This past weekend, Capn'Moe and myself attended a 2000 point, team tournament at a LGS. The games were pretty normal, with a few rules changes here and there. The Missions caught us off guard, but more on that later. Army Lists rules were the standard 2000 point total, 1000 points per person. Everything counted as Allies of Convenience at a minimum. Warlord traits were changed to a popular rule going around, which I greatly enjoy, where you roll the d6, then choose which chart you will select from.
We anticipated there to be around 10-12 teams total, with maybe 8-9 showing up. Turns out 14 teams showed up.
Things got intense quickly.
We saw a list with 2 Heldrakes and 3 Vendettas, One list with 4 Heldrakes, and tons of other weird combinations like Tyrinds/Imperial Guard, and Necrons/Daemons.
Surprisingly no 4 Land Raider lists, Tau/Tau, Tau/Eldar, or Necron/Necron, all of which we had planned for.
Actually we only saw 2 Tau Players all day at the tournament which was surprising.
Our List:
Grey Knights: (Makers)
Inquisitor Coteaz
Henchman Warband - 2 Jokero Weaponsmiths, 3 Plasma Cannon Servitors, 5 Acolytes with Boltguns
Henchman Warband - 8 Acolytes with Boltguns
Dreadnought - Auto-cannon, Auto-cannon, Psybolt Ammunition
DreadKnight - Heavy Incinerator, 2 Nemesis Doomfists, Personal Teleporter
DreadKnight - Heavy Incinerator, 2 Nemesis Doomfists, Personal Teleporter
Aegis Defense Line - Quad-cannon
Necrons: (Capnmoe)
(Warlord)Necron Overlord - Mindshackle Scarabs, Gauntlet of Fire, Sepiternal Weave
7 x Necron Warriors in a Ghost Ark
7 x Necron Warriors in a Ghost Ark
6 x Necron Warriors in a Ghost Ark
Annihilation Barge
Annihilation Barge
Annihilation Barge
First game mission rules were interesting.
Dawn of War Deployment, Night Fight in effect 1st turn.
Primary Objectives: 10 points for win, 5 points for draw, 2 points for loss.
- 1 objective placed in the center of each table quarter worth 2 points, and 1 objective placed in the middle of the table worth 3 points.
Secondary Objectives: 5 points for win, 2 points for draw, 0 points for loss.
- 1 kill point for each troop unit you destroy, 2 kill points for all other units.
- 1 bonus point for First Blood
- 1 bonus point for Slay the Warlord
- 1 bonus point for Line Breaker
- 1 bonus point for "Last Laugh" (Being the last team to kill a unit in the game)
Our opponents for the first game were Blood Angels/Daemons
Reclusiarch with 10 Death Company in a Rhino
5 Assault Marines - Meltagun, Infernus Pistol
Predator - Autocannon with Heavy Bolter Sponsons
5 Terminators - Assault Cannon
5 Devastators - Lascannon, Multimelta, 2 Missile Launchers, Stormbolter
Skulltaker
20 Bloodletters
Herald of Nurgle - Loci of Fecundity, Mastery Level 2, Gift
20 Plaguebearers
5 Tzeentch Flamers - Pyrocaster with a gift
Soul Grinder - Mark of Nurgle, Phlegm Cannon
Jokero extended range of their unit by 12" and made everything rending.
Coteaz rolled on Divination and got Prescience and Perfect Timing.
48" Twinlinked Plasma Cannons that Ignore cover, and 36" Twinlinked Bolters that ignore cover and are rending...Essentially, the best possible outcome.
We put everything on the table except for the small unit of Acolytes, and castled up Coteaz and his unit behind the Aegis Defense line with Coteaz on the Quad Cannon. The Dreadnought was just to the side of them with a firing lane straight at the Terminators and Devastators, but still in a good position to charge in if the Death Company were threatening. We deployed the Dreadknights on both flanks to clear objectives, and maximum coverage on shunt moves. The Necrons formed a wall on the line in case they stole the initiative.
They deployed everything on the board except for the Flamers and the Assault Marines. Plaguebearers on our right, in a large blob behind a hill. Just to the left of them...in the open was the devastators. The Soul Grinder was in the middle behind a forest (Which they never moved him into for some reason) The Terminators were between him and the Devs. On the left of us was the Bloodletters behind a hill, and the Predator and Rhino full our Death Company, both of which were out in the open.
They did not steal the initiative.
We started by moving the Necrons forward and taking their down the Predator to 1 hull point and wrecked the Rhino for First Blood. The Dreadknights shunt moved across the board and use their torrents to take the unit of bloodletters down to almost half. A few more shots here and there took out a terminator or 2, and one Devastator. We ignored the plaguebearers completely, hoping to just out range them and let them have one objective.
On their turn they fired a few shots here and there, Warp Storm table took out few models from Coteaz's unit, but no real major loses. They assaulted in the Bloodletters and Skulltaker to one of the Dreadknights and challenged, I accepted, then casted Dark Excommunication. It was successful and took away his Cloak and Sword. He was then instant killed, giving up Slay the Warlord.
Our next turn, Necrons easily took out the Predator, the other Dreadknight took out the Death Company. Most of the terminators and devastators died to Necron shooting, and things started to snowball from there.
They weren't really ready for the Dreadknight shunt moves at all, and it totally caught them off guard. The Torrents from the Heavy Incinerator made it worse. They deep striked in the Flamers near our small Acolyte unit but didn't shoot at them for some reason. They were then decimated by the Dreadnought and Acolytes at point blank range in the following turn, which allowed the Acolytes to easily claim that objective.
The game ended after turn 3, with us winning by a score of 19-4. We held two of the 2 point objectives and the middle 3 point objective easily. We didn't lose a single unit the entire game, and the only thing they had left was 5 Assault Marines, the unit of Plaguebearers and around 5 Bloodletters locked in combat with a Dreadknight.
1-0
Makers Game Thoughts: Their list was interesting, but I questioned a lot of their decisions in deployment and list building. They were great guys to play against however and very friendly.
Capnmoe Post Game Thoughts: It was obvious that these guys lacked a lot of tournament experience. Some of their tactics and moves just didn't make much sense to me. They were nice guys but would have been better suited to be playing a Rogue Trader Tournament. The unit of PB's and the Herald were tough unit for sure.
Second Game:
Vanguard Strike Deployment
Scoring was table quarters (A scoring unit has to be in that table quarter, with nothing else there to contest it.)
Our Opponents were running Salamanders/Dark Angels
Vulkan and 5 x Terminators with Thunder Hammer & Stormshields in a Land Raider Redeemer
10 Man Tactical Squad - Flamer, Multimelta in a Drop Pod
5 Man Tactical Squad - Razorback with Twin linked Lascannon.
Belial
5 x Deathwing Terminators with Cyclone Missile Launcher, Chainfists
5 x Deathwing Terminators with Cyclone Missile Launcher, Chainfists
5 x Deathwing Terminators with Cyclone Missile Launcher, Chainfists
Jokero gives extended range again this game.
Coteaz powers are Prescience and Forewarning.
No Night Fighting.
We win and choose to go first, deploying everything as close to the line as we could.
They chose to deploy only the 5 man in the Razorback and the Landraider...that's it.
We moved up only what we needed too and popped the razorback easily. We then moved around the right flank with 2 Arks, to put some fire on the Landraider causing it to lose 2 hull points.
On their turn, the drop pod came in on our left flank and scattered to the far left corner of the board. The 10 man popped out and the Multimelta managed to wreck one of the arks, dropping out a squad of 7 Warriors.
They attempted to Deathwing assault directly in front of our lines.
1st unit of terminators dropped in and scattered back about 6" away from Coteaz's bubble. 2nd unit dropped in, scattered and had to roll for mishap. We placed them in the back corner farthest away from us, making them foot it the entire way across the board.
Belial and his unit came on, in the back corner of the table as well.
On our turn we I shunt moved a Dreadknight right in front of the Landraider, essentially blocking it in with no where to go. The Necrons followed up behind me and glanced down the Land Raider, wrecking it and forcing the Terminators and Vulkan out for some hand to hand combat.
Then we were free to just take the Terminators in waves of plasma cannon fire. With the Jokero making them 48" range, it just became a shooting gallery.
The Game ended very quickly after that and we tabled them on turn 5, finishing the game in just over 1 hour.
Vulkan held off the the Dreadknight in close combat for 3 turns in a 1 on 1 duel, but eventually fell when the 2nd Dreadknight assaulted in.
Final score 19-2
Makers Game Thoughts: After the game we talked and I realized a few things. First, the Thunder hammer/Storm Shield option is far better than all chain-fists, I guess it was a modeling choice. Second was that he rolled for scatter on Belial's Unit, and he then rolled for mishap. After looking it up...his unit doesn't scatter. Also deploying only 2 things to start the game was a horrible idea in my opinion.
Capnmoe Post Game Thoughts: Put more than 2 things on the board at the start of a game. Your just asking to loose doing that. Terminator Ork conversions are awesome.
2-0
Third Game: Championship
The last game of the day came down to the two team who had not lost yet, and who had the most points total. We learned that we had a 5 point lead over the next closest team, so we felt pretty good going in.
Our first 2 games went fairly well because of our luck of the draw on matchups.
But for this game, our opponents? Yep, the 4 Heldrake list....Shit.
These guys had all of their stuff painted to Tournament quality, and played a very similar list at Adepticon this year. They were seasoned veterans, who knew the rules, and you could tell weren't here for fun.
We expected to play these guys at some point during the day, so we weren't that surprised to find out who it was. Most of our friends at the store wished us luck...and laughed a little under their breath.
Their List from what I can remember.
Chaos Lord - Terminator Armor, Burning Brand of Skullthrax, Khorne Axe, Mark of Khorne
15 Cultists
15 Cultists
18 Cultists
Forgefiend - Hades Autocannon
Heldrake - Baleflamer
Heldrake - Baleflamer
Chaos Sorcerer - ML3, Mark of Nurgle, Sigil
8 Chaos Space Marines with Mark of Nurgle
5 Terminators - 2 x Combi-Melta, 2 x Combi-Plasma, 3 Axes, 2 Swords
10 Cultists
10 Cultists
Heldrake - Baleflamer
Heldrake - Baleflamer
The mission was Kill Points.
Spearhead deployment (Similar to Vanguard Deployment, however you and your ally are in opposite corners, and you have to be at least 12" from table center, and 9" from opponents deployment zone)
My Grey Knights were in 3, and CapnMoe's Necrons were in 4.
We deployed everything except for the unit of 8 acolytes.
Cover was sparse, with roughly 1 large piece per corner.
In area 1 he deployed the unit of Marines with the Sorcerer, and in area 2 he deployed 2 units of 15 cultists and the Forgefiend.
Jokero gives his unit rending.
Coteaz got Prescience and Scrier's Gaze.
This was going to be rough.
We won the roll and decided to go first.
They did not seize the initiative.
No Night Fighting on turn 1.
CapnMoe moves an Ark and of course immobilizes himself, seems to be one per game with us on that.
Dreadknights shunt move over to area 2 and torrent the two units of cultists he has deployed behind a large rock, decimating both units, they fail Leaderships and then run off the board.
The Dreadnought pops off some shots and causes a few wounds on the Forgefiend, while the Necrons follow up and wipe if off the table.
With table area 2 clear for now, we push over and focus on area 1. Only 2 Plasma Cannons have line of site, and manage to take out a single Chaos Space Marine.
On their turn, their sorcerer casts invisibility, and they move up a small amount. That's really about it.
On our turn we start to push back over toward area 1 and take out a few more space marines, but mostly our turn is spent getting ready for their turn as we really don't have a lot to shoot at.
I tried to use Scrier's Gaze to try and keep our 8 man Acolyte unit out but I rolled 3 5's so they came on, in the back corner. I spaced them out exactly 2" apart from each other on the table edge to avoid them from getting flamed.
Bottom of turn 2.
They have 2 drakes come in, and the Terminators with the Lord.
The drakes come in, one from each side and start to focus on the GreyKnights and the Quad Cannon hopping to take it out before it can fire interceptor.
One of them ended up being too close and within range of Coteaz's unit for his "I've Been Expecting You" rule. They failed to kill the quad cannon and interceptor fire lit up the rear end of one and brings it down. The debris scatters onto his Chaos Space Marines taking out 1 more.
The terminators scatter and end up too close to the Grey Knight lines and Coteaz's bubble. The warband gets the free out of turn shot at the unit and takes it down to the Lord and 1 terminator.
Between the vector strikes and torrent weapons, the Grey Knights are reduced to 2 acolytes with Coteaz, a Dreadnought with 1 Autocannon, and the 2 Dread Knights. The terminators manage to get off some shots and put 2 wound on one Dread Knight.
Top of turn 3, CapnMoe unleashes a hail of fire on area 1 and starts lighting up some drakes, stripping hull points everywhere. In the end one drake made 2 saves to keep itself in the air. It would fly off the board next turn with 1 hull point left.
Bottom of 3, all cultists come in.
His sorcerer and marines move up closer to the Dreadnought, Coteaz, and his 2 Acolytes but fail the multi-charge.
He manages to get into close combat with the Dreadnought though, and takes it out before it can strike back.
More shooting here and there, but they are now just trying to take out the Arks and Barges with Balflamers and Vector Strikes, which is causing them issues.
Top of 4
We move everything towards Area 1 and manage to wipe out another unit of cultists with an Annihilation Barge.
The second Dread Knight moves in to assault with the terminators and attempts a Divine Intervention, which passes. This puts a fresh 4 wound Knight, with Assault Bonuses into a challenge with the Terminator Lord which then instant kills the Lord.
The other Terminator fails his Leadership test and starts to fall back.
Bottom of turn 4
Somehow the Heldrake that we killed earlier comes back on the board, as well as the last unit of Cultists, and the other Heldrake.
We failed to realize that the one Heldrake was already dead from earlier, It was getting late and we were both exhausted and starving. Also Capnmoe was coming down from caffeine issues from earlier that day, but you'll have to ask him about that...
After a few more torrents, and some shots from the Cultists they manage to put 1 wound on all of our Arks, take out 1 of the Barges, and finally kill Coteaz and the unit of Acolytes that came in from reserve.
Top of Turn 5.
Both Dreadknights torrent the last unit of Cultists and wipe them off the board. They then BOTH roll 1's for consolidate moves...moving 1" away.
We put a few more wounds on some Heldrakes that are in range, and we shoot everything left at the lone terminator who makes 14 saves in a row and refuses to die.
As of this moment we have 8 Kill Points and they have 5, We have Linebreaker and First Blood, they have Linebreaker.
Bottom of Turn 5.
The Sorcerer casts Hallucination on one of the Dreadknights, which is successful on a roll of 3!
He rolls a 5, the Dread Knight smashes himself, activates his own fist and Instant kills himself.
Giving them 6 kill points and a guarantee on Last Laugh, they are now down by 2 kill points.
They move all 4 Heldrakes and attempt to Vector Strike everything they can.
One of CapnMoe's Arks is taken down to 1 Hull point. At this point we think the score is 7 to 6 since we weren't paying attention and forgot we killed the Heldrake that they brought back on. The score is really 8 to 6. So it seemed like a real nail biter.
They get every torrent they can on that ark, and it comes down to one dice roll.
This Dice roll has to be a 6 to put them to what we thought would be a 7 to 7 tie...at the time.
He rolls it...and its a 2.
Victory!! 3-0!
Makers Game Thoughts: Best game I've played in a long time. Including the fact that we essentially took on 5 Heldrakes and still pulled out the victory.
Capnmoe Post Game Thoughts: Always remember when you kill one of your opponents strongest units. I would have been super sad if we lost because we forgot we killed it. Aside from that, this was a great game. A real test of what our list could do. Any time you can essentially take on 5 Heldrakes with a list that has no flyers and still win, it's been a good day.
1 word....ThunderCougarFalconBird
With the winnings I was able to pick up a Riptide for my Tau allies, and a unit of 10 Noise Marines. Capnmoe was able to come away with a Wraithknight and more Jetbikes
It was a hard fought tournament with a huge turn out, in the end I'm glad that we chose to go to this tournament instead of the other 2 that were happening nearby that day.
Thoughts? Comments?
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