Circle in Masters of Lock and Load

[PG_cheddercaveman]

Wondering if anyone has any battle reports and/or lists from Gord and Will from Masters. I'd definitely be curious to see what did so well!

[PG_fildrigar]

Does Gord post here? What's his username?

[PG_cheddercaveman]

On that I have no idea, I was just going off of the finals list on museonminis. I figured either of them might have something to share and/or any spectators might have had some information.

[Mattho2k3]

I'd like to hear more from Gord for masters because he played all his games and Will pretty much took the usual for him with the exception of eKrueger instead of Morvahna. Also Will has done an excellent job in the past explaining his lists but we don't have anything on Gord IIRC. I would like to hear about him winning hardcore because it seemed that hardcore was trending towards the really hard to break brick list.

I would like to hear Will's thoughts on Druids and hoe they have changed over the past year.

[PG_cheddercaveman]

I'm really only curious about Will's Krueger2 list after I heard him say it had a Thrullg in it. I'd definitely be curious to hear more from Gord though on all of his lists.

[VagrantPoet]

We'll probably have to wait until they all get home and recover to hear more.

[El_Lango]

Hey guys not sure if Gord himself uses these forums, but he is a member of my gaming club here in Alberta and he posted his lists the day before Lock and Load with the rest sop we could offer advice and match ups. As such I cannot ensure these are correct, but these were his planned lists. He ended up going 3 - 1 in the top 16 I do believe.

Krueger the Stormlord +5 points: Leaning towards Warmachine matchups, or beast light hordes ones. Also my scenario man
* Ghetorix 11 points
* 2x Woldwarden 9 points each

Druids of Orboros 7 points
* Druid of Orboros Overseer 2 points
2x Gallows Grove 1 point each
10 Nyss Hunters 10 points
Shifting Stones 2 points
Shifting Stones 2 points
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew 1 point

Krueger the Stormwrath +5 points: can deal with infantry and beasts fairly well. This is my middle man, also my most experienced/favourite caster
* 2x Feral Warpwolf 9 points each
* Gorax 4 points
* Woldwarden 9 points

Druid Stoneward & Woldstalkers 5 points
Druid Stoneward & Woldstalkers 5 points
Druids of Orboros 7 points
* Druid of Orboros Overseer 2 points
2x Gallows Grove 1 point each
Shifting Stones 2 points
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew 1 point

Mohsar the Desertwalker +5 points: hordes hate, also may use against menoth
* 2x Feral Warpwolf 9 points each
* Gorax 4 points
* Megalith 11 points

Druids of Orboros 7 points
* Druid of Orboros Overseer 2 points
Gallows Grove 1 point
Shifting Stones 2 points
Tharn Bloodweavers 5 points
Tharn Bloodweavers 5 points

[VagrantPoet]

Hmm. Interesting lists. I'd love to see him discuss and dissect them! If anyone can contact him.

Of course I want to hear how Will did, and what he played, but its also nice to hear other opinions from successful players. This Gord chap sure loves druids.

[Goromium]

Hey guys, I'm Gord, I read the forums lots but just joined now to post.

I last minute switched out Mohsar for Baldur2 in favour of the fact it forced a tougher list choice for my opponents... plus I love Baldur2!

Baldur the Stonesoul +5
-Ghetorix -11
-Megalith -11
-Wold Guardian -9

Blackclad Wayfarer -2
Max Gatorman Posse -9
Max Gatorman Posse -9
Shifting Stones -2
Shifting Stones -2

Ended up with 4th in the masters finals. I have been playing about a year and really was just hoping to qualify! Lock and Load was a ton of fun and I highly recommend it!

[Goromium]

Oh and cause Baldur stole Ghetorix from Krueger2, I replaced him and the gobbers in my Krueger2 list with a wayfarer and a ww stalker

[PG_fildrigar]

Mind if we ask you some questions about your choices?

1 ) No Stonekeeper? He not work out for you?

2 ) No Stalker love?

[PG_fildrigar]

Herpity Derpity Double Postity.

[Goromium]

1) The stonekeeper traps me lots with my stones out of formation when he dies. It's temping to over-extend them when he's around. I play a legion player on a very regular bases at our club and got into the habit of not bringing him in with my stones. Without the stealth my opponent obviously has a very real chance to destroy one early on, but that doesn't bother me because with both kruegers the stones are the perfect lightning rods to place into a unit of IF Kayazy or the like, and also block charge lanes and follow my constructs around healing them. I find that not too many people I play just let me teleport beside their caster....anymore.

2) Well for my pkrueger list, I prefer to have the 2 ferals. This is because he can give them reach anyways, and also they have more base attacks at a higher MAT than the stalker, sooo with lightning tendrils they can hit DEF 13 on 6's and electro-leap to clear out a whole unit pretty much. I HATE having to primal if i dont have to and the lower MAT of the stalker draws me away because i find myself being temped to primal more to avoid missing. This is mitigated of course by EKrueger's telekinesis so the stalker made it into that list because with Ghetorix gone to Baldur I knew I still wanted a reach beast with some decent hitting potential.

[!amicable]

Gord, why were your druids super far forward in your first game against Retribution? It was a fun match to watch, but I didn't really see the first round or two.

[Goromium]

He went first and moved forward with Garryth on his second turn to feat....i think? I dunno, that weekend is kinda a mush of games. Anyways, they couldn't cast spells and his MHSF were picking them off as well as my woldstalkers. So I just ran them up to engage most of his MHSF to buy my woldwarden time to get into chain lightning range and let my woldstalkers continue to clean up his sentinels while the ferals and krueger dealt with his 'jacks.

[!amicable]

I think that was one of the cooler things about the finals, moreso than list comp, you really got to see how players who know their armies and know what they want to happen get it done. I probably would have freaked out and sat back on my druids and gotten shot to ****. You managed to get the warden in there and really wreck his **** when it mattered.

So, I guess I'm saying: props you and all of the master's players. It was surprisingly fun to see really good players do their thing.

[Goromium]

Thanks! The games were a lot of fun and I will definately be attending next years lock and load.

[VagrantPoet]

Thanks for chipping in Gord. I run Baldur2 in almost exactly the same way.

[skillt]

I'll post lists in a bit -- Kromac and Baldur are same as I always run. I'll post up the Kruegar tonight after work prolly

Will

[Blaque]

@Gord - I actually have been thinking of the double-down on Ferals with Krueger1 of late, seeing as I have two about now. Kind of interested to see what options or problems you have with it though. Lately I do a Pureblood instead as one fo them since I find I cast Wraithbane a lot with my Krueger match-ups, and if there were any other bits of animus flexiblity you felt you missed-out on.

And stuff.

[Mattho2k3]

I'll post lists in a bit -- Kromac and Baldur are same as I always run. I'll post up the Kruegar tonight after work prolly

Will

Awesome I can't wait.

[PG_fildrigar]

Even with the Stonekeeper, I find myself often keeping the stones with him in regular proximity. I find a magic attack with a POW 14, even with a low ( ish ) magic skill very valuable. ( Especially for a single point )

[PG_cheddercaveman]

I'll post lists in a bit -- Kromac and Baldur are same as I always run. I'll post up the Kruegar tonight after work prolly

Will

Very interested in hearing about this one!

[PG_Crump]

I just wanted to congradulate the both of you for making it into masters. Gord, it was a pleasure to meet you and I hope to see you at future cons. Will, thanks for the beer fingers.

I would also like to thank Fildrigar for loaning me a Gallows Grove for the masters preliminaries. I can't do justice to how kind and awesome of a guy he is.

[Mattho2k3]

Crump do you even own models. Every podcast you do you talk about borrowing models from someone:P

[VagrantPoet]

CRUMP! How did you beat Jake with Cassius!?

[PG_fildrigar]

I just wanted to congradulate the both of you for making it into masters. Gord, it was a pleasure to meet you and I hope to see you at future cons. Will, thanks for the beer fingers.

I would also like to thank Fildrigar for loaning me a Gallows Grove for the masters preliminaries. I can't do justice to how kind and awesome of a guy he is.

Happy to be of assistance! It's always nice to put a face to a name.

[PG_cheddercaveman]

CRUMP! How did you beat Jake with Cassius!?

That tree is heavy, he just hit him in the face with it until Jake conceded!



*I too am curious how this went!

[Goromium]

Fildrigar: I'm by no means saying stonekeeper is bad, far from it in fact (especially for 1 point). I guess it's just not my style. I love to pick on my own stones and don't want them to have stealth for the most part. If there is that point left over then I might include him, but for a single point the gobbers win out for me everytime because my opponent not being able to target my caster because of the cloud, beats out not being able to hit a stealth stone! I know I have druids for clouds, but they get tied up/die/are busy dragging heavies. Gobbers only have 2 jobs: cloud and lane block. I'ts just worth more to me than what the stonekeeper will do for how I want to play the game.

Blaque: As for the 2 ferals. I love those guys. I find that stalkers let me down with MAT 6 and one less attack. Just preference I guess! I know their animus is great, and the ferals may as well not have an animus...but that doesnt mean I will take them when a lightning tendrils feral does it's job way better. I do think that stalker is at home in many lists (I run 2 in my Kromac list and 2 in both Kaya lists) but he'll never see the table with pKrueger for me.

Crump: It was a great to meet all of you as well, you seem like a great group and I hope to be able to make it out to more cons in the future!

[YabaBaga]

Now I don't feel so bad for always losing to those Red Deer guys... :P

[PG_fildrigar]

Fildrigar: I'm by no means saying stonekeeper is bad, far from it in fact (especially for 1 point). I guess it's just not my style. I love to pick on my own stones and don't want them to have stealth for the most part. If there is that point left over then I might include him, but for a single point the gobbers win out for me everytime because my opponent not being able to target my caster because of the cloud, beats out not being able to hit a stealth stone! I know I have druids for clouds, but they get tied up/die/are busy dragging heavies. Gobbers only have 2 jobs: cloud and lane block. I'ts just worth more to me than what the stonekeeper will do for how I want to play the game.

Yeah. I totally love the Gobbers. They are fantastic. I just can't imagine not using the Stonekeeper, but to each his own. Play styles differ, and it's always nice to see a variety of them doing well. I wish I had introduced myself to you at Lock & Load.

[skillt]

List was:

Kreugar 2
Feral
Gorax
Stalker
Wilder

Druids of Orb
-Overseer
2x Gallows Grove
2x Shifting Stones
- Stone Keeper
Swamp Gobbers (Would prolly switch for a feralgeist now druids are in the list...)
Tharn Bloodtrackers
-Nuala
Thrullg

It worked very well -- great attrition, excelelnt against ranged armies, melee armies and magic armies (So everything? :P). Didn't have a great match against anything heavy armor, but its not terrible. I like it against trolls, legion, cygnar and ret. Its also pretty decent against Skorne.

Post questions, I will answer! :P

Will

[mercury]

Kreugar 2
Feral
Gorax
Stalker
Wilder

It's unusual to see an eKreuger list without a Geomancer. Are you getting enough mileage out of the Gallows Groves that you don't feel you need one?

I can't help but feel that this list plays/reads similar to your Kromac list. Are you using Gallows/TK as a substitute for Warpath i.e. pull an enemy closer to you to position it for hit-and-run Warbeast charges?

I'm guessing boosted TK + Thrullg = upkeep removal with backstrike bonus against high-DEF units?

[skillt]

I've found that the trackers can usually kill all the enemy tarpits before being engaged. If they are engaged, you can feat to aim and shoot. If you do kill the tarpits you can use your feat a little more offensively to get position/scenario. Normally the beasts play very far back and act as a counter punch when people have to over-extend into objectives. You can also play it like Kromac with TK replacing Warpath, yes. I don't find the need for a Warden because its a 9 pt skarlock at that point -- and that's far over priced IMO. If megalith was available in my spread, I would probably take him, but hes with Baldur.

The Thrullg is actually there to remove spiny growth from legion beasts in the Thag1 match up. Its really tough for Circle to deal with that list, and this helps tremendously.

Will

[Mattho2k3]

I like the list. I have found that in my own experience eKrueger with Druids doesn't need a Geomancy beast. I use my Druids to pull enemy heavies into my threat range safe from retaliation or feat enemy to be safe. Magic attack 7 power 10 is decent at killing as well. I'm curious on how you use and protect Thrulg.

[PG_LEJKaya]

Thrullg? 2 more points for Bloodweavers and they can better get more than one target.

[PG_cheddercaveman]

Thrullg? 2 more points for Bloodweavers and they can better get more than one target.

I tend to agree here, except looking at the list I don't know where to actually FIND 2 more points. Without a geomancer, I think I'd have to argue pretty strongly that the 2 Gallows Groves have to stay in. Druid Wilder is essential to helping Krueger to not have to cast Primal or Lightning Strike so much and Shifting Stones aren't going anywhere. The gobbers would free up 1 point, but after that you'd be looking at major changes to how the list plays I think. Druids can actually do a decent job hiding the Thrullg too with clouds.

What were your reinforcements for that list Will? Feral + Gallows Grove again?

[PG_cheddercaveman]

Actually, I'm dumb, I just double checked ... Bloodweavers can't strip Animii, only upkeeps, which won't stop Spiny Growth.

[PG_LEJKaya]

Lol... oops, my bad!

Thrullg it is then

[mercury]

The Thrullg is actually there to remove spiny growth from legion beasts in the Thag1 match up. Its really tough for Circle to deal with that list, and this helps tremendously.

Good plan! I guess that Gallows/TK/Feat can also pull the target out if Thag's Command area.

I am also curious as to which of your lists you would have chosen against Khador infantry-spam e.g. Jamie P's well-documented lists which took Templecon & UK Masters? Your post-Templecon thoughts seemed to indicate that Krueger1 was in the reckoning for your big 3 lists. Why did he fall out of the picture?