Monday, April 10, 2017

WINTER 2017 - RECAP & REPORT


Nazdreg was nearing a second consecutive victory over the Traxis Sector, but the Dark Angels made a final stand, slaughtering the green horde for the glory of the Emperor! Congrats to Free/Fleepa0 for winning this season with Vezuel!

Another Black Crusade season down – and this this time the Elite decks didn't do quite as well as they did last season. It would appear, in many cases, that the BCL Eye of Terror cards had an impact, which was nice to see. However, attendance was down quite a bit (with this being the first full season after the game's official cancellation) so keep in mind that our sample size was much smaller than in season's past.

Here's the links to the commentated final match and the two decks used. THANK YOU DNAPOLITANO! Below that is my recap, some stats, all the info, the comments section from reported matches and a farewell of sorts (don't panic - the BCL isn't going anywhere. Just read on...)

Click Here for the video of the commentated Championship Match

Click Here for the Winning SM decklist

Click Here for the Runner-up Ork decklist


On to the recap and stats...

Space Marines: Vez may have one it all but SM took a slight dip compared to last season (44% win-rate vs 47%). This put them 7th best out of the 9 factions but they did log the most games of any faction with 57. Vezuel led the way at 55% (20 games) and Ragnar improved as well pulling in at 47% (15 games). Cato and Mavros both floundered: 36% and 27%, respectively, each at 11 games.

Orks: Da Green Boyz placed 6th out of the 9 factions, but were 2nd most popular - right behind SM - with 56 games. Their win-rate was 50%. NazzyD continued his streak of leading the Horde. He was the most played WL from any faction - with 30 games logged and led the Orks at 53%. Zoggy was right behind at 50% win-rate. Poor Gorzod brought up the rear yet again, but improved in both terms of win-rate and appearances: 44% in 18 games.

Necrons: Right in the middle, the 5th best win-rate (55%) of the 9 factions. They were, however, the 2nd least popular: only 11 games played. And it was all Anrakyr. Nahu and Szeras didn't make a single showing. The last faction we got seems to continually get the shaft due to being released so near the end of the game...

Eldar: Took a bit of a dip from past seasons. 4th best win-rate (57%) and 3rd most games played (44). Fharenal led the way, thanks solely to Steinerp, with a 63% win-rate in 8 games. Baharroth was actually the most played (20 games) and respectably posted a 55% win-rate. Eldorath finally seemed to dip in popularity: 16 games and a 56% win-rate.

Dark Eldar: Strong as always: 2nd best win rate (61%) and 4th most games played (33). No surprise that Kith did well – tied for best win-rate (71%) but she didn't show up near as much (14 games). Urien had the biggest jump of nearly any returning WL: 64% win-rate and the same number of games as Kith: 14. He also made it to the Top 4. Morn was a blip on the radar: 20% in 5 games.

Tau: The 3rd best win-rate (59%) and a respectable 29 showings. Aun'shi kicked some ass with a 62% win-rate in 21 games. Shadowsun posted 50% in 8 games. No Starblaze. Even a fancy new BCL card designed specifically for him couldn't result in him showing his face in the league. Poor Starballz...

Chaos: I guess everyone finally got tired of Chaos Elites. Their popularity fell to 7th out of the 9 factions with a meager 13 showings between only 2 players. Intolerance piloted Ba'ar Zul to a respectable 50% win-rate in 6 games and Slaanesh Devotee steered Vhashaelhur to a 5-2 record. Kugath and Zara didn't even show up for one game! Wow! The silver lining? They had the highest win rate at 62%.

Astra Militarum: Speaking of falling off a cliff... AM came in dead last of the popularity contest with only 10 games. They finished 8th with a 40% win rate. 5 games played for Worr, 3 for Straken, 2 for TC Hammer...Maksim didn't make a single appearance. Not sure what to attribute this bad showing to. Moving on...Oh wait, we haven't fallen all the way off the cliff just yet...let's get to Nids...

Nids: The big bad bugs have never done too well, on the whole, in BCLs. This season was no exception, sadly. 17 games was good for 6th in the popularity contest but their win-rate was dead last: 12%. That's a full 28% worse than next to last (AM). For compariosn, there was only a 22% discrepancy between 1st and 8th place. OOE was 1-4, Swarmy was 1-8 and Omega was 0 for 3. OOF!!!

Again, the “Pledge your Loyalty” system seemed to work out well. Overall loyalty rates were the highest ever for BCL: a whopping 81% of pledged players remained loyal. Of the 16 Top Cut players, 14 of them stuck with their pledge all season. Here’s what loyalty rates looked like at the start, the end and in the Top Cut:

STARTING

ENDING

TOP CUT OF 32

Captain Cato Sicarius
3
Captain Cato Sicarius
2
Captain Cato Sicarius
1
Ragnar Blackmane
3
Ragnar Blackmane
2
Ragnar Blackmane
1
Chaplain Mavros
2
Chaplain Mavros
2
Chaplain Mavros

Epistolary Vezuel
3
Epistolary Vezuel
3
Epistolary Vezuel
1
Commander Shadowsun
2
Commander Shadowsun
1
Commander Shadowsun

Aun'shi
4
Aun'shi
4
Aun'shi
2
Eldorath Starbane
2
Eldorath Starbane
2
Eldorath Starbane
1
Baharroth
3
Baharroth
2
Baharroth
2
Talyesin Fharenhal
1
Talyesin Fharenhal
1
Talyesin Fharenhal
1
Packmaster Kith
2
Packmaster Kith
2
Packmaster Kith
2
Urien Rakarth
3
Urien Rakarth
2
Urien Rakarth
1
Archon Salaine Morn
1
Archon Salaine Morn
1
Archon Salaine Morn

Ba'ar Zul the Hate-Bound
1
Ba'ar Zul the Hate-Bound
1
Ba'ar Zul the Hate-Bound

Vha' Shaelhur
1
Vha' Shaelhur
1
Vha' Shaelhur
1
Nazdreg
3
Nazdreg
3
Nazdreg
1
Old Zogwort
1
Old Zogwort
1
Old Zogwort

Gorzod
3
Gorzod
2
Gorzod

Colonel Straken
1
Colonel Straken
1
Colonel Straken

Torquemada Coteaz
1
Torquemada Coteaz

Torquemada Coteaz

Broderick Worr
2
Broderick Worr

Broderick Worr

Old One Eye
1
Old One Eye
1
Old One Eye

The Swarmlord
2
The Swarmlord
2
The Swarmlord

Subject Omega X-62113
1
Subject Omega X-62113
1
Subject Omega X-62113

Anrakyr the Traveller
2
Anrakyr the Traveller
2
Anrakyr the Traveller

Total Pledges
48
Total Pledges
39
Total Pledges
14

In the MVP dept. – Squiggoth Brute tallied the most votes at 8, Clearcut Refuge and Sniper Drone Team tied for 2nd with 7 votes a piece. That nasty 'ol Klaivex Warleader was still near the top with 6. After that it falls off to a bunch of 3-ofs and 2-ofs


That’s about as much detail as I’ll get into since you can check out all the stats for yourself HERE.

I've also updated the Daemon Princes and Chosen page to reflect this season's Top 16 and best Player for each Warlord HERE.

As always the comments section was full of some venting and chuckle-inducing-comments. I’ve listed them below for your enjoyment.

Also below you will find a breakdown of the Top Cut of 16. Interesting info there.

So, in closing – THANK YOU to all who participated. An extra THANK YOU if you donated money to support The Black Crusade League. Lastly, an EXTRA BIG THANK YOU to Steinerp and Dnapolitano. Your help was immeasurable.

Lastly, I want to say goodbye to you all. I've saved the biggest, bloodiest, Khorne-pleasing THANK YOU OF ALL to the community that has helped build this game, and this league, throughout it's life (and beyond, after it's death). Your commitment to taking this ride with me cannot be expressed in words. These last 2 and half years playing Conquest and being part of this great community will always have a special place in my Plasteel-encased heart. 

FEAR NOT, THOUGH! Steinerp will take over the reigns of the Black Crusade League and hopefully carry this torch out into the deepest, darkest corners of the Traxis Sector (where, somewhere, there's a Hive Fleet waiting to invade  - and provide much needed support to the Tyranids). I have enjoyed this more than I can say but, for a myriad of reasons I won't go into, the time has come for me to step away from my role as a "community leader". I'll still be lurking about as a casual player, however. As I said, Steinerp will run things: He runs the AGoT tourney and has been helping me with the BCL for multiple seasons now. I know he'll be a great Warmaster. Nothing should really change that much on your end. The BCL Expansion project will continue on, without me, as well. So be on the lookout for new cards sometime this summer! 

Steinerp hopes to see all of you (and more of your friends) next season! The game may be canceled, and I may not be around as Warmaster, but it’s NOT dead. So come back for next season! Oh yeah, your prizes will go into the mail the day after tomorrow!

TOP CUT OF 16 BREAKDOWN:
winning warlord
losing warlord
Winning Ally
Losing Ally
Win Condition
Round
Urien Rakarath
Aunshi
Eldar
Space Marines
Planets
4
Nazdreg
Baharroth
Astra Militarum
Tau
Planets
6
Talyesin Fharenal
Nazdreg
Dark Eldar
Astra Militarum
Planets

Baharroth
Vhashaelhur
Dark Eldar
Dark Eldar
Planets
3
Aunshi
Eldorath Starbane
Space Marines
None
Assassination
4
Eldorath Starbane
Ragnar Blackmane
Eldar
Space Marines
Planets
4
Epistolary Vezuel
Packmaster Kith
Tau
Eldar
Planets
7
Packmaster Kith
Captain Cato Sicarius
Chaos
Tau
Assassination
4
Urien Rakarath
Eldorath Starbane
Eldar
None
Planets
6
Epistolary Vezuel
Packmaster Kith
Tau
Chaos
Planets
3
Nazdreg
Talyesin Fharenal
Astra Militarum
Dark Eldar
Concession (in game)
4
Baharroth
Aunshi
Tau
Space Marines
Planets
5
Nazdreg
Urien Rakarath
Astra Militarum
Eldar
Concession (in game)
4
Epistolary Vezuel
Baharroth
Tau
Tau
Planets
4
Epistolary Vezuel
Nazdreg
Tau
Astra Militarum
Planets
5

COMMENTS:
*
vezuel loses a lot of command
*
The planet bully is back!
*
her lack of a shield made all the difference on the winning planet
*
Fury of Sicarius and Crushing Blow are rough against Chaos Elites...
*
Ranged is rough on Orks.
*
Your mom smells
*
Blacklanner is always a pleasure to play
*
Straken takes 10 damage, 0 from combat/events. What just happened?
*
Great draw for aunshi to bully sealed the deal. No removal in Gorzod means he couldnt stop the snowball
*
Gorzod is too OP now with the new BCL cards. Why sammman why!
*
Nice Mirror Showdown
*
He played an anti-elite deck
*
Oh you have Armourbane and Ranged? My Squiggoth thinks that's cute ;)
*
Winning 5 commands with 0 units in play is balanced.
*
3 elites out by round 2. What can Baharroth do against such 'uge Greenskins?
*
Notch one up for Mitch
*
There needs to be Heavy Metal playing when you play Living Metal....ITS THE ONLY WAY!!!-Dom
*
Great game against a very cool opponent!
*
pimp my sniper drone team? Yes sir!
*
Chaos got pretty much no units for the frist three rounds, thenmarines got none for the remaining. Huge swingy game!
*
He had winning planet stacked with furious eldar drone dude w/attachments and wildrider. Early space wolf pred + exterminatus cleared enough for weeny tau + attachments to clear win planet. No orbital city or kauyon strike used.
*
Nobody expects the Squiffy. :(
*
Sam's mom gave me the secret tech
*
Always a great game against Sam!
*
#nazdregisbae
*
Seer's Exodus play was huge!
*
I couldn't bring myself to make Rogue Trader MVP
*
The Boss really payed off in this one, acting as a Telleporta pad when I didn't draw any of my Telly's or Corrupted's.
*
Papakhann had early enforcer that got heavy marker droned and was dead drawing for combat units rest of game. Aunshi gave armorbane out that helped out every combat. City was used twice, and only once for a combat action.
*
4 Battlewagons seems fair, right? (1 was DStE + Fall Back'd)
*
WWHHHAAAUUUGGGHH!!!
*
When Living Metal Goes off I play Air Guitar...then realize no one can see me :(
*
Ragnar's back, baby!
*
Protect the Crypt
*
Squiggoth makes tau cry. losing player mvp for sure
*
We had a hilarious undamaged Enraged Ork vs Spore Mine battle on an unwanted first planet. Mitch is amazing at giving Nids some much needed control options
*
Both warlords blooded on the 3rd round in an epic token shoot-off. BUT ORKS IS DA BESTIST. WAAAAAAAAAAAGH
*
Can't touch this! (Indomitable is the best!)
*
Nothing feel more Necro than raiding a grave....let me just pull that elite I just murdered into my hands
*
the bird is the word
*
Doom is amazing....when drawn at the right time. Two Sword Bretheren to the grave yard....Yes Please!!!!!
*
Finally a win...
*
mobj was a true gentleman, waited for me even though I was late.
*
I hate Space Marines. Chosen moving hypexed mandrake off planet 1 two turns in row. Feels dirty AF
*
good mulligans are OP
*
More like Blackmane's Hunt AVOIDANCE! ....I don't think I'm playing Ragnar right? :P
*
Land Speeder Vengeance was the real MVP but was not an option, sad face :(
*
Amazing game, thanks to Rick
*
2 Orbitals? I'm sorry, I can't hear them over the sound of my incredibly clearly cut refuge
*
Iridial triggered 3 times between both players with 21 combined damage healed ..... and we STILL both got bloodied!
*
Honorable Mention of best card: Nullify !
*
How to stop Eldorath exhausting units? Bloody him first round.
*
Drop pods are annoying
*
one ofs, too strong
*
Sending a warlord in with the intention of getting Bloodied just to win a planet is apparently a good play
*
Honorable Mention: Deathly Webshrine, SaimHan Seer
*
I hate playing against Urien on OCTGN

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