Over this weekend the Trumpter Society held their Annual Trumpeter Salute wargaming convention.

Lee ran a 40K tournament with 30 players. With relaxed painting rules it was full with extra people showing up hoping for last minute no-shows to allow their entry.

The tourney was an unusual 1700 points, with restrictions of no more than two of any unit other than troops.

Additionally there was no sportsmanship rating (something very welcome as sportsmanship ratings frequently have the opposite of the intended effect with poor sports frequently punking their opponents if they lose).

The missions themself were different from what I've run into in the past and were extremely balanced. Players secretly drew a random card with a mission from a pool of 8 mission types:

- At the end of the game you must have a "kill point" difference of two or more (each destroyed unit is worth one "kill point"
- Destroy to or all of the enemy's HQ before the end of the game (transports or retinues are not part of the HQ choice)
- At the end of the game you must control two objectives (only scoring units)
- At the end of the game the opponent cannot have more than one objective (only scoring units)
- At least two troop choices must survive the entire game (your troop choices can only be in reserve if it has outflank or deep strike)
- Your HQ with the highet point cost must survive the entire game (your HQ can only be in reserve if it has outflank or deep strike)
- Destroy the two most expensive troop choices before the end of the game (transports are not included)

Secondary mission was objective based, with four objectives placed in each quarter of the table based on a dice off of the players.

This structure lead to very interesting games, with not knowing exactly what your opponent's mission was and the objectives playing a big part.

Many armies were in attendence, and with the relaxed rules allowing Forge World units (no superheavies) there were quite a few different units showing up.

I fielded a Blood Angel army, for its first tourney appearance.

Dante
Death Company with Lemartes, 4xPW, 2xTH, 2 Chainswords
Death Company Dread with blood talons, Magna Grapple
Storm Raven with TLAC, TLMM, Hurricane Bolters
Assault squad with PF, 2x MG
Assault squad with PF, 2x Flamer
Dakka Baal (HB sponsons, Assault Cannons)

The Death company, with the DC Dread, Dante and the Storm Raven were the core of the army. Besides the obvious 'Ram the Death Company down my opponents throat' strategy Dante's hit and run gives one extra valuable ability to the squad, being able to potentially exit a combat in my opponents turn and move 3d6 inches without being subject to the restrictions caused by the Rage rule.

As it turned out, the Storm Raven was too big a target, and only made it past a round of shooting intact in one of the three matches.

First Battle - Verses Simon White's Dark Eldar
Simon ran:
Lelith Hesperax with two Haemonculi
8 Incubi
3 Grotesques
3 squads of Kabalite warriors in Raiders, Blaster, Splinter Cannon, Flicker Field and Splinter Racks
6 Reavers with Arena Champion, Heat Lance, Blaster, Powerweapon
2 Ravagers with Flickerfield and shock prow

This game started with Dawn of War deployment, I had first turn and reserved everything, outflanking the Baal and Deepstriking the assault squads which were combat squadded.

The game started off badly, with my storm raven coming onto the table in a corner, shooting two missiles at the biggest long range threats - the ravagers. One hit and failed to penetrate. I had hoped to get at least one of the ravagers to reduce the threat to the storm raven. In Simon's turn one of his raiders destroyed the Storm Raven, leaving my death company, death company dread and dante on my rear table edge at the beginning of turn 3. I pretty much considered them out of the game, but I had pulled an objective to keep two troop choices alive so all was not lost.

In the end the Death company managed to close in on my opponents forces that were close enough to threaten my objectives (his mission was to prevent me holding more than 1) and immobilise them all.

I ended up holding 3 objectives and my achieve my primary mission objective for a 16-3 win.

Second Battle - Versus Raj Pooni's Space Marines
Raj ran:
Space Marine Librarian with Force dome and the avenger
Sternguard Vet squad in Rhino with 2x Lascannons
2x Tactical squads Meltagun, Powerfist and Missile Launcher in Razorbacks with TL Las.
Assault squad with plasma pistols and Sarge with plasma pistol and power fist
Scout squad with sniper rifles
Land speeder squadron (2) with Heavy Bolter and Typhoon Missile Launcher
Land Speeder squadrion (2) with Heavy Flamer and Multi Melta
Predator with Autocannon and Lascannon sponsons
Predator with Autocannon and Heavy bolter sponsons

Once again the game started badly with Raj stealing the initiative and immobilising my Storm Raven on the first turn and taking out the assault cannons on my Baal predator. Once again the death company were left to foot slog. Luckily I had again pulled the 'keep two troop choices from being destroyed' mission so all was not lost.

The Blood Angels received a massive amount of missile fire, and I lost my Death company dread, Baal and Storm raven all on turn two. Left with essentially the deathcompany squad with dante for my attacking force against pretty much 80% of his list.

With some creative use of Dante's hit and run tactic I managed to tarpit his assault squad to stop them from getting close enough to contest the objectives I was holding and then to Assault his tactical squad to contest one of the objectives he was holding.

In the end I held two objectives to Raj's one, had all my troop choices survive and Raj failed to destroy my two most expensive troop units - to win 16-3 again.

Third Battle - Versus Shawn Leblanc's Space Wolves
Shawn ran:
Wolf Priest in power armour, Fang of Morkai, Wolf Amulet, Runic Armour, Crozius Arcanum
Grey Hunters pack in Rhino with 2x Meltaguns, Mark of the Wulfen,
Blood Claws pack with plasmagun, plasma pistol, power weapon
Wolf Guard pack with Arjac Rockfist and drop pod. 4x terminators, 1x power armour
Wolf Scouts pack with Meltagun
Venerable Dreadnought with Plasma cannon and Dread CCW(hvy flamer)
Whirlwind
Land Raider Redeemer

Shawn won first turn and deployed in fairly busy terrain and bunched up, only safely holding one objective and leaving the other within range to be threatened but most of this army too far away to get close to it if I made a late push to take it. It was within range of a substantial amount of his firepower so that would have to be dealt with.

I pulled the 'hold two objectives' mission and reserved everything.

His army lacked ANY long range firepower, so I brought my Storm raven in and started working over his mobility, destroying his rhino. He disembarked his Grey Hunters into cover on the far side of the wrecked Rhino, essentially making it even more difficult for him to nab the other objective on his side.

I focused on trying to keep him reacting to threats in the back of his forces and in his face instead of pushing forward, sacrificing an outflanking Baal predator and ramming the Death Company down his throat in the hope of leaving him unable to contest the objectives I would eventually deepstrike my Assault combat squads onto.

The death company and DC dread made very bloody impacts into his forces, either destroying or tying down enough forces to leave Shawn pinned in place.

In the end I held two objectives, completing my primary and preventing Shawn's (stop me from holding more than one objective) - to win 16-3 again.

The three victories earned me the Best overall trophy.

The tournament was very well run with Lee and helpers doing an excellent job. All the missions were fair and from the noise everyone was enjoying themselves immensely.

If there's anything my list taught me about blood angels it's that the storm raven must NOT hang back trying to eliminate threats before delivering its passengers but should be either deepstruck or reserved and charged up the table.