Ork Defense Force: Ordo Fanaticus Club Challenge Battle Reports

OFCC!

The Ordo Fanaticus Club Challenge was started a good while back by a couple of Pacific NW gaming clubs who consistently met at GTs and decided they wanted to avoid playing other people and just play each other for bragging rights.

Its not your typical tournament, there’s definitely comp in mind, so please reserve the “this list is trash” comments; that’s implicit. It is an invite-only event, so ideally its only a bunch of great players showing up. As well, all lists are vetted by the organizers to make sure they comply with the comp ideals (40k is waaaay less stringent than Fantasy). Finally, its a team event and the captains meet before the round to try and set up the best matchups as possible. Now, this is intentionally opposite of the ETC where you are trying to get an edge, the goal is to find the best matchup that will make for the closest games possible; taking into account list power and player skill. For example, your best general with a fluffy list might get matched up against a less experienced player with a stronger list. Make sense? The idea of the event is that you get 5 great games and at the end, someone gets bragging rights that they are the best!

I’ll say right now that this is my favorite weekend of gaming every year and I absolutely love the event. The quality of players that show up and comraderie is fantastic. Its usually the one time a year I get to see some familiar faces and have a few laughs and bust balls.

This is my third time going to the event, and the last two years I’ve been with the same team of guys. Unfortunately, two of the four couldn’t make it so I added on two more folks from my local gaming group. I was captaining this year and hoping I’d be able to set up some good matchups.

In addition to my team, a group of gamers I regularly play against were heading down captained by Zen, and featuring Gerry Sunada and Jayson Besacon. I knew going in that they would be in contention for Best Overall as the level of generalship in that group was quite high as well as the other elements of gaming: sportsmanship and painting/modelling. My goal was to be in the top 5 or so teams, but I knew it was going to be a tough climb, especially with my army still 3 color minimum.

Before I jump too far into this whole series of battle reports; I want to really, whole-heartedly thank all the people that were so generous to me on the trip. Obviously a huge thanks to Andozane for opening his house to me. Were it not for that, I wouldn’t’ve been able to come at all. Huge thanks to Zach for buying my ticket for me and for buying me lunch on Saturday. Huge thanks to Veskit for buying me dinner on Friday night, I really appreciated it. Huge thanks to Brick Bungalow for offering to pay for my dinner at Boomers and to Weav for picking up the check. Obviously I come for the games, but its such a great opportunity to chat in real life with a bunch of really fun and funny people. Also, I haven’t eaten out hardly at all in well over a year. It was nice to taste some good cookin’ that I didn’t have to clean up!

Alright, so lets delve into the Battle Reports. I tried to get video of all of them, but a good number of them I forgot my camera in my car or something and I also had issues with the shutter on my camera staying open.

I got lists from some of my opponents via the Ordo Fanaticus forum; but some I didn’t, so I’ll work from memory. If something sounds wrong in the list, its almost assuredly me and not list shenanigans.

Okaaaaay!

I brought my newly minted 2k Ork List. Its based heavily on my 1850 list that has served me so well and it has, so far, performed very well. I’m 9 games in with it and it has done really well. Here it is:

Big Mek: 85
Kustom Force Field

14 lootas: 210

10 Kommandos: 215
2 burnas, +Snikrot

30 Boyz: 245
Shootas, 3 Rokkits, Nob: Power
Klaw

12 Boyz: 152
Choppas, Nob: Power Klaw, Boss
Pole
Trukk: Ram

10 Gretchin: 40
+Runtherd

15 Stormboyz: 220
Nob: Power Klaw, Boss Pole

2 Rokkit Buggies: 70

BattleWagon: 135
Kannon, ‘Ard case, 3 big
shootas, reinforced ram

3 Killa Kans: 150
Rokkits

3 Lobbas: 81
2 ammo runts

2000

I’d go into the ins and outs of how I use it, but pretty much just read all the tactica I’ve already written! 🙂

Day 1! Friday!

Got my team together into my car. Found there was a crack in my radiator for the 200 mile trip in 90 degree weather. Awesome. Strangely enough, the crack fixed itself or…something…and there were no issues (whew).

Arrived in Portland around 1 AM and headed to Guardian Games there. Had been looking forward to visiting this store as it has a great rep online and it lived up to it IMO. Very clean and bright and very big with lots of product. Only drawback would probably be parking (I ended up illegally parking unbeknownst to me but didn’t get a ticket! Whew!).

Anyway, met up with willydstyle who had indicated a desire to get a game in with me. word on Ordo is that willy is a stellar general who epitomizes all that is good in the “competitive” community. Was looking forward to this game!

Here’s his list:

Inquisitor Murdur and Steel Legion company 1864

70 Primaris Psyker

90 CCS 4x Melta Guns
65 Chimera w/ multilaser, heavy stubber, hull heavy flamer

145 Vets w/ 3x plasma guns, demolitions
65 Chimera w/ multilaser, heavy stubber, hull heavy flamer

145 Vets w/ 3x plasma, demolitions
65 Chimera w/ multilaser, heavy stubber, hull heavy flamer

50 Platoon Command Squad w/ 4x grenade launcher
55 Chimera w/ multilaser, hull heavy flamer

70 Platoon Infantry Squad w/ missile launcher, grenade launcher
65 Chimera w/ multilaser, hull heavy bolter, heavy stubber

160 Manticore

225 3x Hydra flak tank

140 Devil Dog w/ smoke launcher, hull multi-melta

150 2x plasma cannon armored sentinels
Looks potent to me!

We rolled up mission/deployment and got Spearhead/Annihilation. Kill points is probably the best mission for me as all those Chimera chassis are easier to net than most of my KPs.

willy won the first roll and elected to go first to try and damage the crap outta me. He took a quarter with good area terrain (probably to deny it to me) and with good LoS to the other quarter. He deployed two of his infantry platoons on the edges of the table in order to deny me Snikrot charges on his artillery units. He put his empty Chimeras near his long table edge and as far to the center as possible. He put his armored sentinels near his short table edge as near the center as possible. Near them heading towards the center of his forces was the Company Command Squad and Chimera then the Devil Dogs. Over by the empty chimeras was the Platoon Command Squad and Pskyer. The Hydras were in the middle and the Manticores behind them. He left his two vet squads in reserve.

I did my standard leave buggies, trukk boyz, stormboyz, and Snikrot in reserve; as well as the gretchin, who had no purpose inside the battlewagon and who should just stay out of the way! I put my Battlewagon mostly in the middle with the big mobz flanking it and the kans in front of it. I had my lobbas up close in cover (I screwed up and didn’t realize there was a door in the ruins allowing willy to see them) and put my lootas in, more or less, the backfield of my deployment zone and in a ruin with good line of sight.

I tried to steal the initiative so I could do some damage with the lootas, but failed.

willy started out by moving a little on my right flank with the armored sentinels and CCS and devil dogs. As well, he moved up with his PCS and Psyker. He unloaded the hydras at the lootas who went to ground and lost a few guys. Then he blew up my battlewagon with a manticore shot. The PCS and Pskyer killed the lobbas, and the rest of his shooting did little. He was up 0 KP to 2.

My first turn I ambled forward at the elements of willy’s army that had moved up. I took some shots, nothing worked. Still down 0 KP to 2

willy failed to get his reserves in, but started shooting me more. His hydras shot the lootas again, who went to ground again, but lost enough models and ran away. He shot at the killa kans with the devil dogs and manticores, killing one and shaking another. The PCS and other units took shots at the big mob heading up my upper left flank at his PCS squad; they killed a few boyz, but there were still enough to be fearless. 0 KP to 3.

I got Snikrot, the buggiesthe stormboyz, and a trukk in from reserve. The grots came in as well and I moved them into cover to hide. I move Snikrot and his boyz to set up a combo charge against infantry and the two Chimeras on willy’s long table edge. I moved the trukk boyz up and disembarked, hoping for a good waagh roll to get me into range with his other infantry platoon (which he had moved down the map to further block Snikrot). I moved the stormboyz up to get an assault on the CCS chimera and potentially sandbag with the sentinels. Most of my force was in range to now assault the PCS chimera and the two devil dogs. My shooting killed a sentinel with my buggies and the PCS chimera with the shoota boyz. I got a good Waagh roll for both the trukk boyz and the Kommandos; and I assaulted. I assaulted the PCS squad and the Psyker with the shoota boyz and wiped them out. My kommandos flubbed their attacks on the infantry, but stun locked the two chimeras. My kans immobilized one of the devil dogs as well as stopped it from firing. The other shoota boy squad stunned the other devil dog. The trukk boyz wiped the infantry platoon and spread out. The stormboyz stunned the CCS chimera. While I didn’t take out all the vehicles like I wanted, I was now in a position to take them out in his turn, as well, since I was next to his alive vehicles, he couldn’t put templates on them. 4 KP to 3 KP

willy got both of his vet squads in and moved them to deal with the shoota boy squad that had taken out his PCS squad and be in a position to take out my kommandos. He used his flamer on his manticore on my trukk boyz as well as the hydras, I went to ground and had a Nob left with one wound (passed the morale check)! The other manticore shot at my buggies and trukk, but only killed one buggy and stunned the trukk. His vets lit up my shoota boyz and wiped em. His armored sentinel charged my stormboyz to pull them off the vehicle and the Nob killed the sentinel. My kans blew up the chimera. The Kommandos wiped the infantry platoon and damaged one of the chimeras again. My shoota boyz blew up the other devil dog and suffered from the explosion. 8 KP to 4 KP

My turn saw the other trukk boyz squad show up and move up to assault the stunned CCS chimera. The stormboyz jumped at the hydras to assault them. The kans moved up to shoot at whatever they could, the remaining shoota boy squad moved towards the CCS chimera. The kommandos moved to deal with those chimeras up there. My shooting was pretty ineffective. I assaulted. The kommandos turned both chimeras into boxes but didn’t kill either. The CCS chimera was blown up. Two of the three hydras were wrecked. It was now 9 KP to 4 KP.

Turn 4 saw willy trying to get the stormboyz with a tank shock and then some shooting from the vet squad’s chimeras. They survived and passed morale and were set to take out the manticores, who fired at the shoota boyz to minimal effect. The vet squads took out the kommandos.

I think we called it at this point as it was obvious I was going to win. Overall a good game and I got lucky at critical points to get the win. I’m pretty convinced that Devil Dogs are awful, vendettas would’ve been cheaper and preferable at that role; but I think he had enough anti tank in general and would’ve benefitted from two HellHounds instead.

Thanks again for the game, willydstyle!

We went to dinner at this point with Veskit, WestRider, Sherbert, Kipro, dereksatkinson, audioethic, mrmoretanks, skkipper, opsmed, Bard, VonVilkee (who came down to play Malifaux!), and Doug. Had a delicious Rueben and some alright mac and cheese. Then we headed over to the hotel where the event was at. Great location with AC (it was around 100 all weekend in Portland) and very cushy.

At this point I was set to play against dereksatkinson even though we had already matched ourselves up for the second round on Saturday. To mix it up, he had brought over his Ravenwing Dark Angels list.

Here it is…

205 – Sammael with speeder (205)

-455-
305 – Ravenwing Attack Squadron (120), +3 Bikers (100) 2 Meltaguns (10*2) Banner (25) Apothecary (15) Powerfist (25)
50 – Attack Bike (50)
100 – Land Speeder with Heavy Bolter and Assault Cannon (100)

-405-
255 – Ravenwing Attack Squadron (120), +3 Bikers (100) 2 Flamers (5*2) Powerfist (25)
50 – Attack Bike (50)
100 – Land Speeder with Heavy Bolter and Assault Cannon (100)

-390-
240 – Ravenwing Attack Squadron (120), +3 Bikers (100) 2 Meltaguns (10*2)
50 – Attack Bike (50)
100 – Land Speeder with Heavy Bolter and Assault Cannon (100)

-395-
245 – Ravenwing Attack Squadron (120), +3 Bikers (100) 2 Meltaguns (10*2) Meltabomb (5)
50 – Attack Bike (50)
100 – Land Speeder with Heavy Bolter and Assault Cannon (100)

75 Landspeeder (65) Multimelta (0) Heavy Flamer (10)

Now THIS is a list/army I’m severely inexperienced with. For those that don’t know, this army breaks down so that every land speeder is its own unit, each attack bike is its own unit, the bike squads form little 3-man teams, and then there’s the honor guard at 6 strong.

Derek said that he designed this list for 4th edition, which makes sense as it’d be really hard to get a lot of VP against it. I think its too many VPs to be all-around competitive in 5th though.

We rolled for mission/deployment and got Sieze Ground/Spearhead with 3 objectives. All the objectives were more or less on the center line.

derek got the roll to go first and deployed in an aggressive posture with most of his army looking closely at mine, more or less on the edges closest to my deployment zone. He left two units in reserve and a land speeder or two (honestly there were so many similar units I lost track of most of the specifics of this game…).

I deployed in my standard set up (Kans in front of battle wagon with gretchin and Big Mek inside, big mobz on either side, fast stuff in reserve) with the lootas and lobbas grabbing cover on/behind a hill with a hedge on it.

I tried to steal the initiative, but failed.

derek’s first turn saw him do some good damage to the lootas (killing 5) and taking down a kan, as well as quite a few casualties to both mobz. He moved in such a way as to take advantage of cover and be in range to shoot with most of his stuff while staying out of arm’s reach.

My first turn saw me knock down a land speeder and do some good damage to the honor guard and two of his small units of bikers. I moved up to threaten an assault and get in range of the objectives.

derek’s second turn had a landspeeder come in IIRC and he ran his depleted units away from me and towards the table edge to my right. He shot up my boyz some more and shot the kans, but only shot off a klaw.

In my turn I got trukk boyz in and Snikrot as well as my buggies. I shot up some more stuff, killing another attack bike. I used waagh that turn to get a multi assault with two attack bikes and the remainder of his honor guard as well as a landspeeder. All that with my one shoota boy squad. The other one failed their terrain roll and didn’t make it. The kommandos assaulted the fleeing bike squads near them. The trukk boyz assaulted one of the land speeders. I killed the land speeder, and did damage across the board, but the fights were draws.

derek shot up my one squad that was out of combat with one of the units coming from reserve. He shot at the kan, but it was OK. He backed away with what he could and then it was combat time. I finished off the honor squad and the attack bikes as well as the fight with the Kommandos.

At this point it all gets fuzzy to me, I basically just used my stormboyz to threaten more and they killed Sammael. My trukk boyz that came up later and the battlewagon wtih gretchin were controlling an objective and I shot up stuff with lootas and assaulted stuff. We called it around turn 5 IIRC when it was obvious that there wasn’t much derek could do.

derek assured me he’d crush me tomorrow though! 🙂

Day 2, actual OFCC!

So, as captain I assigned up our games and I matched myself up against Lord Hanaur. For those of you who don’t know, Hanaur loves to bring off-kilter lists that most of us think are virtually unplayable and yet, wins a lot of games. He and I had played once and he’d gotten the best of me by showing how sisters of battle are better in melee than Orks.

His list is…

Cannoness: 152
Auspex, St Lucius, Cloak, Litanies, MC Eviscerator, Plasma Pistol

Cannoness: 108
Auspex, St Lucius, Litanies, Blessed Weapon

16 Sisters: 242
1 melta, 1 heavy flamer
Veteran: St Lucius, Eviscerator

15 Sisters: 296
1 melta, 1 heavy flamer
Veteran: St Lucius, Eviscerator
Priest: Eviscerator

7 Seraphim: 217
Veteran: St Lucius, Simulacrum Imperialis, Brazier of Holy Fire

2x Exorcists: 286
Extra Armor

2 Penitent Engines: 160

1999

The mission we were playing was with a standard 12″ up deployment and 3 objectives. One at 24″ points on the center line of the middle of the board. The mission’s special rule was that to control an objective, you had to have a scoring unit and something else that wasn’t a dedicated transport controlling it as well (so you could have two units next to it, or if you had a troops unit in a non-dedicated transport, that’d work too). The secondary objective was to kill more troops choices than your opponent; but you had to kill everything from the FoC to make it count (so IG had a big leg up here…).

Since I’d played him before and knew his shenanigans with combat, I resolved to stay back and shoot him as much as possible.

He won the roll and deployed his two sisters squads with priests on the edges of his deployment zone, and his exorcists in the middle behind some hills. He left everything else in reserve.

I deployed with my lootas on a hill with some shootas in front of them for cover saves, and the lobbas behind the hill. Beyond that, it was standard deployment.

I tried to sieze, and I failed.

He moved up his sisters cautiously and in a big O formation (to avoid my lobbas tearing him up like they did in our last game). He shot at my lootas with the exorcists, killed 4 and I passed my check.

I moved up everything, while keeping the shootas back to keep providing cover to the lootas. I shot at the sisters and killed two of the squad to my left. The lootas shot at one of the exorcists that they had a side shot on, but he made his saves.

His turn, penitent engines come in, and that’s it. They move up on my left as well and try and get some cover. The girls continue to edge around towards the two outer objectives. He shot at my kans and did nothing, then shot at the lootas and killed one.
I get snikrot and one unit of trukk boyz in as well as the buggies. I choose to have the kommandos go after the right flank sisters unit rather than one of the exorcists. I move up my shoota boyz to start shooting at the sisters squads. My kans move up to shoot at exorcists as does the battlewagon. My shoota boyz do a ton of damage to the sisters on the right (he failed 6 of 8 armor saves), but this is almost better for him as now my kommandos are out of charge range. I kill one penitent engine with lootas. I do some more damage to the other squad with lobbas and shoota boyz. The kans shake on exorcist.

He gets one sister squad in and the seraphim. The seraphim go after my kommandos, the right side sisters move up to assault my shoota boyz. He moves up the left side sisters and the remaining penitent engine. He also moves up the center with his new unit. The kommandos are obliterated with fire and run away. The sisters assault the Orks and do very little damage and recieve little in return.

My stormboyz come in and move up by the battlewagon and kans in the middle with the buggies heading towards the right objective to help control. Still waiting for the last trukk boyz squad. Move up my trukk boy squad and disembark, getting ready to assault hte sisters fighting my shootas. My other shootas move up to shoot at his other squad and then assault. My lootas tear into the new sister squad, as does the lobbas to little effect. The kans shoot at an Exorcist and immobilize the one near the center group. My shootas blast the squad on the left up, then assault them and the penitent engine. In the end, sisters are wiped and penitent is dead. On the right, the trukk boyz and the shootas finish off the sisters there.

Hanaur’s last unit comes in and goes left center, he moves his cannoness out of the unit to go and hopefull assist the seraphim who are heading towards the trukk boyz. He shoots the buggies up and they die. He shoots up the kans and now only one remains. The cannoness is out of charge range, and the seraphim’s charge proves poor and I do damage to them and hold.

My turn, the trukk boyz show up and head to the right objective as well. My shootas move to control the right objective and aim at the cannoness. Battlewagon pivots to fire at her as well. Kan moves up to assault the sisters in the center, while the stormboyz jump up to assault the sisters and the immo exorcist. I move my first trukk up to be in front of the other exorcist, keeping it from moving up to tank shock potentially. My other shoota mob on the left moves up to shoot the newest squad of sisters, which does some good damage. Through weight of fire, I kill the cannoness with my shooting and also damage the new sisters squad. I combo charge the sisters and exorcist with the kan and stormboyz. Exorcist loses its weapon and is now a box, sisters lose a ton and don’t get free. The trukk boyz kill all but two seraphim, who lose but hit and run.

Hanaur’s turn he tries to tank shock the trukk boyz, and fails. He jumps the seraphim at my new trukk and does no damage. The last sisters unit assaults my shoota boyz and does minimal damage. My stormboyz finish off the ladies in the center.

At this point we call it and I get the secondary as well. VENGENCE!!!!!!! >:)

Now it was time to face dereksatkinson again.

This time derek was bringing his blood angels. This was a toned down version of the list he had taken to the West Coast ‘Ard Boyz Finals.
2000 Blood Angels Roster

250 Mephiston (250)

140 Fusioso Dreadnought (125) Extra Armor (15) Blood Talons (Free)

180 2 Sanguinary Priests (50*2), Jump Pack (25*2), Powerweapon (15*2)

235 10 Man Assault Squad (100+90), 2 Meltaguns (10*2), Powerfist (25)

225 10 Man Assault Squad (100+90), 2 Meltaguns (10*2), Powerweapon (15)

220 10 Man Assault Squad (100+90), 2 Flamers (5*2), Powerweapon (15) Meltabomb

145 Vindicator

145 Vindicator
As anyone who paid attention to the epic 3++ is the new black comment fest, jump pack BA are an army that I fear with my Orks. On top of that, derek is a great general, so I knew it’d be a tough matchup regardless.

Well, to top it off; we got the mission for the round, and I just boggled.

The mission was spearhead deployment, but the goal of the mission was to get control points off of the objective at the center of the board. To get it, you needed to have a scoring unit within 6″ and no enemy units within 6″ at the end of a player turn. So, unlike normal objective missions where I could sit back and shoot and then go get objectives later, I had to start fighting for them from the beginning. Well, running AT BA with a shooty based Ork list is a recipe for disaster. To top it off, the WHOLE game would use night fight rules, so putting my lootas back to shoot was no option either. 🙁 This mission also gave us a free vortex grenade that we could give to any model we liked (I only mention this for completeness at it played no part in our game).

I won the roll to go first and decided I’d try and get a control point at the beginning and then contest as long as I could. So I did my standard deployment and put the lootas on a hill within 18″ of the center of the board.

derek deployed most of his army just chomping at the bit to get in and mix it up with me.

My first turn, I moved up, but didn’t get a long enough run to get within 6″ of the objective, so my gambit totally failed and I couldn’t see my enemy and only killed two marines with a lobba shot.

derek went next and had two units jump one unit of boyz and mephiston jump the kans. Both died.

Snikrot and my stormboyz came in, but had no real place to go. I tried shooting the furioso in the rear with my buggie, no luck. I shot up his assault squad and did one casualty. I DID however tank shock mephiston and he fell back. Snikrot and company didn’t roll far enough with the waagh to get into charge range. My shoota boyz assaulted a central unit and flubbed all attacks, doing no damage (snake eyes on my nobz to wound rolls).

derek’s reserves come in and wipe out snikrot and company, the furioso joins the combat with the shoota boyz and blows them up. The assault squads combo charge my lootas and stormboyz, wiping them out.

Turn three, trukk boyz come in, I try and tank shock fleeing mephiston (who was too close last turn) with the battlewagon, and roll double ones to immobilize myself. I call it here. 🙁

In retrospect, I should’ve just full reserved, conceded the main objective and gone for the secondary objective of controlling terrain pieces (didn’t mention it ’cause it didn’t matter); but that mission/matchup was just FUBAR.

I’m glad we’d gotten the regular game in the night before so I didn’t have such a sour taste for the whole thing.

NB: derek’s team went on to win Best Generals for the event.

Round Three!

Now I’d be facing off against Jay and his Saim Hann Jetbike force.

His list broke down like this:

Jetseer counicl (Farseer, doom and fortune, 7 warlocks)
Autarch
4 Shinning Spears (exarch with withdraw)
3x 3bike jetbikes (can a peice)
2x 9bike jetbikes (3 cannons a piece)
3 fire prisms (Holo fields)

Now, this mission was another odd scenario. Concocted by my own teammate. Essentially every unit in your army deepstrikes in starting on turn one (on a 4+). Units that can normally deepstrike get to re-roll scatter. Also, the objectives deep struck as well. Secondary is kill points.

It was an odd mission and really hampered me since my army relies so much on synergy and unit co-operation.

Jay got first turn and got all but two small bikes squads and two prisms in on turn one, suffering no mishaps. He was mostly spread out and planning on pouncing on whereever I showed up.

I proceeded to only get one big mob, the stormboyz, and the lootas in on turn one. I tried to get close to the seer council in order to do damage on them since they had no fortune on them. I rolled poorly and Jay rolled well and lost only two seers. Uh oh! Lootas and stormboyz used Run to spread out.

Jay got in the remaining fire prisms and one bike squad. He doomed my big mob and fortuned his seers. He shot up the lootas and stormboyz with fire prisms and bikes and destructored my packed in boyz to the tune of 16 dead (ouch). He then assaulted the boyz and wiped them out.

I got my other big unit in, as well as my lobbas, the big mek’s battlewagon, and the kans, but that was it. 🙁 I dropped the mob by the seers again, hoping to do some damage to them. I shot them with everything I could and did NO casualties to them. (uh oh) The stormboyz assaulted a small unit of bikes and killed them.

Jay got his last unit in and did essentially the same thing. The lootas went to ground to live, but still died. The stormboyz were down to two models and his shining spears killed one kan and knocked the klaw off the other. He destructored the mob again: 17 dead, and then wiped them out in the asssault with no losses. The shining spears hit the kans, but because of terrain couldn’t get the autarch or exarch in contact, did no damage and lost two guys, held, and then hit and run away.

This turn I got both trukk boyz squads in and the buggies. They did a drive by on the bike squads but did no damage, the kans chased the shining spears and shot them, but did nothing. The battlewagon moved up to get up to three of the objectives (which were condensed in the center of the board), moving 12″, hoping to survive the seer council. The stormboyz assaulted and killed another small bike squad.

Jay shot at the trukks but only wrecked one and takes the weapon off of the other. He assaulted the battlewagon and wrecked it, forcing the grots to pile out. Jay also assaults the kans after wrecking one and immobilizes the last one, then hit and runs away.

My turn, snikrot shows up and lands for a nice flamer shot on one of the large bike squads. At this point I realize if I can kill the last little bike squad and the two big biker units, its at LEAST a draw. The stormboyz assault a fire prism to no effect, the kommandos burn a unit of bikers so bad that they break and run, only to be assaulted still by one of the trukk boy squads and wiped. The other trukk boyz squad assaults and wipes out the other big unit of bikes. My trukk with no gun tank shocks the little bike squad and they hold. My buggy shoots them as well and kills one of three, but they hold. I’m now sitting on an objective and Jay only has one scoring unit of two guys. As well, I have my grots heading towards the three objectives in the middle.

Jay decides to go after the center objectives and try to kill the grots. He doesn’t tank shock me off of the objective and elects to shoot me, doing enough damage for morale checks to my boyz, but they both hold. He kills my big mek with the seer council and kills off the stormboyz with the shining spears. He fails to assault the gretchin with his autarch and now they are set to go after the central objectives.

I move up on the objective with the gretchin who shoot and do 5 wounds on the bikes, but jay saves all of them. My one trukk boy squad stays on the objective and the other assaults the bikes in the center. I flub the rolls (also the nob was out of coherency) and they live.

Time is called and I have one objective and Jay has none.

I really had no business winning that game and I think Jay just got tired and forgot what to do in the last turn (had he used the seer council on my grots and tank shocked the objective he would’ve won and I wouldn’t’ve been able to stop him). In any event, it was a fun game and it was great to meet Jay in person and see his BEAUTIFUL eldar army. Honestly, I think his list is how I would run Eldar if I re-built my Eldar army from scratch. I really like how it works together. Very good show.

At this point, the regular matches were done and I went out to dinner with a bunch of great fellows: WestRider, Sherbert, Andozane, Weav, Brick Bungalow, Von Ruger, Burk, Raindog, Blustorm, Evil Bryan, Dark Trainer, Jay, Torg, and Capri Pants Man. Great BBQ and good times.

Now I got a pick up game against galahad911 and his Monstrous Creature-heavy Nid list.

Hive Tyrant 250
LW + BS
TL Devourers /w Brain Leech
Armored Shell
Paroxysm
Leech Essence
Old Adversary

Tyrant Guard x 3 180

Tyranid Prime 105
BS x 2
Deathspitter
Toxin Sacs

Termaguants x 10 50

Tervigon 200
Cluster Spines
Toxin Sacs
Catalyst
Onslaught

Hive Guard x3 150

Hive Guard x 3 150

Venomthrope x 2 110

Carnifex x 2 380
2 x TL Devourers /w BL

Trygon 210
Adrenal Glands

1995
Talking to g-had, he hadn’t had a close game all tournament or even in pick up games, tabling all before him. He runs a type of ‘Nid list I think would be highly effective, combining the Synergy of the Tyrant, Trygon, Venomthropes, and Carnifexes.

I knew I had to keep most of this at arm’s length and do damage to him at range and perhaps get a few opportunistic charges.

We rolled for mission/deployment and got Kill Points/Pitched Battle.

G-had won the roll to go first and elected to do so.
He deployed everything in a big clump o’ pain in the middle of the board. Carnifexes in front with the Tervigon to my right of them, Hive Guard flanking either side, gaunts in cover to the right, Venomthropes with the Prime behind the Carnifexes, Tyrant and Guards behind them and, in the rear, the Trygons.

I did my standard deployment with one stupid exception, I left the buggies in, but deployed them poorly (my idea had been to use them as interdiction units, but I deployed them on the flank…DUH).

I failed the sieze initative roll and galahad911 went first. He moved up quickly and ran, casting catalyst on the carnifexes.

My turn I moved the buggies up to shoot at Hive Guard (missed), the kans moved up slightly, and the boyz moved to get close and potentially engage. I shot the venomthropes with my lootas and killed both and put a wound on the Prime. I shot the lobbas at the guants and killed a few, but he went to ground to keep them alive. My kans and boyz did one wound on the carnifexes, and that was that. 1 KP to 0.

G-had moved up and killed the buggies with Hive Guard and shot up the Kans with hive guard and other stuff, leaving just one stunned. He got paroxym on my right mob as well. 1 KP to 1.

In my turn, a trukk boyz squad came in IIRC. I moved up my two units of boyz to shoot up the carnifexes. My lootas shot the carnifexes as well, killing one and putting a wound on the remaining one. My lobbas shot the gaunts again and killed one I think. Both units assaulted the remaining fex and finished it off. However, I was now in assault position from the Tyrant and Co (the prime had joined as well) as well as a Trygon and the tervigon. Eeep! 2KP to 1.

G-had moved up, Paroxysmed one unit of Boyz, gave FnP to the Tyrant and Co, shot at the kans (immobilizing it and stunning again). Here’s where he made a gamble that didn’t pay off. He went ahead and created a unit of Gaunts with the tervigon, figuring that the preferred enemy + FC + Poison would do them in. I think if he had cast paroxysm on the unit they were set to assault, it would’ve worked, but he did it on the other unit that had a nob with PK set to take his Prime down. In the assault he had to move through cover and he ended up blocking out his Trygon from the assault due to impassable terrain. I got to attack first and my 15 shoota boyz rolled above average and wiped out the Gaunts. As well, I did a wound on the Prime. He did 12 total wounds to me and I won the combat! 3KP to 1.

Now Snikrot and the stormboyz came in. The Stormboyz moved up to threaten the Tervigon, as well as the trukk boyz. Snikrot moved up to get the remaining gaunts. My lootas lit up his one unit of Hive Guard and they went to ground to live, only one survived with 2 wounds left on him. The Battlewagon siddled off to my right to get away from the craziness in the center. Snikrot’s burnas and sluggas killed the guants. The stormboyz/trukkboyz killed the tervigon on the charge with minimal damage (one wound on the trukk boyz nob). And spread out. The fight in the middle saw me lose a ton of boyz, but make a Ld 4 and 6 check to hold with both! EPIC! I’d also did another wound to the Prime. 5KP to 1.

G-had moved his hive guard away from the Kommandos and brought his one Trygon to bear on my trukk boyz, and the other to assault the remaining boyz in the center. Hive Guard failed to kill the remaining kan. In the assault got a wound on the Trygon, but got wiped. In the center, the boyz went down, but killed the Prime, thereby getting 3 KP and giving up only 2. 6KP to 4.

In my turn, the other trukk boyz squad came in, but I kept it out of the craziness of the middle and sent it wide left to potentially threaten the Hive Guard. My kommandos moved towards the Hive Guard and the Stormboyz joined them and were set to do a combo assault with the stormboyz nob assaulting the Trygon. My lootas blasted the Trygon and got 4 wounds through, leaving one on him. My combo assaulted worked perfectly and the Hive Guard and the Trygon died, leaving both units relatively intact. However, I wasn’t able to spread out enough and was now looking at a charge from the other Trygon and the Tyrant and Co. 8KP to 4.

As expected, the Tyrant and Trygon move up and take out my Kommandos and Stormboyz, the hive guard hides out of LoS from my Lootas and shoots at the lobbas, killing two guns. 8KP to 6.

In my turn I shoot up the Trygon down to one wound left and put a wound on the remaining Hive Guard with the lobbas. 8KP to 6.

He kills off the last Kan in his turn and shoots the lobbas off the board with the Hive Guard. 8KP to 8.

I fail to finish off the Trygon and the game ends in a draw.

Fantastically tight game and I keep kicking myself for exposing the buggies. UGH. Were it not for them dying for no reason, I should’ve had the W. Oh well, great game and a fun opponent.

TO BED!

Sunday started with us getting paired up against the team that was leading in points. Magnus’ team PBR from Da Momma’s Boyz had won Best Overall 3 times previously and were quite the formidable opponents.

I got matched up against Mike and his Space Marines. Now, I’ve loudly said that I rarely lose to Space Marines (unless commanded by Zen); in fact, I’d won 13 games in a row against Jayson Besacon’s Space Marines, much to his irritation! Space Marines are usually a push over for me, so I wasn’t too worried, but Mike had a few things in his list that I knew would mess me up. Here’s his list.

Army: Space Marines (Brotherhood of the Storm)
List total: 1999

HQ: x1 (175)
————————————-
[175] Pedro Kantor

Troops: x3 (705)
————————————-
[245] Tactical Marine Squad x10 (170)
Melta Gun(5)
Missle Launcher(0)
Power Fist(25)
Razorback (40) (Dedicated Transport)
Dozer Blade(5)

[230] Tactical Marine Squad x10 (170)
Flamer(0)
Missle Launcher(0)
Power Weapon (15)
Razorback (40) (Dedicated Transport)
Dozer Blade (5)

[230] Tactical Marine Squad x10 (170)
Melta Gun(5)
Missle Launcher(0)
Power Weapon(15)
Rhino (35) (Dedicated Transport)
Dozer Blade (5)

Elites x3 (720)
————————————-
[470] Assault Terminators x5 (200)
x2 Thunder Hammer Storm Shield (0)
x3 Dual Lightning Claws (0)
Landraider Crusaider (250) (Dedicated Transport)
Multi-Melta(10)
Extra Armor(10)

[115] Dreadnaught (105)
Assault Cannon(10)

[135] Iron Clad Dreadnaught

Heavy: x2 (220)
————————————-
[120] Vindicator (115)
Dozer Blade(5)

[100] Thunderfire Cannon

Fast: x1 (179)
————————————-
[179] Assault Marine Squad x8 (154)
PowerFist(25)
I was mostly worried about the TFC and the Iron Clad. Pedro also makes the assault squad and the termies really dangerous. The mission we had was probably my favorite of the event. 5 objectives placed at the middle of the board and also in the middle of each quarter. The objectives moved at the start of each player turn via scatter; and starting on the 3rd turn, we could “anchor” them by using a troops unit not in a vehicle that was in control distance, but they couldn’t do anything else that turn. Primary was holding the most objectives, secondary was anchoring the most objectives.

Mike won the roll to go first and decided to go first. He picked his side, put the TFC in a good position on the lip of a hill to get cover and be able to see most of my stuff. Left to Right he deployed mostly on the line, Vindicator, two razorbacks with combat squad, TFC, Crusader in front of assault squad, Ironclad, combat squaded tacs with Dred in front, and finally Rhino.

I did my standard deployment but had my buggies in proper position this time to interdict the Land Raider.

I tried to sieze the initiative and failed. Mike moved up most of his stuff and shot my lootas with his TFC, doing enough wounds to make them test, they held though.

I moved my buggies up to block off his Land Raider’s approach (using some impassable terrain as well), and moved the kans up in order to try and assault next turn. I put most of my shooting into the Rhino on the right that had moved aggressively at my lootas and stunned it and knocked off the gun. On the right, I blew up a Razorback.

In his turn, Mike backed his Land Raider up slightly, disembarked the tac squad on the right and moved up with the dread. He shot up my lootas and rightmost boyz squad with the TFC, Crusader, the tact squad, and Dread. The Vindy kills a few of my left mob and I lose a buggy. The Ironclad assaults the remaining buggy but fails to hit.

I get only a trukk boy squad from reserve (I could’ve REALLY used snikrot to shut down that TFC!) and send them to take care of the Tac Squad. The Kans move up to assault the Land Raider that only moved 6″ (just over a 75% chance of getting an IMMO or kill). I move up the mob on my right to try and cover the BW from getting assaulted by the IronClad, and move the left mob up to potentially assault the vindicator. I shoot at the regular dred to no effect. I immobilize the vindicator with a rokkit on my left. Assaulting the Vindicator destroys the main weapon, but that’s the only bright point. The kans, with 9 attacks hitting on 4s hit only twice, and roll two twos for no results. Then, the tactical squad on the right rolls like champs, getting 8 hits and getting 3 wounds through. I fail to do much damage to them, but hold. EEP! That’s the first time my trukk boyz have done THAT poorly in an assault in a LOOONG time. Props to Mike for making those armor saves!

Mike moves his land raider back from the kans, moves his dred to assault the BW (I failed to move the boyz far enough over!) and moves the dred up. He shoots up the left mob with the TFC and Razorback. The missiles from the tacs and the meltagun take down two kans. The Crusader shoots up lootas, who live. The dred shoots them as well adn they are forced to go to ground, but pass their morale with four models left. The ironclad assaults the BW and explodes it, killing all but a grot and the minder and a wounded Big Mek, as well, they are pinned. The tactical squad rolls well AGAIN and beats the trukk boyz, who are sweeping advanced to death. GAH!

My turn, Snikrot comes in, as does another trukk boyz squad and the stormboyz. I move the trukk up the right flank and behind a hill, the stormboyz go after that pesky tac squad. Snikrot goes for the TFC after debating going after the 4 marines sitting on an objective on the right. My left mob moves up at those tacs, the right mob moves up to kill the ironclad (hopefully!). My buggy moves up to shoot the rear armor of it as well, the killa kan moves up after the land raider. I fail to kill or damage the ironclad with shooting, I move up my empty trukk to threaten his left-side objective, I call a waagh and get into combat with the tac squad on the left, wiping them out. The stormboyz kill all but one marine, who Stubbornly holds on. The ironclad kills three boyz, but I get a penetrate on it with the Nob, but roll a 3. BOO! The Kan hits but fails to pen…again… The Kommandos kill the TFC and back up.

Mike now springs into action; the Land Raider disgorges the Termies (leaving Pedro inside) at the mob on the left, moves his remaining razorback to the left objective, and jumps his assault squad at the kommandos. His shooting immobilizes the last kan and kills two lootas (who pass their test) as well as wrecking my trukk. He moves his rhino onto the objective near me. He wipes out my mob on the left with his termies and the kommandos with his assault marines. He’s also anchored the objective on his left and his right. The one on his right has two, 5-strong squads on it. I finish off the lone marine and get a 5 on the massacre move, putting me within range of assaulting the two combat squads on the right. I get another pen on the ironclad, but do no damage.

Bottom of 5, I jump the stormboyz (losing one) at the combat squads; my buggy stuns the dred; my trukk boyz move up to assault the Rhino on the objective and my grot and minder head towards my left side objective. My two lootas immobilize the rhino as well. The grot doesn’t get a good enough run move to control the objective 🙁 My stormboyz beat the tar out of both marine units but both hold, but I’m contesting the objective. My trukk boyz wreck the rhino and are on the objective. The ironclad is unscathed but does no damage. I roll for the game ending, and it does.

A draw with secondary going to Mike. Solid game and I feel only a few rolls away from a win on my part (Snikrot in earlier, Kans on Land Raider, and tac squad being champs). Probably one of the best games of 40k I’ve played in a while and was thrilled to play against Mike and PBR in general, who went on to win Best Overall for the 4th time!

Last game!

Now I’m facing off against Jeff and his IG. His list is thus:

HQ: Company command squad: Straken, medipack, vox caster, 2x melta, master of ordinance.
-Chimera, heavy stubber

Troop: Platoon
PCS: power weapon, vox caster
Infantry platoon: lascannon team, vox, commisar
Infantry platoon: vox, lascannon team
Infantry platoon x3: Lascannon team

Veterans x2: 2xmelta, heavy flamer, grenadiers
Veterans: 2xflamer, grenade launcher, grenadiers, carapace armor
-Chimera

Fast: Vendetta
Fast: Vendetta
Fast: Banewolf, heavy flamer

Elite: Marbo

Heavy: Manticore
Heavy: LRBT, Plasma sponsoons,
The mission is a bit of an odd one. First of all, deployment is the echelon style deployment with diagonal lines seperating the table (18″ from corner to 18″ from corner). Secondly, the primary objective is whoever has the model closest to their long table edge LOSES. So, you have to try and get to the other side of the board! On top of that, you can remove any unit during the movement phase and deploy it via deepstrike in lieu of its movement phase. Units that do this can ASSAULT the turn they do so. Only drawback is that if you roll doubles on the scatter (regardless of hit) the unit is destroyed. Secondary objective is to have more FOC slots alive (ie, I have a troops, HQ, and FA alive and my opponent has Troops, and FA alive only, I win).

I win the roll to go first and deploy in my standard formation with the lobbas behind a hill threatening the thicker part of Jeff’s deployment area and the lobbas in a ruin on the far right.

Jeff deploys his huge blob on the far left with the Leman Russ in a forward position. Straken’s Chimera is to the right of the blob with the manticore and the PCS behind them. Then the banewolf and veteran Chimera. The vendettas and veterans and Marbo are in reserve (vends outflanking).

Its at this point that Jeff steals the initiative (I have to say at this point that I usually rely on going first in most of my games and EVERY SINGLE GAME this weekend I went second. This was the only time I won the roll to go first, and promptly lost it! AGH!).

Jeff doesn’t move much, except his banewolf, but he needs to check for dangerous terrain, and immobilizes himself ON his long table edge. This means that barring some unforseen miracle, I’ve automatically won the primary unless he tables me since his unit is as close to his edge as possible. Jeff’s shooting is pretty ineffectual other than blowing up my battlewagon (the gretchin had no deployed inside it, since I was planning on using them to teleport for fun, and since I got a bonus VP for attempting it).

In my turn I move up across the board and do no damage of consequence other than the lobbas killing some guys from the big blob. My teleporting gretchin suffer a mishap and fly back up.

Jeff doesn’t get any reserves other than Marbo, who shows up next to my buggies trying to destroy them with a demo charge. Jeff continues his poor shooting and just kills a few boyz and one kan and a buggy.

In my turn I get Snikrot and both trukks in. The one trukk squad disembarks to assault marbo, while the other pushes up at the Leman Russ. I move the shoota boyz up further on both sides. Prior to assaulting, the trukk boyz actually cause 5 wounds on Marbo and he dies. The lootas kill Straken’s Chimera and his unit piles out and gets flamed by the burnas (who are shooting the Manticore, but put the templates over the CCS as well). The lobbas do more wounds to the blob. In the assaults, Snikrot and Co kill the PCS and the Manticore.

Jeff gets both Vendettas in and they move up on the right side to try and get shots on the kans, but are in front of my lootas and my shootas. Jeff moves Straken up to kill the Kommandos. The vendettas fail to do anything to the kans. The Leman Russ fails to do ANYTHING to either trukk and is now set to get assaulted and killed by the trukk boyz. Straken and the CCS wipe out the Kommandos, but are down to just Straken and the Medic.

I get my stormboyz in who jump up at the Vendettas. My gretchin mishap and die. I embark in one trukk and move up at the blob, the other trukk moves up and disembarks to assault the Leman Russ. My buggy moves up behind the LR to shoot it in the rear. The left side shoota boyz move up to shoot at the big blob. Kans move up against the Vet Chimera. Right mob moves at the vendettas to assault them. Lootas only shake the one Vendetta, the buggy fails to pen, the lobbas and shoota boyz do a few more wounds to the blob. In the assault the Leman Russ explodes, but hurts no one; the vendetta is fine. I fail my difficult terrain roll to get into combat with the chimera with the kans.

Jeff teleports Straken to potentially charge the lootas, but deviates out of range. He also teleports both veteran squads out of the vendettas towards the stormboyz. One mishaps and dies, the other mishaps and I put it in difficult terrain on the left-most corner and out of the fight. Vendettas move away to try and shoot kans. His shooting kills nothing but knocks a klaw off one kan.

Stormboyz jump at the vendettas, I try and teleport the right mob to help with the vendettas, but they mishap and die. The trukk boyz move up to assault the blob. I move my lobbas away from the table edge to guarantee the win. Right mob moves to kill straken. I kill straken with shooting, knock out one vendetta with lootas. In assaults I kill the chimera, the vendetta is shaken by kommandos and I wipe out 40ish IGs men with my two Trukk Boyz units.
At this point, with it obvious of the outcome, Jeff calls it.

Overall, for the whole weekend, I went 5-1-2, not terrible! For the actual event though, I was 3-1-1.
My team: Team Better Lucky Than Good (me, Kipro, WestRider, and Sherbert) ended up finishing 9th overall out of 18 teams (hurt by my painting no doubt!). My only complaint on the weekend was this was the first OFCC I didn’t get a Favorite Opponent Pin (which puts you in a raffle for a cool prize!). Sad day!

The other team of Seattle-ites; team Half-Baked, ended up getting 3rd Overall.

I should have videos up for 5 of the 8 games soon, so bear with me as I attempt to edit and post those.
Whew, that was a LOOOOONG bat rep! Expect another soon cause The Seattle Heart of Fire Tournament is happening Labor Day weekend and Tasty is coming to town to get crushed by me and everyone else! 😛