And the winner is....

NOT ME! :-)

Well, things have devolved into bat/event-reps I see.
Baby ate my brain, and it seems like every time I sit down to write speculatively/introspectively, I run out of energy (or lose the thoughts I have been mulling over through the week).
Ah well, such is the life of a filthy procreator!

I had the opportunity to go to an club-tourney this weekend, and as per the norm I had a blast with these guys!
I've been doing what I can to play outside the box, of late...GK/SW bored me to tears, Necrons are lacking something for me(not the least of which are some models I really WANT) and after 'Ard Boyz(may ye rest in peace) last year I haven't had the motivation to dust off the pointy-eared fetish-freaks of doom but once or twice(I know, I shall be flogged...and Khaine willing, when we reach Commorrhag, I shall be flogged again).

So, flitting about in my haze of 40k ennui, I've revisited a few past armies I seem to always enjoy...and started tweaking them a bit.
For yesterday's tourney, I returned to my Blood Angels...or, my Blood Wing.



2000pt BA list
-Librarian (Jump Pack, FotD/Unleash Rage)
-Sanguinary Priest(Jump Pack)
-Sanguinary Priest(Terminator)
-Sanguinary Priest(Terminator)
-10x Terminators(2x Cyclone)
-10x Terminators(2x Cyclone)
-10x Assault Marines(Pfist, 2x Meltagun)
-10x Assault Marines(Pfist, 2x Meltagun)
-Rifleman Dreadnought
-Rifleman Dreadnought
Okay, so it's atypical at best. I LIKE terminators(always have, hence my Deathwing), I like Dreadnoughts(even the old uggo ones) and I like assault marines. Where in sam-hell can this list go wrong with me??? :-)

The event ran three rounds, with each scenario being the same whilst shuffling through the Dep-Zones.
There were 3 Victory Conditions each round predicated on winning each of the following;
Seize Ground (4 tokens placed in the normal fashion)
Capture and Control (2 additional tokens placed in the normal fashion)
Annihilation
You(or hopefully not, your opponent) could score 3 points for each VC achieved garnering up to a 9 pts per round, while VPs were tracked as a pairing metric/tiebreaker in the end.

On with the show? (totally forgot notes and pics, this is more to just show list performance/opposing list performance...thus the 'batreps' will be truncated).

Round ONE:
Deployment-Dawn of War
Opponent, Brian
Army, Daemons
-Fateweaver
-Bloodthirster
-4x Bloodcrushers (full allocation kit)
-4x Bloodcrushers (full allocation kit)
-4x Bloodcrushers (full allocation kit)
-5x Horrors (bolt/changeling)
-5x Horrors (bolt)
-5x Horrors (bolt)
-5x Horrors (bolt)
-Daemon Prince (MoT, shooty doom)
-Daemon Prince (MoT, shooty doom)
-Daemon Prince (MoT, shooty doom)

He won the roll for first, we placed all objectives and he chose to go second.

Turn 1-2;
I didn't bother deploying, walked all but one unit of RAS's(who would DS from reserves)onto the board my first turn. I didn't combat squad any units(for KP mitigation).
His army dropped, but he was flipped and had front-loaded his preferred wave. He got in(only Icon was on the 'crushers at this drop);
Bloodthirster
1x Bloodcrushers
3x Horrors(1 with Changeling)
1x DP
Due to Impassible terrain and a drop overlap, two of his horror units mishapped...though only one was destroyed, and I placed the other in the furthest corner from objective concentrations and the action.
Fire from both turns netted me his Bloodthirster (yay riflemen+cyclones+SB's) and his DP. His turn two brought his remaining DP's (good drops)to my front left and another bloodcrusher unit right in my backfield. He brought the 1st Bloodcrusher unit forward into support of his DP's, threatening my front/covering a mid-left objective. His fire netted 2 terminators and an some(3?) assault marines.
Turns 3-4;
Fire from everything killed a DP, scored a few wounds on the Bloodcrushers in my backfield. I tied up that 'crusher unit with a dreadnought, while my backup assault marines begain running/jumping through the mid-right to come round and start scooping objectives (after a brief detour to wipe that mishap horror unit).
His fire plucked a few more odd models. I was pushing into mid-field with big terminator blocks, he was pushing back as Fateweaver dropped in and tried laying about him with unholy fire...and I made saves and 5++ saves left and right.
Turn 5;
It ended bottom of 5, as my assault marines grabbed his C&C objective, one SG objective in his DepZone, and my Dreads/Termies had locked up crushers/Fateweaver in CC.
I won all three VC, and netted 8 KP total.

Round 2:
Deployment-Pitched Battle
Opponent, Dickie
Army, Space Wolves
-Runepriest (LL/JotWW)
-Runepriest (Storm/LL/Chooser)
-Runepriest (LL/???/Chooser)
-Runepriest (???/???)
-3x Wolfguard (2 PW, 1 CF, 3 SS in Drop Pod)
-Lone Wolf (C-Fist/Stormshield)
-Lone Wolf (C-Fist/Stormshield)
-Grey Hunters (melta w/runepriest in rhino)
-Grey Hunters (melta w/runepriest in Rhino)
-Grey Hunters (melta w/runepriest in Bolterback)
-Grey Hunters (melta w/runepriest in Bolterback)
-Grey Hunters (flamer in Bolterback)
-4x Thunderwolves (pfist, all shields, kitted for allocation)
-Land Speeder (dbl hvy bolter)
-Predator (autolas)
-Predator (autolas)

we placed SG objectives (he won roll).
He won roll for first.
we placed C&C objectives.
He deployed to cover all avenues, preds central to cover all fire avenues. I covered my objectives, he covered his.
I reserved (no DS) one assault unit unit for counter/objective grabs...and the 'game' began.
I failed to seize.

Turn 1-3;
His fire from the two predators hit with all shots against the dreads. I had arranged terminators, and deployment behind terrain, to generate cover (half of which was amped up to 3+) on the dreads. He penetrated 3 times against each, and blew them off the map...thus the tone was set. Fortunately, the rest of his fire that turn one only netted 2 terminators (1 each unit)...unfortunately my cyclone fire for all three turns failed to kill a single rhino/rhino chassis. I managed to immobilize the single targeted rhino twice in 3 turns...yes twice, as he repaired it once.
I did 'boo' off his T-Wulves for a turn, and killed two of the WG termies after drop...and then turn 4 happened.
Turn 4;
It ends...really, top of 4. He nets barely over 25% casualties on my central Terminator squad(w/priest), and same on my reserve Assault marines(w/priest)that had come in on turn two and turtled an objective in cover. Two 10's on the ldrship rolls, and near max fallback rolls (thank you dice, for only rolling high on Morale this game)...and half my army walks off the table...With only two remaining units, one locked in CC(assault marines w/Libby) and about to be gang-banged by the incoming Lone Wolves+T-Wolves, I concede.
Worst 'fun' game evah(no fault of opponent, he was fun)! We rolled it out, to make certain he scored all objectives...and see if I could avoid tabling...and that would be a yes, and no. :'(
He wins all three VC, and nets all 10 of my KP.

Round 3:
Deployment-Spearhead
Opponent, Edge
Army, 'Nilla mahreenz(with a dash of Vulkan)
-Vulkan He'stan
-Librarian (null zone/avenger)
-7x Sternguard (2x Hvy Flamer, 5x Combi-Melta in Drop Pod)
-7x Assault Terminators (THSS all)
-10x Tactical (Combi Melta, Melta, MM in Drop Pod)
-10x Tactical (Combi Melta, Melta, MM in Drop Pod)
-10x Tactical (Combi Melta, Melta, MM in Drop Pod)
-10x Tactical (Combi Melta, Melta, ML in Drop Pod)
-10x Tactical (Combi Melta, Melta, ML in Drop Pod)
-10x Tactical (Combi Flamer, Flamer, ML in Drop Pod)
He won the roll to start placing objectives AND deployment (he chose second, obviously).
I deployed to fill my entire deployment zone (no reserves), making it impossible to drop into my backfield (and thus onto 1 C&C obj, and 1 SG obj).
He deployed two of the Missile Launcher squads on objectives in his Dep Zone, and placed the Terminators in front of the more exposed unit.
He looked at the field, and tried to seize. He did not.
Turn 1;
I advanced, and spread out. My terminators were (per the norm) deployed front to provide cover (in case of a seize, or just going second) for any deployed RAS's and Dreads (yes, placed correctly a Cyclone and termie or two can provide cover for a standard rifleman without providing cover to non-infantry targets).
I left a few wee pockets after the advance, but none that would allow a pod to drop in and still be able to deploy a unit.
I fired into the terminators with everything in range (alot of stormbolter fire, cyclones and the rifelmen)...they were reduced to 3.
He dropped in with Vulkan/Libby/Sternguard to my left, and ringed me in totally with the 3 Melta/MM drop tacs. He opened fire, and I got lucky. Avenger/Sternguard HF+Vengeance rounds) netted him 2 assault marines (libby attached assault squad) and A terminator. One more terminator was lost to Melta fire...that was it.
Turn 2;
I shifted right and up with my right flank, and punched into the middle with a terminator blob. Libby assault marines hopped into a mess of terrain and out of assault/flamey-death range of the Stern-Star. Fire netted me a great deal of marines, and another Assault terminator. Assault netted me the remainder of two tactical squads in the middle/right, and both pods they rode in on. I tried to 'BOO' the Stern-Star, but was hood-blocked.
He came out with the Stern-Star, and backed the remaining tac-squad up into assault support range of them. An empty pod came in one one of 'my' SG objectives, which also slightly blocked my movement. He opened fire. I lost another assault marine, and another terminator while one of his backfield Missile Launchers blew up my closest Dreadnought.
Turn 3;
let the furball begin.
I shifted further around the blocking pod with my right 'block' (termies and assault marines with priest).
I brought the damaged Termies up to engage the remaining tacticals (Vulkan be damned, those buggers are scoring) and backed them up with the libby-led assault marines (who were down to 7). Fire nets me the second to last assault termie, and a few tacs. Assault wipes the tacs and another pod. I consolidate my terminators to prevent the Stern-Star from assaulting with impunity into my libby-led ass-marines, and brace.
Turns 4/5;
Some sniping from both sides results in a few dead marines, and the immobilization of my remaining dread (who is fortunately facing the enemy).
Assault in the center bogs down the game significantly, as I lose all but the priest+cyclone from one termie squad, and the other is reduced to 6(plus priest). Null Zone hurts (duh), but with the assault breaking in my favor (all dead but Vulkan, who is fleeing and will be escorted off into ineffectiveness), and the termies+RAS's wiping his remaining podded unit out of my backfield (they came in end of 3 to little effect other than obj camp), I begin the long-stride toward the center and his backfield objectives...unfortunately, the strides are not long enough. Game ends turn 5 with me winning,
Seize Ground (I win)
Capture and Control (draw)
KP (I win)

He nets 2 KP (I think he killed my last dread at some point turn 5)
I net 11 KP


I scored well enough, with that ignoble loss in rd 2, to take 4th place. Had I been a little luckier, I could have swept him off his C&C objective and netted another KP, which would have moved me up to 2nd(If memory serves)...but I couldn't have taken first without at least scoring ONE of the Victory Conditions in round 2 as well, which couldn't happen when all my dudes were DEAD! :-D



So, I'll take fourth place with a smile!


Lessons?
First, as stupid as it sounds, I have fun with 40k.
I have been 'experimenting' for a bit, with builds/options/units that are not 'OP'...while at the same time, not making 'duff' lists that have no chance. It has given me the flexibility to get back into the 'I like...' builds/units/characters mindset more than the 'I need...' efficiency/efficacy/power, without a loss of wanting/being able to win.
That being said, I had more fun round 3 than any of the others. Why? Because I wasn't in 'contention' for first, but I was still playing to 'place'. The most tense of competitive mindset was gone, but there was still a game that mattered with our scores. We had fun, while still trying to 'beat face'.

Second, Hybrid.
My Dreads don't work. I don't mean at face value. I mean at synergy. They DO provide a mobile 'devastator' effect. They produce a tarpit (for some units).
Unfortunately, they DON'T provide synergy and DO provide an 'obvious' target. Without benefiting from FNP, without the ability to 'jump' and their requiring deployment adjustments to compensate for their difficulty to grant cover (or lend anything beyond what has been mentioned)...I think I need to find replacements.
But WHAT???
Devs cost too much for a 1 for 1 exchange, attack bikes have to get too close and any other vehicle option suffers from a lack of FNP benefit/cover issues.
Thinking, it hurts the brain...more play/tweaking required!

Third, I have to 'get off the wall'.
Partially fits in with the whole 'Dreads don't work'. I can't hover too close to the board edge, and with the Dreads as KP bait/assault(vs ded-assault units) bait I can't push to the center easily.
I know I can't bank on losing a game to ill timed failed-morale all the time, but I CAN bank on it happening occasionally. Maybe only once every other event, but with so few scoring/shooting blocks I HAVE to think about it.


Ah well, lessons may be slow in correcting....but they will provide even further fun IN the correcting!