Icy Grip Tourney

20th of NovemberIcy Grip
Glasgow Uni Food Hall.

Bit of a wall o' text and my first go at something resembling battle reports.  If i didn't have a memory like a sieve I'd probably be better at Warmachine.  The Tournament was run by Andy and was great like all the events he has run in the past we'll not talk about the key and the angle grinder.

I've been looking forward to this tournament for the last month so I have been frantically painting my army trying to get at least 1 of my 35 point list completed before it came around.  I almost managed the painting but decided a good nights sleep would be better than completing the Black 13th.  If you didn't know already I play Cygnar(We're the good guys).  Strangely it wasn't my first choice of army but a £15 battle box got me started and some slightly compulsive buying later my army has grown over the last year to quite a size.

I'd hoped to do better in this tourney than I had managed in Dundee....last.  Shouldn't be to hard.  Here are the 2 lists I took to the event.


List 1

Type: Skirmish (1 caster, 35pts)
Points: 35
Commander Coleman Stryker (*6pts)
* Charger (4pts)
* Lancer (6pts)
* Ironclad (7pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Sword Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Captain Arlan Strangewayes (2pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
* Hunter (6pts)
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)


List 2

Type: Skirmish (1 caster, 35pts)
Points: 35
Captain Kara Sloan (*6pts)
* Hunter (6pts)
* Defender (9pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Long Gunner Infantry (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
Sword Knights (Leader and 5 Grunts) (4pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
* Firefly (5pts)
Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)

My first game was against Frazer Edinburgh PG.  He was playing Trollbloods so I had a feeling this might not go well. I hate tough so much and whole army with tough really “grinds my gears”   He won the roll and elected to go first.  His Fenn Blades and Burrowers ran up the field and started threatening my control area immediately.  I know how scary Weapon masters with reach can be and have a vague idea what the burrowers get up to.  I hung back to avoid the charge next turn.  I managed to judge that distance correctly.  This allowed me to take out a good chunk of both units but they were only his speed bump and I was soon reeling.  The rest of the plan wasn’t so great. I sent the Black 13^th to the flank.  They got mauled by an Axer.  My hunter and Charge spent the rest of the game fighting off trolls and never go to do any effective shooting.  I basically fed my Ironclad to his Mauler. Striker was soon taken out with the second wave of trolls.

Frazer's List

Points: 35
Borka Kegslayer (*5pts)
* Troll Axer (6pts)
* Dire Troll Mauler (9pts)
Krielstone Bearer and 3 Stone Scribes (3pts)
* Krielstone Stone Scribe Elder (1pts)
Pyg Burrowers (Leader and 5 Grunts) (4pts)
Trollkin Champions (Leader and 2 Grunts) (6pts)
Trollkin Fennblades (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
Fell Caller Hero (3pts)

My second match was a bye.  This gave me a chance to refresh before my next battle.

The Third Game was against Martin. We were trying out the new Scenario with the corner deployment.  I thought this would suit Kara Sloan shooty list but 26 steelheads…EEK. I won the first turn and moved into position to start firing. MY Long Gunners covered his objective the defender and hunter covered the middle and my min unit of Sword Knights backed up by the black 13^th went for my objective.

Mixed in were my Stormcallers so they were spread out to triangulate using the firefly as their frontman.  Martin said it himself “first turn is easy everything runs” Second turn He was in range of the guns I popped Kara’s Feat maybe not the best use of her feet but it allowed me to make loads of shots that were unlikely to miss.  Around 15 dead  Steelheads later 2 units were fleeing and 1 had only 2 guys left.  That was good.  It all got a little confused from there.  Magnus went to the objective and was behind a wall giving him stupid levels of defence.  This put him out of range to allocate focus to all his jacks but made him really hard to kill.  Kara took a rocket to the face leaving her on 5 wounds but sod it’s she was going to try for the kill anyway.  It didn’t happen and she was left flapping in the breeze.  Magnus tried to get her last few hit points but forgot she had Arcane shield as well as 3 focus and did exactly 3 damage too few.  The battle was over.  Kara won…people say she is bad in scenarios in this one her army worked well for me.

Martin's List Tier 4 Magnus

Points: 34
Magnus the Traitor (*6pts)
* Renegade (6pts)
* Renegade (6pts)
* Nomad (6pts)
* Nomad (6pts)
Steelhead Halberdiers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Steelhead Halberdiers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Steelhead Halberdiers (Leader and 5 Grunts) (4pts)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2pts)

Last Game I was facing Kris and his Circle. I’ve fought Chris before at the last tournament in Dundee.  He played more or less the same list as last time.  Wolds to the extreme and this time with some Tharn blood trackers. And the stone keeper added.  We played the new scenario with the 2 balls and 2 goals. In this battle I realised I lack heavy hitters.  He was running a Wold Guardian which had 21 armor and removed 1 dice from the damage.  All I could do was hold him up.  Add to that Balders feet and forest spam…I didn’t know what to do. The details I have blanked from my mind.  I’ll conclude by saying I was tabled.  

Kris's List

Points: 35
Baldur the Stonecleaver (*6pts)
* Woldwatcher (5pts)
* Woldguardian (9pts)
* Woldwarden (9pts)
Druids of Orboros (Leader and 5 Grunts) (7pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
* Stone keeper (1pts)
Tharn Bloodtrackers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)

 

In total 2 wins and 2 loses.  No terrible but room for improvement.  I managed to get best in factions so I have a lovely Cygnar patch to adorn my Figures in Comfort case i hope to get soon. I like the new scenarios.  The corner deployment is great.  That really suits Cygnar’s shooting style. You don’t actually have to move if you can keep your opponent from getting near their objectives with shooting!  The second Scenario is good fun but I didn’t really like it.  Maybe that was because I got pwned and didn’t scratch his army.  What would I Change?  My army list.  Andy the PG who ran the event suggested this could be run as mangled metal tooth and claw.  I’m thinking O’Rowdy,2 Ironclads and a Hammersmith if it’s 25 points. 3 Hammer smiths and 1 Ironclad would be better but you can only field what you have.  And even with 1 Hammer smith I still need to buy it.

I’m taking some photos of my painted 35 points.  So that should be my next update. I’ve also been making a couple of rock walls.  Which are looking nice.  If I like them a lot I’ll do a little guide on how I made them.