Nordicon 28.11.2015 - 50SS fixed faction tournament - part 1

Game report - 28.11.2015 Nordicon, Belfast - 50SS fixed faction tournament - part 1

Again I had a chance to visit Belfast this year - this time for 50SS fixed faction tournament during Nordicon. 
It was 4 round event with following strategies and schemes for each round:

Round 1

Strategy : Reckoning

Deployment : Standard Deployment

Schemes : Protect Territory,Bodyguard,Plant Explosives,Make Them Suffer, ALiTS

Round 2

Strategy : Interference

Deployment : Flank Deployment

Schemes : Breakthrough,Protect Territory,Spring the Trap,Frame for Murder, ALiTS

Round 3
Strategy : Extraction
Deployment : Close Deployment
Schemes : Distract,Assassinate,Make Them Suffer,Take Prisoner, ALiTS

Round 4

Strategy : Stake a Claim

Deployment : Standard Deployment

Schemes : Breakthrough,Assassinate,Take Prisoner,Frame for Murder, ALiTS

As usual I was bringing my Outcasts with me however I have decided not to use same Master twice that day.

I did not have a time to note down every action turn after turn so my reports from each round would be limited to the key information about each game :D

Round 1

The Malifaux fate crossed my path against David and his Gremlins.

I have never played against Gremlins but I was expecting either Ophelia or Wong. I was correct - David picked Ophelia.

David's crew:

Ophelia - My Threatening Gun - 3SS pool

Francois - Stilts, Dirty Cheater

Manja Rocha - Dirty Cheater

Lenny - I'll love it...

Slop Hauler

Lightning Bug

Merris

Young LaCroix

I took:

Von Schill (4SS pool) - Survivalist, Oathkeeper, Shirt...
(killing-tank whose task was to hunt down enemy models and keep the rest engaged as long as possible)

Strongarm Suit
(same task as with Von Schill)

Hannah
(general support for the crew with extra card each round on the top of everything else)

Freikorps Librarian
(Bodyguard-target, healing support)

2x Freikorps Trapper
(alpha-strike support to hunt down Slop Hauler, Lighting Bug or Young LaCroix as soon as possible)

Hodgepodge Effigy

(soulstone engine who would be a prime scheme marker runner as well)

David's schemes: Make Them Suffer and Plant Explosives

My schemes: Protect Territory (revealed) and Bodyguard (Librarian)

Deployment (Gremlins were deploying first):

Key moments in the game:

Turn 1: 

- Alpha-strike from Freikorps Trappers on Turn 1- Slop Hauler and Lightning Bug are killed.

Turn 2 :

- Ophelia kills Trapper and then is gunned down herself by Von Schill

- Merris gets extra AP via Reckless, moves and drops scheme marker in between Von Schill, Strongarm and Hannah. This suicidal mission grants David 3VPs for Plant Explosives. It was suicidal as Merris is killed straight away by Hannah.

Turn 3:

- Strongarm kills Manja. Von Schill (helped by Trapper) guns down Francois. 

- Lenny and Young LaCroix are running away as far as they can.

- I have 2 scheme markers ready and guarded by Hodgepodge Effigy

Turn 4:

- chase after remaining Gremlins and announcing Bodyguard on Librarian.

Turn 5

- Lenny tries to hit Young LaCroix to summon Piglet. Young one relents but David flips 3x severe damage on double negative twist :D

- Lenny is killed by Von Schill and Strongarm.

Final score: Von Schill 9 - Ophelia 4

Malifaux was very kind to me during this game as I had very strong control hand in first 3 turns and my flips were at least average when at the same time David had moderately good control hand and his flips were about average. 

Turn 1 was the most important as killing Slop Hauler I prevented pig-summoning machine to run.

Round 2

On round 2 I was crossed with Owen and his Colette. I played against Owen and his Arcanist Mistress few times already so I knew a bit his tricks and tactics. 

Owen's crew:

Colette - Cabaret Choreography, Practiced Production  - 7SS pool

Cassandra - Smoke and Mirrors

2x Performer

Mannequin

Coryphee

Joss

Mechanical Dove

On the one hand I wanted to play competitively but on the other I wanted Owen to enjoy this game as much as I would so I decided not to take Viks or Levi, so I chose (almost) Rat-less Hamelin.

Once I get Brotherhood of Rat, I'll be able to play Hamelin more as he should be played (with Rat-shenanigans) but in the meantime I had only 2 Rats with me :D

Hamelin (4SS pool) - Survivalist, The Piper, I Pay Better
(Obey master who can't be charged who can be parked near the table centre)

Taelor
(Contruct-killer who can be surprisingly mobile (and killy) when Obeyed by Hamelin)

Johana
(almost same as Taelor plus condition removal)

Freikorps Librarian
(healing support)

2x Void Wretch
(scheme runners)

Freikorps Trapper

(forwardly deployed model who can harass Performers from the long distance, scheme runner)

Ronin

(non-chargeable scheme runner who is also mercenary so she 'benefits' from I Pay Better)

We both picked and announced same schemes: Protect Territory and Breakthrough

Deployment (Arcanists were deploying first):

Key moments in the game:

Turn 1 and 2

- as we played very defensively nothing major happened on those two turns however Ronin and Trapper advanced towards Owen's table quarter which was held by Cassandra, Joss and Performer. In the meantime Taelor and Hamelin park themselves close to the centre of the table (but 6'' away from the centre marker) and Johana, Librarian and Void Wretches guard my table quarters. Hamelin uses his Obey to explode enemy Dove so all other Doves are not so keen to stay with 12'' of him any longer :D

Turn 3:

- Ronin and Trapper jump the table quarter still being held by Arcanists. Taelor decides to play a mind game and discards a card to take Focus and double walks towards Joss and the table quarter where Ronin and Trapper are. By discarding card and taking Focus Taelor convinces Owen that I'm planning some sort of attack and he stays in cover away from her. Hamelin activates last and Obeys Taelor to walk twice on the enemy table quarter which negates Owen a VP point this turn.

Turn 4 (the last turn as we were running out of time for this game):

- Owen knowing he will lose this game tarpits Ronin (already activated) and Taelor (not activated yet) with Doves to secure VP point for Strategy this turn. I make a wrong Obey order choice - I decide to Obey Taelor to swing at Dove, leaving her unable to be Obeyed again and to short to charge Dove who tarpits Ronin. I should first Obey Taelor with walk around Dove, then move Hamelin and Obey Tealor again to kill Dove. This would allow me to charge other Dove and negate Owen another VP point for strategy.
We both max out VPs for schemes.

Final score: Hamelin 9 - Colette 8

That was really, really nice game with both Masters who really love to manipulate their crew. Thanks to one, single trick I was able to snatch the victory by one point. 


To be continued with Round 3 and 4...