The overview got long, so I'm moving the commentary to another post.  Pretty much, I was running a "five turn" list.  The same basic list ran undefeated in 5th in casual play where it always got to at least five turns.  In 6th, prior to NOVA, I lost three out of twelve games, but in each of those three I was stressing the list to see what would break it.  Classically, by not dancing with a Ghaz/Kan horde list, but instead walking up to it and trying to win by superior firepower.  In each case, it did a lot better than I thought and this helped me out in those short games with the close victory conditions.  Five turns in 150 minutes wasn't a problem locally, but even with the great opponents I played against, there wasn't an automatic trust extended in the same way it is with the guys you play locally against.  At NOVA, it took a bit more explaining on both sides.  Nothing much, but it slowed down the games bit by bit.

Which tells me that if TOs keep to the same objectives/quarters type of scoring that NOVA used, the system is going to break down.

First things first, Mike and his staff did a great job from what I saw.  His people were kind, courteous, dedicated and worked to fix issues in a timely manner.  They didn't always succeed and I'll list some of those issues in another post as well as where they dealt with the unexpected quickly.  The NOVA team should cover most of that in their post event hot wash.

Here, I mainly want to discuss my actual experience playing in the GT.  I went 1-5 with a close fight in the win, four losses by a sliver and once getting slaughtered.  IMO, TOs for tournaments need to make some changes, because like Mike's idea that "well everyone can just play their 5th lists mainly" when he made the switch to 6th, I think there is a lot of wishful thinking going on.  This is an overview, so I'm not going to break down each battle here.  My list is here.

The original list.  I had been considering a small change, pulling two of the Warriors from the big squad and one of the Immortals from each of the other two squads to free up 60 points, but wasn't quite sure of what I wanted to do with them.  The main reasons for this was the "removed from play" misruling and that one Cryptek in the big Warrior squad with no special wargear.  Then I got read to send the list on to NOVA and I realized that I had listed the Spyder's Gloom Prism (15) at the price of a Fabricator Claw (10).  Oops.  2005 point list.

One of the greatly annoying things about the Necron codex is the lack of useful "freestanding" 5 point upgrades.  I mean in most codices if you end up 5 points short, you can just toss a melta bomb on a likely model and be done with it.  Sure, there are 5 point upgrades, but you you have to take them for the entire unit or they are direct weapon replacements for character models.  So, it takes a little juggling to straighten things out.

Well, the debate ended a while ago and I'm still happy with my straight Necron list I did up back in November.  Finishing up some of my converting and base coating the new models.  What am I bringing?

1x Overlord w/ WS, MSS in Command Barge (Gauss) (CB)
1x Overlord w/ WS, MSS, Orb, SPW on foot with Warriors
1x Immortalsx10 (Gauss) w/ Cryptek of Destruction (Solar Pulse) & Lord (WS, MSS, Orb)
1x Immortalsx10 (Tesla) w/ Cryptek of Destruction (Solar Pulse) & Lord (WS, MSS, Orb)
1x NWx20 w/ 2x Crypteks (2xVoltaic staff, 1x Electric field)
1x NWx5 in a Ghost Ark (GA)
1x Scarabsx5
1x Spyders w/ Gloom Prism
2x Annihilation Barge
2x Night Scythes (DT for Immortals, but usually empty.

What I'm starting to think of as a "defensive" flyer list..  I'm more here to do interdiction rather than gain air superiority.

Necrons:
1x Overlord (WS, MSS) in Command Barge
1x Overlord (WS, MSS, Orb) w/ Warriors
1x NW(20) w/ 2x Cryptek (2xVoltaic Staff, 1x Lightning Field)
1x NW(5) in a Ghost Ark
2x NI(10) (1xTesla, 1xGauss) w/ 1x Lord (WS, MSS, Orb) + Cryptec (Eldritch Lance, Solar Pulse)
2x Night Scythe (DT for Immortals)
2x Annihilation Barge
5x Scarabs
1x Spyder w/ Gloom Prism

Space Wolves (IIRC):
2x Rune Priest
4x Grey Hunters(10) (2x Plasmagun, 1xMark of Wulfen) w/ Wolf Guard (Combi plasma)
3x Long Fang(6) (3xML, 2xLC)
1x IG Cmd squad w/ Master of Ordnance
1x Vet squad
2x Leman Russ w/ Battle Cannon (no sponsons)

EDIT: Okay, good idea to try to get stuff down when exhausted before you forget.  BAD IDEA to hit Publish button instead of Save to Drafts Button.  Added a drawing.

This is killing me.  I spent seven months looking forward to taking my now illegal and broken in any case Deep Strike list to NOVA 2012.  I've got a few games under my belt and everything with how I play Black Templar is off a bit.  OTOH, the only change to my Necron list is a losing a few extra Cryptek, Scarabs and a Spyder to fit in a pair of Night Scythes.  This is the same basic list that I've been undefeated with for the last several months in solo play.  I've been beaten twice in team play, but in both cases I crippled both of my opponents singlehandedly while my partner was focusing more on not being tabled.  Looking over the models to be built/finished, painting to be done and other features, plus my limited time to do that and practice with a list, I'm stuck.

A few funsies:
1) Precision Shots & Strikes: allocate them to non-Character heavy/special weapons guys.  Only Characters are allowed to use the "Look Out, Sir" rule vs Precision.  Generic Apothecary in a squad, pop him and end FNP!
2) PW/PF butchery: In the assault vs a squad with a Sgt with PF/PW and no IC, call him out.  Either he accepts and you get a chance to use your higher I to remove the threat or he bails and you still remove the threat.  Oh, and the squad's Ld probably goes down 1 in either case.
3) Tarpitting: What, here comes that super CC unit.  Just slam your IC in and challenge.  That CC unit that could have gone through your unit like a hot knife through butter now has to sit and cheer on their leader while you and he solo each other.  Even if he is a monster, with some lucky dice you can tie up that unit for a couple of assault phases.  Might not be much, but your squad can either move backwards (buying more time) or a counter charge unit can come up.  Even if you do lose, position yourself so that you are ready to torrent the enemy again.

Of course, realize all this can happen to you also, but speaking as a Black Templar player under 6th, I don't have any unit that wants to be in CC as much as possible anymore and the only "character" is in the Terminator Command Squad.  This actually can give us an advantage in CC with Crusader squads with PW/PF or Terminators.  Nobody to call out.

Well, it is going to be 6th Edition at NOVA this year, although given the way MVB wrote the first "discussion" post, it was fairly obvious that there would be no discussion.  So, now we are left with what to do, especially with incompetent GW FAQ writing.

Allies have become a non-issue IMO from both the mass "only in Codex: X" smeared all over the FAQs and the inability to share rides among "brothers in arms".  One question to be answered, if you are allied at brothers, you can attach characters to either ally's squads, but does the presence of an allied IC prevent the squad from getting into a transport or not?

I've worked out some basics, especially my minimum core BT list and most of a variation on my Necron list.  The sad part, I'm more excited about my Necrons than my Black Templars.  Maybe too much investment in wanting to use my Deep Strike list...

There is some nastiness available here.  Necrons can not only swap out to a viable six Night Scythe MSU list with the new flyer rules, but Tesla is nastiness incarnate now that the negative for AP- weapons is gone from the vehicle table.  The new hull points rule make Gauss even more lethal to them as well, so the foot and hybrid lists can shine. 

Consider this for Night Scythes: 1.  Their passengers don't take damage when they go down.  2.  They can even drop passengers when in Zoom mode.  This could be fun, but at  S40-50US per model, it can get fairly pricey for the pocketbook.
I'm betting that at NOVA, Necrons will be providing the highest amount of flyer spam.

Good, Bad & Ugly.  Some of this I need to double check as I've just skimmed a few bits before I get ready to go out.  We really need our FAQ up quick or I'm going to have to jump ship.

Bikers appear to use their modified T vs ID, which is cool, but not just for us.  In the Appendix of stat lines, our "elite" Sword Brethren are nothing more than plain jane Initiates still and not in line with anyone other SM codex's "veterans" that are their "elite".  EC just dropped to S4 and does not pick up the extra A that should have been there.

Allies definitely cannot share rides, but the idea of using a Straken list to bolster Templars still has some merit.  Not nearly as much though.  Also, the Black Templars are rather oddly the only Marines that are not "allies of convenience" with Sisters.  I'm actually out to lunch on this entire Idea now regarding allies for a Templar force.  Oh, I could still field a foot IG platoon, but really...

As for the Necrons, no clue without a FAQ, but right now, I'm I'm wondering if any of the elites will get enough love to be viable.