This tournament was down in Waverly, NY - just on the border with Pennsylvania. There was quite the showing, with people from Syracuse, Binghamton, and Ithaca (where I'm from) traveling down to meet up with the guys that play out of Waverly.
For those who have been holding onto hope that themes aren't the end all be all, every one of my game was into a theme list...
Editing note:
Okay. So. Yes, the original title referenced 1- playing into many tier lists, 2- my blogs current title, and 3- a tragic part of history. It has been changed, because holy shit internet, it is totally fine that some people were bothered. And, hey people who were bothered, sorry 'bout that.
Game 1
Rasheth Vs Ossyan in... Defenders?
My opponent was running an AFG and then a fairly infantry heavy list. He had quite a few long ranged guns, and decent AOE coverage, leaving me in kind of a tough spot. Approaching the match, I knew I'd be playing super defensively, and trying to take out some of his more prominent threats before my army collapses.
Round 1
Quickened swordsmen come in fast on the right, while units of starfall archers take the sides. AFG is central while his jacks stick close to it to benefit from buffs and threaten the bulk of my army.
I throw a couple slingers down town and lob BoC shots, hoping I can put some damage into the stormfalls before they do any AOE work, and put some shots into the swordsmen to slow their advance.
I throw a couple slingers down town and lob BoC shots, hoping I can put some damage into the stormfalls before they do any AOE work, and put some shots into the swordsmen to slow their advance.
Round 2
AFG aims and lobs a bunch of rough terrain into my slingers, cutting my army in half and killing a lot of my infantry. Stormfalls lob some more shots as well and the Swordsmen run in hard, getting off a charge or two and then jamming.
Marketh, the extollers, slingers, and bluebug clear off the reivers for the most part, who pop some more shots into the swordsmen, leaving them fairly taken care off. A few catapult shots land and do minor work (a kill or two through the whole game). On the left minifeat lets the reivers take out the sniper and a few stormfalls. The remaining two go down to redbug, who grabs the center zone. I go to 2-0
Marketh, the extollers, slingers, and bluebug clear off the reivers for the most part, who pop some more shots into the swordsmen, leaving them fairly taken care off. A few catapult shots land and do minor work (a kill or two through the whole game). On the left minifeat lets the reivers take out the sniper and a few stormfalls. The remaining two go down to redbug, who grabs the center zone. I go to 2-0
Round 3
He pushes a jack in, jams up a bit more with his swordsmen, and fails to get too much work done with his remaining army. I snag a point on his turn, then clear the right circle and go to 5-0.
My opponent was fairly new, but I think if he had pushed a little harder with the AFG round 2 it would have become far more relevant and been able to do a lot of damage. He was relying quite a bit on defense to keep the swordsmen alive, but pow 8 blasts and pow 12 BoC shots get work done. Since this list is designed to handle dug in and blast immune infantry, I generally don't have issue with things I outright can't hit. Gotta say I haven't seen swordsmen with Ossyan before, but it was definitely an eye opener - Quicken just seems to be an afterthought on his kit usually, but def 17 speed 8 parry models are pretty good at keeping things held back while his ranged models position.
Game 2
Rasheth vs Stryker1 Heavy Metal
My opponent was running double centurions, hurricane, and some other stuff. Basically I'm looking at a bunch of armor... 29? being shoved down my throat. At least I don't need to worry about the no charging stipulation?
Round 1
I go first and run my slingers to behind the forest. I've got the pathfinder objective, and have left quite a few of them in range. My right unit of reivers is pretty clumped, but I think they'll be fine for now. Overall I'm going to be pretty dependent on scenario, since dealing with the centurions is gonna be a bit of a puzzle... I'm really hoping I can take out the JR, though, and I leave a decent amount of my infantry on the left for the channeling kill.
My opponent moves up fairly aggressively, and takes a chunk out of my left and the slingers on the left side of the forest. He's well positioned to push into my zone the next turn, and he throws arcane shield onto both centurions who put up their imprint. Next turn could make or break it, as round 3 isn't going to give me much room to put out damage...
Round 2
Except Stryker is on 0 camp. I check, and he's 20" from Rasheth. A little more checking, and I give pathfinder to a slinger with my objective, and run two of them to Stryker. One gets within 4". Rasheth gets a reroll, eyeless, and walks towards Stryker, popping feat. Channel 1 hits, boost damage. Channel 2 doesn't need to hit (BoC), boost damage and he goes down.
I'm real glad I didn't have to deal with this list. I could probably have knocked out the Hurricane and JR this turn if necessary, but being left with a decent shot at Stryker I had to take it, I think. Seems like an overall better plan than getting into a slugfest with Armor 29 models.
Game 3
Rasheth VS Harkevich Jaws
My opponent is running a decent number of clouds, a few shooty jacks, Black Ivan, and Behemoth. Looking like between his feat and overall number of boxes I might have trouble cracking his list. If I can get a decent start, I can probably push through on scenario. Hark does tend to lose steam after his feat, and if I can get work done before then I think I'll be in a good place.
My opponent is running a decent number of clouds, a few shooty jacks, Black Ivan, and Behemoth. Looking like between his feat and overall number of boxes I might have trouble cracking his list. If I can get a decent start, I can probably push through on scenario. Hark does tend to lose steam after his feat, and if I can get work done before then I think I'll be in a good place.
For those wondering - no, I did not get any AD this game. Still don't feel too bad about my drop, here.
Round 1
I move up pretty aggressively, spread decently thin.
My opponent responds by throwing a bunch of shots with Behemoth into my left. He moves up along with a unit of mechanics and pushes into the left circle. On the right a mad dog runs into the forest.
Round 2
Okay, so I need to kill Behemoth to clear the left zone, and a mad dog to clear the right. My flag is completely clear, and he isn't even approaching his flag. I probably won't score much, but I can make this into a scenario game pretty quickly, and force him to over-extend.
So, walk up and feat. Blood mark goes on Behemoth. A slinger lobs an acid bomb onto the Mechanic UA, putting continuous corrosion on the unit. Another flares Behemoth, and then some more shots at him. Reivers go and put some damage into the shooty guy on the left, and into Behemoth. Catapults go and break Behemoth, who is finished by a Dakar shot. A little bit of work from the Reivers and bugs on the right clears that zone out, and an extoller walks to the flag.
His jack on the left walks into the zone and shoots down some more of my guys, mechanics crowd into the right zone, and he moves his cloud wall up and pops feat. Black Ivan knocks out a few more reivers. He runs a forge seer at his flag, but falls a little short. 1-0.
Round 3
Blood mark lands on the jack in the left and between reivers, slingers, and catapults it goes is on life support, but still there. Reivers and bugs clear the right zone. I score 3-0
One kodiak charges at bluebug and puts in some work, Ivan continues to bombard the reivers, and more mechanics flood the right zone. The other kodiak runs up to my flag to contest as well, and his mechanic UA and remaining mechanic move into the left zone. He moves some stuff up to his flag and scores, 3-1.
Round 3
I need a 3 point swing. To get there I need to drop a few mechanics, contest his flag, and remove two heavies from my flag. Fortunately bugs have two open fists. Right unit of reivers shoot down his mechanics in their zone, and one of them repos to contest the flag and stay in his zone. On the left my reivers finish off the jack (reiver? I think 1 was left. This took quite a bit of luck and some work from catapults and the Dakar iirc). Rasheth goes, lobs a BoC into the mechanics on the left and takes them out. Heals bluebug up. Bluebug gets a reroll, bugs walk around and throw the kodiaks out of range of my flag. I score 3, 6-1.
We were both starting to run out of steam at this point, but I think with my numerical advantage and scenario lead, even if I didn't close it out here I was still alive, on scenario at least. I could have probably played a bit more conservatively and worked to break a kodiak with the bugs, scored 2, and then hoped I could shoot more of his army down the next round. Still, would've been a bit of a risk trying to throw P+S 14's into armor 18. You pay for those open fists, better get value out of 'em, especially when the alternative is trying to take on 3 Khador heavies with P+S 14s.
Game 4
Rasheth Vs Doomie2, Power of Dhunia
Here we go, the final match of this report. Trolls. I know, I was surprised, too, but I'd seen him playing the end of 2 of his 3 games, and his list is legit. Pretty solid play, all around, too. The 3rd game, apparently, ended with him making a few tough checks on Doomie, though, shutting down an assassination. Just like open fists, though, you pay for them rules. Better use 'em.
Round 1
This is going to be a slugfest. He's almost definitely going to alpha me... I just know it. I really don't know what I can do other than try and minimize the damage and see where I stand after the counter punch. He runs up most of his army, putting the mauler and king on the right coming straight at the fat man...
I throw a few BoC shots into his stone, hoping to do work, but tough checks mess me up. Oh well. I spread out pretty thin and wait for it...
Round 2
Doomie feats, and flings the mauler into my army, clearing space for the King to get to bluebug. The king charges bluebug...
Bluebug goes down, and the EBDT charges into the left, keeping a little back but getting some work in.
Thanks to a little luck with my BoC clouds and deviations, though, his stone is too far from the King. I pop feat, and blood mark him, then throw a BoC at his stone again. Reivers put some shots in. Catapults back up and shoot him up. The king goes down. Marketh walks up near the Mauler, taking the flag, and throwing a BoC into him, boosting for damage. Extoller goes up and pops him, as well, getting work in. Dakar aims, shoots, and... misses, needing a 5. Redbug aims, shoots, boosts, and misses the 7. Oops.
Rest of the reivers put some shots out, doing... something. I'm not sure what, honestly.
Round 3
Crap. I was hoping to get a point and not have a mauler next to my caster. Measuring it out, he's just over 8" away, so close enough to charge if he gets pathfinder (spoilers: He will). Doomie goes, walks up, and throws a primal shock into Marketh. Misses, rerolls (the puppet master unit has gone at this point), and misses. He shoots again, hits, and... fails to kill. He now has a reiver and Marketh in the way, and will need to trample in. He gets rush from the axer, tramples up, and... can't really kill. I have 2 fury on me. He does some damage, the EBDT does some more, and he passes the turn.
Extoller on the right walks up to the Mauler, shoots, and SCORES. Down it goes. Rasheth gets a reroll. Reivers on the right go, and put two shots into Doomie (a 4 man and a 3 man), and two of them repo to within 4". Two BoC shots later, and he goes down.
Rest of the reivers put some shots out, doing... something. I'm not sure what, honestly.
Round 3
Crap. I was hoping to get a point and not have a mauler next to my caster. Measuring it out, he's just over 8" away, so close enough to charge if he gets pathfinder (spoilers: He will). Doomie goes, walks up, and throws a primal shock into Marketh. Misses, rerolls (the puppet master unit has gone at this point), and misses. He shoots again, hits, and... fails to kill. He now has a reiver and Marketh in the way, and will need to trample in. He gets rush from the axer, tramples up, and... can't really kill. I have 2 fury on me. He does some damage, the EBDT does some more, and he passes the turn.
Extoller on the right walks up to the Mauler, shoots, and SCORES. Down it goes. Rasheth gets a reroll. Reivers on the right go, and put two shots into Doomie (a 4 man and a 3 man), and two of them repo to within 4". Two BoC shots later, and he goes down.
VICTORY!
Gah, Marketh shouldn't have made it out of that alive. I got way too lucky, there. I should've body blocked a bit better, or camped more. Or, really, just not failed to kill the Mauler with my last two shots. So it goes, though. Can't argue with results.
Afterthoughts:
Every game was a theme vs theme game. Winds is a really solid one, though, and I have a lot of experience with it at this point. Just, y'know, gotta hope I don't run into a bad matchup for Winds ever, until we get something else that's up to snuff.
Bring on themeocalypse!
Bring on themeocalypse!
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