50 Points eSkarre vs Kaelyssa

Scenario: Grind (There are 2 flags in the middle of the field, one left, one right. They are throwable, slamable, and killable. If you kill one, it moves d3+3 inches in a direction you pick, counting as a slam. Knock it into the control zone on the opponent's side of the field to score points. Or you know, kill their Warcaster.)

This week's opponent is well aware of the shenanigans the elves can pull off, and is trying out a new list at 50 points. After the game I found out the part he's questioning is the Wraith Engine. I agree, it probably could be replaced for more effective use of the points. I'm trying out my first 50 point Kae list to see if a) I can effectively run 3 heavy Myrmidons at the same time, and b) if I can play with no Mage Hunter Strike Force effectively.

Skarre, Queen of the Broken Coast

*Skarlock Thrall

*Death Jack

*Defiler

*Seether

Satyxis Raiders Full +UA

Satyxis Captain

Withershadow Combine

Warwitch Siren

Wraith Engine

vs

Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper

*Phoenix

*Manticore

*Banshee

Dawngaurd Invictors Full +UA

Dawngaurd Sentinels Full +UA

Mage Hunter Assassin

Mage Hunter Assassin

Arcanist

Arcanist

Cryx wins the roll off, sets up first. In an attempt to make these battle reports easier to follow I'm trying out Battle Chronicler software. Main three problems for this trial - I couldn't figure out how to get the scoring zones and flags to show up on the map, my scale is horrendously off, and for some reason how to figure the facing of models is eluding me. Hopefully I will improve this system as I use it more.

Deployment:

Turn 1

Skarre camps all her focus. Wraith goes incorperal and then runs up towards the right flag. Siren gives a focus to the Defiler which then runs straight up field. Death Jack walks up, Death Wards itself, which will be upkept for the entire game for free by the WSC. Scarlock moves up, casts Admonition on the Defiler. The Raiders run straight forward past the wall, with the Captain hiding behind the wall. Seether moves up next to the Death Jack, the WSC runs up behind the Seether, Skarre just moves up behind everything and camps focus.

Kae allocates 1 to the Phoenix. Sentinels run up and to the right behind the wall, MHA's both move up and to the right edge of the board facing the Wraith Engine. Invictors run right, now in middle of the field and a few inches forward. Banshee moves up behind Sentinels, Manticore advances to left of Invictors and lays a Covering fire 12 inches towards the Raiders. Phoenix moves behind the building. Arcansists move behind the Banshee and Manticore. Kae moves to the right and a little forward, casts banishing ward on Invictors, Phantom Seeker on the Banshee.

Turn 2

(Not positive on any allocation) Siren moves up to give a focus to the Defiler again which then runs up almost to the wall and Sentinels. Wraith Engine charges the right Flag dealing 13 damage to it. Scarloc moves up and casts Blood Rain on the Flag for 1 damage. Raiders swarm around the left Flag, attacks cause 2 damage total. Captain also tries to hit the flag, dealing no damage. Seether charges left Flag killing it and sending it 6 inches towards the Retribution's scoring zone. Death Jack moves up, Perditions the right Flag dealing 3. Moves the Flag 4 inches towards the MHAs and the Seether moves forward an inch from the Perdition bonus effect. WSC moves up between the Death Jack and the Raiders. Skarre moves up behind the Death Jack, casts Blood Rain on the Sentinels through the Defiler hitting 5 but not killing any (all 5 now have corrosion effect). Then Skarre casts Blood Rain again on same unit, missing, but the scatter just puts it over 2 already corroded and fails to do enough damage to kill either.

Corrosion falls off 1 of the 5 Sentinels, the other 4 die. Allocates 2 to the Phoenix, 2 to the Banshee and upkept the Banishing Ward. Both MHAs charge the Wraith Engine with it just inside of their max threat range. First deals 14 damage while the second one hits but fails to roll over 9 on 4 dice to do damage. Sentinels walk up, some in front of wall now, deal 17 damage to Defiler. Banshee walks up and shoots the Wraith Engine with boosting to hit and damage which does enough to kill it. Invictors pop their mini feat and move up then do two combine ranged attacks. Five target the Death Jack, roll boxcars on damage to deal 8 to column 4, five target Seether and roll well again to deal 8 to column 6. Phoenix walks up around the building, boosts to hit and damage the Seether dealing 5 to column 6. Manticore again covering fires 12 inches up towards the Raiders and to the side of the left Flag. Kae moves up behind the Invictors and uses her feat, covers the entire army.

Turn 3

2 allocated to Seether. Siren moves over and sprays both MHAs killing 1 and missing the other. Skarloc tries to cast Perdition on the second MHA and misses by 1. WSC move up and disbind the Banishing Ward (honestly not sure if it works this way, but eh...) and deals 3 via the backlash to Kae. Another member of the WSC then uses their force blast like ability to kill an Invictor (just inside of 5 inches) and the last one Puppet Master's the Death Jack. Death Jack moves up, casts Perdition on the right Flag hitting but dealing no damage. Skarre moves up and casts Blood Rain on the Invictors putting corrosion on 2, casts Admonition on herself, then pops her feat protecting herself, Death Jack, and the Seether from being targeted with attacks, and causing the Phoenix and Kae to be unable to attack anything. Seether walks into the covering fire and takes 4 damage from it before throwing the left flag into the Phoenix dealing 2 damage to shields and knocking the Phoenix down. This impact cracks the flag to 0 health again, moves it 6 inches to the right in front of the invictors. Captain speeds up the Raiders who mini feat and charge the Phoenix. They do a total of 22 damage crippling both arms and 4 damage hits Kae from feedback blasts.

Kae allocates 1 each to all 3 Myrmidons. Arcanist moves up to the Phoenix repairing it for 1 fixing the right arm. Phoenix then activates regenerating 6 points from the Phoenix field and 1 point by standard field regen for the focus. Then moves to just within range of the left flag and staying within range of all but 1 Raider which fails to deal damage with its free strike. Invictors charge, 1 killing a WSC member, 1 killing a Raider near the Phoenix, deals 14 to the left Flag with boosted damage from Flank Faction Warjack. The movement during that charge activates Admonition on Skarre who moves around the back of the Death Jack to the right side. Manticore moves up and two handed throws the left Flag to the right but it scatters right into the Death Jack dealing no damage to the Death Jack, but killing the Flag. This pops the flag another 5 inches to the right in between the Sentinels and Skarre. Some of the Sentinels stay still to deal with the Defiler, some move up to the flag. All miss against the Defiler, flag is killed and knocked into Skarre who can't be knocked down due to the Captain being in range. On dice minus 5 for the damage roll, the slam damage rolls snake eyes on Skarre. Banshee then walks up and shoots the flag slamming it again into Skarre and on dice minus 1 rolls a 3. MHA charges the damaged flag on Skarre hoping to knock it into her again and fails to deal any damage to it.

Turn 4

Seether is allocated 1 focus and the Death Jack gets 3 and Skarre keeps the other 3. Seether charges the Phoenix dealing 6 damage total and then smash and grab throws the Phoenix back into the Arcanist killing the elf and knocking down the Phoenix. Seether then buys another attack to kill an Invictor. Captain charges an Invictor, rolls exactly what she needs to kill it and then sprints back away. WSC move into combat with the Invictors killing 1 and missing 1. Siren sprays the MHA and misses. Scarloc then tries to Perdition the MHA in the back and rolls snake eyes. Skarre Perditions the Sentinels and then moves back away. Death Jack kills 1 Invictor and then burns all of its focus to exactly kill the Manticore. Defiler headbutts a Sentinel and rolls an 11 to be able to kill it. Raiders charge the Invictors and the Phoenix killing 1 Invictor and dealing 7 to the Phoenix, again disabling its right arm.

Banshee is allocated 2 in case Skarre will be within 12 inches after moving. Sentinels vengeance move around the Defiler and wreck it. 3 remaining Invictors manage to melee 1 Raider to death and combined ranged attack the Siren to kill it. Sentinels charge, 1 engaging the Skarlock (missing), 2 just outside of melee range of Skarre, and the standard standing with the one engaging the Skarlock to keep defensive line up. Banshee moves up, thinking Skarre is not in range shoots the Sentinel in line slamming it into Skarre. The Sentinel dies and Skarre is dropped to 1 health box left. Kae moves directly towards Death Jack intending to put feedback on him and then try a boosted arc bolt for the win, but is half an inch out of range to cast the feedback. In retrospect, the 8 inch range on the spell and 6 inch movement could have been checked by seeing if the Death Jack was within Kae's 14 inch control range, but that was my mistake to not check first. Just for spite, Phoenix gets back up, regens 2 points of shield from his Phoenix field then combusts killing 5 Raiders and the one Invictor near him.

Turn 5

Death Jack gets 2. A few random attacks that don't matter kill an Invictor, light the Invictor standard bearer and the Skarloc up with corrosion and the Sentinel commander is killed. The main attacks then are 2 Raiders killing the Arcanist trying to protect Kae, then Death Jack charges her, rolling box cars to hit, and eats her on the first damage roll.

In the end, I had my shots at his caster even during Skarre's feat turn where I couldn't target her directly. If one of two different rolls had been average she would have died from the Turn 4 Banshee slam. If I had been thinking at the end, Kae would have run like a mad elf woman for the trees to extend out the game another turn or two and see if the Banshee could line up another slam with one of the remaining Invictors (assuming Skarre also wasn't running like a mad pirate woman the other way).

Also, we have screenshot proof of another good game from League of Legends. I really like playing as Veigar, but Teemo might be a bit more up my alley:

As to painting and modeling, no changes. Picked up models that were already ordered and started assembling them. Once the game table is out of the way, I still hope to start painting again.

Flashback Comedy

One of my current projects at the apartment is to clean up the 2nd bedroom which is currently in use for storage. Once that room is cleaned up, I'll have a much more organized place, and more room to work on hobby projects. While cleaning, I have unearthed multiple old stacks of papers from High School. Reading some of these papers, I understand now I've always had this corny of a sense of humor, and if possible, when younger it was even worse. To share some of these discoveries of corniness, I bring you back to Winter of 1997-1998, and random things that after saying them just made us think... "what did we just say?"

Things Overheard in a Bike Shop

1. How big are these balls? Ball bearings come in different sizes.
2. I don't like the looks of these nipples. Nipples are the little pieces that hold spokes to the wheel.
3. Can you adjust my crank? The arms the pedals are attached to is called the crank.
4. You aren't supposed to be wearing underwear. With bike shorts.
5. Whack it harder. Using a hammer to get more leverage.
6. Is that screwed with the right hand or left? Right and left pedals are different threads.
7. Tight enough just to fit your finger underneath. Sizing bike shorts.
8. Provides exellent lubrication for all moving parts. Silicone spray lubricant.
9. Slowly, or it will blow off in your face. When inflating tires, don't put in too much air.
10. Wiggle it so it goes in further. Getting the valve through a rim while fixing a flat.
11. Well, did she give you a nice ride or what? Test riding bikes.
12. Do you want it in back or up front? Storage.
13. Don't get it on your shirt, it'll never come out. Synthetic grease.
14. Leave it for the head guy to play with. Sometimes the average mechanic can't cut it.
15. Mare sure the rubber's wide enough. Rubber rimstrips protect tubes from spokes.
16. It's hard to control when it's not straight. Handlebars.
17. Quick, I need a third hand! A tool used to tension cables.
18. I'll grab one side, you grab the other, pull on three... Technique to bend forks back into shape.
19. Here, feel how squishy this is. Handlebar grips.
20. How big of a rack do you want? To carry stuff on the back of the bike.
21. Does that come with batteries? Headlight and tail light set.
22. It automatically tells you how far you've gone. Bike computers.
23. Is that the big hole or the little hole? Schraeder and Presta (French valve) innertubes.
24. Ow! These teeth keep poking me! When you're too close to the rear sprocket, bad things happen.
25. How stiff do you want it? Shock fork adjustments.

35 Points Ravyn vs Scaverous

I played a game of Warmachine this Tuesday at the local game shop. Rolled up a random scenario... and got Kill Box, the most boring game. The objective: Kill the opposing warcaster, but your own warcaster has to stay at least 12 inches from the board edges or you lose. So no running away.

35 Point game, Kill Box.

The Enemy:

Scaverous

*Death Jack

*Erebus

*Malice

*Scarloc Thrall

Darragh Wrathe

Withershadow Combine

vs

The Angry Elves:

Ravyn

*Manticore

Sentinels plus UA

Mage Hunter Strike Force plus UA

Arianna and Master Holt

Fane Knight

Mage Hunter Assassin

Retribution won the roll and set up first:

Turn 1

Ravyn casts Snipe on MHSF, Vortex of Destruction on herself before moving up. Manticore moves up and drops a covering fire to maybe slow the Cryx advance. Arianna and Holt run to the Manticore, everybody else runs almost straight forward.

Malice and the Death Jack run to the right half of the board, Erebus takes the middle. Scarloc casts ghostly on Darragh who then runs behind Erebus. Scav nudges up a few inches. WSC moves up behind Death Jack.

Turn 2

Sentinels spread out between the walls. The walls get ruled as impassable as they are more than an inch tall. Joy. MHSF moves slightly towards center, unload on Erebus, do half his boxes in damage, no systems taken out. Ravyn nudges left, hot swaps snipe to Manticore who moves up and drops a covering fire on top of Death Jack 1 inch in front of WSC. Arcanist runs left to be behind Manticore, MHA and Fane Knight move up field slightly.

Malice moves up, out of range of shooting lead Sentinel. Scarloc Telekineses Death Jack up 2 inches. Scaverous Death Marks Death Jack and Telekineses Erebus 2 inches out of the covering fire. Death Jack charges the Sentinels, killing 2, then Icy Grips the Sentinels. Erebus charges and eats 1 Sentinel. WSC move up behind Malice.

Turn 3

Vengeance attacks from Sentinels take both arms and movement off of Erebus. Vortex upkeeped even though in hindsight it wasn't ever needed. Ravyn feats, fails to hurt DJ with a shot, casts Veil of Mists on the wall between Manticore and Death Jack so that the Manticore can walk over to melee later on. Arianna kisses Death Jack, Holt does 3 to Death Jack. MHSF deal 15 to Malice taking out the left arm and dealing 21 to Death Jack on good rolls. Manticore Power Boosts (forgot to power boost with arcanist beforehand) and proceeds to miss the Death Jack 3 times in melee. Sentinels activate and finish off both Erebus and the Death Jack. Fane Knight charges Darragh missing twice over the defended wall. MHA runs towards the middle of the backfield.

Scarloc Telekineses Malice up 2 inches, Malice charges Manticore dealing 21 disabling its cortex. Forces the Manticore to kill a Sentinel with Possession. (Only after the game did I realize the cortex is now gone, it can't be possessed anymore.) Darragh deals 3 points to the Fane Knight. Scaverous feats, Telekineses himself up 2 inches, Death Wards himself, Icy Chills the Sentinels, charges the Sentinels and Threshers killing 4 including the Officer. WSC move around the wall and deal 7 to the Manticore disabling the right arm.

Turn 4

Arianna kisses Scaverous, Master Holt shoots Scaverous for 2 damage. Remaining Sentinels walk up and deal an additional 7 to Scaverous. Mage Hunter Assassin charges Scaverous, rolls a 7 to barely hit, deals 26 damage for the overkill.

This was the first time this Cryx player has faced Retribution and was not aware of how effective against Warjacks they can be. I feel he charged Death Jack and Erebus in a little early, as at most he would kill only 4 while leaving the 2 heavies sitting right in front of 8 reach weaponmasters and a full Mage Hunter Strike Force with Jack Hunter. The high Cryx Defense did help a bit, with the POW 18 Manticore missing with 3 swings, but once their movement was taken out, it was just an easy mop up at that point.

As a side note. Had my first game of League of Legends against real people where I did not die once. I was rather happy with the game, even if it was against a bunch of noobs. For those who say screenshot or it didn't happen, here you go:

And finally, no painting done yet this past week. I did get some cleaning in the storage room done though, and once that room is cleaned up a bit, the game table is heading in there until I can finish it, which should free up space in the living room to get to the painting table. Until then, I bought a blister of melta guns for my Imperial Guard and ordered a blister of plasma guns... so 2 more points to the negative.

Painted: 0  Purchased: 8

Start of the new year

New Years Resolutions.

It's been quite awhile since I made one. I honestly can't even remember when the last was was, or what it was. But I read a rather good one on a hobby forum I frequent, and felt that I should make one like he is. The resolution was "to paint more models than I buy this year." As I seem to do the exact opposite of this almost every year, I felt it would be a good time to try changing. I will however make a slight change, I would like to make it instead "I will paint or sell more models than I buy this year" simply because I do have some models that I really doubt I'd ever get around to painting, and clearing them out of storage would be nice.

When I get something painted, I'll try to get an ok picture of it posted here to the blog. And I'll end each of my posts with a running tally of what I've painted and purchased so far this year. As I can't do a listing of points (100 points of fantasy is a bit different than 100 points of Warmachine) I have my own scoring system I plan on using to try and keep things even across the different game systems.

And as painting minis isn't my only hobby, I'll also be updating the blog (hopefully) with battle reports of games, pictures and reports of my homebrewing endeavors, and any other random thing I find to be hobbyish.

The worst part of this resolution is I'm already behind. I've already ordered a box of Skaven Plague Monks and haven't even managed to finish painting my current project - a Manticore Warjack. Sheesh. Well, let's see what happens.

Current Tally: Purchased: 6  Painted: 0