Commander Geriatrix v. Grim

The scenario is Grind, which is an awesome little basketball-esque scenario where players try to move the objective (the "grind-ball"), into a scoring zone on the opponent's side of the table. Doing enough damage to the ball throws it 4-6 inches in the direction of a player's choice. It can also be thrown by warjacks and warbeasts with open fists.

In actual play, the players can largely ignore the scenario and concentrate on mugging the opponent's force and/or 'caster. Great scenario idea, that in practice makes for boring or perhaps "standard" games.

Army Name: Nemo
Cygnar
35+6 points, 16 models

Commander Adept Nemo +6 points
* Cyclone 9 points
* Lancer 6 points
* Stormclad 10 points
* Squire 2 points

Journeyman Warcaster 3 points

Captain Arlan Strangewayes 2 points
Stormblades 5 points
* Stormblade Officer & Standard 3 points
Stormsmith Stormcaller 1 point

Nemo won the roll and decided to go first. He took the side of the table with the water to deny Grim's Earthborn dire troll animus shenanigans. He deployed centrally, with the Stormblades and Stormclad on the left flank and Cyclone and Stormsmith more on the right.

Army Name: Grim Angus
Trollbloods
35+6 points, 21 models

Grim Angus +6 points
* Earthborn Dire Troll 10 points
* Troll Axer 6 points
* Troll Impaler 5 points

Dannon Blythe & Bull 4 points
Fell Caller Hero 3 points
Janissa Stonetide 3 points
10 Pyg Burrowers 6 points
Trollkin Runeshapers 4 points

Grim counterdeployed with his beasts and Janissa on the flank opposite the Stormteam, and the Runeshapers and Blythe and Bull across from the Cyclone. The Burrowers ADed in the center of the formation.



Nemo ran most of his stuff and put Disruption Field on the Stormclad. I felt like this was a Jack Bullet battle: the SC with Nemo has over a 12" threat and Grim's Earthborn Dire Troll is even more impressive if it starts its turn near rough terrain, has the Axer animus, and Grim has shot the target already.

Grim had the Pygs tunnel, and then moved everything up cautiously. Grim himself did 9 damage to the Lancer on a good damage roll. The Runeshapers' deviations went nowhere. Janissa put up a rock wall and the EDT gave Grim Transmute.



Nemo moved up his force and considered charging the SC in. He was close to 13" away from Grim, but because of the rock wall granting Grim an 18 DEF from melee and 20 from ranged and magic, Nemo decided to spend his focus throwing lightning around.

The Lancer and Stormblades advanced, with two blades hitting the objective and moving it 5" toward the EDT. The SC might have been able to score a point but instead took a shot that missed.

Nemo advanced and fired chain lightning at Bull, who was hit. The arc hit the EDT, Janissa, Grim, and the Fell Caller. With another CL they might have died, but none of those models took enough damage to go down.

The Cyclone got a focus from Arlan and moved up, rolling average metal storm attacks and killing two Runeshapers. The Stormsmith failed his stormcall.

JR recast Arcane Shield on the old man and Nemo ended his turn at def 14 arm 19 with a couple focus on him.



Grim had a decent chance at getting the EDT over to Nemo and ending the game, but a lot had to happen. The burrowers popped up and spread out to charge at the 'blades and SC, with a few going for back arc attacks on the Lancer. I left a gap for Grim to see through to shoot at Nemo.

Grim activated and cast the Impaler animus to improve his own range, then he cast the Axer animus on the EDT to give it +2" of move. Then he moved up and feated, catching everything on his side with the net, including Nemo. Then he shot Nemo and hit, boosting damage and doing 4 points. This also gave an extra 2" to any beasts who wanted to charge Nemo.

I activated the Fell Caller and he gave the Burrowers even more accuracy and tried to hurt the Lancer, whiffing his charge attack but doing fair damage with the second sword. The burrowers failed to hurt the Stormblades and Stormclad much, but managed to wreck the Lancer (no shield bonus from behind).

Then I had to kill some Burrowers to clear the lane for the EDT. Blythe and Bull killed the one really in the way, but he made his Tough check. While knocked down the Runeshaper remaining rock hammered him and he died. The Impaler killed another Pyg that might have been a concern and the EDT went for it, using Pathfinder and his +6" move (started near a forest for rough terrain bonus) to charge 14" and end in Nemo's grill. Using the pow of Nemo's weapon his fists went up to P+S 19, straight dice on the old man. With Grim's feat up he needed 5s to hit. Only took two shots to end Nemo.



It was a stretch, but it paid off.

Game MVP: EDT, the thing is super flexible and lots of fun to play.

Lessons learned: keep Nemo way way back. The EDT could have scrapped the SC instead, but the Stormblade countercharge would have probably ended the troll, and the Cyclone is actually dangerous if the heavies are off the table.

-Merlin out

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