Hello folks, I am sorry it has been a while. but I return to you with news from the backs of dragons.
The Renegade open was a 40 person GT in Minneapolis Minnesota. This event held a narrative team event the Friday before, which had each team of 2 given a “monster” to use for free in every game, created by the event organizers. There was trophies for how Killy or how tanky your monster was. The GT also had you track a monster (or unit of monsters) in your armies total unsaved damage given, and taken.
The event allowed me to utilize scratch built dragons, so I did. My list prep going into the event was:
Pre-Point Change List
List submission wasn’t due until the day of the event, so the recent point changes applied for the event.
With the new points, I decided to keep both heroes, and drop 2 guard and the aetherwings in exchange for receiving a 40 point bid for a Triumph with Inspired.
Final List
Round 1
Matthew Erbes' Seraphon
Mission: Feral Foray
This was the first time setting up my fully converted/painted dragons on the table, and boy was it terrifying. Multiple times over the weekend was the physical presence of so many large dragon models (4 creature caster, 1 reaper, 2 forge world, 3 dark elf black dragons) on one table, they even towered over Mega-Gargants.
Turn 1 I took top, 8 dragons moved in the hero phase, 4 of which shot and killed a salamander pack. All 10 dragons moved in the movement phase. 10 dragons shot in the shooting phase, picking up a priest inside his faction terrain piece, bringing another priest to 1 wound and scrapping some damage off his Bastiladon. In the Combat phase the 30 Skinks were brought down to under 10 and injured brought the Troglodon under half health. All the handlers from his second Salamander unit and the Bastiladon died. I forgot every. Single. Roll. For “Dragged into the Tempest”.
His turn after attempting to get some damage spells past the dragons and Kroak charging with 20 attacks (5 attacks for each monster.. is combat Kroak their weakness?) he pulled off 1 Dragon after my second turn, Kroak was standing with 10 skinks that teleported across the table and his Astrolith Bearer was left standing. The only reason we continued playing was to try and rack up “damage dealt by my monster pack” points. They had caused a total of 99 unsaved wounds over the course of those 3 battle rounds.
Round 2
Scott Thompson's Lumineth Realm-Lords
Mission: Veins of Ghur
Who in their right mind would run 4 foxes in a list? That’s insane. Never ever thought I’d see the day. Seriously how could he?…
AHEM…
Anyway, after we got done discussing his spell selection vs mine and some just general mutual Fox-list-love conversation, we got to playing the game. He won the roll off to place first so he could choose who went first. Surprise to absolutely no one, the foxes took the first move.
Windmage buffed the archers for +6” to their range, Power of Hysh went off on the Sentinels. Luckily Total Eclipse failed, so my command points were safe. But, the arrows were coming. He shot just about everything into the 4 pack of dragons. All Out Defense, and Envoy of the Heavens meant I lost only 1 Dragon, despite all the firepower.
My turn.
The Stormdrake Guard moved up in the hero phase. They all moved again in the movement phase. Dragon Breath got 5 sentinels and some Wardens. I charge his wardens and set up the 4 man (now 3 man) unit to charge the Wardens, but leave enough room to pile in to the sentinels. Unleash Hell kills another dragon, even without the extra shot. He spent his last command point for the round. And the Sentinels burned their Aetherquartz to cast the Power of Hysh. The 2 dragons clear 15 or so of the Sentinels, 2 others kill the wardens who have Total Wclipse. And the remaining ones clear the other 10 Wardens. And may have eaten a fox, but I can’t recall now.
The remaining game was us spending time chasing foxes on and off of the objectives. Ending the match with 4-5 dragons left after a Rally brought one of them back and failing a ton of breath shots.
Well fought, but a victory to the drakes none the less.
Round 3
Roarke Engelheart's Sons of Behemat
Mission: Tooth and Nail
This one I know I played recklessly because his Gate Breaker was in the running for most killy monster, and my Stormdrake Guard wanted a piece. I gave him first turn because he couldn’t reach me. Even if he did, my dragons would have loved to take him head on. He ran to the 2 No-Man’s-Land objectives and kicked them over to his own back field. My 4 pack of guard succeeded in the long bomb charge to get to his Amulet of Destiny Gate Breaker, but had to spread out a bit so I didn’t tag in another mega right next to him, and spread out between Mancrusher who had been standing in front of him.
My battle tactic was to have 2 units wholly in his territory, and after failing a charge on the other side of the table with a the non-general Knight, I had to find a way. And it struck me: 1 of my dragons had to die to his giants swings.
His gate breaker swung into me, severely injuring one of the Guard. But not lethal damage. His Mancrusher swung, leaving that same storm drake guard model at 1 wound left. One of my support packs of 2 storm drake guard swing into that same Mancrusher. They slay it with seamless ease. I win the roll off for the “fall over” of the Mancrusher.
I push him directly into the pack of 4 storm drake guard, and crush my own drake beneath the dead giant. Sending him back to Sigmar* for later, and complete my secondary, with all monsters, for 3 objective points.
The look on my opponents face after that was priceless and I loved his commentary: “That was the most ‘dark knight’ shit I have ever seen, sacrificing your own models for objectives…”
It was worth it
The 4 pack then started to get dog-piled by the next MegaGargant. My general joined the fray, his general joined the fray. His 2nd giant to join dies, my general dies. My storm drake guard unit loses 2 more and 7 more wounds on the captain of the drakes. He retreats.
My second knight and 2 pack rejoin the fight, I rally 1 of the 4 pack back, bringing back a full drake ready and raring to go. My last 2 pack from early join the fray. I rally the 3rd back from the 4 pack. His general dies and my knight dies. My 2 pack dies. The 4th drake returns to the fight on a final rally.
They then move 3” away from his original gate breaker with Amulet of Destiny, with 6 wounds remaining.
Bottom of turn 5, the drakes charge. The Drakes roll snake eyes and the game ends. Both of our “Tally monsters” alive. He killed 9/10 drakes. 4/10 were left standing.
Day One 3-0 for the Stormdrake Guard.
Round 4
Bryan Rindo's Daughters of Khaine
Mission: The Vice
In retrospect, I should have given him first turn, and tried to double. In reality: neither of us were close enough to do anything so I took first. First Battle Tactic was “Run 3 units” and of course, I ran with 3 monster units.
He then tried to “Bring it Down” and failed to kill my secondary knight. Missed by 1 wound.
Took top of round 2, the knight heals himself through Heroic Recovery. He then flies across the table accompanied by 4 drakes and eat all the bow snakes. 2 more drakes also tagged Morathi and 5 combat snakes, killing only a few. By his turn Morathi killed both those dragons.
Turn 3, the 4 pack stayed in combat with the cauldron, mini-Morathi, and an Ironscale. Morathi kills the general.
Turn 4 I left Morathi alone with the last 3 pack, and then she killed the last 2 pack. And the last of the 4 pack in that mosh pit at the back, finally fell.
Dragons were tabled bottom of 4.
Round 5
Matthew Casper's Idoneth Deepkin
Mission: Survival of the Fittest
Idoneth took first, made charges with 6 Morrsarr Guard went off the table edge, 6 Ishlaen Guard charged out front, alongside the Eidolon. 2 Stormdrake Guard and my non-general knight die in the first wave. My retaliation kills 4 out 6 assault Morsarr and a few Ishlaen.
My turn I kill the Eidolon and the Ishlaen. I double and somehow the last assault eel survives 9 breath attacks…. ( I rolled alot of 1’s and 2’s.) and so my “slap back” into his turtle and king was a dull dull knife.
By turn 4 the 4 pack and the general were the only 2 lefts on my field chasing down his last pack of Morrsarr, ending the game very close in battle points. However, the event specific scoring ended it at 8-20 my favor.
All in all 5 good games. all these games fought me I was very under-practiced (with a list that changed the day before the event) and rightfully so as most people do not enjoy practice games extremely high tuned armies like that.
Final Thoughts
With both nerfs to the army, they may see more casual play, but even in casual play will be very, very effective. Competitive play with them will still see them top tier.
Also, as my 3rd? 5th? GT of 3.0 ( I know I’m behind the times on majors like this compared to like.. England or even the east/west coast of the US.) tracking secondaries so I can remember what I haven’t done is going to come in major handy.
It has been a while since I posted my own article. Real Life has been insane so, thank you for hanging out with me today.
Till next time.
JoeK has a Patreon at Titan Wargaming if you’re looking for list building and playing coaching. Any questions or comments? Drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com.
