Ard Boyz Lists - Option 2 Blood Angels "Fountain"

HQ
Reclusiarch in power armor

ELITE
Brother Corbulo

7xAssault Terminators
4xTH/SS, 3xLC/LC
Land Raider
Extra Armor, Multi Melta

TROOPS
10xAssault Marines
2xMelta Gun, 1xPower Fist
Rhino

10xAssault Marines
2xMelta Gun, 1xPower Fist
Rhino

10xDeath Company
1xPower weapon, 1xpower fist
Lemartes(11 total models)

Death Company Dreadnought

FAST ATTACK
5xSpace Marine Bike
2xMelta Gun, 1xPower Fist

HEAVY SUPPORT

Predator
Auto Cannon, Las Cannon Sponsons

Predator
Auto Cannon, Las Cannon Sponsons

Stormraven
TL Multi-Melta, Extra Armor, Locator Beacon

So this is a reactionary list to the scenarios we will see at the Ard Boyz Prelims. 2 of the 3 scenarios will essentially be annihilation so I have chosen a mix of units that will be devastating damage inflicters and hard as hell to kill. I've designated the list "Fountain" in honor of the recently successful "Garden". Garden's HQ's would be a drag in game 3 and I feel a new list was called for. Reno has a tough crowd of hardcore players and getting into Ard Boyz Semi-Finals will not be easy.

The Stormraven and Land Raider combo are an amazing 1, 2 Punch that will sure to leave the enemy reeling if delivered properly. Lemartes and fallen flock to kill any infantry silly enough to be in charge range and the Dread will do his thing as always(fleet, Furious Charge, 5 attacks, WS5, Str10, ignores stun/shaken) and the Terminators can make a mockery of even the heaviest armor squadrons(12 Str9 attacks with re-rolls to hit). throw in a couple of Preds to shoot from range and a couple of rhinos full of troops to hold objectives in game 2 and a bike squadron for fun...you've got yourself the "Fountain".

I don't know which list I will take but the Blood Angels feel better at this point...Hmmph, who knows?...! TILL NEXT TIME.....PLAY WELL, ROLL BETTER!!!

Ard Boyz Lists - Option 1 Grey Knights

So here is what I have come up with for a Grey Knight Ard Boyz list...

HQ
Draigo
Coteaz

Elite
10xPurifier
4xpsycannon
rhino

Techmarine
Rad, Blind and Psycho-troke grenades

TROOPS
5xPaladin
1xMCpsycannon, 1xincinerator, 1xwarding stave, 1xMCdaemonhammer, 1xhalberd
Brotherhood Banner

10xGrey Knights
2x psycannon, 1 x daemonhammer, 3xhalberd
rhino

10xGrey Knights
2xpsycannon, 1 x daemonhammer, 3x halberd
rhino

5xwarrior acolyte, 1x mystic
Razorback w/psybolt ammunition

5xwarrior acolyte, 1x mystic
Razorback w/psybolt ammunition

2xcrusader, 2xdeathcult assassin, 1xmystic, 5xdaemonhost
Chimera w/searchlight

HEAVY
Dreadnought 2xTL Autocannon
Psybolt ammuntion

Dreadnought 2xTL Autocannon
Psybolt ammuntion

Dreadnought 2xTL Autocannon
Psybolt ammuntion

So this is a complicated list to explain but I'll touch upon a few things. First things first is Draigo and Grand Strategy and Psychic Communion

Coteaz brings the henchman to the table along with a few tricks of his own but mostly fills out the model count and makes scoring units available, cheap.

The Paladins can deepstrike with the mystics placed forward on the board or drive in the chimera with Draigo

The Purifiers are all purpose(there may be a hammer in there too)

The Dreadnoughts need to kill lots of armor...

The Chimera henchman squad can be very nasty in shooting and CC.

Next I'll post up the Blood Angel list that I will probably end up going with. TILL NEXT TIME....PLAY WELL, ROLL BETTER!!!

Garden List Update, Final Countdown. Rhino Completed!

So this is the final countdown for the Bay Area Open GT. I have completed yet another major piece of the list, the Assault Marine Rhino. I'm down to the Stormraven and 11 Death Company in 4 days. Wish me luck! TILL NEXT TIME....PLAY WELL, ROLL BETTER!!!

sDm Episode 8: The Origins of General Oadius and The Contest of Champions...

The dice have a vote, and we have this!

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT - Dante and Mephiston in the Garden of Baal

Ok, so General Oadius talks a lot of shit and you've seen some of my battle reports, but what lists am I fielding now?

My favorite and the most recent incarnation of my competitive tournament list is something I call "Garden", it's short for - Dante and Mephiston in the Garden of Baal. It's shock value is really quite something but so far it's proven a nearly all comers, all scenarios list. I hope you hate it and don't understand how I could possibly win with it....

Commander Dante - 225

Brother Calistarius, Mephiston the Lord of Death - 250

Sanguinary Guard with Banner
5x Infernus Pistol and 1x Power Fist - 290

10 Assault Marines in Rhino
1 x Melta Gun 1x Melta Bomb - 220

Lemartes - 150
10 Death Company
1x Power Fist 1x Power Weapon 1xBolter - 240

Death Company Dreadnought "Nayef" - 125

Predator with Auto Cannon and Las Cannon Sponsons - 135

Storm Raven with TL Multi-Melta and TL Assault Cannon
Extra Armor - 215

Yeah I rock like 32 models....

Mephiston likes to deploy hidden as far forward as possible. Sometimes when I get first turn and have defensive objectives I'll give him the Assault marine Rhino to jump into and move forward 12" and pop smoke. He likes to kill things that won't kill him back and he likes to keep his psychic hood in range to spoil the enemies psykers day. The trick to Mephiston is to keep him hidden from the Low AP guns and out of combat with force weapon squads. Against the GK he will kill vehicles and dreadnoughts and take his chances just like every other multi wound model in the game. At least he has a psychic hood and strikes at INI7 base...

The Predator likes to deploy if he can hide behind something during 1st turn enemy alpha strike. He can usually bring all 4 shots into play with only the 6" he's allowed as a fast vehicle. Remember the enemy will be moving forward trying to get an angle on you if you deployed right. If not deployed, he is perfectly happy coming in as a reserve and shooting things up or contesting an objective, tank shocking, ramming or blocking. In an annihilation mission the predator can keep his armor 13 facing front and do serious damage to one tank or transport per turn.

If I got first turn and I'm not too worried about you seizing then I'll go ahead and put the Stormraven on the board as far forward as possible....Inside is the Dreadnought, Lemartes and his fallen flock. This is obviously the bulk of the army and despite the Stormraven's size it is usually quite capable of deploying it's payload and staying alive, quite a few turns. After everything disembarks, the Stormraven likes to move 6" and shoot everything it has at some poor unsuspecting unit or tank. That's a Twin Linked Multi-Melta, a Twin Linked Assault Cannon and 4 Blood Strike missiles all at once. Even if you do shoot down the Storm Raven straight off and the Death company come mindlessly raging at you along with the Dreadnought you can't just shoot them off the board in one phase. They are of course all fearless and feel no pain, the dreadnought ignores shaken and stuns and is fleet. If you focus everything you have on the Death Company then Mephiston will thank you kindly.

The Assault Marines are usually held in reserve and may be split into combat squads. Sometimes they have a rhino sometimes they don't. I like to try and place objectives within walking distance of my board edge. These 10 models are not expected to kill anything, nor are they allowed to die.

Dante and the Sanguinary Guard. They are almost always reserved and deepstriking. I like to roll Red Thirst for the Guard. Dante lowers the enemy HQ by 1 WS, 1 INI, 1 Wound, 1 LDRSHIP at the start of the game. Dante does not scatter....So Dante likes to come down on your flanks or your rearguard and destroy your favorite unit with 6 melta pistols that get as close as they want. If you assault them you have to deal with his DeathMask, his 5 attacks at INI6 and his Master Crafted Power weapon, their 3 attacks at INI 4 with Master Crafted Weapons and the power fist, only to find out that they are HIT and RUN with 3D6" for movement that only fails on a 6... then they come back to shoot you and assault you, rinse and repeat until you've lost half of your army. I don't blame you though...Lemartes and company, a DC Dread, a Stormraven and Mephiston are in the middle of the board coming right for you...you can't afford to deal with the oldest space marine in the Imperium and his Ultra, Ultra, Ultra, Ultra elite Honour Guard armed to the teeth.

So that's the whole thing mates.. I know this list would scare you to field. You'd think about all those models you have in your pretty little gunline lists and say to yourself "Vulkan this" or "terminators that" or some such dribble. Or you'd say "Gazghull Thraka and all his boyz" or something inwardly comforting like that but you'd be wrong.

Doubters are welcome to come to Reno Nevada and play me, we can do a battle report of me tabling you...I mean of the game. Comments are welcome but will probably be ignored from sheer narcissism, oh well. TILL NEXT TIME....PLAY WELL, ROLL BETTER!

DEFICIT HIKE - Noob and generally poor tactics to avoid in Warhammer 40,000

I'm writing this article to go over a few of the big DO NOTS with regards to strategy and list making. Our local escalation league gives me lots of material for this article as there is bound to be a few guys who do the DO NOTS and don't know it. I'm just gonna be lazy and list them in no particuliar order....

1. DO NOT take a dreadnought that you intend to walk across the battlefield. This never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever works. Give the poor bastards a drop pod or resign them to sit in buildings and shoot(like rifle and psyfleman dreads).

2. DO NOT take a generic captain over a chaplain or reclusiarch EVER! A lot of you may read this and thing I'm wrong or try to justify your pretty little captains..I'm not, you are... it's stupid. Honour of the Chapter(fearlessness) and Liturgies of Battle(rerolls to hit or preferred enemy depending on Codex) is much better than any combination of wargear you can give a lame captain even with orbital bombardment. Space Wolves don't have captains so don't troll me. Stop the captain making crap it's noob.

3. DO NOT make a bunch of terminator HQ's unless you are a Grey Knight general. They don't have grenades people. Need I say more?

4. DO NOT take a librarian with Gate of the Infinity or the big pie plate...both of them will get you killed. It's retarded to commit suicide on the battlefield.

5. DO NOT even start a game until you have studied the table set-up and terrain.

6. DO NOT even think about deploying until you have read and understand your enemies' army list.

7. DO NOT finish any of your phases without double checking that all units performed their necessary actions. Put Simply...make sure you move everything that needs to be moved before shooting, then double check that you shot everything or ran everything you needed to before assaulting and then make damn sure that you declare ALL of your assaults at once.

8. DO NOT argue with General Oadius.

9. DO NOT give up on Warhammer 40,000.

10. DO NOT build a list without counting your Kill Points.

Ok...I think that's enough for now. I know this isn't the most objective and constructive criticism you'll ever receive but I don't give a shit. TILL NEXT TIME...PLAY WELL, ROLL BETTER!

Getting Started in Warhammer 40,000 and the evolution to apex generalship.

I started playing Warhammer 40,000 about 3 years ago. I was spurred on by a friend who was picking the game back up in a big way. I gave him $120.00 and he came back with a whole slew of Dark Angel and generic space marine stuff.

I was super excited to build, paint and play those models. Ironically 90% of them(dark angels)are still unbuilt to this day.

From there I started to get into some Black Library books by Dan Abnett about Gaunt's Ghosts(Imperial Guard) and that lead to me picking up an Ultramarine Omnibus.

After that hefty book it was all over for me and the only color I wanted my Space Marines wearing was codex blue. I thought that the ultra rigid, super disciplined boys in blue would bring me victory on the battlefield everytime. I was dead wrong. My friend had developed a complete Nurgle list that he was perfecting and it would win everytime. Granted we weren't playing the rules right(so many rules) and that I just wasn't very good in the beginning, but he stomped me GOOD..A LOT. That got really old, especially since I'm a really poor loser and fiercely competitive (great for Warhammer 40k right? wrong.)

Eventually I just gave up on the Ultramarines and started buying Chaos models. That worked out pretty good, I could understand the clear strengths of my troops and employ them properly. I had crazy HQ choices and Defilers are just plain fun.Things started to get really going when I entered a few tournaments. My friend the Chaos player was sick or busy and I borrowed his Nurgle list and went 3-0, won best general and I have never looked back from that moment. Ard Boyz came soon after and I didn't make the Semi Finals but someone who did gave me their spot.

Using the Ard Boyz Substitution clause I went with my Chaos friend(who made Semi's)to Great Escape games in Sacramento. HOLY SHIT. What a great time...I got to see so many armies on so many tables and mix with so many more people that I had access to in Reno. Ard Boyz was really the nail in the coffin, my addiction was complete. I was and am a Warhammer 40,000 zealot. I've continued growth and involvement with the game and things keep moving forward. Games Workshop released the Blood Angel codex and i'm back to playing Space Marines again(happily).

My path lead me to meeting a Tau General named Doug. Poor Doug was a lot like my Ultramarines at first, couldn't win a game to save his life. [He tried hard! - sic] Then Doug caught the Warhammer 40,000 bug full on and now he is a dominate general with 3 armies(Tau, SW and now DE). My friends and I play as many games in a week as our wives will allow(and then a few more). Now Doug has syndicated the WolfBrothers Club Chapter and we've even had a fantastic tournament to Prime us for the Sacramento CoC.

So now that you know where I'm coming from I wanted to start writing some articles about Warhammer 40,000. I want to discuss getting started playing Warhammer all the way to the evolution into end game generalship.

I am sympathetic to the learning curve of this game and how expensive and sometimes frustrating it can be. I am not the guy to discuss painting or modeling, much less write about it. I can help you win more games, avoid the mistakes I've made and make sure you don't go broke trying to figure out what armies and units work best for you -  Till then...play well, roll better.