Postgame thoughts - This good scary for awhile but ended up with a solid enough DG win. As expected Ciaran played to his outs forcing DG to commit to a battle much earlier than I'd have preferred and aggressively pushing whenever the chance emerged - the rapid ingress on my top left flank in particular threatening to really turn the game before it fizzled out. For a favourable match up I never felt the control I'd have liked, I was happy I avoided any major mishaps and keeping the 6 DS in reserve as long as I did forced Magnus to not push - his damage was still very, very nasty but it meant I could ignore him and take the hits for long enough that when he did commit I had managed a 15 on primary and with end game scoring and a solid secondary set it was enough to take the win.
Round 2 - Scorched Earth, Search and Destroy Layout 3 v Tommy French's Death Guard.
KENT GT (1995 Points)
Death Guard
Virulent Vectorium
Strike Force (2,000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Biologus Putrifier (45 Points)
• 1x Hyper blight grenades
• 1x Injector pistol
• 1x Plague knives
Lord of Contagion (135 Points)
• 1x Manreaper
• Enhancements: Furnace of Plagues
Lord of Contagion (110 Points)
• 1x Manreaper
Lord of Virulence (90 Points)
• 1x Power fist
• 1x Twin plague spewer
Malignant Plaguecaster (60 Points)
• 1x Bolt pistol
• 1x Corrupted staff
• 1x Plague Wind
Mortarion (380 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Lantern
• 1x Rotwind
• 1x Silence
BATTLELINE
Plague Marines (190 Points)
• 1x Plague Champion
◦ 1x Plasma gun
◦ 1x Power fist
• 9x Plague Marine
◦ 2x Blight launcher
◦ 4x Heavy plague weapon
◦ 2x Meltagun
◦ 9x Plague knives
◦ 1x Plague spewer
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Chaos Rhino (85 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Havoc launcher
OTHER DATASHEETS
Deathshroud Terminators (140 Points)
• 1x Deathshroud Champion
◦ 1x Icon of Despair (Aura)
◦ 1x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
• 2x Deathshroud Terminator
◦ 2x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
Deathshroud Terminators (300 Points)
• 1x Deathshroud Champion
◦ 1x Icon of Despair (Aura)
◦ 1x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
• 5x Deathshroud Terminator
◦ 5x Manreaper
◦ 5x Plaguespurt gauntlet
Deathshroud Terminators (140 Points)
• 1x Deathshroud Champion
◦ 1x Icon of Despair (Aura)
◦ 1x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
• 2x Deathshroud Terminator
◦ 2x Manreaper
◦ 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet
Foetid Bloat-Drone with Heavy Blight Launcher (100 Points)
• 1x Heavy blight launcher
• 1x Plague probe
Foetid Bloat-Drone with Heavy Blight Launcher (100 Points)
• 1x Heavy blight launcher
• 1x Plague probe
Poxwalkers (60 Points)
• 10x Poxwalker
◦ 10x Improvised weapon
Poxwalkers (60 Points)
• 10x Poxwalker
◦ 10x Improvised weapon
Pregame thoughts - Another local Hive Mind/BWG club player and a much more aggressive punch them in the face style list. Did see it and wish I had some more punch in my list but alas. Simple game plan - wanted to keep Tommy's DG at arms length and not get tangled up - I don't have much screening so the plan was to use the PBCs as my forward units as they aren't easy to get picked off by the Bloat-Drones, force a commitment and counter attack.
 |
| Tale of two DG deployments - Using my PBCs and Poxwalkers up-field whilst most of opponents is in reserve or Rhino. |
 |
| Opponent wins roll off for first turn and sends Rhino full of Marines up-field whilst Morty ends up having to go back to sticky home objective. |
 |
My DG hiding mostly back but I'm worried about Marines tagging lots of units before my DS can come out (or having to commit before opponents.)
|
 |
| Drones move up to take shots at Rhino and threaten angles of disembark for Plague marines. |
 |
| Rhino gets taken out by Missiles and Plague Marines pile out into PBC flamer range. |
 |
| Overview going into DG turn 2. Evil DG turn 2.. Opponents turn 2. |
 |
| Opponents drones pop out, before changing their mind and going different way (Flamers on his drones are Blight Launchers.) |
 |
| Plague Marines move up and extend contagion range to help DS deep strike against me |
 |
| All the measuring sticks come out to work out containment range and deep strike options. |
 |
| Opponent full commits all his DS. I take the opportunity to rapid ingress onto his home objective to unsticky it and try and divert attention. |
 |
| Poxwalkers battle out to a draw in my favour on the right of shot. |
 |
| I completely forgot about my -2 to charge strat and should have used it somewhere and opponent's DS makes all their charges into my screens. |
 |
| 3 kills for opponent's DS but they are in open and my big guns are untouched, it's go time. |
 |
| My DS teleport in ready to take on their clones as my big guns start to take up shots. I make sure my Lord of Contagion is within 6 so the charge can't be made longer if I kill a few DS, as it turns out I needn't have bothered. |
 |
| In the middle I take out the last few Plague marines and deny the middle. The last PBC rolls double ones for his flamer shots though and I lose it freeing up the deathshroud its in combat with. |
 |
| My shooting almost entirly whiffs, thankfully I have combat to fall back on - a good tank shock from my Blight Haulters keeps the left side of battle from imploding. |
 |
| Its hard to say how badly my shooting whiffed into the DS, so I charge the unit on the backfield into Drones to tie them up/get some damage trying to trade primary for damage but they can't take it out. |
 |
| The DS mirror match goes badly, despite having the charge opponent ends up doing more damage to me than I did in shooting and combat combined after an impressive series of 4+ invuls. |
 |
| Lord of Contagion lifts one of the Blight Haulers to cap one of the most rough turns I've had in a long time. |
 |
| Mortarion joins the fight on the top left, I had hoped to take out almost everything that wasn't him and just avoid him for rest of game as he played whack a mole on objectives. With all 3 of opponents DS squads alive its pretty grim. |
 |
| My firebase is mostly intact but my forward pieces are obliterated save a single lord of Contagion and 2 Deathshroud behind enemy lines. |
 |
| Lord of Contagion tries his best to clear opponents Poxwalkers, 10 wounds go through but can't clear them and Morty finish's him off freeing the Primarch up. |
 |
| Blight Drones melta was horrible all game and it loses its fight against the Lord of Contagion. I think I hit with a single multi melta shot all game (against the Rhino.) |
 |
| My Drones split up to avoid Mortarions attention, they try and scrap for Primary and shoot opponents Deathshroud out of shot on right objective but can't clear them. |
 |
| My last Deathshroud keep fighting drones but don't have the OC to take the objective as primary goes from bad to worse quickly. |
 |
| Mortarion lines up my objective as Drone scatters. I hold onto it for turn 4, but lose it turn 5 unsurprisingly. |
 |
| Opponent's DG on all objectives. Turn 5 I only have 2 Deathshroud and 10 Poxwalkers facing down Morty. |
 |
| Deathshroud claw back some honour to at least give a veneer of respectability to the score before game ends. |
Opponents DG win 85-58.
Postgame thoughts - So this game felt decided when my turn 2 whiffed. I had the edge in the long game and Tommy went hard early to counter this. His turn 2 did really hurt but I felt I had enough to counter attack with my Deathshroud and...yeah it didn't happen. To allow myself a dice moan - 4 Blight Haulters, 2 Bloat Drones and 6 Deathshroud shooting and charging with a Lord of Contagtion killed...2 Deathshroud and its hard to come back from that.
So what could I have done differently? Given I kept stuff on my home objective all game the obvious answer would have been use the second Poxwalker squad as another up field screen. This slows the game down a turn at the cost of having to keep a "proper" unit in backfield potentially out the game. I don't love it (especially as they could get shot off easily enough and just ends in same situation a turn later), but its certainly a line I could have taken.
Round 3 - Purge the Foe, Crucible of Battle, Layout 6 v Fulvio Becchelli's CSM
“So anyway, I started blasting..”
- Fabius Bile (025.M42)
CSM Raiders (1995 Points)
Chaos Space Marines
Renegade Raiders
Strike Force (2,000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Chaos Lord (105 Points)
• 1x Daemon hammer
• 1x Plasma pistol
• Enhancements: Dread Reaver
Cypher (90 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Cypher’s bolt pistol
• 1x Cypher’s plasma pistol
Fabius Bile (85 Points)
• 1x Fabius Bile
◦ 1x Chirurgeon
◦ 1x Rod of Torment
◦ 1x Xyclos Needler
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte
◦ 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools
Master of Executions (95 Points)
• 1x Axe of dismemberment
• 1x Bolt pistol
• Enhancements: Despot’s Claim
BATTLELINE
Cultist Mob (50 Points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
◦ 1x Autopistol
◦ 1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
◦ 9x Autopistol
◦ 9x Brutal assault weapon
Legionaries (90 Points)
• 1x Aspiring Champion
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
• 4x Legionary
◦ 2x Astartes chainsword
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon
◦ 1x Lascannon
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher
OTHER DATASHEETS
Chaos Bikers (70 Points)
• 1x Biker Champion
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Combi-bolter
◦ 1x Power fist
• 2x Chaos Biker
◦ 2x Astartes chainsword
◦ 2x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Combi-bolter
◦ 2x Meltagun
Chaos Vindicator (185 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Demolisher cannon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Vindicator (185 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Demolisher cannon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chosen (250 Points)
• 1x Chosen Champion
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 9x Chosen
◦ 6x Accursed weapon
◦ 7x Bolt pistol
◦ 3x Boltgun
◦ 4x Combi-weapon
◦ 2x Paired accursed weapons
◦ 2x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
Nemesis Claw (110 Points)
• 1x Visionary
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 4x Legionary
◦ 1x Accursed weapon
◦ 1x Astartes chainsword
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Nostraman chainglaive
◦ 1x Paired accursed weapons
◦ 1x Voice Eater
Warp Talons (125 Points)
• 1x Warp Talon Champion
◦ 1x Warp claws
• 4x Warp Talon
◦ 4x Warp claws
ALLIED UNITS
Noise Marines (145 Points)
• 1x Disharmonist
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Sonic blaster
• 5x Noise Marine
◦ 2x Blastmaster
◦ 5x Close combat weapon
◦ 3x Sonic blaster
Noise Marines (145 Points)
• 1x Disharmonist
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Sonic blaster
• 5x Noise Marine
◦ 2x Blastmaster
◦ 5x Close combat weapon
◦ 3x Sonic blaster
Nurglings (40 Points)
• 3x Nurgling Swarm
◦ 3x Diseased claws and teeth
Pregame thoughts - Always good to see a man of culture. Regular readers will know CSM are my main faction so thankfully very familiar with list like this. Basic plan was very simple - chuck the screen forwards and either shell CSM if they stayed back or hit them very hard with Deathshroud if they moved up. If it sounds simple it was becuase, well it was. The only thing I really wanted to do was avoid putting anything valuable on and objective him how much of a boost CSM got if I was on an objective.
 |
| CSM deployment - Rhinos and Vindicators hugging the walls - Cultists in reserve so Cypher on home objective (presumably to use lone opp to avoid mortar shooting.) |
 |
| DG deployment - hiding from Vindicators with PBCs line up to go after bottom right objective. Given its Purge Poxwalkers deploy more defensively behind terrain than normally. |
 |
| CSM win first turn and spend most of the turn screening. I can expose two Drones to shoot Vindicator but elect not to, trying to pick up Bikers with indirect and moving Spawn up to score Area denial and Poxwalkers to force a bigger commitment from CSM - happy to play it slow at present. |
 |
| CSM line up shots with Vindicators into the middle and spend rest of their turn screening from Deathshroud charges. I elect to push lining up as much as I can into the Vindicators managing to take it with the last shot of indirect mortars. |
 |
| Rhino and Vindicator kills give me early primary lead with CSM playing it cautious. |
 |
| CSM are starting to bleed resources and need a response to DG. THe Bloat drones near middle objective hang just outside to reduce some of Renegade Raiders damage into them (especially from Noise Marines disembarking using strat for full re-rolls.) |
 |
| First time in 3 games were I made a play I enjoyed on tactical level - Legionnaires move up to threaten Blight Haulers after Noise Marines soften them up. DS move in to threaten overwatch/heroic and counter attack next turn. Legionnaires change target to Deathshroud but fail charge. |
 |
| Warp Talons clear my objective at top of Poxwalkers to deny primary, and elect tag my Drones over going back into reserve. CSM have soft committed but not done a great deal of damage. |
 |
| DG have a brutal turn in response. The Vindicator is picked by my shooting, DS teleport in and don't even need to charge in the end as 2 Marines squads are destroyed, DS clear the bottom right objective as Talons are being ground done by my drones including a tank shock from my Blight Hauler. |
 |
| Turn 4 and Bile's Rhino is pretty much last CSM unit left standing and facing most of a DG army. They take the top right objective but its too little too late. |
Final score - DG win 98-56
Postgame thoughts - So if you couldn't tell from the pregame thoughts I was a little bored with the list already at this point. My opponent did get a bit upset at DG during the game, not unreasonably so but I think there is a very good comparison between this game and round 1. Both are favoured for DG (especially on Purge) but my opponent felt like they got in their own head worrying about everything and ended up never getting into a position were they could win. Probably the best example being turn 2 - the TO was wondering around and I ended up having a 10-15ish minute chat whilst CSM screened out every possible way for my Deathshroud to deepstrike in his backfield whilst putting nothing in the mid field and shooting some of my screens. My turn 2 was also about 10-15 minutes expect I was shooting CSM with my big guns and then putting them back in the same position. I think the first unit to enter the midboard with any real intent was Bile's Chosen on turn 4 when it was already too late - whilst I appreciate its a bad match up CSM were too cautious in my opinion and ended up trying to defend in a match up were that could never work (even if they can hide everything which was certainly not possible on GW terrain Purge and going second means I can probably pick of the bikers/Nurglings and blow up a lead, never mind on secondaries.) I made one half decent move using Deathshroud to dissuade the Legionaires into getting too aggressive and sort of won with the list on auto-pilot.
Rather than talk about what I did as DG then, its more interesting to say what I would have done as the CSM player and again the round 1 game v Ciaran provides the answer - be aggressive and try and force DG into a more active game than they would like. Purge is a doubly horrible mission for CSM here but I think Rhino's at least give you an out. I'd line up at least two facing the top left objective and hurl them forwards (if it seems too well defended early in deployment then it gets worse and you have to rely on instead trying to go all in on taking DG's home objective.) Rhino's take the anti-tank fire and you hope to disembark the contents were multiple drones can't see and then try and entangle the DG up in combat whilst you hold the objective. Cypher uses lone op on expansion (or middle potentially) to try and get hold more whilst the DG hopefully can't retake their expansion and build up a few hold more. Does this lead to a win more often than not? Probably not, and it probably more than likely chance it results in a big blew outs but it feels like the route I'd have taken in singles to try and take a win.
Round 4 - Hidden Supplies, Hammer and Anvil, Layout 8 v Oliver Dowling's Emporer's Children
It's going to get loud now! (1995 points)
Emperor’s Children
Strike Force (2000 points)
Coterie of the Conceited
CHARACTERS
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings (230 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Hellforged weapons
1x Infernal cannon
• Enhancement: Pledge of Unholy Fortune
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings (200 points)
• 1x Hellforged weapons
1x Infernal cannon
Lord Exultant (80 points)
• 1x Bolt Pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Phoenix power spear
1x Rapture lash
Lord Exultant (80 points)
• 1x Bolt Pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Phoenix power spear
1x Rapture lash
Lord Kakophonist (60 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
2x Screamer pistol
Lucius the Eternal (150 points)
• 1x Blade of the Laer
1x Lash of Torment
BATTLELINE
Infractors (85 points)
• 1x Obsessionist
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Rapture lash
• 4x Infractor
• 4x Bolt pistol
4x Duelling sabre
1x Icon of Excess
Infractors (85 points)
• 1x Obsessionist
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Rapture lash
• 4x Infractor
• 4x Bolt pistol
4x Duelling sabre
1x Icon of Excess
Tormentors (85 points)
• 1x Obsessionist
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Rapture lash
• 4x Tormentor
• 2x Boltgun
4x Close combat weapon
1x Icon of Excess
1x Meltagun
1x Plasma gun
Tormentors (85 points)
• 1x Obsessionist
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Rapture lash
• 4x Tormentor
• 2x Boltgun
4x Close combat weapon
1x Icon of Excess
1x Meltagun
1x Plasma gun
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Chaos Rhino (80 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-bolter
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Rhino (80 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-bolter
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher
OTHER DATASHEETS
Maulerfiend (130 points)
• 2x Magma cutters
1x Maulerfiend fists
Maulerfiend (130 points)
• 1x Lasher Tendrils
1x Maulerfiend fists
Noise Marines (145 points)
• 1x Disharmonist
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Sonic blaster
• 5x Noise Marine
• 2x Blastmaster
5x Close combat weapon
3x Sonic blaster
Noise Marines (145 points)
• 1x Disharmonist
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Sonic blaster
• 5x Noise Marine
• 2x Blastmaster
5x Close combat weapon
3x Sonic blaster
Noise Marines (145 points)
• 1x Disharmonist
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Sonic blaster
• 5x Noise Marine
• 2x Blastmaster
5x Close combat weapon
3x Sonic blaster
Pregame thoughts - EC probably one of the bigger Codex disappointments for me in 10th (the biggest being most of the design of Sisters of battle being much more of a gunline than MSU melee trade army)- I was really looking forward to their Codex but it didn't click for me on first viewings and I've never really rated them - which is harsh as the build absolutely slaps when it comes together and it put some fantastic results pre-nerf but I've never changed my opinion of it. This particular match up seems has two big failure points for EC- can EC get in combat quickly enough to bog me down, and if they can will it matter? Similar to CSM previously their damage into units not on objectives doesn't really bother my hulls and whilst I don't have a lot of units to clear myself out I can do it, if I even want to given that most of my units overwatch or are non-trivial in combat.
 |
| DG deployment - I didn't really fear EC shooting...or combat so I deployed pretty aggressively on the line. Perhaps the best example of this was after the Tormentors deployed between objective 3/4 behind some terrain putting a PBC opposite them to threaten overwatch should they try and push. |
 |
| EC deployment - there isn't much space to hide, unless your along way behind - they deploy pretty much on the line as well. |
 |
| DG win first turn roll off, EC have a lot in the open - its time for carnage. |
 |
| A Noise Marine squad, Infractor squad and Rhino are taken out in shooting before spawn take out the tormentords. I've almost not moved outside my deployment zone as I keep back. EC keep aggressive plan and prepare to advance upfield. |
 |
| No points for home objective and no DS on EC side so I rather casually disregard my home objective. |
 |
| Overview of EC lines - Maulferfiends are only real things I fear aside from Daemon Princes which are very far back but it isn't easy for any of them to impact game turn one. |
 |
| Maulerfiends low roll advanage to stage as best as possible as EC characters move up with their entourage.. |
 |
| I'm bad at getting close up shots and they do add to the feel of the game. Maulerfiend hides as best it can, but if the combat units can't pin me its all for naught as I can move around and shoot it next turn. |
 |
| The good news for EC is they make all their attempted charges, the bad is only kill my Lord of Virulence as my Spawn end up giving the Lord Exultant a bit of a beating. Only one Drone is tagged who ends up alongside some overwatching really chipping at the other Lord Exultants squad. |
 |
| EC attempts to pin DG in place hadn't really gone well. |
 |
| DG turn 2 - I move up, and with great skill, murder both Maulerfiends at range, before charging my light hull in were I can to chip damage at the characters/deliver tank shock. |
 |
| Drones pick off Lord Exultant as the Spawn kills the other in combat. The Daemon Prince survives on a wound but with several flamers around his options to move are limited even with ability to fall back and charge. |
 |
| EC need a incredible turn to avoid a complete washout. Both Princes are left, 2 Noise marines squad, a Tormentor squad and Lucius. DG have lost a spawn and a few wounds here and there. |
 |
| Lucius takes to the field from behind the ruin and takes out a Blight Hauler |
 |
| A wall of Green starts to move up-field and take position to remove most of the rest of EC. |
 |
| Deathshroud deep strike into place. I don't really want them into -1 damage Daemon Prince but at this stage why not. |
 |
| I blow up the Rhino and Noise Marines elect to hide from shooting to force Deathshroud to charge them. They don't survive the combat. |
 |
| Both Deathshroud make their charges in. |
 |
| Deathshroud can't kill the Prince but its only EC model on the table |
 |
| Number of EC septuple with Noise Marines squads arrival. |
 |
| Its all bit of much of muchness as DG crush EC completely next turn |
Final Score - CSM Win 89-17.
Postgame thoughts - Yeah brutal. I don't know what on a macro level my opponent could have done - being more cagey and hiding on a very open map results in the same issue as CSM had game 3 (albeit end game scoring in EC favour this time.) Win due to relative strength of list in the match up and not much else, yay?
 |
| Pictured above - a presumably much more interested game as Orks and BT clash all over the midboard on the table next to me. |
Round 5 - Terraform, Crucible of Balle, Layout I v Steve Scott's Necrons
⭐️ = 💥
Necrons
Starshatter Arsenal
Strike Force (2,000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Catacomb Command Barge (150 Points)
• 1x Overlord’s blade
• 1x Resurrection Orb
• 1x Tesla cannon
• Enhancements: Dread Majesty (Aura)
Catacomb Command Barge (145 Points)
• 1x Overlord’s blade
• 1x Resurrection Orb
• 1x Tesla cannon
• Enhancements: Chrono-impedance Fields
Orikan the Diviner (80 Points)
• 1x Staff of Tomorrow
Technomancer (80 Points)
• 1x Staff of light
The Silent King (420 Points)
• 1x Szarekh
• Warlord
◦ 1x Sceptre of Eternal Glory
◦ 1x Staff of Stars
◦ 1x Weapons of the Final Triarch
• 2x Triarchal Menhir
◦ 2x Annihilator beam
◦ 2x Armoured bulk
BATTLELINE
Necron Warriors (200 Points)
• 20x Necron Warrior
◦ 20x Close combat weapon
◦ 20x Gauss reaper
OTHER DATASHEETS
Canoptek Spyders (75 Points)
• 1x Automaton claws
• 1x Fabricator Claw Array (Aura)
• 1x Gloom Prism (Aura)
• 2x Particle beamer
Canoptek Wraiths (220 Points)
• 6x Canoptek Wraith
◦ 6x Particle caster
◦ 6x Vicious claws
Cryptothralls (60 Points)
• 2x Cryptothrall
◦ 2x Scouring eye
◦ 2x Scythed limbs
Doomsday Ark (200 Points)
• 1x Armoured bulk
• 1x Doomsday cannon
• 2x Gauss flayer array
Doomsday Ark (200 Points)
• 1x Armoured bulk
• 1x Doomsday cannon
• 2x Gauss flayer array
Flayed Ones (60 Points)
• 5x Flayed One
◦ 5x Flayer claws
Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (55 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
• 1x Enmitic exterminator
Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (55 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
• 1x Enmitic exterminator
Pregame thoughts - So having played the winner of last years event in round 1, had the runner up in round 5. Very different challenge to anything before - Necrons can be a pain to deal with but I almost always have really fun games into them (I think helped by Chaos armies typically having good profiles into dealing with most of their units) and the game turning into big fun brawls. Necrons have both the damage and resilience to deal with DG so felt like much more of a fair fight than say, blasting EC at range for turn over turn and ignoring their combat. So first target - DDA'S - I can't blow through enough Necrons quickly enough (Wraiths, King and Warrior blob I need every unit to kill in a turn and still may not be able to) that I can afford to ignore them so I need to win the attrition war as I don't win the primary against Necrons with that much OC and durability. Equally my indirect is a bit meh into them - chipping a few founds here and their doesn't matter much into reanimation so I need to be aggressive with my PBCs and use their flamers and not use as indirect pieces.
 |
| DG deployment - hiding away from DDA whilst Poxwalkers stage upfield to force early response. |
 |
| Necron deployment - King and Warriors are technically exposed from some angles if I got first (not that I want to shoot them) whilst DDA's remain hidden. |
 |
Necrons turn is much more aggressive, moving up their three big blocks to the middle.
|
 |
| I'd have rather gone second but going first means get first chance to get some actions going on objectives and push forward with a Drone. Mortars chip a DDA a little and that's the turn. |
 |
| DDA start to touch into the terrain and trade shots with some Blight Hauler downfield and chip away the Poxwalkers |
 |
| A single Poxwalker survives and with the Necrons a fraction short of the objective it means I can hold the objective for some early primary, combined with early Terraform on top left objective means its a good start for DG. |
 |
| I consider going after Wraiths who are terraforming with the big Deathshroud blob - I possibly should have but picked both DDA's as contagion targets and couldn't get them in range. I focus all my firepower into them and get lucky and unlucky. Lucky in that one tries to move after getting shot but rolls a 1 and I kill it and nearly get the second. The bad news - I clip the warriors with some mortals that I tried to avoided shooting so they couldn't reanimate onto the objective so they are able to tag on. Still taking out a DDA is really nice. |
 |
Overview from Necrons perspective at start of their turn 2.
|
 |
| Silent King decides its go time, but fails his 9 charge even with a re-roll. I remember for a change I have access to -2 to charge..but the King ignores it so its not relevant. Yay for memory when it doesn't matter! |
 |
| Primary/secondary very even but Necrons have end of game scoring and access to so much OC on objectives. I decide its go time with mixed results. All my shooting goes into the King who tanks almost all of but does die as the end. I charge my Blight Haulers into the Warriors - more hoping to pin them then stop them shooting and control some of the space on the objective. Deathshroud however fail their charge into the Wraiths |
 |
| Wraiths move up, dealing a few mortal to DS and holding the space. |
 |
| Main action in the middle as drones and PBC help keep flank free from Necron threats. |
 |
| Necrons do almost no damage in their turn but wrack up a big primary lead. Turn 2 i'm behind enough for challenger, I want the 3 but when I get fall back and shoot I use it on the Bligh Haulers. Everything goes into the warrior and I just kill them (doubly handy for marked for death as well) and the Haulers continue the challenger card fun by taking out the last DDA as well, effectively ending Necrons notable damage. Its a question of time now - can Necrons last long enough and scrap enough points to hold onto lead before end of the game. |
 |
| Deathshroud rapid ingress into Necron backfield and start to make a pain of themself in turn 4 as rest of my army pins the Wraiths in place - but even with Deathshroud they heal more damage than they take and hold on objective. |
 |
| Its a grind in the middle as I throw everything forward desperate to block space and put as much OC in range as I can in the middle. |
 |
| Necrons can't do much but they do keep points ticking over. |
 |
| A big, big moment comes when the other one straddles the objective and terrain to potentially hold it and score sabotage, and I kill it with my last possible shot available. It denies Necrons 3 on secondary and 5 on primary. |
 |
| Necrons only manage 5 on last turn scoring (10 over last 2 turns compared to DG 24) as DG just about manage to squeeze the win. |
DG win 80-71
Postgame thoughts - Easily my favourite game of the event, Necrons pushed DG to the absolute limit and whilst it was clear reasonably early I was going to win the attrition war, Necrons held a scoreboard lead almost up to end and the damage v scoreboard pressure fight kept the game interesting up to the last dice. Steve played really well rolling with the punches (or realistically the shooting) that DG kept throwing his way. The Silent King 9 inch charge failing was huge - I think he wins if it connects as it just keeps me back for that extra turn and that's even if he whiffs and I kill him, its certainly lose the game on the spot for me if he high rolls and I low roll. Really tough, really enjoyable game with a giant brawl in the middle - what more could you ask for?
Round 6 - Linchpin, Search and Destroy, Layout 2 v Rob Elver's Imperial Knights
nu metal (2000 points)
Imperial Knights
Strike Force (2000 points)
Noble Lance
CHARACTERS
Canis Rex (380 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Chainbreaker las-impulsor
1x Chainbreaker multi-laser
1x Freedom’s Hand
Cerastus Knight Atrapos (365 points)
• 1x Atrapos lascutter
1x Graviton singularity cannon
Cerastus Knight Lancer (365 points)
• 1x Cerastus shock lance
Knight Errant (370 points)
• 1x Meltagun
1x Reaper chainsword
1x Stormspear rocket pod
1x Thermal cannon
• Enhancement: Mysterious Guardian
BATTLELINE
Armiger Helverin (130 points)
• 2x Armiger autocannon
1x Armoured feet
1x Questoris heavy stubber
Armiger Helverin (130 points)
• 2x Armiger autocannon
1x Armoured feet
1x Questoris heavy stubber
Armiger Helverin (130 points)
• 2x Armiger autocannon
1x Armoured feet
1x Questoris heavy stubber
Armiger Helverin (130 points)
• 2x Armiger autocannon
1x Armoured feet
1x Questoris heavy stubber
Pregame thoughts - My nightmare come to life? Which sounds like a 90's metal song (having just googled it "Nightmares come to life" is apparently a high school musical song in 2023 so apparently either I'm way off or "my" is doing a lot of work in that title. The two meta titans clash - throw chaff forward, hope IK overcommit and I can take out some big knights early and Canis low rolls at some point. PBCs didn't seem valuable in the match up so use them to force that early commitment and hope - not much more to it than that.
 |
| IK deployment - hiding at back with Lancer/Atrapos ready to toe into ruins and start shooting. |
 |
DG deployment - Poxwalkers deployed to stop Lancer getting early rush on and try and buy time with PBCs ready to draw attention.
|
 |
| Overview of battlefield before Knights win the roll off. |
 |
| Armiger moves to middle |
 |
| Lancer moves up aggresivly whilst rest hold back. I don't want to fight the Lancer but its got free reign next turn if I don't deal with it. |
 |
| DG turn one - I commit into shooting the lancer and leave it on two whilst my spawn fail a charge into the armiger in the middle to try and tie it up/deny space. Knights turn 2 starts with Atrapos moving up |
 |
Max pressure as the errant teleports across the table thankfully screened it out from melta on the Drones/Blight Haulers.
|
 |
| Turn 2 and its all go in time for DG. 3 big knights is the target - I can't get to Canis in any reasonable way. I want the 6 DS to come into the middle, but that means ignoring the Errant and makes melta awkward (Atrapos invul in combat also swings the decision.) |
 |
| The 6 Deathshroud charge into the Errant and kill it, the 3 fail a charge even with a re-roll into an armiger and whilst it takes every shot and more (mortals from mortar) I just kill the Atrapos. Deathshroud take out the errant pile bgack onto objective. |
 |
| PBC kills the Lancer via tank shock and 3 big knights are out but i'm exposed and Armiger just love to shoot drones. |
 |
| Armiger in combats managed to snipe my Lord of Virulence despite me burning a re-roll to to try and save him and makes IK honoured as a result |
 |
| Canis joins the middle and firepower starts hurtling toward my Blight Haulers and Drones. Knights either shoot or out OC me in all the middle to limit primary whilst they get ahead.
|
 |
| I have one turn to kill Canis before he gets emporered and a 5+ FNP. He battleshocked going through the wall and with no defences its now or never to kill him. I burn my challenger card and every available gun to shoot hit leaving him on 3 wounds. The last deathshroud of the 3 charge Canis, tanks a overwatch from Armigers and kills Canis (or his knight at least, Canis jumps out and cleanses next turn to rub it in.) It feels like i'm matching knights on DPS but falling so far behind and my 6 Deathshroud are stranded out the game. |
 |
| Overview going into Knights turn 4. |
 |
| Squires duty quickly rocked up my least favourite ever stratagem list during these turns, Str 10, anti fly 2+ ap 2, damage 4 8 shot armigers with inbuilt rerolls? My poor Drones and Blight Haulers are blasted apart having kept pace I run out of ability to damage Knights in a meaningful way during turn 4 . |
 |
| Drones charge upfield to try and deny Knights primary and tank shock - I can stop them in the middle but not the right and Deathshroud desperately try and get back in the fight. |
 |
| Knights blast the last of my Hauler/Drones away and wrack up some points. I get in to the last turn with the most technical chance of winning - all I have to do is kill the Knight in the middle with the mortar (on 4 wounds), get the Deathshroud on 2 objectives and into Knights deployment zone via stringing out and deal 14 damage with 2 flamer and a slugger + combat attacks into a Armiger. Easy right? |
Final score - IK win 77-76
Postgame thoughts - So the final score looks close - but going into turn 5 their needed to be a crazy, crazy sequence of events for DG to win (including but not limited to PBC needing to deal 12 damage with its flamer and deal 2 damage in combat/with its slugger to an Armiger) and to be honest the scoreline felt like it flattered me - didn't leave with any big "what ifs" despite the apparently close scoreline. The damage, the OC, the resilience - with so much consistency, its overwhelming even for another meta titan like DG and feels like the match up swings on things like - did I high/low roll some meltas than anything else. To be fair, my opponent did play well - forcing me to deal and commit with the lancer and not giving my any chances to get to Canis with my DS but even killing 3 big Knights in a turn wasn't enough to match IK for damage and objective control.
So I finished 20/100 players and 4-2 - which felt like a bit of an underachievement given the list to be honest even if the losses were to 4th and 9th place and beating the finalists from last years GT en route. It would be an over simplification to say like it felt like the list played itself and the both the wins and loss's were a result of relative strength of armies and dice, but theirs more than a grain of truth in it. Despite some moaning I did enjoy the event itself, 40k amongst a bunch of friends/rivals is always great fun even if the meta isn't the best.
If you can't tell I didn't really enjoy the list - if it was a league I'd had started to beg to the TO after game 3 if I could change to weaker list/faction. Across the 6 games I had one really enjoyable game on a tactical level (v Necrons) and outside of that I think I made one good tactical move (the DS/overwatch threat from Deathshroud v CSM) and otherwise just was on auto-pilot really (I wrote this in first draft which I do before going back and seeing the pictures and looking back after annotating the pictures I did feel there were more decision points than I gave than credit going from just memory.) I wrote in a previous article how much fun on a tactical level I found DG, and mindlessly blasting people across the board like a Iron Hands player didn't really appeal to me. Part of the appeal of DG to me is using their resilience and toughness to play around their limitations and forward plan as a result. With 6 inch DS and some crazy shooting what limitations did I really have?
The problem with this isn't helped by the meta, GW terrain and challenger cards. Big overturned piles of guns/stats (including from DG ofc) open terrain (worried about how UKTC maps are looking) and lack of rewards for engaging on primary early on really boil down to how efficiently can I kill things and table you rather than enjoyable back and forth. Fingers crossed for dataslate to address some of these things! Probably a few events coming up soon and no idea what running for those so chance to experiment.
Comments
Post a Comment