BattleCON G21 - Accountant (Seth) vs. Zorblag (Mikhail)

[Zorblag]

It's another game of BattleCON! Welcome to a match of divine vessles! The Oracle, Seth faces off against the Hand of Divinity, Mikhail! Can Seth keep Mikhail's power sealed long enough to bring him down? Which instrument of the Gods has the edge? We'll find out in this battle!

If you're interested in learning about or playing a game yourself at some point I'll point you to the BattleCON discussion thread in the Arcade. For now, thanks to Accountant for stepping up to be the next scummer to whale on a Troll in the pbf fighting series!

We'll be playing with Dodge and the Force Gauge.

Ante the first beat will go to Seth on 1 and Mikhail on 2.

Original Roll String: 1d2

1 2-Sided Dice: (2) = 2

@Seth, go ahead and submit your discard 1, discard 2 and finisher. Remember that Discard 2 is the one you'll get back first.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Opening Discards and Finisher

Discard 1: Force Special Dodge
Discard 2: Apocalyptic Grasp
Finisher: Magnus Malleus

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I'm more than happy to talk about the game and how it went both along the way and at the end. We're here to have fun and to get better! I hope that you'll point out any mistakes I make as well.

But before we get to that, are you sure you don't want to use the Force Special Action as one of your two style discards? For some characters there's a chance you'd want to use it, but I'm not so sure with Seth. Just making sure you're considering all the options.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I mostly just want you to play with what you think the best start is. That makes the game better for both of us!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

START OF GAME

ooSoMoo

Seth 20/2
Discard 1: Force Special Grasp
Discard 2: Compelling Dodge
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 20/2
Discard 1: Force Special Dodge
Discard 2: Apocalyptic Grasp
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 3

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 1 Attack Pair

Hallowed Shot!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Seal Token

Forgot about how obvious my initial ante is likely to be.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Stun Guard 2.

Though based on that last comment it looks like you've looked at my attack pair. In general we should finish the ante phase first.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

@KingdomeAces, it should be starting with Force 2 (I got that wrong for at least our last game if not the ones before.) I'll go adjust that for this game!

@Accountant, no worries. You're getting used to the format and I don't think it matters this time anyhow.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Oh, and pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Right, so you get to retreat first.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I will say that my default base was probably going to be drive and I switched to shot to avoid your Beyond Eyes, so good instinct there even though you didn't follow through!

The active player goes first for all phases, so I suppose that I pull you one first and then you retreat 2.

After that I hit you and stun you, and then you don't hit me.

END OF BEAT 1

oSooMoo

Seth 14/3
Discard 1: Mimic's Burst
Discard 2: Force Special Grasp
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 20/1
Discard 1: Hallowed Shot
Discard 2: Force Special Dodge
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 2

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Wait, forgot my push. Which now that I think about it, I won't use.

Which I edited in after thinking about it.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I have so much range that I didn't think Strike was out of the question. I nominally want to take damage so the stun guard with an attack with range sounds fairly good. I still thought that Drive was the best option to avoid the range issues that Seth provides, so, like I said, shot was a nice next option.

Spoiler: Beat 2 Attack Pair

Transcendent Scroll!

Spoiler: Opening Ante

Seal Token

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Ah, I see that you put your discard 2 above the discard 1. That doesn't particularly change anything, but I'll correct it in both the opening plays.

I do actually own Tabletop Simulator, but I like the pace of the forum games. It feels less rushed than live games.

Waiting for your ante at this point.

Pass on ante (which I actually don't have a choice about.)

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

OK, looks like I hit you for 1 damage and don't stun you. You hit me for 1 and then I do gain a seal token. Neither of us move.

END OF BEAT 2

oSooMoo

Seth 13/4
Discard 1: Fool's Shot
Discard 2: Mimic's Burst
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 19/2
Discard 1: Transcendent Scroll
Discard 2: Hallowed Shot
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 2

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

Sound right?

[Zorblag]

Good catch. This next beat will be my last as it's late here.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 3 Attack Pair

Sacred Strike!

Spoiler: Opening Ante

Seal Token

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 3 Attack Pair - Clash 1

Sacred

Strike

Drive!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

So you win priority and miss. I'll advance 1 and hit you for 4 damage. I don't regain a Seal Token.

END OF BEAT 3

oSoMooo

Seth 9/5
Discard 1: Wyrding Grasp
Discard 2: Fool's Shot
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 19/3
Discard 1: Sacred Drive
Discard 2: Transcendent Scroll
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 1

Sound right?

In any case I'll get back to this tomorrow.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 4 Attack Pair

Hallowed Strike

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Seal Token

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Good Dodge! I've got priority and so first I pull you one space so that we're adjacent, then you move up to 3 from dodge, presumably in a way that doesn't let me hit you, and finally you get (well, have really,) to move me 1 space twice.

Now the game gets interesting as I'm out of the Seal Tokens. I initially got out Heketch for the game, but then when I thought about his UA I realized that he's probably a really tough matchup for Seth so I switched to Mikhail. What I hadn't noticed was all the range on Mikhail's styles (every single one which is crazy!) which make things like that Strike play just now an option that they wouldn't be. That also makes it harder to play against as Seth I suspect. This is the point in the game where I have to make more predictable moves I suspect. Though I know that so WIFOM and what not, but I haven't got extra range on everything for at least this beat to give me quite so many viable attack pairs.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

No worries! I think this is what we're working with then:

END OF BEAT 4

oMoooSo

Seth 9/6
Discard 1: Compelling Dodge
Discard 2: Wyrding Grasp
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 19/4
Discard 1: Hallowed Strike
Discard 2: Sacred Drive
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 0

Sound right?

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 5 Attack Pair

Force Special Grasp!

Spoiler: Opening Ante

Soak 1

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

OK, I win priority, but it doesn't matter much beyond not being a clash. Do you want to retreat 1 at the start of beat? Whether you do or not I'll miss and then you'll hit me for 2. I regain a seal token at the end of the beat.

Also, because it's not fully clear from Mikhail's UA, the Force Special Action does still give me an extra force (and would let me use a finisher if it was used when I had as much force as I do life.) I had to look that up, but fortunately the game's creator had answered that particular question on BGG.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

So retreat 1 or not?

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

No worries, I buried the question mid ramble.

END OF BEAT 5

oMooooS

Seth 9/7
Discard 1: Vanishing Shot
Discard 2: Compelling Dodge
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 17/4
Discard 1: Force Special Grasp
Discard 2: Hallowed Strike
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 1

Sound right?

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 6 Attack Pair

Immutable Scroll!

Spoiler: Opening Ante

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

OK, so the biggest thing that happens this beat is that you can pulse at the end of it if you want to.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

*nods* I didn't expect you to, but it's easy to forget the option.

END OF BEAT 6

oMooooS

Seth 9/7
Discard 1: Wyrding Grasp
Discard 2: Vanishing Shot
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 17/4
Discard 1: Immutable Scroll
Discard 2: Force Special Grasp
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 2

Sound right?

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 7 Attack Pair

Apocalyptic Strike!

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Seal Token

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I'd use a reaction ante to pass as well if I knew I was going to. I would have done that beat 6 if you had the first ante.

*shrugs* I guess I'm willing to give that information to you.

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

And you win priority. You get to move me with Compelling before I act.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

You need to move me 1 with both the before and after activating (neither is optional,) so sadly that isn't an option.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I'd also be totally willing to put the following spoiler in:

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Pass if you pass.

Or, more insidiously, if I thought you were using the reaction antes against me:

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

I need to see what you ante first, sorry.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

The first forum game is the learning game, right? I should hit you for 7 and that should be about it. You can again pulse if you like, but if you don't the game should look like this:

END OF BEAT 6

oooMooS

Seth 2/9
Discard 1: Compelling Omen
Discard 2: Wyrding Grasp
Finisher: Reading Fate

Mikhail - 17/5
Discard 1: Apocalyptic Strike
Discard 2: Immutable Scroll
Finisher: Magnus Malleus
Seal Tokens: 1

Sound right?

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 8 Attack Pair

Transcendent Burst!

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Seal Token. Thought it's tempting to say that I'm waiting.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I like the idea of maining Seth, but I suspect it's going to take lots of play to get used to him. Like I said a bit ago, this matchup is worse for Seth than I realized before I picked Mikhail, so it wouldn't be a matchup I'd want to play again right away. If you're up for another game I'll switch to another character and you can either stick with Seth or switch yourself.

KingdomAces would also probably be happy to play you (probably with Lixis, though that's something that can be decided by players other than me.)

Pass on ante.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Power +1.

I think that BattleCON should appeal to mafia players in general as the bluffing translates nicely. I don't know how easy it is to get new players into the game on a forum basis though. In any case, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm always down for games if you're not in a hurry to get them done quickly.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Well, this matchup doesn't favor you at all I don't think (I say even though it's my first time playing Mikhail,) so that's probably a big part of this result. I'm glad you're enjoying it though!

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

And it looks like I have priority. I'll retreat 1 which puts us at range 4 which will let me hit and do 2 damage which is what I need to end the game.

Good game!

You asked about my thoughts after the game, but I think that the only two mistakes that I saw you make from my skill level were as follows:
In beat 3 on the first clash, given the options I had, I almost had to play Drive, and I think you could have clashed that to avoid the damage and cost me a Seal Token.

When you dodged past me and I had no Seal Tokens you put us at a distance with the ability to hit me with Shot, but not much else. I expected you to do that and so I turtled for a couple turns to get my Seal Tokens back and then could launch my offensive at will. Given that I had the life advantage that I did and no Seal Token I suspect you would have been better served by agressively going after me (especially as I've got so much range if I have the Seal Tokens.)

In any case, I'd like to play Cesar against you next (though I haven't looked at his kit to see what he can do well.) If you want to play again you're welcome to play Seth or someone else. I'll need to wait to set the game up in any case.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Malandrax looks super interesting (somehow all the Gesselheim characters seem to thematically.) I'll go ahead and set that game up sometime tomorrow!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh