Adepticon Team Tournament Primer Games 1 and 2

Two weekends ago I participated in a team tournament with a friend of mine who goes by the name sinistermind on this and other boards. Since we both seemed to have been touched by chaos at an early age we decided to run a dual chaos list. You can read our list selections and our plan of action over here. This was the same event the Calypso2ts, Crispy, Hvy3mynd, and Crimthann all attended as well. As luck would have it I do not believe any of us got paired up against each other. There was a solid turnout of 26 players, or 13 teams, which meant the TO played as the ringer.

We felt pretty good with our lists going into the morning because our two practice games ended up with two wins for us and we felt that we had a good synergy between our two vastly different styles of armies.

First pairings were called and we would be up against two local guys, Ron and Doug. Both brought 1000 pts worth of Imperial Guard.

Their list looked something like:

List 1:
CCS

20 man platoon Grenade Launchers

Chimera with 10 men

10 man squad in Vendetta

3 Heavy weapon teams – LasCannons

Leman Russ Executioner

Manticore

List 2

Lord Commissar

10 Man Platoon

10 Man Platoon in Chimera

10 man squad in Vendetta

Leman Russ

Aegis Defense Line w/quad gun

The first mission of the tournament had the following profile:

Deployment: Vanguard Strike
Primary (15/7/0): Table Quarters
Secondary (10/5/0): Victory Points - with a twist!

To hold a table quarter, a team needed one scoring unit from each coalition in the corner.  There was also the option to make up to 2 units able to score a table quarter without an ally.  

For Victory points - scoring units are worth 1 point while non-scoring units are worth 2.

Deployment was a bit of surprise as each table had 6 pieces of terrain that we had to place in an alternating manner. We won the role to choose table sides and first terrain placement.

Prior to deployment my partner and I both decided to use the twist of fates rule, meaning that our 2 designated units did not need to have a partners troop choice to hold a quarter. I put my 10 CSM squad in their Rhino and parked it behind a piece of terrain to keep it from getting shot up. This squad would hold our initial quarter. I deployed my raptors and chaos lord behind my partner’s spawn with the hopes that the spawn would provide cover as both of them moved up onto the enemy lines. Sinistermind then deployed one group of zombies and Typhus in our left triangle border so that they could claim the quarter in front of our deployment zone. The other zombie squad deployed lengthwise along the back row so that they could move in and hopefully deny the enemy from grabbing the table quarter to our right. The defiler, obliterators, and havocs deployed in the large piece of terrain in our deployment zone. My Heldrake and terminators went into reserves.

Our deployment zone

Our opponents deployed the bulk of their forces behind the defense line and anchored a Leman Russ on each flank. The Manticore deployed behind some terrain so that it was protected and the two chimera’s deployed partial obscured behind terrain and other tanks. The 2 vendettas would also start in reserve.

We rolled for night fight and we got to go first.

Chaos Turn 1:

Sinistermind moves his zombie hoard with Typhus into the forward quarter and moves his spawn 12 inches forward and I follow behind with my raptors, using them for cover. The Obliterators also move forward so that they can get some range. Since the first turn was night fight we knew we would not be able to do much shooting. The only shooting was the obliterators trying to drop plasma on the CCS behind the Russ but due to the cover provided our opponent made his saves.

Guard Turn 1

The vostroyans move up against the aegis line to get everyone into range on the spawn and the leman russ moves up as well. They issue first rank second rank on the vostroyans but it does not go off. During the shooting phase the 20 man vostroyans, the 10 man squad on the quad gun, and the leman russ open up on the spawn and raptors. When the dice finished rolling all of the spawn were dead and so were my raptors. The only survivor was my chaos lord. That went far worse than we had anticipated. With night fight in effect we had hoped that the spawn and raptors would have some survivors to get into the enemy ranks but that did not happen. Our opponents got first blood.  

Chaos Turn 2:

My Heldrake and terminators come in on turn 2. I move my heldrake 36 inches up into the enemy lines, hoping to vector strike the leman russ on the way in and then to roast some guardsmen. My combi-melta terminators also come in and I elect to deepstrike them into the enemy lines between the chimera and leman russ, hoping to force our opponents to split fire. But instead I deviate back 11 inches. Not the greatest but still behind the Russ but just out of double melta range. I move my chaos lord back to join the zombie squad as I did not feel like giving them another kill point just yet.

Termies scatter outside of double tap melta range

Heldrake manages to roast the lascannon squad

The defiler and obliterators move forward a bit to get better range.

The quad gun takes a shot at the heldrake but it does not hit. The heldrake vector strike fails to damage the russ but the baleflamer cooks two of the lascannon team and some vostroyans. The last lascannon breaks and flees off of the board. The defiler and obliterators shoot at the chimeras and I believe the scored a glance. The havocs fail to do any wounds on the guardsmen behind the walls. The terminators do mange to knock off the battle cannon on the russ but that is all.

Our lines after turn 2

Guard Turn2:

The two vendettas come in this turn and they go to the left and right of my Heldrake. The chimera with the lord commissar moves up a bit and the large vostroyan squad also moves towards my terminators. In the shooting phase the 1 vendetta brings down my heldrake. The other one shoots at the defiler. The vostroyans and the men inside the chimera all unload on my 3 three terminators and I fail 3 saves. The manticore, executioner, and the remaining vendetta shoot at the obliterators and some zombies. We lose a few zombies and one obliterator.

Chaos Turn 3:

The chaos lord and zombies move up a little but not much due to the zombies. I just needed a little bit more in order to get the lord into range of the guardsmen on the wall. The defiler and obliterators continue to try and take out the chimeras and end up immobilizing it. At least the troops would need to come out now. My havocs try to take down a vendetta but fail to hit.

The white chimera is now immobilized

Guard Turn 3:

The guardsmen bail out of the immobilized chimera. The two vendettas split off and head towards the center of the board. Each hold a 10 man squad. On our right flanks the wounded russ, and guardsman try to shoot enough zombies to get to my chaos lord but we are able to absorb most of the wounds due to “look out sir” but by the time the shooting is done I am left with one wound on the lord. The executioner loses it’s last hull point to a “gets hot” roll when trying to fire the plasma cannon. The vendettas fire onto the defiler and strip off a couple of hull points and a close combat weapon.

Chaos Turn 4:

Knowing that the game hinges upon what we can do this turn, I break my chaos lord off from the zombies and jump in front of the Vostroyans. If I can get him behind the lines and start beating face then it can hopefully draw units heading towards our line back to their line. Both zombie squads move up.

You can just see my chaos lord's head and axe by the aegis line.

I use the burning brand on the vostroyans and kill 6 or so. The havocs open up on the vendetta again but fail to hit again. The defiler shoots at the squad that came out of the chimera and the obliterator tries to take out a vendetta with assault cannons but fails as well.

My chaos lord charges into combat and I survive a round of overwatch. Since the unit has a character (vet sergent and commissar) I must declare a challenge and he accepts with the vet. I roll for my daemon attacks and get a… 1. That just means my base attacks with charging at WS1. Needless to say I fail to wound the sarge and he hits me twice in return and I fail my last saving throw. This pretty much frees them up to move up into quarter that only has a unit of zombies in it. The only bright spot is that the defiler gained a hull point back due to “It will not die”.

Guard Turn 4:

With the threat gone from their left flank they can now move the vendettas towards our table quarters. The vostroyans and the guardsmen from the chimera can easily move into the table quarter on our right flank and claim it. The guardsmen and 1 vendetta are able to kill the last obliterator and defiler. The other vendetta moves up and pops my rhino.

Chaos Turn 5:

Not much to do at this point other than to try and take down the vendettas. The havocs fail to hit once again, as do my chaos marines.

Guard Turn5:

The vendettas move to the one quarter with Typhus and his zombies and pop out, able to contest that quarter. The Vendettas kill a few of my marines but I am able to stay to hold our quarter.

How the table looked at the end of turn 5

Time is called at this point. Our opponents hold 2 table quarters, and contest 1. They win the primary objective. They win the secondary objective as well as they have killed more of our units than we did theirs plus our non-troop units counted as double.

Closing remarks. Not the way I envisioned this game. I knew it would be rough with the 2 Russes and Vendettas but losing the spawn and raptors as quickly as we did was bad news for us. Our rolling in the first 2 turns hurt us as well as they were able to soak up a lot of hits due to night fighting on turn 1 and the saves made in turns 2 and 3 due to the aegis line.  

Game 2

Game 2 and we draw the ringer army due to collecting 0 points last game. The ringer was playing a dual space wolves list and he knows how to play them really well.

Deployment: Hammer & Anvil

Primary: Emperor's Will (15/7/0) & Modified Scouring* (10/5/0)

Secondary: Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Linebreaker

Twists of Fate in this game allowed you to give a unit in your army the Outflank rule. Since we need every point we can get we decided not to use them. Our uses it for the grey hunters in a rhino.

Our opponents list looked something like

Rune Priest

Wolf Lord on Thunder Wolf

10 Grey Hunters in Drop Pod

10 Grey Hunters in Drop Pod

10 Grey Hunters in Rhino

Wolf Guard

Wolf Guard

Long Fangs

Long Fangs

Land Raider

Aegis Line w/lascannon

We rolled for sides and we elected short side and placed the first terrain. All of the terrain was city buildings so we wanted to make sure we could grab the big one first and use it in our end. Our opponent placed his aegis line in the center of his deployment zone to maximize the line of sight.

We place the Main objective in the ruins in our corner and our opponent placed his behind his aegis line. We then place one of the scouring objectives up in the front of our line in no man’s land, behind some ruins and the other one on the opposite side of the board near some ruins as well. Our opponent places one near our objective and on the skyshield platform located in our deployment zone.

We deployed one zombie unit in the ruins on our right flank with our primary objective. The other zombie hoard and Typhus went on the left flank to move towards one of our scouring objectives. The spawn and raptors deployed in front of the zombie hoard with the primary objective to either protect it or run forwards. The defiler, obliterators, and havocs all deployed on the skyshield. My rhino with marines deployed behind the skyshield to either react to drop pods or rush towards an objective at the end.

Our opponent puts the long fangs in the high ruins in the back of his zone and a wolf guard in the aegis line. The land raider holds the rune priest and a squad of wolf guard. The Thunderwolf lord starts next to the raider. One drop pod will come in on turn 1 and the other one and rhino will be coming in on reserves.

Board after deployment

 Our opponent wins the roll of and goes first. No night fighting.

Wolves Turn 1:

The first drop pod comes in behind the skyshield. The land raider and thunderwolf lord edge up along our right flanks. Between the long fangs and meltas from the grey hunters the defiler takes two wounds. He also shoots at the obliterators with split fire but fails to do anything.

Chaos Turn 1:

Sinistermind moves his defiler down to get into combat with the grey hunters.

Drop pod behind our lines

He also moves his spawn up towards the land raider but I held my raptors back due to the flamers on his land raider. I move my rhino up and get my troops out to thin out the ranks of the grey hunters.

My marines shoot into the hunters, killing 4. The defiler then charges in and fails to do any wounds. The havocs shoot at the aegis gun, trying to destroy it before my heldrake comes on but he makes his saves. The obliterators shoot at the land raider but fail to cause any damage.

Wolves Turn 2:

His other drop pod and rhino do not come in. The thunderwolf lord and land raider head to the right flank towards our primary objective. In the shooting phase the long fangs continue to shoot at the havocs and obliterators. He succeeds in killing a couple of havocs. In close combat the hunters end up killing the defiler with grenades. They consolidate onto the skyshield pad. The Thunderwolf lord charges into the spawn and kills one. We cause no damage in return.

Chaos Turn 2: 
My heldrake and terminators come in. I fly the hledrake over the drop pod to vector strike and obscure myself behind some 4+ ruins in order to get a shot on the marines behind the aegis line next turn. The terminators deep strike on target behind the land raider, within double melta range.

My vector strike wiffs and the lascannon destroys the heldrake before it had a chance to do anything. I move my marines back into the rhino. The zombies with Typhus head up towards the one scouring objective. My raptors jump up towards the thunderwolf lord and land raider.

The terminators pop the land raider and two wolf guard perish.

In close combat the thunderwolf lord kills another spawn.

Wolves Turn 3:

The Rhino comes on and he parks it along some ruins in his deployment zone that is a straight shot to his objective. The hunters on the skyshield sit on the scouring objective on our skyshield. They shoot up the obliterators but they stay. The long fangs also shoot at the obliterators and havocs, leaving me with 1 havoc. The wolf guard move out of the rubble towards my raptors and open fire, killing 5 of them. In close combat the thunderwolf reduces the spawn to 1 model left.

Chaos Turn 3:

Typhus moves up onto the skyshield to take on the few remaining hunters, freeing up the havoc and obliterators to keep fighting. The remaining raptors jump behind the building to avoid getting charged by the thunderwolf and remain a viable scoring unit. The terminators figure that the chaos lord, raptors and marines can handle the remaining guard and thunderwolf so they head towards the marines behind the aegis line.

The Obliterators shoot at the long fangs and kill one. My rhino heads towards the thunderwolf, hoping to intercept it before it breaks free from the spawn combat. Typhus charges the hunters and kills them. My chaos lord decides to take one for the team and charges into combat with the Thunderwolf. In close combat the thunderwolf finished off the last spawn but my chaos lord fails to wound him.

Wolves Turn 4: 
The rhino comes out from behind the ruins and parks itself on his primary objective behind the aegis line. The remaining wolf guard head towards my rhino. During shooting it fails to hurt it. The long fangs all split fire between our obliterators and terminators but fail to do anything. In close combat the thunderwolf kills my chaos lord and moves up towards my rhino.

Chaos Turn 4: 
Due to time this will be our last turn. Right now We hold our primary and 1 scouring objective and he holds his primary with the wolf guard in the aegis line. We need to get rid of those wolf guard to win. I shoot at them with my terminators but fail to do anything. The obliterators try to shoot the thunderwolf lord but fail to hurt him. My terminators declare a charge against the wolf guard in the aegis line. He overwatches them but gets no hits. I kill the remaining guard in combat and contest his primary objective. That gives us a win on primary and we get one modified primary. Plus we got linebreaker and two points for not using our twists of fate so after game 2 we are up to 23 points.

This game was a lot kinder to us as dice rolls were pretty average. My only complaint was losing the heldrake again before it had a chance to do any damage. Plus that Thunderwolf lord was a pain due to his invulnerable saves. I apologize for the lack of images in turns 3 and 4 but they were all either too blurry or too dark due to this table being located in the back corner.

I will do Game 3 next week in a narrative format, along with a terrain article on building rubble piles to use for cover on your city board. Until then, keep on gaming!