Monday, March 25, 2019

Blue for the Invitational

I'm going to an invitational, narrative, team event in two weeks. It is always pretty cool to go to this kind of event, and if maxed out, each team will have 9 players. its also a BBQ, and beers are table side.

Because of the pre-event narrative, I've decided to go with a list in line with the event's fictional themes and scenarios. It also has be building an Ultramarines List (breaking out the blue guys!  Third Company supported by the First and 10th!) for the first time in way over two years...here are the high points grouped by detachment, wargear may vary to match the collection and such.  Some of these models have not been used in a while, and some never saw battle!

1750 Points

Tellion (named character)
Librarian in Terminator Armor
5 Scouts (sniper rifles and cloaks)
6 Tactical Marines
6 Tactical Marines

Chaplain in Terminator Armor
6 Assault Terminators (3 with TH/SS, 3 w/ LClaws)
5 Sternguard
5 Sternguard

Captain
1 Landspeeder (HB/Typhoon)
1 Landspeeder (HB/Typhoon)
2 Landspeeders (HF/MM)
Stormtalon Gunship (AC/Typhoon)
Stormtalon Gunship (AC/Typhoon)

I'll probably also rearrange the components, but it is a good first cut.  Because its all from one source I get extra CPs per the event rules. 

Of course the Chaplain, Librarian, and Terminators are a turn-2 arriving reserve. 

Tellion deploys with the scouts, in cover, hopefully elevated, with the job of slaying characters. 

The Captain and Sternguard provide some sturdy boots to rapid fire enemies out of my own deployment zone, screened by the tactical squads, who also have a role of keeping nearby objectives.

The speeders and flyers will really do some work, hopefully, being fast and agile, to work around the terrain to mop up enemy units.  Two of the speeders are a bit short ranged, but are to pop out from behind terrain to put the hurt on things, kill zombies, whatever is needed. 

Interestingly the event includes selecting one un-named character before the day starts, and buffing him with traits out of the 2018 Chapter Approved, and also applying some campaign upgrades to some units as well.  Every time you lose a game, your character gets more buffs.

Team Captains are there to assign / match opponents to table missions.  Each table has different terrain, mission parameters, and objectives. The list above is designed to do better in some missions than others, which adds to the fun. Some tables have faction-specific mission cards tagged to a specific player. 

Based on the new rapid fire beta rules, I'm torn between the assault terminators, vs taking shooty ones instead.  I'll have to noodle that out. 

The Librarian and Chaplain are key here, as they both have the ability to buff up the terminators and help them the into the assault.

Right now the Captain is kept cheap.  He might end up as the warlord. He might get the best free relic too.  His best benefit at the moment is to buff the units around him.  If he's assaulted, it probably means everything else has gone badly.   

I'm uncertain as to who will be best as the character I get to buff. The Librarian is likely, as some buffs just plain make him more survivable.

I'm hoping to at least scrimmage this list vs a similar sized Blood Angels list in the next week.  Plus I'm going to pre-select meaningful stratagems, and make some reminder cards for buffs and auras.  Should be fun! 

I'll try to add more comments on this list as it evolves over the next 10 days...

Thoughts? Crazy? Scrap it? 

MING

5 comments:

  1. Looks like fun with a fair mix of armor and elite units. Will certainly be different from my own Ultamarine force consist of only Primaris marines inspired by the novel “Blood of Iax”

    Just to clarify (for your expectation) you’ll have a custom deck of 4 faction specific objectives that you will draw from each round. This will be an additional mission to the primary at the table. Looking forward to this event. Never sold out of slots so fast. Or heck prior to the day of at all really. Should be fun.

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  2. I'll do some list tweaks over the weekend. For fun I'd like to swap in a new Primaris unit as troops, need to make decisions on relics, and decide to keep the chaplain or swap him for something else. Interesting that the Shadowspear fiction booklet shows that the (spoiler) new Captain got croaked - and that even though they appear to be 2nd Company (w/o Sicarius) it is somewhat implied that the Ultramarines might actually be substantially exceeding codex-strength...

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    1. I’ll have to look through the Shadowspear book. Pretty sure all the marines chapters have been let off the hook about chapter strength. One of the major plot points in Dark Imperium and Plague war.

      Sicarious no longer leads second company. He leads the Vixtrix guard, guillimans body guards with what survived the second company on the trip to Terra with Guilliman.

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  3. Well...apparently 2nd Company's replacement captain, described in Shadowspear as a quiet loner, well suited for the Vanguard, has already been lost and will need replacement...I don't event really know where my much vaunted 3rd Company Ultras stand...At this point fluff wise, my 5th Company Blood Angels all are Death Company...any new Blood Angels will be Primaris...all of the regular marines were pretty much decimated. Regardless, rumors are every new battle zone expansion this year will be accompanied by new models, new rules, and new specialist detachments...

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  4. If I can squeeze in the new Captain, his redeployment warlord trait might be really useful...

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