Post by doopsie on Aug 3, 2019 21:52:59 GMT
So rather than clogging up the Guardians theme force thread, decided to start a new thread for my (apparently) weekly reports on the, perhaps futile, attempts to get good results with Malekus & Cleansers.
For those not in the know, this all started with Hashmal claiming, as has been done many many times before on the forums, that Malekus & Cleansers don't work, stop trying. Such a claim was like waving a red flag at a bull for me, both in that I adore the goofy mess that is Malekus (finding him better than internet wisdom states, but certainly not top-tier), and in that I enjoy trying odd things in this game just because I can.
In my first week, I took
Malekus
Revelator
Eye of Truth
Hand of Judgement
max Cleansers + UA
Nicia
min Choir
Menoth Archon
Wrack, 2 Vassals of Menoth, 2 Vassal Mechaniks
and ended up playing against Legion two games in a row, both times in Ravens of War, both times with two units of Strider Scouts. Which, if you are unaware, absolutely hard-counter Cleansers (more threat range, ignore Ashen Veil, and DEF15 makes them basically impossible to hit back). So no solid conclusions there.
This week, I replaced the Revelator for a Judicator, and bumped up the Choir to max with the extra points (having basically nothing else worthwhile to get).
Game 1, AGAIN, was vs Legion with Strider Scouts. This went slightly better, as he was playing with Fyanna and so the only threat to the Judi was his Blightbringer. Unfortunately, the scenario (Invasion) is really bad when you only have 1 unit, and worse when that unit got shot off the table really easily. So eventually Judicator had to go into range on the Blightbringer to contest both center and right zones, and that was all she wrote. This game would have been far closer with a different scenario, however.
Game 2 was vs Child with 2 S&M, 1 Cage Rager, 2 Clocks, a Gorehound, Death Knell, 4 Gremlin Swarms, JAIMS, Maledy Man, and Baron Licktongue. And I was really, REALLY stupid this game.
Mistake 1:
Turn 2, I saw an opportunity to arc Scourge both a S&M and Cage Rager, feat, and get the entire unit of Cleansers to spray them to death. After running Eye of Truth into position and doing other stuff, I remembered a) oh damn, he took Ruin. Scourge will never land and b) even without Ruin, the Cage Rager can Arcane Vortex. Scourge will NEVER land. I then proceeded to lose Eye of Truth for absolutely no gain.
Mistake 2:
In setting up feat turn, I was debating between using Open Fire twice, or Scourge on a Clockatrice near the cleansers (Ruin had been popped, Cage Rager nowhere nearby). I chose...poorly. Open Fire is a damn trap unless you are in melee, and even then still terrible. Of the two Open Fires I cast, the one on the Judicator did about 7 damage to a Skin&Moans with the spray, and the one on Hand of Judgement missed its target. Had I been smart and cast Scourge, the Clockatrice would have died (9 cleansers alive, each basically autohitting POW14+3d6 with Fuel, and the Death Knell out of range). Instead the Clock got scratched with only 3 attacks hitting, Hand of Judgement missed its last melee attack to kill a Skin&Moans, Archon scratched the second Skin&Moans to get Grievous Wounds on it, and the Judicator sprayed Hand's S&M to death (triggering Sacrifice, undoing all the Cleansers work) and hitting the second Clock to at least light it on fire for the POW14+3d6 at start of his turn.
So, at the end of week 2, what have we learned:
1) Malekus really does prefer Zealots. But that will not stop me!
2) Strider Scouts suck.
3) Ignore Open Fire. It's bad. Just don't do it. The RAT on our jacks is too low, making Open Fire a costly gamble, with focus that would be better served on a Scourge to make sure the sprays hit. MAYBE in Melee, but only if the jack went first, rolled terribly, and failed (but got REALLY close) to killing its target. But that's it. Otherwise, just say "No." Friends don't let friends Open Fire.
For those not in the know, this all started with Hashmal claiming, as has been done many many times before on the forums, that Malekus & Cleansers don't work, stop trying. Such a claim was like waving a red flag at a bull for me, both in that I adore the goofy mess that is Malekus (finding him better than internet wisdom states, but certainly not top-tier), and in that I enjoy trying odd things in this game just because I can.
In my first week, I took
Malekus
Revelator
Eye of Truth
Hand of Judgement
max Cleansers + UA
Nicia
min Choir
Menoth Archon
Wrack, 2 Vassals of Menoth, 2 Vassal Mechaniks
and ended up playing against Legion two games in a row, both times in Ravens of War, both times with two units of Strider Scouts. Which, if you are unaware, absolutely hard-counter Cleansers (more threat range, ignore Ashen Veil, and DEF15 makes them basically impossible to hit back). So no solid conclusions there.
This week, I replaced the Revelator for a Judicator, and bumped up the Choir to max with the extra points (having basically nothing else worthwhile to get).
Game 1, AGAIN, was vs Legion with Strider Scouts. This went slightly better, as he was playing with Fyanna and so the only threat to the Judi was his Blightbringer. Unfortunately, the scenario (Invasion) is really bad when you only have 1 unit, and worse when that unit got shot off the table really easily. So eventually Judicator had to go into range on the Blightbringer to contest both center and right zones, and that was all she wrote. This game would have been far closer with a different scenario, however.
Game 2 was vs Child with 2 S&M, 1 Cage Rager, 2 Clocks, a Gorehound, Death Knell, 4 Gremlin Swarms, JAIMS, Maledy Man, and Baron Licktongue. And I was really, REALLY stupid this game.
Mistake 1:
Turn 2, I saw an opportunity to arc Scourge both a S&M and Cage Rager, feat, and get the entire unit of Cleansers to spray them to death. After running Eye of Truth into position and doing other stuff, I remembered a) oh damn, he took Ruin. Scourge will never land and b) even without Ruin, the Cage Rager can Arcane Vortex. Scourge will NEVER land. I then proceeded to lose Eye of Truth for absolutely no gain.
Mistake 2:
In setting up feat turn, I was debating between using Open Fire twice, or Scourge on a Clockatrice near the cleansers (Ruin had been popped, Cage Rager nowhere nearby). I chose...poorly. Open Fire is a damn trap unless you are in melee, and even then still terrible. Of the two Open Fires I cast, the one on the Judicator did about 7 damage to a Skin&Moans with the spray, and the one on Hand of Judgement missed its target. Had I been smart and cast Scourge, the Clockatrice would have died (9 cleansers alive, each basically autohitting POW14+3d6 with Fuel, and the Death Knell out of range). Instead the Clock got scratched with only 3 attacks hitting, Hand of Judgement missed its last melee attack to kill a Skin&Moans, Archon scratched the second Skin&Moans to get Grievous Wounds on it, and the Judicator sprayed Hand's S&M to death (triggering Sacrifice, undoing all the Cleansers work) and hitting the second Clock to at least light it on fire for the POW14+3d6 at start of his turn.
So, at the end of week 2, what have we learned:
1) Malekus really does prefer Zealots. But that will not stop me!
2) Strider Scouts suck.
3) Ignore Open Fire. It's bad. Just don't do it. The RAT on our jacks is too low, making Open Fire a costly gamble, with focus that would be better served on a Scourge to make sure the sprays hit. MAYBE in Melee, but only if the jack went first, rolled terribly, and failed (but got REALLY close) to killing its target. But that's it. Otherwise, just say "No." Friends don't let friends Open Fire.