Roboute? Is that You?

Hey there faithful / faithless readers!

As Spring encroaches ever more and ski season comes to its annual conclusion, I have been able to get some 40K games back on the schedule!  Throughout the Winter time, I have been dutifully reading White Dwarf magazine (returning to the best again in its updated format), and picking up the new Campaign Supplements as quickly as they get published.

As for the latest of the books, it is awesome to see conclusion of this three book set.  Of course, the writers (again) jump the shark with tales of huge losses and compressed time scales that border on the "not well mapped out".  It is awesome to see the Ultramarines 3rd Company engaged and great photos.  And ultimately, Roboute Guilliman is healed from stasis and returns as a living Primarch to the game system.

Of course, I am going to get Roboute as a model, and soon will have him on the tabletop for battle. If you are a pro-painter, and want a commission, just let me know how much a Roboute commission would be, and maybe I'll get back to you!  As a centerpiece model, he'd be awesome for your portfolio and my travel case! As you know I can paint my own stuff to table top goodness pretty quickly, but sometimes you just need to consider the alternative!

One of the issues that immediately arises is how RG will show up in games.  Since apparently 40K is losing its "constraints" we now see all of these new characters seemingly able to join in other factions as replacement HQs/MCs/WLs.  That will ultimately be crazy.  Example - within hours of the model's release, my favorite characters at the Long War were podcasting list ideas having RG accompany a Spacewolf CAD mostly full of wolves.  Later on, after they might have added some thinking to it, they came up with list ideas having RG in an Ultramarines CAD with Tigurius in a conclave, all to make him into a teleported/shunted/invisible bludgeon that crashes into the opponent on turn 2.

At my local FLGS, I have only seen one player with the model...(so far)....

I worked to get paired with him for club night, in part to get in a game with an old friend, but also to see RG in action!!!

1500 Points - Maelstrom, Contact Lost
Blood Angels vs Ultramarines

I used "an older list" - euphamistically named Fratris Rev2:
(Nothing says I can hurt you like a Baal Strike Force)

Librarian, Warlord, level 2, FS, PP, JP
Sanguinary Priest, PAxe, JP

Sanguinary Guard (5), PFs(2), Angelus Boltguns(3), Encarmine Swords(3), Infernous Pistols(2), Death Masks, JPs

Death Company (6), PAxe, PF, PS, JPs

Assault Squad (5), 2 MG, MB, Drop Pod, SB

Assault Squad (10), Veteran sergeant, PF, Infernous, 2MG, JPs

Tac Squad (5), FL, Baal Razorback w/ Las-Plas

Tac Squad (5), FL, Baal Razorback w/ Las-Plas

Predator, TLAutoC, HB Sponsons

Baal Pred, TLAssCan, HB Sponsons

So yeah, the purpose of this all-comers list is to get in to assault you, with a few small fast units to get objectives. My warlord trait was useless (BA#6) for this game.  Librarian Spells were from the Sanguinary deck - Quickening, Shield, and Wings.

OPFOR - Ultramarines CAD

MC - Roboute Guilliman / Warlord

HQ - Chapter Master w/ PS, orb bom

Elite - Sternguard (5), double melta, PS, Drop Pod
Elite - Sternguard (5), double grav, PS, Drop Pod

Tactical (10), PG, PC, one marine as the SM special marine swap-in.
Tactical (10), PG, PC

Heavy - Whirlwind Scorpius

Heavy - Sicaran w/ HB Sponsons

Heavy - Dev Squad, 2xPC

Terrain was an ice planet with a few ruins.  One objective was placed on a hill near center - the others were all placed around, most in the open or on a hill.  The Blood Angels won the roll to choose sides, and grabbed the side with the most objectives.  The Ultramarines set up first, and went first.  The Ultramarines deployed with RG in the center, the Scorpius opposite the BA lef, and the remainder of the force concentrated on the BA right.

Strategic decision - I decided to hold the jump pack units all in reserves.  The reason being, I figured that until the scorpius was eliminated, nothing was safe from its 1+D3 AP3 small blast templates.  At that point, I should have just decided to come in from the deployment edge rather than Deep Strike, but did not with consequences to come.

Strategic decision - I decided to keep away from RG.  There is no reasonable way to eliminate that model from play. He is slow, the opponent has no way to make him move faster.

Turn 1
The Ultramarines MG / pod squad came in on my far right flank to pop the tac squad's razorback. First blood.  He also damaged/immobilized his Sicaran on a hill, and also damaged/immob'd my predator and damaged the leftmost razorback.  My rightmost squad's razzorback was exploded and the squad pinned. RG stomped his way towards the center. One point for an objective.

In response, I dropped my pod at the Scorpius on an objective.  The MG squad dismounted.  Scorpius exploded. Shuffled other stuff about a bit.  Shot a few rounds here and there.  Scored an objective - score is now 2:1.

Turn 2
The other Grav-Stern Pod squad comes in...deviates off the board and the Mishap result has me place it in the far upper right corner.  RG continues to stompo towards the center.  On the far right, the MG Stern line up to charge my dismounted troops.  Charge goes in, we are stuck in combat.  Both sergeants kill each other. Scores an objective point.

The BA 10-man assault squad arives from reserves.  I drop it opposite of the left-most UM tac squad, hoping to wipe them out or break them.  I cause casualties but they fail to break...still has the PC. Crap. I score nothing.  Score is now 3:1.

Turn 3
UMs reposition, RG holding the center.  Attention is placed on my assault squad (10) and podded assault squad.  In the end of shooting, I've lost 8 assault marines. In the far right, I lose assault with the Sternguard, but we are still holding.  RG uses fleet to pull off an 11-inch charge to reach the assault squad - wipes them out with the Emperoro's blade at I6.  The UMs score about 5 points - Assendancy and others.  On my turn, the Librarian/Sanguinary Priest/Guard deep strike at a great location on the right flank.  I deviate onto the ongoing combat.  Mishap roll of 1.  420 points of army just evaporates. Crap.  The death company comes in to the same exact spot.  Sticks the landing. In the shooting phase I finish off the UM tac squad, and I can see RG is itching to head after the isolated units remaining on that table half.  I score maybe 2 points for objectives. Score is now 9:3 (including STWL for the UMs due to my mishap).

Turn 4
RG lines up to crush my drop pod, other units move forward to try and lock down or engage the death company.  I lose the drop pod in assault, and just one DC marine.  On my turn, I move up to clear the last sternguard from my depluyment zone, and my remaining assault marines head for the far left corner, away from RG.  Other shooting does some damage but not much.  The DC kills the remaining sternguard in assault, and moves to cover awaiting the UM response. Score is like 10:4.

Turn 5
RG moves to the upper left but fails the charge on the 2 hidden assault marines.  The Chapter Master of the UMs drops his Orbital Bombardment template on the DC - it deviates a bit and I lose two.  4 DC remain.  No points scored.  My DC advance to attack the nearest (other) tac squad.  Shooting support and such sees them wiped out in the assault phase.  With that and a few other objectives (assendancy).  The score is now 10:7.

We both get linebreaker as the game ends.  11:8.  Ultramarines win.

Overall, it was a fun, fast paced game. Underall, it sucked to lose nearly a third of my force to a mishap. Had that dice been different, the game could have reached a different conclusion!

It was cool to play in a game vs RG. That said, My opponent could have been much more aggressive with the model!  And yes, I did shoot at RG when there were no other targets, but he made every saving throw. Good win for the Ultramarines!

Overall, I still think this list for Blood Angels is a good one.  I just got to get better at playing it right! That said, when do I start playing UMs again?  Soon....maybe....

MING