Hot elf action

Well, I have been prevented from playing in the last two tournaments I had scheduled by real life events. Family and whatnot take priority. And now I am working on some Eldar for a team tournament at one of the local game stores. I have had time to play one game with my partner.... I knew that the Avatar wasn't too competitive with the build we had, he was unsupported. But it also turns out it is not fun to feed your opponent one of your HQs and gain nothing from it. So We quickly came up with a plan...I will build a Farseer on a jetbike instead. The anti psyker defense and divination powers will make it valuable.

So, two guys who played Deathwing and Space Wolves last year are playing Eldar and Dark Eldar. With one game under our belt, our confidence has been raised, um, a little. The game was pretty much a tie. We were not doing well at all until some dire avengers got some good bladestorms to cripple a flyrant and the swarm lord. Falcons and raiders then made short work of them. But what helped was the game going for 7 turns. Incubi and an archon pulled gaunts off of objectives and allowed avengers to claim them. They also killed a unit holding the relic with a very good charge roll. Since we had first blood and slay the warlord, we technically won 16vp to 15vp. But we were outplayed almost the entire time and faced one guy running a whole team. So truthfully, we got lucky and hung in when we should have lost pretty bad. But we learned, and we will now be better prepared with a few alterations. Most importantly runes of warding....rather than just take what the psychic choir was giving us!

So I came back from my game Saturday and found the pieces I needed to build a jetbike Farseer. I built it that night, and on Sunday I got the base colors on it and the vipers. I only have this week to go, so I have to finish the base colors on one falcon and base everything before possibly moving on to detail work. Last year out paint score prevented us from winning 1st or 2nd, I can't remember. Either way, we could have gotten a prize. We decided to focus on at least having the armies painted!

I will expand on my Eldar in the weeks to come as I focus on having them ready for kind of a big tournament at the end of January. But that is a tale for another time...

I have been undone!

Well, I'm not playing in a tournament on the 2nd. I guess my family had other plans, which includes me hanging out with my 2 year old daughter. Which I would do any day over a tournament. Either way, we'll still find our way into a game store at some point on the weekend. Would it be weird if a guy and his toddler went to a steakhouse alone?

Anyway, now I'll work on my Eldar. I'll be using them in a team tournament on the 15th. Had I known that the 2nd was a bust, then I wouldn't have bothered painting Wolfguard. Well, at least I need them for Adepticon. So the next two weekends will be spent getting the few models I need up to tabletop standards. Here's what I've got to get done.

-Forgeworld Avatar
-12 Dire avengers
-3 Vipers
-2 Falcons


I'll be using 5 pathfinders that my team mate is going to let me use. He'll be using Dark Eldar, some ravages, raider, and archon badness. Out strategy is going to be fast, shooty, and deadly. Well, my rice is done, I'm out.

It's all over but the basing.

Warning: shitty pictures.

Getting ready for a tournament on Dec.2nd. Didn't get up to GB for the team tourney so I'm going to play my 1000pt list with an extra 850pts that mimic someone else on the team. So pretty much thunderwolves, longfangs, and a runepriest. Some troops too, whatever. I'm fluffily obligated to play with Wolfguard terminators, and I'd like a fully painted army....so that's why I ditched the Grey Knights. It's a story driven tournament that picks up where another last one left off. My "Sons of Fenris" Wolfguard terminators had some great game that added to the overall story of the last event. So you see, I have to bring them to keep the asskicking going. Basically, each table in the tournament is a planet in the sector. They all have their own special rules like low gravity or no atmosphere, stuff like that. At the end of the game, the winner decides if he wants to stay on the planet or leave. Staying means there's a good chance you continue to play with the battlefield conditions, but may influence the overall story.

As I pulled out my painted terminators for inventory to build a list, I realized that almost none of them had been built for points efficiency. Enter black reach terminators and a fistful of Wolfguard bitz... Over the course of the holiday (Thanksgiving) weekend I assembled and painted 6 Wolfguard terminators and a Runepriest. Sadly, the model I used for the runepriest was the generic librarian in terminator armor. I did a few swaps for some plastic space wolf pieces, but neglected to do anything with the head. Not a problem at first until you notice he has a baby-face. Hopefully the 5 o'clock shadow I gave him with badab black gives him a hard edge the Viking theme seems to promote in the army.

My list...
First 1000pts

Runepriest termy

8 Wolfguard termies
-assault cannon
-2 combi meltas
-combi plasma
-2 power fists

8 Grey hunters with drop pod
-meltagun
-wolf standard
-power axe
-mark of the wulfen

8 Grey hunters in a rhino
-Same as the other unit.

6 Longfangs
-5 missile launchers

My extra 850 point list

Runepriest with runic armor
-master of runes

8 Bloodclaws in rhino
-power weapon
-flamer

5 Thunderwolf Cavalry
-power fist
-storm shield
-bolter(Because I still have them modeled for 5th Ed. wound allocation.)

5 Fenrisian wolves
-Cyberwolf

6 Longfangs
-5 missile launchers

This leaves me with 17 points. Maybe I'll throw in another blood claw if I have the model. My plan is to give the master of runes biomancy and try to get endurance. That way I can cast it on the thunderwolves to give them FNP and "it will not die". The Fenrisian wolves are also to shadow the thunderwolves and absorb as much overwatch for them as they can. The termy runepriest will take divination to pump up the big terminator unit he's going to be in. I may peel off a combi melta terminator to accompany the grey hunters in a drop pod. The idea is to play aggressively.

We'll see how this all works out. I don't plan to win many games, but I still need to play with confidence. If nothing, it may throw my opponent off. Like I'll be making bunch of wrong moves and he may think I've got some insane strategic plan. While in reality, I'm really just jacking up my game.

Work work work

Well my computer broke. The upside is that I've spent much more time at the hobby desk. My avatar is assembled and I've settled on a paint scheme for my Grey Knights. Coteaz has also been painted in the same grey armor. The regular metallic of the army left much to be desired. Sadly it took me getting the base colors on ten terminators to realize this. By chance I had purchased a grey knight strike squad for bitz when they were released. After some creative modeling, I've got a purgation with four incinerators. I plan to run them in the storm raven for fun. I am also currently working on henchmen for Coteaz. Basically warriors with plasma and bolters to ride in a chimera. I'd like to find some arbites with riot shields and power mauls to use as crusaders. I'd use them in the storm raven. The more I listen to podcasts and build models, the better my understanding of how to get what I want out of 6th edition and the grey knight codex. Sadly, I am only taking Draigo right now for command abilities and paladin troops. I plan to use some combat squad shenanigans to get four psilencers with Coteaz. Combine that with divination psyker powers and I have a unit to face daemons with. I've got a practice game this weekend, so I'll see just how well they do. After that, it's back to space wolves for a team tourney on the 17th. And after THAT, it's a tourney with my GK on the 2nd of December. My goal is to hit both with a fully painted force. Although I am far more excited to get the GK painted.

Draigowing over Loganwing

    I like terminators.  I like customizable terminators.  I like the see just how many I can fit into an army list.  While playing Space Wolves the last few years, I have been slowly building a Wolfguard army of terminators.  Along came the new 'Cron codex and I trade my Necron army for a Draigo Paladin army.  Now comes 6th edition and my entire understanding of the game of 40K is altered.  I have a chance to start fresh with a new army and continue to build old ones or pet projects as allies.  I want terminators, and I will have them.  Although now I am going with Grey Knights.  I've played  the last tournament with Logan, Draigo, Paladins, Wolfguard, and regular GK termies.  I like how the GKs play.  And here's why....

    Draigo VS Logan
-Both benefit the troops.
-Both are tough in assault.
-Draigo is only AP3.
-Logan has less wounds and a worse invuln.
So to me, Draigo barely wins out.

GK terminators VS Wolfguard terminators
-At about 250pt per unit, they are pretty similar.
-Assault cannon is weaker than Psycannon.
-GK stormbolters are usually upgraded to str5
-GK have psychic powers while WG have counterattack.
-GK terminators are troops naturally.
The GK have a little of an edge, although the WG can be upgraded with some great wargear if you're willing to pay the inflated costs.

    Grey Knights have paladins while SW can get multiple runepriests.  But as I've played the GK, Paladins have time and time again survived some of the nastiest odds.  And with Draigo, they are troops.  GK can also get a Stormraven....For the time being, Grey Knights win out for me.  Daemons are a hot army right now, and I'd like to think the army designed to fight them should be a better choice.  Now, I've got to find a way to get Coteaz in a unit with 4 psilencers....Yeah, that's going to happen.

    As I begin to work on models for an upcomming tourney, I am excited to come up with strange units of inquisitorial henchmen.  I need to use Coteaz, but I think he's awesome anyway.  The henchmen warbands are a source for some uniquely equiped units.  Something I don't think most people even care to spend the time looking into.  And again, underlying everything, I own two vindicare assassins!  How awesome is that?!  Well, being unique, not as awesome, but still pretty damn cool!
    I'll update some pics of my painting progress and a tentative list once I flesh it out and finish actually building the army.  Now...I've got to find a Coteaz model.

Much needed insight

    I had a great time at my local tournament champioinship.  I got lucky and slipped in and played to have fun.  I think I had the right idea as I had a blast playing some of my favorite opponents and getting familiar with 6th edition.  It took me a few games to get the cobwebs knocked out, but I got better as the day went on.  I won only one game, but the lessons I learned were well worth it.  I really like how my Grey Knights played.  So it's hard for me to decide which way to go as I get into 6th edition.  Eldar and Grey Knights were the armies I've aquired and I'm bouncing between them.  I think as a solution, I will play GK with Eldar allies.  They ally with them as easily as Space Wolves, so I'm pretty pumped for the prospect.

    Anyway, here's a quick synopsis of how my tournament went.

Round 1-Chaos Daemons
    Played a very tough opponent with 25 Screamers.  They were no joke, and when Fateweaver backed them up, it was game over for me.  I was tabled by the top of turn 4.  I went second, so that means it only took 3 turns(with the choice of his secondary wave) to crush me.  I was pretty discouraged to say the least.

Round 2-Chaos Daemons
    Played a friend of mine, so I was pretty thrilled however the game was going to go.  I faced Fateweaver, a Bloodthirster, and 3 daemon princes.  We played the Relic mission out of the BRB.  Logan drop podded in to take the relic right away.  Flamers came in, killing 4 grey knights, only to die to my massed fire.  Logan took a daemon prince in single combat in a few turns while Fateweaver attacked the flank of my forces.  A lone Grey Knight termy grounded him and Draigo took the oportunity to assault the greater daemon.  Logan finished the prince just in time to face a Bloodthirster in single combat.  He fought the fiend to a standstill in the first round, trading wounds.  With a ton of luck, Logan held the beast at bay.  After he fell, his few remaining Wolfguard terminators held it for a little longer.  It was all just enough to allow Draigo to finally banish the Fateweaver and snatch the relic with his Paladins.  So there the game stood....Draigo and his paladins surrounded by two Daemon Princes and a Bloodthirster.  In the 5th turn, the game continued.  The daemons assaulted, tying Draigo up in single combat with a Deamon Prince.  The Paladins managed to banish a wounded Nurgle Prince and lost two of their number to the rage of the Bloodthirster.  Once again, the game continued for a 7th turn!  Draigo fought on, and a lone Paladin with the relic faced the thirster.  Looking at 3 wounds causing instant death, the faith of Emperor saw him through it!  The game ended in an epic duel.

Round 3-Necron
    Another good game, to which I learned much tactically.  Mindshackle scarabs ended up taking both Logan and Draigo!  I got greedy and took all of the objectives rather than just playing to the scenario.  Without a consolidated force, my right flank was completely destroyed.  3 flyers came in and disgorged their deadly cargo.  Had I remained back, I would have hade one whole turn to try and deal with the reserves.  they came into the game late and it ended two turns after they did.  The Paladins did end up driving up the left side into the 'Cron territory and taking the objective.  They may have lost Draigo, but they took the Lord and Wraiths down with their force weapons.  3 of them remained to hold the objective in the face of nearly all of the Necron firepower for 2 turns.  The Apothecary was the last one left standing when the game ended.  This was the first game that I actually made a FNP save.  And it began a trend that my Paladins were usually the only unit I'd end games with.  Those guys are no joke, they bring it hard.

Round 4-Chaos Marines
    Still uding the old codex, I faced Abaddon and allied daemons.  I was surprised to see a Bloodthirster over Fateweaver...but in the end, it didn't matter.  Unaware the Despoilers daemon weapon was now AP2 instead of AP3, I dropped Logan right in his face for a showdown.  It ended about as expected.  Draigo was a little delayed with a failed assault, but he eventually made it there.  At the end of the game, I realized I should have been just playing to the mission,  I lost, but threw a hail-mary for a possible win.  Abaddon hid from Draigo, but the Paladins and their lord took an objective instead or chasing after him.  A few Knights assaulted, consolidated, and contested another objective.  Plaguebearers missed a deepstrike for their objective.  But it was the lash prince who foiled my plans by pulling Draigo and company out of scoring at the last moment.  The big lesson here was that no matter what happens, I must play to the mission.  I made a mistake by dropping Logan after Abaddon.  They smoked two Obliterators with combi-meltas, but it was not worth it.  Taking an objective would have been the best choice for them.

    Overall, I learned a lot about being competative in 6th.  I need to play the mission, rather than kill my opponent's army.  And I have to consolidate my force to allow them to support one another.  I Threw away Logan in every game, one of which actually worked.  Now, I look forward to putting together a few more Eldar models before I play any games.  This is going to be fun.....

Okay, breaktime over

    It's been a long two months since I've done anything with 40K.  I don't really have a proper hobby area so it's been difficult to keep enthusiasm up.  And it seemed the only games I got to play were tournaments.  Either way, it wasn't fun, and I don't spend time on hobbies that aren't fun.  Although I have been playing a lot of Space Hulk in my off-time.

    Adepticon 2013 approaches.  Very shortly I will be signing up for classes and tournaments.  The Rider's on the Storm shall, well, ride again.  Which means prep work for the team tourney will begin soon.  We've got a theme from last year we are continueing with, so all we have to do is hammer out the detail.  I will also be involved with the Gladiator is seems.  It's a bit vague now, but it'll be fun.  Adepticon has a new format.  and with what I'm already dedicated to, I've only got Thursday free it seems.  I hope to get some master painting classes and pretty much nothing else.  Maybe green-stuff.  No tactics though.  6th edition is too new and I don't believe I will learn anything I won't find out in the next year anyway.

    As it turns out, I am able to play in the local 40K invite-only championship.  It seems the two games of the series I played in were enough to get me a good place....that and about 10 people couldn't show up.  So yay me!  With a week and a half to prepar, I cannot take this seriously.  That being said I am bringing terminators.  Grey Knight with Space Wolf allies.  They won't even be fully painted.  3 color minimum, but nowhere near being done.  I may post pics when I finish them eventually...  Anyway, here's the army list I'm bringing.  I'm curious to see if I get complaints about it's format.

    Well, back to work for now I guess...