So after a long Friday night out to celebrate the graduation from college of my better half, I got in a sneaky 2hrs sleep and hit the train station for 5.30am. Ticket troubles arose that I needed to get off and sort half way there, and then the train had to stop for 40mins in the middle of nowhere so they could fix a problem with the line. So getting in 35mins late, my lift to the venue (which was over an hour away from the station) had gone and since we had no contact with each other I had to wait around a bit in case they showed. Once I found out they wern't showing I hit the bus station and narrowly missed the bus out, meaning I had to wait another hour before getting one. As such, I arrived two and a half hours late, having just missed game 1. It wasn't looking like a good start and misfortune definitely seemed to be sitting on my shoulder. So I got breakfast and waited until round 2 to see what would happen.
Just as a reminder, my list is below.
Lord Kaldor Draigo
Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz
5x Paladins
1x MC Halberd, 2x Swords, 2x Hammers and MC Psycannons
9x Grey Knights
Psycannon, Hammer, in Transport 1
10x Grey Knights
2x Psycannons, Hammer, in Transport 2
Stormraven
Twin-Linked Multi-Melta, Searchlight
Stormraven
Twin-Linked Multi-Melta, Searchlight
Dreadknight
Heavy Incinerator, Greatsword
Dreadknight
Heavy Incinerator, Greatsword
Transport 1: Rhino with Searchlight
Transport 2: Rhino with Searchlight
So after a bit of waiting, I found out that for round 2 I would face Alan Garvey and his Chaos force, consisting of Chaos Space Marines with allied Traitor Guard. Alan had a beautiful army with lots of alternative models painted in vibrant colours, including a Conscript squad that looked like undead Nazis; very Red Skull-esque, without the red. His list was as follows.
Daemon Prince
Mark of Slaanesh, Lash of Submission
[A]Company Command Squad
Officer of the Fleet
[A]Guardsman Marbo
5x Chosen
2x Plasma Guns, 2x Melta Guns, Reaper Autocannon, in Transport 1
5x Chosen
2x Plasma Guns, 2x Melta Guns, Reaper Autocannon, in Transport 2
5x Plague Marines
Plasma Gun, Melta Gun
5x Plague Marines
Plasma Gun, Melta Gun
[A]Infantry Platoon
Platoon Command Squad (5)
Infantry Squad (10)
Infantry Squad (10)
[A]30x Conscripts
5x Raptors
Plasma Gun, Melta Gun
5x Raptors
Plasma Gun, Melta Gun
Vindicator
Daemonic Possesion
Defiler
Extra Close Combat Weapon, Twin-Linked Lascannon
Defiler
Extra Close Combat Weapon, Twin-Linked Lascannon
Transport 1: Rhino with Havoc Launcher
Transport 2: Rhino with Havoc Launcher
The first thing I noticed about this list was its inability to deal with flyers, giving me an immediate advantage. He had plenty to deal with 2+ saves however, so I had to be careful with how I placed Draigo.
We rolled for Warlord traits, both on Strategic, and I got to reduce his reserve rolls by 1, but he got to re-roll his reserve rolls. The mission was a custom mission for this tournament. All terrain pieces 3x3" or bigger count as objectives. To claim an objective you had to have a scoring unit with at least half its members within the piece and have no enemies within 2". To contest you have to get any non-vehicle unit into the piece (more than half its models again) and have no enemy within 2". So you don't lose an objective for moving off it, and to contest an objective you not only have to get there, but you need to clear it of enemies also. Kind of like playing Call of Duty. This mission was called Sieze Ground. We were using standard Dawn of War deployment.
Also note that for this tournament each player got a card with one of 4 secret objectives. The card was kept secret until the end of the game, when they were revealed to claim your objective. For this game I got Cut Off The Head, which was to kill the enemy HQ worth the most points.
I won the roll-off but made Alan choose sides and go first. This would be a game about killing so I wanted to see where he deployed first. Deployment can be seen below. He outflanked his Chosen and kept both Defilers, his Prince, Marbo, and a Raptor squad in reserve. He also combined his Infantry Squads. I deployed everything bar the Ravens, making Dreadknight number one scoring with Grand Strategy. Also, Coteaz got Prescience and Perfect Timing as his psychic powers for this game.
Turn 1
All of his Guard squads on the boards moved into their respective ruins to take the objectives. The Raptors flew forward toward the central ruins, and the Plague Marines in the crater moved forward. The Vindicator also advanced in order to try and get into range with its Demolisher Cannon.
The Vindicator dropped a shell on the western Rhino but failed to damage it. The Raptors had more luck against the other Rhino, getting a glancing hit. The Guardsmen all ran to try and move up the levels of the ruins they were in.
I advanced the Dreadknights up the flanks, the one on the right now being in range with his Heavy Incinerator. Coteaz led his squad toward the central ruins under cover of the damaged Rhino. The other Rhino, which had a combat squad inside it, moved full pace toward the ruins on that side of the board, while the other half of the combat squad moved to the edge of their runis to get into range. Draigo and his unit moved toward the Vindicator.
Coteaz' squad and the scoring Dreadknight both ran. The two Paladins with the Psycannons opened up on the Vindicator but failed to do more than stun it. The other Dreadknight then fired off his Incinerator, killing 11 Guardsmen and 2 Commanders from the PCS. Unfortunately both units passed their morale checks.
Turn 2
Turn 2 and the reserves began to arrive. Both Defilers and the Raptors showed up to the fight. The other Raptor unit flew up to the top of the central ruins. Both units of Plague Marines moved forward to take more objectives. The Vindicators moved back. Also the Chosen outflanked my army and both came in to attack the Dreadknight.
The CCS issued a First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire order onto the Conscripts. They then shot at the Dreadknight but failed to do any damage. The Defiler on the western flank dropped a shell on top of the combat squad in the ruins and killed two, forcing the others to go to ground. The Vindicator followed suit onto Draigo's head, but failed to penetrate his Storm Shield. Both units of Chosen and their Rhinos fired everything that had at the Dreadknight and did 3 wounds. The Plague Marines in the crater also managed to immobolise the Rhino.
Draigo put up Psychic Communion, helping him bring on one Storm Raven. Coteaz also cast Prescience on his own unit before leading them into the ruins ready to assault the Raptors. The combat squad inside the Rhino disembarked into the nearby ruins. The scoring Dreadknight advanced on the Conscripts and the other moved to flame the Chosen and their ride. Draigo led his squad around the immobolised Rhino, while the recently arrived Raven moved on the western Defiler.
Draigo's squad shot everything they had at the Plague Marines, killing one. The eastern Dreadknight fired its Incinerator hitting all the Chosen and their Rhino, but only killed one. The other Dreadknight, the scoring one, fired into the ruins, killing 4 Conscripts and completely wiping out the CCS. The Raven fired its TL MM and TL AC at the Defiler at close range, while using the Machine Spirit to fire a Mindstrike into the Conscripts. Only 1 Conscript died, and though 2 penetrating hits were inflicted on the Defiler, he only got Stunned twice, which he ignored. The combat squad fired their Psycannon at the Vindicator but did no damage. Finally, Coteaz' squad killed a Raptor to shooting.
Coteaz' unit then assaulted the Raptors and wiped them out, claiming the objective. Elsewhere, Draigo and co' made a massive charge, rolling 3 6's, to assault the Plague Marines who they promptly wiped out. The Dreadknight charged the Chosen wipping them out, though they managed to kill it as they went down.
Turn 3
Marbo showed up to the fight, but the Prince stayed off the board. He appeared in the ruins behind the combat squad, ready to strike. The Vindicator moved out to provide more options while the Raptors filled its place ready to shoot the Dreadknight. The Defilers advanced ahead, while the Plague Marines and Chosen advanced on Coteaz' position.
Both Marbo and the Defiler shot at the combat squad in the ruins and killed all but one. The other Defiler, Plague Marines, Infantry Squads, Chosen, and Rhinos all fired at Coteaz' unit killing 4 Marines. The Vindicator missed its shot and the Conscripts and Raptors combined did a wound to the Dreadknight twice.
Despite Psychic Communion there was still no sign of the other Raven. Coteaz put up Prescience on his unit and Perfect Timing also. The lone Striker down in the corner ruins now advanced on Marbo while the Dreadknight moved on the Raptors. Draigo and co' decided to try finish off the Conscripts while the Raven moved against the second Defiler.
To open up shooting the Raven had better luck than last time, blowing up the second Defiler while also killing two members of the PCS with a Mindstrike, causing the last one to run away. Coteaz and his squad managed to kill two Plague Marines. The lone Striker also fired at Marbo but did nothing. Draigo and his unit opened up on the Conscripts also, killing 11. They then fled.
Draigo led the charge on the Conscripts who failed to rally and were destroyed. The Dreadknight charged the Raptors and easily destroyed them, while the lone Striker survived Marbo's attacks and then Force Weapon'ed him to death, consolidating further into the ruins.
Turn 4
The Daemon Prince finally joined the party. The Defiler moved on Draigo. The Vindicator moved around the ruins, and everything else moved on Coteaz. The right flank opened up on Coteaz, leaving him on 1 wound with no sqaud around him. The Defiler dropped a shell on Draigo's head but all saves were made, and the Vindicator missed again. The Daemon Prince failed its Lash. The Defiler tried an assault but failed to make it.
The Raven finally came in and got ready to fire. It split fire using the Machine Spirit and killed all the Chosen and a Rhino. The other Raven killed the last of the Guardsmen. Finally, Draigo led an assault that killed the Daemon Prince. At this point we were told time was nearly up so Alan called it, given he only had some Plague Marines and a Rhino left.
Conclusion
Well that was a good start. It was a pretty good match-up for me, and all I had to do was make sure none of his many Melta shots got to hit Paladins. The amount of Large Blasts was certainly intimidating, but by keeping Draigo or the Dreadknight as the most immediate threat I was able to mitigate their damage. Alan played a solid game, and there was no terribly lucky or unlucky dice on either side. The Dreadknights performed admirably and the Paladins at the very least provided enough scare tactics to help the win.
In the end I had fulfilled my secondary objective, denied Alan his (he got Trophy Kill, which meant killing the most expensive enemy unit, i.e. the Paladins), and won on objectives (8-2), as well as annihilating his army on VPs, meaning a 20-0 win for the Grey Knights.
I had time to go around and check out some armies for a few minutes (the standard was stunning), before the round 3 draw was up. My next game was against Sean O'Regan's Tyranids, a rematch from last year's NWG. This should be interesting.
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