Putting Fiona Together

System: Warmachine
Faction: Highborn Covenant
Casters: 1/1
Points: 35/35
Fiona the Black (*6pts)
* Rocinante (9pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 5 Grunts) (7pts)
Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (Boomhowler and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
Long Gunner Infantry (Leader and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios (3pts)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2pts)
Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile (2pts)
Taryn di la Rovissi (2pts)

With this as my 35 point list, I ventured down to the shop to test Fiona's mettle.

The first game was against Khador:

Kommandant Irusk (*6pts)
* Decimator (9pts)
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2pts)
Great Bears of Gallowswood (5pts)
Kayazy Eliminators (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Kayazy Eliminators (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Winter Guard Infantry (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
* Winter Guard Infantry Officer & Standard (2pts)
* 2 Winter Guard Infantry Rocketeers (2pts)
Winter Guard Mortar Crew (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich (2pts)

I had thought that I might have a bit of a chance.  A large problem that my list had is the min units.  It doesn't take the death of too many of them to make the unit nearly useless.  The Eliminators had their way with the Long-gunners.  Nothing I had was able to really deal with the Winter Guard, as there were just too many.  It ended up with me taking a long-shot assassination run.

I picked up the idea of putting Telgesh mark on Eiryss.  A stealthed arc-node works pretty well.

Next up, Trollbloods:

 System: Hordes
Faction: Trollblood
Casters: 1/1
Points: 35/35
Calandra Truthsayer, Oracle of the Glimmerwood (*5pts)
* Winter Troll (5pts)
* The Mountain King
Kriel Warriors (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
* 2 Kriel Warrior Caber Thrower (2pts)
* Kriel Warrior Standard Bearer & Piper (2pts)
Krielstone Bearer and 5 Stone Scribes (4pts)
* Krielstone Stone Scribe Elder (1pts)
Stone Scribe Chronicler (2pts)

I may be off on points, but this is what I recall. 

Dougal popped his mini feat, which meant a full CRA from the Longgunners on the Mountain King.  Sadly, a single POW 20 is unlikely to crack that thing.  I was able to introduce the Mountain King to the idea of Black Oil, much to the player's consternation.  The Nyss were great on a charge, and even Boomhowler put out some good damage.  In the end, though, the Mountain King turned to a task too difficult.

I'm thinking of dropping the Nyss, moving up to a full unit of Boomhowlers, and adding Ragman for some debuffing.  I really need to get eEiryss.

Well, the Talion 2013 is 0-2-0.  Let's see what lies over the horizon.

Fiona the Black - 2013

For the Pardox Plunge 2013, also know as Turd-Polisher 2013, I'm taking on Fiona as my primary 'caster.  Sure, I would rather have Shae, but it's going to be all about Fiona for now, as she's considered a bit lower tier (well, some would say Bart, but he's amazing with the Galleon, thanks for ruining that, Keith).


To that end, I'm trying to work out what she does that Shae doesn't.  Bear in mind that I am not the world's best general, but I'm trying.

With Shae, I bring table saturation.  I fill the table full of guys that are hard to remove while I move Shae to a position to get the drop on your caster.  It's still a work in progress that I enjoy playing.

For Fiona, I have to put threats on the table.  Since she has access to Highborn mercs (I have more Highborn friendlies than Four Star.), she can bring some of the more threatening pieces that they own. 

Fiona the Black (*6pts)
* Rocinante (9pts)
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker (2pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Horgenhold Forge Guard (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)
Long Gunner Infantry (Leader and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
* Long Gunner Infantry Officer & Standard (2pts)
Sea Dog Deck Gun (2pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist (2pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)
Taryn di la Rovissi (2pts)
More thoughts on this later.

Arrrr, someone be duckin' the Talion crew.

This past weekend was to be the end of Summer Rampage down at Borderlands in Salem.  To help the Oregon-meta (Yeah, it's a thing..., or will be.) get along, I was setting to head the boat down for their first official event. 

Since it was an open play event, I took the opportunity to sleep in.  After spending an night assembling a metal Mule to bring the crew up to the required Warjack compliment for a legal 35 point list for the event (10 Warjack Points for every 5 Warrior points), I felt that getting some rest would be necessary. 

Before heading out, I log into ye olde CogCollective.org to just verify that I'm coming, but late.  Good thing I did, for the organizer cancelled due to lack of interest. 

Now, some would say that they were busy, scuppin' out their basements, swabbin' their yards o' leaves, and pillagin' their local farmer's markets of fresh produce.  I say this is nothin' but the talk of yellow-bellied, scurvy ridden, pox-laden reprobates that ain't fit to send a press gang after.  They heard the call of the press gang, and hid under their beds as the Commodore sounded his displeasure.

Well, come next Saturday, here's hopin' that they avail themselves some liquid courage (Once they get here, and with a driver of a sober nature, of course.), and make their ways up to our Red Castle games for a taste of steel before they know defeat.

The Talion awaits.

Duelcon

The Talion Charter was put away for the weekend for a tournament in Pheonix, AZ; Duelcon 2012.

Well, to get things off on the wrong foot, I don't get to the hotel until 10:00 PM on Friday.  That meant that I missed all the Friday activities, or was unable to join what was left.  The 20 point Mangled Metal looked like a whole lot of fun.

I set my alarm to get up early to get registered for both the con and the Steam Roller tournament.  In the morning I grabbed some breakfast and waited for registration to open.  Then, I waited, and waited some more.  A little bit after 8:00 AM, registration for the con opened, and then more waiting for the tournament registration.  Perhaps it should be Waitcon.

To my wonderment, it's only a two list tournament rather than the 3 list that I was prepping for.

The competition was fierce, leaving me with a 1 - 4 record.  Maybe the Talion will bring it next year. 

Time for some Grillin'

Well, the Buccaneer has come in.  Like these affore-pictured boxes, they seem to offer so much.

If this blog were in 3-D, then that spear would be in your face, poking away.  If you try to run, then that slit-eyed 'jack will just fling that sweet net at you to knock you down.  For 4 whole points, this is just a package of awesome...

Until you take a look at the back.

What happened here?  Did they not size the boiler to the chassis?  Did the sculptor fall asleep at the table and just send it in unfinished?  So it will be an exercise in finishing in a way that looks natural. 

So, what grillin' be goin' down?  Well, for those that like etymology, the term buccaneer is derived from the term bucane, a method of grilling meat, mostly manatee, on a wooden frame. 

Avast! Yar! and other Pirated nautical Greetings!

As of September 10, 2012; it is official.  I have gone pirate.  My mark is there at the bottom of the Talion Charter, and there's no going back...at least for six months (and the occasional Masters tournament).

Thanks to Coleman, I got a real jump start into my new faction.

Warcasters

• Phineas Shae
• Fiona the Black

Solos

• Bosun Grogspar
• First Mate Hawk
• Doc Killingsworth
• Bloody Bradigan
• Dougal McNaille

Throw in a min unit of Press Gangers (with a couple of "pirate" minis to take it to full) and a Mariner heavy 'jack, and that's where I started.

I have picked up Dirty Meg, Lord Rockbottom, a full unit of Sea Dogs with one rifleman, and a Freebooter.  Mr. Walls and a Buccaneer are on their way, which will leave me a few points shy of 50. 

Where am I going from there?  Well, next is to get the Merc heavy 'jack kit.  I'll make Rocinante from that.  With the Nomad and Mule bits, I'll add those to a Mariner and Freebooter chassis to get one of each of those.

I'll probably put together a fairly large High Born Covenant force.  Mostly so I can go Merc to tourneys. 

This is where we raise anchor, me boys.  There's a wide world of plunder and glory that's waiting for the taking.