So Echoes has been and gone. Overall I was very impressed with the event. It was run very well, and, even though the lists were incredibly competative, the players were very friendly and sporting.

My first game was against Deon and his Space Wolf/Astra Militarum Emperors Wrath Artillery Company.

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Deon and I have played against each other before so I knew I was in for an epic encounter. I won the roll off. I put half of my army into reserve and castled up around my home objective. Because time was an issue (we had to get to round 4 or be penalised) I decided to do nothing apart from fire off a few Big Shootas.

Deon was a little suprised to say the least. He’d even wanted to go first. Now he had to consider very carefully what to do next. He had to spread out and screen every possible threat. He then advanced tentatively towards my lines.

My second turn saw the arrival of my Nobs, Stormboys, Kommandos and a squad of 20 Slugga boys.

The Stormboys and the Boys arrived on my left flank. The Kommandos and the Nobs in the centre.

Deon’s Wulfen were getting closer in the centre. I needed some way to neutralise them.

In the psychic phase I Da jumped a unit of 30 Sluggas up the center to support the Nobs. My Warboss, Banner and the Painboy had advanced to support both.

In the charge phase the Nobs failed to move so the Sluggas had to carry the can. On the Flank the boys charged the Sentinel and the Stormboys also failed to move. The Kommandos failed to move aswell Gulp!.

In the fight phase the Sentinel survived with 1 wound remaining so did the Wulfen with 4 of their number blessing maker of their storm Shields. Oh dear.

In Deon’s turn his forces swept out to meet mine. On the flank the Stormboys were lucky only to lose half their number to return fire. A bike mounted Librarian charged the 20 boys and the Sentinel fell back. The Libby had some sneaky shenanigans and after 8 shots some smiting and a long charge the units Nob was the only Ork left standing.

In the centre the Wulfen killed half of the Slugga unit. Ouch! I had to use insane bravery on the flank unit to save some toys for latter.

Turn 3 and it was time to commit fully to the battle. In hind sight perhaps I should have played for points, but, playing Orks sings to your blood. Waaagh.

I used the green tide stratagem to pull the flank boys (well the lone Nob anyway) out of combat. The whole unit then redeployed into Deon’s deployment zone alongside the Tankbustas. Their job was to clear the screen and kill the Wyvern.

In the shooting phase I split the Tankbustas fire. The Rokkit Pistols shot at a Sentinel, the rest fired at both Wyverns with Rokkits and Bomb squigs. The Sentinel died but the Wyvern survived. 1 with 2 wounds the other with 6. Not my best plan.

The Nobs charged the Wulfen alongside the Warboss and whatever was left of my centre. The boys in Deon’s zone charged the screen hoping to make a hole for the Tankbustas to finish off the Wyverns and catch his Warlord.

In the fight phase the Stormboys and Kommandos disappeared. The Nobz killed the Wulfen who then killed the Nobz in their death throws. The Boys in Deon’s Deployment zone failed to clear the screen. This left the Tankbustas with nowhere to go. The demise of the Nobz left my Command elements isolated.

In Deon’s turn he secured most of the battlefield and was holding most of the Objectives. He then proceeded to whitle my remaining forces. The highlight of this Battle was Beorn the Fell handed charging my centre blob. He whiffed big style. However, even though he was hit with 9 power fist attacks. He managed to roll enough feel no pain rolls to be left standing with 1 wound left!!!. What a hero!!

The game ended at the end of turn 5. The game was great fun. Both sides had been plagued with failed charges. Deon, a veteran of the ITC scene had kept his eye on the ball with regard to the mission parameters. He won convincingly. Lesson learned.

The final tournament points score. 17 to 3.

Well. I’d learned a few things. But, more importantly I achieved my event goal too. I’d scored some points 😉. Right then. Now to win one 😀.

Game 2.

This was against Alex. He had some Indomitus Crusaders back by A veritable horde of Astra Militarum.

The mission was the Relic. Again I went first and again I knew that if I took one step towards the Relic I would be enfolded with gunfire. I pulled the same trick as game one and sat still.

Alex started his turn by seizing the Relic. With deft manipulation of the movement and the Astra Militarum orders it was swiftly carried back towards his deployment zone.

Turn 2. Alex had screened well. There was no room for my reserves to get behind him. I deployed the Nobz, Tankbustas and the 20 Sluggas on my right flank and the Stormboys and the Kommandos on my left.

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My plan was to force Alex to advance towards my big blobs hopefully breaking his ‘sealed’ deployment zone. The ruin in his back field had a squad of Guardsmen. This chaps had to go. I spotted an area of about 3″ in his DZ that was not blocked.

In the Pychic phase I cast Fist of Gork (+2 Strength & +2 Attacks) anD Warpath (+1 attack) on my Warboss and then Da Jumped him into this gap.

In the charge phase he declared his charge against the guys in the ruin. The Nobz and 20 Sluggas charged the squads around objective 2 on the right and the Stormboys and the Kommandos declared against the squads on my left. All the charges went off except the Stormboys failed (again)

In the fight phase the fights were a stalemate. But at least I hadn’t lost any squads yet. The Warboss minced his way through his opposition, but Alex played insane bravery to keep them in the game.

In Alex’s turn he sent reinforcements to the tar pit fights on the flanks. His Warlord headed back for a mano-a-mano scrap with mine.

His warlord failed his charge. This left him isolated in the open. The fights on the flanks dragged on.

Turn 3. The tar pits got stickier and not much happened there. I was still waiting for the opportunity to send my large Slugga mob into his DZ. Still, my Warboss charged Alex’s and ripped him apart, only for him to play the Only in death does duty end stratagem, promptly kill him back….

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The game played out in similar vein for a while, until….. I had an opportunity to jump my boys into a big enough hole.

They arrived safely, and retrieved the Relic.

It was a very close game, however, Deon’s game had taught me to watch the points.

It ended with a win for me.

A Win!! Wow. Ok next goal?? Another one perhaps?? 😀

Game 3.

This was against Dan and his Necrons. Ooh. I haven’t played against Necrons for years.

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By this time I have to admit to being quite tired (Dan was obviously feeling the same way). It would be decided by a little luck and who could keep focused 😀)

This was a straight up objective grab again.

My deployment was straight forward. A castle in the centre and a unit of Grots holding an objective on the right.

Dan deployed across the board trying to screen against my reserves.

I won the roll off (again…. a personal record). I was wary of the Destroyers so I chose to go first. As I’d deployed half my army in the ether it was a very short turn.

In his first turn he advanced his Warriors onto a central objective and sent his Wraiths out wide to hunt Grots. In his shooting phase my Kff & and Painboy went into overdrive, and as as result, I only lost 2 Shoota boys. The assault phase saw the Grots disappear in a red mist. (Mistake number 1. I should have moved the Grots into the bastion)

My turn 2. My reserves arrived enmasse. Dan’s screening was air tight, so a frontal charge was all I could manage. The Stormboys and Tankbustas on the left. Nobz in the Centre supported by Kommandos and the 20 Sluggas went right to try and suppress or at least hold the Wraiths.

The Tankbustas managed to destroy one of the Doomsday Arks with some nifty shooting.

In the assault phase the Stormboys stalled (again). The Kommandos and the Nobs went after the Warriors and his characters on the centre objective and the Sluggas went after the Wraiths.

The Warriors were destroyed along with both characters, however, his Warlord used a stratagem to save himself and escaped. The Sluggas hit the Wraiths like a runaway train killing three and reclaimed the objective.

Dan’s turn 2.

With the demise of one of his arks and a unit of Warriors. Dan reshuffled his ranks. One unit of Destroyers swept from a central position to support his Warriors on his right. The Wraith disengaged. His left flank Warriors moved forwards ready to take out the Sluggas.

In the shooting phase his Destroyers wiped out the Tankbustas. The Warriors almost wiped out the Grots on my centre objective and almost wiped out the Kommandos. The Ark killed some Stormboys.

My turn 3.

My Nobs went for the Destroyers. My Shoota boys advanced from the Castle in support (Mistake no 2. They should have ‘tagged’ the central objective recently held by the Grots) . My Banner boy, Painboy and one of my Warpheads went with them. The Sluggas on my Right went after the fleeing Wraiths (Mistake no 3. They should have entered the Bastion). The Stormboys went for the Ark.

In the Psychic phase the unit of 10 Sluggas was Da jumped into Dan’s DZ in the hope of hunting down his Warlord. I forgot to smite the Destroyers in the centre. This would prove to be pivotal later.

In the shooting phase the Shoota boys mauled the Destroyers. Suprisingly, the Slugga boys by the bastion shot one of the Wraiths into bits.

In the assault phase. The Nobz and Shootas went at the Destroyers and the Stormboys went for the Ark. The 10 Sluggas caught and killed his Warlord.

All but one of the destroyers were destroyed. The survivor had just one wound remaining. The Ark died to the Stormboys taking boys with it in the blast.

Dan’s turn 3.

The lone Destroyer fell back. The second unit of Destroyers moved into position to shoot the Nobs and the Warrior squad in his right moved onto the rocky objective.

The shooting phase saw the Warriors finish off the Stormboys and the Destroyers did unspeakable things to the Nobs, killing them entirely.

Turn 4.

The Shoota boys tagged the centre objective. The unit of Slugas in Dan’s DZ went for the lone Destroyer. My unit of Sluggas by the bastion moved away from the Warriors heading their way.

In the psychic phase I da jumped the unit of 30 Sluggas onto my left flank ready to go for the Warriors there.

In the assault phase my Sluggas went at the Warriors wiping them out.

In Dan’s turn the Destroyers went for the Sluggas. I managed to keep them on the board by using insane bravery stratagem.

This had been a very close game. We didn’t have time for another turn so we added up the scores. 26 to Dan and 23 to me. So close. Those mistakes cost me a draw. Still, it was a great game.

It had been a very long and tiring day. I was really pleased with my performance and by how friendly and sporting my opposition had been.I was looking forward to Day 2