Railhead Rumble 11' Day I

So this past weekend I played in the Rail Rumble at AKON (which is apparently some well known anime and gaming convention) put on by the Heroic 28s Podcast. It was held in this megalithic hotel/mall complex, which was a pretty cool venue. It was a two-day seven game event, with the first day being pure win/loss to determine brackets for the second day battle point based finals. So Day I each game had three equally weighted objectives, the player with more got the win. There were no ties so if mission objectives were tied, it went to Victory Points. My camera was almost out of battery and I had no extra/charger, so you'll see the number of photos vary greatly from game to game. Saturday was the day the convention had their costume contest, and let's just say the people watching between games (the hall had some comfy chairs perched over three stories of packed people right outside the door) was... interesting...

Game I v. Mark M.'s Blood Angels

Dawn of War

Objectives

Annihilation

Objective Markers (3, one in the center of the board, one in each deployment zone)

Kill opponents most Costly Unit

Special Rules

The center objective will explode mighty powerful-like on a D6 chance every turn, a 3+ after turn four (4+ wound with no armour, vehicles penetrated on a 4+ within 6")

Mark had a hybrid Jumper/ AV13 Wall kind of list w/ a Librarian (Jump Pack, Shield of Sanguinius, Blood Lance), a decked out 215 point Honor Guard, a naked Priest, two naked 5 man TL lascannon Razorback Assault squads, two ten man Assault Squads (dual melta, PF), decked out 220 point Vanguard, two AC Baals, two LC Predators, and a Vindicator.
We both placed our objectives on the right flank. I lost the roll to go first and Mark made the mistake of splitting his forces far apart on the far flanks (you can see the left flank above). In return I moved my Assault squads on around the objective (the Techmarine seen below), and my Devastators in the middle. I outflanked the Flamestorm Baals and bum rushed his left flank with the Stormraven. Turn 2 both Baals came in and roasted an Assault squad while Menoloth charged in and killed pretty much everything seen above (eventually), and a Devastator squad popped his Vindicator. On his turn the Vanguard came in and killed a Devastator squad.

On the flank with the objective, I surged forward with two Assault squads, leaving one to claim. In return Mark had a decent concept in trying to bottle up my Assault squads, but didn't really know how to handle the Rhino Rush. The Assault Squads inside wrecked both Predators with their Meltaguns and went on to kill the Razorbacks, and their occupants, taking that objective.

The Furioso hitched a ride back to the deployment zone and killed the Vanguard before they could contest any objectives. Mark didn't have much left. 3/3 Objectives. 1-0.

Game II v. Brian B.'s Dark Angels

Spearhead

Objectives

Assassination (kill chosen HQ)- Chaplain

Objective Markers (5)

Table Quarters (most points in a quarter to control it, units holding objectives don't count for points)

Special Rules

Two of the objectives are placed within 12" of the enter of the board, a player must control one of these to take any other objectives, and they may only be contested by scoring units.

~~~

Brian's army was mostly Doublewing w/ Belial, a Chaplain, and an upgraded Deathwing squad in a Crusader, two Deathwing squads(2*Storm Shield, Cyclone, Chainfist), two Deathwing squads(2*Storm Shield, Assault Cannon, Chainfist), two separate Typhoons w/ Multi-Meltas, three Bikes w/ 2*Melta, and two Autocannon/Heavy Bolter Predators.
I played Brian last November in an RTT, but his army got a lot better with the improved Dark Angels. Things could be worse, but I really learned over the course of the tournament that this army really doesn't have many ways to handle Terminators (makes me wish I had found a way to fit in the 4*Plasma Honor Guard). I managed to handle all his non-Terminator units, but he was definitely ahead all game.
My Flamestorms are not good against Terminators, so I parked them both in a corner for a quarter. However, my scoring units were gone, and he had an objective. Then Menoloth went crazy again, and charged his command squad (after it killed the squad seen below) killing the Chaplain (an Objective), then Belial, then most of the squad, while not ever dying. I got two missions to one, giving me the win. 2/3 Objectives. 2-0.

Game III v. John C.'s Chaos Marines

Pitched Battle

Objectives

Recon (most units in opposing deployment zone)

Objective Markers (3, two in opposing corners 12" in, one placed outside deployment zones)

Table Quarters (as above)

Special Rules

Warp Rift: In each movement phase a player may Deep Strike a single unit anywhere on the board (including out of combat), though this Deep Strike may not be aided in any way. (both my opponent and I completely forgot this rule unfortunately)

John had a cool Chaos army w/ two Slaaneshi Daemon Princes (one Lash, one Warptime), two squads of Chaos Marines, two squads of Plague Marines (all troops with melta, power fists, and Rhinos), and nine Obliterators.
I got first turn and John held everything but his Obilterators in reserve. I deployed my Devastators on either flank and the Stormraven in the center with the Assault Squads and the Baal. Both Flamestorms outflanked. The Stormraven went right up the middle and soaked nine lascannon shots on Johns turn, while the Assault Squads went for an objective in the middle to the right.
Turn two I charged the Furioso into his middle Obliterators and killed two. The missles on the right flank killed an Obliterator. On his turn a Daemon Prince charged the Furioso, but didn't wreck it. Three of his troop squads met mine at the objective, while the last claimed the objective in his corner. The second Daemon Prince came in and wrecked the Furioso, but was then charged by Menoloth. The other Daemon Prince went into the middle objective area to help. The Prince was able to kill Menoloth, but limped out of the fight. Obliterators immobilized the Stormraven, and it let it's Bloodstrikes fly on the wounded Daemon prince and killed it. Seven exploded Rhino hulls littered the area around the middle objective, we both firmly controlled our corner objective. Out of the smoke comes five Plague Marines and three Assault Marines, the Plague Marines claim the objective, and my three Assault Marines run into his deployment zone to win me the Recon objective. I also claim quarters 3-1. 2/3 Objectives. 3-0.

Game IV v. Jesse P.'s Hounds of the Legion (SW)

Dusk of War (like it's sister, but with Night Fight coming in Reserves starting turn 4)

Objectives

Annihilation

Assassination

Kill opponents most Costly Unit

Special Rules

Setting Sun (explained above)

So being 3-0 and already assured the top bracket I just goofed around with my opponent (lots of Baals jokes) and fed my troops into the meatgrinder, I was mentally exhausted at that point. Jesse had a really gnarly army w/ two Thunderwolf Lords, each with 15*Wolves, 50 Grey Hunters (in 5 squads with 2*Melta and a Rhino), a single SS Thunder Wolf, a Vindicator, and three Lone Wolves (TDA, Power Fist, Combi-Melta). Not really much to report with this one besides just having a really nice and fun opponent.