I got to play 3 games this past Friday, so these reports will be pretty quick.
Game 1
I ran the Makeda 3 list I'm considering for the tournament:
Makeda and the Exalted Court (+2)
*Molik Karn (11)
*Bronzeback Titan (10)
*Titan Gladiator (8)
*Archidon (7)
*Cyclops Shaman (5)
*Basilisk Krea (4)
Tyrant Commander and Standard Bearer (3)
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
Agonizer (2)
My opponent, Eric, had just assembled some shiny new Convergence models Ted had brought him from Lock n' Load last weekend, so he played Forge Father Syntherion, the Convergence's 'jack 'caster, and a mess load of Vectors:
Forge Father Syntherion
*Prime Axiom
*Inverter
*Cipher
*Galvanizer
*Galvanizer
*Mitigator
*Mitigator
*Corollary
3 Accretion Servitors
I may be missing some models, but the basic gist is a lot of Warjacks, and a little support to keep them up. Syntherion has Synergy too, which means this list is going to be get pretty scary pretty fast in melee.
We played Incursion, which is the scenario with 3 flags at mid-table where one of them disappears at the end of round 1.
Eric won the roll-off, and went first.
Deployment
Eric deployed in a big brick in the middle surrounding the Prime Axiom. I deployed in a smaller brick just left of center, playing for the left and center objectives, but close enough to the right one that I could get to it if I needed to.
Round 1
Most of the Convergence army ran. Syntherion cast Hot Shot on the Prime Axiom, Reconstruct on the Inverter, and Synergy on himself.
I put up Vortex of Destruction, put 4 Fury on the Agonizer, and did a lot of running. I mingled the Exalted Guardians in to keep Shield Guard up on my whole army, and had the Krea and Shaman put up Paralytic Aura to blunt my opponent's shooting on his turn.
The right flag disappeared.
Round 2
Eric advanced with most of his army, and started shooting. He forgot
to face the Prime Axiom directly at Molik, so it only shot one of its
tow cables at him. It shot the other cable at the Bronzeback. Both
models were saved by the Exalted Guardians, who were destroyed. It also
popped out a self-destruct Servitor with Counter-Charge. Some other
shots came in, but thanks to Paralytic Aura, I was basically ok.
Makeda Feated, and charged the Prime Axiom. She hit it twice, then cast Fate Walker. The Shaman cast Rush on the Bronzeback, and moved up. The Bronzeback charged the Prime Axiom, and put Train Wreck on itself. Then it mulched the colossal, and beat back into an Accretion Servitor and one of the light 'jacks, which it failed to kill due to some bad luck. Molik charged in, and dropped the Inverter, but I'd forgotten it was the one with Reconstruct, so it popped up again behind him. I tried to finish it off by Rushing the Gladiator, and charging it, but I was just out of range. I ended up by engaging another light with the Archidon, controlling the left flag with the Krea, and running the Agonizer up to deny allocation. Finally, Makeda Fate Walked back to about 7" behind the Bronzeback.
Round 3
Eric started off by charging the Bronzeback with Syntherion, and Feating. Then proceeded to munch through Molik, the Gladiator, and the Bronzeback with Synergized 'jacks while taking pot shots at my unengaged models. At the end of the turn, I only had the Archidon and support models left.
And Makeda, who was pretty clearly within her charge range of Syntherion. She charged in and killed him.
Victory to the Skorne!
Game 2
I went with Zaal this time:
Supreme Aptimus Zaal (+5)
*Titan Cannoneer (9)
*Cyclops Shaman (5)
*Cyclops Raider (5)
*Aptimus Marketh (3)
*Kovass ( - )
10 Praetorian Swordsmen (6)
*Officer and Standard (2)
10 Immortals (8)
Hakaar the Destroyer (4)
Ancestral Guardian (3)
Ancestral Guardian (3)
Ancestral Guardian (3)
Extoller Soulward (2)
Extoller Soulward (2)
This is a Tier 3 Immortal Host, so the AG's and Hakaar had Advance Deploy, and the Extollers and Marketh started with 3 Souls each.
My opponent, Ben, played:
Durgen Madhammer (+6)
*Wroughthammer Rockram (8)
*Ghordson Driller (6)
*Sylas Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2)
Cylena Raefyll and 9 Nyss Hunters (10)
6 Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (6)
*Gun Mage Officer (2)
*Mule (8)
Alexia, Mistress of the Witchfire (4)
Eiryss, Angel of the Retribution (3)
Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile (2)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper or Ord (2)
Thor Steinhammer (2)
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1)
This is a Highborn Covenant list, which allows it to take Gun Mages and Longgunners, and gives a lot of the solos Advance Deploy.
Ben won the roll-off, and chose to go first. We played Incursion again, because it was all set up.
Deployment
Ben Deployed Durgen near a hill, and put the Nyss on his left (from my perspective). His two 'jacks went to his right, and the Gun Mages and their 'jack went on the far right.
I deployed in a big line, with Immortals on the left, and Swordsmen on the right. The Beasts went in between clumps of Immortals and Swordsmen, and Zaal, Marketh and the Extollers went behind the center side of the Immortals unit where they were near a handy hill and wall.
Ben deployed most of his solos in his deployment zone, but let Alexia Advance Deploy on the left, while Eiryss did so on the right.
I deployed my AG's in a line in front of my infantry, with Hakaar more or less in front of Zaal.
Round 1
Ben did a lot of running. Prime went on the Nyss Hunters. Alexia ran right around a wall to threaten me quickly on the next turn.
I advanced more cautiously. The infantry ran as far up as it could. Zaal put Spiritual Awakening on the Raider to let it cast Far Strike for Free, Last Stand on one of the Ancestral Guardians, and Far Strike on the Cannoneer. He was well out of Ben's threat ranges, so I also had him hand out Souls. The Raider advanced, and tried to kill Alexia, but failed spectacularly. The Cannoneer advanced, and shot a Nyss Hunter, who exploded. The AG's maneuvered around inside the infantry clump except the Last Stand one, who dashed out in front to screen the Immortals' advance.
The center flag disappeared.
Round 2
Ben advanced a bit, but didn't close to melee with me. His shooting killed the Last Stand AG, which became a Kovass. Then Alexia killed the Kovass with Hellfire. Other shooting accounted for a few Swordsmen, which loaded me up with some souls. Durgen also cast Inhospitable Ground, making his 12" control area rough terrain for me, and keeping me at arm's length.
The Raider shot at Alexia again, but failed to kill her. Zaal put Far Strike on the Cannoneer, and Last Stand on the Immortals, and camped 3. The Immortals charged what Nyss they could reach, killed one, and claimed the left flag. The Swordsmen and rightmost AG charged the Gun Mages, and killed a few. The Swordsmen also claimed the right flag. The other stuff in my list advanced, and Marketh put Inviolable Resolve back on the Immortals in case a lot of blasts came their way.
I scored 2 points, and called it a turn.
Round 3
Ben charged the Nyss at the Immortals, killing 4 more, and directed some heavy shooting at Hakaar, though he lived. The unengaged Gun Mages killed a bunch more Swordsmen, leaving them at 5 models, and filling me up on souls. Durgen also cast Inhospitable Ground again, turtling up behind his 'jacks. Eiryss ran to contest the right flag.
After some Vengeance, both Righteous and ordinary, Zaal activated. He Feated, letting models in his control area use the models I'd lost to boost melee attack and damage rolls, cast Last Stand on the Immortals, and charged a Kayazy. He stopped when he contacted an Immortal, and ended up base to base with the left flag. The surviving Immortals cleared out the Nyss contesting the left flag, ensuring that I'd dominate it. Then the Ancestral Guardian near the right flag moved base-to-base with it, survived a free strike from Eiryss, and killed her to control the flag.
I scored 3 points for controlling the right flag, and dominating the left flag, and won on scenario.
Victory to the Skorne!
Game 3
This was a 35pt game with Makeda 3, because I had to leave pretty quickly.
I played:
Makeda and the Exalted Court (+2)
*Molik Karn (11)
*Bronzeback Titan (10)
*Titan Gladiator (8)
*Cyclops Savage (5)
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (1)
I was up against Ben again, and he played:
Drake MacBain (+6)
*Nomad (6)
*Buccaneer (3)
*Sylas Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2)
10 Kayazy Assassins (8)
*Kayazy Assassin Underboss (2)
Lady Aiyanna and Master Holt (4)
Wrong Eye (9)
*Snapjaw ( - )
Eiryss, Angel of the Retribution (3)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2)
I won the roll-off, and decided to go first.
We played Incursion again, because the flags were still on the table :P
I deployed in my standard tight brick, while Ben deployed in a more spread out formation with his Kayazy opposing my Warbeasts to slow them down.
Round 1
I put up Vortex of Destruction, and ran/charged/trampled my army forward.
Ben ran most of his models as well, and Eiryss shot down one of the Gobbers. MacBain put Failsafe on the Nomad. Rhupert gave the Kayazy +1 Def and Terror.
But Ben had made a terrible mistake. He left a single Kayazy in Molik's threat range.
And the middle flag disappeared again, because of course it did.
Round 2
Makeda advanced, cast Fate Walker on herself, and Feated. The Bronzeback put Train Wreck on Molik, and Trampled forward to just in front of Makeda.
Molik charged the Kayazy he could reach, boosted the hit, removed the Fury as it died, and bounced 3" into another Kayazy. He boosted that to hit as well, removed the Fury as it died, and bounced to a Kayazy about 3" in front of Drake. He hit and killed that Kayazy and one other to reach Drake with 4 open Fury slots. I rubbed my hands with glee. The first hit took off about 2/3 of Drake's health. The second hit disabled him.
He made his Tough check. Molik bought his last attack, which would automatically hit and damage Drake.
He made his Tough check.
Uh oh.
The Gladiator rushed itself and advanced. The Savage charged, but didn't quite reach Holt.
Ben started out by having Gorman blind the Bronzeback. The Buccaneer charged Molik, and knocked him down with the Assault net. Aiyanna used Kiss of Lyliss on Molik to give him -2 Arm. The Nomad advanced, and dealt Molik a lot of damage. Wrong Eye charged Molik and finished him off. Drake got up, Feated to make a bunch of models auto-Tough for a round, and advanced. Snapjaw charged the Bronzeback, and nearly killed it. Some Kayazy charged the Bronzeback and the Savage, but didn't do much damage.
We had completely stopped caring about scenario at this point.
Round 3
The Bronzeback flailed around a bit. Makeda tried to pull off a Blood Booned Eliminator on Rhupert and Aiyanna, but missed, which left her dangerously exposed.
Ben capitalized. He knocked her down with the Buccaneer's net, debuffed her Arm with Kiss of Lylyss, and charged her with 3 Kayazy and Drake, who finished her off with Grievous Wounds.
Victory to the Mercenaries!
Thoughts on the Makeda and Zaal lists
The Zaal list is strong and very intuitive for me. I've basically got it right where I want it. Its firepower is a nice support that keeps the pressure on the enemy to engage, while its infantry component is highly effective in melee. Ben was afraid to engage completely because anything he sent in would be wrecked, and I won on scenario while he tried to whittle me down. Zaal is frail, so I think keeping the specialists a Krea and Brute to foil ranged assassinations is a good idea.
The Makeda 3 list is a little more complicated. She'll remove heavies and colossals with ease, but I'm scared of an alpha strike, which can hurt her a lot. I'm going to stick a small unit of Bloodrunners in as specialists to slow the enemy down enough that I can get my critical beasts into combat. Otherwise, the list has been performing well, and everything has been earning its keep.
I'll get some more practice games in this week, but this is my last report before the tournament. Thanks Ben and Eric for some awesome games!
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