. Idrians go next and wiff a CRA into the moonhound even with an aiming chief. I have to tap the hound again and it dies but the winter argus is unmolested. I repo to spread out a bit and deny good spray angles for the PB. My monk stands in an annoying spot. Cyrenia activates, casts dash and feats. I camp 4 because he technically has 3 winter argus, a moonhound in running distance, kaya and a pureblood who can shoot me, so better safe than sorry. Red idrians activate and ding up the second moonhound, Spreading out to jam and be annoying. My champion also moves up to deny spray angles and jam. Because the PB managed to kill my poor monk I am unable to contest his rectangular zone.
Score: Circle: 1, Protectorate:1
Turn 3:
Circle:I am actually pretty confident that Ill be in OK shape after this turn. Def 15 is tough for him to hit and he has to roll a lot of boosted 10's and 11's to get work done. On the right flank the yellow winter argus Aims' and kills some idrians, popping his winter coat and re-positioning. The silver winter argus manages to land a crit first try on my right champion on the hill(again...) and does the winters coat repo dance. The red winter argus aims and sprays down some more idrians boosting all the attack rolls. The Pivitol point here is when the blacklad wayfarer rolls 4 hard 9+'s in a row and kills 4 idrians himself. Killing one with his staff and 3 more with a spray. I use my feat move to put idrians back into the zone and jam up the monnhound. Kaya activates and pops synergy, casts bleed at the objective and spikes hard doing about 8 or so damage to it. The moonhound starts synergy off with some more good rolling killing another idrian. He repos into the zone. On the left the green winter argus kills an idrian but misses his second boosted attack roll (FINALLY a missed attack) The blue winter argus charges and finishes off the objective. Both pop animus. Brenos kills the champ with ease tosses and AOE to 0 effect again. The pureblood tries to kill the monk and misses (needed an 11 even with max synergy thanks to def 20!) he doesn't crank it this time and the monk walks to an annoying spot. The pureblood to block him from entering the rectangular zone.
Score: Circle: 3, Protectorate: 1
Protectorate:So that was unpleasant. But could have been worse. He rolled a lot of boosted 10's and I managed to keep the left flank intact, but the scenario push was concerning. Luckily I have 11 idrians who can shoot the crap out of a pureblood and an angry judicator. Villmon and the champ wiff their righteous vengeance attacks sadly. Cyrenia gives 1 focus to the Judi and upkeeps IR. Chior sings warding to keep Judi out of feral threat range. Idrians on the right do a 4 man CRA into the wayfarer on the hill needing a mighty 5...and miss. Cyrenia puts up dash, and casts a hex blast at the moonhound..which misses, but I boost blast damage and spike to make up for it. My champ charges the moonhound and ends its existence. runs to contest the rectangular zone since monk cannot get there and needs to disengage from the PB. Yellow idrians do a handfull of 2 man cra's and kill the PB with some nice spikes, Prey moves to the objective. Judi gets a foucs from the vassal and murders the 2 argus with just his initials...
Score: Circle: 3, Protectorate: 3
Turn 4:
Circle:Kaya upkeeps synergy. Yellow red argus sprays down villmon. The yellow argus eats the champion (who passes a mighty 2 tough checks) Brenos, the silver argus, and the wayfarer finish cleaning out the round zone. Stones port to be annoying. Kaya charges the monk, hits but he toughs, she casts soothing song. She repos into the zone and camps 4.
Score: Circle: 5, Protectorate: 3
Protectorate:
Cyrenia gives one to the Judi (I make a mistake and miss the vassal is just out of range for empower...derp. Idrians burn a lot of shots killing the obbjective, moving prey to the silver stones and killing the silver stone in the zone. My monk moves up and engages kaya. Judi gets warding again (I need to force the Feral to pay for the charge or I die.) He tries to spray down the winter argus but leaves both on about 3 or 4 boxes. My vassal tries to finish off the yellow argus and misses. My guide charges the Blakclad and misses. Cyrenia Lobs a hex blast at the Yellow argus and misses. She casts dash and camps 0 (she is pretty safe as only one argus can get to her at mighty rat 4.
Score: Circle: 5, Protectorate: 5
Turn 5:
Circle:Fire goes out on the yellow argus. Red one takes 0 damage. Stones heal red argus just enough so he has mind again, but no spirit. Kaya burns a lot of fury killing the monk (who toughs twice.) and an idrian. Brenos kills the vassal and lobs an AOE at my poorly placed clump of support. Luckily he wiffs the damage on the hiero and leaves a single chior boy alive. The silver winter argus tries to spray down his own wayfarer and misses my idrian (unable to boost due to not being in control) The feral primals himself and charges the Judi in a last ditch effort to ping it for damage. He leaves it on about half health.
Score: Circle: 5, Protectorate:5
Protectorate:Cyreia Upkeeps IR. Gives 2 to the Judi. She goes and puts Pos charge on the Judi, then casts dash. Chior Gives Judi Battle. Yellow idrians kill the unit of stones, prey moves to red argus, kills him, prey moves to yellow argus, fails to finis the job. Judi Charges Brenos, Manages to kill both brenos and Feral with ease. (Pow 27 wit signs and portents is a thing. Red guide swaps prey to stones and tries to kill the one in my rectangular zone but fails, he repos to the far edge of the zone.
Score: Protectorate: 6, Circle: 5
Turn 6:
Circle:He goes for a last ditch assassination run. Kaya boost a bleed at Cyrenia and hits, doing a few damage. The yellow winter argus misses both his sprays and my opponent concedes
Summary:
I do not think this is a great match up for cyrenia. The Moonhounds make it pretty easy for him to tear through the idrians, the crit stationary makes the champions inefficient at jamming. In addition, the feral and Brenos out threat the judi forcing me to cast warding every turn which hampers his overall damage output turn by turn. Having said that, The Judi did what he always does and anchors for me, spraying down doggos and forcing my opponent to respect him. I still don't think I would drop this double idrians build into the winter argus list again, but perhaps if I change things up a bit the match up becomes more workable.
I certainly feel a lot more confident in this cyrenia list but I am wondering if I should drop the second idrian boat for palladins and something else, just not sure what. Pallies, the book, and perhaps even zealots or initiates to fill out points would add some more staying power to the list, which I think I may need as idrians tear like wet paper.
Ty for reading I have an HR report coming up next!!