How to play Siege

My gaming group is gonna start focusing on 50pts games the next couple of weeks. Rumor has it that the next tournamnet will be a 50pts Steamroller, and we all want to be more prepared the next time so we can do better. I'm pretty sure that my three "main casters" are gonna be Epic Haley, Epic Nemo and perhaps even Epic Caine.

This thursday we're gonna start with our practice, and I'm thinking about bringing forth Cygnars token black guy - Siege. I haven't really been playing him that much, but I know that he's a solid casters. Few, if even anything, can hide from him when It's time to assassinate. Last time I played him I did a huge rookie mistake and shot Beast 09 who used Hyper Aggresive to get within threat range of Siege and kill him. That won't be happening again.

I've been scouting the internet for some ideas for an upcoming 50pts list with him, and since I've been buying a lot of mercenaries lately this might just be the list that I'll try:

Points: 50/50
Major Markus 'Siege' Brisbane (*5pts)
* Defender (9pts)
* Stormwall (19pts)
* Squire (2pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)
Rangers (5pts)
Captain Arlan Strangewayes (2pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)

The plan is to use him both for attrition and assassnination. Guns and a lot of utility will hopefully help me pull that off. Ranges will keep in front and give "aim" to Siege while he uses Ground Pounder to clear units. A&H a long with Gorman can deal with any high ARM threat. And the Stormwall and Defender will hopefully inflinct enough damage to force my opponent to rush towards me.

Well the army might lack any form of  regular unit or tarpit, but with the combination of all these solos, I don't think it'll be that hard to win. Only time will tell.

35pt steamroller 24/2a 2013

Played my first ever tournament this weekend. It was a standard Steamroller 2013 tournament with 35 points, fully painted and character restriction. You didn't need to have two lists, but it was optional. This will just be a quick report on my four games. Later me and my friends will post a video about the event and give some more details on how it went.

Game 1 - Close Quarter vs Circle

Points: 35/35
Baldur the Stonesoul (*5pts)
* Megalith (11pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
Druids of Orboros (Leader and 5 Grunts) (7pts)
* Druid of Orboros Overseer (2pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
* Stone keeper (1pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
Gallows Grove (1pts)
Lord of the Feast (4pts)

I played with my Kara Sloan list. I won the roll and choose the side of the board with most cover to deny him the forest. I really lost this game during deployment. For some reason I put my ATGM on my left flank away from my army and his druids.

During my opponents second turn both Lord of the Feast and the Warpwolf Stalker was in melee with my Boomhowlers and Defender (which was killed quite easily). I didn't manage to kill either the wolf or the lord guy, and the following turn I failed 8 tough rolls with the Boomhowlers.

I lost by scenario by turn 3 when I couldn't really stop him from dominating my flag.

Game 2 - Into the Breach vs Trollbloods

Points: 34/35
Grim Angus (*6pts)
* Troll Impaler (5pts)
* Dire Troll Bomber (10pts)
* Dire Troll Mauler (9pts)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (1pts)
Trollkin Fennblades (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Trollkin Fennblade Officer & Drummer (2pts)
Fell Caller Hero (3pts)
Lanyssa Ryssyll, Nyss Sorceress (2pts)

I once again played with Kara and won the roll and chose to go first this time. I learned from my last game and deployed everything in the middle, with Boomhowlers in front of my ATGM. We both ran with everything our first turn meeting in the middle. 

I went for and early feat turn and killed all the Fennblades+UA and the Fell Caller Hero. I moved Boomhowlers to contest the zone while Kara moved with her Warjack towards the flag for some quick and easy points since he didn't have anything to contest with. 

The game continued with him throwing AoE's at my Boomhowlers and slowly killing them while I kept shooting at his beasts. But he managed to pick up 4 control points by dominating the zone twice. I went for the assassination when Grim only had 1 fury to transfer with. I hade the Hunter, Defender and 2 shots from Kara to finish the job. It felt like a done deal. 

The Hunter shot and did 7 damage. The Defender missed. Kara missed her first shot (rolling 4 with 3 dices to hit). The last shot connected and did 10 damage which he transferd to a beast. The Bomber then killed Kara with 2 well placed bombs. 

Game 3 - Process of Elimination vs Retribution

Points: 35/35
Kaelyssa, Night's Whisper (*7pts)
* Manticore (8pts)
* Phoenix (10pts)
Dawnguard Sentinels (Leader and 9 Grunts) (9pts)
* Griffon (4pts)
* Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard (2pts)
House Shyeel Battle Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Arcanist (1pts)
Arcanist (1pts)
House Shyeel Magister (2pts)

Kara was once again my choice of caster. He won the roll and chose to go second, as he wanted to respond to my deployment and actions. 

I started with a classic running phase. He started by sling shooting the Griffon across the board into melee with my ATGM. I used another early feat and the Defender got a shot at Kaelyssa and did 13 damage to her. Boomhowlers shot and killed some Dawnguards. ATGM knocked away the Griffon and killed some Battle Mages. 

He used his feat and got things into position and moved far away with Kaelyssa. I couldn't do much for that round so I tried to keep Kara safe, which I didn't succeed with. The Pheonix got 3 Focus and charged at Kara, but missed with all his attacks. 

With full healt and full focus I moved out of combat and took a free strike from the Pheonix, which missed once again. I got into range with Kara for the assassination and did not fail this time.

Game 4 - Incursion vs Trollbloods

Points: 35/35
Captain Gunnbjorn (*5pts)
* Troll Impaler (5pts)
* Dire Troll Blitzer (9pts)
* Dire Troll Bomber (10pts)
War Wagon (9pts)
Trollkin Long Riders (Leader and 2 Grunts) (7pts)

My final game of the day made me play eStryker. And my opponent had the same problem, and was forced to play with Gunnbjorn and the War Wagon. I won the roll, but this time I chose to be the second player for once. 

We both had a run phase. He sent Longriders to the left flag, his battlegroup into the middle and the War Wagon to the right. I had Stormblades to the left, my battlegroup in the middle and the Sword Knights to the right. His first round of shooting didn't do that much, thanks to Deflection (+2 ARM vs shooting) from Stryker. 

On my second turn I charged the War Wagon with the Lancer and the Sword Knights. With the help of flank I got it down to 5 wounds. The Journeyman Warcaster did land a shot with his handcannon and managed to kill it. Stormblades, Ol' Rowdy ran towards the Longriders, and with the help of the feat, got them into combat.

The following turn he killed all the Sword Knights with the Bomber and Gunnbjorn. The Blitzer charged and tried to kill Ol' Rodwy but missed with two attacks, which meant he didn't die. The following turn I saw my chance to assassinate Gunnbjorn (he only hade 1 fury and could only transfer to the Impaler).

I soften the Impaler with the help of my Journeyman and Runewood. eStryker moved out of combat with Velocity and didn't get hit by the freestrike, then he charged and rolled 3 diced for the Overload (got +12 STR and took 10 damage). The first hit connected and did about 37 damage which killed the Impaler and left Gunnbjorn very wounded. The second attack missed, even though I boosted to hit. I got really nervous and had only 1 focus left for a last attack. I rolled two sixes for the hit roll and killed him since he failed his tough roll.

Kara Sloan

One more Warcaster painted. 

Cygnar vs Khador (eStryker vs eSorscha) 35pts - Battle Report

Once again I face off against my Khador playing opponent. This time we're both playing our melee assassins. And you could call this game "How Assassinations Fail", as you're about to see. The lists we are playing are these:

Points: 35/35
Lord Commander Stryker (*6pts)
* Lancer (6pts)
* Ol' Rowdy (9pts)
* Squire (2pts)
Stormblade Infantry (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
* Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard (3pts)
* 1 Stormblade Infantry Storm Gunner (1pts)
Sword Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Archduke Alain Runewood (3pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)

Points: 35/35
Forward Kommander Sorscha (*6pts)
* Beast-09 (11pts)
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2pts)
Great Bears of Gallowswood (5pts)
Iron Fang Pikemen (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Black Dragon Officer & Standard (2pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Kell Bailoch (2pts)
Man-o-war Drakhun (with dismount) (5pts)
Manhunter (2pts)

Setup

We're playing the Steamroller 2013 scenario called "Into the Breach". I won the roll and wanted to go first. The unpainted Battle Mechanic on the Khador side is actually a Manhunter, he just left it at home to dry because he painted it earlier today. 

Cygnar - Turn 1

Everything ran up the board. Journeyman cast Arcane Shield on Ol' Rowdy, and eStryker cast deflection in lack of anything else. 

Khador - Turn 1

Sorscha cast Iron Flesh on the Pikemen and Shatter Storm on the Widowmakers. The Widowmakers shot and killed some Stormblades and Swordknights straight of the bat. Pikemen ran and so did the Drakhun. Beast 09, Great Bears and Manhunter all advanced slowly up the board. 

Cygnar - Turn 2

Eiryss advanced and shot the Pikemen to remove Iron Flesh. Swordknights advanced and so did my Warjacks. Stryker moved up behind Ol' Rowdy and cast Rebuke on the Pikemen and Beast 09. Runewood moved up and took a shot at the Widowmakers but missed. Stormblades advanced towards the middle. 

Khador - Turn 2

Sorscha kept Shatter Storm on the Widowmakers and cast Iron Flesh on herself. Drakhun ran into the forest and the rest of the army slowly advanced. The Manhunter ran into melee range with Eiryss. Widowmakers shot and killed both Runewood and a bunch of Stormblades due to Shatterstorm and some good rolls. 

Cygnar - Turn 3

Ol' Rowdy got filled with focus and trampled into the forest and got into melee range with the Drakhun, which he also killed. Stormblades ran into the forest, and into melee range with Kell Bailoch. Lancer advanced into combat with both Widowmakers and Pikemen. The three Swordknights who I had left charged into the Pikemen, killing two of them. Eiryss stayed in combat with the Manhunter and inflicted 2 wounds on him. 

Stryker advanced and used his feat for some extra movement and attacks from the rest of the army. Stormblades killed Kell Bailoch. Swordknights and Lancer managed to kill two more Pikemens. 

Khador - Turn 3

Sorscha gave beast 2 focus and kept Iron Flesh on herself before she advanced and used her feat. Great Bears moved into combat with Ol' Rowdy and started to swing their axes at him, bringing him down to about half of his wounds. Then Beast 09 charged and killed Ol' Rowdy. Pikemen advanced into combat with the Lancer and got him knocked down and crippled his shield, they also killed two Swordknights. A single Widowmaker made it into combat with eStryker but missed its attack. Manhunter in combat with Eiryss missed both his attacks. 

Cygnar - Turn 4

eStryker moved into combat with Beast 09 and used Overload with two dices (got +7 STR and took 4 wounds), killed Beast and one of the Great Bears. Journeyman cast Arcane Shield on Stryker and moved into melee with the Widowmaker but didn't kill him. Stormblades moved into combat with the Great Bears and killed another one of them. Lancer stood up but didn't manage to kill anyone. Eiryss did another 2 wounds to the Manhunter. 

Khador - Turn 4

Without much to do eSorscha went for the assassination. She charged eStryker, and got a Crit: Freeze but only managed to do about 6 wounds on him, due to his high armor (Arcane Shield and 2 focus). The remaining Great Bear did another 2 wounds on Stryker. Pikemen killed the Lancer and the Manhunter finally killed Eiryss. 

Cygnar - Turn 5

Stryker took the last focus from the Squire and did Overload with one dice (got +3 STR and took 4 wounds) leaving him with a single wound left. Then he started to swing at Sorscha, and the dice gods started to laugh in my face. Only 1 hit connected and did 8 wounds, the rest of my dice rolls was just terrible, just a bunch of 1's and 2'r everywhere, not a singel roll over the average of seven.

Khador - Turn 5

A Pikeman got to charge eStryker and hit (double sixes) and killed him... wow

Conclusion

Totally forgot that Runewood can pawn off damage to a nearby warjack. He would have made a huge difference in the late game with his battle plans. Also I need to start playing with the Swordknights as a meat wall for my Stormblades. I can't keep playing them on two flanks when my opponent have this many snipers. Oh well, the dices would probably screw me anyway this game as I couldn't hit the broadside on a Conquest to save my life with Stryker.

Picture update

Swordknights

Stormblades + UA + 1 WA

Reinholdt, Gorman & Rhupert

All my current Warjacks

Jr Warcaster, Jonas Murdoch, Squire, Arlan Strangeweys & Duke Runewood

Greygore Boomhowler & C:o

Epic Stryker, Marcus 'Siege' Brisbane, Prime Stryker

This is what I've been painting the last couple of weeks. I still have a lot to paint. Currently on my painting table is the ATGM and Kara Sloan. Need to have them painted before the tournamnet the 24th this month, which won't be a problem.