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Blood Vow

Happiness is success... (Buddha)

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Ravenscar Tournament Synopsis


I attended a small tournament yesterday at a local hobby shop. This would be my first time fielding the new build in a competitive setting. The army is currently a combination of Ravenwing and White Scars to combine storm shields with the super Ravenwing jink save for better survivability versus the new Tau. While it was a small event (6 players) there were some strong armies there including ThunderDome (Champions of Fenris-Ravenwing Strike Force-Librarius Conclave), two Tau armies and an Eldar Wraithhost with Grey Knight allies.

My 1850 point list looked something like this:

- White Scars CAD -
Chapter Master - Shield Eternal - Hunter's Eye - Artificer Armor - Bike - Power Fist

Command Squad - Bike Mounted - Eagle Banner - 4x Grav Gun - 4x Stormshield - 3x Melta Bombs - Thunderhammer
Apothecary

5x Space Marine Biker - 2x Grav Gun
Sergeant - Meltabombs - Combi-Grav
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta

4x Scout - Camo Cloaks - Bolt Pistols & Chainswords
Sergeant - Camo Cloak - Bolt Pistol - Chainsword - Melta Bombs
Landspeeder Storm - Heavy Flamer

- Ravenwing Strike Force -
Interrogator Chaplain - Unseen Eye - Bike - Power Fist

5x Black Knight
Hunt Master - Melta Bombs

5x Space Marine Biker - 2x Grav Gun
Sergeant - Meltabombs
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta

- Ravenwing Support Squadron -
Darkshroud - Assault Cannon
3x Landspeeder - Typhoon Missile Launchers & Heavy Bolters


Each mission used Maelstrom as the primary mission with First Blood, Slay the Warlord and Line Breaker as bonuses.

The first game was against the ThunderDome army which was an epic battle... Unfortunately I was never able to draw a tactical card which I could score (really) and the game ended with a 2-3 loss. My army is designed to do well in Maelstrom but Lady Luck gave me an FU this game. I felt I outplayed my opponent severely depleting his deathstar unit including dropping orbital bombardment on them first turn before they could invoke Invisibility via the Conclave. It was frustrating and I forgot a few of my rules which could have helped... But oh well I was glad to see my army could go toe to toe versus probably the nastiest deathstar currently in the game.


NOTE
I just realized I actually tied the ThunderDome player since I slayed his Warlord.

The second game was versus a Salamanders Gladius Strike Force with Hammer and Anvil for deployment... I never had to leave my side of the table and pretty much destroyed everything the old Salamanders threw my way for a big win. My dice were hot.


Hello there!


Epic Salamander Dice Roll

The last game was versus the Eldar. My opponent jumped out with a solid lead the first couple turns then I climbed back in and overtook him the last few turns. There wasn't one assault this game and I was actually able to outshoot the Eldar. So another win for Ravenscar and I ended up taking second place having missed played either of the two Tau armies, one of which took first place.

A team mate of mine from my ATC team was running the other Tau army and tabled the ThunderDome in the second round.


The first place Tau army faced off versus ThunderDome in the final round which I was told was a very close game with the DeathStar just failing a charge when Sammael lost his last wound to Overwatch... Wow not a good day versus the new Tau for the ultimate DeathStar.

It was a good day for sure !



Thursday, November 26, 2015

G-Mats • 40k Interview

image

Hi everybody it's your friendly Black Blow Fly swinging through your neighborhood to spread some holiday cheer ! I hope everyone is enjoying time with friends and family... And getting ready for Black Friday ! I thought this would be a good time to share a recent interview I conducted with Matoush Houlsek who owns and operates Gamemat.eu. Besides showcasing some of his fabulous 6x4 mats you can use for Warhammer 40k I thought it'd be interesting to see just what really goes into running this type of business so without any further ado I'll jump right into the interview.

G-Mats

This product interview is all about gaming mats and will give us an insider's view about the processes required to create them. Gaming mats are somewhat of a niche industry which makes this line of work very unique.

Matoush Houlsek is the owner and operator of gamemat.eu. Gamemat.eu is the producer of gaming mats suitable for many wargaming hobbies. Their goal is to create fantastic looking and highly practical G-Mats to turn table tops into amazing battlefields and bring your games to life.

Here are the specifications for G-Mats:

Rubber based - non slip
Highly detailed colored printed surfaces
Rollable - after rolling G-Mats remain completely flat with no dog ears
Soft top - no loud dice sounds, smooth dice rolls and model movement
Anti Shine - no light reflections


Hello Matoush and a very happy holiday season greeting to you !

1) Can you tell us a little about yourself and what got you into this industry ?

Thank you very much for such opportunity! I am almost 33 years old, living in Prague, Czech Republic (aka "Heart of Europe). I have a loving wife and 2 kids.

I used to work as a stocks trader for past 10 years in EU markets and spent the last 4 years working in Warsaw, Poland (Hello to the Adeptus Mechanicus Club in Warsaw - you guys rock!). Since October I lost my job (sacked) and have since been 100% focused just Gamemat.eu and my family.

I bought my first starter set for 40k in the summer 2013 and got into hobby with fresh mind. I started to wonder why people most often play just on green carpets or wooden sprayed boards. On the other hand there were amazing plastic boards but very expensive and require a lot of time to paint. I started to look into other possibilities and found out there could be great compromise between price and visuals achieved by using rubber based battle mats.

I took the bet and got our first designs (only three) up and running. I then started to offer them via e-shop in April 2014. The next six months proved was successful so we started to expand.


2) Can you describe a typical day at work ?

Most of the time is consumed by marketing activities and talking to clients. I believe that good customer service and the willingness to adapt to customer needs gets you good feedback and as well better sales numbers in the long run. The rest of the time is divided into the planning of new products and expansion. The process of creating a new mat starts as a concept idea which I talk over with designer. We then work on several iterations and improve the original idea in the process.

Planning of production in such vast range is not an easy thing and I need to make sure I am almost all the time have full stock... thousands of mats in total. Sometimes this is hard to assure and then you'll can see pre-orders offered with a 10% discount we occasionally we us to promote them (they are basically mats waiting to be produced and reach full stock).


3) Where is the bulk of your market located and where do you want to expand ?

Numbers speak clearly - our biggest wargaming countries in the EU are United Kingdom and Germany. Our target is definitely the overseas markets now.

We are now able to serve USA and Canada in the same manner as European customers... And surprisingly cheap in total.

For USA we sell them including shipping you get your mat delivered for a total of USD 88. The mats are delivered within a week via FedEx airmail. That is amazing given the distance. In addition USD as currency is very strong now so my advice to all readers would be just grab this opportunity and get your stuff cheaper from the EU.

We work also on cooperation with some of the biggest US wargaming events and I hope we would be able to reveal some success stories here soon !


4) Do you receive a lot of customer feedback and if so how do you incorporate it into your G-Mats to better meet the demands of your market ?

I would say positive customers' feedback is one of the best rewards in doing any business. It keeps you motivated whenever a customer comes back to us with a message or pictures to share with us their happiness with product.


5) Where do you see gamemat.eu five years from now ?

I would like to keep largest range of battle mats on the market so anybody would be able to pick their favorite. Slowly I would like to be adding new products under our brand. We think about special terrain sets to complement mats designs - and also to offer a special gaming table - light, folding and exactly 6x4 feet size to allow you to play anywhere and anytime... So stayed tuned !

We have also added a sub-category of children playmats. You can check them at www.playmatforkids.eu. I had the product tested via our state certified institute and everything complies with strict European rules for kids products under 3 years of age.

The same applies for our battle mats as they are made with the same technology. So I can say we are the only one battle mats producer with a certified product... Safety first !!!

Moving forward I would like to help bring the European tournament scene to the next level via a regular series of tournaments based on table top terrain and mats so everyone can enjoy playing at a high visual level. I am also considering providing cash prize pools for winners to slowly get wargaming closer to professional sports including top player sponsor packages.


6) Do you play any war games yourself and which are your favorites? If you play Warhammer 40k what are your favorite armies and which do you collect ?

I play 40k only. I have built a CSM army, which is almost always beaten (I am bad player) and am now working on Astra Militarum and Scions - think fast, mobile (semi-MSU) army with lot of Tauroxes, Vendettas and veterans. I more like the look and feel of that army then I have any expectations for it to be competitive. Now I am really tempted to build an HH Death Guard army. The new plastic starter set just makes it much more easy now.


7) Please feel free to tell us anything about the gaming mat industry and gamemat.eu I didn't cover in the previous questions.

We plan to have new webstore soon. Probably in the beginning of 2016 which will bring lots of improvement compared to our current one.

Most importantly I would like to thank to all the people in the wargaming community as without them such a business wouldn't be possible. There are so many dedicated persons making the community grow and live. That brings the modeling and gaming hobby to a much more enjoyable level with all the people around you sharing their armies and battles over the internet which in turn keeps you motivated to assemble, paint and play more.

-----

That's it for now... You really learn a lot about the industry behind our hobby by talking to people like Matoush. I'm sure his G-Mats would make some nice presents for this special time of year.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Ravenscar battle summary vs. Neo Tau


I had a 1500 point game versus Neo Tau this afternoon with my Ravenscar. The Ravenscar concept is that a combination of invulnerable and jink saves can make a survivable army that can compete with Neo Tau. My opponent is getting back into the game but no slouch. He told me I would be picking up lots of my models... Heh.

Here's my army list...

Ravenwing Strike Force
Interrogator Chaplain - Bike - Power Fist - Aupsex - Unseen Eye /Warlord (Stealth Ruins)

5x Black Knight
Huntsman - Meltabombs

4x Ravenwing Biker - 2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta
Sergeant - Melta Bombs

Darkshroud- Assault Cannon

White Scars Allied Detachment
Captain - Artificer Armor Bike - Power Fist - Shield Eternal - The Hunter's Eye

Command Squad - Bikes - 4x Grav Gun - 4x Stormshield - Thunderhammer - Banner of the Eagle
Apothecary

6x Biker - 2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike Multi-Melta
Sergeant - Melta Bombs


Here is the Tau army to the best of my memory using the Hunter Cadre formation

Buffmander - 3x Drone /Warlord (?)

3x Crisis Suit - 3x Fusion Blaster - 3x Plasma Rifle

3x Crisis Suit - 3x Fusion Blaster - 3x Plasma Rifle

10x Pathfinders - Drones

10x Breachers

10x Fire Warriors

Riptide - Burst Cannon

Broadside - Railgun - Missiles


We rolled off for the mission and got The Relic with Vanguard Strike deployment. I got to choose my deployment zone and go first. No Night Fight and my opponent failed to seize.

Here is a picture of the table prior to deployment:


Here is how I deployed:


I spread out my forces with the Captain and Chaplain attached to the command squad in the middle with Darkshroud supporting them. The Ravenwing biker squad and Black Knights were to my right with the White Scars biker squad to my left to eventually grab the Relic. My opponent castled around the big ruin in the center of his deployment sines.

By the end of the second turn my opponent conceded. He had killed a grand total of three to four bikers from my command squad. So I did indeed pick up most of my models but not until the game was over.

I was scared sending the big command straight up the middle and they drew lots of fire power but went on to clobber the xenos. I don't think it would be the same in a rematch... Mostly it was a learning experience for me.


I am liking this list - there won't be enough points to include Space Wolves though unless I just opt for a Rune Priest mounted on a bike along with the obligatory pack of Grey Hunters in a drop pod.


Saturday, November 21, 2015

New Tau Mont'ka Formation Rules !!!










7th edition 40k and the meta... Has anything really changed ?


I recently posted my predictions for the new Tau... To quickly summarize I think they will be towards the bottom of top tier because they didn't really get anything to address their overall shortcomings... They just got better at what they already do best which is shooting.

I would rank the top tier as follows not accounting for any allies:

Eldar
Space Marines
Necrons
Tau

Daemons are up there too but it's an army that requires an expert player in my opinion with a good deal of experience.

Remember the top armies in fifth edition:

Imperial Guard
Grey Knight/Space Wolves
Necrons (right at the tail end)

We now have to factor in the effects of allies and multiple detachments but overall I don't think anything has really changed much - there will always 3-4 armies that dominate in 40k. I'm not saying that's a good thing or bad - it's just the way it is for whatever reason.

If we look back at sixth edition I would rank the armies as follows:

Tau-Eldar (allied)
Eldar
Tau
Daemons
Space Marines

Eldar and Tau really dominated sixth edition... The combination of the two was really over the top since they were battle brothers which allowed for many broken over the top shenanigans.

At the beginning of seventh edition a lot of people thought GW wanted to finally balance armies with the initial release of codices such as Astra Militarum, Blood Angels, Dark Eldar, Grey Knights and Orks... But then the proverbial power houses were released and we all realized it wasn't the case. Maybe GW originally intended to try balancing the game but overall sales dropped and they went to their old ways. One thing I can say is Eldar have never gotten a bad codex ever. To me it will be very interesting to see what happens with the next new codex - will it be the next big thing or just another dud or mediocre army for all intensive purposes ?

I have stayed away mostly from the subject of allies and mixed detachments... Allies have been a much hated subject with the release of sixth edition but honestly I don't here as much of a concern about them lately. That could be due to things such as the pure strength of armies such as eldar and Necrons - then there are those amazing new formations that seem to have eclipsed the subject of allies... It is definitely one of the big things now.

I feel very fortunate that the armies I like to play have good codices but I do feel for the players who aren't satisfied with armies such as Orks. I can tell you there a lot of disgruntled Tyranid players as not everyone wants to field five flying Hive Tyrants equipped with dakka guns and haywire templates... So I think the next new codex could be a really big deal... What we really need is another codex like Khorne Daemonkin that takes something rather mediocre at best and transforms it into a playable army again - this is what GW should focus on doing now and it would really help the game we all love or just love to hate.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

How New Tau will affect the meta


Hi everyone it's your ever friendly neighborhood Black Blow Fly swinging by to spread some more holiday cheer for the new xenos... Bright red is always a very popular Christmas color ! I am going to dive straight into this army essay so be prepared and hold on tight if you love your little puny T3 aliens.

Tau are one of the two most hated armies from sixth edition right up their with good old eldar. I still remember Taudar which still makes me want to head butt concrete walls when I reminisce about it. Let's put eldar and Tau side by side in seventh edition with all their new shiny rules. I will tell you right off the bat I like the new Tau now. I'm not going to waste much of your time discussing a certain formation - it's been discussed to death already and will continue to be so until next the big thing comes out.

I feel that not having any battle brothers the best and most intense builds will be as a pure army. Personally I find the new Stormsurge to be an absolutely amazing model just for the sake of the look and feel it brings to the table. I can tell you right now Tau are going to be popular again but I think they have their work cut out for them versus the other top races... It won't be as easy as you might think. As heavily favored as seventh edition is towards pure shooty it can really help to be diversified.

Seventh edition was heavily impacted by the Maelstrom missions which favor highly mobile survivable armies. We still have to wait and see what the new Farsight Enclave brings to the table but Crisis Suits alone are not going to match up well versus things like Gladius Strike Force. I'm not in any way saying Tau won't be a top tier army... My point is Tau will heavily rely upon synergy between units within their own race and must be very well coordinated... More so than ever before.

Will Tau change the meta - YES !!! Eldar jetbike spam and FMC flying circus are both soon to be going the way of the dodo bird... Neither can survive that amount of heavy fire power with all the special rules that negate their survivability. Personally I think this is a great thing for the game as it will clean up some of the mess that is seventh edition.

It's still too early to say what will be the most dominant Tau builds and as mentioned above we need to see what the new Farsight Enclave brings. I am not totally sold on the Hunter Cadre because it's looking like that formation will be reigned in... 40k has never been more self policed by the players than it is right now which is a direct product of the sloppy state of the rules. This is actually a really good thing for the community as we must all be involved in the meta more than ever before.

Here are the armies that I think will match up well versus the new Tau in alphabetical order:

— Eldar
— Necrons
— Space Marines

It's really very simple and Tau are the new kids on the block again. Space Marines in particular will probably be the biggest challenge as the Astartes have the widest assortment of powerful Battle Brother allies to draw from collectively - yes they can definitely out synergize the Greater Good. Eldar will also be a big problem as they are much more mobile and have just as much fire power plus the pointy eared don't really need any allies.

Tau has been one of the most up and down armies ever if you stop to think about it and from what I can see they have the same old weaknesses as ever... Not that highly mobile and overall very weak in melee. Personally I see a unit such as a squadron of Riptides being one of their strongest units.

I have had the opportunity to play several games versus the new Tau with both my Ravenwing and White Scars - Space Marine biker armies can still contend with them plus the latter got a huge boost from the new Kauyon campaign book which is actually quite ironic.

So how will the new Tau adapt and overcome their pitfalls ? It's all about synergy, not blasting one enemy unit off the table. If you focus on one enemy unit per turn everything else will be encroaching into your space too quickly... Yes you can eliminate a super enemy unit in one turn but really you will see many strong armies going also towards a more overall synergistic multi build rather than relying upon a deathstar to counter Tau which will be another big factor to affect the meta.

So in conclusion I see the new Tau making the existing top tier armies stronger since players will accordingly adjust to offset the new metric plus GW is actively giving them new tools to do so. What do you predict will be the most competitive builds for the new Tau ?

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

terminal


Spinning and whirling
Descending unending
Light the halo
Watch the day glow
Spiral is viral
I'm seeing believing
Dig the feedback
Take another crack at it

Harder and harder
The hollow deceiver
Hit the noise blox
Smash the ice box
Louder and louder
Forgetting the setting
Kill the digital
Beat the terminal

Go
Take it slow
Let it go
Get down hard
It's terminal

Sensing commencing
The final dismantle
Your confusion
My illusion
Terminal heading
Advance to the hideout
Put the light out
Throw me down, throw me down

Friday, November 13, 2015

Revolve

Let loose all your secret primal urges !


REVOLT !!!


Freedom on like stems from walk away
You gotta hold your time
You gotta hit him with the right of way
Maybe black too far for any like the one seen
In a way it's sane either way it's gotta mean

Red sister might be chokin'
But I ain't about that kind
Answer me with the rhythm of a body
That was born to lose two times

Hey big bo day
He says deny but you're for tin lie
Head my shoulder
Big boat deloves, big boat denies

They might try to hide
They have to have some more dead sense
You might be rye like a ball in the wind
Poison dandy lifeforms crime
Mix both down cross sticky pedal the line

The flavor might be missin'
But he acts to cross that anyway
You can bet he can diddle with the promise
In the power of another day

Hey big bo day
He says deny but you're for tin lie
Head my shoulder
Big boat deloves, big boat denies

Two of you sold my wallet
One of you stole my tie
Didn't you say that you're watching?
Denied

Venomous stole in me
Three of you standing by
Didn't you say that you've got it?
Watch me eye

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Internet Meta Lists vs. Play Tested Lists



NOTE
This article is rated very competitive.

It just seems nowadays everybody who is competitive either just:

- watches the video battle reports and copies those lists, or

- waits until someone wins a major GT and copies that list if they play the same race

Of course this is a gross over-simplification but there is a lot of truth to it. There is a great divide developing between casual and competitive players and this gulf is growing wider than ever before.

I ran a GT this summer - here are the top three competitive armies by race and rank:

Eldar (3x Wraithknight + jetbike spam)
Tyranids (5x Flyrant)
Grey Knights (pure)

I received many emails, messages and texts asking me about the Grey Knight army but no one ever contacted me about the eldar or Tyranid army.

I studied the Grey Knight army very closely to learn and understand why it did so well... A lot of people really wanted to know. I happen to know the Grey Knight player well - he is very tactically sound and a great guy that gets along well with just about everyone. He had some games at the GT that seemed like impossible match ups such as Daemonkin with a Greater Brass Scorpion and a heavy jetbike eldar army but he won those games.

The Grey Knight army did so well for several reasons:

- The army had an answer to everything... For example Nemesis Dreadknights are a natural counter to super heavies and gargantuan creatures.

- The Nemesis Strike Force detachment is a natural alpha strike army.

- Grey Knights have a lot of warp charge which is one of the most competitive things in seventh edition. For example versus a Flyrant spam army the level 2 Santic power Cleansing Flame is a powerful counter.

- The player is very tactical and good at decision making under stressful gaming conditions.

I also noticed this player never complained about anything such as not receiving enough prize support or having to play against anything such as Lords of War... He was literally a breath of fresh air. I attribute this to having a general positive attitude. He did lose one game but that was it and you can't argue with success.

So just based upon this result I truly believe it is still possible to be a top competitive player and not have to rely upon internet meta lists to win big. Play testing requires a lot of time to develop a strong list that is not based upon gimmicks. I think this is very rewarding. You will note that while I play a lot of Space Marine biker armies I do not play armies such as Thunderdome. I also try to avoid units such Librarius Conclave.

I have noticed that video battle reports are starting to lose some popularity. It's only interesting to see a specific type of army win so many times and it's no surprise when a Necron Decurion army wins. You almost never see any eldar battle reports... They are so universally hated and I can see the same thing happening for Tau.

A true student of the game wants to truly learn their tactics and is willing to invest the time. This seems to be quite rare now. Developing your own unique army also gives you the element of surprise which can be a huge deal at the competitive level.

Monday, November 09, 2015

+++ Ravenscar and Tau Codex Review +++


Part 1 - Ravenscar
This is a new army list that is a pure biker force with land speeder support. Space Marine bikers are the strongest units that Space Marines have to offer - by combining units from Ravenwing and the new White Scars you have the most powerful synergy and they offset each others' inherent weaknesses. The new rules for the White Scars Hunting Force and relics are a huge boost for the army helping to keep it at the top tier. This is a non psychic army relying upon its brute strength and speed to totally dominate.

The army is designed to crush Tau. The greater good just a whole lot of new tricks up their sleeve but they will still fall to fast skilled armies. Space Marine bikers have twin linked bolters which is a big deal versus T3.

This is a very tactical army but not a sledge hammer like Thunderdome which to be honest I'd never play. An army should require a certain modicum of skill to play if you want respect. If you want to cast Invisibility on an Imperial Knight squadron I have two things to say (1) you're a douche and (2) it's illegal.

++ White Scars - Hunting Force formation (999) ++

The Hunting Force has a special rule that allows every unit to re roll hits and to wound for three enemy units. This is extremely powerful. Units at least five strong get two Hammer of Wrath attacks per model.

+ HQ (250) +

Chapter Master (250)
Artificer Armor - Auspex - Power Fist - Space Marine Bike - The Shield Eternal

Note:
The following additional relics are selected from Chogoris:

Hunter's Eye - Chapter Master and his unit have Ignore Cover.

Wrath of the Heavens - Chapter Master's bike is upgraded to a jetbike. This is only 5 extra points over a bike and is very powerful for the Voltron end game.

Unit Type: Bike
|WS:6|BS:5|S:4|T:5|W:4|I:4|A:4|Ld:10|Save:2+|

Auspex:
Forego shooting to make an enemy unit within 12" reduce it's cover save by 1, untill the end of the phase. This does not count as choosing a target for his unit to shoot.

+ Elites (290) +

Command Squad (290)
Mount on Space Marine Bikes
Apothecary - Bolt Pistol - Chainsword - Narthecium
3x Veteran - Bolt Pistol - Grav-Gun - Melta Bombs - Storm Shield
Veteran - Grav-Gun - Melta Bombs - Storm Shield - Thunder Hammer

Note - The Eagle Banner grants the unit Furious Charge and Fleet. This is a really big deal as you should never ever fall short of a charge again plus S9 on the charge for Chapter Master means he will reliably eliminate tough enemy units such as Knights and Wraightknights now. It's a must take relic.

Unit Type: Bike
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:10|Save:3+|

+ Troops (300) +

Bike Squad (150)
Biker Sergeant - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs
2x Space Marine Biker
2x Space Marine Biker - Grav-Gun

Bike Squad (150)
Biker Sergeant - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs
2x Space Marine Biker
2x Space Marine Biker - Grav-Gun

Unit Type: Bike
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:3+|

+ Fast Attack (159) +

Attack Bike Squad (100)
2x Attack Bike - Multi-Melta

Attack Bike: Unit Type: Bike
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:2|I:4|A:2|Ld:8|Save:3+|

Scout Bike Squad (59)
2x Scout Biker
Scout Biker Sergeant - Melta Bombs

Unit Type: Bike
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:3+|


++ Dark Angels: Codex - Ravenwing Strike Force (885) ++

+ Fast Attack (410) +

Ravenwing Black Knights (205)
4x Black Knight - Bolt Pistol - Corvus Hammer - Plasma Talon
Huntmaster - Corvus Hammer - Melta Bomb

Ravenwing Black Knights (205)
4x Black Knight - Bolt Pistol - Corvus Hammer - Plasma Talon
Huntmaster - Corvus Hammer - Melta Bomb

Ravenwing Black Knight: Unit Type: Bike
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:9|Save:3+|

++ Ravenwing Support Squadron (245) ++

Ravenwing Darkshroud (95) - Assault Cannon

Darkshroud: Unit Type: Fast, Skimmer
|BS:4|Front:10|Side:10|Rear:10|HP:3|

Ravenwing Land Speeders (225)

3x Ravenwing Land Speeder - 2x Heavy Bolter - Typhoon Missile Launcher

Ravenwing Land Speeder: Type:Fast, Skimmer
|BS:4|Front:10|Side:10|Rear:10|HP:2|

+ HQ (155) +

Interrogator-Chaplain (155) - Rosarius - Crozius Arcanum - Power Fist - Space Marine Bike

Interrogator-Chaplain: Unit Type: Bike
|WS:5|BS:5|S:4|T:5|W:3|I:5|A:3|Ld:10|Save:3+ / 4++|


++ Roster Rules ++

First Huntsman (Ravenwing Strike Force):
May reroll your roll on the Warlords Trait table.

Speed of the Raven (Ravenwing Strike Force):
On the first turn of the unit, units count as jinking if they moved flat-out or turbo-boosted. May fire their weapons normally in the following turn.

Strike as One (Ravenwing Strike Force):
All units in this Ravenwing Strike Force must be placed either in reserve or deployed as normal. When placed in reserve, all units automatically arrive in your 2nd turn.


Part 2 - Tau Codex Review
The greater good got lots of new tricks up their sleeve but to be honest I think they will have problems versus Daemons, Necrons, Khorne Daemonkin and Space Marines. A lot of people are jumping on the band wagon which is a big deal for eldar since Tau invalidate scatbikes and serpents - plus they can literally mow down Wraightknights too.

What I like best are the mobile ruins which I think are a big deal and will make Fire Warriors that much better. I don't think Tau got what they really needed for 7th edition to be able to dominate Maelstrõm missions. Most of their formations while overall really good require lots of points to field. I do like the new Stormsurge and think it's an awesome looking model !

GW obviously has a lot of love for Tau which is okay. It is one of those armies not written by Phil Kelly which is a good thing for everyone. I do wish they had made units such as the Coldstar more competitive. Oh well it is what it is and there is Forge World as a supplement.

Expect to see some batreps versus the new Tau !!!

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Ground Force • Ravenwing & Space Wolves


I played in a local tournament yesterday - 1500 points - with a new hybrid list I've developed that is not a Thunderdome list either and I think it can match up well versus the new Tau. As you scroll through the army you'll notice it's not Thunderdome. : )

Here is the new army list:

+++ Ravenwing & Space Wolves (1500) +++

++ Dark Angels: Codex (2015) (Ravenwing Strike Force) (945) ++

+ Fast Attack (495) +

Ravenwing Black Knights (200)
4x Black Knight - Bolt pistol - Corvus Hammer - Frag and Krak Grenades - Plasma Talon - Teleport Homer
Huntmaster

Ravenwing Black Knights (200)
4x Black Knight - Bolt pistol - Corvus Hammer - Frag and Krak Grenades - Plasma Talon - Teleport Homer
Huntmaster

Rules:
And They Shall Know No Fear
Gets Hot
Grim Resolve
Hammer of Wrath
Hit & Run
Jink
Outflank
Rapid Fire
Ravenwing
Relentless
Rending
Scout
Skilled Rider

Ravenwing Black Knight: Unit Type: Bike

|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:9|Save:3+|

Ravenwing Huntsmaster: Unit Type: Bike (Character)

|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:9|Save:3+|


Ravenwing Darkshroud (95) - Assault Cannon

Rules:
Deep Strike
Fear
Icon of Old Caliban
Jink
Outflank
Ravenwing
Scout
Shrouded
Stealth

Darkshroud:
|BS:4|Front:10|Side:10|Rear:10|HP:3| Type:Fast, Skimmer

+ Elites (250) +

Ravenwing Command Squad (250)
5x Black Knight - Bolt pistol - Corvus Hammer - Frag and Krak Grenades - Plasma Talon - Teleport Homer
Ravenwing Apothecary
Ravenwing Company Banner

Rules:
And They Shall Know No Fear
Feel No Pain
Gets Hot
Grim Resolve
Hammer of Wrath
Hit & Run
Jink
Outflank
Rapid Fire
Ravenwing
Relentless
Rending, Scout
Skilled Rider

Ravenwing Apothecary: Unit Type: Bike (Character)

|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:9|Save:3+|

Ravenwing Black Knight: Unit Type: Bike

|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:9|Save:3+|

Ravenwing Company Banner:
Automatically pass hit&run tests and roll 4D6 for distance rather than 3D6. All friendly models within 12" reroll failed moral-, fear- or pinning tests.

+ HQ (200) +

Sammael (200) - Iron Halo

Rules:
Grim Resolve
Jink
Outflank
Ravenwing
Scout
Skilled Rider

Warlord Trait:
Rapid Manoeuvre

Corvex (Jetbike) - Bolt pistol - Frag and Krak Grenades - Raven Sword - Teleport Homer - Twin Linked Storm Bolter

Rules:
Eternal Warrior
Fearless
Gets Hot
Hatred (Chaos Space Marines)
Hit & Run
Independent Character
Master-Crafted
Swift Vengeance
Twin Linked

Sammael on Corvex: Unit Type:Unique, Jetbike (Character)

|WS:6|BS:5|S:4|T:5|W:3|I:5|A:3|Ld:10|Save:3+/4++|


Wolves preparing to slaughter Necrons...

++ Space Wolves: Codex (2014) (Allied Detachment) (555) ++

+ HQ (180) +

Wolf Lord (180) - Belt of Russ - Melta Bombs

Rules:
Acute Senses
And They Shall Know No Fear
Counter-Attack
Independent Character

Runic Armour - Frag & Krak Grenades - Power Fist - Storm Shield

Wolf Lord (Runic Armour): Unit Type: Infantry (Character)

|WS:6|BS:5|S:4|T:4|W:3|I:5|A:4|Ld:10|Save:2+/4++|

+ Elites (115) +

Arjac Rockfist, Grimnar's Champion (115) - Relics: Anvil Shield & Foehammer - Terminator Armour

Rules:
Acute Senses
And They Shall Know No Fear
Counter-Attack
Eternal Warrior
Grimnar's Champion
Hammer of Wrath
Independent Character
Stubborn
The Anvil of Fenris

Arjac Rockfist: Unit Type: Infantry (Character)

|WS:5|BS:5|S:5|T:4|W:2|I:4|A:3|Ld:9|Save:2+/3++|

Anvil Shield:
3++ Invul Save - Eternal Warrior - Hammer of Wrath

Foehammer (Melee):
Range:-|Strength:x2|AP:2|Type:Melee, Concussive, Unwieldy|

Foehammer (Ranged):
Range:6|Strength:x2|AP:2|Type:Assault 1, Concussive|

+ Troops (260) +

Grey Hunters (260) - 6x Close Combat Weapon - Wolf Standard

Rules:
Acute Senses
And They Shall Know No Fear
Counter-Attack

Drop Pod - Storm Bolter

6x Grey Hunter - 5x Bolt Pistol - 4x Bolter - 6x Frag & Krak Grenades - Plasma Gun - Plasma Pistol - Power Axe

Wolf Guard Pack Leader - Frag & Krak Grenades - Frost Axe (20pts), Power - Storm Shield

Grey Hunter: Unit Type: Infantry
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:4|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:3+|

Wolf Guard Pack Leader: Unit Type: Infantry (Character)
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:4|W:1|I:4|A:2|Ld:9|Save:3+|

Drop Pod:
BS:4|Front:12|Side:12|Rear:12|HP:3|Type:Open ToppedTransport|


++ Roster Rules ++

First Huntsman (Ravenwing Strike Force):
May reroll your roll on the Warlords Trait table

Objective Secured (Allied Detachment):
Warhammer 40k rulebook

Speed of the Raven (Ravenwing Strike Force):
On the first turn of the unit, units count as jinking if they moved flat-out or turbo-boosted. May fire their weapons normally in the following turn.

Strike as One (Ravenwing Strike Force):
All units in this Ravenwing Strike Force must be placed either in reserve or deployed as normal. When placed in reserve, all units automatically arrive in your 2nd turn.

++ Selection Rules ++

Acute Senses:
If a unit contains at least one model with this special rule, and that unit arrives on a random table edge (due to Outflank, or other special rules), then you can re-roll to see which table edge they arrive from. (Warhammer 40k rulebook)

Feel No Pain:
Ignore unsaved wounds on a 5+, treat it as saved wound. Does not work against Destroyer or Instant Death.

Grim Resolve:
A model with this rule has Stubborn and therefore ignores negative Leadership modifiers. In addition they may never choose to fail a morale check. Allows overwatch to be resolved at BS2.

Grimnar's Champion:
Arjac Rockfist must issue and/or accept a challenge whenever possible. In addition, he re-rolls all failed To Hit rolls when taking part in a challenge.

Hatred (Chaos Space Marines):
Reroll all misses in the first round of each close combat.

Hit & Run:
Take an Initiative test at the end of the assault phase, if successful choose a direction and roll 3D6, move that far ignoring all models in base contact. If this would take you within 1" of another unit, stop 1" away. Ignore Difficult Terrain, but make Dangerous Terrain tests normally. Enemy units left makes an immediate D6" consolidation.

Icon of Old Caliban:
All friendlies within 6" have Fear and Stealth. Units beginning their assault phase within 6" are not subjective to Overwatch.

Swift Vengeance:
Sammael may fire up to two weapons.

The Anvil of Fenris:
Arjac Rockfist can only join a unit of Wolf Guard or Wolf Guard Terminators. If Arjac Rockfist is included in a Detachment that includes at least one unit of either Wolf Guard or Wolf Guard Terminators, he does not take up a slot on the Force Organisation Chart.

Warlord Trait: Rapid Manoeuvre:
Your Warlord and his unit can add 3" to their maximum move distance when they move Flat Out, Turbo-boost, Run and make charge moves.


The slaughter commences !

I won all three games versus Blood Angels with an Imperial Knight, Necron Decurion and finally White Scars Gladius Strike Force. The last two games were hard fought too. I really like having a Wolf Lord and Arjac together in a drop pod - hard to kill and they pretty much destroyed anything they touched. They work together very well with the Black Knights and Sammael. I actually forgot to use the Darkshroud yesterday... Lol !

At 1850 points I'd add a Ravenwing Support Squadron which has lots of fire power and buffs the rest of the army.

Thursday, November 05, 2015

Rebirth of MSU • White Scars Gladius Strike Force (1850)


It's really no secret - the many small units (MSU) concept and theory of army play is back en vogue for competitive play. MSU features many small units which is a natural counter to things we hate such as strength D. MSU is the polar opposite of the deathstar. Formations such as Gladius Strike Force and the Ravenwing Strike Force are perfectly suited for this style of play with the big plus of the special formation bonuses. You will see MSU more and more as this concept continues to be revitalized again. The basic tenant is if you have many units it's impossible for the opponent to destroy them all before the end of game. Gladius Strike Force offers the advantage that every unit is objective secured and transports are free (not including upgrades).

Deathstar armies saw a big resurgence in sixth edition with the release of eldar and Tau... A highly mobile unkillable unit was required to negate all the shooting these two xenos armies can unleash. If you've ever played against serpent spam then you understand. DraigoStar was developed as a natural counter to serpent spam.

Personally I'm not a huge of fan of MSU but it's counters to xenos strength D and the new Tau Hunter Cadre formation cannot be underestimated as it neutralises both of these. MSU is also a great template for armies such as dark eldar so it's not limited solely to power armor. MSU doesn't work for horde armies such as Orks and Tyranids since they need mass to be effective... In fact the horde approach is not competitive now with the current rule set and power level of armies such as eldar, Necrons and Tau.

So here is an army list I created based on what I've seen that is competitive at events like BAO and NOVA:

+++ GSF (White Scars) (1799) +++

++ Space Marines: Codex (2015) (Gladius Strike Force) (1799) ++



Chapter Tactics * White Scars

+ Core (1515) +

1st Battle Demi Company * (765)
Rules:
Objective Secured
Tactical Flexibility

Kor'sarro Khan (150) - Bolt Pistol - Moonfang - Moondrakkan

Assault Squad (110)
4x Space Marine - 2x Flamer
Space Marine Sergeant - Combat Shield - Eviserator
Drop Pod - Storm Bolter

Devastator Squad (165)
Armorium Cherub
4x Space Marine - 2x Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs - Signum
Rhino - Dozer Blade - Storm Bolter

Tactical Squad (90)
4x Space Marine - Flamer
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Flamer - Melta Bombs
Drop Pod - Storm Bolter

Tactical Squad (125)
4x Space Marine - Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs
Rhino - Dozer Blade - Storm Bolter

Tactical Squad (125)
4x Space Marine - Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs
Rhino - Dozer Blade - Storm Bolter

Profiles:
Kor'sarro Khan (Moondrakkan): Unit Type: Bike
|WS:6|BS:5|S:4|T:5|W:3|I:5|A:3|Ld:10|Save:3+|

Space Marine Sergeant: Unit Type: Infantry
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:4|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:3+|

Space Marines: Unit Type: Infantry
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:4|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:3+|

Drop Pod: Type:Vehicle (Open-Topped, Transport)
|BS:4|Front:12|Side:12|Rear:12|HP:3|

Rhino: Type:Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
|BS:4|Front:11|Side:11|Rear:10|HP:3|

Combat Shield : Confers a 6+ invulnerable save.

Dozer Blade : Vehicles equipped with dozer blades treat their front armour as one higher than normal when ramming. Furthermore, the vehicle can re-roll dailed Dangerous Terrain tests.

Grav-Amp: When rolling to wound with a grav-weapon, or to determine the effect on a vehicle, the bearer may re-roll the result.

Iron Halo: An iron halo confers a 4+ invulnerable save.

Searchlight : If a vehicle has a searchlight, it can, after firing all of its weapons choose to illuminate its target with the searchlight. If it does so, it also illuminates itself. Illumination lasts until the end of the following turn. Illuminated units gain no benefit from the Night Fighting special rule.

Signum: At the start of the Shooting phase, a model with a signum can choose to use it instead of shooting. If he does so, one model in his unit is Ballistic Skill 5 for the remainder of the Shooting phase. Declare that the signum is being used before any rolls To hit are made.

Smoke Launchers: Once per game, instead of shooting or moving flat out, may gain a 5+ cover save.


2nd Battle Demi Company * (750)
Rules:
Objective Secured
Tactical Flexibility

Chaplain (140) - Auspex - Crozius Arcanum - Power Fist - Space Marine Bike

Assault Squad (110)
4x Space Marine - 2x Flamer
Space Marine Sergeant - Combat Shield - Eviserator
Drop Pod - Storm Bolter

Devastator Squad (165)
Armorium Cherub
4x Space Marine - 2x Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs - Signum
Rhino - Dozer Blade - Storm Bolter

Tactical Squad (90)
4x Space Marine - Flamer
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Flamer - Melta Bombs
Drop Pod - Storm Bolter

Tactical Squad (125)
4x Space Marine - Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs
Rhino - Dozer Blade - Storm Bolter

Tactical Squad (125)
4x Space Marine - Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp
Space Marine Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Combi-Grav - Melta Bombs
Rhino - Dozer Blade - Storm Bolter

Profiles:
Chaplain (Space Marine Bike): Unit Type: Bike
|WS:5|BS:4|S:4|T:5|W:2|I:4|A:2|Ld:10|Save:3+|

Auspex: Forego shooting to make an enemy unit within 12" reduce it's cover save by 1, untill the end of the phase. This does not count as choosing a target for his unit to shoot at.


+ Auxiliary (284) +

10th Company Task Force * (284)
Rules:
Concealed Positions
The Trap is Sprung

Scout Squad (100)
4x Scout - 4x Close Combat Weapon
Scout Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Close Combat Weapon - Melta Bombs
Land Speeder Storm - Cerberus Launcher - Heavy Flamer

Scout Squad (100)
4x Scout - 4x Close Combat Weapon
Scout Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Close Combat Weapon - Melta Bombs
Land Speeder Storm - Cerberus Launcher - Heavy Flamer

Scout Squad (84)
4x Scout - [Camo Cloaks - Missile Launcher (Frag & Krak) - 3x Sniper Rifle
Scout Sergeant - Bolt Pistol - Sniper Rifle

Profiles:
Scout: Unit Type: Infantry
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:4|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:4+|

Scout Sergeant: Unit Type: Infantry
|WS:4|BS:4|S:4|T:4|W:1|I:4|A:1|Ld:8|Save:4+|

Land Speeder Storm: Type:Vehicle (Skimmer, Fast, Open-Topped, Transport)
BS:4|Front:10|Side:10|Rear:10|HP:2|

Camo Cloak: Increase cover save by 1, if no cover grants a 6+ cover save.

++ Selection Rules ++
Master of the Hunt:
If Kor'sarro Khan is your Warlord, friendly White Scars models that have the Bike unit type, or are embarked on a Rhino or Razorback have the Scout special rule.

In addition, if Kor'sarro Khan slays the enemy Warlord in a challenge, you immediately score D3 extra Victory Points.

Prey's Bane:
When attacking with a weapon with this special rule, a To Wound roll of 6 causes a Wound regardless of the targets Toughness. This Wound is resolved with the Instant Death special rule.


The total model count is 67 Marines and 12 vehicles.