RTT at TJ Cafe & Games

Land Raiders giving each other stink eye

Hello, battle brothers! I had the pleasure of attending a Rogue Trader Tournament at TJ Cafe & Games in Milford Massachusetts this past weekend. If you ever happen to find yourself in the vicinity of Boston, Worchester MA, or Providence RI, TJ Cafe & Games is less than an hour away from any of those cities, and it is a beautiful store with an a large inventory and plentiful playing space for wargames, card games, and TTRPGs. As the name suggests, they also serve food on the premises, which makes attending a tournament there quite convenient. I highly recommend paying them a visit

TJs happens to be less than an hour away from my home, so it's a convenient way of getting in some 40K if their tournament schedule lines up with my schedule, and on Saturday 2/17 it did, so I packed up my Firestorm list, pulled on the old unicorn socks, and trekked out.

I brought my Firestorm Assault Force to the event. It hasn't changed since CaptainCon. In general I'm pretty happy with it. I think it's as good as its apt to get with the models I have, and I've got a fair bit of practice playing it at this point. I've got something else in mind for when our codex officially drops, but until it's ready to my satisfaction the Firestorm is the list I have the most practice with in 10th, so it's the list I'm bringing to events. Just as a reminder, here's the abbreviated version of the list.

Azrael

Captain with Forged in Battle

Lieutenant with Champion of Humanity

Intercessor Squad - 5 bolter boys
Heavy Intercessor Squad - chonky bolter boys
Devastator Squad: 4 melta boys + sergeant

Devastator Squad: 4 melta boys + sergeant

Eradicator Squad: 3 chonky melta boys

Eradicator Squad: 3 chonky melta boys

Hellblaster Squad: 10 plasma boys

Infernus Squad: 5 burny boys

Scout Squad: 5 sneaky lads

Land Raider

Impulsor

Impulsor

Razorback

Razorback

My first opponent was GNN's Gregg Anderson, who also brought a Firestorm Assault Force. In his case, he went with Salamanders and his list leaned pretty hard into the units that benefit from the Firestorm and Salamanders characters' rules. Here's the abbreviated version of his list:

Adrax Agatone

Apothecary Biologus wt Forged in Battle

Captain in Gravis Armor wt War Tempered Artifice

Vulkan He'stan

Intercessor Squad: 5 bolter boys

Aggressor Squad: 6 chonky flamey boys

Bladeguard Veterans: 6 sword gents

Eradicator Squad: 6 chonky melta boys

Infernus Squad: 10 flamey boys

Scout Squad: 5 sneaky lads

Scout Squad: 5 sneaky lads

Land Raider Redeemer

Gladiator Lancer

Storm Speeder Hammerstrike

Callidus Assassin

Our mission was Priority Targets, so we could score up to 10 points holding objectives turns 2-5 and then score more points for holding objectives at the end of the game, with Sweeping Engagement deployment. Gregg got the first turn.

Gregg started things off by having his Hammerstrike come down the extreme right side of the board to pop my Intercessors' Impulsor, and sent his Redeemer full of Aggressors with the Gravis Captain come down the gap to the left of the center objective. As a result, most of the action for the rest of the game took place in that narrow little chunk of territory. I baited his Redeemer's Overwatch with my Infernus Squad, which cost me the squad, but let me deploy a Devastator Squad and my Hellblasters as close to it as I could get. I was able to destroy the Redeemer with the Devastators, their Razorback, and my Land Raider, which let me light up his Aggressors with my Hellblasters. That picked up most of them, and I charged the remnants and a nearby Scout Squad, picking up both, and consolidated into the Eradicators. I wound up losing the Hellblasters and their attached characters to Gregg's reprisal with his Infernus Squad (which he brought in out of Strategic Reserve on his side of the board for the purpose) and his Bladeguard with Vulkan attached, but I came out of the exchange about 200 points ahead and I cost his Eradicators a turn of being effective because the Firestorm doesn't have a fall back and shoot strat, and things cascaded from there.

The final score wound up being 95-72 in my favor. Gregg made the best decisions he could following my Hellblasters' brief rampage, but I'd put him on his back foot and he wasn't able to turn it around from there. I scored 50 points on Primary and 35 on Secondaries, having discarded Capture Enemy Outpost when I drew it 1rst turn (as I seem to do with some regularity) and A Tempting Target in the 2nd turn.  Gregg scored 35 points on Primary and 27 points on Secondaries, having gotten A Tempting Target in the 4th turn and Capture Enemy Outpost in the 5th, when he would have been hard pressed to achieve those objectives.

My 2nd game of the day was against Bradley Flagg from Gardner Game Knights and his Grey Knight Teleport Strike Force. As the name might suggest, the list is built around movement shenanigans, which Brad helpfully explained before the start of the game. His army rule lets him remove up to 3 of his units from the table at the end of the opponent's turn and set them up again with the usual restrictions anywhere on the table. The detachment also features the Sigil of Exigence upgrade, allowing the bearer's unit to teleport to another part of the battlefield when targeted by a ranged attack, and a stratagem, Mists of Demios, that gives a target unit a reaction move when an enemy unit moves within 9" of it, which can include being picked up and put in Strategic Reserve if the unit has the Deep Strike ability. That was literally everything in Brad's list, which was as follows:

Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight wt Sigil of Exigence

Kaldor Draigo

Brotherhood Terminator Squad: 10 big silver boys

Strike Squad: 5 medium silver boys

Strike Squad: 5 medium silver boys

Interceptor Squad: 5 medium silver boys

Interceptor Squad: 5 medium silver boys

Interceptor Squad: 5 medium silver boys

Nemesis Dreadknight

Nemesis Dreadknight

Nemesis Dreadknight

Everything kind of coalesced to make this game hard for me. The mission was Purge The Foe, which gives 4 points for holding 1 objective, another 4 for holding more than your opponent , 4 points for killing an enemy unit, and another 4 for killing more than your opponent did per round against an opponent that can teleport at will around the board. I'm playing an army that likes to move units within 9" of opposing units so I can get bonus melta damage against an army that can have units teleport if I move them within 9".  I got the first turn, which I didn't want because all Brad's stuff was turtled up behind terrain, so I couldn't even shoot anything with my long range guns. And, just for an extra kick in the pants, I got Capture Enemy Outpost first turn again. Thanks Tabletop Battles App!

My second turn did not improve things much for me. I had to keep off the center objective so I wouldn't trigger Brad moving one of his Dreadknights off the table, which prevented me from getting bonus melta damage, gave Brad Hold More on his second turn, and I didn't wind up killing any whole units that turn anyway. I slagged 9 of Brad's Terminators with my Hellblasters, but the last 1 and Draigo were behind a wall when my Hellblasters' activation finished and I wasn't able to finish them off. And as for his Dreadknights, I was hitting and wounding them just fine with meltas and lascannons, but I didn't get a single damage roll higher than a 2. I wound up killing a Dreadknight down to 4 wounds on Brad's 2nd turn with overwatch from one of my Devastator Squads, but Brad got 16 points on Primary that turn to my 8, and being able to teleport around the battlefield made it absurdly easy for him to score secondary points. 

The final score got recorded as 90-66 in Brad's favor, but I think it actually should have been 98-66, because he killed one of my Impulsors on his first turn. My mistake didn't hurt him though, as he wound up in first place at the end of the event. Brad scored 40 on Primary (should have been 48), with his primary scoring dropping off as I was FINALLY able to start killing his stuff in my 3rd turn, and 40 points on Secondaries. I scored 32 on Primary and 24 on Secondaries, drawing some I just couldn't score when I drew them, which included an Eradicator Squad whiffing on Draigo and his remaining Terminator when I got Assassination in the 4th turn.

Brad's army rules really restricted my ability to move as I would have liked, because I was afraid of triggering reactive teleports. I think in my head I conflated his army rule and the Mists strat together and played like moving anything within 9" of anything Brad had would trigger 3 units getting picked up and leaving me unable to kill anything that turn. On reflection, I think I would have been better off just embracing the reactive pickup, triggering it on purpose, and hammering what was left on the board. As it was, my timid movement cost me Primary Points early game, which I was not able to make up sufficiently later in the game.

My 3rd game of the day was against Cary Gould from Dirty Drew and the Boyz. Cary brought a Chaos Space Marines list with choices both conventional and unconventional. His list was as follows:

Abaddon

Cypher (!!!!!)

Master of Possession

Cultist Mob: 10 cultists

Chaos Terminators: 5 big spikey boys

Possessed: 10 daemon-possessed spikey boys

Warp Talons: 5 flying spikey boys

Warp Talons: 5 flying spikey boys

Chaos Predator Annihilator

Chaos Predator Annihilator

Forgefiend

Forgefiend

Nurglings: 3 stinky imps

Nurglings: 3 stinky imps

Our mission was Take and Hold with Search and Destroy deployment. I'm not going to indulge in analyzing this game very much because it wasn't a very good game. The short and ugly version was BOTH my dice AND Cary's dice said about Cary "fuck that guy in particular", which led to him losing 1000 points in the 2nd turn. In the 1rst turn, I even had occasion to see if Immolation Protocols had a Devastating Wound cap when I ridiculously spiked on 6's putting my Infernus Squad's shooting into one of his squads of Warp Talons. After I picked up both his Possessed AND Abaddon and his Terminators in the 2nd turn, Cary and I just talked the rest of the game out. I can't say as I blame Cary for not wanting to play it out, because that was a very disheartening turn. We recorded a final score of 100-30.

At the end of the day, I went 2-1 and scored a very respectable 261 battle points. At this point, I've got enough games with this list that I can win games with some reliability. It's not inconceivable that if I'd played better against Brad I might have been 2-0 going into the 3rd round. In that case, I might have faced off against Cullen Burns again (though he brought Astra Militarum to this event), or wound up playing against either Adeptus Sororitas or Adeptus Custodes, which made up the other top armies. Overall, it was a good day. I left with the satisfaction of having played fun games and having acquitted myself well. 

With that, I'll leave you to read the full versions of the lists as copied from BCP.

Gregg Anderson's list

Salamanders v2 (2000 Points)

Space Marines
Salamanders
Firestorm Assault Force
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Adrax Agatone (85 Points)
• 1x Drakkis
1x Malleus Noctum

Apothecary Biologis (70 Points)
• 1x Absolvor bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
• Enhancements: Forged in Battle

Captain in Gravis Armour (105 Points)
• 1x Boltstorm gauntlet
1x Power fist
1x Relic blade
• Enhancements: War-tempered Artifice

Vulkan He’stan (100 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Bolt Pistol
1x Gauntlet of the Forge
1x Spear of Vulkan

BATTLELINE

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)
• 1x Intercessor Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Bolt rifle
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Intercessor
• 1x Astartes grenade launcher
4x Bolt pistol
4x Bolt rifle
4x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Aggressor Squad (240 Points)
• 1x Aggressor Sergeant
• 1x Flamestorm gauntlets
1x Twin power fists
• 5x Aggressor
• 5x Flamestorm gauntlets
5x Twin power fists

Bladeguard Veteran Squad (180 Points)
• 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant
• 1x Master-crafted power weapon
1x Plasma pistol
• 5x Bladeguard Veteran
• 5x Heavy bolt pistol
5x Master-crafted power weapon

Eradicator Squad (190 Points)
• 1x Eradicator Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Melta rifle
• 5x Eradicator
• 5x Bolt pistol
5x Close combat weapon
3x Melta rifle
2x Multi-melta

Gladiator Lancer (160 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Icarus rocket pod
1x Ironhail heavy stubber
1x Lancer laser destroyer
2x Storm bolter

Infernus Squad (160 Points)
• 1x Infernus Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Pyreblaster
• 9x Infernus Marine
• 9x Bolt pistol
9x Close combat weapon
9x Pyreblaster

Land Raider Redeemer (260 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
2x Flamestorm cannon
1x Hunter-killer missile
1x Multi-melta
1x Storm bolter
1x Twin assault cannon

Scout Squad (65 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
• 1x Astartes shotgun
1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
• 2x Astartes shotgun
4x Bolt pistol
4x Close combat weapon
1x Missile launcher
1x Scout sniper rifle

Scout Squad (65 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
• 1x Astartes shotgun
1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
• 2x Astartes shotgun
4x Bolt pistol
4x Close combat weapon
1x Missile launcher
1x Scout sniper rifle

Storm Speeder Hammerstrike (150 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Hammerstrike missile launcher
2x Krakstorm grenade launcher
1x Melta destroyer

ALLIED UNITS

Callidus Assassin (90 Points)
• 1x Neural shredder
1x Phase sword and poison blades

Exported with App Version: v1.10.1 (30), Data Version: v336

Bradley Flagg's list

helicopter (1985 points)

Grey Knights
Strike Force (2000 points)
Teleport Strike Force


CHARACTERS

Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight (230 points)
• 1x Heavy incinerator
1x Heavy psycannon
1x Nemesis daemon greathammer
• Enhancement: Sigil of Exigence

Kaldor Draigo (125 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Scourging
1x Storm bolter
1x The Titansword


BATTLELINE

Brotherhood Terminator Squad (420 points)
• 1x Terminator Justicar
• 1x Nemesis force weapon
1x Storm bolter
• 9x Brotherhood Terminator
• 1x Ancient’s Banner
2x Incinerator
1x Narthecium
9x Nemesis force weapon
6x Storm bolter

Strike Squad (125 points)
• 1x Justicar
• 1x Nemesis force weapon
1x Storm bolter
• 4x Grey Knight
• 4x Nemesis force weapon
4x Storm bolter

Strike Squad (125 points)
• 1x Justicar
• 1x Nemesis force weapon
1x Storm bolter
• 4x Grey Knight
• 4x Nemesis force weapon
4x Storm bolter


OTHER DATASHEETS

Interceptor Squad (135 points)
• 1x Interceptor Justicar
• 1x Nemesis force weapon
1x Storm bolter
• 4x Interceptor
• 4x Nemesis force weapon
4x Storm bolter

Interceptor Squad (135 points)
• 1x Interceptor Justicar
• 1x Nemesis force weapon
1x Storm bolter
• 4x Interceptor
• 4x Nemesis force weapon
4x Storm bolter

Interceptor Squad (135 points)
• 1x Interceptor Justicar
• 1x Nemesis force weapon
1x Storm bolter
• 4x Interceptor
• 4x Nemesis force weapon
4x Storm bolter

Nemesis Dreadknight (185 points)
• 1x Gatling psilencer
1x Heavy psycannon
1x Nemesis greatsword

Nemesis Dreadknight (185 points)
• 1x Gatling psilencer
1x Heavy psycannon
1x Nemesis greatsword

Nemesis Dreadknight (185 points)
• 1x Gatling psilencer
1x Heavy psycannon
1x Nemesis greatsword

Exported with App Version: v1.10.1 (38), Data Version: v336

Cary Gould's list

Abadons Black Legion (1985 Points)

Chaos Space Marines
Slaves to Darkness
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Abaddon the Despoiler (310 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Drach’nyen
1x Talon of Horus

Cypher (105 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Cypher’s bolt pistol
1x Cypher’s plasma pistol

Master of Possession (80 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Chaos Undivided
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Rite of Possession
1x Staff of possession

BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (55 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
• 1x Cultist Champion
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Cultist firearm
• 9x Chaos Cultist
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
7x Close combat weapon
7x Cultist firearm
1x Flamer
1x Heavy stubber

OTHER DATASHEETS

Chaos Predator Annihilator (130 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
• 1x Armoured tracks
2x Lascannon
1x Predator twin lascannon

Chaos Predator Annihilator (130 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
• 1x Armoured tracks
2x Lascannon
1x Predator twin lascannon

Chaos Terminator Squad (195 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Chaos Undivided
• 1x Terminator Champion
• 1x Chainfist
1x Combi-bolter
• 4x Chaos Terminator
• 1x Accursed weapon
4x Combi-bolter
3x Power fist

Forgefiend (200 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
• 1x Armoured limbs
2x Ectoplasma cannon
1x Ectoplasma cannon

Forgefiend (200 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
• 1x Armoured limbs
2x Ectoplasma cannon
1x Ectoplasma cannon

Possessed (280 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Chaos Undivided
• 1x Possessed Champion
• 1x Chaos Icon
1x Hideous mutations
• 9x Possessed
• 9x Hideous mutations

Warp Talons (110 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
• 1x Warp Talon Champion
• 1x Warp claws
• 4x Warp Talon
• 4x Warp claws

Warp Talons (110 Points)
• Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
• 1x Warp Talon Champion
• 1x Warp claws
• 4x Warp Talon
• 4x Warp claws

ALLIED UNITS

Nurglings (40 Points)
• 3x Nurgling Swarm
• 3x Diseased claws and teeth

Nurglings (40 Points)
• 3x Nurgling Swarm
• 3x Diseased claws and teeth

Exported with App Version: v1.10.1 (30), Data Version: v336

My list

+++ DA 2K FAF v3.1 (Warhammer 40,000 10th Edition) [2,000pts] +++
++ Army Roster (Imperium - Adeptus Astartes - Dark Angels) ++
+ Configuration +
Battle Size: 2. Strike Force (2000 Point limit)
Detachment: Firestorm Assault Force
Show/Hide Options

+ Epic Hero +
Azrael: Warlord

+ Character +
Captain: Forged in Battle
. Heavy Bolt Pistol, Master-crafted power weapon and 1 Relic Shield
Lieutenant: Champion of Humanity
. Neo-volkite pistol, Master-crafted Power Sword & Storm Shield

+ Battleline +

Heavy intercessor Squad
. Heavy Intercessor Sergeant
. 4x Heavy Intercessors: 4x Bolt Pistol, 4x Close Combat Weapon, 4x Heavy Bolt Rifle

Intercessor Squad
. Intercessor Sergeant: Bolt Rifle, Power Fist
. 4x Intercessors: 4x Bolt Pistol, 4x Bolt Rifle, 4x Close Combat Weapon

+ Infantry +

Devastator Squad
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Sergeant: Plasma Pistol, Power Fist

Devastator Squad
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Marine w/ Heavy Weapon: Multi-melta
. Devastator Sergeant: Plasma Pistol, Power Fist

Eradicator Squad
. Eradicator
. Eradicator Sergeant
. Eradicator with Multi-melta

Eradicator Squad
. Eradicator
. Eradicator Sergeant
. Eradicator with Multi-melta

Hellblaster Squad
. 9x Hellblaster: 9x Bolt Pistol, 9x Close Combat Weapon, 9x Plasma Incinerator
. Hellblaster Sergeant: Plasma Pistol

Inceptor Squad: Plasma Exterminators
. 2x Inceptor: 2x Close Combat Weapon
. Inceptor Sergeant

Infernus Squad
. 4x Infernus Marines: 4x Bolt Pistol, 4x Close Combat Weapon, 4x Pyreblaster
. Infernus Sergeant

Scout Squad
. Scout Sergeant: Boltgun
. Scout w/ Heavy Weapon: Missile Launcher
. Scout w/ Scout Sniper Rifle
. 2x Scouts w/ Boltgun: 2x Bolt Pistol, 2x Boltgun, 2x Close Combat Weapon

+ Vehicle +

Land Raider: Hunter Killer Missile, Multi-melta

+ Dedicated Transport +

Impulsor: 2 Storm Bolters, Ironhail Heavy Stubber, Shield Dome
Impulsor: 2 Storm Bolters, Ironhail Heavy Stubber, Shield Dome
Razorback: Hunter Killer Missile, Storm Bolter, Twin Lascannon
Razorback: Hunter Killer Missile, Storm Bolter, Twin Lascannon

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