Battle Report: Kaelyssa vs. eStryker at 50pts

I managed to get a few games in with Retribution the other day.  I just finished putting my Halberdiers together, so I have some 50pt lists I'm moderately happy with.  Here's the first game.

I ran:

Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper (+7)
*Phoenix (10)
*Banshee (10)
*Sylas Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2)

10 Houseguard Halberdiers (7)
*Officer and Standard Bearer (2)
*Soulless Escort (1)
10 Dawnguard Invictors (10)
*Officer and Standard Bearer (2)
10 Mage Hunter Strike Force (8)
*Strike Force Commander (2)

Arcanist (1)
Arcanist (1)

This list can play both a ranged and melee game.  With the two Reach Myrmidons, my Invictors have enough potential Flank buddies to threaten heavies, and they and the Strike Force put down some pretty respectable firepower.  The Halberdiers are my main melee unit, and can jam well, and hit pretty hard when they have to with their mini-Feat.

The basic game plan with this list is to use Kaelyssa's spells and Feat, along with my shooting, to grind the enemy down until the Banshee and Kaelyssa can get a good angle on the enemy 'caster.  I think it's pretty well balanced overall.


My opponent, Brandon, ran eStryker with the following list:

Lord Commander Coleman Stryker (+6)
*Ol' Rowdy (9)
*Lancer (6)
*Squire (2)

10 Sword Knights (6)
6 Stormblade Infantry (5)
*Officer and Standard Bearer (3)
Greygore Boomhowler and 5 Company (6)
*Cpt. Jonas Murdoch (2)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4)

Lt. Allyson Jakes (3)
*Minuteman (5)
Journeyman Warcaster (3)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2)

This list looks pretty well balanced, and similar to mine in terms of its main strategy.  It has the tools to break through a variety of enemy models while Stryker sets up his personal assassination run.  He has a very scary presence, and can hit an enemy 'caster from up to 17" away.


Deployment

We set the table up with a small forest in the center, a building on either side of the table, and a few other forests and low hills surrounding the middle.  We played Incursion - 3 flags are set up in the middle of the table, and one disappears at the end of the 1st round.  Brandon won the roll-off, and went second.

I deployed in a bunch with Halberdiers in front of the Invictors, the Phoenix on the left with some clear lines of sight for arcing spells, and the Banshee in the center-right (to the right of my infantry) where the forest would mostly screen it from enemy attacks.  I was planning to put Phantom Hunter on it, so it would be able to shoot through such trifles as forests without any trouble.  The two Arcanists went with the 'jacks, and Kaelyssa and Sylas went behind the infantry clump.

Brandon the Boomhowlers in the center, with the Stormblades to their right, and Rowdy, the Lancer and the Black 13th to their left.  The Sword Knights went on the fat left behind the building, along with Jakes and her Minuteman.  Stryker, Arlan, the Journeyman, and the Squire deployed behind Rowdy and the Lancer.

I deployed the Mage Hunters opposite the Minuteman and Sword Knights for Advance Deploy.  We were both angling to the left in our deployments, without much presence on the right side of the table.


Turn 1: Retribution

I ran the Halberdiers and Invictors up to within striking distance of the woods at the center of the table.  The Halberdiers spread out, while the Invictors stayed behind them in Defensive Line.  The Mage Hunters swept around to the left of the left flag.  The Arcanists used Power Booster and advanced.  The Phoenix ran up to support the Mage Hunters, and the Banshee ran to just behind the Halberdiers.  Kaelyssa advanced, cast Phantom Hunter on the Banshee, and channeled Banishing Ward onto the Mage Hunters.  Sylas moved up behind her.

This is my basic first turn setup for Kaelyssa.  I didn't cast Arcane Reckoning, even though I had the Focus for it, since it didn't seem like Striker would do much channeling.


Turn 1: Cygnar

Brandon allocated one Focus to the Minuteman with Jakes, and one to the Lancer with Stryker.  The Boomhowlers Fell Called for 4+ Tough, and ran up to behind the woods on Brandon's side.  The Black 13th advanced, and scattered a Mage Storm at my Mage Hunters, but didn't kill any.  They also targeted the Mage Hunters with a Fire Beacon, but that also scattered wide.  The Sword Knights ran up to just ahead of them in Defensive Line.  The Journeyman advanced, and cast Arcane Shield on Ol' Rowdy.  Gorman ran forward.  Rowdy ran forward too.  Stryker advanced, and cast Lightning Storm twice at the Invictors, dropping the templates among the Halberdiers up front and killing two.  The Stormblades ran up the right side of the table.  The Minuteman and Jakes ran forward conservatively behind the building, as Brandon didn't want Jakes to be sniped out by the Mage Hunters.

That was a pretty decent first turn from Cygnar.  Stryker managed to hem in my Invictors a bit with those Lightning Storm templates, and a lucky Mage Storm scatter could have mulched several Mage Hunters despite them being spread out.  I'd need to try to take away his options to hit me next turn, and start whittling him down.  The left flag disappeared.  We'd both been angling left, so the fight would now revolve around the center flag, with outliers sent to control the right one.


Turn 2: Retribution

Kaelyssa held on to all her Focus, and Sylas upkept Phantom Seeker for free.  One Arcanist Power Boosted the Phoenix, while the other did the same for the Banshee.  The Halberdiers used their mini-Feat to gain Gang for a turn, and charged the Stormblades, killing 3, then Reformed backward to where I hoped the unit wouldn't be able to reach them with an advance.  The Banshee advanced, and slammed one of the remaining Stormblades into another, killing both.  The Stormblades passed their break check for 50% casualties.  The Phoenix advanced, and boosted a shot at the Sword Knights, but missed and scattered wide.

Then Sylas moved up, and used Arcane Secrets on Kaelyssa. Kaelyssa advanced to just behind a wall, and used her Feat to give my army Stealth, and make it untargetable by charges.  Then she boosted Backlash into the Lancer, and cast Rift at one of the lead Boomhowlers.  She hit and dropped him.  He passed his Tough check, but she'd extended the rough terrain by about 4" to the left of the Forest, and ensured that the Boomhowlers couldn't run to engage me.  The Mage Hunters advanced or aimed, and destroyed the Lancer, doing 7 damage to Stryker in the process.  The Invictors moved up around the Lightning templates, but couldn't see anyone to shoot now that the Lancer was dead.

I was in a good position now.  There would be no more Lightning Storms, my whole army had Stealth against non-AoE's, and Brandon wouldn't be able to charge or assault me with either the Stormblades or the Boomhowlers.  Stryker was also hurt, which meant Brandon would be hesitant to use Overload to boost his Strength for an assassination.  I was a little concerned about the Minuteman, but destroying the Lancer was the better move, since I'd need more freedom of movement soon.


Turn 2: Cygnar

Stryker upkept no spells and allocated no Focus.  Jakes allocated 3 to the Minuteman.  Jakes advanced to just behind the building.  The Black 13th advanced, and targeted the Halberdiers with their Mage Storm this time, taking out a few.  The Stormblades advanced, and shot some more Halberdiers point-blank.  The Minuteman advanced, and used Bounding Leap to get near two of the Mage Hunters, killing both in a Flack Field, then shot and killed 2 more with its slug guns.  The Sword Knights ran up next to the rest of the Mage Hunters.  The Journeyman advanced, and put Arcane Shield on the Boomhowlers, who ran into the woods and through the Rift to nearly reach my lines.  Stryker yanked a Focus off the Squire, advanced, cast Deflection, and spent 5 Focus to heal.  He also used his Feat to give friendly models an extra 3" move and melee attack at the end of the turn.  Gorman advanced, and hid Stryker and the Squire in a cloud.

With the Feat move, the Sword Kights killed another 2 Mage Hunters, and the Boomhowlers and Stormblades reduced the Halberdiers to 2, but they held firm.  The Boomhowlers also controlled the middle flag, giving Brandon a point.

I'd lost a lot of my screen that turn, and the Boomhowlers were in full-on jamming mode.  I still had plenty of resources to recover, though.  I was looking to grind the game out until Stryker got into my threat range.  All I needed to do was take away the center and right flags, and he'd come to me along with the rest of his army.


Turn 3:  Retribution

Kaelyssa allocated 2 Focus to the Banshee, and kept the rest.  Sylas upkept Phantom Hunter.  The Halberdiers charged in to finish off the Stormblades, but left one alive.  The Arcanist on the left charged a Sword Knight, and proudly added a notch to his coffee cup.  The one on the right ran to contest the right flag.  The Phoenix advanced, and used Combustion, catching 2 Boomhowlers and 2 of the Sword Knights engaging my Mage Hunters.  The Sword Knights and one of the Boomhowlers died.  The Mage Hunters attacked and killed two more Sword Knights, and put some damage on the Minuteman.  The Banshee advanced, and blasted the Journeyman away with its Force Cannon.  Sylas put Arcane Secrets on Kaelyssa.  She stayed put, and channeled Rift at the Black 13th, wiping them out.  The Invictors advanced to contest the middle flag.  They finished the last Stormblade, killed one Boomhowler with a melee attack, and shot down Greygore himself with a big CRA, denying the unit its annoying Fell Calls next turn.

That wasn't too bad.  I'd killed off some major enemy pieces, and I was definitely holding my own.  Things weren't looking particularly good either though.  the Phoenix was easily within Rowdy's charge range, the Mage Hunters would largely be fodder for the Minuteman, and the Invictors were being jammed pretty well.


Turn 3: Cygnar

Stryker allocated 4 Focus to Ol' Rowdy, and kept the rest.  Jakes allocated 3 to the Minuteman.  The remaining Sword Knights started things off by hacking apart another Mage Hunter.  The Minuteman advanced, blew away all but one of the remaining Mage Hunters with Flak Field, then used Bounding Leap to contact it, and Double Handed threw it into the Phoenix, knocking the Myrmidon down.  Rowdy charged the Phoenix, and beat it into scrap.  Stryker pulled Focus off the Squire, advanced, healed back up to full health, and shot the Banshee, Disrupting it.  The Boomhowlers Assaulted the Invictors, and killed 3.  Gorman advanced, and dropped a cloud right in front of Stryker, blocking line of sight to him completely.

The Invictors were still contesting the flag.  More importantly, Stryker was within range of the Banshee and Kaelyssa.  It was time to see if I could finish this.


Turn 4: Retribution

Sylas upkept Phantom Hunter, and Kaelyssa kept all her Focus for herself.  The Arcanist on the right turned to face the Banshee, and used Power Booster to give it a point of Focus and remove Disruption.  The Banshee aimed and shot Stryker, hitting him for 8 damage and knocking him down.  Sylas put Arcane Secrets on Kaelyssa in case she needed Arcantrik Bolt to finish the job.  Kaelyssa advanced to make sure she was in range with both spells and gun, and cast Phantom Hunter on herself.  Then she shot Stryker to death.


Victory to the Retribution!


Thoughts

I played a solid game here.  There's an interesting discussion going on in the Retribution Faction Forum here about the role of attrition for Retribution, and I tried to keep that in mind while I played this game.  I think I did a pretty good job of grinding Cygnar down and forcing Brandon to put Stryker into play.  I was losing the attrition war overall, especially after Rowdy mulched the Phoenix like that and collapsed my left flank.  However, I was close to being able to control and dominate the two remaining flags, and Brandon needed to stop me by committing Stryker to help the right side of the table hold out.  Once he was in range, I had a good chance to kill him if the Banshee could hit.

I like this list a lot so far.  There are definitely some things I want to try out with Kaelyssa, including Dawnguard Sentinels and Mage Hunter Assassins to bolster my melee game.  The Halberdiers are a nasty little screen though, and the Invictors almost always impress me.  This game they held up well, got some significant shots in, and would have had plenty left to do while I started scoring if the assassination run didn't work out at the end.

Brandon also played a solid game.  He targeted my biggest threat (the Mage Hunters) early on, and destroyed them with some of the best tools he had for the job.  He jammed me well with the Boomhowlers, and might have locked my out of the flags altogether if I hadn't slowed him down so effectively on Turn 2.  His only real mistake was leaving Stryker within range of my assassination threat, but that threat is really hard to avoid, and he needed to start committing more power to his flagging right flank.

Brandon's list has a lot of strong pieces that fit together well.  The Minuteman is a phenomenal little 'jack, and took out the Mage Hunters almost single handed.  Having Jakes control it frees up a lot of Focus Stryker needs for himself, even if it can easily get out of her CTRL (which it did on Brandon's 3rd turn).  The Boomhowlers held up the center well too, and must have passed 5 or 6 Tough checks over the course of the game.  eStryker is a solid and versatile 'caster, and I was continually impressed by level of support he could give while remaining a credible melee threat.