The Dark Eldar fleets looked like a swarm of locus swarming over the major cities of the planet below. Archon Rathstar surveyed the devastation his Kabel and their allies had wrought on the Imperial world below.
Haemonoculus Nalix Soulseer had done well in the first two campaigns, winning some decisive battles and reaping a vast number of souls.
However the next target was the star system's main planet, time would tell if the young haemonoculus would continue to perform against a larger army and populace who, more importantly know an attack is likely imminent...
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Yes, after initial successes at my first two tournaments of the year, it was now time to sort the men from the boys with a two day tournament. With the swiss system matching players it normally takes at least 2 games for the top players to rise to the top, so with a one day tournament (especially if it is only 3 games) you can be lucky and not face any of the good players, particularly if you don't get many victory points (which is normally used as the tie break).
Of course this luck can run both ways, and if a top player has some bad luck some poor person may find themselves playing a person much much better than their current tournament placing suggests, a good example would be my 2nd opponent at ASMOH after I lost a kill point game. He had a nice fluffy Eldar army (that won best painted) and I tabled it.
In two day tournaments, if you are in contention of winning then you will have had to play on the high tables for most of the tournament. There is always the argument that if you lose your first game but win the rest you will have a much easier time than someone who wins all but the last game. This was true in ASMOH, I lost my first game and then won the rest, while my mate only lost his last game. He had to play the player who finished 1st and 3rd while didn't get near them. However I think deliberately losing the first (or any game) game is (apart from being dishonest) is bound to fail. Taking ASMOH, even winning my remaining 3 games, picking up good painting points and getting loads of victory points I couldn't catch up to the leaders to finish in the top 3.
Also you run the risk of facing a really good army and/or player who has lost a game (due to a bad match-up or just plain bad luck). A perfect example was my 3rd game at ASMOH; we both had strong lists, and knew how to use them, and having a win and loss each being mid table was a bit low for our ability. Unless we got a.draw, one of us was going to slip far down the rankings. Even when the losing player (likely) slaughters their last opponent the losing player can only get back to mid table. Always best to play your best and try to win by as much as possible (without being a wanker about it) - interestingly enough my phone tried to replace wanker with banker :)
Well after that long amble, my Dark Eldar are sitting at home waiting for me to pick them up and take them to the Compliance II tournament. I've barely changed the list since the last tournament. I only lost my last agoniser and Animus Vitae from the Haemonoculus to give the large Wrack unit a Acothyst and gain an extra Wych. The new list is:
Haemonculus Nalix Soulseer - 65
with Liquifier Gun & Venom Blade
6 Incubi - 132
in Raider with Dark Lance - 60
3 Trueborn with 3 Blasters - 81
in Venom with 2 Splinter Cannons & Grisly Trophies - 70
3 Trueborn with 3 Blasters - 81
in Venom with 2 Splinter Cannons & Grisly Trophies - 70
10 Wracks incl. Acothyst, with 2 Liquifier Guns - 130
in Raider with Dark Lance - 60
9 Wyches incl. Hekatrix with Venom Blade - 105
in Raider with Dark Lance - 60
10 Wyches incl. Hekatrix with Venom Blade - 115
in Raider with Dark Lance - 60
3 Wracks - 30
in Venom with 2 Splinter Cannons - 65
Ravager with 3 Dark Lances - 105
Ravager with 3 Dark Lances - 105
Ravager with 3 Dark Lances - 105
Total: 1499 Pts
Update: Actually it is now the first day of the tournament, as I could post because my mate lives in the middle of nowhere and therefore I had no internet reception on my phone. I will update you with my progress as I progress though the tournament.
Rathstar
Quick Day one update.
ReplyDeleteMy first opponent was vanilla marines with Vulken, in a kill point mission which had additional rules which meant for our game it was night fight for the first three turns. At the end of turn 5 I was losing by a kill point however the game continued and I took the game away from my opponent to win at the end of turn 6.
Game two was against the only other Dark Eldar army at the tournament. The game was spearhead with 4 objectives. My opponent had 8 venoms (ie. 16 splinter cannons) and yet still had 15 dark lances. After a very tactical and hard fought game it ended up a draw with all four objectives contested.
In Game Three I played a black templars army, in a second kill point mission. Even though I went second my refused flank deployment minimised first turn casulties and I wiped my opponent out on turn 5.
So looking good after one day, further updates will come tomorrow, and I will try to get some pictures of the armies to post later.
Rathstar
Looks like your having a good few games. How hard is it to win against Marines? Do you really have to think about every move?
ReplyDeleteRedtroop.
All the best!
ReplyDeleteRedtroop: It's not easy, but it's one of the easier match ups, as everyone has played marines loads of time you know what their units can do. With most armies I find the most successful tactic OS to either cripple their mobility to maximize one of my army's strength, or to try to cripple their long range anti tank firepower (allowing my vehicle free rein). From a marine's point of view you should spread the long range anti tank, and include fast units, and use transports.
ReplyDeleteRathstar
Quick Day 2 Update
ReplyDelete4th games was against a space wolves player, on a board with loads of difficult terrain (not helped by a river which split into two counting and difficult terrain). My opponent had put dozerblades on all of his rhinos, while found it hard to land my raiders without a dangerous terrain test.
We got to place 4 objectives each. It turned into a shooting match with my lances struggling with armour penetration roles. I only killed a dreadnaught (ie. leaving 3 rhinos & 2 preds), including firing 7 lances at a pred with only 1 gun (without cover) and not stopping it from moving allowing it to ram a venom (who dodged it) and contest an objective. At the end of my turn 5 I had 3 of his objectives and 1 of mine. He contested 2 of his objectives, and failed to kill a ravager that was stopping him claim one. He rolled a 2 for game length giving me the win.
The last mission left a bad taste in the mouth. It was the third kill point mission of the 5 games. it was a made up mission (the others on the weekend) were fine). There were 6 objectives that would take an infantry unit off the board if they were touching it at the start of the turn (saving the unit and giving a 2 kill point bonus). At the end of the game all units left on the board DIED giving up half kill points to the enemy.
With the opponent getting first turn, and it being spearheaded deployment, and being allowed to get up within 9" of the centre line where the objectives were meant that my open had taken 3 units and an HQ off the board by turn 2, although I also took three units off the board and tabled the test of his army. Being ahead in kill points at the end of the game meant nothing for me, ad the bonus kill points my opponent got for what I had left on the board meant I lost.
My last opponent finished 2nd, and with a 3/1/1 record I came 7th (out of 20).
Overall a good tournament, well organised and friendly. The custom missions were a nice tweak and (apart from the last mission) added to the game and didn't unbalance it. 60% rather than 33% of missions being kill points also favoured elite armies (such as marines).
I'll post soon on the missions, and what I thought of how each part of my army performed.
Rathstar
Personally I don't like kill point missions. As you say it helps small Elite armies too much, and also playing Tau I give away too many.
ReplyDeleteThe last game sounded a strange one. The winner is the player who runs away best? Still at least you had a good tournament.
REDTROOP
I think having 1 in 3 games as kill points is a fair balancing of the advantages of MSU, even if it is a bit tough against the armies that find it had to have effective lists without lots of kill points (ie. ones without competitive expensive units). However having three of them in one weekend, particularly when the last really screwed mech armies (as vehicles couldn't escape off the board, and there were still giving up half vps if they survived to the end), and armies will lots of kill points, it left a bad feeling with you at the end of the tournament.
ReplyDeleteRest of the tournament was good, but I'd take my Space Wolves next year if they are ready. I heard the guys that write the custom missions don't like mech or MSU.
At least I have a few months before the next tournament to get new stuff painted up.
Rathstar