So this led me to game 5. 64 points put me in a 8 way tie (or maybe 10) for 3rd place. 2 players had 72 points going into round 5. I looked at the postings and it was John Bailey with Daemonic Legions Slaanesh.
An underrated army, IMO. Very fast, deadly and can be super tough. With everything moving 10 or 20, it was going to be tough to corral him in.
John and I have been friends for several years, talking at almost every GT, having a beer together, etc... but never played. So I was looking forward to the game.
Right next to us was Rick Thompson fighting John's brother Jim. I was placed on table 4. John's army looked like:
Daemon Prince w/Soul Hunger, blade of ether (I laughed), spell breaker, Lvl 4
Exaleted Daemon w/Blade of Ether (again laughed), Lvl 1
Both marked with Slaanesh
10 Daemonettes, mus
10 Daemonettes, mus
10 Daemonettes, mus
7 Mounted Daemonettes
7 Mounted Daemonettes
6 Mounted Daemonettes
2 Chariots of Slaanesh
A great army, with a good theme. It wasn't painted yet, but you could tell already its going to look great when its finished.
We had a couple woods on the table, 1 hill a ruined building and some small walls.
Don't take these pics too seriously, I made mistakes making them, and the terrain isn't to scale. But should give you an idea of how the game played out.
His turn 1 he moves everything up. With IF he gets off Titilating delusions on my generals unit to move to his right.
He had his Prince in the Center and Exalted on the right. After I tricked him by not putting any herds over on the right, he flew the exalted to the left.
Ratspawn Turn 1b: With no charges my left most herd promptly fails their unruly and sprints into the building. I move my spawn in there as well.
I figure the furies will be pretty useless in this game, but two of my objectives is have more points in his deployment than him, and capture more table quarters, so I decide to play 75 points short and have the furies just handle those duties.
The picture is already screwed up, I forgot I didn't move the hounds in front of my DB to keep me from moving very far. And my spawn on the right moved like 3".
Daemons turn 2: He could have charged his exalted into the herd in the building but held off. He did charge the daemonettes into my hounds on the right side. The hounds flee and don't run very far and get in the way of things, of course.
The 2 flanking daemonette rider units pull back. everyone else moves up.
Ratspawn turn 2b: Well, time to get aggressive. Minotaurs and 2 chariots charge into Daemonettes. My hope is that one chariot is on flank and will overrun into his chariot, other chariot will overrun into riders on far right.
Well both chariots were in the front, and no matter how we worked it, 1 unit was going to be left out. So I decided to have both chariots slam in and have the minotaurs hold back.
The herd in the ruins promptly fails its terror test and runs away. 2nd herd with 2 shamans fails its unruly and runs up into the ruins. Geez!!
The spawn flies through the ruins, like 15" and hits the flank of the daemonettes.
In combat the spawn kills 1 daemonette, no wounds by him.
On the right we plow through them killing 7 or 8, the others pop and the left chariot hits the flank of the daemonette riders, the other one falls short of hitting.
This picture is fairly accurate as to how things were. If it has a skull on it, it means it is dead and no longer there. I leave the unit there so you can get a feel for how things worked out.
Daemons Turn 3: John knew he had to do something. I had bears anger on one of my shamans in the herd in the ruins. But what I didn't realize was his Princess could draw line of sight to 1 model. So both Exalted and Princess into herd. I knew I would get slaughtered here and lose the banner as well. So after much moaning, I fled with the herd and 2 shamans!! Ugghhh!! One of the hardest things I've ever done.
The herd obviously cannot flee far enough and the exalted catches them. The minotaurs make a panic check. We both agree the minotaurs are too close to the wall for the daemons to land there and simply overfly them.
On the left, the riders charge the hounds who flee. My plan was the hounds run about 10" and the riders catch them and have to stop at the wall. Well the hounds had other ideas and run like 15". So its a failed charge and the riders stop short keeping the minotaurs in their front flank.
On the right the riders and chariot charge the 3 minotaurs who flee and get away.
In combat the daemonettes fail to wound the spawn who kills another couple daemonettes.
The chariot slams into the daemonettes and kills a bunch. After the roll a single rider is left. bad news for that chariot.
In magic he used his magic missile to kill off the far left side hounds.
Ratspawn turn 3b: I have you now!! (or so I think)
4 Minotaurs into riders.
2 hound units into daemonettes
Ratspawn and company into flank of daemonettes
3 Minotaurs into chariot
chariot into lone rider.
I rally my herd and reform them so they are not in Line of sight of the Princess.
The spawn moves over to them.
The left hounds make their Ld 9 fear test and plow into the Daemonettes. Now for the hounds in front of ratspawn. Needing a 9. I roll a 10. Ratpspawn fails his charge!!
The minotaurs have to wheel more than I thought to avoid the chariot and end up with a failed charge on his right chariot as well.
In combat, the chariot crushes the last rider and overruns.
The hounds lose 3 of their guys, break and runs past the minotaurs. (forgot to show that.)
The spawn killed 1 or 2 daemonettes.
Now the big combat on the left. I charge in. His mounts strike first and with 6 attacks get 3 poison hits!! Killing a mino out right. Then get another hit and another wound. So 4 wounds on 6 attacks!! So I only get 9 attacks back. Should get 4 wounds, I get 3. The then saves all 3!!! NOOOO!!! Then his daemonettes promptly do 2 more wounds and kill off a 2nd minotaur. The other 2 have had enough break and he runs them down.
I put a skull on my spawn, but I think he lives through this phase and is killed in the next turn.
Daemons turn 4:
The riders feeling a bit relieved charge at my minotaurs with the chariot. If I flee off the board I have a decent shot of still having the riders in my charge arc. But they only flee 4", don't get off the board by 1/2" and the riders catch them going off the board and the chariot moves its full 20" and to safety. Ugghhh!!
After doing no wounds to the spawn in 3 or 4 rounds of combat they do 3 in one and kill it off.
The 2nd chariot charges my chariot. If I flee I'll run through my own minotaurs and his chariot will hit the minotaurs. So I take the charge, the chariot is crushed and his chariot overruns just enough to get out of my charge arc by 1/2". Things at this point couldn't get worse.
The daemonettes charge my minotaurs. They manage only a couple wounds and the minotaurs slaughter them some daemonettes and pop them. Finally something goes right.
His exalted flew up to help with the spawn. The Princess flew to the board edge. And decided the best way to catch the herd and my wizard was to frenzy the unit. Which he did.
Ratspawn turn 4b: Things are looking bleak and even the prospect of pulling a draw are becoming fleeting.
The frenzy kills off 3 ungors. This isn't so bad as it opens a patch for the spawn to get through. Spawn and herd charge the Princess.
Minotaurs in the middle charge the daemonettes in the flank.
Everything else moves aorund in hopes that I might stand a chance to actually catch something. Silly me.
The minotaurs come in, slay some daemonettes and win combat, but they hold easily.
In the big combat he challenges and my shaman more than happily steps to the rear of the herd. So the big bad Princess puts all 5 attacks on the spawn. 4 hit. Re-rolls the miss and misses again. Then needing 4+ to wound, only 2 wounds. So he actually rolled average, I can't believe it. I can't touch him but with banner, numbers and musician I win by 1.
Of course I let out with the "don't pop" and sure enough. Down drops the 11 and his Daemon Princess worth 580 points + 100 points for his general just got handed to me on a silver platter.
In the excitement/stun of the moment, depending on which side of the table you stood, I forgot completely about overrunning. I only remembered today when writing up the report. I not only can I must overrun the herd and the spawn can as well. If both of those run off the board... Oh well.
Daemons turn 5: John is in a state of shock. He had this game in the palm of his hand. Heck, all he really had to do was go fly away and let the game end. He was easily up by 300. But one of his objectives was kill my shamans and take my banners. So he was going after those precious battle points. Now it had slapped him in the face. He is thinking is actually down at the point. But if he had stepped back, he is actually slightly ahead or a draw at worse.
But he feels he needs to make up the points. Exalted into the minotaurs fighting his daemonettes.
His riders charge the herd. Since I'm frenzy (I should have run off last turn and not be here) but instead have to take it.
His other guys show me what it means to move 10" all the time.
In combat, the exalted kills a minotaur and I kills some daemonettes.
His riders kill some gors and I do 3 wounds back. I'm thinking I might actually win this when he makes all 3 ward saves again!! This unit has taken 6 wounds and made every single ward save on 5+. I autobreak and am run down. He slams into the spawn, who also shouldn't be there.
Ratspawn turn 5b: I charge with Ratspawn, but its about 13" away and is a failed charge.
I move the rest of my guys so he has no charges.
In combat his exalted takes my minotaurs down to 2 guys, 1 of the minotaurs has 2 wounds on him. I wipe out the daemonettes.
The riders easily kill off the spawn.
Daemons turn 6: With no charges he moves his guys to prevent a turn 6 charge by me.
Then came the combat. With 4 attacks needed 3+ to hit and 3+ to wound, the Exalted rolls 4 1's to hit. I can't believe it. He fails to kill my guy with a single wound left. This gives me 6 strength 6 attacks back. I manage 3 wounds and he makes 2 of his ward saves. So he has only a single wound left.
Ratspawn Turn 6b: End of the game.
with no clear charges, I turn the minotaurs around and move them into the top right table quarter. I try to move the hounds to the bottom left, but as it turn out I can't get there.
so now it is down to the final combat. He gets 4 attacks, he swing and gets 4 hits!!
He could do it here. With 4 wounds he can wipe out the whole unit and prevent an attack back. With a single wound he knocks me down to just 1 minotaur.
He rolls his 4 to wound rolls and does not get a single wound. All 4 were 1's and 2's. I can't believe my eyes. Reprieved again.
with 6 attacks I get 5 hits and 3 wounds. He rolls his dice. A 6, A 5, ...... and a 2. He dies!!! I can't believe it. 335 points just went.
I'm starting to shake. Could I have actually pulled this off. We look at the bonus points first. I own the top left, and the top right. The bottom right is contested. I almost give him the bottom left when I think to measure for my minotaurs and they are in. Bottom left contested. Add in his general and I am +300. He has the one banner and is at +100.
We add up the points and I'm up by around 230. Add in the 200 and I win by 430 or so. A minor victory, but enough. I managed to pull 3 of my 4 objectives, the last one was keep my least expensive character alive. That was the final shaman he killed. If I'd run off the board like I was supposed to I would have gotten the 200. No way he would have gotten him.
So win 19 points. Final for 5 games: 83 points
Everyone around us is drawing. Table 1 with Jon and Jordan, draw. Jon with 83 points, Jordan with 82. Joe comes up, he also has 83. Then Jeff Grejada walks up with 84. Rick and Jim Bailey had fought to a draw. One last big game between Trev and Chris, both beastmen friends, it ends up a draw.
I'm feeling good. But really thinking 2nd general. That 1 point I play over in my head. Maybe I managed to pull a sports vote to put me up. I know its going to be close.
I pack up and put away my stuff. Come back up and take a seat. We go through some hand outs, I get an Orc general box. Sweet.
After approximately 18 hours and 34 mins we FINALLY begin the awards.
Painting awards, friends win stuff, nothing for me. Not surprising. I try but I'm not that good yet.
Finally they get to the good stuff. Best general. I'm feeling it.
3rd, Jordan. Sweet, I know I beat him, so I'm feeling really good.
2nd, Joe. Ok, now we are into the 83's. I'm thinking Jeff or best general now and I pull a 2nd or 3rd overall.
1st place Jon. Ok, a bit of a surprise there. That must mean Jeff pulled the best overall. I must have gotten 2nd overall. Or maybe 3rd. Or maybe someone tanked my sports and I get nothing. Oh that would suck.
They give out some lousy best army awards and sportsmanship. Some friends win these, but I could care less. ;) Really, I was very happy for all of them. Trev, Roy, Eric, etc...
Finally onto best overall.
3rd best overall, Jim Bailey. Wow, that came out of nowhere. His painting always puts him in the running, but now I'm feeling really nervous.
2nd best overall goes to... here it comes, I know it... Brian Ching. What?? No way, I got skunked. Nothing for me. I'm really happy for Brian. He is one of the most fantastic players you'll ever want to play against. But at this point I'm thinking Jeff for overall.
My friend points to me and says "you got it, good job". I shake my head. I don't think so.
And first place overall goes to.... Ben Burns. I cannot believe I heard my name. I have not won an overall at a GT in 4 years. This was truly a moment for me to savor and enjoy. But all I could do was run up there as fast as I could before they changed their minds and realize what a mistake they made.
As it turns out Jeff got a sports ding that kept him from Best general. He wasn't close enough for overall.
Later looking at the scores, I won by a single point. I won 3 objective points, most points in his deployment, most table quarters and kill his most expensive unit. It took all 3 as a tie with Brian and he probably wins the tiebreaker.
3 points separated the top 6 players and only 6 points for the top 10. I got a wonderful trophy:
The Limited edition $90 rulebook in the leather case, still in the shrink wrap.
Well, its no longer in the shrink wrap. But more importantly, I had a fantastic time hanging out with friends, playing the game and hobby I love, with an army that I loved building and painting.
I am going to run Ratspawn through the Hillbilly as its victory lap, but then Ratspawn will move into a retirement home, happy, healthy and victorious.
If you've managed to make it this far, thanks. I hope you enjoyed it.
Final thought: Luck. The planets, gods and stars, all aligned to give me this win, as my play had very little to do with it.
Thanks to all my opponents, Lex, Brent, Justin, David and John. You guys were the best.
Until next time...
