Monday 19 February 2018

Warhammer World GT3 - Interim report

Well the weekend is done and dusted and had a great time. Excuse the self indulgent photo-story but I suppose this is a personal hobby blog and by definition it's self-indulgent so I should be apologising with every post at this stage.


Anyway, we went Friday morning and after a minor route change ended up going through the Peak district.


Which still had snow on the ground, while Liam checks we don't get lost again.


While I take up the role of tailgunner. I was unbelievably giddy at this stage.


We arrive at GW headquarters.


And immediately met with a warm welcome. I believe they keep the Necron Tesla weaponry here.


In through the front door and a couple of displays are on view.


Tau


Age of Sigmar



Dark Imperium - Ultramarines V Nurgle/Death Guard.





And into the gaming hall!


Bugman's lunch! We then had a game, I played Liam I'll attempt a battle report but for the life of me have no recollection who won, perhaps the pictures will shed light on the result.


Warhammer TV Live, live! Ceri playing, will have to check back how that game went down on Twitch.


We then went to the Orange Tree in Nottingham for a 'few' libations. The cosy retro decor only mired by the fact we were by the exit for the smoking garden so it got a little drafty. Liam and Otty in deep discussion.


Ben and I partaking.


Weapon of choice. I don't drink much so the 3ish I had made me an absolute mess!


Day 1 and the big deal was this, obviously. Game two and when goign to my table Ceri came up and said "are you playing table 20?" I said yes and she asked me to hold on a minute. meanwhile Morgan [my opponent] introduced himself and we were chatting when she came back and asked "would you like to play live on Warhammer TV" I am not ashamed to admit I put both hands to my face, danced up and down and said "would I!?! Absolutely I would" Then remembered Morgan also had a say in the matter, thankfully he was equally excited. I won't spoil the result, I'll try and write a battle report but exists to be watched should you have a Twitch subscription. It was an absolute blast and Nick and Ceri said to us afterwards it was the best game they'd ever seen, high praise considering what actually happened.


That evening we returned to the Orange Tree and Scott, who'd pulled out of the Tournament joined us for the evening's repast and to watch a bit the next day.


Round about this stage I saw Nick Bayton tweet a pic of him, Ceri and Andy in Bugman's and I thanked him for the Live game, while dropping a hint about seeing Brian the Sewer Vent. Well you can see in the exchange that if I had have still been there, or perhaps asked earlier 2 of my 3 dreams would have come true.


Sadly it was not to be, maybe next time. I made up for it with the company of great friends


If you've ever wondered what the canteen looks like at GW, now you know.


And the Cumberland ring was exceptional :)


End result, Liam comes away with the Favourite Player award 4/5 Fav Game votes and 5/5 Fav Army.


He was also nominated for best army.


As was I!


The weekend was awesome, but very stressful. The guys helped keep me sane, but also made me a hot mess with booze. I lost all sorts of things [and found them], tripped over and knocked over things I was clumsy and clammy, glad to get home but incredibly envious of Liam and Ben who both qualified for the GT Final at Warhammer Fest in May. The plan is to get a day ticket to the Fest so I can go and show some support if they go, Ben's already bought his ticket.


I'll try and write the Battle Reports but everything is hazy at this stage and my note taking was erratic.


I had an amazing time, stressful as it was and it has made me think a bit more about how to approach the Warhammer World events as they test my nerves like no other event and I want to really enjoy them as I do smaller tournies.


A great weekend, great event, great games and great friends - old and new.




Saturday 17 February 2018

Friday 16 February 2018

Warhammer World GT3 - Prologue


Right about now I should be at Warhammer World. Liam, Ben, Otty and myself went early in Otty's 'battle wagon'. Last time we went we got there in the afternoon and didn't finish our 2 Vs 3 match because of the earlier [than expected] closing time. This time we've got generic tables booked, so we can get in some last minute practice! Obviously I finally settled on my list a while back, which you can see below. It also forms a bit of a crib sheet and saves time with Psychic Powers, although I may amend this throughout the weekend if I find my chosen powers restrictive.


I had to print out 11 copies of these - one to give to the events staff, one for each of my five opponents to keep and then I use the other five to keep track of my games. That said it's a lot of work to create as I trim the pages of all the surround so they're all rough edged. But they got done and I feel 'cheap' not making the effort.


I've also stocked up the ever handy Kinder Surprise eggs. Gifting these to each of my opponents at  MKIV wound markers. Last time I gave them to each opponent before we began and most of them immediately popped them open at the first opportunity to use them in play which justified my decision to gift them beforehand. As there so easy to make it's no skin off my nose, or yours either should you be wishing to share the goodness at your own tournament, just a thought.


Obviously game-wise I've no aspirations apart from having fun, not to be too clumsy on day one [because I'll be a hot mess of nervous energy] and to try and be efficient/quick so I can complete a game and not be ending them after 2.5 hours on turn two. As I saw on reddit recently I will adopt the mantra of "if you're thinking, you're cheating". Painting competition, again no aspirations, the nids have been there before so no expectation and the separate categories are always strongly contested. 
Super excited to be there, I'll be wearing my 'eavier metal Facebook group T-shirt one of the days. So come say hi if you see me.


Amusingly I also got a backprint... It's OK I'll be getting a replacement sent through but if it didn't arrive in time.  


I've made a short term fix on this one though!



I do have some aspirations though - my main hopes are to see Brian the Sewer Vent first-hand, hopefully taking some pics with my nids on it. I'd also like some best game votes, I'm a nice guy afterall, well I think so. My army is never cheese and never win at all costs so the lack of best game votes has always pricked my sensitive side - I appreciate that sounds needy but it'd be nice is all ;) Ultimately I'm out to have fun and try and finish some games, hopefully that'll shine through and I'll have 5 great games with 5 great people and I'll remember to get selfies with them!

But my greatest hope is that I would be chosen for the GT3 Twitch feed if it's on - because one thing that always looks awesome top-down is my Skyshield and cooll to share it with a wider audience. I don't know what the selection criteria is, obviously last game will most likely be the leaders but I know they've asked the viewers for suggestions and chosen 'interesting armies'. It'd just be an absolute honour but I've no control over that either, so fingers crossed on Brian.

Regardless I'm sure we'll have a cool time, see you on the flip-side!

Thursday 15 February 2018

Deep Strike (or 8th Edition equivalent) measuring tool.

When I was watching a couple of live games, either on Twitch or the LVO I noticed some players had measuring tools for deep striking - 9" long. Now I do have one of those laser cut plastic 6" templates, which I never really use but I could see a real benefit for one of these, particularly when I'm bringing in Trygon and friends.


Initially I was going to print a 9" strip and stick it to card but I realised I could do better than that as 12" shatterproof rulers are only 29p at Home & Bargain. So I've just picked one up, cut off the last 3" and the bit at the other end and I now have a durable and cheap tool to speed up whether I'm within range or not.

2000pts battle report - Tyranids v Tyranids

It's been quite a while since I played Otty, but I figured it would do us both good to pit our nids against each other to help us get up to speed for GT3. More for him as he has limited 8th edition experience but with us both running gribblies there was far more learning to be had and sharing of ideas and concepts

The low down:
  • Front-Line Warfare [Chapter Approved mission]
  • Hammer and Anvil - Table Ends deployment
  • I chose deployment zone, but I deployed last unit [giving Otty +1 to win first turn], 
  • Otty won first turn, I failed to seize
Otty was running the Swarmlord in a pod, with Genestealers in a Trygon tunnel. Another unit of Genestealer backed up by a Broodlord, 3 Dakkafex, a Tyrannofex [with Rupture Cannon], 3 Hive Guard, a brood of Rippers and 3 Zoanthropes all as Hive Fleet Gorgon. Objectives were in the Spore Chimney, inbetween the two woods by the craters


Another objective was inbetween the two alien pods and the one in my deployment zone was just by my Skyshield on the right in this pic. All the trees were counted as cover but Line of Sight blocking behind - you could shoot into but not behind because Otty had limited terrain and it seemed like the best way to deal with it.


Otty surged forward.


Unfortunately the Stealer got a short advance of 1 or 2.


Swarmlord arrived in his pod, with Genestealers in a Trygon tunnel.


The Swarmlord 'flung' the Genestealers forward. Shooting took place and one of the Hive Guard went down. The Tervigon also took a number of wounds but I may have got some lucky dice rolls to survive a particularly devastating round of shots.


The Swarmlord wasn't going to reach the Hive Guard so he went for bigger prey and charged the Skyshield.


He took 7 wounds off the platform while the Genestealers clawed through the Hive Guard [First Blood], losing two of their own number to 3 overwatch hits! In response I moved the Tervigon and gaunts back, to give room for the Trygon and my own Stealers. The Tervigon regenerated two or three wounds to be back on 11.


My Broodlord headed for the Swarmlord on a suicide mission.


Trygon and Gaunts tunneled up in Otty's DZ while Flyrants arrived in front and behind his lines to squeeze it between them. Shootin had limited effect from the Gaunts, even shooting twice. I managed to put a few wounds on both Zoanthropes and Hive Guard but the combined shots of the Flyrants put only one Hive Guard down.


I made almost all of my charges [except for the Termagants]. Flyrant on the left got to the nearest Carnifex and killed it. Flyrant in the DZ got the Tfex and managed some wounds. Trygon failed charge on the Zoies, was just short on the Behemoth re-roll and a 4+ command re-roll of the low dice got me in.


I'd move the Termagants up to stall the stealers. Shooting took out some of them [I think 2 were left after this] and the Broodlord died against the Swarmlord but not before putting at least 3 wounds on him.


My 17 Stealers and Trygon both got into assault against Ottys 20. My Stealers killed 19 of them, with the Trygon squishing the last one. I consolidated towards a Dakkafex getting within 1" to force it to Fallback next turn, Otty didn't think he could have a free attack with the Carnifex that turn but I am convinced he could have.


Otty's turn and he went for my Tervigon to try and feedback on the Gaunts. He would then Smite it to take it back down to 9 wounds.


Zoanthropes fell back from the Trygon, everything else remeained locked in combat.


Tfex and Flyrant kept wailing on each other.


Swarmlord assaulted the Tervigon.


He sliced and diced but could only manage 8 wounds.


Leaving the lady on her last wound.


I may have paid 2CPs to interrupt and assault with the Stealers but they failed to deliver and were mullered for it.


Otty's trygon joined the fray but only to squish some Gaunts who failed to kill any Stealers.


My turn and the Flyrant fell back to shoot the Tfex or the Hive Guard hiding in the Spore Chimney. Gaunts repositioned.


Rippers arrived to contest the Objective.


Psychic Phase and my Tervigon Smite's the Swarmlord. I get 11 on my Psychic test and then 6 on my D6 Mortal Wounds, by this stage the Swarmlord had 5 or 6 remaining and is destroyed in a haze of Psychic fury. 


To add insult to injury the Tervigon re-spawns 10 Fleshborer gaunts who fell back from the Trygon to allow the Warriors to shoot it, for a wound or two.


Trygon eats through the Zoies [with help from the Devgaunts shooting], Flyrant kills the Hive Guard with Brainleech worms. The second Flyrant swoops across to the Dakkafex and support the Trygon but fails to kill any green nids.


Otty's Trygon eats though theWarriors...


...and moves down to take on the Tervigon with Rippers appearing in my DZ, just managing to fit in 9" away.


I'm thinking this is a bad dice role, perhaps the Tervigon got shot by the Trygon's Bio-Electric Pulse. It definitely died, then the Termagants got killed and with no Synapse to hold them they were wiped out giving Otty the objective in my DZ.


The Flyrant continued to struggle with the Carnifex and but finally killed the Broodlord.


Which meant he was left with the Dakkafex who just didn't have sufficient attacks, damage or AP to put wounds on him.


Made even worse by the arrival of the second Flyrant.


We decided to call it a draw at 2am. Subsequent turns I'd have probably won, and with hindsight the Trygon holding the objective in my DZ was actually contested with the Skyshield, but the Rippers would have been on it next turn to tip the scales in Otty's favour and no doubt the Trygon could have removed the 13 remaining wounds on the fortification.

Otherwise we both had our opponents objectives and a middle objective each. Otty had First Blood, I had Slay the Warlord and we both had Linebreaker. Overall it was a good game but then I think I had the upper had so I'm a little biased but we spent a good deal of time discussing options and approaches [hence the finish time]. Hopefully, Otty had some thoughts on adjusting his army, just the 6CPs is a worry for me. He rang me the next day to say he'd managed to add a Vanguard detachment for a 7th as despite my advice the lists he could make with two Battalions or a Brigade were so far removed from how he's used to playing he wouldn't know what to do with the list. I agree he needs to use what he's comfortable with so fingers crossed 7CPs will be enough [he's hoping to get some back with the Feeder Tendrill Stratagem off the Genestealers.

Next stop - Warhammer World and GT3.