A week-and-a-half ago I managed to get to the club and play a game at short notice against a very nice chap called James. He wanted something competitive, so I brought a fairy cheesy competitive Mechanised force - 1500pts. Here it is:
HQ: Primaris Psyker (70)
HQ: Coy Cmdr w. 4x plasma guns (110)
Chimera (55)
EL: Psyker Battle Squad [x10] (110)
Chimera (55)
TP: Vets 1 w. 3x plasma guns (115)
Chimera (55)
TP: Vets 2 w. 3x melta guns (100)
Chimera (55)
TP: Vets 3 w. 3x grenade launchers (85)
Chimera (55)
FA: Hellhound w. smoke (135)
FA: Hellhound w. smoke (135)
FA: Devil Dog w. multimelta + smoke (140)
HS: Hydra (75)
HS: Griffon (75)
HS: Griffon (75)
= 1500pts
I played James's Space Wolves, and his list was made in response to mine, given his choice of models. We thought it'd be fun to play a game from 'Battle Missions', so we did, and we rolled up 'All-Round Defence' meaning the marines were in the middle defending a central objective and I was attacking from all sides. My HQs and HSs had to stay in reserve.James's list included the following (I think):
Runepriest
15 Bloodclaws w. Wolf Priest in a Landraider Crusader
Dreadnought w. plasma cannon + stormbolter in drop pod
Long Fangs w. 4 lascannon and a missile launcher
Long Fangs w. 4 hvy bolters (I think)
15(?) Grey Hunters in a drop pod.
To cut a short story shorter, I won first turn and had tabled him by the end of my turn two. Here's my post-match notes - in no particular order - as I'm wont to do...:
- James was unlucky with his rolling at times; that is, he certainly wasn't lucky.
- It would've been far more even if he'd won first turn
- He was a tremendously nice and knowledgable opponent
- My first shot = Str9 AP1 large blast on target from my psykers (although all marines except 1 made their cover save)
- My second shot = Devil Dog melta cannon short-range shot on the landraider: one-shot-one-kill.
- I must remember to keep psyker battle squad more than 24" away from psychic hoods or equivalents
- The Primaris Psker annihilated the dreadnought after coming in behind him from a reserve rule
- The rules for deployment really made my job easy.
- Templates and blasts worked very well, even when considering cover saves.
- From five scatter-able shots I made, four were on target!
- The runepriest was killed by a griffon shell!
- My hydra didn't get to play
- I ran out of targets: James conceded rather than bring on his reserved Grey Hunter drop pod.
A top opponent, and I was genuinely sorry for giving him such a tonking. The emperor was with me that night.
Cheers all,
- Drax.
I dont think I've ever heard of tabling someone on Turn 2! Good Job!
ReplyDeleteImperial Guard are now a seriously dangerous opponent.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your victory and congrats on your sportsmanship.
J
Considering you call it cheesy, competetive game, am I allowed to dissect the game a little? ;)
ReplyDeleteHonestly said, those weren't really competetive and definitely not cheesy lists, I'm worried what would mine get called if I ever dropped by UK! A Manticore, 2-3 Leman Russes, 2 Vendettas, 2-3 melta/plasma vets are more-or-less standard things I field! But I guess Poland is strange like that, even the games we play at home are competetive by the world's standards.
Your list, it's solid, but on a tournament around here it probably wouldn't last too long. Grenade launchers are fun, but there are better things vets can be carrying. If I was making a list, I'd go for two Devil Dogs and one Hellhound instead, if not drop it completely - I really had no luck with it against MEQs, which make the most of armies now. Of course everyone and their dogs use Vendettas but I suppose it's a model issue?
I'm not too surprised with the result, considering your opponent fielded only about 30 models in such a high point limit - against most of Guard lists that's a suicude. Lascannon Long Fangs are horribly expensive, I prefer not to max them out. But Blood Claws in an LRC are something I really want to try out one day! Oh and it had to be 10 Grey Hunters, that's their limit and the limit of Drop Pod's capacity.
Still, it sounds like you had a fun game and congrats on the victory! I hope I didn't come across as a WAAC jerk, which seems to be the term Warseer loves!
Also, your post has made me to finally decide to write another tactics article, this time combining all the knowledge and experience I gained from the tournaments, where I got pounded soundly and how the meta changed..
One I'm saving for later is a culexus assasin within 12" of the PBS. He gets an extra shot with his psychic hat of doom for each one still alive. Expensive in points, but then all =I= assets are, these days.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the win. Sounds like a fun time. Good on your opponent for taking the beating so well!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the win. But I don't think either list was cheesy. Yours was upper middle-tier and his was woefully short of long range anti-tank fire.
ReplyDeleteSolid list ... the tonking was largely down the bad luck and that the battle missions are pretty 'skewed' in all. Best try out the battle missions which don't apply to either party ... Slave Raid (DE) worked very well between Chaos Marines and Guard precisely as half the rules did not benefit either party.
ReplyDeleteA thought.
He had a Marine force holed up in the middle and couldn't charge you as you came on from every side. You had a rolling death truck of an army designed to roll on the board and shoot, repeatedly until dead.
IT wasn't really going to work.
Yeah, I take all your points, and thnaks.
ReplyDeleteThe nice thing was that James was really cool about it, and it was a fun - if brief - game.
Yes, it was one-sided and yeah luck was also on my side, but playing a special scenario'll do that.
As for cheesiness?
Well now, I did say it was only fairly cheesy (although I actually wrote "fairy"!) and for me it was.
Naturally, if I wanted a proper competitive list I'd never take grenade launchers or griffons, but it still packed a punch.
I think it's a real chame that the only 'light' direct-fire anti-tank option the Guard have for long-range work is the Vendetta. It's a fantastic buy for the points, but I wish there was a tracked vehicle to compare.
Let's face it, chaps: if I were to convert a chimera into a fast vehicle with three T-L lascannon for only 130pts I'd get laughed off the table! And that's without transport capacity!
A manticore is next on the list, of course...though I'm also toying with the idea of converting a launcher as an option for one of my griffons...
Sounds like you had fun! It looks like an enjoyable list you used - perhaps in one of the Standard Missions things might have been a bit more even? (I'm not familiar with any of the Battle Missions).
ReplyDelete