When triumph turns to tragedy

[Brother Chaplain Ryld]

Hi all,

We had a doubles tournament this weekend. I partnered up with a space marine player. Our lists was:

 

 

Space Marine Force

Master of the Forge, Power Axe, Servo Harness.

 

Dread, Twin Las Cannon, Missile Launcher.

 

10 Man Tactical Squad, Power Fist, Melta gun, Las Cannon, Razorback, Twin Linked Las Cannon, Extra Armour.

 

 

10 Tactical Squad, Power Fist, Melta gun, Las Cannon, Razorback, Twin Linked Las Cannon, Extra Armour.

 

Land speeder, Typhoon Missiles, Multi melta.

 

Land speeder, Typhoon Missiles, Multi melta.

 

Whirlwind

 

Whirlwind

 

Total= 1230 Points

 

 

Black Templars Force

Emperors Champion, Armour of Faith, Black Sword, Terminator Honours, Crusader Seals, Frag Grenades and Bolt Pistol, Accept Any Challenge No Matter The Odds Vow.

 

Grey Knight Grand Master, Terminator Armour, Psycannon, Psychic Hood, Nemesis Force Weapon, Targeter.

 

5 Sword Brethren Assault Terminators, 2 Thunder Hammers, 3 Lightning Claws, Furious Charge, Land Raider Crusader With Smoke Launchers.

 

8 Initiates, 2 Neophytes, Power Fist, Melta Gun, Rhino with Extra Armour, Smoke Launchers.

 

7 Initiates, 2 Neophytes, Power Fist, Melta Gun, Rhino with Extra Armour, Smoke Launchers.

Total= 1265 Points

 

Grand Total = 2495 Points

 

We played 6 games over the weekend. Each game had objectives, plus there were bonus points you could achieve along the way. One point each for the most expensive HQ killed, the most expensive unit killed, a scoring unit in their deployment zone and no scoring units in your zone.

 

The first game had three objectives which moved D6 inches in a random direction every turn. Our opponents were Tau and Space Wolves. The opponents were ok, they did try to put two different 5 man squads into one transport. :o

In turn 4 we held two objectives and they held one. Turn 5, and one of our objectives in terrain scattered and we rolled badly in the moving and running phase. They disembarked from a rhino and ran to contest the objective and managed to do the same with the other one we held, so one objective to them, none to us.

 

Second game we played Thousand Sons and Guard. We had to designate 2 targets each from the enemies army list and take them out, while protecting one of ours each.

I chose his lord and marines he was attached to. My partner chose a huge unit of guardsmen and a command squad. I chose to protect the EC and my partner chose to protect his Master of the Forge.

The game was fun to play. I ended up killing both my targets, and losing my EC. The MotF died but the Guard's command squad survived. It ended up a draw. It came down to the last roll of the game which is always good. The EC needed to make an Inv save to live, but failed. Alas I rolled a three and was taken down by a chaos champ. He did wound the lord and take out Ahriman himself. The best dice roll of the game went to my partner who passed 18 armour saves from 18 wounds from a punisher tank on three marines. Stallion effort.

 

Game three, and we were up against another Chaos and Guard list. This one had a Daemon Prince, another punisher and terminators, as well as marines and guard squads. The objective for this was to hold three objectives at the end of the game.

We popped a few tanks early on, and pinned his big unit of marines for two turns with the whirlwinds. His terminators deep striked behind my LRC, so I turned around and slaughtered the squad. We sat a 5 man tac squad on the objective in our deployment zone and they did the same. The third one was in the middle amongst terrain, so it was a rush to get to that one.

His Daemon prince deep struck into the path of my LRC, which fired all of it's weapons into the prince, killing it. We had thinned his big units right down, and in the last turn my LRC piled into the terrain and unloaded my Terminators and Grand Master into his marine squad, killing them all and sent a speeder to contest his objective. So at the end of the game we had two objectives to nothing.

 

Game 4, and this was the most tedious game I have ever played. The opponents were a couple of kids who were rather suspect with rules and measuring. In the kids defence his partner bailed on him and he had to find a replacement the day before the tournament. His replacement didn't have an army so the organiser lent him his beserker army. So it was Grey Knights and Ultramarines with Khorne allies against us. Awesome.

The mission was get scoring units and a designated HQ within 6 inches of the centre objective. Troops and designated transports could be recycled when both unit and transport was killed or immobilised/destroyed. (so both had to be taken out and a 4+ rolled so they could start from then deployment zone again)

This one was trickey for us, they had 3 units of bezerkers, GK in power armour as well as two or three other troop choices. We killed each unit of theirs twice, but didn't lose either a transport or the full squad. We had last turn, and piled everything we could into the centre. In the end we won by 2 VP, so a minor win.

 

But it was a real tough game, well, that's putting it nicely. They were an absolute horror to play. The chaos player killed my GM with a melta. A few minutes after I removed him from play I remembered that the marines were on the edge of a terrain piece. I then measured from where they were to where they were now standing. 10 inches. I then measured to where my GM was standing when he died. 12 inches. I pointed it out to the player and he got all shirty over it, but his partner was all apologetic and was even embarrassed by it. So I put him back on the table and we continued. He then power fisted my LRC with another squad of bezerkers, destroying it. I then figured out that he didn't roll to hit it, even though it had moved 12 inches. I let that one go as they high fived and looked so pleased with themselves when it was destroyed and because it had no bearing on the rest of the game.

 

So after a real long day, we had lost, drawn and won twice. Going ok so far.

 

Day two, game 5. And we were up against Chaos and Eldar. The mission on this was random. We rolled to kill as many HQ as we could and they rolled to protect one of their HQ units. This was done in secret so we didn't know till after the game.

 

This game was an absolute nightmare for our shooting. They had two prism cannons, two wave serpents and two Land Raiders. At the end of the game we had immobilised one wave serpent and weapon destroyed a prism cannon and weapon destroyed a Lascannon.

I did manage to kill two HQ's, but not the one that mattered which once again came down to an inv save. The Chaos player had taken Khârn and Huron Blackheart and the Eldar player took two farseer's and they chose to protect Huron. I did kill Khârn and a farseer, and if he had of failed his Inv with Huron my GM could have killed him outright with his force weapon but it was not to be. In the end they won with a minor victory.

 

Game 6, and this is where it gets hard to understand. We had two teams pull out, so we only had 8 teams for the weekend. 6 games, we should get to play all but one opponent right? Nope. The organisers decided that teams ranked 1 and 2 will play each other and teams ranked 3 and 4 will play each other. We had not played teams 1 or 2 but had played team 4 in the second game. And teams 1 and 2 had played in game one. Very strange.

 

So anyway, the mission was table quarters each, and you had to get a scoring unit in each zone, bonuses for the opponents zones with no enemy units in the zone to contest.

This game went according to plan. We popped all their tanks with the lascannons and meltas, the Terminator, a 5 man combat squad and the GM took out two squads of thousand sons and Ahriman, a lord and a champion. The GM and 4 terminators died, leaving a hammer terminator and three marines to hold that quarter. My two units of Crusaders slaughtered dozens of guardsmen and popped a few leman russ tanks and the whirlwinds reaped a huge tally on their heavy weapon squad, keeping them pinned for most of the game. In the end we cleaned them out in 5 turns, getting all 4 zones as well as all 4 bonus points.

 

So at the end the organisers announced the winners of Sportsman, painting, best generals and overall winners. We won best painted and overall winners. This was totally unexpected and we had only won three games, lost two and drew once. There was a bit of a "discussion" with the organisers that we didn't get to play the two top ranked teams prior to the last game, which I agree with. But this morning I get a call from the organisers, There was a mix up with the scores. Our points were added from the last game to the overall score, not the battle points section. So I had 12 hours of celebration before we were stripped of our title. :eek

 

Oh well.....

 

We did have some fun games over the weekend. I would have liked to have a crack at the top two teams.

The winners for our lists were the razorbacks and the terminators. The razorbacks stayed in the game quite well throughout the tournament, and everyone was surprised how well the terminators with furious charge did. The GM was a bit of a flop, but did force weapon a few characters. He didn't get to use his psychic hood much as most of my opponents rolled high on their opposing rolls. The loser was definitely a lascannon marine from the second combat squad. I kid you not, he did nothing all tournament. In one game, against the guard and chaos with the terminators and daemon prince all he killed in 5 rounds of shooting was a single guardsman. We even swapped dice, got different people to roll his "hit" dice. Seriously, he was like rolling ones every time. When he killed the guardsman it was 6 to hit, then 6 to kill. Shocking. He's in the process of being melted down (very slowly) and turned into a button.

 

Next time for my list I think I would add a marshall with lightning claws back in. It's amazing, when you have preferred enemy, then use someone who doesn't have it you wonder how you ever got on with out it in the first place. :wub:

 

Cheers

[Brother Richard]

Good report.. thank you. I don't get to play tourneys often so it is nice to hear the different methods and patterns out there. Looks like you had a good mix up of missions.

 

Are there any missions you would scratch from the list and never play again? Any you would have like to play again?

[Brother Chaplain Ryld]

The first game was my favourite scenario. Even though we lost, it was really different to have mobile objectives. I did find the second game the hardest. This scenario was played at the last tournament and I found it difficult then. All my units want to get stuck into combat, but you still have to try to deny your opponent VP for killing your protected unit. So it makes you think, do I nominate a big squad, a single HQ or a unit like the terminators who can dish out so much pain, but can be quite vulnerable in small-ish numbers.

[Ryan]

I'm personally thinking of taking my Templars to the 2011 Doubles GT but trying to get a 750pt list that works is a nightmare (especially when you need 1 Elite, Fast Attack & Heavy Support before you can take a secound)

[Brother Chaplain Ryld]

Yeah, that does restrict you somewhat. What army is your doubles partner taking?

[Ryan]

If we go Marine then its gona be Imperial Fists

[Hellios]

I'm personally thinking of taking my Templars to the 2011 Doubles GT but trying to get a 750pt list that works is a nightmare (especially when you need 1 Elite, Fast Attack & Heavy Support before you can take a secound)

Don't make a 750pt list... make a 1,500pts list with your partner! No way without team-play! I want to go to a doubles tourny... they seem more relaxed than GTs and so on...