Blast From the Past: Chaos Marines 3.5

As we sit in the twilight of 5th edition searching for a way to make the game interesting and fun while we pine for new rules; especially us Chaos Marine players...

Stormtalon Thoughts

I picked up the new White Dwarf today for the rules on the Stormtalon. I have heard a lot of negative talk about the way it looks and how Landspeeders are better/cheaper. Most of all I really like the escort special rule, and I think this unit will be really useful in my Kahn list. Allowing it to escort a scoring unit that outflanks will be fantastic NTM how cool would a Landspeeder Storm and this guy look flying in together!?

Unlike a Typhoon, the Stormtalon can outflank when using the escort rule which was the main reason I didn't have any speeders in my army in the first place. If anything the Stormtalon will be replacing the Devastators in my Kahn army. My only question is what to arm it with; cyclone, storm hammer, or twin lascannon?

Unfortunately WarGames Con will not allow the Stormtalon or the Ork Fightas in the 40K tournament because no new rules cannot be used if published after May 1st. Lame I know, but they have their reasons and it is good to see them stick to their structure. 

~does anyone else plan on using one of these guys or have any thoughts on the best load out? I am looking forward to painting some Mantis Warriors again!

Alamo 40K Tournament 2012: Tournament Report DAY TWO

Welcome back to the conclusion of the two day Alamo 40K IGT in San Antonio, TX. Everyone had a great time, least of all me so once again I'd like to thank all the tournament organizers and all my opponents!

Alamo 40K Tournament 2012: Tournament Report DAY ONE

Hello all! The dust has settled and everyone is back home after a fantastic weekend of drinking beer, rolling dice and of course drinking more beer. I've said it once and I'll say it again, the Alamo is the most fun you can have at a tournament. This was my third year and it really just gets better each time! If I had a  WFB army I'd go the Alamo Fantasy tournament in October as well.

From a strictly competitive outlook I'd say Alamo is much more relaxed than say Wargames Con or Adepticon. With only 5 games over two days there is a lot of down time to relax and enjoy walking around, talking to people, and the wonderful armies on display. There are definitely people there to win, but on average most people just bring armies that will be fun to play with AND against. Throw in cheap beer and you have a perfect recipe for a lot of very fun games.

Alamo 40K Tournament 2012: Random Pics from the Hall

So the Alamo 40k tournament in San Antonio, TX is in the book. It was a fantastic time as always but this year was possibly the most fun yet. A huge thanks to all the tournament organizers, the location manager, and to MarkT who I asked to car pool with about 4 hours before we left! Also a big thumbs up to having a bar in the tournament with cheap beer and a big thumbs down to Minus6 for "Icing" me (if you don't know what that is, look it up on YouTube lol).

Tomorrow I will take the time to do my Game Report which had an interesting outcome to say the least... for now here are all the random pics I got from the weekend that weren't specifically from my games. Enjoy...

On the Painting Table: Nurgle

With just over a week left till Alamo I only have six Infantry and two Rhinos left to paint...

Plague Marine Update

Was a slow rainy Texas afternoon so I managed to paint up another handful for models... just ten days and 6 models way till Alamo!

Nurgle Army Update

 Getting close to the Alamo; just 10 days out and I've got about that many models left to paint. 

Raptors are done.

 

Possessed are done.

I really like the way this model came out.

May 6th, 2012 Dragon's Lair 1850pt Tournament

Today was the monthly 40k Tournament at Dragon's Lair; 1850pts~ three rounds, Swiss style, three equally weighted objectives per round. I've been completely focussed on Chaos at the moment getting ready for Alamo GT in two weeks so this was a good opportunity to take the Nurgle out for a test run. To be honest, I am not nearly as excited about this army as I was when I started it, and the prospect of a new and exciting codex in just a few months is only making the old stale Codex seem older and staler... but enough naysaying; ONTO THE TOURNAMENT REPORT!

ROUND ONE
Space Wolves (Brandon)
Pitched Battle
1) Seize Ground
2) Kill a Single Enemy Troop of Your Choice
3) Capture and Control (except with two diagonally opposite table quarters)

~this is going to be the format of Wargames Con so it is really nice getting used to the Mission format as well as the objectives themselves. Three equally weighted objectives each game with the possibility to split most of them. 

Brandon took a somewhat "elite" Space Wolf list; Bjorn the Fell Handed, tricked out Lord on Thunder Wolf w/ 4 Thunderwolf Friends, Run Priest w/ Living lightning w/ Longfangs; 5 missiles and wolf guard; cyclone, two 5 man Grey Hunters w/ melta and wolf guard with combi-melta in HB razorback, two units of 5 wolf scouts w/ wolf guard, and 5 grey hunters w/ flamer in drop pod.

I decided to mark one of the units of Grey Hunters w/ melta gun since I assumed it would be most likely get close enough to use his special weapon while Brandon marked the Lesser Daemons. Brandon used Bjorn to get first turn and get up Long Fangs w/ Ruin Priest and Bjorn in the center of his table edge with the Thunder Wolf Friends on an extreme flank. I hid one Rhino w/ plasma guns in a Ruin on an objective with the other three making use of cover facing the Thunder Wolves. The Oblits, and Daemons were all in reserve.

The first two turns Brandon spot all those missiles and Living Lightning fingers at my Rhinos (claiming cover) but only managed to immobilize or stun them. This meant that his Thunder Friends charged into APCs and not the juicy innards. I countercharged with my entire army into the Thunders and Killed all of them but the Lord in one round, the Lord went down two turns later after malling (but not completely wiping out) two Plague Marine Squads and the Possessed.

With the only combat unit in his army destroyed and most of my Rhinos now immobilized or destroyed the rest of the game was spend trading shots and trying to maneuver onto objectives. One unit of Wolf Scouts came in behind the Plasma Squad on objective, but with the help of the summoned daemons I was able to hold, while the other unit came on to threaten two Plague Marines sitting on another objective but a Nurgle Lord intercepted them and rolled like a boss, killing all 6 at I6 before they could swing back!

I won objectives, I killed his melta squad and we tied the table quarters.

Chaos 25VP and Space Wolves 5VPS


ROUND TWO
Nurgle Chaos Space Marines (Josiah)
Dawn of War
1) KPs
2) Single Objective in the Center
3) Get Any Unit within 6" of Enemy Board Edge

Josiah took almost the exact same list as me (not a deep pool of possible Nurgle units in the book unfortunately). Typhus in Land Raider, Summoned Greater Daemon, 4 Plague Marine units, 2*double melta and pf, double plasma, and double flamer, and 7 Nurgle Marked Terminators.

Josiah and I almost never have a hard fought game, someone always stomps the other's army into the ground and this was no different. Considering how similar our lists were, would it surprise you that I was tabled in 7 turns having only scored a single KP? Yep that's what happened, oh well.

Me 0VP Josiah 3VP


ROUND THREE
Imperial Guard (John Cook)
Dawn of War (again really?)
1) Seize Ground
2) Kill an Enemy HQ
3) Capture and Control
how similar does this look to the first mission to you?


John was really bummed cuz the lost a couple of this Pretorian models somewhere after the first round, sucks, NTM he plaid Josiah game one so this was his second match against Nurgle... in my opinion IG is the best possible match up for Nurgle ~ masses of lasguns, heavy bolters, multi-lasters, flamers and auto cannons are pretty useless against Plague Marines and he didn't have a single plasma gun.

Command HQ in Chimera w/ Lord Commissar and Officer of the Fleet, Command Squad in Chimera, two infantry Squads in Chimeras just with an Autocannon, two three man Lascannon teams near Commissar for Ld boost, melta Vets w/ demolition charge in Vendetta, 10 man unit in Valkyrie, Psychic Battle Squad in Chimera, two Hydras and Manticore.

Dawn of War meant he could still set up his entire platoon, but I deployed first with a Rhino w/ Plague Marines and Lord dead center. I moved up and popped smoke; he shot his ENTIRE ARMY at that single Rhino and unit inside. When the dust settled I had a pf champion and the Lord left (I told you PMs can soak up IG fire). Those two models moved up and each killed an infantry squad in return. Turn two John shot his ENTIRE ARMY at those two models finally killing them (good for him).

While he was focussing all that shooting at 400pts I was able to move my other units into pretty good position close to his lines unmolested. The Possessed rolled Fleet for their Possession and, despite having to come in from my board edge were able to get a multi-charge off on three units on turn three.

By the end of the game we had both done a number to each other's armies, but because my army has so little shooting both his Fliers were alive allowing him to last turn score/contest. We ended up tying Seize Ground, tying Capture and Control, and we both killed each other's HQ...

Chaos 20VP and IG 20VP 


~three games with the Chaos today and I went 1/1/1 which has been about my average the last two years at Alamo there is still room for improvement. Josiah ended up winning the tournament with his Nurgle Chaos, good for him, so there might be hope for me at Alamo with a similar list!

Remember the Alamo

The 2000pt GT in San Antonio is quickly approaching and this is the current state of my Chaos Nurgle Army. With only 17 days left I currently have 12 models and that one Rhino left to paint. 

The Alamo tournament is certainly one of the most fun events you can hope to attend and I highly recommend it. This year most of the Austin crew are bringing fun lists over power armies to reflect the laid back nature of the tournament held in a BEER HALL!

JWolf is fielding a Deathstrike Missile, BigRed is taking his "undefeated" Tau (lol), and Goatboy is taking GreyKnights (I guess he didn't get the memo).

...My List...

HQ

Chaos Lord; mark of nurgle, wings, daemon weapon, melta bomb

Chaos Lord; mark of nurgle, wings, daemon weapon, melta bomb

Summoned Greater Daemon

TROOPS

Plague Marines*7; champion, pf, melta*2, icon

Rhino

Plague Marines*7; champion, pf, melta*2, icon

Rhino

Plague Marines*7; champion, combi-melta, plasma gun*2, icon

Rhino; dozer blade

Summoned Lesser Daemons*7

ELITES
Possessed*10; champion, icon of nurgle
Rhino; ex armor, dozer blade

HEAVY SUPPORT
Obliterators*2
Obliterators*2

~comments are always appreciated. As long as I improve my overall score from the last two years I'll be happy.