So my local game store, Guardian Games, hosted a 2000 point tournament recently. It was based off a pure W-L system ala Nova. With 18 people and 3 rounds there would still be two people at 3-0 at the end of the day, so total mission objectives achieved as the first tiebreaker, and straight victory points as the final tiebreaker for Best General. There was also a Best Sportsman and Best Painted award. There was a really nice mix of armies, almost fifty percent non-Imperial, including the Eldar I decided to bring. I used the same list I took to WargamesCon, seen here:
HQEldrad 210
Autarch w/ Fusion Gun 80
Elites7*Fire Dragons 112
in Wave Serpent w/ Scatter Laser 115
7*Fire Dragons 112
in Wave Serpent w/ Scatter Laser 115
Troops9*Dire Avengers w/ Exarch w/ Double Catapults, Bladestorm 140
in Wave Serpent w/ Scatter Laser 115
8*Dire Avengers w/ Exarch w/ Double Catapults, Bladestorm 128
in Wave Serpent w/ Shuriken Cannon 100
5*Dire Avengers 60
5*Dire Avengers 60
3*Jetbikes w/ Cannon 76
3*Jetbikes w/ Cannon 76
Heavy SupportFalcon w/ Scatter Laser, Holofields, Stones 175
Falcon w/ Scatter Laser, Holofields, Stones 175
Fire Prism w/ Holofields 150
=1999
Round 1 v. Emporer's Children
The Defense of Sor Vaelon
So a nice, adversarial first round match up with some Slaaneshi Chaos Space Marines. My opponent had a Lord w/ Blissgiver, a Lash Sorcerer, 5*Terminators w/ Lightning Claws and Icon of Slaanesh, Land Raider, 2 5*Chaos Marines w/ Meltagun, Power Sword, and Icon of Slaanesh, Rhino, 2 5 *Noise Marines, Blastmaster, Rhino, 5* Raptors, Predator, Dreadnought, and a Vindicator.
The primary objective was table quarters, the secondary kill points, and tertiary objective markers. The table was set up with a large Imperial ruin in the middle of the table and scattered groups of trees everywhere else. The set up was Dawn of War.
My opponents got first turn and set up his Sorcerer with a squad of Chaos Marines in a Rhino, in the middle of the board, directly behind the ruin. I set up nothing, holding my Bikes and Falcons in reserve, while everything else got ready to roll in Turn 1. He didn't have a large scoring presence, so I decided I would wreck those small units, and win on the first objective. He brought on his entire army on one side of the board, so I came out on the other side, using the ruin to split his army. When he swings his armour back towards the other side, my Falcons come in behind them and start wrecking their rear armour. Eldrad was locked in combat with the Chaos Dreadnought for three turns. I destroyed his Land Raider with some Fire Dragons that fled from combat with his Raptors. In the end he only had one unit of Noise Marines in a Rhino on an objective. I got all three mission objectives and 1800 something VPs.
Round 2 v. Speed Freaks
The Shadow on Brightfall
Round two I was matched up with an Ork Speed Freak army. He had a Warboss on a Bike, a Mek with a Burna, 6*Burnas in a Battle Wagon, 5*Nobz in a Trukk, 3 12*Boyz in a Trukk, 20 Boyz in a Battle Wagon, 9*Warbikes, 3*Deff Koptas, and 3*Rokkit Buggies.
The set up was pitched battle. I don't remember the priority of the objectives in this mission. The table was covered in small brick buildings and bunkers.
My opponent got first turn and set up in a battle line across the whole table. The Bikers with Warboss and Nobz anchored one end, while the two Battlewagons anchored the other end. He outflanked his Koptas. I again reserved my Jetbikes and Falcons, and deployed strong in the corner facing the Battlewagons, with a lone Fire Prism in the far corner against the Bikes. We exchanged some long range fire, I wrecked a couple Trukks while he wrecked Eldrads Serpent. The Deffkoptas which came in charged into Eldrad an his Avengers, but were cut down.
My reserves came in half on each flank, which made his Bikers boost back and forth a few times to no effect. Fire Dragons are able to instakill his Nobz after they wreck the Fire Prism. Remember killing a lot of Greenskins, all he had left at the end was 2 Buggies and his Warbikes. Three mission objectives and 1700 something VPs.
Round 3 v. Deathwing
The Struggle for Terreo Secundus
So round 3 I was matched up against a REAL Deathwing army, none of this support stuff, just straight Terminators. 41 of them, 28 with Storm Shields, one nasty list, and a definite challenge.
Spearhead set up with primary objective markers, secondary kill points, tertiary quarters. I would have to win this mission on the primary, there was no way my 17 KP army could compete with his 9 KP army.
My opponent deployed strong in the center, ready to cover the board in Terminators. Knowing I had to play the objective game, I went all reserve, denying a couple turns of Cyclone fire at my tanks. It was going to a rought ride no matter what. I played somewhat sloppy in this game, getting too close to Terminators and allowing charges when it wasn't necessary, but the overall resiliency of my tanks held up over the course of the game. The Deathwing were drawn off objectives on turn 4 charges toward tanks. Those tanks then hopped back over their heads to claim the objectives on the bottom of turn 5, when the game ended, for the win. Classic Eldar bullsh*t. I lost KPs but won Table Quarters.
So in the end I was 3-0 with 8 total objectives, edging me over a Grey Knight player for the Best General award. It was an awesome tournament, and I look forward to more.
The Terminators about to get their Turn 2 charge. Shrike broke off and charged in turn 1, but failed to damage a tank and got melta'd in the face for his trouble. The Terminators with some let down here with a Fleet roll of '1'; a little higher and they would have had the charge on the disembarked Fire Dragons.
And here we see that charge. They wreck the empty Wave Serpent, but both squads of Dragons fly away unscathed. You can also see the Combat squad that is almost on my objective already.
Turn 4 I manage to pull off the combo-breaker on the Assault Terminators. Eldrad Dooms the Terminators and Guides both Fire Dragon units. 15 Fusion Guns and a Bladestorm later, ten dead Assault Terminators.
Eldar home objective, held by two Combat Squads, contested by a Wave Serpent.
Raptors home objective, claimed by Dire Avengers in Falcon, contested by a Rhino.
So a nice, adversarial first round match up with some Slaaneshi Chaos Space Marines. My opponent had a Lord w/ Blissgiver, a Lash Sorcerer, 5*Terminators w/ Lightning Claws and Icon of Slaanesh, Land Raider, 2 5*Chaos Marines w/ Meltagun, Power Sword, and Icon of Slaanesh, Rhino, 2 5 *Noise Marines, Blastmaster, Rhino, 5* Raptors, Predator, Dreadnought, and a Vindicator.
Round two I was matched up with an Ork Speed Freak army. He had a Warboss on a Bike, a Mek with a Burna, 6*Burnas in a Battle Wagon, 5*Nobz in a Trukk, 3 12*Boyz in a Trukk, 20 Boyz in a Battle Wagon, 9*Warbikes, 3*Deff Koptas, and 3*Rokkit Buggies.
My reserves came in half on each flank, which made his Bikers boost back and forth a few times to no effect. Fire Dragons are able to instakill his Nobz after they wreck the Fire Prism. Remember killing a lot of Greenskins, all he had left at the end was 2 Buggies and his Warbikes. Three mission objectives and 1700 something VPs.
So round 3 I was matched up against a REAL Deathwing army, none of this support stuff, just straight Terminators. 41 of them, 28 with Storm Shields, one nasty list, and a definite challenge.
My opponent deployed strong in the center, ready to cover the board in Terminators. Knowing I had to play the objective game, I went all reserve, denying a couple turns of Cyclone fire at my tanks. It was going to a rought ride no matter what. I played somewhat sloppy in this game, getting too close to Terminators and allowing charges when it wasn't necessary, but the overall resiliency of my tanks held up over the course of the game. The Deathwing were drawn off objectives on turn 4 charges toward tanks. Those tanks then hopped back over their heads to claim the objectives on the bottom of turn 5, when the game ended, for the win. Classic Eldar bullsh*t. I lost KPs but won Table Quarters.
Since I only have the one pic I'll just do a complete summary. I didn't shoot at the Nobz once. He broke his Warboss off and I killed him w/ Fire Dragons. The Nobz really got onto me. Eldrad fought the entire thirty man mob for almost the whole game, before breaking them on the last turn. One of my five man Avenger squads beat and ran down a battery of Lobbas. I forgot to move my Bike to win the secondary on the last turn, but CQ graciously allowed me to make the move out of sequence. Ended up 8-8 on KPs and I won the other objectives.
He got the wrong wave and deployed his Daemon Princes and Horrors to begin with. I should have focused on killing his few scoring units with my whole army, but instead I killed the big stuff. His Horrors then capitalized on their shooting and crippled one of my Avenger units. His Fiends came in and we started to played tag. Fire Dragons charged in and killed his Tzeentch Herald.
After about three turns Matt finally manages to knock down a tank. Eldrad and the other Avengers are charged by Fiends.
Matt's Keeper of Secrets doesn't come in until turn 5, and I dance around some more. We draw the first two and Matt gets Tertiary by knocking down a Wave Serpent in the bottom of turn 7.
Post Game Analysis: As I said before, I should have focused on the scoring units early, and I should have focused on getting to the objectives faster. I got charged by all three Fiend units multiple turns, their is no reason for that with my mobility. Matt played a great game, forcing me into hard choices all the time.
Eldrad has to finish off the Reclusiarch in combat (Tertiary).
No more pictures because we only got 4 turns. I lost Annihilation and drew Capture and Control, but I feel like I could have done better with another turn. 12/30.
