ESorscha v Cryx (Denegrha3) - Rematch

Forward Kommander Sorscha
Sylys Wyshnalyarr, The Seeker
Spriggan
Winter Guard Infantry, Officer & Standard, 3 Rocketeers
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich
Kayazy Assassins, Underboss
Kayazy Eliminators
Widowmakers
Widowmaker Marksman
Yuri The Axe
Manhunter
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
Lady Ayana and Master Holt

Denegrha, the Soul Weaver
Malice
Ripjaw
Scavenger
Defiler
Warwitch Siren
Soul Trapper
Bloat Thrall
Bane Riders
Mechanithralls, Skarlcok Commander
Necrosurgeon & Stich Thralls
Necrosurgeon & Stich Thralls
The Withershadow Combine

Scenario: Incursion

This was a rematch of my last game, with the same lists. For the first time, I experienced feeling salty. I feel like I've entered a new phase in my playing - where I know enough about the game to know how often I am screwing up. I really feel like If I'd been on-song I could've won this one. Spoiler alert: I didn't.

I won the roll! There was much excitement. So much that I forgot to take a photo of deployment. This was the end of my first turn. No real surprises here.

End of Cryx turn 1. At this point, I was pumped. I had a plan mapped out that would see me wiping out his Mechanithralls and 3 of his riders. I all made so much sense in my head. I had the activation order all worked out - getting a hit with Eiryss to drop their +defence upkeep clearing the front lines, then picking off the back guys with the sniper. I figured I could do enough on the left flank to keep that under control. It felt good to have what felt like a good understanding of how the game could play out, rather than focusing on individual models.

But then it went to custard. Eiryss rolled double 1s needing something like a 4 to hit. This shouldn't have been a game-changer, but I let it get to me and started to get flustered.Took on the wrong targets with the wrong models, missed a few more rolls, and generally got mad at myself for being crap at the game. I could've gone a lot better if I'd kept my head in the game. I did manage to put a dent in the riders, so was in a pretty good state on the left flank.

With the Mechanithralls back to full strength, they got stuck into my right flank and started to take control. I lost Yuri and the Manhunter to Banes, but wasn't too concerned about the left.

Next turn I put a tonne of shots into the front Necrosurgeon, and learned about Sacrificial Pawn. I thought I had him, but my distance estimation let me down, and it turns out I need to work on that - had I realised one last shot was still within 3 of another model, I wouldn't have CRA'd, and would've got him, which would've been something. At that point I kind of game up on the Mechanithralls, and charged the Kayazy into the chicken-jacks, with very little success. After the horror that was the harpoon from Malice in the last game, the Spriggan hid around the back and did very little.

And just like that, it was game. He got up and took 3 control points, including completely overwhelming the right flag. That meant all he had to do in his next turn was to clear the right hand flag (no way I had enough left over there to do anything about that), and fly Denegrha over there to dominate and get to 5.

A really interesting game for me. I've realised that as I begin to understand the game, things are probably going to get worse before they get better. Its one thing to lose and not know what the hell just happened - a totally different proposition when you know exactly why you lost, and that you could have done something about it.