Battle at Blobs Park, a 2000 pt. GT Tournament

[littlbitz]

Last weekend I headed to Jessup Md. to compete at the Battle at Blobs Park. This was a one day event, 4 Games at 2000 points.

A great day at a great venue! The Inner Circle Gaming Club did a great job putting this event together. I don't normally travel this far for a one day event, but with having to cancel my trip to the Nova due to the hurricane, I figured what the hell...

Here is the list I took:

HQ: Logan Grimnar

HQ: Wolf Guard Battle Leader on a bike with Frost Blade, Melta-bombs and a Wolf Tail Talisman

HQ: Wolf Priest on a Bike with Melta-bombs

Troops: Grey Hunters x10 with 2x Melta-guns, Mark of the Wulfen, Power Weapon and Wolf Standard

Troops: Grey Hunters x5 Plasma gun. Mounted in a Razorback with Twin-linked Lascannon

Troops: Blood Claws x7 with Flamer, and Power Weapon. Mounted in a Rhino

Troops: The Wolf Guard

1. TDA, Assault Cannon, Power Fist

2. TDA, Assault Cannon, Power Fist

3. TDA, Combi-Plasma, Wolf Claw

4. TDA, Combi-Plasma, Power Weapon

5. TDA, Combi-Plasma, Power Weapon

6. TDA, Combi-Plasma, Power Fist

7. Bike, Power Fist, Combi-Melta

8. Combi-Melta, Wolf Claw

9. Combi-Melta, Power Weapon

10. Power Fist, Storm Bolter

Elite: Wolf scouts x5, with Melta-gun, 2x Power Weapons, and Melta-bombs

Fast Attack: Swift Claws Biker Pack 3+1 the Attack bike has a Heavy Bolter, one has a Melta-gun, one is equipped with a Power Fist, the entire pack has Melta-bombs

Heavy Support: Long Fangs x6, Pack Sgt. has a Power Weapon, 5x Heavy Bolters

1998 Total.

I know on all outward appearances this list seems extremely soft. As you will see however, the only reason why I lost the games I did was due to some mistakes I made and not due to the lists I faced (although how tough my opponents lists were is also debatable).

I gotta run for now, but later today I will post some quick game overviews, with what I did right and what went wrong.

[TiguriusX]

I know on all outward appearances this list seems extremely soft. As you will see however, the only reason why I lost the games I did was due to some mistakes I made and not due to the lists I faced (although how tough my opponents lists were is also debatable).

 

I think you lost because the legendary Thorgrimm wasn't in action :P

 

Looking forward to your batreps as always

[littlbitz]

That's funny Tig, and I agree. I really missed having Thorgrimm on the board, but I was dying to try out Logan Grimnar.

 

Game one was versus Will Pauley and his yellow Blood Angels army, his list was approximately as follows:

Mephiston in a Storm Raven

Land Raider Crusader with a kitted out Terminator assault squad with a Libby and Priest Character

Land Raider with an Assault Squad

Razorback with an Assault Squad

Libby Dread in a Drop Pod

 

I may be forgetting something, but that was roughly what he had.

 

The primary mission was Capture and Control as per the Rule Book, with a secondary objective of killing you opponents ICs and a Tertiary of controlling your "Beer Keg" and capturing your opponents.

 

We had a "Pitched Battle" deployment, and I won the roll off for first turn. looking at his army, I decided early on to split my forces into a defense force to defend my own objective and a strike force to attempt to capture his.

 

This would have worked, but I went about it all wrong. In my very first turn I began my advance with my foot slogging GH pack, and my Terminators pack. My Long Fangs with Logan giving them Tank Hunters caused 3 glancing hits on the Storm Raven, with my Lascannons on my Razorback finishing it off. This forced Mephiston on foot early.

In my own eagerness to blast him off the board with my Plasma toting Terminators I ended my move a little too close to him. To be honest I forgot he could FLEET! So in his turn he used his wings power, used fleet to gain an extra, wait for it... yes SIX inches, and then charged my Wolf Guard, killing them all before they could even swing!

His Librarian Dread dropped right into my lines, his turn one ends with me already on the ropes...

Ouch, and important lesson learned there, and a crippling hit to my army.

 

Luckily in my second turn my Scouts came on and took out the Land Raider with the small assault squad that he was using to defend his own objective. The Scouts then defeated the squad inside, and forced his second assault squad to bail from their ride (which I later destroyed again with tank hunting Long Fangs) to fight the scouts. This time they were defeated, but they more than accomplished their mission. Now the only unit he had on his objective was 3 assault marines.

Unfortunately, the loss of my Wolf Guard meant that I would have to sacrifice my bikers to kill Mephiston. I knew they could finish him off but that they would fall to the large squad of Assault Terminators that were coming in behind to support him. As I predicted they were able to finish him off, but a meager 3 inch consolidation move was not enough to get me away from the incoming Terminator squad.

Sitting very close to my objective was the looming Librarian Dread. I dismount my small Grey Hunters pack from their Razorback in an effort to deal with him, but his armor proved to tough for my single melta-gun and plasma gun.

 

The end of my second turn, still saw me back peddling all because of a turn one mistake :ermm:

 

In his turn, he continues his advance with his Terminators who had walked through my large GH pack the previous turn. (another foolish mistake, the beer was already flowing freely) They smash into my Biker pack, and utterly destroy them, at least Mephiston was dead. He then charges his Dread into my small GH pack and kills one of them.

 

In my turn I try and seize the initiative back, I rush my Rhino forward with the Blood Claws inside, and pop-smoke, in an effort to take his objective. Logan leaves the Long Fangs and decides to bail out the Grey Hunters pack that is being sorely pressed by the librarian Dread. The Long Fangs give up their shooting this turn to move and then run for two reasons to get some distance away from his Terminators, and to try to take up a clear field of fire on my opponents objective. Turn 3, and I finally have my head out of my 4th point of contact, and am turning this into a game. Logan who had used Pref. enemy this turn, also popped his extra attack ability and utterly destroyed the Dreadnought. Freeing up what was left of my Grey hunters, sadly they would have to abandon my home objective, but at least they still carried my Beer Keg. The win would be up to the Blood Claws in their Rhino.

 

In his turn, my opponent used his melta shots from what was left of his small assault squad to pop my Rhino (yes I failed my smoke cover saves.) He then used his Crusader to make a mess of my Blood Claws, but the time all was said and done, I only had 3 Blood Claws left, and my Pack Leader was gone.

 

The rest of the game results in me staying away from his Terminators, I manage to immobilize his Land Raider, but not before he finishes off my Blood Claws. I move Logan back into coherency with the Long Fangs who now have relentless, and I blast his last remaining troop choice off the board.

 

Even after all of my mistakes I manage to pull a Draw on the Primary mission. I also control one Beer Keg, and he did not have any. He did however kill 2 of my ICs to me killing one of his, giving him this objective.

 

This game was an absolute blast, and the bottom line is messed up early on, and my opponent took advantage of that, preventing me from pulling a win. No excuses, lessons learned.

 

The VIPs this game, were easily the Wolf Scouts who accounted for destroying the first Land Raider and of course my Long Fangs, who with their Heavy Bolters caused three glancing hits on the Storm Raven, Destroyed a Razorback and destroyed the Assault Squad that was on his home objective which also caused him to drop his beer keg.

 

Sorry about the lack of Pictures, but they all turned out very dark. Even though the event was outside and under a pavilion it was very cloudy and the lighting wasn't very good.

 

I'll get game two up shortly, thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

The destruction of my Wolf Guard forced me to

[Natanael]

I didnt realise that your LFs had Heavy Bolters. Tank Hunter sure helps them, but still, I think they would be better off having MLs. I usually run one pack of each, tho, but if I had to pick I'd take the MLs.

 

Good report anyway - looking forward to the next. Shame about the pics, I'd love to see some of your army in action again.

 

- Nat

[littlbitz]

Thanks Nat, I took Heavy Bolters, simply because they look cool, and if you have ever seen me toss dice, I really need 15 shots to hit anything. I too thought that the missile launchers would be better, but after using the Heavy Bolters in a few games, I don't know that I'll ever look back, at least when I field Logan. I love the relentless or tank hunter on those Heavy Bolters. People were chuckling all day when they were watching them in action.

I am currently building 2 additional Long Fang packs, but those are all packed with Lascannons (that however is for a different post)

 

Game 2 was against a young man from my area, Brad Park, and his Tyranid list. Lots of big bugs and Gaunts.

 

The mission was kill points, with the same bonuses for extra battle points.

 

We had a board corner deployment. My plan was to channel the enemy through a lane of fire, using a small unit as bait and blast him away with my guns, and then strike with my Bikers, working the bikes around the long way and striking the rear of his force.

 

While a good game, it was a bit hum-drum so I wont do a complete battle report for this one. Suffice it to say my plan worked except for one error which in the end would cause me to lose. For some odd reason (too much beer?) I thought that Tyranid Warriors were a 3+ save, not a 4. Had I known, I would have been able to spend several turns blasting them off the board gaining several extra kill points from my Heavy Bolters raining death, instead I targeted Gaunts who were always in cover.

 

My bikers proved there worth, taking out several of his big bugs before falling to the Hive Tyrant.

I lost this game 6 kill points to 5. Just one point, again due to a mistake on my part. :D

[KGatch113]

I blame myself for your loss....shouldn't have bought you that beer :D Must have addled your memory.

 

For anyone new reading these, Ted's army is beautiful. His highlighting puts the GW studio to shame...check around I know there are posts on his technique.

[littlbitz]

Thanks Keith, for both the kind words and the beer.

 

Game 3 was against a Space Marine player, with an army painted as Ultra-Marines, but using Vulkan (he was painted blue as well). Then we had his Land Raider Redeemer, which was actually a normal Land Raider, his Razorbacks with Twin-linked Lascannons were actually the Las-Plas variety, His Land Speeders actually had Multi-Meltas not Heavy Bolters, his Dreadnought had a Multi-Melta as well, not the Assault Cannon, oh and those aren't flamers on those Tactical marines they are Melta-guns...Oh, there were the 2 Vindicators

 

I felt like I needed to pull out my note pad and start taking notes on what was what. I didn't say anything to my opponent, but non WYSIWYG drives me crazy. I actually meant to politely say something after the game to him, but had forgotten.

 

This mission was Seize Ground with 5 Objectives, and the typical Secondary and Tertiary HQ, Beer Keg toting objectives of the other missions. Deployment was Dawn of War.

 

I gave my opponent first turn, and held everything off the board, to get a feel for his placement. The game was also to be set at six turns, so I thought holding last move would be a good thing.

 

I pushed early, marching my whole army onto the board on my right side, while shooting my Bikes up hard on that same flank. He advanced in an armor column leading with his Vindicators and his Land Raider placed behind, and a little to my left. He attempts to fire the Large Blasts but both are just out of range.

 

In my second turn my Wolf Scouts come on early! I quickly place them behind the Vindicators, as the rest of my army continues their advance. My shooting sees some success as I drop the Land Speeders, and my Bikers take out a Razorback and expose the soft squishy center. I am now stuck with a bit of a difficult decision, do I shoot at one of the Vindicators with my 2 MGs and risk just popping one? or do I go for it and simply multi-assault both with my Melta-bombs. I decide to go for the glory and assault both Vindicators. Six Melta-bomb attacks, needing fours to hit. This should be easy on 10 armor. But no, I whiff. That's right folks, not one landed. Uh-oh ;)

 

His Vindicators begin punishing me through out the rest of the game. I manage to destroy one, and eventually take the gun off the other, but not before they made a mess of both of my Grey Hunter packs.

 

It was my Wolf Guard Terminators led by the mighty Logan Grimnar himself this game that saw me through, as they were able to capture an objective, as did the mighty Blood Claws after tearing apart a Tactical Squad, the Bikers were able to contest a third.

 

I ended up taking a win this game.