Had an opportunity to get another game in for another Battle Report!

My opponent was playing a list, as well as a mini-faction, that he had never tabled before. It was also my first game playing into Cephalyx. We decided to play without Deathclock as we both needed to learn the Cephalyx-specific rules.

Cephalyx is a mini-faction that is rarely talked about. However, after playing this game I am intrigued! Cephalyx models are really interesting, and their rules give a lot of options for creative strategy.

Turns, Photos, and Commentary after the jump.

Lists

Cygnar – Siege Loves Low POW

[Theme] Sons of the Tempest

[Brisbane 1] Major Markus “Siege” Brisbane [+28]

– Firefly [8]

– Hurricane [35]

– Ironclad [12]

– Minuteman [9]

– Minuteman [9]

– Squire [0(5)]

Anastasia di Bray [3]

Captain Arlan Strangewayes [4]

Gun Mage Captain Adept [0(5)]

Gun Mage Captain Adept [0(5)]

Lieutenant Bastian Falk [5]

Tempest Blazers (max) [18]

Cephalyx – Deadly Experiment

[Theme] Operating Theater

[Thexus 1] Exulon Thexus [+29]

– Warden [10]

– Wrecker [14]

– Wrecker [14]

+Doctor Stygius [0(4)]

Cephalyx Agitator [0(3)]

Cephalyx Agitator [0(3)]

Pistol Wraith [0(5)]

Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges (max) [11]

Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudges (max) [12]

Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudges (max) [12] (Ambushing)

Cephalyx Overlords [8]

Croe’s Cutthroats (max) [16]

– Cephalyx Dominator [1]

Kayazy Eliminators [5]

– Cephalyx Dominator [1]

Scenario & Terrain

Scenario: Bunkers (SR 2019)

Objectives: Observatory (Cygnar); Dugout (Cephalyx)

Terrain:

LOS Blocking Rubble (Center)

2 Rough Terrain patches

4 Craters/Rubble (Rough Terrain + Provides Cover if Fully Within)

Deployment

Cephalyx wins the starting roll and opts to go first. Cygnar chooses the side where solos on the middle flag are blocked by the center terrain.

NOTE: Our available table space was 40 x 48″. As a result, we deducted 4″ each from our usual deployment zones. You will likely notice this in the pictures below.

Cephalyx deploys largely symmetrically. Eliminators flank left, and Cutthroats take the Right. Monstrosities and support solos are in the middle.

Note: Opponents Pistol Wraith is proxy’d by a Gun Mage Officer, and his Dr. Stygius is a gobber chef.

My perception is that the Cutthroats are a real threat. I want to goad them into coming close enough for the Hurricane to rain down 4″ AOEs on them. As a result, I flank hard left hoping to use the Blazers to chop down the drudges and eliminators before the Cutthroats get into the fight.

Minutemen take up positions in the middle to spot-blast out the drudges.

Prey target (for Cutthroats) is declared on the right-hand side Minuteman.

Turn 1A (Cephalyx)

Cephalyx run up. Drudges are slowed down by Craters (Counting as Rough Terrain and granting Cover within). Cutthroats with the Pistol Wraith advance on the right.

Not pictured: Eliminators are on the far left advancing up.

Turn 1B (Cygnar)

GMCAs have an opportunity for removing Stealth models. Right side Sniper + Brutals the Pistol Wraith and kills it. Left side attempts to Snipe + Flare an eliminator (Such that the Blazers can use it to bounce Electro Leaps from) but misses.

Hurricane puts down some AOEs hoping for deviations. One lands on drudges who have Cover from the Crater, the other removes one Drudge with a lucky deviation.

Preyed-Minuteman moves left to run from the Cutthroats. Other Minuteman runs up and takes a position against the LOS blocking terrain. Goal is to be able to jump around on the next turn. Minuteman is using the flag to space away from the Monstrosities walk+melee range.

Siege during all of this puts Explosivo on himself, and puts a Foxhole down that the Firefly, Falk, and GMCA all take cover in.

Ironclad runs up. Hoping to be safe from Drudges with Rough Terrain in the middle.

Turn 2A Cephalyx

Drudges + Ambush =A Problem.

Drudges + 3X Adrenal Flood = A Big Problem

Cephalyx player brings the Ambushing unit in on the far left to charge the Tempest Blazers. Drudges successfully remove and “operate” on two Blazers. Drudges also engage the GMCA and one other Blazer. Three Drudges run into the Hurricane’s back arc.

Mindbender sacrifices 3 Drudges to Adrenal Flood Three Times. Three Drudges advance 4″ from Adrenal and then Charge the Ironclad at PS 16. Thankfully – One charge misses, and the Ironclad lives with 7 boxes. Both movement and cortex are down, but both weapon systems are healthy. Ouch! One of the drudges spiked a Triple 6 on Damage!

Warden advances. Thexus Arcs a TK through him to pull the Minuteman towards the flag. Wrecker moves and melees the Minuteman into scrap (Also with the help of a buff from an Agitator and focus from the Dr.). 2nd Wrecker advances to the right.

Cutthroats advance and contemplate shooting Falk. However, Falks defense in Cover is DEF 19, and the Cutthroats are unable to make the shot.

Turn 2B Cygnar

Siege is feating this turn – he doesn’t have any other option. I need to deal with the heavies, and attempt to remove as many bodies as possible before I am overwhelmed. At this point I am praying that my AOEs, Electroleaps, and Ground Pounders are enough to get the job done.

Siege upkeeps Explosivo and lays down a Ground Pounder on the middle drudge unit. “Clusterbomb” from Explosivo means that it removes 5 models easily. RFP bypassing tough helps a lot. Siege cycles Explosivo to the Hurricane.

Blazers take shots at the backline Drudges and Drudges in the center rough terrain with Electro leaps. Blazer in the backline misses his Gunfighter attack. Other two remove a few Drudges. One unit of Drudges is left with only one member remaining.

Minuteman walks and jumps into the backline crater. Flak Field + Shots + Feat removes 5 Drudges. Arlan attempts to spray the Drudges in the Hurricanes back arc, and kills one.

Firefly advances to put all three Monstrosities into the +2 Damage Aura. Firefly shoots at the right most monstrosity hoping to get leaps into the Cutthroats. POW 12 under Feat does good damage. 1 Cutthroat is electrocuted. 1 Cutthroat tough checks.

Falk walks forward and sprays over three Cutthroats with Incendiary shot. 1 Dies instantly, 1 Misses, and 1 toughs but is on fire. Falk Run and Guns back into the Foxhole.

Hurricane is now the shining star. Hurricane needs to cripple the two centre heavies. POW 18 Lightning shots, with Feat, do 18 and 19 Damage to each monstrosity. POW 13 AOE Shots are not enough to finish one off, and the other shot is dedicated to killing Drudges.

Ironclad hits stuff with initials and kills two drudges.

Pile of Cephalyx dead is rising. At least 16-17 models were removed from the table this turn.

Can you spot Cygnar’s big error???

End of turn, both teams score 1 (Rectangle Zones)

Score: 1:1

Turn 3A (Cephalyx)

Cephalyx player spots an opening. Siege is out in the open just outside the threat ranges of the Heavies. Siege needed to hide behind the objective, or screen himself behind something. Cygnar is in trouble.

Warden moves forward to get Telekensis on Siege by acting as an Arc Node.

Thexus feats, moves the Blazers + Firefly to the side, and casts TK to bring Siege forward + turn him around.

Wrecker walks forward and headbutts Siege to the ground. After the attacks, Siege is left with only a few boxes and all focus spent.

2nd Wrecker charges and finishes Siege off.

Cephalyx Victory by Assassination.

Afterthoughts

It has been a while since I have seen Telekinesis on the table. TK is still one of the most effective control spells in the game, and Thexus really makes excellent use of it with his FOC 8 Stat + Feat. Feat is essentially mass TK on everything except Colossals and Warcasters.

Next time I will be more mindful to keep my Caster safe, and be less greedy with his feat. Walking backwards towards the Kill Box line, and just getting the feat on the Monstrosities would have sufficed!

Although, if I am being honest, I feel that on the following turns the Cephalyx would have overwhelmed Siege in any event. Cygnar did not have enough models to keep the Cephalyx hordes at bay.

Also: Anastasia Di Bray was completely forgotten. I did not even think about her at the start of my 2nd Turn. Oops!

J

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