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Blood Vow

Happiness is success... (Buddha)

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

White Scars RTT Report • Final Round 3 vs. Tau


The final round is versus Tau. Funnily enough the last rtt I attended we rode together and probably would have faced off in the final round for a shot at the pole position but he had to leave early. Here is his list:

Ethereal (Warlord)

Fire Warriors
Devilfish - Disruption Pod

Fire Warriors
Devilfish - Disruption Pod

Kroot (large squad)

Pathfinders

Riptide - Ion Accelerator

3x Broadside - HYMD & SMS

3x Broadside - HYMD & SMS


This mission the deployment was Vanguard Strike (VS) which is really good for BikeStar. We randomly determined the direction of the diagonal line. VS deployment provides the means to quickly trap a slower army in one corner of the table which was one of my strategies. I also decided the ignore the Riptide and focus on the more squishy units.

There was also a big multi level ruin in the center of the table with the lower levels walled off to block line of sight (LoS). Again objective markers and overall terrain was equally placed across the table so no particular advantage besides the large ruin.

This mission you roll up six tactical objectives the first turn and so on decrementing by one objective each following turn.

I got the Warlord trait to infiltrate three squads - so awesome for BikeStar !!! My opponent got a trait that was not that good.

My psychic Lore is Biomancy - Shriek - Enfeeble - Life Leech

I won the roll to choose my deployment zone and picked the side which maximized LoS blocking via the central ruins. My opponent won the roll to deploy first and took it. He deployed everything except for the Kroot and castled in his corner just like I was expecting. Devilfish up front with Ethereal and Fire Warriors embarked - both Broadsides in an open ruin behind them - Riptide off to one side.

I hold one squad in reserve (HQ and command squad) and infiltrate the three biker squads. We then roll off to see who infiltrates first and my opponent wins the roll... He conga lines the Kroot along the diagonal line to push back my infiltrating bikers—good move in a way but will give up First Blood plus bikes can move 24" a turn so I'm not worried. I deploy my bikes beyond his maximum shooting range and out of LoS from the Riptide. Night fight is up so first turn my bikers can jink for a 2+ cover save.

I then roll to seize and up pops a six... Heh !

NOTE:
The judge declares time will not be called early—play each game out to the end.

1st Turn - White Scars
My bikes move up to focus fire on the Kroot while staying outside range of magic missiles and mostly out of LoS from the Riptide. I blast the Kroot which go to ground and my opponent passes his break check.

1st Turn - Tau
The Kroot move up to rapid fire as much as possible into one biker squad and the Riptide scoots over to target another another biker unit. One Devilfish pulls up to the big ruin and dismounts its Fire Warriors to score a victory point grabbing an objective marker inside the big central ruin. I pass all my saves from shooting attacks then the Riptide jetpacks back inside the castle formation.

2nd Turn - White Scars
The HQ and command squad comes in from reserve but from the far table edge with respect to the Tau castle. I turboboost them straight towards the big central ruin. My other three squads also converge to the center of the table, all units using the big central ruin for cover and still maintaining safe distance from magic missiles. Shooting wipes out the Kroot for First Blood so we are tied at one victory point apiece.

2nd Turn - Tau
The Fire Warriors load back up into the Devilfish and scoot away back towards the castle. Riptide drops a pie plate but it scatters off.

3rd Turn - White Scars
Time to go to work. HQ and command squad break through the big central terrain piece lining up their sights on the closest Broadside team ignoring both Devilfish. The other three biker squads all turboboost right up into the grill of the Tau castle. Librarian successfully casts Shriek on the Pathfinders... They are scorched and break—they are well done.

Command squad unloads into the Broadsides—strafe two and they break off the table.

3rd Turn - Tau
My opponent has a lot of serious target saturation... All four biker units are out in the open now just as planned. He opts to focus fire on my HQ and command squad unloading both Fire Warrior teams plus the Ethereal popping the +1 shot bubble to pump up his pulse bomb. My Chapter Master then tanks almost every wound or passes every FNP... Amazing dice for me and really bad news for the xenos ! Again the Riptide's pie plate scatters off for no damage.

I played it out so that there would be only turn of xenos shooting and my opponent took the bait targeting my most resilient unit of mine for zero sum game.

4th Turn - White Scars
I move into position for multiple multi assaults - every Tau unit is exposed and I can charge them all. Again I opt to ignore the Riptide. No shooting this turn or psychic powers and we go straight into melee. I do lose a couple bikers to Tau Overwatch. Mėlee see the following Tau units destroyed:

Ethereal
Both Fire Warrior teams
Remaining Broadside Team
One Devilfish

- Multiple Assaults -


My opponent only has left one Devilfish and the Riptide while still have all my units. My opponent then concedes the game.

I am the only player with a 3-0 record at the end of the day for first place. It was a great day of gaming. The hard work tweaking my list is starting to finally pay off now.

Monday, September 29, 2014

White Scars RTT Report • Round 2 vs. Tyranids


This is the second game and it's versus Tyranids. My opponent's list seems unconventional but deployment was Hammer and Anvil which helped him out a bit. Maelström is the mission again. Note that you don't reveal any of your tactical cards until you score or discard them.

Here is my opponent's army list to the best of my recollection:

Tyranid Prime (Warlord)

Large brood Warriors with some devourers and rending claws

30x termagant

Tervigon (troop)

10x Hormagant

Zoanthrope

Zoanthrope

Carnifex

Carnifex

Carnifex

I did not roll a useful warlord trait. My opponent got the trait that allows you to discard your first three tactical cards.

My psychic powers were from Biomancy:

Endurance - Life Leech - Shriek

The Tyranid psychic powers were a mixed bag with some dominion, onslaught and warp scream.

I won the roll to choose my deployment zone and also to deploy first. Again I deployed all my bikes right up at the front of my deployment zone with the HQ and command centrally located. My opponent deployed across his deployment zone with the termagants and Tervigon up front with the Carnifexen supporting either flank. The Hormagants were far to his left side and the Tyranid Prime attached to Warriors in the rear. The pair of Zoanthropes were also centrally located on either side of the horde for synapse coverage.

No night fight.


1st Turn - White Scars

My bikes move up with one squad in rapid fire range of the termagants. I successfully cast Endurance on the forward squad then focus fire all of my shooting into the termagants bringing them below half. I score three victory points since I'm holding three objective markers.

1st Turn - Tyranids
The Tyranid Prime detached from the Warriors to move onto an objective marker. The rest of the Tyranid army moves forward towards my line. The Tervigon shats out a brood of ten termagants and doesn't double out. The Hormagants begin to advance toward my line. Psychic powers and Tyranid shooting only manages to score one wound on the attack bike in my forward squad... Endurance (4+ FNP) really helped a lot. The termagants then attempt to assault my forward most biker squad but Overwatch eliminates enough gants that they fail to reach combat. My opponent scores one victory point for the objective marker held by his Warlord.

White Scars: 3 VP
Tyranids: 1 VP

2nd Turn - White Scars
My bikes move up again shifting towards my left. Grav guns vaporize one Carnifex for First Blood and another victory point for eliminating an enemy unit via shooting—bolter fire reduces the original termagant brood to five gants or less. My units are around 12" away from the forward most broods with my HQ and command squad in front of the Tervigon and fresh batch of gants.

2nd Turn - Tyranids
The Tyranid Prime holds his ground while the rest of the xenos horde trundles forward. Tervigon shats out another brood of 12 termagants and doubles out. The Hormagants and remaining two Carnifexen scuttle towards my line but are all out of range to assault. Psychic powers and shooting eliminates the wounded attack bike and a couple more bikers - no serious damage incurred again. The remnant termagant brood charges my forward most biker squad - I kill all but two with Overwatch and melee then hit and run out of combat pushing deep into his deployment zone. My opponent scores one victory point for holding more objective markers than I do.

White Scars: 5 VP
Tyranids: 2 VP

3rd Turn - White Scars
My bikers that hit and run move forward to target the Tyranid Prime while my HQ and command squad Sally over to assault one brood of termagants and the Tervigon. The other two bike squads pull back out of potential charge range. Shooting eliminates another the Tyranid Prime for Slay the Warlord, a Carnifex and the last two gants from the remnant brood. I multi assault the Tervigon and another gant brood bringing the Tervigon down to its last wound but flail against the gants... The xenos in turn are unable to score any wounds. I should have hit and run out of that combat... Oh well.

3rd Turn - Tyranids
Warriors move into position to tackle the bikers that assassinated their Warlord while the Homagants move into assault range of another biker squad (I underestimated their total reach with bounding leap). The last two Carnifexen scuttle ahead towards my deployment zone. Again psychic powers and shooting is uneventful. The Hormagants successfully reach combat versus a biker squad but lose a good number to Overwatch then the rest are cut down in melee. Tervigon is splattered during mėlee which finishes off most of one remaining termagant brood (amazingly two survive and again I should have hit and run to go after Line Breaker!... Only five gants left now in the other brood. Warriors butcher to biker squad in their deployment zone for another victory point and denying me Line Breaker.

White Scars: 6 VP
Tyranids: 3 VP

Fairly close but I still have a solid lead on overall victory points.

NOTE:
Again there will only be enough time left for a fourth turn due to time constraints

4th Turn - White Scars
HQ and command squad finish off the last two gants they were slugging it with but their consolidation is not enough to achieve Line Breaker... Missed it by a couple of inches.

4th Turn - Tyranids
Tyranids had been like dropping like flies (no pun intended). My opponent makes a play for the draw but falls short when the judge informs him how to score Line Breaker. I thought my opponent played his list well. I played to the mission instead of focusing on killing all the synapse which I think would have been achieved with only three nodes. Four turns seemed to be more to the advantage of horde armies so I am glad for the win and a shot at the brass ring. I am still get the hang of Maelstrom missions - the biker army definitely can do well due to the inherent mobility, ample firepower plus decent mėlee.

The next round was versus a Tau army with two missileside units and a Ripetide plus some pulse bomb.

So another victory for the red bikers.

White Scars RTT Report • 1st Round vs. Iron Hands


First game was versus Iron Hands:

Librarian (Warlord)

5x Terminator - thunderhammers and stormshields

Stormraven - twin linked lascannon - twin linked multi-melta - hurricane bolter sponsons

10x tactical Marine - missile launcher - meltagun
Rhino

10x tactical Marine - missile launcher - meltagun
Drop Pod

Thunderfire Cannon

Thunderfire Cannon

Aegis Defense Line (ADL) - Icarus Lascannon

This mission the deployment was Dawn of War and each player draws three tactical objective cards at the start of their first turn. You can discard cards you score each turn and cards it's impossible to score.

- NOTE -
The terrain was evenly placed so no one had a huge advantage. The six objective markers were also evenly placed around the board.

Each round was 1.5 hours - I think two hours would have been a lot better as two of my games only made it through four turns.

My opponent wins the roll to chose his deployment zone and also go first. He deploys his ADL across the center of his deployment zone with the Icarus lascannon in the middle. Each tactical squad splits into combat squads:

Missile launcher & meltagun combat squad in the rhino
Missile launcher combat squad manning the lascannon
Meltagun combat squad in the drop pod
Combat squad over to one side behind the ADL (rhino behind them)

Stormraven with Warlord and terminators starts in reserve.

I deploy all my bikes right up on the edge of my deployment zone across the middle with my two HQ attached to the command in the center. I make sure to space all my bikers 2" apart to neutralize the TFC (aka Chinese fire drill).

No night fight.

My Warlord trait was worthless... Can't remember what my opponent got.

Psychic Powers:
White Scars - Telepathy/ Shriek, Shrouded, Terrify
Iron Hands - Biomancy/ Iron Arm, Primaris, ?

I elect not to attempt to Seize.

1st Turn - Iron Hands
Drop pod lands and combat squad with meltagun disembarks scoring them one tactical objective since they have a unit in my deployment zone. Shooting only manages to clip one wound on an attack bike.

1st Turn - White Scars
All four biker squads move up 12" and blast away whittling down the two combat squads behind the ADL. I successfully cast Terrify on one combat squad but they passes both break checks. Note I elected to ignore the drop pod and combat squad back in my deployment zone for now. I will easily be able to assault the rhino and two combat squads next turn (TFCs are a bit further back though) behind the ADL.

Iron Hands: 1 VP
White Scars: 0 VP

2nd Turn - Iron Hands
Stormraven does not arrive from reserve. Straight to shooting and I lose a couple bikes from different squads.

2nd Turn - White Scars
All my bikes move up except one squad which camps on an obective marker to score a victory point. Shooting and assault eliminates both combat squads behind the ADL, rhino (First Blood) is popped too but can't quite reach the combat squad that bails out the back. I also take out one TFC in assault via a multi charge and score another victory point for issuing a challenge. Chapter Master consolidates into base contact with the Icarus lascannon waiting for the Stormraven.

All my units are intact save two or three bikers while my opponent is down to his HQ and terminators in the Stormraven, two combat squads, one TFC and the drop pod.

Iron Hands: 1VP
White Scars: 3 VP

3rd Turn - Iron Hands
The Stormraven comes in from reserve. My Chapter Master elects to intercept and penetrates but the Stormraven successfully jinks. The flyer comes in on a sharp angle so it can fire at my HQ and command squad. Combat squad from the drop pod move and run to claim an objective marker. Shooting then commences and I lose another biker or two at most.

3rd Turn - White Scars
Two bike squads converge on the combat squad hiding behind the wrecked rhino while my Librarian splits off to tackle the remaining TFC. Command squad and one bike squad all focus fire on the Stormraven... I penetrate it with a multi-melta and glance it three times with grav guns but it successfully jinks them all again. The combat squad is slagged by shooting. Remaining TFC is gutted by my Librarian.

Iron Hands: 2 VP
White Scars: 3 VP

NOTE:
This game only went four turns.

4th Turn - Iron Hands
Stormraven goes into hover mode - IH Librarian and terminators disembark in position to assault my HQ and command squad. The Stormraven poors all its firepower into one of my biker squads but I make most of the jink saves. Assault then occurs - my Chapter Master tanks all the wounds but loses three in the process while I only killed one terminator via Overwatch. I pass my break check then hit and run away back towards the last combat squad.

4th Turn - White Scars
Two of my biker squads are in position for Line Breaker while my Librarian rejoins the command squad and they hustle over to nix the last combat squad. Bikes fire again at the Stormraven but yet again it passes all of its jink saves. Combat squad is blasted off the table and I score on the objective marker. My opponent also has Line Breaker due to his drop pod.

Final Tally:
Iron Hands - 3 VP
White Scars - 5 VP

If the game had gone at least one more turn I could have easily destroyed the drop pod while the IH Librarian and terminators were out of position to reach any of my bike squads... So I couldn't lose Line Breaker.

So first round win for my White Scars. Most of my games versus this opponent are hard fought so it was definitely a good start.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Afraid


do you, do you wanna bleed ?
do you, do you wanna live in vain ?
it's only life
so afraid to kiss
and so afraid to laugh
running from their past ?
it's only life
so afraid of love
so afraid of hate
what's they runnin' from now ??

do you, do you wanna scream ?
do you, do you wanna face the strange ?
do you, do you believe ?
are you, are you afraid of change ?

it's only life
so afraid of this
and so afraid to ask
hiding behind their masks
nothing's ever right
so afraid of pain
so afraid of blame
it's driving them insane
can't regain their fame
so insecure
there is no cure

so afraid
so afraid of death
so afraid, afraid of life
the drama in their heads
getting louder all the time
getting louder all the time
so afraid, afraid to lose
so afraid of fame
everyday feeling the same
it's driven them insane...
it's driven...
it's drive...
it's...

Dark eldar rules


From Warseer:

- Huskblades: AP3, cheaper (not a relic)

- Racks now work on all Splinter weapons

- Wych weapons nerfed:
• Hydras confer Shred
• Razors reroll To Hit
• Shardnet/Impaler reroll 1s on To Hit and To Wound

- Stun Claw is +1S AP6, confers ID in challenge

- Shadow Field is more expensive

- Incubi are still AP2

- Torment Grenade Launchers: 24", blast, S1, unit hit tests on leadership, takes a wound for each point it failed, no armor or cover saves (doesn't affect ATSKNF)

- Night Shield confers Stealth

- Hex Rifle inflicts ID on Precision Hits

- Soul Trap gives +1ST for each unsaved wound inflicted in a challenge

- Reavers no longer attack while moving, now bladevanes are improved HoW. Caltrops inflict D6 rending HoWs, Gravs inflict Concussive

- Spirit Probe now improves FNP of all dark eldar within 6" by 1 to a max of 4+

- Phantasm grenade launcher works like TGL but shorter range

- Ossefactor is assault 1, fleshbane, AP2. If something is killed then the victims unit get d6 hits with S equal to T of the victim, AP-, ignores cover

- Liquifier is now S3

- Implosion missiles are S6 AP2 blast

- Chain Flails now only give Shred

- Talos has 3 attacks, same as Chronos

- Both Haemy and Archon improve PfP, they let a unit add a 1 to the turn number for PrP, this stacks

- Warlord traits are crap, one gives the warlord +1 WS...

- Artefacts look average too:
• there is the old Djinn blade which works almost the same
• a helmet that gives Adamantium Will in 12" and perils on any double
• a terrible pistol
• ghostplate that gives -2 Ld in 6" and Fear
• there is also Animus Vitae which is a one use, assault 1, S4 AP2, 8" that if a unsaved wound is inflicted lets all dark eldar add 1 to the turn number for PfP effects until the end of the game

- Dodge now works against any wounds inflicted in fight sub phase

- bomber is 10 AV on all sides

- Venom Blade can only be taken by the Acothyst now

- no flickerfields for anything other than venoms

- sails let a vehicle flat out 24"

- lances on infantry are a bit cheaper

Saturday, September 27, 2014

1250 point RTT today


There is a 1250 RTT today close by so I'm going to swing over - starts in a couple hours. I'll bringing my BikerStar with the list built around the core I recently used at a 1000 point RTT earlier this month. This works out rather well as I'll be able to squeeze in another troop. Batreps to follow tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Dark eldar - what will they bring ?


So the new codex is soon to release. It could be a breathe of fresh air. Consider that this will be only their third codex they are a fairly new race even though they are the true original eldar. When the Chaos god Slaanesh was birthed creating the Eye of Terror only three types of eldar survived the whole sale destruction:

Exodites - these are the hill billies... They left the home world long ago to get back to their roots on maiden worlds. They have some dragons and that's cool. Don't mess with them and they won't mess with you.

Craft World - these are the hippies... They built inter planetary space ships and left the home world in protest. They have all the high tech and are always a pain. Often you can't avoid them for whatever reason. They have to prove a point.

Dark Eldar - these are the true original eldar. The only survivors were taking off world vacations when the sheet went down so they don't have much in the way of technology compared to Craft World since they weren't prepared. True Born are created via natural birth while the rest are vat grown. Dark eldar are extremely hedonistic and represent all the worst things.

To me this is a hard codex to write - it's either going to be a wet noodle or completely over the top. I expect to see a lot of players say the new codex is awful. The truth is both codices have revolved around the gun boat approach - lots of Raiders and Ravagers were competitive in the first codex then venom spam and Ravagers in the next codex. Obviously Vect will be a Lord of War so no matter how amazing his rules you probably won't be able to field for a year or two at big competitive events. The Baron is probably going to disappear since there isn't an official model - to be honest I'd love to see BeaStar go belly up... It's so annoying.

The new codex could be something really amazing that changes the game but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.



Sunday, September 21, 2014

BeakyCon4 • 40k GT • Just around the corner...


BeakyCon4 is a mid size GT that will be held the weekend of October 4-5 at Anthem Games in Tampa. If you'd like to stop by and check out the action feel free to do so. This is our fourth year in a row.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

If a Bear Lord Hollers in the Woods...


So there has been much debate lately about whether or not a Wolf Lord mounted on a Thunder Wolf and armed with power fist is S9 or S10. It was unquestioned in the last codex and supported by an official FAQ. I have my own opinion and I can say that my track record on rules that have been officially FAQd by GW is pretty darn good. I never look at it for the gain of any advantage. Cold logic supported by a knowledge of the background has served quite well. It has nothing to do with how you'd like the rules to be but unfortunately that's the situation we run across more often that not if there is any perceived ambiguity.

WARNING

Remember that the first thing every rules lawyer will spout is how poorly written are the rules. This is necessary so they can then dupe you into believing whatever fabrication they need to spin the rules in their favor. You really need to do your own thinking for yourself and often the rules are quite clear.

While I run my own independent GT I often loathe to create an independent FAQ because we gamers never know for sure and I don't want to create an unintended unfair situation for any gamer. I have seen some really screwy rulings that just leave you shaking your head mouthing the word WOW... How did they ever come up with that one and it's rarely ever for the better. Really the best you can do is let people know how you'll play it if there are any questions directed towards you and clarify the missions to keep them as simple to understand as possible.

The public discussion of gaming rules that are in question are often darkly humorous at best and I do wish GW would regularly publish FAQs. I'm sure we have all at least once thought to ourselves how inane some people can be—it's amazing at times and I have seen intense arguments go back and forth for page after page on some of the more popular forums... Remember that the trolls are much more intent upon punching your button than ever giving you a straight answer.

Sometimes a certain rule has some grey area but often we do not give GW enough credit and as said above the rules lawyers are looking for anything they can leverage to twist the rules in their favor. Here is a good example... In sixth edition some silly people said you could fire any weapon in a squad the maximum range of any weapon which is ludicrous and now we thankfully have wound pools. To make my point I attended a tournament and brought a Blood Angels army with a full Devastator squad (missile launchers) and attached as maybe characters as possible all armed with Infernus pistols - needless to say whatever they looked at was vaporized. The TOs running that particular event suddenly changed their stance after the tournament was over. Sometimes tough love is the best love. The inclusion of the wound pools in seventh edition proves these people were wrong too.

Conclusion
Coming back to the case of the Bear Lord again it is clear to me they are still S10 if armed with a power fist or thunderhammer. If you don't believe me then look at the base strength of Harald Deathwolf - it is S5 - it is not S4 + 1. Is there something special about Harald and Thunderwolves they are keeping secret from the other Wolf Lords and Iron Priests ? If you examine the rulebook it explicitly states anything that changes a stat (plus, minus, multiply, etc.) is a modifier. The rules for the Thunderwolf mount in the Space Wolf codex clearly state the character's base strength increases. There are specific rules in the rulebook that explain how a power fist works and these are two separate things.

I have a strong inclination this subject will be covered again by GW when the official FAQ is released for the new Space Wolf codex. Ask yourself why would GW change this particular rule? Finally remember if the squad has Furious Charge it doesn't even really matter.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Version 2.0 Thunder & Lightning


Here's my latest list. It's around 1850 points so it's expandable and it has three solid objective secured units plus the drop pod.

I want to experiment with a Wolf Priest in lieu of the Rune since he's such a force multiplier - fearless, preferred enemy and 6+ FNP plus 2+/4++ with runic armor.

This star packs a lot of multi wound 2+ armor which should get them where they need to be.

Space Wolves Champions of Fenris formation
Harald Deathwolf
1x Fenrisian wolf

Wolf Lord
TWM - Runic armor - Storm shield - Power fist
1x Fenrisian wolf

Iron Priest
TWM
4x Cyber Wolf

Servitor

4x TWC
4x Storm shield - 2x Wolf claw - 2x Power fist
Pack Leader - Meltabombs

Rune Priest
Level 2 - Bike - Runic armor - Meltabombs

4x Grey Hunter
Meltagun - Power Axe - Plasma pistol
Terminator Wolf Guard - Storm shield - Wolf claw - Meltabombs
Drop Pod


White Scars allied detachment

Chapter Master
Bike - Artificer armor - Shield Eternal - Power fist

3x Biker
2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-melta
Sergeant - Meltabombs

3x Biker
2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-melta

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

BikeStar RTT Game 3 Batrep


My last game was versus Astra Militarum. I'm not sure how the pairings were done but basically I had one max game and one min. This mission is Emperor's Will. To make a long story short I got to go first again and got the same Warlord Trait as last game. My opponent did not deploy well and I was able to infiltrate in very close. He failed to seize and after my second turn I had tabled everything except for his Vendetta transporting some veterans. My opponent rolls a snake eye to bring in the flyer so it's game over. Short and sweet. Like I said in the first batrep there was one more round but I had to leave early because of the person I rode with to the shop (out of town). The last mission was kill points which is never a good thing for dark eldar - I definitely think I had a shot at first place depending upon how everything shook out. Funny enough I probably would have ended up playing the guy I ride with to the RTT (Tau).

Monday, September 15, 2014

BikeStar RTT Report • Part 2


My next game was versus the one army I knew could give me some problems - dark eldar with venom spam... Can match my speed and the venoms are really bad news versus a low model count.


Round 2 vs Dark Eldar

The Baron

Succubus - assorted weapons

5x Wyche haywire grenades
Venom - double splinter cannon - Flickerfield

5x Wyche - haywire grenades
Venom - double splinter cannon - Flickerfield

5x Wyche - haywire grenades
Venom - double splinter cannon - Flickerfield

10 Warriors - splinter cannon
Raider - Lance - Flickerfield

Ravager - 3x Lance - Flickerfield

Ravager - 3x Lance - Flickerfield

Beast Pack - 3x Beast Master - Khymeras & Razorwing

Mission - Crusade
Four objective markers this time.

Deployment - Dawn of War

I won the roll to go first and got Master of Ambush for my Warlord Trait. My Librarian got Prescience, Foreboding and Forewarning. My opponent got the Warlord trait for +1 to seize.

NOTE - I chose the wrong psychic lore (Divination) for my Librarian... Honest mistake there... Didn't matter much.

I deployed my HQ with command squad behind a big piece of terrain for LoS blocking. My opponent deployed back against his long table edge then I infiltrated my two biker squads 18" away on one of his flanks. My opponent failed to seize.

1st Turn - White Scars
I move and flat out my HQ and command squad out from behind the terrain into the heart of the Dark Eldar putting lots of pressure on the enemy and relying upon the storm shields, FNP and my 2+ armor to weather the coming storm of PAIN. The two biker squads move into range of a venom and Ravager. Shooting is focused on the two skimmers and I manage to drop two hull points on the Ravager immobilizing it with the grav weapons but it shrugs off the second glance with Flickerfield which would have destroyed it for First Blood. I also shake a venom. Not a great turn but everything is where I want it to be - I'll just have to take my licks.

1st Turn - Dark Eldar
My army is out in the open now and have big bulls eyes painted on them. The Baron and his posse move up to assault then the dark eldar guns open fire. Amazingly the HQ and command squad only lose a couple veterans and one biker squad is intact. The other bike squad is cut down to two bikers and they pass their leadership test. The Baron and beasts then charge - Overwatch manages to clip one Beast Master. My Chapter Master issues a challenge and proceeds to crush another Beast Master and I only lose another veteran. Combat is drawn and we both hit and run. I push over towards a flank while the Baron and beasts drop back forming a semi shield.

2nd Turn - White Scars
I make a major blunder here. I should have charged all my units into the BeaStar but I got greedy and focused on taking down the skimmers. I move my bikes into position to multi assault as many skimmers as possible and forgo shooting so that all primary targets remain. I take out the immobilized Ravager for First Blood, the shaken venom and stun another Ravager.

2nd Turn - Dark Eldar
One squad of wyches disembark to charge the two bikers then the dark eldar unload on my HQ and command squad again. I lose a couple wounds on the Chapter Master and one wound on the Librarian. In assault I lose the two bikers to the wyches and the Librarian. I then roll a 6 to hit and run out of combat with the a Chapter Master and what's left of the command squad - huge... So they remained locked in with the BeaStar. I am slowly losing the war of attrition.

3rd Turn - White Scars
The full squad of bikes moves into position to shoot the wyches and multi assault them and another venom. I blow away most of the wyches - they hold - then I just miss hitting the other venom by less than inch. The wyches die to Hammer of Wrath. In the other combat my Chapter Master tanks a lot of wounds and is left hanging with only one last veteran (thunderhammer). I dished put seven wounds with the two hammers but my opponent only loses two dawgs and the BeaStar barely passes it's break check - huge again for dark eldar. The BeaStar then hits and runs.. I do too and move to the edge of my opponent's long table edge.

3rd Turn - Dark Eldar
This is the beginning of the end... The bikers are whittled down to two and in assault I roll two snake eyes on four armor saves losing my Chapter Master and then the last veteran.

4th Turn - White Scars
So I only have two bikers left. They suicide into a venom, destroy it and four out of five wyches onboard are toasted by the explosion - too little too late.

4th Turn - Dark Eldar
The two bikers are blown away... Game over.


Post Game Analysis
I felt my opening gambit was the right move. I had to go in big for the alpha strike. I probably should have also infiltrated the command squad too. The dice favored the dark eldar for the key rolls... You know that story. Losing the Chapter Master on four wounds with two left on a 2+ armor save was tough. If I could have broke BeaStar they would have most likely broke off the table as I was right up against it the last two turns. I gave it my best and came up short. Like I said this was my worst matchup but I did manage to make a game out of it. If a couple key rolls had gind my way I think I could have squeezed the win. My opponent (Thor665 from Dakka Dakka) has been playing dark eldar for a long long time so his experience was a big factor but I do think he made a couple mistakes but the dice let him off the hook. I look forward to a rematch.

The next round was versus Astra Militarum. I drooped down a bit in the overall rankings so probably a better matchup for me.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

BikeStar RTT Report


I got to play in a semi local RTT yesterday. It was 1000 points and you could only use one source. You had 10 minutes to complete each player turn so kind of interesting. There were four rounds but the friend I rode with had to leave after the third round... I think I had a good shot at placing if I could have played the fourth round. Anyways here is a quick summary of my three games.

I brought White Scars:

Chapter Master:
Bike - Artificer Armor - Shield Eternal - Power Fist

Command Squad:
Bikes - 4x Storm Shield - 4x Grav Gun - 3x Meltabombs - Thunderhammer

3x Biker:
2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta
Sergeant - Meltabombs

3x Biker:
2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta
Sergeant - Meltabombs


Round 1 vs Chaos Space Marines

Chaos Lord:
Mark of Tzeentch - Sigil of Corruption - Murder Sword - Plasma Pistol

3x Chaos Biker:
2x Meltagun

5x Chaos Space Marine:
Mark of Nurgle - Plasmagun
Rhino

5x Chaos Space Marine:
Mark of Nurgle - Plasmagun
Rhino

Helbrute - Multi-Melta

Helbrute - Multi-Melta

Helbrute - Extra CCW

5x Warp Talon


Mission - Crusade
We roll up three objective markers that are placed evenly across the center of the table. 3 battle points for each objective marker you hold at the end of the game plus 1 battle point for First Blood, Slay the Warlord and Line Breaker. I felt it should have been a fixed number of objective markers for Crusade since with the random number of objective markers it was possible for some players to score more battle points.

Deployment - Dawn of War

I can't remember the Warlord traits we rolled up. My Librarian got Prescience, Misfortune and Perfect Timing (really good). My opponent won the roll to go first and I opted not to seize.

My opponent deploys up on the edge of deployment zone with his rhinos and Helbrutes over to one side. His Warlord joins one of the CSM squads. He deploys his bikers far away in the opposite side and reserves the Warp Talons (deep striking).


I deploy aggressively... All three squads right up on the edge of my deployment zone side by side - both HQ are attached to the command squad.



1st Turn - Chaos Space Marines
The Chaos bikers move and flat out towards my army. Rhinos and Helbrutes also move forward as well. Shooting sees no damage inflicted.

1st Turn - White Scars
All three bike squads move forward straight towards the Helbrutes and rhinos. I successfully cast Prescience and Misfortune (targeting the close combat Helbrute). Orbital strike from the Chapter Master assplodes the close combat Helbrute and a rhino for First Blood. Three of the Chaos Space Marines die in the assplosion... Wow! The biker squads both fire on another Hebrute and explode it as well... Another Chaos Space Marine dies from the burning storm of shrapnel.

2nd Turn - Chaos Space Marines
Warp Talons arrive scattering into terrain and one dies from the dangerous terrain check. The remaining rhino pulls up disembarking the Chaos Lord and his posse. The last Helbrute trundles forward and the Chaos bikers move into range of one of my biker squads. My opponent focus fires his army on one of my biker squads and reduces it to two bikers - they pass their break check. The Hebrute attempts to charge them and is assploded by a lucky Overwatch shot from the multi-melta.

2nd Turn - White Scars
HQ and command squad pull back to target the Warp Talons. The other two bike squads pull back to target the Chaos bikers. I successfully cast Prescience and Misfortune the Warp Talons. Shooting eliminates both enemy units.

3rd Turn - Chaos Space Marines
The Chaos Lord and his possess hide behind the intact rhino while the solo Chaos Marine jumps behind some terrain.

3rd Turn - White Scars
The Librarian splits off and joins the squad of two bikers to take out the solo Chaos Space Marine. Chapter Master and command squad along with the other biker squad go after the Chaos Lord and crew. All enemy units are eradicated along with the last rhino (via multi assault) except the Chaos Lord whom successfully passed all of his 3++ saves in melee but failed to inflict any wounds with the Murder Sword in the challenge with the Chapter Master.

4th Turn - Chaos Space Marines
Again the Chaos Lord passes all his 3++ saves and again fails to inflict any damage with the Murder Sword. White Scars then hit and run out of combat.

4th Turn - White Scars
All units converge on the Chaos Lord and blow him out of his boots in the shooting phase.

Note you could take additional turns to grab objectives if you tabled your opponent before time ran out so I maxed out on battle points with 12.


My next game was versus the one army I knew could give me some problems - dark eldar with venom spam... Can match my speed and the venoms are really bad news versus a low model count.


Round 2 vs Dark Eldar

The Baron

Succubus

5x Wyche
Venom - double splinter cannon - Flickerfield

5x Wyche
Venom - double splinter cannon - Flickerfield

5x Wyche
Venom - double splinter cannon - Flickerfield

10 Warriors
Raider - Lance - Flickerfield

Ravager - 3x Lance

Ravager - 3x Lance

Beast Pack - 3x Beast Master - Khymeras & Razorwinf

Mission - Crusade
Four objective markers this time.

Deployment - Dawn of War

I won the roll to go first and got Master of Ambush for my Warlord Trait. My Librarian got Prescience, Foreboding and Forewarning. My opponent got the Warlord trait for +1 to seize.

I deployed my HQ with command squad behind a big piece of terrain for LoS blocking. My opponent deployed back against his long table edge then I infiltrated my two biker squads 18" away on one of his flanks. My opponent failed to seize.

To be continued...

Friday, September 12, 2014

ThunderLightning Star


Hi everyone !!!

The last list I posted was not legal so I've gone back and fixed the errors. So far my play testing has gone very well including top eldar builds. Again I present only the core. You can add on Grey Hunter drop pod units and|or White Scar biker squads to your style... You can run both bikes and pods as troops which is going to be the most well rounded. I am using the Space Wolf formation that makes Thunder Wolves WS5. The theme is 13th Company.

- Thunder -
Harald Deathwolf & 1x Wolf

Wolf Lord
Thunder Wolf Mount - Runic Armor - Storm Shield - Power Fist - Fell Claw - 1x Wolf

Wolf Priest
Bike - Runic Armor

4x Thunder Wolf
4x Storm Shield - 2x Wolf Claw - 2x Power Fist
Thunder Wolf Leader
Storm Shield - Wolf Claw

Iron Priest
Thunder Wolf Mount - 3x Cyber Wolf

Iron Priest
Thunder Wolf Mount - 3x Cyber Wolf


- Lightning -
Chapter Master
Bike - Artificer Armor - Shield Eternal - Thunderhammer


Here is how I run the Grey Hunters:

6x Grey Hunter
Power Axe - Meltagun
Wolfguard
Terminator Armor - Storm Shield - Power Fist - Meltabombs


Here is how I run the White Scars bikers:

3x Bike
2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike
Multi-Melta
Sergeant
Combi-Grav - Meltabombs

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Anti Imperial Knights Tactica


Hello everyone it's your friendly neighborhood BBF here to discuss how to effectively deal with Imperial Knights in a competitive 40k gaming environment. Before I leap into the tactics I'd like to mention a Grand Tournament that will be taking place the month of November in Miami, Florida. I'm running my own GT next month but it's been sold out for some time now and we have a long waiting list. The GT I mention here is the South Florida Open (SoFlo) and it's run by a great group of fellows down there...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/906775899335894/

SoFlo is almost full but there are still a few slots open. This is their first year and they've got some really good sponsors such as Frontline Gaming and Secret Weapon Miniatures - I'm sure it'll be a fantastic time and a great way to end the year with an awesome 40k fix. I highly recommend this event—just what the Mad Doc ordered !

Anti Knight Tactica
Imperial Knights are here to stay so you've got to be ready for them. Knights have done well in 7th edition placing high at the ATC, BAO and NOVA. They are fairly easy to play and lots of armies have access to them. More than likely you run against some if you play in a competitive tournament environment. Knights obviously have many strengths but they also have some weaknesses which can be exploited. First you must build an army that can handle them and the sooner you can get to grips with the better. My approach is to take proverbial bull by the horns as quickly as possible.

Ranged Warfare
You will be hard pressed to shoot them off the table unless you're playing extremely shooty armies such as pure Tau or Astra Militarum. Even if you're packing lots of heat the Adamantium Lance formation can re roll their ion shield saves if the Knights are all within 3" of each other plus if they field a Seneschal as their Warlord it has a re rollable 3++ ion shield save (uggggh)... So it's not all that easy to suppress them at range plus they are highly mobile. If your army has some mobility it's best to target one Knight first from different directions in order to eliminate some of their ion shield saves. The Manticore is well suited for bombarding Knights due it's high strength (S10), up to three pie plates plus they count as hitting side armor (barrage) so there is a 50 percent chance each pie plate will hit the side without an ion shield save! Astra Militarum also have access to veteran squads kitted out to nuke armor - a good build is three meltaguns, demolition charge and meltabombs. Drop them out of a zooming Vendetta to get in close. The Vendetta is also a great Knight killer since it's got three twin lascannons and is a flier—Knights are sorely lacking in anti air so abuse them with full impunity whenever possible.

Tau have the abundant S7 missiles, suicide Crisis teams packing fusion plus the Hammerhead heavy railgun and Skyray missiles at their disposal. Burstsides can also be very effective as well and an over charged ion accelerator can do some damage as well. Mix these weapons with markerlights and you are bound to inflict some serious damage.

As said above it's best to focus fire on one Knight at a time, eliminate it then target the next one. Once you have removed one Knight from play one to two are much easier to handle as they'll lose some of their dominance in positional play. Scattering your shooting at multiple targets is playing right into the hands of the enemy so don't do it.

Drop podding melta heavy Space Marine squads will put the fear in anybody playing Knights. If you get a small scatter or hit landing the drop pod then it's easy to disembark the squad such that your melta weapons are firing at different armor facings and obviously you'll want an equal number of shots on each side. Melta weapons are the bane of Knights since AP1 eliminates multiple hull points if you roll a 5 or 6 to penetrate... They can make Knights quickly vanish from the table. Legion of the Damned is another highly effective unit to target Knights since they can field a multi-melta (firing at full ballistic skill due to being relentless), meltagun and combi-melta plus they ignore cover. Stormravens, Skytalons and the new Space Wolf fliers (Storm Claw and Storm Fang) are other fantastic Knight killers for the same reasons as the Vendetta plus three of them can pack lascannons and multi-meltas.

Close Combat
Melee is the most effective means of quickly eliminating Knights if you bring the right tools. My experience has shown me that while the stomp attack can be good it is also very random plus the Knight has only three base attacks - typically at WS4 - so it's likely they'll only score one or two hits at initiative and then need 6 to inflict serious damage from their ginormous chainswords. If you can cast a malediction that lowers their base weapon skill they will really struggle to do any significant damage with their chainswords. You'll want a few mooks in your melee units to absorb any successful hits from the chainsword.

Make sure to run the Chinese fire drill with your melee units since three stomp attacks can reach out as far as 15"... Believe me when I say you really don't want to lose a unit waiting in the wing and yes Knights can stomp out of combat from the enemy unit they are locked with during melee.

You'll want to make sure you charge the Knight instead of vice versa to eliminate their very deadly Hammer of Wrath attack (S10) plus you'll score the additional attacks for the charge bonus thus denying it from them. It's always best to charge a Knight on one side since if it goes nuclear and explodes the 5" circle of ultimate doom can't touch your unit—assuming the mega pie plate doesn't scatter over them plus the odds are greatly in your favor if it should do so.

My two go to dedicated Knight killer units are BikeStar and WolfStar. Both of these deathstars are faster than Knights and can be built with all the right tools.

A biker command squad armed with storm shields, meltaguns and meltabombs lead by BikeXander is totally bad news! Again you should be able to move your bikes into a position to split fire versus the Knight on multiple facings then charge in and wreck them with your meltabombs and thunderhammers... That's a lot melta attacks in two consecutive player phases - first douse the Knight with your meltaguns then hit them with your meltabombs and thunderhammers... They usually don't last beyond that turn and it's really just that good too. I squeeze the points to include one thunderhammer or power fist in the command squad for some serious backup... It's always there when you need it.

I believe WolfStar is the absolute best deterrent. Lots and lots of S10 AP 2 attacks from the power fists and thunderhammers - totally wicked! The Iron Priest has a servo arm which is AP1! Have some fun with your Iron Priests and remember they have two wounds each since you're going to mount them on Thunderwolves. The Wolf Claw is rending for Thunderwolves, coupled with furious charge they can definitely score some hull points as well if the dice are willing.

Conclusion
Combine these altogether with a couple Wolf Lords sporting fists or hammers and you're good to go. I take some cyberwolves and Fenrisian wolves to soak wounds thus preserving my characters. One round of melee with this uber unit should easily polish off a Knight each turn. You've also got a huge footprint so it's even possible to multi charge a couple Knights if you're feeling a tad ballsy.

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Reinventing BikeStar and the inclusion of WolfStar


So the original BikeStar was built on the premise of using White Scars (Scars) as the primary detachment with Space Wolves (SW) as the ally.

Here is the original abbreviated core:

- White Scars -
Chapter Master: Bike - Artificer Armor - Shield Eternal - Thunderhammer

Khan - Moondrakken

Command Squad: Bikes - Apothecary - Storm Shields - Grav Guns

Troops: Bikes w. Grav Guns & Attack Bike w. Multi-Melta

- Space Wolves -
Wolf Lord: Bike - Runic Armor - Storm Shield - Thunderhammer - Wolf Tooth Necklace - Saga of the Bear

Rune Priest - Bike - Runic Armor - Level 2 Psyker

Troops: Grey Hunters in Drop Pods


The game has changed a lot since this list was originally designed and formations are the new hotness. So we have to go back and completely overhaul the original list. I think the new design is overall much much stronger !

The first change is that Space Wolves now become the primary detachment and White Scars are the ally. You can run the SW Company of the Great Wolf detachment from the Champions of Fenris supplement. Note that it doesn't require any troops – so you can cherry pick the best units:

— HQ (Wolf Lords)
— Other HQ (i.e., Rune Priest or Wolf Priest)
— Iron Priests
— Thunderwolves

These are the beat stick units and you can still field Grey Hunters in drop pods. Note that Thunderwolves are WS5 under this detachment.

WolfStar
My two choices for Wolf Lords are as follows:

Harald Deathwolf (HQ & Warlord)

He comes with a Thunderwolf mount, runic armor, storm shield and power axe. I have chosen him as my Warlord since he confers Stubborn to the WolfStar as well as Furious Charge. He is also a bargain at only 190 points. I also equip him with two Fenrisian Wolves (+16 points).

Wolf Lord (HQ):
Thunderwolf Mount - Runic Armor - Storm Shield - Power Fist - Fellclaw's Teeth (Relic), 2x Fenrisian Wolf

Here is my build for the Iron Priest (Elite):

Thunderwolf Mount - 4x Cyberwolf

Note that cyberwolves count as characters and as such can accept or issue challenges. The Iron Priest also has a Servo Arm which is AP1 along with his thunderhammer and he has runic armor. Finally the Iron Priest has +1 wound due to his Thunderwolf mount.

The second change is the possible removal of the Rune Priest for a Wolf Priest mounted on a bike - note he will join BikeStar. The Wolf Priest also provides a redundant source of FNP (6++). The Wolf Priest confers Fearless and Preferred Enemy to BikeStar as well. I am considering dropping the Rune Priest for several reasons. The Rune Priest does not have access to Telepathy so no Insta-Gizz plus points are tight so why take a unit that is somewhat random when those points can go towards something a lot more reliable such as the Wolf Priest? Necrons and Tau do just fine without any psykers so it's quite possible to design an optimized list that does not rely upon certain psychic powers for some of their main buffs. I'd also like to kit the Wolf Priest with Frost Fury (Relic) to work in some Hellfrost.

Here is the kernel of the WolfStar:

6x Thunderwolf (Elite):
They all have storm shields and will have a mix of Wolf Claws and Power Fists.

So you have two Wolf Lords, Iron Priest, six Thunderwolves, four cyberwolves and four Fenrisian wolves for the WolfStar. That's a huge foot print and can easily initiate multi-charges if necessary. Remember that the Wolf Priest joins the BikeStar.

BikeStar
Captain (same build as Chapter Master - see above)

Command Squad:
Bikes - Apothecary - 4x Storm Shield - 4x Grav Gun - 3x Meltabombs - Thunderhammer

If you really want Hit and Run in the WolfStar then attach the Chapter Master.,. but I don't think it's absolutely necessary.

Finally there are two White Scar biker squads:

Sergeant - Meltabombs - Combi-Grav
3x Biker - 2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta


Conclusions
You have two deathstars - BikeStar and WolfStar... Hard hitting and extremely mobile. There are also the two objective secured biker squads to grab objectives. Characters can split off solo or form mini stars to hunt down weak enemy units.

Saturday, September 06, 2014

Champions of Fenris and WolfStar


I received my order of Thunderwolves today along with the Fenrisian wolves. My WolfStar will be themed around the 13th Company... No baby blue for my killers. I had time to finally delve into the Champions of Fenris codex today as well—this is the first book dedicated to melee in a long long time and I'm really excited about it. I love the new formation and it's special rules... You don't have to take any troops. This works well with an ally such as White Scars that can provide your objective secured units. This is a very exciting project so I'll be posting about it a lot. Space Wolves and White Scars seems to be a common theme for me and maybe because I love barbarians.


Thursday, September 04, 2014

Aye or Nay • Imperial Knights



So we have seen more than our fair share of the new Imperial Knight at the most recent three big events — ATC, BAO and NOVA which covers the country from east to west. It looks like GW hit the proverbial ball out of the park due to their fixes to D introduced in 7th edition. Knights are far more survivable now or so it would seem with the nerf to Smash amongst other things... Most daemon princes and other FMC don't want to go anywhere near them now. On the flip side D is much random and I've seen a handful of gants hold up a Knight for several turns in assault... Poor Knight was rolling quite poorly and just couldn't get it done.

I've heard some belly aching in regards to Knights in terms of the power level they bring to the table but I've just got to ask are they really just that good? Lots of armies have access to the Knight via the Come the Apocalypse (CtA) column in the ally matrix... It's kind of crazy and I'm sure GW is not complaining nor should they. I've seen Knights paired with eldar, Necrons and even Tyranids.

The Knight is most certainly good for sure—it can't be denied. On the other if the meta brings the right tools then they can be well handled.

Many of you are aware of the new formation dubbed the Adamantium Lance - it features three Knights with several strong buffs such as if they remain within 3" of each other they can re roll their ion shield saves. On top of that buff if one of these Knights is chosen as your Warlord then he is a Seneschal and has a 3++ ion shield save to boot.

Forge World has recently released the Cerastus Knight-Lancer:

Cerastus Knight-Lancer rules

Extremely fast and perfectly suited to hunt down other Knights amongst other big scary monsters. Several more from Forge World are on the way including the soon to be released Cerastus Knight Castigator:

CERASTUS KNIGHT CASTIGATOR

GW has also released rules for another special character Knight - Gerantius the Forgotten Knight (White Dwarf):



Gerantius is my favorite solo Knight and the perfect choice in higher point games if you only want to field one. Gerantius is WS5 - BS5, has the USR It Will Not Die (IWND), can run and shoot or shoot and run plus he has a 3++ ion shield save. Gerantius can also issue and receive challenges.

There are also the rules for the Obsidian Knight and the Household Spearhead featured in Warzone Damocles:



Except to see them all in many armies.

So back to the original question - Are Knights really good enough to win a major event? The BAO was won by Steve Sisk but he had only one and his dominant BikeStar should not be overshadowed. Gareth Hunt won the award for Battle Master at NOVA featuring two Knights along with his daemon army. So like I said they are good but so far they have not won the top spot yet—Note I'm not counting Steve Sisk's army since it only had one Knight which I personally believe is the way to go but that's just my own opinion.

If you don't have the right tools to handle multiple Knights it's going to be a rough go. What I've found is the more Knights then less support and as each Knight is eliminated their overall power level drops significantly. Their main weakness is in assault—Meltabombs and haywire grenades are their bane since they have no save against these weapons. A couple of Meltabombs can make short work of a Knight and enough haywire grenades can get the job done as well. So far the general consensus is dark eldar and Necrons are the best two counters - haywire grenades, lances, Gauss and Tesla.

From what I've seen so far a preponderance of Knights can't win a major event. The meta is rapidly adjusting and the right armies such as BikeStar and the new WolfStar quickly mulch through them in assault. Sure you can go a long way but when you finally end up facing a bad matchup it's over.



I played a lot of games versus multiple Knights back in 6th edition when they were first released - they could deal with assault much better back then since the big D was totally off the hook. I developed my own set of tactics to bring them down and it's easier to accomplish now in 7th edition. If you plan to attend a big event you must have a strong counter to Knights in general. So plan accordingly!

Monday, September 01, 2014

Membra Angelus Diabolic 40k • new gaming club


I'm starting a new gaming club. The name is Latin for angels and daemons. The emphasis covers modeling, painting, conversions (all things related to art in 40k), tactics and army building plus mutual respect between members. I don't really feel like a member of my old club anymore and am ready to shed that skin. You can find the new club on Facebook. I'm really excited about this and will focus on positive things. I've invited some like minded friends and hope it will grow over time into something awesome.