"There's No Turning Back" Scenic Brawlmachine Batrep July 3, 2022: Circle Orboros vs Protectorate of Menoth
When we ordered our first mystery boxes from PP, I had my heart set on Protectorate of Menoth. I fell in love with the bulky, ornate aesthetic of the faction. Our first boxes were Protectorate & Skorne. Donna had no idea that I'd been eyeing Protectorate. So, it was no harm / no foul when she chose them. I was happy to play something else, because at the end of the day, regardless of what faction I'm playing, I was going to get to enjoy the game at home with my wife.
Fast-forward a year and Donna is 5 months or so into playing Circle Orboros; a faction that she's really connected with from the play style to the look. It just checks so many boxes for her. After playing Skorne for the last 6 months, I decided to mix things up & pull her original Protectorate army out to start running against her Circle. We wanted to see what kind of shenanigans we could pull off. I was especially excited to see what I could do against her new list that included a Druid Wilder, Gorax Rager, & her first Minions model, Agata.
This was our 2nd play of Circle vs Protectorate from last week.
Scenario & Terrain
I mentioned in my last batrep that we've been playing Scenic Brawlmachine. It's all the Brawlmachine rules, but with the scoring adapted to the Scenic Steamroller variant designed by Thomas & Dessa O'Neale.
The Scenic Steamroller rules PDF can be found at Scenic Steamroller PDF.
A web page giving an overview & explanation of Scenic Steamroller can be found at Disgruntled Wargamer Scenic Steamroller.
We quickly marked off a 24" square zone in the middle of the play area. Then, we used a random terrain generator website to load up the bulk of the table inside that zone. We added a few more pieces of terrain randomly to liven up the battlefield, as suggested by Thomas.
Next, we rolled a d3 to see how many pieces of terrain would be scoring pieces (d3+3). We rolled a 2 which meant that 4 terrain pieces total would be marked for scoring. Each of us picked 2 pieces and defined whether they'd be scored by beasts / jacks, solos, or units. Donna selected a pond of shallow water to be scored by warbeasts / warjacks and a forest to be scored by units. I chose a rubble pile to be scored by solos and a stone wall to be scored by warjacks / warbeasts.
The terrain lay out descriptions to follow are described from my (Protectorate) side of the table.
There was a large boulder (obstruction) about 12" from the left side of the table and about 12" from the Circle table edge. Directly across from it about 22" to the right was an L-shaped stone wall (obstacle with cover). Inset about 2" towards the middle of the table & centered between the boulder & wall was a row of hay bales (obstacle with concealment).
Across the direct center of the table was a pond of shallow water, a tear drop-shaped forest, another L-shaped stone wall (obstacle with cover), and a stucco house (obstruction). About 5" to the left of the pond and a bit closer to the Protectorate table edge was a stone tower (obstruction).
In a rough line about 12" from the Protectorate side of the table was another large boulder (obstruction), an L-shaped forest, & a rubble pile (1/2 obstacle, 1/2 obstruction).
Severius felt an uncomfortable but familiar twinge coursing through his spine. There was trouble ahead. The elder warcaster could feel the presence of vile magiks in the air. His entourage was just south of a patch of woods with their most immediate paths forward funneled into potential choke points by boulders and rubble.
Connecting his mind to the warjacks in his battlegroup, he sent them forward to establish a front line that he & the rest could safely advance behind. The Revenger ran up into the narrow clearing to the right of the forest, while the Indictor ran behind it closer to the rubble pile. Severius sent the Vigilant barreling to the west to opposite side of the wood line.
A veteran Mechanik, Godwin Atwood, did his best to keep pace with the massive warjacks in his care. Tools jostled about, dangling from both his belt & apron. As he came to crouch low behind the rubble pile, Godwin kept his head down and prayed for Menoth's protection.
The Grand Scrutator then moved up beside Elias Gade, who nodded an unspoken understanding of what was expected. Severius placed a hand on Gade's shoulder and a turquoise haze seemed to wash over the Exemplar Warder. Elias' eyes flickered the same turquoise color as Severius blessed him with prescient "Vision"*. Reaching out with his staff pointed towards the Bastions, Severius spoke a prayer over them next. Each of the proud warriors seemed to stand a bit taller in their heavy armor as he blessed them with a defensive warding* in preparation for any trouble to come.
Gade ran forward through the southern woods with a grace that belied how dangerous a warrior he truly was. Emerging from the other side of the patch of dogwood trees, he proceeded up to the northern wood line. Stopping just shy of the nearest cherry tree, the light from the midday sun broke through its bundles of pink flowers to reflect off his armor.
Emboldened by Severius' blessing, Ansel Ellsworth motioned for his brother Bastions to follow him into the clearing ahead of them. The strength these warriors possessed was inhuman; running forward in heavy plate armor that would break the backs of lesser men. They came to stop packed tight within the clearing in a herringbone formation. Ansel recognized this spot would make them sitting ducks for any ambush had the Vigilant to their right not signaled that there were no threats in the immediate area beforehand.
With the rest of the crusading party advanced to the east of them, the Reclaimer Gatekeeper looked to the Repenter at his side. Though no words had ever been spoken between the two of them, the nameless Reclaimer & the warjack shared an intense bond; strengthened by years of combat. With a gesture of his hand, the Reclaimer sent the Repenter running foward towards a small stone tower ahead of them. He then moved up just behind his companion to the right of a large boulder.
* Vision (upkeep spell) - When target friendly Faction model is directly hit by an attack, you can choose to have it suffer no damage roll from the attack. Then, Vision expires.
* Defender's Ward (upkeep spell) - Target friendly faction model / unit gains +2 DEF and ARM. Models are not affected while out of formation.
As much as Kaya's bold & reckless nature sometimes bothered several of the elder blackclads, they recognized her ferocity was well-suited to deal with this latest incursion. She was tasked with assembling a force to quell the Protectorate nuisance & given autonomy in choosing who she took on the mission. Kaya wanted to put an end to this quickly and with a show of force that would send a message to the Hierarch to give him pause at the thought of future crusades.
She knew the faith of Menites was not so easily broken though. If she was going to succeed, she'd need to humble herself and reach out for a little help. Enlisting the aid of the barbarous farrow, Agata, the young warlock's already brash confidence grew. Given her own wild nature, Kaya felt a sort of kinship with the aggressive, audacious "Queen Of Carnage".
What she knew of Grand Scrutator Severius told her to keep a cautious distance at first. The frail warcaster may not be much of a physical threat at this late stage in his life, but the powerful magiks he wielded through cursed arc nodes could be devastating across vast distances.
Keeping that in mind, she sent her pair of trusted Argi running towards a stone wall ahead of their position. Neoma, the fair-haired Moonhound, came to rest B2B with the wall, while her companion, the Winter Argus Lumi ran up between her & a stucco house to the right.
As strong of a bond Kaya shared with her Argi, she still struggled somewhat with reigning in the young Gorax named Angar. That she managed as well as she did spoke volumes of her connection to the Circle; as Angar's rage fully consumed him. She forced him to run up behind Neoma in hopes of unleashing his pent up fury when the moment was just right.
Through Neoma's eyes, Kaya recognized Elias Gade at the edge of the northern forest. The Exemplar Warder had been a thorn in her side in the recent past; narrowly escaping Mistral's blade. The young druid sent Remus, her Pureblood Warpwolf, and the unit of Warpborn Skinwalkers to ensure any threat he posed would be eliminated quickly. Remus' physical form flickered in a "Ghostly"* manner as the hulking beast ran directly through a large boulder towards the forest of cherry trees. Kaya riled him to build the furious energies coursing through his veins.
Leaping over a row of hay bales, Kylo, the Skinwalker Alpha, led his Wolfsworn brethren running up in support of the massive Warpwolf. Agata ran up beside the Skinwalkers as Alea moved up near the wall of hay. The Druid Wilder hunkered down behind the imposing wall of flesh that was the Warpborn Skinwalkers.
Kaya rode up between Angar & the hay bales. The raging Gorax snarled in frustration at being held at bay, but Kaya calmed him; assuring him his taste for blood would be sated in due time. Raising her spear, Mistral, towards the sky, orange runes began to encircle its blade. Uttering a pair of archaic incantations, she hoped to strengthen her army's chances against the Protectorate force encroaching on their forests. Kaya amplified the "Synergy"* between the beasts in her charge as well calling down a dense fog* to enshroud both beasts & warriors alike.
* Ghostly (warp ability) - This model can advance through terrain & obstacles without penalty and can advance through obstructions if it has enough movement to move completely past them. It cannot be targeted by free strikes.
* Synergy (upkeep 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.
* Fog Of War (upkeep spell) - Models gain concealment while in the spellcaster's control range.
Severius expended a bit of his power to maintain the protective magiks he'd blessed Gade & the Bastions with. Allocating some of what remained to the Revenger, he sent it charging into the Argus Moonhound on the other side of the stone wall.
As the warjack approached Neoma, Agata's eyes lit up; seeing the opportunity to charge in to counterattack. The hefty warrior leapt at the Revenger with an unexpected agility; driving both of her Punching Blades into it to do 10 damage to column 4. While her left blade tore at the armor of its right arm, Agata's right blade struck a direct hit to the Revenger's cortex, crippling it instantly.
Even though the 'jack suffered such a devastating blow, the Revenger's "Repulsor Shield" managed to drive the farrow queen back. Not letting Agata's interference distract from its mission, the Revenger slashed Neoma's shoulder with the blade of its Halberd. The Moonhound yelped in pain; taking 8 damage to spiral 6 at straight dice.
The rumbling sound of the massive Indictor running up behind the Revenger signaled its presence to all around. The Circle beasts nearby felt an uneasy shift to the atmosphere as the heavy warjack approached them. Godwin shuffled up behind the Indictor; readying his Multi-Tool for the first chance he could get a clear, safe path to repair the Revenger.
Severius moved up near the southern forest and attempted to connect once more with his Revenger. Though its cortex was crippled, he was still able to channel spells through the 'jack's arc node. Sending a bolt of energy through it, he struck the Skinwalkers with a veritable "Death Sentence"*; cursing their chances to avoid harm.
Gade could only see a single Skinwalker on the edge of the cherry forest. Peering into the hazy cloud surrounding his target, the Exemplar Warder took aim & sent the first arrow piercing into Nyko's right bicep for 1 damage. The young Skinwalker growled, yanking the arrow out, only to have the second shot cut across his shoulder for another damage a second later.
Ansel sent the Bastions running up to surround Gade. He hoped to protect the Exemplar Warder from the Skinwalkers making their way towards him.
The Reclaimer moved up in front of the large boulder & blessed his Repenter to "Strike True"*; sending it up to the edge of the pond to attack Remus with its Flame Thrower. The water boiled in the pond as flame sprayed out over it onto the Pureblood. Remus took 5 damage to spiral 1 & the fire continued to burn across his back.
* Death Sentence (upkeep spell) - When a friendly Faction model misses target enemy model / unit with an attack, it can reroll the attack roll. Each attack roll can be rerolled only once as a result of Death Sentence.
* Strike True! (Jack Marshall-granted ability) - The warjack gains +2 on all attack rolls during its activation this turn.
The flames continued to burn Remus' back; scorching his flesh for 1 damage to spiral 4. Kaya calmed her beasts, pulling the fury building in them into herself. She allowed the fog around her army to lift but maintained the "Synergy" between her beasts thanks to Alea's arcane support.
Lumi unleashed a torrential spray of ice onto the Revenger. The Protectorate warjack suffered 5 damage to column 4 & was frozen Stationary where it stood. Gears in its right arm cracked as the ice covered them; crippling the 'jack's ability to wield its Halberd effectively. Adding insult to injury, Neoma charged into the Revenger; tearing into it for 3 damage to column 6 & another 1 damage to column 3. As the Moonhound's teeth tore at the Revenger's armor, Kaya's other warbeasts were empowered by the synergistic bond she'd woven between them.
Wanting to seize the opportunity to remove the accursed arc node, Agata charged in. The Queen Of Carnage drove her left Punching Blade into the Revenger's chest for 9 damage to column 1. A squeal of steam ushered forth like a dying breath as the light in the warjack's eyes went dark. As the wreckage of the Revenger slid off her left blade, she struck the Indictor with her right; only managing 1 damage to column 5. She then stepped to the side of the heavy warjack & sprinted toward Severius with ill intent.
Angar moved up to the stone wall. The frustration at the lack of targets left standing near him tore away at the Gorax Rager's soul.
Remus leaned into his connection with the Devourer Wurm. Warping his physical being, every sinew in his body flexed involuntarily as his strength* grew. Water splashing up from below failed to extinguish the fire as he charged across the pond. When the mammoth Warpwolf closed in on the Bastions, two of them took defensive stands and struck at him with their Consecrated Halberds. The first swung wide & missed completely, but the the other, Perth Banister, slashed at his chest to do 5 damage to spiral 4.
Now standing in the Perth's face & seeking revenge, the Pureblood assaulted the Exemplar Bastion with a Death Howl from the depths of his soul. The sonic battery slammed Perth for 4 damage, but as the sound waves flowed beyond him, they caught the Reclaimer; shattering his spine & killing him instantly. Clawing at the Bastion, Remus missed his first attack, but his second tore through Perth's armor for 4 damage. Three of his brothers nearby took the pain to sustain him; leaning on their Sanguine Bond*.
Nyko's wounds began to close up as his Warpborn link to the Beast Of All Shapes healed him for 1 damage. Kylo howled once more; sending his Skinwalkers charging into the front line of the Protectorate advance, while he took up position in the northern forest. Two of the Bastions, Ansel & Bairn, managed to strike out at their attackers as they advanced. Bairn cut across Nyko's right shoulder for 3 damage, but Ansel's attack utterly devastated Thorin. The Consecrated Halberd's blade tore into the veteran Skinwalker's neck. Blood splattered along the cherry trees, as Thorin's jugular was rent open.
Fueled by their brother's death, several of the Skinwalkers channeled their rage into vicious attacks. Anton's Pole Axe was easily deflected, but the other Wolfsworn warriors' blades found their marks. Jaha tore at the Vigilant for 5 damage to column 4. Though not crippled, the warjack's cortex was severely damaged. Nyko's attack caught Elias Gade against the right side, but the blessed "Vision" bestowed on the Exemplar Warder by Severius protected him from any damage. Gade's good fortune would not last however as Fynn's Pole Axe came crashing down into his neck a moment later. Dislodging the blade from his victim, the Skinwalker send Gade's limp body collapsing to the dirt as his soul was delivered to the Lawbringer.
Circle Orboros 3 - Protectorate 0
* Strength (warp ability) - This model gains +2 STR.
* Sanguine Bond (unit ability) - When this model would suffer damage from an enemy attack while in formation, you can choose one or more models in its unit to suffer any amount of that damage instead, divided as you choose. If you do, this model does not suffer that damage. A model cannot suffer more damage as a result of Sanguine Bond than it has unmarked damage boxes.
Severius allotted a portion of his power to upkeep both the defensive blessing he bestowed on the Bastions as well as the "Death Sentence" he cursed the Skinwalkers with. After granting a bit more of his blessings onto both the Vigilant & Indictor, the Grand Scutator focused his mind on his light warjack.
Commanding the Vigilant with his mind, Severius directed the 'jack to lunge at one of the Warpborn Skinwalkers. The two mighty combatants wrestled for a moment, but the Vigilant proved undoubtedly to be the stronger of the two. Hoisting Jaha above its head, the Vigilant hurled the snarling warrior at the Gorax Rager. As Jaha came crashing into Angar, both were knocked to the ground. The Skinwalker suffered 4 damage, but the Gorax only suffered a single damage to spiral 5. Expending the focused power Severius blessed it with, the Vigilant then turned its attention to Fynn. Driving its spiked Shield Fist into the Skinwalker's chest for 3 damage.
Next, Severius linked his mind with the Indictor to send it charging into the Argus Moonhound. In a grisly display, the Indictor's might sword, Banisher, cleaved Neoma in half; doing 18 damage to spiral 6. As Neoma's blood dripped from Banisher's blade, Kaya leeched from the dying beast's spirit; a single tear running down the warlock's cheek, fueled equally by sorrow & fury.
Risking his own life, Godwin moved into position to begin working on the Vigilant. The skilled Mechanik repaired what he could of the warjack's cortex, removing 2 damage from column 4.
With Agata bearing down on him, Severius moved cautiously around the back side of the southern forest of dogwood trees. Once he felt safely hidden from the savage farrow's reach, the elderly Protectorate warcaster prayed Menoth's "Vision" over himself and then raised his Staff Of Judgement into the air. Severius unleashed an outburst of the Creator's "Divine Might"* across the battlefield. Kaya felt an uneasy pang creeping along her spine as the blinding light crashed into her.
Ansel rallied his Bastions to arms, avenging the death of Elias Gade. Initially, their blades found nothing save dirt & air, but thanks to the "Death Sentence" plaguing the Skinwalkers, the Bastions pressed on to slash at their foes. Anton, Nyko, & Fynn were all cut down in an instant. The Alpha howled in pain; though he was safe from the Bastion's blades, seeing 3 of his brother's bleeding out before him ate at the Skinwalker's very being.
The Repenter stepped awkwardly into the shallow pond to face Remus head on. Though its 'Jack Marshall was slain, the now autonomous warjack lashed out at the Warpwolf. The Repenter swung its powerful War Flail into Remus head; doing 8 damage to spiral 5.
Neither side gained the upper hand, but the Protectorate force positioned itself to nullify Circle's advantage.
Circle Orboros 3 - Protectorate 0
* Divine Might (feat) - While in Severius' control range, enemy models cannot cast spells or be used to channel spells and enemy warcaster / warlock models suffer -2 FOCUS and FURY. Divine Might lasts for one round.
The fire continued to burn away at Remus' flesh. Suffering 6 damage to spiral 1, the Pureblood gnashed his teeth in agony. Both his body & mind were now crippled from the pain. Alea assisted Kaya in keeping the "Synergy" between her beasts, but the blackclad found herself struggling to keep them under control. The curse Severius cast upon her limited how much of her beasts' angst she could relieve from them. Remus was especially agitated, but the Circle warlock eventually swayed the heavy warbeast to calm his mind before reaching the threshold of what he could take.
With her beasts now under control, Kaya forced Lumi to spray the Indictor with her "Frost Breath". Even with forcing her to boost both attacks, she was only able to do 2 damage to column 5. Agata followed up by charging into the Indictor's back, tearing at exhaust vents along its back for 4 damage to column 4. Afterwards, Agata side stepped away from the Indictor to close the distance to Severius once more.
Jaha worked his way back to his feet. The Skinwalker's mind was still a bit clouded from the ordeal, but he stumbled toward the Vigilant seeking to avenge the earlier attack. Meanwhile, Kylo burst through the cherry trees to bring his Pole Axe down across the lone Bastion at the edge of the northern forest. Victor's eyes grew wide as the pain wracked his body. He suffered 3 damage; dropping to a knee, barely alive, but refusing to succumb.
Kaya forced Angar to stand, but before she could guide his next move, the Gorax's rage consumed it. Driven by the pain of his injuries, Angar barreled towards Mechanik & shredded him in a furious assault. With his kill in hand & almost oblivious to the battle around him, the Gorax began to eat what remained of Godwin Atwood. The Bastions who witnessed the horrifying ordeal barely contained their disgust at the sight.
Remus sustained the boost to his strength from his Warpborn link & Kaya forced him to connect deeper to regenerate his failing health. Through her urging, he was able to heal 1 damage from both spiral 2 & 3, healing both his body & mind, if by only the smallest of margins. The Pureblood Warpwolf then clawed away at the Repenter; boosted by their synergistic bond Angar had amplified in killing the Mechanik. Ripping through the warjack's armored plating as if it were paper, Remus' attacks did 6 damage to column 4 and another 10 damage to column 2. Steam poured out as he tore into hoses leading to Repenter's legs, crippling its movement.
With a pat from Kaya's hand, Laris bolted toward Victor. Despite his injured state, the Bastion dodged the mighty wolf's claws, but he couldn't avoid the blackclad's blade. Mistral cut across his shoulder for 2 damage, but his brothers once again took a bit of the damage onto themselves to sustain him. Determined to remove the nuisance, Kaya spent a portion of the power leeched from her beasts to attack again.
This time, Mistral's blade stabbed into him for 9 damage, but still he stood...as 3 of his brother Bastions each took a measure of the damage from him. Ansel & Brill succumbed to the pain wracking their bodies, while Bairn buckled at the knees. He lived, but with only a single health remaining. Furious at Victor's stubborn refusal to die, Kaya expended the last of her furious energy to drive Mistral through his back. As the blade emerged from his chest, his eyes rolled back in his head. The 8 damage was more than his remaining brothers could take upon themselves.
With Victor no longer a threat to Kylo's position, Kaya repositioned away from the forest. With no energy left to stave off damage from Protectorate retaliation, she was forced to seek safety behind the tree line.
The Indictor controlled the area near the stone wall; giving Severius the advantage there.
Circle Orboros 4 - Protectorate 1
Severius blessed both of his warjacks with an allotment of power and kept all 3 of his spells in effect. Connecting with Indictor's cortex, he sent the massive warjack clambering over the stone wall to batter Lumi. The Indictor's first strike with Banisher cut across Lumi's left snout for 8 damage to spiral 4. Next, the warjack pummeled the Winter Argus across the back with its Shield for another 5 damage to spiral 4. Lumi yelped in pain as her spirit was crippled. Fueled by the energy Severius granted it, the Indictor's next attack with its Banisher put the Argus out of her misery; driving the blade into her ribs for 10 more damage to spiral 4, killing her.
Though the Repenter was in a ramshackled state, the 'jack hefted its War Flail to bring it down across Remus' brow for 1 damage to spiral 4.
Ansel compelled the critically wounded Bairn to join him in swarming Kylo in the forest. The battle-worn Alpha tried to fight off the attack but was cut down as their Halberd's blade tore into his flesh.
Severius stepped into the clearing between the dogwood forest & rubble pile with Agata in his sights. The elder warcaster raised his staff and spoke a prayer to Menoth; sending a ball of fire into the Queen Of Carnage in an attempt to immolate* her. Agata cried out as flames washed over her entire body. Suffering 4 damage, she was severely wounded & clinging to what little life she had left.
With the Bastions now controlling the northern forest & the Indictor still maintaining position on the stone wall, Protectorate started to close the distance on Circle's strategic advantage.
Circle Orboros 4 - Protectorate 3
Tormented by the flames ravaging his body, Remus suffered 2 damage to spiral 4: crippling his spirit. Alea maintained the "Synergy" between Remus & Angar, while Kaya moved into the forest to avenge Kylo. Both Ansel & Bairn attempted defensive strikes on the warlock as she entered the tree line. Bairn fumbled in his weakened attempt, but Ansel cut into Kaya's left arm for 3 damage. Stabbing Mistral's blade into Ansel's side for 2 damage, the warlock's eyes flickered a bright orange glow. In a flash*, she swung Mistral in an arc of devastation; tearing across both Bastion's necks for 9 & 7 damage respectively. The clanking sound of their heavy armor echoed through the forest as their corpses fell to the ground & their blood seeped into the soil. Repositioning into the forest, the blackclad urged Angar to turn his rage towards the Vigilant.
Tapping into his spirit, Kaya forced the Gorax to embrace it's most "Primal"* nature. Rending the Vigilant's side with brutal savagery, his claws tore away at the warjack's armor for 4 damage to column 1 and 3 more to column 5.
Agata charged into the Vigilant & slashed at it with both of her Punching Blades. The Protectorate 'jack easily deflected the attacks with its Shield Fists. Jaha tapped into his connection to the Wurm to regenerate & heal 3 damage before adding his Pole Axe to the onslaught on the light warjack. As his blade came crashing down, Vigilant managed to deflect it at the last second, sending it sparking off of a spike on the tip of his left Shield Fist.
Alea worked her way through the pond to place a hand on the small of Remus' back. Power flowed through the ground; her body a conduit for healing energies sent surging into the Warpwolf's body to heal him for 1 damage to spiral 6 & restore his spirit.
With the Pureblood's Warpborn strength boost pulsing through his body, Kaya then forced Remus to heal himself for an additional 2 damage; 1 each to spirals 1 & 5 respectively. Taking ahold of the Repenter, Remus threw the warjack into the stone tower. As it came crashing into the tower, debris exploded around the Repenter, who suffered 8 damage to column 3. Falling to the ground, the Repenter haplessly looked down to see the wreckage of its crippled right arm.
Kaya's command of the northern forest & Remus' control of the pond increased Circle's advantage despite the Indictor still controlling the stone wall.
Circle Orboros 6 - Protectorate 4
* Flashing Blade (spell) - The spellcaster immediately makes one basic melee attack with one of its melee weapons against each enemy model in its LOS that is in the weapons' melee range. The attacks are simultaneous.
* Primal (animus) - Target friendly Faction warbeast gains +1 STR & MAT for one round.
Severius prayed a blessing of focused power over the Vigilant then moved around to the front of the rubble pile. Lifting his eyes once more to the Lawbringer, the warcaster called down cleansing fire to reduce the worshipers of the Wurm to ash*. Focusing his will on Agata, Severius sent an eruptive chain reaction radiating from her across Angar to scorch the lone remaining Skinwalker. Agata cried out as the fire consumed her for 8 damage & Jaha was burned for 2. Angar shrugged off the flames as the the fire did nothing against his leathered flesh. The Grand Scrutator then attempted to immolate the Gorax; sending a ball of fire too powerful for his toughened hide to withstand. Angar was burned for 4 damage to spiral 5.
Severius directed the Vigilant to strike down Jaha & then turn his attention to the Gorax. Commanding the warjack to unleash a flurry of Shield Fist punches onto Angar; fueled by the focused power the Grand Scrutator bestowed up it. The first attack missed, but the 2 that followed slammed into his chest for 3 damage to spiral 1 & 4 damage to spiral 4.
The Indictor climbed back over the stone wall in hopes of assisting the Vigilant. Unfortunately, it was unable to get close enough to attack Angar without forfeiting Protectorate's control of the wall.
Lastly, the Repenter struggled to its feat & made its way over to the pond. Unable to amount any offense against Remus, the warjack moved into the water to nullify the Warpwolf's position in a hollow moral victory.
Even with Severius' control of the rubble pile & the Indictor's control of the wall giving Protectorate a slight advantage in the moment, it was clear there was nothing the warcaster could do to avoid the eventual defeat at the hands of the Circle Orboros thanks to Kaya maintaining position in the northern forest.
Circle Orboros 7 - Protectorate 6
* Ashes To Ashes (spell) - If a target model is hit, the d3 nearest enemy models within 4" of it suffer a POW 10 fire damage roll. These additional damage rolls are not considered to have been caused by an attack. Ashes To Ashes damage rolls are simultaneous.
After Action Review
1. (Jason) The game was lost in set-up. I made a costly mistake in marking stone wall in the center to be scored jacks / beasts. I didn't consider that the combination of the terrain Donna had forced me to deal with along with the slow speed of my Protectorate list would put me behind any chance to control that wall in the early scoring. That allowed her to take full advantage of the pond & forest she'd marked for scoring to take a huge 3-0 lead at the end of the 2nd round.
2. (Donna) I love how my Pureblood Warpwolf has so much staying power. When the continuous fire wouldn't expire round after round, I got worried, but he was able to heal just enough (thanks to Alea's "Medicate" & the Warpwolf's "Regenerate") to stay in the fight to the end.
3. (Jason) Losing the Reclaimer Gatekeeper so early hurt really bad. Not only was the Repenter left with no way to get Jack Marshall benefits, but I also lost any chance to collect souls from the Bastions to use to help the Reclaimer or those around him. I should have played safer with him & kept him back until Remus was already engaged / couldn't use his Assault spray anymore.
4. (Jason) Managing to find ways for Protectorate to shut down Circle's scoring in turn 4 along with scoring a couple points of their own was HUGE to keep me in the game. A few different choices by either Donna or myself in round 3 & 4 could have easily ended the game earlier.
5. (Donna) In my Circle turn 3, Remus should've thrown Repenter. If I could have gotten him out of the pond, I would have won the game on scenario right then. I realized my mistake when we did the scoring at the end of my turn that round.
6. (Donna) I have a bad habit of getting engrossed in the game & forgetting little things here & there. In Circle turn 3, I forgot to heal my Skinwalkers with "Hyper-Regeneration" at the start of their activation. That could have kept at least one of them in the fight longer later on.
7. (Jason) Agata making Severius run away in round 2 was a massive turning point. I couldn't attack with offensive spells for a full round since he was hiding behind the forest and I couldn't score rubble pile early on. Also, her taking out Revenger really hurt Severius with no arc node. Usually I can use him to get some hits and push enemies away with the Repulsor Shield to still be able to channel for a few turns, but between her CounterCharge and follow up charge on the next turn, Agata can almost solely be credited with destroying the Revenger.
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