hyv3mynd @ August RTT - Games 1 & 2

I have a lot of game material from this month so I'm going to report two games at a time.  Our monthly local tournament format this month was 1,000pts with no allies allowed and we played 4 rounds instead of 3.  Tables were also 4'x4' instead of the standard size.

Here's the list I took:
- Spirit Seer (shriek, conceal)
- 5 Wraith Guards
- Wave Serpent w/Scatter Lasers, holofields
- 3 Jet Bikes w/Shuriken Cannon
- 3 Jet Bikes w/Shuriken Cannon
- 3 War Walkers with 2 Scatter Lasers each
- Wraith Knight w/ 2 Cannons
- 2 Vaul Support Cannons with Shadow Weaver



My first opponent was Evan and his Grey Knights.  The mission was Purge the Alien with Vanguard Strike deployment.

Evan's list:
Xenos Inquisitor + psyko & rad grenades, plasma syphon
Terminators x10 + psycannon x1, hammers x3, halberds, psybolt ammo
Strike Squad x10 + psycannon x2, psybolt ammo
Rhino
Nemesis Dreadknight + teleporter, incinerator

So it's kill points and he has 5 to my 8 and he wins the roll for first turn.  Luckily, my shooting out ranges his by heaps and I feel pretty confident with my list versus elite armies.

Evan deploys at the front edge of his DZ.  The inquisitor is with the terminators up top, strike rhino squad in the middle, NDK closest to me.

I pre-measure everything to be out of move+psycannon range except the wraithknight because I want him to draw all the fire.

Turn 1:

The NDK shunts towards my walkers.  Terminators move up and the rhino goes the full 18" towards my line.  All his shooting is ineffective this turn.

Everything except the artillery advances.  The walkers and serpent combine fire and bring down the NDK for first blood.  The wraithknight wrecks the rhino.

End of turn 1: GK 0vp Eldar 3vp

Turn 2:

The strike squad shuffles but leaves the psycannons stationary.  The terminators move down towards my wraithknight.  The strike squad opens up on my walkers and with psybolt ammo and stationary psycannons, they inflict 5 hull points leaving one walker with one hull point.  The terminators put a wound on the wraithknight and try a long assault but fail.

My bikes arrive.  One unit goes far left to turbo boost into the back corner for linebreaker.  The other unit scoots up to the rock to JSJ.  The wraithknight jumps right to put terrain between him and the terminators.  The serpent, bikes, walker, and artillery unload on the strike squad and knock down 4.  The wraithknight  splatters one terminator.

End of turn 2: GK 0vp Eldar 3vp

Turn 3:

The remaining Grey Knights shuffle around but since most of my stuff can move 12" a turn, they don't have many options.  The strike squad finishes off my last walker.  The terminators put another wound on my wraithknight.

I move up the serpent and disembark the wraithguard in range to shriek with my spirit seer.  Bikes hug terrain to JSJ.  Wraithknigth maintains a safe distance from the terminators with hammers.  Shooting only drops 3 more strike knights, but my barrage is dropped right on top of his warlord.  I get a monofilament rend and he fails his lookout sir and I bag his warlord.

End of turn 3: GK 1vp Eldar 5vp

Turn 4:

My bikes got a poor JSJ roll last turn and get gunned down.  My serpent takes a hull point.

I maintain my distance and continue to surround the Grey Knights.  My shooting wipes out the strike squad and several terminators.

End of turn 4: GK 2vp Eldar 6vp

Turn 5:

Not much left...  The terminators take their pot shots and I lose a wraith guard.  My volleys remove the last terminators and the bikes I was hiding in the back corner turbo boost for linebreaker.

The game ends at the bottom of 5 with the Grey Knights tabled.  I also had first blood, linebreaker, and his warlord for a 8-2 victory.

This battle was pretty predictable.  The opposing list had no long range shooting and mine tends to do well against elite armies by throwing out a lot of shots.  I have a lot of ap2 between the wraith guard, wraithknight, monofilament artillery, and bladestorming bikes.  I was pleased to start the event with a strong win, but at 1,000pts the game feels very "rock paper scissors".

My second opponent was Richard with his foot Tau.  This game was Dawn of War deployment for Big Guns Never Tire.

Richard's list:
Cadre Fireblade
Crisis Suits x3 + plasma rifles, fusion guns, shield drones
Crisis Suits x3 + plasma rifles, fusion guns, shield drones
Fire Warriors x12
Fire Warriors x12
Fire Warriors x12
Pathfinders x7
Pathfinders x7

So... no broadsides or riptides.  No long range shooting.  My walkers, artillery, and wraithknight are scoring so I should be able to play the denial game.  Richard wins the roll and takes first turn.

He deploys everything centrally.  One unit of pathfinders is up front, the other are in the ruin on the left.  36 fire warriors are in the middle and on the left with the fireblade attached to the unit on the left and in the open.  He deploys the crisis suits behind which makes things even better for me since they won't be deep striking.

I deploy everything out of move+shoot range except the wraith knight.  We rolled 4 objectives so my 2 are in each corner.  Artillery are in the forest on the right and scoring that objective.  Walkers, serpent, and wraithknight are on the left.  Bikes are reserved.

Turn 1:

The blob advances.  He lands 5 marker lights on the wraithknight but only sneaks 1 wound through.  The fire warriors on the right take out one artillery gunner.

My knight jumps left to push the flank.  Serpent moves an inch to get a save.  Serpent, walkers, and artillery combine fire and wipe out the central pathfinders for first blood.

End of turn 1: Tau 6vp (currently held objectives) Eldar 7vp

Turn 2:

Tau advance.  Everything targets the wraithknight but it only takes 1 wound.

My bikes arrive and take the right flank.  Serpent moves to the middle.  Knight jumps up to apply pressure and soak up as many shots as possible.  Walkers are just moving up, shooting, and battle focusing back to maintain a safe range.  Artillery, walkers, and serpent combine fire and wipe out the fire warriors and their warlord on the left.  Bikes all turbo boost behind the bunker on the right.

My knight makes it's assault move despite terrain and takes a wound from overwatch.  I had forgotten that he would take 3 units worth of shots thanks to support fire, but his toughness and armor helped.  He kills the drones and stomps a suit and sweeps the rest.

End of turn 2: Tau 6vp Eldar 8vp

Turn 3:

Tau circle up and put 2 more wounds on my knight.

Now that the bikes are in place, I make my push and surround him.  Bikes, artillery, and serpent wipe out the fire warriors on the right.  Walkers knock down a few on the left and they fall back.  My knight only has 1 wound left so I don't assault, but since he jumped over the suits, he's able to splatter one with a cannon.

End of turn 3: Tau 0vp Eldar 8vp

Turn 4:

The last unit of fire warriors rally and regroup.  Suits shuffle in cover and put the drones in front.  Combined fire finishes off my knight.

I continue to surround the Tau.  The serpent moves up 6 and dumps out the wraith guard.  Casualties are predictable.  We roll out the rest and I'm able to wipe out his suits and scoring unit.  With only pathfinders left, he cannot inflict damage to me and since I went second, my bikes can take his objectives.

We call the game there.  I have all 4 objectives, first blood, linebreaker, and warlord.  He killed one heavy support so the final score is 15-1.

Another strong victory but probably predetermined in list design and sealed during deployment.  My opponent lamented not deep striking his suits for better position and I agreed.  Any army with shorter range shooting than my own, I will just avoid with my anchor units and throw the wraithknight out to draw all the fire.  It's a really brutal combo because not many armies can dish out enough damage to my anchor units who maintain a 36" perimeter.  By throwing the knight forward, he always draws fire and virtually ensures my shooting units inflict enough attrition so that when the final turns come, I can make a push with the bulk of my army with the benefit of superior numbers.

Since this event was 1,000pts, the rounds were quick and they ran 4 instead of the usual 3.  Two more reports will be along shortly with results and afterthoughts.