Triple Nickles all Heads Up!

Captain Jaxxson, 1st Armored Company Commander of the Triple Nickles Regiment, stood on the front glacis of his heavily damaged Chimera.  Here and there around the abandoned campus, smoke and activity billowed from around other vehicles that comprised the company.  Servitors and tech priests alike were moving to repair damage, weld plates, and reload empty magazines.  Fighting could be heard in the distance, where other Companies of the 555th Cadian were holding the line.    

Sergeant Cullin – tank commander of the Leman Russ Demolisher “Daisy” looked on from his turret position.  His best friend, Sergeant Abbott of the Lehman Russ Demolisher “Dorris” was attaching a recovery chain from Dorris to Daisy.  Dorris was sitting in the shallow river, its engine compartment flooded with water.  Dorris and Daisy had attacked up the river bed into the enemy center, which worked well until Dorris found a deeper hole in the riverbed, and flooded out the engine compartment, leaving just the turret above the water.  

Corporal Smithson, 555th Cadian, 1^st Armored Company, 3^rd Veteran Squad, was lucky.  Half his squad had become casualties when their Chimera had taken a lascannon hit to the flank and exploded.  Everyone that had been in the squad compartment was injured or dead - but Smithson, a meltagunner -   and others who had been forward and fighting from the turret - had survived the initial explosion.  By the end of the day, only three members of the squad remained functional.  Battlefields are very dangerous places...even for grenadiers from Cadia.   

1850 Points - Contact Lost - Astra Militarum vs SPACEWOLVES

OPFOR:

Spacewolf Battle Leader, runic armor, combimelta, PS

Rune Priest

Grey Hunters, 5, melta, Razorback, TLLC (Outflanking)

Grey Hunters, 6, melta, Razorback, TLLC

Grey Hunters, 9, melta, Rhino (Outflanking)

Long Fangs, 5, 2 ML, 2 HB, Drop Pod

Wolf Riders, 3, 1 w/ TH/SS

Wolf Riders, 3, 1 w/ TH/SS

Venerable Dread, Frost Axe/Shield

Venerable Dread, Frost Axe/Shield

Flying Refrigerator

Deployment and Turn 1

Here is a shot of the beginning of the first turn.  I was to deploy first and go first - I knew I'd have two Spacewolf units outflanking me - but I had no idea which flank.  I went strong on the right flank, with a teaser of units on the left.  Regardless, i needed to get to objectives!  My opponent seized the initiative and began flanking right and left, with his Venerable heading up the center.

Just another angle...

Turn 2

Outflanking!  In comes the Razorback with the Rune Priest and the Battle Leader in the Rhino...this photo is a bit misleading...the Spacewolf captain HAD dismounted with his retinue of 9 Grey Hunters...only to eat the firepower of the Punsher and 3 Chimeras...I was leaving the razorback alone - because it contained more guys that unless I forced them out, would have to waste time before they could assault - Here the Captain is down to one wound...the Chimera with 3rd Squad is damaged and immobilized.

Meanwhile in the Center - my Valkyrie worked over the other Razorback and got the Grey Hunters to Dismount, where the Manticore and Artillery Barrage could work them over.  Bad scatters meant safe Wolves...First blood did go to the Spacewolves when their right flank assault popped a Chimera with a Thunderhammer (no photo).  

Turn 3

Just a peak at the core at the beginning of the turn.  Neither of us had been drawing good cards.   

You can never go wrong with good graphiti on a Guard flyer....

Spacewolves continue moving forward.  Dorris is immobilized in the river.  The Spacewolf flyer has not been moved (yet) - but goes into Hover mode and with side shots, takes Dorris totally out of action.  In the backfield - I'd grav-chute inserted the reaction force - veterans with flamers - and ran them to spread out.  It would give the Spacewolves something to react to, certainly!

Meanwhile on the left flank - Squad 3's Chimera exploded, with 4 casualties.  They did not break!  In return fire, I'd killed the Battle Leader for first blood.  The Wolves in the Razorback looked like they did not want to come out and play...

But then they did.  Here in Turn 6, You can see some of the aftermath.  The Punisher is dead - killed by a dread.  So is Squad 2's Chimera...The Rune Priest lost his azorback , and the Battle leader's Rhino is also wrecked.  I'm driving to actually occupy all 6 objectives...and with Obsec, I can...

Somebody got showered with love from the last Bombardment and lasgun fire...

My Valkyrie had zoomed of to the corner Turn 4, and then went into Hover Mode to get back to claim an objective down below - as backup from the 1st Squad Vets who were going Move! Move! Move! below to claim objective #5.   I'm WINNING now, 13 to 10.  

Just a final view before cleanup. We called it at the end of Turn 6, with the Spacewolves just having a flyer, wounded rune priest, a Long Fang Sergeant, a Wolf rider sergeant, and Venerable dread remaining in play.  

I'd lost 4 Chimeras, two Lehman Russ Tanks,  and maybe a 10th of my infantry models.  The Manticore missile racks were empty... 

Aftermath

It was a good game.  My opponent and I talked about how things might have been better for him if he'd been more aggressive at the onset of the game, as some of his units were not used to full potential (such as having the Rune Priest not use 4 rounds of Psychic Phase from being inside the Razorback, not using both squads of Wolves in his flanking attack, and not picking out the Manticore and Master of the Ordnance as priority targets).  

I cannot recall, but this MIGHT be the first game I've won as all-guard!

(my basic army list - now rev3 - is over at Bolter and Chainsword...

MING