40Kegger IV

Last month I played at 40Kegger IV, the latest 40Kegger tournament. I had a great time at the previous tournament. Who can say no to gaming and beer? Certainly not this writer. There were four games to be played this time around; two true to the event's theme  (Beer!), and two to be rolled up from the basic40K 6th ed. rules.

Army Showcase:
The following are several photos of a selection of the participants' forces:

Tyranids (notice the Roach Hotel in the background):



The detail on the heavily converted Tervigon below is off the hook. It is truly disturbing.



Fabio's Chaos Space Marines:



Chad's Deathwing:



Chaos Space Marines:



Keith's Adeptus Arbites (using Codex: Imperial Guard):



Blood Angels:



Dark Eldar:



Orks:



Dave T's Necrons:



Chris' Grey Knights:





Steve's Space Marines...



...including a very nice Contemptor Dreadnought:



My mechanized Eldar Swordwind:



1000 Pt. Eldar Roster - Asurmen's Academy - 40kegger IV

HQ: Autarch (1#, 80 pts)
1 Autarch , 80 pts (Fleet; Master Strategist; Forceshield; Shuriken Pistol; Fusion Gun; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; Independent Character; Warlord)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 160 pts)
5 Dire Avengers , 160 pts (Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult)
1 Wave Serpent (Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer, Tank); 12 model capacity; Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Shuriken Cannons; Jink)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 160 pts)
5 Dire Avengers , 160 pts (Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult)
1 Wave Serpent (Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer, Tank); 12 model capacity; Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Shuriken Cannons; Jink)

Troops: Dire Avengers (6#, 160 pts)
5 Dire Avengers , 160 pts (Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult)
1 Wave Serpent (Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer, Tank); 12 model capacity; Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Shuriken Cannons; Jink)

Elite: Fire Dragons (6#, 200 pts)
5 Fire Dragons , 200 pts (Fleet; Fusion Gun; Melta Bombs)
1 Wave Serpent (Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer, Tank); 12 model capacity; Energy Field; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Shuriken Cannons; Jink)

Heavy Support: Night Spinner (1#, 115 pts)
1 Night Spinner , 115 pts (Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer, Tank); TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Doomweaver; Jink)

Heavy Support: Warp Hunter (IA) (1#, 125 pts)
1 Warp Hunter (IA) , 125 pts (Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer, Tank); TL Shuriken Catapults; D-Cannon (Warp Hunter); Jink)

Three scoring units and six AV12 skimmer tanks. 6th edition to me is about seizing objectives and keeping those scoring units alive long enough to do so. No room in 1,000 points for lightweight vehicles like Vypers, or even Hornets!

Game One: The Relic

vs. J.P.'s Chaos Marines:

• Winged Greater Daemon
• 2 squads of Chaos Marines riding in Rhino APCs
• Unit of 2 Obliterators
• Squad of Raptors 
• Chaos Dreadnought
• Vindicator siege tank

Primary Objective: Control of the Relic, worth 3 VPs
Secondary Objectives: First Blood, Linebreaker, Warlord

We rolled Vanguard Strike for deployment. I won the roll for setup, so chose to set up everything in the southeast corner, as it provided both cover and space to deploy my tanks.



J.P. deployed behind the buildings to the northwest.



Below, the two Eldar artillery tanks can be seen placed in the southeast corner to fire their barrages. One of the skimmer tanks, in the midst of the ruins, is in position to advance on the Relic in the middle of the table. The easternmost Wave Serpent contains the Fire Dragons, ready to rush north to mix it up with the Chaos reserves when they showed up.

I moved a couple of tanks forward Flat Out, to make a skimmer wall as some Avengers advanced behind them to grab the Relic.



The Chaos Vindicator came on from reserve to the north, right beside my Fire Dragons. The Daemon Prince leaped forward to nail one of the Eldar Tanks. First Blood!



The Fire Dragons ensconced themselves into a building after destroying the Vindicator. The Warp Hunter advanced as a distraction to the Daemon. The Avengers with the Relic mounted up, and with the other tanks started to pull away to the periphery of the table.



Despite shooting most of my forces at it, the winged Prince still had a wound left, and munched the Warp Hunter. The Dread came out of cover to lay down supporting fire.



Mass Eldar fire finally killed the Prince and some of the Raptors, who can be seen in the distance, having use Deep Strike to enter to the south.



By games' end the Eldar still had the potato (the Relic), had killed the Oblits and the Dread, plus had scored VPs for Warlord and Linebreaker; the Chaos Daemon had scored First Blood.



Result: Eldar Victory

Game Two: Keys to the VIP

vs. Chad's Deathwing:

• Belial
• Upgraded Deathwing Terminator Squad with Storm Bolters and Banner
• Deathwing Terminator Squad with Lightning Claws, Thunder Hammers and a Heavy Flamer
• Deathwing Terminator Squad with Lightning Claws, Thunder Hammers and a Cyclone Missile Launcher
• Dreadnought with Multimelta and DCCW

Primary Objective: Keep your Warlord alive (3 VPs)
Secondary Objectives: First Blood, Linebreaker, Warlord

For setup, only each player's Warlord and a single squad (either retinue or a Troops squad) could be deployed. I set up the Autarch and some Avengers in the ruins to the southwest. Chad set up Belial and the upgraded squad to the north.

Below, Chad can be seen reading the scenario.



Using Deathwing Assault, the Heavy Flamer Deathwing squad managed to Deep Strike first turn and killed 4 Dire Avengers; cover is no obstacle to cleansing flame! The Autarch and his unit had to make a Leadership test to see if they would rout. The Eldar could have lost the game in the first turn!

I rolled the dice and scored a "10", matching the Autarch's Ld, and thus staying in the game.



Most of the Eldar forces arrived in the second turn, but only killed a couple of Terminators; Chad was rolling hot with his saves.



The Heavy Flamer squad pummeled the Warp Hunter into ruin with Thunder Hammers, scoring First Blood.



The Autarch and lone Avenger embarked into an empty Serpent and headed north. Massed fire finally killed off the Heavy Flamer squad, but the third Terminator squad Deep Struck into the southeast table quarter.




The Eldar forces withdrew west and north, to keep out of assault distance from the third Terminator squad. Some Avengers and an immobilized Serpent in the middle offered a buffer between the Imperial forces and the Autarch's ride. Meanwhile, Belial hunkered down under cover to the north. A couple more Terminators died, but no other serious damage was inflicted by either party



I have written in past articles that First Blood is a very important secondary objective since, once claimed, the other player cannot score it, too. Both sides had their Warlords alive, but Chad's First Blood put the Deathwing over the top.

Result: Deathwing Victory

Game Three: Beer Run

vs.Keith's Adeptus Arbites (Imperial Guard):

• Lord Commissar
• Ministorum Priest
• Patrol Team (Veteran Squad) w/ Shotguns, Meltagun, Heavy Flamer, Grenade Luncher and Power Fist, riding in a Chimera APC
• Patrol Team (Veteran Squad) w/ Shotguns, Meltagun, Heavy Flamer, Grenade Luncher and Power Fist
• Hellhound flame tank
• Valkyrie flyer
• Leman Russ Demolisher tank

Primary Objective: 1 VP for each turn a unit was possession of a Beer Keg (scoring calculated at the Start of your turn)
Secondary Objectives: First Blood, Linebreaker, Warlord

Six Beer Kegs were scattered randomly about the table. Setup was in opposite corners. The Eldar seized first turn, and disembarked two squads of Dire Avengers to seize a couple of kegs. They would not receive VPs for them until the start of the next Eldar turn, giving the Imperial cops a turn to do something about it. A couple of Serpents whipped forward Flat Out to get deep in the Imperial zone, threatening the Leman Russ and giving cover to the Eldar behind them.

Below, Keith contemplates his counter to the Eldar opening gambit.



The Imperial's Chimera disembarked some troops to seize a keg.



The Eldar seized another keg, and shot at the Imperial squad with enough firepower to make them drop their keg. In the distance the Fire Dragons can be seen dismounted. The two Avenger squads with kegs mounted up and moved back to the southwest. A flank shot from an Eldar tank destroyed the Chimera.



The Fire Dragons disembarked. Five (!) meltaguns only managed to Stun the Imperial heavy tank, but at least it could not fire for a turn.



The Valkyrie showed up and disembarked a second infantry squad. An Imperial assault with Krak grenades blew up a skimmer tank.



Eldar fire destroyed the Leman Russ and reduced one Patrol squad down to the Priest and one trooper.



The Warp Hunter was blown up by the Priest with a big chainsaw. There's an Imperial medal with his name on it stuffed away in a nameless Imperial Administrator's desk somewhere. A keg was again seized by the other Imperial squad. The Dragons were reduced to a single Aspect Warrior, whose morale bravely held.



The Commissar and the Priest each seized a keg...



...but they were both gunned down by Eldar tank fire. That medal will have to be awarded posthumously.



Seizing two kegs early on was a lucky break for the Eldar, who racked up several VPs for the kegs, plus scoring First Blood and Warlord. The Imperials only managed to hold onto one keg.



Result: Eldar Victory

Game Four: The Scouring

vs. Dave's Necrons:

• Varguard Obyron
• 10 Immortals
• 10 Immortals
• 10 Warriors
• 2 Destroyers
• Annihilation Barge
• Monolith

Primary Objective: 6 fixed objectives, worth (respectively) 4, 3 ,3, 2, 2, and 1 VP; Fast Attack are scoring and their destruction also give up a VP
Secondary Objectives: First Blood, Linebreaker, Warlord

Dave rolled Dawn of War for deployment. I won the roll for setup, so I set up a line of tanks 12" in from the southern table edge. I knew Dave's Necrons had Gauss weapons, but reasoned that he only had a 1/6 chance to seize. To be more careful, I should have set up less than 6" on, to be out of range of all of the Necron Gauss guns (including their infantry move).

The Necrons were set up in a rough line from west to east, with the two Immortal squads anchoring each end, and the Warlord attached to the one to the east. The Warriors were in reserve.

After random placement. there were objectives worth 4, 3 and 1 VP in the northern half of the table, and 3, 2, and 2 in the southern table edge. The Eldar were suddenly at a potential  1VP disadvantage.

Below, Dave can be seen deciding to try and seize the initiative...



...which he proceeded to win with a "6". The Necrons swiftly shot down my westernmost tank, also garnering the Necrons First Blood. Doh!



The Annihilation Barge was, in this game, the most important enemy threat. I moved the Fire Dragon's skimmer Flat Out to jam in the Barge to the north. With luck, the Dragons would live for a turn.



Necron fire merely took off two Hull Points from the Dragon's tank.Hooray for Flat Out cover saves!



The Fire Dragons disembarked and blew away the Barge, also gaining a VP for having killed a Fast Attack choice.



The Dragons and their transport went down to massed Necron fire.

After lots of maneuver and almost no more casualties inflicted on either side, the Necrons and Eldar each controlled the objectives in their respective table halves. Gaining First Blood was again crucial, since the Necrons scored 9VPs to the Eldar's 8VPs.



Result: Necron Victory

Overall:

Man, I love tournaments where an attentive woman approaches you and offers to top up your beer!

With a record of 2-2-0 I was unable to repeat my tournament championship win in 40Kegger III. No worries, since I had a great time playing four fun games against four great opponents. Kudos to Greg and J.P. for putting on a fun event. Thanks also to all those individuals and organizations supporting the event. I am already looking forward to next year's tournament, and the Beer League (more anon) being played this winter...