After a bunch of games with my Retribution earlier this week, I decided to return to my Skorne roots and break out the Warlock I learned the game with, Archdomina Makeda.
Here's the list:
Archdomina Makeda (+5)
*Bronzeback Titan (10)
*Titan Cannoneer (9)
*Titan Gladiator (8)
*Aptimus Marketh (3)
6 Cataphract Cetrati (11)
10 Praetorian Swordsmen (6)
*Officer and Standard Bearer (2)
Tyrant Commander and Standard Bearer (3)
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (1)
This is a pretty balanced pMakeda list. It's common to run her with only one unit of infantry and a 4th heavy, but I like having a massive attrition screen that marches upfield quickly and is hard to remove. This list can play a scenario game, but it's mainly an attrition list which assassinates when it can get a Savagery'd Titan into the opponent's 'caster. It's biggest concerns are a heavy armor list it won't be able to deal with, and massed Remove from Play effects, which will shut down Makeda's Feat.
My opponent, Jackie, ran:
Lord Commander Coleman Stryker (+6)
*Ol' Rowdy (9)
*Stormclad (9)
*Stormclad (9)
5 Storm Lances (11)
6 Stormblade Infantry (5)
*Officer and Standard (-)
6 Stormblade Infantry (5)
Major Katherine Laddermore (5)
Stormblade Captain (3)
This is a Tier 4 Charge of the Storm Brigade list, and it will hit very hard. The Stormblade Infantry can put a dent in anything, and all the 'Jacks are among the meanest melee heavies in Cygnar. Stormblade infantry and Storm Lances are both pretty fragile, and a list which can take them out will be able to start a trading game with the Cygnar heavies. Stryker is a huge personal threat of course and adds a large assassination threat to the list.
Deployment
We decided to skip choosing a scenario and get right down to killing. There were two low hills on one side of the table, a couple of forests on the other, and a big stone pillar in the middle. I won the roll-off, and chose to go first. Jackie chose the table edge with the hills.
I deployed the Titans in the table center, the Cetrati on their right, and the Swordsmen on their left. Makeda, the Tyrant Commander, Marketh, and the Paingivers joined them in the middle. I didn't really know what to do with the Swamp Gobbers, so I put them next to the Cetrati.
Jackie deployed the Stormblades in little clumps next to the Stormclads on either side of Stryker and Rowdy, who went in the middle. Laddermore and the Storm Lances Advance Deployed on the left, keeping away from the Cetrati, and leaning toward the Swordmen.
Turn 1: Skorne
The Swordsmen all ran, as did the Titans. Makeda cast Savagery on the Cetrati, advanced, and put Defender's Ward on the Swordsmen to help them out against the Storm Lances. Marketh bolted over to collect Swordsmen souls. The Tyrant Commander used Press Forward on the Cetrati, and ran. The Cetrati entered Shield Wall, and marched forward 12 inches. The Paingivers advanced, and managed Fury. The Swamp Gobber just ran.
A pretty standard deployment for me. The Swordsmen were out of the Storm Lancer's charge range, but definitely in range to be shot. Storm Lances are really nasty against infantry, but with Defender's Ward, most of the Swordsmen would probably live.
Turn 1: Cygnar
The Stormblades and Stormclads ran toward me. Laddermore and the Storm Lances did indeed advance and shoot, and managed to kill 5 Swordsmen, which loaded Marketh up on their souls. Rowdy ran, and Stryker advanced, and put down a Lightning Storm template in front of the Stormblades opposite my Cetrati.
That was more dead Swordsmen than I'd hoped, but I was in a position to do a lot of damage to Cygnar's infantry next turn.
Turn 2: Skorne
Marketh upkept both spells with Soul Tokens, and Makeda leached her Fury. The Cannoneer advanced, and boosted a shot at the Stormblades in front of the Cetrati, killing 2, and used Diminish. The Cetrati entered Shield Wall, and advanced up to the same Stormblades, killing 4 more. Marketh advanced, and swapped Savagery onto the Swordsmen. Makeda advanced, cast Carnage, used her Feat to return any of my infantry killed this turn, and camped 3 Fury. The Tyrant Commander used Press Forward on the Swordsmen, and advanced. The Swordsmen used their mini-Feat to do automatic damage to Warrior models, and cut through 6 of the other unit of Stormblades. They also engaged a few Storm Lances, and spread out to minimize casualties. The Gladiator Rushed itself, and charged Laddermore, dismounting her. The Swamp Gobbers ran to try to get in the Stormclad's way on the Cetrati's side, but were just a bit short. The Bronzeback ran up to support the Gladiator, and the Paingivers advanced to manage Fury.
That had gone pretty well. My infantry was all in Makeda's CTRL for her feat, and everything looked pretty safe except my Gladiator. If neither unit got wiped out, I'd be well up in attrition, and putting pressure on Stryker with my Cetrati and Titans. I should probably have Slammed Laddermore, but I forgot about it.
Turn 2: Cygnar
Stryker allocated 3 Focus to the Stormclad near the Gladiator, and 2 to the Stormclad near the Cetrati. The Ol' Rowdy and the surviving Stormblades and Stormclad near the Cetrati killed off 4, and wounded one. The Storm Lances, Laddermore, and surviving Stormblades near the Swordsmen killed off all but 2. The Stormclad charged my Gladiator, and I counter-charged with the Bronzeback in the hopes of crippling its Sword, but I didn't. The Gladiator died, and Makeda Reaved the Fury. Then Stryker advanced to a hill, and used his Feat to give every model in the list a 3" advance followed by a melee attack. The Storm Lances finished off the Swordsmen, and other models finished off the Cetrati. Laddermore and the Stormclad which had killed the Gladiator took out the Bronzeback's body. Two Paingivers died to Electro-Leaps.
Ouch. That was all my attrition infantry, and one of my heavies. I still had some game left, but I needed this turn to be a big one. Fortunately, the Bronzeback was already in melee.
Turn 3: Skorne
I placed the two Paingivers where they could reach the Bronzeback. There were no spells to upkeep. Makeda started things off by casting Carnage, healing the Bronzeback's body, and advancing into a Storm Lancer, whom she killed with a Combo Strike. Marketh charged a Storm Lancer, killing it easily, and the Tyrant Commander followed suit, killing another. The Cannoneer advanced, and killed the Stormblade Captain with a cannon ball. The Paingivers wiped the Fury off the Cannoneer, and Enraged the Bronzeback, who smashed the Stormclad, then went on to kill a Storm Lancer, Laddermore, and 2 of the last 3 Stormblade Infantry.
I was in a much better position now. I'd effectively cleared out the left side of the table. Jackie and I each had 2 heavies, but mine had a longer threat range than anything in her list except Stryker himself thanks to Savagery. The tables were starting to turn.
Turn 3: Cygnar
Stryker allocated no Focus. The surviving Stormclad advanced, and shot the Cannoneer, damaging its Spirit. The last Storm Lance charged the Tyrant Commander to engage Makeda, but didn't kill him. Ol' Rowdy ran, triggering a Counter Charge from my Bronzeback, which I took to get it a little closer to the center (and in between Makeda and Stryker if he had an assassination angle). He didn't, but he did Overload, taking 7 points of damage and gaining 9 Strength. Then he used Velocity to move forward 2" and charged the Bronzeback, killing it in 2 hits. He ended up Base to Base with Ol' Rowdy, and camping 4 Focus.
Gah! Without the Bronzeback, I was suddenly in a bad position all over again. I had to kill Stryker. It would be tough though, since he was currently Def 18 Arm 20.
Turn 4: Skorne
First, the Tyrant Commander and Standard Bearer killed the Storm Lance to free up Makeda. Then the Paingivers advanced, and Engaged Ol' Rowdy to stop any Counter Charging out of him. Now I had 2 chances to finish Stryker. First, Makeda cast Carnage, and charged in with a boosted Combo Strike. She missed. Then she bought another attack, and missed again. Ok. Marketh walked up to the Cannoneer, and cast Savagery on her. Then she walked up to Stryker, and made her attacks, needing 11's to hit him. She hit with both the War Club and her Tusks, doing enough damage to kill Stryker.
Victory to the Skorne!
Thoughts
That was a great game. I played pretty well. My biggest mistake was not accounting for Stryker's Feat on turn two. If I'd remembered to take it into account, I might have been able to save one or both my units either through good positioning or by casting Defender's Ward instead of Carnage. Still, that Feat is hard to avoid completely, and Jackie used it well. Otherwise, I eliminated the infantry, then the Cavalry and one heavy. I didn't see Stryker coming for my Bronzeback, but even though he did, it put him in a position where I might assassinate him.
I like this list too. The Cannoneer is nice for Makeda, and gives her some decent shooting to support what is otherwise a melee blitz list. It's also a good teammate for the Bronzeback and Gladiator. The Infantry generally do a good job in this list, even though they failed me this time. I am contemplating dropping one of the units for a heavy, or a Krea and some extra support, so I'll see how that goes when I try it.
Jackie also played a solid game. She timed her Feat well, and used it to counteract mine completely, and recover from a hard alpha strike. Charging Stryker in to take out the Bronzeback was a risk, but it nearly worked out. Stryker camping next to Ol' Rowdy is very tough to kill. If I'd been unlucky in my assassination run, the game would have been hers.
Epic Stryker's Tier list seems like a lot of fun, and it certainly had no trouble dealing with heavy armor or light infantry. While the list's offense is great, it is pretty fragile. Stormblades and Storm Lances die pretty easily, and even Stormclads aren't the sturdiest heavies. Overall, I'd say Stryker's personal threat makes that fragility ok. As I found out, committing the models to kill off the infantry will often result in Stryker getting his teeth into something very important.
Thanks for the great game!
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