Thyron vs Thexus
A lesson on reading your opponents spell list.I have been testing out strategies with the Dawnguard units and the Scyir.
The idea is to provide a kind of rolling fire base with the Invictors behind the Sentinels. With Assault the Invictors out threat the Sentinels, so anything that sits outside of Sentinel threat is inside Invictor threat.
The module would run well with most any caster but I tried it with Vyros2 and Thyron because they could give the most support while also having a personal impact. Vyros gave a bit more support but Thyron had more personal threat and spell piercer.
Thyron, Sword of Truth - WJ: +27
- Fane Knight Guardian - PC: 4
- Griffon - PC: 8
- Griffon - PC: 8
- Discordia - PC: 18 (Discordia was a last minute drop instead of a Banshee to skew armor a bit more and be Discordia)
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Arcanist Mechanik - PC: 2
Dawnguard Sentinel Scyir - PC: 4
Lys Healer - PC: 3
House Shyeel Artificer - PC: 5
House Shyeel Magister - PC: 4
Dawnguard Invictors - Leader & 9 Grunts: 16
- Dawnguard Invictor Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard: 4
- Soulless Escort - PC: 1
Dawnguard Sentinels - Leader & 9 Grunts: 18
- Dawnguard Sentinel Officer & Standard - Officer & Standard: 4
- Soulless Escort - PC: 1
--- VS ---
(Thexus 1) Exulon Thexus [+29]
- Subduer [11]
- Subduer [11]
- Wrecker [14]
Cephalyx Agitator [3]
Cephalyx Agitator [3]
Alexia Ciannor & the Risen [10]
- Cephalyx Dominator [1]
Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges (max) [11]
Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges (max) [11]
Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudges (min) [8]
Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudges (max) [12]
Cephalyx Overlords [0(8)]
Cephalyx Overlords [0(8)]
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt [8]
- Cephalyx Dominator [1]
Yes it was a SR2016 scenario.
I put Storm Rager on Thyron and advance. The Sentinels and Invictors needlessly bunch up around Discordia. (I have played so many games against a Khador opponent who always always took 2 mortars so the run into form a blast immune clump, is just a habit I can't break easily)
As you can see he holds off the Ambush and advances. We don't trade any shots yet.
Round 2
Here the Invictors assault forward through the sentinels with mini feat and clear the front line of drudges and some risen. I forget to use spell piercer but it would not have helped the missed attack rolls.
Sentinels run forward and Iron Zeal.
He avoids the sentinels. His ambush comes on the right and hits pretty hard. Sprays clear off the Magister and he kills a Griffon. He uses a TK on Disco and his Subduer to pull disco in with the Subduers drag shot and after 3 focus leaves disco on 6 boxes. But he uses psychic assault to finish her off.
He crafts a thrall which goes after the Artificer but only does 3 damage.
Round 3
On the left the Invictors Assault through to clean up space for the sentinels who then go and put 5 damage on the objective, kill the Subduer with 5 Sentinels and 3 more leave the Wrecker on 5 boxes. The Fane Knight Guardian charges and kills the risen champion but I forget it has reposition. The now free Artificer advances through the forest and combo smites the Wrecker knocking Alexia down.
It's all peachy for Ret up to this point but Thyron feats and charges the Drudges to clear them out. It would have been better to use a ground zero but instead I spend focus and try to cut through all the tough checks. Assuming, even with 0 camp he can't assassinate me.
The Griffon with a focus from the Arcanist which Thyron had just unengaged advances through the forest finishes off the Wrecker and kills a handful of risen.
I know Thyron is vulnerable but I assume Storm Rager will keep him from being killed.
The assassination.
Thexus feats pushes things around Telekinesis Thyron and Hex Blasts Storm rager off him. It does 8 damage.
Then a psychic assault double 6's to put him down to 2 boxes, one more hits and kills him before the three adrenal flooded dredges behind him even activate.
Conclusion
My play to clear the Zone with Thyron was greedy and unnecessary. It got Thyron killed because I didn't know my opponent had Hex Blast. If I had just played safer it was looking pretty good as my Dawnguard module was intact.
The story
The Sword of Truth was poised. They had backed the Cephalyx contingent into a clearing beyond some near impenetrable wood. The great spider like Exulon would have to fight now. What Thyron could not have known was the tactical withdrawal of the Cephalyx forces has bought time to gather reinforcements.
Through thickets drudges began to shamble forward. With eagerness Vlysn commanded his unit to extend their fire and pick off the front wave. Knowing full well that the Cephalyx would soon turn the tide in combat if they were allowed to get so close.
Shots rang out and only a handful found thier targets. Despite the Cephalyx decelerating the impact of the Invictor sword-cannon rounds, the caliber had no issue with the targets it hit.
The Scyir commanded the Seninel unit forward with uncanny tactical precision, they seemed to flow like water around and in front of the Invictors as they simultaneously advanced and fired, yet were imbued with a particular zeal by their commander.
Discordia loomed nearby, thrumming with a kinetic force which the Dawngurd knew was protecting them.
On the far side of Discordias sense Thyron was enhanced with a stormy rage and advanced confidently forward, bringing his entourage of Griffons into a strategic zone. Reports of early kills came through the Iosan communication system and confidence swelled.
Yet in the distance a monstrosity came bounding forward, it seemed well out of position. Easy pickings Thyron thought to himself and considered felling the beast alone. When suddenly Discordia lurched forward as if pushed by an invisible hand. It was then the Iosans had realized the first target of the Cephalyx attack.
In the distance drudges cleared away and the woman whom the Retribution had come for rode in on her horse. Alexia summoned strength into a risen and better equipped it to kill the Artificer which was relaying orders and information.
Without hesitation her psychic commands were obeyed. Her champion charged in and landed a heavy blow. However the Artificer managed to deflect the worst of it with his shoulder armor.
Then suddenly unnervingly another monstrosity was advancing in such a way that it seemed to flow as Thexus pushed it forward with his mind. Discordia, disoriented by the Cephalyx magic was an easy target for the Subduers harpoon.
"If it were only the Subduer she may still survive!" Thyron hoped, yet it was lost hope as other assailants tore into her. Crumpling her frame into a wreck.
Overwhelemed with the speed and reach of the precision attack Thyron almost didn't notice a contingent of Drudges ambush his flank.
His Magister and a Griffon were overwhelmed and Thyron had to counter quickly to recover the initiative.
The Dawnguard continued to prove that they were the best Ios has to offer as the Invictors cleared spaces for the Sentinels to charge in to. With the tactical leadership of the Scyir they slashed the Subduer apart and severely damaged the Wrecker.
Seeing an opportunity to finish off what the Sentinels had started the Artifier called for assistance. Thyron engaged with recovering his own responsibility didn't want to lend unnecessary help to the Dawnguard so dispatched his Fane Knight Guardian to help the Artificer. The Guardian reluctantly charged into the risen champion and sent shattered bones scattering across the battlefield. Free to assist the Sentinels the Artificer hovers above the forest floor and focuses a combined strike into the engaged wrecker, sending it reeling backward and crashing into Alexia. Alexia feeling the weight of the monstrosity upon her draws strength from a risen soldier to keep from being crushed.
Emboldened by the success of his army and enraged by the loss of his myrmidons Thyron charges into the ambush, cleaving and stepping in a storm of bladed vengeance. Maddeningly each blow he lands clean leads into a blow which the drudges unbelievably shrug off. He focuses completely on his task as rescuing the mechanic Arthyr Tyndyll is his priority. That mechanic can empower my remaining Griffon enough, to kill that human witch! He thinks.
And so it does, the Griffon now focused on vengeance uses its blade to cleave and step through a swathe of risen to reach Alexia and the Wrecker. But in a moment of impudent hubris Thyron guides the Griffons Halberd down upon the Monstrosity providing the killing blow.
See, I am still a useful member of this battle. He thinks to himself, as Alexia, free from the attention of the Griffon slips away.
When the Griffon turns to levy more blows upon Alexia, Thyron realizes his mistake and a sudden tide of telekintic force seizes the army. A distant monstrosity lopes up and Thexuses mind reaches out to grab Thyron. Unable to resist Thyron is blasted with a curse and his inner storm subsides as he realizes he has lost this battle.
"Recover the cortex and save yourselves" his message is relayed.
Thyron suffers an onslaught of Psychic attacks as the Dawnguard withdraw with Discordias cortex, retrieved by Arthyr. Yet the Fane Guardian sworn to protect his Warcaster rushes to assistance as adrenaline floods the veins of nerby drudges.
…
"Was that the last blow you saw the Sword of Truth sustain Vlysn?"
"Yes m'lord."
"I thank you for recovering Discordias cortex."
"It was his final order"
Rahns brow furrowed angrily.
"He best offer me a good excuse for using my myrmidon so recklessly."
"When he recovers, perhaps a lesson on the virtues of telekinetic powers would be appropriate"
"My thoughts exactly Vlysn… commend that Fane Knight on recovering Thyron for me, or damn him as either would be appropriate."
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