All in all I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the NOVA Open and I will endeavor to attend the next one. I thought the tournament setup for the 40K games was smooth. The variety of players and armies was exciting. I met some really cool guys, made some new friends, and I learned Warhammer 40K in and out like I have never known it this well. I have a few regrets:
1. I couldn't stay for the entire tournament. I had to get up early for work so I dropped out after game 6.
2. I wish I had brought a crazier Imperial Guard list. My army was cookie cutter and I felt disappointment in that I could not offer a unique game experience to my opponents.
3. I wanted to be better prepared for the tournament than I was. I still have tons of painting to do for my troops and vehicles.
Concerning the venue I was not disappointed in the service of the Hyatt hotel. I was disappointed that it cost $13.00 to use their internet. LAME! I will not stay at a hotel that charges for internet ever again. The valet parking was a dream come true. Parking in Arlington is a pain. That is all I will say about the Hyatt.
Here is a summary of my own games. I lost quite a few games because I did not pay attention to critical mechanics of the games I played in. More on that in a sec. I started off at one of the better brackets to begin with. I waved at my friends who were at the higher numbered tables as we all set about losing that weekend. It was a time full of laughs and stories too many to count.
My List
3 vendettas with 2 meltavet and 1 plasmavet squads embarked in them
CCS with plasmaguns in a chimera
3 manticores
2 Platoons with autocannon Infantry squads embarked in chimeras
Game 1
Imperial Guard versus Deathwing Dark Angels
Unique Army Note: My opponent had troop Terminators, and each termie squad had a cyclone missile launcher.
The game was going well for me on turn one and two but from turn 3 on my opponent never failed an armor or invulnerability save. It was downright ridiculous rolling. I felted cheated by the dice gods. All in all I made some early mistakes by moving my vendettas away from the protective support of my chimeras.
Game Result: Loss
Game 2
Imperial Guard versus Orks
Unique Army Note: My opponent had tea lights set up with cotton balls to flicker and mimic wrecked and destroyed vehicles. My table had tons of visitors and admirers.
I did my best to destroy every threat in my opponents army as quickly as possible. I just about massacred anything of worth in his army but he held on with his boyz. Alas he had suffered too many casualties to claim more than one objective. I took this game pretty handily but it was a great game and great opponent.
Game Result: Win
Game 3
Imperial Guard versus Tyranids
Unique Army Note: I had seen this Nids setup before and I knew exactly how to counter the list.
Long story short, I was going to really hurt my opponent on turn three as he had to weather two devastating rounds of shooting. The sad truth... I forgot to move everything on turn two! I got too excited and so I lost my vendettas and pretty much tried to recover but to no avail. I basically threw in the towel after turn 4 because time was short and I was going to lose anyways. I could have won this so easily!!!!!! My own fault though.
Game Result: Stupid Loss
Game 4
Imperial Guard versus Grey Knights
Unique Army Note: This was my first time fighting Grey Knights... ever. Lots of Razorbacks, paladins, termies, and 3 Dreads with twin-linked autocannons.
The best game of the day for me. My opponent and I seesawed the title of winning, but my opponents psi-ammo dreads and razorbacks were nasty. This was an objectives battle and in the final turn I barely missed taking the game. My opponent weathered the worst of my shooting and took the win. Very fun game though.
Game Result: Loss
A New Day and the Losers Bracket... for people that were losing like me.
Game 5
Imperial Guard versus Tyranids
Unique Army Note: Mawloc, Trygon Prime, and the something or other of Doom that steals wounds to gain power.
I had this armies number from turn one. I opened up with some great moves but in the end I should have finished off the two warrior units as half of their points total was enough to give my opponent two table quarters that were most definitely mine by model representation. I killed every big and ugly monster my opponent had except for the Swarmlord as the thing wasn't doing anything worthwhile to draw my attention. I controlled the table, it was a brilliant act of maneuvering. However I did not know subterranean assault could be used on multiple closely grouped vehicles. Four of my chimeras where hit destroying two and setting up a third one to be destroyed. It was a lucky break for my opponent. Smart move though. In a game I thought I had I lost by not having a high point value for my models versus my opponents army models.
Game Result: Loss
Game 6
Imperial Guard versus Codex Space Marines (painted purple)
Unique Army Note: My opponents army list composition sucked. He was going to lose bad.
My opponent conceded as soon as I laid my army down on the table. I felt cheated. He should have manned up and played the game. Oh well, I spent round six playing a game with another person who had no opponent. That game didn't count as we both tallied a win.
Game Result: Empty Victory
Game 7 and 8
It was getting late and I wasn't going to put a dent on the rankings with my record so I packed it up and left.
It was a fun weekend. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and playing 40K to such an extent that I feel more knowledgeable about the game now. This experience gave me some ideas for the next tournament and I also realized that I want to go to more conventions in the future.
On a side note some dude named Kopach won the 2011 NOVA Open with space wolves. I am not impressed with space wolves at all. I need to fight a competent Space Wolves player and see what all the buss is about. Njal and Missile Launcher spam can kill my IG tracks for all I care. Hahaha, now watch me get my head kicked in by some space wolves. At least I will be playing 40K, and that makes it okay.
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