Tournament/Competitive Warhammer 40k in 2021/2022

[And]

Did you manage to get a game? Hoping to play this week if schedules align. 

[Oracle]

No. The place is closed for refurb. Next game is Monday. 

[And]

Managed to sneak in a game this afternoon 

 

In short another win as crimson fists

 

Spoiler

HQ

Lieutenants

Primaris Lieutenant

Selections: Bellicos Bolt Rifle, Bolt pistol, Master-crafted auto bolt rifle

 

Primaris Captain

Selections: Refuse to Die, The Burning Blade, Warlord

Heavy bolt pistol, Master-crafted power sword and Relic shield

Selections: Master-crafted power sword, Relic Shield

 

Troops

 

Intercessor Squad

Selections: Auto Bolt Rifle

9x Intercessor

Selections: 9x Bolt pistol, 9x Frag & Krak grenades

Intercessor Sergeant

Selections: Thunder hammer

 

Elites

Redemptor Dreadnought

Selections: 2x Storm Bolters, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Icarus Rocket Pod, Onslaught Gatling Cannon

 

Fast Attack

Inceptor Squad

Selections: Assault bolter x2, 2x Inceptor, Inceptor Sergeant

 

Heavy Support

Hellblaster Squad

Selections: Assault Plasma Incinerator

4x Hellblaster

Selections: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

Hellblaster Sergeant

Selections: Plasma pistol

 

Dedicated Transport

Impulsor

Selections: 2x Storm Bolters, Shield Dome

 

 

Incursion mission 2

He played as a custom dynasty and forgot to use one of his rules (-1 toughness to units nearby) which probably helped me. 

He had 2 technomancers and a lord, 

some immortals

6 bases of scarab swarms, 

3 skorpec destroyers 

3 spyders 

2 doomstalkers 

He had a rule that let ALL of his units move 6" before the first turn started so he pushed almost everything forwards. 

 

So this is bad, I had dropped my eradicators and plasma dread as they did nothing much against big units of warriors or his big threats with invulnerable saves. I was totally geared up for killing warriors with bolters, of which I had lots. 

 

I went first 

 

Still, turn 1 I ran the impulsor up the board and dropped the captain and hellblasters out who promptly killed one doomstalker, the inceptors dropped out of the sky and took an objective in his half. all the rest of the shooting was fairly ineffectual, I killed one spider out of the unit of 3 only for it to get reanimated by the technomancer immediately. 

I was able to then charge my transport into the other dosmstalker tying that up. I had also foolishly left my hellbasters in range of a charge from the destroyers. 

 

So the end of turn 1 looked bad, but amazingly I had positioned in a way that even though I got everything I had in his half of the board killed, I'd managed to score 25 primary points by the. end of turn 3 to his 0 so it was all over really, so we called it. It helped that he charged my Redemptor with his spiders and it shrugged them off then pummelled them to death.

I had some horrible rolls. Captain failed all his saves to die to the destroyers, got reborn then had 6 attacks and rolled 4 ones. Would have smooshed his destroyers and really ended the game on turn 2. 

 

I fucking hate necrons though, they're such bullshit - I killed 3 skorpekh destroyers, but there were still 2 of the unit of 3 on the table when we stopped. fucking just die.

 

Think I’ll give wolves or iron hands a go next. 

 

[Oracle]

He's not really changing his list to deal with your threats at all.

 

I've played two games of 40k since Saturday - one against genestealer cult - which are are really quite nasty, cross fire (+1 hit & wound) can really make ordinary units quite deadly. The star of the shows are the Abbarants, Heavy power weapon    +3 -2 3dmg, a big unit of those are quite tanky and will happily delete anything they get into CC with. The way GSC deploy is also a real challenge - they get to put down markers instead of models, so you don't know where they are putting their units until the start of your movement phase. As it was a troop heavy opponent against my deamon engine list, I got smashed - I also rolled very poorly.

 

However, I played my first game at *my regular 40k gaming club*, I took a modified version of my demon engine list that dropped one PBC for one more blight hauler and some more plague marines. This gave me more tactical flexibility, threats and board control - which is critical with this sort of list. I was up against a fairly vehicle heavy space wolf list (redememptor dred with plasma, bjorn, two units of outriders, long fangs with plasma, wulfen, wolf guard, vindicator tank, some sort of flying transport) I deployed as cagily as the terrain allowed. My opponent had quite a lot of his units in a castle but meant that the they were quite exposed, risk/reward meant that he might be able to steal an objective if he got turn one.

 

He did not get turn one, and I rolled the hottest I ever had, I wiped out a unit of outriders and his redemptor dread, killed a few of his long fangs, his turn one he struggled to do much damage to my units. Turn two I killed bjorn, the other unit of outriders the long fangs, the flyer in shooting and then finished off the vidicator in combat and blended the wolf guard in combat. He conceded before the start of his turn two.

 

The club has a house rule that if you smash an opponent, you need to go second the next game - so next week I'm taking my orks and going second, will be interesting!

[And]

That sounds fun. 
 

My mate is changing it up - so in the past few games he had big warrior blobs with the nasty 5/-2/1 Gauss guns and would try and get those into play to wipe out stuff backed up with a character, then scarabs for grabbing objectives and a doomstalker and a triarch stalker as gun platforms. 

So I responded to big weak units by swapping to crimson fists to make most of bolters vs big units. 
 

So after a couple of matches if that he swapped to a list with 2 very big gun threats in the doomstalkers, and then almost no troops. 2 units of scary elites and a couple of hq’s to maximise bullshit. Pregame move to try and counter mobility. It nearly worked as most of my dudes were high volume low strength shooting. 
 

he just didn’t count on my transport being able to move and unload and so I managed to kill a big threat and cause some havoc turn one to steal points while he had to mop up. but I spent 40% of my force in that move and it killed one tank. My inceptors dropped in and wasted his only troops. 
 

I think if he had gone first I’d have been twatted. He overcommitted most of his force on one side where my dread was but he then had to peel off his scarabs and destroyers to go take out my hellblasters. they worked as a distraction and let me score though. 
 

My biggest problem is finding something that can take down a t6/7 12 wound model with a 4++ save. big plasma dread doesn’t do enough shots, eradicators get saved too often. 
So far having 15 supercharged assault hellblasters shots is the most effective but normally still leaves the target with a few wounds and able to start deleting stuff with its unsaveable d6 shots. A doomstalker will comfortably delete anything stupid enough to be targeted and is well hard to kill. 
 

So I’m thinking iron hands. Make a box dread a character and give it targeting to help a plasma redemptor dread and waddle those 2 up the board with some outriders and a smash chaplain to go fuck shit up turn one. Leave some intercessors and eradicators on my back field. 
 

As we’re still in patrol size detachments and the 44x32 board I can get to 3 objectives on turn one if I go first and start scoring primaries well on t2. 
 

[And]

I’m looking at biker apothecary and librarians on eBay as you can run them in the legends data sheets. 
 

So when we graduate to bigger board I want to try white scars with a smash chaplain and 6 outriders, a bike squad with meltas, backed up with a librarian and a chief apothecary to razz around the board on their bikes melting stuff and chopping it up and bringing bikes back from the dead each turn. 

[Oracle]

Primaris chaplin on bike seems like an auto take to me.

[And]

Yep. The more I tinker with the bike legends the more I think I’m about to need to buy a few sets to chop up and kitbash some biker characters. 
If I get a box of 3, and bits and make a biker apoc, wizard and then a smash captain with hammer and shield. 

[Oracle]

Not being able to run a biker librarian in a legit list is annoying, as I'd love to include one for my Ravenwing army. 

[And]

Quote

The Warhammer 40,000 Legends page contains datasheets and additional wargear options, definitive profiles that will live on their own dedicated page, enabling you to unleash your treasured classics in open, narrative and matched play games, with full points provided to help you balance your games.

from the community website - sounds to me like you can use them whatever. 
I’m currently rummaging through the bit box and seeing if I can find enough stuff to kitbash a librarian, captain and apothecary if I buy a unit of outriders and some smaller bases. I know they’re supposed to be firstborn, but the old bikes are shite. Am short a thunder hammer but can get one on ebay

[Oracle]

Yes, but as I prefer to play games as practice for tournaments (not in a twatty way), there's no point bringing a unit that would not be able to be fielded in that setting.

[And]

Ah can you not run legends in tournaments? Bummer. 
 

I’m still tempted to build them, imagine having 9 bikers backed up by 4 characters. The buff stacking would be immense. Off the top of my head, +1 to charge, +1 to hit in melee, reroll 1’s to hit, remove invulnerable saves from enemy, add 5++ to friendlies, revive a bike per turn and heal 3 wounds twice. 

[Oracle]

 

12 minutes ago, And said:

Ah can you not run legends in tournaments? Bummer. 
 

I’m still tempted to build them, imagine having 9 bikers backed up by 4 characters. The buff stacking would be immense. Off the top of my head, +1 to charge, +1 to hit in melee, reroll 1’s to hit, remove invulnerable saves from enemy, add 5++ to friendlies, revive a bike per turn and heal 3 wounds twice. 

 

It varies, some do, some don't but it's not worth the effort to build strategies/invest the time on lists that ultimately might not see the light of day. 

[And]

At this rate gw will bring out new models and put them in the next codex given how popular the bike priest is

[And]

Screw it. Bits and bases ordered. 3 x characters on bikes to build as my new next project then

[And]

@Oracle

what do you think if this for a 50 power list 

Spoiler

40K iron hands patrol (Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition) [50 PL, 3CP, 1,040pts]

Patrol Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Adeptus Astartes - Iron Hands) [50 PL, 1,040pts, 3CP]

Rules: And They Shall Know No Fear, Angels of Death, Bolter Discipline, Combat Doctrines, Shock Assault

Configuration

**Chapter Selector**

Selections: Iron Hands

Rules: The Flesh Is Weak

Battle Size [6CP]

Selections: 2. Incursion (51-100 Total PL / 501-1000 Points) 

Detachment Command Cost

Stratagems

Strategem: Relics of the Chapter [-1CP]

Selections: Number of Extra Relics

 

HQ

 

Primaris Chaplain on Bike [6 PL, 125pts]

Selections: 4. Mantra of Strength, Benediction of Fury, Litany of Hate, The Imperium's Sword, Warlord

Rules: Angels of Death

 

Primaris Librarian [5 PL, 95pts]

Selections: 3) Null Zone (Aura), 6) Psychic Fortress (Aura)

Rules: Angels of Death

Troops

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 110pts]

Selections: Bolt rifle

Rules: Angels of Death, Combat Squads

4x Intercessor

Selections: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

Intercessor Sergeant

Selections: Power fist

 

Elites

Dreadnought [7 PL, 130pts, -2CP]

Selections: All Flesh is Weakness, Multi-melta, Stratagem: Hero of the Chapter, Stratagem: March of the Ancients

Rules: Angels of Death, Explodes (3"/1)

Dreadnought combat weapon w/Heavy Flamer

 

Redemptor Dreadnought [9 PL, 195pts]

Selections: 2x Fragstorm Grenade Launchers, Icarus Rocket Pod, Macro Plasma Incinerator, Onslaught Gatling Cannon

Rules: Angels of Death, Explodes (6"/D3)

 

Fast Attack

Outrider Squad [6 PL, 150pts]

Selections: Outrider Sgt

Rules: Angels of Death

2x Outrider

Selections: 2x Astartes Chainsword, 2x Frag & Krak grenades, 2x Heavy Bolt Pistol, 2x Twin Bolt rifle

 

 

Suppressor Squad [5 PL, 100pts]

Rules: Angels of Death, Death from Above

2x Suppressor

Selections: 2x Accelerator autocannon, 2x Bolt pistol, 2x Frag & Krak grenades

Suppressor Sergeant

 

Heavy Support

Eradicator Squad [7 PL, 135pts]

Selections: Melta rifle

Rules: Angels of Death, Combat Squads

2x Eradicator

Selections: 2x Bolt pistol

Eradicator Sgt

Hands have army wide 6+ fnp

so the chaplain gets a biker shield to give look out sir, and can advance into enemy territory and hopefully take out a threat early on and grab an objective.

the dreads buddy up with librarian, box dread has character status and a 5+ fnp, librarian gives everyone nearby a 5+ invulnerable save and the Redemptor gives the other 2 look out sir. They waddle up the board and when in fight range wizard drops null zone and strips invulnerable saves from enemies. The box can get the captain aura to help the red dread with its plasma gun.
 

suppressors are to put the hurt on turn one in the doctrine, then remove overwatch later, my mate hates these guys so they’re also my distraction carnifex. At a push their mobility should let them get up to some hijinx
 

intercessors and eradicators hang out back field and hold home objective, should be able to nuke anything that gets close and the Gravis boys are tough to shift.

Trying overall to keep a moderate amount of shooting but back to stronger / higher ap weapons vs all the weak, high volume assault stuff I’d been running.

I’m hoping to play Sunday and am expecting to see those spiders again in the elites slot with some skorpekh destroyers, probably both doomstalkers or one swapped for the triarch stalker. I expect after last time he’ll bring in more warriors again, and probably the skorpekh lord, who is frankly a fucking twat who needs killing asap. And the ever present scarab swarms as they’re a brilliant unit for taking objectives and tying up guys in melee. 
 

I’m looking forward to graduating to bigger boards and detachments as ideally I’d like some blade guard in there to go with the dreads and a couple of units of bodies to hang back but can’t fit them in power level or detachment restrictions. 

[Oracle]

Sounds like fun!

 

If I were him I'd drop a Doomstalker for a LHD or two, much less swingy, easier to bring back.

[And]

3 hours ago, Oracle said:

Sounds like fun!

 

If I were him I'd drop a Doomstalker for a LHD or two, much less swingy, easier to bring back.

Yeah, he hasn’t gotten any of those yet (as far as I know) and I’m not helping him out with suggestions!

 

If I were playing scorns I’d be tempted to get some more tomb blades and some heavy destroyers and then run 9 skorpekh destroyers with a lord and go chop crazy

[And]

Ok. So I won 79-28

 

played the incursion map with 6 objectives and deployed like this :

As he had 5 vehicles and monsters I took bring it down, domination and oaths as secondaries. 
 

necrons went first and took 10 wounds off my redemptor. Few other bits of wounding. I dropped my suppressors onto the middle building and took the top doomstalker down to 1 wound. 1. 1! Ffs. It finally died on turn 4. 
 

The chaplain and his boys did work, taking out spiders and the other doomstalker. chaplain bought the farm turn 3, but I managed to hold enough objectives and score enough secondaries early on to win. 
I paid 2 cp to make box dread a character with a trait and it never used them. Good job. 

I squandered most of my cp on crap stratagems or re-rolls that all failed. Transhuman physiology remains brilliant. Wizard fluffed most of his psyc rolls but at least didn’t peril himself to death. He did manage a good 3 mw on the triarch stalker which was helpful. 
 

I think he needed more bodies to get out and about on objectives. Triarch stalker once again proved almost unkillable, I did almost get it on the last turn but he re-rolled a save to keep it on 2 wounds. At one point in turn 3 I foolishly charged it with my marines, forgetting it has a flamer, lost 2 to that, 2 in combat, my power fist bounced off the invulnerable save and then to add insult to injury my sarge failed his 5+ morale check, I had no CP to reroll so he fled. 
 

so a bit scrappy in parts, made a few errors but think I mainly did ok. Good results as I was not geared up for 6 objectives 

[And]

A question. 
 

If I’m in fight phase, kill my target and can consolidate 3” after, and there’s a unit like 2” away that wasn’t charged or in engagement for this fight, can I consolidate into them? Or am I not allowed?

[Oracle]

Congrats on another win! Time to graduate to strike force size boards. 

Threat wise the outriders are way more dangerous, your opponent should have shredded them prior to attacking the dread imo. Also positioning one of the DS nearer that top unit of warriors so he can use the threat of sentinel construct  and the free overwatch. 
 

Did he bring a technomancer?

[Oracle]

51 minutes ago, And said:

A question. 
 

If I’m in fight phase, kill my target and can consolidate 3” after, and there’s a unit like 2” away that wasn’t charged or in engagement for this fight, can I consolidate into them? Or am

I not allowed?

you should be able to consolidate into them, 3 inches finishing closer to the nearest enemy unit. 

[And]

Even if they weren’t at all involved in the action to that point?

have you a source for that? Just so I can prove it if it comes up again. We decided I couldn’t and the rule book is unhelpful. 

[And]

1 hour ago, Oracle said:

Congrats on another win! Time to graduate to strike force size boards. 

Threat wise the outriders are way more dangerous, your opponent should have shredded them prior to attacking the dread imo. Also positioning one of the DS nearer that top unit of warriors so he can use the threat of sentinel construct  and the free overwatch. 
 

Did he bring a technomancer?

2 technomancers. And anrakyr who managed to mind control the box dread but didn’t do too much damage. Unfortunately for him he had needed to be within 12” for that to work, so next turn he got punched to bits by a very cross dread. 
 

 

[Oracle]

10 hours ago, And said:

Even if they weren’t at all involved in the action to that point?

have you a source for that? Just so I can prove it if it comes up again. We decided I couldn’t and the rule book is unhelpful. 

it’s been standard since 8th, check out the wrap and trap section of this AT video 

 

[And]

Thanks, that’s interesting as I could have got one of his technomancers effectively for free. 
 

Though by end of game he had 2 wounds left on his stalker and a technomancer. It’s the nearest I’ve come to tabling him. 

[Oracle]

2 hours ago, And said:

Thanks, that’s interesting as I could have got one of his technomancers effectively for free. 
 

Though by end of game he had 2 wounds left on his stalker and a technomancer. It’s the nearest I’ve come to tabling him. 

 

Yup its figuring out what shooting threats you might want to tag, especially the DS as its main weapon is blast so can't fire in combat.

[And]

Yep. Took those out first as I could tie them up. The triarch stalker - not so much. 
 

Got my biker characters built.  Kitbashed onto an outrider unit, but firstborn size bases to avoid cheating out a bigger aura. 

 

about £20 in bits from eBay for 3 characters, not bad value. 

[Oracle]

Sweet! What do you think you will play next?

[And]

Well I think we’re still looking at sticking to the small board for a game or 2 more. Which gives me time to paint these so they will be a nice surprise when we graduate to big boards. I’m tinkering with a White scars list with 13 bikes in it. 
 

So in the meantime I think I might try flesh tearers with a blade guard heavy list, maybe a squad of 6 backed up with the indomitus captain and an apothecary to revive them. Small board should make it easy enough to get in place sore some chopping.
 

Have ordered some more terrain bits too. 
 

How are the orks coming on?