Preparing for Wargames Con

So in about a week a lot of gamers will be making the pilgrimage to Austin Texas for the 3^rd annual Wargames Con. They are having a 7 game tournament over the weekend of July 9-10^th.

I will be taking my Grey Knights (which I will be working on painting right up until it is time to head on out there).

I normally post my lists before events, but I think I will keep this on under wraps. My Grey Knights list is different from others and it is a little bit different than anything I have run before.

So that means that I will not be taking:

Purifiers

Draigo

Psybacks

Dreadnaughts

Inquisitors or their henchmen.

Stormravens

Land Raiders

I am a bit worried because I think they are going with the scenarios where you have to get 3 different mission objectives. These types of scenarios help out the MSU armies because they can overcome KP missions (their weakness) with the other 2 missions that normally are their strengths. Without a round of strait up KPs, they are  tough to beat.

Went to an RTT to test out a small Paladin Squad, Interceptors, and the Eversor Assassin

I played in another RTT yesterday. I use my RTTs more as a place to experiment with lists and units since I do not play much in the way of non-tournament games.

First unit was Draigo+5 Paladins.

This unit was ok, but I roll a lot of “1s” for armor saves. The first game they and a 5 man terminator squad went up against a Lord and 10 Thunder Wolf Cavalry. It was a close fight, but the ended up winning the battle, but not the game. Of course this was the guy that started me with the question of how you apply force weapon wounds to a multi-wound units. Now that we have the answer, it started a huge argument about the rule. Well 30 minutes later most people (other than my opponent and he friend who were having a conniption) came down on my side and that is how the judge ruled and how the store is going to rule it going forward. But like I said, that took 30 minutes and my game ended on turn #4 and he was on the objectives and I was still making my way to them.

In the second game their weakness was exposed. I took 9 wounds from Dire Avengers, and I allocated wounds. I rolled snake eyes twice and dropped 2 models and failed one more wound which means that I failed 5 out of 9 saves. Then when I rolled for leadership I rolled a “12” and then Draigo and the Paladins (over 600 points of models) were escorted off of the board. Why are Paladins not fearless?

I can't wait to get hit with a PBS and have 800+ points of them run off of the table. 

5 Terminators

These guys where meh. Not to good, not too bad. Every roll of a 1 drops a model, and they can only have one heavy weapon. They are troops though, so that is a plus.

10 Interceptors w/2Psycannons

This is the unit I wanted to test. They did alright, but I think I used them wrong. I needed more practice with them, but with my craptastic saves they died in droves.

Eversor Assassin

I threw this guy in as an afterthought. I tried out the Callidus which was my favorite assassin in the last codex and I did not like her at all in the new book. Then I tried the Vindicare who was ok, but not as good as I had thought. So I tried the last assassin that I had the model for the Eversor Assassin. Now this guy lost infiltrate so he does not get to deploy anywhere he wants, and he lost his 12” charge (but picked up fleet). But let me tell you that he has a huge upgrade in his assault ability. Last edition he would charge in and get a few attacks that missed and then had trouble wounding. Well, that has changed.

Let’s go into all of the areas he got supercharged:

He now has a WS 8: Hitting almost everyone on a 3+ (get hit back on a 5+ for some models)

Initiative 7: He now strikes before just about anyone.

Furious Charge: Initiative 8 (as if 7 was not enough), and Strength 5 on the charge.

Lightning Claws: He now gets to re-roll to wound.

So all of his old problems of not being able to hit, and wound have definitely been fixed. This guy was a beast in assault. Of course it will not be easy to get him into assault, but when he arrives, he arrives violently.

Game #5 Blackmoor’s Grey Knights vs. Blood Angels

Here is part 5 of our 5 part series

Game #5 Blackmoor’s Grey Knights vs. Blood Angels

My List (in case you have forgot)

HQ

Draigo

Librarian w/Force Staff, Servo Skulls, Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might of Titian, Hammerhand, Quicksilver, Warp Rift

Elite

Purifier Squad

Knight of the Flame w/Master Crafted Demonhammer

3 Purifiers w/Halberd

2 Purifiers w/Psycannons

Troops

10 Paladins w/4 Psycannons, 2 Demonhammers, Halberds, Swords, 1 Falchion, Brotherhood Banner

5 Strike Squad w/Psycannon

Heavy Support

Land Raider

Land Raider

My Opponent’s Blood Angels list

HQ

Reclusiarch w/Melta Bombs

Elite

Furioso Librarian w/2 Blood Fists, Blood Lance, Wings of Sanguinius

Drop Pod

Furioso Dreadnaught w/Blood Fist+Melta Gun, Magna-Grapple, Frag Cannon

Drop Pod

Furioso Dreadnaught w/Blood Fist+Melta Gun, Magna-Grapple, Frag Cannon

Drop Pod

Troops

10 Death Company w/Thunder hammer

Drop Pod

Death Company Dreadnaught w/Blood Talon+Melta Gun, Blood Talon, Magna-Grapple

Drop Pod

Death Company Dreadnaught w/Blood Talon+Melta Gun, Blood Talon, Magna-Grapple

Drop Pod

4 Assault Marines w/Melta Gun

Sergeant w/Hand Flamer

Drop Pod

4 Assault Marines w/Melta Gun

Sergeant w/Hand Flamer

Drop Pod

Heavy Support

Dreadnought w/Blood Fist+Heavy Flamer, Multi-Melta

Drop Pod

Dreadnought w/Blood Fist+Heavy Flamer, Multi-Melta

Drop Pod

Dreadnought w/Blood Fist+Heavy Flamer, Multi-Melta

Drop Pod

Alright, for those of you playing at home, that is 8 Dreadnoughts, and 11 Drop pods.

Slaughter in Space Game #4 Blackmoor's Grey Knights vs. Janthkin's Tyranids

Slaughter in Space Game #4

Part 4 in our 5 part series!

So this is the beginning of day #2, and I show up late and tired on Sunday. I am really tired and I am a little bit out of it during my first game. I normally work nights, and this is very early for me. 

My List (in case you have forgot)

HQ

Draigo

Librarian w/Force Staff, Servo Skulls, Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might of Titian, Hammerhand, Quicksilver, Warp Rift

Elite

Purifier Squad

Knight of the Flame w/Master Crafted Demonhammer

3 Purifiers w/Halberd

2 Purifiers w/Psycannons

Troops

10 Paladins w/4 Psycannons, 2 Demonhammers, Halberds, Swords, 1 Falchion, Brotherhood Banner

5 Strike Squad w/Psycannon

Heavy Support

Land Raider

Land Raider

Janthkin’s Tyranids

HQ

Hive Tyrant w/TL Devourer Brainleech Worms, Hive Commander, Wings, Paroxysm, Leech Essence

Elite

3 Zoanthropes

3 Hive Guard

8 Ymgarl Genestealers

Troops

10 Termigants

10 Termigants

Tervigon w/Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Scything Talons, Cluster Spine, Catalyst

Tervigon w/Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs, Scything Talons, Cluster Spine, Catalyst

18 Genestealers w/Toxin Sacs

14 Genestealers w/Toxin Sacs

Fast Attack

20 Gargoyles w/Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs

Slaughter in Space Game #3 Blackmoor's Grey Knights vs. ChristianA’s Imperial Guard

Slaughter in Space Game #3

My List (in case you have forgot)

HQ

Draigo

Librarian w/Force Staff, Servo Skulls, Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might of Titian, Hammerhand, Quicksilver, Warp Rift

Elite

Purifier Squad

Knight of the Flame w/Master Crafted Demonhammer

3 Purifiers w/Halberd

2 Purifiers w/Psycannons

Troops

10 Paladins w/4 Psycannons, 2 Demonhammers, Halberds, Swords, 1 Falchion, Brotherhood Banner

5 Strike Squad w/Psycannon

Heavy Support

Land Raider

Land Raider

Christian’s Imperial Guard

Christian has a very well painted army, and one that is brutal. His list: 

HQ

Company Command Squad

4 Plasma Guns

Chimera

Company Command Squad

4 Melta Guns

Chimera

Troops

2x Veteran Squad w/3 Melta Guns

Chimeras

3x Veteran Squad w/3 Plasma Guns

Chimeras

Fast Attack

3x Vendetta

Heavy Support

3x Manticore

Wow! Not what I wanted to see. 3 Manticores+ 3 Vendettas + Melta and Plasma Vets. My poor Paladins and Land Raiders!

Slaughter in Space Game #2 Grey Knights vs Necrons (The Memorial Day Massacre!)

So after my massacre what army do I get paired up with? IG? Blood Angels? Another Space Wolf?

Nope, I get Necrons!

My List

HQ

Draigo

Librarian w/Force Staff, Servo Skulls, Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might of Titian, Hammerhand, Quicksilver, Warp Rift

Elite

Purifier Squad

Knight of the Flame w/Master Crafted Demonhammer

3 Purifiers w/Halberd

2 Purifiers w/Psycannons

Troops

10 Paladins w/4 Psycannons, 2 Demonhammers, Halberds, Swords, 1 Falchion, Brotherhood Banner

5 Strike Squad w/Psycannon

Heavy Support

Land Raider

Land Raider

Kieth H's (Skrewpa) Necron list

HQ

The Deceiver

Troops

10 Warriors

10 Warriors

Fast Attack

5 Destroyers

5 Destroyers

5 Destroyers

Heavy Support

Monolith

Monolith

2 Tomb Spiders

Well, this is not good. He is fast and resilient, and I will have trouble getting into assault with him. I am glad that we are playing in mission that he can’t win

People, know your rules!!!

As posted blow I was playing in a RTT yesterday when a rules question came up.

Here are the units involved:

Lone Wolf w/Thunderhammer and Stormshield

5 Thunderwolf Cavalry w/1 Thunderhammer

Vs.

6 Purifiers

Knight of the Flame w/MC Demonhammer

Xenos Inquisitor w/Rad Grenades

The Space Wolves charged my Purifiers. The Lone Wolf and a Halberd get locked up together and everyone else on the Thunderwolves. To start off the combat I can’t cast any psychic powers because I need to save it for the Force Weapons. The Rad grenades lower his Toughness to 4 (this was a big argument because he did not think that one IC’s grenades can work on his whole squad but in the rules it clearly states that it affects the unit). On to the combat; both of my Halberds whiff to start the combat at I6. Then the scrum begins. He does all of his attacks and I can’t make a save and he kills all 6 of my Purifiers. I strike back and do 4 wounds. Because he has 4 un-upgraded Thunderwolves he places the wounds on them and removes 2 models so I can’t force weapon them. This does not sound right and I start looking through the rules for wound allocation. After spending a reasonable amount of time I let it go. (This is my MO for tournament play. If I can’t find the rule in short amount of time I move on). Then my Demonhammer swings I do two more wounds and he takes another model off. In the next round he kills my Inq and my Knight of the Flame and those 2 Thunderwolves then go and kill all of my vehicles giving him the win after tabling me. That loss cost me the win and a swing of about $40 in store credit. 

I know that the way he allocated the wounds in this manner was incorrect because then force weapons would be useless because you can never kill units of multi-wounded creatures. It was not until that night that I found the correct rule about units with multi-wounds against weapons that cause instant death. The rule is that if you have a weapons that inflicts instant death you have to apply each wound to each unwounded model and that model is removed.

 

So if the rules would have been played correctly then I would have killed those 5 Thunder Wolves and then had a good shot at killing the Lone Wolf. Oh well, each game you learn something new and will play the rule correctly in the future. 

Oh well, I need to brush up on my rules. This is the same store where I played a Tau player and after shooting shield drones he told me that they were wargear and that they did not count for leadership checks, and I know that they did. I did not know where to find that rule and it was right in the Tau codex under drones.

1000 Pt. RTT today with Grey Knights and a few thoughts plus upcoming events

I played at an RTT, it was 1000 points and you had to take 3 elites. I have been having a hankering to play my Eldar recently, but there is no way I can do 3 elites with them. Some armies love 3 elites (Demons, Tyranids) but not Eldar at 1000 points.

So I took my Demonhunters. They do elites ok. I had a 10 man purifier squad, A Callidus Assassin, and a Ven Dred.

Slaughter in Space III Batrep Game #1 Grey Knights vs. Space Wolves

So I tried some units that I have never played with before (Draigo/Paladins) and I think going forward I will playtest units more before a big tournament

Game #1

Here is my 24 model army:

HQ

Draigo

Librarian w/Force Staff, 2 Servo Skulls, Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might of Titian, Hammerhand, Quicksilver, Warp Rift

Elite

Purifier Squad

Knight of the Flame w/Master Crafted, Demonhammer

3 Purifiers w/Halberds

1 Purifier w/Sword

2 Purifiers w/Psycannons

Troops

10 Paladins w/4 Psycannons, 2 Demonhammers, Halberds, Swords, 1 Falchion, Brotherhood Banner

5 Grey Knight Strike Squad w/Psycannon

Heavy Support

Land Raider

Land Raider

Finecast+Heat is not a good thing.

This blog post has been making the rounds:
http://thefrontlinegamer.blogspot.com/2011/06/dont-leave-finecast-in-sun.html


So it is a good thing that I have sworn off finecast. Not only do I like metal models (I am trying to stock pile them before they are not longer available), but if that melting it true, I can't buy any.

There have been many times I have left my army in my car during the day and everything has been fine. Now when I say that I have left it in the car, I mean in Phoenix the temp gets up to 115 degrees and I do not know how hot inside the car gets, but I have never had a problem with metal and plastic. If I do that with finecast I will be coming back to a puddle.

A quick post about GW's price hikes

So I was working on getting my army ready for Wargames Con and I was going throught the models that I needed when I came across these:

I was getting out my 7 Death Jesters (don't ask) and I noticed the price. $7.99!!! These are what 4-5 years old now and I looked at the GW price and they are $18.25! They more than doubled in price in the space of a few years. It looks like I make a great investment in my Death Jester stock!