[Chris Perkins]

I got the win over Dysole in a game that started quite close but turned into a blowout when Himmel decided to become the God of the Wyverns and absolutely obliterate Dysole's SZ. I also had all 4 initiative rolls go my way and Guilty went 4/4 on defense.

Going into the game, I knew there were a few favorable sub-matchups for me, namely Nakita -> Raelin, Himmel -> 20th, Arkmer/Brutes -> Shieldsmiths. I didn't love any of my matchups into Rachiem though. I also decided that, if at all possible, I had to focus on killing Raelin 1st because a 6 defense Rachiem could just rip my army to shreds.

Round 1:
I went Himmel/Arkmer/Nakita while Dysole went Dwarves/Dwarves/Raelin. I lost init (which I wanted). Himmel took the single 3-hex height to the north while Dwarves advanced on the middle. Arkmer took up a blocking position on one of the central jungle+shadow spaces and missed killing a dwarf. Raelin moved up to a very aggressive position, basically in the dead center of the map on 4-height with no relevant LoS blockers. I moved Nakita up and took 3 shots up at Raelin, doing 3 wounds.

Round 2:
I went Nakita/Guilty/Himmel while Dysole went Dwarves/Rachiem/Rachiem. I won init but all 3 Nakita shots only did 1 more wound to Raelin, leaving her alive with 1 life. A Dwarf snuck into my SZ and engaged Guilty (I could have blocked it with better Nakita placement, a big mistake on my part), but Guilty blocked the 1/2 with a 2/2. A Dwarf also took Valda. Guilty then moved up (taking a LEA shot), but missed both shots at Raelin. Rachiem moved quickly, using Valda, and hit Guilty with a 2/4 that Guilty blocked with a 2/2 in a clutch roll that kept Lion of Punjab alive. Himmel then killed Raelin and put 2 wounds on Rachiem, claiming the height that Raelin was previously on. Rachiem moved away (LEA missed) and took the height near Valda in the north, killing a Nakita with a SA.

Round 3:
I went Nakita/Brutes/Himmel while Dysole went Dwarves/Rachiem/20th. I won init, and this one was massive, as I avoided losing my Nakitas. I split them up so Rachiem couldn't kill them both, and they were able to kill Rachiem with just their two shots (one even ground, one up). The Dwarves got a few attacks in, but both were blocked (one on a Brute, one on Himmel). The Brutes moved up, killing the one Dwarf in my SZ. Dysole then had a lost OM. Himmel then had a once-in-a-lifetime-turn. I disengaged (LEA missed) from a dwarf in the center to charge Dysole's SZ as I was worried about 20th in an end-game. Himmel proceeded to kill 5 20th Maine (all with 4 defense) and 2 Dwarves (5 defense) over 7 consecutive attacks (none of which I had height on). Himmel was only stopped by running out of victims, as she eventually couldn't reach the last remaining figures and 'settled' for just re-taking height in the center. The last 20th moved up and killed a Brute.

Round 4:
I went Himmel/Brutes/Nakita while Dysole went Dwarves/Dwarves/Dwarves. I won init again, and Himmel took a heighted attack at the Dwarf on Valda, but the 3/6 was blocked by a 3/5. More than fair given what Himmel had already done. Dysole then risked 2 engagement strikes (both missed) and killed a Nakita and put 2 wounds on Himmel. The Brute gruts moved up and killed all 3 Dwarves across 6 attacks via Berserking. Dysole lost a turn before my last Nakita moved forward and killed the final 20th to end the game.

gg Dysole, my dice were absolutely brutal and I don't expect to ever be able to replicate the kind of luck that Himmel embodied in round 2.