Rockport Invitational of Summer 2018

Time to clear out some photos and give a report!

Long time blog followers may recall that Berman, the blogger at "A Painted Life" hosts an invitational event up at his place in Rockport.  He starts with a list of about 16 invitees and it goes from there. 

The event this July was a lot of fun, and I hope to be at the next one!

In this event, players were put on teams of the Imperium vs everyone else.  Berman created a neat player packet with special rules for each table and special stratagem cards specific to each player! A big amount of effort went into this team organized but narrative format.  Team captains did the table and player pairings after each round.  Events on some tables impacted everyone in your team. 

I went with two wins and a loss for the day.  For me, game 1 was vs Orks, game 2 was vs adeptus mechanicus, and game 3 was a team game, of myself and a Grey Knights army vs a nurgle / chaos marine pairing.  Game 3 literally went down to the last few dice rolls to determine the fate.

Besides points for games, there were points for painting, and bonus points if you played with a special "beer hammer" deck. 

We had a great potluck BBQ between rounds 1 and 2. 

Overall it was an awesome day of Warhammer 40K!

Here is a download of some (not all) of my photos for the day - some pictures of some of the armies, and photos from my games 1 and 2 and 3. 

Here is my army for the day - Blood Angels (Vanguard and Spearhead) supported by a Catachan Battalion.  10 CPs to use.  6 different characters. Overall I did pretty great with the painting scores.  Note, because the Astra Militarum codex no longer has power axes for sergeants, those blue axes were all counts-as chainswords. I'm using the regular "Cadian" style troopers as Catachans (except the sniper team)...my existing collection of Catachans is pretty old and not set up the way I'd like them, so it looks like I need to get more! I'm hoping GamesWorkshop comes out with a new Straken model...mine is the old pewter version and he's kind of flat and not very muscled up like the new models can be! I also want to get the shooty aggressors now - the flamer aggressors have their role (for defense), but that short range makes it hard to use them in offense!

 This was my opponent's army for game 1.  Orks...why does it always have to be Orks...I'll be outnumbered about 3:1

LOL, Ghazgul....Shaman...grots...

One of my favorite armies looks better every time I see them...

Great job by the "Thin Your Paint" blogger...

More. The base tops are all hand carved.  The tray is just awesome.  

Game 1 soon after deployment.  Table 1 had a Warhound Titan you could gain control of, just to fire at other tables...4 objectives to also fight over. I'm holding one and advancing the Catachans on two.  

Still around Turn 1.  Orks now advancing.  Colonel Straken and the Commissar provided the cheering squad to keep those mortars thumping away while holding the objective.

Probably around turn 3.  Orks were swarming everywhere and the battle devolved into 4 separate fights. I wiped nearly every ork boy off the table.  We were using ITC scoring, and it was a blast. 

Slamguinius and his bodyguards - pretty much all of the Blodd Angels elite - were wayyyyy off in the far corner. 

Ghazgul and Nobs opening up vehicles like old ladies opening cat food tins... eventually this game was a draw in normal points, but I got the win in bonus points. Straken eventually had to charge out of ruins to finish off a boyz mob, only to be run over by a Deffrolla on that Battlewagon... 

Game 2 vs Mechanicum on Table 4.  This game started off as a fight for the center, which control gave you a bonus CP for your team mates on all the other tables.  

Rusty Red Robots

By the beginning of turn 2 I was having to start to be more careful hiding stuff from the Mechanicum!  Sneaky Aggressors heading up to an objective...I'm holding the center with death company dudes...I have another group that dropped in the Mechanicum back field.  Pressure is on. 

I'm holding the center...but will soon see the death company get annihilated...them Rusty Red Robots can put out the dice...

Turn 3, the death company are replaced by the next wave - Slamguinius and Lemartes are holding it firm. But I'm getting thinned out.  Eventually the Blood Angels prevailed, and I get another win.  This game also used ITC scoring. 

Team game, 800 points per player, on Table 7.  Deployment is underway.  The goal was to locate a hidden objective and hold it for the win. It was weird fighting on 1970's USA style terrain...

Death company had gone forward to hold but not test this objective to see if it was the real one...they got wiped out by this heavily converted demon prince of Nurgle...

Eventually we saw Kharn (before going all red) tank wound after wound and walk through the Blood Angels elite. My opponent uses a "Special dice throwing box", which I hate the idea of.  Maybe i needs to get a special box of my own...   

My team mate had problems of his own with Nurgle demons and zombies. 

Eventually i was wiped, and my team mate slogged on alone to try to capture the objective (found in the unroofed building). 

Everything dies...The last of the Imperium saw zombies block them from their goal...we eneded up losing.  Overall, I think was Kharn making pretty much a hundred saves that changed this game from a win to a loss.  

Overall, for the day, the Imperium LOST.  I have no real idea how the rest of my team did.  

Since this event, I've used the same list twice and have had losses - both against demon infestations...Overall I was not taking those games too seriously...I'm just trying to study my list and practice up on all of the different things that I need to do!  I like running the Catachans.  I'll need to get another squad of mortars though and replace the snipers.  Mortars just do the work! 

All for Now. 

MING

Blood Angels vs Imperial Fists

Nothing is more fun than playing a good game and getting experience.

I must be an experiential learner...

I had a good time last night playing a 2000 point game, Maelstrom Mission #1, vs Benito at Specte Studios.  You can find more from him at spectrestudios.us

More importantly Benito was able to bring his kids along as dice apps!  The one teamed with me was a great dice roller, and I owe a lot to his 6's and 5's for this game!

The Spectre Prime brought his Imperial Fists - a beautiful, well balanced, all Primaris army. 

I was trying out rev 1.0 of my Blood Angels (plus Catachans) list.

The games essentially is pretty solid.  6 objectives, 3 cards per turn.  Dawn of war deployment. We played as written from the book (no roll for first turn, per the text for this mission).

I lost the roll to place the first objective.

We placed all 6.

My opponent chose the deployment type and edge.

Prior to deployment (the "mustering" phase), I burned two CPs to take a second relic, and then burned a CP to make my Captain as Death Company.  Rolled two dice. Got 2 CPs back. I pull the cards for my Librarian's spells.

I had to place the first unit.

Things get complicated quickly. I deploy my Catachans and Lord Commissar first. The Infantry form a skirmish line along my deployment line.

Sidebar comment to self - I need to make a cheat card just for their extra stuff (Catachan doctrine, Catachan special order, other orders, bubbles for what Strakan and the Lord Commissar bring).

My opponent ultimately deploys everything but the squad of 10 Reivers.

I deploy the Aggressors, Predators.  Everything else with jump packs goes into reserves.

Sidebar comment to self - I had intended to deploy the Death Company and move them up pre-game but forget.  I also need to check power levels to make sure I'm putting the required amount on the table.  I also need to create a 800 point, infantry-only list from this mess...

He had fewer units. Note the use of the Repulsor to carry the Primaris Librarian, Aggressors, and Lieutenant. 

He chose to go first.

I failed to seize.

Deployment complete....

Turn 1.
The Primaris Marines open a can of WhoopA$$ on my deployed units. Imperial Fists doctrine is such that their targets never get cover saves.

Catachan troopers were catching bolt rounds center and left.  I lost about half of them to shooting, and several more to end-of-turn morale checks. Red bandanas flew everywhere.  20 casualties.  If it were not for some unlucky dice rolls, things could easily have been far worse.

In response, I moved my Aggressors up in the center to try to hold it.  The Predator's linked up their telemetry and the Annihilator used its kill shot stratagem on the Primaris Repulsor tank. I put a few wounds on it, and caused maybe a few Intercessor casualties in the backfield.  The Catachan mortars were becoming my best friend.

Sidebar comment to self - re-study mortar use vs Catachan special rules/doctrines for better effect). 

At the end of the turn, I feel like I'm losing but the score is 0 - 0.

Middle of Turn 1...Catachan Casualties Mounting...

Turn 2.
The Primaris Marines move up on my left flank and deploy the Reivers from deep strike on my right.  In shooting, the dice gods do not favor the idea of destroying my Predators.  The Annihilator takes a few wounds.  In anti-infantry shooting, I lost two Aggressors, and most of the remaining Catachans, although one flamer-carrying bolt-magnet succeeded in absorbing a huge amount of dice! He even survived the combined flames from three advancing IF Aggressors! I lose my last Aggressor to failed morale.  The unit never even got off a shot!   They were mostly damaged by the Hellblasters.

Sidebar comment to self - re-study use of Aggressors - this is their second game and they never got to shoot. 

On my turn, I draw a card for slay the Warlord.  I decide I need to split the battle into three unmanageable chunks.

The Librarian, Sanguinary Priest, Sanguinary Ancient, and Sanguinary Guard drop down behind the IF Warlord (Captain).  Their mission is to take him and nearby IF marines out of the fight.

On the far right, my DC Captain, Lemartes, and Death Company drop in to first eliminate the Reivers, and then jump forward after the Hellblasters.

On my left, the remaining Catachans and Predators were to work over the advancing IF units (the Repulsor, the Primaris Librarian, Flame-Aggressors, and Primaris Redemptor dreadnought.

In this case, spreading out worked.

In shooting, the Repulsor was destroyed.  A few Intercessors were eliminated. The Librarian wounded, and Aggressors eliminated.

In assault, the entire Sanguinary team missed their charge vs the Captain.

On the right, only my DC Captain and Lemartes made it into assault with the Reivers.

On the left, a Catachan sergeant and Catachan flamer trooper made it into contact with the Primaris Librarian.

At the end, the Reivers were gone.

I'm losing the game, 4 - 0.

Beginning of Turn 2...I've advanced a bit to threaten the Imperial Fists with Flashlight Danger! Our two Dice Apps are getting ready for another turn!

Turn 3.
The Imperial Fists respond with a new hammer blow.  They turn their attention on the the Sanguinary team, the Predator Annihilator, and my Captain.  Shooting. Assaults.

In the end I lose the Annihilator, the last of my Catachan Troops, and 4 Sanguinary Guard. The IF captain is now fighting my lone Sanguinary Guard. Other charges had failed.

My Captain jumps forward, followed by Lemartes and the Death Company.  The Sanguinary Priest tries to revive a comrade and fails. In shooting, I finish off the Primaris Librarian, clearing any threats to my left.

In assault, the Sanguinary Ancient and the Librarian join the fight with the IF Captain.  Wounds are exchanged, but its a 3 on 1 stalemate.  The DC Captain is the only unit able to assault the Hellblasters, but he cannot reach them and is exposed badly.

The score is about 5 - 3. My opponent is out of CPs.

A Lieutenant, Librarian, and Aggressors walk into a trap...

Turn 4.
Shooting sees my Warlord / Captain dead by the Hellblasters, and the Sanguinary Priest is dead. I have a few CPs left. In assault, the Redemptor makes it into contact and but misses its attacks! The IF Captain loses its last wounds to the Librarian, but in a last ditch swing takes out my last Sanguinary Guard!

I reply with a few things.  The Librarian knows the gig is up, and leaps off to the objective in the board center using one of my last CP (to score an objective).  Lemartes and the Death Company leap onto the Hellblasters and wipe them out, and advance to engage the IF Annihilator. I also take out finally the IF Ancient.

The score is now about 7 - 5.

The Imperial Fist attackers have been eliminated...the center and right flanks are clear....

Turn 5
You can feel the game coming back to the Blood Angels at this point.  We play through the turn, with the Imperial Fists getting two more points, but no significant damage to the remaining Blood Angels units.  In reply, the Death Company annihilate the Annihilator, and finish off a few stray IF models.  I score four points or so,

Time for my own advance in Turn 4...mortar tubes are starting to peel their paint...Strakan and the Lord Commissar never broke cover...

The score is 9 - 9....but wait!  I have Linebreaker....

10-9 win for the Blood Angels!

We actually pulled our cards for turn 6 - the Imperial Fists drew things they could not score, and the Blood Angels drew cards that would yield more points.  Interestingly, I drew more "defend this objective #" cards than i can remember. 

Overall, it was a great game, and we had some good discussions on the state of the meta and the tactics for a few units (like Aggressors).

Near the end of turn 4...

It was good practice for this weekend's Rockport Invitational too! Look for photos and a report on that in a week or so!

Now I just need to keep practicing key list elements, gets some painting done, and reproof my list and build the 800 point sidebar list, all before Saturday!

Parting shot...that Dread Wont Squish My head...right after this, the Librarian pulled its last CP and headed away on Angels Wings...

MING