Game # 2 Blackmoor Demonhunters vs. Grimjob's Orks

Game # 2 Blackmoor vs. Grimjob

So in the second round I get paired up against Grimjob. We have been at a lot of tournaments together, but have just missed playing each other. He said that he would not be able to make it because he would be coaching baseball this weekend and he said that he could not make it, but he was rained out and he showed up. I am glad that I had the opportunity to match up against his orks and see what my army can do since he has been winning a lot of tournaments with them lately.

Grimjob’s Orks

HQ

Ghazghkull Thraka (He is becoming almost as popular as Eldrad)

Big Mech w/Kustom Force Field, Power Klaw

Elite

10 Lootas

5 Lootas

5 Lootas

Troops

Cybork Nob w/Waaagh Banner. Power Klaw. Cybork Body

Cybork Nob w/ Power Klaw. Cybork Body

Cybork Nob w/Big Choppa, Bosspole, Cybork Body

Cybork Nob w/ Big Choppa, Cybork Body

Cybork Nob w/ Kombi-Rokkit, Bosspole, Cybork Body, Ammo Runt

Cybork Nob w/ Kombi-Rokkit, Cybork Body, Ammo Runt

Cybork Nob w/ Kombi-Skorcha, Cybork Body

Painboy w/Cybork Body, Grot Orderly

18 Boyz w/Shootas, Bosspole, 1 Rokkit

Nob w/Powerklaw

18 Boyz w/Shootas, Bosspole, 1 Rokkit

Nob w/Powerklaw

19 Gretchen

Runtherd

Fast Attack

Deffkopta w/TL Rokkits, Buzzsaw

Heavy Support

Battle Wagon w/Deffrolla, Kannon, Boarding Plank, Red Paint Job, Stikkbombs, Grot Riggers

Battle Wagon w/Deffrolla, Kannon, Boarding Plank, Red Paint Job, Grot Riggers

Battle Wagon w/Deffrolla, Kannon, Boarding Plank, Red Paint Job

Ghaz+Battle Wagons+Big mech is always a tough match-up.

Demonhunters Battle Report #1

Realm RTT

So I managed to make it over to Brea, CA for an RTT that was being held there. They have some good players there and I wanted to test out my list for Adepticon since they are both 1850 points and that point level is hard to find. I achieved my objective and I learned a lot (which I will get to at the end).

Game #1 vs. Jeremy W’s Blood Angels

His list:

HQ

Reclusiarch w/Jump Pack

Reclusiarch w/Terminator Armor

Elite

5 Assault Terminators w/4 Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields

Sanguinary Priest w/Jump Pack, Power Weapon

Sanguinary Priest w/Jump Pack, Power Weapon

Sanguinary Priest w/Terminator Armor

Troops

9 Assault Marines w/2 Melta Guns,

1 Sergeant w/Plasma Pistol, Power Fist

9 Assault Marines w/2 Melta Guns,

1 Sergeant w/Plasma Pistol, Power Fist

5 Assault Marines 

Razorback w/TL Assault Cannon

Heavy Support

5 Devastator Marines w/4 Missile Launchers

5 Devastator Marines w/4 Missile Launchers

5 Devastator Marines w/4 Missile Launchers

When I saw his army for the first time I thought I was playing against Space Wolves. Not only was his army painted gray, but he had long fangs. Of course all of the jump pack squads did not make sense, so when he said he was playing Blood Angels I was a bit relieved. It is a 5^th edition codex, and I expect to face a lot of Blood Angels so this would be a good test

Deployment: Spearhead

Mission: Seize Ground (5 Objectives)

Control 2 more objectives than their opponent scores 17 points and their opponent scores 3.

Control 1 more objectives than their opponent scores 13 points and their opponent scores 7.

If you have a tie, then go to victory points. If a player scores 200 more VPs then you score 11 points and their opponents score 9. Otherwise each scores 8 points.

At the beginning of the game choose 1 HQ from your opponent. 

+2 Points if you have killed your opponents HQ.

+1 Point if your HQ choice

Objective placement:

 

Deployment

 He wins the dice roll to go first and sets up. He has his devastator marines in the forest on back, his Terminators in the middle, and his assault marines on either side. 

 I hide the Chimeras and try to keep them 48" away from the missile launchers. I have the Land Raiders out in the front, and since I can't put the Storm Troopers in the Land Raider, I put them in a Chimera, and put an IG squad in the rubble to the right, and a Grey Knight squad behind them.

4 Games with Demonhunters

Well, I played at an RTT on Saturday at the Realm and had 3 great games.

Game #1 vs. Blood Angels

Game #2 vs. Orks

Game #3 vs. Tyranids

Then as a bonus I played against Shep’s Mech Guard because I wanted to see if I could handle them. If you can’t take on Mech Guard or Space Wolves then it is time to go back to the drawing board, so I wanted to test my army to see if it can stand up to them.

I will post my batreps during the week. I write them up while I am at work because I don’t want to take all of the time to create them when I am not being paid.

I did learn a lot though. I was very disappointed with the GK terminators. At 46+ points a model you would think that they are as good as the SM terminators, but anything with a power weapon will cut them down.   

Demonhunters for the Realm RTT on 2/19

I am headed down to Orange Country to Brea Ca for an RTT on Sat to test out my demonhunter list I am taking to Adepticon. I made a couple of changes from what I had last time.

HQ

Grey Knight Grand Master w/Master Crafted Weapon, Psychic Hood, Psycannon

w/Retinue

1 Terminator w/Psycannon

1 Terminator w/Thunderhammer/Stormshield (very crappy version)

2 Terminators

I went with Michael Hogan's suggestion and went with the retinue instead of the terminator squad. It is a trade off because I lost the brother-captain (and an attack) and a psycannon. I gained losing the Independent Character status of the Grandmaster. That means that he can’t be singled out in combat, but it also means that he can’t split up from the unit until they are dead.

Troops

4 Grey Knights

2 Grey Knights w/Psycannons

1 Justicar

4 Grey Knights

2 Grey Knights w/Psycannons

1 Justicar

Imperial Guard Platoon

Jr Officer

4 Command Squad w/4 Flamers

Chimera w/Multi-laser/Heavy Bolter

7 Imperial Guardsmen

2 Heavy Weapon Gunners w/Lascannon

1 Sergeant

Chimera w/Multi-laser/Heavy Bolter

7 Imperial Guardsmen

2 Heavy Weapon Gunners w/Lascannon

1 Sergeant

Chimera w/Multi-laser/Heavy Bolter

5 Stormtroopers w/2 Melta Guns

I took off the special weapons off of the IG squads (a plasma gun and a melta gun) and took the savings from the terminator retinue and added stormtroopers with 2 Melta Guns. This adds some BS 4 tank killing, a scoring unit and something to go into the other land raider.

Heavy Support

Land Raider w/Extra Army

Land Raider

Why Demonhunters to Adepticon?

There are several reasons why someone would take Demonhunters to the Adepticon Championships.

• ·         They fit in a small army transport. When you are flying across the country you want to keep your army in a transport you can bring and store in carry-on luggage. You do this because if the airline loses your checked baggage it is not too much of a problem, but if they lose your army it is. Also you do not know how or what the baggage handlers or TSA are doing with your models or how they are treating them when they are out of your sight. You do not want to spend half a day in your hotel room trying to re-assemble your army. 
• ·         You not only want to fight good, but look good. For paint scoring Adepticon has this huge check list of not only how well your army is painted, but how it is converted, and how your display board looks. I have a good idea for a paint scheme with a lot of conversions (yes, with metal models) and an X-Board from Battlefoam to display my army and I am going to jazz it up with that terrain SM statue that they have, and some pillars and try to get a good painting score for once!
• ·         I have played a lot with my Demonhunters so I know their tactics and how they play.

The problem with Demonhunters is that you have to win games and that is not their forte. That is only a small hurdle right? Especially since this year Adepticon has put an emphasis on winning this year with their W/L/T format, and the armies that go 4-0 are going to the second round on day #2.

So you need to build a Demonhunters list that can take out the heavy hitters. So how do you do that?Well if that was easy to answer someone would have done it by now!

But I have some ideas...

Onwards and upwards….Adepticon Championships 2011

 

So after trying out the Dark Eldar I do not think that they will be an acceptable army for Adepticon. It is not because I think that they can't be good, it will just take too long to play test the army and find a combination that can deal with the heavy hitters like Space Wolves and Mech Guard. I just lack the time to make wholesale changes like trying out webway portals, and beastmaster packs, and all of the combination that is in the codex, and then painting them all up. I could do what some people are doing and always start in reserve, and then try to survive for several turns, but that is not my style.

 

So I have thought about some armies that can deal with Space Wolves, Mech Guard, Hordes, and now with the new FAQs, I need an army that can deal with a lot of terminators. This (as you can guess) will not be easy.

 

So I thought about taking Demons of Chaos.

 

Here is the list I was thinking about:

Fateweaver

Lord of Change

3 Flamers

6 Horrors+Changling w/Bolt of Tzeentch

7 Horrors w/Bolt of Tzeentch

7 Horrors w/Bolt of Tzeentch

Demon Prince w/MoT, Bolt of Tzeentch, Iron Hide, Wings

Demon Prince w/MoT, Bolt of Tzeentch, Iron Hide, Wings

Demon Prince w/MoT, Bolt of Tzeentch, Iron Hide, Wings

 

I have always been a big fan of Tzeentch demons so I was going to build an army around them.

So it will be a pretty small army but really durable and 5 MC really pack a punch! The Tzeentch+Fateweaver combo makes for some good saves with the DPs have a 3+/4++ and with the re-roll from Fateweaver they are as durable as a fortuned Avatar. You need to be able to take 18 missile launchers a turn and still be functional, and this army can do it. It can mix it up in a assault with a lot of armies as well but it has some weaknesses. For example: If you make the MCs your preferred wave, you might get the wrong wave in and then you will get the MCs in turn #2 and trickling in. They will also have issues as your MCs scattering away from Fateweaver, and then you have to use the shooting phase to run back, and then everything starts to go pear-shaped.

 

So I thought I would bring the army that I was planning to bring all along…Demonhunters!!!

Sprue Posse GT Game #2

So after my loss I was down into the loser bracket. Not such a bad thing since now I do not have to face off against Space Wolves or any of the other brutal armies there.



Game #2 vs. Christian's Space Wolves

What the heck! Space Wolves again? I found out later that he went up against another SW player and lost (figures) so I get to play them again.


Here is the odd thing:

If you look at the batreps of the GT, only Reese face another SW player, and he faced an army just like his own. I do not know why I was blessed with playing all of the SW players.


Space Wolves: Who let the dogs out?

(List is from memory)


HQ

Wolf Lord on Thunder Wolf w/Powerfist, Artificer Armor, Storm Shield, 2 Fenrisian Wolves, Saga of the Bear

Wolf Lord on Thunder Wolf w/Frost Axe, Artificer Armor, Storm Shield, 2 Fenrisian Wolves, Saga of Majesty

Wolf Lord on Thunder Wolf w/Wolf Claw, Artificer Armor, Storm Shield, 1 Fenrisian Wolf


Troops

5 Grey Hunters w/Melta Gun

Razorback w/TL Heavy Bolter

5 Grey Hunters w/Melta Gun

Razorback w/TL Heavy Bolter 

Fast Attack

4 Thunderwolves w/different wargear and 2 Fenrisian Wolves 

Heavy Support

6 Long Fangs w/5 Missile Launchers

6 Long Fangs w/5 Missile Launchers

6 Long Fangs w/5 Missile Launchers


He had a bunch of other wargear, but you get the general idea.  

Mission: Capture and Control       

Deployment: Pitched Battle


I win the dice roll to go first! The Baron really knows how to start a game. Normally I go second a lot. 

Deployment

Does this table look familiar? Again I chose the side with the LOS blocking terrain.


I place my objective in the lower left had corner. I was thinking that his T-Wolves would march down the center of the table, and I wanted it to be far away from the center of the board.

At the lunch break we were talking about what I did wrong in the last game. 'They' thought that I should have started in the middle of the board and then I could move either to the left or the right to get local fire superiority, so that is what I do.

Note: I take nothing for granted and I try to protect myself at all times. I have the venoms screen the raiders, and hide the hellions behind some cover. The Ravagers are behind the hill out of LOS. The Razorwing is in reserve.

He keeps his 2 troops in reserve which is good if you only have 10 of them and you want to keep them alive. He deploys the T-Wolves in the center of the table directly across from me. He then puts all of his Long Fangs in the woods. Here is something that surprised me. He handed me is army list on really think paper and I saw that he only had one squad of long fangs. I thought that was odd (really, who would only take one long fang squad?) but I did not question it. After he dropped the 3 squads down I discovered that 2 pages where stuck together, and that there were 2 long fang squads on the second page. That is why I deployed out in the open with my large Warrior Squad because he had such limited long range anti-tank. Oh, well, I am going first, so I will just move away from all of his fire power.


He rolls a "6" to seize the initiative, and he goes first. L At this time I have a feeling that this will not go well.

Turn 1

Space Wolf Turn 1

The Dogs move forward. He unloads on my paper airplanes, and he does not do all that much damage, but he hurts me where he needs to be taking out my Incubi Raider, and immobilizing the Wyches Raider. Well that is disastrous because my assault now has no mobility. I can't reach his long fangs, and I can't dictate where the T-Wolves get into assault.  

Dark Eldar Turn 1

I am about to get hit by his T-Wolves so I have to do something. I move the hellions into the forest to be a sacrifice to the assault gods. I want him to hit the hellions, and then he will be in position for me to counter-attack with my Wyches and my Incubi. I feebly shoot back at him. A 2+/3++ save is tough to get through.

Turn 2

Space Wolf Turn 2

He shoots at my Incubi with Frag missiles and does 8 wounds, and I fail 6 saves and they fail their leadership check and they and Archon run off of the board. (Facepalm). Times like this I realize that I was within 6" of the Wyches Raider and I could have re-rolled the leadership check.

He assaults my hellions and finishes them off quickly. I screwed up and kept the Baron in the squad. Since they are there to be sacrificed he should have been split off.

(No Picture) 

Dark Eldar Turn 2

I get my Nightwing on and I unload on the T-Wolves. I hit is with 4 missiles, 2 Dark Lances and a Splinter Cannon and I kill most of the dogs, and put wounds on everyone else.

I counter assault with my Wyches. They are weak as kittens, and do one wound. He has a Wolf Lord with only one wound left, and my Hekatrix wounded him twice with her agonizer, but he made 2, 3+ saves. The Wyches prove to be a lot more durable than I thought that they would and they only take 3 wounds in return. Of course I can't make a morale roll, and they run off of the table.

Turn 3

Space Wolf Turn 3

At this point is it just a mop up action as his wolves go after my warriors.


Dark Eldar Turn 3

It is all over but the shouting at this point. I lack the firepower to shot and kill his troops to get the tie.

The game was over when he seized the initiative. He just has too much firepower that can blow me out of the sky. I still thought that I had a chance if I could get the Incubi, the Archon and the Wyches to assault the Wolf-star at the same time and perhaps get a tie, but he took out my mobility, and then he took out the Incubi.


Lessons learned:

I had Grisly Trophies on the Wyche's raider and I forgot all about them. The Incubi might have stayed around to help out the Wyches, (but even then losing 6 of them hurt badly). I need to stop the hemorrhaging from failed leadership checks, and I had the tools right there.

I also learned how to properly use a Razorwing. Instead of using it as a tool of finesse and keeping it at long range, and taking a few missile shots, I should just use it as a disposable hammer. I can't keep the thing alive, so it might as well go out in a blaze of glory! By launching 4 missiles, 2 Dark Lances, and a Splinter cannon, it can put a hurting on a lot of things.

I also royally screwed up the objective placement. I have no idea what I was thinking other than I wanted it in a corner and I wanted a good field of fire for the warriors, and placed it out in the open. Even if I thought that he had only one Long Fang squad, it should have been somewhere that had some cover. I was thinking that I wanted it to be far away from him, and I wanted an open field of fire to anything that would try to take it, but that was a mistake.