Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've recently relocated from the Chicago area back to my home state of Maine. I've been waiting for the first tournament since I was a pretty active participant in the Chicago tournament circuit over the past 2 years. Well I was gladly surprised to find out both local stores (Within 30 minute drive) hold monthly tournaments. This was the first single day event since the move so I was pretty psyched to head out and throw down some dice.

Fomat
1850 armies, no composition scoring.

15 Battle Points (I think 5 for win, 3 for draw and 1 for loss... not exactly sure)
10 (i think) for painting (judged by the TO)
15 Sportsmanship (1-5 scale from each opponent, however only used as a tiebreaker after painting/battle)

3 Round format with W-D-L pairings from each round.

I brought my Space Wolves with the following list.



HQ - Rune Priest with Chooser of the Slain (Powers - Living Lightning & Jaws of the World Wolf)

EL - 4x Wolf Guard (2x Frost Blade + Combi-Flamer & 2x Bolters)
EL - 5x Wolf Scouts - Meltabombs, 1x Meltagun & 1x Power Weapon
EL - 5x Wolf Scouts - Meltabombs, 1x Meltagun & 1x Power Weapon

TR - 5x Grey Hunters - 1x Flamer in Rhino
TR - 5x Grey Hunters - 1x Flamer in Razorback (TL Heavy Bolter)
TR - 5x Grey Hunters - 1x Flamer in Razorback (TL Heavy Bolter)

FA - 5x Thunder Wolf Cavalry - 1x Thunderhammer
FA - 5x Thunder Wolf Cavalry - 1x Powerfist
FA - 3x Landspeeders (3x Multimelta/Heavy Flamer)

HS - Predator - Twin Linked Lascannon & Heavybolter sponsons
HS - Predator - Twin Linked Lascannon & Heavybolter sponsons

The Field - Well I show up early and we end up with 6 total players (seems a low turn out, however the weather was nice and it is Maine so understandable).

2 Space Marines
Space Wolves
Tyranids
Chaos Space Marines
Eldar

Not a bad distribution, but as usual for most areas rather heavy marine oriented (4 of 6).

Game 1 - I Draw Arthur who is playing Space Marines

Deployment - Spearhead
Mission - Seize Ground

Opponents List (I can't be for certain since his list was handwritten but this is what I can surmise from the first picture.

HQ - Captain - Lightning Claw & Bolter
HQ - Command Squad (Standard Bearer, Apothecary, Company Champion, Powerfist & Plasma Gun) in Razorback (TL Heavy Bolter & Storm Bolter)

EL - Terminator Assault Squad (3x Thunder Hammer & 2x Lightning Claws)

TR - 10x Tactical Squad - 1x Flamer & Sgt with Powerfist in a Rhino
TR - 10x Tactical Squad - 1x Missile Launcher in Rhino

FA - 4x Bikers & Attack bike with Heavy bolter
FA - Attack Bike with Multimelta
FA - 5x Assault Squad

HS - 5x Devastators (Plasma Cannon, Heavy Bolter & 2x Missile Launcher)
HS - Whirlwind

Deployment - We roll off for first turn and he passes it too me. As you can see from the Image I take a pretty aggressive deployment ready to move forward with my Speeders & Thunderwolf Cavalry. He puts both tactical squads out of the Rhinos and puts the vehicles in the back. He also places his bikes on his far right flank.



I move up on both flanks and put most of my firepower into his devastator squad reducing it to just a Plasma Cannon & Missile Launcher. I take a single lascannon shot at his MM Attack Bike and remove it. I also move fast across the board with the Land Speeders to gain a better position. He moves forward rather aggressively with his bikes and shoots most of his firepower into both Thunderwolf Squads, he then charges his bikes into the Thunderwolves, which doesn't end well for his bikes.

Turn 2 neither of my Scouts arrive from outflank so I move forward with the TWC on both sides and shoot into his Terminators with with the speeders and remove 1. My other shots go into his Command Squad and the remains of the Devastators. I cannot wound the Command squad but reduce the Devastators down to just a Missile Launcher. I then charge my full Squad of TWC into his Command squad. I end up killing everything but his Powerfist & Standard Bearer and lose 1 of my normal guys. He responds by shaking my Rhino and advancing on my Landspeeders. he is able to charge a Tactical Squad & the Terminators into the Speeders and removes 2 and Shakes the last one remaining. His assault squad charges into the big conflict with the TWC & Command Squad, the dice are definitely not in his favor and I do not take any wounds and kill 3 Assault Marines and the Standard Bearer. He passes both moral checks and we stay in combat

Turn 3 - My first Squad of Scouts come on the board and I line them up for a big charge where he had assaulted my Speeders. I move fast with the remaining speeder behind his Whirlwind. I blow up his razorback with one of the Predators. I move forward and shoot up his Terminators & Tactical squad which attacked my speeders, then assault them with the incoming scouts and remaining TWC on the left flank. I lose 2 scouts but reduce him to 1 Terminator & 2 Tactical Marines. Both Break but I am able to catch the Tactical Marines. The other side of the board the TWC clean up the remainder of the Command and Assault Squad. He moves his Rhinos forward and shoots the TWC who are now free, the remaining terminator runs off the board and the TWC + Scouts finish off the remaining tactical Marines.

Turn 4 - Scout Squad 2 joins the fray and lines up to double charge the Rhinos. I blow up the Whrilwind with the last remaining land speeder. I double charge the Rhinos and both are wrecked. I had declared the charge with the TWC on the Right flank but before we start the combat he conceeds since the Tactical squad is his last remaining unit on the board and I hold 3 objectives.



Overview - It was a big mismatch in list building, hopefully in the future I can help him build a bit more tournament ready list. I'm glad he had fun though which is a small consolidation considering the outcome.

Game 2 - I draw Chris and his Chaos Space Marines

Deployment - Pitched Battle
Mission - Capture and Control

Opponents List



HQ - Abadon
HQ - CSM Lord (Terminator Armor, Mark of Khorne & Pair of Lightning Claws) with 4 Terminators as a Retinue (2x Lightning Claw, Icon of Khorne & Powerfist)

TR - 10x Thousand Sons with Sorcerer (not sure on powers)
TR - 7x CSM (Plasmagun, Icon & Champion with Powersword)
TR - 7x CSM (Plasmagun, Icon & Champion with Powersword)
TR - 6x Khorne Bezerkers

HS - Defiler with +2 CCW
HS - 6x Havocs (3x Lascannon)
HS - 3x Obliterators

Deployment - We and wins first turn and deploys first. Here is our initial deployments (he keeps the Oblits in Reserve)





I know I have a big rock unit to deal with the terminators, lord & Abadon so I try to shoot them up and hit the smaller units with my TWC units. However what ends up happening is my TWC hit units they should crush and stay in combat and both times the big bad terminator unit comes over and eats them for breakfast. However my one scout squad kills his CSM squad on his objective and I'm able to shake/weapon destroy the defiler with Living Lightning enough (and eventually destroy it on my objective. Through attrition I eventually kill off all the terminators except the lord and he kills off my scouts on his objective. Its bottom of 5 he's sitting with his two remaining Thousand son marines on his objective and I'm thinking ok... easy win but think to ask are they troops. Yes yes they are, I had played the game as if they were elites. So 5 minutes is called and whatever minimal shooting I have left in the game is directed their way and thankfully kill both remaining models.




Overview - I'm lucky I asked the question because I was just going to shoot up the lord who was close. I move on the only one with 2 wins after both rounds since the other winner from round one ended up drawing.

Game 3 - I play Eric and his Mech Eldar Force

Deployment - Dawn of War
Mission - Annihilation

Opponents List



HQ - Eldrad
HQ - Farseer (Doom, Fortune, Runes of Witnessing, not sure what else exactly)

EL - 6x Firedragons with Exarch in Wave Serpent
EL - 10x (I think) Howling Banshees with Exarch in Wave Serpent

TR - 10x (I think) Dire Avengers with Exarch in Wave Serpent
TR - 3x Guardian Jetbikes
TR - 3x Guardian Jetbikes

HS - Fire Prism (Holofields & Spirit Stones)
HS - Fire Prism (Holofields & Spirit Stones)
HS - Nightspinner ((Holofields & Spirit Stones)

Deployment - He wins the roll and places Eldrad with the Direavengers on the far left flank. I choose to place the Grey Hunters & Rune Priest at just over the 18" mark to attempt and stop first turn Eldrad powers... however forgetting he can redeploy, which he does to centerboard out of my 24" range for the Runic Weapon.

Well here is the only picture from the match. Basically he moved everything on and attempted to shoot but couldn't see through night fighting, I move everything forward and I think I spotlight and shake Eldrad's Waveserpent.



On the left side I am able to catch with my TWC a Fire Prism which I continue to shake the whole game (I really hate holofields...) He keeps dropping the nightspinner on my TWC but I think I only take 1 wound from dangerous terrain. On the right side I'm able to blow up the Fire Dragons wave serpent and charge them with the TWC. Turn 2 my first set of scouts come on and charge 1 Guardian jetbike squad and the Banshees Waveserpent. We end up with 1 model each from either squad and they end up the whole game swinging at one another (Miss, hit, armor save, etc... it was rather comical). He takes a pot shot at my Rhino and dislodges my Rune Priest and squad who I run into the center woods to mess with Eldar powers for the remainder of the game (yeah right killing myself with Eldrad's Runes of Warding...). My 2nd scout squad arrives and blows up Eldrad's Wave serpent from behind (I love the meltagun on the squad!). I then take every bit of shooting I have left in the army and put it into the Dire Avengers/Eldrad. It takes two turns and an eventual charge from the remains of the TWC on that side of the board (and some help from the Rune Priest canceling fortune!) but I eventually rid the world of Eldrad.

However the game is still relatively close at this point and Eric makes his only mistake of the match. He disembarks his Banshees behind the woods and proceeds to charge my TWC through the woods with the Farseer. I know my TWC are doomed but I am able to kill off a large section of his Banshees since he assaulted through cover. I never finish off the unit or farseer but a big unit of Banshees could have killed off a few more things in centerboard but a much reduced squad just doesn't have the capability with the remainder of my troops in cover.

Overview - Game ends 6 kill points to 3 and my 3rd win of the day. Could have easily went the other way, since I had my two scout units down to a single man each and two pretty easy transport targets left which could easily have swung the tide of battle.


In the end I was happy with the day with my final two games relatively close and enjoyable (I feel bad steamrolling players so I don't count the first game in the enjoyable department). Here is looking forward to July's Tournaments and hopefully a few more pictures for each game (Yeah... I'm wishing at this point)

EDIT - Hmm... seems I can't post direct images... so links to my gallery instead it seems.
EDIT2 - Yay! Figured out how to embed the images.

Ah, the mighty TWCs...can't say I really miss those guys!

Great BatRep, though. Having started my Eldar army, I'm surprised to see someone running Guardian Jetbike squads in such low counts and w/o Warlocks!

Well at least I never had 5 unique models for my TWC... then they just become rather crazy. Yeah I saw it as a pretty interesting choice on his part since they were such small squads but was only able at the end of the game to remove one squad.

I give you a tip of my cap for admitting you out-listed the first opponent pretty badly. You definitely had the better roster than all the opponents you showed and did what you were supposed to do.

Enjoyable report, hopefully someone tougher will be at future events but you can't control your competition.

Congrats. It appears your TWC are very important in this list. Were they ever threatened with a Morale test? As I build my own, I'm debating putting a WL in with them for the boosted LD.

Great looking army and glad to see fully painted armies throughout the report.

@ The Prince of Excess - I generally just stick to the facts when writing up battle reports but its a rather obvious mismatch in lists so I figured I'd mention it. Unless we both had weighted dice (mine to 1's and his to 6's) I'd hazard it would almost be impossible to lose the game.

I also think there are a few better players at this one shop who just couldn't make it this tournament, but I know the other FLGS has some pretty serious players so if I can't get competition at one store I'm pretty certain to find it at the other.

@Srigar - Yes the TWC are the main component to the list and I only had to take one moral test over the whole tournament with the them (first game to shooting) which I failed. I actually fail a decent number of moral tests (being only an 8), however I have found with their large fall back it takes me out of the 6" so most of the time they auto regroup and hit whatever caused them to flee.

A Wolf Lord I think would be a good option, the other option is to keep someone with Saga of Majesty for the reroll. But Ld10 does help against tank shocks and most people have a dislike of tank shocking a unit with a S10 attack.

Yeah I enjoy the painted armies and only the newest player (tyranids) brought a mostly unpainted army.

Good Job, however I noticed something in your battle report about your last battle. When the Howling Banshee's assualted your unit thru cover they don't drop there init to 1, they are init 10, due to the Banshee Mask rule. It negates any init bonus granted by cover or grenades....

Right... except there is no longer an Initiative bonus for Cover.

p. 36 small rulebook

"if an assaulting unit had to take a difficult or dangerous terrain test during their assault move, all of its models have their Initiative value lowered to 1 when attacking, regardless of other Initiative modifiers"

The only thing which negates this reduction is Assault Grenades which Howling Banshee's cannot take... It was a big hit to Banshee's with 5th edition and frankly they should errata the mask to grant I10 and counts as Assault Grenades. However they haven't thus the mistake still stands.

Nice batrep, man. Interesting to see the cross-town competition, and some of the tables at the other locale.

You'll definitely see some harder lists on the 24th of this month, as well as some sub-optimal ones.

Oh I'm sure I will and look forward to see how it goes. Expect a full write up for most tournaments (as long as I don't forget the camera).

VirusSD1 wrote:Right... except there is no longer an Initiative bonus for Cover.

p. 36 small rulebook

"if an assaulting unit had to take a difficult or dangerous terrain test during their assault move, all of its models have their Initiative value lowered to 1 when attacking, regardless of other Initiative modifiers"

The only thing which negates this reduction is Assault Grenades which Howling Banshee's cannot take... It was a big hit to Banshee's with 5th edition and frankly they should errata the mask to grant I10 and counts as Assault Grenades. However they haven't thus the mistake still stands.

However, in the eldar codex, it says (page 31), "In the first round of an assault a model wearing a Banshee Mask has initiative 10 and negates any initiative bonus conferred by cover and grenades".

Ignore the second clause of that sentence, and you'll see "In the first round of an assault a model wearing a Banshee Mask has initiative 10."

Codex trumps rulebook, always has. It doesn't matter what the rulebook says, because the codex takes precedence. Banshees are I10 on the first round of combat.

If you guys are using the INAT faq, this is even called out in it.

While codex trumps rulebook this is a pretty unclear. The assault through cover rules are pretty specific. The Banshee mask is a modifier so even if it does raise the models Initiative to 10 the assaulting through cover drops it down to 1.

Afterwards I did check the INAT FAQ and have suggested its use but... lets just say they're not very keen on huge documents since they think it leads to rules lawyering...

Overall in the future I'll just grant the mask as assault grenades since that would seem what it would indicate but strict RAW its not allowed.