Know Your Enemy: Another Protectorate Victory

Today, the Menites were victorious, but only just.

Khador:

• Commander Strakhov
• Spriggan (heavy warjack)
• Great Bears
• manhunter solo
• Yuri the Axe 

Protectorate:

• Vice Scrutator Vindictus
• 10 Holy Zealots w/ monolith bearer
• Choir of Menoth (6 models)
• Dervish (light warjack)
• Repenter (light warjack)
• Hierophant

Turn 2 the bloodshed began as the Zealots surged forward, augmented by Vindictus' "True Path" spell.  They were able to get within 5" of the Great Bears, making the stealth granted by Strakhov's "Occulation" useless.  A few Pow14 bombs later the Great Bears were gone.  Brian had placed Yuri the Axe in woods, but had placed him close enough to the edge that I could see in, so the remaining Zealots killed Yuri with indirect hits.  With effective DEF of 18, they weren't going to hit him directly.  

On the other side of the field, the two warjacks were advancing with the choir acting as a screen against the Spriggan's charge.  To my dismay, Brian charged the Spriggan right through the choir, using bulldozer, Superiority and Strakhov's feat, knocking them back as he heads directly for my warcaster.  I remember back to the last time I played at Planeswalker's, and a Spriggan with Superiority charged Kreoss and won the game for my opponent.  With 3 focus on the Spriggan, I didn't really stand a chance.

And then Brian whiffs the charge attack roll.

The remaining attacks did enough damage to bring Vindictus to within 4 damage of seeing Urcaen first-hand, but he held on.  The rolling was bad in the way my last battle was (with all the snake-eyes.)  With Vindictus still standing, I pelted Strakhov with fire bombs from the Zealots and then finished him off with the Repenter's flail.  

So here's the lesson.... not knowing your enemy can cost you the game.  Brian didn't know about Vindictus' mobility focus, and the extra movement (and pathfinder) that he can grant to everyone in his control radius.  It caught him flat-footed on turn 2 and cost him 8 points of models.  I, on the other hand, didn't know about bulldoze.  By setting the choir up I thought I was shielding my jacks from the Spriggans charge.  When Brian picked the straight path between the jacks, through the choir and straight at Vindictus I thought I was done.  He bounced each choir member back 2" clearing the path and only taking minor damage from the free strikes.

I am now almost at 50% win/loss in Warmachine, which is a new high for me.  Maybe next week I can officially tie it up.  Maybe.