Battle Report #83: Maddox vs Stryker1 (Internal affairs IX #1)

For the first round I get matched against Jarle (http://www.courageofcaspia.com/), so it's going to be a rough start to the tournament! His lists are Stryker1 double Stormwall and Haley2 robots. Both have a lot of electro immune. I think Nemo3 into Stryker1 is almost an automatic loss, so I decide to drop Maddox. Jarle drops Stryker1.

Major Beth Maddox (75 points)

Objective: Bunker

Theme: Storm Division

Major Beth Maddox (Maddox1)

* Squire

* 2x Charger

* Ironclad

Journeyman Warcaster

* Firefly

Captain Arlan Strangewayes

Major Katherine Laddermore

Stormblade Captain

5+5 Storm Lances

6 Stormblades

* Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard

Commander Coleman Stryker (75 points)

Objective: Bunker

Theme: Heavy Metal

Commander Coleman Stryker (Stryker1)

* Squire

* Firefly

* 2x Stormwall

Captain Arlan Strangewayes

Journeyman Warcaster

* Charger

Lieutenant Allison Jakes

* Charger

Deployment

I win the roll. I doubt I will be able to win the attrition game here, so Maddox goes on the right side in order to try to score in my zone. 

Round 1

I move up. Dauntless Resolve on Stormblades, Arcane Shield on left flank Lances, and Snipe on one Charger.


I do a classic mistake. In WARMACHINE it's usually better to commit, or not commit. I keep my right side Lances far back so I won't get much use out of them, while the left side Lances are near enough to be shot up by Chargers and Stormwalls.

The barrage of shots kills 4 Arcane Shield Storm Lances. 4 Covering Fires go down.

Round 2

Maddox goes into the zone and infantry goes in to jam.

One intrepid Storm blade refuses to die. More Lances die. Stryker feats and goes into the zone.

0-1

Round 3

I score my first point. Ironclad goes just outside the Stormwall charge ranges.

1-1

Clear zone, pod.

2-1

Round 4

I am running out of models. I kill a pod, contest, score. Chargers put some damage on the objective.

2-2

Clear zone, Stormwall moves closer. Arlan repairs the objective.

2-3

Round 5

I am very low on the clock. I Feat and charge in but the Stormwall lives.

3-3

Zone is again cleared.

3-4

I just have 2 seconds to activate and kill the pod with Maddox before I run out of time. I would never have been able to score again after this turn, though, since there would have been a Stormwall in my zone.

4-5

Evil Cygnar wins by deathclock!

Post Mortem

I think this is pretty difficult for Maddox. Stormwalls and Chargers are good for dealing with her infantry, and Stryker's feat means I do very little for one turn. I should have played the first turn differently - either committing harder, or keeping outside 19".

There is also another play I could have done, by putting models on the edge of my zone to interfere with podding. That forces a Stormwall to go into my charge ranges in order to pod.


Update: Jarle has now also posted a battle report about this match.

And then, burgers for lunch with Jarle & the visiting Swedes.