Battle Report 71: ATC Round 1 - Wurmwood vs. Butcher 3


Team tournaments are very weird, but very cool. You bring lists that aren't necessarily Steamroller optimized, with the idea that you can get matchups you want and avoid those you don't (assuming your Captain isn't really dumb - which I can say because I was my team Captain).

ATC was a frustrating, exhilarating event, and I won't go into the non-game stuff in these battle reports very much. Suffice to say that models were forgotten, cold walks in the frigid Milwaukee nights were taken, and much fun was had.

Round 1, I was into Khador playing Vlad 1 and Butcher 3. I was 100% certain he was playing Butcher 3 here, and I went for Wurmwood because A) I've played this matchup a bunch and B) it was Outlast, which is a Wurmwood Scenario if there is one.

- Cassius
- Loki
- Pureblood
- Gorax
- Woldwyrd x3

Sentry Stone x2
Shifting Stone x2
Min Bonegrinders
Gatormen Bokur and Shamblers


Butcher 3
- War Argii
- War Dog
- Ruin
- Kodiak x2
- Juggernaut
- Marauder

Widowmaker Marksman
Harlan Versh

Kayazy Eliminators x2
Min Mechaniks

He won the roll off and decided to go first, and I chose the side with the most walls because Loki hates those on the opposite table edge.

He deployed pretty standard, and I put everything important back 1.1 inches so that the Widowmakers couldn't pop my AD line turn 1.

Khador turn 1:

My opponent moves the Widowmakers up cautiously. Kayazy run up the table.

Butcher casts Silence of Death on Ruin (and my ears perk up a bit) and his battlegroup moves up the table.

He's staying pretty far back, respecting Loki maybe a touch too much.

Circle turn 1:

Based off what my opponent has done here, I know I'm making a strong play for the left zone ASAP. There's only one heavy over there, and if he continues to commit only the Marauder, it's a simple matter to hook it and kill it with Loki, using the forest to keep the rest of his nonsense at bay.

The Bone Grinders murder eachother for souls and corpses, and my beasts all book it left to the trench, except Loki who stays central inside some Stones.

My right side Woldwyrd goes into the rubble with some Mannikins.

I cast Wild Growth on the left side of the table so I can move my Shamblers up, and put Curse of Shadows on the left hand Kodiak.

Khador turn 2:

He upkeeps Silence of Death, which isn't that big of a deal right now since Ruin is on the side of the table with only one Woldwyrd.

Widowmakers and Marksmen kill Mannikins galore. The Marauder toes the zone, and the Kayazy all stay out.

Ruin, in a surprise move, comes to the left side of the table, and there's a Kayazy in front of him to dissuade any drag attempts.

Both Kodiaks move up and Vent Steam, toeing the zone.

Circle turn 2:

I debate several plans here. I can easily hook and kill the Marauder, no problem there. Unfortunately, this requires either Curse of Shadows or Primal, and I don't want to do either of those things here.

Curse means activating Wurmwood first, and I need to feat and dominate the left zone this turn.

Primal means a frenzying beast, and I can't afford that yet.

I eventually decided that Loki is going to hook in the Cursed Kodiak, and then the Bokur is killing the Kodiak under feat.

I can  Hellmouth the Marauder out of the zone, blast Ruin halfway to death with Wyrds, and get two points, all while killing his Marksmen and a couple of Widowmakers.

First things first, both Woldwyrds blast Ruin, leaving him on five or six.

Loki moves up and hooks the Kodiak in, beating him a bit and then casting Evasive. 

The Bokur moves up and kills the Kodiak dead.

I miss Mannikin sprays on Versh (sad), but kill the Eliminator in front of Ruin with one.

Cassius moves up, and I port Wurmwood over.

Wurmwood Hellmouths the Marauder out of the zone, killing the Marksman, a Kayazy, and a Widowmaker, and then Feats.

I score two points.

Score 2-0
Advantage Circle

Khador turn 3:

My opponent drops Silence of Death like a hot potato. Unfortunately, I've pulled Ruin back into Mechanic range.

We measure out what he can and cannot see, and my opponent loads up the remaining Kodiak.

Butcher activates, casts Energizer, and gets in the zone.

The Kodiak charges a Shambler and Vents Steam before attacking, killing it. He boosts both initials and the throw into Loki, chucking him way away but not killing him.

His Marauder runs into the zone, and a Kayazy toes it in cover on the left.

His Juggernaut moves up behind the Kodiak to be a nice counterpunch, and Harlan moves up to shoot at the Sentry Stone, failing to kill it.

Score 2-0
Advantage Circle

Circle turn 3:

It's go time! Both the Gorax and Loki shake KD.

Versh has to die and the Argus needs to die. Once that happens, the right zone is mine.

In the left zone, Curse of Shadows plus Primal should equal a dead Marauder, and I can get an aiming Mannikin spray into the Kayazy.

Fingers crossed.

I can't kill Versh with any of my Sentry sprays on the right side.

The Woldwyrd moves up and blasts the Argus to death.

I run Cassius over, and run a Shambler to 3 inches from Versh.

Wurmwood activates and Hellmouth's the Shambler. Versh is dragged in, and a boosted damage roll kills him.

Curse of Shadows goes onto the Marauder.

The Gorax moves up and Primals the Pureblood, who warps Strength and kills the Marauder easily after the Wyrds soften it up a bit.

The Mannikin hits and kills the Kayazy, leaving both zones uncontested, so I score 3 more points.

Post-game Thoughts

Hurray for forests, that one was a big deal. Butcher also can't really brick up here, so Loki gets to prey on his army and get me free heavies, which is always good.

My team won the round 4-1, and we moved on.