Swans: Journeyman League Week 1: Major Beth Maddox

I was matched against a local player called Will, who had opted to run a pKreoss 'pop n drop' style list.

Scenario 3: Take and Hold

CYGNAR
Major Beth Maddox
-Ironclad
-Lancer
-Firefly

PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH
High Exemplar Kreoss
-Reckoner
-Redeemer

Initial thoughts: Right, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what my opponents list is trying to do. Kreoss moves up, feats on my caster, the Warjacks shoot her to death. This being a kill box scenario makes this very hard to avoid, but I had a game plan and was sticking with it.

DEPLOYMENT
I won the roll to go first and picked side, in hind sight, I should have picked the other side to benefit from the obstruction, but I was too enticed by the hill and wall. My opponent dropped his Reckoner nearest his own flag, the Redeemer near mine and Kreoss in the middle. I dropped the Lancer opposite his Reckoner, so he could stand on the hill to avoid being shot on the way in. I deployed Maddox and the Ironclad centrally to threaten the Reckoner. I put the Firefly nearest my own flag to hopefully draw out the fire from the Redeemer.

TURN 1
PROTECTORATE
My opponent runs both Warjacks in front of the obstruction, and moves Kreoss up behind it, but not before putting Defenders Ward on the Reckoner.

CYGNAR
I run the Lancer onto the hill, the Ironclad behind the wall and the Firefly into the forest. Maddox puts Snipe on herself and Assail goes on the Ironclad.

TURN 2
PROTECTORATE
Defenders Ward is upkept and Kreoss shuffles in behind the obstruction.  The Reckoner toes into the woods, staying outside the Ironclad 11" charge range. He then shoots at the Ironclad dealing a few point of damage. The Redeemer stands still and shoots at the Ironclad, missing all three shots and dealing 1 point of damage to Maddox on a scatter.

CYGNAR
I can see how my opponent wants the next turn to play out. I let both upkeeps drop, to hopefully put him off the assassination this round. With all my models out of range I needed to set myself up for the next turn. The Lancer runs up into the cloud, Maddox activates and arcs an Electrical Blast, through the Lancer and into the Reckoner, I boost the damage and distrupt the Warjack. Maddox then moves outside of Kreoss's threat range so she isn't effected by the feat. She is left camping two, standing on the border of the killbox. The Ironclad moves over the wall, out of threat of the distrupted Reckoner, ready to attack next turn. The Firefly shuffles further through the forest and shoots at the Redeemer, dealing a few points of damage and getting an electro leap onto Kreoss.

TURN 3
PROTECTORATE
My opponent enters the think tank here, knowing I will surely wreck his heavy next turn, being unable to move out of charge range. He starts by moving the Reckoner to block any possible charge lanes to Kreoss, and takes a shot into the Ironclad. Kreoss then shuffles forward and feats, knocking down all my Warjacks. The Redeemer stands still to gain the aiming bonus, and takes three shots at the Ironclad, boosting damage each time. The Ironclad crumbles at this onslaught of pow 12s taking a total of 26 damage across the three shots...

CYGNAR
Now I enter the 'GG' think tank, without a heavy myself, Maddox under feat is my only chance of taking care of the Reckoner. I run the two Warjacks to engage the Reckoner, and move Maddox behind the wall camping her stack.

TURN 4
PROTECTORATE
My opponent has a massive edge on me now and moves in to finish off my Warjacks with the Reckoner, almost killing the Firefly. The Redeemer moves up and takes a few shots at Maddox, missing all of them. Kreoss camps hid stack and hides behind the obstruction.

CYGNAR
I see my chance to finish off the Reckoner, I cast Onslaught, Feat and charge in. Hitting all my attacks, I deal a spectacular 8 damage, rolling three 1s on the charge and two 1s on the subsequent attack. The Warjacks now activate, hoping to take the Reckoner's cortex, in the slim hope that Maddox can survive. I fail to do so, leaving him on 1 box on his cortex, apart from that, he is fully functional... Sad times.

TURN 5
PROTECTORATE
The Reckoner wrecks the Firefly with two attacks. Kreoss keeps all the focus, drops Defenders Ward, charges Maddox and kills her on the first attack.

CYGNAR DEFEAT!!
AFTER THOUGHTS: I think I played this game well up until the point I got tilted by loosing my heavy to the Redeemer. My game plan worked well by slowing my opponent with disruption to ensure the alpha with my feat. With my heavy alive,  I should have made light work of the Reckoner, and my opponent would have been left in a very unfortunate situation, but as we know the Dice Gods giveth and taketh away.

I will be posting another game at the same points value next week. Hope you enjoyed.

Christian