I competed in the Warhammer 40,000 group with a very static Ultramarines list, Devastator squads from the 8th Company with missile launchers, my mainstay 5th Company tactical squads with a missile launcher, heavy bolter and flamers and a Captain with Thunder Hammer accompanied by 5 terminators.
Game 1 was against Chaos Space Marines and a sizeable band of Cultists, an army that had beat me soundly only a few days before. It was a relic mission which was not good for my largely static force either. I was getting mauled fairly badly, Helldrakes doing significant AP3 damage and my opponents patience put his cultists up a three story building on a sky-shield platform with the relic in hand when the game time limit was called.
I still had my turn to go, so hammered the building with everything I had and managed to very narrowly finish 20 cultists with blast damage, giving me the game on secondary objectives.
Game 2 was Emperors Will. I castled my objective well, but had only a tentative foray towards my enemy's objective with my Captain and the Terminators. My opponent's force was Space Marines and largely arrived from reserve, with several squads in drop pods and a Captain and escort arriving via Storm Raven. The dice gods were smiling upon me and my opponents force arrived piecemeal. I was able to destroy a squad at a time and delayed his Captain's arrival with a lucky shot that put the Storm Raven on locked velocity, forcing a risky deep strike a turn later.
I was unable to take his objective as my offensive thrust took the brunt of his remaining force, but with neither of us making our main objectives it came down to secondary objectives again and another win for me.
Game 3 I thought would break me, as it has on the last few tournaments. I was facing a Tyranid force in a kill points game, when I had more kill points on offer than in my opponents list. I don't have a picture, but it was a really impressive Aliens themed force which later won best painted. I set up and dug in, with only my underwhelming Captain and his Terminators up front.
Running head first into the a missile heavy force of Space Marines, dug in behind terrain did not appeal to my Tyranid opponent and he tried to flank me, but a combination of deploying right in the corner of the board and a central piece of terrain only gave me more time to fire at the things I could see and fewer distractions in terms of the target choices. Almost nothing from the Tyranid force connected, leaving my Captain kicking his heels for the third game in a row and feeling like a waste of points. When the dust cleared I walked away almost unscathed and with a significant victory.
Tiebreaker!
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| Hulls Angels 2013 Tournament Trophy |
My Capitan would have to go toe to toe with the Space Wolf Wolf Priest. On paper it looked like an easy win. I had a 2+ save and a strength 8 weapon, he had no invulnerable save, so although I would be striking last a single blow would be enough to finish him. The Wolf Priest struck first and despite my artificer armour, or perhaps because I had only moments before said the fatal words "I'll be fine, I have my artificer armour" I took two wounds. Ouch. One wound left I rolled to hit. All but one of my attacks missed the mark. I was sweating as I rolled to wound. I needed anything but a 1.... I won!
I sat through the charity auction in a mild state of shock while my win sunk in. It was as much luck of the draw as anything else and I have to congratulate and commiserate my opponents, who fought well, but lost to luck.
Overall it was a fantastic day, well organised and ran as ever and I am looking forward to next year. A good sum of money was raised for Help for Heroes and if you live in the area I suggest you sign up for next years tournament.
