Tallarn Commander Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Hello everyone, I brought my IG to a 5 game 32 player tournament down in Ashburn, VA last weekend. Here’s a link to the organizer’s website for the event: http://www.elphilo.com/2016/03/huzzah-hobbies-hammer-in-new-year-2016.html?spref=tw My List I brought a fun list themed around an IG infantry company with support from a vendetta and a stormtrooper platoon. I posted my list in the forums last week: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/319706-1850-pt-operation-market-garden-list/ Army photo http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/army%20shot.jpg Army leaders photo http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/army%20leaders.jpg Here is a brief summary of my games. Game 38: February 2016 Game vs. Adeptus Mechanicus w/ Knight (Loss) I love the Admech’s models, fluff, and mobility. This was a fun game in which my blobs duked it out with his close combat units (I don’t know the name but they were spindly) in the middle of the board. He tabled me on Turn 4 but it sure is fun deepstriking 4 stormies down in a section of the board and dominating that section of the board (until a knight then almost blows your entire platoon off the board in a turn of shooting). -My MVP: Red Platoon with Yorick—they got me early board control. -Lesson learned: Try to shoot the buffing units (the ones on treads?) in an Admech list. Admech reach my lines http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/Vendetta%20down.jpg Game 39: January 30, 2016 Game vs Dave’s Knights with Admech (Loss) Dave had 3 really well-painted knights. It was a joy to be destroyed by such nice looking models. Luckily he also brought 8 or so walker thingies so I had something that I could actually hurt. -My MVP: Yorick—he came back up for the whole game! -Lesson learned: I learned about a rule called “smash!” and how it means really bad things will happen to IG blobs in melee with a knight. Knights! http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/knights.jpg Stormtroopers deep striking behind knight http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/stormtroopers.jpg Game 40: January 30, 2016 Game vs. Jon’s IG with Knight (Loss) This was the only close game of the tournament. Jon is a long-time opponent of mine because both of us usually bring fluffy guard lists to tournaments and, as a result, we usually end up playing each other at the bottom tables. His army is a great looking force and he has styled it after the Red Army. This was a classic IG vs IG matchup with blobs shooting it out in the middle; artillery shots flying; and mechvets, vendettas, and stormies moving around the board. -My MVP: My flamer PCS—managed to kill 11 troopers in his blob in a turn! -Lesson Learned: A 6 on the stomp table is really, really bad. Tallarns advance! http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/Tallarn%20Horde.jpg Stormtroopers vs Soviet IG http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/sovietguard.jpg Game 41: January 30, 2016 Game vs. Dave’s Tyranids (Loss) This was a fun IG vs bug game and probably the second closest game I played. Dave wisely held his hoard of bugs back until turn 3 and, in so doing, he shut down my plan of deepstriking my stormies in his deployment zone. -My MVP: My stormie command squad—managed to deep-strike in and take out 2 biovores. -Lesson learned: When a bug player doesn’t get catalyst as a power, his psychic phase is kind of lackluster against hordes. Mawloc threatens Blue Platoon http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/mawloc.jpg Game 42: January 30, 2016 Game vs. Eric’s BA (Loss) Eric played a deep-striking BA list with something like 7 heavy flamers. As you might imagine this game was quickly over. -My MVP—my plasma stormie squad—they were the only units that survived the game and they did so because they cowered in a cave on an objective in his deployment zone. Guard cowardice for the win! -Lesson learned: I let him go first so that my deep-strikers could come in after his deep-strikers. But since he had so many heavy flamers I probably should have gone first and then used turn 1 to spread my blobs out a bit more. Commissar Yorick vs Dante (blurry) http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u420/tallarncommander1/DantevsYorick.jpg Final Comments I had never faced a knight before and 4 of my 5 opponents brought knights. Whew, the northern Virginia meta sure is tougher than my meta (in the MD suburbs of Baltimore/DC area). Since this was a themed list that, by design, lacked firepower there wasn’t much I could do against knights. In my usual take all comers list I probably sport enough lascannon and melta weaponry to counter at least 1 knight. Even though I lost all my games it was a great tournament. I really enjoyed using the glider company/stormtrooper platoon list. It felt like I was using light troopers to hold the line while waiting for heavier units to arrive. I called my list Operation Market Garden and I did about as well as the British First Airborne Division did during that WWII battle. But I anticipated that going in. While I lost all my games (this often happens at tournaments), I really enjoyed all my games and I got an award for being a clubbed seal at a tournament (won’t be the last time either). Thanks to all the players, the FLGS (Huzzah Hobbies), the judges, and to Phil the organizer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorFish Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 You learn more from losses, so you'll be able to adapt and improve :) Seems like Knights are popular not without good reason, but some Scions with melta should be able to help there. Got any ideas or plans for the future as a result of these games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallarn Commander Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Warriorfish, Yes, you ask an excellent question. What could I do differently to improve the glider company/airborne platoon’s performance (especially against knights)? -Add more cheap 5-man stormtrooper squads. I noticed that my squads did a great job of dropping in and killing enemy units and they did a great job of dropping in and grabbing an objective for a turn. But rarely could the same stormtrooper squad accomplish both goals. So I’d dedicate, say, 3 small melta stormtrooper squads to damaging the enemy and I’d dedicate 3 small stormtrooper squads with only hellguns to dropping in and grabbing maelstrom objectives. -Change out 1 of my assault platoons for a 2nd lascannon-flamer platoon: I needed more anti-knight firepower and a lascannon platoon is a great way to get that additional firepower. -Change out 1 of my assault platoons for 2 conscript platoons. For the price of a 35-trooper assault platoon I can get 70 conscripts and those conscripts will gain me board control about as effectively as the platoon would. However, as we discussed last week, conscripts go against the fluff of an elite glider company. But maybe conscripts would not go against the fluff. I could justify adding conscripts by saying that the glider troopers have recruited locals to aid them. Heck, during Operation Market Garden, I think some members of the Dutch resistance fought and died alongside the Red Devils division in Arnhem. Sadly, the Dutch resistance had provided detail intel before the operation and that detailed intel noted that panzer units were in the Arnhem AO, but Monty ignored these reports. So actually conscripts are not really against the fluff in that sense. Plus, I have a Tallarn army so I could just say that the locals have been befriended in a previous era by Captain Al’Rahem and they are now willing to die for the Imperium’s cause. -Drop the vendetta and aegis with comms array (having my stormtroopers drop later in the game would actually be more useful than if they all arrived early on). Use the points to buy a 3rd lascannon-flamer platoon. Tactics Changes -By the last game it had occurred to me that if I target knights from different directions then they their directional shield isn’t as good. This allowed me to drop the BA knight down to 1 wound in the last game. Hopefully these changes will improved my airborne glider companies’ performance. I now have for my troops: 3 lascannon-flamer platoons of 35 troopers, 2 conscript blobs of 35 troopers, 2 small stormtrooper meltagun squads, and 3 small stormtrooper hellgun only squads. For my HQs I have Yorick, 3 priests, 2 commissars, and a stormtrooper command squad with meltaguns. Do any of you have other ideas on how a glider company/airborne platoon list can effectively handle knights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorFish Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Sounds like you have a good plan to me. Multiple small strike teams is the way to go, makes landing easier and the inevitable loss less of a problem. I imagine it'd be quite difficult for the Knight to deal with all these teams dropping in around it to deliver some melta! Overall, Scions are limited in how they can effectively deal with such a foe but that just means you may as well go all in for the method you do have. "Who dares wins" is a good motto for the Stormies anyway ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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