Dirty Goblin Singles Tournament - July 2014

I had a wonderful time at Dirty Goblin Games yesterday.  I got to play three fun games with three great opponents.  The day was truly a win for me on many fronts.  I was super glad that four buddies from the Grimfoe Games 40k Group attended as well. Some of us met at my house first, and drove up together and that's always nice to talk shop while making the 30-minute drive North up Route 32.  Most people think of Manhattan and the Bronx when they think about New York.  This state is 140,000 square miles of awesome.

Format

Anyways, we were running NoVa Open army-construction format for this tournament.  I thought it was good to rein in some of the craziness of multiple detachments even though our locals usually don't go nuts with it and bring a dick list.   It really gives us a little bit of a challenge in army construction, but self-allying helps alleviate some of the unfairness that could crop up with new armies able to ally with their supplements and old armies not able to do it. I was glad we did it.

However, I do think I prefer the Bay Area Open list-building style which is nearly identical, but allows some Lords of War.  Without a Lord of War allowance, only Imperials may reliably bring a superheavy with the Knight.  Also, Ork players can't take Gazzy.  I don't use him, but others may want to.

For scenarios, each game used one Eternal War mission and one Maelstrom mission, each alternating as primary or secondary.  The Primary Mission was worth 6 points, the Secondary Mission was worth 4 points, and the tertiaries were all worth 1 each.

I thought this was a super fun way to do it.  As my buddy, Curtis, pointed out, it alleviates the issues some armies have with some of the missions like Relic and Purge.  Sure, some of the cards are a little weird, but overall the player who pushes forward and takes territory will win the Maelstrom missions and that's how it should be... it should reward bravado and keep the game interesting and dynamic.

I know that before I was a little hesitant to agree with the idea that impossible Tactical Objectives should be immediately discarded, but I think I'm coming around to seeing that point of view.  In one of my games, my opponent and I were on an even keel throughout the game and he pulled an impossible TacO and I felt like he was cheated because we really were about even.  I think that I'd like to see a houserule allowing the discarding of truly unattainable TacOs.  Of course, the TacO is just hard to get and not impossible (120 Orks are sitting on objective 5 and you draw the "Score Objective 5" card), then you should have to use your one free discard at the end of your turn to get rid of it.

List

I've been refining my list and I wanted to try replacing a few Battlewagons with more elite Trukk units. I also was up until 2:30am Friday night updating my old 'Ard Boyz and my old Skarboyz so I can have two units of 'Ard Boyz painted to a reasonable standard.

Unit				Each	#	Total		Unit				Each	#	Total
Detachment		Combined Arms				1202		Detachment		Allied Detachment				648
Mek Gunz				18	5	90		Battlewagon				115	1	115
	Kannon			0	5	0			Ram			5	1	5
	Ammo Runts			3	5	15			Big Shoota			5	1	5
	Gretchin			3	10	30		Skarboyz				6	19	114
Mekboy Fizzlefix (WARLORD)				15	1	15			Eavy Armor			4	19	76
	Kustom Mega Blasta			5	1	5			Nob			10	1	10
Battlewagon				115	1	115				Shoota		0	1	0
	Ram			5	1	5				Bosspole		5	1	5
	Big Shoota			5	1	5				Power Klaw		25	1	25
Wagonkrumpa's 'Ard Boyz				6	19	114		Painboy "Sawbones"				50	1	50
	Eavy Armor			4	19	76			Bosspole			5	1	5
	Nob			10	1	10			Grot Orderly			5	1	5
		Bosspole		5	1	5		Meganobz				40	3	120
		Shoota		0	1	0			Bosspole			5	1	5
		Power Klaw		25	1	25			Trukk			30	1	30
Mad Doc Drillteef, D.D.S.				160	1	160				Ram		5	1	5
	Warlord			0	1	0		Gretchin x10				35	1	35
Gretchin x10				35	1	35			Gretchin			3	1	3
	Gretchin			3	6	18		Trukk				30	1	30
Meganobz				40	3	120			Ram			5	1	5
	Bosspole			5	1	5
	Trukk			30	1	30
		Ram		5	1	5
Nobz				18	7	126
	Eavy Armor			4	7	28
	WAAGH! Banner			20	1	20					Total
	Power Klaw			25	2	50					1850
	Trukk			30	1	30
		Ram		5	1	5
Painboy "Doc"				50	1	50
	Bosspole			5	1	5
	Grot Orderly			5	1	5

You'll note I made my Mekboy my Warlord.  This was actually not a terrible idea.  While, narratively, Mad Doc should probably be my "Warlord", I do think it makes sense that, if rolling Strategic Warlord traits, it should be on a Character better suited for directing the battle.  From his vantage point in the Mek Gunz squad, Fizzlefix makes sense as the warband's strategic commander while Mad Doc leads in the Vanguard.

I was also excited about being able to take Trukks as a Fast Attack slot if I wanted to.  I've always wanted to be able to pile 11 Gretchin into a Trukk and shoot them forward 24" onto an Objective late in the game.  This is actually a pretty rad unit to the tune of 73 points for 11 Gretchin, a Runtherd, and a Trukk with a Reinforced Ram.  It's fast and the Grots are Objective secured.  It's very good for Maelstrom because they will probably score once or twice before dying.

If I have one thing to say about these games is that if you really want to avoid issues with the Mob Rule table, aside from using Grots and Meganobz, is to rock Battlewagons full of 'Ard Boyz with a Painboy. It is gloriously durable.  Sure, it ain't a 2+/2+, but fuck those guys anyways.  20 wounds with a 4+/5+ (and two with a 6+/5+) is pretty damn fine.  The frustration this causes for some players is, if you'll forgive me, delicious.  These two units did a LOT of work in my games, tying up enemies, killing units, and super-scoring Objectives.

Also, for every Ork player we need to add a d8, d10, d12, and d20 to our in-game play aids for randomizing damage to Battlewagon- and Trukk-embarked units.  It's almost a necessity at this point.

I also suggest that folks try out regular Nobz squads again. I used to run these guys back in 5th Edition when you could blast in 13" from Reserve and assault dummies who got too close to your board edge. I think that now, at 22 points for 5 str 5 attacks on the charge with Weapon Skill 5, we're looking at a potential winner.  No, they aren't as efficient as boyz, but they can help solve some Armor 11 issues we have with some Imperial Guard and Necron vehicles as well as being fast and durable in a Trukk the way Boyz can't be.

Note, for the batrep below, that the store uses a houserule that the bases of the ruins do not count as part of the ruin and are treated as clear terrain.  This kind of sucks balls for Orks, but we make do.

Moustaches!

Game 1 

Primary Mission: The Relic
Secondary Mission:  The Spoils of War
Deployment:  Dawn of War
Opposition:  Astra Militarum heavy gun line
Result:  Orks 12, Astra Militarum 1

As always, my cunning plan against Astra Militarum is "Go first".  My opponent was quite shocked by how close I got on turn one.

At the bottom of turn 1, I have 2 vehicles left and one of them is in reserve.  This is the glory of Imperial Guard gun line with lots of Lascannons.

 

I started munching through his lines, assaulting 2 or 3 units at a time with my Boyz and Nobz.

For some odd reason, in this game I could not make 2+ saves for the life of me!

I think the Nobz were responsible for the deaths of four or five units themselves.  Initiative-based wound allocation versus multi-wound units can be quite frustrating for an opponent.

Pressing against the board edge in order to avoid barrage from the surviving Basilisk

Mortars!

ARGH!

Fresh meat arrives from reserve.  I think they would have been better suited on the board rushing forward with bayonets affixed and scoring TacOs.

A Heavy Weapons squad kills 2 Meganobz in close combat and consolidates over the Objective.  I could NOT make 2+ saves! LOL!

At the end of the game, I had wiped almost all of the opposition off the board and I still held the Relic with my unit of Boyz with Painboy in the center ruin.

Game 2

Primary Mission: Cleanse and Control
Secondary Mission:  Purge the Alien
Deployment:  Vanguard
Opposition:  Necron Dark Harvest
Result:  Necrons 13, Orks 1

Against a fast, assaulty enemy, it's important to stay tight and keep as many enemy units as possible within charge distance.

Lots of Wraiths and Acanthrites.  3 Nightscythes in reserve with 2 warriors and an Immortals squad.

By the end of the turn 1 movement phase, we knew this thing was going to be a slobberknocker.

I assaulted the Tomb Sentinel with the thought that I might see what happens.  I don't like math-hammering; I like seeing things in practice.  I felt it was reasonably possible to put wounds on it, but probably not kill it, which is what happened.  I think if I'd dedicated a little more shooting to it, I'd have had a reasonable chance of killing it.

Challenges and Mindshackle Scarabs aren't the death sentence they used to be and I'm glad for it.

I did send the Nobz along to flank and try to score TacOs. 

The Fearless Wraiths held them off for a time.

Not too bad, but could have been better.

The Wraiths fell fast to weight of attacks as usual.  The Acanthrites, with their Toughness 5, held on for a good long time, stopping my army in its tracks and keeping me away from the TacOs.

So let's give this a try...

Nobz make quick work of the Sentinel, but they are incinerated by the flyers, Immortals, and Warriors.  Mad Doc and his Boyz avenge them.

At the end of the game, my opponent had 5 legit TacOs to my 4 and 8 kill points to my 7.  Not bad, actually! I'll take it!  He deserved the win.  Although I did well against the Wraiths, I was severely impeded by them and was unable to get the TacOs I needed to win.  This is exactly the kind of tactical thought that makes for great games of 40k.

Game 3

Primary Mission: Purge the Alien
Secondary Mission:  Tactical Escalation
Tertiary Mission:  Gentleman's Wager
Deployment:  Hammer & Anvil
Opposition:  Dark Eldar MSU
Result:  Orks 11, Dark Eldar 1

Another rather tight deployment with no real blasts to worry about, at least not before the flyer comes on.

Jetbikes attempt to put a hurt on the Kannons.  Kendrick knows they can put holes in his skimmers.

One squad of Meganobz makes a long-ass charge.  Hooray for 'Ere We Go!

The Battlewagon is wrecked by shor-range lances.

I stretch out, putting a Power Klaw at either end.

I re-roll the big die to DECREASE my charge distance, and manage to hit both targets in the Multi-Assault.

Hover Trukk defies gravity and scores a TacO.

Gratuitous junk shot!

Two Trukks Tank Shock from reserve and wreck a transport.

Although the bomber and allllll the blasters put a hurting on the Orks, we are victorious.

Throughout game 3, we made gentleman's wagers on First Blood, the first to 3 TacOs, the first to kill a character, and the winner of the game.  By the time we finished our game, we were pretty cockeyed!

Result

Congrats to Curtis for taking 1st with his Salamanders and Knight.  I believe that Jubal with his Necrons took second.  I can't recall who took third, but Francis's Orks took 4th.

I had a great time as usual. 5th out of a field of 13 for the Orks' first showing at singles isn't too bad. I'll further refine my tactics and list for next time, though I think I do quite like the mix of Trukks and Battlewagons, Boyz and Nobz, and also the super mobile Gretchin.

Still not sure about whether Kannons are the way to go with that Fire Support slot.  I think the 16 grots are actually kind of superfluous with the Trukk grots Ready to score anywhere I need them to.  I do not like Lootaz still.  They need a pillbox to be safe and if I have to give up one of the Battlewagons to keep the Lootaz in serviceable order, that leaves a unit of Boyz on foot which I'd prefer not to do; that unit needs to be mobile in order for it to do what I want it to do.

We'll see.  Thanks for reading.