Traning weekend in Oslo

 Jocke, Jeppa and I went on a training weekend with the Norwegians. A weekend best summarized in the picture below. Jeppa doing something, a Norwegian watching in disgust. Jocke laughing manically and Me documenting the event for the future.

I felt the need to test my Vayl2 against good cryx players so that is the practice I really wanted. I got thrown down against Sverre our beautiful host for the weekend. He brought a Coven and Goreshade2 pair. Both in the new bane theme.

I can't drop Abby2 into that. So yeah. Dropping Vayl2 and going for the throat.

I'm scared of Coven's ability to chanel spells so turn 1 I pop out a harrier, it runs into position and I throw a deadly storm at it. Doing moderate damage and killing one bane as well.

In his turn he runs up and feat. Bad times ahead. I have made a mistake as well. I ran up Bayal front and centre letting him kill that one without any trouble.

Vengeance on bane cav is disgusting during Covens feat turn. So I do nothing. Just pull back with everything.

In hus turn he scores 4 points and it's time for desperation assassination run. If I don't fuck it up I would get him. Standing in the kill box against Vayl2 is a dumb idea. But I don't declare my free snipe so my first shot miss and then I miss two more shots and the assassination run does not happen.

In his turn he runs me over for a 6-0 scenario win.

So if I'm up against a cryx player that knows what I'm doing and kill boxes himself, then Vayl2 is not very strong into bane theme.

Next game. I'm up against Legion.

I think legion right now have triangle of power casters. Lylyth3 is good against Abby2, while bad against Fyanna2. So you get some "fun" list decisions.

I don't bring Lylyth3 though since I'm more comfortable with Vayl2. Meaning I have a bad time in the mirror.

It's one of the matchups I have wanted to test for a while. Abby2 vs Lylyth3. 

Who goes first is really important in this matchup. I win the roll and goes second.

He runs up outside of my walk and shoot threat.

I go hard right. Keeping outside of 13" from his carnivean and 16" away from the furthest Angel. I set up the Naga to contest his zone next turn.

He goes for the Naga. Lylyth3 and two angels hand cannons should kill it but he fudges up the activation order and one of the angels can not boost. Meaning it misses and the naga lives on a couple of boxes.

There are two important things now. I need to kill the Sorceress and Helion (hiding behind the rock on the right hand side in my circle) and the carnivean standing in the zone. Both are really dicey plays. If one works thats good if both works I'm on my way to winning this game.

Seraph goes up rolls one shot and does a bit of damage to the carnivean. Then three ravagores walk up and roll terribly on damage. Leaving him on about 10 boxes. Meaning carnivean has to roll crazy damage to finish him. So he goes for the Sorceress on Hellion instead. Rolling terribly there as well so I fail on both my goals for the turn.

In his turn he pulls back. Kills the naga and starts turteling  in his zone.

I scather some scathers around and contest his zone. The sorc eats the dust and we go to 2-1.
  

Now he's got the gun advantage so he starts using it and I pull back. Letting my carnivean with spiny and Bracer eat the shots.

He alphas me hard. Killing one ravagore and carnivean.

I answer killing everything around me but I leave Abby2 on only two transfers and then it's go time.

 Then it's time for the CoC. My opponent had Iron Mother and Lucant. I'm dropping Abby2 in both of them.

Once again a matchup where going first is important. So I go second to really feel the pain.

He runs up and I shoot a bit on some dudes. Abby2 walks 7 then repositions another 5 straight up. She's the threat that has to be projected in this matchup.

My opponent has two choices here now. Either he backs of or he feats and runs in. He picks the latter and I back off. Using one forsaken to contest both zones on the left and a shepherd to contest the left.

My opponent pulls back and kills the things in the zone. Going to 3-0

I push forward and contest with a ravagore in the right zone while a shredder holds out left and centre.

My opponent goes for a play here. Lucant has a bolt. I had not thought about that amount of damage. So the ravagore on the right could have died. I really should have put both my ravagores in the zone. That was just sloppy of me. He fails though and here we go.

I feat kill tep and one jack. pushing back into the zones scoring 5-2

My opponent goes in but well Abby2 can do work and stay safe. Lucant can't. 

With that I had gotten a game against everything I wanted to play against. So I pulled up and chair and watcher the most beautiful man in warmachine do his thing.

Look at that face. Come on look at it. That's how happy you are when your opponent puts up the seraph in front of all the gun bunnies.

The game ends with Abby2 bolting Ossrum to death. Since Legion OP and Jocke throws an unlosable game.

The next day I get another game against Sverre. He drops Goreshade2 this time.

Turn 2 I have a 50/50 assassination run. Goreshade2 is on 3 camp and I can get Vayl2 and the Seraphs shooting into him. I really should have gone for it. I didn't since I thought I somehow could grind it out but no I can't. I should just stop trying and kill people when they give me 50/50:s. Cause my dice OP :D

After that game we go home. It's a long drive to Oslo for only 4 games but that's the way it is. I was a bit burnt out after the torture of bad music in the car.

It's funny how fast I can go from feeling confident to totally crushed. The new Cryx toys are really strong and you should all be prepared for the rise of Mk2 Cryx again. Ghost fleet is strong don't get me wrong but they lacked a good theme to work with it. Coven in bane theme is just that, a good partner.