Battle Report: Cygnar Storm Legion vs Orgoth Sea Raiders

 Cygnar (Wolfe) vs Orgoth (Horruskh)

 

Cygnar Storm Legion

• Major Anson Wolfe
• Courser
• Stryker
• Stryker
• Alexia, Queen of the Damned (proxied by Alexia1)
• Legionnaire Officer (proxied)
• Sharpshooter
• Arcane Mechanics
• Stormblade Legionnaires (proxied by stormblades)
• Legionnaire Standard Bearer (proxied)
• Stormguard Legionnaires
• Stormguard Legionnaires (proxied by various stormblades)]  

Orgoth Sea Raiders

• Horruskh, The Thousand Wraths
• Tyrant (shredder and quad bolt)
• Tyrant (shredder and quad bolt)
• Tyrant (thresher thingy and shield)(proxied)
• Siege Tarask (proxied)
• Vulcar Forge Master
• Reaver Commander
• Reaver Commander
• Warwitch Coven
• Warwitch Coven (proxied)

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Deployment

The scenario was Split Decision. We placed a building centrally, along with two forests. One side had a wall and a trench, and the other side had a L-shaped wall and a double hill with the flag.

Cygnar places defenses - two spike traps which will never be relevant in this battle.

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Cygnar Turn 1

Cygnar runs forward, the stormblades getting an extra two inches of movement from the officer.

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Orgoth Turn 1

Orgoth moves forward, and the titans shoot out the three most overeager stormblades. Horruskh hides behind a building.

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Cygnar Turn 2

The stryker with the heavy mag bolter and electro bombard shoots the melee tyrant, and then the stryker with the javelin and power fist gets focus from the mechanics and charges the same tyrant, killing it. Incidentally, this is the first time I've made use of the 1-point relentless charge head I'm always putting on my strykers.

Alexia takes her only meaningful action of the game and brings back one stormblade, and then the stormblades run to engage the titans. Two units of stormguard run in behind, flooding the zone, and Wolfe feats.

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Orgoth Turn 2

The warwitches put up a dark shroud, then Horruskh feats and singlehandedly kills the stryker that just killed a tyrant. The tyrants kill all the stormblades, the sharpshooter, and an entire unit of stormguard, but as he does so, Wolfe's feat allows for a bunch of shots which kill a raver commander and a bunch of warwitches.

During one of the feat attacks, a shot from the stryker's electro bombard actually hits a DEF17 warwitch, and needs a 3 to kill her. I roll snake eyes on the damage, and then roll 7 twice on the blast damage rolls that need 8 to kill.

The siege tarrask drags in and kills the courser.

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Cygnar Turn 3

Cygnar has lost a lot, but I feel like this is my turn. The officer moves up within 10 inches and allows the unit of stormguard clustered on the back porch of the Dijon Rave House to charge through each other. They charge the titans, needing a 5 to hit. Three of the five models roll 4 or less. At least due to an early attack taking out the titan's movement, three hit. No kill though.

The stryker with the heavy mag bolter and electro bombard tries for the assassination and actually lands a hit on Horruskh, doing two damage.

Wolfe moves over to keep his lone remaining warjack in his control area.

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Orgoth Turn 3

The titans turn to the last stryker and although only one is in range, they nearly kill it.

Horruskh kills all 5 stormguard singlehandedly.

The tarrask has no targets and lumbers towards Alexia.

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Cygnar Turn 4

Not much else to do, so Wolfe rushes into the fray. He charges the siege tarrask, killing it with three attacks, and sidestepping forward. He then casts energizer and moves forward another two inches. This isn't close enough to reach Horruskh, but he hits and kills the Reaver Commander on the flag and sidesteps into range of Horruskh. With two blood tokens from killing two models, he's now POW17 on his attacks, and he kills Horruskh.

(Cygnar Victory!)

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Final Thoughts

• I was quite surprised to win this game. Horruskh was very much taking an unnecessary risk in stepping out, and had he stayed behind the building, I'd have been in trouble.
• Horruskh's feat is doubly a problem for Wolfe - it grants additional armor during Horruskh's own turn for Wolfe's feat attacks, and stays up during Wolfe's folliwing turn, so it's almost like feating twice.
• Titans remain a problem.

 

Battle Report: Orgoth Sea Raiders vs Skorne (Unlimited)

Orgoth (Horruskh) vs Skorne (Makeda2)

After how badly I'd been getting destroyed by the Orgoth recently in the Black Tide scenarios, we decided to take a break and play some vanilla Steamroller.

 

Orgoth Sea Raiders

• Horruskh, The Thousand Wraths
• Tyrant
• Tyrant
• Tyrant
• Siege Tarask (proxied)
• Vulcar Forge Master (proxied)
• Reaver Commander (proxied)
• Warwitch Coven
• Warwitch Coven

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Skorne (Unlimited)

• Supreme Archdomina Makeda
• Basilisk Krea
• Bronzeback Titan
• Molik Karn
• The Wastelander
• Cataphract Cetrati
• Legends of Halaak
• Paingiver Beast Handlers
• Praetorian Ferox
• Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew
• Venator Catapult Crew

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Deployment

 A burned out Khador building was placed in the central zone, and a wall near each outer zone. One zone had a small building spewing some kind of acid into a pool, and the Orgoth side had a gallows obstruction, a building, and a hill. Orgoth won the roll and decided to go first.

Orgoth deployed centrally. With no solos other than The Wastelander, I knew I'd be going for something other than a points victory. I set up the bellows crew to protect the catapult Ferox to sprint down the left, and beasts to go for the close zone.

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Orgoth Turn 1

The reaver commander runs up to the objective, the siege tarrask runs towards the far zone, and the rest of the Orgoth horde lumbers down the center.

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Skorne Turn 1

 

Fully aware that anything I place within the range of Titans on turn one won't make it to turn 2, I move the Ferox far less than their full speed, and carefully hide them behind a wall.

The catapult runs up and hides behind the edge of the Khador ruin, and the gobber blows smoke just in front. Cetrati sprint up the center and Makeda moves in behind, casting Deflection and Storm Rager.

The wastelander hides behind a building beside the acid, protecting the Krea and Molik Karn, and the Krea puts up Force Aura. The Bronzeback Titan runs up to the objective and the beast handlers move up behind to heal him in the unlikely event that Orgoth can reach that far with shots.

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Orgoth Turn 2

The tyrants move up, and the first one nearly shoots the Bronzeback off the table, leaving him on three boxes. The second easily finishes it off, shoots the gobber who dropped smoke, and gets upset that there are no more targets in range.

Then Horruskh feats for extra armor.

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Skorne Turn 2

Skorne makes its first and only attack of the battle, firing the catapult at a tyrant, hoping to hurt some warwitches with blast damage. Zero damage to anything.

The Ferox and Legends of Halaak run to engage, and the Cetrati slowly run up the center. The lone bellows crew member moves up and drops smoke, which Makeda hides behind. The krea moves in to help with a force aura.

Molik Karn is left in a tough spot - if he doesn't hide, the tarrask will drag him in and eat him. Perhaps I should have let that happen. Orgoth score a flag for one point.

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Orgoth Turn 3

Orgoth does a bunch of stuff in the center and kills a bunch of models. Then a tyrant shoots out the objective and the siege tarrask runs to the zone.

That's one point for the objective, one for the zone, and one for the same flag, bringing Orgoth to 4.

Horruskh runs into the Orgoth zone for the win. Skorne never got an alpha.

(Orgoth Victory!)

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Final Thoughts

• When a Tyrant can one-round an ARM19 heavy at extreme range, I worry that there might be a balance issue.
• This was my final attempt to fight Orgoth with the Skorne. I'm now convinced that victory is not at all possible.

Black Tide Battle Report - Chapter 5: Burn the Bridges

Battle Report: Army of the Western Reaches vs Sea Raiders

This was the 5th scenario in the Black Tide narrative campaign: Burn the Bridges. The idea behind this one is that both armies are fighting in the rushing water beneath the bridge, and the defenders are trying to destroy the bridge to prevent the invaders from transporting their armies across. The tape across the table marks the edges of the water - everything between is rushing water. Not only are models in the water in rough terrain - they all lose pathfinder. This means that the Orgoth cavalry is at a distinct advantage, as they can fly, and the Skorne cavalry is at a disadvantage, as they can now only reposition one inch.

The six objective markers represent six legs supporting the bridge. The defender's goal is to destroy at least four of them. This is done by placing charges - a trooper model base to base with a bridge support can place a charge by taking an action while base to base with it and rolling 2d6. A roll of 9 or higher places the charge. On a roll of 2, the charge explodes immediately. Otherwise nothing happens and you've got to try again. An armed charge will explode at the end of the defender's next turn, giving models time to get clear, which is good because when a charge explodes, the bridge leg is destroyed, and all models within two inches are automatically destroyed. Once the defender destroys four bridge legs, he wins. If he hasn't done so by the end of his sixth turn, the invader wins.

 I would also be using my Siege Oliphaunt for the first time this game, which was exciting.

Skorne

• Supreme Archdomina Makeda
• Baslisk Krea
• Baslisk Krea
• Titan Sentry (Proxied by a Titan Cannoneer)
• Siege Oliphaunt
• Legends of Halaak
• Paingiver Beast Handlers
• Praetorian Ferox
• Praetorian Ferox
• Venator Catapult Crew

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Orgoth

• Horruskh, The Thousand Wraths
• Jackal
• Tyrant
• Siege Tarask
• Rhok Harriers
• Rhok Harriers
• Ulkor Axers
• Ulkor Barragers

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Deployment

Although each player is allowed to place 4 pieces of terrain, we didn't want to be stupid by placing houses and forests in the river. So one side got an underwater hill, and the other side got a pile of rocks that would act as a wall. Underwater rubble on one side would also grant cover.

The Orgoth deploy to send six Rhok up one side of the board, and Axers on the other. Horruskh aims for the hill. Skorne points a unit of Ferox at each set of bridge legs, and aims the Oliphaunt straight up the center.

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Skorne Turn 1

Skorne runs into the river, although the Ferox hold back a bit to avoid being shot at on turn one. The flag falls off my Makeda model, and we decided that she dropped it before heading into the river because she didn't want her flag to get wet.

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Orgoth Turn 1

Orgoth run up, the Axers getting Inviolable Resolve.

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Skorne Turn 2

The oliphaunt unloads on the Tyrant, doing some damage, and the Tyrant moves forward because of hyper-agressive.

The Ferox walk forward, the moving model stopping at the bridge support and the other two placing far enough forward to attack. The two walking ferox fail to do much damage, but the one in the back successfully plants a charge on the bridge. On the other side, Ferox do the same, and the two forward Ferox kill two rhok harriers, but the rear ferox fails to place a charge.

The catapult kills an axer, and a member of the catapult crew sets a charge on the other bridge pillar. Two down! The legends of Halaak run to the other side of the board, and the Krea put up force auras.

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Orgoth Turn 2

The tyrant unloads on the Oliphaunt, doing more than half its boxes in damage. The tarask and rhok kill two ferox, and axers on the other side kill one ferox.

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Skorne Turn 3

The oliphaunt backs up to stay out of the axers' charge range. It then heals itself with its rage tokens, shoots at the tyrant and kills a rhok. The unstoppable ferox walk away from the axers, and one is placed close enough to a pillar to try to place a charge, which fails. The other unit of ferox also tries to place a charge and fails, but does kill one rhok.

Legends of Halaak jockey for position. Makeda puts up deflection.

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Orgoth Turn 3

The tyrant lets loose with its quad bolter again, pincushioning the oliphaunt. Shield guard from the Sentry helps. The Ulkor barragers help out, but it takes the two rhok harriers to finally move in and finish off the olpihaunt. That still only counts as one!

Ulkor axers and the siege tarask take out the two Ferox who are outside of the range of Makeda's stay death, but she keeps the one on the bridge pillar alive.

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Skorne Turn 4

What I'd really like to do here is have a ferox walk to the far side of the pillar, then place another four inches away base to base with the furthest pillar so that I could try to set charges on each. However, the siege tarask is blocking me from doing that, so instead all three Ferox charge the tarask, doing decent damage and killing two Rhok.

A beast handler successfully sets a charge on a pillar, leaving only one.

The Sentry positions to block for Makeda, but I fail to use his animus. The Legends of Halaak position to charge anyone who they want next turn. Makeda casts Force Aura and Deflection. It's a costly but effective combination: +4 DEF vs ranged.

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Orgoth Turn 4

Axers charge and kill the sentry. The lone remaining rhok charges and damages one of the legends of Halaak. The barragers kill the catapult because the crew wasn't close enough to use Take Up. The one guy left has nothing but a cannonball, and he's determined to use it, but he's not yet sure how.

The tarask takes out two of the three ferox, and the jackal moves up.

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Skorne Turn 5

The last ferox walks around the tarask and makes a last-ditch attempt to place a charge, but fails.

The krea finishes off the final rhok in order to give the Legends of Halaak a charge lane. The Legends of Halaak then charge the jackal, ending with a combo smite slam that knocks it into a wall, so that charge attack actually uses five dice. Damage wasn't super high though.

Makeda backs away from the pillar that's about to explode, and the krea gives her force aura. That guy with the cannonball looks around, trying to decide who to throw it at.

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Orgoth Turn 5

The tarask mauls the last ferox, but Makeda won't let it die, using up every last fury point. The warwitches charge, but can't kill it.

Axers charge the Legends of Halaak, but can't kill them.

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Skorne Turn 6

The game ends after Skorne's 6th turn, so this is it. We realize that even if I set a charge successfully, it won't explode until after the game ends. Only rolling a 2 will cause it to explode immediately and win the game for Skorne. I roll a seven or something.

(Orgoth Victory!)

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Final Thoughts

• Early on, I did a lot of focusing on the bridge pillars rather than making attacks. My thinking is that if I could destroy the bridge and win, then it didn't matter how many models I'd lost. The issue is that setting charges is totally random and far less than 50%.
• As ever, the tyrant's ranged attacks did so much work. I hate it.
• I should probably have skipped the charge on turn 4 and had the ferox try to set a charge.
• Leaving the catapult crew too far away from the catapult was a mistake on my part.
• The Legends of Halaak spent a lot of time doing nothing.
• I wonder if I could have saved my oliphaunt with the stealth card.
• All things said, this is a really good scenario. Not competitive, but fun.