Dernicus was fortunate enough to attend AdeptiCon 2018 and has a plethora of tales to tell of his journey. For those unaware, AdeptiCon is THE largest 40k event in the US (if not the world), located near Chicago Illinois. Held in the frosty days of March 21st-25th, the event featured a multitude of tournaments, seminars,and discussions with hobbyists and competitors from all over the country and beyond. On such a large scale, AdeptiCon Survival was our first goal. We were able to attend two of the major tournaments (the Championship singles, and the Team Championships). This is the first of two articles on how “I survived AdeptiCon” given the scale of events over the past week. Let’s dive right in.

The Journey to AdeptiCon (Day 1-Wed)

First of all, we left in the dark hours of the morning for the 16 hour journey. We traversed snow capped mountains of West Virginia, barren hills of Ohio and Indiana, into the windy city. Arriving in the late afternoon the masses were gathering. That was the longest leg of the journey, but not the only eventful one. Already hundreds of gamers assembled to retrieve their badges and meet up with fellow travelers. The official GW reveal seminar was the only event on wednesday. Unfortunately we weren’t able to attend due to the long wait. With our badges in hand, we made our way to get some real dinner at Famous Dave’s BBQ.

Enter the Fray (Day 2 -Thurs)

Next we awoke in the early hours to sign up for the Championship tournament. Dernicus was on the waitlist when he signed up for the Con, but was ready to enter the fray should the opening appear. Dozens of gamers gathered, armies at the ready in those wee hours. Dernicus brought along his Genestealer Cult to battle and was eager to test them against those in attendance. He was able to check in-to the waitlist, only to have to endure the procession of players that had secured their tickets. Finally, his name was added to the rosters of battle!

All around were armies of every make and creed to which we took as many photos as possible. Take a look at some of the shots here. All he could do was wait for his first round to begin.

Round 1 vs Agents of Change

Dernicus matched up against an opponent who was already pitted at another table, an understandable error with a 230+ attendance. Once addressed he received a BYE for the first round and instead paired up against the Ringer army. Chris fielded a beautifully painted and converted Tzeentch/Thousand Sons force against Dernicus and his Genestealer Cult. The mission included progressive objectives, modified kill points, and player chosen tertiaries. This was the first time we’d seen Mutalith Vortex Beasts and Tzaangor Enlightened. To begin with, the beasts dished out Mortal Wounds in spades causing untold damage to the amassed Purestrain assault on Chris’s lines. The Tzaangor Enlightened were a curiosity, but less of a threat to the Cult advance.

While the score reflected a full win, our game was much closer had it been a true pairing. Easily though, the play of the game was when the Shadowsword evaporated a charging Daemon prince in overwatch thanks to Defensive Gunners + Vengeance for Cadia and a lucky roll on the Volcano Cannon!

Round 2 vs The Shadowy Menace

Following the break for lunch Dernicus found himself standing across the table from a force of Aeldari from Aliatoc and Ynnari. Alas the terrain favored the Aeldari far more than the Genestealers. With limited targets and layers of buffering units of Kalabites, Swooping Hawks, and Guardians, Dernicus was unable to forestall the Xenos firepower. We’ve talked about the power of the Aeldari, especially units like Shining Spears and Dark Reapers and this game was no different. Dernicus’ opponent showed great skill in his army’s execution (to the demise of the Cult).

With a devastating 0-40 score, Dernicus looked to the next rounds to make up some ground lost.

Round 3 vs Zealots of the Imperium

Now that his score was 1-1, the field was open for what army Dernicus would next face. That army was a force of Black Templar aided by Assassins and a presumptuous Imperial Guard Commander. Brady put quite a bit of effort into his army, and it shows in both his dedication to the chapter and the models themselves. Dernicus knew that this would be a bloody match as both sides sought Close Combat, but with the titan-killing Shadowsword on his side, we felt confident. Drawing first blood was swift and crushing as Dernicus was able to take first turn and launch 20+ juiced up Purestrains into his elite force. While the assassins caused some concern, they eventually fell to the fanatical hordes.

The last wound was stripped from his second Landraider on turn 4, a resounding 40-0 victory.

Round 4 vs S/He Who Thirsts

With two wins and a loss under his belt, Dernicus knew this game could mean all the marbles. David from Warhammered brought his Slaneesh Daemons to party. His army included hordes of Daemonettes, Chaos Cultists, and Zarakynel. While both armies favored combat heavily, the final result was anything but forgone. Early on David deployed his Cultists in a screening maneuver to protect from the horde of Rending Claws Dernicus intended to send his way. He also used a stratagem to increase the invulnerable save of his greater daemon, which mitigated the firepower of the Shadowsword. Several bloody turns later the last Genestealer Cult fell to the caress of S/He Who Thirsts.

In the final round of Adepticon 2018 Championships, a score of 0-40 put Dernicus at a 2-2 record. This was a respectable finish, given Dernicus brought an Index army and faced 3 strong Codex armies.

Conclusions (i.e. AdeptiCon Survival -Day 1/2)

Now that 4 games of highly competitive 40k were complete, and the first full day of AdeptiCon was complete, we were eager to see more. Having played in a number of competitive events, including ATC, Warzone ATL, and plenty of RTTs, the missions of AdeptiCon certainly were up to par. On a personal note, it was refreshing to play with Player placed terrain as part of the event, something we don’t normally do. Furthermore, the differential nature of the event scoring made for an interesting state of play. We’re not sure how well the final scores reflected how each game played out, but they did certainly make for clear winners/losers. This brings the first part of my narrative to a close. For more technical commentary on the Championships check out The Commissar’s article here. Also, in case you missed it, check out the photo gallery here to see all the amazing armies (and a few famous faces)! Come back for Part 2, with all the exciting details of the Championship Team Tournament (spoiler, yours truly may or may not have won a pretty big prize!).