Post Heat Three Jangles

So Heat Three is all done and dusted and I'll be honest, I had a really good time. After hearing horror stories about the GW GT's, I was a little worried that I might face somebody who can be called a Male Chicken (careful kids I'm being rude) but I didn't and I had a really good weekend. While my goal was to qualify, I also had a mini goal of winning a couple of games. I didn't qualify but I did win a couple of games! In the end I came 102nd. It was 103rd but apprantly there was an error on the results they handed out as there was no 85th placing, so everybody who came 85th or less got bumped up a space!

My army did have a couple of flaws which I'm rethinking about for the new year. Firstly my magic wasn't enough and I needed to either invest more into it or not at all. Secondly I don't think the Lord of Change is very good for me as it's more of a supporting unit rather than a direct smash and grab unit. Also I didn't have much luck with siren song but I think that's more because I couldn't bring anything into the combat after the first round due to space constraints or my flankers being caught up with something else. My main flaw is quite simply me because I need to be playing more and more games!

A quick rundown of my games for those who are interested...

Game 1 - Mike and Ogres (Breakthrough) - WIN
Mike was a nice chap who works for GW and came to the event right at the last minute using the only thing he had fully painted - Ogres! I tried not to think "Easy Game" and get over confident but then I saw he had Skrag and I didn't have a clue what to do about him as I didn't have anything in my army which could really take him on (apart from the Lord of Change). Mike's downfall was that he doesn't play much and his army was in the wrong enviroment as he had - Skrag, Butcher, 2 x 6 Bulls (full command), 3 Ironguts, 3 Yhetees, 3 Leadblechers, 2 Gorgers, and a Slave Giant. Basicly I out magic and shot him and picked the combats I wanted. Got my nettes and Lord of Change into combat with a Bull Unit which had Skrag, and slapped the unit about which broke and got run down (taking Skrag). I got my special mission for his most expensive unit and got three units in his deployment zone which won me the game.

Game 2 - Andy and Daemons (Battle of the Pass) - LOSS
Andy was another nice chap with a cheeky Daemon army. It had a Khorne Herald on a Jugger, 2 Heralds of Tzeentch, 3 x 10 Horrors, Furies, 4 x 5 Flesh Hounds!!!, 2 x 6 Flamers. I wasn't thinking easy game now! Basicly Andy out magiced and out shot me and I fluffed my deployment as well and he took all my toys off the board. Enjoyed the game and chatting with Andy though.

Game 3 - Gareth and High Elves (Fog of War) - WIN
Gareth had a very strange High Elf army as it didn't have much magic (i.e none) and didn't have a Dragon. It did have a Prince, BSB, Noble, 2 x 10 Archers, 15 White Lions, 15 Swordmasters, 2 x 5 Dragon Princes, 2 Bolters and a Eagle. Gareth drew his deployment on the paper handed out while I deployed mostly on my left flank as I suspected that he would deploy centrally and he did. While I knew he had a 'strange' High Elf army, I knew that half my army wouldn't be able to do much about the Dragon Princes or Characters so I picked the Lore of Death for my LoC which flew around zapping the Princes. Towards the end of the game Gareth didn't have many toys left but he managed to stop me getting my secret mission by charging the Flamers who were trying to make a break for his deployment zone. Game ended with me winning mainly because Gareth had a last ditched attempt at killing something and charged my Fiend with his BSB and Prince. They cause a wound to the Fiend who attacks the BSB and runs down the Prince thanks to him auto breaking!

Game 4 - Andy and Dwarfs (Trials of Battle) - DRAW
Another Andy and he had a strange Dwarf army because it had no anvil! He had a Lord on Shieldbearers, a BSB, a Runesmith, 2 x 10 Crossbows, 20 Longbeards, 2 x 15 Hammerers, 10 Miners, 2 Bolters and a Organ Gun. Random deployment stuffed Andy while being fairly kind to me but his big blocks kept on bouncing my Hounds off them and towards the end of the game we had pretty much wiped each other out apart from a scattering of units. Andy got his special mission (get into my deployment zone) and I got mine (Hills) but Andy won with a small marging. Chatting to Clubmates they said that I had to win by 300 points for a win, so it was a draw! I tracked Andy down who nicely agreed and we got it changed to a Draw.

Game 5 - Dan and Vampires (Dawn Attack) - LOSS
Eeep! I've never played Vampires before so only had a rough idea what to do. Dan had Lord on Horse, Vamp BSB, Vamp on Hellsteed, 2 x 15 Skellies, 20 Zombies, 2 x 5 Dire Wolves, a Corpse Cart, 6 Black Knights, and 5 wraiths with a banshee. I picked the Lore of Light hoping to boom his army with my LoC and got stuck in. My LoC failed to boom much, killed the corpse cart and then got butched by the Vamp Lord. We then smashed each other to bits but Dan came out on top in the end. A very enjoyable game but I was so unprepared for the Vampire Magic Phase!

Game 6 - Andy and Daemons (Pitched Battle) - LOSS
Again, another Andy. He had a bit of everything Daemon army with a Great Unclean One, BSB Nurgle Herald on a Palaquin, Slaaneshi Herald, The Masque, 15 Plaguebearers, 15 Daemonettes, 2 x 10 Horros, Furies, Flamers. I had a big brain fart for deployment and then my dice decided to work against me, so I did the best thing possible and had a laugh. Good game but wish I could play Andy again to play him properly and not chump bash me.

So a good weekend and I'm going again next year. Also got to meet John Blanche who was just sitting in the couner doodling! He's a really nice guy and it was nice to meet him as I've liked his artwork since I've been in the hobby.