So following my first trip to the Warmachine ATC (America’s Team Championship), I resolved to play a single faction more consistently. Given what my interests are in the game, I evaluated the factions at my disposal and I’m leaning toward the Protectorate of Menoth. I want to focus for the year on a single faction, and right now I’m leaning this way. However, I reserve my right to change my mind. February 3rd is my deadline to have decided on the faction to focus upon for this year: my teammate Ryan has ensured that he will mock me mercilessly if I swap at all after that point.

To that end, my painting focus started on things that I can use with my Protectorate army that I was already working on. So here is Eilish Garrity, all done up in my Protectorate color scheme and ready to hit the table (and be painting progress for this update). I’m going to dive into some Protectorate troops next, but he was already in progress so I got him done and out of the way.

I had been leaning toward Protectorate prior to the ATC anyhow, and had already gotten together and assembled an Exemplar Interdiction list that I wanted to run. I didn’t take them to the ATC simply because they were unpainted, so I’m relaxing that rule this year and allowing myself some unpainted play–just going to try and make sure I make progress between each gaming excursion.

Focus also means picking Warcasters and practicing them in repeated fashion. I looked first at the ADR casters selection that will run from January to July, but only one of them really appealed to me (Thyra). The others are not exactly in my interests to play. I love Durst, but I fear he’s got a fundamental flaw in his play style. Though I did laugh that all three “big armor” warcasters made the list… Made me think of a comparison:

Also, after making that I have been listening pretty much non-stop to the Fat Boys, now realizing that now as an adult I really like their music.

With the decision to just skip ADR concerns, I started with a Warcaster that had some sort of question they could ask an opponent. I’ve never had one that posed the “can you handle this many weaponmasters?” question, and that’s what Protectorate does very well (prob only second to Cryx). So I decided on my first Warcaster experiment with in leading my forces: the Testament of Menoth.

I’m not doing anything particularly special with him–there are a number of lists out there that combine him with Exemplars in interesting ways, leveraging his ability to return them and their ability to hit hard without buffs and get where they need to go on Feat turn.

Played a few games so far, and enjoyed them. Spacing is something I need to watch, as is my clock. I lost a few too many in my game against Retribution by being clumped up and suffering an AOE. And same with Kodiak clouds against Khador. I think these are things I’ll learn as I play them more on the table.

Not the best picture because of the sunlight streaming in, but took on Ryan’s Gaspy2 list. The clouds were difficult to deal with, but there were so many banes he couldn’t cover all of them so I still was able to leverage my attacks for a win. 

Second game against Steve’s Helynna and Ret. They definitely tested my recursion on one turn, taking out a lot of models when they committed the turn after Feat (as I mostly hung back to wait out the Feat). The Helios is a pain to be sure, but I managed to finally fell it with enough charges. 

Next up I faced Justin’s Vlad2 list. This was a heck of a grind of a game, as working through his high defense solos and all that armor was a pain. I finally managed to get a point where I could get charges onto Vlad himself as my opponent worked to get ahead in points. It took Elias Gade, Rhoven’s Honor Guard Gius and Cassian, and Testament himself down to the last bought attack to finish him. 

Justin and I played a second game, and he swapped over to Sorscha1. Again, a grind of a game (I’m starting to see that’s a thing with Testament). He went for an assassination with Sorscha, and even though I was stationary from her Feat his damage rolls were just too poor to get through my stack of focus. Another win for Testament, and it taught me even more about running this list (which is more fiddly than it looks). 

So four games in and four victories. Should I take that as an omen? I’m looking forward to getting a second and third list up-and-running, so I can have some options–and I may experiment just a bit with a Hordes option as well. About three weeks until I need to be sure. I can do this!

365 Points Challenge Progress (2018):

69/365

Battles (Privateer Press):

Overall Totals 2018: 12 (Win/Loss 5/7); 2017: 120 (Win/Loss 86/34): 2016: 123 (Win/Loss: 74/49); 2015: 43 (Win/Loss: 29/14)

Protectorate of Menoth:

4 Wins (Gaspy2, Helynna, Vlad2, Sorscha1) / 0 Losses

Convergence of Cyriss:

1 Win (Haley3) / 7 Losses (Heretic, Rask, Kaelyssa, Xerxis, Siege2, Testament, Bradigus)

 

• Warmachine/Hordes