Round 4 had me pinned against John O. (sorry John, I can't quite remember your last name) and his venom filled Dark Eldar list. I believe his list consisted of something like..
Baron
Haemonculus
3x ravagers
1x raiders with witches
2x squads of scourages (Baron rode with one of these)
2x venom with trueborm with 3x blasters
3x venom with warriors (I believe)
Again, trying to remember exactly, but it was close to this.
Setup was spearhead and primary was table quarters.
He had first turn, he basically lined all his lances up in a crescent shape on his side of the board, as close to the center as he could. I deployed opposite in my castle formation. I decided to deepstrike one terminator squad (which would come in on turn 1 from deathwing assault as a wild card. Everything would still be in on my side of the board on turn 1, but this way he had to think about what that squad might be doing. I daisy chained my speeders in a line behind a predator, granting cover saves to everything. I kept Belial and the command squad central, I wanted to bait those witches out of their transports and keep those lances off my termies.
This match was hot and heavy and both of us were exhausted after a long day of matches. We basically just lined up across from each other and proceeded to shoot each other into oblivion. I believe he blew up a speeder and rhino on turn one, but I baited him into getting out of his venoms with two of his trueborn squads, which were counter assaulted by my terminators and predator, and wiped them. (predator ended up running the squad of trueborn off his table age) My tactical marines, having lost their transports moved into the large hill in the middle of the table. My squad in reserve came down in the quarter two my right. I was hoping to pinch his stuff in a bit, and threaten his flank. His witches were deployed in their transport in the opposite corner. He would have to waste an entire turn getting over to me before he would get the assault off if he wanted to go that route. Belial and company took down a venom and trueborn squad than tactically retreated towards the hill in the middle. I was feeling a little confident that I had lost some armor, but he had taken some tolls as well.
During his turn, the witches got out of their transport and assault my 5 man tactical squad that had moved into the hill in the middle of the table. He did not purchase the agonizer (power weapon) upgrade for the squad and my tacticals proceeded to beat down those witches in close combat. Which ended up buying me enough time to slog belial's squad over there and finish them off. The Haemonculus got out by himself and used his mirror ability against Belial's command terminator squad. Which ended up in NO kills. (dodged that bullet - it would be a common theme for the game, heh) I would return fire on him with a speeder, only managing one would, which he went to ground and made his 6+ cover. However, after seeing that now he was worthless during his next turn, I was able to wheel Belial's squad around and help finish off those witches.
I lost my land raider to a lance I believe on turn 3. And he was able to polish off the squad inside with mass lance and venom fire. My deepstruck terminator squad took down 2 venoms and the squads inside but eventually went down to mass fire as well.
I slowly pushed everything towards the center of the table. Hoping to control that and just move a few units into each quarter to gain control at the end of the game.
His scourges came down into terrain to the rear of my lines in which he lost a couple, whiffed during the shooting phase with the blasters and ate a dakka pred next turn, failed their leadership and fled off the table.
His second scourge squad misshaped on their deep struck so I placed them far into his corner into terrain, he lost a few to dangerous terrain tests. (epic) He wisely then broke off the baron (for fear of losing a leadership as well just like the first squad) and threw him at Belial's still stuck in combat with the witches, squad. The scourges moved up, whiffed on their blasters as well, and took speeder fire, failed leadership, and were running off the table on turn 5. When the game ended.
The baron ran up and tried to punk Belial's reaming squad which was just him and a TH/SS terminator. Belial put his attacks into the witches, finishing them off, and the thunder hammer terminator turn around and punked baron with only one wound from the hammer. Awesome and lucky that it happened on turn 5. He should have just use the baron to contest a quarter instead of trying to punk my squad. The Haemonculus took 2 wounds from storm bolter fire and went down.
He was looking at just a few models left, as well as me. However, I still have 2x tactical squads operational and belial's terminator squad controlling the center of the table. I moved one of my tacticals into my right hand front corner to take it from him and the game ended on turn 5. 3 quarters for me, for 1 for him. Was a very close match and with the clutch assault victory on his turn 5, I was able to maneuver my units into positions for the win. If I had not won that assault in the middle, he would have had me.
So I finished the first day of the tournament 3-1. Really good considering this was my first GT. Every match I had played was fought tooth and nail to the very end (save round 2). I was exhausted as well as jared, todd and ross. We all went back to the hotel for some much needed burgers and beers.
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