Sunday Warmachine

On the last Sunday of September, I played a pair of games with Lord Exhumator Scaverous

He worked alright. That actually surprised me as I was 2-7 with that giant bastard. I’m not sure that list would have worked in a tournament, but it was definitely fun. It also had some glaring weaknesses that I only discovered once I played the list. Lets get into it.

The list was:
Scaverous
-Erebus
-Nightwretch x2
-Scarlock

Bane Thralls (x10)
– UA
Tartarus
Cephalyx Overlords
Warwitch x2
Iron Lich Overseer
Helldiver x2
Bile Thralls (x6)

The first game was a grindfest. It was against my buddy who plays Khador and he’d decided to bring Irusk. I don’t Have a lot of experience against him, though I was 2-0 v. Irusk coming into the game, one at 35 and one at 50, both against Minions. Barnabus at 35 and Maelok at 50 and neither game was against the current opponent.

I knew his feat was strong, he had a ton of buff spells, and Khadoran Infantry hit like trucks.
The List
Irusk -6pts
Spriggan 10pts
Destroyer 9pts
4 Mechaniks 2pts
10 IFP + BD UA 10pts
10 WG Rifle Corps 8pts
Kovnik Joe 2pts
Doom Reavers 6pts
Fenris 5pts
Greylords Ternion 4pts

We rolled it up and the scenario was rally point, with the strange warcaster-objective.
He’d brought 2 ‘jacks, and while its not normal, I’ve started seeing more ‘jacks overall. Doomreavers and Iron Fangs for a meaty punch, and Winter Guard Rifle Corp for fire support. Great.
He popped Iron Flesh on his Iron Fangs, and started rolling them up field on my right side, with Covering fire from Rifle Corps. Doomreavers and Fenris on the other side, Irusk and Jacks in the center.
I had to sacrificed my Nightwretch on the Iron Flang flank to drop Icy Grip on them, which kept them from really participating in the game. He upkeeps Iron flesh to keep them from being massacred, but they were slow as hell, and I tried to just bait him around with my Banes, trying to get him to commit. He never did. He did, however keep the Rifle Corps behind the Iron Fangs, trying to keep them safe. This worked, but after the game we talked a bit about it and its probably one of the only reasons he lost: Those pow 10’s plinking into everything I own would have caused significant problems. The first error I’d found was that my army was really not that large. For most people that’d be OK, but I’m really a big-army kinda dude.

The Helldivers and the Overseer were neat, and they did do some pretty convincing tricks, but I can see them being outmaneuvered. I’ll probably use them a few more times before tossing the overseer in the trash. I might try stalkers and scavengers as well, but the scavengers I have doubts about their ability to stay on the field. At least the stalkers have Stealth. I will say this: The Overseer did some pretty cool things, and I have to credit Liam Piver for telling me to take em for a spin.

Towards the middle of the game we had tied the scenario at 2 points each. Each of us had our casters in defensible positions, but I managed to push him out of his zone before he pushed me out of mine. There was no way I was going to take a def 18 arm 15 Irusk with no damage on him out. I had to go for scenario. I tossed everything I had at the Effigy of Valor, broke it and took the zone with Scaverous, stealing the last three points to win the game. My buddy had kept plucking at the biles but hadn’t managed to get them all, so at the end of the game I was set up for a gorgeous purge had the scenario gambit not worked. I don’t think I could have held him off, as he had the destroyer going, the full unit of both the Iron Fangs and Rifle Corp, and was going to shove them down my throat freezing grip or not. I had no Banes left at that point, and was going to get schooled.

I played a second game right after. This one, too, was a grind, though I felt I had control the entire time, but towards the end it got away from me, and I had to go for the assassination or loose the game right then and there. I’d come into this Game with a 2-1 record against Ossrum, all against my buddy. I’d taken him twice with Epic Hexeris, and He took a game against Fiona. They were all rather recent, as was Ossrum himself, so I was prepared for a fast, durable brick. He brought nothing less.

Ossrum -5pts
Sylys Wyshnalyrr 2pts
Driller 6pts
Blaster 3pts
Dougal MacNaile 2pts
Rhupert Carvolo 2pts
Thor Steinhammer 2pts
Basher 7pts

6 Hammerfall 5pts
Officer & Standard 3pts
Herne & Jonne 3pts
10 Forge Guard 8pts
10 Forge Guard 8pts
Aiyana & Holt 4pts
The scenario this time was the one with two offset flags; close Quarters I believe

I told him the goal at the start of the game: grind him down and stall him out until I can either purge or excarnate + purge on his whole, slow brick. It wasn’t a fancy strategy, but being outnumbered again like that I had no real choice. He’d not fought Scaverous yet, and moved Ossrum into position where he could have lost the game on turn 1.

The discussion wen’t something like this.
“I run right here and hope you can’t kill me”
“I probably can.”
“HOW!?”
“You left line of sight to Ossrum. I will wander my nighwretch in range, pop feat, and pound you to death with range 10 spells.”
“Then I charge over here, instead”
And, to me, that is the correct thing to do. I’m not trying to have a friendly game end at the top of turn 2. I’d much rather play a real freaking game. So we continued playing. In spirit of the strategy to grind him out, I moved up and started surrounding my own flag. he was unable to shoot anything in to contest, so I dominated my flag on his turn 2, and he missed out for a pair of turns over the game, giving me a 2 point lead early on. He punched his whole list down the center of the field. Forgeguard behind and to the right and left, Hammerfall in the front-center. Thor and the Basher to the Left, Aiyana and Holt to the right. I cast freezing grasp on the a unit of forgeguard, keeping them out of the game, and forced him to pop feat defensively early, as I was threatening purge and Overlord sprays. The overlords lured Thor and the Basher off to my left flank, where they managed to kill Thor, on Ossram’s feat turn, effectively taking the Basher out the game, but also loosing two of the three in the process. I’ll take that trade. At one point I was able to drop an excarnated bile thrall up in his face, and melted some 12 models that turn, turning the tide. However, as I was waiting it all out and he was slowly grinding down my army, I was poised to take the game on scenario. He went to activate the driller, his last model, and I mentioned that unless he got something over to contest the flag, I’d win on my turn. He agrees, and surprised my by doing just that. He trampled
the driller over my final knocked down Bane, killing him, and then punches Erebus a few times in the face for good measure. Erebus now cannot kill the driller with both arms and movement busted, but the driller is at full heath, contesting, and 3″ from Scaverous. He has left Ossram out there just enough, and put a wrench in the scenario win, so I have to go for the assassination. I move Scaverous up away from the flag and my precious win condition in order to get line of sight. I then drop feast of worms, and spike max damage. two effective pow 15 excarnates later, and I’ve dropped him. I’d had 8 focus that turn due to a soul from Erebus, so I was able to boost the damage on the first Excarnate to get some extra insurance. Thankfully, I had both a warwitch and the scarlock in range to toss spells as well if Scaverous couldn’t put him down, but I didn’t need to go that way, and we shook hands.

Both games were a ton of fun, but I’d definitely want to try a different list at a tournament. I don’t know how I’d tweak it, and its one of the main reasons I’ve not pulled Scaverous out. I don’t know what would be good to run with him and make him effective. Ah well!