Nemesis: Painted Board Game

In the Darkness of Space, only your friends can hear you scream.

Awoken from hibernation, confused and turned around you only know one thing- you are not alone on this ship. Luckily, all of the monsters are now painted!

I knew from the moment I saw the sculpts on kickstarter I wanted to paint these alien menaces from Awaken Realms, and now I have the whole bunch ready and colorized for horror in space- just in time, because honestly we're loving this game so far!

The Star of Show, The Queen and her horde of larva streaming forwards
out of the goop below. She was an absolute treat to paint. 

The whole host of alien beasties looking to swarm over the crew.

Adults, creepers, and larva's to the left.

With terrifying Breeders taking up the flank with more smaller
intruders on th right. 

Glistening green goop! Sewage? Coolant? Royal Jelly? Who knows. 

These boys are so BIG compared to the poor crew. 

The crew of the Nemesis, ready to fight Intruders and their own
traitorous impulses. 

I opted to keep a green uniform on all of the members except for the
soldier who has on an extra protective suit. You can see even the scientist has
the same uniform underneath his lab coat. 

Pilot, soldier, scout. 

Scientist, Mechanic, Captain. 

2000pt Doubles match Greywatch v. Deathwolves

ITC Scenario: What's Yours is Mine (Control Both Objectives that you placed at the beginning of the game)

Team 1: Greyknights/Deathwatch 2000 pts (1000 each)

Secondaries- Reaper, Old School, Ground Control

Greyknights-

Vanguard Detachment
- Castellan Crowe, Warlord
- Purifier Squad, x4 Force Glaives, x1 Psycannon
- Purifier Squad, x5 Force Glaives
- Rhino
- Paladin Ancient, Banner of Refining Flame

Vanguard Detachment

- Grandmaster in Nemesis Dreadknight w/ Heavy Psycannon + Nem. Greatsword
- Purifier Squad, x4 Force Glaives, x1 Psycannon
- Purifier Squad, x5 Force Glaives
- Dreadnought

Deathwatch

Patrol Detachment
- Watchmaster, Warlord
- Veteran Squad x1 Sgt. w/ Bolter + Power Maul, Vet w/ Bolter + Power Sword, Vet w/ Frag Cannon, x2 Vets Bolter + Stormshield, Vanguard Vet w/ Powerfist + Stormshield
- Veteran Squad x1 Sgt. w/ Bolter + Power Maul, Vet w/ Bolter + Power Sword, Vet w/ Frag Cannon, x2 Vets Bolter + Stormshield
- Hellblaster Squad, x5 Plasma Incinerator
- Hellblaster Squad, x5 Plasma Incinerator
- Venerable Dreadnought w/ Lascannon + Missile Launcher
- Razorback w/ Assault Cannon

Team 2: Deathguard/Space Wolves 2000pts

(As this wasn't my team, I'm less exact about the breakdown of the opposing force)

Secondaries- Kingslayer (Grandmaster in Dreadknight), Big Game Hunter, Recon

Deathguard

Battalion Detachment
- Lord of Contagion, Warlord
- Malignant Plaguecaster
- x10 Pox Walkers
- x10 Pox Walkers
- 7 Plague Marines with x2 Flails
- Rhino
- Rhino
- Blight Drone w/ Fleshmower
- x2 Foul Blightspawn
- Noxious Blightbringer

Space Wolves
Battalion Detachment

- Wolf Lord w/ Thunderhammer + Stormshield, jump-pack and Armor of Russ, Warlord
- Wolf Guard Battle leader w/ Jump-pack, thunder hammer + storm shield
- Rune Priest w/ jump-pack + Black Death
- x8 Wulfen
- x5 Bloodclaws
- x5 Bloodclaws
- x5 Bloodclaws
- Rhino

Set up. The Deathwatch set up their gun line in the middle. Across the map the
Space Wolves cluster in the ruins next to a rhino full of plague marines. The Deathguard
spread themselves across the field with the poxwalkers around the right objective and a
Blight Drone out front to eat fire. 

Greyknights go heavy to the right of the Deathwatch, with one squad
of Deathwatch veterans in deepstrike.

Hellblasters in the ruins, the Watchmaster doling out rerolls all around- the first
turn will see almost the entire Greywatch firepower directed into killing
the Blight Drone. 

The Greyknight's plan is at this point to rush the left and take that objective
from the pox walkers while putting pressure on the center and protecting
the Deathwatch gun line. 

The Space Wolves are hampered early on by some bad run rolls, leaving
the Deathguard to get pounded the first two rounds of shooting.

Note the Noxious Blightbringer in the center, he'll be showing up again. 

Greyknights begin to surge down the right flank...

Occupying the ruins and gunning down the first squad of pox-walkers.

In the center the Deathguard Rhino holding two Foul Blightspawn
and the Malignant Plaguecaster is destroyed and combined fire
and psychic abilities drop most of the inhabitants

In a huge explosion (brought on by a command point) that Deathguard
Rhino kills two Deathwatch Veterans before all but a single Blightspawn remain.

Turn two sees the teleporting Deathwatch Veteran squad appearing behind
Deathguard lines to threaten the pox-walkers and their objective.

The Space Wolves counter Attack hard, Wulfen and blood claws cutting down the
remaining Veterans and Purifiers in the center. 

With overlapping auras and a million attacks the forces of the Inquisition
are outmatched in the combat phase, the Space Wolves saving the two
Deathguard characters in the center.

The next turn has the smites from the Purifiers and Hellblaster fire
killing the Bloodclaws and the Wulfen. 

The Greyknight Rhino rolls up to add some flanking support as well as
killing the few remaining pox walkers. 

The Gunline is exposed! The Lord of Contagion teleports in while the Plague Marines
counter pile out of their destroyed Rhino to support him. The desperate Watchmaster
charges forwards...

... and kills three of the Plague Marines before being overwhelmed by their flails. 

The Grey knights form up to withstand the meat of the Space
Wolf characters charging them. 

The Lord of Contagion executes a squad of Hellblasters before
consolidating into the Dreadnought. 

The Heroes of the Space Wolves rush over to the Greyknight line, smashing another
Purifier Squad, killing the brotherhood ancient, and taking six wounds off the Grandmaster!

The Greyknight Rhino and Deathwatch Veterans (making sure to continue
holding the objective) rush forwards to reinforce the main line. 

The next turn is decisive. The Frag Cannon blows apart the Wolf Guard
Battle Leader, Smites from the Greyknights kill the Wolf Lord, and the
Grandmaster finishes off the Rune Priest in close combat.

A Squad of Bloodclaws tasked with holding one of the objectives. 

State of the Deathwatch gunline at the end. The Venerable Dreadnought is
holding at one wound, with the Watchmaster and one of the squads of
Hellblasters dead.

The other has been mauled, about to flee from combat with some blood claws.

Despite the gunline's collapse, going on turn 5 the Inquisition's position
is very strong, with a lead on points that will only grow from there.

Sitting alone an exposed on the center objective, the bellringer tolls  as the Space Wolf/Deathguard
players decide to concede. Victory for the Greywatch! 

It was a great game! Not knowing what exactly we were fighting against when list building led to a surprisingly hard counter to our opponents melee heavy army. The Deathwatch Hellblasters with Watchmaster rerolls were devastatingly effective for the first three or so turns and the purifiers low smite range was compensated for by the fact the enemy wanted to run right at them. Still it was really close with lots of pushes and pulls of luck but in the end our opponents just couldn't quite grab the secondaries as fast as they needed.

Great fun and I can't wait to play again!

No-Soup Tournament: Deathwatch 2000pts

The Plan: 

So, this was a no-soup (as in, no mixing armies even if they share a keyword) allowed ITC tournament at my FLGS, and I had to deliver a whole mess of Deathwatch for my Year of War challenge... so that's who I decided to play!

After some inspiration around the net (notably Ash's Deathwatch from GMG) and looking at what I had available I built up a list that was light on Objective Secured troops, high on vehicles and mobility. My game plan was to deny flanks and cause distractions with juicy targets to keep my opponents as wrong-footed as possible. If they're killing some out of position marines rather than hunting objectives that works in my favor- as long as I do it right. Still, I didn't expect too much (as I'm used to running a primarily Astra Militarum force) so decided to just have fun with it!

The List:

Strikeforce Obsidian 2000pts 8cps

Battalion +5cps

Watchmaster Pyrannius - Nowhere to Hide

Watch Captain Castiel - Xenophase Blade, Plasma Pistol, Beacon Angelis

Veteran Squad Gascoigne - Sgt. w/ Stormshield + Chainsword, x4 Veterans w/ Stormshield + Bolters

Veteran Squad Santiago - Sgt w/ power maul + Bolter, x1 veteran w/ power sword + bolter, x1 veteran w/ chainsword + bolter, x1 Veteran w/ Thunderhammer + Storm Shield, x2 Veterans w/ Fragcannons

Veteran Squad Bremman - Sgt w/ power maul + bolter, x2 veteran w/ frag cannon, vanguard veteran w/ powerfist + stormshield, Terminator w/ Assault cannon + powerfist, veteran w/ power sword + bolter, veteran w/ meltagun.

Hellblaster Squad Tercius - x5 Plasma Incinerators

Hellblaster Squad Maverick - x5 Plasma Incinerators

Biker Squad Hanno - Sgt. w/ Maul, x2 bikers w/ power swords, Teleporter Homer

Razorback Alacrity - Twin Lascannon, Stormbolter

Razorback Orkbane - Twin Assault Cannon, Stormbolter

Corvus Blackstar 'Night Unending' - Twin Assault Cannon, Stormstrike Missiles, Auspex Array, Hurricane Bolter

Venerable Dreadnought Helicanus - Twin Lascannon, Missile Launcher

Venerable Dreadnought Constantine - Twin Lascannon, DCW/Heavy Flamer

Game 1: Nexus Control - Armored Ultramarines v. Deathwatch

Deployment: Seach and Destroy

Deathwatch Secondaries: 
- Big Game Hunter
- The Butcher's Bill
- Ground Control

Ultramarine Secondaries: 
- Big Game Hunter
- Old School
- Headhunter

Death watch takes first turn, moving up using the Hill as cover. The
Corvus Blackstar moves behind the rocks to kill an Ultramarine Scout
Unit that had positioned a little too greedy.

Chronos in a quad Predator and an Autocannon Pred supported by
Roboute Guilliman and a librarian roll up towards the Deathwatch 
position, destroying the Corvus thanks to the Primarch's aura.

One squad of Hellblasters takes cover around an objective, content to put
long-range plasma shots down range. 

Bikes go hard on the left flank, hiding behind a rocky hill in hopes of
contesting the Ultramarine forward objective. 

The Ultramarine defensive position. Devastators with Las/Missiles
in the building, tacticals and a venerable dreadnought defending
the objective.

A squad of Ultramarine terminators arrived via deepstrike, countered by the
surviving squad members of the Corvus and cut-down between Frag-cannons
and a bloody assault before consolidating back towards the right-flank objective.

Both Deathwatch Razorbacks, two venerable dreadnoughts (Ultramarine and Deathwatch),
and Chronos have been destroyed. The Veteran Squad attempts to kill the autocannon
Predator but only manage to drop it to one wound between shooting and close combat. 

The Hellblasters teleported by the Teleportarium and the Devastator
squad brutalize each other- before the remaining marines actually fail
a leadership and withdraw. 

Ignoring the veteran squad (who go on to kill the Primaris Librarian), the Primarch
turns his eyes towards the rest of the Deathwatch on the right flank.

Double charge! The Primarch splits his attacks, and while the Watchmaster
dies immediately the Venerable Dreadnought survives to fall back.

Undeterred by the dreadnought, Guilliman decides to cut down Captain
Castiel and claim the objective. 

At the end of the game, only Guilliman and Chronos stand against a grand total of four
Deathwatch Hellblasters. However, when all was said in done it is the Xenos-Hunters
who pulled out a close victory.

Final Score:Deathwatch- 28 (+3 for winning)
Ultramarines- 26

Game 2: Precious Cargo- Bad Moon Orkz v. Deathwatch

Deployment: Frontline Assault

Deathwatch Secondaries: 
- Reaper
- Old School
- Ground Control

Ork Secondaries: 
- Big Game Hunter
- Old School
- Ground Control

In the maze of defensive fortifications, the Deathwatch go head to head
with the system's Warboss- clearly intent on sacking whatever lies
beyond. 

Half of the Deathwatch ready to entrench around the Precious Cargo-
clearly whatever artifact they pulled out of the ground in the
last minute. 

The other half on the right flanks, and that objective aiming to
take the Precious Cargo away from the Orks by force.

Twenty Meganobz supported by sixty gretchin body shields, two Weirdboyz, a
Warboss and a Warboss on Bike take up the center while the remaining thirty
grots and a Big Mek clearly tinker on the Ork precious cargo behind a wall packed
with no less than fifteen lootas. 

The Corvus flies up and guns down/forces the retreat of twenty or thirty Gretchin.

The firing line does it's best to whittle down the huge Nob horde, while
the deepstriking Hellblasters and squad with Captain do their best
to distract the brutes- which works to a degree.  

The Remnants of the Veterans do their best, but are easily butchered-
outmatched by their armored opponents. 

On the right flank though, with the Ork Deathstar far away, the Gretchin defending
the Ork Precious Cargo (as well as the Big Mek) are butchered quickly. 

Knowing the enemy is looking to target his vehicles and far ahead on
points, Pyrannius calls for his units to pull back from directly
engaging the Orks. 

Getting the signal, the Deathwatch duck behind the wall, out of range
and line of sight from the Ork rocketz.

In a final last ditch move the Weird boyz buff and Da-Jump the Mobs to the otherwise
safe Deathwatch right flank. Their shooting proves ineffective
and (luckily) they fail their charge even with a re-roll giving victory to
the Deathwatch! 

Final Score:Deathwatch- 26 (+3 for winning)
Orks- 9

Game 3: What’s Yours Is Mine- Skirmishing Ultramarines v. Deathwatch

Also known as Primarch 2, Electric Boogaloo.

Deployment: Dawn of War

Deathwatch Secondaries: 
- Old School
- The Butcher's Bill
- Headhunter

Ultramarine Secondaries: 
- Big Game Hunter
- Old School
- Recon

The Deathwatch Deployment. The Ultramarines pushed heavily onto their
right flank and the center, so I left a single veteran squad to hold an
objective and hold attention and put almost everything else on the
Deathwatch right flank. 

Scouts in the buildings around the central marker, also behind the far
building in the picture and the line of buildings on their right flank.

The Fortress, Devastators in the front, Librarian + Company Standard Bearer Warlord +
and apothecary in a building with the Primarch moving forwards. A much angrier,
aggressive use of him.

That right flank.

Bikes ready to rush the center, with Razorback and
Ven. Dread providing a small fire base to counter the
scouts in the buildings. 

No-man's land.

Pyrannius sets up with a squad of Hellblasters, Las-Back,
and the second Venerable Dreadnaught around an objective. 

Razorback and bikes roll up and cut down the hidden scouts to claim the objective. 

The Corvus flies up and systematically cuts down Scout squads. 

The Hellblasters teleport in and kill some Devastators- unfortunatly
attracting the attention of the Primarch. 

Even as their Primarch hunts, the Corvus bursts into the fortified command
center- killing a Librarian but finding itself reduced to a single wound. 

Around this time Kill Team Gascoigne is overwhelmed by Bikes led
by a Librarian on his own machine and are cut down.

Scout bikes leave the taken objective to try and disrupt the central
Firebase- only to be eventually killed by middle Ven. Dread.

The Squad in the center, advancing after killing the last of the Scouts in
the middle... before combined long-range Devastator fire kills them. 

The Primarch avenges his Devastators (and in some ways, the first game)
by absolutely destroying the Hellblasters.

While Guilliman rampages the Captain and his Squad butcher all the
characters and remaining Devastators in the command center. 

That did not go unnoticed. Even reduced to one wound by overcharged
Hellblaster fire he was more than a match for the squad, rolling four sixes
and annihilating them with Mortal wounds. 

Castiel took vengeance for his squad and his defeat in the first game
by striking with his Xenophase blade, forcing a failure of his invulnerable save!
... Just in time for him to pop Honor the Chapter and blow him up before
rolling his 4+ Resurrection save. Sigh. 

A Thunder-Hammer/Storm Shield Blood Angel Ultramarine Captain jumped down
killed the Deathwatch Bikes and beat up a Razorback before being executed by the rest
of my force. The Ultramarines hit back hard, but it wasn't enough to catch up to
my points- Deathwatch wins!

 Final Score: 

Deathwatch- 27 (+3 for winning)
Ultramarines- 19
Reflection

Deathwatch wins! 90 points overall to take the tournament.

I super under-valued how effective my little mobile force was. With all of the line of sight blocking terrain on my tables, I was always able to keep at least a portion of the enemy armies at arm's length while I had the flexibility to run around and grab the objectives I needed. I also believe I was fortunate in the armies I fought. Both Ultramarines had excellent lists that were fun and competitive (despite that damn Primarch) but neither could drown me in bodies the way a true Horde Army could. The second list had 120+ models, but with 90 of them being Gretchin and the rest in a huge unwieldy Deathstar I could mostly avoid the worst of the damage- though More Dakka is crazy!

There was no doubt lucked favored me, especially with the failed charges in the second game- but at the end of the day, the Deathwatch were just a treat to play. It was great, felt fluffy as well as strong, and really goes to show that in 8th edition most armies can have the chance to really shine with the right moves at the right times and a little luck!

Most importantly though I'm just happy to have had three strong games, each one felt close and competitive down to the last turn and that's all I could have asked for!