50SS Leveticus (daniello_s) vs Kirai (Mike)
Deployment: Flank Deployment
Strategy: Reconnoitre
Schemes: ALITS, Assassinate, Bodyguard, Spring The Trap, Deliver Message
Mike brought:
Kirai (7SS pool) - Spirit Beacon
Lost Love
Datsue Ba - Spirit Whispers
Bete Noire - Decaying Aura
2x Rotten Belle
Nurse
Johana
I took:
Levi (5SS pool) - Oathkeeper, Desolate Soul, Tally Sheet
(don't think I need to comment here anything - killer and summoner)
2x Hollow Waif
Rusty Alyce - From the Aether
(fire support and Abomination maker)
Abomination
(cheap undead model who's task was to get near the centre of the table and allow Levi to teleport in his place to kill something vital if there is a chance)
2x Freikorps Trapper
(forwardly deployed model/anchor who should put some pressure on Kirai and Lost Love if possible)
Freikorps Librarian
(target for my Bodyguard scheme; healing support)
Hodgepodge Effigy
(excellent soul stone generator for Levi, scheme runner)
Void Wretch
(ALITS scheme runner)
Mike picked: ALITS (revealed) and Bodyguard (Johaha)
I took: Bodyguard (Librarian) and ALITS (revealed)
I was going to take Assassinate I took 2x Trapper to generate (together with Levi) enormous pressure on Kirai. Then I realized if I had to deploy first then it won't be as easy as I might think so I decided to take Bodyguard instead. Mike admitted after seeing my crew he suspected Assassinate to be my scheme.
And as I suspected I lost deployment flip and I had to deploy first :D
Deployment
Turn 1
Initiative duel: Levi
Because my Trapper was dangerously exposed to lure I decided to run away with him first.
Datsue Ba summoned Seishin and double walked towards the gallows. I moved Abomination close to gallows so he couldn't be see by Belles and allow me to teleport Levi for alpha strike against Datsue which I did as my next activation.
Levi burnt Oathkeeper, teleport in base contact with Abomination, walked once and then focused, channelled, spent a soulstone for Tome (no damage prevention for Datsue) and shot at Datsue. The shot went through and I cheated for severe damage. Then Levi channelled again, spent soulstone for a Tome and fired again. Mike tried to deflect shot cheating defence with Red Joker but thankfully I had 13 on my hand which allowed me to hit and kill Datsue. Yay! :D
Rusty trried to get Scrap Marker - no success.
Bete used the opportunity to pop out and I suspected I might have a problem here as Mike would try to paralyse Levi to tarpit him for the next turn.
Thankfully he activated something else and Librarian was able to successfully randomize shooting into Levi hurting him for 2. Now if Bete would try to hit Levi she would kill him which would be very handy to me.
Instead killing him Belle lured him away from Bete.
Then Mike decided to push strongly towards me so he charged Waif with Bete (killing her) and Kirai moved toward other Waif summoning Shikome on the way whose Slow was removed by Johana.
Suddenly the game wasn't in my favour any more...
Upkeep phase - No VP score by either side;
Score after turn 1: Levi 0 - Kirai 0
Turn 2
Initiative duel: Kirai
Shikome charged Librarian wounding her for 3 damage and gave her +1Poison.
I knew I had to save Librarian from Bete so Rusty charged her and not only killed her but she also summoned Abomination with that attack. And because Bete was close to Librarian she lost built-in suit to bury herself and Mike didn't have correct card in the hand either. Yay no2!
Also Rusty got a Scrap Marker from her 0 action.
Kirai moved closer to clip Shikome with her Malevolence aura.
Levi disengaged from Seishin, walked and killed Sheishin. Then he summoned Waif in safe position behind the house.Librarian tried to disengage but failed so she healed herself for 2 wounds.
I started to drop some scheme markers for ALITS and repositioned Trappers. One of them tried to kill Seishin but failed miserably.
Mike pushed Lost Love followed by Johana and Nurse towards my Trapper and Hodgepodge Effigy.
Upkeep phase:
Levi: +1VP Strategy
Kirai: +1VP Strategy,
Score after turn 2: Levi 1 - Kirai 1
Turn 3
Initiative duel: Levi
Rusty activated and killed Shikome raising Abomination as the effect of this attack. She tried to get Abomination from the Scrap Marker but my highest card in the hand was 9 (even after burning soulstone for additional cards) and her flip was really bad so she failed this attempt.
Belle lured Kirai twice.
Then I made a mistake which costed me a game - instead of running away with Librarian I activated Levi and tried to kill Belle (no success).
Mike seized opportunity and his Kirai killed Librarian (spending a soulstone for positive flips on attack and twice sacrificing Seishins for +2Ca)... For some reason I thought that Kirai successfully activated already this turn (disengaged from Levi)... What can I say more?... :D
To spice things up - Kirai also summoned Gaki after killing Librarian.... Nice...
Abominations tried to hit Gaki but with no success. Then Gaki attacked Trapper. It went through and Mike flipped... Red Joker for the damage... Trapper was left on the last wound...
Nurse tried to Paralyse Trapper - no success. Trapper dropped another scheme marker and Void Wretch cast Slow on Nurse. Mike dropped some scheme markers for ALITS and repositioned Johana. Now I was sure he will have Bodyguard on he so I prepared everything to strike at her next turn: Levi within 12'' and Hodgepodge nearby :D
Upkeep phase:
Levi: +1VP Strategy
Kirai: +1VP Strategy,
Score after turn 3: Levi 2 - Kirai 2
Turn 4
Initiative duel: Kirai
I flipped 2 for initiative, spent soulstone to reflip it - 3... damn...
Belle lured Johana twice. Then I made another huge mistake. I had Abomination nearby Johana and Belle so I could move Levi one and then teleport him in base contact with Abomination so I would be in range to attack Johana. Two attacks could do the job but for some reason (again) I decided to kill Lost Love and then swung at Ikiryo.
Kirai shot Abomination near Rusty - killed it and summoned another Gaki , then she hurt Abomination which tarpit Johana and Belle. I knew this Abomination will die soon so it hit Johana twice hurting her nicely.
Then Mike lured Johana again. Rusty repositioned herself and tried to hit Gaki but with no success.
She also tried to summon Abomination - nope...
Both Gaki tried to hit her in return with no success either.
We both dropped more markers for ALITS and Johana walked twice claiming VPs for Bodyguard.
As I was unsuccessful to kill a single Gaki nor summon Abomination I lost control over this table quarter and that cost me a VP for strategy this turn
Upkeep phase:
Kirai: +1VP Strategy, +1VP Bodyguard
Score after turn 4: Levi 2 - Kirai 4
Turn 5
Initiative duel: Levi
Levi activated, walked and fired twice at Johana (being in hard cover) but he managed to hurt her severly.
Johana run into the building out of my LOS.
I dropped final ALITS marker (so and Mike). Kirai hurt Abomination but didn't killed her (but gave her this nasty condition to summon Gaki if it dies). Also Kirai summoned Sheishin who sacrificed itself to heal Johana.
Rusty disengaged and fired at second Seishin killing it. Abomination raising attempt... no!!!!!
Nothing else major happened this turn and game finished here.
Upkeep phase:
Levi: +1VP Strategy, +3VP ALITS
Kirai: +1VP Strategy, +3VP ALITS, +1VP Bodyguard
Final score: Levi 6 - Kirai 9
Few comments:
- One single mistake cost me a game. The second mistake cost me a draw... Nuff said...
- From the Aether... No, thank you. My flips were miserable and if I had 10+ I had to keep it for something else. That 2SS I could spent hiring Johana (instead of Void Wretch) which would allow me another option for Bodyguard. Maybe some other day I'll give this upgrade a try again but it won't be very soon :D
- 2x Trapper is OK but not against Kirai and definitely when I deploy first.
- Vanilla-Levi (no Pariah of Bone/Iron) is cool :D
Till next time!
