BAO 2016 Recap Part 1

So BAO was a week ago and I am all finally caught up with the real world to write about it.

It was a good time and I got in a bunch of games and I am really glad I went. There were four Blood Angels players there (though I think I was the only one with them actually painted as such, but that is a discussion for another time). I went 2 and 4, so short of my goal of 3-3 and short of being in the top 1/2. Game 5 and 6 really put the nail in that and you will see why when I discuss that in the next post.

First of all, the store was pretty big and good (Game Kastle in Mountain View, CA). I mean, over 90 tables and a shopping area with pretty much anything you could want. However, there are a few things they need
-More restrooms (porta-johns outside) for events like this. Day 1 the restroom they did have was not kept that clean or good smelling. Fortunately they fixed this and opened up the employee restroom to us day 2 as well.
-Better ventilation. Day 1 was SUPER HOT! Even with like 20 foot ceilings. Day 2 was better with alot of fans spread out, but it was still pretty hot.
-A sound system- Reece has no voice, lets be honest, and even the booming voice of the store owner was hard to hear at times. A simple PA or megaphone would help A LOT with this
-15 more minutes for Lunch. Basically there was no time to get you game done, scores in, and get to someplace with food in time. They should also look at trying to get a food truck there for future events.

Any way, onto event coverage...

Here was my list:
Primary Detachment- Baal Strike Force (1560)
HQ- Sanguinary Priest: CCW, Angel's Wing, Warlord
Elites- Terminator Assault Squad (5): TH&SS
Elites- Command Squad (5): Champion, Sanguinary Novitiate, Vet w/ Pfist, Vet w/ Paxe, Vet w/ Meltagun, Jump Packs
Troops- Scouts (5): BP&CCW
Troops- Tactical Squad (5): Grav-gun, Sarge w/ Paxe, Rhino
Fast Attack- Assault Squad (10): Sarge w/ Pfist & Inferno Pistol, 2 x Melta-guns, Jump Packs
Heavy Support- Relic Sicaran Tank: Lascannons, Legacy of Glory-Schism of Mars.
LoW- Ceratus Knight Atrapos: Occular Augmetics

Formation Detachment- Librarius Conclave (290, White Scars)
Librarian 1- ML2, Force Staff, Jump Pack
Librarian 2- ML2, Force Sword, Jump Pack
Librarian 3- ML1, Force Axe, Jump Pack

GAME 1 vs TAU- LOSS 0-11 pts
Probably the worst possible start for me and best possible for my opponent. Great opponent, team nWo, guy named Lang. Here was his list

Drone Net VX1-0 (280)
-Drone Squad- 4 x Marker Drones, 1 Gun Drone
-Drone Squad- 4 x Marker Drones, 1 Gun Drone

-Drone Squad- 4 x Marker Drones, 1 Gun Drone

-Drone Squad- 4 x Marker Drones, 1 Gun Drone

Optimized Stealth Cadre (635)
-Stealth Suits(3)- 2 x Burst Cannon, Shas'vre w/ Fusion Blaster
-Stealth Suits(3)- 2 x Burst Cannon, Shas'ui w/ Fusion Blaster (Warlord)
-3 x Ghost Keels- Each w/ Cyclic Ion Raker, EWO, TL-Fusion Blaster

Riptide Wing (935)
-2 x Shas'vre- EWO, Heavy Burst Cannon, TL Smart Missiles

-2 x Shas'vre- EWO, Heavy Ion Accelerator, TL Smart Missiles

-Shas'vre- EWO, Heavy Ion Accelerator, TL Smart Missiles

So I think you can see how the match went. Only one where I was tabled at least. Failed to roll for Invisibility and Veil of Time on my psykers. What really killed the game though was my Knight Atrapos weathered a round of shooting, weathered overwatch, and then rolled a 3" charge against the Ghost Keels. However, I feel okay, because Lang went on to win a Renaissance Man award (paint score + mission points) and of all my opponents, finished the highest. I knew I would face things like this probably, but a bitter way to start the tournament. Thankyou Lang for being a good winner though.  

GAME 2 vs IRON HANDS- WIN 10-1

This was vs Arun. Good opponent, fun game. His list:

Fist of Medusa

Strike Force Command: Chapter Master+Command Squad

-CM: Bike, Gorgon's Chain, Aticifer Armour, Digital Weapons, Thunder Hammer, LC

-Command Squad: 4 x Grav Guns & Storm Shield, Apothecary w/ Storm Shield, Bikes

Armoured Task Force

-Techmarine: Bike, Power Axe, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bombs

-3x Vindicators

Honoured Ancients

-Dreadnought: Assault Cannon, Power Fist w/ Storm Bolter

Librarius Conclave

-Librarian: ML2, Bike, Force Sword, Auspex, Bolt Pistol

-Librarian: ML2, Bike, Force Staff, Bolt Pistol

-Librarian: ML2, Bike, Mindforge Stave, Bolt Pistol

LoW

Imperial Knight Warden: Aveger Gatling Gun, Heavy Flamer, Reaper Chainsword, Melta-gun, Storm Spear Rocket Pod

So this was the Relic game. I think my opponents first and biggest mistake was not playing to the mission. Had his chapter master grabbed the Relic, I would have never got it off of him. However he didn't. My Sicaran made short work of 1 vindicators, and all my meltaguns did the rest. The Knights met in the middle and duked it out, killing each other, though mine took  a few bikes with it as well. The game ended with him having only 3 models in a war of attrition versus my Terminators, which was a conflict he was slowly loosing anyway. I think his biggest regret was just having so few models (which was something I regretted most of the tournament as well TBH).

GAME 3 vs GK, SM, DA- LOSS 1-10

Last game I am going to talk about this post. 4-6 will be in the next post. This was against Shaylynn down from Oregon. This game was probably my worst first turn I have ever had in 40k, followed by 4 of my best. Anyway here is her list

Nemesis Strike Force- 740 (she acutally miscalculated this and had 750, so short 10 points, and I pointed it out to here day 2. She said she woud've taken a psycannon in the terminators instead of the incinerator)

HQ- Librarian- 110: ML2, Warding Stave

Troops- Terminator Squad (5)- 185: Daemonhammer, Incinerator

Heavy Support- Dreadknight- 220: Great Daemonhammer, Heavy Incinerator, Heavy Psycannon, Teleportation Pack.

Heavy Support- Dreadknight- 225: Great Sword, Heavy Incinerator, Heavy Psycannon, Teleportation pack.

Skyhammer Annihilation Force- 650

-Assault Squad (5)- 85: Jump Packs

-Assault Squad (5)- 85: Jump Packs

-Dev Squad (10)- 265: Drop Pod, 2 x Multi-Melta, 2 x Gravcannon

-Dev Squad (10)-215: Drop Pod, 4 x Multi-Melta

Ravenwing Strike Force- 450

-Ravenwing Black Knights (3)- 120: Ravenwing Grenade Launcher

-Ravenwing Black Knights (3)- 120: Ravenwing Grenade Launcher

-Ravenwing Command Squad (3)- 125: Ravenwing Grenade Launcher, Ravenwing Champion

-Librarian- 85: ML1, Bolt Pistol, Force Sword

So to being with she rolled the Warlord trait for Infiltrators. And I knew she had a Skyhammer coming in. Since my Knight had weathered the 1st round vs Tau so well, I had alot of faith in him (this was only his 4th game). I ended up keeping my terminators, priest and 2 ML2 librarians in reserve and then castled everything else up. She took 1st turn and I failed to seize (may I wish I has seized).

She drops in and brings everything right up in my face. Focuses 100% of her effort on the Knight. her very last shot of turn 1 kills him with an EXPLODES result (Mult-melta on side facing, no invuln) and my night goes TITANTIC EXPLOSION and kills almost everything I have. I think my Rhino, Sicaran and 3 Marines was all that was left. I manage to stay alive in my turn, even killing off a Devastator combat squad with a desperate charge. But none of these things would survive turn 2. I needed something to be my new goal...

...and then my Terminators came in full of piss and vinegar dying for vengeance, and boy did they take it. The rest of the game I only lost 2! YES 2 MODELS! There was a secondary called king of the hill and I took and held onto that hill, killing off or chasing away anything that charge me (Invisibility + Veil of Time + FNP + 2+/3++ saves will do that I guess). Unfortunately last turn of the game she has a Bike Squad charge and hold (while I killed everything else) and we tied King of the Hill. However, I like to think fluff wise that my Terminators would have stood their ground ENDLESSLY and in my mind there is no way they would've been moved or beaten off there by what was remaining in my opponents army.

This is turn 4 Pre-Assault. Post Assault saw everything of hers running away or dead and all those Marines still standing.

Well that ended day 1, with me being down 1-2 with only 11 mission points. I had hopes for the next day but wouldn't hold my breath.