Batrep or Scouting Report? Fyreslayers vs Khorne - Shifting Objectives @ 2K
Will have to wait to actually get the full flavor when the tables do flip but the mere knowledge that in a few weeks I’d be on the “other side of the table” piloting the Khorne list added a lot of flavor to my in game experience.
Jumping to the conclusions:
- First, this was my first time playing Fyreslayers (opponents first time playing Khorne so even footing there) and I left the match feeling good overall about how I played but positive that there was still plenty of room for improvement in the next two rounds of the tournament. For example, I missed an opportunity to maybe draw the match to a close a turn early because instead of Berserk Fury I had Berserk Forgetfulness. My block of 20x Vulkite Berzerkers had been challenging some Fleshhounds for the Eastern Objective when the primary objective shifted over there in a later round. I’d managed to get the 6 on my Ur-gold Runes giving my army -2 Rend.
With Skarbrand fully buffed then it wasn’t surprising that he charged in to them instead of immediately trying to break the Hearthguard Berzerker block in the middle again. At that point I knew my Vulkite’s time on the table would be limited. Perfect moment to pop Berzerk Fury and let them die fighting! Except... I completely forgot about it. Or more accurately I confused it with the Auric Runemsiter on Magmadroths ability to eat gold and give a Save bubble which has to be activated in the Hero Phase. By the time I realized it is actually activated in the Combat Phase over half my Vulkites were already gone...
So, right there a simple way for me to get more out of this army in my next two matches (even if the Ur-Gold Rune buffs don’t line up nearly as well...). I’d still take Skarbrand down with my remaining Hearthguard Berzerkers in the next round but this was a clear missed opportunity and hopefully the painful memory will keep me sharper in games two and three.
- Second, while ultimately I won the war of attrition pretty decisively (Khorne conceded when reduced to a couple Fleshhounds, even with some Blood Tithe to summon because while all depleted I still had enough units on table to win objectives in last round) even without fully maximizing my own potential I still think I have a decent chance in a few weeks of winning with Khorne as there was a close call for me in early going and I think my opponent had missed opportunities too.
With a two drop list my opponent made me go first. I’d expected this and accepted that realistically I could challenge one objective R1 with the bulk of my forces, two objectives R2 by bringing in my Runesmiter on foot and the 20x Vulkite Berzerkers with him in the tunnel) and MAYBE all three after R3 if I could afford to move the Magmadroths out as a separate unit. Got lucky when primary objective fell in middle so I was able to move up in force with my 20x Hearthguard Berzerkers, my Battlesmith and both Magmadroths. At the last minute I fortuitously ran the Auric Hearthguard in behind the Battlesmith.
My base case is my opponent would claim the flanking objectives and position for a potential double turn with a fully enraged Skarbrand. Instead he decided to test hitting his Hammer against my Anvil as hard as possible, bringing in all three of the unnamed Bloodthirsters and a unit of Fleshhounds to boot.
I guess this was about as good a test of my Hearthguard Berzerkers’ resiliency as I was like to get and I was really regretting that the +1 Save prayer hadn’t gotten off and I’d gotten stingy with the Runesmiter on Magmadroth’s Ur Gold first turn. Still, I had my Battlesmith in position (and I thought out of harms way) and paid my CP for All Out Defense (the Mystic Shield there to remind me of that as obviously no magic in this army).
But I’d forgotten about RAGE’s axe dealing MW on unmodified 6s to Wound to all units within 8”. Guess who was in 8”? Yup, my Battlesmith whose buff I really didn’t want to lose before the real swinging even began... Thank goodness those Auric Hearthguard were there to eat 5 out of 8 MWs, preserving my Battlesmith. That was a huge difference in my survivability as the other Bloodthirsters activated.
I understood why my opponent tried and had RAGE killed the Battlesmith we are likely talking a different outcome. But with the Battlesmith intact I weathered the storm and while VP was within 1 point back and forth for next couple of rounds after his Hammer broke on my Anvil I had a lead in the attrition battle that I could build on despite my low mobility. (Primary objective staying in the middle R2 certainly helped there too.)
No guarantees but when the tables flip I think there was more ability to leverage Khorne’s big mobility advantage and an opportunity for better target selection. Given how critical a few Auric Hearthguard wound absorption’s were in R1 I’m thinking it won’t take too much going right for Khorne to tip the scales.
-X-X-X-
So at the end of the first set of matches Fyreslayers and Mawtribes are both up 1-0 and Khorne and Bonesplitterz are looking for redemption. Fyreslayers move on to Bonesplitterz while Khorne faces Mawtribes.
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