Tournament, Comic Asylum! Game One

The Card Pimp in Question and I went to last weekend's 1500 point Tournament at the Comic Asylum - by far my favorite out of town venue - and had an absolute blast! It was the weekend after I ran my own 1500 point event at Galaxy (which I have a lot to say about, once I get a copy of the breakdown) so I was itching to play.

Hogan, the Brotherhood's much cooler answer to Logan, hangs out with his Rune Priest buddy in a Long Fangs squad.  Also joining the party-of-stupid is a Terminator with Storm Shield.  The general idea is to blast two targets a turn from this squad, so it hunkers in the back.  My route to victory is holding the Eldar up long enough for this unit to rack up KP's.

Killpoints!  My opponent Neil was playing his Dark Eldar army... which was just awesome!  I couldn't have enjoyed this game more, since I don't get to play the Dark Kin that much now that my nemesis Evil Homer has moved to Mecca.

One Venom is Trueborn, one is Kabalite - both have to go.  The Ravagers are a threat with their Dark Lances, but I'm much more worried when I see Disintegrators... I mean, Str. 5 Ap 2 x9..?  Imagine how this game would have gone if Neil had those instead.   Anyway, his three units of Wyches w Haemonculus turbo forward.

Sometimes you have to know when to get out of your ride.  Neil immobilized two Rhinos - marked with black flame - so those Hunters bail out to go after the Kin.  I blast two paper airplanes to scrap then launch my assaults.  In the backfield, Hogan's use of Relentless sends Missiles and Psychic energy hurling into the Venoms, destroying one and shaking the other.

We've both got a loaded vehicle still.  I had tried to get my unpainted Hunters into cover, but they'll end up the target of Neil's mobile Wyches.

Let's skip ahead some.  My Scouts arrived to find a picture-perfect backfield!  Neil was a bit shocked, having forgotten about the Wolf Scouts, so the Ravagers - who could have flown off at some point - hadn't escaped to safety.  The Kabalites were hunkered in terrain and the last Venom was immobilized, so my goal was to destroy the latter and hide out in combat with the former... but instead I got my pick of the party!  I end up destroying one Ravager and stunning the other in assault, but my terrain roll wasn't sufficient to get me into the Kabalites.

Regardless, my Scouts will weather the storm of shooting next turn - making 6 or 7 4+ cover saves, then go to town on the rest of the backfield!  One Ravager will limp off.

We're back to the center scrum.  My Hunters are holding up well, though the unit on the right is falling back.  My Lone Wolf has successfully held up one Wych squad for most of the game, though eventually he falls... earning me a Kill Point!

By this point, I'm well ahead on Kill Points and Neil knows it, being the veteran player he is.  Hogan and the boys have been wracking up KP's each turn, targeting the soft spots of Neil's army... the paper airplanes... but the Wyches are still a huge threat.  Frankly, trying to kill them in close assault was seriously frustrating!  4+ then 4+ should be a bit over 75%, right?  Didn't seem to work that way!  Note: the two Rhinos marked with black flame are immobilized.

Here the Wyches have finally won the combat in the center - which was always going to happen.  That said, the Hunters held up admirably!  For example, the last Hunter in the unpainted (silver) squad holds up one unit for another full turn - fantastic!  Here, the Wyches try to grab Kill Points.  One will assault Hogan's boys and the other the Rhinos.  Note the unit on the right is still falling back, having rolled a 4 on two dice the last turn... 

...and this seems to have offended Neil!  He pops his Haemonculus out and blast them with the Casket of Flensing, killing them all!  That's a bunch of flensed skulls with quivering brains for the Dark Kin to enjoy!

My last Wolf Guard unit finally shows up, blasting the Haemonculus off the map.  You think there's geneseed in all those skinless skulls?  The Wyches who assaulted Hogan's boys learned why he's the price of a Land Raider, and the last marine is STILL holding up a Wych squad!  (Note those Wyches at 2 O'Clock are casualties he just pulled.  Hogan again.)  

And there you have it, the Brotherhood beat back the Dark Kin to take the all-important first game.

This was my favorite game of the day, and certainly the one I had the most chance of losing.  (I was to play the Card Pimp in Question at top table for Round III... but though there were a few nervous moments his Nids were fighting an uphill battle against this list.)  Being the first round, there were a few mistakes in play...

...but I think Neil would agree the largest was his forgetting the Wolf Scouts!  He mentioned that a few times, so he was probably kicking himself.  I mention it only so you, the discerning reader, would understand it was just one of those pure mistakes that sometimes happen when you play unfamiliar players.  This dude was a veteran player and great fun to boot.