9.03.2009

BOLSCON Games, Continued...

Okay, so I didn’t really know I’d be playing Salamanders when I went to lunch… I put that in my last post as dramatic license. I was feeling good about my previous two games, and looking around at all the set up armies I didn’t see anything I thought would prove a huge mismatch if I played them. I felt good about my army.

Boy, though, there were some armies that can give you army-envy! Beautiful conversions, cool models, unique lists – that kind of thing and more was all present. I was happy that my army was painted to a decent standard, but certainly I’m far from done with the paintbrushes. I’m planning lots of freehand details on the tanks and better detail work on the individual models. That said, I paint armies – that’s my focus. It’s more important to me to finish stuff and move on than it is to spend tons of time on one awe-inspiring creation. Not to say I don’t appreciate it, but it’s not for me.

So perhaps you can see from the pictures the basic idea for my paint scheme. I’m running an Altansar army, characterized by the Crimson red color. I then decided to avoid painting the Aspects in their standard schemes, instead choosing a black armor with Aspect-colored helmets to pick them out.

I was happy with this at first, but after looking over the pictures I decided the Aspect helmets weren’t working. The Fire Dragons have an orange squad and a yellow squad – add that to the Harlequins and the army is starting to bleed colors. I decided to simplify. I’m currently repainting my Fire Dragons with red helmets to match the Guardian-red army color. Black and red will be the primary army colors, so hopefully as I start the details it will unify the force more. The Harlequins I’m happy with, in their color-spray paint-scheme. I’m probably capable of painting all the diamonds and checks and stuff, but I don’t have the interest in doing it.

Man, I’m easily distracted… I haven’t even started on Game 3 yet. Maybe I’m avoiding it… God, I sucked it off bad…

(Yea, I went there…)

Game 3, Hybrid Eldar Vs Salamanders

Okay, Nick Villacci brought his beautifully painted Salamanders, complete with custom bits from his own start-up company, and won the coveted ‘Best Painted’ award for the event. (Somebody may have to correct me – was it ‘Best Army’ or ‘Best Painted’?) He also had a nice little list and a unit whose potential I’d never seen…

Vulkan
Terminator Librarian w Null Zone and Vortex
10 Sniper Scouts
3 10 Man Tac, 1 w Drop Pod
2 Ironclads w Drop Pods
Terminator Assault Squad
Land Raider Redeemer

I liked this list quite well. It’s potent but fluffy enough. I do think it could be maximized better, but that’s opinion more than huge holes in the list. My own list wasn’t my best, but rather a last-hurrah for my Avatar, so I’m not poking here, just observing.

That said, and with all due respect to Nick who knew what he was doing and was great fun to play, my army smacks this one around 9 times out of 10 – it’s what I created it to do! I play against Salamanders all the time and MEQ the rest, so what happened?

Well, I did! I didn’t give this army its due and deployed and played with total disregard for what it was capable of. This was the 1st of two major mistakes I made during this event, but the difference between this one and the other, which just so happens to be in the next game, is that I knew better on this one!



Let’s look at the game. It’s Dawn of War setup, so I place the Avatar and the Guardians on the midline, forcing the Salamanders back. This is my standard deployment in DOW, but normally I back off and play the edges, softening up the opposition some before committing to the fight. This time, with good beer in my belly and a Round 2 win against Salamanders (with Lysander no less!) in my favor, I push my entire army straight down his throat, playing uber-aggressively.
Well, on comes the Land Raider… I’d got too close. The LRR deposits its payload right in my face; meanwhile, Drop pods rain out of the sky, including a nicely placed Tac Squad in the center of the board, and I’m fighting for my life against the best elements of the list on his side of the table! Even then, I think I would have been okay… but Eldrad lost the psychic duel with the Librarian.



Two things happened. The Librarian was able to cast Null Zone despite the Runes of Warding and I was unable to cast Fortune, twice, because of his Psychic hood! It was the most complete failure Eldrad ever handed me. Null Zone… oh how bitter it is! I have to reroll successful Invulnerable Saves? I much prefer it my way with Fortune…



*sigh*

What more needs be said? I recouped where I could and starting picking away at the edges. I was losing on VP but doing okay on Kill Points, but at this point I needed the game to end early and it didn’t. Nick played his game and fully deserved the win.

Don’t get me wrong, even though I’m concentrating on my inferior play, I don’t want this to seem a slight to my opponent - like I said in the previous post, it's these details I feel best serve as instructional, thus the time. Nick was great fun to play, really courteous, and his army was so well-painted it was great just to sit across from it. I was really happy for him when he got called up for the prize on Sunday.



JAWABALLS!!!

Who doesn’t like saying that?

Game 4, Hybrid Eldar Vs The Shit



Chris Dubuque is better known by his net-handle Jawaballs, and I met his Blood Angels in Game 4, the last of the day on Saturday. This was my favorite game of the event by far, and that’s saying a lot considering some of the gents I met.

This game was the most fun and, equally important, it’s the game that will forever improve my play. As an aside, the pictures online don’t do justice to this army – it’s incredible. It was actually my choice for ‘Best Painted,’ and that’s saying something, since I really like Mike’s Tyranids (the army you’ve read so much about) and Nick’s Salamanders.

But as far as the actual game, I learned a ton in this one. It’s literally changed the way I play.

To Be Continued

4 comments:

Jawaballs said...

Sweet, it looks like our speeders are jousting! And thanks for the compliment. I honestly think that my army was around 3rd or 4th, mostly because I have one dratted tank that was among my very first and was fine then, but is way out classed by it's sisters now. As I have worked on my army, my style has naturally developed and shifted, and it is obvious in my work... I did not realize until I had them on display that some of them look like they were painted by completely different artists! I need to revamp the army and bring unity to every unit. After seeing that Salamander army, I have no arguements with him taking 1st. I cant wait to see how our game changed the way you play. Oh, and you implemented the way of Saim-Hann perfectly by the way. Damn skimmers.

Jwolf said...

Your mom sent out a tweet asking people to comment on your posts, so here I am. ;)

Love the reports, and the style works for me.

nick-chapterhousestudios.com said...

Wow, Im Famous!

Glad to haev finally seen your blog, believe it or not I looked for it the day after the con, but couldnt find it. Somehow my business partner in Sweden found it and Pmed it to me today.

Great game rundowns, and thanks for the compliments. I to was surprised to actually cast Null zone against Eldrad, the 3d6 psychic test usually gets me!

Hope to see you next year, and if your ever in Dallas, drop me a line.

Nick Villacci

Brent said...

Good to hear from you!

You're not really famous though - nobody reads my blog. I've had a few pity-posts, but that's about it...

Good luck with your company - you've got a fantastic product and deserve all the best.

Brent

(A new favorite!) Anon: I haven’t even bothered playing a game of 6th yet, cause I have read the rules, and actually understand how they interact with units. I know my armies no longer function how they should, and so I need to change them.

Strictly Average: 'cause 6-inches is all you get.

Stalking Jawaballs since 2009.

Jawaballs: "My butt just tightened up."

Brent, preferred 2-to-1 over Not Brent in a recent, scientific poll.

Brent: emptied the Kool Aid and DRINKING YOUR MILKSHAKE with an extra-long straw.

Unicorns don't exist.

Home of the Stormbuster, the Dyson Pattern Storm Raven.

I'm a comment whore and this whore is getting no play.

Not Brent hurts Brent's feelings.

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MVB: "I am not one to join the unwashed masses of self-titled 40k experts out there distributing advice from their blogs about exactly how your list should be built..."

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MoD: "Welcome to Brent's head."

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Warboss Stalin: "You know, if it actually WAS funny, maybe I wouldn't mind."

Mike Brandt: "It's not a successful bachelor party if you don't misplace someone".

"The Master Manipulator (every store needs one): "...now, enough stroking."

Kirby: "I don't know about gropings. Seriously, Brent, keep it in the pants, please."

Loquacious: "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Hugs & Gropings or Stalks Jawaballs into Brent's little tribute."

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Go no further, lest thee see something thine eyes would fain look past!

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On Internet Advice: You see, I have an almost religious belief that's it's a huge, colossal waste of time.

...I think I'll call it the Gun Shy Pattern Stormbuster, because after the Internet destroyed my first humble effort, I find I'm a bit worried about the reaction to this one.

Lauby: "Is it left over from that time you thought that you could just complete step one 12 times to meet the mandates of that court order?"

Not Brent: "I guess we'll have to read on and find out. Signed, Not Brent. Especially today."

Cynthia Davis: "I think the scrolling text is from Glen Beck's new book."

Grimaldi: "Spamming certain units creates interesting possibilities but also fatal weaknesses."

Purgatus: "Math can inform decisions. It cannot make decisions."

Thoughts? Comments? Hugs and gropings?

You'd be that much quicker to figure out what I mean when I refer to a Unicorn if I covered it in a rainbow flag.

SinSynn: (To Brent) "Curse you and your insidious influence on the internets..."

Dave G (N++): "You know you're an internet celebrity when your following is more akin to tabloids."

I prefer the term Internet Personality (or IP) myself, seeing as how I coined it.

Lauby: "Your attempt to humanize him as failed. I feel nothing but scorn for his beard - it's like a warcrime or something."

BBF: "I've always thought you are a good player but I finally figured out that you are a great player. It's hard to see sometimes because your personality is engaging, sincere and quite charming - to me that is kind of a rare combination."

'Clearly cheating?' I didn't misspeak: you jumped to conclusions. If you'd like to apologize I'll be happy to send you an autographed picture of my ass.

Ass.

I thought I was doing alright before I realized I was losing.

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