Hey guys, I'm back from my vacation with another battle report! This is the first one of the Thundercliff Peaks league, and I was using the terrain benefit from Kovosk Hills, so I had an extra warbeast point and could place another forest. There were also several new players that came by, and I played against one of them with my Saeryn list:
Saeryn, Omen of Everblight
-Carnivean
-Scythean
-Shredder
-Shredder
-Shredder
Striders + UA
Blackfrost Shard
Spell Martyr
My opponent was bringing the Retribution of Scyrah, a faction I haven't played against much. To make matters worse, he brought Adeptis Rahn, a warcaster that I haven't played against, and who is reputed to be the best the Retribution has to offer.
Adeptis Rahn
-Phoenix
-Phoenix
Battle Mages
Battle Mages
Stormfall Archers
House Shyeel Magister
Mage Hunter Assassin
Mage Hunter Assassin
This looks like its going to hurt - those Phoenixes will be tough to bring down, and the Battle Mages can be brutal on feat turn. I also need to watch out for the Mage Hunter Assassins, since with a 4" reach and weaponmaster they can do some serious damage from long range. I lost the roll, and my opponent decided to go second.
Terrain
Both the tall hill and the wall blocked line of sight to small based models. Interestingly, this meant every piece of terrain blocked line of sight. The smaller forest on the center-left was a bonus due to controlling Kovosk Hills.
Everblight Deployment
I decided to try to take advantage of the large forest on his side of the board, so I deployed my beasts back and to the left of the obstacle on my right. Saeryn and the Spell Martyr deployed behind them, and the Blackfrost Shard deployed to the right, hoping to move around the right edge of the forest to avoid getting shot up.
Retribution Deployment
He opted for a more balanced deployment, putting Rahn and the Magister behind the Phoenixes in the center, and one group of battle mages on each side. The Stormfall Archers deployed on the left, I'm guessing with the hope that I would put my Striders there.
Everblight Advance Deployment
Wanting to avoid the barrage of AOE 3's from the archers, I deployed my Striders on the far right side fo the board, next to the obstacle. I was hoping I could bring down the right battle mage squad before the rest of his army could get to mine.
Retribution Advance Deployment
The Mage Hunter Assassins deployed as far forward as they could on the mid-left side. I'll have to be careful that they don't flank me, since they can really dish out a lot of damage.
Everblight's Omen approached the ruins cautiously. This was supposed to be a routine information pickup from one of their spies in Ios, but as she had left the main camp, a chill ran down her spine. Knowing better than to ignore such warnings, she had brought a larger escort, and was thankful she did when she saw the Iosian army in the distance. Whether the informant had been captured or was a traitor from the start no longer mattered - only that she deal with the enemies before her.
Everblight Turn 1
In short, everyone but Saeryn ran forward. The Striders hoped they could get in range of the Battle Mages for next turn, and the Blackfrost Shard followed behind them. The beasts all ran towards the forest, and Saeryn followed behind to give the Scythean Banishing Ward and the Carnivean Respawn. I've never cast Banishing Ward before, but with this many enemy casters it seems like a good plan. The Spell Martyr ran up behind the beasts, preparing for its eventual sacrifice.
Retribution Turn 1
His turn was similar to mine, though since his forces were spread out, the ones on the left ran towards the middle. Of note were the Mage Hunter Assassins, who ran behind the wall in the center, staying out of line of sight from most of my army but still in threat distance. The Myrmidons and Magister ran forward, and Rahn followed and gave the lead Phoenix Polarity Shield, ending my internal debate about whether to try to charge it. The Battle Mages on the right moved up and tried to use Force Blast on the Striders, but my opponent forgot about Stealth and they failed.
Adeptis Rahn smiled as the draconic forces entered the remains of the ancient tower. The spy's information had been accurate. Now all he had to do was bring down the blighted sorceress, and he would have a new guest for the torture chambers - this one with much more interesting information.
Everblight Turn 2
Worried about the Mage Hunters, I checked my control range and quickly devised a plan to finish them. I had one of my Shredders go Rabid and run around the wall, and he managed to get about and inch away from both of them. Next, my Spell Martyr followed, and Saeryn (after dropping both upkeeps) arced Blightbringer through it onto the Shredder. 2 boosted damage rolls later and my left flank was clear. The Carnivean then moved up to the edge of the forest, and managed to catch one of the battle mages in his breath attack. Boosting the hit roll, I killed him, and the Striders followed up by killing four more of the mages. The last one managed to stand his ground though. Without much to fear, the Striders reformed forward, around the right side of the forest and into it. The rest of my force just moved up into the forest, the Scythean preparing to get to the Phoenixes even if Polarity Shield was up again.
Retribution Turn 2
With both mage hunters and one of the battle mage units down, my opponent was facing a tough position since most of my force was protected by the forest. He moved the other unit of battle mages forward and had them all use force blast on my Scythean, pulling him closer to them. Unfortunately he got too close, and they were blocking the Phoenix's charge lane. They tried pushing him back away, but he ended up out of LOS of the Myrmidon once again. The Iosian jack ended up running up behind the battle mages, hoping next turn it could tear into my beast. The other Phoenix charged one of the Striders, but missed even with a boosted attack. Rahn then tried to arc Chain Blast onto the Striders, and two of the Nyss fell to the blasts. The Stormfall Archers then ran up to protect their warcaster, and the Magister just moved forward.
Saeryn's mind lept over the battlefield, directing her beasts to hunt down flanking opponents while dancing in and out of the trees, always keeping the enemy at arms length. Little by little she was whittling them down, and soon the warcaster foolish enough to challenge her would be at her mercy.
Everblight Turn 3
The Shredder who had run off the Blightbringer the Mage Hunter Assassins was out of control range, so it went rabid and devoured one of the Battle Mages on the left. Another Shredder moved up and ate two more of them, clearing a path for the Scythean to charge in and seriously wound the jack, unfortunately not taking out any systems. On the bright side, Bloodbath did trigger, and enough mages fell that they unit need to take a command check, which they failed. The last Shredder tried to finish off the Myrmidon, but also did little damage. To keep my expensive beast safe, Saeryn then cast Respawn on it before falling back. The Striders then moved forward past the other Phoenix, the engaged one falling to a free strike. The rest managed to bring down the remaining battle mage from the almost-destroyed group, the Magister, and two Stormfall Archers, forcing the other two to take a command check, which they failed. The Blackfrost Shard then moved up and placed two Ice Cages and Kiss of Lylyss on the Phoenix, allowing the Carnivean to charge and destroy it.
Retribution Turn 3
My opponent's situation had gotten desperate - all he had left was Rahn, a half health jack, and two units in retreat. Both units managed to rally, and my opponent formed a desperate plan. He placed two focus on the remaining Phoenix, then Telekinesis'd it 3 times to get it closer to Saeryn. It then charged my Warlock, but unfortunately missed its sword attack even on 3 dice. Ironically, it managed to hit with its fist without the boost, but I used my last fury to transfer the damage to on of my Shredders.
Everblight Turn 4
With most of my army intact, I tore apart his last Phoenix and finished off the archers and mages before running the Shredders into combat with Rahn to keep him from escaping. Out of options, my opponent conceded.
Adeptis Rahn triggered the force barrier traps behind him as he ran, keeping the dragonspawn from pursuing. Though he had hoped the contingency would not be necessary, it had once again saved his life. As he retreated toward the hidden Retribution fortress, he envisioned the battle in his mind, focusing on the motions the blighted warlock had made. Perhaps she had taught him more than expected...
Aftermath
This match was pretty much a blowout. By the end, I had lost 3 Striders and a Spell Martyr, compared to his entire army. Though he had an assassination attempt, I had the fury to transfer the boosted sword strike, so I wasn't terribly concerned. Once again, my strategy revolved around using a forest to shield my army while being able to strike at his. Its been a really effective strategy for me so far, though I'm concerned some opponent will catch on and force me to fight away from terrain. A Ravagore could help there, since it'll give me the range to chip away at them while hiding in the forest. On the bright side, I don't need to worry about it until after this league, since as long as Everblight holds Kovosk Hills, I can place a second forest on the other side of the board so I have protection no matter where the battle takes place.
Saeryn, Omen of Everblight
-Carnivean
-Scythean
-Shredder
-Shredder
-Shredder
Striders + UA
Blackfrost Shard
Spell Martyr
My opponent was bringing the Retribution of Scyrah, a faction I haven't played against much. To make matters worse, he brought Adeptis Rahn, a warcaster that I haven't played against, and who is reputed to be the best the Retribution has to offer.
Adeptis Rahn
-Phoenix
-Phoenix
Battle Mages
Battle Mages
Stormfall Archers
House Shyeel Magister
Mage Hunter Assassin
Mage Hunter Assassin
This looks like its going to hurt - those Phoenixes will be tough to bring down, and the Battle Mages can be brutal on feat turn. I also need to watch out for the Mage Hunter Assassins, since with a 4" reach and weaponmaster they can do some serious damage from long range. I lost the roll, and my opponent decided to go second.
Terrain
Both the tall hill and the wall blocked line of sight to small based models. Interestingly, this meant every piece of terrain blocked line of sight. The smaller forest on the center-left was a bonus due to controlling Kovosk Hills.
Everblight Deployment
I decided to try to take advantage of the large forest on his side of the board, so I deployed my beasts back and to the left of the obstacle on my right. Saeryn and the Spell Martyr deployed behind them, and the Blackfrost Shard deployed to the right, hoping to move around the right edge of the forest to avoid getting shot up.
Retribution Deployment
He opted for a more balanced deployment, putting Rahn and the Magister behind the Phoenixes in the center, and one group of battle mages on each side. The Stormfall Archers deployed on the left, I'm guessing with the hope that I would put my Striders there.
Everblight Advance Deployment
Wanting to avoid the barrage of AOE 3's from the archers, I deployed my Striders on the far right side fo the board, next to the obstacle. I was hoping I could bring down the right battle mage squad before the rest of his army could get to mine.
Retribution Advance Deployment
The Mage Hunter Assassins deployed as far forward as they could on the mid-left side. I'll have to be careful that they don't flank me, since they can really dish out a lot of damage.
Everblight's Omen approached the ruins cautiously. This was supposed to be a routine information pickup from one of their spies in Ios, but as she had left the main camp, a chill ran down her spine. Knowing better than to ignore such warnings, she had brought a larger escort, and was thankful she did when she saw the Iosian army in the distance. Whether the informant had been captured or was a traitor from the start no longer mattered - only that she deal with the enemies before her.
Everblight Turn 1
In short, everyone but Saeryn ran forward. The Striders hoped they could get in range of the Battle Mages for next turn, and the Blackfrost Shard followed behind them. The beasts all ran towards the forest, and Saeryn followed behind to give the Scythean Banishing Ward and the Carnivean Respawn. I've never cast Banishing Ward before, but with this many enemy casters it seems like a good plan. The Spell Martyr ran up behind the beasts, preparing for its eventual sacrifice.
Retribution Turn 1
His turn was similar to mine, though since his forces were spread out, the ones on the left ran towards the middle. Of note were the Mage Hunter Assassins, who ran behind the wall in the center, staying out of line of sight from most of my army but still in threat distance. The Myrmidons and Magister ran forward, and Rahn followed and gave the lead Phoenix Polarity Shield, ending my internal debate about whether to try to charge it. The Battle Mages on the right moved up and tried to use Force Blast on the Striders, but my opponent forgot about Stealth and they failed.
Adeptis Rahn smiled as the draconic forces entered the remains of the ancient tower. The spy's information had been accurate. Now all he had to do was bring down the blighted sorceress, and he would have a new guest for the torture chambers - this one with much more interesting information.
Everblight Turn 2
Worried about the Mage Hunters, I checked my control range and quickly devised a plan to finish them. I had one of my Shredders go Rabid and run around the wall, and he managed to get about and inch away from both of them. Next, my Spell Martyr followed, and Saeryn (after dropping both upkeeps) arced Blightbringer through it onto the Shredder. 2 boosted damage rolls later and my left flank was clear. The Carnivean then moved up to the edge of the forest, and managed to catch one of the battle mages in his breath attack. Boosting the hit roll, I killed him, and the Striders followed up by killing four more of the mages. The last one managed to stand his ground though. Without much to fear, the Striders reformed forward, around the right side of the forest and into it. The rest of my force just moved up into the forest, the Scythean preparing to get to the Phoenixes even if Polarity Shield was up again.
Retribution Turn 2
With both mage hunters and one of the battle mage units down, my opponent was facing a tough position since most of my force was protected by the forest. He moved the other unit of battle mages forward and had them all use force blast on my Scythean, pulling him closer to them. Unfortunately he got too close, and they were blocking the Phoenix's charge lane. They tried pushing him back away, but he ended up out of LOS of the Myrmidon once again. The Iosian jack ended up running up behind the battle mages, hoping next turn it could tear into my beast. The other Phoenix charged one of the Striders, but missed even with a boosted attack. Rahn then tried to arc Chain Blast onto the Striders, and two of the Nyss fell to the blasts. The Stormfall Archers then ran up to protect their warcaster, and the Magister just moved forward.
Saeryn's mind lept over the battlefield, directing her beasts to hunt down flanking opponents while dancing in and out of the trees, always keeping the enemy at arms length. Little by little she was whittling them down, and soon the warcaster foolish enough to challenge her would be at her mercy.
Everblight Turn 3
The Shredder who had run off the Blightbringer the Mage Hunter Assassins was out of control range, so it went rabid and devoured one of the Battle Mages on the left. Another Shredder moved up and ate two more of them, clearing a path for the Scythean to charge in and seriously wound the jack, unfortunately not taking out any systems. On the bright side, Bloodbath did trigger, and enough mages fell that they unit need to take a command check, which they failed. The last Shredder tried to finish off the Myrmidon, but also did little damage. To keep my expensive beast safe, Saeryn then cast Respawn on it before falling back. The Striders then moved forward past the other Phoenix, the engaged one falling to a free strike. The rest managed to bring down the remaining battle mage from the almost-destroyed group, the Magister, and two Stormfall Archers, forcing the other two to take a command check, which they failed. The Blackfrost Shard then moved up and placed two Ice Cages and Kiss of Lylyss on the Phoenix, allowing the Carnivean to charge and destroy it.
Retribution Turn 3
My opponent's situation had gotten desperate - all he had left was Rahn, a half health jack, and two units in retreat. Both units managed to rally, and my opponent formed a desperate plan. He placed two focus on the remaining Phoenix, then Telekinesis'd it 3 times to get it closer to Saeryn. It then charged my Warlock, but unfortunately missed its sword attack even on 3 dice. Ironically, it managed to hit with its fist without the boost, but I used my last fury to transfer the damage to on of my Shredders.
Everblight Turn 4
With most of my army intact, I tore apart his last Phoenix and finished off the archers and mages before running the Shredders into combat with Rahn to keep him from escaping. Out of options, my opponent conceded.
Adeptis Rahn triggered the force barrier traps behind him as he ran, keeping the dragonspawn from pursuing. Though he had hoped the contingency would not be necessary, it had once again saved his life. As he retreated toward the hidden Retribution fortress, he envisioned the battle in his mind, focusing on the motions the blighted warlock had made. Perhaps she had taught him more than expected...
Aftermath
This match was pretty much a blowout. By the end, I had lost 3 Striders and a Spell Martyr, compared to his entire army. Though he had an assassination attempt, I had the fury to transfer the boosted sword strike, so I wasn't terribly concerned. Once again, my strategy revolved around using a forest to shield my army while being able to strike at his. Its been a really effective strategy for me so far, though I'm concerned some opponent will catch on and force me to fight away from terrain. A Ravagore could help there, since it'll give me the range to chip away at them while hiding in the forest. On the bright side, I don't need to worry about it until after this league, since as long as Everblight holds Kovosk Hills, I can place a second forest on the other side of the board so I have protection no matter where the battle takes place.
Good report, the Ret player seemed a bit unsure how to work against your army, and you played well, and btw, you can't be affected by TK more than once per turn.
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