Tales from the ND Open 2016

 If you’ve been following this blog, you know that the ND Open is one of my favourite tournament.  Unlike the previous editions, it was held  in Montreal this year. This 3 hour drive did not stop me from attending.  

How cool are those trophies?  The tournament is on a military base too.

Read on for glory!

Now I’m usually bad at keeping notes and stuff, but I found that I’m pretty good at instagramming the shit out of my tournaments, so if you follow me on instagram ( @HellfirePainting ), you’ve seen pretty much the punchline.  If you don,t follow me, well, shame on you.  

So here it is in details; there will be no part 1, part 2 thing, it’s all there in one giant post, you might need multiple bathroom breaks to read it all on the can.

I originally wanted to play my gladius at the event.  I had all the models ready, lists printed and everything.  But everything changed when the fire nation attacked.  But while at the store to pick up my models on Thursday, I was starring at my hammertime list from the January army of the month.  I took to Facebook to settle this once and for all:  good list or fun list.

So I drew up a new list and printed a gazillion copies from it and packed the Hammertime.  My final list was this:

CAD – Blood Angels

Priest

2x 5 Scouts with Bolters

10 Assault Terminators with TH/SS

Nemesis Strike Force – Grey Knights

Stern

5 man strike squad

2x NDK with Gattling Psylancer

Draigo

Librarius Conclave – White Scars

2x Level 2

1x Level 2 with Termi Armor and Storm Shield

1x Level 1

Removing the teleporter on the NDK was a really big thing and over the weekend I was really happy about them.  I will probably field them like this from now on – should I play them again

Coming in at the event, I was happy I took the fun route, as there were a lot more of heavy hitters there and I didn’t feel that my inexperience with the gladius would have done well anyway, despite most scenarios heavily favouring that list.

Game 1

Sam Durant won best overall a couple years back at the ND Open and was playing a Gladius himself.  I knew from the get go I would not score points, specially as Sam played really well with his static unit placement and where he dropped his pod units throughout the game.  0 for yours truly to start the day, but it was a really great game nonetheless, Sam is a great guy.

Game 2

As luck would have it, I was faced with my travel partner Francis for game 2.  The tournament had 2 spare tables that at more scenic terrain and less suited for tactical games ( as you can see on the picture, that huge chapel is not great for competitive play ) but being at 0 points and with the bar just opened, we wasted no time and went straight for a fancy table.  Francis’ army is almost as straightforward as mine, a Paladin deathstar, an Imperial Knight and 2 NDK.

The game was quite bloody, as there was a combat involving both of Francis’ NDK, his and my deathstar.  Because we were messing around (Our car had a warcry for the weekend, loosely: “ FROM BEHIND!!” that we had to shout at Jay’s table because he was sitting on 30 points and needed the cheerleading) and drinking (and could hardly care less about results )  the game ended after turn 3, so we called it a draw as it there was no way to know how the game would’ve played out.

Game 3

My third game was versus Dieter and his Orks army.  I feel really bad for him because Orks is one of the only army that the Hammertime tramples.  Basically, everything he plays I have insane answers to:  ie:  I can kill multiple  wounds units like nobs, deffkoptas and big guns with gattling psylancers, and my deathstar is better at close combat than anything their army can offer.

I scored 30 on that one, but Dieter took it like a champ.  I also chugged a pitcher of beer halfway through the game on a dare.

Game 4

Last game of the first day is usually where you can get the most out of outplaying people because of drunkenness or fatigue.  Lucky for me, I was neither of those things, and won the game solely on a misplay.  My 4^th round opponent was Eric, which I had only played once in a team tournament before.  His army was a mix of the new Iron Hands Tank detachment featuring 3 vindicators with a deathstar of bikers joined by ravenwing characters.

Forgot to take a picture during the game an I only got this one.  Eric scored somewhere in the top 5 for painting for his army.

Solely on a misplay might be an overstatement, as Eric was incredibly unlucky in a crucial assault phase; and with the hammertime, you really only get one chance at surviving the assault phase.  He will probably argue this to the death, but allowing me a pretty easy charge to his bike deathstar is what cost him the game, luck or not.

Despite his horrendous rolls, Eric took it like a champ and with a smile, as we were both out of contention from any game-related prize anyway.

Game 5

On Sunday morning, I got paired with my buddy JayRock for my 5^th game.  Jay plays a Gladius with a Culexus and airplanes.  2 things my army has trouble interacting with.  I opted to go all out to wack the assassin early on.  Outflanking scouts, deep striking NDK and Gate of Infinity the deathstar on turn 2 it was!  Jay denied my force on the NDK, and the scout did scout things and missed.  I took some returning fire, but the star remained pretty much undamaged and went on for a glorious turn 3 multi-charge on 4 units.

The end of the game was pretty weird, as we both whiffed hardcore on our respective last turn, I failed a 5 inch charge, failed casting hammerhand on 4 dice and Jay denied psychic shriek with 2 6 on 2 dice, while he couldn’t do a wound on my sanguinary priest with both storm talons, and failed a 3 inch run.

The game ended 16-14 for somebody, I don’t remember who.  The game was really close, as it came down to first blood/linebreaker/slay the warlord.  Another fun one in the bag.

Game 6

My 6^th game was versus Seb, who played a Lion’s blade (i.e.  Dark angel Gladius ) and pretty much had auto-win against me for this scenario.  The scenario was 6 cumulative objectives that you score at the end of your turn, which meant that he could simply roll over there one unit at a time, deny me and score 9 points per turn.  Seb played it really well, saving his dice to stop gate of infinity and forcing my star to go through 8 inches charges through terrain to assault anything. 

I’m pretty sure the actual score was something like 83 to 2 by the end of turn 5, and Seb killed more of his own units with plasma/dangerous terrain than what I did.  However, I was drinking heavily and had a great time removing my models.  I’m pretty sure I voted for Seb as of of my 3 top opponent of the weekend.

Results and whatnots

I knew I was far out of contention for anything game-wise and best overall, as Chris Hanes and Bruno Choquette were sitting on 110 out of 150 battle points and both had well painted armies.  I knew I had a decent enough sportsmanship score and was hoping for best painted.

And that’s how it’s done.  I finished tied with Denis Plattis for 2^nd/3^rd sportsmanship, got Best Painted and Player’s Choice, which I’m thrilled about.  I can finally retire the Hammertime army with something more glorious than a 0-4 finish at Adepticon.  

This one is in the books.  The next major event I’ll attend is ATC, where I will be rocking some Daemonic Incursion!