And I loved playing my Harlies.
So usual format, brief battle reports, a list review, and thoughts on how I’ll develope my list as a result.
Game 1
Against guard (this will become a bit of a theme). A big bunch of conscripts, all the Leman Russes in the world, a couple of the flamer tanks, and 2 Taurox. Can’t remember the mission, but it was dawn of war deployment, or at least the version of dawn of war with the spearhead, bringing the armies closer together. I had decided that I was here to learn about the army, what it can and can’t do. I wasn’t going to worry about missions etc, rather I was just going to “try stuff” and see how it went. So with that in mind I decide, I was going to rush him and see what happened. To be honest, I didn't have much of a choice. There was no line of site blocking terrain on any of the tables I played on all weekend!!
He took first turn! So I hunkered down and prepared to take some casualties ...... but he largely wiffed! I think he killed one Ravager, and took some wounds off another one, but that was about it. In my turn I did a bit of shooting (degrading one Leman Russ) and then rushed his conscript screen. I had some very successful advance and charge rolls Was all over him. I even managed to get one unit of Harlies and my skyweavers behind his screen, assaulting him from behind (!). Highlight was the Solitaire jumping over the screen completely, and charging his Warlord and Primaris psyker. Long story short, I massacred his conscripts, and did a really good job of locking the remaining conscripts in combat, ready to jump out next turn and masacare everything. So feeling really pleased with myself I ended my turn.....and he started to take moral tests.....! I hadn’t thought about that. Of course the remaining conscripts melted, leaving my Harlies “blowing in the wind” ready to be mowed down by all the tanks. It didn’t last long after that!!
Learning points - if you want to lock yourself into an assault, dont kill too many of the unit so they melt away from moral checks! Also, the Solitaire was a boss, leaping around killing characters.
Game 2
Guard again! Banblade with even more Leman Russes, Hydras and the flamer tanks ... but interestingly no infantry at all. Hammer and anvil. Again he got first turn.
So, much the same as before, he opened up, I ducked, and survived with the loss of 2 Ravagers, and a few wounds here and there. I rushed him, and suffered another round of shooting, before I could get into his tanks. The 2nd round of shooting was pretty brutal, and I wan’t left with much, but once I got into his tanks there wasn’t much he could do, all I needed to do was “tag” the tanks and they couldn’t fire next turn. He really needed some bubble wrap! Highlight was locking a Leman Russ in combat so it couldn’t move, and just hanging out there for 2 turns, scoring an objective with my Ob Sec Troupe!! Win to me.
Learning points - Starweavers are surprisingly survivable against guard. Hitting on 5s is no fun, and once they’re are degraded so they’re hitting on 6s.......! Solitaire was a boss this game as well, pulling off a 30+” charge to lock down 2 Hydras that we’re doing a number on my Starweavers.
Game 3
Magnus, smite spam, with Changling, some alpha legion havocs, cultists, and loads of brimstones. This is a horrible match up for Harlies, with smite spam cutting through our 4++, but again, a learning experience!
He got first turn, but did very little (out of range) and he was wary of charging me with Magnus, fearing all the fusion pistols. He shuffled forward ...... and created a little gap beside the changling! So my Solitaire hopped out his Starweaver, pulled of a huge charge, leaping the brimstone screen and assassinating the changling, much to my opponents surprise! He was also accompanied by a couple of Troupes who also pulled off 20+” charges, leaping screens to assault Malific Lords, brimstones and Sorcerers on disks. Sadly, the Troupes wiffed (I didn’t have the Troupe Master with them, which makes a huge difference), and while dramatic, it wasn't’ terribly effective. Ultimately, Magnus was just too strong, but I made my opponent work hard for his win!
Highlight of the game was the Solitaire assassinating the Changling ... and the look on my opponents face when he saw what was about to happen .... priceless! But the real learning point was the effective charge range of Harlies getting out of Starweavers - 3.9” disembark, an 8” move and then 3d6 (d6 advance and 2d6 charge), and 2 comand point re-rolls if necessary (on the advance and on the charge). That’s a threat range of 29”, and an average charge of 22”. The biggest problem is believing that you can get off that sort of charge!
Game 4
Guard (again)! But this time with a Knight and some marines. Still loads of Russes and flamer tanks. This was the spearhead deployment where the minimum distance apart is 18”. I deployed 2 Starweavers full of Fusion pistols on the line, and my opponent deployed his Knight on the line .... 18” away. Hmmmm ....... a 16” Starweaver move, plus a 3” double dice fusion pistol range is 19” ..... and I got first turn. So, the Knight died, much to my opponents horror, and it was mopping up after that. A few anxious moments, but, again Starweavers are very resilient.
The Solitaire was a hero again, taking out 20 infantry and their commissar by himself, having “tanked” 20 laz gun shots the round before. Again, I didn’t need to kill Russes, just degrade them until they were hitting me on 6s, and/or tag them so they had to fall back and couldn’t shoot.
Game 5
Against Iron Warriors. Bunch of Obliterators, some Cultists, a Knight and 3 Predators. He got first turn.
This was the game of the tournament, against an awesome guy. Very “back and forward” with extreme dice rolls on both sides - we were both rolling handfuls of 1s or handfuls of 6s. Great game. Highlight was committing everything to killing the Predators, leaving my Farseer facing down a Knight on 5 wounds. I was hoping to kill it with Smite and Executioner. I failed Smite first time, using the Farseer’s re-roll to get it off, doing 2 mortal wounds. I failed to get Executioner off, using my Warlord trait to re-roll one dice to get it off, and then rolling 2 mortal wounds, before using my last command point to re-roll that dice for 3 mortal wounds to kill the knight .... great game.
Learning points - Solitare was a legend again, killing Obliterators a chaos Lord, and a bunch of Cultists.
OK, thats that. Next Post a list review.
EYIG