Battle Report: Nemo3 vs Skarre2

So many mistakes in my experimental run of Nemo3.

My list: Nemo3 w/ Finch, Stormall, Reliant, Jakes, Dynamo, Storm Lances (5), 2 Stormcallers, Bunker Objective.

My opponent: Skarre2, Deathjack, Nightwretch, Aiakos, Sepulcher, Siren, Bane Riders (5), Blood Witches (6+UA), Bunker Objective.

Scenario: Fire Support, 60 minute death clock.

I won initiative, but I opted to go second. That was a big mistake. Skarre's forces managed to jam forward really fiercely, putting me in a tight place where I just couldn't safely advance much. Then on Skarre's second turn, the Blood Witches went incorp, the Sepulcher pushed forward across the line, and the Bane Riders jammed right into my front line. Skarre also feated which made the jam that much more painful. From there I made a desperate attempt to start digging out but it wasn't quite enough. In the end the Supulcher was able to get onto Nemo and that wrapped things up.

Lessons learned: Not having any magic weapons in my list is sort of a problem. Also I think there's just not enough models in this list to deal with counter-jamming. In general it was a good learning experience but the whoopins I'm getting from Cryx are sure frustrating.

Games this year: 16

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #117

Lazy update night.

I'm sleepy, so here's a quick update of this week's progress...
Finished Storm Lances.
Assembled and started painting the Trench Buster.
Primed and started painting the Stormclad.
Painted 5 more 50mm Tau Ceti bases.
Bit more work assembling Stryker3, but a long ways to go still.

Paint Target: Complete All Cygnar
Blaize - painting
Gallant - painting
Stormclad - painting
Trench Buster - painting
Stryker3 - assembling

Storm Lances

Another big project down! After getting owned by Jason Soles' cavalry last year at LnL, I'm very eager to get these on the table and start learning how to use them effectively.

The leader model is the one I'm a little concerned about given the single contact point with the base, and via a plastic horse. I'm expecting it to break, so I might go back and reinforce it a bit, even if a second pin breaks the illusion.

Battle Report: Caine2 vs Goreshade3

No picture this time. This battle should simply be titled "oops".

My list: Caine2, Ace Squire, Jakes, Avenger, Tempest Blazers (5), Gun Mages (6+UA), Black 13th, Stormsmith, Gun Mage Captain, Reinholdt, Taryn, Acosta, Eiryss1, Bunker Objective.

My opponent: Goreshade3, Skarlock, Kraken, Darragh Wrathe, Bane Riders (5), Mechanithralls (10), Mechanithralls (6), Neurosurgeon & Stitch Thralls, Soulhunters (5), Bunker Objective.

Scenario: Recon, 60 minute death clock.

I won initiative and opted to go first. This was mistake #1. There was a linear obstacle on one side of the table which would prove to be a hiding spot for Goreshade the entire game. I put Blur on Caine. This was mistake #2. Then I surged forward and braced for the Cryx push, which wasn't bad. Then I unleashed a pile of ranged attacks, mostly just taking out a lot of Mechanithralls via electro-leaps from the Blazers. At this point Cryx was pretty heavily on me. As much as I tried to hold them back, too many damage rolls were coming up short. The Kraken then jammed in and I had no choice but to try and take it out with Caine's feat. Now on average dice, he shouldn't have quite pulled it off by himself anyway, but I had put a few points on it from Blazer, so I thought it would be close. It wasn't. At that point it was an easy mop up for Goreshade and it was wrapped up via the feat and the Kraken's melee.

Lessons learned: For this Caine list, I should choose sides if I can to avoid having my assassination options blunted. Also keeping Heightened Reflex on Caine instead of Blur would have been a much better choice given the Goreshade feat threat. I should have put Blur on Acosta instead, who didn't get to do any work. In general I find that I build for and play better when I'm going second. What I really need to consider now is ADR sideboard options. This was not a great match up for my Caine list, but I will say that losing was a great way to learn a bunch of lessons on this list.

Games this year: 15

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #116

Fun week, but not much hobby progress.

Not really a lot of measurable progress, but it was actually a lot. The Storm Lances have a lot of progress made on them, but it still feels like a lot of work left. Getting the base coats for the reds done was pretty huge. Looks like I'm going to miss another #miniaturemonday. *sigh*

Paint Target: Complete All Cygnar
Storm Lances - painting
Blaize - painting
Gallant - painting
Stryker3 - assembling
Stormclad - assembled
Trench Buster - blister

Countdown to LnL2016: 10 weeks

Making progress here.

Logistics:
Travel - I need to take my car in for service before we drive up
Hotel - check
Food - I need to make sure I have a plan for bringing snacks and drinks with me, especially for Unbound.
Model transport - I need to make sure to bring a sturdy cookie sheet for during events, and that I can easily transport all my models.
Shopping - check (no budget! going crazy!)
Gaming equipment - check (part of my packing list)
Tokens - check
Repair kit - check (part of my packing list)

Events:
Masters - Registered! Need to finalize lists, and ADR (if applicable)
Unbound - Need to finalize a list, and also tweet a picture of my army to PP to help seed that I can play Jason Soles this year.
2nd Unbound - Playing an extra 200pt Unbound game with PPS Bryan. Need to make sure I'm all set for that.

Remaining Paint Queue:
Storm Lances
Stryker3
Trench Buster
Blaize
Gallant

Captain Jeremiah Kraye

Getting closer to a complete set of Cygnar casters. Kraye is a model I actually painted once before for a friend. It was a little odd to paint him again honestly, but I am stoked to have him in my stable (pah dum bum).

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #115

I am so pumped for Lock & Load!

Last week's mad push to get Laddermore done in time for #miniaturemonday really broke my painting funk. I'm charging again in my paint queue and feeling pretty good about my push towards LnL. I will admit that I broke down and bought a second Stormclad just because I love that jack. I do feel like it will make a good ADR sideboard option for my Striker2 list too, but mostly I was stress shopping, and I had to backorder the Trench Buster so I needed to be able to walk out of the store with something new. However, here's what else got done this week:
Finished Kraye
Got the Stormclad assembled
Started working on Storm Lances, Blaize and Gallant
Started assembling Stryker3
Got more 50mm Tau Ceti bases drilled and magnetized

I also connected with PPS Bryan who I played Unbound with last year and we're planning to play a rematch this year. I'm super stoked because that Unbound game was one of the highlights of LnL15 for me. Getting to play again against such a worthy and gracious opponent is a real privilege. It's gonna be epic!



Paint Target: Complete All Cygnar
Storm Lances - painting
Blaize - painting
Gallant - painting
Stryker3 - assembling
Stormclad - assembled
Trench Buster - backordered

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Goreshade3

Nothing quite like getting ambushed and still surviving.

My list: Stryker2 (tier 2), Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA+3WA), 2 Stormblade Captains, Bunker Objective.

My opponent: Goreshade3, Skarlock, Sepulcher, Darragh Wrathe, Necrotech, Scrap Thrall, Bane Riders (5), Mechanithralls (10), Soulhunters (5), Withershadow, Bunker Objective.

Scenario: Recon, 60 minute death clock.

I won initiative! So naturally I opted to go first, just for the practice of it. I have to also say, I didn't read Goreshade3's card, or the Sepulcher's card prior to starting the game. So around bottom of turn 2 when my opponent says "I think I can kill you" and I ask how, he shows me Goreshade's feat and I suddenly got very nervous. So here's what happened. Stryker was at the back end of the zone, B2B with Rowdy and my Objective. The Soulhunters charged, with one in particular running through behind Stryker. Mechanithralls ran forward and engaged some key Silverlines. Then Goreshade advanced, feated to make Stryker and Rowdy stationary, and Siphoned Stryker 3 times. After that the Bane Riders advanced to try and clear out enough of the Silverlines but came up 1 short. At this point the Sepulcher was pretty jammed for making a charge due to it's close proximity to the objective and the Bane Riders and remaining Silverline being in the way. So instead it advances and tries to take out the Stormclad but comes up just short due to its last melee attack missing. At this point I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I proceeded to execute precision model elimination to clear out 5 Mechanithralls from the path to free up Stryker. At this point I roll for Overpower and get a wonderful 15 bonus STR, for a mere 9 damage. A single landed charge attack then finished off the focusless Goreshade in a single hit.

Shaking for anything is done during Control phase. Including jacks and beasts. I need to make sure I remember that. Also, models with a magic melee weapon can make free strikes against Incorporeal models. Not super common, but something to remember as in this game where Stryker's reach magic weapon could have made a free strike against the Incorporeal Soulhunter that ran through him to position for Goreshade's feat. Also also, when there's terrain pieces on the table (like unnecessarily tall hills), swap them out for flat terrain. The 2D Terrain from Broken Egg Games is both lovely looking and extremely functional. It may not add that ambiance to the game that 3D terrain does, but it is dramatically more functional in-game, and let's face it, Warmachine is a game where positioning and functional terrain becomes key to a tight gameplay experience.

Games this year: 14

Countdown To LnL2016: 11 weeks

Down to 11 weeks now and I need to start solidifying my plan. I'm going to use these weekly posts to make sure I'm all organized and ready for what I hope to be the best Lock & Load yet. I'm not going to sort it all out in this week's post, but I'm using the weekly posts to make sure I'm getting these things checked off.

Logistics:
Travel - I need to take my car in for service before we drive up
Hotel - check (already got a reservation)
Food - I need to make sure I have a plan for bringing snacks and drinks with me, especially for Unbound.
Model transport - I need to make sure to bring a sturdy cookie sheet for during events, and that I can easily transport all my models.
Shopping - I need to have a budget and bring an extra credit card.
Gaming equipment - I need to make a list of this. Extra tape measure for example
Tokens - I should make up some spell tokens ahead of time

Events:
Masters - Need to finalize lists, and ADR (if applicable)
Unbound - Need to finalize a list, and also tweet a picture of my army to PP to help seed that I can play Jason Soles this year.

Remaining Paint Queue:
Kraye
Storm Lances
Stryker3
Trench Buster
Blaize
Gallant

Goals:
Play Masters!
Play Unbound!
Play in Iron Arean!
Go drinking!
Don't play board games! (Sorry PP, just not interested this year)

Major Katherine Laddermore

Lots of pictures! Few words! Enjoyed this model! Done!

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Thagrosh2

Old buddy Mike came to visit and brought models!

My list: Stryker2 (tier 2), Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA+3WA), 2 Stormblade Captains.

My opponent: Thagrosh, Blightbringer, 6x Blight Wasps, Croak Raiders (10), Gatorman Witch Doctor.

Scenario: Outflank, 60 minute death clock.

Again I lost initiative and ended up going second. I didn't think this would be such a big deal, but 6 units of Blight Wasps can really move up the table fast! With the Outflank scenario this was especially a problem. By my second turn my left flank was completely pinned in melee outside of the zone. Fortunately Stormblades are awesome and I was rolling pretty well, so I managed to clear a large swath of the little beasties in short order. Mid game though I hit a snag: a combination of Croak Raider oil and a Blightbringer direct hit with a cranked damage roll put 14 damage on Stryker, which basically left him with no option to use Overpower and in a dangerous position near the center of the board. At this point I had to beat a hasty retreat and use a forest to get Stryker in a bit more safe of position. The Stormblades and Stormclad then had to start doing a bulk of the clean up work, especially since Rowdy was quickly running out of boxes. Once the Blightbringer went down, it forced Thagrosh's hand. A sac-strike from the Witch Doctor nearly took Stryker out (and on average dice should have), but fortunately came up 2 short. At this point I pressed the battle home with charges on Thagrosh from 2 Stormblade Captains, 2 Stormblade infantry, and then Stryker himself to finally finish the job. I breathed a sigh of relief because this one came down really close!

Lessons Learned: I'm getting really efficient with applying Stormblades to problems. I've played them so many times now and their utility is just so valuable to me. Worth every point. On the flipside, getting hit by Croak Raider oil and then by a Blightbringer direct hit is bad business, even when camping 6 focus. Stryker took 14 damage in a single hit from that! The real key there was that although Stryker is hard to hit with ranged, Rowdy is not, and being in B2B basically simplified hitting Stryker with the AOE. That's an important lesson I won't forget.

Games this year: 13

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #114

Another light week for hobby, but heavy for games.

I'm writing my roundup post early since there's a risk that I'll crash early tonight. This week was chaos, with getting 3 games in but also I've been working hours and then this weekend I contracted a head cold. So things are really slow for painting. This will probably make 2 #MiniatureMonday's in a row that I won't tweet a newly painted model which really pains me. However there is some hope for the future: season 2 of Daredevil just released on Netflix so I'm much more inclined to get my butt at my painting desk to watch that and paint at the same time. In the mean time, I'm just going to update the in-progress status of my remaining Cygnar models.

Paint Target: Complete All Cygnar
Kraye - painting
Laddermore - painting
Storm Lances - primed
Blaize - primed
Gallant - primed
Stryker3 - trimmed

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Syntherion

I am loving Stryker2.

My list: Stryker2 (tier 2), Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA+3WA), 2 Stormblade Captains, Arcane Wonder Objective.

My opponent: Syntherion (tier 2), Corollary, Axiom, Assimilator, Diffuser, 2x Emergence Projectors, Dispersion Optifex, Optifext Directive, Attunement Servitors, Bunker Objective.

Scenario: Fire Support, 60 minute death clock.

Once again, lost initiative and my opponent opted to go first. This gave me the side selection which helped me a bit. This battle was really like 3 parallel battles taking place. On each flank was a CoC battle engine facing off against a unit of Stormblades, and in the center was the Axiom and Assimilator facing off against the Stormguard and Stryker. This really set the tone of the whole game as we were both trying to collapse the flanks in order to take control of the center. Despite the huge amount of slaughter of my Stormblades, the battle was going my way, and as I pressed forward with Stryker, Syntherion ended up with his back against the killbox. Bottom of the 4th I did some math and went for the assassination, rolling an incredible 16 bonus strength with Overpower and then Stryker rolled in and put Syntherion in the dirt with a single charge hit.

Lessons Learned: Stryker is incredible for assassination when he can get the vector on his target. Also the CoC battle engines are really great at clearing out my Stormblades. However even just a couple Stormblades can still cause considerable damage. Also I'm still very happy with the swap out of the Lancer for the Stormblade WA's. Now I really need to start thinking about ADR sideboard options I think.

Games this year: 12

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Morghoul1

I am loving Stryker2.

My list: Stryker2 (tier 2), Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA+3WA), 2 Stormblade Captains, Bunker Objective.

My opponent: Morghoul, Marketh, Bronzeback, Brute, Gladiator, Willbreaker, Zaadesh, 2x Savage, Krea, Paingiver Beast Handlers (6), Meath Thresher.

Scenario: Close Quarters, 60 minute death clock.

Once again I found myself going second. The first round was just moving forward and then things started to get a little bit contentious on the second round. However top of 3, Morghoul jammed in right next to Stryker (who was dominating my friendly flag), and feated, which made things really tricky. Unfortunately for Morghoul, Rowdy and the Stormclad both managed to land hits on him, and then with Stryker's feat, an additional hit came from Rowdy by sheer luck. This pretty much spelled doom for Morghoul for, while he was able to transfer the hits, his beasts were pretty blown out. After that it turned into most mop up. My opponent actually timed out, and at that point I was up 3-0 on control points and thus won.

Lessons learned: Going with max weapon attachments for the Stormblade units is a much better option than the Lancer. Also, Stryker is darn survivable up front when Rowdy is able to stick right with him.

Games this year: 11

Countdown to LnL2016

It's now 12 weeks until Lock and Load 2016! If you didn't see it, they have posted the schedule here. The happy news for me is that Unbound is once again being featured, which means it's on like Donkey Kong! I've been painting a ton of Cygnar since last year's Unbound so I'll have a lot more options for this year's LnL. I'm really looking forward to LnL this year, especially since I plan on playing in Masters as well if I can get into it. The next 12 weeks need to focus specifically on my remaining painting queue as well as getting more dialed in on my Masters lists so that I'm playing well to time.

#soexcited

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #113

Weak week.

I was gone most of the week on work, so this week was mostly just what I got done yesterday and today. Just assembly on a bunch of stuff. No painting. *sigh* The status of stuff is below.

Paint Target: Complete All Cygnar
Kraye - primed
Laddermore - primed
Storm Lances - assembled
Blaize - assembled
Gallant - assembled
Stryker3 - trimmed

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #112

Rain. Work trips. Things are grinding to a halt, fast.

This week's roundup comes in the form of headlines...

Finished Stormguard... Hooray!
Lance gave me Blaize... Yay?
Assembled/Primed Kraye and Laddermore... Sweet!
More thoughts that I typed up earlier... Yawn.

Some other thoughts. Things I wish PP would do: Add Objectives to WarRoom. And Unbound support to WarRoom. Make cards for Tier Lists. Sell updated cards. Sell stickers!

So I still don't have a Blightbringer. Here's why... I'm taking a break from serious Legion play and expansion. Although I like the Blightbringer, I feel like it's still in a category of just not quite good enough for my play style. However I do think it's good and will likely get one eventually. However for now I'm enjoying Cygnar a ton and focusing my attention on that as well as reaching fully painted.

New paint target is sort of silly...

Paint Target: Complete All Cygnar
Stryker3 - blister
Kraye - primed
Laddermore - primed
Storm Lances - trimmed
Blaize - blister
Gallant - blister

Stormguard

Nothing fancy. Quickly painted. Seriously closes out a lot of my remaining Cygnar.

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Axis

Someone remind me to not be stupid please.

My list: Stryker2 (tier 2), Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Lancer, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA), 2 Stormblade Captains, Bunker Objective.

My opponent: Axis (tier 4), Corollary, 2x Inverter, 4 Enigma Foundries, 3x Clockwork Angels, 2x Obstructors (10 each), Reductors (10+Transverse Enumerator), Armory Objective.

Scenario: Incoming, 60 minute death clock.

I lost initiative and my opponent opted to go second, choosing the side that didn't have as much rough terrain in front of the deployment area which was important for his swarm of infantry and also somewhat jammed up my swarm of infantry. I went first and at this point I would like to mention how much I love the Advanced Move bonus for Stormblades that Stryker2 grants. I surge forward and end up in a good position. Then Axis' force surges forward, with 9 Angels all coming up one flank. At this point I didn't have a great caution option, so I rushed in with assaults and charges. This was as much a positioning effort as it was to inflict casualties. The retaliation was brutal, with half of my infantry being wiped out. At this point things were looking rough, but I opted to jam Stryker right up close near Axis, with Rowdy in B2B with him for added protection. Axis flinched, feated, and backed up. At this point he had 90 seconds left on his deathclock and I had 9 minutes. What I should have done was back Stryker up into my zone to dominate for 1 CP and then just camp focus and let him clock out. Instead I decided to push the train forward and go for the kill. Unfortunately my dice had a bit of a failure so I shifted to trying to destroy the objective but because the Armory objective has that sacrifice ability, I failed. At this point Axis rolled up and managed to finish Stryker off.

Lessons learned: Play to scenario when it's a smart option. Also, the Lancer is simply not adding enough value in this list so I'm planning to swap it out for 3 WAs on both Stormblade units instead. On the plus side, I'm doing well with death clock now and really like using it for every game. One last lesson is to not bunch up when there's sprays in the enemy forces. Those Reductors with the UA mini-feat were brutal on my Silverlines!

Games this year: 10

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #111

Sleepy. Just highlights.

Finished Ace and the Foundry.
Work moving on Stormguard (as pictured).
Started Batman project. More on that in a separate post.
Painted numbers on Murder Ponies to keep them straight for damage marking.
Primed the gators for the Vault.

My pCaine paint target is completed! I'll figure out a new paint target next week.

Cygnar Paint Taget (tier 4):
pCaine - done
Ace - painting
Reliant - done
2 Gun Mage Captains - done
Gun Mages + UA (1st) - done
Gun Mages + UA (2nd) - done
2 Hunters - done
Black 13th - done
Tempest Blazers - done

Battle Report: Caine2 vs Axis

So much shooting at so many targets.

My list: Caine2, Ace, Squire, Gun Mages (6+UA), Tempest Blazers (5), Black 13th, Jakes, Avenger, Gun Mage Captain Adept, Stormsmith, Eiryss1, Tarin, Acosta, Reinholdt, Bunker Objective.

My opponent: Axis (tier 4), Corollary, Inverter, Conservator, 4 Enigma Foundries, 2x Clockwork Angels, 2x Obstructors (10 each), Reductors (10+Transverse Enumerator), 2x Optifex Directives, Armory Objective.

I won the initiative but due to terrain I opted to choose sides, which meant I ended up going second. This was actually ok with me since with my volume of guns I expected to be able to leverage my 1st turn well. As it turned out, that was exactly true. Top of 1, Axis' force surges forward. Bottom of 1 I unleash a massive volley of shots and take a pile of models off the table, including a full unit of Angels. Top of 2, Obstructors are able to push forward and either shield wall or charge, causing some consternation for me, but other than losing a single Blazer and Eiryss, I was unscathed. Bottom of 2 I then lay into a bunch more stuff and take even more enemy troops off the table. Unfortunately I end up leaving my zone uncontested (except for Caine sitting in the back corner), and the enemy zone only had Acosta in it (after he made a big charge against the objective). Top of 3, Axis feats and pushes in with his force, destroying my objective and scoring 2 points. He would have scored 3, but by some miracle Acosta survived the charge from the Inverter and managed to dodge away from it. At this point I have 17 minutes left of my clock and I decide to go for the assassination. Axis is sitting in a forest with 4 focus, so I needed a plan. First my Gun Mages moved up and Thunderbolted a Foundry so that it was within an inch of Axis. Then Jakes Energizes the Avenger forward 3", at which point the Avenger takes a boosted shot at the Foundry, hits, and knocks down Axis. At this point I use Ace to hit another Foundry with Shadowfire to clear the LOS and Caine moves up, feats, and unloads all of his focus shooting into Axis and dusts him on his last shot. Boom!

Lessons learned: Having a whole list built around delivering Caine2 assassination is pretty amusing. It's a fun list because it's a toolbox of ranged assassination.

Games this year: 9

Enigma Foundry

This was actually painted for my buddy Lance who plays Convergence. I thought it would be fun to try out a Convergence model and he needed to paint 4 of these for his Axis tier list anyway, so I offered to paint one of them for him. I will say that this happens to be one of the most obnoxious models to assemble in the PP line. However once I had it assembled, and then broke it, then fixed it again, then had it break again, then got it fixed and attached to the base properly, it was actually quite fun to paint! The base is a Secret Weapon resin base that Lance gave me as well for it. I hope he enjoys it!

Ace

This one was a really quick paint job. So much so that I decided to go crazy on insignias on it, as I think would be fitting for Caine's pet jack. Beyond that I'm just going to let the pictures tell the amusing story of this sweet sweet sculpt.

Gun Mages (new style)

This is my third (and final) set of Gun Mages. I would never have painted a 3rd set, but there were 3 compelling reasons. First, this is the new sculpt of the models, which I do like better. Second, I needed a set that matched my Cygnar color scheme as both previous sets were painted to be used as mercs with Ashlynn. And third, they came with the Cygnar all-in-one box, so I had them anyway. So now they are speed painted and done!

Gobbler Tinker

Now this model is one of those rare conjunctions of highly frustrating and highly entertaining. The entertaining comes in the form of the huge amount of character that the model has. The frustrating part comes in the form of getting it put together. Once I finally got it assembled, I painted it separate from the base but had fortunately got a base prepped with holes already drilled for the pins. And even then while I was trying to get it on the base, I managed to bust it apart in two different places. However I managed to get it back together and on the base properly. I will say though that it was worth the effort. The myriad of sculpted details on this model make it really fun to paint. From the wagon full of random parts, to the characterful expression on the Tinker's face, it was all very fun to paint. I'll admit that there are some secluded parts of the model that didn't get painted properly but they are also pretty hard to see anyway. I highly recommend painting this model.

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #110

Crazy good week for playing and hobby time.

Time to review my progress for this week. Trimmed, assembled and primed Stormguard. Repaired the Enigma Foundry and got it primed properly. Base coat work on Ace and Enigma Foundry. Finished Gun Mages and Tinker. Oh, and I bought Storm Lances, despite my desire to reach fully painted, in order to support the new LGS which is just a mile and a half away from my home.

Cygnar Paint Taget (tier 4):
pCaine - done
Ace - painting
Reliant - done
2 Gun Mage Captains - done
Gun Mages + UA (1st) - done
Gun Mages + UA (2nd) - done
2 Hunters - done
Black 13th - done
Tempest Blazers - done

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Synthrion

Re-rack and roll out again!

My list: Stryker2, Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Lancer, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA), 2 Stormblade Captains. Fuel Cache Objective.

My opponent: Syntherion (tier 4), Axiom, Corollary, Cipher, Assimilator, Diffuser, Galvanizer, Emergence Projector, Algorithmic Dispersion Optifex, 2x Optifex Directives. Bunker Objective.

So after the first game finishing quickly, we picked things back up and my opponent swapped to his Synth list. Again it was the Recon scenario with deathclock, but this time I won initiative and decided to go first. There was a bunch of jam and the Axiom laid out a lot of ranged death upon my troops. However on my third turn I managed to press in hard and clear the zone, allowing two important things to happen: destroying his objective and letting Stryker dominate. The counter attack was not as successful as I was expecting though, with Axiom failing a trample attempt due to the landing zone not being big enough. This made things very awkward for Synth and on my turn I was able to easily clear the zone again and dominate for another 2 points, winning the game. As a coup de gras though, I ran the assassination attempt with Stryker and handily put Syntherion into the dirt at the same time. I'd like to note that on this game I ended with about 8 minutes left on my clock as well, so I was really happy about my time usage as well.

Lessons learned: Going first and having advance move on Stormblades from Stryker2 is really nice for getting the drop on scenario. Also playing for scenario is something I'm starting to get better at, however I still need more practice. I probably need to re-think my objective selection with this list as well.

Games this year: 8

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Lucant

Sometimes foolish decisions result in beautiful destruction.

My list: Stryker2, Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Lancer, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA), 2 Stormblade Captains. Fuel Cache Objective.

My opponent: Lucant, Corollary, Axiom, 2 Emergence Projectors, Enigma Foundry, Obstructors (10), Reductors (6), Optifex Directive. Bunker Objective.

We played the SR2015 Recon scenario with deathclock, and I lost initiative which meant I got to chose the side with the hill just outside my deployment zone. The first round was pretty much as expected, with everything running towards each other, my own forces trying to fan out as much as possible so that the battle engines wouldn't be able to spray too much down. Then instead of advancing and spraying down at my wall of troops, Lucant opts to feat and jam the Axiom and one battle engine right up into my front line. My counter attack was vicious, with a unit of Stormblades wrecking the battle engine and then Stryker using overpower to roll up and chop down the ARM 24 Axiom handily after rolling +14 for STR. However it left Stryker in a dangerous position and Lucant was able to drop 2 boosted spells onto Stryker who only had 4 health remaining which ended him pretty easily.

Lessons learned: Remember Stryker's feat! If I'd remembered it, Stryker could have moved back 3" and that would have made all the difference for him surviving. Beyond that, I was just very happy with how my army performed. Just a matter of more practice.

Games this year: 7

Captain Allister Caine

This model was a bit of a challenge to get put together, but painting was overall quite easy. The pose is lovely and despite being meant for the custom base, I found that it did fine on a flat generic base. Not a whole lot more to say on this one overall though. I'm almost out of Cygnar warcasters to paint a this point.

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #109

Hobby halt for Valentine's Day.

Great week. Finish Caine2 and Sloan. The Gobber Tinker is nearly done as well, as can be seen here. And the final unit of Gun Mages is started, although not terribly far along yet. Got a big batch (23 30mm and a 120mm) of Tau Ceti bases painted up for future Cygnar models as well. Painting up the 120mm is basically wishful thinking that the Hurricane will come out before I get bored of Cygnar (hee hee). I also got Ace assembled and primed. At the same time I was attempting to prime the Enigma Foundry but it decided to explode and fall to the cement floor of my garage. I picked up the pieces and I'll assess the damage later. *sigh*

I also painted this terrain piece. It's one of the Secret Weapon Miniatures' Archeo-Tech Obelisks. It's was a breeze to paint. I didn't go for amazing quality obviously, but I did aim to make it match my newer style of mercenary bases just because I like the look. It was a fun and quick side project while painting other things.

At this point I'm honestly not sure why I'm tracking this paint target except that it nails finishing up another unit and gets me closer to fully painted. But that list is getting shorter and shorter anyway.

Cygnar Paint Taget (tier 4):
pCaine - done
Ace - primed
Reliant - done
2 Gun Mage Captains - done
Gun Mages + UA (1st) - done
Gun Mages + UA (2nd) - painting
2 Hunters - done
Black 13th - done
Tempest Blazers - done

Captain Kara Sloan

Nothing fancy to say on this one. Closes out another Cygnar caster for my collection.

Battle Report: Stryker2 vs Madrak2

And then dice happened...

My list: Stryker2, Squire, Ol Rowdy, Stormclad, Sentinel, Lancer, Stormguard (10), 2x Stormblades (6+UA), 2 Stormblade Captains.

My opponent: Madrak2, Mulg, Pyre Troll, Axer, Fell Caller, Fennblade Kithkar, Stone Scribe Chronicler, Fire Eaters, Fennblades (10+UA), Krielstone Bearer (4+UA), Long Riders (3).

This report is going to be abbreviated because I'm sleepy, and the game was last night and I'm not remembering it all clearly. We played the SR2015 Outflank scenario again (cause we were lazy) and played a loose deathclock (more on that below). I lost initiative of course (because I seem to always lose it). There was rushing forward on both our first turns, followed by a running of Fennblades into melee and then Madrak feating to clear a lot of troops. Then at this point I had a potential assassination run, but an unfortunate snake eyes roll by a Stormblade Captain left a whole unit of Stormblades pinned by a single Fennblade. From there things just continued to be an uphill battle that I would only win through a protracted attrition battle. Now I should note that I'm a little torn on how to report this one. By clock, I won this one handily. However at the beginning we both agreed we'd just use the clock as a guide but not play strict. In the end, I was losing on scenario and failed an assassination run, at which point I conceded.

Lessons learned: Stryker2 is amusing because he's always threatening. Madrak2 is tough to kill because he's always going to be camping a couple fury and can sacrifice nearby warrior models. In hindsight I think I could have won this one if I'd played things a bit differently and not had rough dice for a big chunk of the game.

Games this year: 6

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #108

What a horrible week. Migraines suck.

Pretty busy week, but not a lot actually completed. The Gobber Tinker, Caine2, and Sloan are all in progress, along with a piece of terrain. I also finished assembling the Sacral Vault (man was that a lot of candles) along with an Enigma Foundry (which I'm painting for my buddy Lance). Hopefully this week will result in a lot of completed stuff. Odds are this week will also result in an influx of new models since the new LGS branch will be opening just a couple miles from where I live.

On a side note, as I was writing up my battle report yesterday and recording the game in Steam Genius, I noticed that so far I am 0-5 for this year. How sad. Last year overall I was 20-16. Not amazing, but interesting none the less.

Cygnar Paint Taget (tier 4):
pCaine - done
Ace - unowned
Reliant - done
2 Gun Mage Captains - done
Gun Mages + UA (1st) - done
Gun Mages + UA (2nd) - primed
2 Hunters - done
Black 13th - done
Tempest Blazers - done

Battle Report: Saeryn and Rhyas vs Axis

My list: Saeryn & Rhyas, Zuriel, Seraph, Bloodseer, Shredder, 2x Blightwasps, 2 Shepherds, Blackfrost Shard, Hex Hunters (10+UA), Bone Grinders (6).

My opponent: Axis (tier 4), Corollary, 2x Inverter, 4x Enigma Foundry, 2x Obstructors, Reductors, 3x Clockwork Angels, Optifex Directive.

My list above was essentially a "stuff I've painted but haven't played" list for Legion. I tried to turn it into a legit list, but it still had some issues. I'd probably drop the Wasps for something else next time.

We played the SR2015 Outflank scenario again (cause we were lazy) and played to deathclock (more on that below). I lost initiative so of course the Axis jam was fully on. I'm going to fast forward the game though to where this picture was taken. I jammed Rhyas right in and slayed 2 fully loaded Foundries which caused no end of chaos for Axis. On the next turn, the nearest Inverter totally failed to knock her down or even hit her more than once, which triggered a pile of Riposte attacks. Unfortunately the second Inverter slammed the first over her and that left her in a bad situation where she ended up getting killed by Obstructors of all things. This all happened after Axis feated which left Saeryn unable to properly counterattack. I chose to press forward and mop up more stuff, including getting Zuriel in to destroy the other 2 Foundries. Axis then moved around trying to dominate the zone but with the clock running low things were getting frantic. At this point that he clocked over to me I had 3 minutes on my clock and was losing on scenario 0-4, so I went for it. Saeryn gets slipstreamed by the Bloodseer (which moved in to engage an Inverter and prevent any countercharge, then she charged forward and feated to put Rhyas into melee with Axis. Unfortunately he was camping full focus putting him at ARM 23. I swung a bunch of time but unfortunately it wasn't enough. At this point I clocked out and essentially lost on time and scenario, if not assassination.

Lessons learned: First, operating the Twins is tricky business. They have independent control areas which affects how leeching can be done, plus if one is killed then there's a surplus of fury on the table usually. And since they are a unit, it's extra tricky (kinda like Haley3 is). Beyond that though, I really enjoyed playing them. I'm sort of excited at the idea of playing them again sometime. I'm also much more sold on Zuriel now having played him.

Games this year: 5

Bone Grinders

So these were speed painted. Seriously, I cranked them out really fast. I used a trick from my buddy Bryan on this. I did basic base coating of the flesh, leathers and fur, and then drybrushed those parts, then washed the whole thing with SWW Sewer Water. Then I did details like metals and bones and such. The whole unit probably only took me 5 hours tops. I'm pretty happy with the result, the time spent, and perhaps most importantly getting these done after them sitting in a blister for at least 3 years.

From the Desk: Weekend Roundup #107

Apparently it's flu season.

Technically this is a staged photo, but it does portray what my desk is like right now. Bone Grinders are nearly done. I realized that I need to drill and prep a bunch more Tau Ceti bases for Cygnar, so I got them cleaned up and found my drill/bit/magnets for that task. Also have the Gobber Tinker prepped for painting, and got the Gun Mages and Sloan ready for priming. No additional work on the Sacral Vault unfortunately. In general this felt like a slow week, but not a stagnant week. Work has been exhausting and really drained my energy. However painting definitely seems to recharge me more than anything else right now.

I'm still sort of aiming at this pCaine tier list, but it's going to be a while before I get there. I'm more focused on finishing up my unpainted minions first.

Cygnar Paint Taget (tier 4):
pCaine - done
Ace - unowned
Reliant - done
2 Gun Mage Captains - done
Gun Mages + UA (1st) - done
Gun Mages + UA (2nd) - assembled
2 Hunters - done
Black 13th - done
Tempest Blazers - done