LGS Random Tourney

Yes, I'm playing in another tournament. It's a LGS tourney, simple caster kill scenarios but the kick is that we had to bring 3 lists. A 350, 500 & 750. When we hit the table vs our oppo we roll a d3 to determine the point value.

Not certain on who I should run I decided to go with a few casters I haven't run in a while, or ever for that matter.

At 750 I chose my favorite caster Mortenebra. She's amazing. The tricks she can pull with her battle group are exceptionally powerful and can catch the most experienced player unaware.

For 500 I chose Skarre. Paired with the Deathjack and infantry spam I should be more than able to kill everything on the board assuming I don't simply bomb the caster first. She's solid and my Haley counter.

And finally 350. Arguably my least favorite and the point level with which I've had the least success. For this beauty I threw subtlety out the frig'n window and went 100% Velveeta. I'm talking the Witch Coven of Garghlast with a fist full of nodes. What's my strategy? Oh I don't know, run one node up. Cast stygian abyss three times at their caster and laugh my head off.

Sigh, I'm going to win the entire frig'n tournament. Even if that means making a few people cry and pull their eyes out due to the cheesiness that is Cryx.

-Cheers-

Oh No, I Suck Again!

Drove two hours for a tournament in Salt Lake City. I got whooped. Games were real close but as the old cliche states, "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades."

I hate it when people lose and try to justify why they lost, I'm not gonna do it, probably because I'm pretty tired and running on empty about now. Basically I was too fidgety with my armies. I was moderately aggressive but not aggressive enough. I felt bogged down by the terrain, mostly due to the Bloodgorgers, not their fault by the way.

First game was a loss due to time running out and the Circle player had his ambuscade guys on a victory condition so he won by scenario. I had just feated with epic Gaspy and was about to charge Baldur with Slaughterborn, Tartarus and a handful of Bane Knights. Oh well, so sad, too bad.

Game two vs Cryx was pretty fun, but everyone knows how much I HATE same faction battles. I lost this one by scenario too, we pretty much gutted each other's army and by the end there wasn't much on the table. He ran pGaspy I ran the epic version. Time ran out and he had output more damage on the objective than I had by about 8 damage points. I don't remember the exact tally but that's neither here-nor-there.

Game three vs Skorne was a blast. I was tired of running eGaspy as I'd not had much success with him so far. He ran Mordikar (who is awesome by the way!) We duked it out a bit, I took over a few of his units, he killed a lot with the Venators ghost sighted by the Extoller. Ultimately I won because eDenny feated, made it so none of his stuff could move. I then killed the rest of what was in the objective zone and won. Straight forward and simple enough. It was the most fun game, not because I won, but my opponent was gracious and very chatty, I like that.

Game four vs Circle, again. Baldur, again. Slug-fest to the end. I was tired and wanted to go home so my heart wasn't in it. By now I'm so far out of the running for a prize that it's not funny. I killed his stuff, he killed mine. Ultimately he cast a hail marry at eDenny and scored just enough damage to send her back to Toruk (sp.) I lost. Boo.

Three of us went down, three of us returned. Our fantastic records a tad more tarnished than before but all the better for it I think.

I'd really like to see out play level here at our LGS increase, it's hard though, always playing the same people, same armies, same casters etc. I wish I had the time and money to travel more. It's hard now, what with a wife and kid. For now I'll have to settle for a small road trip every blue moon or so and pray that my local meta can help prepare me for those games. Here's hoping.

-Cheers-

The Beatitudes - Concluded

Be Timely:

Want to be a good gamer? Play lots of games. If it takes you 2 to 3 hours to play a 500 point game you seriously need to learn your army. A quick fluid game is not only more enjoyable but helps build confidence in your abilities. I'm pretty sure that no one enjoys having to sit around scratching their ballz waiting for a complete noob to figure out what they're going to do. Quick and easy, that's how we like'em.

Be Confidant:

Your army is good and very capable of winning. Say it over and over again. I cannot stress enough how helpful it is in the tourney scene to simply have confidence in yourself. Ever heard of the "Attractor Factor?" Basically it means that your mental thoughts will equal your future. It sounds so cheesy, but if you envision the win, you're that much closer to the win. If you're not confidant you may find yourself getting pushed around by the lgs rules jerks.

Be Humble (good winner and loser):

Bad losers suck to play against. I'm sure I've been a bad loser on some occasions but I really don't lose that much. That being said I want to focus on the ego maniac. Yeah, you're probably going to kick the tar out your opponent. At least be gracious and allow them to have a good time. If you want to keep gaming then you'll need to keep finding people to play against. You won't get very far by being smug. Buy'em a drink, compliment their painting. Make the game more than a notch on your bed post. The easiest way is to be humble in your conquest.

Be respectful:

This is a lot like be humble but applies to much much more than simply winning or losing. During a game you need to show respect to the other player by speaking clearly, making eye contact, listening to what they are saying and by paying attention. Don't be condescending if they ask for a rule clarification and don't bitch about how "cheezy" X is or how broken they are yadda yadda. You can trash talk a bit so long as you know your opponent is ok with that. I'm not, so don't ask me. Also, if you are a spectator you have no right or obligation to rules-lawyer. I'm guilty of this so often that it makes me sick, I feel bad about it but that doesn't make rules-lawyering OK. As a spectator don't ever ever ever ever ever pick up another player's figs without express permission. I don't care if it's in the graveyard or their case. Keep your grimy hand off the figs. And lastly, let them play. Don't be a distraction. Sit and watch and judge for yourself how much friendly banter is acceptable.

Be Knowledgeable:

If you're going to play a game learn the rules and know your faction inside and out. To gain success as a gamer you also need to learn the other factions. I've found through the few real ass-whoopn's I've had that they were always a result of me not knowing what the other units/caster/solo was capable of. My word of advice? Buy the books and study them, or at least the faction decks. You'll thank me when you're faced with a new army and still know everything about them, then proceed to tear them apart! :)

Happy gaming.

The "Be" Attitudes - Cont.

Be aggressive:

In my experience, my 17 years of wargaming experience, I have found that victory favors the aggressor. There are instances where a turtle seems the answer but ultimately they will lose to a more aggressive player as the aggressive player continue to develope new strategy. Look at it this way. If an opponent is forced to continuously respond to your assault then they have little ability to force a counter attack, will make a rash decision which and allow you to dominate them.

Be adaptable:

Even though your game plan is to simply run the Nightmare up and kill their caster (It always works for me) it is always wise to have 2 - 3 back up contingencies available. This way should your primary win condition fall short you will not require as much energy to regroup. Also, this let's you remain on the offensive (see "Be Aggressive.")

Be honest:

The best part about war gaming is the human interaction. There's nothing better than a few chums gathered together for a little brain bash'n. Even at a tournament the atmosphere and energy level should be fairly relaxed. Keep it this way by not trying to deceive your opponent. When they ask you for stat information don't lie. Don't erase wounds and especially don't try to move your figs farther than their alloted movement. Not only will dishonesty result in a quick sock-jacking, you'll soon find it difficult to get a game. I've seen this first hand as continual problem players fade from the local game group.

....more to come....

-Cheers-

The Beatitudes - "Be Prepared"

Be prepared:

The first step to a successful game (resulting in a win) is to adequately prepare for your oncoming game.

The most essential skill needed is basic list building. There are two conflicting views of list building. The casual gamer and the power gamer. Both are highly capable of creating unique and interesting lists, I simply feel that the individual who claims their lists are all fun is simply devising a strategy for a loss. I've made plenty of "just for kicks lists" and been very successful. The trick is to know how to balance the list so that you have fun but don't weaken your position by having nothing but junk and then proceed to epic fail.

When you build a list there are a few rules of thumb.

First: Build to your strengths and plan for your weaknesses.

With Cryx vs different armies I have to worry about different threats, so when list building I have to take that into consideration. I'm particularly fragile vs shooty factions and factions which ignore most of the rules. While searching for a solution to those problems I've found that my army contains a variety of "toolbox" units. Toolbox simply means that they solve a specific problem. For example, bile thralls are the #1 unit vs infantry. The nightmare and bane knights are the assassins, . Skarlock helps maintain a focus efficient caster. each caster has their own toolbox figs that aid in delivery of their kill mechanic. For example pSkarre relies heavily on mechanithralls to feed the bomb and her focus factory. Gaspy needs Gorman to help screen him from shooty as he is a medium base. Also, the bloodgorgers serve him very well as they are also medium bases and provide screening. These toolbox units are at your core of my lists and everything run is then be built around them.

Essentially we're playing a giant game of rock-paper-scissors. Making sure you have enough rocks, scissors and paper on hand is usually the trick.

Second: Prep for your opponent.

If you've paid any attention at all you'll probably know more or less what to expect from your local meta. Playing vs Khador and know that he's a huge Karchev fan? Perhaps bringing gorgers and biles isn't the most sage approach. Get my drift? Again, it's all about paper-rock-scissors.

Lastly: Anticipate the unknown.

I find that a list which is well rounded, meaning that it has an answer or two for each threat, is much more efficient and stands a better chance of winning. An army of Bane Knights while sounding fun would do horribly vs any anti infantry army, and so on and so on.

So remember, recognize your weaknesses, plan vs your opponent and yet maintain balance.

Happy Gaming!

-Cheers-

AAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!

OH NO, THE MAIN FORUM IS DOWN!!! WTH AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY BREAK?!?!

New Toys. First Game, First Loss.

I played my first game yesterday vs. Khador and it was a HOOT! I had a lot of fun trying to figure out how to posture my guys to get the most out of them. There were a few definite stars and a few figs that lacked, though mostly due to how I ran them.

I played:

Zaal

Krea

Savage

Cannoneer

Extoller

AG

AG

Praetorian Swordsmen (8) + The Officer & Standard Bearer

Cetrati (4)

Ferrox (3)

Orin Midwinter

Venator Catapult

Pain Givers (4)

He ran: (More or less)

Epic Sorcha

Destroyer

Juggernaut

Kovnik

Drakhun

A&H

Eyriss

Orin Midwinter

Man-O-War Demo Corp

Mortar

Mortar

Field Gun

Great Bears

I won initiative and ran everything forward, for the AG I had them declare charges just to get the added 3" of movement. Gobbers put concealment on my front rank of praetorians.

He had Eyriss in a tree and shot a phantom hunter bolt at my praetorian officer, didn't kill him thaknfully but it was close. I sent Orin Midwinter after the Iosan Bitch, too bad she's a better shot than he is. Basically he shot at her, she killed him.

Khador then launched a mortar and field gun barrage which killed a few praetorians and fed the AG's. The Drakhun then ran down my left in an attempt to flank. Holt then killed a few more praetorians and now have almost completely loaded my AG's with souls. :)

My Turn. AG's both gain +4" movement and charge for free thanks to zaal. Death rains down on the great bears and the demo corp. The ferrox jump over the intervening model in front of Sorcha and engage her. They deal some damage but not enough to really matter.

By now the savage is dead and the cannoneer has taken care of the Drakhun thanks to a well placed shot to his tiny khador head. The catapult drifted nicely into Holt and turned him into a red stain. The Cetrati engage the Demo Corp and deal damage but not sufficient to really kill much.

I'm feeling good about my position. My titan is still untouched with the extoller in tow and the unit of pain givers are doing just fine. The praetorians are dead but that was pretty much their purpose. I didn't even bother feating, mostly because I forgot to but I felt that it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I was wrong, why was I wrong? I thought Zaal only received a token for each Skone model killed in the last turn etc. I failed to see that it counts for the WHOLE game. Holy crap. Had I feated the Cetrati would have put out way more damage killing much much more than they did. Also, the ferrox could have put more than a few scratches on Sorcha.

Ah well, live and learn.

Now It turns ugly.

Sorcha feats. So I'm like you. I think that it's pSorcha not epic. I laugh because I've anticipated the feat and there is not much in LOS that isn't expendable. Oh snap, it's epic Sorcha, so instead she makes it so that her entire army deals double damage for every pip that gets through my armor. Well, to make a long story short he beats the crap out of me and manages to get the last remaining great bear into combat with Zaal. Yeah. Dead.

In all it was one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. The newness of the faction and their unfamiliarity made game play a tad slow but that was mostly due to my search for "combos" etc. I can't wait for my next opportunity to play.

Zaal is still my go to guy. I can't imagine having less than 7 fury so making that adjustment will be difficult. Morghoul seems interesting but I'll have to get a few more pain givers together to allow better fury management. I'll save that discussion for another time.

Until then,

-Cheers-