Practice Game: Ossrum vs. Baldur 2

With the new Irregulars theme force, I am coming back to Ossrum as a serious caster to be used. The existance of Cryx was a big problem previously, and Ossrum had been relegated to Cryx counter with a very suboptimal list otherwise (and also, the list only would work against Ghost Fleet, not Dark Host).

Now, I came up with this as my first approximation:

Irregulars
Ossrum
- 4 Blasters
- 4 Gunners
- Avalancher
Crawler
Aiyana & Holt
2 Artilleries
Free Eiryss1, Kell and Orin

I am having a practice game against my friend Dima with his Baldur2:

Bones
Baldur 2
- Wrath
- Megalith
- 3 Wyrds
2 Mannikins
2 Stones (1 with keeper)
2 Free Wayfarers
2 Stoneshapers (1 Free)

He gets first turn. He skews left. I mirror this with my Crawler, artillery and Avalancher. Bunnies are in the middle: gunners in first row, blasters in second row.

Dima goes ahead and tries for a lucky scatter with Wrath but doesn't get it. Both Sentry Stones are hidden behind the forest, with stealth up. Two wyrds and Wrath get the armor spell.

I run up to positions, not bothering with shooting yet (that's why first turn is better for Ossrum in this matchup). Kell and Eiryss stay hidden behind the forest. Bunnies in the center hug the wall. FFE goes on the Crawler, which stays more than 17" away from all wyrds.

Dima advances and starts shooting. The left most gunner loses head. Wrath shoots the Crawler, removing 10 boxes and also killing one member of the artillery crew.

I first shoot with Crawler at the Wrath, unfortunately not getting a crit. Small guns go into the objective. Eiryss and Kell remove 9 poinst from Wrath. Crawler also removes stealth from one Sentry Stone, which is Kissed by aiyana and then removed by gunners. The mannikins of the other one are all killed. Ossrum feats, cycles FFE and I do some more damage on Wrath. I guess, around 20-25 damage in total. The average should be 28.5 damage per my shooting phase but I believe I did less. I also put some gunner shots into the objective and leave it on 3 boxes, hence failing to score.

Since I did little damage last turn, Wrath is healed back to only 12 points of damage. Then wyrds do some shooting at bunnies but with little effect. Then Wrath charges the bunny wall in the center, knocks down everyone, kills two and cripples some more. Due to my positioning mistake, Dima can place a mannikin to target a bunny but get Aiyana ana Holt both (so, not allowing Holt to make the cancelling shot) - as a result Aiyana gets killed (Holt lives yet, on one box). Megalith comes into the bunnies and almost kills one.

I put everything I have into the Wrath and leave it on one box. I don't have any bunnies except the one with no head to shoot at the objective, so no scoring again. Unfortunately, the Wrath isn't crit staggered, and I have my battle engine with no feat protection and with FFE within shooting range of three Wyrds.

Wyrds kill the crawler, Wrath kills two bunnies. Megalith kills a bunny. Wrath is healed back to 5 boxes.

Kell removes wrath, Eiryss removes objective, Holt kills the remaining sentry stone (it was on one box). Bunny engaged by Megalith runs away and is killed by the free strike. Two artilleries and avalancher do a lot of damage to Megalith.

The rest is pretty irrelevant. We grind and get to a place where he has three wyrds and I have one artillery and solos. This is unwinnable for me now.

Analysis

The match up is quite dependant on dice rolls. With two Siege Crawlers it would be much easier to win. It might be conceivable to swap the avalancher for a Siege Crawler, and it might even make the Cygnar match up better - but I'm not sure (KD gun is good against Thorn). Anyway, too early to change lists, and buying the second Crawler is a serious investment.

Positioning wise, I made a huge mistake on my feat turn. I lined the five bunnies to block los to the FFE artillery, which allowed the Wrath to get all five into his melee range. The proper way would have been to use two bunnies, including the one with crippled head, to block the wrath entirely, and then use the avalancher and two bunnies to block LOS. The difference in attirion and also in which bunnies are engaged next turn could have made all the difference. Maybe I'd have even finished the wrath next turn as a result.

Additionally, when I ran the bunnies to contest I clustered them unnecessary on the right flank, and leaft two out of Ossrum's control range. This allowed Megalith to engage both, and none could power up.

The play with Aiana to remove a stone was also a mistake probably. It would have been better to keep her in reserve for a while and only use Holt at first. She can be useful in late game.

Iron Moot 2017 Sunday Steamroller Game 4: Damiano vs Rasheth

For my last game of the steamroller, I was facing Hans Kjenes with Skorne.

I don't remember what my opponent's other list was but I do think that Damiano is generally solid against Skorne. Hans chose Rasheth:

Winds of Death
Rasheth
- Raider
- 2 Shamans
- Krea
Derp Turtle
2 Extollers (1 Free)
2 Free Dakars
6 Slingers
2 x 10 Reivers with UA
4 Beast Handlers

We both deployed fairly centrally. My game plan here is to go far and fast up the board with halberdiers on both flanks, making it impossible for him to contest my flag, and making it suicidal to contest zones. After that, road to scenario victory through attrition. Orin will be dedicated to scoring on my flag, while Kell will be in the middle to help with the Derp Turtle.

Trenchers get Surefoot, Damiano gets Road to War, Kell advances behind the objective and two trenchers block the rest of LOS to him by two clouds. Other trenchers dig in. Halberdiers scatter around. Jacks are skewed slightly to the right, but they all can threatern the center pretty well, except maybe the rightmost nomad. It is intentional that both Manglers are in the middle.

Hans advances and manages to kill two trenchers. Krea bubbles are created with both Krea and Shamans.

I put dead eye on the trenchers through a gap I had intentionally left and do a scenario push. Trenchers' assault kills all but one slinger, as well as a chunk of reivers on the right. All my nomads are within Derp Turtle's charge range, but not all at once, and no Manglers are. Orin goes to the flag and activates stealth. Kell starts work on the Derp Turtle.

Hans tells me he doesn't see how he can possibly win this on attrition, and so he tries for a long shot assassination, which involves feat, some very careful maneuvering in the center and some shots from the charging Derp Turtle. After it is done, Damiano lost almost no health. Hans concedes the game.

If he hadn't conceded, all I'd need to win is kill the objective (easy with feat and one nomad in charge range) and one reiver in the right zone (also easy) and the shaman in the left zone (more difficult). Alternatively, only do the easy parts and also kill the derp turtle, and then jam, winning by flag scoring on my opponent's turn.

Iron Moot 2017 Sunday Steamroller Game 3: Damiano vs Issyria

For my third game of the Sunday steamroller, I was facing Mark Whitenstall, who I had faced the day before and failed miserably by not reading his feat. You can see that previous game here.

We chose the same list again, although arguably Ossrum might have been better into the same Issyria list. Unsurprisingly, he chose the same Issyria list.

I didn't make a picture afer deployment, so the first picture available is afterk Mark's first turn.

Mark deployed symmetrically, and I decided to skew to the right, deploying both of my halberdiers units there. On his first turn, Mark advances very aggresively with his MHSF. Admonition goes on Hemera and Inviolable Resolve on Hyperion. Narn is in the forest, and Eiryss is behind it.

Because I lost the roll off, I have to feat turn 1. So I feat and put Dead Eye and Surefoot on Trenchers. Trenchers do an assault and kill quite a few of the MHSF. As you can see, I have halberdiers on my right flank threatening zones, but not so on the left flank. It was at this moment that I realized skewing right was a mistake.

Mark doesn't have to feat. He works on my trenchers, killing all but one. Also, three halberdiers die. Eiryss is still hidden behind the forest.

I feel that I have to push forward because of the scenario pressure on the left flank. I drop surefoot, put up road to war and flood the right zone. I can only contest the left one with Orin. My heavies can't get to any good targets because of Admonition on Hemera.

With the left MHSF unckecked andmy heavies far up, Mark feats and uses a combination of shooting and Hyperion's charge to kill three of my heavies. Eiryss moves to disrupt a Mangler. By killing Orin, Mark scores a point.

I contest the left zone with the last trencher and put all I have into Hyperion. This is not nearly enough. Of the purple halberdiers, I use some to clear lanes and forget to move the rest.

Mark finishes my heavies, kills the contesting trencher and scores another point.

I put the rest of my halberdiers into the Hyperion but there is just nothing they can do about the high armor. Mark scores another point. Next turn, he clears the cenral zone and scores two points for a 5-0 victory.

Analysis

This is a very tough match up for Damiano, especially if Issyria gets the first turn. However, in addition to the difficulty of the match up, I made a very serious mistake by skewing right. This left the left zone uncontested and the left MHSF free to do work. A unit of halberdiers there would have allowed me to avoid going forward too much with my heavies, and to take a much more central position, hidden from Hyperion behind the wood while also being able to score.

Without my feat turn, I need two fully loaded heavies to hope to kill Hyperion, and even then maybe the help of one more with just the power up focus might be needed. This means, I absolutely have to keep them all safe and to get an alpha. With my higher melee threat range, it is possible, but only if the heavies aren't killed by MHSF first. Deploying halberdiers to prevent that is essential, as is shooting with Trenchers.

Additionally, I think that the changes that I plan to make to this Damiano list (one less nomad, and use the 11 points for a bucaneer and two extra trencher grenadiers) will make the match up more favourable. The bucaneer is a good way to deal with admonition, and the grenadiers can help to clear more MHSF with their assault shots.

Iron Moot 2017 Sunday Steamroller Game 2: Ossrum vs Thexus

For my second game, I went against Amund Stokke with a double Cephalyx pair. I thought that I can likely assassinate either one with Ossrum.

He chose Thexus, the usual 60 drudge list: two wreckers, 30+30 drudges, two overlords, two agitators.

Amund went first. Since Thexus is skewed to the right slightly, I skew to the right slightly. I put my Crawler on the side, since I think it can survive ambushers no problem.

Drudges run up. Deceleration is up.

I run up, keeping front bunnies more than 12" away from the wrecker. The sniped avalancher does some initial damage on the said wrecker.

Cephalyx swarm the board and I get not three but six adrenal flood guys into my crawler (which survives). But it doesn't matter, because Thexus is in a very bad position, basically asking to be killed.

I feat and put unsoppable force up, and Ossrum moves far forward to spread Bulldoze range to the wrecker's position near the wall. Then a bunny runs up to the wrecker, bulldozing everything around, and finally bulldozing the wrecker alongside the wall. This gets the wrecker outside of 3" of Thexus. Thorvalancher aims and goes to RAT11 (with H&J), needing a boosted 7 to KD Thexus. This happens, and three shots later Thexus is dead.

Iron Moot 2017 Sunday Steamroller Game 1: Damiano vs Doomshaper 3

During the last day of Iron Moot, I got to play in a steamroller side event. I took the same two lists that I had the day before.

For the first game, I was playing against Mats Aubell with Trollbloods. Both of his lists had enough protection against Ossrum assassination, and so I went for Damiano.

Mats chose Doomshaper 3, and this was his list:

Power of Dhunia
Doomshaper 3
- 2 Maulers
- Mulg
- Earthborn
- Axer
- 2 Storm Trolls
Free Shaman
10 free whelps
Min Stone with Elder

Mats got the first turn, and so I chose the side with less annoying terrain in the way, and with better access to the enemy zone.

Mats deployed with a skew to the right, and I did likewise, although I chose to keep a unit of halberdiers on each of the sides.

I didn't make a picture after his first turn, but he basically just ran up.

I advanced behind the protection of the cloud wall and put up Surefoot on trenchers and Road to War.

Mats advances very carefully and kills two of my halberdiers.
I decided to feat this turn to clear all zones and score four scenario points, or at least the left zone to score three points.

I succeed in doing that, but I forget that Mulg has admonition, and so I actually don't manage to put my heavies' attacks into him. I guess I was a bit tilted by this rookie mistake, and I totally forget to move my halberdiers on the left flank into jamming positions.

Mats feats back and takes out both of my Manglers and a fair bit of halberdiers in the middle; the purple nomad is heavily damaged by Mulg. He contests the right zone with not only Mulg but also two whelps. The left is contested by a mauler and an axer.

I try to do work in the left zone, but since my feat is already gone and his is up I can't kill even the axer.

With the protection of my feat gone and his beasts mostly intact, he kills all my heavies and most of my infantry.

Looking at the field I feel that it's time to concede. Then I look at the clock and see that he has four minutes remaining, and I have around twelve. I also lead by four points (he still hasn't scored a single point).

So, instead of making futile attempts to turn the lost attrition game around I decide to use my points advantage to clock my opponent. I run models around to contest zones in places where they are very difficult to get, and I run Damiano with full camp behind a wall.

Mats kills my objective but can't get to Kell. He kills Orin and all but one trencher. He kills all but two halberdiers (he could only charge them with stone models, and that's MAT5 vs DEF15). He gets to one minute on the clock.

I kill several stone models with an AOE shot from Damiano, run a trencher to contest right and middle zone and keep halberds where they are.

This means basically that Mats has to be able to score three points per turn to be able to win by five before clocking himself (he'd score three in his own turn, pass to me, score again on my turn and then run out of time and score again). But he doesn't manage to kill all my contesting models within the 1:03 he has on the clock. I win by clock.

Analysis

1. I think now, after going through the game, that it was a mistake to feat when I did. Attrition-wise, it was very bad. I only took a Storm Troll and the Earthborn. It was indeed very good for scenario, but I could have most likely scored three points without feating (killing storm troll and the objective is not too difficult for the two heavies in range).

In general, the nature of this matchup is such that I am able to jam very well with my infantry, in order to avoid an alpha from him. This means that I should be feating after him. With my feat on, I can still take two heavies from him if all my heavies are within striking range (always boost all damage rolls, POW21) - and then I will be in the position where my feat makes retaliation from him weak and leaves me on enough heavies to kill more of his.

Also, being in close quarters but having him jammed has the advantage of being able to counterplay admonition: I can run a halberdier around Mulg's back, and he has to either Admonition immediately or get another halberdier to block him - in either case my Manglers should be able to reach him.

2. Not using the halberdiers on the left flank to jam the heavies is a big mistake here, which gave him huge attrition advantage in the end.

Iron Moot 2017 friendly game: Damiano vs The Heretic

Since there were only four games in the steamroller, I realized that I have time to play a friendly game. Going around the room, I saw a game being finished with Grymkin on one side. Since I've never played against them, I really wanted a chance to. Johan Sånesson, who was playing Grymkin, agreed to a match.

I don't know anything about Grymkin, so I chose my army simply by what I like to play in general - i.e. Damiano. Johan played the whole tournament with the Child, and wanted to try the Heretic. His army:

Dark Menagerie
Heretic
- 3 Crabbits (one free)
- 2 Cage Ragers
- 2 Gorehounds
- Skin and Moans
Death Knell
3 Free Gremlin Swarms
Lady Karianna Rose
2 x 10 Dread Ros

He chose the following arcana:
Pandemonium: cancel one order
Sacrifice: remove all damage

We rolled a scenario that is pretty good for me in the match up, since it has an objective right in the middle. I chose the one that gives a magical attack. He chose the one that heals.

Johan won the roll off and elected to go first. His deployment was fairly symmetrical, and so was mine.

During his turn, Johan advances, puts fury on left dread rots and places the wall of fire in front of my trenchers to prevent them killing too many of his infantry.

I put dead eye and sure foot on the trenchers and do an assault order. One trencher also received a magical attack, and he kills a gremlin swarm. The rest kill a few dread rots, and some hang back in reserve. The trump arcana is triggered, with trenchers becoming pray. I advance the rest of my forces into positions, wary of the dogs on flanks.

Johan kills all but three of the trenchers. The left dog kills a halberdier and gets back behind the forest. The right one gets engaged. Left halberdiers receive rebuke.

Now I want to kill Skin and Moans, and the plan is to get both Manglers on the job. I will need to trigger road to war for that (which I need to cast first).

I can't remember all the details of what I did during the turn but I did make a mistake: instead of triggering road to war for the red mangler first, I charged the green one into Skin and Moans. I got more than half of his health down, and triggered road to war after that. Johan triggered sacrifice, and Skin and Moans goes to full health. Understanding that I can't finish him now (since he's DEF13), I instead concentrate on the left Cage Rager, and manage to kill him with my two heavies (I feated, so had POW21). My halberdiers on the right kill the dog, while the ones on the left do some work on the Dread Rots. Kell and trenchers kill one more Swarm. I score on my flag.

Dread Rots and Skin and Moans (with POW24) work together to kill a mangler and a nomad. Rebuke is placed on the right halberdiers. Heretic Scores on his flag, while I score on mine with Kell.

I try to kill the last swarm but fail. Left halberdiers do some work on the left dog. Right ones continue killing Dread Rots. Jacks in the middle kill Skin and Moans. We both score our flags again.

Heretic kills all left halberdiers. Dread Rots and Cage Rager kill a nomad and a mangler. Dread Rots and a crabbit kill most halberdiers. Score goes to 3-3.

I fail to do much meaningful work, having my nomad locked. Damiano kills a  crabbit to resume scoring, but this leaves him in a bad position.

Next turn, Johan kills Damiano with his Cage Rager.

Analysis

This game was won by Johan on Attrition, and there are two important lessons I learned:

1. I now know the way for going around the Sacrifice Arcana. Simply concentrate on the model you wish to kill until it's dead. My mistake here was not triggering Road to War earlier. With Skin and Moans dead, I believe I'd have been in a much better place attrition-wise.
2. There is one more thing about Arcana: when you suspect which one the opponent will want to use this turn, you can safely go for making actions that could be exploited by others. E.g., if you think he'll use Sacrifice, you can go issuing orders to your units all you want.

My compliments to Johan, I think this was the most enjoyable game of the weekend.

Iron Moot 2017 Steamroller Game 4: Damiano vs Issyria

Due to some people dropping from the tournament, this was to be the last game of the tournament. I was paired against Mark Whitenstall with retribution.

I didn't look through his lists for too long, simply assuming that the power of Damiano should be good enough for most things.

Mark chose to run Issyria. Here is his list:

Shadows of Retribution
Issyria
- Hyperion
- Chimera
- Hemera
2 Arcanists
Free Eiryss 1
Free Narn
2 x 10 MHSF with commander

I got the first turn and a side that was bad for unwinding. I decided to deploy pretty centrally. So did Mark, skewing his Hyperion a bit right.

On my first turn, I run everything forward behind the protection of the cloud wall and put up Sure Foot and Road to War.

I forgot to make a picture of Mark's turn but he also merely advanced a bit into position.

On my second turn, it is still not the time for a push as I see it, so I run some halberdiers on the left to engage, keeping most back, and bunker up my heavies behind a cloud wall. As Mark later told me, he was very surprised to see that. Thing is, I didn't read his Feat, and didn't know he can simply ignore the cloud wall during feat turn.

He feats and shoots everything he has at my heavies, taking down a mangler and a nomad and crippling another mangler. Eiryss 1 also disrupts the purple nomad.

I come in with my infantry, tying him up but not being able to kill a lot. I try a few swings also against the objective but have awful rolls. The three heavies kill the Chimera.

He finishes the mangler, does some work on my infantry, and cripples the blue nomad. The purple one is disrupted again. He also scores in the right zone, plus one point for my objective.

I finish killing his objective but don't score the zone. Again, the dice against the objective were really bad. We go to score 2-1.

Then he kills my heavies and all my models but one halberdier (and Kell, who I had forgotten about by now). He scores two more points, going to 4-1.

I see that the game is lost, as I can't possibly kill Issyria. I go and kill his Hemera with Damiano just to see if I can and how much focus it takes. Turns out, it takes four focus. He scores two points again, and wins 6-1.

Analysis

In general, this seems like a playable matchup if Damiano gets the first turn. Then he can exert enough scenario pressure to win, even though the attririon advantage is with Issyria. I didn't manage that because I didn't know what her feat does. Had I known, the play should have been to have dead eye on trenchers and go kill some MHSF, engage as many as possible with halberdiers, and feat for armor.