Escalation WIN!

[philsminions]

Brothers! I just returned from my first 500 point game in our new escalation league. Our little gaming club decided to do one, since the LGS keeps backing out of their promise to host. My first game in 19 years resulted in a decisive BT victory. I played against a BA jump infantry list with a psycher and a sanguinary priest - no mech and no heavy weapons!

 

I took a mechanized CC list because I was thinking I would be facing guard and mech space marines. Instead we had mech orks, footslogging ultramarines with a librarian, and this BA jump infantry list. Our IG players were out of town. Sisters, nids, crons, and DA were all otherwise engaged elsewhere - they've got some games to make up. We only had one table at my buddy's house, since the other guys couldn't make it; so we took turns and had time only for two games total. Orks and Ultras fought to a draw by controlling an obj each at the end of turn six - it was only a matter of time before the Orks were to succumb to the more experienced Ultras player, but that would have taken another four or five turns. Then it was my turn.

 

My list: 500pts on the nose

Castellan with BP, PW, FG

 

Crusader 1

4 Initiates - BP, CCW

1 Initiate - PG

2 Neos - BP, CCW

Rhino - EA, SM

 

Crusader 2

3 Inits - BP, CCW

1 Init - PG

1 Init - ML

Frags

Razor - TLHB, EA, SM

 

Typhoon

 

Played Capture and Control, Pitched Battle.

 

I deployed close to my obj, knowing that he was making a B line for it.

 

BAs went first and jumped closer to me. Shot his psychic power (Blood Blade? something of that sort) at my rhino and missed. I moved the Razor and Rhino six inches towards him but kept the Typhoon within three inches of my obj. We both rolled well. I kept shooting him up but he kept making his saves. Turn two he closed with my vehicles so he could use his two PF and the psychic power to try and knock them out. EA came in handy on the Razor and he only stunned the crew. I blew his Sang Priest away with my TLHB from the Razor and began whittling his infantry down with the Typhoon. Turn three he immobilized my Razor. I deployed the boys from both vehs. They shot and killed the psycher and assaulted his two squads. My Castellan and friends laid waste to an entire squad, killing every last one they faced. My five man Razor squad went tit for tat and killed two, but also lost two.

 

This is where I messed up by, "GULP" forgetting the Dex. ;) I know, I know...you don't ever leave home without it, but I really thought I had placed it in my big box of fun. So, my inexperience played a factor here.

 

I failed the morale check, and not knowing the "less than 50%" rule OR remembering all there is to know about Righteous Zeal, my three man squad began falling back. The other three I was playing with didn't know about Zeal either, nor did they read the rules under "And they shall know no fear"...and I lost all three guys to the BA "sweeping advance". Sad when you don't know what you're doing!

 

Not to worry, though. I tried to run his remaining four guys down with my rhino, but they made the save (dang dice!). So, I shot the crap out of them instead with everything I had left at my disposal. I wiped them out by end of turn four. Lots of fun!

 

So, the newb BT player can actually crunch out a win. Lots of mistakes were made, but overall a great experience and felt really good to finally get in a game. Thanks to all of you guys that gave me advice over the past year. It has paid off in some respects. I have a very long way to go in learning all the rules and the ins/outs of playing BT. I'll probably tweek the list for my next game in two weeks. We're talking about upping the points to 750 so we can take some more goodies with us. I'll let you know how that goes. Cheers!

[Castellan Alaric]

hey man, well done! good to hear you had a good time! def need to remember that codex next time bud ;) how will you expand to 750? maybe add a dread or something? how did your typhoon perform? i haven't ever played with one and i'm curious haha

[philsminions]

You know, my dice rolling skills got better as the game wore on, but only where it really counted. My typhoon was responsible for killing three models...two vanilla jump infantry and his psycher. Two with the HB and one with Krak Missiles. I used Kraks most of the game as his guys closed with mine pretty quickly and I didn't want the template drifting back into my lines. I hit and wounded constantly, but he kept making those saves! All in all, I like the Typhoon. I can only imagine what a couple more will do. I was surprised at how well the Razor did. It became an immobile gun platform only because of a lucky hit with a PF. As soon as my troops dismounted, my opponent was doomed! I never used my frags or smoke...frags bc I forgot I had them, and smoke, bc there was never really a need to use it. I guess I could have popped smoke at the end of my first turn movement phase to keep him from using that long range psychic power on me? Lots of fun. I can't wait to go again! For my 250 point increase, I may add another Typhoon, the Emp's Champion obviously, and some more troops probably. I will probably drop the ML marine in the Razor squad for another CCW guy...I really could've used him today. I'll have to play around with it over the next few days and see what I can come up with. For sure, I'll have that Dex in my hand!

[Castellan Alaric]

sounds like you have a good game plan man. i might suggest keeping in mind a dread w/assault cannon and DCCW for the mid range AI and AT it brings (don't know if you're playin the same guys again). and ya, them dice certainly have a mind of their own don't they? great that you were hitting and wounding though man, all that you can do right? also i might suggest melta guns instead of plasma guns (even though i do really enjoy plasma) cuz they are assault weapons and you could fire em and then charge as well. just some suggestions man

[philsminions]

I just worked up my prospective 750 point list. I know that the same guys will for sure be there next time, so it will be a toss up between Ultras, Orks, or BAs. None of those guys have many vehs, so they're mostly shooty infantry types with an odd veh or dred thrown in. One or two of our guard vets may be there...much more experience and the availability of any veh of their choosing. With that in mind...my list:

 

EC - AAC

Crusader 1 -

4 Inits w BP, CCW

1 Melta

1 Init w BP, PW

3 Neos w BP, CCW

Rhino w EA, SM

 

Castellan - BP, PW, Frags

Crusader 2 -

3 Inits w BP, CCW

1 Melta

1 Init w BP, PW

4 Neos w BP, CCW

Rhino w EA, SM

 

Typhoon

Typhoon

-750 points on the nose

 

My thinking is that I now have two ten man squads full of CC killy goodness and a sled each to get them into the assault. I kept the castellan with PW for his four attacks and cheap frags. Two meltas to help with light vehs or dreds and getting six HB shots and four ML shots to handle both infantry and the light vehs. Hoping that it can handle the enemy known and at least compete with the more experienced players, should they play as well. Excited for my next match!

[Castellan Alaric]

i like your list man, should do just fine! since you're more assault oriented i think your meltas will perform very well indeed! let us know how it goes!