WTC 2017 Solo Masters Game 2: Damiano vs Iron Mother

My second game at WTC this year was against Michael Christiansen, whom I had previously faced this year at some other tournament (most likely at Smogcon). Looking at his lists, I realized immediately that he will choose Iron Mother (the other list was Father), and I had faced a similar list already.

In general I feel that my Damiano list has an advantage playing into Iron Mother, especially when she has so few models. However, Mother always has an assassination plan on the table - so I need to be extremely careful with where I put my jacks, and where Orin is located in relation to them.

Michael's list:
Destruction Initiative
Iron Mother
- 2 Axioms
- Corrollary
- Diffuser
- Mitigator
Channeler Optifex
Optifex Directive
9 Free Elimination Servitors
3 Free Reflex Servitors

I won the roll off. A look at the table told me that there is no terrain to worry about - the table is pretty open. I chose to go first. It was clear where Axioms would go, so I placed my jacks there, flanked by Halberrdiers and screened by trenchers.

I advance, put up my upkeeps (Surefoot on Trenchers and Death March on left halberdiers) and cloud up the center, with my jacks safe behind the smoke wall, and Orin right behind their backs.

Convergence advances, being pretty careful on both flanks (utilizing the wall on the left to protect against charges). One Halberdier from the left unit is killed, triggering Vengeance.

As a result, I am able to kill most servitors on the left. By the way, I view killing elimination servitors as a high priority to prevent assassination late game. For that, before clouding up I was always shooting my grenades with trenchers. Of course, I create a cloud wall again, and of course Orin is kept within 3" of all my jacks.

Michael feats and does some serious attrition against my halberds on the right, killing all of them. There are fewer guns on the left, so three halberdiers survive. Trenchers are much more difficult to kill, though.

I feat. My heavies go and kill one axiom. It is most likely possible to remove both but I refuse to get greedy. I want all my jacks in the 3" bubble around Orin. Trenchers make a nice cloud wall. Damiano gets knocked down. I score 1 point from the central zone.

Mother struggles to do damage. All the halberdiers are dead, though. The optifex unit scores a point, and so do my heavies. 2-1

Trenchers with Deadaye finish most servitors and the Optifex Directive, with some help from Orin. I put three heavies onto the Axiom, leaving it on a handful of boxes. Orin is within 3" from all my heavies. Bucaneer knocks down Damiano. I score another point for a 3-1 lead.

Axiom takes down a mangler. The zones are not contested, so I score one more for 4-1

All I need now is to kill the Chaneller optifex to clear the left zone. Then I can run there with Damiano, to score two points total. I run the Nomad over and use two of Orin's tokens to kill the Optifex with a leap (it was already on one box from my previous turn). Damiano runs to the zone and I win 6-1.

Analysis

In this match up, my most important model keeping my heavies safe from Backlash is Orin. While looking at the photos now, I realize that at some points he was not being kept totally safe. He should always be out of LOS of a potential jack entering my clouds after killing trenchers to act as a node for Mom, and outside of 4" AOE blast area from my jacks.

Other than that, I think I have not made any mistakes here.

I must say also that this match up is much more difficult when Mother uses either some assimilators or some TEP-s instead of two axioms.