I must be one of those weird players. I've always wanted to watch a game of 40k. A lot of people, don't blame them, find watching not as fun as playing. Watching the game last night was great. The time sped along for me as it did for the players. Bryan and I gave Lane a lot of pointers. Regarding placing Objectives, Deployment and the big picture.
Bryan originally had two DK, Dreadknight, on the field. He took one off when Lane told us he had 1650. Lane, like a champ, said it's ok leave the model on. Bryan, also like a champ, said "No" and took the model off the board so it was 1650 against 1650.
Lists from memory.
Imperial Guard (IG hereafter)
Two Chimeras with troops. Two HQ's with troops. Three Basilisks. Three Leman Russes. One of those Punisher pattern. Valkyrie. Ratling Sniper squad, Lane loves those guys.
Grey Knights (GK hereafter)
Draigo with 5 Paladins. Librarian w/shrouding with 5 Paladians. 5 Purgations. 10 Interceptors. 1 Dreadknight.
Lane and I met Bryan at Fantasy Flight. Bryan set up the table. I really liked how he set up the table. Bryan, as I do, asked Lane if he liked the table and suggested to make any changes.
The theatre of mass destruction. Two points if you know that reference.
Mission: Seize Ground. Deployment: Pitched Battle. Greyish bases with Grey Knight banners are objectives. There are three. Bryan wins roll off and decides to deploy and go first.
GK deploy. Keep in mind this is before Lane says he has 1650 and Bryan removes one DK. Bryan makes Purgation squad a troop choice.
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IG deploy. Lane is using a helicopter model as his Valkyrie. He has magnets on them for the three Lascannons. Bryan and I think its cool. One nearby 40k'er is a snob and say its BS and wouldn't put up with it on the field. Sad that some people have to be that guy when others are clearly having fun.
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Top of first. Grey Knights go exactly where I told Lane they would. During deployment Grey Knights deployed heavily on Lane's right flank. There are two objectives on that side of the field. Between us, Bryan and I, talked about objectives and where to place them. Taking in consideration where to deploy also considering your enemy's deployment. When it came time for Lane's deployment it was spread across the field. I suggested to balance out deployment like terrain was balanced. Since Grey Knights heavily deployed on the right flank. Balance the deployment and use your range to your advantage. Deploy heavily on Lane's left. So when Grey Knights start coming at him he will have an extra turn of shooting before H2H, hand-to-hand, begins. Plus with so far away objectives Basilisks can take out whatever is sitting on those objectives. Which Lane actually does later in the game. DK warp shunts over to far objective and reduces the squad down to a model. Morale is made. The single model will shoot at the DK just because.
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Bottom of first. I tell Lane to flat out the Valkyrie to the far side of the board so it can perform strafing runs across the back of the Grey Knights for the rest of the game. Lane has troops onboard. Great idea. A lot of shooting at DK results in taking two wounds. Pie plate after pie plate and the entire Leman Russ line shoot at Draigo's Paladins. Must have done something like 13 wounds. Bryan makes every save but two. I'm a little dismayed because it doesn't bode well for my IG. I have a different list in mind though.
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Top of second. Purgation squad removes single troop that remained from DK attacks. GK troops are moving towards objectives. DK attempts to take out some Leman Russ with heavy Incinerator. Nothing really. Those Monstrous Creature attacks do. Bryan is again using my monstrous creature method for attacking vehicles. I'm proud, really I am. Since after the Necron/Chaos Daemons in May he's been using it. Don't think he'll ever forget it. Two Leman's are down. Last one can't do anything next round. Bryan reviews the game and thinks that someone's going to get tabled and he's kind of thinking GK will. Psycannon shooting doesn't do a lot against IG. Bryan is dismayed. This gives him the indication that things might not go well against GK. If I was using Bryan's GK. I would've warp shunted DK to the Basilisk line in first turn. Only because of my experience with them would I make them a priority. Though Bryan probably did the right thing. Leman's have been a thorn in my paw until recently. As Tallarn says "The lone hellhound will be a sitting duck, my old rule with Leman Russ' apply to hellhounds as well: 1 is a target, 2 is annoying and 3 is a problem."
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Bottom of second. IG Basilisks do short work on Interceptors only two survive. Heavy weapon team take out DK. At this point Lane starts focusing on the big picture. He moves a squad behind near building for cover. His plan is to move them around the building and cap objective. Great idea I tell him. More firing into Paladin squads nothing but the occasional wound. Lane gets some good luck and his Sentinels walk onto the left side of the field. With two Lascannons and a flamer they can defend the objective the squad is going after.
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Top of third. Last two interceptors take out two of three heavy weapon team. Psycannons finally remove a Chimera. Purgation squad jumps on far objective. GK remove last heavy weapon team.
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Bottom of third. IG continues to shell at GK with very little results. That AP3 on earthshaker and Sv 2 on Paladins just isn't nice. Even Leman Russ is having some difficulty with Paladin squad. IG remove all Purgation save one from the field. Only two squads of GK left. Bryan's kind of concerned about the game.
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Top of fourth. Near Paladin squad makes a B-line toward near objective. That Paladin squad has removed one Lascannon from the Valkyrie. Draigo and Paladins head toward middle objective. GK remove other Chimera.
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Bottom of fourth. IG Plasma pistol is doing a good number on Draigo's Paladins. Paladins are being removed from the near objective. IG makes it move to get near that objective. Unfortunately due to both IG poor BS and Lane's 1's not enough Paladins are being taken off the field. Snipers take shots at Draigo's squad. Very little happens.
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Top of fifth. GK move towards near objective. It's getting close to end of game. Perhaps a draw is in order.
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Bottom of fifth. IG jumper on objective behind near tower. Other IG are heading to contest other objective instead of getting wiped out in H2H (hand-to-hand). Unfortunately the balance of the game lies in a die roll. Bryan rolls and 4. Onto turn six. This is going to get ugly. Valkyrie moves to get shots off at last Purgation model hiding behind a wall to cap far objective. That model is removed.
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Top of sixth. Near GK take out a big chunk out of the two IG units on near objective. Draigo and unit also take out a number of IG near middle objective.
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Bottom of sixth. GK kill any IG on near objective. Perhaps Sentinels could contest. Sentinels shoot at GK and cause a wound. Snipers cause a wound at Draigo unit. Time to roll the dice and see if game ends. Bryan rolls a 5. Onto turn seven. Yep. Unless something awesome with dice happens game done.
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Top of seventh. Draigo and unit have removed any IG near him. Near GK shoot at Sentinels not much happens.
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Bottom of seventh. More pie plates land on Draigo no effect. Sentinels do manage to take out one Paladin on near objective.
0-2 Imperial Guard to Grey Knights. Lane and Bryan had a great time. Bryan was very please by how close it was. Lane had a good time because he was expecting to get his ass handed to him. We do a debriefing over some beers at Olde Chicago. Damn fun time to watch a game.
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Draigo and two Paladins each with one wound sitting on one objective.
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Single Paladin also lost one wound and sitting on an objective.
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