"Once Bitten..." Brawlmachine Batrep April 9, 2022: Circle Orboros vs Cryx
After playing Skorne for the past few months, I was itching to get back to my first love: Cryx. I wanted to see what I could do against Donna's new Circle list. She took to the change from Protectorate to Circle quickly and was already working out some nice strategies and combos. I feel comfortable running my Cryx into her Protectorate & wanted to test my established Cryxian tactics against her Circle army.
We rolled a d6 to choose the scenario & played Brawlmachine Scenario 3: Ignition 2. There is a circular zone centered on the battlefield with a rectangular zone 4" to the right of it. There are 2 flags centered between the player's deployment edges. One is 4" to the left of the circular zone & the other is centered in the rectangular zone.
Tiny ripples birthed small waves as Shrike's flesh-strewn mechanikal wings batted a few feet above the small pond. Deneghra peered through the its eyes to scan the area ahead of her position. With no sign of any immediate threats, she signaled the rest of her force to move forward.
Soul Trapper rushed forward; hissing as it slithered towards what appeared to be a small bunker marked by a flag west of the tree line. Behind him, a corpulent Bloat Thrall lumbered on. Its thin, spider-like legs somehow supporting the thrall's weight as it moved toward the stone wall.
Across the battlefield, the shadowy figure of Hellslinger Phantom raced forward just outside an area of cobblestone ruins. Ripjaw ran into the same area; heading towards a bunker set inside the ruins.
Comfortable that both of her flanks were secure, the Wraith Witch ordered the rest of her warjacks to secure the area inside & just south of the central forest. First, Defiler moved up to toe-in on the edge of the larger, circular cobblestone area. Stalker crept forward ahead of Defiler; coming to stop beside a large redbud tree inside the forest. Lastly, Slayer ran up in front of a row of hay bails just south of Defiler's position.
Deneghra then took command of the lead Mechanithrall & sent it running ahead of the Bloat Thrall. Bellowing out an indecipherable order, it motioned for the rest of its unit to follow & spread out into a staggered line formation stretching out from Soul Trapper to Slayer. The Necrosurgeon kept a cautious distance behind the Mechanithralls while having her Stitch Thralls disperse across the rear of their formation.
Deneghra then moved up behind Defiler. She connected with each of her warjacks in turn; using their more-forward positions to survey the battlefield through their eyes.
Remus warped "Spell Ward*" and ran up between L-shaped forest & the edge of the rectangular ruins. The hulking Warpwolf canted his head to the side; picking up the foul odor of the army of thralls approaching.
The Rotterhorn Griffon, Aquilla, flew forward with a screech. He stopped to hover near the bunker Ripjaw was approaching. Lumi ran up behind the Rotterhorn while Neoma caught the scent of the Stalker and moved towards it. She let out a "Hunting Howl*" as she caught sight of the gangly bonejack and repositioned just north of the larger, circular cobblestone area.
With Neoma's target marked*, Lord of the Feast walked to the edge of the ruins & sent his raven into the forest. As the ebony bird found its target, the feast lord faded into the moonlight; reappearing a moment later behind the Cryxian warjack. With a ferocity none would expect from a figure so frail, he swung the powerful Wurmblade with frightful intent. Defiler managed to duck under the arc of the strike, but Stalker was not so lucky. The heavy, ancient blade dug into its torso; doing 9 damage to column 2 & crippling its movement. A shrill whine escaped the gaping hole in Stalker's side as steam poured out from the boiler ruptured inside.
Raising his Pole Axe overhead, Kylo howled and ran up towards the ruins. His loyal troop of Skinwalkers followed suit; anxious for the hunt that awaits them. As they moved over & around the rubble pile, the War Wolf galloped behind them. Ever ready to pounce on any who dared to challenge his kin.
Riding atop her massive wolf companion, Laris, Kaya moved up behind Neoma. Spreading her arms in an arc, she softly whispered an arcane phrase. A dense fog* formed at her feet and poured out in willowy waves as it encompassed the beasts & warriors closest to her. Her eyes then flashed a fiery orange glow for a second, followed by the eyes of her beasts doing the same. Warpwolf, Argi, & Griffon alike all felt a surge of synergistic energy* as the warlock's very essence flowed through them.
Ever the brazen warrior, fearless to a fault, Kaya then repositioned herself inside the circular ruins; all but tempting the worst of the Nightmare Empire to challenge her.
* Spell Ward (warp effect) - This model cannot be targeted by spells.
* Hunting Howls (animus) - Enemy models lose Stealth while within 5" of the spellcaster. Lasts 1 turn.
* Mark Target (ability)- Other friendly Faction models gain +2 to ranged attack rolls against enemy models within 5" of this model & in its LOS.
* Fog of War (spell) - Models gain concealment while in the spellcaster's control range. Upkeep.
* Synergy (spell) - While in the spellcaster's control range, models in this model's battlegroup gain a +1 cumulative bonus on melee attack & damage rolls for each other model in the battlegroup that hit an enemy model with a melee attack this turn while in the spellcaster's control range. This cumulative bonus cannot exceed +3. Upkeep.
The air around Deneghra shimmered and the Wraith Witch's physical being became translucent*. Her primary concern was to slow the advance of the Skinwalkers approaching from the west in hopes of allowing her warjacks & Hellslinger Phantom to work their way through Kaya's beasts and swarm on the druid en masse.
She sent the Mechanithralls to cut off the Skinwalkers on the north-western corner of the ruins, while at the same time both Brute Thralls moved directly towards Kaya. The Bloat Thrall then climbed cumbersomely over the stone wall & aimed his Despoiler angled upwards towards the nearest Skinwalker. Though he could barely see the wolfsworn warrior amidst the fog, the Bloat Thrall's barrage of caustic sludge landed directly on its target. A veteran Warpborn warrior, Jaha, suffered 2 damage as he was bathed in the toxic muck. Some of the sludge splashed onto the War Wolf nearby & he too was hit for 2 damage.
Soul Trapper moved up near the western bunker & the Necrosurgeon sent one of her thralls scampering up beside him. She moved into the center of the main area of ruins & spread her other 2 thralls out beside her behind the forward line of Mechanithralls.
The shadowy form of Hellslinger Phantom solidified as the gunslinger aimed both Wraithstorm Pistols at Aquilla. The ghostly shots* pierced the Rotterhorn's left wing. At dice -2, he was hit for 6 & 7 damage; both to spiral 4. Aquilla cried out as his body was crippled in the barrage.
If her plan was going to work, Deneghra needed to remove the nuisance that was the Lord of the Feast embedded behind her front line. She instructed Slayer to charge into the ancient being on the edge of the forest. Slashing into the feast lord with both Death Claws in a combined strike*, the heavy warjack tore flesh from bone; doing 16 damage at dice +6.
The trees were awash with gore as what remained of the lifeless body hung from Slayer's large metallic claws. A nearby Stitch Thrall scampered over to collect the remains of the corpse to deliver to his mistress.
No longer tied up with Lord of the Feast, Stalker was able to walk out of the forest & leap* over Kaya to land behind her. Its first Eviscerator slammed down into her back, but the druid's armor warded off any damage. The second attack struck again in the same area & just managed to pierce her armor to hit Kaya for a single damage.
Defiler turned toward Aquilla and boosted its shot, as even with his body crippled the Rotterhorn made a difficult target flying inside the low hanging cloud. The toxic spray shot wide to the right; bathing the eastern bunker in sludge.
Disheartened by Defiler's inability to deal with the Griffon, Deneghra sent her own winged warjack charging into Aquilla. Diving down into the fog, Shrike drove its Vicious Beak into Aquilla's chest for 7 damage to spiral 2. As the Rotternhorn fell to its knees, Shrike slashed Aquilla's throat with its Wing Blades. Kaya reaved the fury as her loyal Griffon died heroically in her defense.
With a clear path to the Winter Argus now, Ripjaw charged forward. The jacks Bone Saw spun feverishly inside its fetid mouth, but Lumi easily dodged the attack.
Deneghra walked around Slayer to the west side of the forest then stepped into the shadows* and reappeared between the Necrosurgeon & Mechanithralls. She attempted to curse the Skinwalkers, but even with boosting the spell, Kylo was unaffected, as he lurked in the fog of war. Frustrated with Kaya's protective magic making her own spells impotent, Deneghra sought to turn the tables and protect as much of her forward-most line as possible. A Web of Shadows spread out from her fingertips, like ethereal vines darting across the battlefield. The physical bodies of both Brute Thralls, Soul Trapper, Ripjaw, Shrike, & the Necrosurgeon faded into apparitions.
* Wraith Walker (ability) - At the end of your Control Phase, this model can gain Incorporeal for 1 round unless it gained Incorporeal during the last round.
* Ghost Shot (weapon attack type) - This model ignores LOS, concealment, & cover when making attacks with this weapon.
* Death Claw: Combo Strike (star action) - Make a single melee attack. The damage roll is this model's STR plus twice the POW of the weapon.
* Bounding Leap (ability) - Once per activation, after making a Full Advance as its Normal Movement, but before performing its Combat Action, this model can spend 1 focus to be placed completely within 5" of its current location.
* Shadow Step (spell) - Enemy models currently within 2" of the spellcaster suffer Shadow Bind for 1 round. Additionally, you can place the spellcaster anywhere completely within 3" of its current location. Can only be cast once per activation.
* Web of Shadows (feat) - Choose d3 + 3 friendly non-warcaster Faction models currently within Denehgra's control range. The chosen models gain Incorporeal for 1 round.
Kaya drew upon the furious energy built up in her beasts nearby. She directed a portion of that bestial power to maintain the synergy between her warbeasts, as well as sustaining the fog of protection around her army.
The corrosive sludge was still plaguing both the War Wolf & Jaha. Each of them suffered a point of damage as the acid continued to burn into their flesh. As quickly as the wound opened, Jaha tapped into his connection with the Devourer and his wounds were healed completely.
Kylo snarled and motioned for his Warpborn brethren to follow as he charged into the thralls. Blood and bile sprayed across the Skinwalkers as 4 Mechanithralls were cut down in a symphony of death & destruction. A frail Stitch Thrall awkwardly dodged as a Pole Axe buried into the ground beside him. He and another spindly thrall scurried about amid the chaos, collecting corpses and body parts of fallen thralls to deliver to the Necrosurgeon. The War Wolf pounced on one of the remaining Mechanithralls; tearing out its jugular with a gnashing of razor sharp teeth.
Neoma turned to protect Kaya. The Moonhound tore into Stalker with a savage barbarity. Tearing at the battered warjack's armor for 12 damage to column 3, Neoma ripped its cortex from the casing and destroyed the Stalker outright. She then repositioned into the circular ruins near the pair of Brute Thralls.
Kaya moved in front of the northern tree line & drove the magical blade of Mistral into the side of the first Brute Thrall. The pallid warrior doubled over clutching her side; suffering 5 damage.
Tapping into the energy leeched from her beasts, the potent of Oboros swung the Flashing Blade* of her spear, attempting to catch both Brute Thralls at once. The injured thrall awkwardly ducked under the attack & the full force of the blow carried the blade into the Brute beside her. Mistral's blade tore through the second thrall's throat; decapitating her.
Kaya called down the very shadow of the moon to descend upon the battlefield and cloak her army in darkness*. She then repositioned into the northern forest behind the front line of her Warpborn Skinwalkers.
Remus warped "Strength" & bright orange runes began to glow encircled around his claws* as the Pureblood called upon the primal, supernatural essence flowing through his blood. With Kaya safely behind the Skinwalkers, the giant Warpwolf charged forward; seeking to avenge Aquilla.
As the hulking figure barreled towards Shrike, he let out a devastating Death Howl*. Mordant waves of sound cut through the trees and warjacks alike. Only Defiler was spared as the small bonejack ducked under the violent echoes of Remus' howling cry. Shrike was hit for 9 damage & Slayer suffered a hit of 3; both being hit in column 3. In his fury, Remus tore into Shrike with claws blessed by arcane magic; ripping mechanikal wings from their sockets and destroying it completely.
Lumi attempted to move through the shadow of Ripjaw to attack it from behind. The bonejack's physical form solidified as the Winter Argus passed behind it & lashed out with its Bone Saw. Surviving the attack unscathed, the two-headed canine drew on the synergistic connection with Kaya's other beasts & bit into Ripjaw; destroying the jack's arc node & severing it's left leg at the knee with attacks of 9 to column 4 & 5 to column 6, respectively.
Sensing the hellfire burning inside Ripjaw was starting to fade, Kaya forced her Winter Argus to attack once more. This final bite did 8 damage to column 2 to finish off the weakened bonejack. Lumi then repositioned on the edge of the rectangular ruins; closing the distance with Hellslinger Phantom.
With 2 of her warbeasts protecting the smaller ruins site, Kaya began to feel her power growing just slightly.
Circle Orboros 1 - Cryx 0
* Flashing Blade (spell) - The spellcaster immediately makes 1 basic attack with one of its melee weapons against each enemy model in its LOS that is in the weapon's melee range.
* Moon Shadow (feat) - While in Kaya's control range, friendly Faction models gain +2 DEF & cannot be targeted by free strikes. Friendly Faction models can advance through enemy models if her control range if they have enough movement to move completely past their bases. Lasts 1 round
* Warp Strength (warp effect) - Gains +2 STR.
* Wraithbane (animus) - Target friendly Faction model's weapons gain Blessed & Damage Type: Magical. Lasts 1 round.
Deneghra & the rest of her Incorporeal army regained their physical forms as the magics that had transformed them into shades faded away. The Wraith Witch transferred a portion of her power to her 2 remaining helljacks.
The lone remaining Mechanithrall slugged its Steam Fists into the chest of Anton, a Warpborn Skinwalker standing to his left. While both punches hammered into Anton's armor, only one managed to break through; doing 1 point of damage. The Brute Thrall did not fare as well in her attempts to retaliate against Neoma. The agile Argus Moonhound dodged both strikes with ease.
Deneghra then signaled to the Necrosurgeon to hurry & complete her ghastly work. As the battle had raged around her, the necrotech specialist had been fast at work cobbling together makeshift thralls from the body parts & mechanikal bits her Stitch Thralls provided to her. She moved near the last remaining Mechanithrall & "Resurrected*" 3 additional robotic corpses to join his side. As she worked, her thralls spread out slightly to position themselves to harvest more treasures for their beloved mother-figure.
The Necrosurgeon's actions complicated things as the Bloat Thrall attempted to fire another volley of acid at the Skinwalkers. The position of the newly-resurrected Mechanithralls meant he had to choose his target carefully; lest he potentially undo all the work she had done constructing the newest batch of thralls. With this in mind, he waddled forward to get Kylo in range of his Despoiler. The shot went long by just a bit. While the Skinwalker Alpha was not harmed in the immediacy of it, a small bit of sludge splashed onto his armor and cape.
Soul Trapper caught a nearby Skinwalker by surprise; stabbing at him with razor sharp Mechano-Claws. The Skinwalker shrugged off the attack as the blades skidded off the armor plating along his forearm.
Defiler moved around to the front of the pond & took aim at Remus. Between the "Fog of War" & "Moon Shadow", even the massive silhouette of the Pureblood Warpwolf was made difficult to target. Even the arcane boost Deneghra had given Defiler was not enough to help it succeed. The Sludge Canon spit out a pool of caustic ooze that splashed harmlessly onto the cobblestone beside Remus' feet.
Though the forest slowed it down slightly, Slayer stampeded towards the Pureblood; driven forward by the dark essence the Wraith Witch poured into it. The massive helljack's Death Claws dug into Remus' torso with vicious lethality. The Warpwolf was brought to his knees as both his mind and body were crippled from the brutal 18 damage to spiral 1 at dice +5. Deneghra guided the heavy warjack to attack again to finish Remus off. Expending the last of the power she'd transferred to it, Slayer attempted to claw the Warpwolf again, but Remus was saved by effects of the moon's shadow.
Hellslinger unleashed a pair of Ghost Shot rounds from his twin Wraithstorm Pistols. The first shot struck the bunker, but the second just barely clipped Lumi's left hind leg. The hardy Winter Argus stood defiant as she was hit for 2 damage to spiral 3.
Deneghra charged Jaha and slashed into his right bicep with the blade of her Eclipse. The Warpborn Skinwalker suffered 3 damage & was bound as ghastly tendrils swarmed* around his body. As Jaha struggled in the shadowy confinement she'd curse him with, Deneghra vanished and reappeared behind the Necrosurgeon.
Now that Cryx had once again established a presence within the smaller ruins, the upper hand of power Kaya had started to enjoy began to stall out.
Circle Oroboros 1 - Cryx 0
* Resurrectionist (star action) - Remove up to 3 corpse tokens from this model and add 1 small-based Grunt to a friendly Thrall unit for each token removed. Place these Grunts in formation completely within 3" of this model. They must forfeit their Combat Action the turn they are put into play.
* Shadow Step (spell) - see explanation at the end of Cryx Turn 2 above.
The fighting managed to shake off the acid that had been plaguing Jaha, but the War Wolf & Kylo were still struggling with the corrosive muck they had been showered in. Both suffered a single point of damage as Kaya worked to reign in her beasts.
She took as much of their furious energy onto herself as she could handle, but Neoma was left still embattled with the emotional toll the battle was weighing on her. Though the struggle was tense, Kaya was able to soothe the Moonhound before the wild energy inside her reached its threshold. The young druid would have to be cautious not to push Neoma so hard as the fighting intensified. She let the fog of war lift, choosing instead to direct her power in a more offensive manner going forward.
The Skinwalkers swarmed the thralls in front of them. As Pole Axes cut through flesh & metal with equal barbarity, 4 Mechanithralls were slaughtered. Only the Necrosurgeon managed to escape harm as she deftly side stepped Jaha's attack. Her Stitch Thralls, seemingly ignoring the bedlam around them, continued to collect body parts for use in her perverse creations. Soul Trapper was killed as the last Skinwalker's blade cut across his body; severing his torso in half.
Neoma bit at the Brute Thrall, but the wounded behemoth somehow blocked both of the Argus' attacks. Kaya considered pushing Neoma to finish the Brute off, but thought better of it since she was already struggling to maintain control of her Moonhound.
Lumi unleashed a barrage of Frost Breath onto Hellslinger Phantom. Particles of ice pierced his temporarily corporeal form like daggers. The shower of frozen darts tore threw the gunslinger; doing 11 damage. An empty trench coat fell to the ground; all that remained of the ghastly phantom. Lumi repositioned to flank Defiler inside the ruins.
Remus warped "Strength" & Kaya urged him to draw on his bond with the Warp to heal his wounds however much he might. The Pureblood was able to heal 3 damage through the regenerative* effect. With his mind & body restored, Remus sought revenge on the Slayer; clawing at the helljack with malicious intent. The sight of the massive Warpwolf shredding through Slayer's armor to rip out its cortex was a shocking display of violence. Slayer was hit twice for 13 damage as Kaya pushed him to attack with even greater zeal and leave the former helljack nothing more than a pile of smoldering wreckage at his feet.
Kaya charged into the Brute Thrall that was engaged with Neoma. Driving the blade of Mistral into the thrall's skull, Kaya put the Cryxian Brute out of her misery once and for all.
Cirlce Orboros 1 - Cryx 0
* Regeneration [d3] - This model can be forced to remove d3 damage points once per activation. Cannot be used during an activation in which it runs.
With her Mechanithralls decimated & only 1 of her bonejacks still standing, Deneghra felt as if the walls were closing in. Her mission would be an abject failure if she were to flee at this point. Though she could tell these ruins were of great importance to the druids, the deeper answers to her Lich Lord's questions eluded her.
Her mind raced with indecision for a moment before settling on her only hope to escape with her life & possible bargaining power to gain the knowledge Asphyxious sent her to uncover. She now sought to strike Kaya down & subjugate what was left of her followers to give up the answers she desired.
In order for her new plan to work, she would need every step to fall in line perfectly. To start, the Wraith Witch walked into the shadows* once more to become Incorporeal. Next, she instructed her Bloat Thrall to fire a volley of acid into the forest; hoping to land a direct hit on Kaya.
The shot landed short of the tree line however. Kylo & 2 of his Skinwalkers were drenched in sludge. The Alpha & Skinwalker next to him were spared any immediate harm, but their brother beside them suffered 3 damage.
Lamenting the Bloat's failure, Deneghra took matters into her own hands. Her ghostly visage passed through the Pole Axes of the Skinwalkers who were partially blocking her path as she charged to the edge of the forest.
Deneghra swung the blade of Eclipse into the druid's side. As the blade cut into her, Kaya connected with Neoma. The Moonhound yelped as her spirit was struck for 3 damage to spiral 5 & the wound to Kaya's ribs healed instantly.
Deneghra drew upon the Dragonfather's dark magic to will herself to unleash a fury of attacks; boosting all 3 in an attempt to kill her foe. The first two glanced harmlessly off of Kaya's armor, but the third struck her across her brow. Leaning on the bond with her Winter Argus this time, the cut on her forehead was healed as Lumi stumbled when the 6 damage was transferred to her spiral 2. Unable to mortally wound Kaya, Deneghra used her Eclipse's ability to banish her into the darkness*. In a flash, Kaya was transported to the other side of the central forest with her back to the battle raging inside of it.
In a desperate attempt, the Wraith Witch commanded her Defiler to charge into Kaya; bashing her with its head. Lumi attempted to bite Defiler as it ran towards her mistress, but the awkward little bonejack slipped under the attack and slammed it head into Laris for 6 damage. Neoma cried out in pain as Kaya drew from the Argus Moonhound's life force to heal her wounds for a second time.
As all of this unfolded, the Necrosurgeon's minions continued to rummage haphazardly around the battlefield for whatever body parts they could scavenge. While her Stitch Thralls picked over corpses, the Necrosurgeon hopelessly stabbed at Jaha. Though the blade of her Gut Splitter hit him, the weak attack from her surgical equipment did little more than annoy the Skinwalker.
Circle Orboros 1 - Cryx 0
* Wraith Walker (ability) - see Cryx round 2.
* Dark Banishment (weapon ability) - When this model hits an enemy model with this weapon during its activation, after the attack is resolved you can place the enemy model anywhere completely within d6 + 3" of its current location. A model can be placed by Dark Banishment only once per turn.
The War Wolf shook forcefully & what little acid was left on its back flew off; landing harmlessly in the grass by its paws. Kylo & his Skinwalkers were not so fortunate. The 3 of them each suffered a point of damage as the caustic sludge continued to burn into their skin.
Kaya did what she could to reign in her beasts. Both Argi & Remus had been pushed to the breaking point. It took all that she had in her to calm Remus & Lumi, but she lost her mental grip on Neoma. The Moonhound lashed out at the Brute Thrall in front of her, but the hulking thrall blocked the bite with a Heavy Steamfist.
Kaya knew that her favor would not last forever & commanded Kylo to swarm the Cryxian warcaster with his Skinwalkers. Kylo & 2 others charged Deneghra. The other 3 that were further away encircled the Necrosurgeon & cut her down in a blur of blood & steel.
Jaha was the first to reach Deneghra. Driven by the force of his charge, he swung his Pole Axe into her abdomen; nearly cleaving her in half & doing 15 damage at dice -1. As the wind caught the scent of the Wraith Witch's spilled blood, the War Wolf's bestial instinct took over. He raced into the fray; gnashing at Deneghra for another 3 damage at dice -4. Fallen to the ground and barely conscious, the last thing Deneghra saw was the sinewy silhouette of Kylo standing above her. Driving his Pole Axe down to split her skull, the Alpha & his Skinwalkers howled into the night; victorious as what remained of the Nightmare Empire's forces retreated into the darkness.
After Action Review
I mentioned in a previous Circle / Skorne blog about how the high SPD + Pathfinder of so much of her Circle list threw a wrench into my "Mechanithralls are a forward wall" strategy that kept her Protectorate out of zones so that I could get up on scenario early. That issue reared its ugly head here again & I realized that I need to not play so aggressively against her Cirle. I need to keep her threat ranges in mind and play back a bit. Still keep a presence in the zones so that she doesn't get an early advantage, but not race up to engage them so early.
Her Skinwalkers were out of charge range of my Mechanithralls in round 2. So, I opted to run them up to jam up the Skinwalkers and get close enough that they could attack my thralls, but not charge. I was thinking defensively, but playing far too forward and aggressive with it. I absolutely LOVE my Mechanithralls....when they can charge in & get a Combo Strike with their Steam Fists. Instead, this game I took for granted how strong her Skinwalkers were and my thralls were nothing more than fodder for their Pole Axes.
I should also have deployed Defiler to the left of Deneghra. He would have been much better served backing up Bloat Thrall in lobbing corrosion into the Skinwalkers. Hitting their DEF 12 would have been much easier than the Rotterhorn Griffon's DEF 15...and that's base levels. Much harder to hit the Griffon when you add in the +2 DEF for Fog of War & +2 DEF for Kaya's feat.
Then, there was the catastrophic screw up of not allocating any focus to my jacks in round 2. Having played Skorne for months, coming back to Cryx caused me to lose sight of little things like focus allocation that I hadn't experienced / used while playing a Hordes faction for 3-4 months. With only the 1 focus they got for powering up, my jacks were left woefully unprepared to get in any serious offense in what was easily the most critical round of the game, as far as determining the path it'd eventually head down.
I'd lean heavy on using "Incendiary" with Hellslinger Phantom in the past. This was one of the first times that I really used his weapon's "Ghost Shot" ability & it was a nice counter to her Fog of War spell.
I also realized that I need to prioritize taking out her War Wolf & Skinwalker Alpha sooner in the game. The boosts that the Alpha gives are a serious pain with the unit getting Gang when they charged in and swarmed my thralls. Also, the War Wolf getting the free charge on Deneghra due to "Sic 'Em" was salt on the wound. Given how things had played out after my failed assassination attempt in round 4, the War Wolf would still have been able to charge on its activation, but getting it for free when the first Skinwalker hit her added insult to injury.
My plan going in was to run my battlegroup into her battlegroup with the Hellslinger Phantom adding some harassing fire from the flank. The goal was to get an advantage by eliminating 2-3 of her beasts between rounds 2 & 3 while getting up on points from the rectangular zone & the flag in it. I planned that out in hopes that the Mechanithralls would be able to hold off the Skinwalkers for a turn or 2 while the Bloat Thrall weakened them. That clearly didn't go my way.
***
As for Donna, she said after the game that there wasn't much that she'd have done different. She did get more than a few bad die rolls, including two separate double 1s on attacks, but she worked out her initial plans almost to a tee.
She planned from the start to run her Griffon forward hoping to get me to focus on it (which I did) while here Winter Argus could get off a spray shot into my jacks and her Warpwolf could take advantage of his Assault spray; charging into whichever jack I had the furthest forward.
This was also the first game that she really worked her Moonhound with solid efficiency. She worked the order out perfectly to cast her animus (Hunting Howls = denies Stealth within 5") and then repo thanks to Kaya's "Field Marshall" ability to get within 5" of Stalker. Not only was she able to take out Stalker's Stealth, but her innate "Mark Target" ability made Lord of the Feast's follow up ranged attack that much better.
All of this while moving her Skinwalkers in to deny scoring on the left flag and eventually set up the combo to give the War Wolf the free charge.
Despite her few bad die rolls keeping me in the game longer than I deserved, she pretty much worked out everything she planned from the start exactly how she wanted it to. She's really dialing in some solid ways to use her Circle and it's got me excited to learn from my losses and adapt going forward.
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