Battle Report: Makeda 3 vs Baldur 1, 50pts

Another month, another post I guess?  I really need to be getting in more games.  Anyway, I played a game this past Friday.  I'd seen a neat list on the PP forums for my current favorite Warlock, Makeda 3, so I decided to give a similar list a try.  No pictures unfortunately, because my cell phone was almost out of power, and the camera just kills it.

Makeda and the Exalted Court (+2)
*Molik Karn (11)
*Bronzeback Titan (10)
*Titan Gladiator (8)
*Cyclops Brute (5)
*Cyclops Brute (5)
*Cyclops Brute (5)
*Basilisk Krea (4)
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
Agonizer (2)

The Brutes are basically standing in for infantry in a screening/jamming role.  They have strong defensive stats at 13/17 with a Shield and Set Defense to make them even tougher to get through.  Standard anti-infantry attacks will mostly bounce off.  The plan is that anything that takes out a Brute needs to be able to take out a heavy.  When it does, the heavies in the second row can take it out instead.  Otherwise, the list is very standard for Makeda 3.  Molik, Bronzeback, Gladiator and Krea are making up the backbone of most of my lists with her.  The Agonizer is great defense against both beasts and 'jacks.  The original list ran a Sentry instead of the Gladiator, and dropped the Krea for max Beast Handlers and Orrin or a Willbreaker.  I'll probably give that list a try sometime in the near future.


My opponent, Luke, was playing pBaldur.

Baldur the Stonecleaver (+6)
*Warpwolf Stalker (10)
*Feral Warpwolf (9)
*Wold Warden (9)
*Winter Argus (5)
*Gorax (4)
10 Tharn Bloodtrackers (8)
*Nuala the Huntress (2)
3 Shifting Stones (2)
*Stone Keeper (1)
3 Shifting Stones (2)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (1)
Gatorman Witch Doctor (3)

This seems like an all-comers list with a lot of synergy, good mobility, and a solid denial Feat.  There are enough heavies in the list to give it a good trading game against other heavy armor lists, and the Stalker and Bloodtrackers can kill a lot of infantry without much trouble either.


We decided to play a Scenario, and rolled up Outflank.  It has two 12" circular zones on either side of the table center.  Controlling a zone is worth 1 point, and dominating a zone is worth 2.

My opponent won the roll-off, and decided to go first, so I chose the table edge with a wall to screen my advance on turn 1.

The Circle beasts went mostly in the middle of the table, but leaned a little toward the right zone.  I deployed in a fairly tight brick between the two zones, aware that my opponent could switch his positioning very quickly with the placement of the Shifting Stones and Bloodtrackers in Advance Deploy.  He placed the Shifting Stones in front of his heavies and the Bloodtrackers in front of the right zone.  Apparently, he'd be going all-out for it.

The Bloodtrackers select my rightmost Brute as their Prey.


Circle, Turn 1

Much of the list runs.  The Bloodtrackers get across the center line to try to keep me out of the zone.  The Stones shift up in overlapping triangles, and the Warpwolves run into the middle so they can teleport out next turn.

Baldur walks up, and casts Solid Ground on himself (friendly models in his CTRL cannot be knocked down, and do not suffer blast damage) and Stone Skin on the Bloodtrackers (+2 Str and Arm, -1 Spd and Def), then casts Rapid Growth to put a forest completely around himself.  The Gobbers walk up and make smoke, and the Witch Doctor gives Tough and Undead to the Bloodtrackers with Zombify.  The Winter Argus runs into the left zone, apparently to contest it.

Standard stuff, but talk about early scenario pressure.  I need to get into the right zone this turn, because I won't have much room to maneuver if the Bloodtrackers continue to jam me and Baldur Feats to slow me down.


Skorne, Turn 1

Again, there's a lot of running.  I don't have guns in the list, so there isn't much else to do.  The Gladiator Rushes the right Brute so it can get into the zone across some difficult terrain.  The right and left Brutes run into either zone (the right one engages some Bloodtrackers), and the center Brute runs up to claim the middle.

The heavies walk, run or trample to a few inches behind them, ready to counterattack if they have the opportunity.  Makeda puts 5 Fury on the Agonzer, and issues a Run order.  She runs to just behind the wall, and her Guardians run to just ahead of it.  The Krea activates Paralytic Aura and charges up to protect my models from those Weapon Master javalins.

The Agonizer uses Gnawing Pain, and runs up to be both within the Krea's Aura and within 2" of at least one of the Exalted Court.

And that's it.  My Brute would be lucky to survive the next round, but hopefully, I'd be able to counterattack effectively, and get some models into the right zone to contest.  Unless the Warpwolves suddenly went for the left zone, which seemed unlikely, the battle would hinge on the right.


Circle, Turn 2

Baldur upkeeps all 3 spells, and between the Sones removing Fury and Baldur Leaching, there are no Threshold checks for Circle.

Baldur starts off by casting Lighting Strike on the Feral Warpwolf (to give it Sprint and let it move away after killing something), and forfeits his movement to teleport into a forest in the right zone.  Clearly, the battle will be fought for control of the right after all.  Then, after a little Control Range measurement, Baldur Feats to try to keep me out of the zone once my Brute dies.  (Baldur's Feat gives friendly models in his CTRL Cover, and his CTRL is rough terrain for enemy models.  Enemy models never have Pathfinder while in his CTRL for one round.)

The Bloodtrackers advance and throw a lot of javalins, but between Paralytic Aura and my having 5 Shield Guards at my disposal, they don't accomplish much more than 2 damage to an Exalted Guardian.  Their Reform puts a few of them between my central models and the right zone.  The Witch Doc move up and Zombifies them.

The Wold Warden move up and switches Stone Skin onto the Feral Warpwolf with Geomancy, and one set of Stones teleports the Feral into melee with my Brute in the right zone.  The wolf warps for +2 Strength, but is in the Agonizer's Gnawing Pain Aura, and leaves the Brute alive by one point.

The next set of Stones teleports the Stalker to within Reach range of the Brute.  It warps for Strength, casts Lightning Strike on itself, and finishes off the Brute.  Then it sprints back to the Stones.  The Bloodtrackers switch their Prey to the Gladiator.  The Gorax advances to just behind the Stalker.

The Swamp Gobbers run to jam my central models and keep them out of the right zone.  Meanwhile, the Winter Argus skirts around the edge of the left.

I really need to get into the zone this turn, and kill the Feral, which is exposed.  Fortunately, my Gladiator is in a good position to do both, and if I can get other models in, so much the better.


Skorne, Turn 2

I have no upkeep spells in play yet.

The Agonizer uses Gnawing Pain again, and moves up behind the central Brute.  The Krea moves next to the Agonizer, uses Paralytic Aura, and misses the Stalker with a Spiritual Paralysis shot.

Makeda's unit activates.  She casts Vortex of Destruction on herself to boost all damage rolls against enemies in her melee range.  The Exalted Guardians advance to just ahead of the Agonizer and Krea, and kill one of the Swamp Gobbers.  Makeda advances into melee range of the Feral Warpwolf, and takes two swings, but misses both.  Disgusted, I leave her on 2 Fury, and cast Fate Walker.

The Paingivers advance, and use Enrage on both Brutes and the Gladiator, and Condition on the Krea to remove all Fury from her.  The Brute in the left zone charges a Shifting stone that had moved into it, and destroys it.  The central Brute charges a jamming Bloodtracker, and kills 2 with boosted attack rolls.

The Gladiator charges the Feral, but utterly flubbs its damage rolls, and leaves the Feral alive on 2 hit boxes even with Vortex of Destruction.  Molik and the Bronzeback advance into position to counterattack next turn.

Makeda takes her end-of-turn Fate Walker movement to retreat back behind my beasts.

Not the greatest turn, but the Gladiator is in the right zone, and won't be that easy to remove.  However it's my only model contesting right now.  I'm annoyed that the Feral is still alive, since killing it would have given me a huge leg up in attrition.


Circle, Turn 3

Baldur upkeeps Solid Ground, but drops Stone Skin and Rapid Growth.

Baldur activates first, and moves to within 6" of the Feral, and casts Primal and Stone Skin on it.  The Feral warps for Strength, and kills the Gladiator.  The Bloodtrackers switch their Prey to Molik Karn.

The Witch Doc Zombifies the Bloodtrackers again.  The Bloodtrackers take some shots at my Agonizer, Central Brute, and Exalted Guardians, but don't do much.  A few also shoot at the Paingiver who'd Enraged the Gladiator, but they all miss with bad rolls.  They used Reform to continue to jam me, and hook around toward Makeda and the Paingivers.

The Wold Warden moves up, and recasts Stone Skin on the Warpwolf Stalker, then the Gorax moves next to it, and casts Primal (+2 Mat and Str, but automatically frenzies next turn) on the Stalker.  The remaining full unit of Shifting Stones teleports the Stalker right into the middle of my central group.  Finally, the Stalker itself activates, warps for Strength to become P+S 22, and kills both Exalted Guardians, the Agonizer, and the Krea.

The Winter Argus attacks the Cyclops Brute in the left zone, but misses.  The last Swamp Gobber moves around to screen the Stalker from the Bronzeback, but the Bronzeback Counter-Charges.  It misses the Gobber, but puts itself in a good position to charge the Stalker next turn.

Luke ends his turn, and scores 2 points for Dominating the right zone.

I actually feel ok about this.  At minimum, I need to take out the Stalker and the Feral, and contest the zone, but once I do, the attrition game will be all in my favor.


Skorne, Turn 3

Makeda Leaches, and upkeeps Vortex of Destruction.  My central Brute has one Fury left over, and Frenzies despite being Thr 9.  It attacks the Stalker for light damage.

I have Makeda activate first.  First, she casts Train Wreck on Molik Karn to give him Beat Back.  Then, she Feats (this turn, when a model in her Battlegroup destroys one or more enemy models with an attack, either put a Fury on Makeda or remove a Fury from a model in her Battlegroup), and moves into melee range of the Feral.  She takes it out in one swing, and uses Blood Boon to cast Eliminator at a nearby Bloodtracker for free.  She hits and kills the Bloodtracker, and Eliminator lets her move 2" into melee range of the Stalker and another Bloodtracker.  She kills the second Bloodtracker, and casts Fate Walker, leaving her on 1 Fury.

The Paingivers move up and Enrage Molik, the Bronzeback, and the Brute in the right zone.  The Brute does some damage to the Winter Argus, but doesn't kill it.  The Bronzeback puts Train Wreck on itself, charges past the Swamp Gobber, who misses with its free strike, and kills both the Stalker and the Swamp Gobber.  It uses its Beat Back movement from Train Wreck to advance toward the Right Zone.

After a little contemplation, I decide to try something risky with Molik.  If it works (and it's likely that it will), I'll be able to get Molik right into Baldur's back lines.  If it doesn't work, I'll lose the game.

I have Molik charge the Winter Argus.  He needs an 8 to hit, but I miss with a 4.  I boost after the roll using Future Sight, but only add 3.  Not good.  Molik takes his second initial attack, and rolls another 4.  I boost the hit again, and this time get a 4.  The Argus dies, and Molik takes a 3" advance into melee range of the Stone Keeper.  The Stone Keeper and a few Sentry Stones die horribly, and Molik Beats his way Back to the Gorax.  Rather than buy attacks against the Gorax, I just cast Fate Walker.

I end my turn, and Molik and Makeda do their movement.  Molik moves into the right zone to contest it, and Makeda retreats into melee with some Bloodtrackers (much safer than having them shoot at her), camping 3 Fury.

I score 1 point for controlling the left zone.

I am holding on well.  If Molik stays in the zone, I'm in a very good position.  Even if he doesn't, my remaining high-Arm models will be hard to kill.  The Gorax has a great Animus in Primal, but it's only a light beast, and the Wold Warden is pretty pillow-fisted, and can't be targeted by Primal.


Circle, Turn 4

Baldur upkeeps Solid Ground.

The Wold Warden advances to try to Chain Attack: Smite Molik to make him easier to kill.  However, I Counter-Charge with the Bronzeback, putting it just inside the right zone.  The Wold Warden decides to slam the Bronzeback out of the zone instead.  It boosts with its attacks, and succeeds, putting the Bronzeback 1" away and out of the zone again.

Baldur casts Stone Skin on the Bloodtrackers, and stays in his forest.  The Witch Doc Zombifies the Bloodtrackers again.  All the Bloodtrackers shoot at Molik, one dying to a free strike by Makeda.  They damage Molik badly despite his being in melee, and reform to screen Baldur and hem in Makeda so she can't move.

The two surviving Shifting Stones find a new purpose by teleporting into the right zone to contest it.

Finally, the Gorax puts Primal on itself, advances, and finishes off Molik Karn.  The Bloodtrackers switch their Prey to Makeda.

Luke ends his turn, and scores 2 more points, putting him at 4, and one away from a scenario victory.

I can't screw up this next turn.  I need to get the Bronzeback and central Brute into the zone, and kill off Baldur's remaining beasts.  Then I'll pick off the remaining Bloodtrackers and Baldur himself.


Skorne, Turn 4

I upkeep Vortex of Destruction.  The left Brute frenzies, and kills one of the Shifting Stones contesting the left zone.  Makeda forces the Bronzeback to stand up.

Makeda casts Ground Zero, killing one Bloodtracker, and pushing the other two away, then retreats to a safer location.

The Paingivers advance, and Enrage both the Bronzeback and the central Brute.  The Bronzeback charges, and kills both the Wold Warden and the Gorax.  The Brute charges Nuala, and kills her and another Bloodtracker.

I end my turn.  I'm now in control of the game despite being 4 points down.  There are 3 Bloodtrackers left, along with the Witch Doctor, 2 Shifting Stones from different units, and Baldur himself.  Luke will be hard pressed to get rid of my two Arm 19 warbeasts, both sitting at almost full health.


Circle, Turn 5

Baldur drops Stone Skin and Solid Ground, hanging on to all 6 Fury.

The Witch Doctor Zombifies the Bloodtrackers, who put a few points of damage on the Bronzeback.  Baldur then charges the Bronzeback, staying exactly 2" away.  Luke had planned to use Weight of Stone to reduce the Bronzeback's Spd to 1, which would make it impossible to reach Baldur.  However, he had forgotten about Hyper Aggressive, which let the Bronzeback walk an inch toward him when he hit.  Baldur buys 4 more attacks to try to finish the Bronzeback, but only takes it to a little under half health.  With his last 2 Fury, he puts a forest next to Makeda with Rapid Growth so she won't be able to charge him next turn.


Skorne, Turn 5

Makeda upkeeps Vortex of Destruction.  The right Brute passes its Threshold check.

The Paingivers advance, and one of them heals the Bronzeback's broken Mind and Spirit with Medicate.  Makeda runs next to Baldur, then the Bronzeback activates, and finishes him off.


Victory to the Skorne!


Thoughts

I played a pretty solid game throughout.  I did get a little overexcited with the Brutes and Intuition, which lets them make an opponent reroll an attack roll against them.  Because of that, a Brute Frenzied on turn 3 when it should have been able to run into the zone, and really prevent Luke from scoring on turn 4.  Otherwise, my positioning was good, and I used the Brutes to draw out Luke's heavy hitters just as I'd planned.  Molik's wacky trip across the table was a serious risk that almost lost me the game.  I should have charged a Bloodtracker in the right zone, and killed as much in there as I could.  I usually try to play it safe, but this time I was a sucker for awesome shenanigans.  I'm pretty lucky it worked out, especially after Molik's first initial attack missed.

The list ran very well.  The Brutes were great, and definitely proved tougher than an equivalent point value of infantry.  They also killed or damaged one or two models per turn, which isn't bad when the heavies and Makeda can do so much on their own.  Having a Krea and 5 Shield Guards made shooting almost irrelevant in the early game.  I'll probably run Makeda 3 with a list like this one for a couple of weeks (or months if I continue to go so long between games), since it's so much fun.  Thanks to PP Forumite Staks for posting it.  Now I just need to get myself some more Brutes (2 of the ones I used were proxied).

Luke also played well.  Going hard for the right zone was a good move, and could have won him the game.  Between the speed of the Bloodtrackers and Baldur's Feat, I was worried I'd be shut out of the scenario entirely.  He did forget about Counter Charge a couple of times, and also forgot about Hyper Aggressive on his last turn, but otherwise didn't make many mistakes.  He had some bad luck on his 2nd turn when his Feral Warpwolf failed to kill the Cyclops Brute.  If it had been able to do that last point of damage and sprint away, Luke would have been in a significantly better position.

His list had a lot of synergy.  The Bloodtrackers were a very threatening presence.  Between Stone Skin making them Pow 11 Weapon Masters with their javalins and Solid Ground making them immune to blast damage, as well as immune to knockdown (with Tough from the Witch Doctor), they jammed me hard, and threatened a lot of my models into the late game.  If my list hadn't been so good at countering ranged attacks, they would have done a lot more damage.  I'm not entirely sure what the Winter Argus adds to the list besides an Arm buff for Baldur.  It does make him much more difficult to kill if he exposes himself to danger, but 5 points is a lot to pay for it.  Taking out the Winter Argus would let Luke upgrade the Wold Warden to Megalith (assuming Megs wasn't in another list for a tournament), and have 3 points left over for something else.  I'm no expert in Circle though, so it's possible it does more than provide a good animus.  This game, it contested the left zone, and forced me to divert models to deal with it.