Battle Report 59: Las Vegas Open Masters Qualifier Round 3 - Wurmwood vs. Zerkova 2

Prologue:

I have a bit of a curse when it comes to big events - if I lose, it's always round three. I haven't lost in round one or two in years, and whenever I make it to the finals, I nearly always win. Round three though....round three is my weakness.

I got paired with a very nice guy playing Khador. He had a Butcher 3 Jack Spam and a Zerkova 2 list with double Outriders and stuff. We were playing Incursion, and I figured he'd go with Zerkova, so I decided to play Wurmwood.

This may or may not have been out of a desire to trigger Witch Mark as many times as possible with the Woldwyrds.

Zerkova
- Bodyguards
- Sylyss
- Behemoth

Gun Carriage
Gobber Tinker

Greylord Outriders max
Greylord Outriders min
Ayanna and Holt
- Valachev

And my Wurmwood list again:

Wurmwood
- Cassius
- Brennos
- Megalith
- Woldwyrd x3

Blackclad
Gallows Grove

Shifting Stones x2
Sentry Stone x2
Min Bone Grinders
Gatorman Bokur


I lost the roll and got to choose sides, so I picked the one with the big forest.

My game plane was pretty simple. I was gonna use Brennos and Megalith to control Behemoth and the Gun Carriage. Woldwyrds and Sentry Stones would dual with Greylord Cav, and eventually I'd win a side really hard and pop my feat to get 2 points. 

Khador turn 1:

The Gun Carriage trampled up and....killed three Mannikins??? What?? okay then. 

Telegash Mark went up on a Greylord, and Banishing Ward went on the unit of outriders that was on my left. Curses. 

Zerkova and her buddies charged and ran. Behemoth ran. Valachev and friends advanced and Zephyred. 

Outriders on the left respected my Sentry Stone and stayed well back. 

Circle turn 1:

Huh...

The plan is to gum up the left side with a Wild Growth, put all three Woldwyrds into the cover on the right (it's not a hill, it's rubble) and Stranglehold and Ravaging Winds the Gun Carriage.

I place a Mannikin and move it up as a firing beacon for Brennos....but then he countercharges with a Doom Reaver. Whoops....

I get lucky and drift Brennos' AOE onto the Gun Carriage, and I do land the Stranglehold with Megalith after he tramples up.

Forest wall goes up in front of Wurmwood.

I swarm the middle with the Bokur. I also have the Bone Grinders kill each other to fuel the tree and the Gator.

Khador turn 2:

My opponent didn't realize what Brennos' spell did, so he allocated two to Behemoth, aimed, and shot some damage into the Wyrds.

Then he activated the Gun Carriage and found out what the spell does, so he just moved it off to the right to contest.

Zerkova had the arc node pony run up, and between a bunch of sprays, was able to kill a Sentry Stone and nearly kill the second one.

Unfortunately, she parked herself on the other side of the obstruction.

Circle turn 2:

Well, not much to do but try it I suppose. 

The Bokur makes Shamblers. 

One Wyrd kills the models in the way of the Shamblers running. 

Shamblers run to be within 3 of Zerkova and Megalith. 

Hellmouth on both Shamblers drags her out in the open (camping two) and Megalith to within Charge Range. 

Two Wyrds nearly kill Zerkova, and Megalith charges in to seal the deal. 

Victory for the Druids!

Post Game Thoughts:

I felt like I had this game pretty solidly under control. Even if Zerkova hadn't gone out front like that, I could have Strangleholded Behemoth, killed most of his cav on the left, and put Megalith into the Gun Carriage with Curse of Shadows. Once the Gun Carriage is gone and Behemoth can't do anything, I slowly grind down his models, since assassinating Wurmwood with POW 12s is never going to work unless I drop all fury and don't have any souls. 

On to round four!