Last week I said I’d look at Wolves this week. Surprise, I’m not doing that today! Last weekend I decided at the last minute to go up to Southport’s Dice and Decks for a Steamroller. Other than the usual reasons for going to a tournament (namely fulfilling my gaming addiction), I wanted to give an old list a go and see whether it’s still relevant in the meta, as the theme it’s in has been getting some flack online. The theme was Legion of Steel and the caster was Strakhov 2, which long time readers will recognise as one of the 2 lists I took to WTC last year. Yup, Rob’s on his hobby horse again. I decide to pair it with my current Strakhov 1 Wolves list (which we’ll talk more in depth on next week) for maximum meme value (and so I could declare I was playing Strakhov each round and have my opponent ask which one). Lists below:
Khador
[Theme] Legions of Steel
[Strakhov 2] Angry Russian Big Boss [+22]
– Devastator [14]
– Rager [10]
– Greylord Adjunct [0(4)]
Iron Fang Kovnik [0(4)]
Kapitan Sofya Skirova [0(5)]
Uhlan Kovnik Markov [7]
Great Bears of the Gallowswood [9]
Iron Fang Pikemen (max) [15]
– Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard [4]
Iron Fang Pikemen (max) [15]
– Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard [4]
Iron Fang Pikemen (max) [15]
– Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard [4]
Khador
[Theme] Wolves of Winter
[Strakhov 1] Angry Russian James Bond [+28]
– Marauder [11]
– Marauder [11]
– Ruin [17]
– Torch [18]
– Greylord Adjunct [0(4)]
Greylord Forge Seer [4]
Greylord Forge Seer [4]
Koldun Lord [4]
Koldun Lord [4]
Ragman [4]
Doom Reaver Swordsmen [10]
– Greylord Escort [3]
Doom Reaver Swordsmen [10]
– Greylord Escort [3]
Greylord Ternion [0(7)]
Greylord Ternion [0(7)]
Round 1 (Fight!):
First round I get paired against Mark Williams, who is running Legion of Everblight. He’s got Lylyth 3 and Abby 2. Lylyth starts the “danger Will Robinson” alarms going, as I’m fairly certain she can assassinate Strakhov in either incarnation on her own. I decide that threat range will save me and opt for Strak 1. He drops Abby and off we go. His list below:
Legion
[Theme] Ravens of War
[Absylonia 2] Absylonia, Daughter of Everblight [+28]
– Golab [17]
– Neraph [12]
– Neraph [12]
– Proteus [19]
– Seraph [14]
Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion [0(6)]
Bog Trog Mist Speaker [4]
Craelix, Fang of Everblight [0(6)]
Spell Martyr [1]
Strider Deathstalker [0(4)]
Strider Deathstalker [4]
The Forsaken [4]
The Forsaken [4]
Hellmouth [6]
Hellmouth [6]
He wins the roll off and goes first. Scenario is King of the Hill. Terrain has a house in the centre of the table, and not much else that matters throughout the game. He deploys Abby centrally, with Golab and Proteus, a Neraph on either flank and the Seraph in the centre. I put the jacks down in the centre with Strakhov and put a unit of Ternions and Doomies on either flank. The Deathstalkers get set up fairly centrally with the Hellmouths covering a flanking zone each, and the Doomies get deployed to stay out of their threat range.
The Game:
Overall, the game was interesting. Mark has a few different tools to deal with some of the pieces of my lists, and his beasts threaten 16 inches, but struggles to deal with the me out threating him. I take precautions to ensure that he struggles to get off Alpha Hunter, keeping the Doomies out of her personal threat ranges, and keeping the support staff out of threat range of hex bolts. By turn 2, I manage to clear the right side of the board, taking down the Hellmouth and solos on that side of the board. Throughout, I manage to continously refill the ranks of the doom reavers through the use of bonds of woe, as well as keeping Strakhov safe. He ends up having to throw a Neraph away to contest the right zone, but I end up getting ahead on scenario, especially after I use feat and overrun to kill Proteus before he gets anything. I win 11-6 on scenario in the end.
Victory for the Motherland!
After thoughts:
So my current theory on the game is that having long threat ranges is one of the most powerful attributes a list can have, and this game showed what happens when 2 lists that both threat far meet. It was a very cagey game, with both of us massively spread out and the centre ground basically empty. Despite this, I was able to leverage scenario first and had much more in the way of contesting pieces. Strakhov feels strong into legion in general, due to his immunities and threat ranges, as well as legion being fairly squishy in general.
Round 2:
Round 2 I get matched up against Christopher Clare, one of my local players. We have a bit of a mixed record between us, with different matches going one way or the other. He is running Retribution, with Goreshade 4 in Legions and Ossyan in Defenders. Both lists have a lot of guns, with 3 tridents between the lists, so I opt for Strak 1 again, reasoning that Occultation on Ruin will be useful and the threat ranges will deny him any more than one turn of shooting. He drops Goreshade and off we go. Lists below:
Retribution
[Theme] Legions of Dawn
[Goreshade 4] Lord Ghyrrshyld, the Forgiven [+28]
– Chimera [8]
– Harpy [9]
– Harpy [9]
Arcanist Mechanik [2]
Arcanist Mechanik [2]
Ghost Sniper [0(3)]
Ghost Sniper [0(3)]
House Shyeel Artificer [0(5)]
House Shyeel Artificer [0(5)]
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (max) [19]
– Soulless Escort [1]
Dawnguard Destors (min) [12]
Dawnguard Sentinels (max) [18]
- Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard [4]
- Soulless Escort [1]
Dawnguard Trident [16]
Chris wins the roll off and goes first. Scenario was Bunker. Terrain has a forest in the centre of the table, one to the right of my zone and not much else that was important. Chris deploys Goreshade centrally, the Nyss on the left flank, the Sentinels centrally with the jacks, and the Trident on the right flank. I deploy Strakhov centrally surrounded by his jacks, as well as a Ternion, Koldun, Forge Seer and Doomie unit on either flank.
The Game:
Chris runs everything forward, staying out of the feat and charge range of the Doomies. Everything else repositions a bit, coming forward somewhat. In response, I put out the upkeeps (Occultation on Ruin, Superiority on a Marauder, and Sentry on Torch) and position forward somewhat. I mess up my positioning a bit, and Ruin gets shot by an eyeless sight Trident, doing some chip damage. Chris responds by feating and sniping the cortex out of Torch, from 2 ghost snipers and a big CRA from the Nyss. I don’t really want to, but I end up going into the feat. I manage to kill a few sentinels, the trident and a Destor, but give up 2 jacks in exchange. The left hand Doomies go into the Nyss and kill one of them, gumming them up somewhat. Chris has a pretty good turn in response. He almost kills Ruin with Vengeance attacks from the Sentinels, before finishing him off with Snipers and a Harpy (I forgot about occultation). The nyss completely fail to kill the Doom Reavers. Chris ends up shifting gears afterwards, clearing the path to Strakhov and going for an assassination run. He nukes him, doing no damage after the focus spend, as well as getting his arm debuff on Strakhov. He misses the second nuke, and sends 2 Sentinels into Strakhov. He hits the first, leaving Strakhov on 7 boxes, and misses the second. He dings up the Marauder in his zone, and pushes it out with a Harpy shot. He ends up scoring 2. I counter and manage to clear most of his list, leaving Goreshade and a couple of nyss alive. We continue going back and forth a bit, until I win on scenario.
Victory for the Motherland!
Afterthoughts:
This feels like an ok match up going second. Goreshades feat is a pain for this list, as it wants to commit hard in one go. Going first is probably a really bad match up for Ret, as I get far enough forward that I can force the feat out and then back off.
Round 3:
3rd round and I get paired against Mark Ellis. He’s running Mercs, with Broadsides Bart and Fiona in Flames in the Darkness. I drop Strakhov 1 and he drops Fiona. His list below:
Mercenaries
[Theme] Flame in the Darkness
[Fiona 1] Fiona the Black [+27]
– Gallant [17]
– Juggernaut [13]
– Juggernaut [13]
– Nomad [12]
– Nomad [12]
Harlan Versh, Illuminated One [0(4)]
Ragman [0(4)]
Savio Montero Acosta [0(6)]
Alexia Ciannor & the Risen [10]
Precursor Knights (max) [14]
– Precursor Knight Officer & Standard [4]
The Devil’s Shadow Mutineers [7]
I lose the roll off and go first. Scenario was Invasion. Terrain has a big forest in the centre of the board, rubble on the left side of my side and a big building on Mark’s side of the right zone. I deploy symmetrically, and Mark puts the DSM and Acosta on the left flank, Gallant and Harlan Versh on the right with the Precursor Knights. Everything else goes in the centre.
The game:
Everything runs as far forward as possible, staying out of easy shooting range from Harlan. Ruin gets Superiority, as he can’t be Befuddled, and will be my leading jack. I occultate Strakhov as a preventative measure against assassination. Mark shuffles forward a bit, running the Precursor Knights as a screen. Everything else shuffles forward. My turn and feat goes up. I commit both units of Doomies, expecting to have to send in Ruin to finish off a Nomad. The dice gods are with me though, and I murder both Nomads as well as all but 3 of the Precursor knights. I manage to RFP one of the DSM. Ruin moves forward and stays out of 10 inches of Alexia, with me forgetting that she has Venegeance (which is pretty spicy). Mark feats this turn, sending Alexia in on Ruin, but failing to cripple anything. The Precursors go in on Torch, crippling him and he manages to clear most of the Doom Reavers I sent in. I manage to kill a few things under his feat, mostly with Ruin boosting to hit against Alexia and Acosta. From there, he manages to finish off Torch and the rest of the Doomies. For the next couple of turns, I keep scoring the occasional point and set up to get double debuffs on to the Juggernauts. I end up winning 6-1.
Victory for the Motherland!
Afterthoughts:
I think this was a bad match-up for Mark. I outthreat his list to the point where even with Befuddle, I still have a ridiculous threat range advantage over him. Due to this, I managed to set up a fairly ridiculous alpha strike and control the pace of the game.
Round 4:
Finals and I get paired against Konrad. He’s running Skorne and has Zaal 2 and Zaadesh 2. He ends up deciding to drop Zaadesh, and I opt for Strakhov 1, mostly as I think it will be better into Immortals. As it stands, he dropped the other list. Which is below:
Skorne
[Theme] Disciples of Agony
[Zaadesh 2] Lord Tyrant Zaadesh [+28]
– Agonizer [0(6)]
– Archidon [10]
– Archidon [10]
– Basilisk Krea [0(7)]
– Battle Boar [7]
– Cyclops Brute [8]
– Rhinodon [12]
– Rhinodon [12]
– Aptimus Marketh [0(5)]
Bog Trog Mist Speaker [4]
Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor [4]
Paingiver Beast Handlers (min) [5]
Paingiver Beast Handlers (min) [5]
Paingiver Bloodrunners [9]
Siege Animantarax [17]
Konrad wins the roll off and goes second. Scenario is Anarchy. Terrain has a building in the centre of the board, and a forest on his side of the left zone and on the right side of my side of the board. I deploy symmetrically again. Konrad deploys most of his beasts centrally, with the Animantrax on the right flank.
The Game:
So this ended up being a pretty short game actually. Konrad has very little in the way of threat range or guns, relying primarily on his clouds, feat and counter charge to protect him. The problem is that I trivially ignore the former (between eyeless sight objective, up to 3 guidances and Torch dropping targeting flares. The latter is slightly more problematic, but solvable with Doom Reavers running to engage, 2 inch reach and Superiority denying the knockdown. I start out by running everything as far forward as I can, staying out of threat of the Master Tormentor. He responds by positioning a little bit, not really committing to the scenario and taking some pot shots with the turtle. It’s not very accurate vs small bases though, and only manages to kill a single doom reaver, despite rolling 3 shots. My next turn, I shuffle things a bit, getting ragman on my flag, but not much else. I simply don’t have to commit yet and might as well set up in a way that gives me the most options to counter his feat. Konrad then backs off even further, which he immediately realises is a misplay, as I can simply kill his objective and win on scenario. I do so, and win 6-1.
Victory for the Motherland!
After thoughts:
So this is a really good game to demonstrate the psychological advantage that having really ridiculous threat ranges can have. When opponents realise that you massively out-threat them, then a lot of the time they will make mistakes. Konrads correct play is probably to camp aggressively, feat and shove everything into my face. It’s not great, but it forces me into a position where I have to commit to his army when it’s defensively at it’s strongest. As it was, he backed up and let me win.
So at the end of the tournament, I went 4-0 and came in first. I played Strakhov 1 exclusively and found him to ask questions that a lot of list pairs just can’t answer. I have been feeling for a while that extreme threat ranges are strong, as they allow you to dictate what happens on the board, and there are only a few casters that can do what Strakhov does (Arkadius and Kallus 2 spring to mind). I feel like the games of this tournament help to prove that somewhat. There are a bunch of reasons why Strakhov is in Wolves, rather than Jaws, and Strakhov has some issues (mostly revolving around survivability and positioning) but we’ll get to that some other time. Suffice to say, I had a blast playing at Dice and Decks, and would return again for another tournament.
Next week, we’ll finally be getting to the new Wolves of Winter and what it means for some of our casters.
Victory for the Motherland!
Avatar Of Slaughter 