Stockholm 1000p Turneringen Rapport

[Turragor]

(Tar rapport i engelska igen)

The first tournament in Dragonslair Stockholm was held today!

A 1000p 'trial' tournament with 8 players.

You can find the lists here.

There were 3 matches and I will do short reports on each below (during the week most likely) for those interested.

[Andreas]

Some strong 1000pt list there for a "trial" tournament IMO. Looking forward to the battlereports. When is the next tournament, do you know? And how do you enter?

[Turragor]

I can list the top 3 before I do the reports!

1st Khorne list with Sayl and Belakor

2nd Beastclaw List

3rd Order Draconis

I played better than at Fanatic last year so that was cool. Still made some mistakes and the list wasn't any super duper SC list but quite balanced. I liked it.

I beat one of the top three (some luck but that goes both ways and I did the right things) - who can guess which one?

I know there is definitely a real lust for more tourneys in the club now. Probably not until next month? Total guess.

Entry was just through the DL FB page.

[Andreas]

Dont have facebook. :-/ I know.

If it wasn't for the fact that the Khorne list won I would have guessed that one.

The Beastclaw list looks on paper to be the strongest IMO. The Khorne list looks like an ok list against Beastclaw. Maybe not as good against your list, if you get some good shooting with your judicators. I going to go with that you beat the Khorne list who beat the Beastclaw list.

[Solaris]

Be'lakor is a real hidden gem, I don't understand why more people don't use him. Such a great model too!

[Flogger]

Great with more tournaments in Sweden! Will we face each other at GothCon perhaps?

[Turragor]

22 hours ago, Andreas said:

Dont have facebook. :-/ I know.

If it wasn't for the fact that the Khorne list won I would have guessed that one.

The Beastclaw list looks on paper to be the strongest IMO. The Khorne list looks like an ok list against Beastclaw. Maybe not as good against your list, if you get some good shooting with your judicators. I going to go with that you beat the Khorne list who beat the Beastclaw list.

I actually beat the beastclaws and lost to Khorne (undefeated)! I did not meet the Order Draconis and think I would have had a tough time with their mobility and the dragon.

Next tournement I will let you know here in advance so you won't need FB.

[Turragor]

We played a variation of the Fanatic match results system: 10-5 to the winner of a major victory winner and then adjusted based on the difference in kill points. A draw was 10-10 (which in theory meant they were overly generous, but hey, first small test tourney!)

All the lists are in the first post.

Match 1 Borderwar

Versus Beastclaw Raiders

So in the build up to the tournament I thought most about the lists that actually finished top 3 (I had a sense of which would be challenging if I faced them) and I ended up meeting 2 of those on the day.

Of all the lists, bar stormcast, I was most acquainted with Beastclaws. I'm collecting them and have the tome, read the scrolls (there aren't many) understand how they are used in games. Granted I hadn't used them but their popularity in the tournament scene means they are pretty publicised.

So I had a good game plan, in theory. Try to set up a roadblock for the stonehorn and snipe the thundertusk. Simple! On paper.

My deployment was as follows:

Ouch that's blurry! Well, the lighting isn't great in the club from certain tables. Anyway, the libs went down in the middle after his stonehorn deployed there. They'd try to draw the charge in for, oh, one turn. I would use the fast flanks (split my strongest units to mean the thundertusk had a real decision to make)

He deployed his force like so:

So everything after the liberators was a reaction to the beastly ogors lining up right across the middle of the board.

The judicators were just outside max threat range of the thundertusk and I just wanted to chip the wounds off it to stop it automatically doing 6 mws. Ideally d3 if I got lucky.

My opponent had fewer drops and chose to go first. I had figured he'd aim for the double turn so thought this might work out okay for me.

On reflection, I didn't need to bunch up my battlelines in the middle like I did. Or I should have had them back a bit (again I thought there was a chance I'd be first).

I had no lantern save on the libs (the plan) and I had no battleshock immunity from my LCoD (the plan) because I hadn't had a turn at all yet.

As my opponent moved he ignored his own objective and took the right flank with his mournfang only because they happened to be going that way I think. He was going for fast tabling obviously, the turns after would let him get enough points. Probably the best approach with such a small but strong force.

Anyway, the Stonehorn pretty much rolled the max for run, charge and the destruction trait hero phase move:

It was here I thought, "These judicators are a bit too close :P". The Thundertusk Beastriders focused ranged attacks on my leftmost unit of Judicators, wiping out 3.

The charge from these stonehorn things (I have never played against or with beastclaw before) is so cool. My opponent positioned well and the hits were as strong as expected... I'm glad I am building one of these models right now!

In my battleshock phase I rolled and the last 2 judicators bravely ran away.

With these losses after 1 turn and the opponent untouched I felt a bit like it was very much an uphill struggle. Bar some kind of dice heroics. But I was having fun! I love seeing what happens! Besides my plan was that the liberators would be bait anyway so they don't count. So all going according to plan except for the loss of all my proper missile troops heh.

A player playing behind me lost an entire flank of Ironjawz to a focused enemy Stormcast attack and threw in the towel with 1 whole unit of brutes and a megaboss left. And for some that's a perfectly good call but that's not how I roll, I wanna learn! Besides this'd be quick, we each had 4 models now!

My turn.

I weighed up options and decided the fulminators needed to hit the Stonehorn. Ignore the mournfang even if they'd jump in after. The stonehorn could maybe be injured reducing its effectiveness. My LCoD would receive the lantern save and flirt into range of his breath weapon on the thundertusk and take the left objective. My castellant stood on the middle objective.

The fulminators galloped in the gap between the 3 big beasts and let fly their breath at the stonehorn. I managed 3 mortal wounds which was glorious as odd number are best against stonehorns. 2 wounds down, still a mountain to climb...

I climbed that mountain, with glaives. The fulminators won me the game but I rolled their dice! 6 hits, 6 wounds, no saves. 18 damage (halved to 9) from the guard. My opponent may have swore here. The fulminator lesson was in session.

The dracoths attacked next and my luck continued, 3 hits, 3 wounds (1 x 6 so intolerable damaaage) and I think 1 save, but not on the 6. Dead stonehorn.

The battle had really turned and my opponent was asking me if fulminators were that good. A rhetorical question.

There was definitely hope now. Time to roll for initiative. I won the turn. Later my opponent would play the 2nd stormcast player with a similar list to mine. He gave away the first turn and won the double turn. He tabled those stormcast. I would have suffered the same fate, I can't think how I'd defend against this list at 1000 on the receiving end of a double turn!

I moved my LCoD and Fulminators within charge distance of the Thundertusk and let breath weapons fly (the LCoD missed the entire game ha!) peppering a few wounds off.

Then the fulminators charged. I don't think the dracoths needed to attack. Thundertusk down.

At this point I was in a good spot but the mournfang are not to be made light of. My opponent charged my Fulminators and took one out.  I managed to roll 2 x 2s to save (no reroll grr).

My response was lacklustre (when fulminators don't or can't charge you really really want them to be concussors instead as I'd find out, especially in game 2).

I won the initiative again and I retreated the fulminator onto the objective and moved the LCoD and Castellant into charge range of the mournfang.

And that was essentially that.

A major victory to me with only the loss of ALL of my battleline. Still this game went about as well as it could have gone!

Results

10-5 to me and then I took some points off my opponent for the difference in points lost.

12-8 and victory.

Lessons

I think I could have thought more about the possibility that my opponent would get his stonehorn to my deployment zone but only just in turn 1 and that he'd go first. As it was I didn't get to use the judicators at all anyway.

At the same time, those 15 stormcast must have looked like a great target worth ignoring my general and fulminators for...

So I don't think I could have done anything better this game. And I can't have 'always be this good with dice' as a legitimate lesson - not while keeping a straight face!

 

[Turragor]

We played a variation of the Fanatic match results system: 10-5 to the winner of a major victory winner and then adjusted based on the difference in kill points. A draw was 10-10 (which in theory meant they were overly generous, but hey, first small test tourney!)

All the lists are in the first post.

Match 2 3 Places of Power

Versus Chaos (Khorne deamons, bloodbound, Sayl and Belakor)

So in the build up to the tournament I tried to get a handle on what a list with bloodbound heroes, belakor sayl and bloodletters would do.

I mostly focused on the 'letters, bloodsecrator, bloodstoker and sayl. The classic with these is the bloodletter bombs but those are 30 (so the mortal wounds are flying everywhere) strong. Would 2 x 10 work? Sending only 1 over each turn? I wasn't sure.

I knew Bel'akor would be a problem too but I had actually interpreted his rule as both worse and better than it was in reality.

I deployed with the idea that I would give the left objective to Khorne (he set up on the left) and focus on the right. I made the decision that would, pretty much, cost me the game in deployment - I thought I'd put the castellant central so that the 12 inch range for the lantern was optimised.

I did not think this through. While, in theory (in other scenarios) it's a good idea, it meant that he'd challenge for the central objective (most crowded) and that the LCoD would be right and the board was already shaping up to be a 45 degree rotated (on account of each of us refusing opposite flanks), central clash.

I forgot to roll for a triumph. I'd built my list to 980 so that I'd get some rolls on the table but, as is often the case with so much going on, forgot!

Most of my other deployment decisions were okay. The liberators did a stirling job keeping a bunch of models busy on the left. The judicators were indeed bait for the bloodletters (but are not that weak) and the fulminators could have, in theory, cleaned up the middle. The LCoD on the right would have taken the objective and (note the flaw in this idea here) swept central crushing (he would not be able to leave the objective without giving up points).

My opponent had more drops so I was able to choose who went first. I opted to go first to try to whittle down the 'letter units with ranged and so that I could move closer to capping objectives. I made a basic mistake here and didn't leave enough base room for my castellant so my opponent pointed out I couldn't run forward and cap the objective

The remains of the central 'letter unit bombed over in my opponents turn fully blocking my castellant's path. 

The hounds were also mighty quick and charges were successfully made:

My opponent won the roll for the next turn and flipped the turn order. Belakor was now sent over, double flying, extra movement. The Bloodstoker replaced him at the objective. It meant my opponent lost out on the extra points and started again. Something he didn't realise until I pointed it out at the end of the turn.

My judicators fell and the liberators took a pounding but stood! On the bright side I believe belakor failed his charge.

In my turn Belakor chose to trigger his ability on my fulminators. I was able to move them, shoot with them (removing a chunk of hounds) and charge them. The judicators on my right rounded the building and split shots between belakor (those that could reach) and the stronger remaining unit of bloodletters.

I figured I'd crush both units if I could just roll over the 4 and attack. I had been lucky so far! I rolled a 2 - no attacking allowed. Charge bonus lost!

My opponent won the initiative and Belakor then charged my Fulminators, killing one and wounding the other.

In response I fluffed all rolls with the fulminator and dracoth! I  peppered units more with the last remaining judicators and my castellant - rerouted last turn was reaching the objective to free the LCoD. Points were in my favour at this point because I'd held the LCoD there before the opponent held his own objective (the middle was ignored by my opponent) but I needed to get the hurt of the LCoD into play and kill Belakor or the enemy would just reach me and kill me.

The liberator prime finally fell!

At this point I should have already moved the LCoD - this is the entire crux of this loss and it's a nice lesson! I will discuss it at length in the lessons section.

Too late, Belakor takes the central point for an extra point - helping level the score.

Here, I should have warded the judicators but instead I was trying to do mortal wounds to Belakor, hoping the LCoD breath, Judicator ranged and lantern would drop him.

The images from here are actually really cool, atmospheric and, from this point, that feeling of being surged by Khorne, literally with my figures's backs to a wall was great.

The judicators cannot possible hold.

What is nice about Judicators is that any other 5 man ranged unit would have evaporated but 2 Juds remain. In my turn I couldn't leave the objective unless my castellant reached it.

My opponent made his hounds fly here, the imagery was rich.  I was going to be surrounded!

The castellant did not last! The final 2 judicators fell. All the while my LCoD was feeling very ineffective but he'd be in combat soon enough...

There we go! But not on his own terms!

The ranged up to this point had nearly, nearly killed Belakor but it was not to be.

Results

10-5 loss with my opponent claiming a major victory.

I lost all my models and I had not managed, through splitting of priority, to remove any full units - though a good many were very, very damage.

15 - 0 firm loss!

Lessons

I think the biggest lesson for me here was too much focus on the objective. Yes I needed to hold that objective to stay equal on points but I could have taken a hit for 1 or 2 turns, fallen, what, 3 or 4 points behind and really changed the flow of the game. I could have corrected the deployment error (he is pretty fast after all!) and made belakor wish he could choose to befuddle two great units.

Often it feels like the objectives are key when you play, stories abound of armies being super strong in key melees but losing focus of the real 'goal' and then losing out on victory points.

The opposite applies equally - an overly blinkered view on an objective can see the battlefield crumble around you.

I think, knowing I had 3 places of power and taking only 2 heroes meant I'd always struggle with this battleplan (especially since I hit one of the lists - maybe the only - with 4 or more heroes) but I still could have made a better run at it! You don't need to control all 3 to win.

[Ulfast]

So cool with a tournament. Next time I hope that I can join you

[Turragor]

The final report for the final game.

Match 3 Gifts from the Heavens

Versus Ironjawz (speedy gonzales formation)

The terrain on my side of the table (I lost the roll to pick table edge) meant I had a tough choice - split my force and make sure I could reach the objective when it landed wherever it was or focus on the left and middle sections. A gamble.

I thought the odds were pretty good so set up to block the middle and use the rock on the right as an anchor.

I would use my liberators to force these speedy orruks around terrain features and shoot them while I waited to counter charge.

My opponent got to go first and raced towards me. I'd never played Ironjawz so their speed was pretty impressive. I reckoned even now that my army composition would struggle to do well against them if they rolled well for their hero phase movement. Slow moving ranged was kind of pointless against them.

Well, we would have to play on and see! Maybe I'd land some sweet fulminator and LCoD charges.

In my turn I edged some units forwards setting up to receive a charge and pepper the enemy with ranged fire. I managed to take out 3 brutes (the judicator crossbow special was actually useful against so many elite units.

I think moving my LCoD into this position was a mistake. It was to try for the breath attack but hanging around near the Fulminators and waiting would have been much better. At this point the terrain on my side began to become a hindrance rather than a benefit. My opponent was charging down the middle and suddenly funneling this many ironjawz into one spot against a 5 man shieldwall seemed like the wrong idea.

In my opponent's turn his objective landed right on his caster. He raced forward and positioned to charge my liberators with all the units he could find the space for.

My positioning kept one megaboss out of the mix and forced his full strength brute unit round the house (they rolled well on their hero phase movement so are just out of shot in this pic) and the the 3 man brute unit around the rock.

I realised that if I had an objective in the middle or if I knew the objective was coming in the middle, I was doing a good job. 

But if the objective landed left or especially right the enemy would be in a position to score if I couldn't remove them.

In the combat phase his megaboss evaporated most of my liberators and his brutes piled in to damage my LCoD and judicators. In response my LCoD managed to kill two brutes.

I rolled to see where my objective would land.

Of course it did:

At this point I had to make a decision, focus on the melee or attempt to claim the objective.

In hindsight I would do everything differently here. I should have retreated the LCoD and charged the yellow brutes with the fulminators and used the castellant as a speedbump for the red brutes.

It might not have worked but it might have given me a chance to overthrow the centre and win.

In any case my fulminators skewered the brutes on the charge and I took control of the objective (perhaps later crucial for the result).

My LCoD killed the remaining brutes and somehow my judicators (only in range of the brute unit and no megabosses) survived.

In my opponents 3rd turn he decided that 2 megabosses wanted to compete over who could kill my LCoD faster.

He managed to basically annihilate everything here, not unexpected.

Entering my 3rd turn I realised we were basically neck and neck for points due to my decision to reposition the fulminators. I would not be able to unseat my opponents caster capping points on the other corner of the table but I could hold for a draw and try to edge some kill points.

My castellant moved to control the objective and the fulminators raced to try to kill a megaboss or two and become a speedbump.

Realistically they could not kill everything there and survive, the units were too close. I had hopes to take out two megabosses though if my breath attack and combat rolls were good. If I won the double turn going into the 4th I was actually in a very strong position to take out both megabosses. Holding the brutes then should be no problem.

They were just okay. I killed the red megaboss.  And my opponent won the initiative. Bye bye fulminators.

My 4th was very quick, I basically moved the castellant to maximum range from the objective. My opponent would want to reach the objective and kill the castellant to gain control and win a major.

As luck would have it (I dunno if luck is the right word with 1 stormcast left) he didn't roll great for movement and fluffed his long bomb megaboss charge!

Result

A draw! By the book.

However given I'd lost nearly everything and had left the opponent with just under 50% strength left , when we added up the kill points I gave 2 victory points away.

12-8 but still, technically a draw! I assure you!

Lessons

I think playing Ironjawz for the first time for anyone is a  bit of an eye opener. Then I got unlucky with a number of key rolls during the game.

There were a number of things I could have done better. Even if shifting this to a win for me would be tough.

I think I could have thought a lot more tactically. I could have sent the fulminators for the opponents objective, he just barrelled in to slaughter me and I don't think he was thinking especially tactically.

I could have capitalised on that.

One thing I did take away is that Ironjawz are a lot like Stormcast with fewer unit choices (only the toughest left).

So kinda stormcast that can take retributors as battleline and get 2d6+2" hero phase movement plus 1 or 2 attacks from the waaagh! command ability of their LCoD on steroids.

But they have 0 range.

Given the new units that were released for Stormcast I think there's a better way for Stormcast to beat them now.

Even so, I think at 1000 points the Ironjawz are a little difficult to take on as a stormcast player with no experience against them.

That just makes playing them next time more fun!