Quote:
Originally Posted by Vydar is the man
* Bol, Concan the Kyrie Warrior, Heirloom, Otonashi, Sudema, Crypt Guardianx2, Phantom Knightsx3, Zombies of Morindanx4
* Arthur of Sherwood, Bol, Darrak Ambershard, Elaria the Pale, Millerson, Quorik Warwitch, Axegrinders of Burning Forgex2, Beakface Sneaksx5, Clawfoot Interceptor, Nottingham Brigandx4
Code:
Shiftrex Vydar itm
Phantom Knights
Phantom Knights
Phantom Knights
Arthur of Sherwood
Sudema
Quorik Warwitch
Clawfoot Interceptor
Crypt Guardian
Crypt Guardian
Beakface Sneaks
Beakface Sneaks
Nottingham Brigand
Nottingham Brigand
Beakface Sneaks
Beakface Sneaks
Otonashi
Bol
Concan the Kyrie Warrior
We're set to play at 8:30e / 6:30m on Wednesday. |
Drafting Report
Before we started drafting, I took some time to assess the units in the pool. Immediately, the PKs stood out to me as very useful in this format. 3 figures with 6 move and stealth flying is pretty damn fast, and able to establish early board control and early VPs. With the PKs as the standouts, I ignored the zombies, yes moving 6 units per turn is appealing but they're slow and don't rise against the knights. I also didn't consider Sudema and the Crypt Guardians. I had never played with the CGs, they are slow, and Sudema is traditionally a bad unit. I figured I would take one of the special attacks (Warwitch and Heirloom) to counter draft, if necessary. Aside from the PKs, I knew I wanted either dwarves or Beakfaces. The ability to attack and then move a unit onto a control point with either bonding or flocking would also prove to be invaluable. Otonashi on an OM3 could be very useful at the right time with that 10 move, but requires a lot of prediction and isn't worth building around, If I have the chance to get her and someone tricky, I should. That leaves the Rogues. I don't value them very highly when compared to the rest of the pool. PKs and Beakfaces get +3 def vs range, Arthur is fast, but not fast enough to get to a CP in 1 OM, and Elaria's powers aren't helpful in this format. A few Brigands do provide a useful tool against the Warwitch and might be useful to supplement bonding to Darrak in the same army as dwarves, but that's about it.
Shiftrex chose who would start. My plan going first was Darrak and 2x Axegrinders on the second pick, I would cede the PKs to him and go with the number of attacks per turn, feeling confident that those picks could have an even matchup with 3x PKs. I would likely then have gotten the Warwitch or Heirloom for the SA and figure out what the last half would be based on his other picks. But Shiftrex picked 1x PKs first. Going second, there wasn't a single circumstance that I would not choose 2x PKs. Shiftrex's next picks really surprised me. I figured he would go for either the dwarf or raptorian cores, but he chose Arthur and Sudema. I could not understand why these were his picks until midway through our game. He picked them for their D20 attacks as a way to bypass the Phantom's high defense. After being stunned by his last pick, I was able to take my pick between the Axegrinders and the Beakfaces instead of taking the one Shiftrex leaves for me. I chose the Beakfaces because of the movement utility that Flocking provided. So I picked Quorik and Clawfoot. The rest of the draft was easy, Shiftrex picked up CGs and NBs to synergize with Arthur and Sudema and then Oto and Bol to round out his points and I took 4x Beakfaces and Concan.
A small (possible) mistake I made was that instead of the second pair of Beaks, I should have taken Oto and Bol (sitting Bol), denying that option to Shiftrex, forcing him to fill his points with 1x Beakfaces and then I switch Concan (who did nothing) for Darrak.
Coming out of the draft, I felt like Shiftrex's army is all over the place. He has 8 cards to my 5, so his OMs are going to be significantly more challenging to manage than mine. He has a lot of tools at his disposal, but none that I was particularly scared of. His army is going to have issues putting on constant pressure on all 3 control points, whereas my army won't have that issue. The way he wins is to get his bulky heroes on control points first and I need to get there first or go through his heroes.
Battle Report
NOTE: I will refer to Control Points as follows, from top-left to bottom-right: north, center, and south.
Round 1 consisted of a lot of Phantom Knights. All 3 of my OMs and OM1 and OM3 of Shiftrex's were on PKs. I won initiative and each of our first turns was flying PKs out, able to threaten all 3 Points. I did not play my OM2 well at all. I miscounted hexes and instead of taking all 3 points, I moved 2 PKs to the north point, leaving the center point open. Shiftrex, on OM2 developed a CG, lovingly nicknamed Fred, and Sudema and on each of our OM3 we developed PKs. At the end of the round, I held the north and south points, but were engaged at both and Shiftrex held the center point unengaged. Vydar
0, Shiftrex
1
In round 2, I split my OMs between developing the Beakfaces and continuing to fight for the CPs with the Phantoms. Shiftrex has OMs on everything. 2 on Brigands, 1 on Fred the Crypt Guardian and 1 on Otonashi. I win initiative, my OM1 is on PKs. They fly to the center and south but none of my attacks go through. His OM1 is on a Nottingham Brigand. He bonds with Arthur, who moved to center and draws first blood, or ectoplasm, if you will. My OM2 develops Beakfaces into threatening range, and his OM2 develops Fred and Sudema towards the south point, where she turns my PK on the south point to stone. My OM3 is back on the Phantoms, I re-take the south point and kill his PK. His OM3 is on the Brigand and both he and Arthur fail to kill anything. I hold the north point engaged, and the south point unengaged. Shiftrex holds the center point, unengaged. Vydar
1, Shiftrex
2
In round 3, Shiftrex won initiative with 2 markers on Otonashi, 1 on Brigands, and 1 on Fred. I, again, split between Beaks and Phantoms. His OM1 was on Fred, he moves closer to the south point and Sudema steps up onto the 3-hex rock and turns a PK to stone. My OM1 is on the Beakfaces, they attack, doing no damage but trigger flocking allowing some good development. On OM2 Shiftrex had Arthur run over from center to attack my PK on the north point and take a passing swipe at the Clawfoot, both of which hit. My OM2 on the Phantoms reclaimed the north point, and flew from south up to attack Shiftrex's PK on the center point, killing it. At this point, I am thankful for the "mistake" I made on turn 2, having this second PK at the north point probably stopped Shiftrex from getting a VP or two at the north point. Shiftrex's OM3 was on Otonashi, and unfortunately (for Shiftrex), she wasn't placed next to Bol and therefore couldn't use her Tricky Speed. Which essentially wasted the OM. My OM3 was on Beakfaces, they killed a Brigand and flocking moved 2 more birds onto the center and south points. I hold all 3 points, engaged only at the north. Vydar
3, Shiftrex
2
As I was placing round 4's OMs I realized I had the opportunity to kill the last Brigand in Shiftrex's start zone, he was exactly in range of one PK. OMs were revealed, 2 OMs were on that Brigand, and I won initiative. I flew a Phantom over, rolled 2 skulls... and the Brigand blocks with 2/2 shields! Shiftrex's OM1 was on the Brigand that I couldn't kill. Arthur does some damage and Beaks fail to damage back on OM2. His OM2 is on Fred. Fred kills the Beak on the south point and then Sudema takes the point. My OM3 on Beakfaces puts a wound on Arthur and trigger flocking. I have my Clawfoot grab a Beak and land in the swamp water south of the hive, a bad position. but it allowed the carried Beakface to engage Sudema, blocking a VP. Shiftrex's OM3 has Arthur kill a Beak and the Clawfoot and the Brigand kills the would-be-assassin PK. I hold the north point, engaged, with my last PK. Shiftrex holds the south point with Sudema, engaged to 1 Beakface. No points gained. Vydar
3, Shiftrex
2
While placing OMs for round 5, the big decision I faced was when to bring the Quorik Warwitch into the fray and whether to give her any markers. I decided no, she wouldn't get any markers, I needed to kill 1 PK and Arthur, both of which I could get height on, so Beakface attacks would be more potent. I loaded OM1, OM2 and OM3 on the Beakfaces with the OMX on the Warwitch. Shiftrex's were split between Fred and the Brigand. Shiftrex won initiative. His OM1 has Arthur take the center point. My OM1 Beakfaces finally kill Shiftrex's last PK next to the north point, where he has been since round 1. Flocking moves up the Quorik Warwitch into a threatening position. Shiftrex's OM2 and OM3 and my OM2 don't get any successful attacks through. My attacks finally broke through Arthur on OM3. I flocked a Beakface onto the center point, ending the round unengaged, and I flocked the Warwitch adjacent to Sudema, denying the VP. Since I also held the north point unengaged, I got enough points for the win. Vydar
5, Shiftrex
2
Shiftrex killed 5 PKs, 4 Beakfaces, and the Clawfoot.
I killed, 3 PKs, Arthur and 1 Brigand.
Really good game, Shiftrex! I was fairly exasperated by how few of my attack rolls were going through most of the game. I felt like I was playing from behind for the majority of the game, about until I killed your last PK. You played a really wonky army really, really well.
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