Dust Warfare Battle Report: SSU vs Axis

Andrew and I got together for a battle over the weekend - he took a variant of his typical Axis force with some new and notable changes, and I tried out one of the SSU Red Guard lists from a previous post.

Dust Warfare - Rules We've Messed Up...

So, as I've said before on this blog, Dust Warfare has been dominating our game time in the last few months. However, in learning the Dust Warfare ruleset, there have been several rules that we have messed up or were confused by, in one way or another - mostly because we all came from playing other games, and our preconceived notions of 'how things are played' have carried over from those other games.

So, this post is intended partially as a forewarning to others starting in the game of those things that we have messed up, and partially as a way to record these issues so that we aren't doomed to repeat them again in the future. Some of these issues we figured out long ago, and some we found just recently. Either way, in listing them, some seem obvious in retrospect, but certainly weren't at the time. So, please forgive any obvious or stupid errors that I mention, and hopefully this list is helpful to keep you from making the same mistakes we have. :)

More after the jump...

How to get started in Dust Warfare

By Jason

To follow up on caanaan's article on why you should be playing Dust Warfare, I thought I would talk a bit about what you actually need to have in order to play the game.

Hades Winter Child and Red Guard List

The new Hades expansion for Dust Warfare provides several new things to the game - unit upgrades, a new Hades campaign, new reinforcements for all the forces, and a new platoon type for SSU.  This new platoon and the SSU reinforcements really seem to provide some new options for SSU - in particular the ability to take out armor at a distance. So, it only felt right to start playing with some new army lists. Plus, who can resist looking for a good reason to put those 2 wicked models on the table together?!

Dust Warfare Intro Game

Dave, a Dust Tactics player from Saltire, came down to the GP South this last weekend to get an intro game of Dust Warfare in.

Why you should be playing Dust Warfare

So, Dust Warfare has been completely dominating the Indy40k’s gaming time and interest recently – for some very good reasons.  If you are a wargamer (and if you aren’t – why are you reading this blog?!), and you aren’t playing Dust Warfare – you are really doing yourself a disservice.  Here are a couple reasons you should be playing Dust Warfare:

• The ruleset is a great balance between simplicity and depth, is very consistent and coherent, and is very fun.  
•  Everything uses the same rules -- Are you shooting at a soldier, vehicle, etc?  Great – the game mechanics all works the same.  Same basic mechanism for the rolls to hit, same saves, same everything for game mechanics.  The number of dice you roll will change, but *how* you perform them is the same.  Also, Dust Warfare uses a 5+ system – so all rolls require a 5+, and to get different results you change the number you roll.
• Very few tables to memorize – most of the game complexity is contained in the weapon damage tables for each unit.  Other than these, there is only one other table in the ruleset that you need to know for vehicle damage. 
•  The reaction mechanism – this lets your units react to nearby enemies.  Getting attacked within 12”?  Your unit can react by attacking back, running away, etc.  Aside from allowing a more realistic and involved game experience, this also makes the game require a combined arms approach to game play.  Units need support and synergy – running a unit off on their own to take on the enemy usually just ends up with a dead unit. 
• Suppression – suppression is a game mechanic that simultaneously operates as a way to represent a unit ‘hitting the deck’ after getting shot at and as a morale mechanism.  When suppressed, a unit cannot react to their opponent, and has one less action in their own turn.  If a unit ever gets more suppression than modes in the unit – their morale breaks.  This is another key mechanic that really emphasizes a combined arms approach and to using units in combination.
• Army building – armies are built using platoons, containing a command unit, up to 4 core units, and up to 1 support unit for each 2 core units taken.  Each platoon limits what you can take in each slot, and, in doing so, limits your ability to build an unbalanced force.  Unlike a 40k style army building scenario, the number of core choices you take determines how many support choices you can take.  So, you can’t have an all-tank list, or an all-aircraft list.  This helps to limit the paper-rock-scissors style matchups that can exist in other games. 
•  The battle builder – the ruleset is written from the ground up to support competitive gaming, including a mechanic where you ‘bid’ to determine the game mission.  This lets you attempt to pick an appropriate mission type and scenario that is well-suited to your army.  Have a close range army?  Great, bid to get a close-up deployment and limited visibility.  Have a long ranged army?  Bid to get off-target shelling to reduce your opponent’s ability to remove suppression and an opposing corner deployment.

•  It is SUPER cheap to get into. 
•  Most units are ~$15.  The medium sized walkers are ~$25, and even the giant Landraider sized heavy walkers are $40.00.  Given how armies are built, it is rare to require more than 2 of a given unit in an army – no more need to buy 6 of the same unit just to be ‘competitive.’ 
• The core set is a great deal – without any platoon or unit upgrades you get 120 points of Allies and 140 points of Axis.  So, basically you get ½ each of 2 tournament sized forces for $40 each.  As an example of how to bump this up to a tournament sized force – for the Axis army add a heavy recon grenadier unit, gorillas, a sniper unit, and an Axis heavy walker and you’d have a 300 point tournament force for an additional ~$90.00.  So $130.00 for a tournament sized force, without even considering any discounts.  Even adding $40 for the core rulebook – a whole army and the rules costs less than JUST the 40k rulebook, the new Chaos Space Marine rulebook, and a unit of Chaos Terminators.  
•  Fantasy Flight also sells all the rulebooks in PDF format for ½ of the normal cost. 
•  Speaking of discounts – miniaturemarket.com sells all Dust models, rulebooks, etc. at 35% off all the time with free shipping for orders greater than $100.  The above mentioned army would be closer to $100 if ordered from them. 
•  There is a nice free online army building resource - here is a link to the army list for the above mentioned army list:  http://dust.mainecoon.net/#ElcJOXSV+biFlnKuwD2f8A 

•  The models are cool 
•  Like giant walking tanks, zombies, and dudes with lasers – play Axis. 
•  Like Sherman tanks with legs, jump-packs guys with rockets strapped to their fists, and guys with shotguns and flamethrowers – play Allies. 
•  Like more traditional tanks, lots of cheap infantry, and helicopters – play SSU. 
• While not as detailed as GW models, the models are generally quite nice and good quality.  They are easily as good looking as most other non-GW miniature companies, in my opinion. 
•  They are pre-assembled and primed.  This can be a negative to some, but overall the quality is quite good, and they are ready to play as soon as you buy them.  If you want to remodel or repose the models, I have heard that they come apart without any major issues. 

•  They are releasing new models and rules very regularly 
•  Since the original Dust Warfare release, they have been releasing new models and rules quarterly.  They are adding new units for each of the factions – not doing the ‘big bang’ rules and model release like GW.  So, each quarter there are new goodies to play with – regardless what army you are playing. 
•  There is talk that a fourth faction – the VK Aliens – will be released after the first of the year.

• The game plays very fast 
•  When we get together to play, we have been able to play two 300 point games in roughly the same time we used to have to allot for a single 1500 point game of 40k.  If both players know how to play, a typical tournament sized 300 point force usually takes about 60 to 90 minutes. 

•  It is an alternate timeline of WW2 
•  If you are like me, the idea of playing a game about a conflict where real people died is a bit unsettling (no offense intended to historical players – it just is unsettling to me).  Dust is an alternate timeline of WW2 – Hitler was killed by Operation Valkyrie, Alien technology was found in Antarctica that enables the new walker technology, etc.  It is sufficiently different to not be ‘playing’ WW2, at least for me. 
•  This alternate WW2 covers nearly every part of the globe – so, there is probably justification for nearly any army theme or build you could conceive of.  Want to play ‘traditional look’ Axis – great.  Want to play an Axis army based in Antarctica – no problem.  Want to paint them like jungle fighters in South America – go for it.

There are plenty of other good reasons to play Dust Warfare, but this list was already getting quite long.  If you are in the Indy area and are interested in Dust Warfare – watch our Facebook page for times we are getting together to play, and drop by and watch a game.  If you’d like to try one out – let us know and we can arrange for models if you don’t have any yet.

Dust Warfare Tournament on Indy's south side

What:  200 AP Dust Warfare tournament
When:  Saturday, 6th October, 2012
             sign-in starts at 9:30, round 1 starts at 10:30
Where:  1551 East Stop 12 Road, Suite F (two doors down from The Game Preserve)
               Indianapolis, IN 46227
               About 1/2 mile north of the Greenwood Park Mall on US 31
Cost:  $10

More Info:

Dust Warfare BatRep

by Jason

 
This week, I went to Luke's house to play on his lovely board.

Dust Warfare Resources/Player Aids

I'm working on a new battle report for the game I played this week.  In the meantime, I thought I would post some of the resources that I've come across that make playing Dust Warfare a little easier.

Dust Warfare Force Builder - This has been updated with the most current units (units from Zverograd as of this posting) - a must for any Dust Warfare player.

Fan-made unit cards - Unit cards with all the special rules and weapons for each of the starting factions (Axis and Allies)

Alternate fan-made unit cards - These cards have less text on them, but are the same size as the Dust Tactics cards and will fit in the Dust Tactics card protectors from Dust-Models.com

Dust Warfare Army Sheet - by Fantasy Flight Games - a nice, slick-looking sheet to write out your force list.

Dust Warfare Markers - by Fantasy Flight Games - a PDF of all the markers that you use for the game (why are these not for sale as plastic tokens?)

Dust Warfare Tournament Rules - by Fantasy Flight Games - "Official" rules for organized play from the company that created the game (GW should take notes).

Ironheart Artisans -  Makers of gaming aids.  They have the awesome resin tokens usable for Dust Warfare, and custom dice for each of the factions.

Unit Forward - a blog dedicated to scouring the internets and bringing you as much Dust Warfare news as possible.

War And More Radio did a 3-part podcast series on how to play Dust Warfare.  The episodes are around 15 minutes each, something that most people will be able to digest on their way to work:
 Part 1 (episode 44)
 Part 2 (episode 46)
 Part 3 (episode 48)

The D6 Generation Podcast covered Dust Warfare with their usual in-depth reviews here (at the 2hr, 22min mark).
They also reviewed the Operatoin Zverograd book here (at the 2hr, 1min mark).

What other resources have you guys found that make your gaming experiences better?

Upcoming Indy Event - 500-point "Intro to 6th Ed" Event

When: Saturday, August 25th
            sign-in starts at 9:30
            Game 1 starts at 10:30

Where: 1551 East Stop 12 Road, Suite F (3 doors down from The Game Preserve)
              Indianapolis, IN 46227
              About 1/2 mile north of the Greenwood Park Mall on US 31

Cost: $10

Other:

Hobby Update - Dust Warfare and Painting Club!

Last weekend, I took the daughter to the local store for painting club, a group of painters who get together and paint (as the name suggests).  It had been a while since she had shown any interest in painting her Blood Angels, so I was happy when she asked to go.

I worked on some of my new Axis models for Dust Warfare.  Most of my models wear heavy armor, and I worked on the cloth parts of their uniforms.  I spent most of the time working on the camo scheme of the Sturmpioniere.

I used a method that I read in a BOLS article.  Being out of Devlan Mud, I remembered an article that I had read that compared Army Painter's Strong Tone Ink.  I think that the Army Painter is a great stand-in for the old Devlan Mud wash from GW, although it is a bit more opaque.  I may have to water it down in the future.

I got a box of goodies from Secret Weapon Miniatures.  It's mostly for some basing projects in the future, but there are some washes that I'll be trying out on the Storm Lords very soon.

Also this week, I got in my first game of Dust Warfare, which I really enjoyed.

My First Game of Dust Warfare

I met GeekProtem last night on the east side of Indy at Saltire Games for my first game of Dust Warfare.  I had never been there before, so I had a look around while I waited for my opponent to arrive.  The store is laid out very nicely, with a lot of product displayed in a relatively small space.  They may have the widest variety of miniatures games in the city.  The standards from GW and Privateer Press were there, but they also carry Dust Tactics/Warfare, Mech Warrior, Infinity, Warpath, Spartan Games, and MERCS.  There may have been more, but I can't remember.  They also have several separate gaming rooms with plenty of space for all sorts of gamers.  I appreciate that.

We set up a small 4x4 table and got started.  The mission that we played was essentially Kill Points in 40k terms.  The game was a lot of fun, but I found myself over-thinking a lot of things.  Most of your actions are pretty intuitive.  For the most part, if you want your unit to do something, they can do it as long as they are not suppressed (or pinned in 40k). 

We gave away an army. Now what?

by Jason

The Tournament of Championships was a great time, but what's on the horizon for Indy 40k? 

Tournament recap

Our 3rd annual Tournament of Championships was this past Saturday.  Above, you can see the prizes that we gave away.  This was our best-run event to date, and I had a blast running it.  Here were some of the standings:

Give Ron a Hand

I'm sure that most of you who are reading this are familiar with Ron Saikowski, the author of the blog From The Warp.  He has been a huge asset to the 40k blogosphere for several years now.

Ron's house was damaged by the storms that have been affecting the east coast of our country this summer.  While no one was harmed by the damage, a tree fell on his painting studio. 

If you are one of the many people who has learned something new or been inspired by something on FTW, please consider donating to help Ron repair his house, so he can get back to painting ASAP.

Thanks for your time.

A good podcast on 6th Ed

The latest episode of The 11th Company had a good once-over discussion regarding the new rules.  I especially liked the segment on the changes in terrain.

Check out the episode here:
http://www.tangtwo.com/11thcompany/podcasts/episodeonehundredtwentyfourfinal.mp3

We're giving away an entire army!

 

That's right. You read correctly.  We are giving away an army as a prize at our Tournament of Championships on the 21st of July.  I wanted to talk about some of the great prize support that we are able to give away this year.

Update to the Tournament of Championships

Due to a mistake on my part, I posted that the TOC would be on Saturday, July 28th.  The actual date is the week prior to that, on July 21st.  I apologize to anyone that this may inconvenience.

If anyone who has paid should need a refund, please send me an email.

Indy 40k will be at TippCon!

Myself, Johnny (jRock aka Johnny Rockstar), and Luke (caanaan) will all be in attendance at TippCon on June 9th.  I know that Nemesis is planning on going as well.  Any other Indy gamers planning on making the trip?

Upcoming Indy Event - 1850 point 40k tournament - Games 2 Die 4 - May 26th

I pulled this story from The Back 40k. 

by Spaguatyrine.

I wanted to pass on a tournament happening at Games 2 Die 4 coming up at the end of the month.  Carl Esposito will be running his tournament.  We hope to see you there.

Saturday May 26th, 2012 1850 Pts 40KTourney

Registration Time: 11:00am

Tournament begins: 12:00 pm

Entry Fee: $15

Tournament Information/Rules:

Upcoming Indy Event - Tournament of Championships - 1500 40k tourney - July 21st

What:  1500 pt Warhammer 40k tournament

When:  Saturday, 21st July, 2012
             Check-in starts at 9:00.  Round 1 starts at 10:30.

Where:  1551 East Stop 12 Road, Suite E (two doors down from The Game Preserve South)
               Indianapolis, IN 46227

More Info:

We will have room for 32 players.

Upcoming Indy Event - TippCon - 1500 pt 40k tournament - June 9th

What:  1500-point, 30 player, 4 game Warhammer 40k tournament.

Where: Clarion Inn & Suites
              4320 State Road 26E, Lafayette, Indiana, 47905 , USA
              Phone: 765-447-4142

When:  Saturday, June 9, 2012
             sign-in is at 9:00 am, game 1 starts at 10:00

More Info:  LafayetteIndyGT.blogspot.com

                     For questions about this event, contact the TO (Chris) at:  sorrosuub (at) gmail (dot) com

indy40k tournament recap

I still need to edit the pictures from the tournament last weekend, but I wanted to post the results:

Generalship:
1.  Dustin S (Dark Eldar)
2.  Luke T (Blood Angels)
3.  Ken L (Grey Knights)
4.  Carlos F (Chaos Marines)
5.  Mark W (Orks)

Top Overall:
1.  Dustin S (Dark Eldar)
2.  Luke T (Blood Angels)
3.  Chris B (Orks)
4.  Carlos F (Chaos Marines)
5.  Matt S (Orks)

Thanks again to everyone who came out.  We had 15 players on Adepticon weekend, and another local 40k event going on the same day.  I really like seeing the amount of support that this community gives to these events.

I'll post some pictures soon.

New Feature: Indy Event Calendar

The good folks at Rites of Battle went through the trouble of putting together a calendar highlighting all the events that are going on in and around Indianapolis.  We at Indy 40k are working in concert with TOs around central Indiana to coordinate our events to provide the players with the most opportunities possible.

A link to the calendar is located at the top of this page.  Check it out and plan your Indy tournament schedule.

If you have an event that you would like to add to the calendar, please send an email to:

ritesofbattleblog@gmail.com

Upcoming Indy Event - 1500 point 40k tournament - April 21st

What:  1500 pt Warhammer 40k tournament

When:  Saturday, 21st April, 2012
             Check-in starts at 9:30.  Round 1 starts at 10:30.

Where:  1551 East Stop 12 Road, Suite E (two doors down from The Game Preserve South)
               Indianapolis, IN 46227

More Info:

Cost is $15.

3 rounds.

Objective Markers: 
Each player should bring 2 objective markers (poker chips will be provided should a player not have objective markers).   All measurements are taken from the center of the objective marker, so size does not matter (unlike in real life).  Objective markers are not considered difficult terrain and do not block line of sight regardless of how the marker looks. 

Setting Up Objective Markers:
Each player takes turns placing their objective markers.  The winner of a roll-off places one of their objectives first, alternating between players until all objective markers have been placed.  Each player must place one of their objective markers in their own deployment zone.  The other objective marker must be placed in the No-Man's Land outside both deployment zones.  Objective markers must be placed more than 6" from any table edge, and no closer than 18" from another objective marker.

Controlling Objective Markers:
To control an objective, you must have a scoring unit within 3" of the center of the objective marker, and no enemy units within 3" of the center of the marker.

Game Length:
Games will last a random number of turns.  After the 5th turn, roll a die.  On the roll of 3+, play turn 6.  After the 6th turn, roll a die.  On the roll of 4+, play turn 7.  The game will last no more than 7 turns.

Missions:
Each mission will give a player two objectives that he must achieve (not necessarily the objective markers).  Each player may not have the same two objectives as his opponent.  This will be determined at the beginning of each game.  Each player will roll a die, and determine which two objectives will be theirs for that game.

Victory Conditions:
If one player completes all their objectives while the opposing player has achieved half or none of theirs, then the game is a major victory.  If one side completes half of their objectives while the opposing player has achieved none of theirs, then the game is a minor victory.  If both players have achieved either all, half, or none of their objectives, then the game is a draw.  A major victory will award the victor 10 battle points, while awarding the defeated player 0 battle points.  A minor victory will award the victor 7 battle points, while awarding the defeated player 3 battle points.  A draw will award both players 5 battle points.  Tabling your opponent will NOT give you an automatic major victory.  You must still achieve enough of your objectives to qualify for a major victory.

Prize Support:
Prizes will be awarded to the following players:

• Best General-the player with the highest number of battle points.
• Best Army Appearance-the player with the highest appearance score.
• Best Sportsman-the player who is voted most fun to play by his opponents
• The 3 players with the highest combined scores will also be awarded prizes.  Each category will be weighed equally when determining the overall score.
• Random prizes will be given away also, and will be determined by the number of attendees. 

Combat Patrol Tournament Wrap-Up

Here's the results from this past weekend's Combat Patrol tournament:

Generalship:
1st:  Ernan H (Chaos Marines)
2nd:  Ryan H (Orks)
3rd:  Jason T (Grey Knights)
4th:  Ken L (Dark Eldar)
5th:  Patrick M (Blood Angels)
6th:  Steve B (Eldar)
7th:  Luke T (Sisters of Battle)
8th:  Mark W (Orks)
9th:  Matt S (Orks)
10th:  Dustin S (Dark Eldar)

Overall:
1st:  Patrick M (Blood Angels)
2nd:  Luke T (Sisters of Battle)
3rd:  Jason T (Grey Knights)
4th:  Steve B (Eldar)
5th:  Ernan H (Chaos Marines)
6th:  Matt S (Orks)
7th:  David D (Tyranids)
8th:  Dustin S (Dark Eldar)
9th:  Todd D (IG)
10th:  Ken L (Dark Eldar)

Painting:
1st:  Patrick M (Blood Angels)
2nd:  Luke T (Sisters of Battle)
3rd:  Matt S (Orks)
4th:  Jason T (Grey Knights)
5th:  Steve B (Eldar)

I had a great time playing in this tournament.  I really look forward to when John gets a chance to run these events, as they are some of my favorite of the year.  I'll have some info about some new events coming up in the next few days.  Stay tuned! 

Combat Patrol Coming Up!!!

We're just over a week away from the Combat Patrol Showdown! Make sure you double check your army lists and the missions. Last tourney was loads of fun, and this one is sure to be better. Spaces are filling up so reserve your spot TODAY!

Register NOW!!

I added a page at the top of the blog (just under the title bar) that you can click to register for the upcoming Combat Patrol Tournament.  I will be adding this feature to each event that we run for added convenience.

Thanks, and hope to see you all there.

Combat Patrol...

Hi everyone! Just a question for the masses...what would everyone prefer for the combat patrol tourney: 5 or 6 Games? I think either is possible, so what do the players want? I'm also going to go to GP South and see how many tables we could squeeze in. However, we will have to cap it somewhere, and given the interest at the Open, make sure you pre-register! Hoping for your input, and we'll see you there!

Upcoming Indy Event - 500 point Combat Patrol

What: 500-point Combat Patrol Tournament

When: Saturday, 31st March, 2012
            Sign-in starts at 9:30, Round 1 starts at 10:30

Where: Game Preserve South

               1551 East Stop 12 Road
               Indianapolis, IN 46227
               317.881.4263
               About 1/2 mile north of the Greenwood Park Mall on US 31

Who To Contact:  to sign up, send an email to:  indy40k@gmail.com with the following information:

• your name
• an email address where you may be reached
• what army you will be playing 
• If you want to pre-register via PayPal, let me know in your email and I'll send you an invoice.  Otherwise,  you can pay at the door.
• The cost will be $10.

More Details:

FOC Chart is modified as follows…

1-6 Troops

0-1   HQ*

0-1   Elite*

0-1   Fast Attack*

0-1   Heavy Support*

• 1.)    You may ONLY take 1 non-troop unit for each Troop Selection on the FOC. Only Troops are SCORING UNITS, as per the rulebook.
• 2.)    No 2+ Saves (of any kind)
• 3.)    No invulnerable saves (unless the model does not come with an armour save.  Also, Sisters of Battle will be allowed.)
• 4.)    No psychic powers may be used.
• 5.)    No Monstrous Creatures
• 6.)    No model other than troops may have more than 2 Wounds.
• 7.)    No ‘unlockable’ troop units may be taken.
• 8.)    No Vehicle may have a combined armour sum more than 33 (adding front, side, and rear values)
• 9.)    No Ordinance weapons
• 10.)  No Special Characters (If in doubt, leave ‘em out)

Tournament will be 6 games, 1 hour each.

Special Rules:

• Nominate a ‘leader’ of your army. This will your HQ choice (if you have one), or the model with the highest leadership. If more than one model shares the highest leadership, nominate one to be your ‘leader’. (This is for assassination missions)
• You must select one STRATEGIC ASSET at the beginning of the tournament. This MUST be told to the T.O. before game one. You do not need to inform your opponent of this asset until it is used. It may be used ONCE during the entire tournament. (You will be given a token at check-in. Return it after the game in which it is used) You may only use your Strategic Asset AFTER DEPLOYMENT (including scout moves), but BEFORE TURN ONE.
• Strategic Assets: 
• 1.)    Flash Bomb – Night fight is used for turn one.
• 2.)    Smoke Bomb – Place the large blast template anywhere on the board. Scatter it 2D6 in a random direction. For game turn one, this template blocks line of sight. It may be moved through. It has no other effects on units other than blocking sight through it.
• 3.)    Arsonist – Nominate one piece of area terrain to be on fire. For Turn game turn one it counts as dangerous terrain.
• 4.)    Nitrous – One vehicle (including walkers) may add 6 inches on to their movement on the first turn of the game. They may not shoot, assault, embark or disembark units, tank shock, or ram. (Smoke launchers may be used) However, due to the extra speed, any dangerous terrain tests must be made on 2D6. A roll of a 1 on either die will cause an ‘Immobile’ result as well as any other effects that would normally occur.
• 5.)    Sprint, not Verizon – Your wireless communications are excellent. You may add or subtract 1 to all reserve rolls this game.
• 6.)    Tactical Advantage – After deployment and scout moves, you may re-deploy D3 units in your army.

Mission #1: Modified Seize Ground

Deployment: Spearhead.

Place One objective in the center of the board. Roll for table quarter to deploy in. After picking quarter, but BEFORE deploying, each player places one objective in the neighboring quarter on your same long board edge. These two objectives must be at least 12” from the center objective.

Bonus Objective: Have one unit wholly in your enemy’s deployment zone at the end of the game.  

Mission #2: Victory Points

Deployment: Pitched Battle

Bonus Objective: Hold any piece of terrain outside of your deployment zone uncontested.

Mission #3: The Big Red Button

Deployment: Draw a line from one corner of your table edge diagonally to a point 24" from the opposite corner.  Place an objective in the center of the table. The winner is the player who holds this objective at the end of the game.

Special Rules: Instead of Shooting, any unengaged scoring unit that is holding the objective, with at least one model in base contact with the Big Red Button , may push it. Roll a D6:

• 1.)    ON FIRE!: Roll the scatter dice. Place a flamer template in the direction of the arrow. On a ‘HIT’, the controlling player may choose. All models under the template take a Strength 4, AP- hit. 
• 2.)    Tremor: Pick an enemy unit, on a 2+ they count as being pinned.
• 3.)    OUCH! : The model in base contact takes a strength 3 hit.
• 4.)    Dakka-dakka: The model in base contact is treated as having a big shoota this turn.
• (Strength 5, AP5, assault 3, 36” range)
• 5.)    WTF! : The model in base contact must take a leadership test at -1. If failed, the model (not the unit) goes mad, and immediately breaks from his unit and falls back as if broken. He may not regroup, but treats any ranged weapon he may have as an assault weapon.
• 6.)    Click-Click, KABOOM! : Beginning Rolling for every piece of area terrain, in any order the controlling player chooses. Stop rolling once a 6 is rolled, or every piece of terrain has been checked. If a 6 is rolled, that piece of area terrain explodes and is removed from the board. Any unit inside that piece of terrain is immediately flung 2D6 inches in a random direction. Units will not land in impassable terrain, or within an inch of enemy models, simply place them as close as you can.  (On a hit, they stay put) If any models are thrown off the board they count as destroyed. Any non-vehicle unit flung in this way must then take a pinning check.

Bonus Objective: Press the button more than once.

Mission #4: Capture and Control

Deployment: Spearhead

Bonus Objective: Assassinate your enemy’s ‘Leader’.

Mission #5: Variable.

Secretly choose one mission and write it down. After deployment and scout moves, but before any seizing the initiative attempt, reveal your objective to your opponent. Your objective is to both achieve your objective, and deny your opponent his.

OBJECTIVES:

• 1.)    Table Quarters – have more points of SCORING UNITS in a quarter to claim.
• 2.)    Center Objective – Hold the center objective uncontested.
• 3.)    Annihilation – Destroy ALL of your enemy’s SCORING UNITS.

Bonus Objective:  Achieve your objective AND your opponent’s.

I'll be one of the paint judges at the Indy Open tomorrow.  I will be tweeting from the event.  If you'd care to follow along, click here, or search for #IndyOpen.

Old Stuff Day

Today is Old Stuff Day, a day where we dig out some of our favorite blog posts from the past and give them some time in the spotlight.

I finished some chapter badges on a few models.

A few extra finished marines.

Heralds Of Ultramar painting tutorial (also works for Ultramarines)

I wax nostalgic about my 3rd Ed. Tyranid army.








I hope you enjoyed these blasts from the past.

Tournament recap

We had a tournament last weekend, using missions from the upcoming Indy Open.  Here's the breakdown:

Top 5 Generals:
1.  Dustin S. (Dark Eldar)
2.  Nate H. (Blood Angels)
3.  Scott K (ScottyDont-Vulkan Space Marines)
4.  Aaron A (Spaguatyrine-Space Wolves)
5.  Nik M (TheGraveMind-Blood Angels)

Top 5 Overall:
1.  Steve B (GeekProtem-Blood Angels)
2.  Scott K (ScottyDont-Vulkan Space Marines)
3.  Steve B (Imperial Guard)
4.  Aaron B (Deathwing)
5.  Aaron A (Spaguatyrine-Space Wolves)

Edit:  Here are the painting rankings:
1.  Steve B  (GeekProtem-Blood Angels)
2.  Edge T  (IG)
3.  Scott K  (ScottyDont-Vulkan Space Marines)
4.  Mark F  (Black Templars)
5.  Steve B  (IG)
6.  Aaron B  (Deathwing)
7.  John L (Sisters of Battle)
8.  Aaron A  (Spaguatyrine-Space Wolves)
9.  Brad S (IG)
10. Robert P (Steel Legion IG)

Since we only had 3 rounds instead of the Indy Open's 6 rounds, we had to use some of the tie-breakers that we normally use in our events.  The top generals were actually tied in points, but Dustin won on the tie-breaker.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Matt's Deffkoptas charge headlong into Robert's Chimera wall.

Steve's "Blood Angels" face off against John's Sisters.

Dustin's Dark Eldar dart across the field to crash into Brad's IG.

Ken's Grey Knights deep strike in to find only swift, melty death.

Edge's Vendettas torment Mark's Black Templars.

Steve's Rough Riders hide, er...ready themselves for Austin's Eldar.

Brad's IG hopes to do enough damage to Matt's Orks before the greenskins reach their lines.

Robert's Steel Legion dismount to try and overwhelm Aaron's Deathwing in close range fire.

Robert's IG hopes to bring down the two Deathwing Dreadnought making their way through some ruins.