WM/H League - Week 2

Onto Week 2 of the WM/H League at the LGS, Good Games CBD. After my dismal performance last week I studied my models and their cards, as well as reading through some tactica and the few battle reports I could find online - I was locked and loaded and ready to better myself on the battlefield!

This week the league bumped up to 20 points, no Siege Engines (until 30 points) and no Colossals (until 40 points):

• Durgen Madhammer
• Basher
• Steelhead Halberdiers (min)
• Steelhead Halberdiers (min)
• Dougal MacNaile
• Reinholdt
• Thor Steinhammer
• Gunner
• Gunner

Battle Report 4 - Menoth

• Kreoss
• Reckoner
• Redeemer
• Temple Flameguard (min) + UA
• Wracks
• Choir
• Vassal

There were a lot less teething issues and nooby mistakes in this game, and I was quite happy to lose considering my opponent is a wargamer of the highest calibre (and also a super nice guy). On the top of turn 2 he even said something along the lines of "Don't cast that. I'm going to feat next turn and wail on your warcaster, so if you don't need to cast it, you're best to camp the focus." He could have killed me that turn, but because I camped the focus, I lived for another 2 turns! Opponents like this really make learning to play so much nicer!
There wasn't really much to report on this game, and I managed to get a few good licks in before he won by caster kill.

The only thing I really managed to do right was using Durgen's Buster ability Carpet Bomb, combined with Artillerist from Dougal MacNaile, and even using Double Powder Rations on one turn for some extra kick. Oh, and Reinholdt's Reload too!
That was pretty much it... I mismanaged my warjacks (more on that in seperate sections below) and because my Steelhead Halberdiers weren't able to be Primed they weren't of much use (although I think I played them well as tarpit units).

A few notes I'd like to make on Menoth though:

• Menoth's Defender's Ward makes killing infantry with AOE unlikely
• Kreoss' feat is awesome for killing things - clearing a LOS to otherwise protected warcasters, or stomping on infantry and warjacks while they're down.
• Kreoss' Purification nullified Redline and Primed, which are two awesome abilities that would have really liked to use. Denied!

Lessons Learned

Arcing Fire - Durgen's Buster
Arcing Fire - Lets the attacker ignore intervening models (except those within 1" of the target) when drawing LOS. Doesn't mean he can ignore clouds, forest or buildings.
Below is an example of how Arcing Fire on Durgen's Buster is able to target seemingly protected models. The picture on the left shows the table as it is - and under normal circumstances, Kreoss would be safe from ranged attacks.
The picture on the right shows the table after applying the Arcing Fire ability to Durgen's Buster, which gives Durgen has a clear shot on Kreoss. The Basher and the two front-most Flameguard are ignored, but the Dervisher and back-most Flameguard are not as they are within 1" of the target - nonetheless Durgen is able to target Kreoss though the middle of the two models.

Deployment - Getting off to a Good Start

I seem to be really having trouble with my deployments - in my last two games I've managed to deny my own flanks. Both times my opponents deployed first, I saw where they were, yet I still managed to deny my own flanks.

In both instances a large piece of LOS blocking terrain was in the center of the board which threw me off somewhat, so I'll have to make more of an effort to think through my deployment in a way that ensures that all my models are able to fulfil their purpose and function cohesively as an army.
A few general basics to deployment I should learn:

• Do not deploy slow units on the flanks, deploy them centrally to ensure that flank is not denied.
• Deploy long ranged units or faster units on the flanks
• Keep heavy hitting units central, so they threaten more of the table and respond if required
• Keep the warcaster in the middle, to centralise Control Area and Feat
• Attempt to keep ranged units in forests

Battlegroup Organisation
This was my first game with a Jack Marshall, so I knew that I could expect a few bumps here and there.
The first and silliest mistake I made was activating my Gunners before activating Thor! Which meant they couldn't benefit from Thor's abilities and Jack Marshall! Silly silly...
I didn't think that Thor Steinhammer made a good Jack Marshall for my Gunners anyway though - with their range of 12" and Thor's 6" Spray, it meant that Thor needed to advance ahead of them to be pose any offensive threat.
I also found that the Basher with Madhammer didn't play out too well either. Madhammer is a ranged warcaster, and the Basher is very in-your-face melee kind of warjack. With the Basher speeding ahead to engage, and Madhammer staying back to lob his Carpet Bombs, Madhammer was left highly exposed and vulnerable.
So it looks like next week I'll be switching them around - I'll have Thor with the Basher (using his Drive: Pronto ability, as well as Tune Up), and I'll try sitting the Gunners back with Madhammer so they can be a little turret of death.

Sync out.