Summer League Begins....For real this time

Summer league actually started back in April as we switched venues from Ron's house to mine (see the post explaining our winter and summer leagues here) but with each game came a new tweak (or a complete gutting) to our house rules.  So we deemed those games "exhibition" games as we tested the rules, found weaknesses in them, tweaked/changed some more, etc.  The games are fun regardless as we sought to find that right balance between making the game playable AND keeping the game streamlined.

We managed to get the rules to where we wanted them and play tested them on June 23rd (that write up is here) and since then, no changes have been made!  So last weekend (June 30th) we got in a couple of games that counted for the record.

Game 1

The layout for Sunday's game

Ron played a mix of Deathwatch and regular marines along with a Terminator packing an autocannon for his heavy weapon choice.  I went with Grey Knights.  We played around 100 points each (or close enough to it).  We rolled off for deployment zone layout which ended up being a very narrow part in the center for each out us (12 inches along the edge and 6 inches deep ... the first picture shows Ron's starting point).  We each roll for a mission but we keep that to ourselves until the end of the game.  Turns out Ron had assassinate where he had to kill one of my models which he selects at random before the game starts.  I don't recall who he had to kill but he killed him pretty early on.  I had the fun mission of Forward Observer.  This means I have to get one of my models into the enemy deployment zone, survive the turn and then get one of my models out of my end zone (same 12 inch zone in the center of my board edge ... see here for the board layout description).  Not an easy task given that he parked his autocannon wielding terminator smack in the middle of his deployment zone and didn't move him the entire game.  We each had 5 models.  I managed to kill 3 of his but I was tabled.  Result was a win for Ron.

Game 2

My Tau hunkering down in a crater

This time I went with my Tau force.  Ron stayed the course with his force.  The deployment this time was a 6 inch swatch along the whole 36 inch board edge.  I drew the authentication protocol which means I had to get my team leader out of the enemy end zone.  Ron's was Infiltrate.  He had to get any model out of my end zone (I will post all the missions up here soon).  The Tau are a fun bunch to play but we made a rules tweak for them a month or so ago to add that all models can marker light an opponent (after a successful hit, a marker light is placed on the model.  Any other model shooting at a marker lit model gets +1 to hit for every light on it.  Marker lights are cumulative for that turn only, then they go away).  This really balanced out what otherwise is a pretty weak force to play given their cruddy ballistic skill and weak close combat abilities).  We both managed to carry out our missions so the result was a draw.

Solid Rules

The rules are now in a solid state having withstood 4 pretty intense games where all the mechanics have come into play.  The addition of command points to our games has really given them that "Space Hulk" affect.  A model can't react to another without command points so a cruddy roll on how many command points you will have that turn or splurging when you should have husbanded them can be a game changer.

For the Trophy

Kill Team League Trophy

Ron is in the lead now with 1 win.  There is still plenty of time left to try and retain my title though:-)