Battle Report: Morghoul v. Zerkova

My first time out with Skorne, trying an extended battlebox.

The lists:

Points: 26/25

Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova (*6pts)
* Juggernaut (7pts)
* Juggernaut (7pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Doom Reavers (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)
* Greylord Escort (2pts)

Points: 25/25

Master Tormentor Morghoul (*7pts)
* Cyclops Brute (5pts)
* Cyclops Savage (5pts)
* Cyclops Savage (5pts)
* Razorworm (4pts)
* Titan Gladiator (8pts)
* Aptimus Marketh (3pts)
Paingiver Beast Handlers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)

Yes, I knew he was a point over going into the battle. I didn’t think it’d be a big difference…

My opponent won the roll off and elected to deploy first. That’s Zerkova way in the back behind both Juggernauts. The Nyss spread out and the Doom Reavers Advanced Deploy with a bit over 2″ between them, just to be sure.

Due to Morghoul’s small Control Area, I basically just bricked up, with my Beast Masters in the back with Morghoul and Marketh. The Razorworm Advance Deployed, and began the game dug in. I’m using Cygnar faction tokens for my spells. The dug in marker is obvious, but the others may not be. The “Power” tokens mark an Abused beast, and the Shield icon represents the Brute’s no-knockdown animus. The blue circle represented Admonition. Other than that, the yellow bits are Fury.

The green felt were forests (difficult terrain) and the bunker parts were elevated (cost you 2″ to get up).

On Zerkova’s first turn, everything ran, for the most part.

Similarly, on Morghoul’s turn, most everything ran. The Gladiator and a Savage were abused first for some extra speed, and the Brute tossed his animus on Morghoul. The Beast Handlers healed most of the damage from Abuse, and Marketh felt useless.

Zerkova then sent forth the Nyss to deal with the Razorworm. They advanced towards the bunker on the left, and a few even climbed up top. They plinked away most of his health, but the worm survived. Everything else basically advanced a bit and did nothing.

The Skorne herd advanced as best it could. If I’d Abused / Enraged the beasts, they may have been able to run into combat, but they’d just get slaughtered by the Doomreaver Weapon Masters. Instead, I did my best to gauge threat ranges and put myself just outside them. The Razorworm however, went in to try and eat some of that elusive elf it loves so much. (Quite the delicacy!)

The Razorwurm was able to charge, but after that was outside Morghoul’s Control, so couldn’t boost to hit against the Nyss defense. It’s chomp missed.

Admonition did go up on the Titan. Why not?

Zerkova then instructed the Nyss to press forward and attack! Unfortunately, they did and triggered Admonition. This let the titan advance to the rear and block the Nyss line of sight to Morghoul.

Since they couldn’t get a bead on on Morghoul, they picked off all four Beast Masters instead. Ouch. Marketh did get some souls though!

The Doomreavers then charged the forward most Savage, but failed to kill it.

On my turn the Razorwurm frenzied and killed a single Nyss. Morghoul healed the forward Savage enough to have all three aspects back, then cast Admonition on the Titan again. The now refreshed Savage (with all of 5 health left) took some swings at the Doomreavers nearby, and was able to kill two of them. Marketh then abused the rear Savage, who vaulted forward and killed another Doomreaver and their Greylord Escort (stupid tough rolls…). The Titan chugged over, as far from the Nyss as possible, and was followed up by the Brute who kept getting is huge halberd stuck on trees.

The Nyss then advanced and focused on Marketh. With their combined efforts, he was toast, despite his Ghost Shield. The Nyss still engaged with the Razorwurm were finally able to get through it’s thick hide and kill it. The Doomreavers encircled the Savages and subsequently hacked both to pieces.

That Abuse token belongs on the far Savage. Oops…

Morghoul abused the Titan, upkept Admonition on it, and then advanced so that later, the titan would be in Control Range. The Brute closed with Morghoul, doing his best to get in the way of the hail of arrows. The Titan then trampled forward over the Doomreavers at the left Juggernaut. Once there, he did some damage, but not enough.

Zerkova focused entirely on her ‘jacks and let them loose. The one engaged with the Titan just cut right though what little armor it had. (At straight dice for damage, it didn’t take long to kill the titan). The un-engaged Juggernaut slammed the Brute clear across the field. The Brute was now too far for Shield Guard range!

The Doomreavers knew it was now or never, and charged Morghoul. The first to hit didn’t deal much damage, but the second one would have surely killed Morghoul. The damage was shunted to the Brute instead.

The Nyss knew that they couldn’t hit Morghoul with their arrows, so they chose to surround him and thus charged. The few that managed to connect with their blades didn’t do much damage.

Completely surrounded, Morghoul did what he does best. With full fury, he was able to unleash 12 total attacks! I however stopped at 10, since I wanted one last transfer. Morghoul wasn’t able to kill all the infantry around him, and I ddin’t want to chance a free strike from the remaining weapon masters.

At this point, Morghoul was charged by both Juggernauts, and didn’t stand a chance.

Loss.

Conclusion:

While there were one or two order of activation things I feel I did well, I know I made mistakes. I also think my opponents list was fairly well matched to take on my list. He had a very strong ranged element to which I had no answer. The anvil to that hammer was the Doomreavers, which were positioned on the other side of me, so I had nowhere else to go.

The long and short of it is, I was outgunned and outplayed.

In the future, I need fewer beasts, and more models on the table. My Praetorian Swordsmen would have been a great thing to tie up the Doomreavers or Nyss, which means I would have had my beasts longer. Morghoul’s small 10″ Control Range hurts, but Skorne doesn’t have a Squire like model to extend that at all. Marketh does for spells, but that’s it.

It was a fun game and a learning experience. I’m definitely going to have swordsmen with me next time though!!

Post your comments and thoughts below!