pSkarre vs Vlad3

Elliot came over for a game last night. This was a 45-point match. It's an odd point level, but we are in our local game store's Year Long League, which increments match sizes by 5 points every two months. So, September and October matches are at the 45-point level.

Anyway, Elliot has been playing a lot of Vlad3 recently, and brought his army out for a spin. I've just decided to start learning prime Skarre, so here she comes.

Opening set up. Elliot's Khador is on the left. He has lots of cavalry, some Doom Reavers and a Gun Carriage. I'm on the right playing pSkarre's infantry spam. The scenario is Destruction...so you can see the starting positions of the two monolith objectives (they have the spiky bronze bits sticking out of them).

My starting line...lots of undead. I also have brought out the Blood Witches with the Hag...just to try out the "no tough" ability.

Here is Elliot's starting line. He will use his Gun Carriage (nice tank conversion!) to deny access to his monolith, while his cavalry will sweep around to get at my monolith.

Elliot goes first. This must be about the fastest Khador army ever. He had claimed the center of the board and his cav is within easy striking distance of my monolith.

This is what I'm facing on my right flank. Most of the game's action will occur here.

And here's what I see on my left flank. The Gun Carriage is getting into position to block his monolith.

OK, my first turn and time to unleash the undead horde. Banes are heading to my left to deal with the tank and hopefully get to the scenario's first objective. Mechanithralls are going right to jam Elliot's cav and the bulk of his Doom Reavers.

Reverse angle. Vald is backing up the Great Bears, who are getting ready to clear out the central circular structure on the board.

Reverse angle. The Gun Carriage faces down the Banes. Elliot will spend several turns laying down rough terrain templates to slow the Bane Thralls down. This works, as I only get a couple of Banes into contact with the tank before the end of the game.

In the center of the board, I send Mechanithralls to their doom. I'm attempting to jam the middle to block the egress of Elliot's Drakhun, Great Bears and some of his Reavers.

Elliot's turn 2. His cav and Doom Reavers have killed all but one of my right flank Mechanithrall unit, and they have handily blown away the first objective monolith. Elliot has scored his first scenario point.

My turn 2. Skarre feats and the remaining Mechanithralls and the Blood Witches (and...well, everything else within 12" of Skarre) lay waste to Khador units. This is my first time playing pSkarre and I am caught off guard by the power of her feat. Anything my units get in contact with blow up. I was playing conservatively and really over-committed on a number of targets. Markov, the Drakhun, several Uhlans and Doom Reavers disappear. However, I can't get to Drago, so Elliot's only 'jack is unscathed.

On my left flank the action is less interesting. Bane Thralls continue to slog towards the Gun Carriage. However, on Elliot's 3rd turn, he brings the Great Bears into the central building and they lay waste to all the Mechanithralls I have in there (even under the armor-boosting effects of Skarre's feat). However, on my 3rd turn, Tartarus passes into the building and threshers all three Great Bears...killing all of them in one blow! Amazing success. I create three Bane Knights out of them.

Back to Elliot's turn 3. He charges the Brute Thrall I have screening Skarre, kills it and Runs Riot to get in contact with my 'caster. However, he has run out of focus dealing with the Blood Hag who is still in his melee range, and winds up doing little damage to Skarre. On my turn 3, the Blood Witches, a Brute Thrall and Skarre knock Drago down to a cortex box. Backlash puts a chunk of damage onto Vlad as a consequence.

In the mean time, the Bane Knights I made out of Elliot's Great Bears have charged out of the central building and engaged Vlad and his War Dog. I miss the attack on the dog, so that makes Vlad pretty impossible to hit. I'm outside of Skarre's Dark Guidance range, so no damage is delivered to Vlad. Boooo.

On Elliot's turn 4 he doesn't have much left in play so he goes for the Hail Mary assassination attempt. Drago has a cortex box, so he loads the 'jack with focus and then disengages Vlad from my Banes. He get's Vlad close enough to Drago to stick Hands of Fate. Although Drago's arm/weapon systems are out, he has a good chance of hitting and killing Skarre, who's standing within melee range. Drago stands up, lands a hit, does some damage...but that's as far as he gets. Further hit attempts miss; with the damaged arms he just can't seal the deal (but it was close).

With Vlad swinging in the wind and a good chunk of my army in close proximity, Elliot concedes the 'caster kill to me. Skarre wins.

Elliot played a great game, and we had a lot of fun.

'Til next time.