Below is a bat rep from my first round at NOVA. I lost the notes to round 1, so I am doing that one on memory. The layout for all bat reps will be Deployment photo, turn 1 summary, followed by an End of Turn 1 photo, etc, etc.
All thoughts are welcome and I already know that I made a lot of mistakes throughout the tournament, which I will detail later. You will note, in my complaints about terrain, is that you couldn't move anywhere without making a difficult terrain roll. This, really hampered my already slow army.
Round 1 vs. Rich's Tau
Objective, Kill points, table quarters
Pitched Battle
My List:
Belial w/ LC
Librarian Terminator
DW squad - 4 TH/SS, Apothecary, SB/PF
2 x DW squad - 5 TH/SS, CML
DW squad - 2 TH/SS, 3 SB/PF, CML
DW squad - 5 SB/PF, CML
2 x Land Speeder Typhoon w/Hvy bolter
2 x AutoLas Pred
His list:
2 Commander w/1 bodyguard and 1 gun drone - MP/PR, TA/MT
3 x 2 Crisis Suits w/TL MP, TA - 1 drone
3 x Piranha - D-pod, Fusion, TA
2 x 6 Fire Warriors in Devilfish with D-pod
3 x 10 kroot
2 x 2 Broadsides, 1 drone (1 w/TA, 1 w/A.S.S)
Hammerhead w/ MT/TL/ D-pod/ burst cannon/ rail gun
Deployment:
His Turn 1: He had first turn and turbo boosted a piranha to each flank. His broadsides destroyed my right side predator (which I thought I had 50% cover on, but a neutral observer disagreed). One speeder dies (failed cover save), the other is shaken. And I lose two terms from my left most squad.
My Turn 1: Bikes are in reserve. Belial and squad deep-strike to the center of the table. I shake a few things, but generally just run forward.
End of Turn 1
His Turn 2: It sends a Piranha to block some terms, deploys drones. Left piranha immobilizes and takes the typhoon off the speeder. Remaining Predator is wrecked by broadsides. Other shooting kills 2 terms from Libby squad and 1 from the squad blocked by the speeder.
My Turn 2: Crappy difficult terrain and run rolls pretty much screwed me (on top of my own mistakes). I immobilize two piranhas in shooting and combat. Everything else fails. :(
End of Turn 2
His Turn 3: I destroy his piranha during his assault phase. He positions stuff for turn 4 moves. 2 kroot squads assault the terminators in the left/middle side of the board, wiping them out. My Turn 3: My bikes come in on the left. Melta fails to hit the devilfish. I move troops toward objectives objectives, do a little shooting, and hope for the best. lol
End of Turn 3
His Turn 4: His moves a lot of stuff to contest objectives, while securing his own. He kills the bikes with shooting, takes me down to 1 terminator on the left objective, and kills the Libby and his squad (horrendous saves on my part).
My Turn 4: Desperate, I split Belial off on his own, hoping for some lucky rolls to contest his objective. Kill some drones on the left, and the speeder contesting the right objective.
End of Turn 4
His Turn 5: He overwhelms my left objective, killing the remaining terminator. Belial takes a rail gun to the face and dies.
My Turn 5: I kill the drones contesting my right objective (purely for competitive rating sake, as I know I lost)
End of Turn 5 and Game
Plain and simple, Rich crushed me. It was a fun game and he was a really good player, though I made quite a few mistakes. First, I should have deployed all on the right and tried for the center and right two objectives. Going for a draw on objectives and a win on KPs would have been best. As you can see, the terrain is a complete cluster-F in the middle of the table, tremendously slowing down already slow foot armies. The amount of terrain was ok, but it should have been more spread out IMO.
Next up, Bat Rep vs. Vulkan list space marines.
Logging you in...
Stillfrosty · 707 weeks ago
Ben · 707 weeks ago
Gramps · 707 weeks ago
StillFrosty, I agree. Just rough losing to Tau when I have been playing Tau for 8 years myself. I just did not have enough shooting.
G_M_Raziel 32p · 707 weeks ago
1: In this particular game, I think you would have been better off if you'd put 3 DWT squads in reserve and deep striked them 1rst turn via Deathwing Assault. It's hard enough for a foot army to put pressure on a Tau army. It looks like you had a fair bit of room for a DWA-strike on either flank.
2: I've messed with the DA Librarians and found them pretty hopeless. For the cost of the Libby, you could instead have a Venerable Dreadnought, which I think would serve you better.
G_M_Raziel 32p · 707 weeks ago
4: You want THSS Belial instead of L-claw Belial. He's not killing much more than an ordinary Terminator, but what he can do is soak up a lot of wounds. Any shot requiring an invulnerable save but not an insta-kill is worth dumping to Belial as long as he's got that storm shield.
Gramps · 707 weeks ago
1. I can't argue that. If I had first turn, I would have done that. But my bikes would not have survived turn 1, and he had the mobilityto make the flanks midhap table dangers.
2. Again, no argument. This is one of my favorite models and I was anticipating more use of the unlimited range force hood.
G_M_Raziel 32p · 707 weeks ago
Sorry, I know it's easy to second-guess after the fact, but you never know, it might come in handy in some future game.
2: A gorgeous model no doubt, but then so is the Venerable Dread. Also, with a Ld 9 hood and sucky powers, the DA Libby is generally not going to be as useful as everyone else's. Though, I suppose, he could be key against Grey Knights.
Gramps · 707 weeks ago
4. AGREED! I didn't get a chance to finish my Belial th/ss conversion done in time.
G_M_Raziel 32p · 707 weeks ago
4: I don't know if this helps, but I found the pewter Termie Captain converts into THSS Belial fairly easily. You just need the THSS bitz from a Terminator Sergeant. You give him the TH arm instead of his storm bolter arm, and to attach the shield to his other hand, all you have to do is trim the skull off his wrist and then use a pin and a bit of green stuff. Looks pretty decent, too.
Gramps · 707 weeks ago
willydstyle · 707 weeks ago
Gramps · 707 weeks ago