No worries. Between 1s for activation, to hit and damage, death strikes aren't that reliable

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Not 100% sure, just some cityfight terrain with a Commisar placed on top. This is just some of our local clubs Epic terrain, not sure who built it now

I recognize it as a 2nd edition Commissar. It really works well

Really interesting stuff and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how you do with that list (double overlord unit, my my)! Plus what a great looking army! Put's my Squats to shame.

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So how did the Space Dwarfs do at CA??
Inquiring minds want to know...

http://www.wargamerau.com/forum/index.p ... 5569&st=60

Start on page 4 and you will find the Squats placed 4th!
Also a bunch of pics from the tourney

Nice one. Also someone took fior iolrian and didn't win the whole thing?

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God no, Australia has quite a number of very good players. Using a broken list as a crutch wouldn't get you anywhere.
Also the Fior Iolrian player isn't very good, if the list was in the hands of a better player.... utter destruction

Oh no Ward! You gave away the ending before I could post up all the battle reports!



Anyway, my painting blog with my finished army and terrain is updated at Wargamerau, and now to the batreps!

So Castle Assault - 25 players, 5 games Swiss style, almost every race representing.


And the Space Dwarves are bringing in response:

BTS:
Warrior Brotherhood Formation
9 Warrior units and one Heathguard -300
+ 4 Thunderer units - 150
+ 1 Grand Warlord - 125
Rhinos - Free
Total 575

So not the most tactically powerful of choices, bu I believe that a fluffy Squat list would never leave their stronghold without warriors and thunderers. Their purpose will be to act as a speedbump - taking fire instead of more important formations and generally getting in the way of anything trying to get at the artillery.


The Big Artillery Guns

2 x Thunderfire AA - 100

2 x Goliath Mega Cannons - 300

Land Train - 200
+ Bomb Battle car -125
+ 3 x Bezerker Battle Car - 150
+ Living Ancestor - 50
Total - 525

Sitting back on the Blitz objectives, hopefully behind some sizable terrain, these formations will be doing the vast majority of the kills right from turn one. With 2 x Ignore Cover blast templates from the Golaiths and 2 x Macro Weapon blast templates from the Land Train, we're removing large chunks from big formations and infantry no matter where they hide. With three bezerker carts, the Land Train doubles as close combat protection for the Arty as well as being a very difficult unit to remove from the Blitz.


The Small Artillery Guns

6 Thudd Guns - 225

6 Mole Mortars - 175

Garrisoning forward in any handy ruins, the thudds and the mortars usually start on overwatch. They are cheap-ish, have indirect fire and generally punch above their weight. They are usually the first to die, but garrisoned in 4+ cover save ruins they slow down the opposing army enough to be worth it.

The Air Wing

4 x Iron Hawk Gyrocopter
+ 1 upgrade to Iron Hawk Scout - 225

4 x Iron Hawk Gyrocopter
+1 upgrade to Iron Hawk Scout -225

2 x Overlords - 475

A whole lot of pop-up skimmer work, that along with the Big Arty bring the other 50% of the pain. If the opposing army has a lot of drop pods and teleporters, they will begin the game encircling the arty to protect them. These formation bring an unholy amount of direct firepower to the table (18 battle cannons, 20 autocannons) but are fragile. I sometimes make tactical errors by committing them to early, meaning they are brought down before turn 4 when I need them to claim objectives.


The Wild Card

Bezerker Brotherhood
5 Bezerkers and one Hearthguard - 175
Termite Tunnellers - Free

Popping up on the opponent's blitz in turn 3 can be a rude shock and swing a couple of victory points my way. They don't always work, but for a mere 175 points it's worth the gamble.


Overall Strategy

This list has nice synergy between the two main arms:

1) The artillery sits back and damage large formations
2) The airwing has the speed to pop up and finish off the damaged units, one by one.

The airwing also utilizes the spotter rule to bring in Land Train strikes.

If it works, it works well. The airwing can 'protect' themselves by working together to take out any threats against them, one by one.

Weaknesses?
1) Fast, engaging armies that can get to my main artillery quickly.
2) Anything with lots of Aircraft as I lack a lot of AA

Looking over the opponents at:
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=30035

I am confident against the guard and eldar armies.
I think I will have a touch-and-go battle with the marine teleporters/chaos drop pods/ necro teleporters.
I will struggle against the all tank minervans and titan armies.

Game on!

GAME ONE:
Elsaurios’s Squats (Thurgrimm Stronghold V1.5) Vs Jim’ Tyranids (Epic UK V.110929)

So first up I had to play this cheesehat:



BIG ASSAULT SWARM [350]
4 Tyranid Warrior, 10 Termagant, 6 Hormaguant

BIG ASSAULT SWARM [350]
4 Tyranid Warrior, 10 Termagant, 6 Hormaguant

NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM [200]
2 Tyranid Warrior, 4 Termagant, 4 Hormaguant

NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM [200]
2 Tyranid Warrior, 4 Termagant, 4 Hormaguant

NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM [200]
2 Tyranid Warrior, 4 Termagant, 4 Hormaguant

NEST SWARM [410]
4 Termagant, Zoanthrope, 4 Dactylis

GENESTEALER SWARM [150]
6 Genestealer

GENESTEALER SWARM [150]
6 Genestealer

HARASSMENT SWARM [225]
1 Harridan and 0-4 Gargoyles

HARASSMENT SWARM [225]
1 Harridan and 0-4 Gargoyles

LICTOR SWARM [200]
4 Lictor

SUBTERRANEAN SWARM [340]
1 Trygon and 2 Raveners, 3 Ravener


My god that's a lot of pink nids to shoot.



This was a game I was looking forward to for a couple of reasons:

1) I played Jim in the first game of Castle Assault last year, where he not only trounced me with is eldar, but went on to win the overall tournament. This is why he's been force to wear the cheese hat of shame this year for such a performance.* He as known around the AU Epic scene as one of the 'men to beat' as he is a very, very good player. Castle Assault is often spoken about as the competition where everyone gets together to see who can come second to Jim. This was a chance for revenge!

2) I have never played against Tyranids, although I really want to. The idea of hordes of skittering bugs throwing waves and waves at some dug in defenders was a scene I would love to re-create in Epic. Also, in canon it is the Tyranids that were responsible for the Squat's extinction, so it is a second chance of revenge!

I would have to kill a lot of bugs and be lucky a lot of times in engagement, but it was something I figured I had a fair chance at doing with all the blast templates I was throwing around.

Let's see how it went


*This isn't such a bad thing, as the winner of last year's tournament he is allowed, nay required to continually drink free drinks from the bar all weekend. This is known as a 'handicap'.

Deployment!
The 'Extinction of the Space Dwarves 2: Nids vs Squats' as I liked to call it was played on the lava/crystal trees table, which didn't have the best cover situation for my army. Still, I was able to deploy with a refused left flank, with an impassable lava steam protecting my right flank. I built the best defensive castle I could do in the circumstances to buy myself as much time as possible



The Nids deployed in a long, even line along the table (he had to, with that many models.) The artillery/BTS and Blitz were placed opposite mine. I haven't bothered to differentiate between most of his units as they really didn't matter. It would be nameless pink hordes throwing themselves at me in unending waves*



With strategy rating 1 vs strategy rating 2 it was a question of who would roll first turn, which was decided when my dice came up 6, and big artillery guns fired first.

* ie. the usual Saturday night in the Newcastle Club scene

Turn One

S1: Identifying that the only real shooting that the nids had was the BTS Dactylis formation, it was targeted first. The Goliaths and then the Land Train (with a successful retain) shot at them and killed two. Under par, but decent.
T1: The Harridans fire at the Thudds, doing nothing but a blasty
S2: Gyrocopters fire at the Harridan, doing nothing
T2: Termigaunts fail to Activate and stumble forward
S3: Gyrocopters wipe out two Genestealers in the forest
T3: Termigaunts kill a single Thudd
S4: The Warrior BTS wipe out three Termigaunts in return



T4: Dactylis Marshal
S5: Overlords rain down fire on the biggest Termagaunt group, killing many including the first Warrior
T5: Gaunts on the far left March
S6: The Thudd guns fail to activate, and end up marshalling
T6: Second big group of Termigaunts march up the centre
S7: Thunderfires overwatch

T7: It gets interesting. Genestealers engage from the forest hitting the BTS warrior group in close combat and entangling the Thudds and Mortars. The Genestealers kill three in the first strike, but the squats, with an amazing number of 5's and 6's wipe them out to a man







T8: The other Genestealers marshall.

End Turn One

Turn Two

Preturn: The teleporting Lictors pop up behind my lines (First of many, I knew was coming). Either I was going to have to win the roll off for initiative or be screwed.



I rolled another 6 and had a chance!




S1: Swiveling their guns 180 degrees, the Thudds fire and wipe out the lictors. Well done Thudds, you're always worth your 225 points. I retain with the Golaiths, failing (even with the reroll). Acccepting the blast marker I fire direct, wiping out a Tyranid Warrior and a Gaunt in the big mob
T1: I had pushed the Gyrocopters forward, thinking their Skimmer rule would give them some protection against the small nids in Close Combat. Foolish as I found out that these particular Termigaunts were crack shots in Fire Fight. Termigaunts engage and bring down all 4 Gyros on the left, then retain and bring down all 4 Gyros on the right



S2: Land Train activates, firing on the Dactylis and kills only a single Termigaunt. Retain and the Mole Mortars repeat the land train's performance, killing only a single Termigaunt in front of them.
T2: Termigaunts fail to Activate and stumble forward again
S3: BTS moves forward and chews up 6 Termigaunts
T3: Termigaunts move forward
S4: Thunderfire kills two Termigaunts



T4: Harridans move forward
S5: Overlords shoot the Harridans, almost killing them - Two wounds and gargoyle die.
T5: Rest of the army shuffles forward, not shooting but getting ready to charge next turn


End Turn Two

Turn Three - Things Fall Apart

Preturn: With a groundshaking rumble, the Bezerkers tunnel up right next to the blitz and the BTS artillery. There is a chance that if they assault them, I can grab two victory points and screw over Jim



Then with anotehr groundbreaking rumble, the Trygon comes up behind my lines. If they assault then I am screwed.



Luck would be on my side again an I rolled my third 6 for initiative!





S1: My first thought is to grab that blitz. The Bezerkers charge the Dactylis, breaking them and killing all but the fearless spawning pond. I retain and fire the Land Train at the Trygon, giving it a wound and killing some of the smaller gribblies.



T1: The Decisive Blow:
In the centre, a few termigaunts engage the Overlords, with the BTS Warriors entangled. This is where the special rule for Termigaunts come in. Even if you kill a bunch, they don't count to combat resolution. It's almost a straight dice roll and the Squats lose. Both my BTS and Overlords are broken and retreat.

S2: The Goliaths roll a one to activate, but still have enough firepower to break the genestealers.

T2: The Trygon charges the broken overlord/BTS, wiping them out.

S3: The Squat player downs a beer for his fallen comrades and a lost game


T3: The entire tyranid army runs backwards, with enough firepower to wipe out the Bezerkers.





Game Over Man!

End Result
0-4 Loss (Everything except Blitz)
1010 points of nids killed vs 1900 squats killed on countback

Jim shoots up to the top of the table, Squats head down to the bottom rankings*

*Not actually a bad thing in a Swiss tournament. Should give me a easier run back up the ladder