On the 18th of November I attended an RTT in Ballarat with my Dread Talons. This RTT was using practice missions for Ratcon, a GT in a month with ‘fun’ extra rules for each mission. This would be my 10th Rat Trader tournament (I’m finding out after the event), and they are always a great time.

I was testing my Dread Talons list for a couple GTs that are coming up. All said and done, I was happy with it, and it worked pretty well. There are some changes I would like to make that I can’t, because I won’t get the models painted in time, and there is basically one other change I’m thinking of making that is viable, but we’ll see if I can get a practice game in before list submission. If I can’t, I won’t bother making any changes.

List:

• Chaos Lord
• Dark Commune
• Legionaries
• Cultist Mob
• Chaos Rhino
• Accursed Cultists – Max strength
• Chaos Bikers
• Predator Destructor
• Vindicator
• 2×2 Obliterators
• 3×5 Raptors – 2 Melta, 1 Plasma
• 10x Warp Talons
• Noise Marines

Game 1 – Liam’s Emperor’s Children

Linchpin, Tipping Point

Liam’s List (Coterie of the Conceited): DP with Wings: Pledge of Unholy Fortune, Lord Exultant: Pledge to Eternal Servitude, 2x Lord Exultant, Lucius, 3×5 Infractors, 2×5 Tormentors, 2x Chaos Rhino, 1×6 & 1×3 Flawless Blades, 3×6 Noise Marines

Liam is a good friend that I’ve made through attending Warhammer tournaments and it’s always a fun time to play against him.

The special rule for this mission was Twist draft. Beginning with the defender, each player took turns banning twists until 3 remained (there are 9 twists). Some of these were mutated, for example, the Lords of War twist does not exclude vehicles.

The twists we ended up with were

• Point Blank: Ranged weapons have the pistol ability
• Lords of War: Add 3 to the Attacks characteristic of each weapon equipped by Warlord models
• Bloodlust: 18″ charge range, and each time you make a charge, roll 3D6

How did Bloodlust get through you may ask? Don’t.

I Deepstriked all my Raptors, Obliterators, Warp Talons, basically anything that had Deepstrike, and then hoped to go first.

I did not get to go first. Liam ran at me and charged my ACDC unit with two units of Infractors led by Lord Exultants. After the dust settled, I still had the character from the unit with 2 big guys left, neat. The first time I’d ever used the unit, pretty chonky. He also charged my bikers with another unit of Lordfractors, got them and consolidated into my Predator.

I cleaned up most of this and sent my Chaos Lord after a unit of Noise Marines in a rhino peeking out from behind the top ruin, I managed the pop the Rhino in shooting, and kill the Noise Marines.

From here, he ran at me, and I slowly died while not being able to push forward fast enough.

This game was also the first time I had ever ran 10 Warp Talons before, holy shit they are unfair and hilarious. I was entirely tabled at the end, except for those Warp Talons, very fun.

Playing with the twist draft was cool, love me some 3D6 charge.

Thanks for the game Liam x

Game 2 – Lachlan’s Space Marines

Purge the Foe, Search and Destroy

Lachlan’s List (Shadowmark Talon): Aethon Shaan, Chaplain in Terminator Armour: Hunter’s Instrincts, Judiciar: Blackwing Shroud, Kayvaan Shrike, Lieutenant with Combi-weapon: Coronal Susurrant, 1×5 Intercessor Squad, 1×5 JPIs, 1×6 BGV, 1×6 Cent Devs, 1×6 Inceptors w/ Plasma, 1×3 Inceptors w/ Bolters, 1×5 Infiltrators, 1×5 Assault Terminators, 1×10 Vanguard Vets.

The custom mission rules for round 2 were as follows:

Mutation kinda sucked, Innovation was gas. Fix it Michael.

Lachlan was playing the new Shadowmark Talon detachment, and placed the Innovation buff on his unit of uppydowney Centurion Devastators which basically let him get kill more for free every turn by killing a single unit.

Neat.

I placed it on a unit of Obliterators because I wanted to indirect a las cannon flamer (once per game). Also, 3D6 moving Obliterators is, fun. I probably could have also put this on the ACDC unit giving it 3D6 movement, with once per game advance and charge, hilarious.

Lachlan went first and Deepstriked his Assault Termie unit, charging my Vindicator and leaving it on 3 wounds. I heroic intervened with the ACDC unit – probably didn’t need to – and killed a single Terminator? Worth, I guess.

In my T1 I was able to move my Predator up a bit and remove a couple of BGV, then the Obliterator indirect got a couple more. By mostly removing his fights first unit I was feeling pretty good about the match up.

From here, this game was mostly me hiding, and then Rapid Ingressing Warp Talons on the opposite side of the board from the Devastators to kill a unit, then go back into Deepstrike.

I managed to eventually overrun the Space Marines, and barely pull a win after Lachlan got kill more like every single turn, lol.

Game 3 – Patrick’s Space Marines

Hidden Supplies, Crucible of Battle

Partick’s List (Wrath of the Rock): Ancient: Tempered in Battle, Captain Chaplain with Jump Pack: Ancient Weapons, 6×10 Tactical Squad, 2×10 Devastator Squad, 2×10 Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs, Dreadnought.

I was 1-1 going into Round 3, and did not expect to see a full company of first-born Space Marines (and a Dreadnought). EPIC.

The custom mission for this game was ‘do you want to be a ratillionaire?’.

It arguably had the least impact on the game as the previous two but is a good final round so competitive players don’t lose their minds at the GT, I guess, if you’re into not having fun.

You had 3 ‘lifelines’, and you could use all 3 one at any point in the game.

• Phone a friend: Get one of the TO’s to roll some dice for you – I had Michael roll my Warp Talons 40 attacks into 5 Tactical Marines, that my opponent refused to roll his save rolls until Michael had rolled all 40 attacks (Thank you Patrick).
• Ask the audience: Everyone was given a question, you needed to go and ask another player for their question, and if you got it right, you got 1CP that was separate from the bonus per battleround.
• 50:50, any dice roll in the game is successful on a 4+, that means, if you have a 12″ charge, you can get it on a 4+

Patrick was an awesome opponent and had a very cool army. But, unfortunately, 100 first-born Marines aren’t very good, and his only option was to slowly walk towards me and I slowly brute forced my way through slaying a FULL COMPANY OF SPACE MARINES.

Good work Night Lords and thank you Patrick for bringing lollies for everyone. I’ll see you at Ratcon!

The missions were cool and didn’t seem like they needed many adjustments compared to the previous couple of years missions. The only suggestion I could think of which Michael already alluded to on the day, is removing the free kill more/hold more from the Innovation buff, and actually making mutation worth taking.

Until next time, cya nerds x