DANAs Complete in Time for Tournament

Completed DANA Battery

I was able to finish my DANA Battery last week in time for the 50 point round-robin tournament this Saturday.  I did not bring any Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the tournament as it was for learning and I wanted to make sure new players got to see parts of the game that MBTs make it easy to overlook. 

I took the following Polish list:

• BMP Motor Rifle Battalion
• 1 x BMP-1 HQ
• 1 x BMP-2 Battalion (Small) with SA-7 Grail
• 1 x BMP-1 Battalion (Small)
• 1 x ZSU-23 (4 Vehicles)
• 1 x SA-13 Gopher (2 Vehicles)
• Divisional Attachment
• 1 x DANA Battery (6 Vehicles)
• 1 x Hind Flight (4 Aircraft)

I managed to come out middle of the pack in terms of games.  Games are scored based on victory and how many units the victor lost.  I managed a major loss (2 pts), major victory (5 pts), and a minor loss (3 pts).

Privateers of Barak-Mhornar

This weekend, I played three games of Age of Sigmar at 1,000 points.  My first game was Friday afternoon and following it I decided to abandon an army from the Free City of Tempest's Eye and instead focus on a Barak-Mhornar army/fleet.  The first game was against a Tzeentch army with a mix of demons and mortals and I felt that my army lacked synergy desperately needed for Kharadon Overlords to work or any of the other units in the army.  I dove at the center of his army and found my fire ineffective and my combat doubly so.

That evening, I decided to shift and wrote up the list.  The 1,000 pt army (960 pt) is the Battleforce (which I got on Saturday) plus a Navigator.  For my home port, Barak-Mhornar, the most flexible of the Baraks.

On Saturday, after constructing the Admiral, Navigator, and Gunhauler, I played two more games.  These were both part of a three month long event my FLGS is doing.  As such, here are versions of the logs I make in my Book of Grudges.

Fighting for the Fate of Konor

I really like the idea of narrative-focused games.  The summer campaign Games Workshop is running is a perfect excuse to get in games of 8th edition 40k using my core army - the 3rd Company Ultramarines - and my newest army - the 4th Company Novamarines.  This past Sunday, I defended against a Khornate host pushing through a shattered gate on the approaches to the the Quintus Gate on Astaramis.

The right flank in defense of the Quintus Gate

Poles 2 - BAOR 1

This past weekend, I played three games of Team Yankee against my brother.  He played British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and I played Poles using the Red Banner list for the first two games and the Volks Armee list for the last one.

Mid-way through Autobahn battle

Our first game was a Free for All, 100 pts, Poles attacking.  For objectives we agreed that it would be the two hills in each others deployment zones.  The Poles far-left T-72 company advanced through the Autobahn stop, winning the exchange of fire with the three Chieftains covering that avenue of advance.  The center T-72 company advanced to provide added pressure and the Hinds swept across the battlefield and engaged the BAOR command element.  The right T-72 company held the flank against the other half of the BAOR forces.  The capture of the hill gave the Poles victory.

Poles fail to hold Chow and Gas

Our second was No Retreat, 100 pts, BAOR attacking.  BAOR Recce elements advanced up their right flank flanking the defended gas stations and forest to come in behind the dug-in Polish infantry.  The Chieftains on the left defeated an advancing attempt by the BMP-2s through the farm fields, but only after losing two of their number to combined fire from the center T-72s and the advancing BMP-2s themselves.   NATO air power DEAD (destroyed enemy air defenses) and then added its pressure against the ground forces.  BAOR forces destroyed the present Polish forces as T-72 reinforcements arrived piecemeal and late.

Our third game was Dust Up, 50 pts, BAOR attacking.  (Sorry no picture)  BAOR Recce forces attempted to pincer the Polish forces, but Polish BMP-1 Recon elements pushed out along the BAOR right, flanking and eliminating advancing BAOR forces.  The delayed arrival of BAOR Chieftains resulted in what is best described as a stalemate between Spartans and a T-72M company on the BAOR left.  The arrival of Polish Hinds with infantry and a second T-72M company shifted the initiative squarely to the Poles, with the Hinds landing around the distant objective.  The successful destruction of 3 Hinds on the ground drove the infantry out of the helicopters early and gave the Poles victory.

BAOR Dragoons defeat Polish 2nd Armor

On Saturday, my brother and I played a 50-point game of Team Yankee at At Ease Games in San Diego.  He played British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and I played Polish 2nd Army (Soviets).

Just prior to Engaging

Winning on Objectives

Slowly Advancing Death Guard

I played another game of Horus Heresy Zone Mortalis this weekend.  This time against a Death Guard.  In this instance, I ran Kharn and the Butchers as stand-ins for Loyalist World Eaters Praetor and Terminators.  It was another Pyrrhic victory, with just the Praetor and a single Rampager surviving, again.  I won by managing to keep the Death Guard from my deployment zone and rolling a six to end the game on turn 5.

MVP

The MVP of the game was definitely the Death Guard Mortis Dreadnaught with a pair of Kheres Assault Cannons and my inability to roll successfully.  Over the course of two turns, the Dreadnaught caused my two tactical squads to break and run, off the table.   My only actual success was my Praetor slaying three Grave Wardens and breaking the unit.

The ongoing failure of my World Eaters to achieve casualty success is rather annoying.  I am heavily considering investing in a Tactical Support Squad carrying Plasma Guns.

On the modeling/painting front, an Ultramarines squad is in work.  Taking on 10 Astrates is a bit of a task, right off the bat.

Bloody Victory

End of Turn 2; No Blood Split Yet

This past Saturday, I played another game of Zone Mortalis against Salamanders (same opponent).  I learned from last time, sort of.  I attempted to slow down my advance and generally did not run headlong into the Fire Drakes (aside from the Butchers).  The Fire Drakes dominance are making me heavily consider adding another unit, not just the loyalist swaps, to the army.

I made the right plays in the late game.  At the bottom of turn 5, I had two models - Kharn and a Rampager.  The lone Rampager was sent to claim the all important objective.  The Fire Drakes were out of place.  Kharn made a mad-dash at the Pyroclast looking to claim the center objective.  He took a wound on the way-in, but slayed a Pyroclast in return.  More shots through the link.

First Blood

This past weekend (12 Mar 2016), I played my second game of Horus Heresy Zone Mortalis.  It, like the first was against the warriors of Legion XVIII, Salamanders.  The short version is that Fire Drakes are an incredibly tough unit, especially against other Astrates.  This includes thrashing Butchers.  The World Eaters nearly brought it to a tie, but failed to dislodge a unit of Salamander Breachers from the tying objective.

Battle begins and the World Eater force is engaged by Fire Drakes

Completed Jebikes & a Game

Five Hexes Jetbikes swoop in.

Sunday night, I finished my Five Hexes jetbikes (played as Windrider jetbikes in my Eldar Army).  I tried to keep the scheme matching my two Vypers; I think they came out well.  Process pictures after the battle summary.

On Saturday, I got a 2,000 point game in against an Chaos Space Marine Emperor's Children army. We had to call it at the bottom of turn 3, I lost 2-1 on objectives.  The jetbikes scored my victory point, achieving Linebreaker.  A longer summary after the break.  (Sorry no pictures)

Ineffective Ultramarines

Ancients of Macragge

To put it simply, I have a lot of Ultramarines.  I have been collecting Ultramarines for 18 years As I was graduating from college, I provided my club with a basic army from some of my early miniatures.

However, over this past weekend, I did poorly (in my opinion) versus Dark Angels at both 2,000 points and 1,500 points (different opponents).  Both games were Maelstrom (objective cards).  I felt that my lack of Terminators and general lack AP 3 and AP 2 left me ill-equipped and prolonged the games.

What additions, I should consider?  No real restrictions; I probably do not need more Tactical, Assault, or Devastator squads, Rhinos, Razorbacks, Dreadnoughts, or Scouts.  I am currently considering Terminator Assault Squad (all Lightning Claws), Terminator Squad (Assault Cannon, plus 2 Chainfists), Vindicator tank, or 3-5 Devastator Centurions.

Objective Markers & Battle Summaries

Objective(s) Complete!

This weekend has been a hobby-filled weekend.  I played a game of 40k and Fantasy, picked up the new Codex: Grey Knights, and assembled and painted 6 objective markers for 40k.  A very "productive" hobby weekend.

My game of 40k really inspired the need to make objective markers.  At the beginning of the game, my opponent and I numbered clockwise each 2'x2' section and placed a market of some kind in each (4 Inquisitorial henchmen and 2 statues).  I wanted to make sure the markers "hid" the numbers as part of a small diorama on each base.

Quick battle summaries after the break.

Odinfir, Dwarf Lord & 2 battles in M41

Odinfir taking a swing

For my FLGS Fantasy campaign, I am fielding Odinfir as my main character.  He is a Lord on Shieldbearers with a shield and a great weapon to start off.  No magic items, argh!  Sadly, I did not get the opportunity to field Odinfir and his throng against Chaos Demons this weekend.  My opponent never got back to me.

The last step the the Dwarf Lord will be sealing him, but that may wait until I have a few more characters to seal.  I am thinking my next model will be either a Runesmith with great weapon or a Thane with the Battle Standard.  After those two, it will leave two Thanes to paint up.

In other news, got in two games of Warhammer 40,000 this weekend.  A game Friday night, my Eldar (1,000 pts) allied with Astra Militarum (1,000 pts) against Chaos Crimson Slaughter (2,000 pts).  My game Sunday was 2,000 pts, Ultramarines vs Nurgle Chaos Space Marines.