Tale of Gamers: The Introduction

I recently attended a fifteen hundred point tournament at the Games Workshop in Aberdeen. It was a good tournament, fairly well run, with an interesting final mission. The big plus though, was that I got to catch up with Xenos and Proud and chat 40k with him for half a weekend. At the end of the tournament, we were both given with a flier for the next one: a 500 point tournament, with similar rules to the fourth edition combat patrol mission, designed to get people starting a new army. We were both taken with this idea (though I'm not sure if I'll actually make it to the tournament) and so set about deciding the armies we wanted to start. This was easy for me, I've always wanted to collect a Dark Eldar force and so this was the perfect opportunity to expand on the modest collection of DE models I already own. For XandP, it's a return to his first 40k love, the Blood Angels. 

 

 

 

In addition to starting these armies, we wanted to compete at Throne of Skulls in August this year. It was an obvious decision to take our new armies so a Tale of Gamers blog series seemed the only proper course of action.

The basic premise of our Tale of Gamers is that each month, starting in May, we will aim to collect five hundred points of our chosen army working our way up to our fifteen hundred point Throne of Skulls lists (the time scale may change depending on free time and disposable income, but this is what we're working towards). Over the course of the month we will paint and convert these forces with a showdown of our slowly growing armies happening at the end of each month. Hopefully, we will be able to provide work in progress shots of the models as well as a bit of insight into why we chose the units.

So onto the lists.

The initial five hundred;

Succubus, venom blade, haywire grenades

7wyches, haywire grenades, raider, enhanced aethersails

10 kabalite warriors, splinter cannon, raider, splinter wracks

Ravager, three disintegrator cannons

The middle thousand

Duke Sliscus

2x 7wyches, haywire grenades, raider

10 kabalite warriors, splinter cannon, raider, splinter wracks

5 kabalite warriors, blaster, venom, extra splinter cannon

6 reaver jetbikes, 2 heatlances

Ravager, three dark lances

The fifteen hundred I'm working towards:

 

Duke Sliscus

Four blood brides, venom, extra splinter cannon

Four incubi, venom, extra splinter cannon

2x 8 wyches, hekatrix, venom blade, hydra gauntlets, haywire grenades, raider

10 kabalite warriors, splinter cannon, raider, splinter racks

5 kabalite warriors, blaster, venom, extra splinter cannon

6 Reaver jetbikes, 2 heatlances

Ravager with dark lances

Razorwing jet fighter

 

These lists are a combination of the models I own and some from the army list and model ranges that I like. I don't expect to win many games, but I'm looking forward to hopefully fighting in the assault phase rather than just jet packing out of the way. 

That'll do for an introduction, I'll see you in May when I start gathering models together. 

Ko'vash

Preparation for Jolly Toys

I am attending the Jolly Toys tournament this February alongside Luckless Xenos of Xenos and Proud. It's a two thousand point tournament run Nova style, a points level and style of play I'm very unused to. Looking at my Tau list I realised the best thing would be to just run an up scaled version of my fifteen-hundred force. So without further ado:

2x Fireknife shas'els with fireknife bodyguards with targetting arrays (multitracker is hard wired) and one has a hard wired drone controller and two gun drones
3x 3 man Deathrain teams with flamers, a team leader with a hard wired drone controller and 2 gun drones
3x 6 man fire warrior teams, devilfish, disruption pod
3x railhead, burst cannons, disruption pod, multitracker, flechette dischargers
Total = 2000

The Monday Post

Okay, school's league is fast approaching. The shirts are embroidered, the kilts packed, armies ready (ish) and gaming tools ready. My only problem is which army to take. Stick with my beloved space communists or try and take the Emperor's light to the farthest reaches of space? My Drake Lords (salamanders second founding) feel more competitive but my heart lies with Tau.
Here's the marine list anyway, what do you think?

Librarian = 100
Tactical squad (10 men), multimelta, flamer = 170
Scout squad (5 men), missile launcher, melta bombs = 90
Scout squad (5 men), missile launcher, melta bombs = 90
Devastator squad (5 men), 4 missile launchers = 150
Total = 600

I'll probably toss a coin on the day to decide but either way I'm sure I'll have fun. Until then, "Unto the Anvil Brothers" and "For the Greater Good"!
Ko'vash

The Monday Post

Well, first of all, this is post 50! Yay!

Okay now that's over, onto the more interesting things. The school league playtesting took a turn for the better this weekend. An after school gaming afternoon ran into an all night, non-stop practice session resulting in over a dozen games. The Eldar list I'm planning to take to school league was given a thorough going over, going up against guard, marines, nids and even my own Tau. Luckless Xenos, the club's resident Eldar expert, being kind enough to teach me the way of Saim Hann, something I'm hugely thankful for. I'm starting to really like the feel of the army, the speed and the ability to strike with accuracy and then just fade away. I suppose the fact that I've always enjoyed playing elven armies comes into it a bit. Another good factor of using such a fragile army is the way it forces you to think really hard about your tactics. I've no doubt that the almost overly cautious manner I'm having to play in will increase my skill with my other armies. While I have no plans to bring my Eldar up to a 1500 any time soon, getting a taste of what they can do at the moment (they're still a 4th ed codex) I wouldn't rule it out in the far future.
Ko'vash

The Monday Post

The school league international final isn't until July which gives me around three months to look at my list and think about tactics. In discussion recently is whether it would be worth taking a different army. I'm inclined on the one hand to take my Tau. They were my first army and the one I'm focusing on at the moment. But on the other hand it would be interesting to try out an Eldar army. Specifically a mech eldar army. Something like this:

Farseer, warding, guide, witnessing = 100
5 fire dragons, serpent, twin-linked shruiken cannon = 180
5 dire avengers, serpent, twin-linked shruiken cannon = 160
5 dire avengers, serpent, twin-linked shruiken cannon = 160
Total = 600
The strength of this list obviously lies with its mobility. Objective placement will be key as will knowing when to boost and when to shoot. While I feel like I ought to take my Tau all the way the Eldar would sure be fun to play. Let me know what you think. Which should I take?
Ko'vash

Schools League Development

Okay I'm back from a blogging absence brought on by a combination of illness and schoolwork. I assure you normal service will now resume.

Schools League has been the hot topic at the moment. Refining lists, painting and acquiring models it's all getting into gear. I think I'm finally onto a list I like. While the broadsides were definitely good for tank killing, the majority of situations I faced required a counter unit, ready to contest objectives and tie up units. This line of thinking kept coming back to Piranhas. Being fast skimmers they'd happily contest an objective and with drones I could block or tie up enemy units for a turn or two. They quickly overtook the broadsides and landed themselves a spot on the list (no puns intended).

Shas'el, flamer, twin-linked missile pod = 72
Shas'el, blacksun filter, twin-linked missile pod = 71
2 Shas'ui battlesuits, twin-linked missile pods, flamers = 82
10 kroot = 70
10 kroot = 70
6 fire warriors = 60
2 Piranhas, fusion blasters, flechette dischargers = 150
Total = 575

That leaves 25 points. Give one Piranha a disruption pod, and distribute a pair of gun drones to the battlesuits and it's done. The basic plan is to form a fire base with the battlesuits and fire warriors. The kroot can then infiltrate, outflank or join the firebase depending on the mission. The Shas'els can either join units to bolster morale or fight MSU style. The Piranhas zoom about causing mischief.
Any ideas for improvement?
Ko'vash

The Monday Post

Hi all, this weeks Monday Post is the army I plan to take to Schools League.

The army list restrictions for Schools League are as follows:

1. Armies must be no more than 600 points
2. You must have 2 troops and an H.Q.
3. You may have either 1 heavy support choice or 1 fast attack choice
4. You may have 1 elites choice
5. remaining points can be spent on troops or H.Q. choices

The Monday Post

This Monday Post is about my approach to choosing a new army.

When I start a new army there are three deciding factors. Is the army made up of cool models, how can I construct a story for this army or what is this army's background like?

The Monday Post

It's Eldar month this November!!!

The Monday Post

The Salamanders list has now been finalised! (Loud cheering etc.) 

 After weeks of theorising, math-hammer and debate I have come up with this.

Ko'vash's 1500, now with added plasma

My Tau army has been lacking plasma for along time. While usually I got by through weight of firepower, lucky space marine players and monstrous creature heavy tyranids were taking there toll. So I decided to add in a commander and bodyguard, Deathrain with plasma rifles. The bodyguard arrived on Friday and I've been busy converting since, so here they are, unpainted for now.
This guy I did first. After suffering from lack of missile pods I managed to find an old metal deathwing cyclone missile launcher which sufficed. I like to think he's stalking his enemy, half crouched, waiting to strike.

Is a land raider the way to go?

Musing over some other ideas yesterday, got me thinking about land raiders. I decided that while they're pretty cool, they're too expensive. After discussing with a friend about which land raider to take I decided on a crusader pattern. This is what I came up with as a list.

Captain, power sword, digital weapons =125
command squad, power fist, standard bearer, storm shield, storm bolter, power sword =178
Tactical squad =170
Tactical squad =170
Tactical squad =170
land speeder, multi melta =60
land speeder, multi melta =60
land speeder, multi melta =60
Land raider Crusader =250
Land raider Crusader =250
total =1498
While this list may not be really competitive, it fulfils my criteria for background: A command squad of unique individuals, the crusaders ramming into enemy lines and disgorging troops as land speeders soar over head.

The beginings of change

As promised, two lists I'm currently toying with. I'm leaning more towards the first one more than any others I've come up with so far. I'll get some more ideas up tomorrow, probably a static gunline and a mech list.



List 1
Chaplain, terminator, storm bolter =130
5 termnators, assault cannon =230
Tactical squad =170
Tactical squad =170
Tactical squad =170
10 assault marines, power sword =205
3 land speeders, multi meltas =180
3 land speeders. multi meltas =180

This gives me 65 points to play about with probably a drop pod and some upgrades for my tactical squads

A Dramatic Reconfiguration

It struck me recently that my marines list is lacking in certain departments. The two main culprits are efficient use of points and the fact that my army is dead boring.

My List at the Moment
Chapter master, relic blade, artificer armour, digital weapons =180
tactical squad =170
tactical squad =170
assault squad, power sword =115
5 terminators, assault cannon =230
8 sternguard veterans =200
vindicator =115
predator, lascannon sponsons, twin linked lascannon =165
5 devastators, 4 missile launchers =150
total 1495

the chapter master and sternguard are the worst units for points efficiency. my chapter master should really join the terminators but they always move so he can't orbital bombard and the sternguard take forever to get into range and then get caught up in combat.
I'm toying with some different lists at the moment (I've got 4 so far) 1 of which I like a lot one which I don't but is more competitive. I'll put up the lists in other posts, probably two at a time.
Ko'vash