Beef and Wing Brawl - Impressions

This Saturday the Beef and Wing gaming club held their inaugural Beef and Wing brawl (i.e. GT - Beef and Wing Brawl Site) The tournament ran at 1250 points with 2 list 'components' allowed (for example a Battle Forged Daemon detachment with CSM allies) and was played on a 4'x4' board.

The Grand Strategery showed up in force to support the Beef and Wingers in their event - and because it looked like an awesome event.  Overall this was an awesome event, and I want to highlight what made it so great and why it is a must attend for me next year.

Venue

Beef and Wing ran the event out of the facility attached to (or part of?) the Golf Dome in Buffalo, NY.  Access was off the main interstate (290 which is accessible from the 90) and the drive from the airport - if anyone had wanted to fly - is very straightforward.  The facility itself was clean, the wait staff there was great and there was a sports bar right next door.  There was plenty of room and it was fun to walk out to the golf dome which included a driving range and minigolf to stretch my legs a bit between rounds.  Overall, the venue worked really well.  The food was also great for the event with pizza and wings for lunch and delivery to your table on drinks/dinner.

Event Organization

The amount of effort and planing that went into making the GT was obvious from the experience.  The event ran smoothly and even ahead of schedule at times.  The scores were well organized, the missions were distributed with score sheets and other nice touches like a 'start of game order' for rolling deployment, psychic powers, et cetera.

For the most part, if there were any issues with organization they were transparent to the participants as a whole. The only nice touch I would have liked was an easily visible round timer to keep track of how fast I needed to play.  There were two TV's in the room, and a pair of Chromecasts (or equivalents) could have shown both table pairings and the time left in the round.

Missions/Terrain

One great aspect of this event was the original mission design that was incorporated.  It felt like a bit of a throwback to earlier GT's  I have played before everyone decided to adopt the BAO model of book missions.  There were 4 original missions for the event that were very well balanced.  The bonus points were also unique to each mission set - so there was no Slay the Warlord or First Blood.  Instead you earned points for taking out all units that could move 12" or for being the first to grab the relic in the last mission.

It was really refreshing to play a new mission set, major props for devising the missions and then play testing appropriately to make sure nothing was broken in how the missions executed.

The terrain across the whole event was phenomenal.  It is worth checking their web site out to see how spectacular the tables were.  On aggregate it may have been the best terrain I have seen at any GT I have attended/seen online.  Many boards were LED lit, there was LOS blocking, ledges and ridges plus impassible bits to make maneuver and positioning really important for all four games.

Results Summary

I posted my proposed list a few weeks ago, but made some changes from that original form.  I wanted to bring a fast list, with models I would not break if I went to the open bar and that had some psychic output, but did not get bogged down in that phase.  As always, I ran an assault oriented list which means I usually spend a lot of time eating overwatch which really slows down games.  My final list included:

HQ

1 Herald of Khorne w/ Lesser Gift, Greater Gift, Juggurnaut, Locus of Wrath

1 Blue Scribes

Elites

9x Fiends of Slaanesh

Troops

10x Horrors w/ Iridescent Horror

10x Horrors

Fast Attack

18x Flesh Hounds

9x Screamers

The Screamers were great all 3 games, as were the Flesh Hounds.  The Fiends just do not have the punch they need, but they had a few bright moments.  For Fiends to really work I think they need either +1 A or to have their anti-psyker powers fixed to be relevant in 7th edition.  The Scribes were also fun - having the chance any turn to make a Greater Daemon is fun.

Game 1

The mission is Table Quarters, Dawn of War.  I faced a Guard, I mean Astra Militarium, player with 40 conscripts, Platoon squad with 3x Chimeras, Wyvern 2x Priests, 2x Commissar and Plasma Executioner.  With so many bodies to overwatch we only made it through 3 turns - not to mention priest rerolls.  It was table quarters and I took it - if we had gone 5 turns I think I would have tabled him.  I had just cleared out his Conscripts and all but 1 unit from his Platoon when the game ended.  I snagged 8/10 this game.

Game 2

The mission is 2x Objectives worth 3/2/1 points if they are in your opponents, neutral or your deployment zones respectfully and Dawn of War  I am paired against fellow TGS member Chris L with his Eldar.  3x Wave Serpents, Spirit Seer, 2x Fire Prism, 2x Wraithguard and 1x Dire Avengers.  I drop all my objectives into Chris's deployment zone - I have to come for him this game anyway.  There was a lot of 4+ cover this game, and the mission allowed me to make all the objectives Scatterfields.  With 3+ cover and my speed, it was a really tough matchup on a 4'x4' board.  These T4 heavy Daemon lists are also just really well suited to take down Serpent lists.  Not to mention I summoned a Bloodthirster from my Horrors on Turn 2.  Full points on this one with a tabling, 10/10.

Game 3

It is modified Kill Points against Garrett with his Blood Angels and Vanguard Strike deployment.  Garrett has Blood Angels with Librarian, 2x Assault Sqauds, 1x Missile Devastators, 1x Autocannon/Las Predator, 1x Furiouso in Pod and 1x Tactical Sqaud.  I push forward aggressively and am poised for a Turn 2 assault.  Unfortunately I miscalculate my Screamer wall and led the dread get into my Hounds.  He kills a few - but not many due to getting +1 Invuln on the Warp Storm.  I take the dread with the Screamers while losing a few units to the Assault Marines.  When I break free it is over and the Hounds/Herald cleanup while the fiends finish slowly taking down Tacticals.  Another tabling and 10/10 win.

Game 4

Crispy, Hyv3 and I are all sitting at 28 battle points after three rounds.  I end up paired down - but not really down as I am facing Shawn Kemp of Da Boyz fames Ork Boyz.  He is running a diverse list with 6x Meganobz, 30x Sluggas, 5x Loots, 3x Lobbas, 1x Battlewagon, 1x Trukk, 1x Warboss, 5x Bikers, 10x Storm Boyz, 5x Tank Bustas.  The mission is modified Relic where you receive 1 point per turn it is held and 2 if you own it at the end of the turn.  I get Turn 1 with Dawn of War deployment and snag the Relic while Turbo Boosting Screamers to create a wall in Kemp's deployment zone.

Kemp has to stay put, since moving forward means a massive multiassault that will likely break most of his army.  I lose the Screamers - but pickup the relic again and and get a great turn with +1 Warp Storm, Cursed Earth and a passed Grimoire.  With a 3++ on most of my army I eat a huge assault, but manage to win a key combat with my Fiends due (insanely) to failed fear tests.  I continue passing the relic back and by Turn 3 it is obvious I have too many bodies to get through to the Relic as I have been summoning Heralds left and right in the backfield.  We call it at the start of Turn 4 and I snag 10/10.  This game really hinged on that one bad assault that kept the Fiends alive and some good positioning on my part.  I could feel my army breaking, but by the time it all fell apart my lead was just going to be too big.

The final results came in, and without spoiling the others I took home:

It was a great finish for the event, and my first GT level award.  I am looking forward to next year as this event continues to grow and I love how it really expresses the Beef and Wing Club's personality.  Thanks to them for running a great event, with outstanding prize support, missions and organization.