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I played in my first 750 point tournament this weekend and I had a blast. Thanks to travel and being sick, I haven't managed to squeeze in a game for nearly a month and I almost didn't play because I felt so rusty, but at the same time I really wanted to play some Warmachine. I decided I was in at the last minute, and ended up making up my list after I got home from a Hockey game at 11pm the night before. With limited time to plan, I was going in with only one list, and it needed to be straightforward and full of things I already knew how to run. The list got tuned even further the next morning - I was afraid I was going to bog down in the 12-minute time limit, so I dropped I unit of Precursors in favor of a second Centurion. In the end, this is what I ran:

• Captain Victoria Haley
• Squire
• Thorn
• Centurion
• Centurion
• Journeyman Warcaster
• Jr's Hunter
• Sword Knights (9 pts.) x9
• Sword Knight Officer and Standard Bearer
• Rupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
• Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team
• Gun Mage Captain Adept

Army Points: 749, Victory Points: 29

We had a good turnout for the tourney (17 people) and ended up going four rounds. The 1:45 turns were a big change. I liked larger games and long rounds, because it felt like you were really getting a whole game in. We went from 10 am to 7 pm - it made for a great day of gaming, but I was worn out at the end. I ended up with a 2-2 record, which I'm okay with considering the short time I've been playing, and that I've only played 2 games at 750 before this.

Here is a quick breakdown of each of my games. I can't remember each of my opponents lists completely, but I'll at least tell you about the major elements in their army:

Opponent's Army

• Sorscha
• Widowmakers
• IFP x 10
• Winterguard
• Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich
• 2 Greylord Ternions
• 2 Mortars Crews

I opened the game by killing off his entire unit of widowmakers on turn one with a lucky chain lightning. Good start. Advanced through withering mortar fire with the goal of meeting and crushing the IFP in the middle (after softening them up with more chain lightning. Sorscha feats and wind rushes, but TB prevents her from getting to me, but the assassination attempt was clearly set up for next turn. On my turn, only two models can move, and they block Sorscha's charge lanes as best they can. He comes after Haley who is now camping all of her focus (making me really happy he couldn't get there the turn before). Sorscha can't quite get it done and has to retreat. She parks next to the Black 13th. I think my opponent figured Sorcha's reach would tie them up and prevent them from attacking, but forgot about gunfighter. My turn Haley feats and the Black 13th brings a blazing end to a focus-less Sorscha.

Game 2: vs. Skorne, Scenario: Destruction

Opponent's Army:

• Lord Assassin Morghoul
• Preatorians + UA
• 2 units of Paingivers
• Titan Gladiator
• Titan Cannoneer
• Cyclops Shaman
• Basilisk Krea
• Venators
• Extoller Soulward

This was a weird game. I was well suited to the objective, but my opponent was well suited for the caster kill. On turn two, I had already done serious damage to one of the two battlefield objectives, but he was coming straight at me. I let myself get baited into playing his game, and that ultimately cost me. I should have played cat-and-mouse while I trashed the objectives with the two Centurions and the Black 13th (4 blaze rounds followed by Ryan's chain attack do wonders on taking down the objectives!) As eMorghoul ran at me, I caught him in Temporal Barrier, only to learn about his stupid Shadowfall teleport movement. I still managed to mob him with Sword Knights, who were almost able to kill him. This lead up the most bittersweet moment of the tourney...

Jr. almost pulls off the most spectacular kill ever.

Jr. leaped up onto a piece of fountain terrain, boosted his handcannon shot, and rolled the improbably high attack roll needed to hit the melee-engaged, screened Morghoul. Even better, I then threw triple boxcars on the damage roll! Morghoul was dead! Shot in the face! My opponent stunned - he assassination foiled! He was dumbfounded, and stared at the board for a long time... Right as I was about to start picking up my models he says "Wait! Wasn't your journeyman just inside Morgouls feat? He's blinded! He can't make ranged attacks!" Oh shit. He's right. We rewind, and he ends up pulling off his assination and winning at the top of the next turn.

Funny thing is, I wasn't sad because I lost the game - I was sad because Jr. did something so very cool against all the odds, and it didn't count. I was ready to promote him and buy the alternate sculpt to replace him!

Game 3: vs. Circle, Scenario: Mosh Pit

Opponent's Army:

• Baldur
• 2 Woldwardens
• 1 Woldwatcher
• Blackclad Wayfarer
• 2 units of Shifting Stones
• 2 Sentry Stones
• 2 Woldwyrds
• 5 Tharn Wolf Riders
• Alten Ashley

This was a grudge match with the gal who taught me to hate circle shenanigans in the first place. She's a newer player like me, but already has a well-stocked bag of dirty tricks. I went first and rushed with all lumbering speed to the center of the map. I made it there a turn ahead of her and set up shop. She pulled off the usual circle shenanigans by having the Wayfarer teleport into my back lines to attack the Black 13th. She managed to get Lynch, and then Watts and Ryan both missed (!?!) so I was forced to paste the poor druid with a Centurion charge. Heh.

Highlight of this game came in turn three, as she pushed her big constructs into the center. I had engaged the Woldwatcher and a Woldwarden each with a Centurion, had the piper play March, and followed up with a Sword Knight charge. The Sword Knights (with the UA) benefitted from the charge, Dismember and Flank, rolling 5 damage dice on the first attack and 4 dice on the next two attacks (the third attack coming from March). The overwhelming power of that round was enough to clear out the center, leading to a scenario win.

Game 4: vs. Cygnar, Scenario: Kill The Caster

Opponent's Army:

• Epic Caine
• Squire
• Journeyman
• 2 units of Gun Mages
• Black 13th
• Sword Knights +UA
• Centurion
• Kate Laddermore
• Anastasia Di Bray

This game was for "best of Cygnar" rights, which was cool, but it was unfortunately against one of the top tier players in our local group. I let Di Bray get her secret back to the other side, and all hell broke loose. His list was an absolute horror. He came at me like a spider monkey, and he hurt me. He hurt me real bad. It was fun to see my own faction in the hands of a really good player, and I learned a lot. At the end, I asked him how he would have beat his list with mine, and he was very gracious about giving me some good pointers. Tell you one thing, if I'm going to win "best of faction" anytime soon, I'm going to have to change factions!

So, that was my Warmachine weekend, and it was a great one. A month's worth of gaming packed into a single day with the density of a neutron star. I can't wait to do it again.

Labels: miniatures, wargaming, Warmachine