Thursday, February 9, 2017

Battle Report 61: Las Vegas Open Masters Invitational Round 1 - Wurmwood vs. Una 2

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

The mythical day two.

Naturally this is a good time to panic right?

In consultation with Bret F. (chocobsessed) and a few other people, I made a quick pair of swaps in my Wurmwood list.


Out
- Brennos
- Blackclad

In
- Pureblood
- Lanyssa


The reason for these changes was simple - there was a lot of armor buffs in the top 16, and there was a LOT of Una 2. The Pureblood is better into both of these, and Lanyssa can randomly strip flight off a few birds, making them much less scary.


Of course, this meant that I was destined to play Bret round 1.

I was very nervous going into this game. Bret is one of the most respected players in the states, and he's also been playing Circle for a lot longer than I have.

He had Tanith and Una, and we had both agreed his Tanith list had next to no chance into my Wurmwood gunline, so I knew he was playing Una and he knew I was playing Wurmwood.


Bret:

Una 2
- Scarsfell x8
- Pureblood
- Gorax

Wrong Eye
- Snapjaw
Gobber Chef

Sentry Stone x1

Arcane Wonder

and me!

Wurmwood
- Cassius
- Pureblood
- Megalith
- Woldwyrd x3

Lanyssa
Gallows Grove

Shifting Stones x2
Sentry Stones x2
Min Bone Grinders
Gatormen Bokur

Fuel Cache

I won the roll off and windmill slammed going first, and Bret took the side with the trench for Una to hide in.

We were playing on the sweet, sweet table that Tyson had made for LVO. The Terrain for Bret's side is a trench and a forest and a huge obstacle.

On my side, it's a forest, a pond, and a hill.


I deployed nice and centrally. I needed to force him to come to me with his feat to run around my models or I didn't have a chance, and I actually present quite a significant shooting threat to his list. 

The birds...so many.

I should also point out that this game was played pre-Una 2 nerf, so her original feat was still here and so was the Scarsfells having Long Leash.


Good Circle turn 1:

I basically run like mad. I need to project as many threats as possible. I keep Megalith and the Pureblood central, there are so many griffons on my right side that I suspect he's going for Scenario here and I want to keep my options open.

The Bokur is great into the birds, he stops so many landing spots, and he keeps on coming.



Bad Circle turn 1:

He skews the Griffons hard to the right and puts Una into the trench. Mirage is on a Griffon, and he doesn't cast Hand of Fate, electing to shoot down Sentry Mannikins with Una instead.


Good Circle turn 2:

I see an opening. I can Hellmouth Una out of the trench with a Mannikin. She's only camping two, and I can get two Woldwyrds, Megalith's animus, and a Pureblood spray on her.

I run Shamblers around like crazy, keeping them in command. We premeasure it out, and Una gets Hellmouthed out of the trench. I boost damage and she transfers.

Megalith tramples up, pops his animus to make her DEF 13, and Strangleholds her for a few more.

The two Woldwyrds leave her on a few boxes, and the Pureblood sprays her to death.


Victory for the (good) Druids!

Post-Game Thoughts:

We had a decent laugh after this game because I'd talked about how this tended to happen and Bret told me what I already knew - put two heavies in front of your caster and this is basically impossible. 

If that hadn't have worked, I think I was going to be able to get a really, REALLY good Winter Storm of with Lanyssa by walking her over to the obstacle and making....all? of the Griffons lose flight the next turn. I don't think that he could have walked more than one over to her, and I could have stopped that by blocking her in with a Woldwyrd. 

I'm really glad I didn't have to play this out, since I don't think I am favored in this matchup. 

That being said, after consulting with various other Circle players since then, I think that a Wurmwood gunline can be built to have a very strong matchup into pre-nerf Una 2 (not that that matters anymore), and with the loss of long leash, I think Wurmwood is actually quite favored into the matchup now, since Una has to be constantly afraid of dying. 

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