Monday, September 22, 2014

Lots of games AND a tournament


On the gaming front, it has been really quiet around here lately. It has been quiet out there for me as well. Since my last game post, I have had one game of Bolt Action, versus Nabors, using my own SS Germans list, which I won. And that is about as far into that as I plan to go. This weekend, however, the drought ended. In a flood. A flood of awesome.

A little preface on what all happened. I was supposed to go camping with the family, but since we have so much to do on the house, my parent's canceled that. So, instead of being the good son and helping, I blew three days on gaming. I'm not as horrible as all that, but honestly, this is a gaming blog, so, who cares?


I started this weekend tour of gaming with a game versus Shane of Infinity. You know, the system I invested too much in a never play. Yep, I got a game. We were running YAMS, of course. I had Capture the Flag, Capture something(two dead in CC), kill half his force, and Get Documents. I was running my standard Infinity list. One day I should probably try the guided missile list, but my current one just does so well for me. He was running Pan O Knightly Orders. He had a Seraph, a fusilier link team, lead by a Santiago(?) Knight, a sniper, another fusilier, and Joan Of Arc, cause, well, why not. He took deployment, I set up fairly spread out, but with the Marut kind of in the open in the center. He setup almost completely hidden. I don't think his fire lanes were very good. He had a ton of cover, while I had the only high terrain, which I ignored, because that never works for me. I forgot to reveal my Double or Quits and he wouldn't let me go back, which I should learn to not to anyway. He did have his units pretty well covered, but the approaches were pretty wide open. I took a quick look at the board and decided that the Marut was gonna sit out for a sec. Okay, so it wasn't all that quick. Anyway, I dropped the Garuda behind a wall and circled around behind Joan, but in front of the Fusilier, using my boarding shotgun on spray to get both. He turned Joan and the other Garuda dropped in behind her, which she turned back to face. The the first shot again. The fusilier died, but Joan lived with one wound. I then took the second and shot AP ammo into her, managing to score two wounds, pushing her right past No Wound Incapacitation. I then dropped a mine by my flag, moved up the Marut a bit and prepped for turn two.
As Joan was his Lt, he spent the turn nominating a new one. I then moved in a Garuda to soften the Link team in the very back. They didn't do a lot, but I then moved the Marut around the other side to start my slice and dice to get my captures. The other Garuda tried and failed to get documents than just sat and waited a turn. My Garuda moved in on the Knight, locking it up so as to keep it from going after the Marut, who was down to one wound. I then, somehow, managed to get my electric field to immobilize his knight. On his turn, he started into the Garuda, and got immobilized again. It has never worked before, and it just worked twice! Super awesome, probably helped make the game. The Marut continued to mow down his back field, leaving a Knight, Seraph, and his still hidden sniper.

After that, the game went pretty well my way. He did manage to take out the Marut, nixing my ability to close combat his flag(I think), locking me in at 3 points. I spent the next two turns moving models into position, with some casualties, so that I could ARO the snot out of his Seraph, should it show its face. The sniper did show itself, doing a bit of damage, but by that point I was fairly secure in points, unable to go up or down. I did get his sniper, from ARO I think, but can't remember. Then my uber plan(heh) came into effect, with him doing stuff with his Seraph, and just like my Marut has done so often, it went down to small arms fire. This put him into retreat, but he only had the Knight, his new Lt, left, so it only mattered a little. He made a single move with the Knight, doing I can't remember what.
In the end, it was a 3-1 victory to me. A well played game. I gave some pointers, I hope they help. I am thirsty for a loss in Infinity. It sounds cocky, but it would mean my opponents are learning, and then they can start teaching. My learning curve, I fear, is very shallow. I just hope I'm not becoming complacent.


And that was Friday. With a Saturday off, I set up a Malifaux tournament. Attendance was kind of sad, with just three players. But, honestly, I was happy to have any. It also meant I got games as the ringer. YAY! I even had a player come from Greeley. More YAY! As it was everyone play everyone, I set it up so I would play Russ(the guy from Greeley) last. As I had hoped to be the best opponent there, and give him a good, I wanna come back, game to finish. I'm not saying my other two players are horrible opponents, but they both have their quirks. But, in truth, the main reason I set it up that way, and maybe a good thing the third round never happened, my other two players' games always seem to implode when they play each other, and I wanted that to happen at the end and not wreck the whole day. Anyway, enough of that, how did my games go?


Game one was myself versus Patrick. We were playing Gaining Ground, so round one was Stake a Claim. Patrick runs Nicodem and HATES my Leveticus. Leveticus would have been a good choice, but I think Tara was better, and less rage is usually a good thing. So, I took Tara. I dropped the double beater, though I did take Taelor for Welcome to Malifaux. A good choice versus any Resser, I think. I also took two Wretches, Karina with her new upgrade, and Johan. He took Nico, Mortimer, Sebastian, two Canines, and a Flesh Construct. I had taken Taelor to combat undead, and Johan to combat Poison(more on that later), but their two Relic Hammers are fantastic against Flesh Constructs. I tried super hard to screw this game up early, but in the end didn't. I forgot Stake a Claim and wasn't going to drop a marker, instead looking to get stuff down for my Spring a Trap, but realized at the last minute, and Tara saved the day, dropping one at the end of two. I couldn't get the cards in hand to get Karina to pull a Punk Zombie out of her hat, but I could get Crooligans, which were invaluable. I did have them drop scheme markers on the turn they were summoned, but they were just ALiTS bait, to tempt Nico for Spring a Trap, which of course didn't work. What they did do was drop Creepy Fog, giving my various pulses +1 damage. Which is really good for a Desolation Engine, then followed by Abominations. Of course they die on the turn after, but thus is life.

In the end, I got full for Stake a Claim(he never left his side), full for Spring the Trap, and two for Power Ritual. He was only able to get one for Power Ritual.


Game two was versus Troy. This one was Turf War with Close Deployment. It hadn't occurred to me earlier, but I have played Close Deployment three times now, and all three have been versus Troy. In a turn around from our previous games, he deployed back, and I deployed forward. He ran Pandora, Poltergeist, Kandy, Teddy, and Barbaros. I ran Leveticus, Ashes and Dust, Rusty, two Waifes, the Hodgepodge Effigy, and three Abominations. This game was a flip of deployment. I deployed aggressively, he stayed back. He moved aggressively forward, I circled around him. He did manage to get a very early attack on Rusty Alyce and Red Jokered her, killing he instantly with her own hand(Doppelganger). I circled around to the right, gunning for his only minion, who was hiding in the back. I was then able to pop Leveticus up in range, and a pew pew turn you into an Abomination later, I had guaranteed full points for Make Them Suffer.

However, I made a stupid mistake, and instead of moving my Hodgepodge Effigy all the way around the wall, I just moved him part way. Keeping him just as safe, but outside of the Turf War 6" zone. This cost me the game. Though, up until the end, it looked like I was going to take a far worse beating. I did a fair job of mauling his crew, but he had Bodyguard on Kandy who I never got close to, and Make Them Suffer, and I basically feed him minions and his crew is all Henchmen and Master, save Teddy and the dead Geist. So, he was looking at full points, I was short one on Stake a Claim, full for Make Them Suffer, and looking at two for announced Sand. However, on the final turn, I brought out my Coup de Grace. I moved Ashes into place, using some trickery, with his zero action move to scrap, dropped a scheme marker, purposely failed my WP test for Pandora's interact upgrade, died and Oathkeeper dropped another. This put the core in place for the Claim, Dust Storm popped up, moved up to rebirth Leveticus, in range of the Claim marker, giving me apoint, and putting me in place to get another point for a turn six. However, the game ended. I had managed to pull out 9 points, but not enough to stop his 10 points.
During this time, Russ had lost to Patrick, and though I was engrossed in my own game, from what I heard, it didn't go well. Russ decided to take off before game three, so I didn't get to play him, to which I was greatly disappointed. In the end, I found out that had I not made the stupid move with the Effigy, I would have tied Troy in Tournament Points, and mollywhopped his face on Differential, winning the tournament, even though I wasn't eligible. It wouldn't have changed final standings for the players, but it would have been a morale victory for me.
Afterwards, everyone went home, and Paul decided I alone wasn't worth staying for, even though he promised me a game(again, you would think I would learn).


But wait, that's not all! I still had one more day off, and I wasn't down making the most of it. I have been trying to get a game in against Julian, the Longmont Henchman for a while, but I am convinced he is afraid of me. But it was finally going to happen, I had a day off on their gaming day, and it was on! However, once again, he cowardly failed to make it. About 10:30 he let me know he was busy. Not to be dissuaded, I made my way down there anyway. Instead, I played a game versus Kevin. Kevin is a mostly Ten Thunders player, and we talked a little about masters, and I mentioned my starting Misaki and there not being a lot on her as an Outcast. We decided to play a game and flipped Reckoning. I started to make a Tara crew, but just couldn't stick with the scheme pool and Reckoning. So, I went to fast becoming favorite for Reckoning, the sisters of death, the Viks. I ran the Viks, Taelor, Student, Miss Demeanor, and three Ronin. He ran an almost mirror crew, but lead by Misaki. He had three Ronin, two Convict Gunslingers, and Kill Joy. We both took Deliver the Message and Assassinate. This game was super fast and intense. I was able to move my Viks behind the central fountain, a Ronin to either side, another behind a fence on the right, Taelor went as a bodyguward to Miss Demeanor on the left. He came up behind the tower, with Misaki and a Ronin coming up behind a tree and some ruins on my right. Taelor took it on the chin early, but as the beast she is kept on coming. She was able to put her hammer in range of a Ronin that had come around a corner, and a Gunslinger peeking around the corner of the tower. This meant that the Miss Demeanor could randomize on both, hopefully killing the gunslinger, which was at the edge of range(possibly out) while targeting the Ronin. However, as I am an idiot, I forgot to Rapid Fire. Derp. And of course, I did kill the Gunslinger, and left the Ronin at one wound. Well done, idiot. So, no points for Reckoning on turn two. I then did some shenanigans with the Viks, which almost backfired as I pounded Misaki down to a single wound. Thank goodness for the Survivalist upgrade, since her Hard to Kill saved her. He seppekued a Ronin, grabbing to cards, and dropping out Kill Joy. Uh-oh. I then promptly used Viktoria of Blood to smack Misaki(which brought her to 1), and push the Viks out, but left Blood within range to Deliver a message on the following turn. Kill Joy raged in, but he forgot its a 1 action, and to discard Oathkeeper for fast, and so didn't do a ton. Misaki was able to move away as well.

However, on the following turn, I used Ashes to move herself and Blood into Kill Joy, whomping on him soundly. Vik of Blood then Delivered the Message on Misaki and finished Kill Joy. Then Misaki moved in and pulled some bad ass out of a hat, killing both Viks, giving him Assassinate for full points. He then Another Targeted he into a forest, to hide for a bit. I the used one Ronin, who had been on a wound for bit, but failed to shoot her, then Seppekued. I had given Miss Demeanor fast, but she was going to be out of range to get more than one shot off, so I tried the other Ronin first, who flipped Red Joker on a negative flip, basically sealing Misaki's fate, as the Black Joker had decided this was the turn to show in my hand. It was fourth turn, so I had full points. This meant I had three for Deliver a Message, three for Assassinate, and already had a point for Reckoning, which meant I was sitting at 7, which, since Deliver a Message was impossible, he could only tie me. I had also blasted his beaters and still had a good bit of crew left, would likely make it to eight, while full for Reckoning would require at least a sixth turn. So, he called it, and I didn't blame him at all. It was great game, and it was interesting to see how Misaki fared without any Last Blossoms. I still hold that Misaki is less beater as I have seen her run, and move movement control and shenanigans. Don't get me wrong, she hits HARD, and I think that is what leads to her being placed as a beater. I guess I had better finish painting her crew up so that I can test my theory.

A truly awesome weekend. I am glad I kept it off. Especially since I think I got more games in three days than I have in the last three months. Well, maybe not, but possibly two. A thanks to all my opponents, I didn't have a single bad game, and a challenge to Russ, I want that game. Hopefully next Saturday will be move giving in games, but I will just have to see. I will be back to working, so time will of course be tight again. Ah, if only I had a way to get paid, but not have to go to work, or at least set my own schedule. But alas.

Look for some more tardy Malifaux blogger later this week. I have already started into the black on the Misaki crew, and I think it is really working. Would be better if it weren't so close to Halloween, but luckily Genghiscon won't be.

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