I used an iPhone app to randomly determine which 'casters would be playing this scenario. From Cygnar it landed on Caine, and from the mercenary 'casters I own it dropped on Ashlynn.
Ashlynn is pretty amazing, but ranged armies can give her fits. I had to proxy a lot because of duplications this match.
Army Name: That Caine has Character
Cygnar
35+6 points, 19 models
Lieutenant Allister Caine +6 points
* Ol' Rowdy 9 points
* Squire 2 points (Caine loves the focus from the Squire, and Rowdy is a great, focus-efficient 'jack)
Journeyman Warcaster 3 points (Arcane Shield on Caine is a must)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team 4 points (rarely disappoint)
Captain Arlan Strangewayes 2 points (meh)
Dannon Blythe & Bull 4 points
* Captain Jonas Murdoch 2 points (I've been thinking of running this combo a lot. Murdoch gives the bounty hunters once-per game dig in, and access to the assault order [doubling their attacks, essentially]. Blythe gives Murdoch prey with the rest of the unit for a hit and damage buff against their chosen target. Caine can further boost their accuracy and threat with Deadeye and Snipe)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution 3 points
Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist 2 points
Harlan Versh, Illuminated One 2 points
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt 4 points
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator 1 point
Stormsmith Stormcaller 1 point
Viktor Pendrake 2 points
The basic idea behind this list is that Caine is a badass infantry killer on his own. So he doesn't need a lot of basic infantry. Instead I opt for many cool units, most of which are multi-wound models, which increases their survivability. I should probably drop Arlan for something else: a Gun Mage Captain maybe? There are a lot of options at two points. Maybe also drop the Stormsmith and add Runewood for pathfinder and charge bonuses?
Army Name: Ashlyn's Paperthin Armor Brigade
Highborn Covenant
35+6 points, 25 models
Ashlynn D'Elyse +6 points
* Nomad 6 points
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker 2 points
I wanted to try Sylas. He's awesome.
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages 6 points
* Gun Mage Officer 2 points
** Mule 8 points
Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist 2 points
Harlan Versh, Illuminated One 2 points
10 Nyss Hunters 10 points
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator 1 point
Taryn di la Rovissi 2 points
This is an interesting list, but area-of effect attacks will pick it apart fast. Most of the models here are high-defense, low armor. Luckily Caine's list had little access to aoes.
Caine won the roll and took the side of the board with the hill. He deployed with most of his stuff looking to get on the hill, though he and Rowdy (and their entourages: goblin, r2d2, Arlan) went more left of center.
Ashlynn put the Mule and ATGMs on her left flank across from the hill. The Nyss deployed to take the right flank forest, with Ashlynn, her Nomad and entourage up the middle.
Dannon and Bull opted for the Mule as prey. I was hoping to stack Aiyana's harm effect (kiss of Lyliss; +2 damage on all subsequent attacks) with the prey bonus for a net +4 and dice -2 against the Mule's armor.
The AD solos went near the middle. Caine moved up with Blur on the B13 and Snipe on B&b&m. Ashlynn moved up as well with admonition on herself and Quicken on the Nyss.
Caine's second turn was money. Eiryss tried to shoot Quicken off the Nyss, but missed. Harlan activated and managed to kill 3 Nyss with his purgation-havin' quadiron. The B13 moved up and Lynch's Fire Beacon missed but deviated nicely, ao that Watts and Ryan could kill 3 more Nyss and Gorman Di Wolfe. Rowdy moved up cautiously. Caine himself feated but didn't kill much other than Ashlynn's Harlan and Taryn the Gunjugs, and three ATGMs. He teleported back to safety. Aiyana and Holt moved up but most everything was out of range by now. B&B&M did several damage to the Mule and Bull pushed it back 3 inches, moving up himself.
Ashlynn responded with her feat, which made her troops' already-awesome defense even better. She also used Sylas to cast Gallows and move Rowdy up, which put him in charge LOS for the loaded Nomad. The Nomad mauled Rowdy and the remaining two Nyss nearby finished him. The last Nyss engaged Eiryss but missed.
The gunmages killed Bull,'but he was Tough. The
Mule, shooting at Murdoch on a hill, needed an 11 to hit. He got it, but not with a crit. Murdoch and Aiyana and Holt died from the shot, but Murdoch is Tough as well.
Ashlynn's force was decimated, but she'd taken out Caine's only heavy and had two of her own. He feat also made counter-attacking rough.
However, Caine himself was out of the feat, but within range to Thunderstrike the Nomad, and with enough movement he could slam it back into Ashlynn, knocking her down. After taking some basic attacks that is precisely what Caine did, and he managed to get enough slam distance to knock her down. The B13 then shot her to death.
Sad. Thunder Strike is very much a cointoss. If Caine had missed (not likely, but he needed to boost to hit the nomad near Rowdy's wreck and had to use the Squire reroll) he'd have had a tough fight ahead. Also, if he hadn't rolled the 3 on slam distance he wouldn't have gotten far enough to knock Ashlynn down. However, those are rolls and chances Caine has to take, and when he hits them it is game.
Game MVP: the Black 13th strike team. They rarely disappoint.
Lessons learned: don't let Ash get slammed. Even quickened Nyss in a forest will get picked off by Harlan Versh. Caine's feat is unreliable against high-defense models (maybe Rangers?). Rowdy gets scrapped too easy without AS. The B13 still rock. Blythe and Bull with Murdoch was hard to use, and they rolled poorly for damage. However, having some Tough guys around is nice.
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