Manchester GT – Day 2: Fire, Fury, and the Greater Good
Game 4 – Ironstorm Tilt (aka the one that got away)
Rolling into Day 2, I was feeling good — 2 wins and a draw under my belt, technically undefeated, and apparently in the running to place quite high overall. I hadn’t been watching the leaderboard, but someone mentioned it, and I was asked to use a chess clock for the first time. That definitely added some pressure, but I was ready for it.
My opponent for Game 4 (we’ll call him Jo) was running a vehicle-heavy Ironstorm Spearhead — basically a wall of Space Marine tanks with firepower for days. A rough matchup for my list already, but hey, part of the game.
The issue? Ironstorm lets each vehicle re-roll one hit or one wound roll per phase. That’s it. But Jo was re-rolling both hit and wound rolls on every tank, every time. At first, I let it slide thinking it was just a misread. We’ve all made honest mistakes. But it kept happening — and there were other things too: loose measuring, questionable tank pivoting, small stuff that added up.
Eventually, I called the ref over. The judging team were legends, but with only a few of them for 300+ players, they couldn’t always get there fast. When they did arrive, Jo got a warning — but by that point, I was already getting tabled. Final score: 23–100. My worst loss in a long time.
I’m not gonna pretend I wasn’t tilted. Not my proudest moment. But I also want to be real — these things happen. I still would’ve lost that game. Jo’s list was a perfect counter to mine, and he played it well. But the constant misuse of rules soured what could’ve been a great match.
It’s important to show the losses too — not just the wins. Warhammer’s a game we all love, but sometimes things just don’t go your way. Whether it’s the dice, the matchup, or the player across the table, you take the hit, learn from it, and move on.
Game 5 – For the Greater Good (and the scoreboard)
Final round of the Manchester GT, and I was hungry to bounce back after the mess that was Game 4. I walked up to the table, saw Imperial Knights, and I’m not gonna lie — I was buzzing. I know how to play against Knights, and my list had all the right tools for the job. Even better, the mission rule was Scorched Earth — and if there’s one thing Knights aren’t famous for, it’s doing actions and holding objectives.
The game started slow, very cagey deployment on both sides. We both knew that whoever stuck their neck out first was probably getting it shot off. But then turn 2 happened.
My opponent (Alex, lovely guy) drew Area Denial and Secure No Man’s Land — so what does he do? He throws Canis Rex right into the middle of the board. Big lad. Full send. Even tried to Scorch the Earth while he was at it — which I allowed, since Canis is a Titanic Character and technically legal for that mission rule. Bold move, but the shooting that followed definitely hurt. I lost a Devilfish and a squad of Sunforge Crisis Suits. Ouch.
But then it was my turn. And everything came online.
I hit back with all I had. My Broadsides opened up and straight-up deleted Canis Rex — well, his robot form anyway. The pilot was still scurrying about somewhere, but the main threat was gone. Then came Voidbreaker, my Sunforge Commander, dropping in with his squad. He blew up one Armiger, and then — being a bit greedy — he split fire and also took down the second one.
It was risky, but as one of my mates always says: “Your models won’t do awesome stuff unless you give them the chance to.” And Voidbreaker did exactly that.
To top it all off, I’d drawn Bring It Down that turn and maxed it with 10 points, alongside scoring Area Denial myself. It was a massive swing turn — the kind that wins games.
At that point, Alex knew the writing was on the wall. But credit to him, he kept swinging and managed to kill nearly 1,000 points of my army before the game ended. Brutal. But I had the numbers and the speed to keep dancing around the board and racking up points.
Final score: 93–69. A hard-fought win, and a great way to close out the weekend. Sure, it cost me a lot of good men — but their sacrifice was for the Greater Good.
Event Summary – My First GT (and First Super Major!)
And just like that — the Manchester GT came to a close. Five games. Two days. One wild ride.
This wasn’t just my first GT; it was my first Super Major. Out of 339 players, I managed to finish 64th overall — and honestly, I’m still buzzing from it. I came into this event just hoping to win a game or two, get some experience, and have a laugh with the lads. What I walked away with was so much more.
I learned a ton about high-level play — how to manage a clock, how to play under pressure, how to adapt mid-game when things aren’t going your way. I learned where my list sings, where it stumbles, and what pieces I want to tweak going forward. I even learned how to hold my ground when something doesn’t sit right. That alone was worth the price of admission.
But more than that — I had an absolute blast. The energy in the hall, the mix of armies everywhere you looked, the buzz between rounds, the war stories swapped over lunch — it was pure hobby joy. There’s something amazing about being surrounded by hundreds of people who are just as nerdy and passionate about tiny plastic soldiers as you are. It hits different.
Huge love to my two mates Edd and Hodgy who came with me for this crazy ride. I was the newcomer of the trio, but somehow ended up placing the highest — a running joke now, and a badge of honour I’ll wear until the next event comes around. Couldn’t have done it without their support, laughs, and mid-game snack runs.
I came in a student of the game. I left with a win record, new friends, new scars, and a head full of plans for the next event. The Fire Caste burned bright this weekend — and we’re only just getting started.
“Onwards — for the Greater Good, and the might of the True Empire.”
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