Wednesday 25 January 2017

Is the Broadsword getting some Flak?

Good morrow avid readership.

It is I, Lord MegaMike, back to regale you with stories of artistry and war......


Almost an age has slipped past since (as some of you longer-term readers may remember) I was reviewing the newer units from Reconquest Phase 2.

The Broadsword was one of the units that I was not immediately smitten with. Well good news - I have grown to like it. So much so that I have even painted it.

As I prepare for Invasion this coming weekend, I want to take a balanced list that will help with lots of different scenarios and most importantly - to enjoy myself again (that sounds weird.... I pondered a couple of different approaches in my last post and have even played a couple of games with the "fun" list.

I'll state now - I don't want to take the double Ferrum list (even though I think it would do better).
The threat is a touch smaller now, thanks to the Focus 3, but I really don't want opponents reactions to my list to be "errgh - that's horrible" and "this isn't going to be fun to play against"

That all being said, I still play to win games - no-one goes into games wanting to, and being happy with losing (except maybe Bethany, he's a funny creature).


I think my list is competitive, not top end competitive but it can deal with multiple threats. As I eluded to earlier I have played a couple of games with it (1 win and 1 very narrow loss) and I will be playing a couple more before I get to the hallowed ground of Croydon.

As a quick overview, I played against Amit's Scourge at the club. We played Careful Advance (believing that this would probably be played at Invasion - it's not even in the tournament pack, let alone gonna be played)

I won a tough fought game mainly down to my Archangels blowing up a squad of Warriors trying to escape with an objective. I managed to win the Critical Location battle (just about) and my Hazard Suits did really well against Reapers. The game was swinging to and fro throughout and the bloody Razorworms were a nightmare to deal with. One huge weakness of my list is the lack of any CQB threat. I can throw a total of 34 dice at CQB - with 5 squads of infantry!! I was a good refresher game as I hadn't played since Warfare in the middle of November.

I followed that up with a very narrow defeat to Ed. We played Bunker Assault (Ha, with my Troops!)
I hate blaming dice for my loss, but seriously for turns 1-4 and turn 6 I rolled absolute tosh. Triple 1's, double 1's, 3 ones in six dice 3 times! Turn 5 I peaked and actually did some damage, this almost let me back into the game and I actually made a big mistake in turn 6 to give Ed the win.

I tried to not let the dice get me down, which was very difficult at times. The less you need to rely on dice the better for you. Or roll enough dice that even with shit rolls, you can still achieve what you want to do. That was my philosophy as I entered turn 4. Ed was all over the bunkers with Sirens, Valkyries and Immortal Longreach teams, the Bunkers acting as a good force multiplier for him too. His Hera was nipping about, getting in good positions and his 4 Odins and Njord were just boss.

I had a shining light though. The big beautiful beast that is the Broadsword. The UCM have always had a problem with units like the Odin. Now that it can out-range them the Broadsword has a fairly good chance of removing them from the board.

I set it up with the intention of taking out a lone Phobos.......guess what, I hit, then rolled a one. So again on turn 3 I did the same and it went poof. On turns 4 and 5 it removed an Odin a turn, before the final 2 retaliated and blew it away. 1 Phobos and 2 Odins is a grand days work for the Broadsword and I couldn't have asked for more.

I lost the game by a solitary victory point in the end, Ed would have been gutted if I had snatched a draw, but in the end it's my fault for believing that a squad of Hazard suits could do a single wound on a Hera Guardian. Instead I should have relocated - always go with the option that is foolproof and doesn't require dice rolls.

So, as I will be taking this list and I hate going to tournaments with unpainted models, I had 4 bases of Legionnaire Flak teams and the infamous Broadsword to do.







Well, that's it from me until after Invasion where I'll be back to discuss all the wonderful things Hawk have to offer.

I have a game against Bethany's Resistance and against the Gimp's Shaltari - so I will have played all 4 opponent factions before Invasion. Not sure if this is good or bad, but I'm playing games, so it must be good.

See some of you at Invasion, for the rest of you...... onedle plus onedle equals toodles!

5 comments:

  1. Nice post, Mike!

    In my second game of Droozone in a nearly three months Dropfleet-induced hiatus, I faced an errata'ed Broadsword. That extra 12" was much needed! (That's what sh-... No, won't go there...) ;-)
    Surging Strike was the mission. I screwed up the Turn 1 deployment of one of my two squads of Angelos, and they were definitely threatened by the Broadsword that plopped down out of its Condor next and onto the Focal Point opposite them. So when I went to place my Hera blob (2 Hera's and 3 Apollos), I tried very hard to make sure they were all out of its range for a Turn 2 shot. Turn 2, I won Initiative, thankfully, and moved my Angelos behind a building and out of harm's way. But he never intended to go for my Angelos! And, I'd forgotten that the Broadsword has a MF of a mighty 4", and so the one Apollo that had to be stuck out a smidge ended up in its Line of Sight, and (tape measure, please...) 35" away! Ka-Ping! No more Apollo-A.

    The Broadsword was then responsible for killing two more Apollos and an Erebos before my Helios could get in range, and my dice cooperated, and took out the Broadsword.

    That night I ordered two Broadswords for myself and my UCM.

    Good call going with the one-Ferrum list.

    Have fun!

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  2. You've got a nice looking "sword" there. Best of luck. I haven't played DZC in a few months. Did get a couple of games of DFC in. Both games decided on who can make their rolls in ground combat. I really hope this isn't a trend. Also wish Hawk would put their DFC stuff on their website and send me the rest of my Admiral pledge. Rant done.
    Have a good time.

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  3. Glad to hear the Broadsword worked for you. I've had a couple on order since November. Can'the wait to try them out.
    Chris Sprules

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  4. After Action Report, please, sir, Mr. Hat Trick, you! 8^D

    Congratulations!

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  5. Good to see you win with a different kind of UCM list.

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