Unhealthy ways to express my distaste for a lack of Scenario

Tournament coming up, the TO doesn't like scenarios. This is unfathomable to me but unless I'm going to run the tournament that's the way it's going to be for local events (in Wollongong anyway). I have avoided it up until now but there remains a strong temptation to just take something that is bonkers broken without scenario and just grind everyone's faces into the fact that the game needs scenarios. The tournament coming up is a highlander tournament so I am somewhat restricted in but here are some contenders:

Legion of Everblight
Standard Army
PCs: 20
12 models

[00] Lylyth, Shadow of Everblight (0 / 5 WB)
[10]  >> Ravagore
[05]  >> Naga Nightlurker
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[06] Blighted Nyss Striders
[03]  >> Blighted Nyss Strider Officer & Musician

Stealth everything and move backwards. Seems good. 

You can also go the abuse refuge with a ranged list route:

Cygnar

Standard Army

PCs: 20

11 models

[00] Captain Kara Sloan (0 / 6 WJ remaining)

[09]  >> Defender

[06] Arcane Tempest Gun Mages

[02]  >> Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer

[06]  >> Hunter

[03] Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

I think this list has to be the most tilting list that ignores scenario because you aren't ever going to engage anything. If I cycle refuge then every turn the defender and the hunter are able to both shoot at my opponent and then either advance away or advance away, shoot and then advance away again. (The hunter will most likely aim, shoot then advance away). Deadeyed gunmages can then push all your models back (after wiping out all your infantry). The reason I like this one is that the list is completely useless with any of the scenarios. 

Possibly Legion does it better:

Legion of Everblight

Standard Army

PCs: 20

8 models

[00] Vayl, Consul of Everblight (0 / 6 WB)

[10]  >> Ravagore

[06]  >> Nephilim Bolt Thrower

[10] Blighted Nyss Raptors (4 grunts)

I think I'll stick to playing a nerfed list for this tournament but I do have to say I don't like leaving a hole in the game and asking your players to deliberately take less powerful lists. That's one of the main reasons I don't play warhammer any more. It leads to a situation where you have to have comp scores and list judging and the whole thing becomes a complicated nightmare. It's especially annoying when there is no need for that, when you can just put down a scenario that forces engagement and stops people from just running away with Lylyth. Or camping in their deployment zone with 20 sniped long gunners, and gun mages, and the black 13th, and a Stormwall, and Caine1. 

Anyway I have complained enough. I have repainted the High Reclaimers face mask black in order to make it more Bane like and I have assembled and pinned my Bastion Seneshal. Psyched to bring him out on Sunday (in the non-local tournament). I do like playing a dark horse caster, particularly when that dark horse caster is actually amazing. Still undecided on my Kreoss list though at the moment I'm feeling the call of the Temple Flamegaurd. I do like a list that does not rely on a feat to win games and it still retains a very strong assassination threat. It also has more robots and more robots is more better. 

Survivorship Bias

Up until the super series I was having a lot of success in skewing my lists towards assassination, in fact I had hit 15+ assassinations in a row (out of attempted assassinations not out of games won and lost) and the only games I had lost were games I had tried to play attrition in. I was starting to feel like assassinating was the way to go and that I was more likely to win that way than playing attrition. What I was overlooking was that I was playing smart and only assassinating when I had a very high percentage chance of the assassination succeeding. Vayl2 in particular encourages that type of smart play. Skewing my lists, in particular my Lylyth lists more towards assassination and going for assassinations in situations where attrition play was probably a greater percentage chance for success for me hurt me a great deal in the super series. That's what surivorship bias is by the way, it's looking only at those things that "survived" some process or thing. In this case I was judging the strength of assassination play by looking at how good the assassinations were that had "survived" my judgement process that the assassination was a good idea.

So I'm trying to learn from that and in that vein I think I will change my Kreoss list. The one I put up yesterday was:

Protectorate of Menoth
Standard Army
PCs: 35 / 35
26 models

[00] High Exemplar Kreoss (0 / 5 WJ remaining)
[08]  >> Reckoner
[06]  >> Redeemer
[06]  >> Redeemer
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[01] The Wrack (3)
[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)
[08] Exemplar Errants (9 grunts)
[02]  >> Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard
[03] Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

The problem with this list is that the only thing that kills heavies in it is the Reckoner. The Redeemers need the feat in order to shoot most heavies or need the Reckoner to tag it first and then still miss 1-2 of their 4 boosted damage shots. That said it kills infantry dead and has a really strong assassination threat. Almost nothing can survive purification, knock down, Boosted POW 15, unboosted 15, 7 x POW 14s. (Or a boosted 15, two boosted 14s and unboosted 15 and three unboosted 14s).

Protectorate of Menoth
Standard Army
PCs: 35 / 35
27 models

[00] High Exemplar Kreoss (0 / 5 WJ remaining)
[08]  >> Reckoner
[08]  >> Reckoner
[02] Exemplar Errant Seneschal
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[01] The Wrack (3)
[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)
[08] Exemplar Errants (9 grunts)
[02]  >> Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard
[02] Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
[03] Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

This list has a much less vicious assassination threat. At best there are two boosted POW 15s and two unboosted POW 15s (as well as errant shots if needed). That's still a decent assassination threat. It also relies a lot less on the feat.

That or there is my old Kreoss list from before I bought errants:

Protectorate of Menoth
Standard Army
PCs: 35 / 35
26 models

[00] High Exemplar Kreoss (0 / 5 WJ remaining)
[08]  >> Reckoner
[08]  >> Reckoner
[06]  >> Redeemer
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[01] The Wrack (3)
[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)
[06] Temple Flameguard (9 grunts)
[02]  >> Temple Flameguard Officer & Standard
[03] Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

This list relies a lot less on the feat turn than the above lists. Temple flameguard with defenders ward are ridiculous. Particularly if they are sitting just behind a Reckoner. That's quite possibly the most ludicrous thing ever. (DEF 13, +2 for defenders ward, +2 for set defence, +2 for Ashen Veil, it's like playing Kayazy except that your ARM is also ridiculously good and the unit costs less points and has reach). 

I don't know. I have to make a decision before Sunday. The last list is fully painted so that may win me over. That will also leave me with two lists with very little pathfinder (as in none really). 

Good Games Town Hall

There's a tournament on at GG Town Hall:

Good Games Sydney (Town Hall), will be hosting it's inaugural Colossal Tournament on Sunday the 2nd of June.
1st Place: A Colossal or Gargantuan of your choice 2nd Place: A Siege Engine of your choiceThere will also be a lucky door prize.Entry for the event is $30.Prizes based on 10 participants (max 30).35 points2 lists.3-4 steamroller scenarios based on numbers.11:00am Registration.11:15am kick off.
Any questions, please email: sydneycbd@goodgames.com.au

http://www.wargamerau.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=153566

Here are the lists I am taking:

Protectorate of Menoth
Standard Army
PCs: 35 / 35
29 models

[00] The High Reclaimer (0 / 6 WJ remaining)
[02]  >> Hierophant
[08]  >> Reckoner
[03] Bastion Seneschal
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[01] The Wrack (3)
[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)
[08] Exemplar Bastions (4 grunts)
[08] Exemplar Bastions (4 grunts)
[05] Daughters of the Flame
[02] Anastasia Di Bray

Protectorate of Menoth

Standard Army

PCs: 35 / 35

26 models

[00] High Exemplar Kreoss (0 / 5 WJ remaining)

[08]  >> Reckoner

[06]  >> Redeemer

[06]  >> Redeemer

[02] Vassal of Menoth

[02] Vassal of Menoth

[01] The Wrack (3)

[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)

[08] Exemplar Errants (9 grunts)

[02]  >> Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard

[03] Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios

Really wish I could fit a damage buff into that Kreoss list or a second Reckoner (and an errant seneshal, and a reclaimer and rhupert and the book). Need to get my head in Menoth space.

In the Dojo - High Reclaimer

Been having a look at the lesser used casters in my factions of late, trying to see if I can put together a strong list with them. In Menoth one of the casters I'm looking at is the High Reclaimer. I think he has a lot of potential, clouds are really painful and he makes more clouds than anyone else in the game, I can screen the entire army with clouds without difficulty. His feat brings back trooper models at full health so I want some 8 wound trooper models. I prefer Bastions over Cinerators because of reach and Bastions if delivered will kill the world, the clouds ensure that they are delivered. The clouds also help once delivered because living enemy models suffer -2 to hit while in the clouds so high DEF models. I can stack that with Ashen Veil from a Reckoner as well.

Protectorate of Menoth
Standard Army
PCs: 35 / 35
29 models

[00] The High Reclaimer (0 / 6 WJ remaining)
[02]  >> Hierophant
[08]  >> Reckoner
[03] Bastion Seneschal
[02] Vassal of Menoth
[01] The Wrack (3)
[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)
[08] Exemplar Bastions (4 grunts)
[08] Exemplar Bastions (4 grunts)
[05] Daughters of the Flame
[02] Anastasia Di Bray

The other benefit is that I can Battle every turn. Since you can't shoot the reckoner as it is behind a cloud wall it can shoot at POW 15 every turn. Also using enliven to move back behind clouds if it fails to kill its charge target is particularly obnoxious. The main reason Anastasia is in this list is because she becomes very difficult to kill. She can hide behind clouds until it is time to strike and then she can use her own move after espionage to get back behind the clouds. 

I like the high reclaimers feat at 35 points too as it is always a fixed value. At 50 points a unit of Bastions can be a problem at 35 points it can be particularly brutal. I am planning on playing this list at a tournament next weekend but I don't know what I will do if I can't get a hold of a Bastion Seneschal. They are supposed to be released but no one seems to have them. 

Specialists

Just finished playing two tournaments with specialists so I wanted to talk about models that are not used very often that I think the specialist format really suits.

Victor Pendrake

I think this guy should see more games in general because even against a warmachine army he's not bad for two points. RAT 6 with a reroll to kill solos/UAs and ranged knockdown. In specialists though he is spectacular. He is a nightmare for circle but even trolls often rely on the extra defence from their walls, Legions flying beasts are all high DEF and because it's melee or ranged you can even use it to get around the Krea animus. Even just MAT 6 against DEF 12 means that you will get 2-3 more hits from a 10 man unit.

Scather Catapult
There are a few armies that rely on non-reach troops or at least have a lot of them. If you shoot your own beasts with one they become immune to non-reach single wound troops.

Kell Bailoch
If there is a good piece of terrain for him to get prowl from you can sub out something that will not give you a lot of use against a particular opponent and throw in Kell. He always gets value.

Machine Wraith
If your opponent lacks magical attacks and/or has a marshalled jack the machine wraith is awesome. When it gets in a marshalled jack your opponent has lost it for the entire game.

Orin Midwinter
Against an opponent without guns he can be brutal. Against one with guns his terrible defensive stats will just see him die.

Nayl
Nayl is one of those under-rated pieces mostly because if you suck at the game Nayl is the worst model you can possibly take. If you are good at the game though against midfield casters, the krielstone, agonizers he can be absolutely devastating. He still doesn't do much against a backfield caster without much in the way warjacks (running Nayl into your opponents warjacks is pretty awesome) or some hordes armies but specialists lets you switch him out of those matches.

Artificer
Immunity to blast damage. This guy is also another model I think is under-rated but not as seriously as Nayl.

Storm Troll
You can't kill it with a warjack and electroleap vastly increases the volume of attacks you are able to put out and its low cost allows you to put it on multiple models. War Cry some long riders and spam lightning fists you have a MAT 11 attack that will kill two winterguard if it hits. Rampage a wild aggression Mulg through a unit and you can expect upwards of 5 kills for 1 fury.

Gatorman Witch Doctor
Not in Gators (where he is already quite common), in the other hordes factions. Tough is a great ability and can really help in a game but fearless can make the difference between getting rolled and still being in a game. Failed command checks can really, really hurt a unit. Even in trolls this guy can keep the burrowers in the game. A great addition against an army with a lot of terror/abominition (like the Butcher2 theme force)

Farrow Slaughterhousers
Again not in pigs but in the other hordes factions. RFP and no tough are abilities that are situationally amazing. Add in their high MAT on the charge and finisher and you have a unit that can do a bunch of specific things quite well. I'd desperately want them in a match against Morvhana but would be less excited about them against say Ossyan.

Cyclops Brute
Spectacular defensive beast. Shield Guard is one of those abilities that can be situationally amazing.

Extoller Soulward
Eyeless sight and magical weapons wherever you need it. Again two abilities that can really change a match up.

There are a lot of other good models to use as specialists but they turn up in enough main lists that I think I can safely skip them for the purpose of this post. 

Playing for the Long Game

Of all the matches I have lost lately (except for the one against Moorehouse) I lost the game by getting greedy and trying to end the game early. Two were assassination attempts with Lylyth2 and the third an attempted scenario win by domination by Lylyth2. Rule 1 about getting better at the game is to learn something from your losses so the pattern here is clear. Don't be greedy, be prepared to play for dice down. It is actually something I have been working on for a while now but always seems to abandon me in tournament games.

Main point for me - Don't go for assassination/scenario victory attempts that are less probable to bring a win than continuing to grind down my opponent. 

It may be a 60-70% assassination or scenario attempt but if you are 90%+ to win by staying the course then stay the course. Also probably double check important things with your opponent. I lost a game at the super series when I thought my opponent had said I had taken out movement and cortex but he was saying that i had just not taken out movement and cortex (one box left in each). That's a big difference, the place was a little loud with so many people there. I had more shots I could have put into that jack but chose not to because in my mind it was no longer a threat (knocked down without cortex). Also in fairness there was a misunderstanding in my game against James that went in my favour too.

35 point tournament coming up. Not sure what I'm taking. I have decided to abandon taking one faction to tournaments and just go nuts. It's more my style.

Tournament Wrap - Good Games Hurstville

I played in a tournament last weekend, Theo and Harry came up as well. The lists I took were:

Legion of Everblight
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
Specialists: 10 / 10
18 models

[00] Lylyth, Shadow of Everblight (0 / 5 WB)
[02]  >> Succubus
[10]  >> Ravagore
[10]  >> Ravagore
[10]  >> Ravagore
[06]  >> Nephilim Bolt Thrower
[05]  >> Naga Nightlurker
[02]  >> Shredder
[02] The Forsaken
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[05] Blackfrost Shard
[01] Feralgeist

[06] (S)  >> Nephilim Bolt Thrower (Lylyth)
[02] (S) Strider Deathstalker
[02] (S) Strider Deathstalker

Legion of Everblight
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
Specialists: 10 / 10
22 models

[00] Saeryn, Omen of Everblight (0 / 5 WB)
[09]  >> Scythean
[09]  >> Scythean
[09]  >> Angelius
[09]  >> Angelius
[05]  >> Naga Nightlurker
[02]  >> Shredder
[02]  >> Shredder
[02] Strider Deathstalker
[02] Strider Deathstalker
[02] The Forsaken
[02] The Forsaken
[01] Spell Martyr
[01] Spell Martyr

[01] (S) Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[03] (S) Blighted Nyss Scather Crew
[01] (S) Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew
[01] (S) Spell Martyr
[04] (S)  >> Afflictor

I was looking at this tournament as a practice for the much bigger tournament coming up on this Saturday (the super series). Locals will know I have been playing the crap out of Thagrosh in an attempt to get him to speed to pair with Vayl2. I have now given up on that so I wanted to get some games in to get back into the feel of Saeryn and Lylyth2. I have to say aside from consistently forgetting to roll the extra dice from pincushion in my first two games (pre tournament, I didn't forget it during the tournament) that it was very easy to slide back into those casters. Saeryn in particular was very familiar to me, even though I have played exactly two games with her this year (and for about 3-4 months before that) and that includes the one game I dropped her for during the tournament the pure number of games I've played previously with her really helped. I think once you learn a caster they stick.

The tournament itself - I came 3rd, I lost a game I was winning very convincingly by going for a scenario win when I could have backed up and not risked my caster to a lucky assassination. I was already two points up on scenario and my opponent literally had 4 gun mages, a few rangers, Reinholdt and Caine2, I had two ravagores, two bolt throwers, Lylyth, a Naga and a succubus, Rhylyss (BFS) and a feralgeist (one bolt thrower was a little injured). Two of those gun mages were standing in a control zone at the end of my turn and that was all that had stopped me from winning.

It was a great tournament, laid back style, really enjoyable. I do really love the smaller tournaments. There are some very good players up in Sydney as well so you get a good mix of competitive and relaxed.