Feast of Blades: Game 1

Here's Game 1 of the Feast of Blades Invitational.  I won the option of going first... but I would have been better off losing it!

Note: the link is for the UStream - check it out today!

I think I've learned something about my game that needs fixing; when I'm reacting to someone, my game is top notch... not so much the other way around.  If the Tau had set up first, I would have set up my army in response to what I was seeing.  Since I was setting up first, something in my mind completely ignored his army, and what he would do in response to me.

(Wasn't much of a deficit when you were playing Daemons all the time, huh?)

As you can see from this picture, it isn't exactly rocket science.  My opponent was a strong player, so he didn't miss the obvious.  Refused flank, away from Logan's (Hogan!) squad... effectively neutralizing a significant chuck of my army.  Later, you'll also see I didn't pay much attention to the Kroot.  I assumed they'd come on piecemeal; yea, I know what you're thinking, too.

(Now.)

Right flank.

Center.  (Note: my Long Fangs should have set up here, with a perfect angle to either side of the board.  And I would have centralized Hogan.  This was optimal.)

Right flank.  Hogan's boy.  Note something here thought that affected this game; these hills were meant to provide area terrain unless you were on the same level.  The way it was written in the rules packet caused confusion to a number of folks.

His setup.  Note his two HQs are attached one each to a Broadside squad - something I've never actually seen done before.  With all the multi-trackers, it worked out well.  

There was one problem with my game I couldn't have predicted: Line of Sight, and how people in this tournament played it.  We're fairly tight about it at home, I've learned.  At this event, I played multiple people with a, "Well, sure I can see!" approach.  For example, my opponent and I had a couple of short conversations about drawing line of sight from his back units through his intervening models, which in many cases I'm sure he couldn't do.

He was sincere in his explanations, so I figured it was a regional thing or something, and I think I was right - again, I ran into this later with the other Tau player I played (yea) and he called a judge over to make the clarification.

There's no way to know that kind of stuff in advance - you just have to be aware that as long as everyone is consistent, you should be okay.

Moving forward, with smoke.  In hindsight, if I was going to have two tanks charging the line, I should have had four.

Hogan's squad goes all relentless, but I rolled a 2 for difficult terrain and a 1 for the run move.  *sigh*  It wasn't much better the next turn!

Crap.  Forgot all about Markerlights.  Strip this cover, strip that cover.  BOOM!

Yup, still there.

It's blurry 'cause of the tears!

Still pushing.

Kroot.  Both squads came in at the same time on the same side!

Nope.  Not much gone, really.

Hogan and his boys finally break free of the terrain.  I blast apart most of the Kroot, but enough are left to win my opponent the game...

...by tying me up and grabbing this objective.

My scouts came on.  No, they're not there.  I did have a bit of bad luck, where 5 Plasma shots didn't put away 4 Fire Warriors, allowing me the charge I needed!

I forgot to move this tank in the last turn.  There's a chance I could have contested an objective.  Not a GOOD chance!

Yup, still walking.

Those two Kroot won him the game.

There's the shot I'm talking about... but let's be honest, it wouldn't have survived!  Still, I wish I didn't forget, because I hate leaving stuff undone.

It was 25 to 22, since there were three differing objectives of which I won one and tied another.  We both got a lot of bonus points, too.

Bottom line, great game, great opponent!

But I made the same mistakes in Game 2...