Evolution Games 1500 pt Tournament

Iron hands
Space Marines
Take Revenge!!!

I drove out to Lansing two weeks ago for their 1500 pt 40K Tournament.  It was the week after Marmalade Dog in Kalamazoo and I almost didn't go.  In fact I had made up my mind to skip it till I realized Jen was having a bunch of ladies over that day to discuss wedding plans.. Suddenly driving and hour to lose 3 games of 40K seemed like a pretty good idea. :)

For my list I decided to try something new (bad idea, never take an un-tested list to a tournament), so I ran a Farsight enclave with out any bodyguard.  I know, I know, why take Farsight without the huge bodyguard you wonder?  Points.. The Farsight bomb is a points hog, so I thought I'd try attaching he and a Shas'O along with Eldrad to a unit of Broadsides.  Everyone attacks them as soon as they can anyway, so I thought they could be the bait, and Farsight could be the hook..  My list looked like this: (sorry bout the lengthy format, I haven't figure a good way to get all the details out of arm builder without heavy manual editing)

1500 Pts - Tau Empire Roster
Total Roster Cost: 1498

HQ: Commander Shas'o (1#, 175 pts)
   1 Commander Shas'o, 175 pts = (base cost 75 + Ejection System 15 + Hard-wired Blacksun Filter 3 + Hard-wired Multi-tracker 5 + Hard-wired Target Lock 5 + Iridium Armour 20 + Stimulant Injector 10 + Missile Pod 12 + Plasma Rifle 20 + Vectored Retro-thrusters 10)

HQ: Commander Farsight (1#, 170 pts)
   1 Commander Farsight, 170 pts

HQ: Eldrad Ulthran (1#, 210 pts)
   1 Eldrad Ulthran (HQ) [EL], 210 pts

Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (1#, 53 pts)
   1 Crisis Battlesuit, 53 pts = (base cost 25 + Twin Linked Fusion Blaster 18 + Targeting Array 10)

Troops: Fire Warrior (9#, 90 pts)
   9 Fire Warrior, 90 pts = 9 * 10

Troops: Fire Warrior (9#, 90 pts)
   9 Fire Warrior, 90 pts = 9 * 10

Troops: Pathfinders (Rangers) (5#, 120 pts)
   5 Pathfinders (Rangers) (Troops) [EL], 120 pts = 5 * 24 (base cost 19 + Pathfinders 5)

Heavy Support: Dark Reapers (5#, 197 pts)
   4 Dark Reapers (Heavy) [EL], 140 pts = 4 * 35
      1 Dark Reaper Exarch [EL], 57 pts = (base cost 47 +  Crack Shot  10)

Heavy Support: Broadside Battlesuit (5#, 308 pts)
   1 Broadside Battlesuit, 108 pts = (base cost 70 + Hard-wired Blacksun Filter 3 + Hard-wired Multi-tracker 5 + Hard-wired Target Lock 5 + Twin Linked Plasma Rifle 10 + Targeting Array 10 + Team Leader 5)
      1 Broadside Battlesuit, 85 pts = (base cost 70 + Twin Linked Plasma Rifle 10 + Multi-Tracker 5)
      1 Broadside Battlesuit, 85 pts = (base cost 70 + Twin Linked Plasma Rifle 10 + Target Lock 5)
      1 Shield Drone, 15 pts
      1 Shield Drone, 15 pts

: Aegis Defence Lines (2#, 85 pts)
   1 Aegis Defence Lines, 50 pts
      1 Gun Emplacement, 35 pts = (base cost 0 + Icarus Lascannon 35)

Game One:

The tournament was 3 games as usual, and on turn one I was paired off against a Grey Knights Player.  After Marmalade Dog I was not looking forward to playing another Dread Knight army, but at least this time I was prepared as I knew what they were capable of.  Fortunately my opponent turned out to be a very nice guy and we had a great game unlike my prior experience. 

He ran a list that included Coteaz and 2 Dread Knights, a Storm Eagle, 2 grey knight squads that split into 4 squads on deployment, a Dreadnaught, and a bunch of henchmen.

I won the roll off for deployment which was dawn of war, and we had 5 objectives.  I deployed behind the Aegis line with my command blob initially, along with the Dark Reapers, the Ranger pathfinders infiltrated, and I held my 2 firewarrior teams in reserve and the Monat Crisis suit was in reserve deepstriking.

He deployed the Dreadnaught, Coteaz and one henchman team into an ice formation with a LOS blocking hill between they and my Command/Broadsides team, the other henchmen went behind a wall to my right, and the Dread Knights, Storm Eagle, and Grey Knight Squads were reserved deepstriking and the Storm Eagle flew on.

I used Eldrads diviniation ability to move the command team to the left to get LOS to his command team/dreadnaught.

Turn one: Eldrad cast perfect timing on the command squad.  The pathfinders shot some henchman who were attached to Coteaz, and the Broadsides targeted the Dreadnaught while the Shas'o fired his missle pods at Coteaz as well.  The broadsides exploded the dread which also killed 4 or so henchman, Coteaz roled box cars and he and his unit fell off the board.  First Blood, and slay the warlord for me.

With nothing but some henchman left on the board, my opponent kept their heads down and waited for reserves:

Turn Two:  My crisis suit came in, but sadly I was running him with TL-Fusion + Targeting array instead of the usual FB + TL-Flamer.. With only one shot, and no ability to assault, I played it safe and placed him near the ice formation coteaz had been in rather than throwing him away on the henchman.  With nothing else on the board, I moved then ran my command squad to get them in the open.  They have good saves, and I didn't want his reserves being able to claim cover saves in case my "perfect timing" didn't go off..   I moved the rangers around just in case.

.

His reserves showed up on turn 2 except for the Dread Knights thank goodness.  I fired interceptor fire at the Storm Eagle I believe, but failed to glance even with the Icarus str 9.  He put a lot of shooting into my command squad, but only managed to kill a shield drone and 1 broadside.  The henchman hid.









Turn Three: My firearriors both showed up, and I came on too focus fire on the nearest GK squad.  Eldrad used misfortune(?) on the two right GK squads causing them to re-roll successfull saves.  The firewarriors both shot the right most squad wiping out all but one man, the Dark Reapers having fired interceptor fire with the icarus all focused on the next GK squad taking them down too two men I believe, and the command squad split fire all over the place like jackholes.  It worked alright, and when I was done I had killed all but 4 GK's, but unfortuneatly came up short on my assault distance, meaning I'd be open to shooting from the Storm Eagle, and the Dread Knights if they arrived.

One of the Dread Knights arrived on turn three,
and the Storm Eagle moved up.  The GK's maneuvered around and the henchman hid guarding their objective.  The storm eagle unloaded with a barrage of fire including a psychic missile of some kind which Eldrad made the save against, then proceeded to die to generic weapons fire.  To bad as I could of used his staff in the following turn.  The Dread Knight did what Dread Knights do and fired his flamer wiping out most of a firewarrior team, and some Dark Reapers.


Turn 4:  Thinking that with Farsights blade ignoring armor that I could take out the dread knight I split fire to take care of some more GK's then assaulted the dread knight..  Oops.. Turns out that Str 5 vs T6 means I only wound on 5's.. and with even WS's that equates to about 1 wound even on the charge.

Game:  With my command squad tied in assault he flew over and wiped out the pathfinders, his other DK came in and wiped out most of the other firewarriors etc.. etc..  I lost..  I don't recall the score but I doubt it was pretty.  It was a good game though and I voted him my favorite opponent of the day due to his managing to play GK's without being a tool.  OK, other than the GK's, he was a nice guy all around.

Game 2:

I was matched up against a Tyranids player whom I had met previously in Battle Creek (of course I can't remember his name).  He had previously played Tau, and was relatively new to nidz so his army was still unpainted.

Deployment was Vanguard Strike, and the mission was kill points..  At least it wouldn't matter if my firewarriors died as there were no objectives for them to hold.

I won the role off and chose to go first and deployed to the right behind the "Taugis" defense line again.  I deployed everything but the firewarriors this time as there was no reason to go to the nidz as I knew they were coming my way.  The scouts would infiltrate. 

He deployed and I had bubkiss for LOS from the big guns.  He had a squad of genesteelers deployed foreward, and while I did not wanting them getting in an assault, I chose to infiltrate to the right, then move my command squad to the center so I could shoot at a Tervigon turn one

Turn One:  I shot at the Tervigon with the command blob and at a tyranofex with the quad gun.  I generated a couple wounds but nothing to speak of.

He moved up the genesteelers, and spawned some gaunts, then moved everything up.

He declared a charge with the steelers and I shot them in the face a lot such that he failed his distance roll..

Turn 2:  I forgot to take pictures at the top of it, one firewarrior squad came in, and I wiped out all but one genesteeler, killed a Tervigon and a bunch of termagaunts from backlash, gained first blood. And that was about it.. At this point I was winning pretty well though with something like 4 victory points due to the broodlord, tervigon, some termigaunts and first blood.  This is pretty much were the game went south and my dice abandoned me.

His Tyranofex?  Came in right by my command squad, he moved up his flyrant, spawned more gaunts and moved everything else towards my lines.  His flyrant/warlord was packing some crazy shooty thing with like 24 shots or something and pretty much tore up my rangers.  They went to ground.  Some shooting occured over by my defense line, don't recall what went down, but not a lot.

Turn 3:  I got my other firewarriors and stupidly placed them near his warlord.  I was hoping that with a torrent of fire I could bring it down.. Not so much..  I shot a bunch to little effect.

He shot up my firewarriors, assaulted my dark reapers and moved up to assault my command squad with his tervigon.

Game:  It went on for a turn or two more, but in the end much as before the toughness of the MC's meant I was unable to do any significant wounds and he could crush me with AP2 smash attacks..  I don't recall score but I believe it ended up a tie.

Game 3:

 For game 3 I was matched up against Brian and his Iron Hands Space Marines.  I'd played Brian once before at GVSU and have a report up about that game.  We had rolled the Relic and combined with some unfortunate terrain and some lucky/unlucky dice depending on the side of the table you were on, I had beat him pretty handily.  This day Brian would have his revenge (it also makes a catchy title and sounds better than "The Tau lose again").

The deployment was hammer and anvil, which usually favors my army, we had 5 objectives, and I again deployed first.  Wanting to ensure first blood, I infiltrated the rangers into his deployment zone so I could get a clear shot at a razorback then used Eldrads divination to move the command blob over for a good shot at his predator.  It was a good plan until he seized the initiative.

Turn 1:  Brian shot the heck out of my rangers with his assault squad and razorback, wiping them out and earning first blood.  Elsewhere his drop pod and dreadnaught dropped in for a visit.

I moved forward with farsight and my shas'o contemplating breaking off to cross the board, but my difficult terrain roll stunk so I stayed with the team.  I wrecked a Razorback but failed to destroy the predator.

Turn 2: His warlord arrived with a squad of assault terminators and he started moving forward with the right razorback and assault marines.   The dreadnaught chased stuff.

Unfortunately I forgot about my camera at this point due to the intensity of the game and thus I failed to get any more pictures.  My firewarriors showed up and my crisis suit deep struck in behind the predator to no effect.  I moved over with the command blob and shot up the terminators and challenged his warlord I think.  Eventually I beat the remaining terminators and killed his warlord but that would be the only VP I would gain this game.  He quickly dispatched my Monat crisis suit and claimed all three objectives on his end.  Due to the dreadnaught I was pretty well stuck in my deployment zone and while I eventually popped it with a railgun, the damage was done.  His assault squad closed in and contested my objective and he won easily.

Good Game Brian, sorry I wasn't more of a challenge.

In summation, the Farsight gambit sort of worked, but at the same time failed miserably.  Lacking the strength to deal with T6 he was outclassed in two out of 3 assaults.  The broadsides are lousy in assault themselves but they did provide some good armor saves as did Eldrads 3++ invuln save and his own 4++..  If I had drawn the ork player it might have been nice with the prefered enemy, but for the points I should probably have dumbed down the command squad and taken 2 more broadsides, or something more aggressive like some warp spiders.

Marmalade Dog 18

Marmalade Dog, 2013

I've been slacking on my blog posts for a few weeks, so hopefully I can knock out write ups on the last 3 tournaments I went to starting with this one.

Marmalade Dog is an annual game convention in Kalamazoo, MI held at Western Michigan University, this year being their 18th event.  It's relatively small as far as cons go by my estimation, but it still featured some vendor booths, including one from Big Kidz Games who brought their Battletech pods and a bunch of gaming, mostly pathfinders, blood bowl, MTG, and the reason I was there, a 1850 pt 40K tournament.


The T.O. did a credible job and ran a decent tournament.  Terrain was done by the book, with a box of terrain set aside for each table, and we used mysterious terrain and objectives which all worked out fine (except for game 2).  Based on Game 2, I think it is unfortunately ill advised to do terrain placement strictly btb in a competitive environment and TO's should follow the revised method of doing it by the book, but only allowing players to place terrain pieces on their table halves.  This is unfortunate, as I think it removes some of the strategy of terrain placement, but until GW gets their collective head out of their collective arse and actually provide flyers and/or skyfire weapons to every codex, allowing a player to negate the ONLY anti-air weapon some armies have access too by placing a free piece of terrain in front of it, is anything but competitive and or fun.

Now I enjoy tournaments, mostly because I enjoy 40K and like to meet and play new opponents.  I'm not a particularly competitive player, which explains why I continue to bring the Tau to said tournaments.  I've heard tell that the Tau have ended up at the top tables at some GT's as of late, but I have never had much luck with them in a tournament setting.. Marmalade Dog was no exception.  

Tau - 1850 - Eldar allies

My list for the day was as follows:

1850 Pts - Tau Empire Roster
Total Roster Cost: 1848


(HQ)
1 Commander Shas'el, Fusion Blaster, HWMT, Iridium Armour, TL-Flamer
1 Shield Drone

1 Eldrad Ulthran

(Troops)
8 Fire Warrior

10 Kroot

5 Pathfinders (Rangers)

(Fast)
7 Vespid Stingwing,
1 Strain Leader

7 Vespid Stingwing,
1 Strain Leader

4 Warp Spiders
1 Warp Spider Exarch


(Heavy)1 Hammerhead Gunship + Ion Cannon, Two Burst Cannons, Disruption Pod, Multi-Tracker, Blacksun Filter

1 Hammerhead Gunship + Ion Cannon, Two Burst Cannons, Disruption Pod, Multi-Tracker, Blacksun Filter

1 Broadside Shas'vre + HWBF, HWMT, HWTL, TL-Plasma Rifle, TA, Team Leader, Shas'vre
1 Broadside Battlesuit + TL-Plasma Rifle,  Multi-Tracker
1 Broadside Battlesuit, Target Lock 5
1 Shield Drone

4 Dark Reapers
1 Dark Reaper Exarch, Crack Shot


(Fortification)
 Aegis Defence Lines
 1 Aegis Defence Lines
 1 Icarus Lascannon

Game 1:  I drew a tyranid player as my first opponent.  Turns out she was playing her husbands Tyranids army who may or may not have been the T.O, I couldn't quite tell...  Anyway, since I have 3 tournaments worth of reports to write, I'm giong to skip my usual attempt to summarize my opponents lists, and just provide some pictures and a summation where possible.

The mission was objectives the placement of which were pre-determined.  I deployed first:

She deployed second and then seized the init if I recall correctly.  It wasn't until turn 2 when I went to roll for reserves that I realized I had forgot to deploy my Pathfinders whom I had declared as infiltrating..  The nids moved forward with the Tervigons spawning small units of termigaunts.

I stupidly failed to focus fire on one Tervigon and ended up putting wounds on both of them turn one. 

After that she continued to advance and I wizened up and focused fire better, killing first one tervigon gaining first blood, then the other, then her warlord, and finally the Zoenthropes.

The Mawlock came in from reserves and ate 7 vespid, and a shield drone, and she shot up my dark reapers and immobilized one Ion-head.  I then focused on the Mawlock killing it on my turn before it could get in an assault or burrow away.

My kroot came in away from all the action but near an objective which they would hold and do nothing else all game.

. 

Things started to look a bit dim for me here, with her controlling 2 objectives, and me only having 2 troops and the fire-warriors not being very durable. 

As if to prove my point, the firewarriors were all but wiped out by termagaunts even with the cover from the wall they were behind.

 The broadsides finally took down the warlord, while the remaining Vespid leapt into action to fend off the bug-ish advance. (I had planned to shoot and assault the warlord in a desperate move to keep it back from my line, but they were unneeded in that task)

My warpspiders, who had come in earlier and helped dispatch some backfield gaunts and a tervigon, moved up and helped take out a Zoenthrope.  Subsequantly they fell victim to a psychic attack and went and hid behind the wall there.

At this point my camera died and I was left with my phone.  The large group of Vespid jumped forward and shot at the large gaunt squad in the open.  The Strain Leader from the other team who was the only member still alive, jumped towards the center and shot at and assaulted the gaunts on that objective.  Combined fire elsewhere finished off the Zoenthropes, and I killed all but 2 of the gaunts on the left.  With all they synapse creatures dead, the gaunts failed moral and fell back.  The single strain leader won his assault, but failed the sweeping advance and they fell back.


After the bottom of turn 3, my opponent conceded the game.  With no synapse creatures her few remaining gaunts continued to fall back and she could not claim any objectives.  I already had first blood, and slay the warlord.  My kroot were on an objective and spread out to grant linebreaker along with the remaining Warp Spiders.  A minor victory for me.

Game 2:  

No, I didn't place the hill or ruin in front of my line.

I drew the GK player.  He tried to argue that the round bump outs on my defense line "didn't count" so he could deploy the hill in the photo to the right directly between the center objective and my icarus gun..  It needed to be 3" from the line, and 6" from the objective.. It was only 2.5 from my line and he only begrudgingly moved it to the side after I wouldn't let him cheat with his false argument about my line.  He then place the building there to further block my gun from being able to shoot.  He also brought 3 dreadknights with personal teleporters and flamers, and 2 Storm Ravens, and Coteaz and a Grand Master..  He won both the tournament, and the "Worst opponent I've ever played" award..  Good job mister GK player!  You brought a totally OP list, and still had to be a dick with terrain placement vs my Tau, as if I ever stood a chance against your army.. Hope you had fun, I surely didn't.


Game 3:

I drew the Necron Player

 

 He was a fun opponent with a nice looking army (other than the flyers being unfinished).  I got first blood having gone first and having exploded his ghost ark?  The long ship..  After that things pretty much went down hill.. I shot at his warlord a bunch focusing fire on him and the few models that got no cover saves.. He look out sir'd a bunch of wounds.. I killed 8 necron a turn, 7 stood back up.  His melee units rushed forth and engaged my units.. His flyers and deathmarks arrived and...  The TO yelled "Dice down, TIME UP"..  What?  Did I say he ran a good event earlier?  Take that down to an ok event.. I've never seen a TO refuse to let someone finish the round when they were in the end of the movement phase at the bottom of a turn..  Inexcusable..  My opponent held 1 objective to my none at that point and so he won.  He would have won with more points had it continued.. But at least he won, he deserved it.

I'm out of time today, so enjoy these few remaining pics of game 3, and a couple shots of some other armies that were there. 

Jeff Warbliss's traitor Guard

No idea who's daemons these are, though they were 1 of 3
daemon lists out of about 9 players..

Tau/Eldar Vs. Iron Hands Space Marines 1850

The Relic:

An Unexpected Result 

In preperation for the Marmalade Dog Tournament on the 9th of February, I schedule a practice game today with Brian, whom I've never played.  He had posted looking for a game on a facebook group I follow, and so we arranged to meet up, originally at 1500pts, but then I discovered I'd got my dates confused and that M.D. was 1850 not 1500, so we upped the limit so I could try out a new list.

We rolled "the relic" and "hammer and anvil" as mission/deployment.

I brought my Tau with Eldar allies utilizing some much maligned units as the M.D. tournament has some judging based on painting and modeling, and so I wanted to get in some of my better looking, or more heavily modified models.  This is what my list consisted of:

Total Roster Cost: 1848

HQ:  1 Commander Shadowsun, 175 pts

HQ:  1 Ethereal, 50 pts (yes I really put him on the board, and no he didn't die)

Troops: Fire Warrior (12#, 136 pts)
   11 Fire Warrior, 110 pts = 11 * 10
      1 Shas'ui, 26 pts = (base cost 20 + EMP Grenade 3 + Hard-wired Blacksun Filter 3)

Heavy Support: Broadside Shas'vre (4#, 298 pts)
   1 Broadside Shas'vre, 113 pts = (base cost 70 + Hard-wired Blacksun Filter 3 + Hard-wired Multi-tracker 5 + Hard-wired Target Lock 5 + Twin Linked Plasma Rifle 10 + Targeting Array 10 + Team Leader 5 + Shas'vre 5)
      1 Broadside Battlesuit, 85 pts = (base cost 70 + Twin Linked Plasma Rifle 10 + Multi-Tracker 5)
      1 Broadside Battlesuit, 85 pts = (base cost 70 + Twin Linked Plasma Rifle 10 + Multi-Tracker 5)
      1 Shield Drone, 15 pts

: Aegis Defence Lines (2#, 85 pts)
   1 Aegis Defence Lines, 50 pts
      1 Gun Emplacement, 35 pts = (base cost 0 + Icarus Lascannon 35)

Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (11#, 76 pts)
   10 Kroot Carnivore Squad, 70 pts = 10 * 7
      1 Kroot Hounds, 6 pts

HQ: Eldrad Ulthran (1#, 210 pts)

Troops: Pathfinders (Rangers) (5#, 120 pts)
   5 Pathfinders (Rangers) (Troops) [EL], 120 pts = 5 * 24 (base cost 19 + Pathfinders 5)

Heavy Support: Dark Reapers (5#, 217 pts)
   4 Dark Reapers (Heavy) [EL], 140 pts = 4 * 35
      1 Dark Reaper Exarch [EL], 77 pts = (base cost 47 +  Crack Shot  10 +  Fast Shot  20)

Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 145 pts)
   1 Hammerhead Gunship, 145 pts = (base cost 90 + Ion Cannon 15 + Two Burst Cannons 10 + Disruption Pod 5 + Multi-Tracker 10) + Blacksun Filter 5 + Sensor Spines 10

Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 145 pts)
   1 Hammerhead Gunship, 145 pts = (base cost 90 + Ion Cannon 15 + Two Burst Cannons 10 + Disruption Pod 5 + Multi-Tracker 10) + Blacksun Filter 5 + Sensor Spines 10

Fast Attack: Vespid Stingwing (8#, 134 pts) (yup, Vespid, also didn't die)
   7 Vespid Stingwing, 112 pts = 7 * 16
      1 Strain Leader, 22 pts

Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (1#, 57 pts)
   1 Crisis Battlesuit, 57 pts = (base cost 25 + Flamer 4 + Hard-wired Multi-tracker 5 + Twin Linked Fusion Blaster 18 + Team Leader 5)

Brian fielded a list I'm not certain of, I will summarize with my best guess: (I came up 135 points short.. without his input I've no idea what I missed)

1850 Pts - Codex: Space Marines Roster - Space Marine, Iron Hands 1850

Total Roster Cost: 1715

HQ: Captain Darnath Lysander (1#, 200 pts)
   1 Captain Darnath Lysander, 200 pts

HQ: Space Marine Librarian in Power Armour (1#, 125 pts)
   1 Space Marine Librarian in Power Armour, 125 pts = (base cost 100 + Jump Pack 25)

Elite: Terminator Assault Squad (5#, 200 pts)
   4 Terminator Assault Squad, 160 pts = 4 * 40
      1 Sergeant, 40 pts

Troops: Tactical Squad (11#, 235 pts)
   9 Tactical Squad, 147 pts = 9 * 16 (base cost 16) + Sergeant 51
      1 Sergeant, 48 pts = (base cost 23) + Power Fist x1 25
      1 Razorback, 40 pts

Troops: Tactical Squad (11#, 225 pts)
   9 Tactical Squad, 147 pts = 9 * 16 (base cost 16) + Sergeant 41
      1 Sergeant, 38 pts = (base cost 23) + Plasma Pistol x1 15
      1 Razorback, 40 pts

Troops: Tactical Squad (6#, 145 pts)
   4 Tactical Squad, 67 pts = 4 * 16 (base cost 16) + Sergeant 41
      1 Sergeant, 38 pts = (base cost 23) + Plasma Pistol x1 15
      1 Razorback, 40 pts

Heavy Support: Predator (1#, 85 pts)
   1 Predator, 85 pts = (base cost 60 + Heavy Bolter (each side) 25)

Fast Attack: Storm Talon Gunship (1#, 130 pts)
   1 Storm Talon Gunship, 130 pts

: Aegis Defence Lines (2#, 100 pts)
   1 Aegis Defence Lines, 50 pts
      1 Gun Emplacement, 50 pts = (base cost 0 + Quad-gun 50)

Fast Attack: Assault Squad (5#, 100 pts)
   4 Assault Squad, 72 pts = 4 * 18
      1 Sergeant, 28 pts

Elite: Ironclad Dreadnought (2#, 170 pts)
   1 Ironclad Dreadnought, 135 pts
      1 Drop Pod, 35 pts


Brian won the roll off to choose sides, and we deployed our fortifications, he then set up a narrative terrain board while I was digging my models out of my army bag/boxes..  After we rolled Warlord traits (he got a scoring HQ, I got move through cover then promptly forgot about it all game) and psychic powers (don't recall what his librarian used, I got preciance, perfect timing, psychic shreak, and dominate) we rolled for night fighting (not on turn 1) and for deployment.  He won the rolloff and chose to go first.



He held the dreadnaught/dropod, Warlord attached to Terminators, and Stormtalon in reserve.  He combat squaded the two large tactical squads, placing the hvy wpns portions behind the defense line, while putting the 3 non heavy weapon teams into the Razorbacks.  The assault team with librarian attached, and the predator also deployed behind the defense line.

I in turn deployed with Eldrad and my Ethereal attached to the broadside team with Eldrad touching the Icarus Lascannon.  Shadowsun deployed also in contact of the Lascannon.  The firewarriors deployed against my defense line, with the Vespid behind them (the first time I've started a game with them not in reserve) and the Kroot encircled Shadowsun and Eldrad to give cover and prevent assaults.  The Darkreapers deployed in a piece of terrain in the back right corner, while the Pathfinder/rangers infiltrated in terrain in the DMZ.  The Ion-Heads deployed with their backs to the board edge to avoid easy back armor shots (I give up first blood quite often by forgetting to do this) and I reserved the Monat Crisis suit.

I then rolled to sieze, and for the first time in ages, did so.  I then forgot to ask how Brian handled Psychic powers, weather they occur at the start of the players movement phase, or the beginning of the Psychers movement phase as indicated in the brb under the description for blessings.  I also forgot that Eldrad can move D3+1 units prior to Scout moves.. as I deployed second, that was less important, but I then also forgot my scout moves.. I'll have to make a note for the tournament, those two things could cost me a game.



Turn 1, Top: Lacking any psychic activity, I moved the Ion-heads forward (totally blocking half of the Dark reapers LOS in the process) and they each fired at a seperate Razorback, but scored one hit and a glance I believe.  The broadsides who would have normally fired on the Quadgun and Predator chose instead to fire on the Razorback to the left of the defense line (from my perspective) because he had reinforced the defense line to a 3+ cover save, and two of the broadsides had a clear shot on the razorback.  I also fired the icarus at said razorback as part of that squads fire.  This was enough to explode it (1") and gave me first blood.  Not sure what I shot the other units at this turn.



Turn 1, bottom:  He deepstruck in his Dreadnaught near an ion-head after it scattered away from my Warlord (I put a glancing hit on it with interceptor fire from the icarus).  He moved his remaining Razorbacks forward, and followed the one on the right with his assault squad.  That razorback also popped smoke.  The dreadnaught scored a hit on the Ion-Head and it exploded (thank goodness I had siezed and already had first blood).  I believe he also killed the shield drone from my broadsides, and a firewarrior that turn.


Turn 2, Top:  My Monat Crisis suit arrived and landed on target, is subsequently scored a penetrating hit but only managed to destroy the main gun on the Predator, and got one hit on the squad on the other side of it with it's flamer.   Shadowsun jumped towards the dreadnaught and split-fire on it and the drop pod with her fusion blasters.  She exploded the pod, but immobilized the dreadnaught leaving it with one hull point.  razorback and destroying the gun.



The Dark Reapers (3) in it's rear arc fired on it scoring one glancing hit and wrecked it.  My remaining Ion-head advanced and shot at the left razorback immobilizing it.  The broadsides with prescience split fire at the right razorback and the quad gun exploding the I think the pathfinders fired on either the assault squad, or the marines in the crater of the recently exploded razorback.  Shadowsun moved back into contact with the Icarus

Turn 2, Bottom:  This is the point where the game took a bad turn for Brian.  His Warlord and assault terminators attempted to deepstrike in behind my broadside team.  Instead they scattered onto the kroot and mishapped.  He rolled a 3, and I got to place them.  Normally this would mean they landed in the far corner never to be seen again.  However, it being his warlord, I wanted him where I could shoot at him, so I placed him in the center of the board between the relic and the ruin in his zone. 

Had I remembered at the time that his warlord was scoring, I may have put him in the corner anyway, but I forgot, and it worked out to my favor in the end.  His Stormtalon also arrived from reserves, zoomed in to the center of the board, and was promptly shot and exploded by the Icarus interceptor fire.  I felt bad about that one as it was just pure bad luck on his part that I got a lucky hit, and he never even got to fire his weapons on the thing..  He ran his terminators towards the relic, shot his missile launchers, moved his Assault squad and Librarian towards my defense line, disembarked from the imobilized and only remaining Razorback,  and shot at, then assaulted my Monat Crisis suit.  I scored 3 hits with the flamer, and a hit with the Fusion Blaster in overwatch and killed two marines.  He had put a wound on my in shooting, but I saved all the assault wounds, and failed to inflict any, we remained locked in combat.

Turn 3, Top: I believe it was this turn that I technically screwed up on my Psychic phase.. Eldrad is allowed to cast 3 powers a turn, so I put prescience on both the Vespid, and the Firewarriors, then, as I planned to fire on the terminators with my broadsides, I also cast it on the broadsides instead of perfect timing, as they would grant no cover to them anyway, and the terminators were out of range of my psychic screach which I have yet to use..  Problem with this is that Eldrad can only cast the same power twice a turn (due to his staff), and had already used Prescience twice.. Ultimately it had no impact on the game as the Icarus couldn't fire having fired interceptor fire on turn 2, and all the rest of my weapons are already twin linked.. But it annoys me to forget that sort of thing even if it was my 4th game ever using psychers.. Another place for a note to be written so I don't forget apparently.  The vespid moved up 6" on the ground so they could use their jump move to Hammer of Wrath the assault marines (which are behind that piece of terrain with the columns), however, between their now twin-linked Str 5 AP3 shooting, and the Dark Reapers Str 5 Ap3 shooting, the assault squad was wiped out, so no assault was required. The firewarriors shot at the 2 marines in the Razorback crater to the right killing one.  The broadsides, the Ion-Head and what kroot could fired at his Warlord killing three Terminators.  Again, I've no idea where the Pathfinders fired, but I think it was at the terminators.

Turn 3, Bottom:  He moved the terminators/warlord into contact with the Relic.  Moved the tac squad to the left up to the ruins.  I think the missile launchers may have fired on the Icarus this turn but failed to kill it causing 1 wound.  The assault continued but no unsaved wounds were inflicted.  The heavy bolters on the predator fired at and killed one pathfinder.

 Turn 4, Top:  I moved the vespid up the right flank.  Moved the Ion-head up around towards the terminators/relic, while moving my firewarriors and Kroot towards the Relic.  Shadowsun followed suit and moved up to engage the terminators with her 12" fusion blasters (heaven forbid the Tau figure out the 24" multi-melta technology), and everyone else remained in place.  The vespid shot and killed the seargent in the razorback crater, and everyone else fired at the Terminators eventually killing them.  The assault continued to no effect.

Turn 4, Bottom:  Brian conceded the game at this point.  I was up 2 points to none, and there was no chance he could score linebreaker.  With all his transports out of commission he'd have had to foot slog the two missile launcher Tac squads up 16 or so inches to reach the relic meaning he could only get there at best bottom of turn 5, and with the majority of my army still in play that just wasn't going to happen.

The final board condition after turn 4

 

I think this game could have gone vastly differently if not for the lack of terrain.  Having the relic in the middle of a no-mans land with no cover, and nothing blocking my shooting to his defense line really made it tough to get near the relic, and tougher still to survive when exposed to that much shooting.  Brian chose the narrative terrain as he felt it would be faster, and I'm not sure how much more terrain he had on hand, but I still feel the alternating terrain gives a better result and lets you place some terrain to your advantage rather than feeling obligated to make it "fair".. It's war, I don't think it should be fair if you can help it..  When I was in the marines they always liked to say "Be prepared to die for your country, but make the other guy die for his".. I'm not sure how that applies here, but I'm going to claim that "gaming it" by placing terrain to your advantage, is a step toward that goal. 

Thanks for the Game Brian, and I'll look forward to a rematch, perhaps at the tournament in Lansing on the 16th?