Into the Dojo : Part Four - Ancestors vs. Swampfiends

[Regelridderen]

Still prepping for a tournament with my Ressurs, and today I had the pleasure of running into Mama Z in the swamp. 

Schemes and Strategy : 

Symbols of Authority w. Flank Deployment

Breakthrough, Vendetta, Hidden Martyrs, Let them bleed, Research Mission. 

THE TABLE

Lots blocking impassable rocks, and a few severe craters. So no hazardous or concealing terrain. My opponent won initiative and took a flank that was fairly blocked off and difficult to enter, while mine was open and cut in half by a big wall - good choice. 

TACTICS - YAN LO

Going with the Spiritwalker, I just wanted a fast game. Manos and Yin readied themselves for chasing symbols and scoring Breakthrough. While my second Komainu and Sloth got Hidden Martyr duty. 

Spiritwalker + Soul Porter

Manos

Yin w. Grave Spirit’s Touch

2 x Komainu w. The Whisper - I wouldn’t want Zoraida1 messing with their heads. 

Sloth - forgetting he only has synergy with undead and only could affect Yin. 

8 Stones

TACTICS - ZORAIDA

Zoraida had some convoluted plan involving spawn mother and spamming gupps and eggs markers. Setting Spawn Mother and a Flying pigment up as Hidden martyrs, while a Silurid and the First Mate were to grab Strat markers and score Breakthrough. And then ruin my crew totally with 24 cups of coffee. 

Zoraida2

First Mate

Bedeviled Kettle w. 12 Cups

Spawn Mother w. 12 Cups

Silurid

Gatreaux Bokor

Flying Piglet

4 Stones

THE GAME

Round One saw me messing up my opponents plans by Staggering Zoraida, Kettle with Manos through a summoned Effigy. Still he managed to get the Kettle up and engaging Manos, Yin, Yan Lo and a Komainu. The Spawn Mother and a Red Joker managed to kill off my spare Komainu, and I really felt a nasty pressure. 

Round Two I did my worst to push back, and with a concerted effort, Yan managed to take out the Kettle before it got to act. Meanwhile Spawn Mother and the first Mate aimed for my deployment zone. Sloth passed out his final Fast and turned around to engage the Mate. While I managed to engage Zoraida in her deployment zone with his Komainu. Yin scored first point of the strategy. While Manos managed to break free from the flying pig that was thing him up and charging Zoraida. 

Score 1 - 2

Round Three Zoraida put up a fight vs. Yan Lo, a Komainu. It took the lives of two mannequins and the Gatreaux Bokor as well, before Zoraida caved in to Burning at the end of the round. Meanwhile Sloth was thing up the First Mate, and Spawn Mother scored another Strat marker and started dumping scheme markers in my deployment. The soul porter engaged the pig and thus allowed Yin to speed ahead and score both Breakthrough and take her second Strat marker

Score 3 - 3

Round Four Yan Lo managed to go from one deployment zone to the other. Killing the Flying Piglet and the First Mate on the way. The Silurid emerged from hiding, taking the third symbol and aimed for the second, but no longer engaging the Piglet allowed the soul porter block of the final symbol with his 2” threat zone. Meanwhile Manos littered Zoraida deployment zone with scheme markers and Yin took the third symbol. Unfortunately my opponent revealed Hidden Martyrs w. The Piglet and Spawn Mother - a move I should have seen coming a mile away. 

Score 4 - 5

Round Five with only a Silurid and the Spawn Mother left, there was little hope for the swamp fiends. And surely the Spawn Mother was wiped clean off the board with in seconds by a charge from Sloth. The Silurid had a feeble chance of taking out the soul porter and removing the symbol, but after it’s charge failed the game ended, as Manos took the fourth symbol. 

FINAL SCORE 6 - 5

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AFTERMATH

To no surprise the Spiritwalker is still bonkers, able to go from one deployment to the other and killing two models on the way. Just crazy. 

My opponent did have me sorted though, the 24 cups of coffee was nasty and the bonus actions are just so integral to the Spiritwalker. My luck was that he chose to send the Spawn mother to scheme in my deployment zone - hoping I would kill the Piglet. 

My speed and damage potential was just superior to my opponent. It wasn’t that I played better, I just had better tools. 

MAN OF THE MATCH

To my surprise Sloth actually had a huge effect. The two times he made Yin fast made a huge difference in putting damage on the Kettle and allowing her to reach a symbol. While he was quite impressive in neutering the first Mate - who is usually too slippery to deal with.

The Soul Porter come in at a nice second. With two Mv6 models to empower, he really gives the whole crew an impressive reach.