Thursday, July 13, 2017

Dicehammer SoCal Age of Sigmar Grand Tournament: Day 1

Day 1 of the FIRST Dicehammer SoCal Age of Sigmar GT is in the books. I will give my overall tournament review in a couple days, but I want to briefly mention that the turn out for this GT level 2-day event was not spectacular. I believe that there were only 20 total sign-ups and several of those dropped on Day 1 leaving roughly 16 players. This kind of poor showing seems to be pretty regular in SoCal as players either don't want to play 2-day events (they regularly have as many or even more players for single-day events) or gaming groups don't want to travel to play games (the tournament was in San Diego so it can be a drive of up to three hours for areas of the SoCal scene and many players don't want to drive that both days or spend money on a hotel). Regardless, I felt like it was a good group of skilled players to try out my first games of Age of Sigmar with the Generals Handbook. Let's get into Day 1.

Round #1: Gregory Haben - Stormcast Eternals
For my first 2000 point game of AoS and my first tournament game ever, I got very lucky to be paired up against the very patient Greg and his Stormcast Eternals. His list was very interesting and playing against it helped me learn a few tricks of the game for my remaining rounds. His list was:
  • Lord Celestant (General, Staunch Defender, Mirrorshield)
  • Lord Castellant (Lantern of the Tempest)
  • Knight Heraldor (Spellshield)
  • Knight Azyros
  • Lord Relictor (Lightning Chariot)
  • Liberators (5 models, 1 Grandhammer)
  • Liberators (5 models, 1 Grandblade)
  • Liberators (5 models)
  • Judicators (5 models)
  • Judicators (5 models)
  • Prosecutors (3 models, Stormcall Javelins)
  • Paladin Protectors (10 models, 4 Starsoul Maces)
  • Paladin Protectors (5 models, 2 Starsoul Maces)
  • Hammerstrike Force Battalion
  • Thunderhead Brotherhood
Greg's list has some very interesting tricks. One of the battalions grants +1 to certain models like the Judicators' shooting attacks and the Liberators' close combat attacks. The other battalion allows the prosecutors to drop onto the board just outside of 9" from an enemy unit and then have the close combat crushers the Paladin Protectors landed even closer and be just outside of 3" from an enemy before getting to charge in the SAME TURN. These Paladin Protectors then get to use their Starsoul Maces and do 1d3 MORTAL WOUNDS per mace at the start of the combat phase. HOLY CRAP!

Greg and I were playing the Escalation scenario and deployed very heavy on the center objective. I was unsure of how the game was going to go, so I deployed deep in my deployment zone along a long piece of terrain and with the Morngul in the center. Greg let me have the first turn and I slowly advanced on the two corner objectives with a few characters and the small unit of Hexwraiths. Greg took his turn 1 and slammed the Prosecutors and Paladin Protectors into my deployment zone charging into the 10 man hexwraith unit and a 3 man spirit host. The spirit hosts were wiped but the Hexwraiths survived with three models. Greg then got the DOUBLE TURN and piled into another unit of spirit hosts and wiped the few remaining Hexwraiths from the large unit. One of his units also had an item to cause mortal wounds to things near terrain and used it to blow up a cairn wraith and kill 2 Hexwraiths from the smaller unit before taking the center and right-most objective for 2 points. I pushed center beginning some combats and trying to get away from the Paladins. I was able to grab the left-most objective and would hold it for the rest of the game. Turn 2 Score: 1 to 2. 

Greg won priority again and fought hard in the center to maintain a higher model count in the center while doing a few wounds to a spirit host unit that rushed off to the right-most objective. The small paladin unit ran into the Morngul, but then died without causing any wounds. In my turn, the Morngul got into the center along with a six man spirit host unit and the single remaining model from the last 3 man unit along with a few remaining characters to begin taking down Greg's middle. On the right, the spirit hosts slammed into the 5 man unit holding that objective and killed three. Turn 3 Score: 2 to 4.

I won the priority role for Turn 4 giving me the all important DOUBLE TURN for the first time this game and a chance to capitalize on the few inroads I made this game and the chance to get further away from the Paladins. In the left-most corner, the three remaining Hexwraiths stayed on the objective unimpeded to net me another point. On the right-most objective, a banshee joined the fun and between her shooting attack and combat, I was able to gain the model count above Greg's Stormcast unit (4 models to 3). In the center, the solo Hexwraith stayed put while the Morngul and the now 5 man Spirit Host unit rolled very well and took control of the center objective killing several of Greg's models and leaving only the few characters left. Greg tried to take the right-most objective back in combat, but some clutch 4+ save rolls kept me with the high model count for his turn. Then in the center, the Paladin units moved to hit the center, but a low roll of a 2" charge from the 10 man unit failed to make contact with the Morngul giving me the higher model count again and giving me the game as Greg failed to score any points on his turn, and I was guaranteed the corner objectives no matter how his last turn went. Turn 4 Score: 5 to 4 and a Turn 5 guaranteed Score of 7 to 4 or 5.

Greg played a great game and showed me a lot of tricks and pile-in moves that would help me out in the later games. Unfortunately, the failed charge meant that he wasn't able to take the center objective by model count for his turn which he would have done if the 10 man unit had hit combat (even if they didn't kill the Morngul). This meant he failed to score on his fourth turn and a point deficit that he could not make up on the last turn. Greg was a great guy to play against and I'm glad that my first game was against him even though his loss was solely based on a failed charge roll. Had that charge hit, he would have at least drawn by taking the center objective for 2 turns and had killed far more of my army than I had killed of his giving him a minor victory.

Round 1 Battle Points: 20
Total Battle Points: 20
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Round #2: Quentin Bohn - Chaos (Slaanesh)
Round 2 I played the well-known Q who was playing his old 8th Edition Slaanesh army (they were still even on square bases) as he was just kind of getting into this tournament as a chance to play some guys, like me, that flew into the tournament. His list felt more like an old 8th Edition Warhammer army than a AoS army, but it did include a battalion from the new rules. His list was:
  • Keeper of Secrets (General, Chaos Runeblade)
  • Masque of Slaanesh
  • Herald of Slaanesh (Steed, Daemon Weapon)
  • Furies (5 models, marked Slaanesh)
  • Furies (5 models, marked Slaanesh)
  • Daemonettes of Slaanesh (20 models)
  • Daemonettes of Slaanesh (10 models)
  • Daemonettes of Slaanesh (10 models)
  • Fiends of Slaanesh (4 models)
  • Fiend of Slaanesh
  • Fiend of Slaanesh
  • Soul Grinder (marked Slaanesh)
  • Soul Grinder (marked Slaanesh)
  • Daemon Cohort of Slaneesh Battalion
This round Q and I were playing the Three Places of Power scenario which was a great scenario to play against Q's build as only Hero models would be able to take and hold objectives. As Q only had three Heroes, one of which was the Keeper, I felt that I would have the best chance to earn points. Plus, the Keeper was going to have to just hang out and sit on an objective and wouldn't really be able to do anything this game unless I felt the need to really go after it. 

Q and I set up, and I think this is where Q made his first mistake. The Keeper set up solo on the far right dedicating herself to taking that objective. I think she should have gone into the center forcing me to either completely separate my army, and reduce my Death Saves for one half of the army, or forcing me to engage that Keeper to push her off the objective. Instead, she was off by herself guaranteeing one of the objectives, but taking her out of the game from a tactic and combat perspective. The rest of his army split the other two objectives with only the Masque, a Soul Grinder, and a 10 man Daemonette unit going after the left objective and everything else in the middle. I put my entire army between the left-most objective and the center objective ready with six characters. My plan was to rush past the objectives and just hold while my characters scored points.

Q chose to go first and rushed both the Keeper and the Masque onto objectives immediately scoring 2 points (but putting the Masque in charge territory). Q's remaining troops moved up with the left-most Soul Grinder getting within charge range. I took the opportunity on the Masque and Soul Grinder and hit them with two units of Spirit Hosts, the Morngul, a Cairn Wraith and a unit of Hex Wraiths. Everything else moved towards the center getting into position to move up on Turn 2. In combat, Q rolled a "6" on the Masque ability making the Spirit Host's worthless in combat with her, but the Cairn Wraith managed three hits for three wounds that were all failed killing the Masque and giving that Cairn Wraith control of the objective. The Morngul and Hexwraith put several wounds on the Soul Grinder but it was going to be hanging out for at least another Turn. Turn 1 Score: 1 to 2.

I won the roll off and got the clutch Double Turn this time. Another Cairn Wraith took control of the center objective while the five man Hexwraiths surged past the objective along with a 3 man spirit host unit to hit the front of Q's lines and, more importantly, lock up the Herald in combat. On the left, the Soul Grinder took some more wounds. Q took his left-most Daemonettes and bypassed the Soul Grinder combat and charged the Cairn Wraith and a Banshee right behind that. Another Daemonette unit charged the other Cairn Wraith in the center and the last unit barreled into the center combat along with the other Soul Grinder. In combat, the left-most Soul Grinder died (finally), but the Daemonette unit killed the Cairn Wraith on the objective who rolled poorly on his saves. In the center, the Daemonettes failed to kill the other Cairn Wraith and the large combat just pushed a few wounds around. Turn 2 Score: 4 to 4.

Q wins the priority roll, but we are pretty much locked in combat all around. A few Hexwraiths and Spirit Hosts die, but I manage to kill a few Daemonettes and one of the solo Fiends. For my turn, I get run a banshee onto the left-most objective and another Cairn Wraith into the center. The Morngul and Hexwraiths go into the center while the last Spirit Hosts slam into the small Daemonette unit on my left to protect the Banshee. In combat the I cause wounds all around and kill off another solo Fiend and most of the Daemonettes from the smaller units. Turn 3 Score: 7 to 7. 

I win the roll for turn four and press the advantage. The left-most Daemonettes are killed freeing up the threat on that objective and giving me another unit to push into the center on the last turn. The Morngul kills all the Fiends and wounds begin to pile on the Soul Grinder and the 20 man unit. The last Cairn Wraith also runs to the center putting the cursed book into the massive combat protecting the characters from the Daemonettes. Q stays put with the Keeper who has not moved off the objective and in combat we both kill several models including the Herald thereby preventing Q from taking the center objective. At this point Q calls the game as there is no way he can get more objective points with no way to push me my characters from the objective. Turn 4 Score: 12 to 11.

Q's army was really challenging to play, and on a different objective based scenario, it would have been much harder to push him off the objectives and take any points. Luckily, we were playing the Hero based scenario and with six heroes, I had a significant advantage on this game.

Round 2 Battle Points: 20
Total Battle Points: 40
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Round #3: Mike Scaletti - Chaos
For Round 3, I was playing my Friend and club mate Mike Scaletti and his beautifully painted Chaos army. Mike's army has won a number of Best Painted and Best Army awards (and he would go on to win the Best Army in this tournament too) and was made of lots of individual and powerful Chaos units. I don't have a full army list for him, but from what I remember, his list was:
  • Warlock Engineer
  • Warpfire Thrower Team
  • Hellstriders of Slaanesh (5 models)
  • Blood Warriors (5 models)
  • Blood Warriors (5 models)
  • Bloodreavers (10 models)
  • Slaughterpriest
  • Chimera
  • Chaos Sorcerer Lord
  • Chaos Lord
  • Chaos Knights
  • Hellcannon
  • Chaos Warshrine
  • Chaos Lord (Disc)
Mike's list had a lot of boosts and tricks basically making it so the Hellcannon got to re-roll "1"s hit on "2"s, along with the Chaos Knights getting to re-roll all "1"s and making them nigh impossible to kill, even with mortal wounds. I really didn't know how to play against his army, and I think my play for this game shows that I really still don't know what I am doing in this game. Mike outplayed me at every point. 

For this round, we were playing the Gift From the Heavens scenario. I don't remember the set-up to well as we were a few drinks into the day when this game got rolling. But, I know Mike put a Blood Warrior unit on each flank with the majority of his units in the center. I countered with similar deployment and had the small 3-man Spirit Host units backed by banshees on the flanks along with a mobile 5 man Hexwraith unit. Mike chose to go first and surged his entire army forward. The Hellcannon took aim at the Morngul but only managed a single mortal wound on the Behemoth. For my turn, looking at how mobile and hard hitting hit center units were, I wanted to lock them into combat in case the comet dropped in the center. I charged with a spirit host unit, the 10-man Hexwraiths, and the Morngul. This combat would last four full turns with pretty much all the characters and units being involved. Eventually, I would win out here taking out the Hellstriders, the Warpfire Thrower, the Warlock Engineer, the Chimera, the Chaod Lord, the spell-caster Lord, the Chaos Knights, and the Warshrine. In turn, I lost both six-man units of spirit hosts, a few characters, and all but 2 hexwraiths. 

Both the comets came down on the left side of the table. I took one and Mike took the other for several turns until he was able to rush the Bloodreavers up and almost push me off that objective. We are both running really close in points and on the bottom of Four (my Turn) after the combats finished in Mike's turn, my Mornful moved full 12" towards his objective. My hope was to hit in combat with a charge (I was 5" away) and try and pull the 10 man Bloodreaver unit away from his objective (as he was sure to take mine away on his 5 and take the game). Instead, I rolled a 12" charge allowing me to slam my Morngul into the objective zone and then began killing the unit. We were tied on points at the end of four, but I won the Double Turn on five (first time this game) and the Morngul ate the Bloodreavers giving me Mike's objective on my turn along with my own. Mike took mine on his turn, but the game was over with me having gotten a few more points because of a very lucky 12" charge.

Mike and I talked it out and had the charge been lower, I would have been outside the objective zone even if I won the priority roll and not scored it. Then he could have scored my objective and won the game. But in the end, major luck prevailed and I walked away with another win. 

Round 2 Battle Points: 30
Total Battle Points: 60
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