2016 Las Vegas Open (Seamus all teh way)

[benjoewoo]

I went and played at LVO this past weekend. The details are somewhat fuzzy for activation by activation plays, so I'm just summarizing what I thought were the key plays and positioning items. I hope this helps players who are just starting to see some of the things you can do from either side, though this will focus on Seamus since I ran him all 3 rounds at LVO. 

The tournament was in the Bally's hotel convention area, and it was a 50SS Gaining Grounds 2015 Tournament. Fixed faction, running the January through March New Rotation, so Extraction, Reckoning, Headhunter plus randomized schemes. 

There were 14 people in the tournament.

I don't really know the upgrades my opponents took, as I didn't have time in my games to read very much of my opponents' stuff beyond the basic stat cards and then asking questions as the games progressed. My opponents were really good about explaining their pieces to me, and I had a blast playing with all of them. Thank you all for being patient with me!

 

Round 1 vs. TT Jakob Lynch

Strategy: Extraction (on standard deployment)

Schemes: ALITS, Frame for Murder, Power Ritual, Breakthrough, Bodyguard

Crews:

Seamus (Bag, RCK, Hat), CCK, Sybelle (Both specifics), Datsue-ba (Spirit Beacon--the one that summons, I took this all three matches, Unnerving Aura), Jakuuna Umube (Unnerving Aura), Izamu (Unnerving Aura), Rotten Belle

Chose: Breakthrough, Power Ritual (both revealed)

Jakob Lynch (Woke up with a hand, something else), Hungy (with the TT fast upgrade and a 0 Cost one that did nothing but let Emissary do stuff to him), Shadow Emissary (with something), Kang (with stuff), Anna Lovelace (with stuff), two ten thunders brothers. 

Chose: Power Ritual (revealed), Frame for Murder (Kang)

Turn 1

This was mostly a set up turn. Jakob moved his people towards the center. I did the same with everyone but Seamus and CCK basically, who attempted to kill an early TT brother. One thing to notice that really helped me this game was the map set up. There was a solid building (none of the buildings had doors) that was very close to the extraction marker, and since my opponent won deployment and had me deploy first, I deployed on the side with that building so that I could run forward and hide behind the building, by and large out of LoS and difficult to reach for my opponent, but still within the Extraction area for all of my models. My opponent had to run through fairly open space, however, and would essentially turn corners into Izamu, Jakuuna, Sybelle, and Datsue-ba waiting for them with triple unnerving auras.  

Seamus and CCK ultimately do not kill the TT brother, but bag plus double tome suit = instant break through. Seamus and CCK do set up TT brother to go down the following turn. Otherwise, don't think there's anything significant other than each of us dropping a power ritual marker in our corners. What actually happened here was Sybelle complied Seamus into back alley with the tome trigger essentially just out of the TT brother 4" Ml Range. CCK teleports to Seamus, focus and shoots TT brother, missing the shot. Seamus shoots TT brother, misses, then charges and drops two markers for Breakthrough via tome triggers.

Turn 2

I win initiative, and Seamus finishes the job on the TT brother with a couple melees, summoning a belle, then walking up the board to set up for Power Ritual next turn. CCK, who was blown back from where he teleported to Seamus, is able to shoot at the Shadow Emissary twice, leaving the Shadow Emissary at like 2 Wds I think before teleporting back to the safety of Seamus' coat. The summoned belle walks over behind some cover to set up for luring.

Now for the actual fight, because a lot of stuff happens here.

So, Izamu is guarding one corner of my building (my building = building next to Extraction marker), Jakuuna is guarding the other corner of the same wall, with Sybelle between them and Datsue-ba around the corner out of LoS of anyone at the beginning of the fight. The one belle I hired (which dropped my initial Power Ritual marker) is behind another building away from this group for lure/undress back up.

Lynch himself is somewhat far from the marker, but within 1 AP move away. Anna is on the other side of the building from my people, and none of my models can see Anna and vice versa. Shadow Emissary is a bit away, having run towards the marker behind Anna. Kang is fairly close to Jakob as well. Hungy is around the corner from Izamu in engagement and LoS.

So, I believe the first thing is that Kang goes around the corner, but only has one AP left and attempts to shoot Datsue-ba. He hits for weak I think, but it's cool, not burning and Datsue-ba has 4/5 Wds I think. She summons a seishen, and then walks near Sybelle to hide between Jakuuna and Izamu. 

Hungy then comes on by after discarding an upgrade for fast and getting a bump in something from the emissary--I think he got plus flips to everything? Everyone in the Lynch crew was getting plus flips so it may have been the emissary or an aura from someone else. Hungy attempts to kill Izamu and does roughly 3-4 actual damage with no brilliance. Hungy takes 2 from Unnerving Aura and is hit by Jakuuna's Hazardous for severe.

Izamu goes to town on Hungy and kills him in 1 hit hit with a severe melee. Izamu then walks into range of Anna love lace and attempts to hit her, I think dealing 2 on weak or missing.

Anna attempts to do some stuff to Izamu, but misses her attacks and I can't remember why. She takes 2 damage from Unnerving as well.

Sybelle calls the belle over and sets up the future lure machine.

Lynch eventually activates and just blasts Izamu in the face down to 2 health between a walk and his remaining two AP. I try to have my seishin heal Izamu and fail even with focus.

We both score the strategy and have even numbers for extraction so the token doesn't move.

Turn 3

I win initiative, and Izamu attempts to kill Anna, failing but putting her fairly low.

I think Anna activates and attempts to kill Izamu, failing.

I seishin heal Izamu for 2, putting him at 4 I think.

Lynch activates, and finally kills Izamu with Hungy spawning.

I think Datsue-ba summons a seishin and just runs to be out of LoS from Kang so I can maintain extraction count, figuring I can kill shadow emissary at some point. 

Hungy activates and kills Jakuuna.

I use sybelle to comply Hungy and make him walk into engagement with Datuse-ba, forcing him to fail the terror check.

The Shadow Emissary does something, I think he attempts to kill sybelle/the belle but fails.

I have Seamus walk, dump a marker, then back alley to be in range of the extraction marker with a tome trigger, allowing me to move the extraction marker provided I don't get moved.

Kang charges Seamus and gets paralyzed on the horror duel.

My summoned belle finally does something and double lures Kang, landing one of them. Kang walks out of the extraction marker range, ensuring I will get to move the marker.

TT brother attempts to get the last power ritual marker but is just out of range.

I think at this point we call the game because the TO says the belle was the last activation. My opponent reveals Kang the unkillable is the frame for murder target. I score max on power ritual and breakthrough, my opponent gets 2VP on power ritual, and we both score 2 for the strategy

Win: 8:4, MVP Seamus

Round 2 vs. Leveticus

Strategy: Reckoning (on corner deployment)

Schemes: ALITS, Distract, Protect Territory, Take Prisoner, Vendetta

Crews:

Seamus (Sin Rep, RCK), CCK, Sybelle (Both specifics), Datsue-ba (Spirit Beacon), 2x Rotten Belle, Nurse, Yin (Unnerving Aura)

Chose: Protect Territory (revealed), Distract

Leveticus (plus some upgrades), 2x Waifs, Student of Sinew, Lazarus (fast upgrade), Langstrom (fast upgrade and something else), Necropunk, Freikorp Trapper

Chose: Vendetta (Trapper on Sybelle), Protect Territory (revealed)

Turn 1

Lots of action, at least on my part. I lose initiative, but my opponent has me go first, which leads into my two belles luring (via companion) the freikorps trapper 3 times and slowing with undress. Between the lures I get two pounces, one for weak damage....and the other for RJ damage. Trapper is now almost dead and quite sad.

Trapper activates, pushes out of engagement, and attempts to shoot Sybelle through a window, hitting her for 2. 

Datsue-ba finishes off the trapper with weigh the sins and summons a gaki off his body and a seishin for later.

The rest of the turn is mostly set up. I deployed fairly clustered around a building with plenty of cover. This was my first game against Leve, and all I knew was Lazarus has ranged blast and Leve shoots, so I wanted cover at the risk of blast, which I hoped I could delay until turn 2. 

I move the gaki and Yin to set up to drop two markers turn 2 for protect territory.  I have sybelle move up behind dense cover and call a belle. 

Leve moves his people around, specifically necropunk double walking, Lazarus and a waif moving with it. Student and a waif walk to the other side, so Lazarus can see my left side and Sinew the right. Leve moves up the center, Langstrom moves up the center. Leve sacrifices himself for a waif within Langstrom's range and LoS.

Seamus for once doesn't get complied into a TP and instead back alleys, shoots a waif for the kill, and walks behind some cover before summoning a 3rd belle where the trapper died. CCK comes and shoots the student, doing some damage.

End of turn, Leve spawns near Langstrom.

Turn 2

This turn essentially ensured a tie. Leve wins initiative, and attempts to kill my summoned belle. He kills it between 3 attacks and sacs himself.

Gaki moves and drops a marker.

Langstrom discards fast and tries to kill Sybelle, failing the horror check and getting paralyzed--I think, but Langstrom going in on Sybelle did no damage.

I activate Yin, who drops a marker and walks towards Langstrom.

Lazarus moves closer to the actual fight now. Necropunk drops a marker, fails leap, and walks.

My belles collectively lure the student of sinew away from the waif into Seamus Engagement range. At this point, Leve cannot respawn because none of the anchors are close enough to a waif. Not much happened other than Leve killing a belle, maybe seamus shot a waif which ensured no Leve respawn next to Langstrom.

Turn 3

I win initiative, and Yin casts gnawing fears on Langstrom successfully before walking to get set up against him later. 

Lazarus attempts to blow Sybelle away by shooting Langstrom. A severe prevention flip keeps Sybelle alive, but Langstrom is no more as Lazarus RJs the last hit, destroying Langstrom.

A belle lure Lazarus into sybelle, who gives him a distract condition. 

Student attempts to hurt Seamus, but that doesn't do much as he fails the Horror duel and is paralyzed.

The other belle lures the Sinew, healing Seamus some.

Necropunk drops the second marker and now scores 3vp on Protect +1VP for Vendetta from Turn 1.

Seamus walks over to Sinew and gives him distract. Gaki is set up to get 3VP from Protect as well.

We call the game here because we can't start Turn 4 and it's unlikely I'll get a point for reckoning without some really lucky flips on datsue-ba and CCK.

Tie: 4:4, MVP Lazarus and Datsue-ba

Round 3 vs. Ramos

Strategy: Headhunter (on standard deployment)

Schemes: ALITS, Spring the Trap, Deliver the Message, Assassinate, Protect Territory

Crews:

Seamus (Bag, RCK, Hat), CCK, Sybelle (Both specifics), Datsue-ba (Spirit Beacon), 2x Rotten Belle, Nurse, Bete (Unnerving Aura)

Chose: Protect Territory (revealed), Spring the trap

Ramos (upgrades), Langstrom (fast upgrade and something else), Cassandra (fast upgrade, maybe something else), Brass Arachnid, Joss (upgrades), metal gamin

Chose: Protect Territory, ALITS (both revealed)

Turn 1

Not too much happened here. Cassandra and Joss turn out to be scheme runners, moving for ALITS towards opposite sides of the board towards the center line. Metal Gamin darts for the center. 

Key point was Ramos attempting to summon three spiders and BJ the flip, which prevented the Turn 2 explosion fest. Would have been a very different game with it. 

My side doesn't do much either, though there's some action. I move up my people and lure the gamin over. Seamus attempts to shoot it, putting it fairly low after armor. CCK does similar. Datuse-ba gets me a seishin, does some damage to gamin, putting it very low. 

Highlight is Langstrom got reactivate, dropped a marker, and quad walked into Sybelle for two attacks. Sybelle survives.

Turn 2

Lots of action here. I win initiative and kill the gamin, I think with Datsue-ba, but I don't get a summon because I think I charge, eventually getting the head. Langstrom kills a belle, and I summon Bete. Bete and Sybelle beat up Langstrom a little bit. My belle slows Langstrom for next turn. 

Ramos summons three spiders. Joss drops a marker, Cassandra drops a marker and shoots my remaining belle.

Seamus back alleys to Ramos' face, kills a gamin, and gets into engagement with Ramos. CCK teleports to Seamus and kills one of the other spiders but fails to kill the third.

Nurse walks and drops a marker. My remaining belle stays where she is in cover with a marker she dropped turn 1.

Turn 3

The deciding turn, thank goodness for the Bag. I'm pretty sure Ramo gets initiative and attempts to summon spiders, getting two more. Ramos can't get the explosions off I think and Seamus and CCK llive--very important that CCK lived. 

Over at the Langstrom fight, Langstrom attempts to just hit sybelle but gets paralyzed to the Horror duel. Sybelle complies Langstrom to walk away from the head marker he was sitting on, and Bete picks it up.

I'm pretty sure Joss and Cassandra drop more markers, at least Joss does. Cassandra may have moved, dropped a marker, and shot my belle for some damage.

Seamus hits CCK to death with the bag and I get two markers out of the deal. Datsue-ba walks and drops a marker so now I have 3 markers within range of Ramos for spring. 

Game ends here and I reveal spring the trap for 2VP because I can't kill off my own units to have equal or lower than Ramos. 

Win 7:4, Seamus (2 heads, 3 Protect, 2 Spring), Ramos (1 ALITS, 3 Protect), MVP CCK 

I had a lot of fun, and got to play against two masters I rarely play against and Leve whom I've never faced until today. I had a lot of lucky flips at times, particularly on the various horror duels that paralyzed multiple people a turn. Learned from my scheme mistakes, namely not chancing it and going for take prisoner against Leve--I wanted to, but figured that it would go against reckoning since I wouldn't have any ideal targets unless I could ensure at least two turns of paralyze. That plan obviously backfired because I could have chosen trapper and kept him paralyzed with yin and the nurse, but I figured in Reckoning I'd have plenty of targets for Distract, not counting on Lazarus killing Langstrom to try and kill Sybelle. 

I'll answer any questions and hopefully my answers will make sense. My explanations above may not fully explain how each person got their points, but I made sure to write down the end points, so those are correct at least. I didn't mention where I stoned outside of prevention, but I pretty much ate all of my stones each game.

[Bengt]

Kang is the one who has an aura with  to attack and damage against undead and constructs.

[SevenSins]

Sounds like good times! 

A bit sad with the timing though, sounds like you didn't get to finish several games. Strict schedule or slow play?