New To-Do List

As I mentioned in my last post, I have cleared a large number of things from my current to-do list, and I need a new one.  This is what I'm currently thinking:

1. Paint Ghazkull
2. Build and paint two Nobz with Big Shootas and Power Klaws - Not Started
3. Paint my Tankbustas
4. Assemble and paint my Dakkajet
5. Paint my Ork Bomba 
6. Base and undercoat my Dark Elves
7. Start painting my Dark Elves
8. Finish the two Ork Attak Fightas and paint them
9. Get More DAKKA JETS!  (Ideally four more)
10. Build and paint a Mekboy Junka - Half built, waiting on turrets from Dakka-Jet Kits
11. Kit bash together two more war buggies from Trukk kit

Odds are I'll chop and change a few things, but the main goal I have is to put more anti-armor and air power into my Ork lists.  

Updated to-do list

As I mentioned when I last updated my to-do list, I had a deadline of 7 July for everything.  Well, it's now the 9th of July, lets see how I did:

So here's my new list of things to do:

1. Paint my two Nobz mobs - DONE
2. Paint 9 Killa Kanz - DONE
3. Paint 15 Shoota boyz - DONE
4. Paint the bases on DONE
5. Paint the bases on DONE
6. Build and paint two Nobz with Big Shootas and Power Klaws - Not Started
7. Build and paint a Mekboy Junka - Half built
8. Paint a Battle Wagon - DONE

So as you can see, some good progress, and not so much a failure on some items as a change in priorities - as I didn't end up using the Junka or the Nobs with Big Shootas I pulled them from the list.  Instead I managed to paint another 10 Lootas fully, and also managed to paint a display board for my army.  Overall I am very pleased with the progress.  Now I need a new to-do list!

Fields of Blood Day Two

Well - day two is in the bag and man am I tired.  It's a long day leaving the house at 7am and getting home at 7pm, even when doing something as fun as a tournament.

So heres how day twos matches went.

Game four I drew another Dark Eldar list - virtually identical to the list I played in game three.  Five Venoms, three Ravagers, Baron with Beasts.  This list opted for a couple of Raiders with Witches.  That being the case - I had practice now!  I followed the plan I laid out in my last post - keeping my force together and ensuring all units were supported, and also ensuring the Kans all had KFF protection.  It mean I took one heck of a lot of incoming fire, and shruged off most of it.  When I got into Grotzooka and shoota range I began hammering back, and by turn three my opponent realised that he would need to table me to win - I had a massive lead.  In the end I think I had 17 kill points to his 4.  My secret mission was to kill the baron, which I also achieved.  15 tournament points earned.

Gamer five was another Blood Angels list - this one with Rhinos rather than jump packs, a normal libarian instead of Mephiston, and a Death Company with Furioso Dred in a Stormraven.  My lootas popped the storm raven in turn one, the Kans then locked up the whole army in the middle of the table for most of the game.  We ended with a Draw, and in hindsight I wish I had not played my boys mob into the Death Companies hands - they were better dealt to by the Kans.  The game ended in a Draw and I took away 7 points.

The last game of the tournament I drew a third Dark Eldar list.  No Baron in this list, but still Venomspam, with Ravagers and two Raiders with Witches.  It was table quarters, and smoking or burning terrain, so I reserved my Choppa boys with my Warboss, and my Nobz.  The mission was five objectives and five kill points, with five units nominated at the start of the game.  I chose the Venoms, as I knew I'd need to deal with them anyway.  It was a brutal fight - I'm not sure I regret any tactics ( I may need to sleep on it though) but we ended in a draw - I did get five smoking ruined Venoms though, so Harrah! 

In the end I finished with two wins, two draws and two losses - not to shabby overall.  I placed 24th out of 50, which was Waaayyy better than last time - I was 76th out of 80 last time.  Talk about improvement!  Oh, and to top off the day, I won 2nd place for best terrain - Allistair took first.  

I took lots of photos, I'll try to get some up soon.

Fields of Blood day 1 recap

It's currently 6:45am on Sunday morning and I'll be piling into the battlewagon in 15 minutes to pick up the guys for day two of the tournament.  I thought I'd do a quick recap of day one so that it's not all lost in the blur of excitement that day two brings.

The battlewagon

My first match up was against Mathew Collett's Eldar Shuriken Cannon spam list - three wave serpents, two farseers using guide and doom with witchblades, two guardian squads with Shuriken cannons, two squadrons of three war walkers and two dire avenger squads.   I pulled of a resounding victory - 15 to tournament points with and absurdly high number of kill points - I think I scored 18 pts by the end of the game.

Mathews somewhat painted Eldar - turns out Peter asked him to play at the last minute to make the numbers even, so I suppose some forgiveness is in order.

The battlefield for game 1 - I deployed on the side closest to the camera.

Game two was a bit more rough.  I played against Daniel Hayden's 'colorful' blood angels army, let by Mephiston, with three ten man assault squads with two meltas each and a power fist, two apothecaries, and three devastator quads with four missile launchers a piece.  It was horribly one sided - my dice roles we not great, I put my big mek in the wrong place - back with the lootas (who didn't need him) instead of up with my Kans (who did need him, a lot).  I held my boyz in reserve along with my warboss, nobs and battlewagon.  All of which was also a mistake.  The blood angels were able to pick me apart - first my Kanz, then the lootas, then the boyz, and then the Nobs/Warboss/Wagon, and at no time was I able to bring any force of any size to bear.  I was tabled, and deserved it.  I really need to ensure I don't piecemeal myself like that again.  Orks need to play as one all threatening mass.

The battlefield for game two - I deployed in the rear left corner - not a lot of cover to be had

Game three was against Hayden Korach's Dark Eldar.  It packed a vicious six Venoms, four with blaster equipped 5 man warrior squads aboard and extra splinter cannons, and two with three blaster equiped 3 man Trueborn squads, extra splinter cannons and grisly trophies.  He ran Baron leading a big beast pack with 5 beast masters, 6 razorwing flocks, 8 Khymarae, and three ravagers with nightsheilds.  The mission was night fighting turn one, then  again for turns 5-6.  The mission activated objectives through the game - not a great one for a slow force like mine.  It was a fun game - the beasts destroyed my boys mobs, but lost the baron in the process, then the beasts mob was laid low by my Kans, which blew most of them away with Grotzooka fire (insta-kill 5 wound bird bases for the win!) and then mopped up the rest in assault.  The Venoms harassed my Kans at long range, and the battle wagon and one loota mob spent most of the game stuck at the wrong end of the table.  I lost the match, due to an empty Venom contesting my objective in the very last turn of the game!

Battlefield 3 - I deployed on the opposite side.

 SO here are my lessons from day one:

• Dragoon the battle wagon for the big mek and shootas.
• Keep the Kanz near the wagon/Mek for the cover saves.  
• Keep the Nobs safe in the back to grab/hold objectives. Use their small force size to keep them out of sight.
• keep the choppa boyz behind the wagon and the kanz.  
• Move the whole force as one and make the enemy deal with the whole thing - don't offer 'safe' charges - make sure all units are supported.