Cygnar vs Khador (eStryker vs pIrusk) 35pts

Okey, I know I've promised to play and write a battle report against something other than Khador. But our big order from NA hasn't arrived yet. But at least we're both playing "new" casters this time around. Let's just jump to the list we are playing tonight.

Lord Commander Stryker (*6pts)
* Ol' Rowdy (9pts)
* Stormclad (10pts)
* Squire (2pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Stormblade Infantry (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
* Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard (3pts)
* 3 Stormblade Infantry Storm Gunner (3pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)
Points: 35/35

Kommandant Irusk (*6pts)
* Conquest (19pts)
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2pts)
Battle Mechaniks (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Iron Fang Pikemen (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Black Dragon Officer & Standard (2pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Harlan Versh (2pts)
Widowmaker Marksman (2pts)
Points: 35/35

Setup

I won the roll and choose to go first. The scenario we're playing is called Incoming (and can be found in the 2012 Steamroller document).

Players attempt to control their own objective, destroy their opponent’s objective, and control a zone on their opponent’s side of the board. The objective (the laser cannons) can be used if the Warcaster is within 4", and let's you place a POW 12, AoE 3" within one of the zones. 

Irusk is being proxy by Harkevich. 

Cygnar - Turn 1

Everything, except the B13, ran across the board. Rhupert gave the Stormblades tough, and Stryker cast Deflection (+2 ARM to everyone in his control area against ranged/magic attacks)

Khador - Turn 1

Irusk cast Iron Flesh on the pikemen and Superiority on the Conquest. Pikeman advanced, keeping Shield Wall up. The Conquest ran as far as it could. The Widowmaker Marksman, and one regular Widowmaker shot at the Stormblades and killed one of them.

Cygnar - Turn 2

Stryker gave 2 focus to the Stormclad and kept the rest. The Stormclad tried to hit the Widowmaker Marksman with a boosted hit from his Generator, but missed. The Stormblades advanced and shot with the Stormgunners at the Widowmakers, and one actually managed to kill one.

Ol' Rowdy, Stryker and B13 advanced on the other flank. Journeyman cast Arcane Shield on Stormclad. Rhupert once again gave the Stormblades tough.

Khador - Turn 2

Irusk gave 2 focus to the Conquest, upkept his spells and cast Inhospitable Grounds. Pikemen advanced and stayed in Shield Wall formation. The Widowmakers killed 3 Stormblades, and the Widowmaker Marksman killed Rhupert with a well aimed shot.

Harlan tried to shoot against the Stormclad (who had an upkeep spell on it) but missed anyway. Conquest advanced past the Mage Storm and engaged with Ol' Rowdy and caused 29(!) wounds, leaving Ol' Rowdy with a single box left.

Cygnar - Turn 3

Stryker kept all the focus, and took one extra from the Squire. The Stormblades advanced and shot at the Pikemen, and a good roll with one of the Stormgunners killed 2 of them. The Stormclad moved into the forest and killed the Marksman. The Journeyman followed behind and upkept Arcane Shield.

Stryker used Overload  (I used 3 diced and got +10 STR and only took 6 damage)  and charged the Conquest. It took 5 hits with P+S 25 to kill the Conquest.

Khador - Turn 3

Irusk cast Grind and killed Ol' Rowdy, then he cast Iron Flesh on himself and used his feat. The Widowmakers shot at the Stormblades and killed 3 of them. Then the Pikemen charged both the Stormblades and the Stormclad. They killed the entire unit of Stormblades, but didn't inflict any damage on the Warjack. Harlan tried another shot at the Stormclad, but missed this time as well.

Cygnar - Turn 4

I tried going for the assassination this turn. Stryker gave the Stormclad 3 focus and charged the Pikemen in the forest, but due to tough (from Irusk feat) it took 2 hits before he killed one. Then I used Strykers feat. Stormclad had to spend 1 focus for an extra attack to kill the Pikeman locking him in combat.

Then Stormclad got to move 3" and make a boosted attack against Irusk. But it wasn't enough, as Irusk survived with only 2 wounds left. Stryker tried to move 3" towards Irusk, but reach fell 0,2" short and he couldn't make the last attack needed for the kill.

Khador - Turn 4

The Pikemen charged to Stormclad in the back and managed to cripple its left arm (open fist/buckler). Irusk activated and moved into combat with Stryker. With 7 focus it wasn't to hard to inflict 11 wound on Stryker and win the game for Khador.

Conclusion

So close, and I could have won if I had done a few things different. I was planning on moving Stormclad into combat with Irusk, and with the help of 3 focus I think I would have done more damage on him. But I was afraid that the pikemen would've gotten a free strike and made a critical-knock-down.

Another thing I forgot to do was to cast 'Positive Charge' on my Stormclad. +2 MAT and STR would also have helped me kill Irusk. I also forgot that Stryker gives the Stormblades advance move, and that I bonded him with the Stormclad.

Really bad moves by me, but this is often what happens the first time you try a new caster, you forget the small things.