Death by Adepticon!!!

So I was going over my schedule and I have more than a full weekend ahead of me.


 
Thursday

I fly into Midway at 3:45pm and hitch a ride with my teammates Yackface and Jathkin to Lombard, IL.

I have a seminar that night where we will be discussing tactics, and after that I will be playing a demo game against Spacecurves who is the captain of the American ETC team.


 
Friday

I start my day with the Gladiator Tournament. Not my favorite event by any means, but there is nothing else going on during the day, and I have to play in it if I want to be a part of the ETC.

Then after that wraps up at 10:00pm I am going to Golden Demon winner Chris Borer's seminar on how to paint better. I want to get some tips on painting red and gold for my upcoming pre-heresy Thousand Sons. That seminar should get out around midnight.


 
Saturday

This is where the pain begins. I am use to going to bed at 1 or 2am Pacific Time, so when I go to Chicago I just lay in bed until my body knows it's time for sleep which is 3:00am Central Time.

Then I get up to play in the Team Tournament at 6:30am (4:30am PST). They want us down there and set up at 7:00am. Then what we do before the first game at 9:00am is go to breakfast together. Since team Dakka Dakka Detachment #1 is one of the rare teams that do not live near each other, this is our one time to go over the army, and have a brief talk about strategy. For the first time we are going to be joined by team Dakka Dakka Detachment #2 at the breakfast, and we will try to help them out as much as possible.

Then 4 more games and we get out at 10:00pm. This is the one time I have to go out to dinner with all of the tournament regulars I see around at all of major tournaments. Since GW canceled their GTs we don't have a chance to really hang out anymore and this is the one time we are together.


 
Sunday

So after a late dinner, we are up again at 6:30am (4:30 pst) and get ready for the 40K championships that start at 7:00am.

I am glad that I took Monday off and I do not have to run to the Airport like I always have to do on Sunday night, and I can relax a bit.

Then later that night they are having an after con mixer/poker tournament that I signed up for.


 
Monday

I get to sleep in and take my time heading to the airport.

I will say the same thing that I always do like "I am never going to play in all of the 40k games again".


 
I love Adepticon, but I am glad it is only once a year, because that is way too much gaming. Normally I swear off gaming for a few months afterwards, but I have to head to LA in 3 weeks to play in the Slaughter in Space.


 

 

 

 

 

What army should I play at Adepticon?

So the time draws neigh for Adepticon!


With only three weeks to go, I am torn about what army to play in the 40k championships. So I turn to the Dakka Dakka members for guidance.



I have the choices of 3 1850 point armies to play:



Army #1. Foot Eldar



Reecius put up an article in BoLS about how good foot Eldar is, and everyone attacked him for it.

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2010/03/40k-tactics-winning-with-eldar-foot.html

Even though the army he posted would not be an army that I would play, the idea that you can win with any foot elder army was viciously attacked by the denizens of BoLS and YTTH. How much winning do I have to do for people to think it is a viable 5^th edition army? I do well at tournaments, and several other people like Darth Diggler, and Inquisitor Malice do as well, but still the army gets no respect. I am getting burned out of playing the army though and even if I keep winning with it, unless I play the doubters and whip them like they owed me money, then they will just remain ignorant of the strength of the foot eldar. I guess until you eat 60, strength-6 shots, you just will not know how good the army is.



HQ

Avatar



Farseer w/Spirit Stones, Stones of Warding, Stones of Witnessing, Doom, Guide, Fortune



Elites

6 Harlequins w/Kisses

1 Shadowseer w/Kiss, Fusion Pistol

1 Troupe Leader w/Power Weapon and Fusion Pistol



Troops

10 Guardians w/Brightlance

10 Guardians w/Brightlance

10 Guardians w/Brightlance



9 Dire Avengers

1 Exarch w/2 S. Catapult, Bladestorm



3 Jetbikes w/Shuriken Cannon

1 Warlock w/Singing Spear, Destructor



Fast attack

7 Warp Spyders

1 Warp Spyder Exarch w/dual spinners


Heavy Support

3 War Walkers w/Scatter Lasers



Wraithlord w/Brightlance, Missile Launcher

Wraithlord w/Brightlance, Missile Launcher



Army #2 Chaos Space Marines



I am thinking about playing this army because over the summer I am going to build a pre-heresy Thousand Sons army. Although this army will not be pre-heresy, it will mirror the build. It is also my best painted army, so in a tournament with a lot of soft scores it will do well. The downside is that I have not played it since I won a 3 game RTT in Aug, so I might be a bit rusty.



Army List



HQ

Ahriman



Demon Prince w/MoT, Warptime, Winds of Chaos, Wings



Elite

Dreadnought w/TL Autocannons



Troops

9 Chaos Space Marines w/Lascannon, Plasma Gun

Aspiring Champion



9 Chaos Space Marines w/Lascannon, Plasma Gun

Aspiring Champion w/Powerfist

Rhino



8 Thousand Sons Marines

1 Aspiring Sorcerer w/Bolt of Change

Rhino



Heavy Support

2 Obliterators

2 Obliterators



Land Raider



Army #3 Demonhunters

I am thinking about playing this army because everyone says that Demonhunters can't win in a competitive tournament. They were lumping this army in with the Tau and Necrons as being unwinnable. I think you can win a tournament with any army, and it is the player skill and not the codex that determines if you can win or not, or basically what I am saying is that you can make a winning build out of every codex. So to put my money where my mouth is, I need to step up to the challenge.



Army List



HQ

Inquisitor Lord w/Emperor's Tarot, Psycannon, Psychic Hood, Null Rod.

3 Mystics

1 Familiar

2 Sages

Gun Servitor w/Heavy Bolter

Gun Servitor w/Heavy Bolter

Gun Servitor w/Plasma Cannon

Land Raider



Troops

5 Grey Knights w/2 Psycannons

1 Grey Knight Justicar



5 Grey Knights w/2 Psycannons

1 Grey Knight Justicar



5 Stormtroopers w/2 Plasma Guns

Chimera



5 Stormtroopers w/2 Melta Guns

Chimera



Heavy Support

Land Raider



Dreadnought w/TL Lascannons

Dreadnought w/TL Lascannons, Missile Launcher

Adepticon 2010

Here is my schedule for Adepticon 2010:

Thursday's Schedule

I plan on getting to the hotel around 6:00pm. I will socialize with people and perhaps help them set up.

I want to try to sneak in to the 40k Tactics Boot Camp Level 1 on Thursday from 8:00pm to 9:30pm. The 2 instructors are Shawn Kemp and Jay Woodcock. I don't think I ever played Shawn before, but I beat Jay in Baltimore GT in 2007. I will not say anything, I just want to sit in the back of the room.

Friday

Adepticon Gladiator 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. I am not a big fan of the Gladiator, but nothing else is going on then.

Then from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am I am taking Chris Borer's seminar "Stepping up your game: Painting to a Competition Level". I have always wanted to take a seminar (normally I am playing in tournaments, but this year they have a few seminars after the games). My painting scores are in the middle of the road, and that is one aspect of the hobby I really want to improve on. Especially when I have a project like the Pre-Heresy Thousand Son's coming up.

Saturday

Set up our Team Tournament army and check in at 7:00 am. Then go with my fellow Dakka Dakka 1 teammates to breakfast. This is the first time we will all be together since last year, and the first time we discuss strategy and tactics for an army that we have never played before. Then we play from 9:00 am to 9:30 pm. Then it is off to the swap shop and try to see if I can get a deal on some stuff. Then I hope dinner with the tournament regulars.


 
Sunday

Time for the Adepticon Championships from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm. Then I just signed up for the poker tournament from 9:00 pm to ?


 
Monday

I hope to go to one last breakfast with the boys, then a flight at noon to take me home.


 
That is a lot of stuff this time. I am normally wiped out by Saturday night, and Sunday is like the Bataan Death March. I am very happy that I am not rushing out of there to get to a plane on Sunday night like I normally do, and I can take my time and leave Monday.


 
One of my big problems is that my normal schedule is that I go to bed late, and sleep in (I am typing this at 3:12 am), so when I go to Adepticon, not only do I have to wake up very, very early, but with the time zone difference means that I am really jet lagged. Last year I did not socialize much because I was so tired, I just went to my room, but I could not fall asleep because it was too early.


 
This year I will try a couple of things. I need to exercise a bit to get in shape for a 4-day, 11 game marathon, and I will try to go to bed early and wake up early so my internal clock will be on Adepticon time.


 

 

My preliminary Adepticon Gladiator list

2250 Pts - Eldar Roster - Adepticon Gladiator 2010


 
HQ: Eldrad Ulthran

HQ: Avatar


 
Elite: 5 Fire Dragons

Wave Serpent w/Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Missile Launchers


 
Troops: 3 Guardian Jetbike Squadron, Shuriken Cannon (x1)

Warlock w/Destructor, Singing Spear


 
Troops: 3 Guardian Jetbike Squadron, Shuriken Cannon (x1)

Warlock w/Destructor, Singing Spear


 
Troops: 10 Guardians w/Bright Lance

1 Wave Serpent w/ Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Missile Launchers


 
Troops: 10 Storm Guardians w/ Flamer (x2)

1 Warlock w/Destructor, Singing Spear

1 Wave Serpent w/Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Bright Lances


 
Fast Attack: Vyper Squadron

1 Vyper Squadron w/Scatter Laser; Shuriken Cannon

1 Vyper Squadron w/Scatter Laser; Shuriken Cannon


 
Fast Attack: Vyper Squadron

1 Vyper w/Bright Lance; TL Shuriken Catapults

1 Vyper w/Bright Lance; TL Shuriken Catapults


 
Fast Attack: Vyper Squadron

1 Vyper Squadron w/Shuriken Cannon; Shuriken Cannon

1 Vyper Squadron w/Shuriken Cannon; Shuriken Cannon


 
Heavy Support: War Walker Squadron

1 War Walker w/Scatter Laser; Scatter Laser

1 War Walker w/Scatter Laser; Scatter Laser

1 War Walker w/Scatter Laser; Scatter Laser


 

 
Heavy Support: War Walker Squadron

1 War Walker w/Scatter Laser; Scatter Laser

1 War Walker w/Scatter Laser; Scatter Laser

1 War Walker w/Scatter Laser; Scatter Laser


 
Heavy Support: War Walker Squadron (3#, 120 Pts)

1 War Walker w/ Shuriken Cannon; Shuriken Cannon

1 War Walker w/ Shuriken Cannon; Shuriken Cannon

1 War Walker w/ Shuriken Cannon; Shuriken Cannon


 
Total Roster Cost: 2248


 

 
Sill working on the details of my list. I need to kill things like Titans and those gigantic creatures An'ggorath and Hierophant. I need a lot of Strength 8, AP 2 weaponry, and right now I do not have enough. I need to be able to do 8 wounds to a toughness 8 creature with a 2+/4+ save, and 10 Wounds to a toughness 9, 2+/6+ save.


 
Wow, that is going to be hard. Not only that, but they are not affected by Doom.

Adepticon

I just signed up for Adepticon.

I told myself that I was going to take it easy for next year, and not do the Gladiator, but I ended up signing up for it anyways. If they had some better games or seminars I would skip it.



So once again I find myself doing the Iron Man of 4 Gladiator Games, 4 Team Tournament Games and 3 Championship games.



I love being there, but at the end of the weekend I am burned out, and I am glad to come home.

I also added a painting seminar from Chris Borer. I normally I am playing in tournaments and can't take a seminar, but I am glad that they scheduled one after the Gladiator so I can go. Of course it ends at 12 midnight, and I have to wake up at 7:00am or so for the Team Tournament, and I am already jet lagged, so that ain't going to be pretty.



Now I need to make a 2250 point Gladiator army. I am not a big forgeworld guy, but I told myself that I will bring something with some structure points this year. Maybe a Silver Tower of Tzeentch, or a Brass Scorpion or maybe I will just run a regular army.