50 points Vyros versus Harbinger

Monday night came (while I was still on vacation) and it was play night at Clockwork.  I got down there and was looking for a game and so was Andrew.  We saddled up and decided to go for 50 points and scenario.  I haven't done 50 points in a while so I was pretty excited.  I know Andrew likes to play a good mix of jacks and infantry.  He LOVES Harbinger.  I know she screws Vyros's feat but I figure I can punch enough models in the mouth to make her close to dead or not willing to martyr.

My list was -

Dawnlord Vyros
* Aspis
* Hydra
* Manticore
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker
Dawnguard Invictors (Leader and 9 Grunts)
* Dawnguard Invictor Officer & Standard
* Soulless Escort
Heavy Rifle Team (Leader and Grunts)
Houseguard Halberdiers (Leader and 9 Grunts)
* Houseguard Halberdiers Officer & Standard
* Soulless Escort
Arcanist
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
Ghost Sniper
House Shyeel Magister

Reinforcements - Narn, MHA, Fane Knight

Andrew had
Harbinger of Menoth
* Castigator
* Crusader
* Vanquisher
Avatar of Menoth
Choir of Menoth (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Exemplar Errants (Leader and 9 Grunts)
Exemplar Errant UA
Knights Exemplar (Leader and 5 Grunts)
The Covenant of Menoth
Vassal of Menoth

Reinforcements - Vilmonster, 2X Paladins, Seneschal

We roll off for scenario and it is Outfight, Outflank, Outlast.  Great, this was actually the time when Steam Powered Gamer (over on the left) was talking about the NETT and how he hated this scenario.  It would give me a nice refresher.  I always enjoyed these attrition scenarios where you had to get down and dirty.

Andrew goes first and sets up his jacks on my right, infantry on my left (who will be backed up by more infantry), Avatar, Harbinger and Covenant in the middle.  I put my Halberds across from his infantry, jacks and Vyros in the center and Invictors across from his jacks.  My battle plan is pretty simple.  Wear him down and take the zones. 

Turn one he shuffles forward, sings no shooting (for whatever reason, my jacks are magic attacks but whatever) and casts no spells.  My 1 I run the Aspis with a focus from the Arcanist (to tempt his guys forward), throw IR on the Halberdiers who shield wall and shuffle around the forest, Manticore drops a covering fire template, Hydra runs forward to Threaten the zone and Invictors shuffle up the hill.

Here is what the field looks like after Andrew places his reinforcements -

Andrew runs everything forward again.  He wanders an AOE in to the Invictors and kills one.  He drops another shot on my Heavy Rifle Team taking out the helper.  My two and my Arcanist is WAY out of where he needs to be.  I sent him up to help the Aspis but now he is on the wrong side of the board.  Oh well.  I give 1 to the Aspis, 1 to the Hydra and upkeep both spells (one for free).  I bring on the reinforcements.  Narn rolls up the dice of the board his 14" to try and make Andrew worry about him late game.  Magister tries to whip the Hydra forward but is just out of range to do anything useful.  MHA strides forward but out of range of everything, he probably can't get in a charge this turn.  Fane Knight can charge and does, ripping off an arm on the Castigator.  I am worried about that little guy.  I can take attacks, fire sucks!  I have a Phoenix, I know how it all works.  Vyros casts Mobility and shuffles forward.  Hydra runs forward to jam the zone and threaten the Castigator.  Invictors spread out.  Aspis drops back in the woods and safety.  Ghost sniper kills an Errant.  Eiryss shoots and misses a paladin.

Here is the battle after turn 2 -

Andrew decides it's go time and throws out a bunch of focus.  Vassal enlivens the Avatar, Avatar shuffles forward and Gazes.  Castigator rolls up and pounds the Hydra in to the ground.  His other jacks waddle forward and look menacing, he thought he needed them to take out the Hydra.  Crusader dismounts the Fane Knight and I place him out of melee range while the Vanquisher shoots and kills the Heavy Rifle team.  Two points to eat two shots from the big boy and keep my Invictors mostly safe?  I'll take that trade!  Errants kill a Halberdier, he had some terrible rolling here.  Everything else advances to jam me.  A Paladin rolls out to engage Eiryss with an Exemplar.

I see my feat opening.  Gaze is up and that might cause a small issue for the Aspis.  He is currently out of it but beat back is key here.   First things first, Narn runs at Harby but toes in the woods.  Bring it big lady!  I upkeep IR for free.  My idea is to charge up with Vyros, kill the Errant that's forward and throw Eliminator on the Seneschal.  No Martyr or getting up for free if you are RFP buddy!  Andrew sees this, I feat, I charge the Errant and whif, buy some more attacks, I end on one focus and Harby is down 4 life.  Darn it!  If I had changed my charge a little bit that guy would be toast.  Lesson.  I also did not need to do that.  Mage Hunter Assassin rolls up and brings the Castigator to 5 life.  Two CRA's later and he is down for the count.  Fane Knight skirts around and dumps some damage on the Vanquisher and  engages a choir member.  Why didn't I kill the choir member?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Magister charges forward and slams the Crusader back and rolls a 6.  He is no longer a threat to Vyros this turn!  Halberds move up and kill some Errants with a minifeat and some CMA's.  Aspis moves forward and chains through some exemplars and errants.  He gets bogged in on Vilmon and whifs a couple times leaving 1-2 guys alive that he might have been able to get to.  Manticore with 3 focus fails to kill the Seneschal.  Seriously?  Yeah.  That needed to happen.  He should be dead 5 times, enough for Harby to think about not martyring.  Instead he is alive with 4 health.  Sigh.  Ghost sniper runs up to kind of jam life for the Vanquisher in case he decides that Vyros looks like a good target.

After 3 -

Andrew does a whole bunch of meaningless stuff then Seneschal slams Manticore and Avatar charge Vyros for the win.  He ended with 2 focus left so it wasn't even close.  Avatar with Choir is basically an autohit.  I should have slammed him and then bought attacks on the seneschal.  I should never have moved Vyros up and, if I did, I should have moved him in such a way to Eliminator the Seneschal.

Lessons learned!  It was a really fun game and I love playing against Andrew.  If I had played my caster more conservatively I think I could have grabbed a CP the next turn and attritioned him down a bit on the right.  My Halberds and Invictors were only down 1 model, that's 12 men per unit left.  That's a lot.