Bashi Bamboozle
After my victory against Steve (KingButt) I was paired against Bermen (DataEntity) on the JSA village table.
It’s been a long time since I’ve played Bermen, so I was looking forward to playing him again.
Overview
- Mission: ITS14 Firefight
- Forces: Druze Bayram Security versus Yu Jing (300)
- Deploy First: Yu Jing
- First Turn: Yu Jing
I decided to take my Scarface list, which has no actual Druze. That’s pretty lame, but Druze is a weird faction that sometimes you need to drop Druze to get some board coverage and tools. I decided to put Wolfgang in the main link to give everyone sixth sense and then keep the Bulleteer and MBH duo’ed. I was hoping Le Muet would perform well this game and I was going to rely pretty heavily on the Hunzakut to get some work done as well.
Firefight & Unmasking v2
GROUP 1
8
2
BRAWLER (Lieutenant) Rifle, Light Shotgun / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 15)
CLIPPER DRONBOT Missile Launcher / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (1.5 | 16)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MULTI Rifle(+1B), Chain-colt / Heavy Pistol, DA CC Weapon, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 35)
GROUP 2
SCARFACE Loadout Gamma & CORDELIA TURNER undefined / undefined. (1.5 | 81)
SCARFACE Boarding Shotgun, Grenades / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (- | 0)
CORDELIA TURNER Combi Rifle, Chain-colt, D-Charges / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 17)
NASMAT PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 3)
FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 7)
HUNZAKUT (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 18)
1
BULLETEER Spitfire / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (1 | 23)
MOTORIZED BOUNTY HUNTER Submachine Gun, Chain-colt(+1B) / Pistol, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 9)
PATHFINDER DRONBOT Combi Rifle, Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 15)
ARMAND (Multispectral Visor L1) MULTI Sniper Rifle, Nanopulser ( ) / Breaker Pistol(+1B), Shock CC Weapon. (1.5 | 39)
6 SWC | 300 Points | Open in Army | Copy Code
Bermen was rocking good stuff vanilla Yu Jing. The “salt to taste” portion of the list was the Hundun, Long Ya, and Bixie.
Bermen (Data Entity)
GROUP 1
KOKRAM FTO MULTI Rifle(+1 Dam), Chain-colt, D-Charges / Heavy Pistol(+1B), CC Weapon. (0 | 36)
SÙ-JIÀN Heavy Shotgun(+1B), Panzerfaust / Heavy Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 50)
GROUP 2
CELESTIAL GUARD Monitor Combi Rifle, Smoke Grenade Launcher / CC Weapon, Pistol. (0.5 | 13)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 5)
WÈIBĪNG Yaókòng Combi Rifle, Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 15)
LIBERTO (Minelayer) Light Shotgun, Shock Mines / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1 | 8)
BEASTHUNTERS (Surprise Attack [-3], Camouflage, Forward Deployment [+8″]) Heavy Flamethrower, Panzerfaust, AP Mines / EXP CC Weapon(+1B), Pistol. (0 | 17)
DĀOYĪNG (Lieutenant [+1 Order]) Boarding Shotgun / Breaker Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 22)
BÌXIÉ MULTI Rifle, Zapper, Flash Pulse / Pistol, E/M CC Weapon. (0 | 41)
MAJOR LUNAH VIRAL Sniper Rifle / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1.5 | 29)
LÓNG YÁ Panzerfaust(+1B), Flammenspeer(+1B), AP Mines, Heavy Shotgun / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 21)
HÙNDÙN (X Visor) Heavy Rocket Launcher ( ) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1.5 | 27)
SHAOLIN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 6)
4.5 SWC | 300 Points | Open in Army | Copy Code
Deployment
I won the rolloff and chose side, so Bermen chose first turn. Given the extended deployment zones, he had a very loose deployment with the Daoying protected on the left, screened by Bixie and a Kuang Shi. A Hundun watched his HVT on the left, and then the rest of the Kuang Shi and the Celestial Guard protected it. The Beasthunter and Shaolin were in the center ready to respond to threats, and Lunah was watching Krit’s back on the right. The Su Jian was Bermen’s reserve.
I was thrown off by Lunah not being the reserve so I thought Lunah was the Daoying. I guess that’s what happens when I play James (RomanLegion) all the time and adapt to his play patterns. I knew the Su Jian was going to show up near Krit, so I set the Clipper up to fight it at range, which meant the Brawlers were nearby. All my ‘bots were scattered across my deployment zone covering various angles. Of note was the Fugazi all the way on the right, watching Scarface’s back. The Bulleteer and MBH were on the right ready to make a run if they needed.
I figured I needed some more flank protection on my left, so Wolfgang went over there. Once the Su Jian came down, I put Le Muet watching the corridor they had to advance through, figuring I would at least buy some time. Most Su Jian + Krit lists have one additional gun, so if I was able to stall out that duo I’d be okay on the first turn.
Turn 1
Top of 1 – Yu Jing
I get very surprised by Bermen’s first order of him revealing Lunah and taking out the Clipper. I was 100% sure that was the Daoying, but that’s on me.
Lunah marches down the list of targets and drops Le Muet in a single order as well. Oof–this is rough.
The Su Jian pushes up hard to see Wolfgang. I dodge, because that’s right thing to do. Shockingly I survive unscathed.
The cat comes rocketing around the corner so I dodge into close combat, again not taking any wounds. Wolfgang, you’re a monster.
Bermen, wanting to rescue his Su Jian, sends in the Beasthunter, which Scarface successfully discovers on a second short skill move.
The Beasthunter rolls into the fight on burst three. Somehow the dice conspire to keep both the Beasthunter and Wolfgang alive. My Pathfinder fires its combi into the Beasthunter on the way in, but misses.
The Beasthunter activates again, and I manage to flash pulse Wolfgang. Greaaat. I do manage to fend it off though, so at least that’s good, and the Brawler Hacker does spotlight the Beasthunter, getting me Telemetry. This is shaping up be a real yakity sax moment for two of the scariest CC profiles in the game.
Bermen decides to spend his orders elsewhere to develop the board and sends in a Libertos into the central room, planting a mine and freaking Scarface out.
The Libertos pushes all the way up and hits Scarface with its light shotgun and does a wound. Ugh. Thankfully I put it dogged with a shot from the MBH.
With that, it’s back to me.
Bottom of 1 – Druze
I have taken a big hit, but we’ll figure it out.
I stupidly decide to try and use the Brawler Lt to take out the Beasthunter. It’s touching a sat zone and I have terrible mods, so I just end up wounding Wolfgang… and now my Lieutenant is standing up.
Okay okay. Refocus. I did something really stupid and I need to do something different to sort of reset my brain. I take advantage of the Hunzakut’s irregular order and shotgun/chain-colt trade her for Krit. So far so good! Okay we’re back in the right headspace.
Next target: Lunah. If she goes, then I have less issues with long distance force projection. I bring in the free Bashi. Unfortunately, I have to deal with the Celestial Guard controller first. I hit, but it passes ARM. This lets Lunah turn around.
I push through the AROs to see Lunah and greedily split burst, and that takes the Bashi out with no return on my investment of orders… until I realize that Lunah is facing backwards and I have a Pathfinder that can see her moving a little. I start by Triangulated Firing the Beasthunter down on the way. Boy I wish I had started with that.
Then, I move the Pathfinder to a point where she can see Lunah and then Triangulated Fire takes her out. I try to take on the Weibing but fail to break its armor.
I carbonite the Su Jian, and hope for the best.
Turn 2
Top of 2 – Yu Jing
I’ve done some damage, but Bixie is still up, as well as the Su Jian, and that’s a problem.
Bermen brings on his own Bashi to try and clear out the area and rescue the Su Jian. I frantically dodge my Lieutenant prone, so at least she’s safe. If Bermen can clear out Wolfgang I’m in trouble. He starts by trying to take down the Pathfinder and fails.
It takes a few orders but he finally drops the Pathfinder, meaning his Bashi actually did something directly!
This opens the way for his Weibing to push up and try a repeat of my trick on the Beasthunter with Triangulated Fire. It goes horribly for Bermen and he manages to put a wound on the Su Jian…
and then another one.
He’s out of orders except for the Daoying lieutenant’s orders, so he sends Bixie in to try and take out my Fugazi on the ridge to deprive me of one order. It doesn’t go well and I flash pulse her.
There’s no targets for the Hundun, but Berman reveals it for orders on Turn 3 and passes turn.
Bottom of 2 – Druze
Alright, that was about as good as it’s going to get. Most of Bermen’s orders were sunk into the Bashi with little results.
I really don’t have the ability to project force right now. I could send in Scarface, but at close range to targets that are very dangerous in close range. I also need to respect the mines that the Libertos placed, because Scarface isn’t invincible. I decide to just stabilize and go for classifieds. I start by hammering the Su Jian off the table with Wolfgang.
I then get Extreme Prejudice off the Beasthunter.
The Bashi needs to go as well, because it’s still a threat. Wolfgang handles it.
I really don’t have much more after that, so I throw Scarface into suppression and call it a turn.
Turn 3
Top of 3 – Yu Jing
Okay. I’ve degraded Bermen’s list but it’s still very deadly.
Bixie races in to take on Scarface–that’s a good tool for the job, and she’s very very dangerous. She takes out the MBH but thankfully I stop her with an unopposed flash pulse from a Fugazi.
Bermen gets In Extremis Recovery from my downed Pathfinder using his Weibing. I try to stop it by breaking Scarface’s suppression and firing my last panzerfaust, but I miss.
The Weibing gets a little too close to Wolfgang and he dodges into close combat.
With Bixie out of commission, the Long Ya is all that Bermen has left. He sends it in, getting discovered by the Fugazi. Pushing forward, he contests the flash pulse and grants Scarface a dodge…
which lets me fight the Long Ya right up close. It wasn’t in base contact with the wall, so I catch it out of cover and crit it as it takes on Scarface.
Bixie escapes to the corner of the armory and that’s a turn.
Bottom of 3 – Druze
If I lose Scarface, I’m probably going to be under on points killed, so I can’t risk him. I just need to hammer it home and get my last classified in.
Wolfgang makes short work of the Weibing with his Frenzy order.
I use the Pathfinder’s tac aware to get into repeater range of Bixie…
then Carbonite her with the Brawler. This lets Wolfgang get in front of her and take her out while she’s immobilized. No dodge for you!
I could make it to a Panoply with Scarface, but I’m not certain I’ll survive two mine hits on the way. I end up tying Bermen’s one panoply pull with Wolfgang and we call it.
That makes it a
7-1, 203-83 Druze Bayram Security Victory!
Post Game Analysis
Well that was a silly clusterf**k of a game. I think we both were desperately trying to leverage all the tools we had, and they were just wildly inconsistent. Both Bashis just didn’t do anything, and the whole thing with Wolfgang, the Su Jian, and the Beasthunter was just crazy silly.
Between our two Lieutenants, mine was definitely the more vulnerable, and there was a moment when it was exposed. Bermen had an opportunity to take it out with the Bashi and he didn’t. It was definitely going to be a thread the needle situation, but he could’ve had one order on it, and that might have been enough, and that would have been game.
Overall, I think the key difference between Bermen’s lines of play and mine were I was maybe dialed in to the return on investment evaluation a little tighter, and that coupled with some slightly in my favor dice (of some truly bad dice between us) swung the game in my favor.
Here’s a sort of example: not using Scarface essentially the whole game was very strange. Scarface just ended up as so much of my points that it was too risky to put him harm’s way, so I just left him there as a threat that Bermen had to answer. Aside from the Su Jian attack, most of Bermen’s resources were funneled into attacking Scarface, which I think really saved me this game. Scarface in this mission really represents a chunk of points and not the game–definitely moreso in the matchup. I think that was actually somewhat of a mistake by Bermen here.
Attacking into Scarface is pushing into my defensive net and he’s a hard target. He’s not weak in close combat, and he’s in a good deployment position and I can play ring around the rosy with the corner of the armory, just dodging back and forth. In fact, I did a fair amount of that while the Libertos, Bixie, and the Long Ya were running around in there.
It’s of course impossible for Bermen to read my mind and know that I’m happy leaving Scarface where he is. From Bermen’s perspective, he knows that Scarface can do a lot of damage, and there isn’t much of a defensive net on his side of the table, but he did a good job of keeping me contained with the threat of a Su Jian for most of the game on my left flank. In some sense this game is a case study of threat prioritization and the psychology of how it shapes your opponent’s decision making.
Bermen faked me out with the Krit/Su Jian duo backstopped by Lunah. That cost me Le Muet, which is a big deal in my list. Then the Krit/Su Jian duo became an actual threat which I had to address (very clumsily, I might add). Scarface was never really a threat, in my mind–he was the threat of a threat, but it’s scary enough that it faked Bermen out for most of the game and caused him to overextend basically all his heavy hitters.
If you look at all the units I actually killed this game, they were pretty much all over the centerline. Possible exception being Krit who was very close to it. That’s actually a big efficiency loss on Bermen’s side as well–with the exception of my Bashi, I spent basically no resources moving up the board to attack his models. He brought all of them to me and let me have most of my order pool to deal with them.
Interesting further observation here–I went second on Firefight. I’m supposed to have my teeth kicked in after the first turn, and while I was hurting and under lots of pressure, it wasn’t catastrophic. The pace of the game seemed to be Bermen commits a wave of troops, I blunt or contain the attack, then I destroy those troops. Then the next turn the rinse and repeat, with the whole game seemingly revolving around the Wolfgang/Su Jian cartoon fight cloud.
Anyway. I think I’ve belabored the point enough. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Bermen for a great game. I hope its not multiple years before I get to play you again!
