frogczar
08-20-2007, 07:58 AM
Hello All!
Much fun was had at the Gen Con tournaments. I really enjoyed meeting people and making some new friends.
My combined record for the two tournaments I played in was 10 - 0.
I played in the 100 point constructed tournament on Thursday and the 100 point limited (sealed booster) tournament on Friday.
Here is my 100 point constructed list:
Ammo Dump
US-81 mm Mortar
Thompson Gunner x3
BAR Gunner
Screaming Eagle Paratroopers x2
Red Devil Captain
M4 Garand x2
Resourceful Hero
M4A1 Sherman
Here's a brief rundown of the matches. I played 4 rounds, the first round was against a build consisting of a King Tiger, a Stug III and a haupsturmfurher. The fight came down to me flanking the King Tiger and then throwing everything I had at it with two 8 dice close assaults and the Sherman on the rear. The Tiger blew sky high with the multiple hits. I lost the sherman but won the match. I actually briefly considered a build like this myself for the tournament. 1-0
The second round was against an entirely 5/5 axis force of SS-PG, SNLF Fanatics, SS-Stormtroopers and 2 Haupsturmfuhers. The classic "elite" cheesy build (which my opponent refered to by name actually). Now here was the true test, after all the complaining I had read about on the boards about how a pure 5/5 army is the best tournament build and so forth I had a real chance to face one. Utilizing the advantage I had in picking the map edge, I was able to catch many of his infantry in the open with my tank and paratroopers. The Ammo Dump gave me the extra 'oomph' i needed and I eliminated his infantry 1 by 1. I lost about 4 units total. My opponent was worthy and friendly and the game was fun. The reason I point this game out is as an example to all the "powergamers" out there who swear by 5/5 builds. I built my army specifcally to show it can be done without tons of 5/5 units. 2-0
My next game was against another standard build, a newer player with a limited collection, but very friendly and enthusiastic. I am glad to see new people getting interested in the game (not to hard at Gen Con since they gave a free booster of either set I or set II to EVERYONE who came to the con!). 3-0
My final match was against the dreaded churchill build. 2 Crocs and an AVRE with a boatload of barbed wire. This had me quite intimidated since my best AT rolls would be from the Sherman and the 8 dice close assault from my 2 paratroopers and the hero. Thankfully, nearly all of my other units had at least 7 close assault to help as well. 4-0
Again, in this final match the Ammo Dump was the difference since I was able to get the extra successes I needed to finish off the armor and win the match. I lost the most units of the day in this fight, and it really came down to the wire. My opponent was again, friendly and skilled. It turned out as we were chatting after the match that we attended the same University at the same time back in 1997! Small world! (So hiya "All-xmen" if you're reading this).
I won the tourney and recieved 4 boosters of reserves! Hurrah!
Now, the limited tourney. 4 rounds and a top 4 single elimination for an iPod!
We were given 2 boosters of Reserves to build our 100 point army with. I opened mine to find that both of my rares were the centurion tank! Well, given the limited pickings from these boosters (I also pulled an ammo dump) I couldn't make up my mind to go with a more balanced 96 point allied build (with 1 centurion and the rest of my infantry) or just take the 2 centurions which came in at exactly 100 points. I wrote out the balanced list and then decided at the last minute to go with my guts and try just the two tanks.
My first match was against an build that was like my original list, 1 centurion with some support (including an armored car and the locust). It was a good match, but once I killed his centurion, he didn't have much left to deal with mine. I won but it was still a game of cat and mouse. 1-0
My next match was against a really excellent build, an elephant and the japanese heavy tank with good support and an ammo dump! It was another game of cat and mouse until we traded tanks in a burst of tank fire! I tried unsuccessfully for 4 turns to kill the ammo dump but it would just not die! I wiped out the elephant and lost a centurion. It went to points at the end of turn 10 and I won with my remaining tank. 2-0
My 3rd match was against a decent build that lacked real AT firepower much to my opponents dismay. A gloster meteor and other assorted allied units. It was in this game that I really started to abuse the "Robust" ability of the Centurion. No matter how it worked out, once his AT capability was diminished, his troops could never get a close assault on my tanks because I would just use Robust to move away. His best shot was going to be on my superior frontal armor no matter what. I understood his frustration. I won on points at the end of turn 10 again with both tanks intact. 3-0
My final match of the regular rounds was against my final opponent from the earlier 100 point constructed tournament (all-xmen). He pulled the build I originally was hoping for, the IS-3 and a few support units!. Now this match had me really worried, his tank had the firepower to take out mine in a single blast. It was going to come down to a slugfest sooner or later and be both rolled up to the center of the map and traded fire. I disrupted the IS-3 and wiped out his greyhound and he disrupted one of my centurions! I had luckily survived the worst of the the IS shots. The next turn I finished off the IS-3 and with his two remaining French partisans, he conceded the match and we shook hands over the quick game. 4-0
On to the single elimination top 4 of the limited tournament.
The first round was against a skilled opponent who was packing another of the units I wanted to pull, the M4 Sherman T-34 Calliope. He had some addtional AT units, the entrenched AT gun, the locust,the greyhound and an ammo dump. A great balanced build. This game was another match of "cat and mouse" until it came time to contest the objective and the match time limit began to run out. His tactical advantage in numbers had me in a very tight situation, I knew that I wouldn't be able to abuse "Robust" as well with all of his AT threats. It came down to him damaging a Centurion in trade for his Greyhound and his locust. This left him the Sherman and the AT gun as his remaining serious threats. He won initiative at crucial times in these final moments of the game and as the minutes began to wind down it came down to a final exchange of fire from my Centurion on the objective and his remaining AT units. Now, here's where everyone involved made a mistake (including the observing judge). He shot with his AT gun and disrupted my centurion on the objective when I made my cover roll and followed up with a point blank shot from the sherman. He rolled great and scored two hits which would have destroyed my Centurion but I made the mistake of making a cover roll (which I succeeded) leaving me only disrupted. We called the game at that time since the time limit had expired. Now, since I still had an opportunity to shoot his sherman on my assault phase, even if he had destroyed one of my centurions, if I had destroyed his Sherman I would have won on points at the end of the game. I rolled the dice for these attacks after the fact when we realized that we had forgotten the sherman ignores cover and I would have destroyed it. I was well into the final match when I remembered this, so it was to late anyway. I felt bad anyhow as this felt like a hollow victory. 5-0
The final match was against my original opponent and this game was a near repeat of our first. However this time we traded Centurions and I finished off his remaining units that could hurt my last Centurion and won on points again. 6-0
I had a great time and it was a pleasure meeting everyone. I won an iPod Nano in the limited tourney.
-Frog
Much fun was had at the Gen Con tournaments. I really enjoyed meeting people and making some new friends.
My combined record for the two tournaments I played in was 10 - 0.
I played in the 100 point constructed tournament on Thursday and the 100 point limited (sealed booster) tournament on Friday.
Here is my 100 point constructed list:
Ammo Dump
US-81 mm Mortar
Thompson Gunner x3
BAR Gunner
Screaming Eagle Paratroopers x2
Red Devil Captain
M4 Garand x2
Resourceful Hero
M4A1 Sherman
Here's a brief rundown of the matches. I played 4 rounds, the first round was against a build consisting of a King Tiger, a Stug III and a haupsturmfurher. The fight came down to me flanking the King Tiger and then throwing everything I had at it with two 8 dice close assaults and the Sherman on the rear. The Tiger blew sky high with the multiple hits. I lost the sherman but won the match. I actually briefly considered a build like this myself for the tournament. 1-0
The second round was against an entirely 5/5 axis force of SS-PG, SNLF Fanatics, SS-Stormtroopers and 2 Haupsturmfuhers. The classic "elite" cheesy build (which my opponent refered to by name actually). Now here was the true test, after all the complaining I had read about on the boards about how a pure 5/5 army is the best tournament build and so forth I had a real chance to face one. Utilizing the advantage I had in picking the map edge, I was able to catch many of his infantry in the open with my tank and paratroopers. The Ammo Dump gave me the extra 'oomph' i needed and I eliminated his infantry 1 by 1. I lost about 4 units total. My opponent was worthy and friendly and the game was fun. The reason I point this game out is as an example to all the "powergamers" out there who swear by 5/5 builds. I built my army specifcally to show it can be done without tons of 5/5 units. 2-0
My next game was against another standard build, a newer player with a limited collection, but very friendly and enthusiastic. I am glad to see new people getting interested in the game (not to hard at Gen Con since they gave a free booster of either set I or set II to EVERYONE who came to the con!). 3-0
My final match was against the dreaded churchill build. 2 Crocs and an AVRE with a boatload of barbed wire. This had me quite intimidated since my best AT rolls would be from the Sherman and the 8 dice close assault from my 2 paratroopers and the hero. Thankfully, nearly all of my other units had at least 7 close assault to help as well. 4-0
Again, in this final match the Ammo Dump was the difference since I was able to get the extra successes I needed to finish off the armor and win the match. I lost the most units of the day in this fight, and it really came down to the wire. My opponent was again, friendly and skilled. It turned out as we were chatting after the match that we attended the same University at the same time back in 1997! Small world! (So hiya "All-xmen" if you're reading this).
I won the tourney and recieved 4 boosters of reserves! Hurrah!
Now, the limited tourney. 4 rounds and a top 4 single elimination for an iPod!
We were given 2 boosters of Reserves to build our 100 point army with. I opened mine to find that both of my rares were the centurion tank! Well, given the limited pickings from these boosters (I also pulled an ammo dump) I couldn't make up my mind to go with a more balanced 96 point allied build (with 1 centurion and the rest of my infantry) or just take the 2 centurions which came in at exactly 100 points. I wrote out the balanced list and then decided at the last minute to go with my guts and try just the two tanks.
My first match was against an build that was like my original list, 1 centurion with some support (including an armored car and the locust). It was a good match, but once I killed his centurion, he didn't have much left to deal with mine. I won but it was still a game of cat and mouse. 1-0
My next match was against a really excellent build, an elephant and the japanese heavy tank with good support and an ammo dump! It was another game of cat and mouse until we traded tanks in a burst of tank fire! I tried unsuccessfully for 4 turns to kill the ammo dump but it would just not die! I wiped out the elephant and lost a centurion. It went to points at the end of turn 10 and I won with my remaining tank. 2-0
My 3rd match was against a decent build that lacked real AT firepower much to my opponents dismay. A gloster meteor and other assorted allied units. It was in this game that I really started to abuse the "Robust" ability of the Centurion. No matter how it worked out, once his AT capability was diminished, his troops could never get a close assault on my tanks because I would just use Robust to move away. His best shot was going to be on my superior frontal armor no matter what. I understood his frustration. I won on points at the end of turn 10 again with both tanks intact. 3-0
My final match of the regular rounds was against my final opponent from the earlier 100 point constructed tournament (all-xmen). He pulled the build I originally was hoping for, the IS-3 and a few support units!. Now this match had me really worried, his tank had the firepower to take out mine in a single blast. It was going to come down to a slugfest sooner or later and be both rolled up to the center of the map and traded fire. I disrupted the IS-3 and wiped out his greyhound and he disrupted one of my centurions! I had luckily survived the worst of the the IS shots. The next turn I finished off the IS-3 and with his two remaining French partisans, he conceded the match and we shook hands over the quick game. 4-0
On to the single elimination top 4 of the limited tournament.
The first round was against a skilled opponent who was packing another of the units I wanted to pull, the M4 Sherman T-34 Calliope. He had some addtional AT units, the entrenched AT gun, the locust,the greyhound and an ammo dump. A great balanced build. This game was another match of "cat and mouse" until it came time to contest the objective and the match time limit began to run out. His tactical advantage in numbers had me in a very tight situation, I knew that I wouldn't be able to abuse "Robust" as well with all of his AT threats. It came down to him damaging a Centurion in trade for his Greyhound and his locust. This left him the Sherman and the AT gun as his remaining serious threats. He won initiative at crucial times in these final moments of the game and as the minutes began to wind down it came down to a final exchange of fire from my Centurion on the objective and his remaining AT units. Now, here's where everyone involved made a mistake (including the observing judge). He shot with his AT gun and disrupted my centurion on the objective when I made my cover roll and followed up with a point blank shot from the sherman. He rolled great and scored two hits which would have destroyed my Centurion but I made the mistake of making a cover roll (which I succeeded) leaving me only disrupted. We called the game at that time since the time limit had expired. Now, since I still had an opportunity to shoot his sherman on my assault phase, even if he had destroyed one of my centurions, if I had destroyed his Sherman I would have won on points at the end of the game. I rolled the dice for these attacks after the fact when we realized that we had forgotten the sherman ignores cover and I would have destroyed it. I was well into the final match when I remembered this, so it was to late anyway. I felt bad anyhow as this felt like a hollow victory. 5-0
The final match was against my original opponent and this game was a near repeat of our first. However this time we traded Centurions and I finished off his remaining units that could hurt my last Centurion and won on points again. 6-0
I had a great time and it was a pleasure meeting everyone. I won an iPod Nano in the limited tourney.
-Frog