2 Games with Different Outcomes

I was hoping to have the second half of the series on finishing the Contemptor Dread completed, but there is a problem with that...well...several problems.  (1) Been very busy with summer time chores and freakish loads of work; and (2) the Contemptor way too fun to use in games and I like it a lot. 

Pro Tip/discussion sidebar
The Mortis Contemptor AA variant is 180 points in the game.  Skyfire, interceptor, etc., yada yada.  12 rending dice, 24 inch kill range, 3 HP.  Fun stuff!  BUT -  it is not the only great choice for your "heavy slot" as a generic marine player.  For 180 points another option could be 2 autocannon/HB preds (same front armor 13, 4 autocannon and 12 HB shots, 1 HKM bonus missile, 36 inch kill range, 6 total HP, takes two heavy slots).  If you compare these two choices, there are pluses and minuses for both in a basic game of 40K. Replacing it on the fast side would be 2 HB/AssCan Speeders (24 inch kill range, 6 HB dice and 8 rending AssCan Dice).  I'm waiting till I see the next Codex in September before I make any more sense of it all.  The Contemptor is a great choice. 

Back to gaming:

Game 1 - 1850 Points!
3rd Company Vs Grey Knights!  Kill Points!
Played the Calth Reaction Force 1750 list with 2 added MM attack bikes (squadroned).  My opponent had a pretty interesting list that frankly was somewhat designed to fend off deep striking/podded attackers.  Basically:

Coteaz
Terminator Librarian
Squad GK Terminators (5)
Squad GK Marines (with quake) (10)
Squad GK Veteran Equivs (10)
3 Paladins
2 Autocannon Dakka Drednoughts
3 Squads of Guard EQs (7, 7, 7 ish)
50+ models, nice paint jobs, looking like these (sorry for the picture quality):

We were playing the long way across the table.  GK's deployed first and pretty much castled up on a hill in the center, holding the Paladin and IG Equivs in reserves.  I looked at the terrain and the deployment and knowing all of his shots were S5+ (psybolt ammo) decided to use the terrain to my advantage - I'd deploy and swing around a single large building in the table center and turn his flank. 

To be successful, I needed to bait him forward and await the arrival of the Paladins.  I did that by Turn 1 podding the tactical squads to my deployment zone.  It worked.  The Paladins dropped in and were all gone without being able to assault me. 

In the end, my strategy worked, but not without un-necessary risks.  I did succumb to the joy of deep striking in my Sternguard...and of course they deviated into Coteaz' "kill them" bubble, and the psycannons and such throttled one combat sternguard unit (melta gun half).  The plasma half killed off a dakka pred and the sergeant throttled the IG units when they flooded in from reserves.  The Sternguard Pod had a beacon, but was destroyed before the Terminator and Librarian Arcadius could gate there. 

But, in the end, everything worked very well.  I gave up just four KPs but got 9 KPs, first blood, and linebreaker.  11-4 score.  Third Company Wins!  The unit that did the least for me this game was the Scouts.  MVP was a tie between the Contemptor and the Sternguard. 

Game 2 - 4 Player - 1250 Points Each! The Relic!
3rd Co Plus Spacewolves vs
Blood Angels plus Orks
No picture of this game, too bad as it was a bunch of fun, and a continued training ground for some new players.  Ripped Dragon and a friend vs Anthony and Me! 

The BAs/Orks deployed first and it would be dark.  The BAs had a mech-heavy list with an infiltrating Baal Predator, and reserved deep-striking assault marines, Captain, and Chalice carrier. The orks had 2 large mobs, 2 units of Kans, Warlord and retinue in mega armor with a truck, and anchored with 10 Lootas.  I used a 1250 point sized 3rd Company list (Cassius, sternguard pod, Mortis Contemptor, 2xcombat squads with razors, scouts, typhoon), and Anthony's wolves had 2 rune priests, Grey Hunter Packs on foot, 2 Long Fang units, and a Wolf rider unit. 

The game started tremendously well with the opponents moving forward, then my Sternguard podding in to wreck a couple of BA vehicles, a dead Kan and other stuff .  We got First Blood!

In the end, we just did not have enough "stuff".  We lost the game about 6 to 1.  Again, the unit that did the least was the scout.  I made a major tactical error around turn 4, failing to pull of an assault on the deep-striking BA captain and retinue; that unit ended up splitting apart to lock up the Contemptor for the remainder of the game in assault with the Captain, while I chased down the other BAs. I actually lost Cassius in a challenge with that same Captain trying to free up the Contemptor.  The orks ran away with the Relic...

Well, enough for now!  I picked up the new Apocalypse rules last week, and am working on a game idea for that...

Look Ma! I'm In A Movie!!! A Bug Movie...

I am still working on my Mortis Contemptor Dreadnought, Part 2 will be soon. 

Instead of painting progress, over the last week I had the fun opportunity to get in a game of 40K vs Spectre Senence, filmed for the Spectre's gaming 40K Channel! 

It was a lot of fun!  And you guys know how 3rd Company loves to fight bugs!

So here is a link to the first part of the battle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_bu4IdPYBU

I played using a slightly modified Calth Reaction Force List, but changed how I played it, just because Librarian Arcadius' Warlord trait allowed him and the unit he accompanied to infiltrate. Here is a shot of my force....

The Tyranids would have the ability to make more bugs during the game, and their assault element would be pretty large. 

We would play Crusade (4 objectives worth 3 points each), diagonal deployments.  3rd Company chose for the bugs to deploy and go first.....the battle was later afternoon, with sunset coming to the ice planet....would 3rd Company and the newly rebuilt 1st Company handle the horde?

Work in Progress - 3rd Company Contemptor Mortis Dreadnought Varus

Guess what I'm adding to my 3rd Company Armory!  Very exciting.  I've bought Forgeworld books and a few Ultramarine bits in the past, but this is my first full model.  I bought the Mortis body and the Kheres Assault Cannon arms.  Reason being, I need the AA multi-purpose dakka!

Here are some work-in-progress shots.

First step was soaking and washing in hot water and simple green (detergent) and a scrub.

Partially constructed.  No instruction are provided, to it is important to test fit everything and match to Forgeworld photos.  The most difficult thing was the assault cannons, which come as the most detailed part to build, assembling each gun mechanism and it takes a bit of dexterity to superglue them together.  I found that you had to assemble them completely with slow setting glue, and if you did it right the parts pretty much snap into place. 

You can see Dreadnought Severus and some First Company Vanguard (also in progress) in the background.

Assembly completed. I am doing some thinking now on how to do the base, whether to continue a vs Orks battle debris theme, or something else, and also what the painting style will be like.  I also have some Venerable Dreadnaught parts around, may be able to add some other details. 

Side shot so you can see the size difference. The Kheres Assault Cannons are much larger, and overall Varus is a bit taller than Severus.  In about a week I'll post the next round of pix, (part II) from priming through painting and each major step.  I plan later on to go through some decal and hand painting/freehand work, so Part III should be fun too. 

Lastly, I visited another gamer store - Dirigo Games in Yarmouth, Maine this past weekend, picking up some primer, basing sand, and a piece of terrain (I always try to buys something when I get to a gamer store!  Gotta support!).  There were 3 40K games ongoing...a guy I'd never met before was just getting his game going - a solid 2nd Company Ultramarines list.  He says every list he plays is built around 2nd Company Captain Sicarius. The parting shot: A combat squad holds his Aegis line and quad gun on the left flank, Thunderfire and techmarine in cover in the center, and razorbacks and combat squads with Sicarius on the right flank.  Stormtalon and pod squad in reserves.  Life is good!