Ringer Army Challenge

Only three days left until the Imperial Armour Aftermath tournament at Flat Land Games on November 2nd.  At last check a couple days ago half the spots had been reserved already and I know a number of others are planning on attending, so give the store a call today to reserve your spot.  Give Bud or Lee a call at 248-773-7854.  Besides making this post a blatant ad for the event, I figured I'd give everyone a preview of the ringer army (which hopefully won't be needed).  I'll let you figure out the extra details.

More information on the tournament can be found here. I plan to put about 2 missions a week so all five tables should be previewed with plenty of time for players to prepare. Here are links to the first three.  Vraks Prime  Mymeara  Transgressions of Trust Orpheus Kastorel Novem

We can even make a game of it and you can guess the upgrades in the comments.  If you get it right, I'll buy you lunch at the event.

Main Army

Captain on bike
10 man bike squad
10 man bike squad

Sideboard 1
Storm Talon
Chaplain

Sideboard 2
Contemptor Dreadnought

Moving Forward

With the new marine codex out I tried playing a couple games ganging up my Eldar and Mantis Warriors.  I thought the idea of some scouting tactical squads would fit nicely.  The Stormtalon for air support and a thunderfire cannon to go with the Shadow Weavers all seemed to fit nicely.  I was a bit annoyed that the Mantis Warriors are descendents of White Scars and I have no bikes but at least they scouted if they had a rhino.  This was great until someone pointed out that they only scout if they have a rhino if Khan is in your list.  So a quick rework added Khan, however reading again Khan only works if he is your warlord and I didn't want to make White Scars my primary so that didn't work either.

Kastorel Novem

This is the final of the the series on the different tables that will be featured at the Warzone tournament I am running at Flatland Games on Nov 2. More information on the tournament can be found here. I plan to put about 2 missions a week so all five tables should be previewed with plenty of time for players to prepare. Here are links to the first three.  Vraks Prime  Mymeara  Transgressions of Trust and Orpheus

For those of you that missed Imperial Armour 8 (like me) Kastorel Novem imperials raid Ork-controlled space to try and eliminate a particularly bright Mekboy. It doesn't end well -- after heavy losses, they are forced to withdraw, having failed to locate him.  Turns out this story is a bit different than the summary I found previously, so the terrain doesn't match the backstory exactly.  That being said I am going with it.  The battlezone is being bombarded and anti-plant barages have wiped out all but the most stubborn of forests.  (Note: The terrain below is from Flat Land Games, I intend to supplement with some living forests as well - replacing some of the craters)

Orpheus

This is the fourth of the the series on the different tables that will be featured at the Warzone tournament I am running at Flatland Games on Nov 2. More information on the tournament can be found here. I plan to put about 2 missions a week so all five tables should be previewed with plenty of time for players to prepare. Here are links to the first three.  Vraks Prime  Mymeara  Transgressions of Trust

For those of you that missed Imperial Armour 12 (like me) Orpheus was an imperial world that also happened to be a Necron Tomb world.At some point the Necron woke up and bad things happened to the planet.  The purpose of the mission is to return to the planet to find and gain control of a mysterious relic.  Who knows it may be the key to stopping (or ensuring) the necron invasion beyond the planet.

Transgressions of Trust

This is the third of the the series on the different tables that will be featured at the Warzone tournament I am running at Flatland Games on Nov 2. More information on the tournament can be found here. I plan to put about 2 missions a week so all five tables should be previewed with plenty of time for players to prepare. Information on the first Warzone (Vraks Prime) can be found here and the second (Mymeara) here.

Transgression of Trust the one world that isn't based off an Imperial Armour book.  Is also the most deviant from "regular" 40k of all the worlds.  It uses the Zone Mortalis rules available from Forgeworld here.  Please take some time to review the ruleset prior to the event. 

Mymeara

This is the second of the the series on the different tables that will be featured at the Warzone tournament I am running at Flatland Games on Nov 2. More information on the tournament can be found here. I plan to put about 2 missions a week so all five tables should be previewed with plenty of time for players to prepare. Information on the first Warzone (Vraks Prime) can be found here.

Mymeara is a unique world in terms of game play. There will be almost no cover on the board. However before the shooting armies rejoice they will need to read the missions special rules which have the potential to greatly limit shooting. Note: the terrain show above is from my table at home at not from Flatland Games so it will probably differ in details but the idea will be the same.

Vraks Prime

 As promised here is the first of the the series on the different tables that will be featured at the tournament I am running at Flatland Games on Nov 2.  More information on the tournament can be found here.  I plan to put about 2 missions a week so all five tables should be previewed with plenty of time for players to prepare.

Vraks Prime is one of two boards where long range shooting is going to have problems because it will be terrain heavy.  Note: the terrain show above is from my table at home at not from Flatland Games so it will probably differ in details but the idea will be the same.

Eldar vs. Space Marines – Master of Barrage

Let me start with I don’t care about Imp Guard or ork barrage.  It may be good, it may not, I don’t really know other than I’ve never been impressed by it on the tabletop.  Whether this is because thye have better choices or they just aren’t that good I don’t know.  What I do know is that the barrage you are likely to see on the tabletop are Eldar Shadow Weavers or D-Cannons or Space Marine Thunderfire Cannons.  Fortunately all these units cost roughly the same 90 points for the 3 Shadow Weavers, 110 for 2 D-cannons and 100 points for the Thunderfire Cannon

Shadow Weavers  - 90 points

Pros:

More shots than the d-cannons

Potential for AP1

Strength 7 vs. vehicles

12 wounds

Cheapest of the three

Decent range of 48 inches

Eldar so Guide is easily available

6 crew give decent overwatch shots when charged, especially if guided

Cons:

Less shots than the Thunderfire Cannon

Take up a lot of space

Thunderfire Cannon – 100 points

Pros:

4 shots

Variety of shot options

Longest range

2+ save on crew

Comes with Techmarine who can kill stuff and bolster terrain

Cons:

Only 1 crew

Weakest strength of the three maxing out at S6

D-cannons – 110 points

Pros:

Best Strength and AP by far

4 crew

Distort (just in case you come up vs. that armor 17 side vehicle, you still pen it on a 6)

Legal in Zone Mortalis

Cons:

Only two shots unless you buy a third gun for 55 points

Shortest range at 24 inches

My take

The D-cannons just don’t do it for me, the short range is a killer.  Yes I know you setup 24 inches away but there are so many sit back and shoot armies that this fails on.  The shadow weavers and thunderfire cannons are both excellent and I am torn which is better.  This last weekend at the GT three weavers were my MVP, I repeatedly they were by far the most consistent thing in the army, especially vs. Tau (played 4) that were bunched up behind a fortification.  If I can ever get my hands on three more old metal ones I would run 6 in a heartbeat.  They do take up a lot of space however and that shouldn’t be disregarded.  The thunderfire cannon however can’t be ignored 4 shots is clearly better than three however being only S6 vs. vehicles hurts especially with skyrays and wave serpents being AV 12 on the side as you can’t pen it.  Bolstering terrain is nice but one bad save and the unit dies which the weavers don’t have to worry about.  I think both are great units for their armies but which is better I don’t know and would be curious to hear others thoughts.  Fortunately I don’t have to choose quickly as I plan to ally Space Marines with my eldar and have both units.