Grand Tournament 2018 Review



So with the weekend out of the way, the travel back from Coventry done, and the grind of work back in full swing, its time to talk about how this tournament went for me. 

I played 5 games across the Friday - Sunday, which did allow me some time to get out and look around what was on offer! 

My opponents were as follows:

Durkhari (Resupply Drop)
Imperial Knights (Ascension)
Aeldari (Frontline War)
Astra Militarum (Scorched Earth)
Aeldari (Dominate & Destroy)

You can already read the review of my 1st game here, but I will endeavour to sum up the games below:

Game 1:



My worst played game of the event.. I made a fundamental error, which I will blame on lack of practise and the long drive down! 

I went second, I still nearly nabbed first blood as I overwatched against deep strikers, killing 3 of the 5 that arrived... a few worse saves and it was mine! 

I made the mistake of trying to lock an enemy army that can fly down in close combat... not my best decision! 

In the end we only got to turn 3. Which was frustating in itself, but on my turn when I rolled for objectives I had two I was in control of, and 1 in his deployment area--- which of course meant that his objective was the one that stayed! 

At that point it was 8-0 to him (as he had Linebreaker & First Blood). I spent my turn figuring out how to get around this. 

I managed to kill his unit scoring line breaker, while I also got something in place to score linebreaker. That brought it down to 7-1.

I then had a choice of trying to advance (needing a 5) to claim the objective in the central board, or move and then charge 8". I went for the charge... and failed! 

I could easily have killed the lone model on the objective, or charged it with a Jetbike Captain, but I couldnt claim Linebreaker if I used my Shield Captain, nor could I kill it and still charge to get it. 

I would have drawn it 4-4, in the end I lost 7-1 close game! 

Game 2:


4 Imperial Knights worried me a little for their flat 3 damage or D3 damage from their feet in combat (my only realistic way to kill them!)

In the end I ran away with this, as I managed to get a charge with the Vertus Praetors, and took 22 wounds off the Knight in one round of combat, where the one next to me was down to 18 wounds already, and the one that made its way to my back line was untouched. His Warlord sat on an objective from turn 2, until the end of the game. 

Stand out unit in this game was my Librarian, knocking a decent number of wounds off the knight through the Psychic phase. 

In the end I think I won something around 10-7, 3 wounds left on the last knight when the game ended! 


Game 3:



Aeldari, Alaitoc at that. We ended up on Hammer & Anvil, and I couldnt get close to him. I did however find a building to hide my bikes behind that meant his Reapers, Wave Serpent & the night stalker sniper character couldnt see me. 

I then sat there for 3 turns (Skipping my entire turn 4!) until turn 5 rocked around, I went second so I risked it all, banking on the game ending and leapt out of cover to claim three of the four objectives.

The game ended on a 1, and I won 5-3. Outstanding game, had a great laugh throughout! 

Game 4: 


Asta Militarum, for the second game going I elected to let my opponent go first, lost first blood (although it took his entire army to kill 3 Custodes), and then started aiming for as many points as I could get. 

This is the one game where my Librarian died and the rest of the Salamanders didnt. 

Highlight was the Allarus Custodians charging one Leman Russ, then locking it and another one down in combat... all while I forgot to Scorch the objective I was standing on! 

Game 5:


Aeldari - Ulthwe.. by god this was a game I'd like to forget! With Dominate & Destroy it was remarkably close, right up until I was tabled! It was 20-20 on VP's going into turn 4! 

Turns out that Wraith Hemlock Fights, Backed up by Fire Prisms with no Reapers still takes some names! 

Can't complain my opponent played perfectly, and didn't really let me get any of the chances I needed to end it!

In Summary:


I finished 16 / 63, with two favourite opponent votes, and 4 favourite army votes - cannot complain about that at all, as I didn't expect to get any Favourite army votes! 

In Hindsight the Librarian was awesome, the Intercessors mediocre, and the Mortis Contemptor only really tanked wounds for me. 

So I think the list might get some changes moving forward, especially as the next year of GT's are at 1750 points!

Comments