I wasn't that much less frequent than you. Got a bit worried about being overly obsessive!

I'm slightly amazed that an event that neither of you have managed to attend has captured you so!

The power of EpicA at Britcon knows no bounds, it even survived 4 sets of dice of dave in one go. But it should be noted that power was so diluted that its effects were hardly noticeable when you consider they came 3rd, 9th, 10th and 12th! Indeed some minor grumbling was heard

I was even trying to keep a points tally going




Until Skulric no one who used the Dice of Dave had ever finished bottom .

you sad b**tard

So was I (truely I have no life!)

So this weekend gone saw the annual gaming marathon that is Britcon, with six games spread over three days all at 4000pts it really is a unique tournament in the epic calendar.

The first game of Britcon is on the Friday and can start any time after 5pm, latest start time is about 9pm and the latest possible finish time is just before midnight. I arrived early afternoon on the Friday and as in previous years managed to get a couple of friendly games of Hordes/Warmachine in before the main epic tournament gaming kicked off.

My List
Wraithgate
Aspect Warhost (Hawks) + Exarch + Autarch
Aspect Warhost (Reapers & Avengers) + 2 Exarchs
Aspect Warhost (Dragons & Avengers) + 2 Exarchs
Guardian Warhost
Windrider Troupe
Windrider Troupe
Void Spinner
Void Spinner
Scorpion
Scorpion
Falcon Troupe
Falcon Troupe
Nightwings
Vampire
Vampire
Ranger Troupe


Game One (vs Andy Harris using Biel-Tan Eldar)

So having just been whooped by Andy in a quick friendly Warmachine/Hordes game I was drawn against him for the first game. Andy’s army had a Phantom Titan and two (maybe three) big wraith construct augmented Guardian Warhosts.

This game is a bit blurry now but I do remember it starting fairly well for me before my army just started to bounce off and die in droves as they tried to shift the Guardian Warhosts. I managed to stay clear of the Phantom to a large degree and despite taking heavy casualties I still somehow managed to maintain an activation advantage into the third turn. Because of this a failed activation at a vital moment on one of Andy’s big Guardian hosts meant I was able to grab a lucky 2-0 win with I think Take and Hold and Blitz.

A good close hard fought game to start with then and I had managed to sneak the win.


Game Two (vs Mark Hargrave using Biel-Tan Eldar)

Again I am slightly hazy on the details of this game, Mark had an army very similar to mine in terms of support choices, Falcons, Void Spinners and Scorpions but instead of two Aspect Warhosts and a Windrider Troupe his list was dominated by the intimidating sight of a Warlock Titan.

I followed standard anti Warlock play and stayed away from it while destroying as many support formations as possible, I managed this fairly effectively and as the game neared the end of the third turn I changed tactics going after the Warlock with multiple formations, by the fourth turn it was surrounded and finally crossfired to death to give me Break their Spirit. I think I also managed to secure Defend the Flag and Take and Hold for a 3-0 win in the fourth turn.


Game Three (vs Richard Laking using Steel Legion)

This was a very enjoyable and hard fought game against Richards guard which I really should have lost, It basically started badly as Richard moved his formations forward aggressively, a mass of men and tanks in the form of two Mechanised Infantry formations and a Russ company dominated the centre while huge numbers of hydras and Thunderbolts covered his army from any really effective air attacks. A Shadow Sword company moved down a flank blowing up Engines of Vaul at will it seemed while all the time a huge upgraded footslogger Infantry company covered his Blitz from attack. This was compounded by my poor placement of the wraithgate and some positioning mistakes with my Engines of Vaul.

I managed to destroy most of the support formations and one of my Aspect Warhosts manged finally to catch and destroy one of the Mechanised Companies but all the time I was taking heavy casualties. As the game neared the end of the third turn and I desperately tried to defend objectives with the few operational formations I had. I missed a game winning chance for Richard as I misjudged the safety of my broken Supreme Commander formation (and BTS) cowering behind a hill right on my baseline. All Richard had to do was activate one of two formations that could just make it on a double to the crest of the hill and that would be it, Richard would win with Defend the Flag and BTS, he just needed to roll a 3+ with either formation and even had a re-roll. But unfortunately for Richard it was not to be as the dice each time came up 1 or 2.

I mounted a better defence on the fourth turn although I think Richard had one final chance to win again on a 3+ but his dice had deserted him by now and the game finished a draw which Richard easily won on VP’s.


Game Four (vs Chris Hayes using Codex Marines)

So next was Chris using a nasty Marine list with three Terminator formations, two of which teleported with the other in a Thunderhawk, in support were three Warhounds a Landing Craft some Tactical, Scout and Speeder formations and some Thunderbolts. Chris forced corners so I basically set up in a fairly compact defensive position trying to make best use of any covering terrain and to keep as much of my army out of range of any first turn Warhound alpha strikes as possible. My plan was to try and keep compact and defend as well as I could before trying to break a couple of sneaky formations out through the on rushing Marine lines and into the back area to try and grab objectives.

Chris rushed his army at me on the first turn and the terminator air assault came down and wiped out an aspect warhost that had killed some scouts at the same time his speeders rushed into one of my flanks to try and disrupt my set up. The teleporting terminators held for turn two and the Warhounds didn’t really get in range of much except a few Jetbikes.

I was actually fairly happy with how the first turn was going as I felt in a good position to deal with the onrushing Marines and hopefully fight them in a slightly piece meal fashion before defending against the terminators that would arrive in turn two. Unfortunately it all fell apart at this point as I basically failed about 6 activations, which meant all I was able to achieve using almost half my army was the destruction of a landed Thunderhawk and to destroy two speeders.

Needless to say the second turn did not go well as the Warhounds hammered into my lines in support of the terminators and Eldar casualties began to mount very quickly. I managed to hold on and wipe out another terminator formation but almost all my support was destroyed or broken by half way through the third turn. I just managed to hold on to my Blitz and an initially diversionary attack to one of the Flanks actually managed to overwhelm the Marines facing it and break a Falcon formation out into the Marine back area, also one of the accursed Warhounds was destroyed by a vampire after some Vypers got lucky in their shooting at it.

In the fourth turn my BTS was killed by Thunderbolts and the pressure on my Blitz and Take and Hold objectives from two warhounds and the final Terminator formation almost proved overwhelming but somehow after a Void Spinner took a heavily damaged Landing Craft down with it in an engagement, the few remaining Eldar defenders managed to hold out. The game ended 1-1 with Chris having BTS and me Take and Hold, with Chris winning the draw fairly comfortably on VP’s.


Game Five (vs Steve Gullick using Blood Angel Marines)

Steve and I almost always have very tight games and so it proved again, Steve used his Speeders extremely effectively to disrupt my Void Spinners and kept Scorpions and Falcons busy as they desperately tried to deal with them at the same time aggressive use of the fearless Death Company tied up my aspects.

I still managed to break and destroy Marines on the ground and my Nightwings were stars in this game shooting down two Thunderhawks (unfortunately empty). By the third turn both our forces had taken heavy casualties but I made a mistake at this point which really should have cost me the game, air assaulting a tactical formation with my Vampire loaded with Aspects I completely forgot Steve had a Thunderbolt formation on CAP and so didn’t move a Falcon formation over to cover the Landing area. Steve rolled three hits and I was lucky to make 2 saves and make it to the ground. The aspects then managed to wipe out the Tacticals and in the next turn break a Warhound so it worked out quite well for me but it really was a bad mistake.

Despite continuing to batter each other’s armies going into the fourth turn we basically fought to a standstill with no real opportunities available to either side for victory, VP’s had us on virtually identical amounts so a complete draw it was.


Game Six (vs Simon Jenkins using Ulani Imperial Guard)

Final game of the tournament, I think we were both in with a slim chance of the trophy if we won big and other players slipped up. Simon’s Ulani are an intimidating sight a huge mass of Tanks supported by more Tanks, this was an enjoyable and very interesting challenge, I basically tried to play a very Eldar hit and run style of game trying to wear down the smaller Tank formations and then pick on them with Void Spinners.

It all worked quite well (although it has to be said Simon had very poor luck on his armour saves). The Void Spinners and my hit and running tanks and aspects managed to slowly destroy the Ulani support formations and even the three smaller Russ Companies were overwhelmed before eventually leaving the Super Heavies, Tank Hunters and the Huge intimidating Russ supreme commander formation to fight on alone. But all of this had taken time and as we neared the end of the fourth turn Simon wisely set as much as he could on overwatch and challenged me to find a way through all the guns to his objectives.

With just a few too many things to shift off objectives combined with a few too many failed activation rolls, I couldn’t quite manage to find the win and so the game ended with a winning draw to me.


So six brilliant and extremely hard fought games of epic over a marathon weekend of gaming meant Britcon lived up to being the best tournament of the year for me at least. The social side of things was brilliant again as usual with a bar on sight and a bunch of us going out for a meal on the Saturday as well as the famous Britcon pub quiz.

After the dust had settled I had managed to just sneak third place by the tightest of margins (not even that as I was tied on points – but it went to game result), I was also extremely surprised and pleased to get most sporting.

Personally I would have been more worried by 2 more void spinners, or 2 indivudal cobras for base defence.

Some top quality battle reports coming from you guys and exciting reads to boot!

Joe don't be surprised you got most sporting, you deserve it.
(Ok enough arse licking)

I didn't find the aspects any more vulnerable as a BTS at 4000pts than I do at 3000pts, that is to say they are very vulnerable . Just a consequence of this style of high activation army, I tend to lost them in about a third of games.

The 500pts would have been much better spent on another Falcon formation and Void Spinner than the Scorpions, but I just wanted to give them a try.

Which is probably about the same number of times that Andy+Mark lost their warlock+phantom

_________________
www.epic-uk.co.uk
NetEA NetERC Human Lists Chair
NetEA Chaos + Black Legion Champion

That's the problem with high point BTS's, they have to contribute so have to go into more dangerous areas. A low point BTS can hide and accomplish much by not getting killed.

The additional problem with the Phantom and especially the Warlock is that it represents up to four activations.

Joe had 16 activations in his army, and the use of a titan would reduce it to the same number of activations as most of the others. On the other hand it is quite difficult to separate the BTS and Avatar without using a titan; yes you can use a reinforced guardian warhost, or a second warhost mounted in Wave Serpents etc but most options present other dilemas.

Ultimately the Eldar are brittle either way - especially if you throw too many '1's

My list was

Blood Angels

Tacticals+SC+H.bolter Razorback+Hunter
Tacticals+Hunter
Terminators+Chaplain
Death Company+Chaplain
Speeders
Speeders
Strike Cruiser
Thunderbolts
Scouts+2 Las Razorbacks
Scouts+2 Las Razorbacks
Thunderhawk
Thunderhawk
Warhound
Warhound
Warhound

GAME 1
MIKE T Codex SM
Mike has only started playing recently but is playing dptdexys regularily so is getting good very quickly. His army was similar to mine but using Codex SM. This was a close game which basically hinged on Mike losing the t2 roll off so I could run away from hi termies and my 2 air assaults managing to kill all 3 of his warhounds by the middle of turn 2 - termies and DC both killed one t1 and then DC assaulted last one t2.
2-0 BTS+ take+hold

GAME 2
GAVIN (Ginger) Codex SM
Ginger has already covered this - all his army was coming on by either air or planetfall so I deployed in only the 2 corners and waited him out stalling so he had to make his drop and I could then remove his manouvrability.
3-1 defend the flag, blitz, take+hold

GAME 3
Chris Hayes (TRC) Codex SM
Chris had a powerful 3 terminator, 3 warhound, thawk, LC list. This was a close game with it going pretty well for me in the first 2 turns. Unfortunately though I repeatedly broke his warhounds they always survived+rallied while I lost both thawks (whilst unloaded) so by t3 my army was spent in terms of activations.
0-2 Can't remember which though

GAME 4
Mark H Eldar
A relief to get away from playing SM!. This game went spectacularily badly and was probably the most one-sided beating I've taken in a while. I deployed corners thinking i could avoid the void spinners hitting me on my baseline- all this actually did though wa mean I could never get close enough to harrass the spinners and indeed the rest of his army while the spinners could hit me every time I move forward. To make matters worse the thawk+terminators got shot down.
By t4 all I had left was my BTS tac co, the DC, tbolts+1 thawk. Mark had nothing that could grab my blitz so I moved the bTS on to one of his objectives and along with the DC triedto hold that. A falcon formation broke the DC leaving only the BTS stopping a win for Mark (DtF+Take&hold). Mark hammered it with a void spinner, rangers, nightwings, falcons and then finally the 2nd scorpion which needed 2 2s to break the formation and win the game but rolled 5+1 - thankfully the roll off didn't result in a t5 so a winning draw to Mark.

GAME 5
Joe (yme-loc) Eldar
Going into this game 2nd-7th was seperated by 7 points so hopefully 2 wins would give me a chance if Chris slipped up. Joe has already covered this game -though he didn't mention the DC chaplain assaulting an aspect troupe killing 3 of them and then making 9 saves - 8 4s and an invulnerable!
DRAW

GAME 6
Chris Webb (Curis) White Scars
Chris had a beautiful WS army with 3 warhounds, 2 speeders, scouts, 2 tbolts and 3 thawks with 2 bike and 2 attack bike formation in. This was again a close game with me managing to lure his warhounds forward and kill 2 of them for the cost of 1 of mine in t1. Chris was worried about his BTS air assault being CAPed/destroyed on ground so didn't bring it in turns 1-3. This allowed me to concentrate on eliminating his formations on board allowing me a big activation adavantage by t4. Eventually with me holding blitz+take&hold Chris air assaulted the speeders on his blitz - but was intercpted by my tbolts who criticalled his thawk - giving me 3-0 (BTS). My last thawk then air assaulted his couts claering them off from contesting an objective giving me 4-0 (DtF)

6 really enjoyable games - this was my first britcon and would definitely recommend it and will be back next year for sure.

_________________
www.epic-uk.co.uk
NetEA NetERC Human Lists Chair
NetEA Chaos + Black Legion Champion

I only lost him twice - once against Chris Webb, which was pretty unlucky as he'd tripped over the woods and damaged himself, then Chris took the final point off him with a lucky single shot from a Razorback.

Michael tore him to bits, but he did use 2 Terminators, 1 Devastator, 1 Assault, a Warhound and a Thunderhawk to do it!

He won me the game against Gavin certainly, and did a lot of damage against others. I consider him to have been well worth it.

Maybe I should dig the Warlord out again......

Definitively Andy, that Warlord needs another chance to prove itself