Friday 8 June 2012

Won my first Practice Game!

Went to a local store who run a games night and encouraged me to come, I had scrabbled together a makeshift army of models from things I haven't yet stripped or was planning to sell and took them along. It closely resembles a lower level of what I'm putting together so I thought a good chance to practice with my intended army and see how I got on. My opponent was very patient with me as I explained I hadn't played a game in about 11 years! But having read the rules and many battle reports I was quite quick to catch on. He had an Ork army and we settled on 1150 points as I could muster 1167 easily and he was happy with me taking that as it was my first game. I stupidly didn't note down his Army when I left but basically he had a Warboss, 90 Boyz, Lootas and one of the new Flyers. The Army I used is below. Sorry no battle report, I was concentrating too hard each turn on checking the rules! Maybe in the future when I get a hang of everything. We ended on turn 6 with his Army wiped out bar the Flyer which had been stunned for 3 turns. I had the Ratlings, Marbo, Leman Russ, Basilisk and 1 Sergeant and a Commissar left of a blob made of  3rd and 4th Squad.

I did learn a few things:

  • Taking the Powerfists and Commissar in the PCS was a complete waste, the squad got wiped out in one turn of shooting. 65 Points is another platoon squad with grenade launcher and powersword, no brainer really.
  • By that token the Commander should probably have a Powerfist to make good use of those three attacks. CCS could also have done with more bodies as well as he targeted it quite heavily (because of the MOO) so maybe will chuck bodyguards in. 
  • The basilisk and Master of Ordnance definitely proved their worth against hordes,
  • I also had much more success with the missile launchers dropping frag than the Autocannons who I always rolled badly for and got only 1 hit out of three turns of firing from the 2! Made me realise guaranteeing a blast against weak armoured horde troops is better, but obviously not as good against better armour and light vehicles so something to tailor dependant on opponent. 
  • The 3 power weapons in the two blobs did really well against the whittled down orcs and one blob managed to send one squad of boyz running after a failed leadership test, after I luckily rolled 7 wounds from them. 
  • Maybe priests would be an idea attached to blobs, expensive though.
  • Ratlings were ace against orks, need more!
  • Penals were an excellent cheap screen, but I need to remember just because they have rolled and been given furious charge does not mean I should assault orks! Got wiped out and stopped them from being a nice road bump like I planned.
  • The Leman russ missed with the lascannon on every turn, as it was there to fire at troops I definitely want ones with just a bolter. 
  • Apart from the missiles I had no real AT which was fine against just his flyer but I think a squad of meltagunners and some lascannons is in order.
I'm playing a Tyranid player next week, which I think will be a learning experience. All very well gunning down Orks running at me, Tyranids deep striking amongst me will cause much more problems I think!

List I used is below:


Unit
Upgrade
Cost
HQ


Company Command HQ1

50


Company Commander
Power Weapon
10

4x Veteran
Regimental Standard
15

Medipack
30

2x Plasma Gun
30

Master of Ordinance

30


165

Elites


Ratling Squad

30


X5 Ratlings
2 extra Ratlings
20


50

Marbo

65

Troops



1st Platoon


PCS

30


Officer
Powerfist, Bolt Pistol
17


4x Guardsman
4x Flamer
20


Commissar
Powerfist
50


117

1st Squad

50


Sergeant
Power Weapon
10


7x Guardsman
Grenade Launcher
5


2xGuardsman (1)
Missile Launcher
15


Commissar
Power Weapon
45


125

2nd Squad

50


Sergeant
Power Weapon
10


7x Guardsman
Grenade Launcher
5


2xGuardsman (1)
Missile Launcher
15


80

3rd Squad

50


Sergeant
Power Weapon
10


7x Guardsman
Grenade Launcher
5


2xGuardsman (1)
Autocannon
10


Commissar
Power Weapon
45


120

4th Squad

50


Sergeant
Power Weapon
10


7x Guardsman
Grenade Launcher
5


2xGuardsman (1)
Autocannon
10


75

Penal Squad
N/A
80


Penal Custodian
N/A
N/A

Heavy Support


Leman Russ Battle Tank
Lascannon
165

Basilisk

125

Total
1167

Monday 4 June 2012

Army List Advice Please

So I either own in various stages of construction or have on the way the following below.When I added it all up it came to a whopping great 2500 pts. Now that's great except by the time I'll have finished this lot we will definitely be on 6th and more than likely in possession of a new codex! So here is my Question, I want to pull a decent 1500 pt list out to have a play with so where do I concentrate my building/painting efforts? The first 2 squads of First Platoon, its PCS and 5 Ratlings are effectively done and in the painting queue. That is 360 points, here's my thoughts on how I proceed. I want to get 5 rough riders done (that's a must!) so another 55-70 points. The plasma vets are quite important I think so another 160 and of course I need at least 1 CCS so minimum of 100 points there with just a Standard and Plasma Rifles (Second HQ is a pure indulgence idea for later on). I also want Marbo and the Penals for some outflanky mayhem action so add another 145. Storm Troopers are only 105 points and 5 models so a quick project so seem another obvious choice as well as being a solid AT threat taking me in total if I do that to around 950pts (depending on advisor's, but think I really need an astropath as planning to flank Penals and possibly RR as well as Marbos and Paratroopers arrival). Now I feel I really need more troop numbers so (as I have loads of them I could paint) 3rd and 4th squad come next taking me to around 1150 points ( I can obv massage the numbers slightly with the loadouts). So I suppose what I'm really asking is at this point to I load up on the two Russes? Or do I take the HWS with Lascannon with whatever I have left in points to get me to the magic 1500 mark? Either way looking at it on paper I'm slightly worried about whether there's enough bodies as its not a mechanised list and also there's a lack of manoeuvrability, but I wanted mainly infantry so what do I expect, I'll see how it plays. I'm going to take some unpainted figures to a local hobby group for play testing at some point soon. Even though I modelled the Platoon standard its just a shite addition, 15 points is the same as the Regimental one, it doesn't effect the checks and I can get another flamer for ten points less, on display yes, in a game no! Any other points on anything else in the list before I start modelling things (to put the breakers on a big mistake!) would be welcome as well! I'm wondering whether two bodyguards instead of a medic is a better 30pt investment if only taking one CCS as it will also allow another plasma rifle, although I am a bit worried of gets hot mayhem killing half the HQ! Also if I don't take the HWS Lascannon think I will have to take more meltas as otherwise I'm a bit light on AT.


HQ
Company Command HQ1
50


Power Weapon
10


Regimental Standard
15


Medipack
30


Plasma Gun
15


Plasma Gun
15


Astropath
30


Master of Ordinance
30


195
Company Command HQ2
50


Straken
95


Regimental Standard
15


2 Bodyguards
30


Meltagun x3
30


220
Elites
Ratling Squad
30


x7 Ratlings
70


100
Marbo
65
65
Storm Troopers
85


2x Meltagun
20
105
Troops
1st Platoon
PCS
30


4x Flamer
20


Powerfist x 2
30


Commissar
35


105
1st and 2nd Squad
100


2x Grenade Launcher
10


2x Missile Launcher
30


3x Power Weapon
30


Commissar
35


205
3rd and 4th Squad
100


2x Grenade Launcher
10


2x Autocannon
20


3x Power Weapon
30


Commissar
35


195
HWS
300


3xLascannon
45


3xLascannon
45


3xAutocannon
15


3xAutocannon
15


3xMorter
0


420

Veteran Squad
70


3x Plasma Rifle
45


Missile Launcher
15


Grenadiers
30


160
Veteran Squad
70


Harker
55


1x Meltagun
10


2x Plasma Rifle
30


Heavy Bolter
10


Demolitions
30


205
Penal Squad
80
80
Fast Attack
Rough Riders
55


Power Weapon
10


5x Riders
50


2x Meltagun
20


135
Heavy Support
Leman Russ x 2

2x 150
300




TOTAL
2490