Tuesday, September 28, 2010

1500 point tournament at the GP in Lafayette




I am excited about the tournament that Carlos has put up for the end of the month. He took some of my contructive criticism and really made some changes to the tournament set up that I think are pretty cool. Check out his write up below. I really like there is 2 days to play in case you cannot make it on Saturday. You can only play one day, but still, very neat. I really like how he has modified the army composition compared to what it was, and changed the painting. Great Job Carlos!! Let's flood his place with players. I am not sure what day I am going yet, but I will be there! How about you????

Now special characters are a little hosed, but not totally. :) Yeah Vulkan and Fateweaver!!!!!!!!! Eat it!!!!!!

Warhammer 40,000: Spring Tournament, 2010
The Game Preserve, Pavilions, Lafayette

When & Where
Saturday or Sunday, October 23rd or 24th, 2010, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm.
The Game Preserve, Pavilions, 100 South Creasy Lane, Suite 1030, Lafayette, 47905. (765) 448-4200.

Format
The tournament will consist of three rounds, conducted in a Swiss format, each day. You can play Saturday OR Sunday, but not both. Standard Force Organization: each army must have at least one HQ (up to two) and two Troops (up to six) selections. You may have up to three selections from each of Elite, Fast Attack and Heavy Support (although there are composition point considerations. See below.)

Requirements
- There is no entry fee if you sign up in advance! Day of registration, the entry fee is $10.00.
- Due to space restrictions, a maximum of 12 players will be allowed per day. The official sign-up sheet is in the store.
- Each player must bring one army of no greater than 1500 points. All army lists must be typed and are to be turned in the morning of the Tournament (you will not get it back). You should also bring a copy for yourself and perhaps your opponents.
- Armies must be selected out of current Codices. No Legendary or Apocalypse units or custom vehicles are allowed. Chapter Approved armies must be approved in advance by the TO.
- All figures in your army should be painted to level 1. If not, you will lose points.
- You must bring all relevant materials, including rulebook, codex, dice, range ruler, templates, etc.
- Optionally, you may bring a single piece of painted terrain with a base up to 6” x 9” and up to 6” high. You will be able to deploy this piece of terrain in your deployment zone.
- If there are any questions, email them to Carlos: eurotia@yahoo.com.

Scoring
A player’s overall score will include points in the categories listed below. There are 114 points possible.
- Battle outcome (0-20 points per battle)
- In-Game Attitude (judged by game opponents 0-6 points per battle)
- Army Appearance (pre-game, peer judged 1-12 points)
- Army Appearance (TO judged basics 0-6 points)
- Army Composition (TO judged 0-18 points)

Schedule
Each game will be played to the end of six full rounds or two hours, whichever occurs first. At the end of the round, all games still in progress will cease immediately. Any player deemed to be stalling will result in a five point reduction in victory points for that game, and that player’s opponent for that round will be awarded five bonus victory points (to a maximum of 20 and a minimum of zero).

9:00 to 9:30 Registration. Please be on time.
9:30 to 9:50 Pre-game, peer judged Army Appearance
10:00 to 12:00 Round One.
12:00 to 1:00 Lunch break. Fend for yourselves.
1:00 to 3:00 Round Two.
3:30 to 5:30 Round Three.
6:00 Awards Ceremony!

Prizes
Prizes will be awarded for the following achievements during the Tournament.
- Best Overall score – Boxed set of your choice (< $90)
- Second best Overall score – 40K Boxed set of your choice (< $40).
- Door prize for one random tournament finisher – 40K Blister pack of your choice (< $20).
The winner of the tourney will also be immortalized on the Hall of Heroes plaque forever.
Battle Outcome
Each battle each player will be able to earn up to 20 points by destroying enemy models and through various in-game objectives. Successful armies will incorporate speed, firepower, and assault capabilities, while minimizing casualties. The Post Game Results Form will be printed on the back of your mission handout. Your opponent will fill out your Battle Outcome score, and initial it. Then you will take the form back, grade your opponents on In-Game Attitude and initial it.

When judging In-Game Attitude, consider the following and award one point for each bold question:
- Was your opponent on time and ready to play each round? Did he have all relevant codices, dice, templates, measuring devices, etc? Did he present you with a copy of his army list?
- Was your opponent pleasant? Or was he merely there to do some business?
- Did your opponent take set-backs in stride? Or did he drone on about how bad his dice are?
- Did your opponent seem to measure distances fairly? Did he “bend” any other rules?
- Were you and your opponent able to resolve rules disputes amicably? If a judge was called over multiple times, this may indicate that someone was a rules lawyer. If it was you, then perhaps you should give your opponent this point anyway.
- Did your opponent use good dice etiquette? Did he leave the dice on the table long enough for you to acknowledge them? Were his dice easy to read?

Before the tournament, you will grade all other player’s Army Appearance, ranking them from first to last, with your army last. Your criteria are your own.

During the tournament, the TO will judge every Army’s Appearance according to a simple method, earning one point for each of the following:
- Is the whole army painted to “Level One”? This means that every model is primed, with a layer of additional color on all parts of the figure. If any figures in the army are bare plastic, metal or primer, the player gets a zero for appearance.
- Is a consistent color scheme used? For most armies, models should look like they belong to the same force or squad, rather than looking like a miscellaneous hodge-podge of different forces.
- Are all the models in the army based? Is the entire army based with static grass, flock or sand?
- Is there a fair amount of conversion work? Cut and glue space marines are just fine. But are there any awesome poses that took conversion work? Any custom vehicles?
- Are the models shaded and highlighted? One layer of paint over primer is not good enough.
- Are the models detailed? Decals, free-handing, and other such details and iconography can really enhance the look of an army.

During the tournament, the TO will judge every army according to a simple method, awarding points for each of the following (the number in parenthesis is the maximum points earnable):
- Each troops selection that is at maximum size (2). Chaos will earn this point if their troops are at their chaos number (Tzeentch 9, Khorne 8, Nurgle 7, Slaanesh 6) or the printed maximum. Imperial guard will earn this point for each platoon with two or more infantry squads, but not for veteran or penal squads.
- If Elite is not maximized (2). One or two choices will earn you this award.
- If Fast Attack is not maximized (2). One or two choices will earn you this award.
- If Heavy Support is not maximized (2). One or two choices will earn you this award.
- If HQ is not maximized (2). One choice will earn you this award.
- For each troop selection over the minimum (4).
- If the army has zero special (named) characters (2). Anyone with a name counts, including sergeant and vehicle upgrades.
- If the army has zero duplicate, non-troops selections (2). You can have one Leman Russ squadron with three tanks, but not two squadrons. One Terminator Assault Squad and one Terminator Squad are ok. One Dreadnought, one Venerable Dreadnought, and one Ironclad Dreadnought are ok. Two Devastator squads with completely different numbers and equipment will not earn this award.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Doubles Tournament!!! Beat down by Fateweaver x 3




Well,

The tournament was great with 28 players showing up to fight in the doubles tournament of 2000 points. Wouldn't you know it I had to fight 3 fateweavers which is probably the biggest problem against my Thunderwolf list. My first game was against 2 fateweavers which should have gone our way, but of course it was kill points, and Jim's fateweaver made too many re-roll saves even for fateweaver. My son and I then were playing for 3rd hopefully by tabling our 2nd opponent and then having to play fateweaver and chaos sorcerers with obliterators in the third game. I am more than irritated at how the last game went, but we were beat fair and square. (Even though 1 player was basically controlling both armies and just told the other when to roll and what to shoot at.) But it was fun none the less and I was super excited for everyone that came out.

For the second tournament in a row a Foot Eldar list won 1st tied with the double fateweaver list we played in the first turn. There were many great looking armies and a lot of newer players, some old vets that came back, young and old, and of course Steve B. was there, and well he is his own category.

Hope to see you again at the next tournament of 1750 points November 6th!!!!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Pure firepower. Guard or Space Wolves



VS








After picking up guard for the amount of firepower the codex has, then changing all my space marines to Space Wolves I have enjoyed playing both, but want to get a perspective on your thoughts as far as the best overall army as it relates to firepower.

When I started guard it is kind of funny because I fell in love with Colonel Straken and made a guard army that can fight in close combat. I added some firepower, but commonly used Daemonhunters to give me that punch with Straken. I then had a V-8 moment and realized all the incredibly powerful combinations that I had thought about such as the psyker battle squad in a chimera combined with Griffons. I looked at the Hydras and said, OH MY GOSH!!!! These are amazing. I fell in love with the ability to lay a tremendous amount of firepower with the vendetta's and the melta/chimera love the veteran squads give.

I then picked up the space wolves when they came out because I love assault and close combat. I started sharpening my skills with the space wolves using Ragnar and a lot of bloodclaws. They were fun, but not as successful as I would have liked. Just like the guard codex, I started really reading about the other units and saw the tremendous ability of different types of longfang units, thunderwolf calvary, rune priests in pairs, and razorbacks.

I made two lists I wanted to play at Ardz boys. One was guard and one was space wolves. I let my son play space wolves while I played my guard list. I was shocked when my son basically tabled me by turn 3 with the list I made. This was the first time I had been handed my butt with my mech guard list. I was stunned, and shook my head as it must have just been the dice. (I did roll horribly, and as always my son rolled extremely well). I didn't listen to my gut feeling to take the wolves to the semi's and took the guard. I only did mediocre and vowed to not play the guard for a while as I felt crushed with disappointment. I have since been working on painting my wolves, expanding their effectiveness, and becoming a space wolves expert. I am not there yet and learn something new every game. I recently added a typhoon speeder to my arsenal that served me very well in my last tournament thanks to a few games against Scott.

What are your thoughts on the two lists below?

Guard List-2000

Company Command Squad-3 meltas in Chimera

Veteran squad-3 meltas in Chimera
Veteran squad-3 meltas in Chimera

Infantry Platoon
PCS with 3 flamers
Inf Platoon with autocannon and Commissar
Inf Platoon with autocannon

Vendetta
Vendetta with heavy bolters
Valkarie with rocket pods

2 hydras
2 griffons (1 closed top)
2 Demolisher squadron-(1 with melta sponsons)

1 Storm trooper squad with 2 meltas

10 Psyker battle squad in chimera.



Space Wolves List-2000
Thunderwolf lord
Frost Blade, Runic Armor, Wolf tail talisman, Wolf tooth necklace, storm shield

5 Thunderwolfs
1 TH/SS
1 SS/CCW
1 BP/CCW
1 Bolter/CCW
1 BP/CCW and Melta bombs

Rune priest with Jaws and Murderous Hurricane

Rune priest with Jaws and Living Lightning

5 Grey Hunters with Flamer in Razorback with Twin Linked Assault Cannon
5 Grey Hunters with Flamer in Razorback with Twin Linked Assault Cannon
5 Grey Hunters with Meltagun in Rhino-(Rune Priest)
5 Grey Hunters with Meltagun in Rhino-(Rune Priest)

Landspeeder-Typhoon/Missle Launcher

Longfangs with 2 Plasma Cannons and 3 Multi Meltas
W /Razorback w-Lasplas

Longfangs with 2 LasCannons and 3 Missle Launchers
W /Razorback w-Lasplas

1 Predator with heavy bolter sponsons.




Both these lists are pretty powerful and have a lot of firepower. I am still leaning towards the space wolves because of the razorbacks and longfangs plus when the thunderwolves get to the tank line on turn 1 or 2, it is going to be pretty tough, unless the demolishers can take them out.

Thoughts?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Only 1 spot left for doubles tournament!!!




After a few last entries, there is only 1 spot left for the doubles tournament on Sept 26th. We have players coming from Evansville, Kokomo, and possbily Illinois. This is going to be a blast. Sign up today!!!!!!!!!

Just as a FYI. I will be playing with my 15 year old son in this one and yes I know will probably get beat down by all you experienced players. This doubles tournament is so easy to run, my 13 year old will randomly roll for the missions as previously discussed in the posting. With direction the pairings are all set up by winners of the 1st round randomly playing other winners, and loosers randomly playing loosers. As it is win or loose, there is no swiss format. Victory points are kept for each round as they will be the only tie breaker each round head to head, and for the final round.(There are no draws!) The third round will obviously be the 4 undefeated teams randomly picked to play each other, and the rest of the field split randomly between equal records.

Caulyn Darr will be the TO for the tournament. :)

I.E. 1 win and 1 loss teams will play each other, 2 loss teams will play each other chosen randomly from team names out of a box. This being said, 1 win and 1 loss teams absolutely could easily jump to third place. Hope to see the last spot filled soon!!!!

Also as an FYI we added a $20 best painted and $20 best sportsmanship team award that are separate than the overall payout.

If pushed and requested we might be able to push 2 more teams in, but I would prefer to have the extra tables for people to put their gear.

Saturday, September 4, 2010




This is me after the Lexpo tournament in Lafayette, Indiana. I will put more information after I cool off, but will now yell my head off for awhile.

I came in 2nd and normally that would be ok in an 18 person tournament, but I clearly should have had 1st and it was known by everyone at the tournament. Here are the details. (Even the first place winner told me I won.)

#1. I have already talked about my dislike of how the soft scores were set up to be determined by your opponent after the game previously.

#2. The person who won the tournament lost the last game against the 3rd place finisher. Are you lost yet?

#3. The third place player Justin won all three games but came in 3rd due to not having everything painted. (That is understandable)

#4. I won all three games, including against Carlos who was running the tournament on the third game, received top scores on all my painting, and all my points for sportsmanship.

Here we go!!

#5 BECAUSE I WIPED OUT MY FIRST OPPONENT AND HE QUIT BEFORE TURN 5 WHEN HE HAD A UNIT OF TERMINATORS THAT STILL HADN'T COME ON THE BOARD, HE GAVE ME A BIG FLAT FREAKING ZERO ON ARMY COMPOSITION!!!!!!!! The stupid SOB got curbstomped and I lost the tournament by 1 point instead of winning because the douchebag was a poor looser.

It is not my fault he rolled bad.

My army list was as such:

Thunderwolf lord
Frost Blade, Runic Armor, Wolf tail talisman, Wolf tooth necklace, storm shield

5 Thunderwolfs
1 TH/SS
1 SS/CCW
1 BP/CCW
1 Bolter/CCW
1 BP/CCW and Melta bombs

Rune priest with Jaws and Murderous Hurricane

Rune priest with Jaws and Living Lightning

5 Grey Hunters with Flamer in Razorback with Twin Linked Assault Cannon
5 Grey Hunters with Flamer in Razorback with Twin Linked Assault Cannon
5 Grey Hunters with Meltagun in Rhino-(Rune Priest)
5 Grey Hunters with Meltagun in Rhino-(Rune Priest)

Landspeeder-Typhoon/Missle Launcher

Longfangs with 2 Plasma Cannons and 3 Multi Meltas
W /Razorback w-Lasplas

Longfangs with 2 LasCannons and 3 Missle Launchers
W /Razorback w-Lasplas

1 Predator with heavy bolter sponsons.

The 5 questions for army composition where:

Was the army fun to play against?
Where thery all large squads?
Where there any cheesy combos?
Where there alot of Identical squads?
Some other question I cannot remember?

How does someone give zero on any of these questions for the army list above? The player I am referring to had somewhat close to the list below:

Chapter Master-With a lot of gear
Librarian-With a lot of gear
Ironclad in drop pod with 2xkrak missles
Venerable dread in drop pod with plasma cannon
10 man tacsquad in drop pod
5 Terminators with some special weapon who didn't come on the board
10 man tacsquad in Rhino with melta and powerweapon
10 man tacsquad in Rhino with melta and powerfist
10 man tacsquad in Rhino with melta
5 man devestator squad with Razorback

It was not my fault he didn't get his tacsquad with in the drop pod with his librarian and chapter master until turn 4 and since there wasn't anything left they died in 1 turn. It was not my fault he didn't get his terminators on turn 2,3, or 4.

I was so angry I gave back the 2nd place prize. The biggest piece of BS I have ever seen at a tournament.

How would you rate the army compostion if I was playing you?

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Thunderwolf Lords


Thunderwolf Lords are incredibly versitile and deadly in close combat. With Toughness 5, Strength 5, Initiative 5, 5 base attacks, Weapon Skill 6, Ballistic Skill 5, and the ability to take all kinds of wargear they can cost as much as a landraider. That being said, I have used different types of Thunderwolf Lords to wipe light vehicles, stun landraiders, destroy infantry models, etc. As I complete my list for Saturday's tournament. What type of Wolf Lord would you rather not face?

A. Frost Blade-(Strength 6) with Storm Shield-(3+ Invol), Runic Armor (2+ armor)
B. Thunderhammer-(Strenth 10) with Storm Shield-(3+ Invol), Runic Armor (2+ armor)
C. Frost Blade-(Strength 6) with Bolt Pistol-(6-attacks), with Warrior Born Saga-(For every model killed, get +1 to base attacks the next combat phase)