S28: Week 5: Bring me another claret
This humble remembrancer would like to wish you all a Merry Grotsmass. My Grotsmas wishes for you are that you experience the joy of a gaming store full of exciting games getting played, unwrap a new army box, play at a tournament where you make it to 3-3, make over 50% of your 4++ saves, and experience that that perfect painting moment where you get the eyes just right. Truly, I can’t wait to roll dice with you all in the new year.
Jeremy Larson’s Astra Militarum are continuing to fortify their trench lines around the top spot of Pod 1 with another win this week. Hans Lieber’s Death Guard are no doubt preparing their artillery calculations to lay siege to Fortress Jeremy. Hans has managed to keep a loss from his record so he still has a counteroffensive in his future. Hans needs to put up some high scoring wins against Neil Braden’s Space Wolves and Coop Guice’s Blood Angels to step ahead of Jeremy. Cooper could be the spoiler for both Hans and Jeremy as both have to go through him to get a perfect record.
The generals of Tony Baumayr’s Astra Militarum will spend the rest of the league smugly watching the skirmishes from the high walls of the fortress they have built atop Pod 2. For now, Juan Diego Vasquez Vasquez’ Space Wolves and Benbo’s Drukhari have the upper hand in the knife fight, but with a bunch of punters in the Pod still to get games in, I imagine the firefights outside Tony’s walls will continue through the end of the season. Someone have the aide-de-camp bring me another claret~ this is getting interesting.
David Susko’s Adeptus Mechanicus are starting to feel the ground under their tracks shift a little at the top of Pod 3 as the big guns start to fire. Michael Pogrebinsky’s T'au, James Carmona’s Heretic Astartes, and Matt Geyer’s Adeptus Mechanicus all have three wins to their names (with Matt and James holding no losses). Like Bane and Batman searching for each other through the brawl, it’s going to be really interesting to see who places higher between Matt and James. These two old brawlers do not let any mistake pass them by and they are slated to fight in what could be an ultimate showdown for the Pod. For now, James has not left a point on the table which gives him the edge in my mind.
Michael Ernst’s Blood Angels continue to hold the top spot in Pod 4 with a 3-1 record. Dustin Lindgren’s Black Templars are in second place, and the fact that he holds no losses gives him the room to step past Michael if he can keep his record clean. However, Michael’s loss, and the fact that a number of heavy hitters in the Pod have yet to get many games in, will keep this pod exciting.
Perhaps reaping the benefits of a patch to the software on his jetbikes, Eric Horne’s Adeptus Custodes blasted their way past Michael Kornberg’s Necrons to take the top spot in Pod 5. With a 2-1 record, Eric is still vulnerable to Michael and the advancing force of Death Guard approaching. David Pavan’s and Shane Yirak’s Death Guard have two wins each and are within spitting distance of the top spot and certainly (and thematically) the green zone. There are, however, a number of skilled punters (some latecomers) who have yet to fire a shot so this Pod is a long way from being over.
As another year of 40k is drawing to a close, I send you best wishes for the future. This is the time of year I start getting excited for LVO and SoCal Teams. If you’re headed to those events, I hope you all are getting your reps in and painting your bases to match. I will not wish you a future that’s merry and bright, but I will remind you of our mantra that in the Grim Darkness of the far future, there is only war.