Thyra vs eIrusk

Elliot came over for our weekly Warmachine game on Tuesday night. This was a 50-point battle using the newly-released Steamroller 2013 scenario pack. We rolled up Scenario #11, Process of Elimination. In this game, there are two zones, and in the center of each zone is a monolith. Destroy a monolith, 1 point. Control a zone, 1 point. Dominate a zone (with your 'caster), 2 points. Game is to 5, and the 2nd player can start scoring on his second turn.

Instead of playing timed turns, we just set a 3-hour time limit for the game and enjoyed the battle at a leisurely pace.

Our opening set up...I'm Menoth on the right. Elliot is Khador on the left. You can see the zones and monoliths in the center of the board.

I rolled first player (I should have taken second!). This is a Thyra list with Blood of Martyrs, Avatar, Covenant, Errants, Daughters and a slew of support pieces. Lots of advance deployment.

Elliot is still on his "Conquest tour of Khador." He's playing Conquest with each 'caster in the faction. Today, eIrusk. This was mainly an infantry force with Assassins and Black Dragons.

Menoth turn 1. I'm fast with advance deploy. Moving first, I grab as much of the board as I can. eEiryss, Nicia and the Daughters push past the center line. Daughters have Grievous Wounds (from Thyra), Def 16 (from Rhupert) and Pathfinder (from Orrik). Errants have Stealth from Thyra. Thyra is not quite out of the killbox after her move, but she'll have next turn to move up again before the penalty kicks in.

Khador turn 1. Conquest tries to land a deviating Big Gun shot into my central solos (eIrusk provided the LOS). However, the blast deviates into open ground. He then lays down some covering fire to ward off the Daughters. Everything else advances and eIrusk feats in order to stave off an effective alpha strike by me next turn.

Menoth turn 2. There is an un-photo-documented skirmish over on the right flank. It essentially consists of my Errant solo attritioning away a unit of Widowmakers. Back in the center, due to the feat, my Daughters will not go up against the Assassins. They back up and wait a turn. However, I do have a play to get damage on eIrusk, and I go for it. Orrik gives pathfinder to Nicia. She goes up to take two weapon master swings at the only Pikeman who is blocking a shooting lane to Elliot's caster. Unfortunately, I can't crack the armor. Regardless, eEiryss moves up to prevent focus allocation to Conquest and she shoots down an assassin instead of putting a ding into eIrusk.

A gratuitous shot of eIrusk and his pikemen bodyguards. Nicia tried to crack open a path to him (bottom left of pic) for eEiryss, but unfortunately failed.

Khador turn 2. OK, Elliot goes to work. Half of his pikemen move up and take down a monolith. Various pieces step up and eventually cut down eEiryss and Nicia. He also shoots down one Daughter, triggering Vengeance. With his Black Dragon reform move, he pulls back one group of pikemen while firming up another infantry block around his 'caster. 1 scenario point for Khador.

Menoth turn 3. The Avatar charges into the pikemen in the zone killing four but three of them roll Tough. Gack! They are all on fire. Meanwhile, on the left, my play is to use Blood of Martyrs to whack one Assassin and destroy the second monolith. First damage roll on the monolith is snake eyes. At that point, I realize I can't eliminate it on remaining average rolls. I back off for protection.

The Daughters have better luck. They Vengeance move and charge into Elliot's infantry. They take down the Underboss, Holt and a couple of Assassins. This turn sucked. The net effect of two alpha-striking 'jacks was taking down two measly infantry pieces. No scenario points for me.

Khador turn 3. Great turn for Elliot. Conquest tramples, gets to the other monolith and scores his second scenario point. On my right, his pikemen charge my Enlivened Avatar. He blocks the retreat path with a lone assassin and the pikemen take down my best 'jack. I mis-played my opportunity to save Avatar. Elliot had attacked an Errant first and killed it. I could have sacrificed the one Errant blocking Avatar's retreat route, but missed the opportunity. Kicking self!

Sorry, no pic from this turn.

Menoth turn 4. It's getting close to our game time limit. Elliot is up by two points. My only play is for a draw by dominating one zone. He has seven pikemen in the right zone and I have a play to take them out. Thyra gets Carnage up and gives herself Grievous Wounds. She feats and charges into the Khador infantry. With Overtake, she gets to four pieces and kills them all. The Errants then go to work. They kill every pikeman they get to, but Elliot rolls Tough on one (was bound to happen) and things start looking bleak. I kill the knocked-down pikeman with a bolt from the Vassal. Now there is one Pikeman in the zone. I can't kill him, so I send the Daughters in to kill the Black Dragon banner that's next to eIrusk and hope for a failed morale check on the last pikeman and get my two points that way. The ploy works! The banner is killed and Elliot fails the morale check. A draw at two points each as game time expires!

But wait...Elliot checks his cards to find a way out of the draw. He gets it. He had cast Battle Lust on the pikemen the turn before, giving them Fearless for a round. The morale check should not have been taken and the last pikeman contests the zone. Elliot wins on scenario point tiebreaker. Good game!