War Faux 19.07.2015 - 50SS open faction/master Tournament

Game report - 19.07.2015 War fax - 50SS open faction/master tournament

Today (19.07.2015) we supposed to have another great day as Mike decided to sacrifice some of his precious time and he organised a 50SS open faction/master tournament.
We were hoping to have 6-7 players but due to the various reasons we ended up with 3 players only... There was a little point to pretend this to be tournament any longer so I was granted an opportunity to play 3 'friendly' games.

I was going to this event with one pledge: I'll play fully thematic (or almost fully) Tara's crew despite that there was Headhunter and Collect the Bounty as strategies in two games.


Round 1

50SS Tara (daniello_s) vs Hoffman (Mark)

Deployment: Corner Deployment
Strategy: Headhunter
Schemes: ALITS, Protect Territory, Breakthrough, Plant Evidence, Murder Protege

Mark brought: 
Hoffman (4SS pool) - Arcanist Assets, Field Mechanic, On Site Assimilation
Rail Golem
Miss Step
Hunter
Metal Gamin
2x Guild Hounds
Watcher

I took:
Tara (5SS pool) - Knowledge of Eternity, Obliteration Symbiote, Dead of Winter
Malifaux Child
Nothing Beast - Void Shield
Killjoy
2x Death Marshal
2x Void Wretch
 
We both picked and announced Protect Territory and Plant Evidence
I've never played against Hoffman before but I knew he will work in the deadly bubble surrounded by his constructs.


Table setup:

My plan was simple: go along my right flank, defend for 3 turns, then try to use Tara-bomb trick, hunt something down, win initiative turn 4/5, get the head and win by 1 point difference. Plan was good :D

Turn 1
Walking, walking, walking, Hoffman power loop (Gamin, Miss Step and Rail Golem) which made me almost my heart to stop when I saw this for the first time of my life, more walking...

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 1: Tara 0 - Hoffman 0

Turn 2 
More walking, power looping plus scheme marker dropping. Nothing interesting happened that turn.

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 2: Tara 0 - Hoffman 0

Turn 3
 

Hoffman and his happy gang closed up so I unleashed Killjoy and backed him up with Fast. Result: 4 damage inflicted in total... Besides of that we dropped more scheme markers.

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 3: Tara 0 - Hoffman 0

Turn 4

Time to bury Killjoy back and unleash him later. So I flipped two cards for initiative: 11 and lower and Marked flipped lower than me. Then he burned the soulstone and got 12... I tried same but failed...
Effect of those events was obvious - Killjoy died and his head was picked up by Hoffman later.
So my only option was to try to hunt down something less difficult to kill than Miss Step or Rail Golem so I spread out my guys in effort to attack Hunter or Watcher.

Upkeep phase - Hoffman +1VP for Startegy ; Score after turn 4: Tara 0 - Hoffman 1


Turn 5

Fast Nothing Beast attacked Hunter dropped him to last wound only...
Loco, loco, locomotion baby! That's how I can describe what happened later this turn.
Rail Golem (who was Nimble since turn 1 thanks to upgrade granted him by Hoffman...) charged Tara and used his locomotion (done twice) to stomp Tara to death.
We both couldn't pick her head so after all this is how the game has ended.

 
Upkeep phase - Tara: +3VP for Plant Evidence, +3 VP for Protect Territory; Hoffman: +3VP for Plant Evidence, +3 VP for Protect Territory;
 
Final score: Tara 6 - Hoffman 7


Round 2

50SS Tara (daniello_s) vs Kirai (Mike)

Deployment: Standard Deployment
Strategy: Turf War
Schemes: ALITS, Bodyguard, Breakthrough, Outflank, Murder Protege

Mike brough: 
Kirai (6SS pool) - Unforgiven
Lost Love
Datsue Ba - Spirit Whisper, Spirit Beacon
Nurse
Chiaki the Niece
Izamu
Canine Remains
Flesh Construct

I took:
Tara (4SS pool) - Knowledge of Eternity, Obliteration Symbiote, Dead of Winter
Malifaux Child
Nothing Beast - Void Shield
Desolation Engine
2x Death Marshal
2x Void Wretch

Mike picked and announced: Murder Protege (Desolation Engine) and Breakthough.
I picked and announced: Murder Protege (Izamu) and Breakthough, too.

Again, it was my first game against Kirai and I had no idea what she can do to me. Then I've learnt it hard way...

Table:

Tara setup:

 Kirai setup:

Turn 1

I moved my guys closer to the centre, Tara was hiding behind the central piece of columns (not visible by any enemy model).
The Kirai unleashed the hell - together with Datsue Ba they summoned two Seishins and then 'transformed' them into two Hanged who thanks to Kirai's upgrade where nicely close to Tara and her crew...
I tried to use pulses on Hanged ones but only dropped one of them to last wound remaining. Mark, who was watching this game noted: from now on it is 50SS vs 70SS game. I knew I'm in big trouble...

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side ; Score after turn 1: Tara 0 - Kirai 0

Turn 2

Mike won inititiative and my re-flip was unsuccessful. First Hanged used Whispers From Beyond on Desolation Engine. I've made bunch of my models Fast. Then second Hanged used same action on Nothing Beast. As an act of desperation I moved Desolation Engine and charged Izamu leaving him on last wound remaining... Crap... Then Kirai shot Nothing Beast dead.
I was going to call the game but I decided to have a fun and shot 3x with Death Marshal targeting Izamu who was engaged with Desolation Engine who was also engaged with: Flesh Construct, Chiaki and Nurse. Loads of randomization but why not! I was about to lose a game anyway and all I needed is to inflict last wound on Izamu to get 3VPs.
First randomization... Izamu! Then I missed a shot horribly...
Second randomization went to Flesh Construct.
Third randomization (Death Marshal was Fast)... Izamu again! Yay! And another horrible miss... 
After that Izamu healed up himself and I called the game.   

Well, that was quick...

Round 3

50SS Tara (daniello_s) vs Hoffman (Mark)

Deployment: Flank Deployment
Strategy: Collect the Bounty
Schemes: ALITS, Protect Territory, Assassinate, Make the Suffer, Murder Protege

Mark brought: 
Hoffman (4SS pool) - Arcanist Assets, Field Mechanic, On Site Assimilation
Rail Golem
Miss Step
Peacekeeper
Metal Gamin
Watcher
Mobile Toolkit

I took:
Tara (4SS pool) - Knowledge of Eternity, Obliteration Symbiote, Dead of Winter Malifaux Child
Nothing Beast - Void Shield
Desolation Engine
2x Death Marshal
2x Void Wretch

Mark picked and revealed: Protect Territory and Murder Protege (Desolation Engine)I picked Assassination and Protect Territory (revealed).
 
I knew I'll be playing Hoffman again but I decided to use the same crew like in game 2 with one exception - I was going to use Death Marshals more aggressively.

Table setup:

Crews setup:

Turn 1

Mark pushed Peacekeeper and Rail Golem straight in front of Tara so I took my chances and used freshly unburied Desolation Engine into Peacekeepers mouth (I should really try it on Rail Golem as he didn't have this pesky Hard to Wound +1...).
4 attacks and pulses severely hurt Peacekeeper but he survived.

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 1: Tara 0 - Hoffman 0

Turn 2

I flipped a Black Joker on initiative...
Then Desoaltion Engine died (flurry from Peacekeeper). I charged Golem and put him in the box :D
Hoffman repaired Peacekeeper and I gambled and charged Hoffman with Fast Nothing Beast. Hoffman survived, bruised and heavily beaten, but survived...
Later he was 'towed' away by his constructs... I dropped scheme markers for Protect Territory.
Just for the fun I unburied Golem and used him to charge Peacekeeper who again survived with 3 wounds left. Golem killed two Abomiantions.

Upkeep phase - Hoffman: +1VP for Strategy, +3VP for Murder Protege; Score after turn 2: Tara 0 - Hoffman 4

 
Turn 3
Nothing Beast killed Peacekeeper and Golem killed Nothing Beast.
Then Golem landed in pine box again.
Hoffman towed by Watcher run away but also granted his minion an upgrade which allowed watcher to use 1AP actions as 0 actions. So Watcher was ready to fly around and drop scheme markers.
Rest of Hoffman's crew run away from Tara, except Miss Step who was ready to pick a fight next turn.
Tara moved and granted Miss Step and bunch of my models Fast condition.

Upkeep phase - No VP scored by either side; Score after turn 3: Tara 0 - Hoffman 4

Turn 4

Miss Step was boxed by other Death Marshal. Golem was kept buried as well. If mark didn't flip Black Joker on the Golem's Wp duel , Tara would be dead...
I made Tara Fast (Malifaux Child), walk 3x and shot Hoffman hurting him a bit.Watcher dropped more scheme markers.
Apart of that nothing else really happened that turn

Upkeep phase - No VP scored by either side; Score after turn 4: Tara 0 - Hoffman 4

Turn 5 

Tara activated first and charged Hoffman but he survived.
Then Hoffman healed himself and torched Tara twice.
Golem and Miss Step stayed in boxes.
Before I was able to re-activate Tara, Mobile Toolkit moved, blew himself up forcing Tara to pass Tn16 duel of suffer enough damage to die - I failed, of course.
That was it. Sadly. buried models don't count for Collect the Bounty purposes... 

Upkeep phase - Tara: +3VP for Protect Territory; Hoffman: +1VP for Strategy, +3 VP for Protect Territory
 
Final score: Tara 3 - Hoffman 8
 

Few thoughts after game:
- Heavy hitters are nice but to have more flexibility on damage I think the best duo would be Nothing Beast and Bishop.
- Death Marshals are great but one is enough. It is better to spend other 6 points on Johana - again it is more flexible.
- Malifax Child - for 2 points I think she is worthy to take - have an access to extra Fast or just put a Slow on enemy is good option.
- Never, never, ever take Tara against Ressers. Leave the job to Levy or Viks :D

Till next time! 


  
 

Game Report 16.07.15 50SS Tara vs Yan Lo

Game report - 16.07.2015

50SS Tara (daniello_s) vs Yan Lo (Mike)

Deployment: Flank Deploymeny
Strategy: Collect the Bounty
Schemes: ALITS, Bodyguard, Breakthrough, Distract, Take a Prisoner

Mike brough (I think he had one upgrade on Izamu but can't recall which one): 
Yan Lo (7SS pool) - Fortified Spirit, Reliquary
Soul Porter
Izamu  
Nurse
Datsue Ba - Spirit Beacon, Spirit Whisper
2x Necropunk
Flesh Construct

I took:
Tara (4SS pool) - Knowledge of Eternity, Obliteration Symbiote, Dead of Winter
Karina  - Face of Oblivion
Nothing Beast - Void Shield
Killjoy
Death Marshal
3x Void Wretch
 
Mike picked and announced: ALITS and Breakthrough.
I took: Bodyguard (Karina) and Take a Prisoner (Izamu)
 
A second game with Tara - I wasn't expecting much but I was hoping to score more points than at the first game :D


Table setup:

I won the flip for deployment and I allowed Mike to choose side and deploy first.

Crew's ready for encounter:

Turn 1
Moving, moving, moving, push, moving , moving, moving, leap... - that the best way to describe this turn.
We both moved our crews along our right flanks.

 
Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 1: Tara 0 - Yan Lo 0

Turn 2
Mike decided to turn up the heat and pushed Izamu with Soul Porter and Datsue Ba which allowed him to double walk and hit Death Marshal. Tara made Death Marshal and Nothing Beast Fast.
Mike started to drop scheme markers whenever he could (leap on Necropunk is awesome...).
 

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 2: Tara 0 - Yan Lo 0

Turn 3
Death Marshal charged Izamu and put him in the box where he stayed till turn 5.
Yan Lo killed Void Wretch. 
Then I made first mistake in the game - instead of charging a Necropunk in the yard I charged Datsue Ba. I misread the Void Shield ability and I thought I can bury the my models even if I have already friendly model buried but that is not the case. Well, lesson learnt anyway.
Nothing Beast hit 3 time but Datsue spent soulstones to put attacker on negative damage flip and to prevent the damage. Heavily bruised she survived.
Then Mike unleashed the hell and attacked Nothing Beast with: Datsue Ba, Nurse, Soul Porter, newly summoned Seishins, Necropunk (one attack) and Flesh Construct (one attack). Nothing Beast... survived very, very hurt.
In the meantime Killjoy joined the party, courtesy to Tara, and killed Necropunk and Seishin.

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 3: Tara 0 - Yan Lo 0
 
Turn 4
I won initiative - so Nothing Beast hit Datsue Ba killing her and then swung at Necropunk twice leaving him on last wound. Nurse paralyzed Killjoy and chain-activated Necropunk who used flurry and brought Nothing Beast to the two wounds left. Tara looked at this carnage...

and saying: enough is enough she buried Nothing Beast and walked away.
Rest of the Yan Lo's crew tried to hit Killjoy and hurt him a bit.
Then I made second mistake - I grouped Death Marshal and two Void Wretches in one place as I wanted to have at least one model who would engage unburied Izamu to score VP's for Take a Prisoner. Fully buffed Yan Lo (with all upgrades at this time of the game) moved closer to this group of models and I was expecting his famous assault to happen soon... I really should move one of my Void Wretches forward towards the middle of the table and start removing Mike's scheme markers. one of the Wretch sucessfully healed Nothing Beast (he was back to 4 wounds left).
Apart of that I announced Bodyguard on Karina.

Upkeep phase - Tara +1VP for Bodyguard, +1VP for Strategy; Score after turn 2: Tara 2 - Yan Lo 0

Turn 5
Unfortunatley Yan Lo got initiative and used his assault trick to kill two Void Wretches.
In response I activated Tara as first model and made my third, last mistake in the game - instead of attacking Yan Lo with Nothing Beast and then charge him with Tara at the end of the turn I charged Necropunk near Killjoy.
Because Yan Lo had no soulstones left in the pool it was doable to kill him.

Anyway, I killed Necropunk and hit Flesh Construct. Then Killjoy died to the mass of the attacks. 
Now I had two choices - walk away with Death Marshal close to Tara, then kill him with Tara, put Slow on unburied Izamu and hope he will not disengage or charge Yan Lo, pine box him and then charge Yan Lo at the end of the turn with Tara and try to bury him with Tara's attack trigger. I chose option number 2.
Yan Lo landed into the coffin and Death Marshal felt a wrath of Izamu. First attack I deflected but second killed Marshal. So Tara went into action and charged Yan Lo. First attack hit, damaged so first Yan Lo's Wp test... passed. Second attack: hit, damaged, time for Yan Lo's second Wp test... passed... Yyyyyy... So as the last action I walked to Izamu to score 2VP points for Take a Prisoner.

Game has ended at this turn.

Upkeep phase - Tara +2VP for Bodyguard, +2VP for Take a Prisoner; Yan Lo +1VP for Strategy, +3VP for ALITS, +3VP for Breakthrough

Final Score: Tara 6 - Yan Lo 7


Few comments after the game:
- game went waaay better than last one
- few mistakes I made were terrible in theirs consequences - lesson learnt hard way
- still I can't feel Karina. I had a great card turn 1 which would allow me to summon Punk Zombie but I had Killjoy buried and there was no point unburying him at the turn 1. Then I needed this card for something else and Karina needed to be kept safe to score points for Bodyguard. Her summoning is so situational that I need to re-think her position in the crew. I think I'll play her couple more times but also I'll try Malifaux Child instead of her (for giving extra Fast/Slow conditions).
- Killjoy-bomb is nasty but I'll also try Desolation Engine in nearest future
- Nothing Beast is my favourite model from this crew. It is fragile but very mobile and can hit hard.
- Death Marshal - I love that guy... Pine-boxing enemy heavy hitter or master - yes, please!

Sunday 19th Mike is organizing a tournament so guess who I'll run for 4 games? Tara! :D

Till nest time!


 

Game Report 09.07.15 50SS Tara vs Yan Lo

Game report - 09.07.2015

50SS Tara (daniello_s) vs Yan Lo (Mike)

Deployment: Standard Deployment
Strategy: Turf War
Schemes: ALITS, Protect Territory, Bodyguard, Murder Protege, Plant Evidemce

Mike brought: 
Yan Lo (5SS pool) - Fortified Spirit, Reliquary
Soul Porter
Izamu  
Rotten Belle
Nurse
Chiaki the Niece
Datsue Ba - Spirit Beacon, Spirit Whisper
Yin

I took:
Tara (5SS pool) - Knowledge of Eternity, Obliteration Symbiote 
Karina  - Face of Oblivion
Nothing Beast - Void Shield
Hannah
Killjoy
2x Void Wretch
 
Mike picked and announced: Murder Protege (Killjoy) and Plant Evidence.
I took and announced: Protect Territory and Plant Evidence.

This was my first game with Tara and I was absolutely aware of the fact that I'll end up beaten to the pulp. Also I knew that taking Killjoy when Murder Protege is in the pool is not wise decision but I wanted to test my crew anyway in exact shape as shown above.


Table setup:

Tara deployed first, then Yan Lo prepared his crew for the encounter:

Turn 1
We advanced towards the centre of the table. I activated Tara first and moved her behind the central column. Datsue Ba moved twice and summoned Seishin who engaged Tara. Well, my control hand was so terrible that I wouldn't be able to cheat flip to unbury Killjoy anyway (I had 7 cards: 1x14 and rest were 6 and below...) so Tara killed Seishin and then I made huuuge mistake as I moved slightly and shot Nurse hurting her a bit. That exposed Tara to Belle who moved once, lured Tara once and after that Izamu charged Tara. She got a massive slaps in her face and I burnt 3 soulstones for damage prevention.

Upkeep phase - No VP scored on either side; Score after turn 1: Tara 0 - Yan Lo 0
 
Turn 2
Tara won initiative (10) but Yan Lo successfully re-flipped his initiative getting 12... I didn't want to spent soulstones for mission (almost) impossible so Izamu continued his beating. Tara survived on the last 3 wounds remaining.
Then I did (in my mind) nasty thing - I unburied Killjoy so he could hit Datsue Ba or Izamu, the I discarded 3 cards to give Fast to Hannah, Nothing Beast, Killjoy and Izamu and activated Killjoy.
Killjoy attacked Datsue but I wasn't in favour of the fate that night. One of his attacked flipped Red Joker on damage (yay!) but Mike prevented it with his Red joker (naaaaaay!....). With his other attacks I hurt her a bit but nothing spectacular. Killjoy survived Yin's attack.
As an act of desperation I used Nothing Beast to move and charge Datsue - Horror Test: Black Joker... I was ready to call a game by that time... bad things happen in Malifaux...
Belle and Chiaki were able to kill Tara. Hannah charged Izamu without big success (because why not? :D)
Void Wretches started to drop scheme markers.
Karina tried to summon something - no success and shot Yan Lo twice hurting him slightly.

Upkeep phase - Tara +1VP for Strategy; Yan Lo: +1VP for Strategy; Score after turn 2: Tara 1 - Yan Lo 1

Turn 3
Yan Lo won initiative. Nurse used Take Your Meds on Hannah Paralyzing her and on Nothing Beast making him able to walk only that turn, then Izamu chain activated and killed Killjoy.
At this moment we both agreed there is no sense to continue this game and I called the game.

 
So I'm after first game with Tara as my master so few things I noticed as a rookie:
-  It is extremely hard to summon something with Karina. Even having Hannah in the crew it was very hard task to do. On the Turn 3 just before I called it, I could summon Drowned as I had proper card in my hand. I think Karina's task is mainly range-shooting support (kind-ish as she is not great in that either) with occasionally summoning.
- Tara with her ablity to give Fast/Slow is sweet. Beast-bomb is cool as well. 
- Next time I'll swap Hannah for Death Marshal and another Void Wretch - I'll get another activation and a model who can bury others.
- Nothing Beast is great - walk of 6 with Casting Expert and potential Fast from Tara - oh man...   

Soon I'll have more reports with Tara as the main character so till next time!