WaaaghFest

 I had the privilege of attending WaaaghFest this year - a shoutout to my friend, Paul Huck, for giving me a ride (it's about an hour from his place, and another hour back again) or I would never be able to make it (I don't have a car). From Minneapolis (or Crystal, actually) to Waite Park, it was quite the journey, but totally worth it!

Because...WaaaghFest!

Oh, man, these Black Templars versus World Eaters (or Khorne Berzerkers) s just awesome! Chibi is cute too.

Oh, WaaaghFest is basically an awesome event where we don't actually play with normal 40K rules, it's a beer and pretzels event where there's a theme, and we play on battles around that theme. This year, the theme is Dune (by Frank Herbert, a classic - I read it when I was much younger), so sandworms and all that! Cough, this being WaaaghFest, they are sandsquigs. Heh. So we have 3 missions, all tailored around the theme, rather than following normal 40K rules and objectives. We have zany objectives and crazy stuff happening, like sandsquigs bursting out of the ground to gobble up infantry, and it was fun as hell.

Mission 1

The first mission was Doon! As you can see below, it has a few customized objectives, which includes how you have a harvester going around collecting stuff. Apparently, it collects spice. For those of you who haven't read Dune and don't get the reference, apparently the story is about people living on a desert like planet infested by sandworms, but spice is this miraculous resource that they harvest in order to extend their lifespan and improve their mental abilities or something like that. So very Dune, heh.

By the way, we used the glass above as a harvester. Cool!

My first opponent is an Adeptus Custodes player. Here's his list:

Adeptus Custodes Battalion, Shield Host: Shadowkeepers

Shield Captain in Allarus Terminator

Shield-Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike

Custodian Guard Squad (4 dudes)

3 Sagittarum Custodians

3 Sagittarum Custodians

Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought

Contmptor-Achillus Dreadnought

Vexilus Praetor

Venatari Custodians (5 dudes)

Vertus Prators (5 bikers)

My list consists of an Adeptus Mechanicus battalion and a Knight of the Cog

Adeptus Mechanicus Battalion, Slaved Systems Forge World: Ryza (well, Draconis IV, so...)

Tech-priest Dominus, Enhanced Bionics, Holy Order Logi

Skitarii Marshal, Exemplar Eternity

Skitarii Vanguard (5 guys, plasma caliver, omnispex, phosphor blast pistol, power sword)

Skitarii Vanguard (5 guys, plasma caliver, omnispex, phosphor blast pistol, taser goad)

Skitarii Rangers (5 guys, transuranic arquebus, omnispex)

Skorpius Dunerider

Cybernetica Datasmith

Sicarian Ruststalkers (5 guys, transonic blades)

Sicarian Ruststalkers (5 guys, transonic blades)

Serberys Sulphurhounds (3 riders, phosphor blast carbine)

Serberys Sulphurhounds (3 riders, phosphor blast carbine)

Serberys Raiders (3 guys, data-tether)

Kastelan Robots (4 robots, Kastelan fists and incendine combusters)

Super-heavy Auxiliary Detachment Knight of the Cog

Dominus Knight Castellan (Ion Bulwark, Cawl's Wrath)

This being my first game with them, I forgot my Canticles. Damn it. Also, I realized after the game that I was missing a second Skorpius Dunerider the entire time. So I was playing with a 95-point handicap, heh. Whoops. Not that it mattered, I don't think a second Skorpius Dunerider would have mattered anyhow, except the part where my Sicarian Ruststalkers got shot off the board in the first game. More on that later...

So anyway, my Kastelan Robots took the hits...and nothing happened to them, despite the Sandsquig trying to gobble them up. Toughness 7 robots with armor save 2+ for the win! The Venatari shot one squad of Ruststalkers off the board (I should have put them in my second Skorpius Dunerider, which I forgot was in my list - hence I was playing with a 95 point deficit this entire time). I think my Kastelan Robots got wiped out by the Vertus Praetors in a combination of shooting and melee, but to their credit, they took out quite a bit, I think maybe 2? I know my Tech-priest Dominus and Cybernetica Datasmith was stuck in combat with about 2 jetbikers for most of the game before finally killing them both, ha ha. The Knight Castellan fluffed his shots and failed to kill one of the Achillus Contemptor Dreadnoughts, and I keep forgetting I have Cawl's Wrath (what an idiot, but this was the first time I was playing this list, so I made a lot of mistakes). The Custodians marched up, one of the Achillus Contemptor Dreadnoughts ripping the Skorpius Dunerider open and then the Shield-Captain and others killing the Skitarii within (though I lost 4 guys by rolling 1s when they disembarked of the destroyed transport). The Knight Castellan did very little until the end when he finally destroyed one Achillus Contemptor Dreadnought, stomped the Ventarai who had charged forward. Meanwhile, my surviving squad of Sicarian Ruststalkers had moved off the table edge, returned from another table edge the next turn and wiped out a Sagittarum squad.

For the Traitors, my opponent chose my Tech-priest Dominus and the Target was my Kastelan Robots, which he destroyed in short order. For me, I chose the Shield-captain on jetbike and the Target was the Vertus Praetors, which I also destroyed, yay.

To get the points, I had my Skitarii Marshal run first to feed him to the Sandsquig (I'm such a terrible archmagos, sacrificing my Skitarii for objectives, ha ha), only for him to survive all 12 Strength 5 AP -2 attacks with his 5++ invulnerable sav. What...that was hilarious. Oh, well, he's tough.

By the time the game ended, I had like 3 characters (the Tech-priest Dominus, Cybernetica Datasmith and Skitarii Marshal), a single squad of Skitarii Rangers and the Knight Castellan with 2 wounds left after he ate a charge from both the Achillus Contemptor Dreadnought and the Shield-captain on Jetbike. Meanwhile, my opponent still had a Shield-Captain on foot on an objective, the Sagittarum (who I was trying to charge with my Tech-priest Dominus and Cybernetica Datasmith, only to fail to kill that last guy after killing his two squad mates) on another Objective, but he got it because he has Objective Secured, and 4 Custodians on the third objective, along with the Vexilus Praetor. Oh, and the Achillus Contemptor Dreadnought and Shield-captain in jetbike. Maybe I destroyed his second Achillus Contemptor Dradnought, I can't remember. My Sicarian Ruststalkers were bearing down on his Shield-captain on foot, but before I could do a charge, time was up and the game was over. Damn.

I thought I had lost the game, but we both killed our targets. But my opponent controlled all 3 objectives (the Spice Mines) and so he had 10 points. None of us succeeded in feeding any unit to the sandsquig (our guys were too tough, though I should have fed a Skitarii squad to it, maybe). On the other hand, I did get more spice in my harvester, so I basically got 11 points to his 10...and squeaked out a win by the narrowest of margins (I think I would have been tabled if the game had gone on, heh).

Mission 2

The second mission was Da Boss Rides Da Sandsquig!

This time, I played against a Blood Angels player. I don't think I have his army list, so I'll have to go off from what I remember. He had the Primaris Captain with storm shield (the one from the Indomitus boxset), the Judicar, a Primaris Librarian, 10 Assault Intercessors, 6 Aggressors, 10 Hellblasters, a Repulsor, 10 Infiltrators, 2 squads of 3 Eliminators with the sniper rifles, and 6 Bladeguard Veterans. He had 2 patrol detachments, I think.

This was a hilarious battle because he lost most marines to the sandsquig larvae than he did to me. That said, I did take out a good chunk of his army. I think the first turn began when my cavalry charged up the board, took out both Eliminators and Infiltrators (he had a single Eliminator left by the end of my turn). My Knight Castellan continued his habit of fluffing his shots and did absolutely nothing to the Repulsor. I wonder why I even bothered bringing him along...maybe I'll bring the Knight Preceptor or something else next game. Anyway, my Skorpius Dunerider stayed back, my Sicarian Ruststalkers did two things - one squad disappeared off the table edge while another followed the cavalry toward a dead squad of Eliminators. I took a potshot at the Librarian, who was my chosen enemy character, but did a single mortal wound to him, but he made his save against the normal damage. My Tech-priest Dominus activated the thumper and drew the Sandsquig toward him, riding the sansquig and thus giving me the Objective! Ha ha!

At the end of the turn, I rolled a 6, and both of us have Da Grog Uv Life (basically the Water of Life if you read Dune). Yay! That's one objective scored for the both of us!

He then moved and advanced all of his surviving units forward, his Respulsor killing one or two of my Serberys Sulphurhounds, and I think his Aggressors basically roasting my Serberys Sulphurhounds and Serberys Raiders. I think he killed one of my Kastelan Robots with his Hellblasters, though I reflected a single mortal wound with the repulsor grid. He didn't overcharge (if he did, he would have lost quite a few Hellblasters), but with a Strength 7 AP -4 D1 plasma incinerator, he only killed 1 and damaged a second Kastelan Robot. He then charged my remaining Serberys Raider (after two of his comrades died to Aggressor flames) with his Eliminator, and they were stuck in combat (I think?). At the end of his turn, he rolled a 2, and...the Sandsquig larvae reared out and attacked us. He lost a bunch of Assault Intercessors, his Bladeguard Veterans and Captain took a wound or two, I lost a couple of Sicarian Ruststalkers and the rest of my Serberys Sulphurhounds, and both his Eliminator and my Serberys Raider got eaten up by the Sandsquig larvae. I think his Aggressors and Librarian also took a few hits, though my Kastelan robots barely took any damage. His Repulsor took some damage, though?! Somehow the larvae wounded the Toughness 8 tank, and he failed his 5+ armor saves (AP -2). My Tech-priest Dominus and Cybernetica Datasmith took a few hits, though. Ouch.

He also activated his thumper and the sandsquig moved toward him, only for my Tech-priest Dominus to disembark shortly after it stopped. Good thing he advanced, otherwise he would have charged my Tech-priest Dominus and wiped him in combat. Damn.

The Tech-priest Dominus then recovered a few wounds because of his bionics and he began running away from the sandsquig and the Assault Intercessors and Bladeguard Veterans. I then charged my Kastelan Robots into his Aggressors and killed all but one of them, while my Sicarian Ruststalkers charged into his Hellblasters. However, he popped off Counteroffensive and killed 2 of my Ruststalkers before they could fight, thus my poor dudes were only able to kill about half of the Hellblasters or so. I finally did some damage to the Repulsor, bringing him down to just 2 wounds. He also killed maybe one or two Bladeguard Veterans with his plasma decimator. The Ruststalkers charged them...and I poured all of my attacks into the Primaris Captain, killing him in combat. Needless to say, the Bladeguard Veterans avenged the fallen Captain, massacring my Ruststalkers, but they did their job. I managed to kill a few more Hellblasters and finish off the Aggressor, but the Hellblasters wiped out my Ruststalkers. Still, that was a job well done for them. I think. The I rolled a 4, and we got the Water of Life once more.

My opponent popped off the Machine Spirit Stratagem for his Repulsor and had it shoot my Tech-priest Dominus, but he made all of his saves, heh. The Knight Castellan also survived a few lascannon shots. Oh, and...I think his Assault Intercessors and Bladeguard Veterans moved toward my Kastelan Robots because of the threat they represented. The Hellblasters maybe took out another Kastelan Robot (I think?) but there were so few of them remaining. He then rolled a 1 or 2 again, only for the sandsquig larvae to pop out and start eating people again. My Tech-priest Dominus took another couple of hits but survived, but his Librarian died (what the f) to the sandsquig larvae. No, I'm not kidding. He literally got eaten by the sandsquig larvae. So did the Repulsor - I didn't shoot the damned thing to death - the sandsquig larvae literally chewed through the hull, took off the last 2 wounds...and it was destroyed. Holy Terra, I don't know if it's bad luck or what. He lost a couple of Assault Intercessors, and I think his Bladeguard Veterans took another couple of wounds, as well as losing a Hellblaster or so. The sandsquig larvae were doing more damage to him than I was. Ouch.

During my turn, I basically disembarked my infantry from the Skorpius Dunerider, shot the Hellblasters to death with the Knight Castellan, killed the Judicar with shooting (he was the closest model to my Knight Castellan, either that or the 16 heavy stubbers got through somehow), charged and killed the Assault Intercessors, and yeah. I think I also wiped out the Bladeguard Veterans with just 1 Kastelan robot remaining, if I'm not mistaken. Phew. That was one hell of a battle.

So...I won with the full 20 points against my opponent's 5, by tabling him. I felt sorry for him. The game just didn't go his way and the sandsquig larvae was just chewing his dudes apart.

Mission 3

The third mission was M'oar Teef! This time, I was up against a Chaos Knight player, who fielded a Knight Atrapos (his Warlord), a Knight Rampager, a Knight Castellan (mirroring mine)...well, a Knight Tyrant if you want to be pedantic, and 3 War Dogs (basically 2 Armiger Warglaives and 1 Armiger Helverin).

He got first turn, rushed up the table and destroyed my Skorpius Dunerider with his Knight Rampager, along with smiting something. Yeah, we all have smites. Ha ha. I mean, it's Dune, so we all have improved mental abilities and become psykers, it's crazy. Heh. I lost 4 Skitarii from the Skorpius Dunerider being destroyed. My Knight Castellan also took a few shots and suffered a lot of damage, being reduced to 10 wounds. I did manage to fight back and smite and killed his Knight Rampager with my Kastelan Robots, phew. I also took a few potshots at his Armigers with my Skitarii Rangers, charged them with my Serberys cavalry and did some damage, but nothing too major. I lost 2 Serberys units when all was said and done, all of my Skitarii infantry, and Kastelan robots to the Armigers and Knight Atrapos, while my Knight Castellan was blown up. He also killed my Tech-priest Dominus with a super-smite, damn. I retaliated by smiting one of his Armigers to death while my surviving Serberys Sulphurhounds destroyed the Armiger Helverin on the right flank. My Sicarian Ruststalkers popped up and charged the Knight Tyrant, dealing quite a bit of damage, but not enough to kill it.

Eventually, his Knight Atrapos wiped everything out except for my first squad of Sicarian Ruststalkers, who was smited and stomped to death. Not to worry, for my second squad of Sicarian Ruststalkers came in from the table edge and destroyed his Knight Castellan. Moral victory there. He then blew up and killed like 3 of my Ruststalkers. Yikes. Unfortunately, the Knight Atrapos simply erased the remaining two from the board...thus I got tabled. It was a crushing defeat, 20 points to 9, because I failed to slay his Warlord (I think I had him on 10 or so wounds left). Needless to say, we bought each other drinks, heh.

And that was the end! It was a fun and amazing event. Yeah, there were a few one-sided battles but we were all having fun and some really hilarious stuff happened. Skitarii smiting an Armiger to death? Really? Wow. And my Skitarii actually did better against the Knights than I thought. I even forgot my Canticles (I should have invoked Invocation of Machine Spirit to get the 5+++ against mortal wounds, how did I forget?!), and should have fired into the Knight Atrapos instead of the Knight Castellan. Oh, well. I tried. Still fun, though, and I didn't expect to win 2 games. I thought I would have lost all of them! Even so, I played with a 95 point deficit, forgot my second Skorpius Dunerider AND my Canticles, so all in all, it was a good first outing for my Adeptus Mechanicus. Whoa. I'll use this list again next week in a RTT and see how it goes, and if it sucks, I'll change things up a bit. But that was good. I think. Yay. Oh, and I finished about 18th out of 50+ (53/54?) players. Not too bad for my first WaaaghFest outing. Would love to go again next year!

Waaagh!