Three Games with Mortenebra, 3/13/12 - 3/14/12

Well, got three games with Mortenebra in this week, despite her being only half completed.  Basically, it's my first time using Mortenebra, and really the first experience I've had using more than one or two Cryx heavies at once.

Also, I promise to keep these pretty short.  No pictures, and I didn't take notes, but I do want to show that I've at least been playing :).

My first opponent was BK, playing Menoth.  We ran a 35 point game, and our scenario was A Flag Too Far.  Basically, there were 4 flags, two down the middle, another one close to me on my left, and another close to him on the far right.  There were also reinforcement that came on.  Basically the flags to our right (the one in the middle and on the opposite side) were our objectives. 

BK's list:
Feora, Protector of the Flame
- Redeemer
- Reckoner
Avatar of Menoth
Choir of Menoth (Leader and 3 Grunts)
Exemplar Errants (Leader and 9 Grunts)
- Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard Bearer
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
Vassal of Menoth

His reinforcements:
Daughters of the Flame (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Exemplar Errant Seneschal

My list:
Master Necrotech Mortenebra
- Cankerworm
- Deathjack
- Reaper
- Slayer
Bane Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Machine Wraith
Necrotech & 1 Scrap Thrall

Warwitch Siren

Reinforcements:
Bane Lord Tartarus
Pistol Wraith 

Admittedly, I didn't own enough jacks to use her as well as I'd like, but I'm working to rectify that in the future.  Anyway, on to the game.

I lined up Mortenebra and the jacks in the middle, with the Bane Thralls to my right (hoping to have Bane Lord Tartarus join up with them, and end up handling the control point duties.  However, BK's Redeemer made quick work of them with some very favorable scatters.

My Cankerworm sat in a forest in the middle of the table, and waited for a good opportunity.  When BK's Daughters came onto the board (on my left), I sent my closest jack, the Deathjack, to deal with them (I learned a lesson here- use another jack on my flanks).  An Overrunning Deathjack sent the Cankerworm moving forward, and I had it charge Feora, ending up dealing a total of 9 damage (Feora was camping focus, and I really had no shot of doing decent damage to her).  My Reaper and Slayer went up and started fighting through the block of Exemplar Errants that were marching somewhat off to my left.  Bane Lord Tartarus and the Pistol Wraith came on the board, and I tried to move them to give me a control point, but failed.

BK responded by dealing a decent amount of damage to the engaged Reaper and Slayer, but not killing either do to some really poor rolls (the Avatar moved up and actually missed once, and rolled really badly for damage a second time).

At this point, things were pretty bleak, so I had to try to kill Feora.  Deryliss dropped Overrun onto the Deathjack.  Mortenebra cast Spectral Steel on the Slayer (letting him ignore free strikes), repaired the Slayer 1 point of damage (so he at least had a functioning arm).   The Deathjack killed a Daughter, getting the Slayer free, who charged Feora.. and after rolling a little bad (not terrible, mind you), I failed to kill her.  In return, the Avatar killed Mortenebra, and gave BK the win.

I learned a few things in this game.  First, I need another jack.  Second, I need a better melee jack with reach.  Ugh.  The Reaper is a good jack, but I don't have enough attacks to make him scary.  I'll need to try a Harrower, with her.  Second, I need to have the Deathjack more central.  I don't know how I screwed that up.  Third, the Cankerworm was useless.  I am tempted to say light jacks aren't going to get much use from her, but the light jacks I think would be best with her, the Stalker and the Helldiver, aren't assembled yet, so I don't know for sure.

Next game was immediately after, against Minute.  We played the same scenario.

His list:
Lord Arcanist Ossyan
- Discordia
Dawnguard Invictors (Leader and 9 Grunts)
- Dawnguard Invictor Officer & Standard
Mage Hunter Strikeforce (Leader and 9 Grunts)
- Mage Hunter Commander
Stormfall Archers (Leader and 3 Grunts)
Arcanist
Mage Hunter Assassin

His Reinforcements:
House Shyeel Battle Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Mage Hunter Assassin


I changed my list slightly, mostly by proxying in a Slayer.  New list:
Master Necrotech Mortenebra
- Deathjack
- Reaper
- Slayer
- Slayer
Bane Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Necrotech & 1 Scrap Thrall
Warwitch Siren

And my reinforcements:
Pistol Wraith
Bane Lord Tartarus

This time, I parked the Deathjack in the forest right in the center of the table early, and Ben realized after some shooting that he didn't have much of a way to hurt it.  He put Admonition on his caster, but for the moment was stumped on how to handle the ARM 21 Deathjack (due to Spectral Steel).

I tried to put some pressure on him by using Overrun on a Slayer to move the Deathjack up, and ended up killing some Invictors... but sadly, Ossyan Admonitioned TOWARDS me.  Unsure of how to kill my jacks, he decided to bypass all of that, and make a run for Mortenebra.  A few die rolls later, she was dead, and I learned another valuable lesson- don't play her too far forward.

My third game this week was the next day, against Rob.  We upped the game size to 50 points.

His list:
Vayl, Disciple of Everblight
- Stinger
- Teraph
- Angelius
- Ravagore
Blighted Nyss Raptors (Leader and 4 Grunts)
Blighted Nyss Striders (Leader and 5 Grunts)
- Blighted Nyss Striders Officer & Musician
Annyssa Ryvaal, Talon of Everblight
Blighted Nyss Sorceress and Hellion
Strider Deathstalker

This is only 49 points though.  I'm pretty sure this is accurate, but if not, let me know, Rob :).

Since I still didn't have more jacks assembled, I had to flesh out my army a little differently:
Master Necrotech Mortenebra
- Deathjack
- Harrower
- Reaper
- Slayer
Bane Thralls (Leader and 5 Grunts)
The Withershadow Combine
Bane Lord Tartarus
Pistol Wraith
Warwitch Siren

The Withershadow Combine is a nice addition, because Spectral Steel is a very handy spell.

Our scenario was Sacrifice.  Here, there is a control zone to my left, and a flag to my right.  To score a point, I must control the zone AND have a model B2B with the flag.  After a score, the model B2B with the flag takes a POW 20 damage roll, and is then pushed away and knocked down.  Not fun.

I deployed second, and put all of my jacks towards my left, to go after the control zone, and left the taking of the flag to my Bane Thralls, Tartarus, and Pistol Wraith.  I put the Deathjack towards the middle, to support where I needed him the most.

Rob sent his Striders off to fight against the Bane Thralls, and everything else to face the jacks.  I managed to get some damage done early on by having the Deathjack kill his Teraph near the center of the table.  Rob tried to take out the Bane Thralls, before going after Tartarus, but didn't roll so well, and ended up killing 4 out of the unit with Tartarus locked in combat, and available to start refilling it.

The battle on the left went a little better for him.  My Slayer managed to kill two Raptors, but was cut down by the rest, although it took quite a bit of time.  Unfortunately, an Overrun on a charging Harrower coupled with my feat and Terminal Velocity sent the Deathjack into his Angelius and Ravagore, killing them both, and Rob conceded after seeing he had no way to contest the zone any longer. 

This game, I at least kept Mortenebra back and safe, and kept my jacks together and focused.  So the good news is that I'm learning.  I still need to work on getting the right tools, however.  I will soon, hopefully, be adding another Cryx heavy and a Warwitch Siren.  With some practice, I think I could be pretty effective with her.  We'll see :).