Friday, September 9, 2011
Where was I? Oh yeah!
Well it's been a while since I talked about progress here. I have been so locked up with non-gaming stuff this summer that I haven't played more than 4 or 5 games outside of Buckeye Battles! I have been slaving away at my Portal hammer Darl Eldar list and I am nearly done. I will post some pictures of them here in the next week or so. I have nearly 2700 points painted now, with enough unfinished to field nearly 3000 points! It has taken a year to get here, but I am NEARLY done. Once they are completed, I have the Thousand Sons to work on for about a month or so, followed by the incoming Necrons.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Times they are a'changin
Well, we lost a local store in April of this year due to several factors in the local market. It was a sad day, and The Armoury will be missed. But when one thing is taken away something else often takes it's place.
On September 24th Game Table Adventures will open in Newark Ohio. I have known the owner for several years and I am excited to go and see the new store. Boltgun Battles tournament will be held at the store on it's opening day and it should prove to be an excellent opening day for the store.
On September 24th Game Table Adventures will open in Newark Ohio. I have known the owner for several years and I am excited to go and see the new store. Boltgun Battles tournament will be held at the store on it's opening day and it should prove to be an excellent opening day for the store.
Monday, August 15, 2011
'Ard Boyz army results.....in a nutshell
I went over to Dakka-Dakka and looked at the breakdowns on the armies that are placing in the top 3 in the 'Ard Boyz prelims, and I was not totally surprised by what I found:
36 Grey Knights
28 Space Wolves
25 Dark Eldar
22 Blood Angels
20 Orks
19 Codex: Marines
16 Imperial Guard
15 Eldar
13 Tyranids
10 Dark Angels
8 Chaos Marines
8 Chaos Daemons
5 Black Templar
5 Tau
2 Necron
2 Sisters of Battle
Now I make no claim that these results are complete ( I manually scraped them from a forum this morning), but they paint an interesting picture. This stuff gives me a lot to think about. The first thing I notice is that the wolves are right up there hitting hard for a second year in a row. Is that book that efficient? Really? The Grey Knights I expect with the new army syndrome , and to a lesser extent the Dark Eldar. Now, I am playing DE right now so I know how fragile they are. They can hit like a ton of bricks, but cannot take the return punches. This speaks for the skill of the player able to capitalize on this army. Tyranids are the same way. They have very little in the way of "conventional" strength, but they can really wreck your day if you are not careful.
It looks like the GW FAQ on the older marine codeci made an impact with 10 deathwing/ravenwing armies placing well. I am also seeing a metric crap-ton (don't ask for a definition) of vanilla marines doing well. I guess that speaks for the balance in that book. I'm looking forward to see how the regional games go, and if the "favored" armies really do as well as these numbers seem to indicate.
36 Grey Knights
28 Space Wolves
25 Dark Eldar
22 Blood Angels
20 Orks
19 Codex: Marines
16 Imperial Guard
15 Eldar
13 Tyranids
10 Dark Angels
8 Chaos Marines
8 Chaos Daemons
5 Black Templar
5 Tau
2 Necron
2 Sisters of Battle
Now I make no claim that these results are complete ( I manually scraped them from a forum this morning), but they paint an interesting picture. This stuff gives me a lot to think about. The first thing I notice is that the wolves are right up there hitting hard for a second year in a row. Is that book that efficient? Really? The Grey Knights I expect with the new army syndrome , and to a lesser extent the Dark Eldar. Now, I am playing DE right now so I know how fragile they are. They can hit like a ton of bricks, but cannot take the return punches. This speaks for the skill of the player able to capitalize on this army. Tyranids are the same way. They have very little in the way of "conventional" strength, but they can really wreck your day if you are not careful.
It looks like the GW FAQ on the older marine codeci made an impact with 10 deathwing/ravenwing armies placing well. I am also seeing a metric crap-ton (don't ask for a definition) of vanilla marines doing well. I guess that speaks for the balance in that book. I'm looking forward to see how the regional games go, and if the "favored" armies really do as well as these numbers seem to indicate.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
40k 'Ard Boyz prelims and more
Well I ran the 40k "Ard Boyz tournament at Ravenstone. We had a maxed out 14 people at the store. A good day had by all with no incidents at all. In the end Drew Hixon walked away in first with 60 Battle points....With Tyranids. Drew was due, he has been within inches for at least the last three years. Grats Drew!
Second place was Deathwing/Ravenwing combo Angels. This was a rather nice army that had a rough second round. Third place went to one of three Grey knight armies. Great Job Mike!
I have been playing the games I needed to with my Dark Eldar and after watching 'Ard Boyz and playing those games, I see the loop holes I can easily plug. That said, I think I am going to diversify my hammer units a bit.
Also, Boltgun posted the first test mission, and it screws my entire strategy. My portals are there to receive my reserves, but I can't use them that way if they are in reserve themselves.....crap. So this leaves three of my hammers on foot with no way to close quickly before they get shot. So now I need to adapt....or is it evolve?
Second place was Deathwing/Ravenwing combo Angels. This was a rather nice army that had a rough second round. Third place went to one of three Grey knight armies. Great Job Mike!
I have been playing the games I needed to with my Dark Eldar and after watching 'Ard Boyz and playing those games, I see the loop holes I can easily plug. That said, I think I am going to diversify my hammer units a bit.
Also, Boltgun posted the first test mission, and it screws my entire strategy. My portals are there to receive my reserves, but I can't use them that way if they are in reserve themselves.....crap. So this leaves three of my hammers on foot with no way to close quickly before they get shot. So now I need to adapt....or is it evolve?
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Plugging away
Now that I've been back from Florida for a week, and I am almost caught up at work I can begin to look forward again. Boltgun Battles in September will be the next big outing for the Kabal, and I am slowly starting to make progress on painting them again.
Buckeye Battles was a 1750 point limit, while Boltgun is a 2000 point limit. This means some movement in the list as well as new units. I learned a few things at Buckeye Battles, and I plan on applying them going forward.
1. Dark Eldar CAN do hammer assaults, but they need the right unit in the right place at the right time, and Wyches are NOT that unit. That said I think Incubi, especially when supported by an IC or Talos easily fill that roll.
2. Placement of your hammer blows is CRITICAL. To this end I am using two webway portals to make sure my opponents have no where to hide.
3. Dark Eldar shooting can either be completely MEH to a toughness 4 (or less) army, or incredibly devastating to a small model count army. Be prepared to face both and adapt.
4. USE cover to it's maximum benefit and avoid a slugging contest, you WILL lose it. Cover is your friend, and you live or die by it.
Without giving away too much more than I already have, I am using incubi as a hammer from portals, but I am also using a mix of warriors and Wracks as scoring units. I originally thought that replacing warriors all together with wracks was a good idea, but I find that having 3 or 4 more splinter cannons on the table is a huge help. Will a Hexrifle replace that impact? Dunno. The volume loss COULD be replaced with the benefits of sniping squad specialists or ICs, but is that too situational?
I'm going to play as many practice games as I can and see. I am hoping for tyranid, Wolf, and Orc match ups at a minimum before Boltgun to try out my theories. I'll drop results here, as well as some painting updates as I go.
Buckeye Battles was a 1750 point limit, while Boltgun is a 2000 point limit. This means some movement in the list as well as new units. I learned a few things at Buckeye Battles, and I plan on applying them going forward.
1. Dark Eldar CAN do hammer assaults, but they need the right unit in the right place at the right time, and Wyches are NOT that unit. That said I think Incubi, especially when supported by an IC or Talos easily fill that roll.
2. Placement of your hammer blows is CRITICAL. To this end I am using two webway portals to make sure my opponents have no where to hide.
3. Dark Eldar shooting can either be completely MEH to a toughness 4 (or less) army, or incredibly devastating to a small model count army. Be prepared to face both and adapt.
4. USE cover to it's maximum benefit and avoid a slugging contest, you WILL lose it. Cover is your friend, and you live or die by it.
Without giving away too much more than I already have, I am using incubi as a hammer from portals, but I am also using a mix of warriors and Wracks as scoring units. I originally thought that replacing warriors all together with wracks was a good idea, but I find that having 3 or 4 more splinter cannons on the table is a huge help. Will a Hexrifle replace that impact? Dunno. The volume loss COULD be replaced with the benefits of sniping squad specialists or ICs, but is that too situational?
I'm going to play as many practice games as I can and see. I am hoping for tyranid, Wolf, and Orc match ups at a minimum before Boltgun to try out my theories. I'll drop results here, as well as some painting updates as I go.
Friday, July 22, 2011
GOOD times....
First up is Disneyworld in Orlando.....
My daughter Carly and I at Universal Studios, Seuss Island
Hogwart's Castle
The Three Broomsticks Tavern in Hogsmead.
Hagrid's Hut
Another view of the castle
As you can see we are all geeking out in Florida. Shopping today and then home tomorrow.....another 1000 mile drive tomorrow, but I am anxious to be home and relax for a day or two before returning to work.
As you can see we are all geeking out in Florida. Shopping today and then home tomorrow.....another 1000 mile drive tomorrow, but I am anxious to be home and relax for a day or two before returning to work.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
And it begins.....
Well, we made the 1050 mile drive over 2 days....I'M TIRED TO SAY THE LEAST. Now if I could get the kids to sleep after we told them Disney world is coming!!
Long day, but a truly good one. Pix in a few days after we get back. Right, onto the fun.
Long day, but a truly good one. Pix in a few days after we get back. Right, onto the fun.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Boltgun Battles is next!! (unless I cave in and try "Ard Boyz)
Well I am officially prepping for Boltgun Battles, a 2000 point tournament coming up soon. But first....VACATION.
I am Going out of state at the end of the week, so I'll be out of the loop for a week or so.
TTYL
I am Going out of state at the end of the week, so I'll be out of the loop for a week or so.
TTYL
Buckeye Battles Pix
Here are some pictures from Buckeye Battles as promised!
I wanted NOTHING to do with 2 Achilles Land Raiders....
This is why gamers do not normally let their girlfriends help them paint......That is glitter nail polish....
This is Jeremy McClung's Howling Griffons...the best painted award winner for the third year in a row!!
My army all ready to go.
This was game one, against Adam's Copper (Grey) Knights. Nice army, and my Draw for the day.
This is Dustin's Marines, I played him Second round. Ive known Dustin for years, and he is getting harder to beat every time I play him.
This is the bug army I least wanted to see that day. Doom AND the Swarmlord in one list at 1750 points.....The doom dropped in my grill and ate almost 700 points in two turns....OUCH
Here is the deployment....see tha building I am behind? the Doom dropped right on the other side....in range but out of line of sight for my lances....grrrrr
Ian's Sisters. This is a gorgeous army, and unfortunately limited in the current game rules. I hope they get some nice new toys soon! Great game, nice guy!!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Buckeye Battles Indy GT today
Well I succumb to peer pressure today and took Dark Eldar to the Buckeye Battles Indy GT. This 4 round tournament brought together some awesome players and gorgeous armies over 4 rounds, and awarded 2 tickets to the 2012 Throne of Skulls in Memphis next spring. While I didn't win any major awards (2-1-1 overall), I had an absolute BLAST.
My list was a bit eclectic to help deal with a broad range of armies. To a point that hurt a little in every game, as I didn't feel there was enough focus, but I'll get to that in a minute. My list looked like this:
Archon
5 incubi
2x haemonculi with a portal each
2x 10 kabalite warroirs with splinter cannons in flicker raiders
10 wracks in flicker raider
10 wyches
Talos
Ravager
Razorwing fighter w/shatterfield missiles
Round one was a three objective mission againt Adam and his Grey knights. This game was my draw for the day, and came down to a dreadknight killing itself with fearless ocmbat resolution woinds on the bottom of turn 7.
Round 2 was a victory point mission against Dustin with his heavily mechanised marines. I killed all but a 5 marines and a predator in 6 turns for a solid win here.
Round 3 was a 5 objective mission against ( I forget your first name, contact me so I can update this) Ramirez and his Tyranids...Doom and the swarmlord with 2 guards in 1750...yeah....Doom ate almost 700 points out of my army in two turns, and then mys archon wyches and Incubi waited until the 15 minute warning to show up....ouch Loss for me.
Round 4 was Ian and his blue sisters of battle. This was another victory point mission, and it got really close in the end but I pulled out another win here. I really saved myself with a solid two turns of shooting early, but got hurt by not being able to drop my second portal and all my reserves coming in far enough away to give him some shooting before I closed in.
All in all 4 awesome games against 4 great guys!!
I have to apologize, I only took a few pictures, but I'll post what I have, and steal my other opponents army pics from Corbett, the TO as he posts them this week.
My list was a bit eclectic to help deal with a broad range of armies. To a point that hurt a little in every game, as I didn't feel there was enough focus, but I'll get to that in a minute. My list looked like this:
Archon
5 incubi
2x haemonculi with a portal each
2x 10 kabalite warroirs with splinter cannons in flicker raiders
10 wracks in flicker raider
10 wyches
Talos
Ravager
Razorwing fighter w/shatterfield missiles
Round one was a three objective mission againt Adam and his Grey knights. This game was my draw for the day, and came down to a dreadknight killing itself with fearless ocmbat resolution woinds on the bottom of turn 7.
Round 2 was a victory point mission against Dustin with his heavily mechanised marines. I killed all but a 5 marines and a predator in 6 turns for a solid win here.
Round 3 was a 5 objective mission against ( I forget your first name, contact me so I can update this) Ramirez and his Tyranids...Doom and the swarmlord with 2 guards in 1750...yeah....Doom ate almost 700 points out of my army in two turns, and then mys archon wyches and Incubi waited until the 15 minute warning to show up....ouch Loss for me.
Round 4 was Ian and his blue sisters of battle. This was another victory point mission, and it got really close in the end but I pulled out another win here. I really saved myself with a solid two turns of shooting early, but got hurt by not being able to drop my second portal and all my reserves coming in far enough away to give him some shooting before I closed in.
All in all 4 awesome games against 4 great guys!!
I have to apologize, I only took a few pictures, but I'll post what I have, and steal my other opponents army pics from Corbett, the TO as he posts them this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)