Ok so got my first 2 games out of the way today. Game 1 was against a good friend playing Menoth, I lost but gave a good account of myself and learnt a ton of new stuff.
Game 2 was a with two other new players and another good friend teaching us all. Myself and 1 of the new players were both using our Cygnar starter sets against the other new player and my friend playing Scyrah. They weren't using the starter sets.
Match 1
I was using:
Cygnar starter set
Squire
Grand Scrutator Severius
Templar
Vanquisher
Choir of Menoth
Allegiant of the Order of the Fist
The match was fun learning what all the stats ment and how the activation phases worked. I think the hardest thing to pick up was the combination of abilities and the target priority.I found the Charger to be a pretty fun and powerful little jack. Fully boosted his 2 shots can do quite a bit of damage. The Lancer was funny frying the cortex of the Vanquisher. Stryker then came in and cut him down before he went down to the Templar.
Looking back at the match I'd say I set up wrong. With trees in the middle I was trying to split his force, but all he did was walk the 2 jacks forward base to base protecting Severius. After the Charger took out the Monk, the Vanquisher tore a flaming cannon call through him setting him on fire.
Match 2
Cygnar Starter set
Cygnar Starter set
Garryth, Blade of Retribution
Lord Arcanist Ossyan
Phoenix
Discordia
8 x Houseguard Halberdiers
3 x Dawnguard Destors
Arcanist
We won the roll for this game and set up 1st. After asking about each units etc we decided to go for a refused flank to our left. The idea being to try and team up on 1 caster. It worked kinda ok with my team mate moving up the left as I moved up the left centre.
With the Destors and Garryth heading right, the Phoenix was the main shooting target. He was shot to crap with the Arcanist earning his points cost. I made the mistake of pushing my Lancer and Charger too close to the Halberdiers and learnt just how much of a pain they were at tying up units. During that fight Garryth came in to 2 shot the Charger and then was trying to set up to hit my caster.
On the left my team mate had almost got his whole force to the enemy deployment, his lancer took a bit of a combined beating from the Phoenix and Warcaster before his Ironclad came in with 3 focus and beat the living crap out of the Phoenix after he first knocked it on it's butt with a Tremor Attack. It looked that flank was won but sadly his caster wasn't covered fully by his defender and he was caught with a Discordia charge that tore him up.
As I had casted Blur on my Styker, I knew I could weather the shooting from the Destors. They spread out to shoot as Garryth moved up. Stryker killed one in melee whilst the Ironclad left his target with 1 wound. (Garryth used his feat in the prior turn which stopped me boosting the Ironclad.) As he wasn't in range to charge, I took some damage from Garryth's shooting.
Seeing my chance next turn, I advanced Stryker and cast Earthquake at the free Destor beside Garryth.The Rider was close enough to the Warcaster and I got the knockdown I wanted. With the prone Elf, the Ironclad and his 3 focus walked over to lay the smackdown. The first fist punch hit for 9, the hammer hit after that was 11! We called it a draw as the left flank had started to packed up as it was near closing time.
That game was really cool as it taught me a lot about the synergy of the spells and combination of when to attack and what with. I can see why Ol'Rowdy is such a favourite after seeing what regular Ironclads can do. My local gaming store is doing a tournament starting on the 24th. I'm trying to work out what I want to be doing for the 1st 15 points. Want to keep it simple but want Lt Caine as my caster. Hardest choice atm is Ol'Rowdy or a normal Ironclad, & Black 13th or regular Gun Mage Squad for later on
