We have returned from our adventure to Lombard, Illinois to Adepticon. As usual, we had a really great time. I love seeing all the people I don't get to see throughout the year, throwing dice, and pushing models across the table while making "vroom! vroom!" noises.
Buddy and the Journey
Tuesday
Overall, the drive went fine. It was warmer than last year and there wasn't a whole lot of construction. We made fairly decent time, however our new Honda Pilot certainly doesn't get the gas mileage our old Accord used to. We expected that, though.
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| Photo Credit: Walkin Tacos from the "Dinner is Ready!" Blog |
Wednesday
Teras met us in the lobby and explained the day's events. After a porter helped us up to our room with our two carts of stuff, I went down to volunteer my services to help the Adepticon crew stuff bags. I like doing this as you get to chit chat with lots of people about the hobby and, in general, mingle with your peers. This year I got to hang out with a bunch of the Freebootaz who are always cool, Alex Fennel, and a bunch of other cool folks, some of whom I see every year.
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| Photo credit: The Independent Characters Facebook Page |
We had some decent Mexican-style food at the Geek Nation Tours welcome dinner where Teras gave us our swag bags, tee shirts, and badges. One of the great things about the tour is that you don't have to stand in line for registration at all. As usual, the Podcasts in attendance spoke briefly as well as a few industry insiders.
Thursday and the Grand Tournament
When I brought my army down, again, I was quite pleased indeed when it drew a lot of lookers, photographs, and compliments. It's really gratifying when one's hard work is recognized by their peers. I couldn't be happier with how my army was received by the attendees.
1850 Pts - Orks Roster - WAAGH! Drillteef - Adepticon 2014
WAAGH! Drillteef Presents: TUSKA!
1 Nobz, 435 pts (Cybork Body; Stikkbombs)
1 Nobz (Cybork Body; Stikkbombs; Power Klaw)
1 Nobz (Bosspole; Cybork Body; Stikkbombs; Waaagh! Banner; Power Klaw)
8 Nobz (Cybork Body; Stikkbombs)
1 The Electrork Mayhem (Red Paint Job; Reinforced Ram; Big Shoota x1)
18 Boyz, 134 pts (Shootas)
1 Boyz Nob (Bosspole; Big Shoota)
1 The Orktimus Prime, 110 pts (Red Paint Job; Reinforced Ram; Kannon)
18 Yellow Shoota Boyz, 134 pts (Shootas)
1 Boyz Nob (Bosspole; Big Shoota)
1 The Fat Pig, 115 pts (Red Paint Job; Reinforced Ram; Stikkbomb Chukka; Big Shoota x2)
8 Da Vulcha Boyz, 181 pts
1 Shazzo Blitzklaws
1 Skyshield Landing Pad, 75 pts (Landing Pad Configuration)
1 Big Mek, 108 pts (Ammo Runt; Bosspole; Shokk Attack Gun; Cybork Body)
3 Big Gunz, 108 pts (Zzap Gun; Additional Gun Krew; Ammo Runt x3)
9 Gretchin
7 Lootas, 105 pts
7 Lootas, 105 pts
10 Gretchin, 40 pts
1 Runtherd
10 Gretchin, 40 pts
1 Runtherd
Game 1 - Hey, at Least He Didn't Bring a Thunderfire Cannon
Opponent: I seem to have misplaced their sheet
Army: Ultramarines
List: Librarian, 2 squads of Assault Centurions in Land Raiders, two Las Plas Razorbacks with Tactical Squads inside, three Lascannon/Heavy Bolter Predators, and two Land Speeders with sniper scouts inside.
Primary Objectives: Kill Points and 5 Objective Markers (one placed at center)
Deployment: Dawn of War
This game started out pretty normally. I was excited to draw some Space Marines because, with the new Codex, it's usually a pretty good fight. I used to clean up on them much of the time, but until recently I felt as if it was a pretty even fight. Of course, I was a little afraid of the Land Raiders as I have very little in my list which can hurt them, but I figured as long as I can kill the Troops before they get the unfortunate idea of getting into the Land Raiders, I should be okay.
Interestingly enough, we bantered during the entire game, arguing about which of us would lose and get to play normal people instead of advancing and having a terrible time.
He opened up with a surprising gambit. The Scouts lobbed a blinding Cerberus Launcher which pacified my gun line.
The Big Mistake. I moved my boyz in a tight blob formation, forgetting that the Assault Centurions within striking distance had twin-linked flamers.
They were completely obliterated, of course.
At the end of the game, I had very little left on the table, if anything. We had an enjoyable game, but I kicked myself all day about that horrible placement. This had all the trappings of a close game if I'd not made such a boneheaded move.
Game 2 - Thunder... Thunderfire... HOOOOOOOO...!!!
Opponent: Joseph
Army: White Scars and TauList: Chapter Master (thunderhammer, artificer armor, bike, shield eternal), 5x bikes with melta, 5x bikes with melta, 5x bikes with melta, 5x bikes with melta, 5x Devastator Centurions with Lascannons, 2x Thunderfire Cannons, Firestorm Redoubt, Tau Buff Commander, and 11x Kroot.
Primary Objectives: The Relic and Hold Ground
Deployment: Vanguard Strike.
This was an interesting scenario if not an interesting game. For Hold Ground, each piece of terrain on the table which was not a Fortification counted as an Objective. You had to be entirely within the terrain feature with your unit in order to score it. The same goes for attempting to contest an objective which is tough to do unless, of course, you're running something like Seer Council.
There's not much to say about this battle. It wasn't much of a fight. He hung way back with his bikes and allowed the Lascannon Centrurions attached to the Buff Commander inside the Firestorm Redoubt destroy all my transports with absolute ease, then he zoomed in and killed everything. Boring game, really.
I'd like to try using this scenario in the future. I like the concept of having to get your entire unit onto the terrain in order to score or contest it as an Objective. I might adjust it to say that a single model alone may not contest.
Game 3 - Hot, Sexy, Ork on Ork Action
Opponent: No name on the list, though I think his name was Mike
Army: Boomboom OrksList: Megaboss, Big Mek (Shokk Attack Gun, Ammo Runt, Cybork Body), 5x Lootas (Mekboy), 4x Nob Bikerz (cybork bodies, bosspole, painboy), 12x Shoota Boyz (Big Shoota, Nob, bosspole, big choppa, 'eavy armor), 12x Choppa/Slugga 'Ard Boyz (Nob, Power Klaw, bosspole), 10x Gretchin, 5x Meganobz (Trukk, red, ram), Burna Bommer (4x skorcha missiles), Deffkopta (rokkits, big bomm), Looted Wagon (big shoota, boomgun, 'ard case), Battlewagon (big shoota, kill kannon, grot riggers, deffrolla), 3x Big Gunz (Kannons, 3x Ammo Runts, 2x additional crew, Runtherd), Aegis Defense Lines (Quadgun).
Primary Objectives: Kill Points and Variable Objective Markers with The Scouring in play
Deployment: Vanguard Strike.
In a lot of ways, you could say that Kill Points was the primary mission in play here and the Objectives were secondary. You could only win on Objectives if you had 7 or more points worth. I'm guessing this was meant to reward people for doing very well against their 3rd round opponents and create a very strong 4th round top table assignment. I can't really say. At any rate, Adepticon gave away some cool objective markers to use for this mission, each player getting a 1-, 2-, and 3-point Objective.
I came into this game with the mindset that I would enjoy the game as I had such a miserable time playing in my 2nd game and I was still kicking myself about the first game. I saw the Orks and the terrain and realized that this was the opportunity to turn my day around. It was a perfect setup for a crazy fun Ork vs. Ork battle.
My opponent and I charged at each other with wild abandon. He took care to hold back and grab objectives with some of his army while I sent everything I had down his throat except, of course for the gun line and the Gretchin in reserve. He was very successful at destroying my Lootas early in the game, but I was far more successful in close combat then I think he was prepared for.
At the end of the game, which was, unfortunately a bit short on game turns, he'd caused more kill points than I and I held more Objective points than he. Unfortunately, I didn't have 7 points or greater in Objectives, so could not tie him on Primary Objectives.
We had a wonderful game. This really turned my day around to be sure. I was really glad to have drawn Mike as my third round opponent. I think he agreed, because much later, on Sunday, he came up to me and said that I was his favorite opponent of the day and that he was also glad to have played me. That is really gratifying to hear.
Game 4 - To Claim the Wooden Spoon
Army: White Scars
List: Chapter Master (Thunderhammer, Shield Eternal, Bike, Artificer Armor), Khan (Moondrakken), Command Squad (bikes, 2x grav guns, power sword, power fist, apothecary), 5x bikes (plasma gun, grav gun, power sword), 5x bikes (plasma gun, grav gun, power sword), 10x Tactical Marines (Rhino, meltagun, missile launcher, power sword), 10x Tactical Marines (Rhino, plasma gun, missile launcher, power sword), 5x Scouts (2x ccw, 2x shotgun, Land Speeder Storm), 5x Sniper Scouts, Stormtalon (skyhammer missiles), 2x Thunderfire Cannons
Primary Objectives: Victory Points and 5x Objective Markers with Big Guns Never Tire in Play
Deployment: Dawn of War
For this mission, the Objective Markers were equidistant with the center marker worth double.
As you might imagine, I was a little crestfallen when I saw another double Thunderfire list. It isn't really that they're good. It's that they're a whole lot of work to adjudicate. By round 4 of a tournament, this fat guy is in no shape or mood to count and roll individually for 8 small blast markers every turn.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I'd drawn a really cool guy as my opponent. He'd brought along a greeting card for his son who was currently deployed overseas for all of his opponents and podcasting personalities to sign. He was also super cool during the game. We got it in our heads that we were currently fighting for the Wooden Spoon.
Much to our chagrin, by the time the dust settled, we'd actually managed to tie our game, thus cheating ourselves out of the lofty Adepticon "Get a New Game" award.
Results
| Metric | Score | Place Out of 226 People* |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 70/105 | 85-95 |
| Honor (Objectives Scored) | 16/104 | 213-221 |
| Sportsmanship | 28/35 | 28-38 |
| Favorite Opponent | 2/4 | 5-41 |
| Appearance | 37/40 | 7-12 |
* ranges indicate more than one person had the same score
I really wish I could have achieved a better Overall score, of course, but I'm quite pleased with my Sportsmanship and, of course, my Appearance score. I was a little concerned about my appearance this time around. I hadn't gotten as warm a reception from the appearance judge at Da Boyz GT, so I was wondering if last year's Adepticon score had been a fluke. However, I once again scored a 37 which is quite gratifying indeed.
I really don't think I have enough time to do the GT next year. As much as I enjoy meeting new people and playing games, there are now enough people with whom I'd rather spend time that it seems like the GT is taking away from the time I'd rather spend with them. I think I've proven to myself that I can score well on paint that I don't need to test that again, at least not to the detriment of my socializing with friends. I believe I'll stick to the Team Tournament next year if I am able to go and just hang out and play pick-up games the rest of the time.
Time will tell, though. With a new Ork Codex out, I may not be able to help but pit myself against the best players in the world again.
That's enough for now. I need to give my fingers and my brain a rest. Part 2 shall be forthcoming!
Not Enough Time for the GT
Time will tell, though. With a new Ork Codex out, I may not be able to help but pit myself against the best players in the world again.
That's enough for now. I need to give my fingers and my brain a rest. Part 2 shall be forthcoming!
marine bikers are very common now huh? ok screw the meta, ima think up/make some non biker army, maybe an assault marine ish one for fun. Adam i think you are a awesome person, but still not enough dakka ......
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