Journeyman, Week 3.5

Tonight was the second week of twenty-five point games in our Journeyman League. Over the weekend I finished the last two myrmidons from the battle box, a manticore and a griffon, and blocked out a full Mage hunter strike force and commander. So it was nice to field a nearly fully-painted army for the first time.

Turnout was up, but we gabbed a while and didn't start until almost eight.  Diane has a fully painted Circle army, so we had a beautiful table for Kill Box.


Kaya the Wildborne
* Argus
* Argus
* Feral Warpwolf
Druids of Orboros (+UA)
Lord of the Feast
(one point short)

And I ran my same list from last week, partly because it was designed for Warmachine opponents, and weak against Hordes; and partly because it's almost fully painted.

Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper
* Manticore
* Chimera
* Griffon
Mage hunter assassin
Mage hunter strike force (min+UA)
Mage hunter strike force (min+UA)

Kaya setup center with her beast, druids on her right in a forest, and LotF on her left on a hill. Kaelyssa setup center-left with both squads of mage hunters left on a hill and assassins far right across from LotF. My plan was to flush Kaya to my right using the mage hunters where she'd be open to an assassin or griffon charge. I'd use Kaelyssa's anti-magic spells (Arcane Reckoning and Banishing Ward) to counter the druids' spells. Oh, and Witch Hound, too (thanks, Brandon!).

Early Game

Everything was working great.  By the botton of turn two, things were looking great for Retribution.  The LotF had made a dangerous advance on turn one and fell to the griffon and assassin on turn two.  Kaya retreated to the back right corner of the kill box, fleeing the mage hunters.  A druid spell deviation onto my chimera got the griffon into melee with her.  Lovely.  All's well.

Mid Game

And then Circle shows why they are masters of movement and surprise.  One argus is waaay in the back, behind some forest, hiding.  I'm hardly thinking about him.  The second argus uses its animus to give the first one Pathfinder.  It runs through the woods, around my chimera, dodging two mage hunters and into the middle of my lines.  Kaya's standing in melee with my griffon on a hill in the back right.  She runs her warpwolf over, and then casts Spirit Door to teleport into the middle of my lines, about five inches from Kaelyssa.  Oop.  Not done yet.  She then teleports the warpwolf next to her, engaging Kaelyssa.  Yikes!  But, wait.  It gets better.  Then she feats, allocating three fury to all her warbeats and reaving six back to herself.  For three more she teleports the first argus up next to her and the warpwolf, about two inches from Kaelyssa.  Lucky for me we're in Mark II and none of them can activate after Spirit Door.

Late Game

Frightening and impressive as the situation was, it was a bad tactical move for Circle.  She had put her DEF 16 ARM 13 caster right in the middle of a fully-operational assassination army.  We played in for keeps.  The manticore got three focus, performed a two-handed grab on the argus and hurled him into Kaya.  Knocked down, she was easy prey for the thirteen remaning mage hunter strike force.  The end.

Lessons

Like my games against Kommander Sorscha, Kaya has taught me about movement and unorthodox charge lanes.  Watching the movement of the warbeasts will be a high priority in our next game.  The defense on the argus beasts was very impressive!  I had not expected warbeasts in the DEF 15-16 range.  Fortunately, I did not need to deal with them.  And I continue to enjoy the manticore in my lists.  Its utility has never disappointed.

Thanks for the game, Diane.