Iron Moot 2013 hardcore: "Crit Happens"

The hardcore tournament on Iron moot was a fun experience. I had been pondering bringing an eMadrak dudespam, and just run straight ahead. But I decided against it, as I think that a pMadrak brick would be easier to play. And as I am a unique snow flake, I decided not to include Mulg:

pMadrak
-Earthborn Dire troll, 2x Mauler, Axer
-Runebearer
-Krielstone min +ua
-Fennblade kithkar
-Fell caller hero
-Max Warders
-Janissa Stonewall

Game 1

Molik karn has just put down 17 damage on my
right mauler (the one with the bomber chassi back)

I got paired up with 3Oscar from my local meta. He fielded voldo, pMorghul, along with Molik Karn Tiberion, a Gladiator, and a sentry plus the usual support. I tried advancing slowly forward, which worked fine, for one round. Molik karn could come from a mile away and deal 17 damage in a swing, and then fate walk away. That only happens once, I said and moved Madrak up to stranglehold him. It is rather a crappy spell. As pmadrak is upkeeping sure foot, he wants to boost to hit the spell, and needs to boost the damage. That leaves him at 1 fury. Which is not all that much considering no animi was cast and no fury was put on the stone.

I had to protect Madrak by moving the other stuff up. That only made things worse. pVoldo moved up in the middle of the field and feated. Tiberion put some (left my mauler at 2 hp) damage on one of the maulers, and the gladiator on the other. Things were not looking good. But I had an opening to get a charge onto Morghul himself with Madrak. That was my only option. He was standing on two transfers. I had the kithkar and madrak to hit him. Madrak got the fell caller buff and put down carnage, then charged. Crit grievous on the first hit. GG.

Game 2

A stalker in my face, reduces the caster to a vacant space

This was a game I should have learned more from. But more on that in another post. This game was actually filmed, so I will link to the game if that comes on to the internetz. Anyways. eMorvahna was on the other side of the table. As the hardcore scenario is just a box, I decided to go for it. Meanwhile, the wolfriders has prayed a mauler and put down much damage to it.

On the third turn Christoffer Wedding, commanding the circle army, decides that enough is enough and goes for the kill on pMadrak. A primaled and carnivored Stalker gets double teleported after a purification from Goatvahna. Madrak died horribly. Watch the horrific experience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux92yW-SvWU

Game 3

The circle army

Another circle player, this time Henrik Eriksson, from my local meta. He fields eKreuger, Gorax, Stalker x2, Ghetorix, a Wilder, Driuds, 2x Gallows and two stone units. I get to go first and run up. Quite a bad move on my part. He moves up and starts pulling a mauler and the earthborn into double teleport range of ghetorix. The mauler is ground to meat with ghetorix and the earthborn just barely survives due to some really good damage rolls from ghetorix.

Oh well, lets start the trading I think. My earthborn kills Ghetorix, with some rage from the other mauler (good thing I brought two!) and I try to protect Madrak from any push pull shenanigans that Henke usually goes for. A stalker gets to Madrak, but cant kill him with sure foot and the wall up. The +2 mat from carvnivore and -2 def from loosing sure foot is a huge difference.

Surfs up, dude!

My turn and I see that eKrueger is "only" standing on 2 transfers. A trail of druids is also going straight to him. Time for a feat surf. Fell caller does his thing. Mauler gives Madrak rage. Janissa shifts the stalker away. Madrak easily eats his way to eKreuger with carnage up (mat 11 with the fell caller buff, p+s 18 with rage). First swing to eKreuger shows a crit. Crit grievous wounds again. GG.

Game 4
Runes of war. First time Im up against it. It firstly was a very tactical game with positioning. pDoomy gets to put down two walls in the zone. Totally awesome for him, not so much for me. No reach heavy is not always that fun. He leads with his runebearers, I with the warders. Johans round 3 he decides to chock me and moves forward, out of the cover of the walls with Mulg and his Earthborn. The whole game bogs down to a grind, but I feel Im getting the upper hand, especially after he cant activate Mulg one turn due to the short hardcore time.

In the end, he goes for a goad assasination with the earthborn which fails, leaving Doomy out in the open with nothing on him. I decide to try and play it safe, and to get rid of the earthborn standing by me with madrak and a mauler. But it is not enough. The earthborn gets me the round after.

In hindsight, I should have just tried to go for Doomy, I think that I could have maybe gotten one or two more attacks on him than I got. But 7 min rounds is not much. It was a really fun game anyways.

Game 5

His huge concave of IFP, met by my warders a Mauler
and the Earthborn

I'm 2-2 in the tournament and get paired up with Butcher3. He had two large IFP squads, and widdowmakers, and a Jack of some sort. He gets the alpha with some IFP, but does not put down to much damage to my arm 22 beasts. The feat turn from me is AWESOME. My kithkar gets to eat an entire IFP unit, one of butchers dogs, some widdowmakers and a grey lord smoke guy.

We continue to grind in the center of the table, one of my Maulers not able to kill his jack as rolling higher than 5 on damage is not something it was keen on doing. His gorman was a really good MVP who black oiled the other Mauler twice. Madrak missed his thrown axe on him once. But i think that cost me the game. Butcher got to bounce, picking of one heavy at a turn untill I was left with madrak, janissa, a mauler and the runebearer. I though long about if I could clear a chargelane to Butcher with madrak in any way, he was not camping anything. But I did not think it would be possible to first shift some troops with janissa, two hand throw the still living jack on butcher, and get the charge of with madrak. So I went for killing of the rest if his things. The last turn was a pure battle between Madrak and Butcher, unfortunately with burcher coming out on top. Only the runebearer was left on the troll side. I think 6 or 7 Khadorian models still stood on the oposing side.

So, I went 2-3, but could have just as well been a 4-1, with the last two games played out slightly differently. The warders really performed. Throwing them out in front is amazing. I even put transmute on one or two. Arm 23 warders. My god. I also got second place in the Vanquisher league, just following Henke. Totaled up in 10th place out of 20.