Tits for Tournaments: Bay Area Open 2014 is Here! Updates!

Perhaps one of the most anticipated Tournaments in a long time is upon us. The Bay Area Open or BAO, with over 120 participants it will represent the first true 7th ed tournament. The BAO along with NovaOpen in September will set 40k meta for the rest of the year. This will also be the first tournament to showcase the new Orks and see how they fare in the grander scheme of things. Like all Frontline Gaming events there will also be Forgeworld making its mark. Personally, I won’t be playing as I have other commitments. It though won’t stop me from getting pictures and lists of the best armies. If you want more detailed information about the event follow these links.

http://www.frontlinegaming.org/community/bay-area-open-2014/bao-tournament-format/

http://app.torrentoffire.com/#/tournament/Bay-Area-Open-Championships

As for predictions on what armies will do well? I honestly have no idea! The game is so wide open and the BAO format plays into that. If I have to guess what we will see this weekend here are some predictions.

• MSU will be full effect
• Drop Pod Armies make a serious
• Knights and more Knights
• The Ghost Ark will reveal itself as being the best troop transport in the game
• Many players won’t have the tools to deal with Lords of War.
• Daemons, Seer Councils, Beaststar will take a back seat.

I think dark horse armies are going to be Orks and Nids, but if you want to pick a favorite my guess is Necrons will crush some fools.

Finally, come back to this post throughout the weekend for comments, pictures, and army lists making waves from the BAO!

After day one the top two players are Tyranids! Both of the lists use the Living Artillery formation, but one has a Hierodule & Voidshield, while the other makes up those points with Carnifexes and Crones.

After that we have a hodgepodge of armies for the top 16 with Orks and Imperial Guard being left out for the most part. As I predicted the event has a lots Drop Pod armies along with Imperial Knights. I was shocked on how few IG players there were along with Orks.

Here is a army break down by numbers.

• Blood Angels – 5
• Chaos Daemons – 4
• Chaos Space Marines – 6
• Dark Angels – 2
• Dark Eldar – 4
• Eldar – 13
• Grey Knights – 4
• Imperial Guard – 9
• Imperial Knights – 2
• Necrons – 11
• Orks – 5
• Sisters of Battle – 3
• Space Marines – 26
• Space Wolves – 4
• Tau – 8
• Tyranids – 8

As you can see Space Marines are everywhere! This isn’t really new in most large tournaments, but it doesn’t hurt that they are a really good recent army. If you want to get a better look at how the armies break down check out this link on Torrent of Fire.

So looks the finals just got over and the winner is…

Steve Sisk a regular and winner for many GT from long time past. He took White Scars Bikers with a Knight Ally, beating out local Alex Gonzalez and his Necrons with Forgeworld Pylons.

Here is a run down of Steve Sisk;’s list.

Kor’sarro Khan [125]
+ Moondrakkan [25]
= 150
• Command Squad [100]
+ Company Standard [15]
+ 3× storm shield [30]
+ power fist [25]
+ Space Marine bikes [35]
+ Apothecary [15]
= 220
Chapter Master [130]
+ Space Marine bike [20]
+ The Shield Eternal [50]
+ digital weapons [10]
+ artificer armour [20]
+ thunder hammer [30]
= 260

4 Space Marine Bikers [84]
+ 2× grav-gun [30]
+ Biker Sergeant
+ combi-grav [10]
+ melta bombs [5]
+ Attack Bike [45]
+ multi-melta [10]
= 184
4 Space Marine Bikers [84]
+ 2× meltagun [20]
+ Biker Sergeant
+ combi-melta [10]
+ melta bombs [5]
+ Attack Bike [45]
+ multi-melta [10]
= 174
4 Space Marine Bikers [84]
+ 2× meltagun [20]
+ Biker Sergeant
+ combi-melta [10]
+ melta bombs [5]
+ Attack Bike [45]
+ multi-melta [10]
= 174
4 Space Marine Bikers [84]
+ 2× plasma gun [30]
+ Biker Sergeant
+ plasma pistol [15]
+ melta bombs [5]
+ Attack Bike [45]
+ multi-melta [10]
= 189

Stormtalon Gunship [110]
+ Skyhammer missile launcher [15]
= 125

Knight Errant
= 370

1,846 points

http://app.torrentoffire.com/#/tournament/Bay-Area-Open-Championships/4/leaderboard

Here is some bulk pictures with my good camera, keep in mind the lightening was really strange in the venue so I took the same pictures at different settings. Haven’t take the time to filter the bad with good. so take it as you will.