Okay, so the Venue was good...now we'll look at the games.
I brought my DE, final incarnation looking something akin to this;
Azdrubael Vect
Haemonc (venom blade/crucible of mal/liquifier)
3 Trueborn (2x Dark Lance)
Venom (kitted)
3 Trueborn (2x Dark Lance)
Venom (kitted)
3 Trueborn (3x Blaster)
Venom (kitted)
10 Warriors (SCannon/Blaster)
Raider (kitted)
10 Warriors (SCannon/Blaster)
Raider (kitted)
10 Warriors (SCannon/Blaster)
Raider (kitted)
8 Wyches (Agonizer/Haywire Grenades/Snet+Imp)
Raider (kitted)
8 Wyches (Agonizer/Haywire Grenades/Snet+Imp)
Raider (kitted)
8 Wracks (liquifier)
Raider (kitted)
Razorwing (kitted/SCannon)
Razorwing (kitted/Scannon)
Ravager (kitted)
(kitted=Shock Prow/Flickerfield/Nightshield on vehicles that could take them)
I was supplied with copies of the lists from my last two opponents, my first having a printer malf and writing his list down upon arrival(having only one copy on hand). I appear to have lost them, so they are ALL being pulled from memory.
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Round 1;
Scenario; Messenger (you know the drill, VPs with bonuses for the Messenger.)
Deployment; Pitched Battle
Opponent 1; swiss army knife Mahreenz! ('nilla marines)
Captain on bike with Relic Blade
Libby with Gate and Null Zone
8(?)x THSS terminators
3 Units of 10 tacticals (rhino)
2 Units of Bikes (full kit, with MM/Melta)
3 Units of 10 devs w/4x lascannon (razorbacks)
Thunderfire cannon
Okay, dispersed...but the thunderfire could actually give me guff. CSquadded Devs in his ruins (with bolster) were a significant threat as well, considering there was only ONE good piece of terrain on the board (right of center, middle deep).
He won the roll, and chose to go first...between this and his deployment, the game was over barring bad dice. It wasn't so much a true error, as a lack of understanding DE (I think). He spread out with his bikes, but cornered himself around his Rhino mounted messenger squad (which was his big Dep mistake, that and not making a biker troop the messenger).
I refused flank, opposite the one blocking piece on the board, and began to whittle him away.
It went as I expected, but not as I hoped. I killed what I needed, delivered my Messenger (while killing his prior to delivery), and kept it alive for the game. Where it came apart was turns 4/5. I just stopped killing things. Dice that loved me turns 2/3 suddenly decided they were 'used up'. I kept the win, solidly, but just die-stymied myself out of a Massacre.
My opponent, on the other hand, was there till the end and VERY fun to play. Other than his initial goofs, that he recognized on his own later in the game, he made few (if any) mistakes.
Results;
Major Victory/+2 Bonus pts.
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Round 2;
Scenario; King of the hill (1 objective center, pitched battle with most scoring units within 3" controlling)
Deployment; Pitched Battle
Opponent 2; Fatecrusher Variant (daemons)
Fateweaver
Bloodthirster
4 Bloodcrushers (kitted)
4 Bloodcrushers (kitted)
6(?) Fiends (kitted)
3x 5 Plaguebearers
2x 5 Horrors (one with Changeling)
BIG unit of Seekers
BIG unit of Screamers
3x Tzeentch DPs full shooting and Ironhide
Okay, Fatecrusher variants...I don't fear these, but haven't actually played against one with my DE. Ah well, it's all about target priority. :-)
He wins the roll to go first, and...chooses 2nd. Well, he's about to have a VERY teachable(and painful) moment.
I deploy on my line with maximum dispersion...I give him one last chance, and ask him if he wishes to roll to seize. He laughs, and says 'why would I want to?'
I proceed to 'illuminate' him.
Full movement, with 36" flat outs on my 'Wings, and my movement is finished. I gave him three safe 'pockets' to deploy in. One in his left corner, one in my right and one in my left.
He kinda looks at the table with understanding dawning.
He spends the rest of the game picking up models at a rate of two or more units a turn.
Turn 3 he loses Fateweaver, and appears very irritated I didn't shoot at him until then.
The game ends (due to roll) turn 5. Unfortunately, due to his lack of understanding as to how Tank shock works (and a bad call from the TO, the only one I was aware of the whole day) I lose the massacre. He simply refused to accept how it 'should' work, and only wanted to shift units he perceived as being affected. Ah well, I'll take the major.
(note, if this seems like a less gracious writing than my prior round report, it is...this 'gentleman' argued with me a great deal after his turn 2, around when he realized he was losing. Up til then, he had questioned two of my moves and 2 ranges for shooting...both of which I was correct on...starting with turn 3 he questioned nearly every range and movement, slowing me down GREATLY. He actually FOUGHT me on the tank shock, and managed to flummox the TO. I don't like being slow-played, and merely sped up as much as I could. I think he was actually irritated the game ended 15min prior to dice-down).
Results;
Major Victory/+3 Bonus Points
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Round 3;
Scenario; Variable (random victory? the fu##???...If you aren't in the know, look it up...it was irritating. It's the scenario I did NOT want to play)
Deployment; Spearhead
Opponent 2; Dante-wing variant(blood angels)
Dante
Sang Priest
Sang Priest (jumper)
6x Terminators (LClaws)
Sang Guard (kitted)
Sang Guard (kitted)
Sang Guard (kitted)
Tacticals (razor/twin Asscannon)
Tacticals (razor/twin Asscannon)
3x MM Attk Bikes
3x MM Attk Bikes
3x MM Attk Bikes
Storm Raven (MM/Asscannon)
Dreadnought (Talons)
He won the roll, I failed to seize.
We were both tired, and at this point (with the AC out, and unseasonably warm weather, sweating our arses off) we just played.
Nothing stood out, it was sniping vs positioning. He reserved His jumpers and loaded Stormraven (Termies and Dread).
I positioned and played the game banking on two things, NOT getting the 'terrain' Victory Condition, and getting 6+ turns. (we promptly rolled 'Terrain Features' top of turn 3).
That, coupled with a ruling that Terrain pieces could not be contested on turn 4, I played 'out of position' for a turn and only managed a Minor Victory when it ended bottom of turn 5 (damn you dice).
I would LOVE to blame the ruling for throwing off my plans, but frankly...I should have spent turn 3 being a bit more aggressive. I let my inability to kill the SR until bottom of 4 influence me just a wee bit too much (counting on a turn 6) and lost the Major due to it. Sometimes, even when playing 'conservative' DE, you have to drop your balls on the table.
Results;
Minor Victory/+2 Bonus Points
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I wound up in 4th place (out of +40 players), much to my surprise. Had I realized I was doing as well as I was (hindsight, and all that crap) I might have been a little more pushy in Game-2...but assumed nothing but massacres would get me into top 3. The fact that this gamer pool had little in the way of 'gimme' players, and some unpredictable variables with scenarios, I shouldn't have been as surprised (not at my placing, but that few were going to just 'massacre' their way into finals).
Overall, a great string of games.
I really didn't get THAT irritated with my second opponent. My good mood game from turn 1 (my opponent and I had a load of fun) just carried me through. Probably why I didn't really push the issue on the Tank Shock...or accuse slow-play...just rolled with it. It may just be that's the way his group plays, and he didn't really see anything 'different' about it.
I will DEFINITELY return to the 'arena' next year. Until then, I plot!
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