Chaos Daemons are back, this time against the brand new ork codex. I made a more well rounded list instead of a monster mash and went at it again with the Daemonic Incursion. Be'lakor is still here with his two bloodthirster buddies, but I had 3 infantry squads in reserve and nurglings clogging up the middle.
The orks had two loaded squads of meganobz, a big boy squad, the big man Ghaz himself, as well as two dakkarigs and a deff dread. Other units rounded out the list for scoring purposes.
For my first foray into Chaos Daemons since a long time, I chose the easiest possible army to play: daemonic incursion with 6 greater daemons (models courtesy of my opponent, I just brought two Bloodthirsters). Against me, the Thousand Sons with Magnus in the lead, on this Dawn of War deployment. My opponent proclaimed my imminent victory.
I wasn't so sure so I deployed somewhat conservatively, with one Bloodthirster in reserves, one on the left flank, and everything else in a death star formation around Be'lakor.
Playing two games of The Winds of Winter really took a lot out of me, but I gave my best to hold up the savage Greyjoys.
Round 2 saw more posturing and no points scored.
Round 3 saw the Greyjoys want to hold objective points; whereas I was fairly certain things were going to get killed, so 2 points on killer units. The Greyjoys of course blocked me off the right hand objectives, but at least they failed their charge. The middle unit accepted the hits from the stakes, but this gave them a points advantage.
I rushed in for the kill on the unit left hanging, but of course Balon brought them back. Then we went to to toe where my units lost the 4-3 fight.
The game almost ended in a draw, but the cavalry couldn't make the final kill. Victory to the Greyjoys!
The Giants faced the Baratheons during The Winds of Winter. Refuse flank for the Baratheons, with the Giants converging on them across the table. Stakes protected the middle as usual.
Back for revenge with the nuns, this time I changed up everything. Well, almost everything. We were too excited to start and I didn't take pictures with the deployment, so take a look at the map after round 1. I went all in with Scions, and with the Armored Infantry detachment I can redeploy 2 more squads into reserves. That means I only got Gaunt, Sly Marbo, Kroyle, a Callidus, a squad of Cadians and a random Cyclops Demolition Vehicle because of points. Everything else is Militarum Tempestus in deep strike. I also took Take and Hold disposition and fixed secondaries to destroy the Tyranid monsters.
Giving my mixed list another go: tanks and scions vs Tyranid monsters. I thought I'd have an easy time, with all tanks having lethal hits against the monsters, and the scions rerolling to wound... well, not so much.
Tyranids got first turn and took position for early Take and Hold points.
After the first three games of infantry squads dying in droves, I cooked up a list of tanks backed up deep striking Scions. Test subject: Orks! I got first turn, and I sent all 3 of my battle tanks into reserves, wanting to ambush the orks on all sides. Seeing the field clear, the boys scouted up 6".
I basically wanted to see the other end of the stick, and prove that Lannisters can stand up to giants with some tailoring. Surprisingly, I faced a 6/2 list which is not at all how my opponent usually operates. I on the other hand was playing Lannisters as Free Folk: 5/3 with lots of cheap units, and both Robert Strong and Jaime (Kingsguard) for auto-wounds. Game more: A Feast for Crows.
We both placed stakes around the left side objective, but I won the roll-off and placed my opponent's cheeky stakes on his side.
For the final scenario of the tournament, I came up against Martells in Here We Stand. Not ideal for the light desert troopers, but what can you do. I had no idea regarding the finer points of the army, so I set up on the line and decided to ball.
Finally, an army I actually know: the Lannisters. Also a funky game mode: A Dance with Dragons. With the pairings prepared the evening before, I spent some time agonizing over lists. I deduced that the Lannisters wouldn't take their double Turncoat no mobility infantry list into this already reduced movement scenario, so I brought forth the double Spear Thrower Giant list. I was right, with two cavalry units on the other side of the field.
Game 3, A Clash of Kings, against double Thorn Watch Baratheons. Yay.
Against the Starks, I played Honed and Ready. Again like last time, but against a different player. Unlike the Baratheons, this list wasn't tailored against Giants.
Game 1 against the Baratheons: Fire and Blood. Ironically same as last time, although against a different player. Just one unit of Thorn Watch, which I did not mark because I have heard of them.
One last try of the same Grizzled Company list. The Knights played Purge the Foe. Simple list: 5 big knights and a navigator.
For variety, my second game of 11th edition was... also Priority Assets vs Disruption, but this time against Custodes. I brought the same list, with infantry on the right flank ready to take the middle, and heavy hitters on the left.
In preparation for the Romanian Nationals, here's a training game of Honed and Ready. It's the season of giants! On the other side: Lannister double lance cavalry.
11th edition starts with a paintball match between friendly imperial forces. We were pretty sure that the terrain footprints were off by a bit, but who cares. I tried a new detachment: the Grizzled Company a.k.a. "I don't like to miss". The Dark Angels brought All The Plasma Ever. Well haha, my girls are T3.
The Dark Angels played "Locate and Deny" where they place a bunch of markers in terrain. I got the opposing "Extract Relic" where I must remove the markers. We got a bit over eager - no deployment pictures. I got turn 1, so have at it!
For (probably?) the last game of 10th edition, we played a 2v2 scenario: The Relic. One objective in the middle, you can pick it up with infantry. The dice decided that Lion El'Jonson should ally with his Fallen sons against the Thousand Sons, who are probably controlling the Tyranids through warp-born sorcery. Deployment: Hammer and Anvil.
We got first turn and moved up in the cover of ruins. Our opponents also surged forwards, putting 'gaunts on the Relic.
Final game against the Baratheons in The Winds of Winter. Mission cards again, so I was confident. I now knew that, for the first time, I could send a unit out up front and it would hold - for a while. So, giants again.
