1750pts battle report - Genestealer Cult & Astra Militarum v Astra Militarum & Blood Angels - game 3

Double Trouble 3 and Alex From the Fang's doubles tournament replacing Blog Wars. 875pts with random pairings but all match-ups are Battle Brothers. Once again my recollection is pretty hazy so for the most part enjoy the pictures, the commentary will be secondary ;)

I'm running my Genestealer Cult for the first time ever. I've got a Patriarch and 12 Genestealers, a Primus, 4 Abberants [2 picks & 2 hammers], 10 Acolytes, 11 Neophytes [with Grenade Launcher], 10 Neophytes [with Grenade Launcher] and my 2 Scout Sentinels [with Heavy Flamers and Chainswords].

I'm paired with Rob Nathan again, who I played with at DT2 - this time Astra Militarum - Basilisks, Wyvern, Manticore, Leman Russ and Sergeant Harker opposite side was Tom Capper [who I played at NMTBW] with his Blood Angels and Christopher Nettleship running Astra Militarum [endless conscripts, Rough Riders and Mortar weapons teams].

As it was table quarters Rob castled up in the back field behind cover with Sergeant Harker inbetween all the tanks [I think he buffs those around him]. Meanwhile my units deployed were in at the forefront to snatch the objective in the middle [hidden by the containers], in cover in the wood and the Sentinels ready to scout and capture the objective in the ruin at the top.

While the many conscripts filled the other quarter, I'd actually though there wasn't much room for the Blood Angels but those two Rhinos suddenly became the tough spearhead to break through as the conscripts followed. Unfortunately the conscripts also became 'tough' thanks to a psychic power adding one to their save and eventually a 'go to ground' stratagem that also made them nigh unkillable. Our first turn shooting didn't go as well as we'd hoped [unfortunately I wasn't the one recording VPs so I only have the final scores later on].

With so much on the board there wasn't much room to bring my ambushes on. The Stealers rolled badly, even with the stratagem, but it was table edges so I still got 9" away from the Blood Angels, unfortunately Rob killed some of them so I was no longer withing a realistic charge range. The acolytes fared better and got score the objective.

My Neophytes in middle were almost wiped out thanks to the Mortar teams [probably need some of them for my Cult, they seem effective and cheap] while the ones in the trees tried to hold back the tide of conscripts and face down the Rhino. My Aberrants were well out of range to be effective this turn.

But I still had the objective in the ruins, even if the Sentinels were effectively just babysitting.

Rob managed to destroy a Rhino, leaving the Space Marines to disembark.

I think I multi-charged the Guards and the three remaining Blood Angels, made the Guard range, but not the Marines, but I think pile-in got them and we were left with just a few Guards, while I kept the objective yet again.

I really liked the marking on Chris's Guard, the three stripes were all shaded, it wasn't just a simple three lines. Some of the other conscripts had solid shoulder pads for squad markings, once they got promoted no doubt they would get to use the army stripes but it was a simple way to add a lot more detail to the may models in this army, remember there was only 875pts and over 100 models!

We just couldn't whittle down the Conscript numbers, I think all 3 squads still remained, only one of which had suffered significant casualties.

And suddenly the Rough Riders appeared, not sure what they did but it was nice to see them in the army, if not nice to see them on the battlefield... ahem!

The Blood Angel Chaplain managed to appear out of nowhere, thanks to his jump-pack I think he had a 3D6 charge and also hit with mortal wounds when he multi-charged the Manticore and a Basilisk. I think he later smashed one of them apart. Conscripts also charged through the ruins - tying up the tanks so they could no longer shoot and even worse snatching the objective out from under them because the were ObSec.

Tactical Squad assaulted my Acolytes who were freed up when the remaining Guard fell back. I might have interrupted the assault order to kills some of the Marines before they attacked. Rob had a Relic to gain CPs back every time our opponents and we spent CPs, so we ended up with double figure CPs for most of the game, it was silly in a way as I think Tom and Chris also had a CP farming system too.

Genestealers finally got in the mix, wiping out the Marines and Guard.

Abberants got into the remaining Rhino, not sure if it was destroyed or if we claimed that objective versus the tank. And that's about as much as I remember, which I appreciate isn't much ;)

Here's the final score, we scored 7 VPs to Tom and Chris's 14 VPs. Probably the toughest game in a way as the conscripts had to be dealt with due to their overwhelming number but they were so much chaff, worth buttons and so hard to kill that even the extensive artillery, the many re-rolls to wound and hit we had just could dent their numbers sufficiently to gain board control.

And that's it, not sure what the Blood Points was but it was all moot anyway. Another fun game, completely relaxed, everyone just out for a good time.

Tom, Rob, 40kaddict, Chris

And there we go, the last game of Double Trouble 3 and once again the actual placings and win/loss rate of no importance to me whatsoever. As you know Alex has said his next event, on September 1st will be his last, as he has family commitments but will welcome suggestions for format and hopefully another doubles tournament as I love the format and it's almost like a friendly reunion than a competition. I've the painting competition to write up next but for the tournaments, that's your lot folks - stay frosty!

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1750pts battle report - Genestealer Cult & Necrons v Khorne Berzerkers & Custodes - game 2

Double Trouble 3 and Alex From the Fang's doubles tournament replacing Blog Wars. 875pts with random pairings but all match-ups are Battle Brothers. Once again my recollection is pretty hazy so for the most part enjoy the pictures, the commentary will be secondary ;)

I'm running my Genestealer Cult for the first time ever. I've got a Patriarch and 12 Genestealers, a Primus, 4 Abberants [2 picks & 2 hammers], 10 Acolytes, 11 Neophytes [with Grenade Launcher], 10 Neophytes [with Grenade Launcher] and my 2 Scout Sentinels [with Heavy Flamers and Chainswords].

I'm paired with Jason Roberts and his Necrons - Destroyer Lord, two units of Wraiths and two units of Scarabs opposite side was Mark Crombleholme with 2 Rhinos [with Havok Launchers] 3 units of Khorne Berzerkers [including Kharn as HQ] and Callum Reed running Custodes, the Leader, the Flag guy and a Jetbike plus some of the ones with Halberds [I'm so clued up]. Looks like Mark and Callum got first turn.

Berzerkers held the high ground in the middle, while the Custodes held the rear, except for the jetbike who went a'hunting.

Berzerkers secured the objective on their left flank...

and their right flank too. This gave Mark and Callum 3VPs for turn 1.

Jason got the Wraiths right up in the Berzerkers grill, unfortunately the unit on the left failed their charge due to a Custodes stratagem [Tanglefoot Grenades] that adds D6" to your charge! We also scored 3VPs.

The Jetbike managed to whittle away the Neophytes on our centre objective, but we survived just.

The other squad also suffered loses.

Kharn made an epic charge through the ruins to fight alongside the Jetbike against the Wraiths.

While the other unit was bundled by Berzerkers and Custodes

Taking out all but one.

As more Custodes moved in to support their Jetbike and Kharn only one Wraith survived.

The Destroyer Lord charged to support, but I think a stratagem had been employed that meant he couldn't hit the side of a barn with his lethal relic weapon. Khorne/Custodes scored 3 VPs.

Genestealers arrived in my backfield, Sentinels held onto our objective, their Scarab friends had been sent to our centre objective to hold if my Neophytes perished. 2 Wraiths reanimated.

Abberants and Primus arrived behind the Chaos Rhino and made their charge. More importantly they outnumbered it on the objective so we scored 4 VPs this turn. I think we lost the Destroyer Lord and the last Wraith to Kharn.

Who promptly waltzed through the Neophytes with the Jetbike destroying the Scarabs

Berzerkers gang up on my Neophytes and Scarabs in the ruins, wiping them out and getting the objective.

With the Necrons dead, the centre of the board was our opponents, and it was their turn to score 4 VPs.

I think I multi-charged Kharn and the Jetbike, Kharn was completely overkilled by 5 of the Stealers. The other 6 failed to take down the Jetbike

Who seems to have flitted off here, leaving me to hold the objective?

The Primus managed to take the final wound off the Rhino to score this objective after sterling work from his Aberrant charges.

We scored another 3 VPs but one of my Sentinels got taken out by the Chaos/Custodes alliance. The second one would also get destroyed and blow up - 3 out of 4 explosions.

Berzerkers took out the Aberrants and re-took the objective. This got them 5 of the 6 objectives. We couldn't score any, presumably because the last Sentinel was destroyed.

Which allowed them to capture the 6th, and clearly the Jetbike was still a menace, and they scored another 6VPs. I've no idea what was still alive but as turn 5 came to an end we scored 0 and time ran out.

So that was a 21 to 10 loss, but another great game. I've seen Mark at many tournaments, know he's a competitive player [apparently Jason is too] and it was great to finally game against him but in a 'friendly'. He showed the perfect mix of getting things right and having fun, they don't have to be exclusive. Paired with Callum they were a potent tactical force and although I think I once again had the last man standing I was probably too reliant on Jason to do the heavy lifting, although aside from the Stealers I was well aware of the 'lightweight' nature of my list.

Mark, 40kaddict, Callum, Jason

Anyway, on to game 3...

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1750pts battle report - Genestealer Cult & Iron Hands v Death Guard & Ad Mech - game 1

Double Trouble 3 and Alex From the Fang's doubles tournament replacing Blog Wars. 875pts with random pairings but all match-ups are Battle Brothers. Once again my recollection is pretty hazy so for the most part enjoy the pictures, the commentary will be secondary ;)

I'm running my Genestealer Cult for the first time ever. I've got a Patriarch and 12 Genestealers, a Primus, 4 Abberants [2 picks & 2 hammers], 10 Acolytes, 11 Neophytes [with Grenade Launcher], 10 Neophytes [with Grenade Launcher] and my 2 Scout Sentinels [with Heavy Flamers and Chainswords].

I'm paired with John Purves and his Iron Hands - 2 Redemptor Dreads, 2 Venerable Dreads and 2 Techmarines to keep them healthy. The opposite side was Dave Irving [who I played at DT2] with Ad-Mech and Matty Longmore [who I played with at DT2] running Death Guard. Here was our table setup with some pretty decent terrain thanks to Element Games North West Gaming Centre.

I set up the Patriarch and Purestrains in ambush, the Primus and Aberrants also hiding together and the Acolytes too. This left me with the two squads of Neophytes to screen objectives and board control while John had his Venerable Dreadnoughts sit on our objectives and Redemptors prepare to push forward. Lastly my Sentinels prepared to Scout forwards to capture the objective behind the rock outcrop.

Unfortunately Dave and Matty got to do their Scout move first and the Dragoons captured the first objective before the game had even begun. They were going first but we stole the initiative though! The Sentinels went in for the kill, but their Heavy Flamers were ineffective.

Their Sentinel Chainswords even more so. Seriously they are not worth the 2 points, why do the Sentinels only have 1 attack? Surely 2 or 3 for something that size? Anyway, they did nothing and one of them was struck down but he blew up causing a Mortal Wound on the Dragoon and the remaining Sentinel. By the close of turn 1 we'd only managed to capture 2 objectives, and our other shooting had been pretty ineffective. 

In return Dave and Matty managed to blast one Redemptor to pieces with massed fire from the Kastellans and Kataphrons, plus the Blight Hauler.

The Dragoons continued to attack the last Sentinel and killed it, again it exploded in a ball of flames. I was beginning to think the Cult had jury-rigged it to blow up [that would be a cool stratagem, apparently Nurgle has something similar]. DG & AdMec turn one score 3 VPs.

My ambushes turn 2, the Aberrants and Primus arrive 9"+D6", getting a 4 so only 5" away from the Poxwalkers holding an objective 

I was struggling to fit the Genestealers in, with them coming in alongside the Dragoons but still 9" away.

Acolytes also appeared behind enemy lines, pincer manoeuvre for the Poxwalkers but out of range of Skitarii who get to overwatch things from reserve within 12"! I charged both my units in. As you can see the Poxwalkers had two lines double stacked but the Aberrants in particular were in luck as I got to employ Nick Nanavanti's consolidate tactics because you can see that they were quite spaced apart, with room for their bases to slip through, get past that first line and attack the back line, getting closer to the objective.

Five Poxwalkers remained at the end, which was when I found out the Primus buffed those Cult units within 6", something I would not forget afterwards but would have possibly made a difference in wiping out this unit. However, we scored 4 VPs this turn, with the Redemptor holding the other objective.

Unfortunately he was left exposed to the Blighthauler and was destroyed, together with support fir from half of one of the Kastellans, their robotic gaze swinging round to add 1.5 robot's worth of shooting at my Genestealers.

The Stealers were wiped out, serves them right for not making their charges on the Dragoons. The melee in the top was interrupted with the Poxwalkers killing a few Acolytes and replenishing their numbers. I would subsequently wipe them out and send the remaining Acolytes after the Skitarii Snipers in the hills and the Aberrants toward the last Kastellan, I think his twin destroyed by the Venerable Dreadnought. The Primus had to stay behind to hold the objective, meaning he couldn't give his buff. I think John used the last CP to reroll and kill the Kastellan which meant when my Aberrants go 4 for a 5" charge they had no options but to remain stranded and suffer destruction from the shooting of the Kastellan.

I'd retreated my Neophytes back to hold one objective while the others held the one the last Venerable Dreadnought had been shot off. Unfortunately Typhus made a 10" charge, he killed a lot of them but they held on for 2 turns I think, thanks to some lucky morale rolls. The Blighthauler, having wiped out the remaining Techmarines then went for the other Neopyhtes.

With the Aberrants gone, the Acolytes exposed after killing the Skitarii and the Primus on his own it did not take much for the Kastellan to eradicate the threat in their own deployment zone.

Typhus's Terminator bodyguards finally caught up to him and their foul infections spread through the Neophytes wiping them out too and finally capturing the objective.

This left us tabled and Dave and Matty in control of the centre of the board. Typhus had been a little overzealous, I think Dave forgot the game ends immediately meaning they lost the chance to hold the objectives for longer and score more points, unless he did know in which case he was playing fluffy instead of trying to rack up points for the overall win. 

But the game ended and somehow we'd actually won on VPs 13 to 12. Obviously we lost on Blood Points, I'm not even sure how many we killed, I forgot to take a picture of my scoresheet. Either way it was a good game, John had to take a lot of shooting while I sat off the board and sadly did not weather the firepower as well as Iron Hands are renowned for.

John, Matty, 40kaddict, David

Still, good game, great people, everything Double Trouble stands for.

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