The GT I have been gearing up for happened over the weekend, and I had a great time. Although I did not have an overall winning record, I eked out a couple wins I'm proud of, and fought well in the games I lost. I learned about the weaknesses of my list, and got in an incredible 5 games in one weekend. A great way to start off 2018!
Here is the list I ran:
Blazinghand's List - Ulthwé1996 pts, 1 Battalion, 1 Vanguard - 7 CP
+HQ+
Autarch on foot with Star Glaive, Relic: Faolchu's Wing, Warlord Trait: Fate Reader
Eldrad Ulthran
Warlock with Witchblade
+TROOPS+
5 Dire Avengers, 1 is Exarch with 2 Catapults
5 Dire Avengers, 1 is Exarch with 2 Catapults
5 Rangers
+ELITES+
5 Fire Dragons, 1 is Exarch with DB Flamer
5 Fire Dragons, 1 is Exarch with DB Flamer
5 Wraithguard with D-Scythes
5 Wraithguard with D-Scythes
8 Wraithguard with Wraithcannons
+DEDICATED TRANSPORT+
Wave Serpent with 3 Shuriken Cannons
Wave Serpent with 3 Shuriken Cannons
Wave Serpent with 3 Shuriken Cannons
Wave Serpent with 3 Shuriken Cannons
This is a very simple "flank rush" style list. The 8 Wraithguard squad goes into reserve with the Webway Strike stratagem, and everyone else except the Rangers is inside transports. The transports sprint forward, allowing me to concentrate force and and attack one part of the enemy line, hoping to break through and gain the upper hand through local strength advantage. It is designed to be fast, resilient (for Eldar), and capable of great concentration of force. It is easy to use, which is important for staying focused during grueling tournaments and meeting the short time limits of 2.5 hours per game.
Game One
In Game One, I faced off against the Death Guard player, Adrian. He had previously very easily defeated me at a small tournament, so I was eager for a rematch to show him how far I had come. His List:
Adrian's List - 2,000 pts of Death Guard+LORD OF WAR+
Mortarion
+HQ+
Necrosius
Typhus
Herald of Nurgle
Jump Pack Sorcerer
+TROOPS+
19 Poxwalkers
15 Poxwalkers
15 Poxwalkers
+ELITES+
Tallyman
Noxious Blightbringer
+FAST ATTACK+
Foetid Bloat-Drone with Plague Spitter
Foetid Bloat-Drone with Plague Spitter
Foetid Bloat-Drone with Plague Spitter
We played ITC Mission 1. This turned out to be a pretty straightforward slugfest. My forces moved forward, carefully shielded in their Wave Serpents, and Adrian's Death Guard, led by Mortarion, bore down on them. I had learned from my last game with him, and concentrated all my force into a single unified thrust towards Mortarion. Morty cracked open one Wave Serpent, but the precious Fire Dragons inside survived, screened from assault by the noble sacrifice of the Dire Avengers. On turn 2, everyone jumped out, Wraithguard came in from reserve, and I poured everything into Mortarion, destroying him before he could do more damage. I barely defeated him.
From then on, everything became a massive scrum in the center of the board, with the various Death Guard characters and the Bloat-Drones supporting large units of Poxwalker Zombies against my aspect warriors and wraith units. My screening elements were not adequately placed to protect my valuable shooting from the Poxwalkers, leading to Death Guard coming out on top. To improve here, I should have been more careful with the positioning of my Wave Serpents on the turn I shot Mortarion, so I could make charges more difficult for my opponent.
Although I was not tabled, he destroyed much of my forces and emerged victorious, 26-12. Considering that he effortlessly defeated me by nearly 30 points the last time we clashed, and I actually managed to take down Mortarion this time, I will take this as a moral victory. Using the same list, I got much better results. Next time we meet, Adrian, I may well emerge victorious.
Game One Result: Defeat!--
Game TwoIn Game Two, I played against the Crimson Fists player, Matthew. Though I had not played his Crimson Fists before, I have seen him around the game store before and chatted with him, praising his excellently painted models. His list:
Matthew's List - 2,000 pts of Crimson Fists+HQ+
Primaris Captain with Power Fist
Primaris Lieutenant with Stalker Bolt Rifle
Lieutenant with Bolt Pistol, Power Fist
Techmarine with Servo-Harness, Boltgun, Chainsword
+TROOPS+
6 Intercessors - 1 with Grenade Launcher, Sergeant has Power Sword
5 Intercessors - 1 with Grenade Launcher, Sergeant with normal equipment
5 Tactical Marines - 1 with Meltagun, Sergeant has Combi-Melta
5 Tactical Marines - 1 with Meltagun, Sergeant has Combi-Flamer
+FAST ATTACK+
3 Inceptors with Plasma Exterminators
+ELITE+
Chapter Ancient with Power Sword
Company Champion with Champion's Blade, Thunder Hammer
2 Honor Guard with Power Axes
Redemptor Dreadnought with 2 Fragstorm Launchers, 1 Heavy Onslought Gatling Cannon, 1 Icarus Rocket Pod, 1 Onslaught Gatling Cannon
5 Reivers with Bolt Carbines
+HEAVY SUPPORT+
5 Devestators - 2 with MLs, 2 with Lascannons, 1 is Sergeant with Boltgun
5 Hellblasters
Hunter Tank
+DEDICATED TRANSPORT+
Rhino
Rhino
We played ITC Mission 2. I deployed toward the center, having to finish deployments before Matthew had put many units down. He put one tac squad with a Lieutenant in the far right corner, and the Hunter in the far left corner. Toward the center, he had his Intercessors, Hellblasters, Redemptor Dreadnought, Captain, Chapter Ancient, and Techmarine, as well as a Primaris Lieutenant with his Devestators atop a building. The other Rhino swept around my left side with a tac squad, the 2 Honor Guard, and the Company Champion.
I won the roll to go first, and he failed to seize. Photo taken after my first movement phase:
As you can see, my deep and complex strategy of "fly at the enemy full speed" is in progress.I took an early lead popping his Rhino with the Lieutenant and Tac Squad on Turn 1 with my Webway Strike Wraithguard. I finished off the contents of the Rhino with spare Shuriken Cannon shots and a timely assault from the Wraithguard. Matthew failed to destroy any Wave Serpents, and their contents jumped out to cause significant damage to him on Turn 2, popping the Dread and blasting down his Hellblasters. He took this opportunity to charge in with his assault specialists, and his Primaris deep striking units went after my objective grabbing units in the rear, clearing out a unit of Dire Avengers and a unit of Rangers. Luckily, his Devestators were tied up for most of this: I charged them with an empty Wave Serpent so they couldn't shoot.
His assaults on the bulk of my forces in the front proved inconclusive, however, as the dice gods were against him. I was able to use Fall Back with what was left of my army and finish off his center with shots from Wraithguard and Wave Serpents, who are not inhibited by Fall Back. After that, sweeping up his deep strikers and the Hunter hiding in the corner was no problem. I tabled him during Turn 5 for a decisive victory.
Game Two Result: Victory!--
Game ThreeIn Game Three, I played against an Imperial Guard player, Bill. I had not met Bill before, though he was a nice guy and a friend of mine had played him before. Bill's list was full of models I wasn't as familiar with. His list:
Bill's List - 2,000 points of Astra MilitarumMilitarum Tempestus Battalion
+HQ+
Yarrick
Tempestor Prime
Tempestor Prime
+ELITES+
MT Command Squad with Plasma Guns
MT Command Squad with Plasma Guns
+TROOPS+
5 Scions - 2 with Lasguns, 2 with Volley guns
5 Scions - 2 with Lasguns, 2 with Volley guns
5 Scions - 2 with Lasguns, 2 with Volley guns
+TRANSPORTS+
Taurox Prime with Missile Launcher, Autocannons
Taurox Prime with Missile Launcher, Autocannons
Taurux Prime with Gatling Cannon, Volley Guns
Taurux Prime with Gatling Cannon, Volley Guns
Elysian Vanguard
+HQ+
Elysian Commander
+ELITES+
Elysian Command Squad with Plasma Guns
Elysian Command Squad with Plasma Guns
Elysian Platoon Officer
Officer of the Fleet
Officer of the Fleet
Officer of the Fleet
+HEAVY+
Elysian Heavy Weapons Squad - 3 Morter Teams
+FLYERS+ (maybe this is an Air Wing? not sure how they fit into Force Org)
Vulture with Twin Punisher Gatling Cannon, 2 Heavy Bolters
Vulture with Twin Punisher Gatling Cannon, 2 Heavy Bolters
Vendetta with 3 Twin Lascannons
We played ITC mission 3. This was probably the most intimidating army, since I had faced that Death Guard army before. I deployed my 4 Wave Serpents in the center, and my opponent started with many models off board. He won the roll to go first.
I was not prepared for the amount of firepower this list could put out. On my first turn, he blew away what I thought was a sufficient screen for my Autarch: A Wave Serpent, its contents (10 Aspect Warriors), and 5 Rangers, and then shot down the Autarch. In his first shooting phase, he blew away nearly a quarter of my army. It was an incredible amount of dakka. On my turn 1, I focused on dealing with the biggest threats to my Wave Serpents, his flyers. The hovering Vendetta was dispatched by Wraithguard emerging from the webway. Everyone disembarked except for one squad of Dire Avengers, and focused fire brought down one Vulture and weakened the other.
Without his Vendetta and 1.5 of his Vultures, my opponent was stuck using mostly Autocannons and Plasma Guns for anti-tank, which are incredibly bad against Wave Serpents. Though I quickly lost my Fire Dragons and Wraithguard with Wraithcannons (the last of my anti-tank),I proceeded to destroy any of his guardsmen that came near the center objective and camped on it with my infantry. My Wave Serpents charged his Taurox Primes every turn, preventing them from shooting. Eldrad used Mind War to pick off weak IG Characters for victory points and Smite and Executioner to put wounds on anything that needed wounds on it. My supply of Wraithguard and Aspect Warriors dwindled, but Bill had difficulty shooting with his Taurox Primes due to the Wave Serpent charges. He couldn't put out the firepower to dislodge me from the center, and lacked the manpower to put guardsmen in there to contest the objective.
For the rest of the game, I bonked his vehicles repeatedly with Wave Serpents and farmed victory points off the center objective as his crippled Vulture picked away at my army. At the end, I had an enormous lead in victory points.
Game Three Result: Victory!--
That concluded Day 1 of the GT. Next, was Day 2.
--
Game 4Game 4 was against an Imperium Soup player, Phil. Phil would go on to win second place in the tournament, and was a capable opponent. His list:
Phil's List - 2,000 pts of ImperialsBattalion of Imperial Guard Valhallans
+HQ+
Company Commander with Power Sword
Company Commander with Power Sword
+TROOPS+
Infantry Squad
Infantry Squad
Infantry Squad
Patrol of Ultramarines
+HQ+
Captain with Relic Blade, Bolt Pistol
+TROOPS+
5 Scouts with Combat Knives
5 Scouts with Combat Knives
+HEAVY SUPPORT+
Whirlwind Hyperios
Whirlwind Hyperios
+FLYERS+
Fire Raptor with 2 Quad Heavy Bolters, 2 Twin Lascannons, 2 Avenger Bolt Cannons
Fire Raptor with 2 Quad Heavy Bolters, 2 Twin Lascannons, 2 Avenger Bolt Cannons
Supreme Command Detachment of Imperials
+LORD OF WAR+
Roboute Guilliman
+HQ+
Primaris Psyker
Primaris Psyker
Primaris Psyker
+ELITES+
Culexus Assassin
As you can see, this was a highly intimidating list. Guilliman, Primaris Psykers, an Assassin, plenty of screening elements, and 4 powerful shooting vehicles. Though I was unfamiliar with the vehicles, I knew Fire Raptors were big, expensive, and shooty, and I had played against Whirlwinds before. Backed up by Roboute, they would be mighty threats.
We played ITC Mission 4. The game itself played out in a pretty straightforward way. My opponent deployed in a castle, screening off his vehicles with guardsmen and scouts. My Wave Serpents went towards him at full tilt, though I lacked a position to bring in my Wraithguard on turn 1.
In short order, he cracked open my wave serpents, but most of the contents survived and got into a fight with his army. There was a fair amount of assaulting and a lot of shooting, especially from the Fire Raptors.Over the course of the next few turns, I knocked down a couple of infantry squads, the scouts, and a bunch of his characters, as well as a Fire Raptor, but once Roboute got into assault he chewed through a lot of my army, and the remaining Fire Raptor still put out impressive firepower.
In the end, I only destroyed about 700 points of my opponent’s army before getting tabled. My Fire Dragons and Wraithguard, after destroying one Fire Raptor, were not able to catch the other, and were out of position. With better positioning, or longer range anti-tank, I might have had a chance, but without those things, the Fire Raptor fired away at my army for the rest of the game unimpeded. Sadly, my meltaguns were never able to get a shot on Roboute, thanks to the Scouts and Infantry Squads.
Game 4 Result: Defeat!--
Game 5Game 5 was against a Tau player, Paul. Paul is a noteworthy Tau player in my area, known for winning games with somewhat unorthodox armies despite the general weakness of the Tau Index. His list:
Paul's List - 2,000 pts of Tau+HQ+
Commander with 4 Fusion Blasters
Commander with 4 Fusion Blasters
Commander with 4 Fusion Blasters
+ELITE+
3 Stealth Suits: Velocity Tracker, Drone Controller, 2 Markerlights, 2 Marker Drones
3 Stealth Suits: Homing Beacon
3 Stealth Suits: Homing Beacon
Firesight Marksman
Firesight Marksman
5 Crisis Suits: 2x with 3 CIBs, 1x with 3 Flamers, 1x with 3 Flamers, Velo Tracker, 1x with 2 Flamers, Drone Controller
— 9 Gun Drones
+FAST ATTACK+
5 Pathfinders with Markerlights
5 Pathfinders with Markerlights
5 Pathfinders with Markerlights
+FLYER+
Tiger Shark Fighter-Bomber: 2 Burst Cannons, 2 Skyspear Racks, 2 Swiftstrike Railguns, 2 Missile pods, 6 Seeker Missiles
Our mission was ITC Mission 5. I am somewhat familiar with Tau, but this was my first game playing against them in 8th Edition. I found Paul’s list somewhat puzzling, since the Tiger Shark is not known to be strong, he was only running 3 Commanders, and almost no gun drones, as well as the big Crisis Suit team when Crisis Suits are worse than Commanders due to how inaccurate they are.
From his list, I determined that his plan was likely to use the Homing Beacon to bring down the Crisis Suits within Flamer range, and that Flamers negate the poor BS of Crisis Suits. Not bad. I’d have to worry about deep strikes, since his powerful models would be off board on turn 1.
I moved up and tried to size territory with my Wave Serpents to give him unfavorable Deep Strike locations, and found I had few targets to shoot at. I blew away a squad of stealth suits and some pathfinders, but had to sit on my hands until he came in.
Through use of the Homing Beacon and his remaining Stealth team, Paul was able to bring in his Crisis Suits almost in the middle of my castle, which was very dangerous. His Commanders dropped down around the outside of my castle to shoot at Wave Serpents and the like.
I soon dropped in my own deep striking Wraithguard, and what proceeded was a brutal slugfest that lasted for 6 turns. Unlike many shooty players I faced off against, Paul understood how Assault worked and used it to tie up my own shooting units, reposition his suits, and force my Wave Serpents to move. His Tiger Shark, while not amazing, was tough to chase down with my short-ranged anti-tank, and gradually picked away at my army. However, my many multi-damage weapons, backed up by the Dire Avengers and D-Scythes, were able to clear away his drones were able to bring down many of his suits.
By turn 6, all that remained on the table were a couple of crippled Wave Serpents, a couple Dire Avengers, Eldrad, and the Autarch, facing down against a wounded Crisis Suit, a Commander Suit, 3 Pathfinders, and the Tiger Shark. The Commander Suit was finished off in assault by the Autarch’s Star Glaive, but my shooting failed to dislodge the final Pathfinder, and the Crisis Suit, so Paul was not tabled (note: flyers do not count for being tabled, so this was a real threat). Then, on his turn, the Manta finished the 2 Wave Serpents, the Dire Avengers, and Eldrad, leaving only the Autarch.
The final models at the end of the game were a single Autarch with 1 wound for me, and a single Pathfinder and wounded Crisis Suit for Paul (as well as his flyer). Final score was 24-27. A close-fought loss!
Game 5 Result: Defeat!—
Overall, I feel like I made a good showing. I accomplished my basic goal, which was to win at least one game. I did not accomplish my stretch goal, which was to win more games than I lost. Of my 5 games, 3 were completed within 2.5 hours, and 2 had to end early due to time, both after finishing turn 4. The 2 that ended early ended decisively however, so it was not so bad. There is still more I can do to play faster, but I feel happy to have finished the majority of my games on time.
I lost to Death Guard due to positional issues. I lost to Guilliman’s Gunline because of positioning, but also because I had no answer for the fast flyers. I lost to the Tau list in a close fight, but the Tiger Shark was primarily a threat due to my utter lack of long range anti-tank, or something that could keep up with it.
I’ve learned a lot about positioning, and identified a weakness in my list: dealing with flyers. I also got a chance to play against enemies I rarely fight, such as Tau.
Overall, a great tournament.
