Tuesday 30 August 2011

Battle Report: Cardiff Carnage 2011

Was just down at Cardiff Carnage this weekend a multi system event hosted by the Viet-Taff. I was playing 40k with my drop podding wolves.


Rune Priest - Chooser of the slain, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf, Melta Bombs, Wolf Tail Necklace
-125

Rune Priest - Murderous Hurricane, Jaws of the World Wolf, Wolf Tail Talisman, Melta bombs, Wolf Tail Necklace
-120

Wolf Guard Squad
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
Wolf Guard - Power Fist, Combi Melta (43)
-129


Dreadnought - 2 Twin-linked Autocannons (125)
Drop Pod (35)
-160

Dreadnought - 2 Twin-linked Autocannons (125)
Drop Pod (35)
-160

8 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-185

8 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-185

9 Grey Hunters - Melta gun, Wolf Standard, Wulfen (150)
Drop Pod (35)
-200

10 Grey Hunters - 2 Melta gun's, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Power Fist (205)
Drop Pod (35)
-240


10 Grey Hunters - 2 Plasma gun' s, Wolf Standard, Wulfen, Power Fist (210)
Drop Pod (35)
-245

Total 1749

16 Kill points

So the first surprise was on the Friday night I found my list had made it into the dirty dozen, This is the 12 filthy lists that scored low on the comp...yup I am rocking the filth \m/

This I celebrated by drinking too much on the Friday night as I figured a hangover would make bugger all difference to the kicking I was going to get for my first 2 game as the dirty dozen have to fight each other then.

Game 1: Take and Hold, Dawn of War

Gary Morgan - Grey Knights

Castllan Crow
Coteaz

8 Death Cult Assassins
3 Henchmen - Melta Gun
Chimera
 
5 Man Strike Squad
Razor Back

5 Man Purifier Squad
Razor Back

5 Man Purifier Squad
Razor Back

2 Rifleman Dreads

1 Ven Rifleman Dread

Land Raider God Hammer

Everything that can is toting Psybolts and a smattering of hammers and halberds on the Grey knights.

Really not what I need with a hang over, my worst match up for my list. The one hope I had was the mission you had to get as many scoring units within 6" of the center of the table so I was going to fall back on the old wall of drop pods plan.

For deployment I won the roll off and decided to go first so I deployed the living lightning rune priest so I at least had some psi-nullification down on the table and his squad in the runes near the middle of the table. Gary deployed his strike squad in a razor back not far from the objective I assumed hoping to seize the initiative and get warp quake up. (We decided the hills where area terrain to give us a bit of cover.


Thankfully I got the first turn and decided the strike squad had to die. The plasma gun squad and the double melta squad landed next to the razor back. Another squad landed with the rune priest on the objective to get some nullification further forward and an empty drop pod came down to act as more cover.
I had kept both dreds in reserve for two reasons. I figured if I failed kill the strike squad they could could come down outside the warp quake range and still be effective they also where my best counter to the assassins.





Thankfully the alpha strike came good and I managed to pop the razorback and kill the squad inside.




Alas the joy was short lived, on Gary's first turn Crow and the two purifier squads went into the plasma gun squad and the assassins with Cortez went into the melta gun squad that blew open the Razor back. Well I say went into what I really mean was they deleted them (A phrase I found myself using quite a lot this weekend).

To add insult to injury the squad in the middle got shot up a bit despite the night fight and failed there break check.




25 Marines dead by turn one, almost half my army gone. This was not looking good, I needed a good counter attack next turn so when only one dreadnought showed up I got a distinct sinking sensation.

He came down in the middle using the pod to block the assassins off from the quick rout to the objective. He managed to glance the Chimera as well. Otherwise I didn't achieve much. In Gary's turn he shot off most of the squad that was in in the middle leaving only the wolf guard alive after the the rune priest took the shot for him. Thankfully the assassins failed there terrain check and didn't get to charge my only other squad on the table.




Next turn was going to important, my other dread came in. I used it's pod to block the arch way to cut off crow who was hiding the other side. Everything else opened up on the assassins killing a few I tend put the dread in to try and tar pit them for a turn or two alas Cotez managed to take it out this gave the assassins a run on my rune priests squad.


Thankfully being down to only four assassins not they ripped apart the squad but I had just enough left to take them and Cotez out. What was left of the squad got shot off the table next turn leaving only one Wolf guard again. The remaining dread got stunned and lost a weapon to crow.

Then my last squad showed up at this point I realised I could still win this, my storm bolters had been slowly picking away at the purifier squad left in the open. I actually had more troop choices left even if two of them where just loan guys so I dropped the pod in the middle and hid everyone behind it.


After this Gary realised the risk and started shooing away the pods and my other squad to try and get in. He managed to destroy a few of the pods but didn't manage to make them go boom so I could still hide behind them. So on turn five his land raider and Chimera rolled on top of the wreak with the land raider that managed to immobilizing it's self. 


With crow and the dreadnought still locked in combat come the end of turn five I was winning 3-2 but as is the way the game didn't end.
On my turn it took all three melta guns to blow up the Chimera, despite shooting everything I could at them I only killed one henchmen they passed there test.




On Gary's turn he manage to killed on of the wolf guard pulling it back to a draw.




And with that the game ended on a draw Gary got bonus TP's for killing my most expensive HQ and having more VP's.

Final Score
Gary: 19TP's 1501 VP's
Me: 15TP's 771 VP's

Conclusion
On the whole very happy with that result, Grey knights are my worst match up I was lucky I got the first turn but losing half my army so early meant I was stuck playing a defensive game. My natural urge to try and take out troop units proved it's worth as did the wall of drop pods.

Game 2: Seize Ground (5 Objectives), Spear Head

Chris Silltioe - Imperial Guard

Creed! and Kell + Command Squad
Chimera

Leman Russ with Pask

Leman Russ Exterminator

Leman Russ Vanquisher

Vet Squad with triple Plasma
Chimera

Vet Squad with triple Melta
Chimera

Vet squad with triple Grenade Launcher
Chimera

Vet Squad - Auto Cannon, Camo-Cloaks, Sniper Rifles and joined by Gunnery sergeant Harker

Banewolf

As we can see an army of pure filth well worth it's place in the dirty dozen (!)

I won the roll off and let Chris go first, he caught me a bit off guard by deploying in the only table quarter with no objectives and infiltrating on of the vet squads to an objective on the other side. Thankfully on his first turn he moved out for there and spread out, last thing I had wanted was to be dropping in miles away from the objectives. I then dropped two squads and the dreadnoughts into the middle of all this, the prime targets being the plasma and melta squads.




Both Chimeras went boom and the melta squad got pinned.



Over the next few turns it all went a bit Benny hill with me chasing guards men all over the board as I lost a dred and quite a few marines. The dread in the middle was taking shot after shot while trying to kill what remained of the melta  squad. Bloody Creed and his orders, every time they broke and ran off he would rally them and send them back into the fight.


One of the squads dropped in behind the infiltrating guys who promptly tried to leg it.






But not quite fast enough.


And just as I get back into cover guess what shows up from reserve.





Thankfully Chris rolled enough ones for some of my guys to survive and take it out.
At this point the game had swung well in my favour, another pod arrived and squad started hunting down the tanks.


I had managed to get guys on four of the objectives for the game ending giving me a big win.


Final Score
Me: 30 TP's 1543 VP's
Chris: 0TP's 643 VP's

Conclusions

One of the most enjoyable games I have ever played, Chris was great laugh my face hurt from grinning by the end of it.

My army worked perfectly, the alpha was good and just as I started to run of steam another pod would show up with reinforcements allowing me to keep the momentum in my favour.

Game 3: Capture and Control, Pitch Battle

Neil Trent - Black Templar's

Emperors Champion (Preferred Enemy Vow)

2 Units of 5 Terminators with 2 Cyclones each

2 x 5 man Squads with las Plas
2 x 5 Man squad with Multi Melta, Melta Gun in Rhinos
5 Man Squad in Rhino

2 Preds with Auto Cannon/Las Cannon Sponsons

2 Land Speeder Tornados

It's a good mission for me but there is a lot of AP2/3 in the list.

I was going first so I deployed my objective behind a bit of terrain towards the left hand side with the living lightning librarian squad on it. Neil put his objective on the right hand corner and then turtled up very tight in the middle of the board.





Since he hadn't deployed on his objective and had went quite tight I decided to try and take out the transports and try to trap his army in.

Both dreads scattered one landing out in the open. I dropped one squad and the empty pod between his army and the objective.





With my fire I managed to blow up one rhino and immobilized another. Then came the return fire, to say this was painful would be an understatement, both dread and their pods blew up on the first shots that hit them, the grey hunter squad got shot up and then the emperors champion and squad finished them off.


This was not looking good, first wave wiped out and to top it off all three remaining squads decided to show up at once. the only saving grace was Neil hadn't moved far out of his tight castle so my plan was to try and jam him in and delay him getting to the objectives.

On the right the plasma squad drops in to shoot something up while the other rune priest squad ends up tucked away at the back after a nervous scatter.





On the left the squad that went in to block that side had an even more brown trouser scatter. Thankfully they still landed with in range to melta something and blew up one of the Predators.


On the left hand side Niel counter attacked blowing up the pod, and killing a few guys before charging in with the terminators breaking the squad and sending them running.







On the right the terminators wade in again to the plasma squad.





I managed to kill a few but the squad still gets gutted.


After that it was time for me to play hide and seek, I made sure to target the speeders and take them out I just hoped after losing his transports Neil wouldn't have time to get across the table.





On the right my last few marines on his objective desperately tried to keep the distance open for as long as possible.





One the left the long march to my objective begins, with my rune priest ducking back down behind the cover.





On the right I was relived with Neil spilt the emperors champion off from a squad to go after the librarian that at least gave the squad on the objective a fighting chance.


It started to get really tense now 2 squads of two faced off against my guys.





But one wolf guard came through.





At turn 5 I was winning but we went on for turn six where my last guy on his objective was killed.





On the left the termies got a good move through terrain roll and then it came down to the run...





And the buggers got just what they needed to contest :(

Final Score
Neil: 28TP's 1430 VP's
Me: 6TP's 880 VP's

Conclusion

After the game I found out Neil was Bro_Lo from 3++ so I should have expected a hard game.
Losing my first wave really hurt, I had expected it too get badly munched but not quite so easily.

I had hoped I could stand toe to toe in combat but that preferred enemy just beats your face in. I can never quite get the terminators and grey hunter match ups right either When I used to run a TH/SS death star with a couple of lightning claws in it I would charge grey hunters. I would rip the heart out the squad but lose most of mine in the process as well. Every time I try it though the grey hunters tend to just die.

Probably my biggest mistake was at the end, Neil pointed out I could have used the rune priest to block the terminators. I had kept him back in case the game went on for another turn as he would be usefully for shifting the terminators. Broke my own rule of "always play as if the game will end this turn" and paid the price.

So that's the end of Day 1, Day 2 will come later in the week.

Monday 22 August 2011

Blood Angel AV13 Spam

Well I said I was going to wait a while before doing another 40k list then before I know whats going on I have this sitting in my house:


Yes my self restraint is as strong as ever...

Seeing the rise of grey knights and fed up in general of getting shot off the table I decided to lay some decent armour down. 

Here is the preliminary list I am going for:

HQ (100pts)

  • Librarian (100pts)
    Blood Lance, Shield of Sanguinius
    • Power Armour
      Bolt Pistol

Troops (810pts)

  • Assault Squad (145pts)
    4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
    • Razorback (20pts)
      Twin Linked Heavy Flamer
    • Veteran Sergeant (43pts)
      Chainsword, Infernus Pistol (15pts)
  • Assault Squad (145pts)
    4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
    • Razorback (20pts)
      Twin Linked Heavy Flamer
    • Veteran Sergeant (43pts)
      Chainsword, Infernus Pistol (15pts)
  • Assault Squad (180pts)
    4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
    • Razorback (55pts)
      Lascannon & Twin Linked Plasma Gun (35pts)
    • Veteran Sergeant (43pts)
      Infernus Pistol (15pts)
  • Assault Squad (175pts)
    4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts)
    • Razorback (55pts)
      Lascannon & Twin Linked Plasma Gun (35pts)
    • Veteran Sergeant (38pts)
      Chainsword, Hand Flamer (10pts)
  • Assault Squad (165pts)
    4x Assault Marines (72pts), Meltagun (10pts), Veteran Sergeant (28pts)
    • Razorback (55pts)
      Lascannon & Twin Linked Plasma Gun (35pts)

Fast Attack (435pts)

  • Baal Predator (145pts)
    Heavy Bolters (30pts), Twin Linked Assault Cannon
  • Baal Predator (145pts)
    Heavy Bolters (30pts), Twin Linked Assault Cannon
  • Baal Predator (145pts)
    Heavy Bolters (30pts), Twin Linked Assault Cannon

Heavy Support (405pts)

  • Predator (135pts)
    Autocannon, Lascannon (65pts)
  • Predator (135pts)
    Autocannon, Lascannon (65pts)
  • Predator (135pts)
    Autocannon, Lascannon (65pts)

    All the remains is to see how it goes, watch this space...