Battle Report: 3rd Annual Inner Circle High Stakes Jamboree

Inner Circle Gaming Club

A week after my wedding I was given the nod by my new wife (I guess I did a good enough job to warrant a day pass).

The Details!!!
2000 point 3 round tournament, random missions and game length. No painting but WYSIWYG
$25 Gate Fee, includes lunch (surprisingly good in the past!)
Each win gets you $10 in store credit, additional prized for Most VP killed and Least VP given up.

The Prep:

Breaking from my 1850 list I normally field, I chatted with Brandon about ideas about what to do with the extra 150 points. Being very underwhelmed by a Librarian on Bike (too expensive and weak psychic powers) Dropping the Typhoon I gained another 90 points and decided to add 9 scout bikers with a power fist… So pulling from the junkyard of broken toys I stayed up late and repaired and based 9 “scout” bikers…

I promptly forgot them that morning…

Recovering from my post wedding slightly brain-dead state I pulled from my backup lists and trying something I had been considering for a while, SCOUT BOMB!

2000 Pts - Codex: Space Marines Roster - Dameon Green - Amun's Relentless Legion
HQ: Kor'sarro Khan (1#, 205 pts)
1 Kor'sarro Khan, 160 pts
1 Moondrakkan, 45 pts
Troops: Space Marine Bike Squad (9#, 310 pts)
7 Space Marine Bike Squad, 195 pts = 7 * 25 (base cost 25) + Meltagun x2 20
1 Attack Bike, 50 pts = (base cost 40) + Multi-melta 10
1 Sergeant, 65 pts = (base cost 40) + Power Fist 25
Troops: Space Marine Bike Squad (9#, 300 pts)
7 Space Marine Bike Squad, 195 pts = 7 * 25 (base cost 25) + Meltagun x2 20
1 Attack Bike, 50 pts = (base cost 40) + Multi-melta 10
1 Sergeant, 55 pts = (base cost 40) + Power Weapon 15
Troops: Scout Squad (5#, 95 pts)
4 Scout Squad, 65 pts = 4 * 13 (base cost 13) + Sergeant 43
1 Sergeant, 30 pts = (base cost 10 + Melta Bombs 5) + Power Weapon x1 15
Troops: Scout Squad (5#, 95 pts)
4 Scout Squad, 65 pts = 4 * 13 (base cost 13) + Sergeant 43
1 Sergeant, 30 pts = (base cost 10 + Melta Bombs 5) + Power Weapon x1 15
Troops: Scout Squad (5#, 95 pts)
4 Scout Squad, 65 pts = 4 * 13 (base cost 13) + Sergeant 43
1 Sergeant, 30 pts = (base cost 10 + Melta Bombs 5) + Power Weapon x1 15
Troops: Scout Squad (5#, 75 pts)
4 Scout Squad, 65 pts = 4 * 13 (base cost 13) + Sergeant 23
1 Sergeant, 10 pts
Fast Attack: Land Speeder Storm (1#, 50 pts)
1 Land Speeder Storm, 50 pts
1 Land Speeder Storm, 50 pts
1 Land Speeder Storm, 50 pts
Heavy Support: Thunderfire Cannon (2#, 200 pts)
1 Thunderfire Cannon, 100 pts
1 Thunderfire Cannon, 100 pts
1 Thunderfire Cannon, 100 pts
Elite: Dreadnought (1#, 125 pts)
1 Dreadnought, 125 pts = (base cost 105 + Twin-Linked Autocannon 10 + Twin-Linked Autocannon 10)
1 Dreadnought, 125 pts = (base cost 105 + Twin-Linked Autocannon 10 + Twin-Linked Autocannon 10)
1 Dreadnought, 125 pts = (base cost 105 + Twin-Linked Autocannon 10 + Twin-Linked Autocannon 10)

Round 1 vs Eldar (Kevin Kagen)

Deployment – Pitched Battle

Mission – Seize Ground (3 Objectives)

His List:
Farseer on jetbike
x5 Warlocks on Bike (x3 Destructor, x1 Embolden, x1 Enhance) w/ Autarch
x5 Firedragons w/ WaveSerpent
x5 Firedragons w/ WaveSerpent
x6 Guardian jetbike Squadron
x5 Dire Avengers
x5 Dire Avengers
x2 Vypers (Squadron, SL, SC)
x2 Vypers (Squadron, SL, SC)
Falcon (ML, SC, PL)
Falcon (ML, SC, PL)
x3 War Walker (Squadron, SL, SC)

I got first turn and took it, which I find dicey in objective games. I deployed all three storms 18 inches apart along the line of scrimmage, outflanked both bike squads. He deployed both Falcons with DA inside, and reserved everything else. He declined to seize the initiative.

First turn charges on Falcons from the scouts controlled the incoming fire from them and the bikes came in perfectly timed to counter his reserves. My TFC’s helped slow down his Jetbikes. In the end the he conceded on turn 7. Excellent back and forth game.

Round 2 vs Grey Knights (Andrew Gonyo) Read this one!

Deployment – DoW

Mission – Capture and Control

His List:
Coteaz
Grandmaster (Daemon Hammer, Incinerator, Rad & Psychotroke, x3 Servo Skulls)
x5 GK Strike Squad (inside LR)
x2 Henchmen Warbands (x5 DCA, x5 Crusader) (Inside SR)
x10 Purifiers (x2 DH, x2 Incinerator, x2 Psycannons
Rhino, Dozer, Searchlight.
Stormraven (TL MM, TL LC, Searchlight)
Stormraven (TL MM, TL LC, Searchlight)
Landraider Godhammer (Lascannons, Psybolt, MM)
Dreadnought, TL Autocannon, Psybolt
Dreadnought, TL Autocannon, Psybolt

I again got first turn, he failed to seize. I deployed one bikesquad inside center board ruins I fortified giving him a target (BAIT!!) and also giving me good positioning for attempting to take out the LR and other big threats as they come on. I walked my Dreadnoughts and TFC’s and outflanked the rest.

This was a nail biter of a Round way to complicated to go into detail. The short version is he brought his Dreadnoughts on split up and sheltered from mine, but as a result I was able to bring down one with scouts in CC turn two and bring down one stormraven via focused fire(Note about this deeper in). TFC difficult terrain ammo AGAIN paid off, as the Landraider was immobilized turn 3 locking him in his deployment zone, too far from his objective to control / contest.

This Exceptional game that was bogged down by a ruling delay which meant we only got to turn 5. He was 4 Models from being tabled (x2 Knights from the Strike Squad, Grandmaster with one wound left, and a Dreadnought) so had I had one more turn…. Regardless of model count I held my objective and contested his with a Turbo-Boosted Storm with scouts inside….

RULES QUESTION! When a stormraven (or Valkyrie) explodes what is the size of the crater? The 120mm oval of the base, the “hull” of the fast skimmer or the whole template of the model(including wings) and where can the passengers shelter in the resulting crater?

SHOW YOU WORK!

Round 3 vs Grey Knights (Tyler)

Deployment – Spearhead

Mission – KP!

His List:
Coteaz
x5 Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband x6 w/ Razorback TL Assault Cannons w/ Psybolt
x1 Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband x5 Crusader, x6 DCA
x3 Venerable Dreadnoughts (TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammo)
x3 Dreadnoughts (TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammo)
Stormraven (TL Assault Cannons, TL Multi-Melta)

First turn to Tyler, which believe it or not I was grateful for. This is a brutal list and the temptation of deploying would be hard to resist if I did win the roll off.

He deployed in the center and moved his units around the first two turns to maximize the positioning. His stomraven was held near table center in his deployment zone…

The Bad: I came on as fragmented as possible, turn 2 I got 1 dread, 1 bike squad, 1 TFC and 1 LS Storm, same turns 3 and 4 (seriously one of each choice per turn)
The Good: I used the terrain to shelter everything as it came on. My Dreadnought could target one Razorback (which I wrecked) and could not take return fire. Khan and his squad broke into combat squads. MM, Meltas and Power weapon taking down another dreadnought and Khan and 5 normal bikers charging a 3rd dreadnought to keep it from shooting.

I baited his stormraven forward to kill Khan and was able to surround it on my following turn. With no good luck in my phase I could only taken both weapons off and stun it however he periled his attempt remove the shaken, stunned himself he ended up locked there. I wrecked his stormraven in his close combat phase and the whole game changed from that point on. From turns 4 onward I was able to destroy everything left on the table suffering minimal losses. Because I was coming from every side I was able to get rear armor shots on all of his vehicles with some creative movements and wreck 3+ vehicles a turn. He was tabled by turn 6.

The Results!

I was 3-0-0 at the end of the day, but was just a couple hundred VP’s from taking the top spot and netting the BIG win. Bikes Squads are expensive, and almost always suffer 50%+ losses in game resulting in points hemorrhaging.

Congrats to Eric (who sold out and brought NECRONS, you bandwaggoner!!!) who won one of the two big cash prizes.

Afterthoughts…..

I am counting this Saturday as a Big "W" because of the 3-0 record and the hard fought Grey Knight games.
That brings up my next point. I have remained lossless to GreyKnights in the tournament scene… I bring this up to encourage those loyal White Scar’s fans out there. The new GK Codex is powerful, with almost endless quality builds but with good tactics, a little bit of luck and a clear head they are very beatable!