ETC 2012: Team setup

I know it's more than seven months away, but I got to thinking about the team setup. I began by defining the many different types of lists we should be prepared to handle, and began assigning factions and players to take them on, when I realized it doesn't work like that in a team tournament.

It seems more like fighting one large battle, decided on several tables, which means that I need to see the four lists as one large list, able to adjust to anything the opposing team can throw at us. If the tournament proceeds like it did in 2011 (I've been reading a bit), there will be very limited options for choosing opponents, and that means rethinking the way we construct our lists.

In addition the opposing team might use their Feat, which allows them to change the match-ups in the round, so none of our lists can have any obviously exploitable issues, or we risk the opposing team shuffling their team into easy match-ups.

That also means that constructing lists that actually have easy match-ups would be preferable, since we could then shuffle around for an easy round if opportunity presents itself. The team so far:

• Cryx: Terminus
• Khador: pIrusk
• Trollblood/Thornfall/Cygnar: ?
• Skorne/Menoth: ?

Terminus is built for this kind of tournament, and I think he'll be an unwelcome surprise to many. I like pIrusk a lot, and he seems like a caster with few bad match-ups, so I agree on that choice. The only problem I see is, that we'll be arguing over Saxon Orrik, as both our lists need him to retain mobility, but I'll probably concede him to Khador, as my list will work without him, though I think a tweak would be in order.

This will be a breath of fresh air, and while winning anything is entirely optional, I'll be crunching numbers and running trials, because I happen to love doing it. That also means, that when my team sees this post, they/you shouldn't despair: There are two teams we need to beat (the other two Danish teams), and 57 we don't care about :D

ETC 2012

It seems I'll be going to the European Team Challenge this year. I was a bit skeptical at first (they asked me months ago), but I promised to think about it, and I've decided to go. It's going to be my first international tournament, but the team has agreed that finishing last is acceptable, and that we should all bring socks and the faction model we believe capable of inflicting the most physical harm to an opponent.

I don't think we will be finishing last, but I didn't want to join a team that actually cared about doing well, since things can sour between players when expectations differ. I also wanted to be able to play like I do at "home", and give my opponents the benefit of the doubt without disappointing my own team in the process.

That was my main concern, since two of the other players ranked above me in the Danish Masters, but having been reassured that training and winning is entirely optional, I've decided to go.

pGoreshade: Trial run

I took the pGoreshade list out for a spin last night, and found myself facing another horrible match-up. It was a T4 eKaya list, which means he had the same advantages I had (mostly stealth), longer threat range, and the ability to impact my lines twice before I got to retaliate.

• Upsides: Wrong Eye putting twenty points of damage on a Warpwolf Stalker.
• Downsides: Everything else.

I'll stand by the opinion that any game can be won in spite of massive dice rape, but it requires something I certainly didn't have last night: knowledge and skill. Snapjaw spent four attacks missing at 6+, The Withershadow Combine missed five attacks on 7+, Goreshade himself rolled snake eyes on the one attack he actually did make, and my Bane Thralls hit with two out of six attacks on 6+.

I just didn't have the experience needed to work around those dice, and my army was horrible (a lot worse than I thought!). He almost did lose the game, since he got cocky, but a Gorax took down Goreshade with my opponents last available activation.

• Stalker: It's a piece of junk without the ability to Ghost Walk. It seemed so promising, but it's just to slow to be of any use, and without the ability to ignore free strikes it dies before it can get close. I'll try without them.
• The Withershadow Combine: Not actually that useful. I'll try without them.

The list needs flow like nothing I've ever put on a table before, so Saxon Orrik is definitively going in that list. It also needs a screen, so Bane Thralls go in there (Knights wont survive in a list where everything else is stealth). It makes the list slightly boring, and I was hoping to avoid the Bane Thralls, but I get to keep the Cankerworm and learn how to use the Nightmare.

Edit: Seethers could be worth a look as well.

Warwitch Deneghra: Nuclear deterrence

I've received a steady trickle of messages since I posted my Warwitch Deneghra Spotlight, and it seems I've inadvertently supplied several players with the tools they needed to force a Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty.

I gave your 35pt Nyss list a try against a Khador player. It took four rounds of Crippling Grasp and CRA at his jacks to make him rage quit. 

This was never my intent, but it's hard not to chuckle when a player takes what I wrote, and shows his meta why they should reconsider certain casters. The one I've enjoyed the most, was the player who lost three games in a row with pDenny, but still made his opponent reconsider his choice of caster, since the games were so dull he'd do anything to avoid a repeat.

It seems Warwitch Deneghra does indeed have a place in the game, and I'm pleased someone found a legitimate use for her, as a nuclear deterrent.

Guest Authors: How to beat us?

A couple of my fellow players have expressed an interest in writing some articles for the Blog, so I've been considering what those players could offer us. The Overseer remains a faction specific Blog, and none of them are Cryx players, so I had to find something they would know better than I do, and I think I've found it: how to beat us.

I don't know how skilled they are as authors, but I know how skilled they are as players, and putting them to work on exposing our flaws could could provide some interesting insight. Come Monday I'll see if they find that idea as interesting as I do, and hopefully put them to work.

Kommandant Irusk: Nyss Hunters

What could make Nyss Hunters better? I've been running them with Warwitch Deneghra quite a lot, but when I decided to include them in my Khador force as my main unit, I made a list of abilities I needed available to them.

I quickly decided to include Valachev, since he brings access to Friendly Faction abilities, which includes Kommandant Irusks incredible feat: Undying Loyalty.

• Increased defenses: Iron Flesh, Inhospitable Ground, and Undying Loyalty.

Defense eighteen Nyss Hunters with 4+ Tough and immunity to knockdown. That sounds awfully hard to remove, and adding cover or concealment turns them into a unit that fears nothing but blast damage. In such a small game, a single round of near immunity could easily turn the game, and occasionally Inhospitable Ground will completely deny the opponent a charge.

With Zephyr the Nyss Hunters can walk into range and fire, followed by a three inch retreat. That's a long way to charge for an enemy unit (potentially fifteen inches), and considering that non-pathfinder units will have to deal with Inhospitable Ground while doing it, I suspect the Nyss Hunters will stick around for quite some time.

• Increased offense: Battle Lust, Undying Loyalty, Rust Bomb, and Kiss of Lyliss.

I would like to introduce you to something horrible: Nyss Hunters on Battle Lust. Going against a Warjack with Rust and Kiss on it, they will inflict about thirty damage each (5d6+13) on a charge, and with Undying Loyalty they'll be MAT 8 while doing it. Rust bomb isn't available against beasts, but they tend to be less armored anyway, and Black Oil will solve the problem with high defense heavies.

Ranged attacks won't benefit much, but a well placed Kiss and a couple of combined attacks should clear out a chunk of infantry, and retaliating is quite hard. The only problem is, that the Nyss will have to go without Iron Flesh on the round they engage, but since it will probably be my feat round as well, I think the losses will be acceptable.

• Disengaging: Zephyr

Most of the time I would probably just swing at them if someone managed to engage, but occasionally it's useful to either move further into a unit without taking free strikes (reach models, or layering), or disengage models to shoot, while a few remain to swing at the models he ran in to engage.

I'm looking forward to seeing if this holds true in actual play, but the theory sounds very powerful. The main flaw is the vulnerability of Valachev, so keeping him safe should be a priority.

Kommandant Irusk: Beast-09

I remember the first time I encountered Beast-09. It left quite an impression on me, and Terminus had to roll three consecutive Tough checks to survive it (nobody ever came that close before, and nobody has ever been that close to killing him since).

Beast-09 holds a special place of terror in my blackened little heart, making him an obvious choice for my single Warjack with Kommandant Irusk, but I must admit that putting down eleven points of Warjack in such a small game is daunting.

Kommandant Irusk has the Superiority spell, which increases SPD, MAT, and DEF by two, making Beast-09 a seriously scary piece of work, and with the Murderous imprint and Thresher he can wipe out just about anything. It also makes him immune to knockdowns, which is nice as he needs all the Focus he can hog when going in.

If he's damaged by an enemy attack he gets to advance unless already doing so (walking six inches due to superiority), directly towards the offending model, making it a pretty bad idea to shoot him unless you can seriously injure him, and if he's within Gorman's cloud he's a defense fourteen model with armor twenty, so an opponent will have to make some serious effort to cripple him.

Beast-09 is a horribly expensive model in such a small game, but having a centerpiece like that will be a novel experience, and maybe I'll find his flaws while I'm at it (and his Axe is on the list for my Cankerworm project, so it would be nice to find something).

Kommandant Irusk

I think I've found the first list I'll be testing: Kommandant Irusk. I'm not sure how Khador players manage to keep him alive, but I guess that's part of the challenge.

It's a twenty five point list, and I know just the Cryx player to challenge. Superiority on Beast-09, and Iron Flesh on the Nyss Hunters (and access to Battle Lust). Irusk would then pop Inhospitable Ground, and Gorman will attempt to keep him alive with clouds.

Kommandant Irusk

- Beast-09

- Sylys Wyshnalyrr

Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts)

- Koldun Kapitan Valachev 
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt

Gorman di Wulfe

Sylys is just there to allow him both Battle Lust and Inhospitable Ground in the same round, while upkeeping both his spells. I think I have all the aspects covered, and I own most of the models, so unless I think of something better, I'll be giving this a shot.

Cankerworm: Gotta Salvage 'Em all

I love the Cankerworm. It's such a pretty model, it has some very entertaining rules, and it has Salvage. Salvage is hilarious, and I've stolen some pretty funny weapons along the way, so I've decided to keep track, and see if I can unlock the achievement: Gotta Salvage 'em all.

• Perisher (Cryx, Harrower)
• Spiker (Cryx, Leviathan)
• Helldriver (Cryx, Reaper)
• Ice Breaker (Khador, Beast09)
• Open Fist (Khador, Behemoth)
• Bombard (Khador, Destroyer)
• Metal Storm (Cygnar, Cyclone)
• Generator Blade (Cygnar, Stormclad)
• Lightning Coil (Cygnar, Thunderhead)
• Skyhammer (Menoth, Redeemer)
• Flame Belcher (Menoth, Vanquisher)
• Burning Wrath (Menoth, Avatar)
• Wrecker (Mercenaries, Mangler)
• Steam Lobber (Mercenaries, Mule)
• Sledge Cannon (Mercenaries, Rockram)
• Thermal Blade (Retribution, Phoenix)
• Heavy Void Blade (Retribution, Banshee)
• Sonic Pulse Cannon (Retribution, Discordia)

These are what I consider the three best weapons (to salvage) from each faction, and while it might take years to complete the list, it will be a nice challenge, and make some games more interesting. I'm very much looking forward to attempting this, and especially to the day I finally manage to Salvage a Thunderhead Lightning Coil, and blow an army to hell with it.

I'm an addict, and there's nothing to do about it.

The other Cryx player is switching away from pGoreshade, and I've wanted to run him for a while. In pGoreshade I see an opportunity, to run several models I've been longing to put on the table, and bringing a list of heavies while I'm at it.

I've never had the Nightmare on the table, Malice is usually just a road block with Terminus, the Stalkers appear in my Mortenebra lists but rarely do anything, and it's been sixty or so games since I took the Cankerworm out for a spin.

Goreshade the Bastard

- Cankerworm

- Stalker

- Stalker

- Malice

- Nightmare

- Deathwalker

The Withershadow Combine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Gorman di Wulfe

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Wrong Eye & Snapjaw

Adding Wrong Eye & Snapjaw will give me some added entertainment, and the list won't instantly wreck everyone's fun, since it's mainly a melee list. It does have massive denial in the form of stealth, but it has to get up close and personal to inflict any real damage, and it has a great deal of problems taking out massed infantry, so I'm hoping for some entertaining games.

Either way, I'm still thinking about my faction infidelity project, but every time I design a Cygnar/Khador/Merc/Trollblood list I end up shaking my head and sighing. The lists are quite powerful, but they're so boring it makes my head hurt, although my pCaine list seems promising.

Taking stock: Available models

I've warmed to the idea of a little break from Cryx, though I'm not giving up my dear robot zombies. I figured that step one would be to inventory my available models, since money is tight the next few months: 

Casters

• Drake MacBain
• pMagnus
• Calaban
• eCaine (and a pCaine I might be able to repair)
  

Jacks/Beasts

• Mangler
• Renegade (2)
• Talon
• Thunderhead
• Axer
• Ironback Spitter
• Gun Boar 

Units

• Boomhowlers (Min) 
• Trollblood Champions (Full)
• Dannon Blythe & Bull
• Nyss Hunters (Full)
• pAlexia (Full Risen)
• Devil Dogs (Min)
• Croe's Cutthroats (Full)
• Aiyana & Holt
• Swamp Gobber Crew

Solos

• eAlexia
• Bosun Grogspar
• eEiryss
• Gorman
• Gudrun the Wanderer
• Journeyman Warcaster
• Madelyn Corbeau
• Dougal MacNaile
• Fell Caller Hero
• Ogrun Bokur
• Orin Midwinter
• Ragman
• Rhupert Carvolo
• Rorsh & Brine
• Wrong Eye & Snapjaw
• Saxon Orrik
• Totem Hunter
• Harlan Versh
• Thor Steinhammer
• Stormsmith Stormcaller
• Sylys Wyshnalyrr

That's not a bad collection (where the hell did that all come from?), though it seems to point in the direction of another Warmachine faction. Maybe I should take a look at Cygnar, as I've always liked Jonas Murdoch, and he allows me to include my Nyss Hunters, but a Hordes list would be preferable.

A couple of the guys told me I could borrow anything I wanted to test, so I guess it's time to read a lot and crunch some numbers. Looking at the list I could go for:

• Trollbloods: 60+ points worth of models that work for them.
• Cygnar: 80+ points worth of models that work for them.
• Khador: 70+ points worth of models that work for them.

I know Khador rather well (lot's of them in my meta), Cygnar has been on the rise (three new Cygnar players) so Trollbloods is looking interesting.

That... was... ugly!

I did scratch my itch, and put pDenny on the table: Bad idea. That list is so darn ugly, that my Skorne opponent quit a couple of minutes into my turn two, with Warbeasts dropping left and right, and his caster being Black Oiled, Withered, and facing another round of shooting without any chance of retaliation (Gorman has some stupid range with Dougal MacNaile to back him up).

I did mess up the movement a bit, but it was never really a game, and so we spent the rest of the evening talking about the thing that makes Cryx so boring to face. It's not hard to locate the problem, but fixing it might be impossible: debuffs.

Having an opponent supercharge Mulg and trounce half your army isn't exactly fun, but at least you can do something about it with deployment, sacrificial units, or sneak in an assassination while he's laughing like a maniac, but with debuffs we go: Oh sorry, were you playing that?

You're a damn good player, but a win with Cryx is always slightly tarnished. I think you might enjoy winning more, if you tried something else.

That's what a fellow player told me, with no ill will, and I thought about it on the way home. I don't actually enjoy winning friendly games, because I feel I'm robbing my opponent if I use the casters I like (Terminus being the exception), so maybe I should have a look at some other factions, and simply field Cryx in tournaments.

Spotlight: Deathripper

The great debate/debacle of 2011 was behind me, but this question made me decide to write a Spotlight on my favorite Arc Node: The Almighty Deathripper. I'm having a hard time understanding why such a simple debate has so many people up in arms, so while I do compare the Deathrippers to the Nightwretches several times during this spotlight, you should know that either one works well.

The Deathripper made the dubious decision to become a melee Arc Node, which we can all agree is pretty darn silly, since you can't arc while engaged, but I still find myself reaching for them in most games.

Deathrippers: Abilities

As always, the Battlecollege will sort out the details, but there's not a lot to say about it's abilities, so feel free to skip this part.

Deathrippers: Survivability

Disabling your Arc Nodes is a priority for most opponents (this should come as no surprise), so making sure they're safe is just common sense. That means the Arc Nodes should hug cover/concealment when at all possible, and stay away from obvious targets (blast damage will hurt them).

Deathrippers: Arc Node

The Deathripper is an Arc Node, and that's why we bring it. The thing is, that I find it's melee ability to benefit this assignment, and while that might sound strange, there are perfectly good reasons for it.

• Enemy models blocking your Arc: It happens quite often, that a model is parked just where I need my Arc Node to be. I could use other models to clear the zone, but I don't always have the luxury of surplus activations, or the models required to do it without getting in the way themselves.

As light jacks our Arc Nodes can slam, which is a way of clearing an offending model available to all of them, but the difference between a charge lane (toward) and a slam lane (directly toward), can be all it takes to deny you a win. A ranged Arc Node can charge of course, but the pathetic PS of their melee weapons will allow even single wound models to survive.

• Locked-down: An enemy model engages your Arc Node, but you don't really need it that turn. Instead of spending resources freeing it up for next round, you can spend less resources and it can free itself, while removing enemy resources to boot.

Usually you would rescue the poor thing, spend a Ghost Walk on it (and quite often they're outside Skarlock range), or dedicate some nearby models to freeing it. That leads me to the second reason I like Deathrippers: They can be devastating on offense.

Deathrippers: Losing the Arc Node

It happens all the time, and the boxes marked "A" vanish to some random rifleman with nothing better to do. In my experience, this makes the Deathripper invisible, as it instantly leaves the opponents hit list: Big mistake.

• DEATHRIPPER: Parasite (Skarlock) + The Withering + Dark Shroud + Full Focus. I almost shat myself when I pulled that one, and the Khador heavy parked outside Bane Thrall charge range (Tartarus died, again, but one Thrall was within running range) got ripped apart by the Arc Node it was locking down (it failed to hit that sweet defense fifteen).

You can add Rust Bomb, Scything Touch, Curse of Shadow or whatever your caster brings to the mix, and it adds up quickly. I've seen Deathrippers take down casters and heavies alike, which is simply not possible for a Nightwretch, and it gives you something to do when that Arc Node disappears.

Deathrippers: Losing the Cortex

You lost the Arc Node, and you've lost the Cortex as well, so it's time to go angling for some free strikes. With a Nightwretch you get a RAT 5 shot per turn, and with a Deathripper you get a MAT 6 attack per turn, but the Deathripper can lock down models where the Nightwretch cannot.

• Free strikes: It's a boosted PS 13 attack, and it hurts. Your opponent has to spend resources to avoid damage when he leaves (or simply take it, and hope for the best), and as such our crippled Deathripper retains a tactical application beyond hoping to hit.

Usually my opponent simply kills the Deathripper instead, which I still consider a win, as that's what I wanted him to do: spend more resources on the crippled Deathripper. I also do my best to make sure it dies somewhere that hinders my opponent, as the nifty 40 mm terrain patch can really blow his plans out of the water.

Deathrippers: Losing the Head

A little dented, but still a defense fifteen road block, and when it dies it leaves that fine patch of terrain. Try and die in a position that hinders your opponent, and mock him like crazy if he spends everything he has, just to have his kill piece lack Pathfinder and fail.

Deathrippers: Summary

I favor the Deathripper, because it has applications beyond the Arc Node, and I think the ability to destroy casters and heavies (last ditch, never plan to end up in that situation) outweighs the ability to shoot. I like being able to clear models with melee, since it allows me to place myself where my opponent thought he was covered, clear his block, and arc on his caster.

Nightwretches are fine, but I never seem to get a shot off, and I'm always wishing I had the ability to rip out some throats instead. The Deathripper has the ability to threaten anything in the game, with enough debuffs, and it remains useful, even in death.

Hamster mouth

Urgh, I'm to old to party that hard. I'm pretty sure a hamster died in my mouth, and a group of angry dwarves are excavating my skull.

I'm working on a Deathripper Spotlight, but I doubt it will be today.

No more SR 2012 talk.

I'm having a hard week at work, and I've got no stomach for arguing. In my meta the players work vehemently at creating interesting and varied lists, but it appears the world around us is burning. Therefore, no more SR 2012 talk until the rules are final.

My spine, who took it!?

Every time I design tournament lists, I end up wishing for a ranged list, and every time I design one, I end up wishing I had pDenny running it. Just this morning I thought about running this list:

Warwitch Deneghra

- Nightwretch

- Nightwretch

Skarlock Thrall

Croe's Cutthroats (Croe and 9 Grunts)

Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts)

Satyxis Raiders (Leader and 9 Grunts)

- Sea Witch

The Withershadow Combine

Gorman di Wulfe

Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile

Satyxis Raider Captain

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

It's disgusting, includes just about every model I really like, but it's run by a caster I stupidly swore never to play again (outside tournaments). The thing is, that the last few games at my club, have been exceedingly hard (much harder than my last couple of tournament games), so maybe I could go back to pDenny, but I fear I'm just making up excuses to get a fix :(

Edit: I've been asked to explain why it's disgusting. While every list can be beaten, this list has so many tools to work with, and so many ways of locking down an opponent, that you need something special to survive.

• More than thirty ranged attacks in a round.
• More than thirty models with some form of additional damage dice.
• Run by a caster that can debuff an entire army.
• The list is almost entirely stealth or defense 15+

The list can throw out thirty ranged attacks during the Withering, and then charge in the Satyxis Raiders with Power Swell (targeting the two major threats that received Parasite/Crippling), leaving a completely devastated opponent, unable to effectively retaliate.

100.000 page views coming up.

The Overseer should hit 100.000 page views before Christmas, which is a staggering number when I think about it, and far beyond anything I had ever imagined. It's a strange feeling, somewhere between pride and gratitude, but I just wanted to thank you all, because I sincerely doubt I would be motivated to write all this, if no one bothered to read it.

Motivation level: 0

Character restriction is really getting to me. I don't do well with long days of gaming, since my attention wavers after my second game, so I need Terminus to do well in tournaments with three or four games in a day (which is all of them).

I spend a lot of my time considering combinations, thinking about synergies, calculating averages, and it's a huge part of my tabletop results (and probably why this Blog is even worth reading), but now I'm stuck with two options. The first one is to bring Terminus and nothing else, and the second is to keep crunching lists until something clicks, which is going really fucking poorly so far.

Every time I find something I could run, or a combination I would find interesting, I look at Terminus and go "oh well, Darragh/Madelyn/Tartarus/WSC are occupied elsewhere". Most really interesting options require either Bane Thralls (to make up for poor hitting power), or the Withershadow Combine (Focus economy, and vulnerability to one failed roll), so character restrictions are going to make my lists incredibly boring.

I'm furious that my tournament participation will require me to field boring lists every fucking game if I want to do well, and my motivation for thinking about new and interesting things to do with Cryx is currently zero. I've been considering infidelity, but the models that appeal to me in other factions are either poor, or require a level of understanding I don't have (and the problem won't change, just because the factions does).

Steamroller 2012

We're now encouraged to talk about SR 2012, and there's a lot to talk about. I'm not sure how much of my utter disappointment I can convey in writing, but Privateer Press: Redo please, for the love of GOD, REDO!

(Remember, these are proposed changes, so nothing is final)

There are three changes I actually like (and a couple I'm indifferent towards, like flags becoming 50 mm like objectives), but a mile long list of ideas that should be returned to Games Workshop from whence they came. It's a classic mistake to complicate things in a complicated game, but I'll get back to that later. The list of positive changes:

• Player 1 has a seven inch deployment zone.
• There's a new deployment type (like Radial, only more interesting)
• Killbox is removed as a scenario, and added as a "complication" in other scenarios.

Pushing back Player one an additional inch makes a lot of sense. The new deployment type looks interesting, without being as different from the usual deployment as Radial scenarios, and Killbox being an addition to scenarios (instead of actually being one) seems like a really good idea. Sadly there's a ton of changes that simply shout: We panicked!

• Character restrictions.
• Stupidly complicated scenarios.
• Reduced time limits (can be worked around).
• Stupidly complicated additions to stupidly complicated scenarios.

The first thing I'll mention is the introduction of complications. Complications are additions to the regular scenario, and there are currently two in the book: Killbox and Reinforcements.

Reinforcements

Reinforcements are additional models in your list, that can arrive in the maintenance phase of your second turn (and any turn after that), and be placed within three inches of the "Reinforcement line", which is twenty inches in either direction from your right table corner.

Arriving beasts can be forced outside a control area, and arriving Warjacks are allocated three free Focus. This means that in a fifty point battle, when you hold your opponents flag, you get a fully loaded Nightmare to the face, and it has Prey on your models.

Reinforcements are additional points, meaning that any scenario using this complication will be larger than normal games (you will need to design your lists with this in mind, and bring the extra models). The amount of reinforcements are proportional to the size of the battle, but it's complicated, completely unnecessary, and it means an entire section of a table will be unavailable to certain types of models, depending on the type of reinforcements chosen.

Scenarios with the Reinforcement complication, also allows for a second time extension, meaning that timed rounds become really bloody stupid, since most games end in round three anyway. It's complicated, and we don't need more complications!

Complicated scenarios

Are you going to remember fifteen lines of special rules, that lists what happens when your caster get's within three inches of the objective, because I'm not. It's already hard to win on scenario, and just about every change I've seen, makes it dumber and/or harder to do so.

We've got markers bouncing around the table, using the rules of least disturbance which nobody remembers, to move into zones, that won't matter unless the game goes for at least six rounds. You can also bounce them another way, which is impossible to actually survive because of enemy troops, where the game only needs to go five rounds (assuming you roll really well on the distance they can bounce), while you keep your enemy away from it.

It's possibly the dumbest scenario I've ever seen, with the one exception: if tiebreakers are control points. It's piss easy to get a control point, but it's nearly impossible to win on control points, since you need FOUR to win, and it takes at least two rounds before you can begin scoring.

Time limits

This is all kinds of stupid, but at least we can run "relaxed" tournaments, which are actually slower than they are now. The problem is, that the time per game can swing by as much as 42 minutes.

This will make it a damn sight harder to coordinate tournaments, since you need a break between rounds, and you need to take the variable time into consideration. If we don't run relaxed tournaments, we'll make it seriously hard for newer players to participate, which is something I think we should avoid at all costs.

Character restrictions

I guess I could live with these, but it's still a unnecessary complication without benefit (possibly making variation even less likely, if people field their main list in every game, except where they see a massive advantage in doing otherwise). Players have been fighting over this one for weeks, and I doubt I'll sway a single opinion, but I'm thoroughly against Character restrictions.

Summary

It's a copy-paste of the worst ideas Games Workshop has produced in the last ten years. It adds complications in a game where most people struggle to keep up already, and it adds almost nothing interesting to the game itself. It makes the game require more models, and makes it harder to be a tournament newbie.

It's a classic case of company panic, where they think they need to do something new and interesting every year, instead of working with what they've got: Tweak the placement of objective markers, tweak the deployment zones (done), tweak scenarios, but for the love of god don't panic and think up new shit you have no time to test.

Mortenebra Vs. eHaley

So I took my Mortenebra list out for a spin, hoping to learn a few things. I knew it was a lacking list, but I wanted to test some synergies (or lack of them), and it wasn't to bad.

• How bad is it really to leave Tartarus at home?
• How bad are the Desecrators?
• Blackbane's Ghost Raiders with Mortenebra?
• Does Mortenebra actually work with infantry?

We sat around talking about SR 2012 for a while (more on that later), but I only get one game a week, so missing out really isn't something I like. I grabbed an opponent, and he put this on the table.

Major Victoria Haley

- Sentinel

- Thorn

- Thunderhead

Squire

Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts)

- Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer

Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts)

- Officer & Standard

Stormblade Infantry (Leader and 5 Grunts)

- Officer & Standard

Stormsmith Stormcaller

Stormsmith Stormcaller

Stormsmith Stormcaller

I had a good laugh, as I once again faced something close to my worst possible match-up, but at least I got to face eHaley and see what all the commotion is about. 

Round 1

He ran up most of his army, and it was my turn. I ran up most of my army, and shot two Ghost Raiders with the Desecrators to prevent the Precursors from charging me. I knew I was going down hard, but I decided to make the most of a learning experience, so FULL ADVANCE!

Round 2

OPEN FIRE! And so they did. Half the Ghost Raiders vanished, a couple of Bane Thralls ate lead, but a few bad rolls and the protection of the scather templates actually saw me pretty much unharmed. Then he chose not to feat, which gave me and actual shot at doing something useful!

I popped Recalibration and camped six Focus, then I charged in the Ghost Raiders, swelling their ranks to eight, and I charged/ran in the Bane Thralls. I put a scather template on a pile of Precursors with no real effect, but the second one drifted and killed three gun mages. A couple of sprays, and some positioning, and I was doing well!

Round 3

Alright, next time I know I need to kill Thorn, like before he's put on the table, with a bat, in an alley. The result was, that my Desecrator sawed Mortenebra in the face for a handful of damage, a couple of Ghost Raiders died, my Scavengers both took heavy damage, the Thunderhead wiped a significant part of the table, but due to some poor rolls he mostly wiped his own models, but managed another handful of damage to Mortenebra, and while things were looking survivable it was feat time.

I get it now, it's horrible, but my round wasn't entirely wasted, and the Ghost Raiders we're getting closer to Haley (they were back up to seven due to some fine attack rolls). I spent my round setting up to avoid losing my entire army, but I could see where this was going. Still, I had made it to round four, which was two rounds more than I though I would.

Round 4

Hiyaaa! I survived round four as well! Mortenebra got the Thunderhead in the face, and all but a single Bane Thrall died. Both Scavengers died, but Mortenebra survived, and I actually though I had a chance. The Desecrators failed like you wouldn't believe it, and it took six ******* Focus to end the Thunderhead (Interface is fun though), despite Critical Shred and a Dark Shroud application.

Then the second Desecrator failed as well, and left Thorn alive without taking serious damage, but the Ghost Raiders managed to engage Haley down back, threatening free strikes, and I had most of his army locked down. I was really thinking I might pull this one out of my ass!

Round 5

With most of the armies gone, he took a free strike from a Desecrator with Thorn, and came out with his spear and cortex intact, four boxes left, and going for an injured Mortenebra. Funny thing though, he had to pass Saxon Orrik, and I don't think I've ever enjoyed a kill more!

Sadly Mortenebra died ten seconds later to a pile of assaulting Stormblades, but I made it to round five against eHaley with a pile of crap, and I learned a lot.

• How bad is it really to leave Tartarus at home? Very ******* bad!
• How bad are the Desecrators? Very ******* bad!
• Blackbane's Ghost Raiders with Mortenebra? Wee, fantastic!
• Does Mortenebra actually work with infantry? Well, it seems so.

So Blackbane's yet again proves an excellent choice, even against an army that should have destroyed them with a mere gesture. I had an enjoyable game, fighting tooth an nail to survive, and I managed a control point in a new SR 2012 scenario, which I'll try and write about tomorrow (but it was a lot of information to digest, since I'd seen only some of the proposed changes before).

Screw it then!

I'll try something new tonight, but the fail probability is: High.

Master Necrotech Mortenebra

- Scavenger

- Scavenger

- Desecrator

- Desecrator

Bane Thralls (Leader and 9 Grunts)

- Officer & Standard

Blackbane's Ghost Raiders (Leader and 9 Grunts)

Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist

Saxon Orrik

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Bad timing!

I've been asked to write a review of Warmachine for Planet Pulp (It's a Danish online magazine, dedicated to a wide array of nerd activities). It's not a major site, but I'm still a little apprehensive, since there are materials at my Library with their reviews on the back.

The review will be in Danish, so a lot of you won't be able to read it anyway, but I find myself in a bit of a pickle with the timing. Domination and SR 2012 has just been leaked, and I see a lot of things I don't like, but that might change with actual table experience, and so I find myself stuck between opinions.

I still think Warmachine is a fantastic game, but if I'm to be perfectly honest the new Steamroller format stinks, and the delays in production is seriously annoying. If I write a review it's going to include what it's like to be in the hobby, and currently I'm less than pleased.

Spotlight: Madelyn Corbeau

Talkin' 'bout my girl. Madelyn Corbeau can make me feel that way, so let me introduce you to my favorite chain smoking prostitute. Now she's not much to look at, but she's got moves you wouldn't believe, and she swings both ways to boot.

Madelyn Corbeau is a two point solo we usually associate with Lich Lord Terminus, but this broad has so much to offer, that she deserves her own little spotlight.

Having charmed half the courtiers in western Immoren, it is simple enough for her to gain access to the commanders of armies. She sells her services to any army with coin.

I might have left out a few words in that description, but Madelyn truly is a queen amongst prostitutes, so let's get down to business.

Madelyn Corbeau: Abilities

You know the drill, and Battlecollege will answer your questions, but Madelyn Corbeau lives and dies by her abilities, so it's walk-through time. 

Madelyn Corbeau: Advisor

This nifty little ability will add one to the CMD of a caster/solo in B2B contact, which can be quite useful with several models. I find myself using this when I've screwed up, and rarely do I plan on using it. It's really useful, when combined with her ability to move models before the turn begins, so she can end up in B2B with someone, without spending her activation.

• Terminus: Shadow of Death.
• eSkarre: Inspiration.
• pSkarre: Sacrificial Strike.
• Deryliss: Arcane Extension.
• pGoreshade: Tether.
• Satyxis Raider Captain: Desperate Pace / No sleeping on the Job. 
• Darragh Wrath: Death Ride / Beyond Death.
• Gerlack Slaughterborn: Leadership / No sleeping on the Job.

As you can see, it's mostly used when you mess up placement, but occasionally you can plan a round and take someone by surprise. If an opponent planned his round knowing that he could stop just outside Beyond Death, that extra inch can really screw him over. I find myself using this ability maybe once in five games, so it's not my main reason for bringing her.

Madelyn Corbeau: Intrigue

I had used her in quite a few games, before I began considering the full impact of this ability, and I'm still finding new application almost every game. The hardest part is remembering to activate it, since it happens in the maintenance phase, and there are so many other things to consider.

A Warcaster can be moved with this ability in the maintenance phase, allowing them a three inch advance before the round begins. This has a mind-boggling amount of applications, so I'll just mention a few. If you find yourself confused by the sequence of a turn, use this quick reference sheet.

• Focus allocation: Either you messed up, or someone threw, slammed, or placed your jack outside your control area, but with Madelyn you can move your caster in range, since the move happens before Focus allocation. This can potentially turn a useless knocked-down jack into an assassination threat, or allow a caster to run that Arc Node your opponent disregarded.
• Additional range: There are more casters than Terminus that can assassinate, and pGaspy, p/eSkarre, and several others can do the deed themselves (with three more inches of threat). I don't often see Madelyn on the table, so it comes as a surprise to most opponents, when she suddenly moves a caster into assassination range.
• Retreat: The ability to move up three inches before your activation, will allow some casters to get in range with feats or abilities, thus allowing you to retreat during your activation instead. This is very useful, as most casters will have to move up in order to get the most out of a feat, and will then be stuck near the lines, but with Madelyn you can pop and cast, then retreat to safety instead.
• Feat negation: Thanks to Temujin Khan for pointing out that several feats in the game can be negated by moving out of them in the maintenance phase. The example he uses is pSeverius and his feat that reads "while within", and since the maintenance phase comes before the control phase and focus replenishment, you can simply step out of the effect with intrigue if 3" is enough to do that, which it often is with pSeverius: nice catch Temujin!

Considering the amount of casters we have, it would take forever to list everything you can do with Intrigue, but take a look at your favorite caster, and think about the ability to move three inches before your turn really begins. It does require an enemy model within 9" of Madelyn, and it has limitations, but it's a passive ability on a two point model, with several other useful abilities, and I'm not done with Intrigue:

• Bile Thralls: Madelyn can move a Bile Thrall, which means a fourteen inch purge. It's considerably less than the Excarnate trick, and it will cost you a Bile Thrall, but it's available to any caster, and requires no dice or Focus to work. I can't tell you how much I enjoy my opponents facial expression, when the Bile Thrall moves into range.
• Admonia: You thought Unbinding was awesome, but Unbinding with three extra inches of range is bloody amazing. It solves just about every problem she has, and will make your opponent cry the salty tears of defeat.
• Bane Lord Tartarus: Fourteen inch range you say, and possibly the ability to curse before charging, allowing him to penetrate even deeper into a unit before threshering. It can also allow him to walk into range instead, allowing him the perfect position to reap the infidels.
• Gerlack Slaughterborn: Another three inches on his charge of doom, allows him to be hidden safely behind the lines until he launches. This will take a lot of people by surprise, and allow him some really effective charges.
• Gorman: If you bring Dougal MacNaile and Madelyn, he can throw a grenade at someone that began 17" away, with +2 RAT and a re-roll to scatter if you fail. That sounds like fun to me! The Gorman slingshot.

Then we've got every single solo with an interesting ability they rarely use because of range issues (Machine Wraith, Necrotech, Warwitch Siren, etc.) and every single ranged solo in the game. Finally there are unit attachments that like the ability to move into position (Blood Hag comes to mind), or the ability to move a friendly model out of the way, clearing a lane for your Helljack.

Edit: 02.09.2013

In SR 2013 there are several objectives that are classified as "Enemy models". This will activate intrigue, which is a damn sight more reliable than hoping for actual enemy models to help you out.

Madelyn Corbeau: Seduction

The ability to make Dartan Vilmon behead the Harbinger is hilarious, and if you're running a caster with access to Influence, this combination can be utterly devastating. Unfortunately the ability requires B2B contact, limiting it's use, but there are still a few things you can do with it.

• Free strikes: A common tactic to lock down units, is to run in a couple of models to engage them in melee. With this ability you can have one of those enemy models kill the other, while turning around so the previously engaged unit can simply walk away.
• Raw damage: There are plenty of hardcore weapon master models out there, so if you've got nothing better to do, go borrow one and smack something.
• Kaboom: A few models produce really unpleasant effects when they die, and these models are often doing their very best to be in the middle of your army when it happens. I cheerfully suggest, you put them in the middle of his instead.

There are many more applications of Seduction, so keep your eyes open and it will come in handy. Remember that Cavalry are also Warrior models, so Seduction works on them as well (I like Fenris the most, though the bastard missed last time I got to play with him).

Madelyn Corbeau: Sucker

Everybody loves this hooker, well as long as their alive. As long as she's directly hit, a nearby man/woman/child/dog/horse will take the hit. This means that Madelyn will rarely die, except when accidentally hit by stray AoE attacks.

She's rarely ever deemed worthy of your opponents attention either, since she has no attacks at all, and can pawn away shots to nearby models, so it's a rare thing when she dies to anything other than drifting AoE attacks, or an enemy model with nothing else to do. This does change very quickly in a local meta, but she's still just a two point solo, so no harm done if she croaks (bring a Necrosurgeon, and you've got yourself a zombie stripper)

Madelyn Corbeau: How to make it work

Madelyn likes being just behind the first line, preferably in cover, and should a living model or two hang out nearby, it wouldn't hurt. I don't usually dedicate resources to her survival, since nobody takes her seriously until after she makes her move, and I often end up with something in range to activate Intrigue anyway.

I usually place her with some less threatening models, so the enemy won't need to stay away. They won't come within nine inches of a unit of Bane Knights, but they'll certainly rush some Blood Witches with a heavy, and then you get your movement.

Madelyn Corbeau: Summary

One of the most powerful two point solo characters in the game, and in the excellent position of being considered no threat at all. Madelyn is hard to fit in lists, but she has so much to offer, and she's almost never a waste of points. Take her out for a spin, and remember to use her Intrigue ability in the maintenance phase.

Spoiler: Storm Troll (Trollbloods)

I had another little "moment" a couple of hours ago. I read about the Storm Troll, and it's Animus causes a model to gain Electro Leap.

The model itself is quite good (someone wrote a spotlight on it here), since it causes disruption to warjacks that hit it, limiting them to initial attacks. It also has critical disruption on it's claws, but that Animus gives me the creeps. It can shoot some models, and it can grant immunity to something we don't really use, but it can also give an Axer Electro Leap.

That's a Thresher attack, where each kill inflicts a POW 10 hit on a model within 4", and since Thresher attacks are simultaneous, they won't leap to models he's already hitting (unless they survive the Thresher of course). Domination is giving me headaches :D

Spoiler: Archidon (Skorne)

It's a flying Heavy Warbeast. It's seven points. It's in a faction with eMakeda. I'm not familiar with the finer points of Skorne beast handling, but I can see where this is going: eMakeda, Archidon, Road to War, Instruments of War, Rush, and Leash.

I'm not entirely sure how we're supposed to survive a heavy warbeast, coming from seventeen inches away, ignoring intervening models, ignoring free strikes, and delivering five boosted MAT 6 and PS 17 attacks. I've been doing this with Scavengers for a while, but this one is far deadlier, and won't care shit about non-living casters. It's also in the same type of lists that will feature Molik Karn... sigh...

Spoiler: Venator Slingers (Skorne)

They're a 4/6 unit, with arcing fire, and each direct hit releases a 3" AoE that causes continuous corrosion. That got my attention, but I was somewhat relieved when I noticed their RAT 5. Then I noticed that Lord Arbiter Hexeris has Black Spot: Give us back our shit!

With Black Spot, they spawn an incredibly powerful AoE, and get to shoot again whenever they hit directly (and they're effectively RAT 7). I also noticed that eHexeris has Vampiric Harvest, so if he activates, moves into range, pops Black Spot, and has a unit of Slingers wipe out a unit, he can get every wounded warbeast in his battlegroup up and running.

More power to Bane Thralls, who couldn't care less and ignore his harvest ability. We didn't need more reasons to bring Bane Thralls though, but who knows, maybe this will turn out to be less powerful on the table (though I can't see how the shield wall units are getting out of this one, so maybe it will end up being to our advantage, since tournament armies will need to consider this).

Spoiler: Gatorman Witch Doctor (Minions)

WHY GOD WHY!!! The bastard should be MINE! He's a three point (FA:2) solo with Dominate Undead, Sacrificial Strike, and Zombify! He can also force minion warbeasts, which is pretty nifty, but Zombify could be very annoying.

Zombify is a RNG 5 *Action, that grants a friendly (non caster) warrior model/unit tough and undead. That means they wont give up souls, they wont allow us to use our nifty abilities, and they'll refuse to die. Frigging thing isn't even an upkeep spell.

Spoiler: Naga Nightlurker (Legion)

I finally received the Domination spoilers, and I stumbled upon the Naga Nightlurker. This is going to hurt, a lot. It's a five point Warbeast, with Eyeless Sight, Pathfinder, Prowl, Serpentine, Soulless, Critical Poison (ranged), and Critical Shadow Bind (Melee). It has a RNG 10 shot, and a PS 12 Bite, but it has Wraithbane as it's animus: A model gains Magical & Blessed weapons.

Legion now has access to ranged attacks that ignore clouds, concealment, stealth, incorporeal, and spells that add to defense or armor. I don't like that one bit, and while the beast itself is less than impressive, that Animus is a killer. Luckily, a five point light won't fit into every list, but it's something to look out for.

Edit: Main forum discussion can be found here.

Random lists: Warwitch Sirens

Another one of those list I'll probably never run, but I just noticed we can put six Warwitch Sirens on the table. That's a whole lot of headaches for an opponent, and the Slayers all have AD (Tier 4 Coven).

The Witch Coven of Garlghast

- Deathripper

- Deathripper

- Slayer

- Slayer

- Slayer

- Slayer

Skarlock Thrall

The Withershadow Combine

Darragh Wrathe

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Technically the tier list can field eight Warwitch Sirens, but it would lose any chance at winning to do that.

Desecrator: Trial run

I brought the Desecrators last night, and despite losing the game, I got to test a few theories. It's worse than I thought, but still not nearly as bad as most people claim.

• Slow: The Harrower has reach, and the Leviathan has a long range gun, but the Desecrator has neither. It's a lot slower than I thought, and bringing two of them really reduces the speed of an army dramatically.
• Redundant: We have so many things that destroy infantry, and these guys aren't even good at it.
• Targets: In order to place the templates, we need targets, as scatter ruins the selling point.

There were some nice things as well. Even against an army with very limited infantry, and exceptional speed, and with poor scatters, the dual Scather templates caused a mountain of headaches.

• Activation sequence: I had fun looking at my opponent trying to get his Knights out of the way, when every path was blocked, and his jacks caught behind them.
• Denial: It's a massive amount of the board he can't use with wounded models, or single wound infantry.
• Free Focus: It allows a few casters to run their jacks, and pop more spells in round one. In other lists it allows the Warwitch Sirens to run the first turn, which is a great boon.

The amount of casters that will like this model is a bit lower than I initially thought, but I can still see potential in the Desecrator.

The main problem is, that it's eighteen points worth of defensive models (since I think two will be necessary to gain any real advantage from Scather templates), and so far Terminus is the only caster that can really appreciate that. Back to the drawing board!

In the spirit of failure.

I brought the eGaspy list to the club, and as I wrote before: An army of single wound infantry should almost automatically loose against it. Sadly, Captain Jeremiah Kraye brought an army of jacks.

In the spirit of the last few days of conversation, I'll Focus on what I did wrong. First of all, the list itself had some immediate issues, but I knew that going in, and thought I could work around it.

Lich Lord Asphyxious

- Deathripper

- Deathripper

- Desecrator

- Desecrator

Bane Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts)

Bile Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)

The Withershadow Combine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Gorman di Wulfe

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

Obviously I've spent eighteen points on a couple of heavies, and we all know that eGaspy likes his infantry. Secondly I had no Bane Thralls, and so his guns had free reign amongst my heavy hitters, and finally my army was slow, while his was not.

Captain Jeremiah Kraye

- Charger

- Firefly

- Cyclone

- Defender

- Ironclad

Squire

Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts)

- Officer & Standard

Rangers

Captain Arlan Strangewayes

Stormsmith Stormcaller

Stormsmith Stormcaller

Stormsmith Stormcaller

He won the roll to go first, and his entire army rushed up. He placed the covering fire templates at a choke point, and it was my turn. I moved up the Desecrators and fired at a couple of secondary key points, then scattered the maximum distance, and suddenly the primary choke point had four AoE's in place. eGaspy placed a few clouds, and got into position behind the Desecrators.

Turn two

Everything moved up, and I prepared for the pain. I lost seven out of ten Bane Knights, Tartarus, both Sirens (one of them got herself killed by a Ranger in melee, sigh), but it wasn't to bad. The Bane Knights thrashed the Cyclone, and eGaspy cleaned house with a Bile Thrall purge.

This is where I lost the game. It was my first game since the eGaspy nerf, and I should have used my feat, instead of saving it for an assassination attempt. eGaspy had four souls, he was well hidden behind the Desecrators, but I failed to take the insane slam range into consideration. I had two Sirens, seven Knights, and Tartarus ready for the feat, and I should have gone for attrition.

What I didn't do

I could easily have cleaved a couple of systems of his jacks with my feat, and perhaps locked down one or two with the sirens, but I thought myself safe and lost.

How I lost

Did you know how far a Firefly can slam with Full Tilt, because I sure didn't. I thought I was safe behind clouds, behind Desecrators, with Hellbound up, and then a fifteen inch slam sent my Desecrator flying into eGaspy. Then a line of jacks came calling, and my knocked down eGaspy called it quits. I'll go into further details tomorrow, when I've had time to think it through.

Lich Lord Asphyxious: Helljacks

Lich Lord Asphyxious was my first love, and I've never actually used him after his most recent nerf. I've had the urge to try him with some heavies for a while now, and with all the talk about Desecrators, he seems like a good choice for a trial run.

Lich Lord Asphyxious

- Deathripper

- Deathripper

- Desecrator

- Desecrator

Bane Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts)

Bile Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)

The Withershadow Combine

Bane Lord Tartarus

Gorman di Wulfe

Warwitch Siren

Warwitch Siren

It has some really bad match-ups, but an army of single wound infantry should almost automatically loose against it. It has Caustic Mist, Scather templates, Bile Thrall purges, and it hit's rather hard. It will also be another game with Gorman, because seriously: it's embarrassing to fail so hard with him every game. I'm really looking forward to trying the Desecrators, and my Bane Knights have been shelved for way to long as well.

Edit: I would have liked to include a couple of Machine Wraiths, as targets for the Desecrators, but this time I'm going to test exactly how hard it is to fill the gaps with caustic mists (and avoid loosing eGaspy at the same time).