BattleCON G22 - Accountant (Malandrax) vs. Zorblag (Cesar)

[Zorblag]

It's another game of BattleCON! We change our pace this game as this match features the Deadly Genius, Malandrax faces off against the Reliquary Hunter, Cesar! Is the immortal hunter's simple Ironstar and taciturn doggedness enough to overcome the insidious traps laid by the reincarnated genius?

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.

@Accountant, 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]

Ante the first beat will go to Malandrax on 1 and Cesar on 2.

Original Roll String: 1d2

1 2-Sided Dice: (1) = 1

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Opening Discards and Finisher

Discard 1: Force Special Grasp
Discard 2: Phalanx Dodge
Finisher: Level 4 Protocol

As a heads up, I'll probably be fairly busy this weekend, so I might not get many beats in.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

So the nice thing about this matchup over the last is that I have no fear that I'm going to have the inherent advantage. Malandrax seems better suited to work against player who tend to move around, and that movement is a huge part of Cesar's game. Malandrax is somewhat intimidating, but I need to remember going through this that often, the things that he can do don't actually hurt all that much especially as there are ways I can mitigate the timing being a typically slower character. It should be fun seeing how the flow of the game goes!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I suspect that you're overrating my competence here. Sure, I'll be trying to stop you from winning, but I'm fully confident that this game will go much better for you than the last one. I had so many tools in my Mikhail toolbox there that Seth had trouble countering without both assuming I was going for a non-obvious move and correctly guessing which one. The Normal Seth style of cover all the options so that you're at worst trading evenly didn't have a chance when Mikhail had access to the Seal Tokens. Malandrax has a lot more counters to what Cesar has up his sleeve. Mostly I'm just hoping for a fun game regardless of the win!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

START OF GAME

ooMoCoo

Malandrax 20/2
Discard 1: Force Special Master Plan
Discard 2: Ingenious Dodge
Finisher: Deathtrap

Cesar - 20/2
Discard 1: Force Special Grasp
Discard 2: Phalanx Dodge
Finisher: Level 4 Protocol
Threat Level Counters: 0
Stats for Beat 1: +1 Power, Stun Guard 1

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I'm not going to bother listing the Threat Level Counters in the my antes; they happen during the ante phase and I'll capture that information in the End of Beat Summaries.

Also, the only effect which gives me more tokens does it after the power, stun guard and soak are already calculated in the start of beat phase, so I'll try to always list what I'm going to have for the beat there.

Spoiler: Beat 1 Attack Pair

Inevitable Shot

Opening Ante: Pass

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Pass.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

OK, looks like you win ante and hit first for 3 damage. I have the stun guard to take that and hit back for 4 damage. I don't move this beat, so unless you anted and care to activate the Smasher Trap that should be it for the beat.

A tentative END OF BEAT 1

ooMoCoo

Malandrax 16/3
Discard 1: Precision Strike
Discard 2: Force Special Master Plan
Finisher: Deathtrap
Stats for Beat 2: -3 Power

Cesar - 17/3
Discard 1: Inevitable Shot
Discard 2: Force Special Grasp
Finisher: Level 4 Protocol
Threat Level Counters: 1
Stats for Beat 2: +2 Power, Stun Guard 2

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

If you have the Smasher Trap then I'll take some more damage, but it doesn't change what my next move will be:

Spoiler: Beat 2 Attack Pair

Unstoppable Suppression!

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Pass if you ante a Trap.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I don't think that you do. In theory it would give me insight for future moves, and I could try to go look up a ruling if we really cared, but I'm happy to play that you don't as there's no mechanical implications. Do you mind if I look after the game is over at what traps you chose?

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I'm happy to talk about reasons for the traps, yeah!

For this beat, I was hoping for Plotting Dodge, but I'll take that. You win priority and get to move first. You can't move through me. I think that even if you choose not to move it's activating a move effect (I suppose I should go look that one up as it's pretty important,) so when you do I'll get to advance 1 or 2.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

So it looks like BGG agrees that even if you choose to move 0 or move me 0 with a movement effect it counts as it being activated. I will get to advance whether or not you choose to move with dodge.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

*nods* I advance 1 space.

ooCMooo

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

That would leave me hitting you for 4 damage unless you activate a trap.

A tentative END OF BEAT 2

ooCMooo

Malandrax 12/4
Discard 1: Ingenious Dodge
Discard 2: Precision Strike
Finisher: Deathtrap

Cesar - 17/3
Discard 1: Unstoppable Suppression
Discard 2: Inevitable Shot
Finisher: Level 4 Protocol
Threat Level Counters: 2
Stats for Beat 3: +3 Power, Stun Immunity

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

That's not surprising, but you're activating a movement effect which would let me advance 2 and still hit you. If you don't want me to hit you this beat you need to retreat 3.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Though I would just be hitting for 2, so maybe that's the move you want.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

For the record, this is a particularly confusing matchup for movement effects.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

And, I suppose I'm assuming that a trap can only activate once per beat. I guess I should go look that up.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

OK, the official FAQ answers that. Traps can only be used one time during a beat.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Also, if you weren't expecting me to move again after the trap I'm fine with you using the trap differently or choosing your initial dodge movement differently.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

It's a crazy matchup (that at least isn't crazy one sided.) You could only retreat 2 given the space in which case I would advance 2 to give us:

A tentative END OF BEAT 2

MoCoooo

Malandrax 16/4
Discard 1: Ingenious Dodge
Discard 2: Precision Strike
Finisher: Deathtrap

Cesar - 17/4
Discard 1: Unstoppable Suppression
Discard 2: Inevitable Shot
Finisher: Level 4 Protocol
Threat Level Counters: 2
Stats for Beat 3: +3 Power, Stun Immunity

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I'm fine with you changing that, but if it's what you want then here's my next beat:

Spoiler: Beat 3 Attack Pair

Phalanx Grasp!

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Pass if you ante a Trap.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

No hurry. I know that you've got plenty going on just here at this website. Presumably you've got other things in life drawing attention as well. Let me know if you think that we have to table this game for now, but otherwise I'm fine playing at a slower pace.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Sounds good, KingdomAces. I'll set up that game with Heketch sometime this week so it's up and ready to go!

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

So I pass when you ante a trap.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

OK, looks like I win priority. I do hit you and pull you 1 space. That will do 5 damage and stun you, so you won't be hitting me. I haven't moved so if you have the Smasher Trap you do 2 damage that way, otherwise I don't activate any traps this beat.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

A tentative END OF BEAT 3

oMCoooo

Malandrax 11/5
Discard 1: Calculated Shot
Discard 2: Ingenious Dodge
Finisher: Deathtrap

Cesar - 15/5
Discard 1: Phalanx Grasp
Discard 2: Unstoppable Suppression
Finisher: Level 4 Protocol
Threat Level Counters: 3
Stats for Beat 4: Soak 2, Stunned

And I'll need to wait till later to figure out my next beat.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

I will be stunned for my next beat. This was the beat where I had stun immunity and +3 damage.

But that would make a big difference for what you were planning.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

And, just because it's about to matter, in case it wasn't clear, being stunned won't stop me from using start of beat or end of beat effects. It does stop before activating and after activating effects though.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Yeah, I'd need to figure out what attack pair to discard even if the stun did stop me from doing anything though. I wouldn't be too concerned about not having this at an intuitive level yet; I know I don't.

Also, one of your styles does extra damage (or causes life loss?) if your attack stuns me. I think that the fact that I'm already stunned would stop that effect from doing the extra damage (as it wouldn't be your attack which does the stunning,) but I'll see if I can get a ruling on that on BGG or from Level 99 next time I've got time to look things up.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Yeah, but when I look it up on the BGG boards people are arguing that you can get stunned again by an attack after that, it just doesn't change the stunned status. I'm inclined to go with that. If you're hitting hard enough to get through the stun guard/soak then the bonus kicks in. It's to your advantage this game, but unless you'd rather not I'd like to go with the interpretation that lets you gain the life loss.

They weren't talking about this specific instance, so it wasn't addressed, but it applies nicely. https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/139334 ... s-one-beat

-Zorblag R`Lyeh

[Zorblag]

Spoiler: Beat 4 Attack Pair

Fueled Strike!

Spoiler: Opening Ante

Soak 1

Spoiler: Reaction Ante

Pass if you ante a trap.

-Zorblag R`Lyeh