This past Saturday we had a small-ish WTC practice day for the players of the Swedish teams who live in or close to Stockholm, plus Christoffer Wedding who apparently is the only one living far away with proper priorities. That means we're 8 people in total; 6 from Stockholm, 1 from Västerås, 1 from Gothenburg. We should've ideally been 9 but sometimes people prioritise real life. Sickening, I know.
The weekend started off at Rickard's (the famous Arlaharen) place with what was supposed to be a couple of games with drinks and nachos. At least we had drinks and nachos.
For the weekend the only match up I had requested to try was Lylyth3 to see if it really was as bad for Haley3 as "people" was saying. I got the chance to play it 2,5 times roughly, and in addition I faced Madrak2 and Haley2.
Since it's been a few days and I've not been great with taking pictures, the battle reports won't be as eloquent as I would have preferred, but I'll try my best to describe the games played and particularily my thoughts and plans.
Anyway, let's go!
GAME 1 & 2: Versus Gustav Berggren.
This is going to be two games reported simultaneously for reasons which will be made clear as you read (I got killed top of 2 first try and we reset just a little bit, haha).
Haley 3 [+25]
- Grenadier [9]
- Grenadier [9]
- Ironclad [12]
- Thorn [13]
Storm Lances (max) [20]
Trencher Infantry (max) [16]
Journeyman Warcaster [4]
- Charger [9]
Ragman [4]
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord [4]
This is the list used for every Haley3 game in this post.
Lylyth 3 [+29]
- Naga Nightlurker [8]
- Nephilim Bolt Thrower [11]
- Seraph [14]
- Typhon [24]
- Succubus [4]
Rorsh [15]
- Brine0]
- Battle Boar [7]
Strider Deathstalker [4]
Strider Deathstalker [4]
The Forsaken [4]
Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]
Annyssa Ryvaal [8]
And this is the Lylyth3 list used for game 1-3 this weekend. Gustav isn't a big fan of Lylyth3, believing her to be more of a noob-stomper than anything else, but he took one (or a couple) for the team so to speak.
Scenario is Entrenched.
I advance too, get in the trench, flux up, figuring DEF 22 is going to be okay. I've got my storm lances away on my other flank to contest his zone, trenchers go down the middle and a grenadier, thorn, ironclad and the Haley unit is aimed towards keeping my zone clear.
Turns out this wasn't a safe space.
Lylyth wraithbanes herself, hits the first boosted 12 under her feat, and I'm dead from her third shot.
We change up the game a little bit, put three storm lances in front of Haley, like so. In return the ironclad has to shift off towards the left.
Then Lylyth gets a bit cocky and advances to here. Two storm lances are in range, a couple of trencher charges, a few spells from Haley and she goes down. I suggest we reset a bit again, but Gustav rightly suggests we just rerack and go from the start again.
Draw (or something)!
GAME 3: Versus Gustav Berggren.
Same lists and scenario as above. Lessons learned from the first game; keep 3 arcane shielded storm lances in front of Prime Haley at ALL times. The leader of the unit can't be one of them, he and the last lance has to be able to do something.
I sadly didn't remember to take a lot of pictures of this game, so it'll be more for memory and less of a turn by turn report.
We're at the same sides as before but I chose to deploy Haley more towards my left. This will decrease my scenario pressure by almost 100 % but the forest can help me stay a bit more safe this way.
The first couple of turns Lylyth advance with windwall and her beasts covered by it. I can't shoot back (obviously) but with temporal distortion up my army is mostly unharmed. Outside of Lylyth herself, his army just doesn't get enough good shots off to work its way through mine very fast.
By the mid-game we've advanced closer to each other, me to get any possibility of getting something done to him, and him to 1) not get pressured off his own scenario zone, and 2) keep the pressure up versus Haley Prime.
At this time, I decide I'm just going to charge my grenadiers into the windwall since they're doing jack shit otherwise. Two charging trenchers, the grenadier and a storm lance does 2/3 of typhon's boxes, another grenadier does a bit over half of Brine.
After this, Brine gets primalled and goes off for my Ironclad. Being 14/18 he doesn't take too much damage, but Typhon helps bring him down to 1 box. I think the only real play Gustav had at this time was to go off after the scenario, but since typhon sprays down a storm lance and ironclad, the seraph isn't enough to get it done, and Lylyth doesn't move over there anyway.
This is the end of the game. I think the proxy base is where Typhon was, and past Haley with Ragman just killed Brine. The left grenadier decides to shoot Lylyth herself to get her to transfer into the nephilim but Gustav choses not to prolong the game.
Victory!
I was told beforehand by Olov, a good friend and player on Sweden's WTC Team Nobel that he thought Lylyth3 was unplayable with Haley3. I wasn't convinced but couldn't really articulate a counter-argument to his, which was that Lylyth's windwall and decent ability to deal with high defense would shut down Haley3. After playing the match up a couple of times I believe it's a decent match, but keeping Prime alive while getting the echoes active is a tight rope to walk.
GAME 4: Versus Niklas Bergmark.
Niklas is a team mate of mine on Team Sweden Bofors, our third time. This means this game is of utmost importance; establishing the pecking order within the team is more important than winning the WTC after all.
Haley 2 [+25]
- Ironclad [12]
- Thorn [13]
- Stormwall [39]
- Squire [5]
Storm Lances (min) [12]
Journeyman Warcaster [4]
- Firefly [8]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [3]
Ragman [4]
Niklas plays a Madrak2 variant. Very unexpected..
(Madrak 2) Madrak Ironhide, World Ender [+28]
- Dire Troll Mauler [15]
- Mulg the Ancient [19]
- Troll Bouncer [9]
- Trollkin Runebearer [4]
Trollkin Warders (max) [17]
Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (min) [6]
- Stone Scribe Elder [3]
Fell Caller Hero [5]
Thrullg [6]
Pyg Burrowers (min) [8]
Alten Ashley [5]
Gremlin Swarm [3]
Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress [3]
I have to admit, Madrak2 scares me a little bit. I know he's not impossible to beat by any means, but it's like I fail my personal CMD check (Mk 2 lingo - kids, ask you parents what it means if you don't understand). I also want to see how hard he is to kill. I learn better by failing than by reading.
Scenario is Recon.
I decide to go second to get the first opportunity at scoring. I deploy a bit haphazardly with my Stormwall across from Madrak and Mulg.
After my first turn this is the board state. My stormwall got Temporal Acceleration and advanced and shot two pygmies down, since they were the only worthwhile targets within range. Maybe I should've tried pegging Madrak just to get him to either take some damage in preparation or get some damage on a Shield Guard.
Niklas advances warily a little bit into the zone, keeping a fair few Grim Salvation targets around Madrak. Anyway, in the quest of knowledge I want to give Madrak a fair beating. I can TK him around, hit him with Hunter's Mark and send in a Stormwall with Temporal Acceleration.
Following this, Niklas gets nothing done really. He runs warders, stonebearers and everything in to protect Madrak, who also camps 3. At this time I decide to change gear entirely and go for a scenario play. It's probably what I should've been setting up for last turn anyway. I kill the 4 warders in the zone, TK the mauler out. The Ironclad moves in and kills the objective and also manages to get in a good hit at the mauler. However, I notice the pyg in the far end of the zone and only manage to get one attack at him, which he toughs...
Mulg does a ton of damage to my stormwall, the ironclad dies. At this time I can easily clear what is contesting and go to 3-0, but too little too late. I can give killing Madrak a try again though. Ragman goes up, Haley kills a model, thorn kills lots. It's pretty much a dead assassination even as I start, and I fail and concede.
Defeat!
Oh well. I played badly and deserved to lose. Flip flopping between plans to victory really isn't a way to play, but in my defense part of what I wanted to achieve is get a feel for how close I can get to killing Madrak in different situations (so that I don't get tricked into trying in an important game...). I think this is a very playable match up if I decide to go for scenario properly turn 2 rather than whacking away at Madrak ineffectually. Haley2 likely has enough control to keep Madrak and his BG busy for long enough.
For the last game of the day it's decided I play something I've put off for a few weeks - the cygnar mirror. I dislike playing faction mirrors (not to mention caster ones, but that didn't happen here). I face off against Olov and he says we should play Haley3 versus Haley2.
GAME 5: Versus Olov Winroth.
Fresh off of winning the Iron Moot Invitational Olov is as always a daunting opponent. I have earlier struggled a bit with playing against players who are a "big deal" in Sweden but as I've gotten to know them better it's become easier. Olov and I talk about Cygnar a fair bit too.
I play Haley3 as above. Olov plays the same Haley2 list as I played last game.
In theory I think Haley3 vs Haley2 should be rather even. Haley3 has the stronger attrition game by far, but Haley2 has great scenario pressure, and with the Stormwall being able to throw accurately a long ways her assassination game is strong as well. My plan is therefore to keep Haley3 behind the wall to deny throws into her, and stall scenario with Bunker forcing a melee commitment and echoes being general PITAs while grinding Olov down. As soon as the Stormwall is close to my lines without Temporal Shift covering it it should go down to my shooting combined with Past Haley beating the crap out of it.
I win the starting roll and chose to go 2nd to give me a wall perfectly within the killbox (or outside? I never learn) as well as deny Olov the ability to score bottom of 2.
Early game nothing much happens. I advance warily under smoke (but I don't leave enough room for one trencher to get back behind the smoke, as you can see), Olov can't do much as a result. Top of 2 he puts down a pod to bounce off with the Firefly, but I think he only got one Trencher or something. His stormwall advances quite aggressively though (left of the trench, pretty much), and he feats and jams both my grenadiers, the right one with 2 storm lances and the left one with Thorn.
I think I have an unusual opportunity to get work done under Temporal Shift, costing me only my feat. Past Haley advances laterally, right next to Olov's Storm Lances and Force Hammers one into the other. The original target dies (unsurprisingly - hell yeah raw talent) and the second one is shot down by Future Haley and the Charger. This frees the Grenadier to down the third Storm Lance, at this juncture positioned at my right flag. In a rare display of impotence, the little robot fails me though.
Failing to kill the 3rd Storm Lance gives Olov an opportunity to score 3 this turn though. I contested the left flag with a Trencher and the right one with but a Storm Lance. Had I gotten the last storm lance Olov could only really have gotten 2 CP here which would be fine. 3 however, might be too many.
Karmic justice (or blind luck) saved me though, and Olov's lance failed to kill my contesting one. The Stormwall goes in and punches the shit out of my objective though, and throws down a pod to disrupt my Charger AND kill Ragman. 0-2 and I'm in a good position even though Ragman went down.
After my response this is what the board looks like:
The Stormwall went down as expected after repudiate strips Arcane Shield, Olov's last Storm Lance died and my right flag is secured (albeit not scored on yet). I again chose to contest with only a Trencher on my left flank, I don't think Olov is going to get to 5 CP before I can grind him down. Olov's Thorn is tangling with a Grenadier as well as my Thorn, which I'm feeling okay about. Thorn is more important for Haley2 than Haley3, especially so when Haley2 is trying to close out a scenario.
Olov scores his third control point in his next turn but can't kill much else.
Olov charges Haley2 in to score his 4th point by stabbing past Haley in the back and TKing Future Haley away from the flag. Lanyssa runs from the left flag to contest the right, denying me a second CP.
I manage to kill Haley2 in retaliation, shooting her down with Future Haley, the charger and the grenadier even before the storm lances can activate.
Victory!
As predicted Haley3 can win out in a long grind versus Haley2 but can be pressured on the scenario. Had Olov decided to go for attrition instead of the scenario top of 3 I think the game would've dragged out for a while with a similar conclusion, though maybe the stormwall could have survived a turn longer had it chosen to kill a grenadier instead, or maybe just shot down 2 storm lances. Haley2 feat is very strong versus Haley3, effectively shutting the cloudwall down.
After 4 (and a half) games I felt finished and was glad we were done for the day. My pairing of Haleys 2 & 3 has served me very well lately not leaving any obvious holes that I've encountered so far. I've yet to play versus Skorne in Mk 3 though, and Mercenaries, so maybe there's something I haven't encountered yet.
Next opportunity I have to game is at Battle of Westridge, the 10-11th of September. I'll 100 % be running these lists at that tournament.
These reports were likely shit from lack of pictures, rambling style of writing and lack of experience battle reporting.
Good night, readers!
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