So if you’ve been reading me by now, you should know that I give the good and the bad, the glory and failures, and LVO this year was a down and out failure for me on many levels. Good oppoents but bad luck, the return of the U, and wifey miscommunication expectations. So here it is, the LVO Captain A report.
The List
Nemesis Strike Force
Librarian – ML3/Hammer
10 Purifiers – 2 Incinerators
5 Strikes
2 Dreadknights – Hammer/Teleporter/Psycannon
Draigo
Red Scorpions CAD
Sevrin Loth
2 x 5 Scouts
Drop Pod Locator
Drop Pod
4 Centurions
The Games
Game 1
Jaminh’s Pentyrant
5 Flying Hive Tyrants Dakka/Flamers
2 Mawloc
3 Lictors
5-6 Mucolids
Venomthrope
So for his powers he rolled some of the best for this matchup. Three Tyrants had Psychic Scream and one had Warp Blast if I remember right. Tons of ap2. I had him go first as I didn’t get Perfect Timing and couldn’t really alpha strike his list. He flew off the table and I dropped one squad of purifiers to wipe out the Venomthrope and get on his objective. Essentially I was still in it, getting my Dreadknights whittled down a wound or two at a time. Trying to get up on Maelstrom, but rolled Maelstrom 6 four out of six turns! Blech. I hate Maelstrom six. I also forgot the Lictor Mawloc combo, which took out Sevrin Loth, losing me Invisibility. I made some gambits at the end to bring things out, but just couldn’t do it. Great game and nice opponent but a loss.
Game 2
Dave’s Superfriends
Superfriends – Thunder Wolves, Iron Priests, Sammael, Bike Apothecary, Black Knights
Fire Raptor
2 Sicarans
2 Land Speeder
Land Speeder Shrouding One
So this game I dropped a unit of Purifiers in and took out both speeders, hit the Shrouding speeder pretty hard and I think even put a wound on the superfriends. Then I got a little greedy, gating over the star into shooting range without invisibility and drifted 11 inches toward his deathstar. His turn one saw my deathstar go poof when Draigo failed a ton of wounds in the first volley. The rest of the game saw me putting on a good face and going for moral vicotries and trying to make a game of it but no dice. Round 2 loss.
Game 3
Sean’s Chaos Combo
Belakor
Bloodthirster
Chaos Knight
2 Heldrakes
2 Rhinos with Bloodletters
Cultists
So here I thought I had a good shot as all I had to do was isolate and destroy, but things turned sour quick. In turn two I think his chaos knight went 12 Inches through terrain, went 12 inches on his charge and rolled two 6’s for his D-Weapon. Okay, all draigo needs to do is look out sir one of those and not roll……..oh that’s a one isn’t it? Bye bye Draigo and the Stars chances. Good times. I called it there as I had really no tools to take on the rest of his list and the luck had me down man.
So with that and going 0-3 the first day I dropped out. Captain Drop It Like Its Hot!
Another big thing is that I was sick of my list. I have been playing it for almost two years and that is very hard for my ADD brain. I was so tired of playing my Centstar and it showed. It is a high risk high reward list. Last year saw my luck go well and this year my luck ran out. Se la vie.
I also know that you really need an army that has a good chance to win every aspect of the ITC missions. Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. Right now I’m putting together my War Convocation that I think will hit a lot of those marks and am also gearing up to build a Corsairs/Eldar/Dark Eldar list that I’ve had in mind for a while.
Last is that I don’t know I have what it takes, especially with everything going on, to compete at the level that a lot of these guys do. I have to play for me and my personal goals and if that isn’t enough, I don’t know what. I’ve thought about the Narrative events or even an ITC lite type of event, but things are not solidified right now.
Other Issues
So I have to be honest with you in that I don’t really like Vegas. Sorry! It comes off as a very fake place. My wife loves to walk all round and see stuff, but that isn’t what I really want to do. We had some miscommunications about that and lead to more fun times. Yay!
So with all that complaining done, I still had an ok time. I got to hand out with a lot of 40k friends and ate some great food and have some fun. If I go next year, I need to come up with a better plan for my time and figure out what I want to do to have fun for me. We will see.
LVO Review
For the review of the LVO side of things, I was greatly impressed with the organization and setup at this year’s LVO. The banners they had were sick and made it easy to see where things were. The vendors had nice setups and some great product and I heard the classes were top notch. A couple of things I didn’t like was the setup of the 40k tables as about 100 tables were setup one way and the other 50ish were in a different part of the venue across the hall. Very confusing in my opinion. I understand the thought behind it, that they wanted the top tables by the judges table, but there had to be a better way to go about it. The other issue was water as in there wasn’t any. Per regulations by Bally’s we couldn’t bring in our own water or beverages and the only water that one could buy was the $5 10 oz water bottle that could be refilled in the bathroom. It was hard. They know this but it needs to be stated for transparency. I would say the tables was a small thing, but the water was pretty big and needs to be figured out for next year.
So there is my tale of travesty and woe at the LVO!
Go for something totally fresh. Go for warmahordes. i switched from draigostar to warmachine a year ago, and have never looked back.
If i had continued with 40k i think i would have played more narrative games. Only problem is that most 40k players around here are of the very competetive folks…
thats kind of a funny statement from a member of tye Warmahordes scene
Nope. Think you are reading the worst in it. Im not against competetive miniatures game, but:
– If you that go warmahordes. Just better for competetive play. Better mainrules, better balance, good missions, GT support from produser, regular FAQ and rules updates, chessclock against slowplayers and so on,
– If i wanted to continue with 40k, narrative play is the only play. Reasons should not have to be mentioned. Flag is doing great work to try to make the game a competetive GT game, but they can only take it so long. And not long enough for my taste
thats cool it sounded like ylu where saying ” if you want a break from competitive play switch to Warmahordes” witch woukd be strange
That is funny because here competitive 40k is a great place and what helped creat that was a bunch of warmahords players jumping ship because of how terrible they felt competitive warmahords has become. Interesting….
Unfortunately I don’t really like the Warmachine models.
That kept me away for years.
Plenty of ways to make centurions work captainA, but you’re right centstar is sort of past it now. I’ve had great success here in the UK with double drop-pod centurions, tigurius, coteaz and the like backed up with a knight and artillery pieces. Just gotta switch up as the game changes man!
If the missions pack is heavy on kill point, the centstar could be ok.
Nowdays it seems to be heavy on malstrom and objective where centstar struggle.
The randomness of the psycic powers is also a issue.
Hasnt seen centstar doing good for a long time.
Awww. I really hope you find your 40k groove again.
I’m sure I’ll find her.
I think where the narrative is going at the LVO will bring your love back of the game. If your goals are not to win such an event, then refocus what you want out of the game and event. Play smaller singles events, but try out different things at the LVO next year. Finding your groove with another army helps shake the cobwebs out too.
I’ve definitely found myself shifting away from ‘Stars lately. As demonstrated here, they’re just too vulnerable to single-point failure on a bad roll or two. Been having a lot more fun with lists where my tools are more evenly distributed across my Units, making it much easier to come back from the loss of any given part of my Army.
I also have to say, the fact that it’s in Vegas is definitely something that’s kept me from wanting to attend the LVO. That city just ain’t in my groove. The thing about beverages really exacerbates that, too. I’ve got my hydration solution pretty much nailed down, and a venue that won’t let me bring in my own watered-down gatorade mix really messes with that.
Here’s hoping the War Convocation works out for you, and you find a way to keep having fun with 40K!
I am excited to have an army that can get many different maelstroms!
Glad to see a few others chiming in re Vegas. I thought it was just me! I loved the event, had a blast in the championship and met a bunch of great people …. but Vegas ….. hmmmm. Was my first time and it was interesting to see … once, but it’s a bit sad and tacky. Admittedly I’m not a gambler, and I’m a bit old for night clubs and such, so I suspect I’m not your typical demographic!
Don’t get me wrong, would be more than happy to go back for the event – the event itself was fantastic – but I would be “tolerating” Vegas rather than enjoying it.
The shows can be nice if you get a chance to go to some of them, and the food is A++ (if sometimes expensive), but the city itself? It’s like a living monument to human desperation.
…and we love it for that. If Vegas is one thing, it’s honest. It doesn’t lie about what it is, it celebrates it.
Really though, if people don’t have a good time in Vegas, they’re not looking very hard. Great live entertainment, amazing food, fully automatic weapons, public drunkenness and legal protstitution, what else can you ask for? The first year I went and did nothing, and it was boring, second and third year I went straight for the fun of the city and had a blast.
I don’t know if I would call a town founded on false appearances and an industry that is NOTHING but deception about the product it offers is something I would call “honest.” “Shameless,” perhaps. It’s essentially Los Angeles without the pretense or population.
prostitiution aint legal in vegas, you have to drive to a smaller town for that to be the case….it’s weird but if you’re planning on some escapades vegas is not the legal place for it…. annoyingly
I love going to the old Vegas strip. It is about a 20-30 min bus ride and it is way more fun, cheaper and easier to get around. Better lights, people viewing, 99cent deep fried everything (oreo’s are my fav).
The bus is pretty cheap as well. $8 bucks for 24hrs or 20 for 36hrs.
What are you thinking about for the corsairs/Eldar/DE?
With regards to “having what it takes”:
Competing at the top level of ITC (or any other tournament system) is incredibly difficult. You’ve got to put a LOT of time in if you expect to stand a chance of winning big events with any degree of consistency, and you can bet that the folks that are doing so are shouldering quite a burden to get where they are. You should be playing 2-4 games per week, as many as possible against other strong players, and testing out against many different sorts of lists. And that’s just the start of things- it doesn’t take into account innovating new sorts of lists, keeping up with the meta, etc, etc.
But that’s if you want to be winning, or at least having a shot at that. If you want to play competitively and do well? Know your rules, know your book, get in what games you can. You’re definitely a good enough player to take a spot at a good-sized tournament (TSHFT or other GT-styled event) if you want to try, and there’s no shame in not being The Best That Ever Was. Your ranking may not seem like much when looked at numerically, but keep in mind that it still puts you top 5% of warhammer players in the USA, at the very least (and realistically a lot higher, since lots of people have no ITC scores at all.)
Yeah, this is a big point. I had to come to terms a while ago with the fact that, in the foreseeable future, I’m not going to be in a position to get the number of Games in against the calibre of Opponents that I would need to really get to the top. I’m pretty sure I could do it if some circumstances are different, but they’re not, and there are things I’m not willing to push aside to make that my number 1 priority.
I found it helped to work for a while on benchmarking myself accurately. It took a long time to get to the point where I wasn’t only comparing myself to the best, but I finally got around to it, set a goal for myself of 4-2 at TSHFT, and made my goal. There was no way I could have won that whole Tournament, but I was able to hit my goal, and that’s a win for me.
“You can bet that the folks that are doing so are shouldering quite a burden to get where they are.”
This bears repeating, because it doesn’t see like something people in many gaming communities understand.
Getting good enough to compete at the very top is a huge commitment of time, energy, and focus. You need to know and be able to play regularly with people that are good enough to challenge you on that level, you need to be willing to put a significant part of your life into learning the ins and outs of the game, you need to put in a really huge amount of time practicing.
It’s not for everyone, and you’ll be a happier person if you make that choice intentionally and set realistic goals for yourself. There’s no shame in not wanting to be the Grand High King of Warhams.
Sorry you had a rough time bud. I too don’t much like vegas… used to really enjoy poker (still do) but I don’t win as much as I used to and that too is a fun one off but not nearly as attractive. I do like the food though.. nice places there. Maybe make some reservations ahead of time and enjoy amazing cuisine?
I’m excited for your future lists.. I think change is good here. Good luck pal <3
Thanks!
The water issue was discussed on a previous FLG podcast, apparently the casino charges an insane amount of money for water coolers so the FLG crew had to deal with the water issue in a different manner. I’m sure after feedback this year the water issue will be changed accordingly next year.
Writing up a battle report when one has a bad round isnt something everyone would do, props for that. Looking forward to your reading about your future endeavours with whatever faction you decide on.
Question: I have been considering buying the Sevrin model for quite some time, but one thing makes me hesitate; he only has 2 wounds and casting invis on 6-7 dice will sometimes leave him with 1 wound left early in the game (25-30%ish chanse). How often do you feel perils is an issue on him? It would be great to hear from someone with extensive playtesting!
Get severin and put him in a librarian conclave.
Sevrin can’t go in the conclave unfortunately. Only tiggy.
Oh he often dies. Usually that is near the end turns where a lot if stuff is hopefully dead.
The big reason I went with Sevrin is that Mt star is guaranteed invis, gate, and prescience. Which I could build a strategy around. He is really a fantastic support character.
I know what you mean about vegas. this may sound ironic, but for me there isnt alot to DO there. I dont club, I dont party, Im so broke the gambling breaks the bank. I barely drink, but thats cause of medication. I got made fun of because I told my family I went to dinner and a movie with friends friday night. Vegas is expensive, the tiniest stuff costs an arm and a leg, so you cant do much.
Still looking forward to next year.
“You mean you didn’t throw away tens of thousands of dollars on a fundamental misunderstanding of statistics? What are you, some kind of WEIRDO??”
Haha! Thanks for that.
I would love to go, however I know I’d rather have fun with the event instead of trying a deluded attempt to place in the singles. If i ever make it out there you’d find me at the Narrative. I personally don’t like tourneys where a person can bring 4 riptides and only have legs on a base. AND a old Castle Greyskull toy as a void shield generator. I know the ITC doesnt push a 3 up standard and that’s fine, but come on. You should at least have completed models, and a scratch build void shield that some what represents the appropriate dimensions. I know logistics of checking 360+ armies would be a ludicrous. I just know it makes some feel badsies. If there was a way to not have to do army checks but the public could self patrol and route out some of the more ridiculous crap
Didn’t see any of what you are talking about at LVO. Most all the armies I saw were far beyond a 3up paint scheme and looked great on the table. Coke cans as drop pods and legs on bases were nowhere to be seen
The thing that made the original Gate cent-star so overpowered for the meta was the no scatter deep strike. along with a monstrous creature to wrap around, and a jet pack move to swap your tanks around. The in the world of Samual led assault stars, even a slight drift that favors your opponent will likely your world wrecked. The gate cent star simply does not have the same killey power it used to. The meta has changed from flying circus to MSU.
Good luck with the War Convo!! Looking forward to ur battle reports…
I wish tau were more viable than they are… they needed their rules intact to stand a chance.
Love Vegas with my wife. Good food, great people watching, drinks, dancing, just having fun. We all enjoy our own pursuits.
All I can say is don’t rage quit a game you have spent a lot of your life’s energy into because you had a bad run or because you can’t become the BEST in the world at it. There are 300 people in the championships alone. Only 1 will win. Only 8 make it to the final. I went 1 and 2 the first day. My worst showing ever. I came back and won all 3 the second day and had a great time doing it because I played the game and didn’t worry about.
A friend of mine said that the goal of any multiround tournament is to find and play your perfect opponent IN THE FINAL ROUND. By then you will hopefully be averaged out by skill level, luck, and karma to the opponent your current army power level and player skill level are best suited for. Play them and see what happens. Taking that attitude has helped me a lot to enjoy events. Now granted, in the rock paper scissor meta of 40k (which, coincidentally, I remember you saying is a good thing) that could still be a bad matchup for you, but overall it should be a blast.
Good luck and I would tell everyone to play a list you enjoy, not one you think will win. In the current meta, every “winner” list has a hard counter out there
Thanks for the batrep Captain America.
Yeah, the water thing was 100% not okay, especially considering it was almost 80 degrees in the venue. I think FLG opened themselves up to some serious legal trouble by supplying water in some form within the venue. I had a blast at LVO this year, but I definitely won’t go again next year if there isn’t a plan for a better water solution.
by *not* supplying water, I mean.
Sorry for the inconvenience in that regard but it was actually not our choice or policy, it was the hotel’s policy. We are working on a solution for next year though, to be sure.
Have you given any thought to Dropzone?
It’s a great game. It’s very balanced, the gameplay is fun and dynamic and it’s different enough from 40k that you don’t feel like you’re just playing the same game with different rules/models. It might be a breath of fresh air.
At the very least, it’s a good side-game to be honest, since it’s considerably cheaper than 40k to get started. Even with all the expansions and stuff that have come out, you can own one of everything for a faction for less than $600 (at full retail). That will allow you to play the biggest games.