Crispy - Dec Millennium Invitational - G3

     The final game of the Millennium Games Invitational had me up against Shaun Kemp and his Orcs. I’ve gone up against Kemp with my Nids once before at the last Ard Boyz semifinals and walked away with a big loss. Kemp is one of the Da Boyz founders and a big name in the GT scene, so I knew it was going to be a tough time.

Mission: Big Guns Never Tire (4 Objectives)

Deployment: Dawn of War

     You can read about some of my list ideas going into the event here, but to summarize, this is the list I brought:

Swarmlord

Tyrant Guard w/ LW

Prime w/ LW/BS & S-Talons

8 Ymgarls

2 Hive Guard

2 Lictors

Tervigon (loaded)

15 Termagaunts w/ Devs

15 Hormugaunts w/ Toxin Sacs

7 Stealers w/ Broodlord

5 Raveners w/ Claws

3 Biovores  

Shaun’s approximate list:

Boss in Mega Armor

Mekboy w/ KFF

Burnas

Tank Bustas

Lootas

Shoota Boyz

Boyz in Trukkz

Boyz in Trukkz

Deff Koptas

Wartrikes

Battlewagon

Grot Cannons

Deffdread

     Looking at his deployment, I think this shows how Shaun is a much more tactical player than me. Shawn kept his Deff dread, boyz in trukks, and Deffkoptas off the board, while deploying the rest of his forces centrally as seen above. Initially, I was wondering what he was doing, and only after a few rounds did I realize he was holding back his softer targets to deny me first blood. 

     I set up in two camps. One to my right with the Tervigon, Devorerer Guants, Biovores and Raveners. They were my castle, intending to hold back and potentially rush forward to grab an objective. To the left, I had the Swarmlord, Genestealers, and Hormugaunts ready to run forward to clear a few objectives if possible.  

     First turn went to Shaun, and because I set up 36 inches away from the grot cannons, the only meaningful shooting came from the Lootaz. They put a few wounds on the Tervigon, and that was about it. 

     

     My first turn was straightforward, move the assault horde up, 

     And try and keep the castle safe. Here's another example of my tactical deficit: Those Gaunts that are up by the river. I threw them forward thinking that they could act as a buffer for the oncoming meganobs, not thinking that they would be an easy target for first blood. 

     On the offensive front, my biovores took Shaun's unit of Tankbustas down to a man, which were strung out in the middle of that castle. Almost first blood, and I wasn't even trying. 

     The second and third turns had me moving forward with my assault block, while Shaun wittled down the Hormugaunt and Genestealer units. I knew that he was taking down my troop choices, and thus denying me the ability to grab the 3 objectives seen above, but I didn't have much choice. He also made the smart move of ignoring the Swarmlord (I'm sure that the +3 Iron Arm for nearly every turn factored into that decision as well).

   On the eastern front I had incoming meganobs and a battle wagon full of boyz. I managed to blow up the Trukk of Meganobs and the Warboss in the river, but they slowly came for me. My response was to focus fire on the nobs, and follow that up with an assault with all my Gaunts and Raveners. After 40+ Devorerer shots, assaults from the Buffed Gaunts and the Raveners, the Meganobs still won. Fail. It was one of those moments where I wish I had brought my Shrikes. That damn 2+ is just too much without consistent armor ignoring power.

     With a unit of boyz bearing down on me and most of my castle broken, it looked bad. But all was not lost. I still had a Tervigon that could spawn, and the meganobs were down to a Nob with a wound and the Warboss. 

     Shaun's Turn 4 had him killing off 2 of my biovores, leaving 1 still scoring, and my Troop Tervigon (who had been making It Will Not Die rolls nearly every turn) with only a few wounds, holding an objective. My Ymgarls came out on the mound next to the Swarmlord and were set to reek havoc when we got the 15 minute warning. It was the type of game where we both were thinking about our next moves, and we ran out of time. The way it stood, I had objectives, but in reality, if we got turn 5 it was going to be anyone's game. On paper, I had the win, but it didn't feel right. I'm calling it a draw. 

     Anticlimactic, I know. Anyway, that was the championships for me. I finished middle of the pack and my first round opponent Chris Courtney took the overall.