Eye over Scotland was hosted by Knightly Gaming in Lanark on the 25th of June. The tournament was 1850 points, using the ETC composition (4 Sources, no duplicates, no unbound). The tournament was 3 rounds long. In total we had 10 players, but the field of competition was incredibly strong (3 current Team Scotland Players, 1 past Team Scotland Player, 1 Current Team Norway, myself and another person who tried for Team Scotland this year, and two others).

My army for the tournament was centered around the combination of Centurions and the new ‘Electrodisplacement’ psychic power from the Fulmination discipline. To that end, my Army List was as follows:

+ PLAYER: Innes Wilson

+ ARMY (Factions used): Dark Angels / Space Marines / Space Marines / Inquisition

+ TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 1849 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

== Primary Detachment – Dark Angels Combined Arms Detachment ==

HQ1: Ezekiel (145) = [145]

TROOP1: Scout Squad (55), 5x Boltguns (0) = [55]

TROOP2: Scout Squad (55), 5x Boltguns (0) = [55]

LOW1: Azrael (215) = [215] – Warlord

== Secondary Detachment – Space Marines Librarius Conclave (Ultramarines Chapter Tactics) ==

HQ1: Chief Librarian Tigirius (165) – [165]

HQ2: Librarian (65) Mastery Level 2 (25), Space Marine Bike (20), Force Axe (0) = [110]

HQ3: Librarian (65) Mastery Level 2 (25), Space Marine Bike (20), Force Axe (0) = [110]

HQ4: Librarian (65), Mastery Level 2 (25), Space Marine Bike (20), Force Stave (0) = [110]

HQ5: Librarian (65), Mastery Level 2 (25), Jump Pack (15), Force Stave (0) = [105]

== Tertiary Detachment – Space Marines Allied Detachment (Imperial Fists Chapter Tactics) ==

HQ1: Pedro Kantor (185) – [185]

TROOP1: Scout Squad (55), 5x Close Combat Weapons (0) = [55]

ELITE1: Centurion Assault Squad (165), 2 Additional Assault Centurions (2×55),5x Ironclad Assault Launchers (0), 5x Siege Drills with Twin-Linked Flamers (0), Omniscope (10) – [285]

HEAVY1: Thunderfire Cannon (100) – [100]

== Quaternary Detachment – Inquisitorial Detachment ==

HQ1: Inquisitor Coteaz (100) – [100]

HQ2: Ordo Xenos Inquisitor (25), 3x Servo Skulls (3×3) Psychotroke Grenades (15), Grimoire of True Names (5), Bolt Pistol (0), Chainsword (0) = [54]

The main focus of the list was to make one giant deathstar with all of the Independent Characters, roll for a load of psychic powers and then use the scouts as the slingshot to force turn one charges. The main psychic powers I focused on generating were Invisibility, then Electrodsiplacement. After that, Endurance, Enfeeble, Veil of Time, Null Zone and Prescience were the goals.

In order to make sure the list would get first turn, I have Azrael who generates a +1 to seize the initiative innately, and Coteaz who provides a reroll to this, meaning that I have a 1/2 chance to go first off the initial roll, 5/9 Chance to seize the initiative, and a 1/36 to be seized upon. This averages out to a 76.4% chance to go first if my opponent also wants first turn.

The first game was against Dan Oldfield who plays for Team Norway. He was running a Wulfen Star with a Dark Angels Ravenwing Strike Force (Sammael, Chaplain, Darkshroud, Land Speeder), a Wyrdstorm Brotherhood (4x Level 1’s with Jump Packs, one with Helm of Durfast), a Dark Angels Librarius Conclave (Ezekiel, 2x Level 2’s on bikes) and a Space Wolves Allied Detachment (Wulfen, Blood Claws and another Rune Priest).

The game starts up on Hammer and Anvil Deployment, Big Guns Never Tire and Tactical Escalation, as well as kill points. He rolls up his psychic powers, the main points being one Rune Priest with Gate of Infinity, one with Electrodisplacement and one Librarian with Invisibility. Of note I have Invisibility and Electrodisplacement, as well as Enfeeble.

This is probably the best time to explain how the Scouts + Electrodisplacement combo works best. You start by infiltrating a squad 18” away from the enemy. Then you scout forward 6” if you have first turn, or 6” backwards if you don’t (as this is done after the seize the initiative roll). Then at the beginning of your turn one you move up 6” more. Your scout squad is now 6” away, in prime position for Electrodisplacement.

I place two squads of scouts on the objectives in my backfield and another in position to E.D. to. The Thunderfire Cannon sits on another. Turn one Dan denies my Invisibility on all 17 of his dice, meaning that I can freely debuff his squad, which I do by enfeebling it after I E.D. into range. In the shooting phase I kill his one librarian with Invisibility by Orbital Bombarding it from Kantor, and kill his Electrodisplacement Rune Priest with the Thunderfire Cannon. His squad is split out in a big ring due to the threat of my barrages so when I charge him (Pyschotroke Grenades uselessly dropping his initiative) very few of his models can get into combat, especially the Wulfen. In total I kill Sammael, Ezekiel, 7 Wulfen, and the Librarians, He kills my Inquisitor and does some wounds to librarians. The enfeebling on his wulfen putting them to S4 meant that the Thunder Hammers weren’t instant deathing my Centurions or Bikes and I passed around 80% of my Azrael invulnerable saves. I won the combat handily but as he was fearless we stayed locked in combat.

In his turn he cast Gate of Infinity and popped off to the other side of the board. At this point Dan was almost ready to call the game, but I didn’t think that the game was quite as forgone a conclusion. The rest of the game I’m going to paraphrase as it was another 6 turns. On turn two I killed my Electrodisplacment Librarian with Perils (trying to cast invis first) and failed to cast Magnetokinesis. I killed two more Wulfen with the Thunderfire cannon and left my Jump Pack Librarian to hold the Objective in his deployment zone.

Dan forgot to roll to bring the Blood Claws on in his turn two, and apparently that meant on a 4+ they died. Never heard of this but I wasn’t complaining. Failed the roll anyway. That had an impact later. He killed off my Thunderfire Cannon and a squad of scouts over the next 2 turns, while I ran up the board at him. He split his star up to go for objectives and I did the same to chase him off them. Had the game ended on turn 5 he would have likely won due to objective holding (Tigirius failed to roll a single 4+ on 4 attacks to wreck a land speeder). Turn 6 would have been a minor win to me, as he grabbed 4 maelstrom points that turn, and on turn 7 I managed to pull a 16-4 win by killing most of his characters. He ended with a Darkshroud in his deployment zone, a Squad of Blood Claws who killed my librarian because I can’t save for shit, and he couldn’t fail a 4+ (Staves are great in some match ups but against those guys I wish I had a sword or axe).

I was disappointed with this match because I decided not to deny Gate of Infinity thinking that I could just catch up to him with E.D. but didn’t account for the chance of failing. I think if I had either denied the Gate, or succeeded with the turn 2 E.D. the game would have been a swift 20-0. Overall Dan played a great game, and I was glad with the lesser win when I saw the game 2 match ups.

Game 2, I was on Table 2. The table one matchup was Harlequins and Eldar (Skyweaver Star + MSU Scat Bikes and Wraithknight) piloted by Liam O’Shea, an excellent player who’s schooled me the last two times we played (The first time so hard I switched armies to what he was playing.). The other player was Paul Metcalfe with a Wraithstar + Destroyer Cult. Paul is currently on the Scotland Team and Liam was on it last Year. That game ended up going 12-8 to Liam, the Skyweaver Star was too fast for the Wraiths to keep up with.

The mission for game 2 was Vanguard Strike, Crusade, Cleanse and Control.

I played against Martin Moffat, who had a bigger fluff list than mine. He was running a Crimson Claughter CAD with Kharne, a Balestar of Mannon Sorceror (Level 3 on bike), Cypher and 20 Cultists, a KDK Allied Detachment with a Khorne Lord on Juggernaut, 20 Flesh Hounds and 10 Cultists, and a Cyclopeia Cabal (3x Level 3s, Familiars on Bikes).

Martin’s psychic power rolling was painful to watch. He rolled telepathy with every sorcerer, and got Invisibility on the 10th roll, summoning on the 11th and Cursed Earth om the 12th. Meaning that one Sorceror had all the good powers. The others had a combination of Mental Fortitude, Dominate, Hallucination and Terrify. Not ideal. I had the same general set of powers as last game.

I won first turn and charged him after casting Invisibility and Force on myself, as well as some other ancillary bollocks. To cut a short story shorter, Azrael challenged Kharn, and Azrael did 2 wounds to Kharn, Kharn 3 to Azrael. Then I killed all 4 Sorcerers, 17 Flesh Hounds and Cypher. Martin then conceded. 20-0 before my opponent’s turn 1. Well then.

At the end of Round 2 we discovered that Martin and his game 1 opponent had has a mix-up, so they switched scores, giving Ryan Stevenson a 30 point win in his second game (not actually possible but whatever), putting him at 35 points, and me at 36. Liam was at 32 so I successfully dodged him. Ryan was playing a very scary list also known as every goddamned Eldar list ever. 45 Warp Spiders, a Windrider host, a Wraithknight and an Autarch. Fuck.

This is Standard Deployment, Emperors Will and Contact Lost.

Ryan deployed his units like this (please note that I do not take commissions and that this is just a rough interpretation, the distance between the ruins was a little larger!):

I put one squad of scouts in the center, and two on my objectives, my Thunderfire cannon on top of my Emperor’s will objective (his was the one next to the Wraithknight), the other 4 Objectives were only for Maelstrom

I electrodisplaced in front of the center warp spiders, and was able to position my unit using the extended length of the bike base to slingshot two librarians around the corner of the unit, allowing me to multi-charge the Farseer’s squad and the Warp Spiders, killing both. I was also invisible at this point. The Thunderfire cannon killed two of the right handed Scatter Bikes.

He used his turn to kill the Thunderfire Cannon (although the gunner was left on one wound) and one of the scout squads. I multi-charged the left hand Scatter Bikes, Warp Spiders and the Wraithknight that moved up to shoot my scouts, but forgot to shoot another gun at a second squad and thus couldn’t charge. My Techmarine charged a squad of Warp Spiders and killed one, and they failed to hit and run out.

On his turn 2 all of his reserves barring the Autarch came on. He killed the other two scout squads, and Hit and Ran from the combat with the Techmarine. At this point, he had a Vyper, one Scatter Bike and a Warlock in his back right deployment zone, and three spider squads on each side of my deployment zone, plus one that was in the center of my deployment zone. I split Kantor off, leaving him on my opponent’s objective, and the three Bike Librarians moved off to go for the ones on the left side of my deployment zone. I moved the rest of the Star up to swap with my Techmarine, multi-charging two of the three Spider Squads. I immobilised the Vyper with my orbital bombardment. I charged one of the Warp Spider squads with the Librarians and lost one to overwatch (the axe guy unfortunately), meaing that I did very little damage with the staves. The two spider squads I charged with the Star died easily.

At this point Ryan conceded. There were a few mistakes that both of us made in this game that I’d like to bring up. Hit and Running during his turn allowing my Techmarine to get out of Combat, and letting me swap to it cost him two units of Warp Spiders for no real reason, and a third that would be almost certainly dead next turn. He also didn’t account for the length of the swap I could make. He said that he would have blocked off the Farseer’s squad with more Warp Spiders if he’d realised that I could extend the 6” range with my bike base. The wording is that you have to place the unit within 6”, but I can place the bike base at the edge of the 6” to extend that further, which allowed me to edge around the Warp Spider Squad. I also should have placed two squads of Scouts in reserves. Honestly I should have done that in all my games.

I had a great series of games at Eye over Scotland, and got to catch up with a lot of other players on the Scotland Scene. This tournament was put together as a practice day for a bunch of the Team Scotland players and I think it did a good job of that, there were a lot of very hard lists there (I’d say 9/10 were top tier tournament lists, and the 10th was still a very solid list).

I ended up taking First Place with 56 points out of a maximum of 60, Second Place was Liam O’Shea, and third was Ryan.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and I look forward to catching them at future events.

I ended up submitting this list as the List for Caledonian Revolution without any changes, although I was very tempted to change Ezekiel out for a chaplain, and adding in Rad Grenades. I’ll hopefully be doing coverage of a few more things, including the Escalation League that I’m helping to run and Caledonian Revolution.