22 May 2010 “Planet Urr-Ass” Warmonger 40K Tournament (Intro)

Having been looking forward to a ‘local’ tournament (Big Apple) at my ‘home’ club (the Warmongers) for a number of months now, I tweaked my existing Sisters of Battle lists, and put together an 1850-point force for the patently silly “Defense of Planet Urr-Ass” tournament.  This variant keeps the ‘core’ of nine Immolators, filled with meltas, flamers, and an Inquisitor Lord (with more meltas!), adds a few extra flamers, and includes a little long-range supporting fire in the form of nine IG Autocannon teams (in various units).  It’s a pretty nasty ‘all-comers’ list, or at least intended to be, and gives me a ton of Objective-holding units, as well as some long-range vehicle-busting firepower to support my primary focus of heavy close-range firepower.

What did I bring?

• Demonhunter Inquisitor Lord with Tarot, Psychic Hood, and BP+CCW, with retinue of 2 Mystics and 3 Meltagun Veterans
• Canoness with Book, Eviscerator, and Bolt Pistol, with one unit of Celestians (see next)
• 4x 5 Celestians (including 2 Meltaguns, and Krinophora with BP+CCW)
• 2x 5 Dominions (including 4 Flamers, and Krinophora with Brazier & BP)
• 2x 5 Adeptus (Stormtroopers with Shotguns, including 2 Meltaguns)
• 9x Immolators with Smoke Launchers (6 are dedicated transports)
• 1x 5 Inducted Infantry Platoon Command (2 Snipers, Autocannon team)
• 2x 10 Inducted Infantry Squad (Autocannon team)
• 2x 3 Heavy Weapons Team (3x Autocannon teams)

22 May 2010 “Planet Urr-Ass” Warmonger 40K Tournament (Game 1)

Opponent: Jeff (Tyranids).  A boisterous fellow convinced utterly of the fundamental weakness of his choice of codex, Jeff insisted that my masses of flamers and meltas would make short work of his forces.  I was a bit less certain either of his convictions was actually the case, but isn’t that what you play the game for – to find out?

Army: (1850 pts)

• Swarmlord and one accompanying Tyrant Guard
• 2x 3 Hiveguard
• 2x 8 Genestealers
• 2x Tervigons
• 2x 10 Termagants
• 3x Trygons

Mission: Dawn of War/Annihilation.  The mission had a modified KP rule, with HQs worth 3 VP, Troops and Transports worth 1 VP, ‘newly created’ units worth 0 VP, and all other units worth 2 VPs.

Terrain: Cityfight.  A moderate quantity of ruined buildings were scattered across the field, with two of the bulkiest buildings right in the center of the table.  In all, there was more than enough terrain to force my transports to split up and have to pick one of several avenues of advance, and plenty of cover everywhere, but very little actual LOS-blocking, apart from my vehicles neatly blocking my own LOS at ground level….oops.

22 May 2010 “Planet Urr-Ass” Warmonger 40K Tournament (Game 2)

Opponent: Vinny (Sisters of Battle).  A very odd duck, Vinny was fielding a very mixed bag of forces, heavy on Exorcists (converted from Marine Whirlwinds, not the “Church Organ” variety currently sold by GW), and backed by Chimeras and inducted Guardsmen.  If nothing else, it was quite beautifully painted, but I wasn’t sure how it would match up against a rather sleeker, punchier (at close range) force like my own.

Army: (1850 pts)

• Jumppack Canoness (with Cloak, Inferno Pistol, Blessed Weapon, and Book)
• Jumppack Canoness (with Cloak, Mantle, Master-Crafted Eviscerator, and Book)
• Junior Inquisitor with Tarot, 2 Mystics, and 3 Heavy Bolter Servitors
• 2x 10 Sisters (Heavy Flamer, Meltagun, Veteran with Book) in Rhino with Extra Armor, Smoke, and Searchlight
• 1x 7 Grey Knights (with two Psycannons)
• 1x 5 Inducted IG Platoon Command (with 4 Flamers, in Chimera with Multi/HFlamer)
• 2x 10 Inducted IG Squad (with Grenade, Autocannon, in Chimera with Multi/HFlamer)
• 3x Exorcist

Mission: Pitched Battle/Seize Ground (12” deployment and 2 objectives)

Terrain: Cityfight. An enormous low ruin dominated the center of the table, with two-story ruins on three of the four corners, and a huge (five-story) ruined building offset a ways from the fourth corner of that large center ruin.  The huge building happened to be in Vinny’s corner in this game.  The two objectives were placed on two adjacent corners of the enormous ruined area in the center of the table, one in Vinny’s deployment zone and one in my deployment zone.

22 May 2010 “Planet Urr-Ass” Warmonger 40K Tournament (Game 3)

Opponent: George (Thousand Sons).  A cheerful fellow with a brightly painted army list, George told me that he had fond memories of having gotten beaten by me, many years previously.  I responded that it was more than a little likely that he would be returning the favor, and then we got to the grim/serious task of getting stomped like a rented red-headed bug into the ground by our Fearsome Foe.  To mix an idiom or three.

Army: (1850 pts)

• Sorceror Lord with Lash, Force Weapon, Meltabombs, Mark of Slaanesh
• 1x 9 Thousand Sons (including Sorcerer with Bolt of Change and Force Weapon)
• 2x 10 Thousand Sons (including Sorceror with Wind of Chaos and Force Weapon)
• 2x Rhinos with Extra Armor, Smoke, Searchlight
• 1x 8 Thousand Son Terminators (all with different equipment)
• 2x 2 Obliterators
• Vindicator with Daemonic Possession

Mission: Spearhead/Capture & Control (corners deployment, and a pre-specified 4 objectives in this game)

Terrain: Cityfight – the same board I had faced Vinny in the previous game. An enormous low ruin dominated the center of the table, with two-story ruins on three of the four corners, and a huge (five-story) ruined building offset a ways from the fourth corner of that large center ruin.  The huge building happened to be in George’s corner in this game – he placed one objective on the top story, and one objective well off to the far side of the table.  I placed one objective on the bottom story, and the last one twelve inches away, in the middle of an open area between the huge building, the huge ruin, and some nearby ruins.

22 May 2010 “Planet Urr-Ass” Warmonger 40K Tournament (Postscript)

Given that it took place the weekend after the first round of the ‘Ard Boyz Tournament, turn-out was (kindly put) relatively low: a grand total of six players showed up for the Warmonger tournament on 22 May.  That said, I think it was an overall positive: the club space, in the basement of the Compleat Strategist, was never over-crowded, and the players were relaxed and having a pretty good time.  And despite the silly name, the missions and scoring were balanced and well thought-out, and the tournament was well-organized and well-run under the auspices of longtime Warmonger Lou (aka “Gunslinger”).

What I didn’t realize until after the tournament was over was that, apart from my two minor losses (and attendant minor victories for Jeff and George), EVERY OTHER game in the tournament (seven in total) ended in a Massacre result.  Lee ended up the overall champion with three Massacre victories, with George, Jeff and myself all clustered together: the former two with a minor and Massacre victory, and me with a Massacre (against Vinny) and two minor losses.  Had Jeff or I actually fully painted our forces, we would have been in an effective three-way tie with George for second place.