Warmachine Weekend 2009, Day 1

Carl, better known as Clutch, does a fantastic job organizing Warmachine Weekend every year in Springfield, Missouri.  He always packs a ton of events into the weekend and Privateer Press and  Meta-Games Unlimited provides some fantastic prize support.  In addition EXPLOSIVO!!! has outdone himself with this year’s awesome trophies. You should see the finished versions!

I’m sitting back in my room after day 1 tired but still ready for tomorrow’s events.  I arrived last night with Brakus so we were there for the 500-point Mixed Steamroller event that kicked off the weekend.    There were already a lot of familiar faces showing up, which was a bonus.  Last year I met a lot of great players at Warmachine Weekend and it was good to see many of them making it back.

Bad Wrong Fun

  • High Exemplar Kreoss
  • Redeemer
  • High Paladin Dartan Vilmon
  • Choir of Menoth (x4)
  • Holy Zealots (x9 + UA)
  • Idrian Skirmishers (x10 + UA)
  • Anastasia Di Bray
  • Lady Aiyana & Master Holt

I took a couple Protectorate lists, one featuring Kreoss and another with Severius, but I wound up using the Kreoss list all event.  Anticipating some of the tougher competition I knew I was going to see down here, I put together some dirty shenanigans that worked extremely well through the event.

First round I faced a Kaelyssa-led Retribution force in No-Man’s Land, which I was able to win on scenario.  Still Kaelyssa was a constant threat in the backfield with that dart gun of hers, and Vilmon (who was engaged at the time) was one of her first victims that game.

After that I ran up against a Darius force in Mosh Pit.  With Anastasia netting me first turn the typical Idrian Road Bump tactic let me keep enough out of the Mosh Pit to claim it and win the game.

My third and fourth rounds were two drastically different Deneghra lists.  Third round I faced Brakus, which was entertaining considering we were going over lists together the night before.  He brought Deneghra but hung back just a bit first turn then feated second, wiping out his two units (Revenants and Biles).  Deneghra launched a strong counterattack but she didn’t have enough models to seal the deal and I was able to finish her off.

Fourth round was a mind-screw list featuring all sorts of command-affecting craziness.  I wound up feating second turn to kill Nightmare (Harm + Holt, then a charging Redeemer no less) and an arc node, then spread out to claim enough areas in Process of Elimination the next two turns to win.

Final round was against a Sorscha list.  She used her feat first turn to start taking out Idrians, but it turns out that Protection of Menoth and the armor bonus from Go To Ground helped half of them stay despite Winterguard sprays and CRAs.  I wound up getting a little too close after that and Sorscha was able to charge Kreoss in a last ditch effort to keep me from claiming the Mosh Pit, but she ended her turn out of focus and with Kreoss (who hadn’t feated) with 3 life left.

All of my opponents were really good sports and it was a fantastic event overall.  The 750-point event started while the 500-point one was going on so I wasn’t able to join that.  Josh and Flanzer had planned on making it down for it but got here late so they (and Intern Tim) played their first games of the weekend in the 350 MM/TC event that took place afterwords.

I gave my lists for tomorrow some more though so I’m going to tweak those tonight before turning in.  Then it’s up for another 9:00am start and likely constant tournaments until midnight again.  Something tells me I’m going to be exhausted when I roll into work Monday morning.