Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Battle Report from NOVA Open 2011

So, Morgrim, Lo Pan and I all volunteered at the NOVA Open this past weekend. For those who are not familiar or up to date with Warhammer 40K, it is the largest tournament for 40K on the U.S. East Coast, and quickly becoming one of the most popular. The reason I mention this is because this year was the first year it expanded into non-GW games: Warmachine/Hordes and Malifaux were both represented with a 32 person tournament each. My hope is to do the same for Infinity at the NOVA Open 2012. But that is a topic for another time...

Since all three of us are personal friends of the organizer, MVBrandt, we helped in judging and other administrata rather than playing. However, one of the first events on Thursday evening was a Whiskey Challenge night, which did not require too much work from our end. Since both Morgrim and I had our armies with us, and Morgrim really wanted to try using his new Cutter (as a Seraph) we decided to get a game in.

Morgrim's List (PanOceania Military Orders):
eNozMlY1UTNSM6wxVjMGkkZqBkikIZg0BZIWYLYlWNwQTAEAae0Mlg==

Lost Cateran's List (Ariadna Caledonian):
eNozNlI1UjNQM6yBkMZqxmDSCEiaqBkCSTOwuKmaGZA0B4oYYSENgWpAJDLbHEwCTQIAOd4V/Q==

Enter these codes into Infinity Army Builder here: http://infinitythegame.com/dt_army/

Lost Cateran Turn 1
I started out with my first combat group with running my Galwegians up with their impetuous order, attempting to throw smoke as cover. They ended up being in line of sight of MorgrimDark’s Order Sergeant linked team, which included the linked team leader armed with a sniper rifle. One of them died in the impetuous order from various ARO trying to throw smoke and run. Eventually, one of the Galwegians ran straight across the board and got into CC with his Spec. Sergeant with Spitfire and MV2, albeit after taking a wound so she was running on Dogged. I’m usually reluctant to use berserk since it is dangerous with more expensive models. But with a six point Galwegian who was going to die no matter what after combat? Absolutely. We both hit, and we killed each other. I also used my one lieutenant order to shoot my linked team of Volunteers at his linked team, and I got my linked team leader killed in the process, breaking the team for the rest of the game.

Now, my second combat group was much more successful. First Cateran comes out of camo to shoot down his sniper linked team leader. He hits, and the leader goes down. However, his Seraph and his Magister now get ARO on him, and take him down with a Panzerfaust round. My second Cateran is none too pleased with this, and begins sniping at the Seraph from out of camo. With two successive shots of T2 ammo, the Cateran takes out the Seraph. The Magister Knight uses his second round from the Panzerfaust and misses. My S.A.S. begins to move forward, sifting through cover, towards the Magister Knight. He manages to avoid detection, gets up to base to base, and dies immediately to an EXP blade.

MorgrimDark Turn 1
So, MorgrimDark now has two guys needing healing, so he starts to get his Hospitaller + Palbot into gear. As he is trying to heal his sniper linked team leader, I get ARO from both my Cateran and the Wulver. I decide to split my shots, the Wulver at the Palbot and the Cateran at the Hospitaller. Wulver does nothing (at -9 BS), but the Cateran makes the money critical shot on the Hospitaller, and he goes down. His Santiago Knight comes out of cover and delivers some shots on both my Mormaer and my Cateran. The Mormaer and the Cateran both bite the dust (77 points gone in one order). Fortunately, my Highlander Grey HMG is able to do one wound on him.
His Magister Knight starts running down the edge of the field towards my Highlander Grey with shotguns. I placed him in cover stupidly, so he doesn’t get LOS until it’s far too late. My other Highlander Grey is able to take a potshot at him with an AP HMG in ARO, and deals a wound. The Magister gets into combat and slaughters the Highlander Grey with the boarding shotgun. The Wulver, getting ARO from the Santiago Knight, decides to “dodge” into cover and correct his facing.

Lost Cateran Turn 2
So, I add up the points and I now have 117 points on the board, forcing a Retreat! Order, which is not what I need at this time. So, I have two orders left with my first combat group, and five with my second combat group. I spend the order to keep my lone Galwegian and my Highlander Grey staying where they are, and I allow everyone else to retreat. The Wulver, due to the Retreat order, gets into LOS of the Magister Knight, but does nothing.

My Galwegian is a champ. She keeps throwing smoke grenades, and the ARO keeps beating my scores in the Face-to-Face rolls. She takes a wound, so she is running on Dogged. Finally, she just lets loose and Chain Rifles the Santiago Knight in the face, causes a wound and kills the Santiago before succumbing to her wounds.

MorgrimDark Turn 2
In this turn, he is not only in Retreat! Mode, but also in Loss of Lieutenant. Being Religious, he doesn’t care. His Magister Knight runs up and charges my Wulver with his EXP weapon, causing two unsaved wounds in one hit and taking out my Wulver.

Lost Cateran Turn 3
Now I have four Volunteers (including my lieutenant) and my Highlander Grey left. I am forced to use the one remaining order in the combat group to keep the Highlander Grey from retreating. My other combat group is another story. I try a bit of shenanigans, and have all of my Volunteers retreat off the board except for my Lieutenant, who now has three total orders to spend (four orders to start, one to keep him on the board). I spend all of those orders getting into LOS and shooting the Magister Knight in the back field, finally dealing the last wound on him.

MorgrimDark Turn 3
MorgrimDark has two order sergeants left in his deployment zone, with one huge LOS blocking piece of terrain in the way. His only option is to come around and take out my Highlander Grey.

Lost Cateran Turn 4
I have three orders left, and I voluntarily allow my Lieutenant to retreat, leaving my Highlander Grey sitting there, using his lone order to stay. Since he’s the last one left in his combat group in an army that “technically” has two combat groups, I can’t use any more orders on him.

MorgrimDark Turn 4
He spends his turn running his order sergeants up around the LOS blocking terrain. He gets around the terrain, we exchange some gunfire, but nothing happens.

Lost Cateran Turn 5
My Highlander Grey unleashes his AP HMG on his first guy, and the order sergeant goes down.

MorgrimDark Turn 5
He gets his last guy around the bend, and in the exchange my Highlander Grey takes him out in ARO.

The smoke begins to dissipate across the battlefield, forming an eerie mist, a death shroud laid across the rapidly cooling corpses in the crisp Caledonian air. The lone Highlander stands listening in the sudden silence, his tattered tartan floating lazily in the wind. After a few minutes, he lowers his machine gun and reaches towards his belt. “This is why I drink in the morning,” he grunts; uncorking his flask, taking a swig of his whiskey as he slowly makes his way down the hill back to town.


My Deployment





Morgrim's Deployment







Post Game





2 comments:

  1. very cool, I didnt realize NOVA had INF. Our group has slowly been inching towards INF, and I have picked up a few minis.

    Thanks for starting this blog, I look forward to reading!

    ReplyDelete
  2. How'd that Seraph do? That thing was a beast the week before.

    ReplyDelete