Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Playing against your own list.

Now, if you really think you know your army inside and out, there is nothing more educating than playing against it. Its quite brutal in fact. As a list I built to terrify people before it even hits the field, it was very daunting to take my mediocre blood angels against it. Here is the link to the Faeit 212 army list I was up against. Faeit 212 army list

OK, it was more than daunting, I knew for a fact, that my Faeit 212 army should completely destroy me, if not table me completely. My thoughts going in were simple, play hard, play smart, this is going to hurt. Here is what I took against it. No laughing, I fielded what I own and is painted.

HQ
Librarian with The Sanquine Sword and Shield of Sanquinius
Librarian with The Sanquine Sword and Shield of Sanquinius
Honour Guard (5) with 4 Plasma Guns in Assault Cannon Razorback
Honour Guard (5) with 4 Plasma Guns in Assault Cannon Razorback
Elite

Sternguard (5) with meltas and combi meltas in Drop Pod
Furioso Dreadnaught with Blood Talons and Magna Grapple in Drop Pod
Furioso Dreadnaught with Blood Talons and Magna Grapple in Drop Pod
Troops
Assault Marines (10) with 2 meltas in rhino
Assault Marines (10) with 2 meltas in rhino
Assault Marines (5) with melta in Las/Plas Razorback
Assault Marines (5) with melta in Las/Plas Razorback
Fast Attack
Baal Predator with Flamestorm Cannon and Dozerblade
Baal Predator with Flamestorm Cannon and Dozerblade
Baal Predator with Flamestorm Cannon and Dozerblade

While I am not going to do a thorough battle report, here is the just of it and what I learned.

First off, just having a good list at your disposal, and being a good general is not a winning combination. That was the first thing I learned when the first round mistakes were made on the side of my opponent. Knowing his list better than he does, I quickly and decisively took advantage of a hydra squadron that was protecting the basilisk battery, moved forward 6" to get a good round of shots off. My drop pod with sternguard decided that taking out all the earthshaker cannons bottom of round 1 was a good idea, and dropped into the gap my opponent had created. With poor to not-so-good target selections, his first round advantage was off to a poor start.

Now in my opponents defense, he is new to the list, at least playing the list, and after the game we went into detail about what I thought could of been done (I've played this list at least a hundred or more times). Playing an army and facing the army are two different things. He has played against my Faeit 212 list numerous times, and it was his first or second time behind the wheel. To make a long story short, despite a fantastic second round of shooting that he got off, I managed to put him on the defensive for most of the game. He worked hard and fought an uphill battle to pull off a draw.

What did I learn? I learned it takes 3 things to play an army at the top of the game. First off it takes a good list. Second, it a good general, and finally third and the most important, it takes playing and refining your list dozens of times to be efficient with it. Finding some good tough list off the Internet really means nothing, unless you can learn to wield your new weapon with ease and precision. Learn it's weakness's, how to cover them, and how to take advantage of your strengths against a myriad of opponents.

I highly suggest you play against your personal lists. It can illuminate issues you have not uncovered yet.