Mission 2 - Duel

[Primarch]

Here is the second of the tag team missions.

Mission 2 - Duel
Force organization chart
1 HQ choice and 1 Troops choice minimum
Max 1 Elite, Fast Attack, Heavy Support, HQ. Max 3 Troops (Including the compulsory choices).
The HQ can only be purchased from one unit entry and may only consist of a single model except where it may buy extra models as wargear (Tau drones, Space wolf Wolves etc), or the unit is one choice with no option to include less models, (Imperial Guard command squads, though advisors and bodyguards may not be purchased). Transports and command groups may be purchased, but must be deployed with the rest of the army. If you are unsure about your army selection, please PM me.

Briefing - After numerous battles and skirmishes, the commanders of both sides have decided to settle things like gentlemen (or they are just looking for a chance to smash someones teeth in) at the centre of the battlefield. Only the strongest (or the sneakiest) will survive.

Deployment - The team with the most expensive total HQ choices chooses a table half and deploys first. They must deploy both of their HQ choices within 12" of the centre of the table in their half of the board. They then deploy the rest of their army within 6" of their table edge.
The team with the cheapest total HQ choices then deploys their own HQs so that they are within 12" of at least one of the enemy HQs and fully within their own table half. They may not begin in base to base contact. The rest of their army is then deployed within 6" of their table edge.

Game Length - The game will last for 6 turns. The team with the cheapest total HQ choices will go first. You may not steal the initiative.

Winning - The game will be won by Kill Points with the following modifications.
If both of the enemy HQs are alive at the end of the game, you lose 5KP from your total.
If both of the enemy HQs are dead at the end of the game, you gain 5KP to your total.

Prims Comments.
This mission provides an interesting challenge for list building. Do you go for the biggest baddest guys you can find like Mephiston and Abaddon knowing you will go second, or do you take a pair of cheap HQs and try to assassinate the enemy by going first. The fact that you pretty much have to eliminate the enemy HQs whilst keeping your own alive throughout the game should also provide an extra level of difficulty as you cant just use your HQ units as an expendable asset as you usually would.

As before, keep this thread on topic and use it to discuss any problems you can see arising and how you would deal with them.

[me_in_japan]

I'm a bit worried about certain HQ spannering this mission. I don't know all the rules for all the HQ, but I strongly suspect there's more than one that would make for an auto-win situation*. Also, regardless of breaker-HQ units, certain armies are at a huge advantage. Eldar, for example, auto-die to most anything, and seriously lack for decent saves. (compared to, say, a termi lord w thunder hammer storm shield.) Even the phoenix lords suck for this (no invul saves apart from Asurmen, and he's crap.) That leaves the Avatar (who, granted, isnt crap, but it basically removes all guesswork as to what your opponent will bring.) It's just the one example, using eldar cos thats what I know, but other armies may well have the same issues.

It's not a humuuuungous problem, but if you can think of a way to sort it, it'd be nice.

* for example, a Dark Eldar w. Webway portal and a bunch of nasty shit in reserve.

[Colonel Voss]

I have images of Yarrick keep getting up again and again in the battle. Talk about frustrating.

[Primarch]

* for example, a Dark Eldar w. Webway portal and a bunch of nasty shit in reserve.

Let me respond with:
http://www.oglaf.com/use-item/ (The link is work safe, but for those of you with delicate sensibilities you may not want to view other comics on that site).
And you can tell me what you did wrong there.

I have images of Yarrick keep getting up again and again in the battle. Talk about frustrating.

Yes, he would be a good choice. How about St Celestine, she does the same thing?

[job]

Edit: I don't figure on adding any longer.

On a different note, after reading the first page to the link you provided, Prim, I didnt know it was that kind of kinky thing you liked reading. Don't we have some kind of rule preventing us from uploading links to those sorts of things?

[Primarch]

Are you sure about this? There are clearly some factions that have better HQs then others. There's the possibility of people taking two monstrous creatures or just loading up on warhead like 'lash' in the CSM book when you are nearly guaranteed nearby victims.

Except fully loaded up monstrous HQ choices can assume that they are going second OR that the guys they're facing are even more of a badass than they are, if they get to go first.

E.g. A Daemon Prince with Lash of Submission is 135 points minimum.
An Eldar farseer on a Jetbike is 85 points.
Turn 1 that Eldar is 42 inches away from the Daemon Prince and the Prince is looking down the barrels of the entire Eldar army.

OR.
E.g. A Daemon Prince with Lash of Submission is 135 points minimum.
Mephiston is 250 points.
Turn 1 the Daemon Prince is ectoplasmic goo that Mephiston is scraping off his boots.

Its true that some factions do have better HQs than others. As M_i_J mentions above, the lack of invulnerable saves on the Eldar HQs can be a bit of a drawback. But when said HQ can move 30" a turn and pretty much be assured of first turn (and net a nice save into the bargain) it isnt so much of a problem. The game could be a slugging match between Abaddon and Ghazgkul or it could be Abaddon getting a face full of plasma turn one because his opponent has suckered him into a bad position before zipping away at maximum speed.
Its also worth noting that a few of the cheaper HQs can one-shot anything off the board with no saves allowed. Dont assume its as cut and dried as simply spending all your points on the nastiest HQ you can find. Planning and strategy are a big part of it too.

[Primarch]

Edit: I don't figure on adding any longer.

On a different note, after reading the first page to the link you provided, Prim, I didnt know it was that kind of kinky thing you liked reading. Don't we have some kind of rule preventing us from uploading links to those sorts of things?

From time to time, it is quite funny. At others, pretty disgusting. The link I posted was to one of the funny ones.
Apologies if it isnt to everyones tastes.


In case this wasn't clear, I KNOW that not all HQ choices are created equal. The idea is to make the best use out of what you've got and that doesn't necessarily mean charging into assault.

[ashmie]

Oh Matron.

No I reckon that sounds good. I'd be tempted to try some powerhouse HQS. Sicarius and the other chap I guess.

[me_in_japan]

when said HQ can move 30" a turn

er...how?

and can Vect steal the initiative?

oh, and the comic was mildly amusing. Certainly not offensive though. You'd have to try a lot harder than that to make me say "oh dearie me that was a bit much."*

*this is not an invitation to try, btw...

[Primarch]

when said HQ can move 30" a turn

er...how?

and can Vect steal the initiative?

An Eldar Jetbike gives you 24" turbo boost plus 6" of Eldar jiggerypokery doesnt it?

Good point about Vect. I had forgotten about guys like him. There will be no stealing of initiative as that would defeat the purpose of the mission entirely. The idea is that you can go cheap or go expensive and lay your plans accordingly. Vect and Imotekh allow you to go expensive with a good chance of screwing over your opponent.