First Escalation League Battles

IT HAS BEGUN! I have played my first two 500 point games for the GameOnGw 40k league. I made it out 2April11 to Heroes Headquarters in Mocksville NC to meet several other league players. I picked up some models I ordered and socialized a bit then got down to gaming with Kris M. to owner of the shop. My 500 point army was as follows: Platoon command squad Junior officer with power fist and bolter, three flamers and a grenade launcher 1st Infantry squad: Sgt with bolt pistol and grenade launcher 2nd Infantry squad:Sgt with bolt pistol and power weapon and flamer Heavy weapon squad with three missile launchers Storm trooper squad Sgt with hot shot las pistol and power weapon two troopers with hotshot las guns two troopers with plasma guns two scout sentinels with auto cannons (proxied above by two oop Imperial Robots) We rolled for scenario and deployment, resulting in Dawn of War and Annihilation. Kris' army was Blood Angels and contained

A 10 man Tactical squad with a flamer and missile launcher in a Rhino.

A Whirlwind

and a 9 model Assault Squad

This is early game, possibly bottom of round two. I moved onto the board and tried to hide in cover. Kris moved up his rhino and dismounted the Tactical squad. In what seemed like a good idea at the time I moved my grenade launcher out of cover and tried for a shot at the jump squad and missed. I then shot the missile launchers and destroyed the launcher on the whirlwind. That was the high point of my game. Kris moved up the Tac Squad and proceeded to bolter down the heavy weapon squad. I had out flanked with the sentinels and held the stormtroopers in reserve to deep strike and they didn't arrive till late in the game. I shot a bunch hit some and did few wounds. Kris moved up the Assault squad and took on my junior officer, who didn't live to swing his fist.

My next turn the storm troopers and sentinels arrive. I dropped the stormtroopers behind the assault squad and manage to kill two of them. The sentinels fire at them also and Kris makes his saves. On his next turn Kris tank shocks the stormtroopers who move out of the way and jumps the Assault squad to the other side of the cover from the stormtroopers.

He assaulted infantry squad two and burnt them up. His tac squad finishes off the other infantry squad and I conceded the game. I had lost four out of seven kill points so no way to tie, a win for Kris.

My second game was against Brian B and his Space Marines. Brian only had 260 points he could field under the 500 point league restrictions.

His army consisted of a tactical squad and a scout sniper squad.

I dropped the sentinels and stormtroopers to make it a more even game. Brian was very new to 40k and as the game progressed it became apparent that several people had taken advantage of his lack of rules knowledge. It is sad that some people will take improper advantage of new players. I have been in the hobby a long time and have come to see the new players as tomorrows opponents. Unscrupulous players have turned many prospective players away from the hobby and these disenchanted players will turn even more people from the hobby. If you have to cheat to win then it is a sorry statement about yourself.

We rolled for scenario and deployment getting Pitched Battle and Annihilation.

We deployed with me hiding my forces in cover and Brian placing his scouts in cover and running His tactical squad into my guns. My 1st infantry squad and his snipers dig in and trade fire the majority of the game.

His Tac squad marched across the board burning down most of the heavy weapon squad. He charged my Infantry squad and won the assault. I was left with my Sgt with power weapon and a flamer. I then charged the tac squad with my platoon command squad and won the assault. Brian chose to withdraw and ran far enough that I couldn't catch him. He had a misconception about how the "And they Shall Know No Fear" universal rule worked but after consulting the book He decided it wasn't as great a rule as he thought. I assaulted him again and lost leaving his lone Sgt to charge my last wounded missile launcher team pictured above.

While all the assaults were going on my infantry squad and his sniper traded fire. My grenade launcher had a good run with frag grenades and was slowly wearing his squad down. His tac Sgt finished off my Heavy weapon team and came for the infantry but they finished him off. At end game it was another loss for me. I had lost three kill points to his one.

I could have fielded all 500 points of my army against his 260 points and been within the rules but i didn't think it would be fair. He had played several other league games and they had fielded their full 500 points against his but better a fair game to encourage a new player than an easy win to pad my league standing.

Off to a rocky start. I have started planning my 750 list and hope to get a couple more games in this weekend.