50SS Von Schill (daniello_s) vs Collodi (Gavin)
Deployment: Standard Deployment
Strategy: Squatter's Rights
Schemes: ALITS, Assassinate, Bodyguard, Cursed Object, Outflank
Gavin brought:
Collodi (5SS pool) - Breathe of Live, Fated, Threads of Fate
Vasilisa - Strum of Threads
2x Coryphee
Brutal Effigy
2x Wicked Doll
3x Marionette
I took:
Von Schill (3SS pool) - Survivalist, The Shirt Comes Off, Engage at Will
(tough and resilient killing machine who allows Rusty to summon Abomination each turn from her own scrap markers)
Rusty Alyce - From the Aether
(Abomination summoner; very mobile heavy hitter in both melee and shooting)
Hannah
(brings extra card each turn which helps Rusty with summoning; also a very good tarpit against models relying on Ca actions)
Freikorps Librarian
(healing support; Bodyguard target)
Johana
(heavy hitter and Construct-killer)
Freikorps Trapper
(shooting support parked close to Squatter's marker to flip it turn 2)
Hodgepodge Effigy
(ALITS scheme runner who allows also get some extra soul stones when leader kills enemy model)
Gavin picked: Cursed Object and Bodyguard (Vasilisa).
I took: ALITS (revealed) and Bodyguard (Librarian)
I've never played against Collodi before so it was absolutely new experience for me. Also I've never used Rusty with From the Aether in Von Schill's crew so I was really thrilled to give it a go and I must say it worked really well :D
Deployment:
Turn 1
Initiative duel: Collodi
Gavin used his first activation to avoid his Coryphee being gunned down from my Trapper (which would happen :D). Generally we advanced towards centre line and nothing major happened this turn.
Rusty's Abomination summoning log: success.
Upkeep phase - No VP score by either side;
Score after turn 1: Von Schill 0 - Collodi 0
Turn 2
Initiative duel: Von Schill
Abomination flipped the Squatter marker and then was charged by the Coryphee who flipped Black Joker on one of the damage flips and ultimately failed to kill Abomination. Rusty walked and swung at Coryphee killing. Then she summoned Abomination from the scrap marker left by Coryphee.
Gavin pushed strongly forward his crew towards centre line and my guys. Then I was made aware how tricky Collodi and his crew is: Vasilisa Obeyed my Abomination to re-flip Squatter Marker (*) and one of the small guys charged Von Schill and then gave him Cursed Object (and a lot of Poison).
(*) After checking the rules and asking the question on the forum it seems this action wouldn't re-flip my Squatter's Marker after all as as pointed in the Friends & Enemies caption of the Rulebook (p.31) my Abomination still would belong to my crew so if she flips the marker it will belong to her crew anyway.
Von Schill tried to shake it down but his attacks were either one of his attacks was deflected, second flipped Black Joker, third hit and only with Finish the Cur he was able to kill this little bugger. Unfortunately it also meant that Cursed Object stayed with him... Another little bugger came close to my models but was quickly put down by Hannah.
Collodi raised Marionette who walked in between my models.
Abomination tarpit Vasilisa.
I start dropping scheme markers for ALITS.
I pushed rest of my crew towards Collodi's crew with Librarian taking looong swing around my right flank keeping her out of the combat.
Rusty's Abomination summoning log: success.
Upkeep phase:
Collodi: +1VP Strategy; +1VP Cursed Object
Score after turn 2: Von Schill 0 - Collodi 2
Turn 3
Initiative duel: Von Schill
My first mistake this game: Rusty tried to kill Marionette but failed to do it in her activation... I should use nearby Johana to do it rather than Rusty... After this failure Rusty raised Abomination from scrap marker laying near Von Schill.
This pesky Marionette gave Cursed Object to Hannah and Rusty in her activation. Hannah used Make a New Entry to grant Rusty Finish the Cur on Marionette. That killed the construct and thanks to the trigger raised another Abomination. Then Hannah walked once tarpitting Collodi and Vasilisa and swung at Collodi (missed).
Vasilisa Obeyed Hannah (against her Wp8!!!!) and pushed her away to block Von Schill. Then she tried to do same trick but failed this time.
One of the Abominations moved and tarpit Collodi and Vasilisa. Collodi used My Will on Vasilisa twice but she could only scratch Abomination. Then he cast Pull the Strings on Rusty hurting her for 4. Librarian walked once and healed Rusty for one.
Marionette and Wicked Doll tarpit Abomination and Hannah. Coryphee joined the party but Johana's charge proved that was bad idea :D
Abominations moved to trigger as much Df duels on the opponents as possible. This successfully drained Gavin's hand fully.
As the last model Von Schill activated. He moved and the charged Marionette the way he was in 8'' from all enemy crew. His attacks did nothing to the marionette (I had only very low cards left in my hand) but then he took of his shirt and triggered loads of Horror Duels. Only Brutal effigy and one Marionette succeeded those duels leaving rest of Gavin's crew absolutely paralyzed :D
Rusty's Abomination summoning log: double success!
Upkeep phase:
Collodi: +1VP Strategy; +1VP Cursed Object
Von Schill: +1VP Startegy
Score after turn 3: Von Schill 1 - Collodi 4
As were are preparing for turn 4, the shop manager came up and announced we have 30 minutes left before he close the shop. After brief discussion, together with Gavin we agreed not play it (although I was more than eager to do it :)) and we have reviewed situation what would happen on that turn 4
.
Because Gavin's crew was basically grounded he couldn't do much. He would defend Vasilisa with with all his card and soul stones he had left to get VP's for Bodyguard.
I would drop final scheme marker for ALITS and secure points for Bodyguard.
Because I was out-activating Gavin heavily I would be able to shake down Cursed Objects from my models, kill some of his small dudes and possible hurt Collodi or Vasilisa. I don't think I would be able to flip two Gavin's Squatter's Marker (he had 3 at the time) to deny him VP point for Strategy. At least not in that turn :D
With gentleman's agreement we called it a 6-6 draw (Gavin would get +1VP for Strategy and +1VP for Bodyguard and I would get +1VP for Strategy, +1VP for Bodyguard and +3VP for ALITS).
I'm quite happy after the game. I had only brief idea what Collodi can do and now I see he is quite difficult to play against. Also his crew is so cool looking I think it is my favorite Neverborn crew.
Rusty was my MVP of the game and finally I was able to capitalize on From the Aether upgrade. Unfortunately I think this upgrade really works only with Von Schill and his Engage at Will upgrade.
Till next time!
I played my first game with Von Schill on Sunday against a Ulix pig based crew.
ReplyDeleteI was foolish with Hannah, losing her early after leaving her open to multiple charges, but Lazarus took multiple turns of attacks before finally succumbing to his wounds, armour 2 is a pain if you're not the one with it.
My Von Schill (survivalist, engage at will, oath keeper) chopped up a summoned warpig and then ran into a corner to drop a marker for power ritual, then dropped some markers for plant evidence and then charged Ulix and chopped him up.
My Freikorpsman I'd call the man of the match, dropping a power ritual marker on the first turn, then running up far edge of the board to drop a second, then skulked around behind terrain dropping evidence markers too.
I foolishly let my librarian get killed early, and I should have played more cautiously with Hannah, but my trapper did some good shooting.
After seven (!!!) turns it was a 10:10 draw until my opponent got carried away and ran Gracie off her protect territory marker in order to remove one of my scheme markers that didn't really matter at that point, so it ended 10:8 to me.
People describe Von Schill as bland. He isn't. He's flexible and durable. Sure he doesn't slaughter things like Viktoria of Blood, but when she's been turned into a corpse marker he'll still be trucking along.
I think I will have to try Strongarm Suit rather than Hannah next time. Given how simple I am, having a guy who can tank and beat face will probably be helpful.