Killer Robots of Death!!! (My First Foray into 30k v. 40k Gaming)

This past Sunday, I went over to Games of Berkeley for a couple pick up games. As a veteran of the long war, aka Gamer Dad, I only ever find myself playing at home or on specific campaign days at Endgame. Lucky for me, GoB's Facebook group is really great. I put something up that morning and got everything set an hour or so later. The store has an awesome variety of minis, and the playing space was really fun. Beautiful tables, great terrain, and a fun atmosphere made for an A+ gaming experience. Wargame Days are Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons. If you are ever in Downtown Berkeley, make sure to check it out.

Games of Berkeley - Check it out!

I played against Sage and his new Necrons. Man, those guys are nasty! How many armies have troop choices that can kill a Land Raider in one turn of shooting? But, the unit that really makes these robots sing are the wraiths. Ho-lee-crap are they good! Just imagine these death robots snaking through the air, flickering in and out of reality above the desert sands. Then, at the perfect moment, whipping their tails and jamming razor-sharp claws into their prey. Great fluff, great rules, and great models. These guys are the trifecta.

We played maelstrom on a 4x4 board at 750 points. The Raven Guard infiltrated into a forward position (big mistake) as the Necron's moved on en mass from the corner. The wraiths got into combat right way, and we stayed locked in until about turn four or so. Sage won the game thanks to the wraiths, but in the end it came down to my praetor getting shot to death by twenty some warriors. Using infiltrating forces can be a challenge, but it's games like this that help you learn. Overall, it was a really fun game against a great opponent.

Fluff-wise, 30k and 40k mesh really well. It does take some mental gymnastics, but as a narrative gamer I find myself doing that in standard games just as often (Why do I always end up assaulting Tau Riptide factories!). I see a lot of really cool opportunities to get in some fights against other xenos forces, and I'm thinking about reaching out to some local players to start a small Great Crusades campaign. If you're in the Bay Area and play Orks, Eldar, 'Nids, or Necrons let me know!

As for rules balance, it's not bad but I wouldn't say it was perfect. The standard Space Marine stat line helps, but losing And They Shall Know No Fear does make things more tenuous. That being said, I will continue to play 40k armies for now because our 30k scene is still growing. As for competitive events, I don't really see myself bringing a Horus Heresy list a large ITC event, but I do see a lot of 30k v. 40k games in the future! ::womp womp womp woooommmmppp::

Until next time!