Battle Report 1

VaderXanth and I ran our first full battle box versus battle box Warmachine skirmish using the program Vassal last night (and into this morning ). We did not take time out to work on a play-by-play of all movements or attacks, as we are doing this to learn the rules and errata so future tabletop games run a little bit faster, with less digging through the rule book. We feel we learned a lot, and plan to keep going, each skirmish adding more units and working on a few new rules, so we can slowly get a complete grasp on remembering everything. Our match last night took way longer than expected, but then again we were also still learning the program as well. That said, we didn't do a play-by-play, but I used the program's built-in screenshot function to take map pictures at the end of each round. I will now link the pics here, and try to drop a bit of what was going on. Vader can feel free to edit this post and add/change comments if I forgot something. Without further doodoo, I give you our first screenshot battle report!
Oh, I was running the Khador (red) faction box set, Vader was running Cryx (black) box set. End of round 1 I had my Destroyer in the water...mistake #1. We also see the old water wheel house was going to be a choke point.

End of round 2, his Defiler Bonejack has hit my Juggernaut (on the waterwheel house deck) with his corrosive cannon, and my Juggernaut suffered corrosion damage, which is an every turn thing . He also moved his other troops right, which I didn't foresee, so now my Destroyer in the water is becoming a real uh-oh. Was going to get my Kommander (with the scythe) on the elevated hill.
End of round 3, he runs a Deathripper Bonejack up behind my Kommander, so much for the hill! She moves to the river's edge to use ranged attacks on the Deathripper in the trees. Vader's Defiler backs up, letting my Juggernaut (still suffering corrosion) head up to take care of the top Deathripper. My Destroyer is plodding through the water SLOWLY.
End of round 4, Vader's Slayer Helljack runs to the water to go after my Destroyer. Destroyer fires a bombard cannon and takes out Slayer's movement system (down to 1" movement, with shallow water effect of 1/2 movement...uh-oh). My Juggernaut and Kommander decided to join forces against a Deathripper, while the other Deathripper closes in. Vader's Defiler is meanwhile trying to sneak around the corner of the old waterwheel house! And there to the south of the house, Vader's war witch (we were having issues with her token) has moved up to provide better command range for her 'Jacks.

End of round 5. Juggernaut took another shot. Kommander took a bad hit. Vader's war witch casts a spell on the Destroyer in the water, dropping many of his stats -2, including movement. Destroyer is down to 1" movement, and the Slayer is still at 1/2". Kommander and Juggernaut together managed to take out one Deathripper.

End of round 6. Destroyer and Slayer are still plodding through the water at a snail's pace. Destroyer keeps launching bombard shells, which keep missing and doing minimal damage. Vader's war witch has moved up into the combat area. Kommander is going toe-to-toe with the remaining Deathripper, while the Juggernaut is trying to take out the ranged attacking Defiler.

Round 7...the end. Vader's war witch moved up to melee range with the Juggernaut. Destroyer misses ranged shot, which deviates and does minimal damage to Defiler. Juggernaut doesn't like a war witch too close, so boosts an attack and in one hit takes out Vader's war witch. Vader's 'Jacks are immobilized...game over.

I didn't need the report, I was there. But posting the pics, remembering what happened, my brain is full of "couldas, shouldas, and what-ifs." So, some thoughts. Oh, first not so much as a thought but a worthwhile thing to mention: we are still using Mk1 cards and many rules. We are going to slowly dig into this with what we currently have in the way of tabletop products. As we make changes to our tabletop, we will make changes to how we play online.

1. The chokepoint sucked. The 5-minute thrown together map lacked direction or focus...BUT battles aren't always going to be in locations that are favorable to everyone.
2. I thought for sure Vader was going left, not sure why . Maybe I thought he would avoid the hill? So I sent my destroyer left. As soon as he went right with his 'Rippers, I could've brought my destroyer back to land, but nooooo...had to keep him in the water for ranged attacks. Stupid.
3. If Vader's war witch had used her Feat during round 5, the entire game would have gone VERY differently.
3 1/2. If I hadn't damaged the Slayer's movement, I think my Destroyer would have been taken out quickly!
4. If I would have used my Feat during round 6, I MAYBE could've have pulled out a victory then with less damage to my troops.
5. If I wouldn't have closed to melee range with my warcaster, I could have used a few spells which could have done some serious game changing.
6. Maps like this, I'm thinking with ANY amount of water, we need more ranged attacks (though Vader and I have agreed we will play skirmishes and SLOWLY build up armies so we can properly learn each new thing as thoroughly as possible).
7. Next time I help design a map, if there's a tree, there will be more than one tree. If there's a building or man-made structure, there will be more than one, Yeah, this was just thrown together, but why we left it at one tree is beyond me.

There's so many more, but those are the biggies I plan on looking at going forward to the next match. Maybe I will remember how to post small "blow-up-able" images and next time will take turn pics instead of round pics. I'm sure anyone looking at that battle report will find a hundred (thousand) more things we could have done differently with our troops. Hell, feel free to drop some ideas! (should also point out we made our first "house rule" last night, but I will save that for a different post, unless Vader beats me to it )

Quite impressive. I will have to go over this report a bit more and see what I can see.

I'm also going to have to go over my books. Not so much for this, but for my Skorne; I want to play!

Playing this way was a great way to learn all of the intricacies (though not all of then yet) of game play. Also, this was my first time actually running within a game. Being an observer is one thing, being in it is another.

I feel as if I can and will do better the next time. Overall though, it was a well played game and I enjoyed it!

Heh... at least no one launched a mini-nuke at their feet.

Nope. I saved that special move for my first solo game on vassal! In order to test out how well the module might work to simulate the tabletop environment, I was running some games by playing both sides in the conflict. First time out, launched my destroyers artillery, missed, deviated, damaged my caster and Juggernaut...again. Damaging your own troops...don't settle for being good at something, aim to excel at it!

I shake my head to say this, but that even puts the Skorne to shame. We just cut and stab and poke and hook and pierce our own... we'd never fall to nuking them.

But that does have potential...