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| Shrine of the Medals |
First and foremost, you need to know that the prizes for these events are custom-molded and painted faction-specific coins made by Privateer Press. They are exceptionally cool, and as much as I love the other two Retribution players in our club (Hi, Brandon! Hi, John L.!), that coin was coming home with me.
Back in late January I began to study. Nothing would be left to chance. To leave with the Retribution coin, I would need:
- To deeply understand the two missions
- To build custom-tailored armies for each mission and faction
- To arrive with as many "free" points as possible
- To include maximum "free" points in my army construction
- To play as many or more games as any other player
Understanding the Wrath Mission
The Wrath event is a single scenario designed for two Warmachine armies. Each player starts with a command trench centered along their own deployment line. Each player then places ten more trenches on the board. Two pieces of terrain are allowed, though in practice there is no room for them after twenty-two trenches are placed. The game is won by getting more models into the opponent's command trench than the opponent has.
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| 22 Trenches is ... too many |
Games would be won by fast, flanking (or Ambushing) units, solos, and 'jacks storming the enemy command trench. Mage hunter strike forces, Kayazy assassins, Satyxis raiders, and their ilk would be defining these scenarios. Building a list to defend against these fast, high-defense units – without any shooting or AoE blasts – would be nigh impossible. I decided that defense in this mission was folly. Only hyper-speed and bodies mattered.
In the corner-case of an opponent who bunkered-up in his own command trench with a large number of bodies, the attackers could use several techniques to win: knockback, beatback, trample, phantom hunter, or high-RAT snipers.
The bottom line for the Wrath event mission, in my opinion, is high-speed, low-drag.
Understanding the Dominiation Mission
The Domination event is also a single scenario designed for two Hordes armies. The left and right sides of the center line are covered with "mountains", leaving only an eighteen inch gap for play. Each player places three 50 mm boulders near the center of the board. Players score points for getting their warbeasts or warlock across the center line into the opponent's side.
Analysis: Unlike the Wrath mission, the Domination mission scores on your opponent's turn. This allows players the opportunity to toss any trespasing warbeats back onto their side or nuke them back into their foam. This, coupled with the narrowed, eighteen-inch wide mosh pit made me think the mission would be best played with smashmouth infantry. Shieldwall, weapon masters, melee warjacks, and lots of buffs. Some playtesting revealed this was folly. Opponents with relatively large numbers of warbeast/warjacks (or just with a few durable ones) could storm and trample them across the midfield line quite easily on turn two and win the game on turn three if even one was left alive. How many Khador 'jacks or buffed Skorne titans can your thirty-five point army kill in a non-feat turn? I'll tell you: "Not enough." Again, the scenario would be won by designing for offense, not defense: lots of heavy, melee 'jacks with buffs, trampling through the opponent's lines, peppered with whatever placement effects you can find.
Knockback, beatback, teleport, and movement shenanigans are a strength of Retribution, but one I had little expereince using. I started playing more Adeptis Rahn lists, more battle mages, and more magisters.
Glorious Deeds
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| Inglorious trench |
My potential Retribution opponents might bring all of the "free" points to the tournament, so I must also. That meant I must score these glorious deeds:
- bring an assembled and painted command trench
- play with a fully painted army
- play with a Wrath warcaster
- play with a tier four theme list
- play with a fully painted army
- play with a battlegroup-only army
Those points were easy. I could win them beforehand by assembling and painting the right models. The rest of the points (wins, final model positions) I would have to earn by playing.
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| Glorious trench |
Know Yourself
Our club generally plays slow. I am no exception. Two games in a five hour game night is typical. Many folks only manage one in that time. Even if I played quickly, that didn't guarantee there would be another player available when my game was done. I worked under the assumption that we would get two games finished, and three under miraculous circumstances.
Know Your Opponent
The event would be built with four Wrath mission tables and four Domination mission tables. Players were allowed to play either mission, depending on table availability. This allowed four possible matchups for me (playing Retribution):
1. Wrath mission versus Warmachine
2. Wrath mission versus Hordes
3. Domination mission versus Warmachine
4. Domination mission versus Hordes
Additionally, because of the Glorious Deeds, many armies would be battlegroup-only, which would lead to completely different army design. So let's add four more possible scenarios:
5. Wrath mission versus Warmachine BG
6. Wrath mission versus Hordes BG
7. Domination mission versus Warmachine BG
8. Domination mission versus Hordes BG
List Planning
Only now did I have enough information to start event thinking about lists for this event. These four axes define what I must take: the mission analyses; the number of games played; the eight possible opposing armies; and the required Glorious Deed points.
Next step was to find two armies that would cover the eight scenarios above while netting the maximum possible Glorious Deeds points. After a great deal of thinking, and despite deconstructing all possible opponent permutations, the game strategy had to take precedence. If there were only to be two armies, there would have to be one fast, light infantry-based army for the Wrath scenario and one stompy, battlegroup-only army for the Domination mission.
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| T-2 days: Vyre myrmidon kits arrive |
Wrath List
A tier four theme army of mage hunters and assassins, designed to win the Wrath scenario. I desperately tried to make an Ossyan tier four theme list work in this slot, but his feat, and his tier allowances are almost entirely shooting. It seemed doomed to failure, and there were more points to be garnered by winning than by running a Wrath 'caster. So, it would be:
Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper (Shadows of Retribution, Tier 4)
^ Aspis
^ Chimera
^ Griffon
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
2x Ghost sniper
2x Mage hunter assassin
Mage hunter strike force (10+UA)
Mage hunter strike force (6+UA)
Nayl
This list has twenty-four DEF 14 (or higher) stealthed, pathfinding, advanced deploying, SPD 6 (or 7) infantry models. Plus, it has two effectively SPD 8 light jacks. And Kaelyssa's tier four bonus is +2 inches on deployment. This meant the entire army (except battlegroup) would deploy 18" (10" default plus 6" advanced deployment plus 2" tier bonus) from my board edge and be only 20" from the opponent's command trench. The Aspis would bodyguard Kaelyssa. In the case of a stand-up fight, Kaelyssa can cycle Snipe on two full units of cover/concealment/LoS-ignoring mage hunter teams. And her feat would give her army stealth and can't-be-charged for a turn.
On a normal day, Kaelyssa feels like a weak caster, but for this mission, it seemed solid.
Domination List
An all-battlegroup, all-painted army. Vyros is the obvious choice for a battlegroup army, as his 360 Vision ability and Mobility spell are simply amazing. Still, Ossyan could step in here for the points. This army could (in theory) score for Wrath caster, two character 'jacks, fully-painted, and battlegroup-only.
Dawnlord Vyros
^ Aspis
^ Banshee
^ Discordia
^ Griffon
^ Griffon
^ Hypnos
The Aspis, again, is a must for bodyguarding my warcaster. Ossyan is squishy, and the list's stated plan is to rush the midfield line and try to survive. Griffons are fast enough they might be able to sprint through the opposing line and hang out behind their lines, forcing dificult choices. Discordia and Hypnos were a must for the points. Banshee would help prevent charges and make an oposing warcaster at least think harder about coming close to the midfield line. This list felt… contrived and ineffective. Vyros without a Hydra? Madness. Still, even in defeat it would score enough Glorious Deeds points to be worth playing.
No Plan Survives Contact with the Enemy
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| Montgomery, Eisenhower, ... Bradley? |
- Game 1 vs John's Cygnar (Striker1), win by scenario
- Game 2 vs Brian's Khador (Irusk2), win by assassination
- Game 3 vs Mike's Legion (Thagrosh2), loss by assassination
- Game 4 vs James' Trollbloods (Jarl), win by assassination
- Game 5 vs Chad's Skorne (Zaal), called for time
Game 1: Wrath mission vs Cygnar
Took the Kaelyssa list from above. John brought a Cygnar battlegroup-only list. I tried to encourage him to take his double Storm Strider list, but he was resolute. Poor bastard ^_^. If memory serves, the list was:
Commander Coleman Stryker
^ Centurion
^ Defender
^ Hammersmith (?)
^ Lancer
^ Ol' Rowdy
Everything went exactly to plan. Sorta. Mage hunters and assassins stormed the Cygnar command trench on the top of turn two. In my haste, I failed to get my entire army over the midfield line for that Glorious Deed point. John, one of the club's best players, was, I think, rather suprised by all this. Also, he got some great photos. Certainly better than this one!
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| Kaelyssa vs. Stryker1 (Wrath) |
Looking around, perhaps twenty minutes of our six hours had passed. It seemed there might be more than two games, after all!
Game 2: Wrath mission vs. Khador
Next game was against Brian's Khador. This was one of Brian's first few times with us and I had never met him before. His army was gorgeously painted. And seriously beefy.
Supreme Komandant Irusk
^ Beast '09
Man-o-war Shocktroopers (5)
Man-o-war Demo Corp (5)
Kovnik Josef Grigorovich
Winterguard Infantry (10)
Three more points
I put my Vyros-led battlegroup list down on the table, expecting the absolute worst. And it started out that way. Beast '09 tore up one of my Griffons, but Brian made a critical mistake: he did not understand Vyros' Bird's Eye ability. As Irusk advanced behind a massive wall of men-o-war on turn two, Banshee and Discordia shot him dead through all that armor. It was a hail mary, and it worked. Had I used any other caster that game would have been his, easily.
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| Vyros vs. Irusk2 (Wrath) |
Game 3: Domination vs Legion
Now it was time to put Ossyan on the table and time to get those painting points. Unprepared for this third game, I rummaged my bag, finding 35 points of paint as quickly as possible.
Lord Arcanist Ossyan
^ Griffon
^ Hydra
^ Manticore
^ Phoenix
House Shyeel artificer
2x House Shyeel magister
House Shyeel battle mages (6)
Mage hunter assassin
Mike was in the same boat and rummaged his tray for the most beautiful of his blue-on-blue Legion. He set down a battlegroup-only list. Good man.
Thagrosh the Messiah
^ Nephilim bolt-thrower
^ Seraph
^ 5x Shredder
^ Stinger
^ Typhon
There was a moment of horror, then I re-read the rules: minor warbeasts cannot score in this mission. Important safety tip.
I was feeling pretty good about my list, despite the utter lack of synergy and its unspeakably poor design. Looking at the models on the table, I felt great pride for my first all-painted game, and thought the combination of mass knockback with four 'jacks felt like I had a chance.
Sadly, it was not to be. Mike ran the army forward. I did the same, taking the opportunity to kill beat up Typhon, knock him down, and throw him behind one of the boulders. Mike didn't stand for that. Typhon came barelling around that boulder, put three sprays through my front line (and through the artificer's boosted ranged defenses) into Ossyan. Then Thagrosh feated and Typhon did it again. Some poor rolling left Ossyan with one box left, so a shredder sprinted around my entire army and nibbled Ossyan to death. Not much more to say about that.
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| Ossyan vs. Thagrosh2 (Domination) |
Game 4: Domination vs Trolls
By now it was clear there would be tons of games played. I had scored all the points I wanted and it was just gravy. James and I had not played since he switched factions from Protectorate the Trollbloods, so it was high time we played. There was a chance for the five casters Glorious Deed!
I brought Ravyn, and cracked out double stormfall archers, who can never get enough table time. Plus Banshee. I can't get him on the table enough today.
Ravyn, Eternal Light
^ Banshee
^ Manticore
^ Phoenix
Arcanist
Nayl
Stormfall archers (4)
Stormfall archers (4)
James brought Jarl. So, it was to be a duel!
Jarl Skuld, Devil of the Thornwood
^ Dire Troll Mauler
^ Earthborn Dire Troll
^ Swamp Troll
^ Troll Axer
Stone scribe chronicler
Trollkin fennblades (10+UA)
James and I both learned something valuable and suprising about our opponent's army. James warned me ahead of time about the Earthborn Dire Troll. I warned him about clumping up on the table. Neither of us listened. The stormfall archers set all twelve fennblades alight and burned them to the ground. The Earthborn (and its evil little whelps!) took the rest of my army three turns to drop. At game's end, James sprinted Jarl across the midline, sacrificing the game, but winning the end-of-game placement points. Retribution won by assassination.
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| Ravyn vs. Jarl (Domination) |
Game 5: Domination vs Skorne
The game with James took another two hours, so Chad and I played with reckless speed. In fact, I think I had deployed and started moving before even noticing what caster he put on the table. Madness.
I threw down a fifth caster for the points. Hey, it's the last game of the day; time for the big man, himself.
Adeptis Rahn Shyeel (Charge of the Battle Mages, tier 3)
^ Phoenix
^ Phoenix
2x Arcanist
House Shyeel battle mages (6)
House Shyeel battle mages (6)
3x House Shyeel magister
Houseguard halberdiers (6)
Across the table was:
Supreme Aptimus Zaal
^ Kovaas
^ Titan Sentry
^ Molik Karn
^ Cyclops Brute
Ancestral guardian
Hakaar the Destroyer
Immortals (10)
In retrospect, this was a terrible, terrible list for the Domination mission. I had only two warjacks against Skorne, which translate to English as, "The great desert peepul who hit like trucks". And Rahn, who like to play from inside his own end zone. To do it over I would have pulled out Vyros (had I not already used him) or Garryth (had I ever used him?) and played very aggressively at the front line.
But, Rahn was already on the table. We bashed back and forth for a couple turns until "dice down" was called. Truth be told it wasn't much of a game.
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| Rahn vs. Zaal (Domination) |
Lessons learned; Lessons Taught
- During preparation for my battlegroup list I discovered to my horror that warcaster and warlock attachments are not part of the battlegroup (cf. Warmachine Prime MkII, p39; Hordes Primal MkII p39; and the Privateer Forums).
- Painting sandy terrain takes a lot more paint than you'd think. Despite the instructions in, No Quarter issue 29, don't use your expensive P3 paints on terrain. That would be wasteful. And foolish.
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| Four bucks, give or take |
- Typhon plus Thagrosh2's feat means four boostable eight-inch sprays in one turn. This might be detrimental to your mid-line ARM 15 warcaster.
- I am actually capable of playing fast.
- An Earthborn Dire Troll standing next to a stone obstacle is beastly hard to kill. Especially when spawning DEF-boosting whelps.
- Read the scenarios before you come to a wacky scenario event like the Wrath release event. Knowing when and how your enemy plans to score can make all the difference.
- Myrmidons might not be the best warjacks in the game, but Vyros' myrmidons can see through your men-of-war. Sorry.
- Did I mention Fennblades burn?
Wrap Up
There is a ton more to say about the Wrath/Domination event. Each one of those lessons learned bullets could be an entire post. But I would rather spend my time planning the next events. Suffice it to say, "It was a blast" and "you guys rock." The energy level in the room was through the roof. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, meeting new people and playing new armies – exactly what the event was designed to create.
Thanks to everyone who helped make it possible. Thanks to PG Dougernaut for operations (so I could play). Thanks to all the participants for their sportsmanship, great play, and good lessons. See you guys Tuesday.
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