Its a steep learning curve: Gaelcon Game 1

I've got Ivan's game to add but that'll get pushed to one side. See Ivan: that's what happens when you don't do as you're told. I'll throw up the games that I played at Gaelcon instead, as they're competitive games and people usually learn more from them. I know I do...

There were 6 missions with ETC scoring: 15 for a Win, 10 for a Draw, 5 for a Loss with +/- points based on VP difference.

Game 1 - 5 objectives with Spearhead Deployment

Dave and his Space Wolves

I was happy to see Dave as I always have a great laugh playing him and I was out for revenge . The mission in this game had an objective in the centre of the board and one in the centre of each quarter.

His list was:

Bjorn with Plasma Cannon
Rune Priest with Lightning, Jaws
3 Wolf Guard with Fist
7 Grey Hunters with Standard, Melta, Wulfen
Rhino
7 Grey Hunters with Standard, Melta, Wulfen
Rhino
7 Grey Hunters with Standard, Melta, Wulfen
Rhino
5 TWC with Storm Shield & Hammer, Storm Shield
3 x Long Fangs with Las, 3 Missiles

I played this one badly: I deployed my Scouts on the left near Obj 1 when they should have OBEL'ed. The rest of my deployment went well - with 3 Long Fang squads brimming with Missiles and Lascannons plonked on one terrain piece on my right I lined up my units so that the centre terrain blocked his LOS to my Lord, Rhino and Long Fangs.

The Lord was deployed to counter his TWC while my shooty stuff was placed at the back to give me a path to his vehicles on the right. I put 2 Rhino squads and 2 Speeders into reserve to grab objectives late.

Turn 1
Dave checks his LOS and is forced to pound a Long Fang squad in the opposite corner. At least he's not hitting my Troops. Here's Dave's firebase - 15 Long Fangs packed into the upper floors with 3 Lascannons and 9 Rockets. That's Bjorn in front of the Cavalry btw. His objective is behind the Fangs on the floor. 

A small group of auld fellas with big guns - there must be an NRA joke in here somehere...

Dave moves up and starts blasting my Long Fangs. He kills a couple (the Pack Leader always dies first) and takes out the Rhino on my objective with Living Lightning. I lose a couple of guys in the squad but thankfully I'm not pinned.

In my turn I faff about when I should have rushed forward and don't do a whole lot as I'm trying to avoid the Long Fang's weapons. Bjorn is free to wander about as I don't want to turn him into an objective too early in the game because he'll simply get swamped. His Plasma Cannon is a worry but I'll manage. I manage to bag 2 Rhinos cutting down the enemy's mobility and Pin one squad but he's got plenty more where that comes from.

Turn 2
The Grey Hunters in the foreground with their Rune Priest rush for an objective while the TWC move to protect the pinned unit. Everything else shoots and he manages to kill off a few more Long Fangs and wrecks the Rhino in the centre.

I make a push for the middle and rush some units willy-nilly toward cover. The Lord sits about and waits for him to make a move while my Long Fangs shoot at the squad on the right but he passes lots of Cover saves. One of my Rhino squads arrived and it goes on my right to contest his objective.They hop out and start blasting his squad but kill only 2. That's not good.

Turn 3
He moves some fecking Grey Hunters on the 1st floor of a building where the Lord can't get them. I'm now forced to contest this objective. That's frustrating. Clever too. Bjorn pulls back toward the centre while the TWC hare off to my right to back up the Grey Hunters and Rune Priest in the corner. He opens up with guns on my Grey Hunters and blows away all but two in the middle. Thankfully the Priest survives and I pass my Ld test. The same can't be said for the GH on my right who are torn to bits by the TWC although the Pack Leader bags one.

My Speeders and one of my Rhino squads arrive. Instead of putting pressure on his right and challenging his Grey Hunters I bring them in on my left to grab the far objective. I've no idea why I did that now but it seemed a good idea at the time.

The Lord babysits while the Speeders boost behind cover to pounce next turn. Had both of those rushed the objective on my right they could have killed off one of his Troops and kept his TWC busy for a while.

I unload a pile of Frag Missiles into his GH in the centre (they'd have a 3+ save from Going to Ground against Kraks anyway) and I kill 2. Not a great return from 8 or 9 Frag Missiles and a Living Lightning.

Turns 4
The TWC wander back into the neighbourhood while Bjorn makes a discrete exit stage right. His Grey Hunters go into hiding on the right where I can't see them and that objective is as good as his. He blows away some more Long Fangs to boot.

I move the Lord right under the central squad and tempt his TWC into charging me while my firepower manages to tag the Rune Priest on my right but does sweet FA against the lads in the middle.

Turn 5
He doesn't go for the bait and simply backs off with his TWC while Bjorn moves away from the Scouts as he's not going to risk being an objective this late in the game.

His firepower puts paid to the central Grey Hunter squad and he also Immoblises the Rhino moving to the far objective. That's the game right there as I won't be able to move 6 Marines that far in the face of all that firepower. Not to mention the only way they'd reach it was moving the full 12", hopping out 2" and running at least 3" then hoping the game ended. Hope is not a tactic.

So I go for spite to try to limit his win: the Speeders tag Bjorn despite his Venerable status while the Lord tries to be cheeky. I moved out 6" and if I ran 6" and assaulted 10"+ against the Rhino parked on an objective I'd take some shifting. I went balls-deep but didn't move far enough. I had one last hope: a decent run move, assaulting the TWC and a big fat 6 for consolidation if I won would park me there too. I rolled poorly for the run, the Rune Priest's Jaws and Fangs didn't kill any TWC (although I wounded 1) and the Lord fluffed his attacks killing one and when they passed their Ld test it was game over.

Venerable my ass, Old Man!

 We totted up the points and it was a straight 15/5 to Dave. Bagging Bjorn and the Rune Priest in the last turn saved my blushes as it would have been even worse. Thankfully we had run out of time so my dignity was spared. So a loss, not a good start to the tournament but at least I'd be able to claw my way back up the tables with a relatively easier opponent. I hoped... 

What should I have done?

Deployment 1

The Long Fangs were set up to blow stuff away in areas A and B but I had put them in range of Dave's Fangs to get extra height and they suffered for it. See Deployment 2: Had I placed the Fangs in A and B I would have had the same fire zones but probably been out of range of his return fire. As it was Dave had control of Zones 1 and 2 with nothing I could do about apart from hide from his early fire and try to concentrate on his Troops.

Deployment 2

The Scouts should have OBEL'ed with a 5/6 chance of turning up where I wanted them to cause a bit of havoc with Dave's Troops/Firebase. As it was they didn't fire a shot in anger.

I also think I should have pushed for Obj 5 which was near my table edge and thrown 2 Rhinos, the Lord (the Blue blob and Red blob respectively) and the Speeders in to claim it. Not only would I have been able to grab it but all of Dave's Troope would be a short distance away had I taken out their Rhinos. I would have attracted Long Fang Fire but I could have Gone To Ground or simply moved the squad out of LOS.

That would have allowed the Lord and Co. to run straight for the Obj 3 in the centre or Obj 4. The TWC would have been torrented away by Long Fangs and Bjorn wouldn't fancy risking becoming an Objective too early either.

Oh well, time for my next game.