Dark Angels w/Blood Angel Allies Tournament Report: 3.30.13

Dark Angels with Blood Angel allies take tournament win!

I attended a tournament on 3.30.13 at BC Comix in Fenton MI this past weekend. This was my first trip to BC Comix game store; despite the fact that I have been driving right past this stores’ highway exit en-route to a yet farther game store for over 2 years…derp!

First, let me say the store was a very pleasant surprise. The staff was very knowledgeable, friendly, plenty of room for over 10 tables, and well organized.

The tournament was 1850 points and used the recently released Adepticon Championship rule set, though they did allow unpainted models to encourage players to attend.

I believe about 10 players showed up in total with a wide variety of armies:

DA/BA; BA, Tau, DA/IG, GK, GK/IG, CSM/CD, and others

This is the list I took:

·         Azrael

·         Mephiston

·         DA Libby on Bike,  Level 1

·         RW Command Squad, Apoth, Champ, Grenade Launcher, Banner of the Bountiful Bolter

·         3X RAS of #3 bikes w/1 melta

·         2X MMAB and 1HB AB

·         1 RAS of #3 bikes w/1 flamer

·         5 BA scouts with ML

·         3 Landspeeder Typhoons (HB and Cyclone) in a squadron

·         2 Whirlwinds

·         1 squad of 3 RW Knights with GL

Game 1:  Vs. GreyKnights. Capture and Control. Night Fight 1^st Turn. 5 Objectives. Dawn of War. I won first turn.

GK’s:

·         Term Libby

·         5 Termies, psybolt,psycannon

·         LR Crusader

·         2 x Dread Knights with shunt

·         Storm Raven

·         2 x GK squads with psyback, DH, psycannon

I outflanked the HBAB and scouted to opponents’ week side; I had placed my objectives in his deployment zone. He shunted both DredKnights as far forward as possible. I used grenades to lower their toughness then picked them both off. A MM shot immobilized the LR. Meph made a huge target as he moved to threaten the GK squads. Speed and maneuverability allowed me to focus most of my shooting on one unit at time until my opponent conceded round 3. Win DA/BA. 

Tournament used 3 for win, 1 for tie, 0 for loss. So, game one 3-0.

Game Two:  Vs. Chaos Marines, Big Guns never tire, 5 objectives, Diagonal deployment, Night fight 1^st turn. I won roll for first turn.

CSM List:

·         Abaddon

·         #3 terminator retinue

·         Lvl3 Sorceror

·         Tzeentch Deamon Herald with Prescience

·         9, yes 9, Obliterators, mark of Nurgle

·         3 5 man squads of CSM, 1 rhino

·         2 5 man squads of chosen

·         5 Nurgle spawn

·         3 Nurgling bases

My opponent infiltrated the nurgling bases a little too close and they went down to DA ability to scout and 1^st turn shooting, netting 1^st blood. He choose to DS Abby and retinue which I was happy about. I again used Meph as a distraction and GL to lower unit toughness and then overwhelm with shooting. I ended up taking it 3 objectives to 1. Jink saves are the boss! I came to realize here. DA/BA 3-0

So, onto the top table and the only player to go 2-0.

Game 3: VS GK/IG. Relic. Football field. No Night Fight. I lost roll to go first.

GK/IG list:

·         GK Grandmaster with goodies

·         Coteaz

·         Aegis w/Icarus

·         Purgation Squad 4 psycannons

·         3 Henchman squads with plasma and flamers with mix of DCult assassins in Chimeras

·         Big blob of assassins and crusaders on foot

·         2 IG foot squads; one with lascannon one with autocannon

·         Dredknight with flamer and shunt

·         Manticore

This looked like a tough nut and the GK player knew his stuff. He blocked most of my scout move with the psyber things. He rushed the center with the Dredknight and tried to block angles of attack with all three Chimeras. GK shooting was ineffective; though I did lose 3 bikes to the Manticore. I surged forward after outflanking 2 MM AB’s, the HB AB,  and the flamer squad…that Manticore had to die and the guard with it. My first turn shooting the GL scattered well and lowered the T on the large Assassin squad, which contained his GrandMaster, and the Dredknight which was made a troop choice and had picked up the relic.  Combined shooting brought the DK down granting first blood and making a big scrum in the middle. Meph continued to threaten and draw fire while I whittled, and stayed out of assault.  Turn 5 saw me with first blood, line breaker, and no one holding the relic for a tight win for the DA/BA

So, first tournament with DA’s and took the top spot. Got to say the prize support was top notch; $100 store credit. I picked up some paints, a LR crusader, and 3 boxes of Girl Scout cookies…Somoans…all equaled a win.

All my opponents were good players, good sports, and fun to play. Great day all around.

List thoughts:

1.       I debated about the two WW’s. They did not do much, but did make my opponents make weird deployment decisions. I had built a list with one WW and a Vindi which is what I will probably keep.

2.       The scouts did nada…going to change them to a BA assault squad with flamer, dual flamer on vet. Sgt.

3.       Meph is an absolute beast. He did not kill much on the day…and I took him to get enfeeble and problem solve assaults. He did not roll Enfeeble once despite three rolls each game. But, he did roll Iron arm and Endurance in every game plus various. This made him a nigh un-killable bullet soak that starting turn 2 my opponents could not ignore. This took much pressure off my bikes and staved off any assaults. Worked like a charm.

4.       First game with the RW Knights…love them. Having two GL units made the difference.

5.       Apoth and Champ was unneeded.

6.       I am finding that I am playing much better now that I have settled on an army and gotten in a few games in with it…derp!...go figure.

7.       Have a few ideas on list tweaks and will post up soon.

8.       I think you can do a whole post on the DA grenade launcher tactics. The scatter of the blast template lowering the Toughness on two units simultaneously really made me go…mmmmm. Also, I am checking the rules to see why I could not hit a unit with a GL to lower T then shoot the other GL to lower WS and I.

9.     

                       Moment of the Day: One GL lowered large Assassin/Crusader/GrandMaster Toughnes by 1. Second GL launcher shot S6 Krak grenade and doubled out the GranMaster on an armour save roll of 1.

Thanks for the read,

BDS