Me: Skorne Battlebox
pMorghoul (-7)
2 x Cyclops Savages (+5)
Titan Gladiator (+8)
Opponent: Convergence of Cyriss
Father Lucant (-5)
Max. Unit Reciprocators (+9)
Conservator (+7)
He had way more board control potential in the form of a screening unit and everything in there is particularly beefy. Due to Morghoul's low Fury, I can't expect to have everyone push themselves ridiculously and to be able to maintain any control against all of those heavy infantry. I had recently played a 15 pt. game against someone playing Max. Gatorman Posse, Bokur, and Rask. Given that I got tabled and most of my support units (read: a third of my list) got locked in and mulched down by gatorman spears, I was very hesitant and nervous about Shieldwall infantry with Reach. With that in mind, I knew I had to strike at an angle and avoid half of what he had. Especially with the Conservator advancing and getting free hits even if I would manage to kill some of his models.
He got first turn, and positioned everything so that Father Lucant was in the middle, in the exact middle of the Reciprocators and the Conservator was within 5 inches of them on my left.
I decided to deploy in a tightly packed brick toward his right flank, looking to let my speed 6 lights and speed buffs with Rush and Abuse carry me through and get positioning that his speed 4 models couldn't.
Turn 1:
He runs everything forward, puts up Watcher, and Positive Charge.
I have the Cyclopses run 8 inches up the board, because I don't want him to get the drop on me in anyway.
Morghoul walks up 7 and puts Admonition on the Gladiator.
It's at this point, I realize I'm in purification range. Of course, he wants to keep Watcher up so he doesn't bother, as becomes apparent next round.
Turn 2:
My Opponent walks everything up, and has his Reciprocators take more of a hemisphere shape, but otherwise maintains the same course of relentless advance of ARM 20's. He upkeeps Watcher Positive Charge.
My turn. Upkeep Admonition on the Gladiator. I start by having the Savages charge into his Reciprocators, which causes Watcher to take a swing at one of my Savages. Giving him a decent chunk of damage. One of them actually is able to reach through the shield wall and clip Lucant for 3 damage.
Morghoul Abuses the Gladiator, flushes out the rest of his fury, and runs up to the far right keeping everyone in his control area. The Gladiator puts Rush on himself and Slams the Reciprocator at the far right
The Reciproactor dies due to boosted POW 17, and I choose not to follow through, keeping him just barely in Morghoul's control area. However, he's 75% into the left Reciprocators back arc and is close to Lucant.
The Reciproactor dies due to boosted POW 17, and I choose not to follow through, keeping him just barely in Morghoul's control area. However, he's 75% into the left Reciprocators back arc and is close to Lucant.
Unfortunately, here I didn't regulate my fury well leaving 6 on the table when I should have used Maltreatment on one of the Cyclopses... Cyclopeses...Cyclopes maybe...
Turn 3:
With everyone compacted in tightly, movement wasn't an issue anymore so my Opponent dropped Watcher, and upkept Polarizing Charge. All the Medium based Infantry of his can't maneuver around, being blocked by the Conservator, so they swing what they can at one of the savages nearly killing it.
During my turn, I reave fury, leaving 2 on one of the Cyclo-... the Savages, and he rages out, killing an unsuspecting Reciprocator. Triggering of course, Hand of Vengeance. Which triggers my angry Cyclops to die. This movement triggered Admonition, which allowed me to maneuver next to Lucant by swinging around the base of a lone Reciprocator.
At this point, I have only one chance of winning this. I take all the fury Morghoul has, and I spam Abuse. I end up cutting for one to allow for a total of 3 castings of Abuse.
He has 18 Boxes left, and I'm operating at S 18, all my damage rolls at +1 or +2.
I swing and max out his fury, boosting damage, and after missing the 3rd attack, I manage to swing in a last attack for the final 2 damage, securing me a Skorne victory.
Thoughts on the match and Lessons to be learned:
Fury is a hassle, and a hassle that needs to be mastered. The game makes you pay for the adaptability every step of the way by making you have to think ahead ridiculously on your turns. This is a dice game where the designers hand you the tools to curb the impact of random chance, and every time you can stop chance from interfering with your turn, then you have made a better play than you otherwise would have.
Further, if you're out numbered, try to take advantage of any positioning issues they might have, and focus on the fewest but most key pieces that they have.
The only reason I won was because my opponent wanted to keep Positive Charge going, and thus had forgone casting Purification. If he had dropped that, I would have been swarmed by theoretically Pow 16 heavy infantry. Due to Morghoul not being able to pose any problems to my opponent other than a large heavy, I had less control beyond brute force in this game. This forced me to look to the classic Skorne strategy of Bricking up and moving out. However, it made me more jaded to Morghoul. While a good Beast caster that can stay safely out of harms way, I feel that the lack of variety in what he can do makes him less viable in higher points play. I'lll be investigating p/eHexeris after another week, and look to start getting some infantry together, to play to most of Skorne's supposed strengths.
During my turn, I reave fury, leaving 2 on one of the Cyclo-... the Savages, and he rages out, killing an unsuspecting Reciprocator. Triggering of course, Hand of Vengeance. Which triggers my angry Cyclops to die. This movement triggered Admonition, which allowed me to maneuver next to Lucant by swinging around the base of a lone Reciprocator.
At this point, I have only one chance of winning this. I take all the fury Morghoul has, and I spam Abuse. I end up cutting for one to allow for a total of 3 castings of Abuse.
He has 18 Boxes left, and I'm operating at S 18, all my damage rolls at +1 or +2.
I swing and max out his fury, boosting damage, and after missing the 3rd attack, I manage to swing in a last attack for the final 2 damage, securing me a Skorne victory.
Thoughts on the match and Lessons to be learned:
Fury is a hassle, and a hassle that needs to be mastered. The game makes you pay for the adaptability every step of the way by making you have to think ahead ridiculously on your turns. This is a dice game where the designers hand you the tools to curb the impact of random chance, and every time you can stop chance from interfering with your turn, then you have made a better play than you otherwise would have.
Further, if you're out numbered, try to take advantage of any positioning issues they might have, and focus on the fewest but most key pieces that they have.
The only reason I won was because my opponent wanted to keep Positive Charge going, and thus had forgone casting Purification. If he had dropped that, I would have been swarmed by theoretically Pow 16 heavy infantry. Due to Morghoul not being able to pose any problems to my opponent other than a large heavy, I had less control beyond brute force in this game. This forced me to look to the classic Skorne strategy of Bricking up and moving out. However, it made me more jaded to Morghoul. While a good Beast caster that can stay safely out of harms way, I feel that the lack of variety in what he can do makes him less viable in higher points play. I'lll be investigating p/eHexeris after another week, and look to start getting some infantry together, to play to most of Skorne's supposed strengths.
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