Last weekend was the GSC’s first tournament. I had a blast and went 3-2, which I was pleased with, particularly when you read about how I lost my first game…..!
The list I took was
Cult Insurrection Detachment
Brood Cycle
5 Acolytes
5 Acolytes
5 Acolytes
5 Metamorphs
10 Neophytes.
10 Neophytes.
17 Purestrain Genestealers
Command
Patriarch (Level 2), familiar
Magus (level 2), Crouchling.
Subterranean Uprising
Primus
7 Acolytes, 2 Rock Saws
7 Acolytes, 2 Rock Saws
7 Acolytes, 2 Rock Saws
7 Acolytes, 2 Rock Saws
10 Metamoprphs, 3 Claws, 3 Lashes, Sacred Standard
10 Metamoprphs, 3 Claws, 3 Lashes, Sacred Standard
10 Metamoprphs, 3 Claws, 3 Lashes, Sacred Standard
CAD
Magus (level2)
Primus
10 Neophytes.
10 Neophytes.
The list has changed from the first iteration, based on a couple of things. First, I’m not persuaded that a big unit of hybrids is the way to go. It’s too vulnerable to getting torrented down. Second, the TO ruled that when “setting up” via Cult Ambush, you count as having moved, so the Seismic Cannons would be snap shooting. On that basis I’m not persuaded they’re worth the cost in this list. So I took out the big unit of hybirds and the Seismic Cannons, and added more Rock Saws.
The tournament was 5 games ITC format (unusual in the UK) and around 20 people came along. There were a mix of armies, the most popular being War Convocation! Only one Tau army and only one Eldar. There were a lot of Knights, so I was glad of the Rock Saws ….. but I never played against a Knight all weekend!!
Game 1
Against a very sound player I’ve played a couple of times before (we’re 1 and 1 in tournament games), playing Marines with Coteaz, a bunker with 5 grav centurions in it, thud guns, and servo skulls. I got first turn. The TO had ruled that Servo Skulls do not effect Cult Ambush. My opponent bubble wrapped his bunker with scouts ….. and I rolled a bunch of 6s on the cult ambush table!!
In fact I rolled so many sixes that I didn’t need that many units to breaking his bubble wrap. I decided to commit only 3 small units to clearing the bubble wrap, and returned everything else to the shadows hoping to roll a bunch of 6s next turn and take out the bunker and its contents. Spot the “deliberate mistake”? Well I wiped out the bubble wrapping scouts quite easily and had maybe a dozen models on the table. I fully expected to lose all of them, but with the bulk of my army coming back at the beginning of turn 2, I was pretty content I could take him out. Of course, what I had completely forgotten is that, if he wiped out 12, T3 5+ save models in his turn one, I would have nothing on the board at the end of game turn one…… and automatically lose! Which was exactly what happened … duh! It will be a long, long time before my friends let me live that one down.
Learning point – be careful when returning to the shadows!!
Game 2
On the bottom table against Grey Knights. A bunch of purifiers, terminators and 3 Dread Knights. The only real challenge was Coteaz, because I didn’t get first turn. So I brought everything on way out of range, and returned “almost” everything to the shadows, before coming in from reserve on turn 2. I rolled a bunch of 6s (including on the genestealers) and pretty much wiped out his whole army in a couple of turns of assault. Hybrids and Metamorphs are horrendous in assault when they get their various buffs (WS5 from sacred standards, furious charge from the Icon Ward, hatred from a nearby Primus, and “might from Beyond” from the Magus). Two 5 man units of Hybrids from the Brood Cycle walked through a Dreadknight as if it wasn’t there.
Learning point – you can play around Coteaz. My opponent positioned him badly and I could get near enough to charge his unit, but still stay out of his line of sight.
Game 3
Against Ravenwing. A whole bunch of little 3 bike squads, 2 support squadrons and a command squad. This was the kill points game, which was a bit of a challenge given how many kill points I have. He got first turn, so I put everything on, and then took it off again, to come on from on going reserve on turn 2. I rolled a few 6s but not many, and I was worried about the support squadrons intercepting, and overwatching, particularly when I also had to worry about the bikes overwatching on BS2 with their twin linked bolters. This was a tricky game. I had to be very careful about where I brought in units and I lost a lot of guys to overwatch (at one point a Magus found himself assaulting a 3 man bike unit all by himself having had 5 hybrids shot down around him from overwatch … that didn’t end well!). To get anywhere I had to have 2 units assaulting, one to soak the Overwatch, and another to kill the unit. It was pretty even right up till turn 5 ……. but then the big unit of genestealers with the Patriarch came in from ongoing reserve, rolled a 6 and multicharged my opponent’s 3 remaining units to wipe them out. A lucky win to be fair.
Learning points – lots of little units are better than one big unit. More chances to roll 6s, and more units to eat overwatch.
Game 4
Against a demonic incursion army. Eight units of flesh hounds with a herald and 8 (I think) units of screamers with a herald plus Fateweaver. Loads of units but they were all fast attack … and it was the scouring mission. Combine that with getting turn one, and the Patriarch rolling Ambush Leader on the warlord table (choose result of cult ambush) and I was pretty confident. He deployed all his dogs plus Fateweaver, bubble wrapping as well as he could. I came on, rolled a bunch of 6s and wiped out all his dogs, plus the herald of Khorne by the end of turn 2. He had reserved the screamers, but having +1 on the reserve table (special rule from the Insurrection Detachment) meant they came in piecemeal and I was able to pick them off one by one. In the end I had killed so many fast attack units that the objectives didn’t matter.
Learning point – having even 6 dice to throw at cancelling powers is pretty good. I was able to shut down a lot of Fateweavers shooting powers. Also – playing against another army with loads of units is hard work. We got to the end of Turn 4 but we really had to hustle.
Game 5
Against an Iron Hands Medusa Strike Force, with Sisters of Battle, and a conclave, to create probably the most obnoxious death star around at the moment. However, I got first turn and rolled a 6 with the Genestealers, a unit of Metamorphs and a unit of Rock Saw Hybrids. I also rolled Might From Beyond {Rage and +1 Strength). So I thought, maybe I could dent the death star before it gets its powers up (he had rolled invisibility). So I set up to assault the death star, rolled Might from Beyond on the Genestealers and mass hypnosis on the death star (-1 attack, WS and Initiative) . I got in with all the units and put well over 100 wounds on the deathstar (note “wounds”, not “hits”), many of which were rending … and killed one bike!!
It went downhill fast after that!
Learning points, even if you think you can kill an Iron Hands deathstar ….. you can’t (unless you’re stomping, or have some other sort of “remove from play” weapon). I would (of course) have done much better to simply ignore the bloody thing, feeding it little units, and play the mission. To be fair, I knew that from the outset, but I thought I had the perfect opportunity to kill the thing and wanted to see how it would work out. But now I know … “badly”. There is just no point in trying to kill that unit.
Hopefully, the new “Agents of the Imperium” book will stop this sort of nonsense. Being able to put Saint Celestine in the unit (for “hit and run”) and the Priest with his war hymns (re-rolling all saves or all wounds), is what makes it really silly. If the unit had to rely on psychic powers it wouldn’t be so bad. If it hadn’t been re-rolling wounds I think I might have taken it.
So 3-2, which I was pleased with. More thoughts to follow.
And I won “best painted”!
EYIG
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