Sunday, December 09, 2012

Post Mortem Ramblings: 40K GT Manila 2012

I've been a bit gutsy for this year's GT (my first 6th Edition tournament) by bringing in my 4th Edition list, which is basically an all-infantry Space Marine force with lots of scoring units. I want to try out if an all-foot list can make a good show in 6th Edition since everybody's preparing against flyers (Aegis Quadguns), high AV armor (Land Raiders), and heavy infantry (Terminators). So I was thinking if I played with lotsa warm bodies, low AP guns should have less effect on my army.

I did not bring any anti-air unit, however, and I know I'm done when a flyer shows up on the opponents' side of the table. My only strategy against them is to optimize the positioning of my unit to minimize targets. Besides, those flyers will be mostly configured against armor as well and not hoard.

Click here for my list.


Here's how my games went... or at least what I can remember of it...

Day 1 - Game 1
Mission: Modified Quarters with Kill Points
Opponent: Emcee (Space Wolves)

The Plan: I know I have the upper hand with most of my units scoring and can creep up to each of the quarters either to contest or deny VP. Our table is also playing in my favor since there's a huge LOS blocker in the middle which means I can render his Quadgun Defense Line and adjoining Long Fangs useless.

The Foil: His drop pod, which came right in front of my gunline deployment at the early stages of the game to do their disruption job. I could have easily dispatched it with all the shooting components I got (I counted 7 units in all) but the dice gods frowned upon me (probably influenced by Arvin watching on the sideline) and the drop pod unit of double meltagun Grey Hunters survived for at least a couple of turns for him to reposition his units to tactically advantageous locations (which is basically to claim his adjacent quarters).

It was a very close fight up until the end where we are both claiming our own deployment quarters and the adjacent ones. Kill Points and the Minor Objectives (i.e. Slay the Warlord, Line Breaker, and First Blood) snatched the victory from me with around 4-5 VP margin.

A victory to the Dark Angels' sworn rival!

Sar Dekar and his Darkwing Terminators

Day 1 - Game 2
Mission: 'The Relic' / 'Emperor's Will' Combo
Opponent: Paolo (Space Wolves again?!?)

It's a 'hammer and anvil' deployment and if there's one thing my list does not want to do, it's to move. Unfortunately, it should. The relic is LOS-blocked from my short table edge and safeguarding it by shooting the bajeezus out of any enemy units trying to kidnap it is not possible. So what I did is to have my special weapons combat squads to run midfield to capture the relic while I teleported my Terminators right in front of his firing line to create a diversion.

Well, that was the plan. The Terminators were shot down piece by piece and I have to engage a squadron of Wolf Riders in my flanks to prevent a domino effect that will eat up my static firing line. While this is happening, his Rhino sneaked up on the relic and stashed it away back to his deployment line.

Mobility wins the game. The Sons of Russ did it again!

Sar Abramin and the 6th Tactical Squad (7th Coy)

Day 1 - Game 3
Mission: Modified 'Scouring'
Opponent: Kiko (Dark Angels mirror match)

A mirror match against a fellow brother of the Sons of the Lion Primarch as he is also using the Space Marines Codex as primary detachment with Master Belial's contingent of Hammernators as secondary.

The 4VP and 3VP objectives ended up on my corner of the deployment zone (Vanguard Strike) and it's so easy to just sit on it and wait the full 6 turns and win. Just to keep the game interesting, I pushed my spare units forward to harass his gun line. One epic melee happened on my left flank as his Commander clashed with Belial that almost saw to the latter's demise if not for a lucky invulnerable save. The aftermath of that combat tipped the balance to my favor where the remaining Hammernator squad and the rest of my combat squads toppled over the rest of his units.

My Dark Angels force proved more worthy. A victory for me as I ended up the first day of the Manila 40K GT for 2012.

Sar Ciqala and the 3rd Tactical Squad (7th Coy)

Day 2 - Game 4

Mission: Modified Quarters with Objectives
Opponent: Wiley (Space Marines)

I started by manning all objectives with my heavy weapons combat squads as every turn it's not, the VP count goes down by 1 (starts at 5 VP). Then like most of my Day 1 games, I let loose of my special weapons combat squads by charging forward to contest enemy objectives.

They are supported by my bikes and Terminators (as early disruption), moving along an open left flank. Fortunately, his Land Raider got tangled up on a terrain (failing a dangerous terrain check) and was Immobilized early in the game.

Smelling blood, my Hammernators charged forward to engage his own Terminator unit and make short work of it. I over extended my units though and the contesting heavy weapons combat squads in my deployment zone are sitting ducks to two Storm Talons. Several turns after and these units are blasted away by combined flyer might.

Seeing this, my only chance at winning is to continue the press of my Terminators and special weapons squads and contest or deny him of his own objectives. Strategic use of Aegis Defense Line and blocking Rhinos prevented this to happen and it was another close battle with my Dark Angels losing.

A victory to the Space Marines!

Sar Azrafel and the 7th Tactical Squad (7th Coy)

Day 2 - Game 5

Mission: The Crusade
Opponent: Jeff (Grey Knights)

It was draw-ish on the onset. There's this big LOS-blocking ziggurat in the middle of the table and one of the three objectives was on it. From deployment, it was obvious that he can capture the objectives from his side of the table and the same is true for me.

The middle objective is the deciding factor and the ziggurat meant that my long range firepower will not be of use. So I started the first few turns by repositioning my heavy weapons squads to optimal line of fire (I know he will make a final run to the middle objectives with his 3 Storm Ravens in the end turns). This will ensure that I can have a shooting round against whatever unit is coming down from the Ravens.

I moved my Terminators and attack bikes forward to create a disruption but his multiple plasma weapons proved to be spot-on as my units has been withered down with only Belial and a few Terminators getting it to melee and buy me time.

The game toppled against me when the Storm Ravens appeared and started to whittle down the Marines I have sitting on the middle objective. As expected, that objective prove to be the draw-breaker. He was able to deny that objective to me and he won closely by bagging the Secondary Objectives.

A victory to the Sons of Titan!

Brother Yriel, Techmarine of the Ironwing

Overall, the event is very enlightening being my first 6th Ed tournament albeit tiring. Three 1.5K games in a day is taxing so I imagine 2K games is a torture.

Also, 6th Ed 1.5K is flyer country so I have to adjust my list as such. I can see getting two Imperial Guard Vendettas in the future to add to my allied Catachans. This will solve my high AV armor and flyer problems while liberating my land-based units to be configured in such a way that I don't have to always worry about such near-invulnerable units.

This 40K GT will also pave way for my Space Marines to hit the display shelves for now while I wait for the new Dark Angels codex. For now, I will revert back to grooming my Orkz!

Waaagh!!!

Inscribed by Interrogator-Chaplain Randel on 9:48 PM              

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