RTT Tournament Round-Up: Game Two with Houndpack Lance
Game two saw me facing down Imperial Knights—with the brand new codex in play.
My opponent’s list:
Questoris Champions
Paladin, Lancer, Atropos, Canis Rex, 2x Helverins
Mission/Terrain:
UKTC mission
Terraform, Sweeping Engagement deployment
This was the game where I took my only loss of the event—and it showed just how much inexperience with the new Knights codex can punish you.
Game plan
My opponent is a seriously skilled Knights player. He plays both Chaos and Imperial variants and knew not only his own army inside out but mine as well. Meanwhile, I had only skimmed the new book. A few days before the event, the TO confirmed the updated Knights were live, and I definitely hadn’t done my homework.
That meant I was going in asking basic rules questions, confused about stratagems, and with zero grasp of how Bondsman abilities really worked. My “plan” for the game was basically let’s see what happens—which turned out to be a recipe for disaster.
Early Game
I tried to play safe, deploying to avoid a Turn 1 Lancer charge. But in doing so, I clogged up my own midfield and set myself up poorly.
I grabbed 2/3 mid-board objectives with Terraform, but that left me open. His Big Knights poured on ranged pressure, and I thought if I pushed, I’d eat devastating counter-charges.
By the end of his first turn, I already felt the game slipping away.
Mid Game and wrap up
I went for some desperate high-risk plays: two long charges and one out-of-reserves. Dice almost carried me—but not quite. I left two of his big Knights damaged but alive, which was catastrophic.
On his Turn 2, those Knights turned around, shot, charged, Tank Shocked, and absolutely tore through me. I lost four Wardogs outright and had several more heavily damaged.
From there, it spiraled. My Turn 3 was spent dragging down those same two Knights, which cost me tempo, positioning, and firepower. By Turn 5, I was left with just a couple of Wardogs skirting the fringes, out of the real fight.
Key Mistakes & Lessons
This game came down to planning and tempo—and I had neither.
I played too cautiously early, bleeding Wardogs without getting them into melta range or making impactful counter-charges.
The sticky objectives from the Knight detachment were brutal—forcing me to have Wardogs physically sit on points to deny, instead of threatening elsewhere.
Without aggression, I gave up board control and let my army get ground down.
Looking back, I should have gone all-in aggressive. Yes, I’d have lost models fast—but I would’ve forced trades on my terms and had a real chance to swing tempo. Instead, I half-measured it, and that left me in no-man’s-land.
Game 2 Final Thoughts
This match was a masterclass in what happens when a strong player with a strong list faces someone unprepared. My lack of matchup knowledge and failure to commit left me outplayed at every stage.
It stung—but it was also a huge learning experience.
Onward to Game 3… with confidence a little battered, but lessons learned.
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