[Nov BatRep] 35 SS Lilith vs. Viktorias

[Sheijtan]

Here's my battle report I'd like to present to you and to hand in for the battle report contest. Feel free to comment and make remarks. I did not remember every detail of the game, but I think I can present the core of it.

We played a 35SS Scrap at our local gaming group in South-West Germany, Tübingen, to be precise, where our Henchmen often presents us with very nicely arranged tables to play on.

I was playing Viktorias in my seventh game, while I faced Lilith, played by an opponent in one of his first games.

Outcasts Crew - 35 SS - Scrap

Viktoria - 6 SS Pool

Student of Conflict [3SS]

Von Schill [9SS]

Convict Gunslinger [5SS]

Freikorps Librarian [7 SS]

Ronin [5SS]

Neverborn Crew - 35 SS - Scrap

Lilith, Mother of Monsters - 7 SS Pool

Desperate Mercenary [2SS]

Desperate Mercenary [2SS]

Nekima, The Dark Sibling [13SS]

Terror Tot Nephilim [3SS]

Terror Tot Nephilim [3SS]

Terror Tot Nephilim [3SS]

Young Nephilim [6SS]

We flipped for Strategies from the Core Chart: Shared Destroy the Evidence.

Schemes:

Viktorias: Thwart, First Blood

Lilith: Bodyguard (Lilith), Breakthrough

Here's a look at the board after the first activations:

[Turn 1]

A few Evidence Counter were on the table and I was sure to reach them with Von Schill quite fast and to activate. Not really knowing what to expect, I wanted to rush towards the shared counter in the middle. Yet I knew, that I had to expect a grow-list, therefore, I chose First Blood. I took Thwart to give it a try, yet it turned out to be quite challenging.

The Student of Conflict activated, giving Von Schill Fast so he could reach the counter in the middle with three moves.

My opponent started his grow-activation quite promising, damaging his Desperate Mercenary.

Activating von Schill, I let the Librarian activate right after Von Schill, so I could move him up as soon as possible. Von Schill used his Flight-Ability and moved three times, standing right in front of the counter, though not being able to activate it. Running the Librarian up right behind him, I hoped to play her right this time and I think throughout the game I made less mistakes than before, though still making some.

Continuing his grow-activation, my opponent continued hitting his own models.

My whole crew moved forward, spreading out as follows: My Ronin accompanied the Convict Gunslinger, while the Student and my other two Viks pressed up the righthand flank, targeting Lilith and the second Evidence counter.

Then, Lilith tried to do her magic tricks, trying to transposition Von Schill, but the old stubborn devil withstood all three attempts to be transpositions, though using a soulstone in that way. Whether I could activate the counter in the next round would be determined by who will win the initiative as I was pretty sure I would be able to pull this type of resistance off again.

In the meantime, I already aquired the first two Points for completing the Scheme First Blood, which was pretty easy, when the two Desperate Mercenarys bit the dust.

[Turn 2]

With both players spending a Soulstone each, I unfortunatelly lost the initiative and it came as promised: Von Schill was transpositioned into the middle of the Lilith crew, where some Nephilim already waited for the guy. Von Schill took some beating from the Nephilim that had been grown, though he survived with 2 Wounds left on him, enough for me to withdraw him in my next activation.

With his activatin, he retreated, had the Librarian activate right behind him and heal him up again. In the end, I had not lost much by having Von Schill in the middle of the enemy crew, but the Terror Tot was able to activate the counter, getting Victory Points for it.

Lilith continued with her Grow-List, while my Viktorias placed themselves to activate the counter next turn, while the Gunslinger and the Ronin continued their advance, already being close to their evidence marker.

But with the Nephilim Crew already being built up, I had to act. And it was only a 2:1 at this point for me.

[Turn 3]

Von Schill started advancing towards the evidence counter I placed in my opponents deployment zone and the old guy had to take that one by all means. One of the Mature Nephilim was also already on its way towards the Ronin and the Gunslinger and, worse: my deployment zone with all its counters.

The Viktorias activated the counter in front of them, while the Ronin hit the Gunslinger with her Melee Expert-Attack, pushed herself forward and came into base contact with the other counter, activating it with her two action points left. Another point for me.

I needed the push since I ended my last movement 2" in front of the counter.

Lilith's Crew moved towards the counter in her deployment zone, trying to bind Von Schill and stop him from activating it by all means. My opponents plan was to bind him there and force me to support Von Schill and then flying beyond my crew into my deployment zone.

The Gunslinger was the first to go to the ground versus a Mature Nephilim that approached the two models.

[Turn 4]

Lilith used Earthquake to push Von Schill away from the counter and created a forrest near it so that the direct way for him was blocked. Another Nephilim blocked one side of the counter so that there was only one free edge... enough for Von Schill, though.

Von Schill activated the last evidence counter, granting another two victory points. So the plan was to keep my opponent from breakthrough and bodyguarding Lilith.

Even though I already had a chance of attacking Lilith in the third round with my Viktorias, I wasn't sure to finish the job at this point with only my Sword-Vik attacking her so I moved back instead.

With my whole crew retreating towards my deployment zone, I left Von Schill behind, again trusting his taking-abilities.

But with a Black Joker on his Slow To Die action when performing a healing flip, Von Schill went to ground surrounded by two Young Nephilim. But he had done his job quite good so far.

Then the Ronin went to the ground, being struck by the claws of the Mature Nephilim that had already killed the Gunslinger.

It was for the last rounds. My Viktorias were back in the deployment zone, when another Nephilim showed up at one of the counters. One companion activation later and the Counter was all mine again, being guarded by the swords of my ladies.

[Turn 5]

With the Neverborn Crew up ahead, my opponent became a little bit too risky, positioned Lilith a little bit up too far and one full Companion Chain with the Student of Conflict later, she was lying in the dust, where a Red Joker on a Damage Flip had sent her from my Sword Viktoria who also managed to attack the Mature Nephilim who was responsible for taking down the Ronin and the Gunslinger. Bodyguard had been prevented. But then I lost my Sword-Viktoria against Nekima and the Mature Nephilim and also my Pistol-Vik was quite wounded. Therefore, the Librarian had to hold the deployment zone.

It was a 5:1 for my at this point and I needed to keep it that way, with the Student of Conflict and the Freikorps Librarian facing two Mature Nephilim in Charge Distance each.

[Turn 6]

With a Diving Charge, the Student of Conflict was killed by one of the Mature Nephilim. The remaining Viktoria killed Nekima, though would not be able to reach the deployment zone in time. But it was time for the Librarian to make a decision: Either attack the Nephilim that was damaged by the Sword-Vik or retreat a bit to deny the deployment zone. I decided to attack, but failed the Terror-Check. Forgetting about the consequences (negative flips for the next turn), I decided not to cheat it in order to cheat the defensive flips that were about to come. Having the Librarian standing at the edge of the board, I tried to deny the breakthrough.

Flipping for our next round, we flipped a 12 and I was sure not to be able to save my 5:1 that was at this point.

[Turn 7]

One Nephilim activated the counter within my deployment zone and with a quick and dirty diving attack, the other charged my librarian, taking him down with his Melee Expert attack and standing in my deployment zone with the half base .

It would have been better to attack the Nephilim with my librarian, trying to kill it, I suppose, but this way, the game ended in a 5:5 draw. A very impressive game, showing me that I need to work more on the rules when trying to play the game.

Both my opponent and I had a lot of fun playing this very interesting game and I look forward to understanding the Viktorias more and more in the future.

Edited November 27, 2012 by Sheijtan

[Tororo]

Great Report!

I too play the Viks and will be getting my Lilith crew started up soon so it was nice to read how they fared against each other and how you both used your crew members.

Also, Well done on the draw and keep the reports coming