Fun & Fluff has quickly become my favorite 40k event to play in. It has a lot of things going for it - it's reasonably local, the venue is good (Darksphere, Shepherds Bush), its well run - but the theme shines out - as the name implies there's an emphasis on fluffy lists - with extra points being awarded for theme, army background and fun. In addition a highlander - max 1 unit (with some exceptions for troops) gives it a unique feel, much more relaxed than a normal tournament game and more fun as a result. This was my third time attending and first with a new army - Eldar!
The new Eldar traits/powers in psychic awakening seemed like they would be fun to try out, as someone who's grown up playing Chaos +1 to charge was the obvious first pick, even though Eldars combat potential is more limited. Master of concealment was picked as an Aloitic-like trait to hopefully stop me being gunned down turn one and allow things to close the distance.
With that it was time to pick some units that would benefit from the charges - Wraithblades are unit i've really liked in friendly games, and Spears with the new +1 to charge Exarch power seemed like tasty options. Some psychic might was next for some HQ's - a Farseer on foot (although every game he took Faolchu's wing, which I would promptly forget about) for Doom and either Guide or Executioner depending on opponent. A Spirtseer who was my Warlord with Seer of Shifting Vector was next, whose job was to quicken anything I left on the ground and smite the odd target with a Warlock with Jinx, and a swapped out smite for Ghostwalk to get any deep strike charges off. Whilst troops weren't subject to max one of limit, it felt apt to go with a unit a single unit of Avengers, Rangers and a Guardian Defender bomb. Some Reapers, a Night Spinner, a Crimson Hunter Exarch and a Wave serpent rounded out the list to give some ranged firepower with some mobility - hopefully I would be able to adapt to being the aggressor/defender based on match up.
My list:
Missions:
Missions (and the pack in full) can be found here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vk9-pu7--zlok4dJ7S2XL4-eLb0ERffN/view, but as quick summary the primary award a point for holding/killing a unit, which could be gambled for a 2 point objective for a more severe requirement - killing 3 units in a turn, holding twice as many objectives as opponent for example. Secondaries were eternal war missions - typically holding objectives at the end of game and tertiary was warlord kill/linebreaker/first strike.
Game 1:
First up was Dan and his Deathwatch.
List:
Secondary - 3 points for each objective held at end of game. 4 Objectives, 2 ending up in Dans deployment zone, one middle right, one in mine.
With some Veterans squads in drop pods coming in turn one and his heavy firepower coming in the form of a venerable dread, Redemptor and a Sicaran. I won the roll off to deploy first and set up mostly on the line opting not to deep strike anything. I was mostly trying to deploy as if I was going second as I didn't feel I could get enough firepower through a dense section in middle of table if Dan deployed defensively. He ended up hiding all his non-deepstriking units at the back right of the table one objective.
My deployment:
The game:
Turn one was a mixed bag. Dan dropped his drop down aggressively, one in front of my lines with his watchmaster up to provide rerolls, the other going after my right flank and securing the middle objective. His big guns lined up shots, with the Sicaran doing lots of damage to my CHE before being finished off by the Dreadnought. The Veterans picked off my rangers one one flank, but mostly bounced off my Wraiths on the other. I was feeling good until one squad of Veterans got the 9 inch charge with a reroll on the guardians who got mostly torn to shreds with only a couple surviving after morale. I started the turn reminding myself that Deathwatch can shoot me there my turn if I move a unit with fly close and planning to keep the Spears back until Dan was lower on CP, moving one unit then immediately forgetting moving them up to one of the Veterans squad. Even through a lighting fast reflex the squad was neutered hard to just a wounded Exarch and his mate. With most of my Farseer/Spirtseers throwing mortal wounds at one squad my firepower was able to take out his central squad of Veterans and reducing the others to two, although I elected not charge the frag cannon with the spears in the end. I was able to hide most of my units though. Dan gambled on his turn two - electing to hold at least twice as many objectives which given his early board control seemed solid. His shooting was limited with few targets - his drop pods and the central terrain blocking his movement, in particular for his Sicaran which had moved forwards and his Redemptor couldn't line up shots as it went for his left objective, but he was able to finish of my Spears.
On my turn with Dan's heavy guns unhurt, but struggling to get targets I chose to play the sneaky game - not wanting to fall behind I quickend the Wraithguard up the middle and ghostwalked them for +3 to charge, the aim being to charge the drop pod holding the objective and pile into his Sicaran. The reapers and nightspinner wounded his Redemtor (the reapers Fire and fading after) and I finished of his remaining veterans for my kill point. It felt as though the game revolved around the Wraiths charge - most of the rest of my army was hidden behind walls with them in the open - but thankfully they made the charge, not doing any real damage but tagging his Sicaran and taking the objective stopping Dan's gamble.
From there the game quickly accelerated, Dan's turns from here-on were very limited as my units kept charging his drop pods and tagging his Sicaran with most of the rest of my army hidden. When the reapers finished off his Redepmtor as I established board control and got ahead on objectives and was able to get a point or two ahead each turn and limiting his presence to his own objective, when the game ended on turn 5 I held 3 objectives to his one to end up winning 23-12.
Takeaways - the night spinner was quietly excellent throughout, the non-LOS requirement meaning it was one of the few units to consistently deal damage on a terrain heavy board. My star unit were my Wraithguard - despite killing only a drop pod all game they provided a central threat and tagged things repeatedly, but my MOTM was Dan's drop pods - the immunity from shooting they provided was very valuable and Dan wasn't able to dislodge me from the centre as a result.
Game 2 v Giulo's Drukhari:
List:
Secondary - 1 point earned for each 100 points of enemy's army destroyed (up to 12)
Pregame thoughts:
Scary list - the Talos would bully the centre much better than the Wraiths and there was some strong firepower from the Ravager/Reaper with a lot of mobility and hidden special weapons. With secondary in mine I chose to go first after winning the roll of with the aim of doing as much damage as possible. The map was search and destroy with both armies lining up close to the line - the exceptions being the reapers/night spinner on my side and all of Guilo's vehicles.
Turn one went ok. I moved up quicking the guardians into range and threw everything bar the reapers at some Doomed Talos taking one out and injuring another. The reapers and CHE managed to take out his ravager. In response he tore the Guardians apart and threw his Reavers at my spiritseer, who managed to just survive. Turn two was really good, despite Giulo's successful gamble to take double objectives I managed to finish off the Talos, reavers and a Venom, and didn't lose much in response - the CHE was damaged and I lost the Spiritseer when a DS raider with mandrakes took it out, with some particular luck when his Reaper rolled two 1's for damage against the Wraithguard.
Emboldened the Wraithguard charged into his lines and I picked off a few units to get a no prisoners point, but the Wraithguards earlier luck came back to bite them as his Archons fought back hard to kill them and retake the centre,the Mandrakes took out my Avengers and a dark lance shot finished of the CHE. Turn four was a wiff, I got greedy with the reapers and ended up damaging several units without finishing them off sufficiently and ended up having to overkill the last Mandrake with the nightspinner (who took it upon himself to roll 12 shots on the last one) when I really wanted him taking out some Venoms. His venoms, archons and warriors charged through the centre of the battlefield, leaving me with only my gunline units at the back as he polished of my HQs and severely wounded my wave serpent. Sadly, we ran out of time at this stage as we totted up the scores Guilo ended up edging primary and secondary by a point on each...but I ended up with two more on secondary to end up in a tie.
Takeaways - Firstly props to Giulo for playing the game (and entire weekend) in Drukari fancy dress. Talking after the game neither of us really felt we could of done much differently outside very occasional nit picks, a fun hard fought game that swung both ways at various stages.
Game Three v Karim's Black Legion
List:
Secondarys - 4 Objectives worth 3 points, bonus point for each Heavy support killed.
Pregame thoughts:
Karim won the roll off to go deploy first, having to deploy far back for fear of Endless cacophony/veterans combo on my fragile infantry. Deployment was search and destroy with one missions at back of deployment and two in the middle. Karim deploys his two cultists blobs in the middle with his characters close and his havocs in a rhino. Plan was to let him charge at me then counter attack with Wraiths and a deep striking guardian bomb and either hide from Obliters or intercept them when they deep strike in. If I go first at least get a chance to soften his blobs up, really hope he doesn't make me go first...
The game:
Drat i'm going first. Having to deploy defensively to get out of range of his cultists means its going to be mediocre, with his Apostle giving his infantry a 5++. I make sure to destroy his rhino so I get a kill, and leave his havocs with one remaining before softening up a cultists blob slightly.Karim successfully gambles each of the first four turns to make sure he holds either twice as many as me or at least 3 and simply leaves his cultists on the objective and buffs them with his Prince to get a 5+ FNP. I quicken up the Wraiths in response and deepstrike the guardians, and with a jinx on them my army manages to kill them all so he can't tide of traitors them. In response he brings his cultists screen up and tries to wrap my guardians, who thankfully were beaten up enough to fail morale so they can fall back. Elsewhere his Obliterators come now and nuke the Wave Serpent off the board, and double tap to kill the rangers who had been wearing down his Apostle. He also manages a longish charge on the CHE and kills it in a round with the demon prince. The Wraiths and Spears move up to finish the other cultist blob and kill the Apostle but Abaddon joins the fray along with the Prince who's swapped his power to Warptime. Abbadon is blocked by the Wraiths from reaching the Spears, the Prince charges both but can only reach the Wraiths - Abbadon however, with his last dice just manages to kill all the Wraithblades and the Prince is able to pile in onto Spears killing them. My remaining units are trapped in far corner of the board try and take out the Oblits, with moderate success but I lose most of the reapers to the follow up. Abbadon walks around, virtually unkillable at this stage picking off anything that dares get too close and I run out of units to even hold the objective when the reapers move up to try and finish the Oblits. When the game ends I'm left with a Nightspinner and 2 reapers v Abbadon, a Havoc and 2/3 tactical marines but way behind on objectives - final score 9-18
Takeaways - Tough one, I was too far back if I went first, but would have had to have been too close if I went first. Probably should have put the Wraiths in the open and Avengers in the Wave serpent and deployed more aggressively still to make the decision more difficult - as it was the Avengers mostly just screened the back so his obliterators couldn't line up shots on the Reapers. I could have moved the CHE better as well to keep the characters honest for longer, or at least forced a Warptime swap earlier on the prince so he couldn't buff the cultists with a FNP.
Round 4 - Alberto's Necrons
Mission - 3 Objectives, worth 4 points at the end of the game.
List:
Pregame thoughts:
Close combat Necrons, v Close Combat Eldar. Lose roll off again, however this time think I will be going second. Alberto has enough tough models he can get into centre and hold it, and enough threats via DS that I have to screen. Deployment is pointy dawn of war so can't hide too much stuff. Decide to deepstrike the Spears to keep them safe, use my Wraithguard as counter attack and leave guardians on the line so they can forewarned anything that teleports.
Game:
Alberto moves up, but my deployment hiding away means his shooting phase is a non starter - he buffs his Lychguard with +1 to charge with his lord and teleports them across the veil of darkness. My guardians intercept but don't do much, and they make the charge into the Wave Serpent - it survives on one wound to deny him a kill and first strike but he successfully gambles on holding the centre. On my turn I fall back and spend CP to shoot with the guardians and in combination with a Wraith charge annihilate the rest of the Lychguard. However the big moment in the turn is when the reapers shoot at the doomed Wraith squad, and having failed to get Jinx off (saving my last CP to intercept his Destroyers when they deep strike) he passes his saves and they bounce off. I charge his lord with my guardians so they don't get obliterated by his immortals and they spend multiple turns trapping him, but he regenerates any wounds they do, slowly whittling them down. His next turn hurts, the Destroyers deep strike in, but only lose one to the reapers and they annihilate my Wraithguard. His Wraiths jump into my lines, killing my Spiritseers and tagging guardians. My next turn starts very poorly, the reapers shots mostly bounce off the Wraiths again and Physic phase fizzles. The Spears deep strike next to the destroyer but don't do much in shooting either, but the CHE takes it upon itself to turn the tide - taking out 5 destroyers by itself, rolling 3 5/6 in a row for damage with its Starcannons. The Spears then make there charge into last destroyer, kill it and tag one of the Immortal squads. Next turn he falls back with the immortals and with a combination of his other immortal squad and his Catacomb barge manages to kill the spears, although they manage some damage in overwatch at least. His last two wraiths also managed 3 wounds on the Farseer who fails all 3 4+ saves and dies and he charges his Scarab into my guardians who are down to there last 2 models after morale. My response is thankfully good - Wraiths are wiped out and the CHE continues its excellent game by killing his Barge and his Lord on foot is killed too - sadly I had to put my Nightspinner into his last Wraith to finish them when I really hoped it would be able to shoot his Scarabs who prove to me a major nuisance. With his big hitters out, the game starts turning in my favour quickly. I gamble on 5 to take the centre objective but his Scarabs manage to tie up anything able to get there along with his last immortal sacrificing themselves so I can't get close. They get destroyed in due course but, with only a one wound Scarab and 5 immortal hiding at the back on an objective the game ends on turn 5, with my reapers, nightspinner and CHE all at close to full strength plus a warlock and remains of an avenger squad...the result after totting up the score 15-15!
Takeaways - Absolutely great game, another turn and I would have sealed the win, that said my failed gamble cost me a point which would have won and looking back it was too greedy, even without hindsight it wasn't needed. Both of us could have pointed to moments were the game swung so a tie was a fair result, leaving me with an unusual score of 1 - 2 - 1. Possibly using the Spears to go after his Objective might have been a better play, but equally that would have been hoping for the CHE to overachieve, and killing the destroyers was a high priority.
Round 5 - Oliver's Thousand Sons
Mission - 6 objectives worth 2 points at the end of the game, one randomly worth 3, one randomly worth 1.
List -
Pre game thoughts - Very confident about how this matchup plays, Thousand Sons have been my main army since they came out. It ends up being search and destroy deployment and Oliver deploys first, again I hug the back wall and deep strike my Guardians and Wraiths - with the Reapers in the Wave serpent and the rangers hiding atop of a rock with characters I make sure that there's no way for this Tzaangors to get a deep strike charge that can pile into anything they can lock in combat- with the CHE, Night spinner and serpent screening.
First turn plays out how I expect, Oliver moves two of his Rubrics away from his characters after objectives, and sends one squad forward along with his Prince, Ahriman and Tzaangor Shaman who proceed to throw mind bullets at the plane, before the Prince warptimes forward but ends up in the open. His englinted sorcerer sits back in a small bubble with the Helbrute and Predator, who finish off the CHE and wound the wave serpent drastically. His Tzaangors, even with a reroll fail there charge after teleporting across the table.
Happy with the turn the spears come forward, unloading there shurikan into the doomed Tzaangors, which are killed outright with help from the nightspinner. The spears lances also manage a few wounds onto the Prince, which in addition to smites and reapers leave him on two wounds as the Spears charge in. However the Prince makes all its saves, and next turn the Spears, Avengers and Rangers are smited/smashed off the table as Ahriman and the shaman join the fun and his terminators DS in. With a lot of his characters in the open, and his vehicles together though I strike and essentially win the game - the Wraiths DS in and charge and Terminators, and whilst the battle isn't without casualties come on top over the course of a few turns. The reapers and various smites manage to take out Ahriman/Prince/Tzaangor Shaman and the Guardians deepstrike in front of the predator, and wrap it and the Hellbrute. In his turn he throws his remaining forces at the guardians, killing them in combat but the damage is done and next turn the reapers and Nightspinner manage to finish off everything but two Rubric squads and the embattled terminators. The rest of the game results in a clean up operations as I end up getting near maximum points for the rest of the game.
Final result - 23-12.
Takeaways - Think I played this as well as I could, being familiar with TS main threats helped in what can be a scary list to play against with the amount of mortal wounds that could be put out. Only question really was what unit should be sacrificed in the match up out of the grav tanks and the plane to tank the smites, and the plane didn't feel any more valuable than the others in the match up and had a chance of avoiding a few lascannon shots and getting lucky.
Final showing - 2 - 2 - 1
Well I normally aim for 3/2 at events with anything more being a bonus, and I think 2-2-1 counts as an achievement met! All 5 opponents were really great, and with all but one game in the balance half way through (and often right to the end) shows off what was a really good format - there wasn't any games were I felt the results didn't match how the table looked. Definitely going to try and play these more often at local club instead of Chapter Approved/ITC missions.
As for the list - the chapter tactic was a mixed bag. It's hard to argue that Aliotic isn't more powerful more often - I had a couple of opponents note how delighted they were not to see it being used. The +1 to charge was nice, and it certainly won me the last game (possibly the first as well, I can't recall if the Wraithguard would have made their first charge without it.) Seems like its potentially worth building a specific detachment around, but not an army. The cover bonus felt very mediocre on most units - the Wraithguard felt like they benefited the most.
As for units - HQ's providing there buffs were good, and i'm still torn between Guide and Executioner as a second power for the Farseer. Given my list tended to struggle with things like Wraiths/HQ's which good invuls Executioner to go along with smite seems like it might be more useful to remedy that. The troops were all solid, feel the Avengers were more useful more often than the Rangers, especially with Bladestorm. The Wraithblades were a mixed bag, I really want to like them and feel like had a really useful role, but weren't either tanky enough to hold units up or do enough damage - there best game was round 1 where they dropped their swords and punched a drop pod for most of the game trying not to wound it. The Spears had a different issue - they tended to kill a lot, but get wiped way too quickly in return. Deep striking them felt counter intuitive given they miss out on there lance shots and most of the time Windriders would have done a similar role for roughly a third less points. The CHE was solid, it was awesome against Necrons but tended to get targeted and killed in the other games - but took a good amount of firepower to take down. The night spinner was the silent hero of the list - it survived all the games and whilst it never had a turn when it changed the game or did anything insane it was always useful - its high strength, damage two profile with 7ish shots, typically without AP meant there was never really an ideal target, but never a bad one and its ability to be used as a clean up unit to finish something off was invaluable. Definitely need to try them out in future, sadly I locked my list in to the next event before I came to this conclusion.
Also realise I need to take more photos during games!
As mentioned at the start the event was handled really well, even if this year I had missed the England - New Zealand semi final to attend. I met a non-40k playing friend for lunch during the event and he read the pack and had a wonder round the event and almost picked up an army so he could attend the next one on the spot. Highly recommend the next one to anyone on the fence about joining the next one.
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