A lil bit of both today (Warmachine/40k)

Warmachine:

I'll try to keep it brief, since warmachine isn't terribly exciting to read about, especially for a guy that hasn't had a very great record in the past.
 However, I have played a couple more games with Circle, and found that they can actually do some things well. I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of my list, and the game itself. Not that I'm good or anything, just not as floundering anymore.

Game 4 (of this round) vs. Mike's Cygnar:

I'm happy to say that I got very lucky this game, and was able to shut down his essential warjacks, and then go for the caster kill. It seemed like it was a demoralizing game for Mike, since I was able to kill each warmachine that I killed within one turn, denying him his feat. I was also able to kill his two solos that gave him more focus, luckily. I sniped a random solo, that in turn shut down his remaining shooter jack. Feral Warpwolf ran in and got the caster kill. Bloodtrackers killed a medium warjack in this game, almost single-handedly. Best showing they've had so far.

Game 5 vs. Arin's Skorne:

Jeeze those guys are scary! He had a couple of solos that just CRUSHED my poor bloodtrackers, and he was able to give one of his beasts pathfinder+eyeless sight+23 P/S+11" charge in one turn. I was lucky enough to have a forest in the middle of the board, which I made raids from. He made his warbeast ridiculous and charged my pureblood, killing him VERY easily. Only thing was, he failed to kill Kaya in the chaos, so she charged one of his beasts (who was easily within 2" of his caster), hit a couple times, popped her feat, used spirit door to teleport the Feral into BtB with the caster (after having used the gorax's animus), and game over. Not sure if any warcaster/warlock could handle the damage output of a feral w/ 19 P+S and 11 MAT. Pretty ridiculous, really :)

As a side note, I've discovered the swamp gobber's true purpose in this army: frenzy snacking. If I use the Gorax's animus to frenzy a beast, then use spirit door to make the beast go near to the gobber, next turn he simply eats the gobber and continues on his merry way.

Also noted: The ranged attack with the pureblood is AWESOME for sniping solos and finishing off damaged jacks/beasts.

Overall, very enjoyable games, great opponents, I'm very much enjoying this grow league :)

Now for some 40k love.

Someone last night was running a Pedro list, which I thought was somewhat refreshing, since I've really only seen a COUPLE lists including Pedro, and those also included Vulkan. (I saw one other, with dreadnought spam, which was interesting since all the dreadnoughts had +1A, but I'm not sure how it would do in a competitive setting)

Anyways, it brought me to think of my list I had made back in the days when I was still in love with Rhino rush. I'm not convinced that this is a competitive list anymore (or if it EVER was, lol), but here's what I originally wanted to take for a Pedro list for 1750:

Pedro
Chaplain (to go with Honor guard)
10 Sternguard w/ PF, 3 Combi-meltas, Rhino w/ extra armor
10 Sternguard w/ PF, 3 Combi-meltas, Rhino w/ extra armor
10 Tactical Marines w/ PF, Melta gun, Las Cannon, Razorback w/ heavy bolter and EA
10 Tactical Marines w/ PF, Melta gun, Las Cannon, Razorback w/ heavy bolter and EA
5 Honor Guard w/ 5 Relic blades, Razorback w/ heavy bolter and EA

It looks like a fun list, but has a few ENORMOUS weaknesses these days:

1) Rhinos/razorbacks alone aren't as dependable as they used to be, especially after the Imperial Guard las cannon spam started coming out. Add melta spam in there, and this list hurts a lot.

2) Everyone and their mother takes a Land Raider (or 3), and this list can kill HOPEFULLY 2 landraiders, if it gets lucky. Also, if the guys get lucky and kill the land raider, what do you think will honestly happen to them next turn vs. whatever was inside the raider? Sternguard w/ 3 attacks base is still not going to do a whole lot to 5 or 6 TH/SS Termies (30 attacks, 15 hit, 7.5 wound, a little more than 1 dead termie, and then you die.)

3) The list requires you to get close to the enemy to win games. If someone is able to shoot you while backing up, you will NOT win. Rhinos w/ smoke are nice, but really, what's the army gonna do vs. a faster guard army who can both shoot AND move away from you? And even more disturbing, what if the army WANTS you to get closer? You can't do a whole lot against a CC army either. Vs. Orks: 30 attacks, 15 hit, 7 wounds, 6 die. Not bad, unless the mob has 30 boyz :) Keep in mind that they could take one save on their 2W Nob, leaving another boy alive. 6 orks=36 points. 10 sternguard=300 points. It gets much worse after that. Anything assaulting you is gonna eat you for dinner, guaranteed.

4) Honor guard are way cool, and I'd love to use them sometimes, but they just really aren't worth the 315 points that 5 of them cost.

In the end, this list doesn't do a whole lot right. If I were to ammend it, I would likely keep the Sternguard and Tactical Squads, but make a few changes:

-Sternguard squad would have 2 Las Cannons in each of them, so that I could either gunboat them in my rhino, waiting for the enemy to come to me, or combat squad them.
-Sternguard would also have a couple combi-flamers.
-I'd get rid of the Honor Guard completely
-Add a few Predators to the list overall. Probably one Las Cannon/Las Cannon one and two AC/HB variants.
-At the very least CONSIDER using a few drop pods for the troops (with Sternguard, you could drop in, combat squad your guys, and kill 2 vehicles with mass combi-melta fire). That way, you're going to be in the middle of the enemy force, FORCING them to deal with you, or face a very quick death.
-Somehow squeeze in a couple of MM Attack Bikes. You NEED their speed and versatility, to be able to bring things like Vendettas down, and they also pack an enormous punch against Land Raiders.

Honestly, the Attack bikes would be the first things I'd add. They're just TOO good to leave at home. An army that wants to win these days NEEDS melta, and lots of it. Everyone uses mech, and if they don't, melta is still very handy vs. Monsterous creatures and 2+ armor.

I'll write some sort of tactica sometime soon about Multi- Melta Attack bikes and why I love them so much. With the Blood Angels, I ALWAYS take 5+ of them. They're the 'Bees Knees'. Or something. lol, alright I'm out.

Warmachine Grow League Record: 4-1
Warhammer 40k 1850 League: 0-0