BotCh Day 1 - More Detail

As I've already intimated, this wasn't my finest hour but just because I sucked certainly doesn't mean the tournament did. The level of opposition was top notch and the organisation was superb, everything ran to time and the food was excellent, even extending into the evening with a BBQ and plenty of alcohol and bar games!

On to my experience and I suppose I'll start off with my lists which, I think, were a contributor to my downfall. The Tournament was an escalation format with you playing six games in total, two at 1000pts, two at 1500pts and two at 2000pts and at each point level you had to take the previous list unmodified and add 500pts on top, so here's what I took:

1000pts
HQ
Librarian - 100pts
Shield of Sanguinius, Unleash Rage
ELITE
Sanguinary Priest - 125pts
(2) 1x Jump Pack
TROOP
Assault Squad - 280pts
(10) 2x Meltagun, Sgt w. Lightning Claw; Razorback w. Lascannon and Twin-Linked Plasmagun
Assault Squad - 155pts
(5) Razorback w. Lascannon and Twin-Linked Plasmagun
HEAVY SUPPORT
Devastator Squad - 220pts
(5) 4x Missile Launcher; Razorback w. Twin Linked Lascannon
Dreadnought - 120pts
2x Twin-Linked Autocannons

1500pts
ELITE
Sanguinary Guard - 250pts
(5) 1x Power Fist, 1x Infernus Pistol, Chapter Banner
TROOP
Assault Squad - 130pts
(5) 1x Flamer, Razorback w. Dozer Blade & Twin-Linked Heavy Flamer
HEAVY SUPPORT
Dreadnought - 120pts
2x Twin Linked Autocannons

2000pts
ELITE
Terminator Assault Squad - 500pts
(5) 5x Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield; Land Raider Redeemer w. Extra Armour, Multi-Melta & Pintle-mounter Storm Bolter

On with the games:

Game 1 vs. Space Marines
Spearhead/Annihilation

Librarian, Rifleman Dread x2, Scouts (5), Tac Squad (5) w. LasPlas Razorback, Landraider, AutoLas Predator

What are the odds, first game was against Martin from our club, it's always nice to see a friendly face across the table on the first game of a tournament. Sadly Martin was not in a generous mood and his shooting was far more effective than mine. He took out my mobility early on, and with the Razorbacks went a lot of my long range threat so he just kept backing up protecting his kill points. I lost the game 3-0.

Game 2 vs Space Marines
Pitched Battle/Capture & Control (with third 2pt objective in centre)

Chaplain w. Jump Pack, Tactical Squad (10) Meltagun, Lascannon, Razorback, Tactical Squad (10) Plasmagun, Lascannon, Razorback, Assault Squad (10) Power Fist, Devastator Squad (4) 4x Missile Launcher.

The next game was pure frustration, I was out shot and out assaulted. I couldn't make a single cover save and again my strength 9,8 and 7 shots all bounced harmlessly off AV11 targets. It was obvious I'd got my tactics all wrong here I thought I could hold the centre objective with my 10-man assault squad and fend off his assault squad, using razorbacks to block them from his long-range shooting elements but he very skilfully advanced his assault squad so I couldn't get any real shooting on them and ate his way through my back lines.

Cover saves were not kind to my assault squad in the face of massed las cannon, missile launcher and heavy bolter fire and by the time his two combat squads reached me my assault squad was no match for them resulting in a 3-1 loss.

Game 3 vs Imperial Guard
Dawn of War/Seize Ground

Company Comand Squad w. 3x Meltagun & Chimera, Psyker Battle Squad (6+1) Chimera, Blob Squad w. Commissar, Vet Squad 3x Melta w. Chimera, Vet Squad 3x Melta, Vendetta, Vendetta, Valkyrie, Hydra Flak Tanks (3), Hydra Flak Tanks (3)

After two big losses I was not best pleased to see this lot across the table from me, still I had first turn so there was a chance. I elected to take out the “flyers” first which I actually successfully managed however there was no arguing with the effectiveness of the Flak Batteriesas they ate though squads and vehicles in equal measure. I deep struck my Sang Guard squad in to threaten his left flank figuring that with a 2+ save and feel no pain that they would at least absorb a fair amount of his firepower next turn. Sadly I was mistaken as they all fell to the blob squad's 1st rank fire, 2nd rank fire lasgun fire allowing the rest the Guard firepower to focus wholly on the rest of my army. Needless to say it did not go well. It was actually closer than the previous two games but ended 3-1 against again.

Game 4 vs Space Marines
Pitched Battle/Capture and Control

Captain w. Relic Blade & Plasma Pistol, Terminator Assault Squad (5) 5x THSS, Dreadnought w. TL Lascannon & Missile Launcher, 2x Tactical Squads (10) w. Meltagun & Missile Launcher in Drop Pods, Scout Squad (5) w. Sniper Rifles & Missile Launcher, Scout Squad (5) w. Combat Blades &2x Shotguns, Land Speeders (2) w. Meltagun & Assault Cannon, Attack Bikes (2) Multi-Meltas. Predator w. Autocannon and Heavy Bolters

Despite an absolutely atrocious decision on my part in objective placement and deployment I managed a pretty good win out of this. I got first turn and with my opponent deciding to start only his Pred, Dread and Snipers on the table from the start I was able to wipe them all off the board without too much trouble. When his first pod dropped I realised my mistake in my objective placement because he could drop his Tac Squad in their Pod where they could not be seen by 90% of my army and he was within easy walking distance of my objective with only a 5-man assault squad and their Razorback to defend it. Adding to my problems were his Speeders who moved on quickly on Turn 2 to support the Tacs.

Amazingly my Razorback survived the initial assault and I redeployed my Librarian's squad to support the objective which I managed to hold. In the main assault on his objective my two Rifleman Dreads did the early damage with the Sanguinary Guard making the decisive charge to secure the other objective for another Assault Squad who were following up in support. At last a win 2-0 and the end of day 1

Day 2 and reflection tomorrow.