North West Open 2017: Game 5- Deathwatch vs Astra Militarum

The final game of the North West Open tournament would see my Deathwatch taking on Toby's Astra Militarum army, featuring a lot of Scions and a lot of Tauroxes. 

The mission for game 5 would be ITC scenario 4- The Scouring. For the Eternal War mission, there would be six objectives; two worth one point, two worth two points and two worth three points. The Maelstrom mission also featured 6 objectives; two objective 1's, two objective 2's and two objective 3's. The maelstrom table was:

1. Hold either Maelstrom Objective 1. 
2. Hold either Maelstrom Objective 2.
3. Hold either Maelstrom Objective 3.
4. Destroy an enemy unit.
5. Destroy an enemy unit.
6. Destroy an enemy unit.

Nice and simple. As usual, you generate three unique maelstrom objectives by rolling on the table and choose the two you want to perform. If you generate two hold objectives, you can swap them for holding three objectives for 3 points. Equally, if you roll two destroy an enemy units, you can exchange them for destroying three enemy units for three points. 

The tertiary objectives were Big Game Hunter (whoever destroys the unit with the highest power level), Linebreaker and Slay the Warlord. We would also be using Search and destroy deployment. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Master (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Pair Lightning Claws (W)

Kill Team 1- 5 Veterans, Vanguard Veteran with Pair Lightning Claws, 3 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield. (KT1)

Kill Team 2- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT2)

Kill Team 3- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT3)

Kill Team 4- 5 Veterans, Meltagun, 3 combi-Meltas (KT4)

Kill Team 5- 5 Veterans, 2 Frag Cannons (KT5)

Rhino (R)

Drop Pod- Storm Bolter (DP)

6 Vanguard Veterans- 2 Pairs Lightning Claws, Power Sword and Bolt Pistol, 3 with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords (VV1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- Power Axe, Power Sword (DB1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- two Power Swords (DB2)

Corvus Blackstar- Auspex Array, Hurricane Bolter, Twin Assault Cannons, 2 Blackstar Rocket Launchers (CB)

Vindicare Assassin (V)

6 Command Points

My Warlord was the Watch Master, who took the Tenacious Survivor warlord trait.

Hobby Sunday 10/09/17- Neophyte Hybrids WIP

This week I have been doing some work on my Genestealer Cult Neophyte Hybrids from the Deathwatch Overkill boxed set. I managed to get the basecoat and shading done on the models. Hopefully, I'll be able to get them finished over the next week. 

North West Open 2017: Game 4- Deathwatch vs Grey Knights

Game one of day two of the North West Open tournament would see my Deathwatch facing off against Daniel's Grey Knights army. 

The mission for game 4 was ITC scenario 6- Secure and control. The eternal war mission consisted of two objectives, one in each of our deployment zones. 

There were also four other maelstrom objectives; two labelled objective 1 and two labelled objective 2. The maelstrom table for this mission was:

1. Hold Maelstrom objective 1
2. Hold Maelstrom objective 2
3. Destroy an enemy unit
4. Destroy an enemy unit
5. Have a unit at least partially within the enemy deployment zone (Behind Enemy Lines)
6. Have at least 3 of your units and no enemy units at least partially within your own deployment zone (Hold the Line)

As with all the ITC missions, you generate 3 unique maelstrom objectives each turn by rolling on the table and choose the two you wish to try and achieve. If you roll up hold objectives 1 and 2, you can exchange it for holding three objectives for 3 maelstrom points. If you roll up destroy an enemy unit twice, you can exchange it for kill three enemy units for three points. 

The tertiary objectives were First Blood, Linebreaker and Slay the Warlord. We would be using Spearhead assault deployment. 

My Deathwatch army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Master (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Pair Lightning Claws (W)

Kill Team 1- 5 Veterans, Vanguard Veteran with Pair Lightning Claws, 3 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield. (KT1)

Kill Team 2- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT2)

Kill Team 3- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT3)

Kill Team 4- 5 Veterans, Meltagun, 3 combi-Meltas (KT4)

Kill Team 5- 5 Veterans, 2 Frag Cannons (KT5)

Rhino (R)

Drop Pod- Storm Bolter (DP)

6 Vanguard Veterans- 2 Pairs Lightning Claws, Power Sword and Bolt Pistol, 3 with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords (VV1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- Power Axe, Power Sword (DB1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- two Power Swords (DB2)

Corvus Blackstar- Auspex Array, Hurricane Bolter, Twin Assault Cannons, 2 Blackstar Rocket Launchers (CB)

Vindicare Assassin (V)

6 Command Points

My Warlord was the Watch Master, who took the Tenacious Survivor warlord trait.

North West Open 2017: Game 3- Deathwatch vs Imperial Knights

In the final game of day 1 of the North West Open, my Deathwatch found themselves going up against Nick and his army of Imperial Knights!

I must say, I was not expecting to see an army of 4 Knights this low down in the rankings, and I was certainly not looking forward to the game. My army struggles to deal with vehicles as it is, so four of them with that many wounds and that volume of firepower and combat ability was a daunting task. 

The mission for game 3 was ITC scenario 1- Retrieval. The Eternal War mission was to hold the four retrieval objectives. Two of the objectives would be the two maelstrom objectives for this game. The maelstrom table for this game was:

1. Hold Maelstrom Objective 1
2. Hold Maelstrom Objective 2
3. Have a unit at least partially within 12" of the enemy deployment edge (behind enemy lines)
4. Destroy an enemy unit
5. Destroy an enemy unit
6. Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent's units in your deployment zone (hold the line)

As with all the ITC mission, you roll 3 dice at the start of your turn to generate 3 unique maelstrom objectives and pick two objectives to score. These can only be scored at the start of your following turn. In addtion, if you roll hold objective 1 and 2, you can exchange them to hold 3 objectives for 3 points. If you roll two lots of destroy an enemy unit, you can exchange it for kill 3 enemy units for 3 points.
The tertiary missions were Big Game Hunter (whoever kills the unit with the highest power level), Linebreaker and Slay the warlord.

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Master (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Pair Lightning Claws (W)

Kill Team 1- 5 Veterans, Vanguard Veteran with Pair Lightning Claws, 3 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield. (KT1)

Kill Team 2- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT2)

Kill Team 3- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT3)

Kill Team 4- 5 Veterans, Meltagun, 3 combi-Meltas (KT4)

Kill Team 5- 5 Veterans, 2 Frag Cannons (KT5)

Rhino (R)

Drop Pod- Storm Bolter (DP)

6 Vanguard Veterans- 2 Pairs Lightning Claws, Power Sword and Bolt Pistol, 3 with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords (VV1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- Power Axe, Power Sword (DB1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- two Power Swords (DB2)

Corvus Blackstar- Auspex Array, Hurricane Bolter, Twin Assault Cannons, 2 Blackstar Rocket Launchers (CB)

Vindicare Assassin (V)

6 Command Points

My Warlord was the Watch Master, who took the Tenacious Survivor warlord trait.

North West Open 2017: Game 2- Deathwatch vs Harlequins

Game 2 of the North West Open tournament would see my Deathwatch take on James and his Harlequin force. James had actually missed his first game due to traffic, but one of the shop staff members had stepped in and secured him a win for game 1. It would be interesting to see how well matched I was with his army in round 2.

The mission for game 2 was ITC scenario 5- Big Guns Never Tire. In this, the primary mission was holding the four objectives and killing Heavy Support choices. Each objective was worth 3 points to whoever controlled it at the end of the game, with each slain Heavy Support choice worth a bonus point.
For the maelstrom mission, each player had two maelstrom objectives (numbered 1 and 2). Each player had to place their maelstrom objective 1 in their own deployment zone and maelstrom objective 2 in their opponent's deployment zone. The maelstrom objective table was as follows:

1.  Hold maelstrom objective 1 in the enemy deployment zone. 
2. Hold maelstrom objective 2 in the enemy deployment zone. 
3. Hold maelstrom objective 1 in your own deployment zone.
4. Hold maelstrom objective 2 in your own deployment zone.
5. Destroy an enemy unit
6. Destroy an enemy unit

As per ITC rules, you could only score maelstrom points generated at the start of your following turn. In addition, if you roll two of 1, 2,3 or 4, you can exchange for hold 3 objectives for 3 points. If you roll up 5 and 6, you can exchange it for kill 3 enemy units for 3 points. 

The tertiary objectives were Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker and Ground Control (control or contest 2 or more objectives at the end of the game). We would be using Front Line assault deployment. I actually ended up on the same table as game 1, so would be familiar with the terrain! 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Master (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Pair Lightning Claws (W)

Kill Team 1- 5 Veterans, Vanguard Veteran with Pair Lightning Claws, 3 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield. (KT1)

Kill Team 2- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT2)

Kill Team 3- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT3)

Kill Team 4- 5 Veterans, Meltagun, 3 combi-Meltas (KT4)

Kill Team 5- 5 Veterans, 2 Frag Cannons (KT5)

Rhino (R)

Drop Pod- Storm Bolter (DP)

6 Vanguard Veterans- 2 Pairs Lightning Claws, Power Sword and Bolt Pistol, 3 with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords (VV1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- Power Axe, Power Sword (DB1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- two Power Swords (DB2)

Corvus Blackstar- Auspex Array, Hurricane Bolter, Twin Assault Cannons, 2 Blackstar Rocket Launchers (CB)

Vindicare Assassin (V)

6 Command Points

My Warlord was the Watch Master, who took the Tenacious Survivor warlord trait.

North West Open 2017: Game 1- Deathwatch vs Tyranids

A few weeks ago, I attended the North West Open tournament at Wargames in Southport. This was an ITC tournament and the first of its kind that I had attended. The tournament took place over 2 days and 5 games, where I would see if my Deathwatch could compete with the other armies in 8th edition. 

The first mission was ITC scenario 3- No Mercy. This mission featured a mixture of maelstrom points and eternal war points with bonuses for tertiary objectives. 

The Eternal war mission was kill points, with points being awarded for each enemy unit destroyed equal to their power level in the index. Maelstrom missions used the ITC maelstrom objective table. In this table, you roll three times at the start of each of your turns to generate three unique maelstrom objectives and choose which two of the options that you rolled you want to try and achieve. For this mission, the table was:

1. Hold Maelstrom Objective 1
2. Hold Maelstrom Objective 2
3. Hold Maelstrom Objective 3
4. Have more units further than 12" from your deployment table edge than your opponent does from theirs (Advance)
5. Have a unit at least partially within 12" of the enemy deployment table edge (Hold the Line)
6. Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent's units within 12" of your deployment table edge (Behind Enemy Lines). 

What is interesting about ITC maelstrom objectives is that you score them at the beginning of your following turn. For example, if you roll hold maelstrom objective 1 and 2 in turn 1, you have to be holding them at the beginning of your second turn in order to score them. This forces you to plan ahead and can allow your opponent to try to stop you scoring in their turn. In addition, if you roll two hold objective results, you have the option to exchange them to hold all three objectives and score 3 maelstrom points. 

The tertiary objectives were First Strike (destroy a unit in the first turn, both players can score), Slay the Warlord and King of the Hill (have more units/models within 6" of the board centre than your opponent). 

I hadn't played these missions before, so it would be interesting to see how I performed in them in 8th edition. 

My Deathwatch army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Master (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Pair Lightning Claws (W)

Kill Team 1- 5 Veterans, Vanguard Veteran with Pair Lightning Claws, 3 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield. (KT1)

Kill Team 2- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT2)

Kill Team 3- 5 Veterans, 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Boltguns (KT3)

Kill Team 4- 5 Veterans, Meltagun, 3 combi-Meltas (KT4)

Kill Team 5- 5 Veterans, 2 Frag Cannons (KT5)

Rhino (R)

Drop Pod- Storm Bolter (DP)

6 Vanguard Veterans- 2 Pairs Lightning Claws, Power Sword and Bolt Pistol, 3 with Bolt Pistols and Chainswords (VV1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- Power Axe, Power Sword (DB1)

3 Deathwatch Bikers- two Power Swords (DB2)

Corvus Blackstar- Auspex Array, Hurricane Bolter, Twin Assault Cannons, 2 Blackstar Rocket Launchers (CB)

Vindicare Assassin (V)

6 Command Points

My Warlord was the Watch Master, who took the Tenacious Survivor warlord trait.

Better Know A Blogger: Part 44- SincaiN40K

Today's Better Know A Blogger features Todd Sherman at SincaiN40K. 

Todd's blog is one of the more recent additions to my blog roll. I followed the blog after seeing the awesome work that he has been carrying out on preparing his Raven Guard army and display board for NOVA (a huge 40k tournament in the US that was just held this past weekend). This features some fantastic light work on the board, and is truly an amazing display. 

There has also been some great work on his building of a Space Hulk board that should look great when finished. 

Check out his blog for some great hobby content and hopefully some great photos of this year's Nova tournament. 

Todd. 

Here are Todd's answers to my questions:

1. What age did you get into gaming and what started it off?

Games in general or Miniature games? Well I’m child of the 70s and 80s, so I started off with Atari and Arcades. Still remember going with my Dad to pick up the brand new Atari 2600 and Space Invaders and Pac-Man. I upgraded to the Commadore 64 and getting into DnD with some of my friends. That is what got me into fantasy and sci fi. Computer games like Phantasee and Talenguard, plus all of the dice games and, of course Star Wars. Around 89 I started seeing Warhammer pop up at the local comic store my friend worked at and one of my friends started to paint minis. I went over to his house and was chilling while he painted (he was painting Squats by the way) and I was asking him some questions about the models. I’ve always been into art, mostly drawing and ink, but the models caught my interest. He gave me some of his extra colors and I went home ready to give it a shot.

Hobby Sunday 03/09/17- Genestealer Cults Acolyte Hybrids

This week, I have been continuing progress on my Genestealer Cults. I managed to get a second unit of Acolyte Hybrids painted up, completing 6 new models. All that need to be done is finish the bases for the unit to be complete. 

Here are some work in progress shots and the almost completed photos. 

St Andrews Wargaming- On the Move (Again!)

Haven't I just done this?!? Yes, yet again, I will be on the move. I recently got a new job down in Oxford, so will be moving further south later this month to start my new career. 

Fortunately, this is now a permanent job (at least, as permanent as possible in this day and age), so shouldn't have to move again for a while! I'm hoping to get set up with a new gaming club fairly quickly, there are plenty of games of 8th edition still to be played! 

Content may be a bit sparse until I get set up, but fortunately I have a bit of a backlog of battle reports to keep the blog going in the meantime. 

Space Marine Codex Review: Part 9- Flyers

The final part of my Space Marine Codex review for 8th edition will take a look at the three flyers available to the forces of the Adeptus Astartes.

Flyers

Stormhawk Interceptor

The latest addition to the Space Marine airborne arsenal, it packs some impressive firepower, somewhat hampered by having to be on the move every turn. 

The Stormhawk Interceptor is comparable to a flying Rhino. You get T7, 10 wounds and a 3+ armour save. Added to the -1 to hit that enemy units suffer thanks to be being hard to hit, as well as re-rolls of saving throws of a 1 (thanks to the Infernum halo launcher) and you have a pretty durable vehicle that is going to take a fair amount of decent firepower to take out. Small arms fire shouldn't worry the Interceptor too much. 

The Stormhawk can also move, with a movement of 20-50" at full strength, making it very fast and almost certain to get where you want it to go. It can't hover though, but this will be of less influence when flyers are no longer able to score objectives. 

The Stormhawk comes with two assault cannons, two heavy Bolters and an Icarus Stormcannon (48", heavy 3, S7 AP-1 2 damage). The two assault cannons and two heavy bolters give you 18 medium strength shots at -1AP. It should be useful for tearing through lightly armoured infantry and should even cause small elite units some damage. The downside is that the Stormhawk Interceptor will be hitting ground targets on a 4+ at best, as it still suffers the -1 to hit for moving and firing heavy weapons. It gets even worse for the Icarus Stormcannon, as it sufferes an additional -1 to hit for firing at units without the Fly keyword (though it does get +1 to hit against units with fly). 

The Stormhawk gets the Interceptor special rule, meaning +1 to hit against enemy units with the fly keyword. This means that it is still hitting fly units on a 3+ with most weapons and on a 2+ with the Icarus Stormcannon. 

The base cost of the Stormhawk is 164 points, which is not too expensive for the firepower it can put out. It is definitely a better option if you know you will be facing a lot of fly units, though few infantry units have this keyword and the basic armament is not ideally suited for going up against vehicles (such as flyers). 

Fortunately, you have some weapons options to choose from. You can upgrade to take a Las-talon (a short-range, two shot Lascannon), a Skyhammer Missile Launcher (similar to the Icarus, but with D3 damage) or a typhoon missile launcher. Taking the Las-talon, Icarus Stormcannon and Skyhammer Missile Launcher will set you back only 166 points, but will give you two S9 shots and six S7 shots, each doing multiple damage. Against vehicles with the fly keyword, two of those weapons will hit on a 2+ (unless you are targeting a flyer, in which case you are probably hitting on 3's). This actually makes the Interceptor a great flyer to use against certain armies such as Eldar, Harlequins or Dark Eldar, who feature a lot of weaker vehicle with Fly. It will be less useful against other armies, as you will be hitting most ground targets on a 5+ with this load out. 

If you know you are likely to be facing a lot of flyers or fly units, I would say that the Stormhawk Interceptor is a solid choice and could do a lot of damage for a very reasonable cost. However, against most other armies, it may suffer due the reduced accuracy of its firepower (though that is still pretty impressive for the cost).