After one of the best games I’ve played in forever, my recording software failed… So I wanted to share some of the game I just had! This is as close as my memory will allow.
P1 Barlus, P2 Plannum, P3 Ferrin, P4 Tarrus, P5 Iridial, P6 Osus, P7 Carnath
First Turn:
I decided to mulligan and ended up with Xavaes, a Splintered Acolyte, and an Alluring Daemonette in my opening hand. I also had the Tower of Worship. I used the cultist to get the support and other units out, putting Xavaes on Barlus at P1 so he would end up following my warlord into at least one other battle and the Daemonette opposite a Rogue Trader on Tarrus and then promoting my unit. He also had the Emperor’s Champion at P3. I think he had an STC out this early, but it might have turned up next turn.
I committed to P1, wanting to ensure Xavaes got me some card draw, as I was missing useful cards. Also, Plannum was on P2 and I was worried that if I commit further down the line he would be able to use Plannum to send the Champion to fight my Warlord, and beat me up. Vha’shaelhur ain’t great one on one like that… Mavros commit to Tarrus with his Rogue Trader.
I got him to discard Death Serves The Emperor with Barlus, which I found confusing at first. I was thinking ‘What vehicles do marines use a lot of?’ Then, I shielded my Daemonette with a Mark of Slaanesh so that I could kill the Trader and then retreat, letting me keep some units on the field, having drawn no more yet. However, he was able to get 3 resources from Tarrus.
Second Turn:
I drew a Corrupted Teleportarium and no units. I’m sitting with a couple of Marks of Slaanesh, a Fall Back and I think I drew a Gut and Pillage this turn as well. It might have been an Ominous Wind. He dropped a Space Wolves Predator onto Planet 1 which was Plannum, which I was actually okay with as I was thinking I would do my damndest to commit to P2 where the Champion was and try to finish it off before it became planet 1. He puts out a Clearcut Refuge, making all my battles that much harder, as most units end up with another 6-7 HP that I have to cut through.
Commit went as I expected, Mavros went to Osus down the line.
I decided that I wasn’t going to allow him to get Plannum, after all he would probably just move the Predator to P2 where my warlord was anyway. So I used the Daemonette that had followed my warlord to pull the Predator over and Plannum was lost to no one. In the battle at P2 Ferrin I managed to ping the two elites with Area Effect and then get bloodied, but bloodying me required focusing on the warlord (I shielded one point of damage to keep me from getting bloodied in the firs thit, hoping he’d use the second to bloody me). That meant that I was able to retreat Xavaes and the Daemonette to try and use them somewhere else another time.
Third Turn:
I did draw a Possessed this turn I think, which was an easy buy with my resources. I hadn’t much to spend them one otherwise! I used it as a command on Iridial at P3, where I can use my Teleportarium. Pretty sure he dropped a Sword Bretheren Dreadnough at Osus.
I commited to Iridial, hoping the Possessed would protect me if needed. I was aware that this was forfeiting a lot of command, but I felt like I didn’t have a lot of options due to my bloodied warlord. With no defense, he won Ferrin without a struggle, then routed my Daemonette. I was pretty happy about that, because it meant I might get a cultist thanks to Xavaes staying at the planet. Although I had nothing to spend it on, I figured I was bound to draw a daemon elite eventually. Vha’shaelhur killed the Trader at the planet, and I managed to get off a Gut and Pillage.
I think Mavros went to Osus and nabbed one of my resources. We finish the turn and I have Xavaes and a Possessed on a couple of planets, with a Daemonette in HQ. He has a Predator, and Champion in HQ, a Dread on one planet, two or three Traders and Pirates sprinkled along the line. He well outweighs me in cards and resources, and I have no units at all.
Fourth Turn:
Finally, in desperation for units, I play an Ominnous Wind with a Possessed being my biggest cost unit. Luckily it drew me another Possessed and a Heldrake. Couple that with my Teleportarium ,a Fall Back and a Mark of Slaanesh, and I feel like I will be able to do something at Planet 1. He drops another Space Wolves Predator there, but I’m sending Vha’Shaelhur down to Carnath at the very end anyway. I don’t want my warlord risking death, and I’m fairly sure he won’t commit that far down the line with a Predator and the Champion in his HQ. It also means I’d get to leave my Promoted Daemonette at the last planet, with 3 hammers. Mavros heads to Planet 1 to back up his big hitters.
It takes a long battle at planet 1, but eventually I’m left with a Possessed in HQ and a Heldrake on 3 health remaining. I Marked the Possessed, hoping he would kill the Drake first and then I could Fall Back and pull the Drake refreshed back into the battle. I also had the other Possessed at P2, waiting to Teleportarium over at the right time. Instead he took out the Possessed first and I ended up pulling the other one over. I still used my Fall Back there, and then crossed my fingers hoping he wouldn’t finish off the Drake, because I didn’t want to lose it!
At various points, my opponent had retreated the odd unit. First his warlord, then a Reclusium I think, and then a Predator. I think I was just able to hold out because of that. He played at least one Death Serves in here, gaining a ridiculous 7 resources for a dead Predator.
However, being on Carnath down the line with my warlord lets me kill a Rogue Trader and then trigger Gut and Pillage, plus use Iridial to heal the Drake. A good round for me. Dropped the Daemonette there on the last planet.
Fifth Turn:
Not many new units joining either side, although I get my last Possessed and put it on Osus. I commit to Osus to set up my big hitters on what will now be a win condition for me, and also hoping I can get rid of that Sword Bretheren if Mavros doesn’t commit there.
He drops one of those Area Effect Land Speeders on P1, clearly expecting me to try for it, or wanting to scare me off. Xavaes is there, and I’m thinking he finally is going to have to die. He has 4 or 5 Elite vehicles wandering around the planets now, I’m worried. But I do have a couple of elites of my own, so I’m beginning to feel like I have a shot.
Mavros goes to P1, ensuring the victory. At Osus I pass, then he uses the Clearcut Refuge to bump the Dread up another 7 HP. I hit it with the Possessed and then, before he can swing back, pull the Dread to Carnath with my Daemonette. Phase ends, and the Dread dies. He pulls another Death Serves, getting so many resources that its making me panic.
Sixth Turn:
I have a Heldrake and two Possessed on Osus, which is a win condition for me. I have a Daemonette on Carnath, so I can pull a unit across if I need to. However, to retain intiative, I’ll need to commit to P1 with my bloodied warlord. He adds a couple of command units and a Reclusium Templar to Osus, I add use a Daemonic Incursion to try and find some more daemons but whiff entirely. So I drop the Soul Grinder that had turned up in HQ draw cards to P1.
We both commit to Osus, Mavros bringing the Land Speeder and a Predator with him. The Soul Grinder forces a Rogue Trader to be sacrificed. I use the Daemonette to pull the Land Speeder off P1. The Champion forces my Possessed to swing on him, which I do. Then a Reclusium hits my warlord, I retreat the warlord, Mavros hits something, I bloody Mavros with the Heldrake and we trade blows until I manage to have the planet, and the game.
Given the extreme lack of units early on, I was thrilled to manage to pull this win out!
He finished with an insane 23 resources!
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