Wheel of Fortune tourney game 2

So, one game in the books and I have a solid win but no CP.  Game 2 starts and I get paired up with PG-13 Dan and outside.  I love playing outside.  It was a tad more noisy but it was so refreshing to be out doors and playing a game.  They have a tent out there so you have shade and it stops the big gusts of wind from raping you.  Dan and I roll off and he is going first.  He gets Mordikaar's card, uses his once per tournament veto and pulls Grayle.  I pull pStryker and almost let loose in my pants.  This is going to be a good match up for me.  Scenario was the one with two vertical scoring zones, one on each half of the table.

Dan has -

Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight (*5pts)
* Shredder (2pts)
* Shredder (2pts)
* Carnivean (11pts)
* Typhon (12pts)
Blackfrost Shard (5pts)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (1pts)
1 Spell Martyr (1pts)
Strider Deathstalker (2pts)
Strider Deathstalker (2pts)
The Forsaken (2pts)

He sets up and it looks like -

I have the unfortunate decision of an obstacle in one deployment center and a forest in the other.  This sucks.  I chose the forest but it may have been the wrong choice.  To any tournament organizers out there, screwing someone with this table set up is fucked up.  Don't do it!

Dan is afraid of my feat and knows that he can lose the attrition game very easily.  He needs to pick me off from a far and he needs to play smart to do it.  He advances but no one goes full bore.  My 1 I shoot the Fane Knight way up field, I don't think he can kill him.  Halbs shield wall and MHSF run.  Halbs get Arcane Shield (I should have put it on the Fane Knight, I thought about it), Kae gets Snipe and the MHSF get Blur.  Screw you eyeless sight, hit DEF 17!  Kae tags the Carni stealing a fury.  Phoenix is out of it.  Terrible deployment or late game wonder?

Dan's two and he feats to start.  He cut himself for the fury I stole which draws FIRST BLOOD!  He shoots some Halbs with his Strider on my right and sprays them a bit and takes out 2.  Carni and Typhon sprays later and Fane Knight is down for the count. 

I answer Dan's feat with a feat of my own.  He has, in the left zone a Strider, 1 of the Blackfrost and a Shredder.  The Mage Hunter Strike Force advances around the house and manages to take out the Deathstrider but thats it.  Playing against stelath sucks!  That means Kaelyssa has to take out one Blackfrost Shard and a Shredder as they are both stealth due to Grayle's feat.  She feats, moves forward and pops them both on some stolen fury.  Here is where I fudged up.  I planned on her contesting the right hand zone while I took the left.  a 16" gun on a 14" control range means I moved too far (I was just in range though).  After that, I shifted the Halbs in front of her but didn't get any in the right hand zone!  I run the Mage Hunter Assassin in to the zone to get a piece in there.  I score a CP.  Phoenix is still in a bad position and being jammed by my whole army.

Dan clears out that lone Mage Hunter Assassin and the one halb in the zone, killing another Halb along the way and scores a point.  Darn it!  I wanted that early CP lead and to just grind it out and I made a mistake.  If I had jammed that zone a tad more I was golden!  Now I need to fight for a win and I need it badly.  His gobbos roll up and jam my Mage Hunter Strike Force.

Thags has that Stormrager spell on him so I know I am not doing much.  The Artificer starts off by throwing a mini-hellmouth on the Carni which kills the Strider on blast.  Way to be useful Arti!  Kaelyssa shoots the Carnivean and does some more solid damage.  Magister charges the Carni and does some significant damage.  Halberdiers charge in and CMA to take the big guy down on the minifeat!  Tally?  Dan has Thags, a Shredder, a Forsaken, Typhon, a Spell Martyr, Goblins and 2 of the Blackfrost.  I have the Mage Hunter Strike Force, Halberdiers, Artificer, Phoenix, Arcanist, Magister and Kaelyssa.  The Mage Hunters CMA but fail against one goblin.  What does the Phoenix do?  Sigh.  I should have just jammed in front of Kaelyssa and taken the free win.  Dan can not possibly over take my point advantage.  I get tunnel vision.  Phoenix takes out a goblin.

Dan has a hard time of it.  He goes all in on the assassination.  All he needs is to get Typhon in to melee with Kaelyssa and it's game.  One rabid shredder, some shots from the shard, Thags doing his thing and the charge lane is clear.  Dan gets Typhon in there, eats a couple free strikes which rip nothing off and he wins the game on the first attack.  I had it.  Kaelyssa did not need to be in the left zone.  She could have been hiding.  The phoenix could have been jamming in front of her.  Instead, I lost. 

Losing to the eventual winner is never a bad thing.  Oh well, I will get you yet Dan!  It was a fun game and time was called about 30 seconds after Dan's dice roll.  Delay Shane and you win.  Remember that!