Adepticon 2013 after-action report

[Seahawk]

Back from another year and another good tournament showing at Adepticon. Three fun games against three FANTASTIC opponents made for another enjoyable time, so shout out/thanks to you for playing and giving me the challenge!



Once more, I took my Ultramarines to battle to prove last year was not a fluke.

What I liked is that I played different fleets between the years. Last year's opponents were: Imperial Navy, Chaos, and Yriel's Raiders. This year, I took on entirely different fleets, and all Armada ones to boot: Tyranids, Dark Eldar, and Necrons.

I used (again):
[425] Seditio Opprimere - Master of the Fleet, 1 reroll
[160] Strike Cruiser - extra shield
[160] Strike Cruiser - extra shield
[160] Strike Cruiser - extra shield
[160] Strike Cruiser - extra shield, extra bombardment cannon
[160] Strike Cruiser - extra shield, extra bombardment cannon
[160] Strike Cruiser - extra shield, extra bombardment cannon

2 Escort Carriers
6 Transports


The astute among you would notice it's only 1485. Yea, I know. It's fine.


Game 1
Opponent: Dan G. (afterimagedan)
Fleet: Tyranids
[410] Hive Ship - Ld9, Prow/Thorax Pyro-acid, 3 Launch bays, +1 hit, +1 spore
[410] Hive Ship - Ld9, Prow/Thorax Pyro-acid, 3 Launch bays, +1 hit, +1 spore
[175] 5 Kraken - Bio-plasma
[140] 4 Kraken - Massive claws
[125] 5 Vanguard - Feeder tentacles
[180] 9 Escort Drones - Pyro-acid
[60] 4 Escort Drones - Bio-plasma

6 Transports



Scenario: Capture the Research Platform

So, this was an interesting scenario. There's a research platform in the center of the table that for all intents counts as a slowly rotating Lunar cruiser that cannot move. Our standard cruisers are deployed in the middle as "pirates" and are neutral, simply attacking whatever is closest at the end of the game turn. The station cannot be damaged by any other means than boarding, and if you reduce it to 0 hits then you "capture" it, for +400 VP. Secondary objectives were to destroy more of the pirate ships than your opponent.

Okay, frankly I was terrified. First, it's Tyranids. In open void war, I figure I'd have good odds. The problem was that all the objectives worth doing were in the middle, and everyone was going for it. Blarg!

The first couple turns were spent gathering up pirate kills. I liked this because it meant my guns were in range on turn one, so I always had something to do. The problem is that it slowed down the game, so I think we only got through four turns or so before time was called. I racked up the kills early, while Dan had a string of poor dice that saw him only take out five before I scored the seventh.

That objective secured, I moved on to the killing of Tyranids. Guns pounded escorts to ruin, but not as much as I would have liked due to lackluster rolling. The pride of place went to the Strike Cruisers. Despite having lost one in a single volley from the Bio-plasma Kraken, and having two others crippled, they bracketed and destroyed a Hive Ship, just before it would have been able to board and capture the research station.

In the end I tried to capture it, but it wasn't enough, so nobody got it. I won a minor victory!


Game 2
Opponent: Alex K.
Fleet: Dark Eldar
[400] Torture Cruiser - Launch Bays, Dread Archon, 2 rerolls
[250] Torture Cruiser - Launch Bays
[250] Torture Cruiser - Launch Bays
[150] 3 Corsairs - Impaler
[150] 3 Corsairs - Impaler
[150] 3 Corsairs - Phantom Lances
[150] 3 Corsairs - Phantom Lances

2 Escort Carriers
6 Transports

(ignore the Ork ships)


Scenario: Retrieve the Salvage

So, another bazingafully bad matchup. There are 10 counters in front of our 20cm deployment zones, 5 closer to each of us. They are marked 0, 1, 1, 2, 2. Any ship can pick them up, and they are worth the number if an escort picks it up, 2x if a capital ship picks it up, and 3x if a transport picks it up. This scenario EXTREMELY favors the first player, and any player with a fast fleet. Also, the biggest problem I had with it is once a ship picks up a salvage, that player has it permanently, regardless of whether it is destroyed later. Finally, with no cap on how many you could grab, one could theoretically get 36 BP just for the primary objectives, whereas the other missions capped you at 17 for the primary. Secondary objectives were VP.

I deployed meh, and of course he went first. He ended up capturing enough salvage for 17 points, including one from my side of the board. Silly DE movement finagling made it hard to get a hold on him, and all my transports were stupidly easy fodder for slave VP. In fact, he got 180 points on that alone! He didn't get any of my fleet ships, but the slave taking was annoying to have scored so darn many.

I was able to finally trap and destroy a cruiser on a lucky bulkhead collapse, and one of my remaining transports even wrecked an escort or so, so I while I lost the primary I won the secondary. I guess I'd call it a draw of some sort, and while my opponent was class A awesome and great to play, once more the wacky scenario is what did me in. I already discussed it with the TO, so hopefully no more of that nonsense!


Game 3
Opponent: Nolan
Fleet: Necrons
[625] Tombship - Sepulchre, 2 rerolls
[275] Scythe
[275] Scythe
[275] Scythe
100] 2 Jackals

6 Transports



This was a straight up slaughter scenario. Nobody could leave the table or disengage. Secondary objectives were to keep the transports alive.

The battle for the top spot was between me and a good guy who is playing his 6th game ever (he did really well last game). He decided to fly a Scythe into a warp rift to get an easy +1 BP (it's always an extra BP to successfully navigate it), but he didn't realize the test was on 3D6, and failed both times (used a reroll). Once I had "scored" an easy 550 points, it went downhill from there for him.

I blasted apart another Scythe and the Jackals, as well as all his transports and kept my own alive. I didn't lose a single ship, though I had three crippled at the end of it. Crushing victory!



So, I've proven myself worthy of the mantle of champion with the Ultramarines. They've earned their rest for a while.





I've decided that now it's time to use a new fleet. Chaos will be upon them for the next two years...

[horizon]

Congrats!

Good show, even though that battle vs Necrons was easy meat with the Scythe show.
Scenarios are cool because of the extras it offers but, indeed, balancing can sometimes seem valid but once played it appears that some fleets get benefits others won't have.

Now you won Adepticon twice in a row with Space Marines. I think it is safe to say that the 2010 Marines are good enough... too good ? I am still on the opinion that the bombardment variants get to many cannons. Did those prow ones make a lot of impact?

[Seahawk]

Not totally easy; his saves were amazing in almost all cases.

Are the upgrades too strong? Hmm, I dunno. The entire fleet is limited to 30cm and is relatively slow, though maneuverable. It's definitely strong, but it gives them the oomph they don't otherwise have. I think I'd have trouble against a lancey Chaos fleet, seeing as they'd kite me until I was done. Heck, due to derpy movement and such I struggled against the DE to keep them in range.

Situationally, too strong. How about that?

[Noldawg]

His prow bombardment cannons would have absolutely blasted the snot out of one of my Scythes to one-round cripple it and possibly destroy it if I hadn't gotten a lucky uber brace roll. And even though he rolled poorly against my Tomb Ship the one round they shot at it with their full complement, it was enough to scare me into a brace, which really slowed down the Tomb Ship at a key moment. From an enemies perspective, those Devestator bombardment cannons are brutal.

That was a really poor decision on my part to go for the Warp Rift. I probably should have read the rulebook at least once before playing in the tournament, but se la vie. Making it through totally would have put me in a good spot though...it would have meant I would have at least 2 Scythes (the one flying through the Warp Rift would be behind his cruiser line) and the Tomb Ship bearing down on all of his Strike Cruisers for one turn while remaining safe from his Battle Barge...but the gamble failed. Good game though, and a good learning experience. I think I'm going to start playing Orks; much more my style. Battle Plan Roll Sixes. 

[afterimagedan]

Hehe, yes, Nolan's battle plan roll sixes tends to do well in our games. That warp rift crap was bogus. But, that's how they work!  Seahawk, our game was a lot of fun. Would love to play more sometime. 

Noldawg, I was surprised we didn't get to play each other. That would have been pretty sweet. Oh well. Hopefully next year.

[Seahawk]

Oh definitely! Our game had me on the edge of my seat, because that's a rough Tyranids list for a close-range fleet like mine.

[afterimagedan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcq3aPLJLgk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Seahawk]

My butt at 1:08!

[Noldawg]

1:55 you see me finally roll a six! I think I used all of them up in that game, actually... that poor fellow received so much punishment from my Necrons that he dropped the tournament (during the game he was a perfect gentleman though and I would most definitely play him again), making me feel like the singular greatest douchenozzle to have strode in the hall over the course of the weekend. I wish he would have stuck around to see me get put back in my place by the Space Marines, might have made him feel better...

[AndrewChristlieb]

that poor fellow received so much punishment from my Necrons that he dropped the tournament (during the game he was a perfect gentleman though and I would most definitely play him again), making me feel like the singular greatest douchenozzle to have strode in the hall over the course of the weekend.

Well to be fair you did bring the Necrons

[afterimagedan]

Someone has to do it!

[Seahawk]

Results are up!

http://www.adepticon.org/?page_id=7533

Dan got 6 votes for Favorite Fleet. (Necrons were his too)

[horizon]

Nice.

What kinda fleets did the Corsair Eldar & Tau Protection have? Latter used FAQ2010 as well, right?

[Seahawk]

Yea, 2010 all around.

I believe the Eldar guy had something like the battleship, a couple cruisers, and the rest escorts. No idea on the Tau, it's all Greek to me!

[afterimagedan]

The Eldar guy had a Void Stalker and at least 1 Aurora and 2 Hellebores.