By no means mine, but this makes me appreciate all the more the effort put in by the owners and employees of the places I've been lucky enough to play in over the years. Also, I've worked enough customer service to want to cheer on anyone who says this openly.
http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2011/11/rants-from-angry-woman.html#more
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Bringing Swarmy Back
After getting in some practice with my Daemons and a test run with the Thousand Sons, I think it's time to take the Tyranids out for another meal. I was going to make this another post on my reserves list, but honestly I've hit a wall in the design with the models I've got. Even allowing for new models, I don't think they'd provide any capability that would change the swarm's strengths and weaknesses much. Given that, I think its time to revisit the old swarm tactics. This is what I've got so far. It won't stand up to a truly mechanized force, but won't go down without a fight.
HQ:
Hive Tyrant w/ Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Heavy Venom Cannon, TL BL Devourers, Old Adversary-235
2 Tyrant Guard w/ rending claws and boneswords -150
Elites:
Venomthrope - 55
Troops:
19 Termagants - 95
19 Termagants - 95
Tervigon w/ Dominion, Cluster Spines, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands - 195
5 Warriors w/ rending claws, devourers, 1 barbed strangler - 185
Fast Attack:
20 Gargoyles - 120
Heavy Support:
Carnifex w/ scything talons & heavy venom cannon - 185
Carnifex w/ scything talons & heavy venom cannon - 185
Everything revolves around the Tyrant - it serves as a small deathstar, AT unit, and force multipler for the other broods. The general plan is to advance behind the Gargoyle screen while using the venom cannons to suppress and hopefully wreck a vehicle or two. With interlocking cover saves from the Venomthrope and screen, plus Catalyst, I should be able to keep most of the swarm intact until turns 2 &3, at which point I can start softening up targets with symbiote fire and positioning for assaults with the MCs. If I can keep the Tyrant, Tervigon, and Termagants alive long enough and close enough together, then they should be able to sweep through just about anything in combat. If not then the game gets interesting pretty quickly. There are some builds that will just slaughter this list where it stands, but I'm not too likely to encounter them anytime soon. It will also help that most of the local players haven't seen a properly executed Tyranid swarm (as much as that even exists with the current codex) before.
As a final note, there are no Hive Guard because I hate the unit - they're all but mandatory in a Tyranid list because of their anti-transport role, but they're one dimensional in terms of use and can't be taken in sufficient numbers to actually shoot down a really meched up force. I'll have more fun flipping the occasional tank with the Carnifexes, albeit less success.
Any thoughts?
HQ:
Hive Tyrant w/ Leech Essence, Paroxysm, Heavy Venom Cannon, TL BL Devourers, Old Adversary-235
2 Tyrant Guard w/ rending claws and boneswords -150
Elites:
Venomthrope - 55
Troops:
19 Termagants - 95
19 Termagants - 95
Tervigon w/ Dominion, Cluster Spines, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands - 195
5 Warriors w/ rending claws, devourers, 1 barbed strangler - 185
Fast Attack:
20 Gargoyles - 120
Heavy Support:
Carnifex w/ scything talons & heavy venom cannon - 185
Carnifex w/ scything talons & heavy venom cannon - 185
Everything revolves around the Tyrant - it serves as a small deathstar, AT unit, and force multipler for the other broods. The general plan is to advance behind the Gargoyle screen while using the venom cannons to suppress and hopefully wreck a vehicle or two. With interlocking cover saves from the Venomthrope and screen, plus Catalyst, I should be able to keep most of the swarm intact until turns 2 &3, at which point I can start softening up targets with symbiote fire and positioning for assaults with the MCs. If I can keep the Tyrant, Tervigon, and Termagants alive long enough and close enough together, then they should be able to sweep through just about anything in combat. If not then the game gets interesting pretty quickly. There are some builds that will just slaughter this list where it stands, but I'm not too likely to encounter them anytime soon. It will also help that most of the local players haven't seen a properly executed Tyranid swarm (as much as that even exists with the current codex) before.
As a final note, there are no Hive Guard because I hate the unit - they're all but mandatory in a Tyranid list because of their anti-transport role, but they're one dimensional in terms of use and can't be taken in sufficient numbers to actually shoot down a really meched up force. I'll have more fun flipping the occasional tank with the Carnifexes, albeit less success.
Any thoughts?
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Four Horsemen: Team Tournament.
Just got back from Four Horsemen's first Team Tournament. The store had an excellent turnout; I think we started with eight teams going against each other. I paired my Slaaneshi daemons up with Dark Eldar, and over the course of three rounds we set out to visit horrors undreamed on our opponents; we were mostly successful.
Here's a quick breakdown of our team roster:
Daemons: Great Unclean One, 6 Fiends of Slaanesh, 10 Daemonettes, 5 Plaguebearers x2, Herald of Tzeentch w/ Chariot & Bolt x2, Daemon Prince w/ Pavane of Slaanesh.
Dark Eldar: Lilith Hesperax. 5 Warriors w/ Venom x2, Wyches in Raiders x2, Razorwing Fighter w/ Necrotoxin Missiles
Game 1: Team Bloodaxe - Blood Angels and Space Wolves
This was a 5 objective mission with Dawn of War deployment. Our opponents ran a mostly foot list, with a large pack of Blood Claws in the center backed up by a pair of Jumper Assault Squads complete with Librarian and Sanguinary Priest- which was actually rather intimidating since under the tournament rules the BA buffs were applying to the Space Wolves as well. My Daemon Prince became aware of this when an angry mob of S5 Blood Claws tore him limb from limb.
Despite that the game setup gave us a real advantage; we went second, negating a turn of shooting, and then rolled on/ deepstruck into a refused flank position on our right side. The Razorwing let fly with all of its missiles, cutting the BA squads almost in half. On their next turn, they were able to wipe out my Daemon Prince, but their Long Fangs couldn't bring down the Wyche's Raiders. The next turn saw the Daemonettes, both Wyche squads. Lilith, and the Great Unclean One mulitiassault their main force and cripple it. After that it was mostly a question of mopping up, although both players fought through turn 6 when we were finally able to claim the last objective and table them.
Game 2: Team Hordes - Orks and Tyranids
This was an interesting game; our opponents brought 100 Orks and a Big Mek, and hid them behind 90 Hormagaunts being led by the Swarmlord. Deployment was Spearhead, with Kill Points as the victory condition and 1 HQ per side being nominated as an assassination target worth an additional 5 KP. We chose Lilith for our side; they chose the Mek. Once again we tried a refused flank, with my Daemons landing as close to our lines as I dared. Splinter cannon fire and Necrotoxin missiles finished off one brood of 30 Hormagaunts, and then we were out of templates, and it became a matter of using their frontline units as shields against the more distant mobs.
My Daemon Prince redeemed his poor performance in the other two games here; he managed to string out the unit the Mek was hiding in, pulling the HQ into assault range of both the Prince and the Unclean One, who were able to kill him easily. This gave us a pretty comfy lead in KP, but we almost lost it when we ran out of room to maneuver in our corner and my screening Daemons were overwhelmed. Ultimately we won the game when Lilith's squad wiped out the Orks trying to kill the sole survivor of of the first Wyche squad, giving us a minor victory 11 KP to 10.
Game 3 - For the Greener Good - Orks and Tau
This mission was a King of the Hill type setup, with a central objective that granted points for scoring unit that was within range so long as it was uncontested. By turn 2 things were looking grim - both Raiders had been shot down, the Wyches were mostly dead, Lilith and the few surviving Wyches were fighting for their lives against 2 mobs of Orks, and the Tau battle line was unscathed. Somehow we managed to push back. The Daemon Prince and Unclean One managed to tank and thin out the Orks while Lilith and the Wyches went absolutely berserk, breaking the survivors and forcing them to flee off the table. The last of the 3 Ork mobs went down to a combined charge of Fiends, my MCs, and Lilith, while the surviving DE Warriors managed to get into scoring range and tie us up 4 to 4. It wasn't quite enough; both sides were able to contest the central objective while we murdered one another's remaining troops, and the game ended at the bottom of turn 6 a draw.
For the Greener Good took a well deserved first place on the strength of their earlier games - 2 massacres to our 1 and a minor victory, putting us in second overall for the day.
Here's a quick breakdown of our team roster:
Daemons: Great Unclean One, 6 Fiends of Slaanesh, 10 Daemonettes, 5 Plaguebearers x2, Herald of Tzeentch w/ Chariot & Bolt x2, Daemon Prince w/ Pavane of Slaanesh.
Dark Eldar: Lilith Hesperax. 5 Warriors w/ Venom x2, Wyches in Raiders x2, Razorwing Fighter w/ Necrotoxin Missiles
Game 1: Team Bloodaxe - Blood Angels and Space Wolves
This was a 5 objective mission with Dawn of War deployment. Our opponents ran a mostly foot list, with a large pack of Blood Claws in the center backed up by a pair of Jumper Assault Squads complete with Librarian and Sanguinary Priest- which was actually rather intimidating since under the tournament rules the BA buffs were applying to the Space Wolves as well. My Daemon Prince became aware of this when an angry mob of S5 Blood Claws tore him limb from limb.
Despite that the game setup gave us a real advantage; we went second, negating a turn of shooting, and then rolled on/ deepstruck into a refused flank position on our right side. The Razorwing let fly with all of its missiles, cutting the BA squads almost in half. On their next turn, they were able to wipe out my Daemon Prince, but their Long Fangs couldn't bring down the Wyche's Raiders. The next turn saw the Daemonettes, both Wyche squads. Lilith, and the Great Unclean One mulitiassault their main force and cripple it. After that it was mostly a question of mopping up, although both players fought through turn 6 when we were finally able to claim the last objective and table them.
Game 2: Team Hordes - Orks and Tyranids
This was an interesting game; our opponents brought 100 Orks and a Big Mek, and hid them behind 90 Hormagaunts being led by the Swarmlord. Deployment was Spearhead, with Kill Points as the victory condition and 1 HQ per side being nominated as an assassination target worth an additional 5 KP. We chose Lilith for our side; they chose the Mek. Once again we tried a refused flank, with my Daemons landing as close to our lines as I dared. Splinter cannon fire and Necrotoxin missiles finished off one brood of 30 Hormagaunts, and then we were out of templates, and it became a matter of using their frontline units as shields against the more distant mobs.
My Daemon Prince redeemed his poor performance in the other two games here; he managed to string out the unit the Mek was hiding in, pulling the HQ into assault range of both the Prince and the Unclean One, who were able to kill him easily. This gave us a pretty comfy lead in KP, but we almost lost it when we ran out of room to maneuver in our corner and my screening Daemons were overwhelmed. Ultimately we won the game when Lilith's squad wiped out the Orks trying to kill the sole survivor of of the first Wyche squad, giving us a minor victory 11 KP to 10.
Game 3 - For the Greener Good - Orks and Tau
This mission was a King of the Hill type setup, with a central objective that granted points for scoring unit that was within range so long as it was uncontested. By turn 2 things were looking grim - both Raiders had been shot down, the Wyches were mostly dead, Lilith and the few surviving Wyches were fighting for their lives against 2 mobs of Orks, and the Tau battle line was unscathed. Somehow we managed to push back. The Daemon Prince and Unclean One managed to tank and thin out the Orks while Lilith and the Wyches went absolutely berserk, breaking the survivors and forcing them to flee off the table. The last of the 3 Ork mobs went down to a combined charge of Fiends, my MCs, and Lilith, while the surviving DE Warriors managed to get into scoring range and tie us up 4 to 4. It wasn't quite enough; both sides were able to contest the central objective while we murdered one another's remaining troops, and the game ended at the bottom of turn 6 a draw.
For the Greener Good took a well deserved first place on the strength of their earlier games - 2 massacres to our 1 and a minor victory, putting us in second overall for the day.
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