1750 Venom Spam @ a tourney; takes 3rd

First off, the list I took was slightly changed from the 2nd draft, I dropped the portal in favour of more blasters:

Baron Santhonyx @ 105pts.

4 Trueborn with 4 blasters @ 108pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

4 Trueborn with 4 blasters @ 108pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

4 Trueborn with 4 blasters @ 108pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

5 Wyches with haywire grenades incl. hekatrix with power weapon @ 80pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

5 Wyches with haywire grenades incl. hekatrix with power weapon @ 80pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

5 Wyches with haywire grenades incl. hekatrix with power weapon @ 80pts.
Venom with 2x splinter cannons @ 65pts.

Ravager @ 105pts.

Ravager @ 105pts.

Ravager @ 105pts.

Total @ 1749pts.

The list worked pretty well. I played 4 games, winning 3 and losing one, earning me 3/16. The wyches provided some good mopping up units (there were no matchups where I would have needed tarpit but they can do that aswell) and the haywire grenades were nice to have. 4-man blasterborn squads are very nice, even though they are an easy target for opponents. Only thing that didn't do well was Mr. Baron, who died to zoanthropes and meltaveterans in combat and didn't even help me go first. Here is a very brief breakdown of the games



First game was against reserve nids. 3 objectives, dawn of war. He got to place 2 objectives and placed them towards opposit edges. I won roll-off and made him go first. None the less, the nids managed to cut down two shooting phases from me (which I realised is very important for venom spam lists against hordes). Had he rolled better for his outflanking sides (he even had the swarmlord's reroll!!!) he could have made it a more difficult game. In the end however, only around 20 stealers and two podding zoaney squads came to threaten me. I was holding two objectives to his one.

Second game was vs mech ig. 5 objectives, pitched battle. He won the roll off (he only needed a 6) and I was forced into reserve. I rolled well for reserves, but was hampered by an inability to damage tanks (I destroyed a total of 3 tanks in that game, 2 in combat with haywire grenades). t5 would have been a draw, t6 I lost and the game ended.

Third game was annihilation, spearhead against a green tide list. His list wasn't optimised by any means, but didn't bleed killpoints like mine did. I won the roll off and went first starting to fall back towards my short table edge (keeping at 36" from the closest targets). Once I reached the edge I blasted 108 poisoned shots a turn at the oncoming tide, waiting for the game to end. In the end I killed maybe a little under 100 orks and won killpoints 7-1.



The Final game was against mechanised Grey Knights; bases and pitched battle. 8 razorbacks, triple dreads and fortitude. As a little bit of background info, I have never won GKs with anything other then GK. My DE normally keep playing until t3 and then we call it. I was not feeling confident going into this game, but it was a matchup I had thought about beforehand, and in that sense I was better prepared then my opponent.

He won the roll off and I reserved. I placed my objective in the opposite corner to his and he put all his PA marines on the flank opposite of my objective. He had 3x3 acolytes on the other flank (3 guys holding the base behind a big losblock). He gunned forward reaching my deployment line with his lead PA greyknights. I rolled well for reserves and came on the other flank, opposite the GK objectives. 3 venoms zoomed to all threaten charges next turn. Ravagers and trueborn destroyed a dread, razor and immobilized another razor.

He was very divided and couldn't get all his guns to bear. He moved 12'' and deployed 2 squads of PA GK and brought the dreads to firing positions. His shooting only destroys one ravager. My reinforcements destroy come on. I destroy 5 razorbacks and both PA marine groups that were on foot. I charge the acolytes on his objective and take it after a second combat phase.

I almost messed it all up with my final batch of reserves, forgetting Coteaz's "I've been expecting you". I took needless losses and got pinned trying to bring forces onto my own objective. Game ended on t5 and I was able to contest my objective with a venom, holding the GK player's one.

Jesus this has turned into a wall of text. Anyway, a miracle happened. I won GKs with my DE. overall I'm happy about the tournament. I rolled crap against mech ig all game, but I rolled too well in my game against GK.