Supreme Kommandant Irusk (Irusk2) vs. Lord Ghyrrshyld, the Forgiven (Goreshade4)

The elves are restless tonight. Goreshade has brought some of his brethren into Khadoran territories to hunt for innocent potential warcasters to the Empress army. Irusk brings his trusted winter guards to deal with this menace. This list decimation of the Ios forces. However, once a Helios digs in, it proves very difficult to remove.

Retribution is actually a faction that I generally regard as not too bad for for a Winter Guard Kommand list under Irusk2. Goreshade4 is currently a tremendous popular warcaster, which should not be a surprise as he is a pretty strong caster. Irusk faces the Legion of Dawn list, using his standard WGK list detailed here. The Retribution of Scyrah list is as follows (as always, based on memory):

I general, I think that quite many Retribution lists are manageable for Irusk’s standard list. This one, in particular should be fine, as there is a lot of infantry, and Winter Guards like to shoot at infantry.

Lord Ghyrrshyld, the Forgiven is very much a debuff caster. He can lower ARM by 2 through Hand of Ice, lower DEF by 2 through Light of Wrath, and cast Freezing Mist, which can make it even more difficult for the trusted Winter Guards to hit anything. -2 to attack rolls makes Winter Guards very sad. I guess this is also one of Goresade’s trademarks: the unreasonable amount of clouds he can put out, given enough souls in the turn before.

However, this is actually not so bad for a WGK list. This list does not rely on high DEF or high ARM, rather on strength in number (as well as tough and no knockdown). Also, Arcane Vortes doesn’t do a lot against the WGK list, as Irusk doesn’t really have any spells to negate. Even his feat is not that bad. Becoming Stationary after a melee attack; so what, I really what to shoot stuff.

The two main annoying bits are Dauntless Resolve, which offers +3 ARM and tough to a model or unit. This can make Sentinels a proper pain to deal with. Finally,  Revive is always annoying – dead elves should stay dead.

Goreshade is flanked by one of the Retribution colossal, the Helios, and a Gorgon. The latter is really not interesting. In some sense, I am quite happy to see this colossal and not the Hyperion. The Hyperion is a Winter Guard killer pay excellence. A Helios is basically a beast stick, which is tremendously difficult to remove. Is has a Tractor Beam, which can push a model up to 3″, and Repulsor Field, which pushes a model hitting it 1″ away. As the only way to kill it for this WGK list is to hit it with the ‘jacks or a Battle Lust’ed and Bear Strength Winter Guard unit. The latter is actually the most probable.

The Dawnguard Invictors are an infantry unit that are comparable to our own Winter Guard Rifle Corps. Slightly higher damage output, and slightly more ARM, and Reposition. Nothing to worry about.

It is a different story with the Dawnguard Sentinels. They are reach 2″ P+S 12 weapon masters. They do Vengeance for a bit of movement and an extra attack in the maintenance phase (assuming a model has been damaged). They also have Relentless Charge from their Officer, making Irusk’s Artifice of Deviation void. What really makes them annoying is there really high ARM. They do a base ARM of 15, which goes to 17 if they are base to base. When they are running along Goreshade4, he can raise it with an additional 3 under Dauntless Resolve; and just to add to it, they do an Iron Zeal mini-feat, which adds another 3 to their ARM. All in all it can bring them to ARM 23!

The final additions to the Goresade4 list are three Arcanist Mechanik and a Lys Healer. The former are basically just super mechanics that can, in addition to repair also give a focus or add 2 to the damage roll of a ‘jack. The latter, can heal stuff and make them immune to knockdown or stationary.

All in all, I’m not too worried about this list. Despite the Sentinels having a very good ARM, the trusted Winter Guards should have no problem shoot the infantry of the field. Also, the tricks that Goreshade4 has are, despite being not completely unimportant, most does not really have any significant impact on this WGK list. The only worry is the Helios, which is not really too dangerous, but quite difficult to remove.

We are playing Mirage. We both opt for the Stockpile objective (remove d3 point of damage within 4″). Retribution goes first.

Goreshade deploys his Helios on my right flank with most of the support solos near it. On the left flank, the Invictors are lining up. Goreshade goes in the middle with a unit of Sentinels on each side. 

Irusk deploys in the standard manner. The only change is that I deploy a Field Gun to my far left opposing the Gorgon, and both ‘jacks on my right to counter the Helios. The picture above depicts the state and the end of deployment.

Turn 1 is basically uneventful. Goreshade just pushes forward. He puts both of his Sentinels into Wall of Steel and casts Dauntless Resolve on the unit to my right. The Gorgon follow the left most Sentinel unit, and the Helios moves into the right most zone. So far nothing more to see here.

I run the Winter Guards and moves the artillery forward. The two ‘jacks advances slowly among the Winter Guards. Irusk2 casts Solid Ground, Fire for Effect on the Field Gun to the right, and Artifice of Deviation – forgetting that the Sentinels have Relentless Charge. So far nothing interesting. The only main question is how to put pressure on the right most zone. Goreshade just parked a huge ‘jack there. The picture above shows the field at the end of turn 1.

Turn 2 starts with the Invictors moving forward and taking a few pot shots at my Rifle Corps on my left flank. The Sentinels move forward and both units activates their mini-feat, leaving the unit on my left at ARM 22 and the other one at ARM 25! 

Irusk upkeeps Solid Ground and Fire for Effect, and drops Artifice of Deviation. I need to take out as many Sentinels as possible before they can get a charge off at the Winter Guards. So all Winter Guards hold the line and aims.

Never underestimate focused Winter Guards. They manage to clean out an over average number of Sentinels, actually so many that the Goreshade player needs a hug. Still not remembering that Sentinels have Relentless Charge, Irusk recasts Artifice of Deviation. My ‘jacks are kind of scared of the colossal and moves (too little) forward. Irusk feats to hinder the Sentinels reaching my line.

At the end of turn 2, Goreshade manages to score one point in his zone, and I also score one (the Mortar Crew is a unit, I sometimes forget that). The picture above depicts the end of turn 2.

I think I manage to ruin Goreshade’s plan. Thanks to Irusk marvellous feat he can really get too much out of an alpha strike. He just shuffles his Sentinels forward instead for charging. He mange to score one point in his round, and so do I.

The Winter guards hold the line. I have no idea why. Common sense would dictate that the Winter Guards should advance and gain some momentum. However, they do not. What ever happened in this round, I mange to score one point, and he does not. This leaves us at 2-2 on scenario points. The picture above is end of turn 3.

It is charge time. The Sentinels charge the Winter Guards thick red line. It is not an impressive charge. He manage to remove only three models on my left flank. When Winter Guards are tough – they are tough. Nevertheless, Sentinels are now at the front door. He also moves Goreshade into his zone, the Nys Healer next to the left most flag, and an Arcanist Mechanik to the middle flag. This is not good, as he manage to score three points in this round, and I score none! The picture below shows the situation after Goreshade’s round

The Winter Guards are potentially in trouble. The Retribution player is currently leading the scenario score with 5-2. I have to do something or the game is over. Let the clean up commence.

Irusk upkeeps his spells and starts on the left flank by ordering the artillery to remove the Nys Healer, so no more scoring that flag. The Rifle Corps attempt to remove as many Sentinels as possible, but apparently killing “low” ARM sentinels is far more difficult than killing high ARM sentinels.

Joe encourages the Winter Guard Infantry by using Bear Strength, giving them +4 STR. Irusk enhances this by casting Battle Lust on the same unit. The unit charges the Sentinel unit in front of them and almost wipe them out. Never underestimate Winter Guards charging P+S 12 axes rolling 4 dice! One Winter Guard also kills the Arcanist Mechanik who was scoring the middle flag. The Rifle Corps on the left follows up with less success that the infantry. To further hinder scoring the Spriggan tramples into the right most zone.

This ends turn 4 with nobody scoring, leaving us at 5-2 in Gorshade’s favour. Not too shabby I think. The picture above shows the end of turn 4.

The Retribution player is quite clever. He can easily see that if he can score two more points, he wins on scenario. This is unfortunately easily done. The sentinels on my left flank charges the objective and kills it, score is now 6-2. On the right flank, the Helios uses all sorts dirty tricks. It moves up to the Spriggan, uses Tractor Beam on the only Winter Guard in the zone, picks up the Spriggan and throws it out of the zone, leaving the score at 7-2 – game over. The picture below depicts the end of the game.

It was all going so well and then not.

I think I was correct with most of my initial thoughts about this Goreshade4 list. It is not really that dangerous. All in all, I think Iruk’s feat was well placed. I do, however, think I lost the game in turn 3, when I did not press the scenario. I also think that I overestimated how dangerous the Helios is.

Basically, I should just have put much more pressure on the scenario, and I think the game would have been won.

Until next time:

For the Motherland!