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