Challenge Board, Game 1.

Dreamwizards, a local gaming store holds a Challenge Board.
You must beat an opponent to move up a level.
Once you win a game at that level (defending your spot) you are issued a token to challenge someone on a higher level.
1750, I bring the AIIG.

This is my first game, at ground level.

Game: Capture and Control (often called "capture the draw"), Pitched battle.
My opponent: Pat Eibel, Sho-T himself. He brings Tau.

Commander Plasma/Missile
3x 12 Warriors, Devilfish
12 warriors w/o Devilfish
a large (28) man Kroot unit
6 Pathfinders
2 Hammerheads with Rail Gun.

I deploy (in standard "across the board" fashion) and go first.
Pat Deploys in the rightmost corner of the Board. He deploys a unit of fire warriors on his objective.

Turn 1:
Me: Most everyone runs forward. I issue an order for my Lascannon team to destroy the Hammerhead in view. They comply.
I shake a Devilfish. I kill 3 Pathfinders and 2 Fire Warriors from the squad on the objective.
Pat: The Devilfish, Commander, and Hammerhead open up. They manage to kill 1 guardsmen from the Plasma Squad, 4 from a regular squad, and 3 from the Plasma Command Squad.


Turn 2:
Me: Through heavy weapons fire, I Immobilize the Front 2 Devilfish of his convoy. I kill one more Pathfinder and 2 Fire Warriors.
Pat: The Kroot arrive and outflank on my right flank. (NOT the side that has my objective)
The Fire Warriors in the Devilfish roll out. The Fire Warriors kill a flamer squad and a command squad. The Hammerhead ordnances 7 guys to death.
The kroot double charge a missile team and a 6-man remnant squad. Easily killing them.
They consolidate away from my gunline behind a hill for cover.


Turn 3:
Me: My heavy weapons Immobilize the last Devilfish and Stun the Hammerhead. The Mortas kill 10 Kroot and Pin them.
I manage to kill 9 Fire Warriors from one squad with awesome Frag Missile Shooting.
Pat: Pats Drones detach and his remaining Fire Warriors run towards his objective.


Turn 4:
Me: My heavy weapons continue their unrelenting fury as they de-gun the hammerhead and kill 8 of the 12 Fire Warriors running to the objective.
Those same fire warriors fail their pinning test.
My spare firepower kills the rest of the Kroot.
Pat: His drones and unpinned Fire Warriors kill2 from a 4-man unit and 3 from a seven man unit.


At this point with objectives firmly in my control, Pat concedes.

Some post game analysis, as I am pretty sure Pat will read this battle report.
Pat made 2 key errors, they were both deployment errors.
Pat deployed the majority of his force as far away from my objective as was physically possible.
I realize that he did this with the intent to shield his transports from my heavy weapons, but all it accomplished was to let my 4 heavy weapon teams (2 las, 2 missile) cause a jam in his mobility.
The second was to out flank the Kroot on the opposite side of the board as my objective. While I have no kind words for Kroot, they do beat guard in close combat.

With this I move up to the next tier. This puts me at 1-0-0 in the Challenge Board.
My overall (5th edition only) record is now 33W 14L 13D


-Mike