Remember the Book (and movie) the Hunt for Red October? It brought into more common the term "pulling a crazy Ivan", to put a definition on something a submarine captain would do to shake up would-be pursuers. It would possibly confuse or drive the opposing boat commander crazy, not knowing anything other than that a Crazy Ivan maneuver would occur at some point, and you never knew when. The not knowing the intent or when it would occur would keep the situation tense and alert.
Well, now that we have 7th Edition 40K out, I can see one chapter of the rule book that certainly has Jervis Johnson's stamp on it. And anytime we see something crazy happen in the 40K rules, I'd propose we call it a Crazy Jervis. So...Reecius at Frontline - if you happen to read this blog...use that term in a podcast as a code that you have been here!
So what does this "crazy Jervis" consist of? It is something that seems to be driving the blogosphere crazy concerning 40K - you know what it is! Its everything stuffed between pages 116 and 122 of the rule book! Every pod cast I listen to seems to be shocked and awed and puzzled over the maneuver. Here is Jervis at his best...I've read his writings elsewhere and I'm personally not too surprised! If you skim through this section you get the impression (as I keep hearing) that this section is a wreck - and tournament organizers (like Reecius) are going crazy trying to figure it out our interpret this section of the book to make some sort of sense of it all.
Lets go back to the sub hunt. You may be overthinking the situation.
In reality - the MOST important sentence is in BOLD on page 116. Players must agree to how they are going to select their armies, and if any restrictions apply to the number and type of models they can use.
If I was a tournament organizer...I'd read that sentence AGAIN.
Reecius. NOVA Guys. Local players at Crossroads! Guess what? You can set the restrictions you want based on any definition you want. Stop overthinking! The rest of the text in the section does set some boundaries...but it also foretell the future! GW is predicting that their future books or supplements can contain force org variations - and they tell you the format that they will be presented in!
So, in this section, the permutations under that bold sentence are endless. If I wanted to play a game and my opponent agreed to NO POINT RESTRICTIONS, but required a HQ, 4 troops, and 4 heavies per side, we can decide to do that! If we decide to play a game with 1500 points, one COD, and no allies or fortifications or formations or other CODs, we can do that! If Reecius wants to hold an event that requires 1850 points, restrictions to certain Superheavy units, no fortifications, and two or fewer sources, he can do it! No guilt, no issues! Its all cool!
So why is this all getting people all crazy? The most important thing to remember is that "agreement" between the players as to the format of the game is implied.
In my local gaming, I was asked about a format for an upcoming league match. I asked for 1500 points, a primary detachment that met the COD requirement, and then was open to allies, formations, whatever, and my opponent agreed! So in that regard, we have a valid game! Of course I might have only a single COD of the Space Marine Faction, and he shows up with a AM COD, Knight, and inquisition allies, but, hey! We set the requirements and then met them they way we wanted to!
Now, in Tournaments, where you have a TO who sets and organizes the event, in GW's format should set the parameters for the event in terms of point restrictions (or not), army list restrictions (or not), allowable source (or not), in advance, so a player can prepare for the event. The rule set implies you can set the parameters any way you want. It implies the attendee agrees to the parameters you set!
So is this all driving you crazy? Yep, GW pulled a Crazy Jervis on everyone with 7th Edition, and then they sailed off in the direction they have been sailing. Instead of getting all nuts over that maneuver, you need to see it for what it is, adjust accordingly, and game on!
Am still looking to get a bunch of league games in this week. All I ask is that if my opponents are going to want to do something we have not agreed to in advance, that they can sit and allow me to either change my army list to adjust reasonably to their parameters, or they change their list to some parameter more reasonable and agreeable to both. Of course, the more hopeful thing would be for the neutral league organizer to set better parameters for us all to follow, but right now we are pretty much allowed to do whatever we want! The rule is there are no rules? Nope, go back to page 116....
All for now, going to be a busy week and I can't wait to see the new Ork codex!!!! Cant wait to see what the next Crazy Jervis will be.
...sonar to comm...we have a contact...wait...its...
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
3rd Company Experiencing 7th - Its a Tough Universe!
Captain Fabian and Chief Librarian Tigurius leaned forward towards each other, the tactical table between them. Their faces were grim as they considered the facts before them. Ever since being assigned to the Halo Stars region of space, all news was grim. Overall, they remained optimistic. Grimly optimistic.
Yep, 7th edition is here and 3rd Company (and their support - the 555th Cadian Regiment), are adapting to the challenge.
3rd Company had been in a mere two game in 7th - way less than I'd hoped, but I'm trying to catch up with as many as 4 games coming in the next two weeks. Maybe more if I'm lucky. Right now, time is at a premium.
My first 7th Edition Game was at 1500 Points, my opponent brought a Knight and such. We beat ourselves to a pulp and at the end the game was a draw. In this game I tried to kill of a Knight, and of course came up short. I thought about the list and renewed on my education against the new "Super heavies" out there. I think we had played one of the "local" missions from Creative Twilight.
10 Days later we went at it again. This time for points in a "State 40K League". We got together on a Saturday morning. It ended up as one of the longest 40K games I'd played in a while, caused by 7 turns and having to look up all sorts of rules changes. But 3rd Company got the win, even though it was a very difficult time of it. My opponent got his first loss in the League. This time we'd rolled up on the Eternal War missions - and randomly got the RELIC mission. I think the final score was 3-1. Neither of us had the relic at the end, as my two remaining troop models were hiding behind some terrain to seal the point for linebreaker, and all of my opponent's infantry models were eliminated.
I spent time this week working on a Stormtalon, some terrain for the home table, and toughing up some paint on some older models. I tried a technique using blue painters tape to help do checkerboard patterns in vehicles, which worked pretty well.
Fathers day was pretty cool - my youngest Son had sent me a Taurox kit AND the Space Marines x-box game! Sweet!
Now for a last tip - because you guys know I also am into craft / microbrew beer sampling - try the APP for your phone called Untappd. Details are at:
https://untappd.com/
It lets you keep track of what you drink, where to get great beers, what your friends have been tasting, and you can earn BADGES just for achieving certain drink tasting beering happy metrics! Get it on your smartphone and give it a try!
Check back soon for hopefully MORE 40K goodness!
Yep, 7th edition is here and 3rd Company (and their support - the 555th Cadian Regiment), are adapting to the challenge.
3rd Company had been in a mere two game in 7th - way less than I'd hoped, but I'm trying to catch up with as many as 4 games coming in the next two weeks. Maybe more if I'm lucky. Right now, time is at a premium.
My first 7th Edition Game was at 1500 Points, my opponent brought a Knight and such. We beat ourselves to a pulp and at the end the game was a draw. In this game I tried to kill of a Knight, and of course came up short. I thought about the list and renewed on my education against the new "Super heavies" out there. I think we had played one of the "local" missions from Creative Twilight.
10 Days later we went at it again. This time for points in a "State 40K League". We got together on a Saturday morning. It ended up as one of the longest 40K games I'd played in a while, caused by 7 turns and having to look up all sorts of rules changes. But 3rd Company got the win, even though it was a very difficult time of it. My opponent got his first loss in the League. This time we'd rolled up on the Eternal War missions - and randomly got the RELIC mission. I think the final score was 3-1. Neither of us had the relic at the end, as my two remaining troop models were hiding behind some terrain to seal the point for linebreaker, and all of my opponent's infantry models were eliminated.
I spent time this week working on a Stormtalon, some terrain for the home table, and toughing up some paint on some older models. I tried a technique using blue painters tape to help do checkerboard patterns in vehicles, which worked pretty well.
Fathers day was pretty cool - my youngest Son had sent me a Taurox kit AND the Space Marines x-box game! Sweet!
Now for a last tip - because you guys know I also am into craft / microbrew beer sampling - try the APP for your phone called Untappd. Details are at:
https://untappd.com/
It lets you keep track of what you drink, where to get great beers, what your friends have been tasting, and you can earn BADGES just for achieving certain drink tasting beering happy metrics! Get it on your smartphone and give it a try!
Check back soon for hopefully MORE 40K goodness!
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Week 4 Campaign Battle - 3rd Company vs Grogswillas Kult of Speed
Warboss Grogswilla was feeling really good. As an Ork warboss he had already exceeded all the other Orks in the tribe in terms of toughness and combat skills, but it seemed that over the past month, to his good fortune, he was almost growing tougher and bigger every day! “Herr herrr herrr” he chuckled. At the moment, his grot attendants were running all over the encampment, bringing messages for all his Nobz to assemble. His Kult of Speed bikers had observed “bloo armored oomans” at the site of the prior encampment. The biker mob had been sent back to recover some important scrap and tek that his favorite Mek, Kevmek da Red, had left behind below the floorboards of his shack. It was likely the oomans’ had recovered the scrap, and Grogswilla was looking for a fight!
Mission:
Continuation of Campaign. Standard deployment, 1500 points. Campaign Mission #4 – escape with the prize. In this special mission, each player starts with a score of 10 points. 3 points are earned for every unit (that qualified as a kill point) exists the opponents table edge. 2 points are earned for every kill point taken from your opponent. 1 point is lost for every kill point you yield to your opponent. 5 points are earned for having your warlord exit the table. Units can only exit the table for bonus points in the movement phase.
Campaign notes:
Players had to maintain their warlord and one troop choice for all 4 weeks of the campaign. Each week, the warlord would get +1 to either WS, BS, T, or I. At the end of week 2 would get +1 W. At the end of week 2, the troop choice would get +1 to either WS, BS, T, or I.
Battlefield terrain:
Volcanic rift valley. Cracks filled with lava are dangerous and difficult terrain. Cinder cones are impassable terrain.
OPFOR: Cult of Speed Grogswilla
Warboss Grogswilla: +3 to Toughness, +1W, +1WS. Mega armor, ammo runt, big shoota, powerclaw
Grogswilla’s Cohort: 5 meganobz, powerclaws, shootas
Grogswilla’s Big Rod: Battlewagon, red paint job, cannon, 4 big shootas
The WannaBeez: 10 Nobz, 9 Big Choppas, 1 powerclaw, Shootas
WB’z Trukk: Big Shootas, red paint job
GoldenNutz: 10 Flash Gitz
GN’s Ride: Looted Wagon, red paint job, big shootas
KevMeks Biker Mob: 10 Bikes, twin linked big shootas, nobz, painboy, powerclaw, big choppas, etc., +1T
3rd Company Ultramarines Plus 1st Company Support:
Librarian Arcadius, TDA, Stormshield, Psychic Scream, +2WS, +2T, +1W
Tactical Squad Ovatius (2nd Squad), 10 marines, CPG, PG, ML , +1T
Rhino
Tactical Squad Theta (4th Squad), 10 marines, CGG, GG, ML
Drop Pod
Command Squad Tacitus, 5 marines, Apothecary, company champion, 3 PGs
Drop Pod
Sternguard Squad Titus, 10 marines, 2 MG, 3 CMG, LC
Drop Pod
Tactical Terminator Squad, 5 marines, 1 CML
Landspeeder Squadron Hexus, 2 landspeeder typhoons, HB/CML
Pre-Battle Assessment:
Everyone knows I hate Orks! And here it was, the last battle of the campaign, and I’d be playing them! And not your normal orks – every ork in the opponent’s list was a nob equivalent. The orks had about 9 “regular kill points” on the table. I could expand out to about 14. The mission was interesting – if we both ignored each other, and just crossed the table, I would win. The only way the orks could win was to kill off about 7 of my units (+/- with the scoring math above). The orks were to deploy and go first, and it was daylight.
After watching the orks deploy along their deployment zone – foot orks were in their three vehicles, and the bikes were on the far left, I decided that I’d sacrifice a combat squad (plasma half of Ovatius) and their rhino to my far left as bait, while the rest of my force that needed to be deployed (landspeeders, ML half of Ovatius) would deploy in cover on my right. The goal would be to drop my pods in the upper right and as each unit arrived exit the table. The Librarian and terminators would arrive from reserves and either drop near the exit edge or if needed rescue / distract my opponent. There were flaws in that thinking, but the nob bikers (now toughness 6 because of the campaign effects) were very mobile and needed to be dealt with. Also in part was the decision by the CO to order that units could only score if departing during a movement phase, which meant that marines arriving in pods could not immediately exit the table the turn they arrived unless they dropped within 6 inches of an edge and walked off after the pod hit the table as part of their disembark. Also a consideration was that the Trukk and Looted Wagon were used by the ork player to bubblewrap the battlewagon, making it difficult for me to get an alpha strike on it with either the sternguard or the command squad. The ork player had already determined that the ork strategy lay only in getting as many kill points as possible.
Turn 1:
The ork bikers and vehicles all advance forward, with the Trukk and looted wagon heading toward my right (Ovatius Beta), bikers towards the left (Ovatius Alpha), and the Battlewagon toward the center. The looted wagon crossed a lava crack and immediately suffered an immobilized result. In shooting, the Rhino became wrecked and Ovatius Alpha dismounted behind it for cover. Ovatius Beta took two casualties from the flash gitz’ special weapons fire and mounted big shootas.
In response, the sternguard pod dropped down in the upper right, about 30 inches from the battlewagon and 8 inches from the table edge. Then the command squad pod dropped down, but deviated towards the table center, to be about 26 inches from the battlewagon, on a lava crack! The command squad dismounted and the lava caused no casualties. The sternguard squad split into a meltagun half (Beta) and the half with the sergeant (alpha). Ovatius Beta moved slightly for better cover, and Ovatius Alpha moved to get LOS on the ork bikers. Hexus moved to get LOS on the Trukk. In shooting, the trukk was destroyed, and one or two Wannabeez were casualties.
Score: Ultras 11, Orks: 11 (remember we both start with 10 points)
Turn 2:
The orks warboss decides this turn requires a Waaaaghh!
Wannabeez (on foot) and GoldenNutz (on foot) move towards Ovatius Beta and Hexus while the bikers move towards Ovatius Alpha. Grogswilla’s battlewagon moves towards the drop pods, the orks dismount, and move forward to prepare to charge on the space marines. In shooting, the biker mob finishes off Ovatius Alpha with their twin linked big shootas. The Wannabeez fail to injure Beta, and the GoldenNutz only take a hull point off Hexus. In assault, the distance is too great for Grogswilla to assault the command squad, GoldenNutz fails their assault on the Landspeeders, but the Wannabeez make their charge on Beta. Beta (at three marines) puts a wound or two on the Wannabeez, but are then wiped out.
The reserve rolls are not kind to the marines. Only squad Theta arrives from reserves, and their drop pod deviates towards the warboss. I decide that there is a chance worth trying to get wounds on the warboss and his retinue – after all I have about 25 marines in 5 firing groups in that table quadrant. Hexus moves further towards the left to bait the nob bikers and line up shots on the immobilized looted wagon. In shooting, the looted wagon is wrecked. After shooting all of the marines and pods at the ork warboss and retinue, 2 meganobz are eliminated, and that is about all.
Score: Ultras: 11, Orks: 14
Turn 3:
Well, the Waaaaghh! Was not as successful as it could have been!
The Wannabeez now turn their attention to Hexus, located about 17 inches away. The GoldenNutz also shhot at Hexus but fail to cause any damage. The The bikers now begin zooming towards the podded marines far away, but they can see their warboss advancing! Grogswilla splits from his retinue – after all, he is now a whopping T8, WS6, 5 or so wound Monster in mega armor (+/- an invulnerable save). He moves after a combat squad from Theta, and the meganobz move after the other half. In shooting, 2 marines from Theta are downed. In assault, the Wannabeez fail their charge on the landpeeders. The meganobz roll difficult and dangerous charge results, but make it into assault with one combat squad, BUT Grotswilla fails his charge, AND is stopped cold in the lava, taking a wound! In assault, the meganobz wipe out the remnants of the combat squad (Theta Alpha).
The Librarian and terminators arrive from reserves. They decide to drop right behind the T6 ork bikers, thinking they can wreck them. Hexus moves away from the wannabeez, to a position where they can shoot at the GoldenNutz. Theta (beta) and Sternguard (alpha) decide to leave the table, to get away from the warboss and clear the fire lanes for the meltagun sternguard and plasma command squad! In shooting, the Librarian Arcadius casts Psychic scream on the nob bikers, but with three dice rolls a 5! Not enough and a dismal failure! Between the terminators and Landspeeders, just two bikers are eliminated. The sternguard and command squad fire up the meltaguns and plasma, and have enough firepower to take on the three remaining meganobz and eliminates them!
Score: Ultras: 18 Orks: 14
Turn 4:
The sole survivor of the GoldenNutz is picked up by the battlewagon for safety! The bikers continue on their movement towards the remaining Ultramarines and drop pods in the upper right. The Battlewagon heads back in that direction as well, keeping its front arc pointed towards Hexus. The WannaBeez walk off the table! Warboss Grogswilla moves behind a drop pod, deciding it is a good source of scrap! In shooting from the nob bikers, battlewagon, and surviving flashgitz, the combat squad of Sternguard are dispatched. In assault, Grogswilla explodes a drop pod, and calmly walks towards the other two.
Librarian Arcadius and the terminators walk towards the Ork table edge at an angle to just get within 12 inches of the retreating bikers. The command squad move off the table for points. Hexus moves to a position where it can again fire on the nob bikers. In shooting, again, Arcadius calls on the Psychic Scream power and with three dice rolls a 6...failing again to cause any damage to the bikers. In shooting from the Terminator and Hexus, the nob bikers take a few wounds, and lose just one bike. T6 bikers are very hard to damage, especially with a save and a FNP save!
Score: Ultras: 19 Orks: 21
Turn 5:
Grogswilla now turns his attention to the other two drop pods, stomping across a lava bed in their direction. The Nob Biker mob and battlewagon turn their attention to the Librarian and terminators! In shooting, a terminator is dropped, and the bikers charge the Ultramarines! The Orks are challenged by the Terminator Sergeant, and the matchup is with the Painboy. They both fail to harm each other. In the meantime, the Librarian and other terminators fail to significantly damage the other bikers at all and one terminator fails his save to the Powerclaw. While this is going on, the Warboss double charges the two remaining drop pods, wrecking both to scrap!
On the Ultramarine turn the sole sergeant continues his battle with the Painboy. The Librarian and remaining terminators are eliminated by rolling a bunch of 1s and 2s.
Score: Ultras: 16 Orks: 27
Turn 6:
The ork warboss is picked up by the nearby Battlewagon and he zooms off towards the Bikers! Hexus is ignored. In assault, the Painboy and Ultramarine Sergeant continue to fight with the other bikers cheering on!
On the Ultramarines turn, Hexus zooms forward and eventually turbo-boosts towards the table edge. The sergeant and Painboy continue slugging it out.
Score: Ultras 16 Orks 27
Turn 7:
The battlewagon moves forward a bit and the warboss dismounts, he wants to get in on the scrap vs the remaining Ultramarine! He is able to charge in, and he throws the Painboy out of the way! With a sweep of his powerclaw, the last Ultramarine terminator is dispatched.
Landspeeder Squadron Hexus moves off the table.
Final Score: Ultramarines: 18 Orks 29
Assessment:
I lost by going off-plan! There was the opportunity, for all the good they did in the game, for the Librarian and terminators to deep strike in off in a corner somewhere and leave the battlefield before the end of Turn 4 for bonus points. The failure for that to happen cost the Ultramarines 8 points towards victory, and instead yielded 4 points to the orks at a cost of 2 points for a 6 point swing. In addition, the loss of the sternguard combat squad was a waste of points. Taking down the meganobs gained me 2 points, a loss of a point for the orks, but then I gave it right back! Going off the table instead, to leave the meganobz in the backfield, would have had no impact on the game for me. Certainly, the meganobz could have rejoined the warboss, or tried to footslog to my table edge, but they were, in retrospect, too far back to have scored. Instead, the orks gained points for every mistake I made.
Most disappointing was Arcadius. He arrived late, and even then failed to cause meaningful damage to the orks. I also made a few mistakes there as well - it would have been better for Arcadius to challenge the Orks! That way he would have overcome some of the issues of a character fighting in a mob – I would have had a WS7 T6 Librarian with a 3++ fighting a WS5T6 painboy ork or powerclaw nob on a bike (rather than the my terminator sergeant)! Even if the pairing had been vs the Powerclaw ork it would have been better!
Overall, I think I gained only 3 actual KP units vs the orks (2 vehicles and the meganobz), vs losing 10. Remember, I had the larger number of KPs and thus units to score with by moving off the ork table edge (although three were the immobile pods).
Overall, kudos to my opponent. My orky opponents in the past had all been with horde-type lists, and this all nob-equivalent list proved to be a tough matchup! He played a great game and his list was as hard as a rock for this matchup.
Mission:
Continuation of Campaign. Standard deployment, 1500 points. Campaign Mission #4 – escape with the prize. In this special mission, each player starts with a score of 10 points. 3 points are earned for every unit (that qualified as a kill point) exists the opponents table edge. 2 points are earned for every kill point taken from your opponent. 1 point is lost for every kill point you yield to your opponent. 5 points are earned for having your warlord exit the table. Units can only exit the table for bonus points in the movement phase.
Campaign notes:
Players had to maintain their warlord and one troop choice for all 4 weeks of the campaign. Each week, the warlord would get +1 to either WS, BS, T, or I. At the end of week 2 would get +1 W. At the end of week 2, the troop choice would get +1 to either WS, BS, T, or I.
Battlefield terrain:
Volcanic rift valley. Cracks filled with lava are dangerous and difficult terrain. Cinder cones are impassable terrain.
OPFOR: Cult of Speed Grogswilla
Warboss Grogswilla: +3 to Toughness, +1W, +1WS. Mega armor, ammo runt, big shoota, powerclaw
Grogswilla’s Cohort: 5 meganobz, powerclaws, shootas
Grogswilla’s Big Rod: Battlewagon, red paint job, cannon, 4 big shootas
The WannaBeez: 10 Nobz, 9 Big Choppas, 1 powerclaw, Shootas
WB’z Trukk: Big Shootas, red paint job
GoldenNutz: 10 Flash Gitz
GN’s Ride: Looted Wagon, red paint job, big shootas
KevMeks Biker Mob: 10 Bikes, twin linked big shootas, nobz, painboy, powerclaw, big choppas, etc., +1T
3rd Company Ultramarines Plus 1st Company Support:
Librarian Arcadius, TDA, Stormshield, Psychic Scream, +2WS, +2T, +1W
Tactical Squad Ovatius (2nd Squad), 10 marines, CPG, PG, ML , +1T
Rhino
Tactical Squad Theta (4th Squad), 10 marines, CGG, GG, ML
Drop Pod
Command Squad Tacitus, 5 marines, Apothecary, company champion, 3 PGs
Drop Pod
Sternguard Squad Titus, 10 marines, 2 MG, 3 CMG, LC
Drop Pod
Tactical Terminator Squad, 5 marines, 1 CML
Landspeeder Squadron Hexus, 2 landspeeder typhoons, HB/CML
Pre-Battle Assessment:
Everyone knows I hate Orks! And here it was, the last battle of the campaign, and I’d be playing them! And not your normal orks – every ork in the opponent’s list was a nob equivalent. The orks had about 9 “regular kill points” on the table. I could expand out to about 14. The mission was interesting – if we both ignored each other, and just crossed the table, I would win. The only way the orks could win was to kill off about 7 of my units (+/- with the scoring math above). The orks were to deploy and go first, and it was daylight.
After watching the orks deploy along their deployment zone – foot orks were in their three vehicles, and the bikes were on the far left, I decided that I’d sacrifice a combat squad (plasma half of Ovatius) and their rhino to my far left as bait, while the rest of my force that needed to be deployed (landspeeders, ML half of Ovatius) would deploy in cover on my right. The goal would be to drop my pods in the upper right and as each unit arrived exit the table. The Librarian and terminators would arrive from reserves and either drop near the exit edge or if needed rescue / distract my opponent. There were flaws in that thinking, but the nob bikers (now toughness 6 because of the campaign effects) were very mobile and needed to be dealt with. Also in part was the decision by the CO to order that units could only score if departing during a movement phase, which meant that marines arriving in pods could not immediately exit the table the turn they arrived unless they dropped within 6 inches of an edge and walked off after the pod hit the table as part of their disembark. Also a consideration was that the Trukk and Looted Wagon were used by the ork player to bubblewrap the battlewagon, making it difficult for me to get an alpha strike on it with either the sternguard or the command squad. The ork player had already determined that the ork strategy lay only in getting as many kill points as possible.
Turn 1:
The ork bikers and vehicles all advance forward, with the Trukk and looted wagon heading toward my right (Ovatius Beta), bikers towards the left (Ovatius Alpha), and the Battlewagon toward the center. The looted wagon crossed a lava crack and immediately suffered an immobilized result. In shooting, the Rhino became wrecked and Ovatius Alpha dismounted behind it for cover. Ovatius Beta took two casualties from the flash gitz’ special weapons fire and mounted big shootas.
In response, the sternguard pod dropped down in the upper right, about 30 inches from the battlewagon and 8 inches from the table edge. Then the command squad pod dropped down, but deviated towards the table center, to be about 26 inches from the battlewagon, on a lava crack! The command squad dismounted and the lava caused no casualties. The sternguard squad split into a meltagun half (Beta) and the half with the sergeant (alpha). Ovatius Beta moved slightly for better cover, and Ovatius Alpha moved to get LOS on the ork bikers. Hexus moved to get LOS on the Trukk. In shooting, the trukk was destroyed, and one or two Wannabeez were casualties.
Score: Ultras 11, Orks: 11 (remember we both start with 10 points)
Turn 2:
The orks warboss decides this turn requires a Waaaaghh!
Wannabeez (on foot) and GoldenNutz (on foot) move towards Ovatius Beta and Hexus while the bikers move towards Ovatius Alpha. Grogswilla’s battlewagon moves towards the drop pods, the orks dismount, and move forward to prepare to charge on the space marines. In shooting, the biker mob finishes off Ovatius Alpha with their twin linked big shootas. The Wannabeez fail to injure Beta, and the GoldenNutz only take a hull point off Hexus. In assault, the distance is too great for Grogswilla to assault the command squad, GoldenNutz fails their assault on the Landspeeders, but the Wannabeez make their charge on Beta. Beta (at three marines) puts a wound or two on the Wannabeez, but are then wiped out.
The reserve rolls are not kind to the marines. Only squad Theta arrives from reserves, and their drop pod deviates towards the warboss. I decide that there is a chance worth trying to get wounds on the warboss and his retinue – after all I have about 25 marines in 5 firing groups in that table quadrant. Hexus moves further towards the left to bait the nob bikers and line up shots on the immobilized looted wagon. In shooting, the looted wagon is wrecked. After shooting all of the marines and pods at the ork warboss and retinue, 2 meganobz are eliminated, and that is about all.
Score: Ultras: 11, Orks: 14
Turn 3:
Well, the Waaaaghh! Was not as successful as it could have been!
The Wannabeez now turn their attention to Hexus, located about 17 inches away. The GoldenNutz also shhot at Hexus but fail to cause any damage. The The bikers now begin zooming towards the podded marines far away, but they can see their warboss advancing! Grogswilla splits from his retinue – after all, he is now a whopping T8, WS6, 5 or so wound Monster in mega armor (+/- an invulnerable save). He moves after a combat squad from Theta, and the meganobz move after the other half. In shooting, 2 marines from Theta are downed. In assault, the Wannabeez fail their charge on the landpeeders. The meganobz roll difficult and dangerous charge results, but make it into assault with one combat squad, BUT Grotswilla fails his charge, AND is stopped cold in the lava, taking a wound! In assault, the meganobz wipe out the remnants of the combat squad (Theta Alpha).
The Librarian and terminators arrive from reserves. They decide to drop right behind the T6 ork bikers, thinking they can wreck them. Hexus moves away from the wannabeez, to a position where they can shoot at the GoldenNutz. Theta (beta) and Sternguard (alpha) decide to leave the table, to get away from the warboss and clear the fire lanes for the meltagun sternguard and plasma command squad! In shooting, the Librarian Arcadius casts Psychic scream on the nob bikers, but with three dice rolls a 5! Not enough and a dismal failure! Between the terminators and Landspeeders, just two bikers are eliminated. The sternguard and command squad fire up the meltaguns and plasma, and have enough firepower to take on the three remaining meganobz and eliminates them!
Score: Ultras: 18 Orks: 14
Turn 4:
The sole survivor of the GoldenNutz is picked up by the battlewagon for safety! The bikers continue on their movement towards the remaining Ultramarines and drop pods in the upper right. The Battlewagon heads back in that direction as well, keeping its front arc pointed towards Hexus. The WannaBeez walk off the table! Warboss Grogswilla moves behind a drop pod, deciding it is a good source of scrap! In shooting from the nob bikers, battlewagon, and surviving flashgitz, the combat squad of Sternguard are dispatched. In assault, Grogswilla explodes a drop pod, and calmly walks towards the other two.
Librarian Arcadius and the terminators walk towards the Ork table edge at an angle to just get within 12 inches of the retreating bikers. The command squad move off the table for points. Hexus moves to a position where it can again fire on the nob bikers. In shooting, again, Arcadius calls on the Psychic Scream power and with three dice rolls a 6...failing again to cause any damage to the bikers. In shooting from the Terminator and Hexus, the nob bikers take a few wounds, and lose just one bike. T6 bikers are very hard to damage, especially with a save and a FNP save!
Score: Ultras: 19 Orks: 21
Turn 5:
Grogswilla now turns his attention to the other two drop pods, stomping across a lava bed in their direction. The Nob Biker mob and battlewagon turn their attention to the Librarian and terminators! In shooting, a terminator is dropped, and the bikers charge the Ultramarines! The Orks are challenged by the Terminator Sergeant, and the matchup is with the Painboy. They both fail to harm each other. In the meantime, the Librarian and other terminators fail to significantly damage the other bikers at all and one terminator fails his save to the Powerclaw. While this is going on, the Warboss double charges the two remaining drop pods, wrecking both to scrap!
On the Ultramarine turn the sole sergeant continues his battle with the Painboy. The Librarian and remaining terminators are eliminated by rolling a bunch of 1s and 2s.
Score: Ultras: 16 Orks: 27
Turn 6:
The ork warboss is picked up by the nearby Battlewagon and he zooms off towards the Bikers! Hexus is ignored. In assault, the Painboy and Ultramarine Sergeant continue to fight with the other bikers cheering on!
On the Ultramarines turn, Hexus zooms forward and eventually turbo-boosts towards the table edge. The sergeant and Painboy continue slugging it out.
Score: Ultras 16 Orks 27
Turn 7:
The battlewagon moves forward a bit and the warboss dismounts, he wants to get in on the scrap vs the remaining Ultramarine! He is able to charge in, and he throws the Painboy out of the way! With a sweep of his powerclaw, the last Ultramarine terminator is dispatched.
Landspeeder Squadron Hexus moves off the table.
Final Score: Ultramarines: 18 Orks 29
Assessment:
I lost by going off-plan! There was the opportunity, for all the good they did in the game, for the Librarian and terminators to deep strike in off in a corner somewhere and leave the battlefield before the end of Turn 4 for bonus points. The failure for that to happen cost the Ultramarines 8 points towards victory, and instead yielded 4 points to the orks at a cost of 2 points for a 6 point swing. In addition, the loss of the sternguard combat squad was a waste of points. Taking down the meganobs gained me 2 points, a loss of a point for the orks, but then I gave it right back! Going off the table instead, to leave the meganobz in the backfield, would have had no impact on the game for me. Certainly, the meganobz could have rejoined the warboss, or tried to footslog to my table edge, but they were, in retrospect, too far back to have scored. Instead, the orks gained points for every mistake I made.
Most disappointing was Arcadius. He arrived late, and even then failed to cause meaningful damage to the orks. I also made a few mistakes there as well - it would have been better for Arcadius to challenge the Orks! That way he would have overcome some of the issues of a character fighting in a mob – I would have had a WS7 T6 Librarian with a 3++ fighting a WS5T6 painboy ork or powerclaw nob on a bike (rather than the my terminator sergeant)! Even if the pairing had been vs the Powerclaw ork it would have been better!
Overall, I think I gained only 3 actual KP units vs the orks (2 vehicles and the meganobz), vs losing 10. Remember, I had the larger number of KPs and thus units to score with by moving off the ork table edge (although three were the immobile pods).
Overall, kudos to my opponent. My orky opponents in the past had all been with horde-type lists, and this all nob-equivalent list proved to be a tough matchup! He played a great game and his list was as hard as a rock for this matchup.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Data Slates and Data Sheets and Formations - Are We Doing It Wrong?
I've been playing games concerning the 40K Universe for nearly two decades. I add to my knowledge and model collection and skills at a pace akin of how the Adeptus Ministorum must make decisions. Slowly, through the warp, and sometimes twisted by Chaos.
I've been listening a lot to podcasts for the past 6 months or more, place like FTN, 11th Company, Turn 8, etc., and especially those guys at Frontline Gaming. I've been reading much of other people's blog posts and infomercials, and as you know, I try to get about a game a week in (although that slows further in ski season).
In February my wife and I decided to split the cost of an i-pad, with her goal of enriching our house with more music, and with my goal of going electronic instead of buying more paper-based codexes and rule sets for my favorite game system.
It was not until this past Friday night that I decided to go to the i-store and make a purchase. I was bored, and tired of waiting for a real, new, Imperial Guard Codex.
I picked up the "Tyrannic War Veterans" 23-page i-book (TWVs), and it was an interesting read. In particular, I gave particular attention to the wording on pages 2 and 3.
I compared that to what I think I had heard on the podcasts and other blog/news/etc posts, to see if it made sense.
Considering I have yet to see GW's own "experts" use data slates and formations in detailed battle reports, it makes me wonder, short of one of the GW staffers coming on my blog to explain what was intended, that maybe the gaming community has mis-interpreted things. So let me explain, before you go on a bender about what I mean (let's face it, I get very few comments on my posts, so even a rant telling me why this thread is wrong could be welcome just to spice it up over here).
So, going by what I thought I'd heard, using the TWVs as an example, was that the TWVs were a totally new unit, that I could just add to my (say, eldar army) as a formation, and play them as an add-on outside the force org chart, or even more, take the "formation" of a TWV unit, Cassius, and a Storm Talon. So, maybe my army might look like, a primary detachment of a Spirit Seer and 2 units of guardians, then a Formation consisting of a single TWV unit, then my dark eldar allied detachment. Hmmmm. Busts the force org chart by adding some random element that I bought off the internet that my opponent may not have access to. [Overall of course, my internet sources are talking about some pretty off-the-hook, over-the-top combinations using formations not involving TWVs. I'm just keeping to what I have]
Now, after reading the preamble for this e-book(let), I'll try to explain what I think the wording (as written?) seems to postulate. Now since this is my (only/first) e-book for 40K, I don't know if their preamble is standard in every one they have published to date, or if the wording is identical.
1. The e-book is termed a data slate. This is neat, they created a term, and since it is read on my "slate", it ties me to the 40K universe.
2. The TWV data slate contains data sheets for the TWVs (a unit), and a separate datasheet for the St. Tylus Battle Force (a formation).
With me still?
The preamble says that each data sheet identifies the codex (and more details) that the sheet becomes an expansion for for all rules purposes.
So, what does this mean at the moment?
TWVs are an addition to the Space Marines Codex as an Elite unit that have Chapter Tactics Ultramarines.
This means, by extension, when I currently use Sternguard for my Ultramarines, I now have the OPTION of now playing TWVs as my elites instead. Within my force org. Not in addition to it. TWVs ARE NOT A FORMATION.
OK....deeper into the rabbit hole we go...
3. "A formation presents a collection of two or more units that fight alongside one another in a particular way..." and this is where some of the wording gets wonky.
In the current force organization in the rulebook and codexes you have a primary detachment and then if you want an allied detachment. The force org can be doubled if the game point size exceeds a certain level.
In the data slate, formations are introduced as a "special form of detachment". And then the wording goes off the grid from there under a heading of "Allied Formations", which says formations do not count as your army's allied detachment (which has its own force org requirements, you may recall). Everything at this point in the wording does not make total sense.
After reading this all, I'm wondering if something was lost in the writing or translation.
If I understand what I've been told on the internet, the example could go like this: I'd take my primary detachment of say, an Ultramarines Captain (HQ and warlord) a librarian (HQ) and 2 scout squad troop choices. Then grab, say, an allied detachment of a Tau commander (HQ) and one Tau troop choice as my allied detachment. Then, on top of that, I could take the Formation titled St. Tylus Battle Force consisting of the Chaplain Cassius (HQ), 8 TWV squads (Elites, the Formation says 1+ with no cap) of up to 10 models each, and 6 Storm Talons (the formation says 0-6). So, I'd have some ridiculous force of 4 HQs, 3 troops, 8 elites, and 6 fast attack choices.
4. Formations as a concept have been around the game system for a long time, probably pre-dating Apocalypse, but certainly the original Apocalypse rules brought the concept into somewhat wider use. One of my favorite Apocalypse "formations" had a landspeeder and 3 whirlwinds. The combination allowed the Whirlwinds to be able to shoot at any unit the landpseeder could see, regardless of range. If I had that old "datasheet" in front of me I'd give you more details. Regardless, it was like a 50 point upgrade. If you took a speeder and 3 whirlwinds, for 50 point more, you gained a special rule. Cool!
So what if we are doing thing a bit out of the way it was intended.
What if the new dataslate "formation" was just as originally intended in earlier variants of the game, in that if you used the minimum number of required units in your detachment, you gained (or could upgrade for points) a special rule, and that the formation was NOT outside the force org chart of a primary detachment or allied detachment?
So in the example above, in a 1999 (or less) point game, my army list would look more like:
Primary Detachment (Ultramarines):
Captain
Chaplain Cassius*** (Warlord)
3 TWV Units (capped at 3 elites)***
2 Scout squads (2 troops are the minimum)
3 Stormtalons (capped at 3 Fast attack)***
(I could not exceeed 2 HQ units, so the Librarian could be cut, and I'd never be able to reach the formation cap of 6 stormtalons unless I was in a double 2000 pt+ force org situation. I'd never be able to have more than 6 elite TWV units as well, since the primary detachment is capped at 3 elites).
Allied Detachment (Tau)
Tau Commander
1 Tau troop choice
In the above, the selection of the formation units causes the formation special rules to kick in (aerial superiority and pummelled by fire, which impact only the TWVs and the Stormtalons).
Interesting concept? Does this release some of the angst over adding formations? Are there any formations that cannot fit within the normal force org requirements?
So, in summary:
Some dataslates contain units that clearly are single units that are additions to existing codexes, and for all purposes, have to be used as such fully within the rules.
Some dataslates contain multi-unit formations, which if taken, add into your army special rules that apply as indicated. I'd argue that the formation special rules could apply to either the primary detachment, or to the allied detachment. Interestingly the formation construction limitations lend credence to that concept.
In the case of the St. Tylus Battle Battle Force as an allied detachment, following this logic, it might be capped at something like:
Cassius
1 TWV Unit
1 Stormtalon
PLUS you'd have to add for a legal allied detachment:
+1-2 troop choices (Ultramarines chapter)
0-1 heavy choices.
So anyway, I hope this discussion helps to illustrate my point. Overall, I'd have to say that since White Dwarf stopped being what it was with battle reports, I'm not familiar with a "official" battle report that showed GW itself going on a bender with the formations to show how they used them to illustrate what they have done. So I can be very wrong with the whole thing.
Thoughts? Interesting idea?
So in the mean time, I guess I'll have to look at the other dataslates and see what I want to use, if any. It would not surprise me to see (eventually) some form of clarification in the future by the game designers. Until then, I'll keep my eyes open and see how the community is applying these new options at least on the local level. I have only had one gave where an opponent used a formation - they added Cypher and his required retinue/choices, in addition to a single primary chaos marine detachment. It was a fun game.
Lastly, it looks like TOs are considering in some events to cap your access to units in your army list to two sources. My application and assessment of formations in the above manner, if adopted, would still be consistent in a two-source rule.
I've been listening a lot to podcasts for the past 6 months or more, place like FTN, 11th Company, Turn 8, etc., and especially those guys at Frontline Gaming. I've been reading much of other people's blog posts and infomercials, and as you know, I try to get about a game a week in (although that slows further in ski season).
In February my wife and I decided to split the cost of an i-pad, with her goal of enriching our house with more music, and with my goal of going electronic instead of buying more paper-based codexes and rule sets for my favorite game system.
It was not until this past Friday night that I decided to go to the i-store and make a purchase. I was bored, and tired of waiting for a real, new, Imperial Guard Codex.
I picked up the "Tyrannic War Veterans" 23-page i-book (TWVs), and it was an interesting read. In particular, I gave particular attention to the wording on pages 2 and 3.
I compared that to what I think I had heard on the podcasts and other blog/news/etc posts, to see if it made sense.
Considering I have yet to see GW's own "experts" use data slates and formations in detailed battle reports, it makes me wonder, short of one of the GW staffers coming on my blog to explain what was intended, that maybe the gaming community has mis-interpreted things. So let me explain, before you go on a bender about what I mean (let's face it, I get very few comments on my posts, so even a rant telling me why this thread is wrong could be welcome just to spice it up over here).
So, going by what I thought I'd heard, using the TWVs as an example, was that the TWVs were a totally new unit, that I could just add to my (say, eldar army) as a formation, and play them as an add-on outside the force org chart, or even more, take the "formation" of a TWV unit, Cassius, and a Storm Talon. So, maybe my army might look like, a primary detachment of a Spirit Seer and 2 units of guardians, then a Formation consisting of a single TWV unit, then my dark eldar allied detachment. Hmmmm. Busts the force org chart by adding some random element that I bought off the internet that my opponent may not have access to. [Overall of course, my internet sources are talking about some pretty off-the-hook, over-the-top combinations using formations not involving TWVs. I'm just keeping to what I have]
Now, after reading the preamble for this e-book(let), I'll try to explain what I think the wording (as written?) seems to postulate. Now since this is my (only/first) e-book for 40K, I don't know if their preamble is standard in every one they have published to date, or if the wording is identical.
1. The e-book is termed a data slate. This is neat, they created a term, and since it is read on my "slate", it ties me to the 40K universe.
2. The TWV data slate contains data sheets for the TWVs (a unit), and a separate datasheet for the St. Tylus Battle Force (a formation).
With me still?
The preamble says that each data sheet identifies the codex (and more details) that the sheet becomes an expansion for for all rules purposes.
So, what does this mean at the moment?
TWVs are an addition to the Space Marines Codex as an Elite unit that have Chapter Tactics Ultramarines.
This means, by extension, when I currently use Sternguard for my Ultramarines, I now have the OPTION of now playing TWVs as my elites instead. Within my force org. Not in addition to it. TWVs ARE NOT A FORMATION.
OK....deeper into the rabbit hole we go...
3. "A formation presents a collection of two or more units that fight alongside one another in a particular way..." and this is where some of the wording gets wonky.
In the current force organization in the rulebook and codexes you have a primary detachment and then if you want an allied detachment. The force org can be doubled if the game point size exceeds a certain level.
In the data slate, formations are introduced as a "special form of detachment". And then the wording goes off the grid from there under a heading of "Allied Formations", which says formations do not count as your army's allied detachment (which has its own force org requirements, you may recall). Everything at this point in the wording does not make total sense.
After reading this all, I'm wondering if something was lost in the writing or translation.
If I understand what I've been told on the internet, the example could go like this: I'd take my primary detachment of say, an Ultramarines Captain (HQ and warlord) a librarian (HQ) and 2 scout squad troop choices. Then grab, say, an allied detachment of a Tau commander (HQ) and one Tau troop choice as my allied detachment. Then, on top of that, I could take the Formation titled St. Tylus Battle Force consisting of the Chaplain Cassius (HQ), 8 TWV squads (Elites, the Formation says 1+ with no cap) of up to 10 models each, and 6 Storm Talons (the formation says 0-6). So, I'd have some ridiculous force of 4 HQs, 3 troops, 8 elites, and 6 fast attack choices.
4. Formations as a concept have been around the game system for a long time, probably pre-dating Apocalypse, but certainly the original Apocalypse rules brought the concept into somewhat wider use. One of my favorite Apocalypse "formations" had a landspeeder and 3 whirlwinds. The combination allowed the Whirlwinds to be able to shoot at any unit the landpseeder could see, regardless of range. If I had that old "datasheet" in front of me I'd give you more details. Regardless, it was like a 50 point upgrade. If you took a speeder and 3 whirlwinds, for 50 point more, you gained a special rule. Cool!
So what if we are doing thing a bit out of the way it was intended.
What if the new dataslate "formation" was just as originally intended in earlier variants of the game, in that if you used the minimum number of required units in your detachment, you gained (or could upgrade for points) a special rule, and that the formation was NOT outside the force org chart of a primary detachment or allied detachment?
So in the example above, in a 1999 (or less) point game, my army list would look more like:
Primary Detachment (Ultramarines):
Captain
Chaplain Cassius*** (Warlord)
3 TWV Units (capped at 3 elites)***
2 Scout squads (2 troops are the minimum)
3 Stormtalons (capped at 3 Fast attack)***
(I could not exceeed 2 HQ units, so the Librarian could be cut, and I'd never be able to reach the formation cap of 6 stormtalons unless I was in a double 2000 pt+ force org situation. I'd never be able to have more than 6 elite TWV units as well, since the primary detachment is capped at 3 elites).
Allied Detachment (Tau)
Tau Commander
1 Tau troop choice
In the above, the selection of the formation units causes the formation special rules to kick in (aerial superiority and pummelled by fire, which impact only the TWVs and the Stormtalons).
Interesting concept? Does this release some of the angst over adding formations? Are there any formations that cannot fit within the normal force org requirements?
So, in summary:
Some dataslates contain units that clearly are single units that are additions to existing codexes, and for all purposes, have to be used as such fully within the rules.
Some dataslates contain multi-unit formations, which if taken, add into your army special rules that apply as indicated. I'd argue that the formation special rules could apply to either the primary detachment, or to the allied detachment. Interestingly the formation construction limitations lend credence to that concept.
In the case of the St. Tylus Battle Battle Force as an allied detachment, following this logic, it might be capped at something like:
Cassius
1 TWV Unit
1 Stormtalon
PLUS you'd have to add for a legal allied detachment:
+1-2 troop choices (Ultramarines chapter)
0-1 heavy choices.
So anyway, I hope this discussion helps to illustrate my point. Overall, I'd have to say that since White Dwarf stopped being what it was with battle reports, I'm not familiar with a "official" battle report that showed GW itself going on a bender with the formations to show how they used them to illustrate what they have done. So I can be very wrong with the whole thing.
Thoughts? Interesting idea?
So in the mean time, I guess I'll have to look at the other dataslates and see what I want to use, if any. It would not surprise me to see (eventually) some form of clarification in the future by the game designers. Until then, I'll keep my eyes open and see how the community is applying these new options at least on the local level. I have only had one gave where an opponent used a formation - they added Cypher and his required retinue/choices, in addition to a single primary chaos marine detachment. It was a fun game.
Lastly, it looks like TOs are considering in some events to cap your access to units in your army list to two sources. My application and assessment of formations in the above manner, if adopted, would still be consistent in a two-source rule.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
It took a while to get to it and then it happened
For about the last maybe 8 weeks I'd been waiting to get to a game to play vs a local Eldar player. But every time I planned to get into the FLGS we either had a Wednesday night snow storm, or I had a meeting elsewhere, or he was not there, etc. Of course after 8 weeks you'd think I'd have been able to get some research on the Eldar accomplished and know what the heck I was doing. I did know one thing, the Edar OPFOR was very tough and very successful. Maybe I was avoiding it. I don't know. So I played a list that I had developed that might be good versus this particular list type.
Anyway...here it goes:
1750 Points, Vanguard Strike, Emperor's Will (2 objectives, one in each deployment zone), mysterious objectives.
OPFOR
Jetseer
Spiritseer
Wraithknight with extra upgrades
Wraithknight
5 Wraithguard - Shooty ones, Wave Serpent Transport
5 Wraithblades - Choppy ones
5 Wraithblades - Choppy ones
Flyer (Eldar fighter jet)
Fire Prism
3rd Company Ultramarines
Tigurius (divination - prescience, forewarning,misfortune)
10 Sternguard, 2 meltaguns, 4 combimeltas, Drop Pod, DWL (Squad Tacitus)
10 Tacs, gravgun, gravpistol, ML, Drop Pod w/ stormbolter (2nd Squad Ovatius)
10 Tac, plasmagun, combiplas, ML, Drop Pod w/ stormbolter (4th Squad Theta)
5 Devs, 4 MLs, Flakk Missiles (9th Squad Signatus)
Contemptor Mortis, Kheres assault cannon arms, CML (Dreadnought Maximus)
Landspeeder Typhoon Squadron, 2, HB/CMLs (7th Squad Hexus)
Predator, AC/LC
StormTalon, TLAC, SHMs
Back Story
Chief Librarian Tigurius and Sergeant Ovatius stood on the ridgeline and surveyed the valley below. Night vision gear showed no major heat sources in the area. Formerly an Ork settlement, the Ultramarines were on a mission to collect some tech items the Orks had apparently looted. The Orks were all gone from the site, most were nothing but dust, ash, or spores wafting on the air in the next valley. With squads in reserve in case the force encountered opposition, Tigurius signaled the advance into the valley. The search for the tech would begin at dawn. The plan was simple. Squad Ovatius would enter the settlement and begin the search with overwatch from Squad Signatus and Dreadnought Maximus. Squads Tacitus and Theta would be held in reserve on the Ultramarines Battlebarge, to deploy if needed by drop pod.
As dawn approached, scans from Maximus and Signatus detected several large Eldar power signatures. The Settlement was not empty at all, and the Ultramarines risked losing the tech to the advancing Xenos. Tigurius signaled to the battlebarge to drop the reserves immediately!
Deployment
The Eldar deployed for battle - with the two Wraithknights and the Wraithblades deployed in the center, behind a large LOS blocking building. The Fire Prism deployed to the far UM right, and the remainder of the Eldar deployed in clusters around the Wraith Knights.
The Ultramarines deployed as a refused Flank, with squad Ovatius combat squading so the ML team held an objective in a patch of woods on the UM left, and Tigurius and devastators occupying a grassy knoll towards the center. Maximus and the Predator deployed near Tigurius, at a location that would be not in direct LOS of the Wraithknights.
Turn 1
Before the Eldar could utter a word of command, the Ultramarines struck, seizing the initiative. The two drop pods slammed down in perfect precision immediately behind the Wraith Knights and the two full squads dismounted, weapons ready to take down the Eldar constructs. The remaining UM units re-positioned slightly to try to reach the Eldar units barely visible in the dark. Firing from the combat squaded Sternguard was to try and be efficient in taking out the Wraithknights; in reality, although the leading, more advanced Wraithknight was exploded, it took the 10 sternguard and grav weapons of the Tac Squad to do it. The Ultramarine objective itself was not mysterious at all - it was nothing of note. Other firing glanced a wound off the surviving Wraithknight.
In response, the Jetseer and Spirit Seer reacted to get the situation back under control. The Spirit Seer directed the units of Wraithblades to take out the Sternguard, with support from the Wave Serpent and Wraithblades. The remaining Wraithknight and the Fire Prism moved forward to get the Ultramarine lines under fire. Shooting was short and viscious, with the Predator being exploded, and after assault, half of the sternguard were gone. The Tech objective held by the Wraithguard is discovered to be an Ork Boobytrap!
Score: UMs 5 (FB and LB); Eldar 3
Turn 2
The Ultramarines attempted to press the advantage in the Eldar backfield; all of the remaining reserved units arrived (pod, stormtalon, and landspeeders) to aid to the firepower. Squad Theta worked to shoot at the Wraithknight, causing more damage but not eliminating it. The Wave Serpent is destroyed, leaving the Wraithguard without their favorite transport. In the assault phase, the last of the Sternguard become casualties.
The Eldar flyer arrives from reserves and strikes after the Stormtalon, knocking it from the air while staying out of the range of Maximus. The Wraithknight advances fully into the UM deployment zone, and shoots up Maximus causing the dreadnought to shut down its systems and play no further role in the battle. In assault, the Jetseer, Spirit seer, and wraithguard begin too focus on Squad Theta, but the units become locked in combat, with both sides taking casualties. The Wraithguard try to take out a drop pod, but fails. At the end of the Eldar phase, the Orky objective EXPLODES and then resets itself.
Score: UMs 5 (FB and LB); Eldar 3
Score: UMs 5 (WL, FB); Eldar 3
Turn 5
Sergeant Ovatius advanced into the Eldar deployment zone. Tigurius ordered the devastators to whittle away at the Wraithguard who were now close enough for Misfortune. Several Wraithguard were dispatched by missile fire.
The Eldar Spirit Seer knew that the battle was essentially complete at this point. He issued the commands for the survivors to withdraw. Several Wraithblades attacked some of the drop pods to wreck two of the three.
Final Score: UMs 6 (WL, FB and LB); Eldar 3
Postgame thoughts
The UM list worked really really well, but it had a few weak points. Overall, it showed how a Marine drop pod list could be deadly vs high value targets. It was also the first time I'd taken grav weapons in a game. Overall, as this was the first time I'd played vs Eldar in a while, it was cool to face down this kind of list. I was somewhat impressed with the choppy Wraithblades. Overall, the game could easily have turned to a draw IF the Eldar had focused on the small combat squad I was defending my objective with, and I could easily have lost the game if other choices had been made. I've seen some recent ideas over at Imperial Guides and other blogs that suggest trying similar list with a command squad instead of a full Sternguard squad. That has a certain appeal to get an Apothecary out there and create a unit that might be more resilient and maybe cheaper!
All for now, I'm hoping to get some more blog posts in on a more regular basis!
Anyway...here it goes:
1750 Points, Vanguard Strike, Emperor's Will (2 objectives, one in each deployment zone), mysterious objectives.
OPFOR
Jetseer
Spiritseer
Wraithknight with extra upgrades
Wraithknight
5 Wraithguard - Shooty ones, Wave Serpent Transport
5 Wraithblades - Choppy ones
5 Wraithblades - Choppy ones
Flyer (Eldar fighter jet)
Fire Prism
3rd Company Ultramarines
Tigurius (divination - prescience, forewarning,misfortune)
10 Sternguard, 2 meltaguns, 4 combimeltas, Drop Pod, DWL (Squad Tacitus)
10 Tacs, gravgun, gravpistol, ML, Drop Pod w/ stormbolter (2nd Squad Ovatius)
10 Tac, plasmagun, combiplas, ML, Drop Pod w/ stormbolter (4th Squad Theta)
5 Devs, 4 MLs, Flakk Missiles (9th Squad Signatus)
Contemptor Mortis, Kheres assault cannon arms, CML (Dreadnought Maximus)
Landspeeder Typhoon Squadron, 2, HB/CMLs (7th Squad Hexus)
Predator, AC/LC
StormTalon, TLAC, SHMs
Back Story
Chief Librarian Tigurius and Sergeant Ovatius stood on the ridgeline and surveyed the valley below. Night vision gear showed no major heat sources in the area. Formerly an Ork settlement, the Ultramarines were on a mission to collect some tech items the Orks had apparently looted. The Orks were all gone from the site, most were nothing but dust, ash, or spores wafting on the air in the next valley. With squads in reserve in case the force encountered opposition, Tigurius signaled the advance into the valley. The search for the tech would begin at dawn. The plan was simple. Squad Ovatius would enter the settlement and begin the search with overwatch from Squad Signatus and Dreadnought Maximus. Squads Tacitus and Theta would be held in reserve on the Ultramarines Battlebarge, to deploy if needed by drop pod.
As dawn approached, scans from Maximus and Signatus detected several large Eldar power signatures. The Settlement was not empty at all, and the Ultramarines risked losing the tech to the advancing Xenos. Tigurius signaled to the battlebarge to drop the reserves immediately!
Deployment
The Eldar deployed for battle - with the two Wraithknights and the Wraithblades deployed in the center, behind a large LOS blocking building. The Fire Prism deployed to the far UM right, and the remainder of the Eldar deployed in clusters around the Wraith Knights.
The Ultramarines deployed as a refused Flank, with squad Ovatius combat squading so the ML team held an objective in a patch of woods on the UM left, and Tigurius and devastators occupying a grassy knoll towards the center. Maximus and the Predator deployed near Tigurius, at a location that would be not in direct LOS of the Wraithknights.
Turn 1
Before the Eldar could utter a word of command, the Ultramarines struck, seizing the initiative. The two drop pods slammed down in perfect precision immediately behind the Wraith Knights and the two full squads dismounted, weapons ready to take down the Eldar constructs. The remaining UM units re-positioned slightly to try to reach the Eldar units barely visible in the dark. Firing from the combat squaded Sternguard was to try and be efficient in taking out the Wraithknights; in reality, although the leading, more advanced Wraithknight was exploded, it took the 10 sternguard and grav weapons of the Tac Squad to do it. The Ultramarine objective itself was not mysterious at all - it was nothing of note. Other firing glanced a wound off the surviving Wraithknight.
In response, the Jetseer and Spirit Seer reacted to get the situation back under control. The Spirit Seer directed the units of Wraithblades to take out the Sternguard, with support from the Wave Serpent and Wraithblades. The remaining Wraithknight and the Fire Prism moved forward to get the Ultramarine lines under fire. Shooting was short and viscious, with the Predator being exploded, and after assault, half of the sternguard were gone. The Tech objective held by the Wraithguard is discovered to be an Ork Boobytrap!
Score: UMs 5 (FB and LB); Eldar 3
Turn 2
The Ultramarines attempted to press the advantage in the Eldar backfield; all of the remaining reserved units arrived (pod, stormtalon, and landspeeders) to aid to the firepower. Squad Theta worked to shoot at the Wraithknight, causing more damage but not eliminating it. The Wave Serpent is destroyed, leaving the Wraithguard without their favorite transport. In the assault phase, the last of the Sternguard become casualties.
The Eldar flyer arrives from reserves and strikes after the Stormtalon, knocking it from the air while staying out of the range of Maximus. The Wraithknight advances fully into the UM deployment zone, and shoots up Maximus causing the dreadnought to shut down its systems and play no further role in the battle. In assault, the Jetseer, Spirit seer, and wraithguard begin too focus on Squad Theta, but the units become locked in combat, with both sides taking casualties. The Wraithguard try to take out a drop pod, but fails. At the end of the Eldar phase, the Orky objective EXPLODES and then resets itself.
Score: UMs 5 (FB and LB); Eldar 3
Turn 3
The Ultramarines get down to business and work up a plan. Victory is all about the missions after all. Squad Theta works hard to stay alive in assault, tying up several Eldar units. Tigurius and the Devastators pump missiles into the Wraithknight and kill it off. The landspeeders begin hunting the fire prism, while Sergeant Ovatius and his combat squad look to move towards the Ultramarine objective.
The Eldar began to try to work out a plan of their own. With Squad Theta dispatched, the Jetseer decided to sweep around the UM lines and look to not only kill Tigurius in combat, but with support from the Wraithguard eventually contest the UM objective. In shooting, the fighter vectored after the landpeeders, wrecking one.
Turn 4
Sergeant Ovatius sprung his trap. His squad emerged from cover and moved directly at the Fire Prism. In the mean time, Tigurius directed the devastator squad to shoot down the Eldar fighter. In assault, Sergeant Ovatius and his Marines reached the Fire Prism and they wrecked it with krak grenades. This placed them near the Eldar deployment zone, and now at a location out of reach of the Spirit Seer and Wraithblades.
The Eldar Jetseer swooped wide around a building and right into the grassy area held by the Devastators and Tigurius, as one wraithblade unit moved onto the Eldar objective, the Wraithguard moved towards the UM deployment zone. In assault all went wrong for the Jetseer. Assaulting into terrain, she found that the Librarian Tigurius was at the right rear of the unit, not the left front, and he was too far away to challenge! The Ultramarines Sergeant Signatus declined the challenge, and all of the ML marines and Tigurius moved forward. Tigurius was now close enough for the assault, and with his staff powered up, the Jetseer failed her saves and was dispatched quickly by the force weapon!
Turn 5
Sergeant Ovatius advanced into the Eldar deployment zone. Tigurius ordered the devastators to whittle away at the Wraithguard who were now close enough for Misfortune. Several Wraithguard were dispatched by missile fire.
The Eldar Spirit Seer knew that the battle was essentially complete at this point. He issued the commands for the survivors to withdraw. Several Wraithblades attacked some of the drop pods to wreck two of the three.
Final Score: UMs 6 (WL, FB and LB); Eldar 3
Postgame thoughts
The UM list worked really really well, but it had a few weak points. Overall, it showed how a Marine drop pod list could be deadly vs high value targets. It was also the first time I'd taken grav weapons in a game. Overall, as this was the first time I'd played vs Eldar in a while, it was cool to face down this kind of list. I was somewhat impressed with the choppy Wraithblades. Overall, the game could easily have turned to a draw IF the Eldar had focused on the small combat squad I was defending my objective with, and I could easily have lost the game if other choices had been made. I've seen some recent ideas over at Imperial Guides and other blogs that suggest trying similar list with a command squad instead of a full Sternguard squad. That has a certain appeal to get an Apothecary out there and create a unit that might be more resilient and maybe cheaper!
All for now, I'm hoping to get some more blog posts in on a more regular basis!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Ultramarines with More Cowbell
Librarian Tigurius looked at the data slate handed to him by a command servitor. Ultramarines 3rd Company and the 555th Regiment "Triple Nickles" had arrived in the Lagan System on the Eastern Fringe to confront a Tau "expansion" and liberate the system back to the realm of mankind.
The Battle had been very brief. Tigurius had been watching 3rd Company spearhead run towards the primary settlement on Lagan Prime, and his all-seeing visions had identified where the Tau commander would be attempting to blunt the Ultramarine assault. Rather than watching things unfold, Tigurius had determined to join 3rd Company and had arranged a rapid assault of the tau lines.
The battle would play out in Artman's Forest in the middle of the day. As the Ultramarines drew near the Tau force, 3rd Company's 2nd and 3rd Squads advanced in their Rhinos seemingly oblivious to the Tau threat. Their route and flanks, however, were coved by supporting elements of 9th Squad's devastators, 7th Squads Landspeeders, a Stalker AA tank, and Venerable Dreadnought Severus. An Ultramarines Stormtalon, 3rd Company 1st Squad, and Tigurius' bodyguards - 1st Company 4th Squad, were in reserves, ready to deploy deep into the Tau lines.
Tigurius had joined Sergeant Signatus of 9th Squad in a ruined building where the Devastators could cover the advance of the tactical squads. Tigurius had placed a psychic shield over the squad to protect them from enemy observation and enemy fire. Tigurius could sense as well as see that the Tau were taking the bait - Tau Fire Warrior teams left their positions and moved forward to get the Ultramarine units in range.
The Tau as expected, started the firefight. A Broadside and a Tau Tank fired railguns at the advancing Rhinos, but with the woods providing cover, there was no damage to the advancing tanks. A Tau Stealth Suit squad and drones disclosed itself on the Marines front.
The 3rd Company vehicles moved forward cautiously at first and then with a burst of speed, the 2nd Squad's Rhino burst forward through the woods, as the Sternguard's Drop Pod slammed down into the middle of the Tau battle line. 3rd Squad's Rhino, however, suffered a malfunction, the Techmarine working furiously at the controls trying to get the veicle mobile again. The landspeeders moved to the marine right flank to deal with the Stealth Suits. The Sternguard quickly charged out of their drop pod split into two combat squads, eliminating the Broadside fire support unit as planned.
Other fire from 9th squad began to pour into Tau infantry on foot to the fron of 2nd Squad. As the Tau continued to advance, the Railgun fired another round, this time exploding 2nd Company's Rhino.
Simultaneously, the Tau commander and his bodyguards, as if from the Codex, themselves struck deep into the Ultramarines line. Tau reinforcements - kroot mercenaries and buzzing groups of drones appeared to bolster the Tau lines.
In short order, the Tau eliminated the Hunter AA Tank, and half of 2nd Squad was injured causing them to withdraw back into the woods. Half of the Sternguard were also down.
At this time, when the Tau thought their assault was going well, 1st Squad's drop pod arrived adjacent to the beleagured Sternguard. Sergean Ovatius recovered 2nd Squad and they moved swiftly with 3rd Squad and Dreadnought Severus to respond to the Tau Commander's appearance in the Ultramarines line. This coupled with the arrival of a fast moving, straffing Stormtalon, the Tau lines began to waver and then broke completely.
As quickly as it had started it was over. The Ultramarines furious ambush caused the Tau to flee back towards the city to regroup.
Tigurius was troubled however. He felt another presence on this planet he had not encountered in years...He could sense...Necrons...and they were...stirring....
He'd have to get the word out to the Commander of the 555th Regiment swiftly. Although that 555th was very experienced, they'd had no dealings before with the Necron race.
There was time to prepare them...
[This game had me changing up the list to replace a Razorback with a Drop pod and some additional things, I'll have to go back and create a formal list and verify the points. In this game both of us were using around 1750 +/- 50 Points]
The Battle had been very brief. Tigurius had been watching 3rd Company spearhead run towards the primary settlement on Lagan Prime, and his all-seeing visions had identified where the Tau commander would be attempting to blunt the Ultramarine assault. Rather than watching things unfold, Tigurius had determined to join 3rd Company and had arranged a rapid assault of the tau lines.
The battle would play out in Artman's Forest in the middle of the day. As the Ultramarines drew near the Tau force, 3rd Company's 2nd and 3rd Squads advanced in their Rhinos seemingly oblivious to the Tau threat. Their route and flanks, however, were coved by supporting elements of 9th Squad's devastators, 7th Squads Landspeeders, a Stalker AA tank, and Venerable Dreadnought Severus. An Ultramarines Stormtalon, 3rd Company 1st Squad, and Tigurius' bodyguards - 1st Company 4th Squad, were in reserves, ready to deploy deep into the Tau lines.
Tigurius had joined Sergeant Signatus of 9th Squad in a ruined building where the Devastators could cover the advance of the tactical squads. Tigurius had placed a psychic shield over the squad to protect them from enemy observation and enemy fire. Tigurius could sense as well as see that the Tau were taking the bait - Tau Fire Warrior teams left their positions and moved forward to get the Ultramarine units in range.
The Tau as expected, started the firefight. A Broadside and a Tau Tank fired railguns at the advancing Rhinos, but with the woods providing cover, there was no damage to the advancing tanks. A Tau Stealth Suit squad and drones disclosed itself on the Marines front.
The 3rd Company vehicles moved forward cautiously at first and then with a burst of speed, the 2nd Squad's Rhino burst forward through the woods, as the Sternguard's Drop Pod slammed down into the middle of the Tau battle line. 3rd Squad's Rhino, however, suffered a malfunction, the Techmarine working furiously at the controls trying to get the veicle mobile again. The landspeeders moved to the marine right flank to deal with the Stealth Suits. The Sternguard quickly charged out of their drop pod split into two combat squads, eliminating the Broadside fire support unit as planned.
Other fire from 9th squad began to pour into Tau infantry on foot to the fron of 2nd Squad. As the Tau continued to advance, the Railgun fired another round, this time exploding 2nd Company's Rhino.
Simultaneously, the Tau commander and his bodyguards, as if from the Codex, themselves struck deep into the Ultramarines line. Tau reinforcements - kroot mercenaries and buzzing groups of drones appeared to bolster the Tau lines.
In short order, the Tau eliminated the Hunter AA Tank, and half of 2nd Squad was injured causing them to withdraw back into the woods. Half of the Sternguard were also down.
At this time, when the Tau thought their assault was going well, 1st Squad's drop pod arrived adjacent to the beleagured Sternguard. Sergean Ovatius recovered 2nd Squad and they moved swiftly with 3rd Squad and Dreadnought Severus to respond to the Tau Commander's appearance in the Ultramarines line. This coupled with the arrival of a fast moving, straffing Stormtalon, the Tau lines began to waver and then broke completely.
As quickly as it had started it was over. The Ultramarines furious ambush caused the Tau to flee back towards the city to regroup.
Tigurius was troubled however. He felt another presence on this planet he had not encountered in years...He could sense...Necrons...and they were...stirring....
He'd have to get the word out to the Commander of the 555th Regiment swiftly. Although that 555th was very experienced, they'd had no dealings before with the Necron race.
There was time to prepare them...
[This game had me changing up the list to replace a Razorback with a Drop pod and some additional things, I'll have to go back and create a formal list and verify the points. In this game both of us were using around 1750 +/- 50 Points]
Monday, January 27, 2014
Bowling Ball Wrecks the Split
1750 Points, Hammer and Anvil Deployment, Big Guns Never Tire
OPFOR
127th Regiment (Traitor Guard), Company XXX
Company Command Squad - Officer, Officer of the Fleet, 3 Plasma Guns, Chimera
Veteran Squad 127-XXX-1-A - 10 veterans, 3 MGs, Chimera
Veteran Squad 127-XXX-1-B - 10 veterans, Autocannon
Veteran Squad 127-XXX-1-C - 10 Veterans, Autocannon
Veteran squad 127-XXX-1-E - 5 veterans, 3 flamers
Heavy support squad 127-XXX - 6 guardsmen, 3 lascannons
Devil Dog
Lehman Russ Exterminator, Plasma Destructor Cannon, Lascannon, MM Sponsons
Basilisk
Manticore
Vendetta
Aegis Defense Line w/ Quad Gun
Allies - Imperial Fists (E-Book Expansion Version)
Librarian (level 2, w/ Upgrade to 3 force points), Terrify, Dominate
5 Space marines, MG, CMG, Drop Pod
Third Company
Librarian Tigurius (Prescience, 4++ save, Misfortune)
1st Squad - 10 tactical marines, plasma gun, combiplasma, Missile launcher, Rhino
2nd Squad - 10 tactical marines, plasma gun, combiplasma, missile launcher, rhino
3rd Squad - 5 tactical marines, flamer, las-plas razorback
9th Squad - 5 devastators, 5 missile launchers, flakk missiles
Venerable Dreadnaught, heavy flamer, plasma cannon, DCCW
Landspeeder Squad 7 (2 landspeeder typhoons)
Stalker AA Tank
Stormtalon with Skyhammer missiles, TLAC
1st Company Support:
4th Squad - 10 Sternguard, 2 meltaguns, 4 combimeltas, Lclaw, drop pod
TERRAIN ASSESSMENT AND PRE-GAME PREPARATIONS
I was able to select the terrain, and based on some internet comments, selected enough city-themed terrain ro fill a 2x3 area, of which there were several LOS blocking buildings, ruins, and such, to which my opponent added a few craters. While I unpacked my army from their Battlefoam bag, my opponent placed the terrain. He used sort of a regular pattern to the terrain, ultimately the LOS blocking buildings were placed near table corners, and it was more ruins and open space or craters towards the table center.
We rolled for deployment and mission. Hammer and anvil (long ways), and then big guns bever tire...OK....look above...My opponent has artillery that can punch my units anywhere on the board. Just awesome.
We rolled for night fighting and it would be night on the first turn. Good for me!
We rolled to determine deployment zones - I won and selected for him the deployment zone with the slightly weaker cover.
We rolled for objectives (5). I placed one in the center and 2 in my deployment zone (one adjacent to a LOS blocking building, one in a ruin). My opponent did similar - one in a ruin, and one adjacent to a building. He placed his Aegis across the front of his deployment zone.
We then rolled for psychic powers (see above), and his warlord trait (reroll reserves). We then rolled for deployment (he was to deploy first).
My opponent, as all traitors should, deployed in a arch with the open end of the arch at his back edge. The Quad gun was deployed in the apex of the arch facing my lines, and the two heavy artillery pieces were placed to anchor the arch, about 20 inches apart at his board edge. He placed his Devil Dog, Lehman Russ, and Mechanized veteran squad on the upper right of the arch, intending that this would be the flank he advances from, while using the remaining core of his force to hold his two objectives (even his artillery could claim objectives in the big guns scenario). His command squad remained in their Chimera near the apex of the arch, where it could give orders to the surrounding veteran squads. His allies remained in the drop pod for a turn 1 assault, as did the smaller vet squad in the Vendetta. I'm glad it was dark because I could be slaughtered here.
I had the Stormtalon in reserves and the drop pod / sternguard squad to remain off-board for their first turn drop. I deployed the Devastators plus Tigurius in the ruins, which were located more than 48 inches from his artillery. Then I placed the Stalker behind them, at the table edge. The razorback squad was placed in the upper left at a location more than 36 inches from the quad gun, Squad 1 was placed in the lower left, forward in their rhino at a location where I could get a cover save. Squad 2 was placed in their rhino at a location near an objective, but more than a large blast templat distance from the devastators. The Venerable was placed behind the Squad 2 Rhino. All of my squads (including sternguard) of 10 were declared to be combat squadding. In the front, the only things in range (36 inches due to darkness) of my missile launchers or lascannon is the Devil Dog, a Chimera, Command Chimera, and some of the veteran dismounts behind the Aegis defense line.
Overall, it was dark, the dawn before the battle, and I felt pretty OK with the deployment. I would not see a Turn 1 bombardment, and felt I could get away from the turn with little damage.
TURN 1
I SIEZED THE INITIATIVE.
Well, that was unexpected. My opponent is not pleased. I decided not to use any Ultramarine Traits this turn. Tigurius casts up his 4++ save and Prescience on the Devastator Squad. The drop pod is called down and it drops right in the open space of the deployment arch, deviating just 3 inches back towards his table edge. Out jumps the two 5-man combat squads. Like a bowling ball placed perfectly to deal with a nasty split, I go after his two (lynch)pins - the Manticore and basilisk. My other movement is restricted to moving Squads 1 and 2 forward a bit, and the venerable stays behind the Squad 2 Rhino for Cover. The lansdpeeders zoom forward 12 inches, to a location shadowed between them and the quad gun by a small building.
In shooting, the Sternguard Combat Squads explode the Manticore and Explode the Basilisk - the bowling ball works! In addition, the Devil Dog is exploded by the Typhoons. The IG Heavy Support Squad is forced to go-to-ground by other missile fire (losing only a wound). Well, what goes around, comes around.
My opponent has a bowling ball of his own. The yellow painted drop pod screams down through the atmosphere, landing in the triangle formed by my dreadnaught, stalker, and devastator squad. The yellow marines and librarian get out of the pod, at a location with side shots on mt Stalker, but giving the marines cover from my Devastators. The mech vet squad zooms forward in their Chimera towards my lines. His Lehman Russ turns around and heads back towards my Sternguard, and other units look to improve their fire lanes on them as well.
The enemy marines light up my stalker with a glancing hit and a pen (stunning it). The Company commander then gives out orders to his nearby veteran squads to get back in the fight (heavy squad), and fire on my target (both vet squads). The heavy squad lascannons line up on my Squad 2 Rhino and explode it; no marines are injured or pinned. The sternguard then become the object of everything else, and when done, the sternguard are vanquished, but the drop pod remains.
Points: Marines = +/-7; OPFOR = +/-6
TURN 2
I roll and reroll for reserves and the Stormtalon remains off board (probably a good thing actually). I mover forward with Squad 1's rhino to get in position to fire on the advanced Chimera. The venerable moves to line up its plasma cannon on the nearby yellow marines.
In shooting, I get some of the enemy units to go to ground again behind the Aegis line, and the plasma cannon nets me 4 yellow marines. In the center, I shoot at the Chimera and get nothing for the effort. Shooting a the Lehman Russ also gets me nowhere.
My opponent gets his reserves in the form of his Vendetta, which zooms forward the full distance, and the vets deploy accurately by grav-chute. He also begins to move forward with the Lehman Russ.
In shooting, the Russ tries to take down my landspeeders, but misses and jinx saves keep my speeders intact. The yellow librarian and the last of the yellow tac marines moves forward to shoot at Tigurius and the devs, but there is no damage. The advancing Chimera shoots at Squad 2's combat units, causing a few casualties. The Vendetta explodes the Stalker.
Points: Marines = +/-6; Opfor = +/-7
TURN 3
I roll for reserves and the Stormtalon remains off-board. Tigurius casts all three spells, but the misfortune on the yellow marines is dispelled (denied). I decide to use the tactical trait for the turn. On the upper left, Squad 3 moves forward but stays in the transport. Squad 1 moves forward to get side shots on the forward Chimera. The Landspeeders move backward to stay in a building shadow and be able to launch more rockets at the Lehman Russ. The Venerable moves toward the Yellow Librarian.
In shooting, the razorback kills 2 grav chute vets, and they break, run ning towards the Lehman Russ. The Venerable flames the yellow marines, and prepares to assault the surviving yellow Librarian. The Chimera is exploded, causing a few caulaties, but the vets are unpinned and not broken (because it took plama guns to do it, Squad 2 cannot assault). The Dev squad shoots at the Vendetta, gets 4 hits, but S7 flakk Missiles just remove a hull point. Then the Squad 2 ML fires, rolls a 6 to hit, 6 to pen, 6 to explode...flaming wreckage misses the fleeing vet squad beneath. In assault, the yellow libraian is crushed by the Venerable dread.
The OPFOR is on the ropes, and clearly wants to get more damage in. The Lehman Russ moves forward a bit and tries to take out the Devs, and I lose 2 to plasma. Squad 1's Rhino is then exploded, and the two combat squads are in the crater; one half is pinned. The half closest to his vets now comes under fire, and is taken down to a single marine. He moves to assault the single marine (sergeant), and gets the charge in, the marine rallies from being pinned and kills one guardsmen, then sweeps the other survivors.
Points: Marines = +/-6; Opfor = +/-7
TURN 4
The Stormtalon arrives! I'm using the devastator trait. Tigurius casts his spells. Squad 3 moves forward, dismounts to flame the grav-chute squad and fire on the Russ with the Razorback. The Vets are eliminated, but the Russ remained unscratched. The Stiormtalon moves forward to take on the Command Chimera, and survives intercept but is Stunned and down to a single hull point. The Squad 2's halves begin to move across open ground to get on the objective on the center. The heroic sergeant of squad 1 begins running back through cover towards the open objective in my deployment zone. Other shooting causes the heavy weapon squad to break at the Aegis line and they begin running for home.
My opponent knows he can still pull this off if he can take the center objective with his Russ. His Russ moves forward. His Company commander tries to rally the fleeing heavy weapon squad but fails; in shooting, he eliminates 3 marines from Squad 3, who break and run behind their razorback. He also polishes off the plasma-half of Squad 2.
Points: Marines = +/-6; Opfor = +/-7
TURN 5
I'm planning for the game to end this turn. My Squad 1 Sergeant arrives at his objective. Squad 3 rallies and gets back in their razorback, which zooms forward to block the Russ from tank shocking onto the center. The Razorback fails to damage the Russ. The Stormtalon moved forward to shoot at one of the vet squads (at the quad gun), killing the Sergeant, but every other member survives. Other shooting fails to destroy the Russ. The Venerable assaults and destroys the Yellow drop pod.
My opponent keeps to his plan. The heavy squad continues to flee, and is now near the table edge. It fires on the drop pod and fails to destroy it. The Russ moved forward to fire plasma on Squad 2 at the center (shooting over the hood of my Razorback) and I lose 4 marines, but the ML survivor does not break.
Points: Marines: +/-12; Opfor: = +/-7
TURN 6
Squad 3 dismonts and also gets on the center objective. My Stormtalon, landspeeder, and razorback line up for side shots on the Russ and Explode it. My opponent concedes.
Final Score: Marines 9 points for objectives plus 3 points for destroying heavies, and one point for first blood (13 Points); Opfor: 6 points for 2 objectives and one point for the Stalker (7 Points).
END GAME ASSESSMENT
I have not played in a month, and you'd think I was a bumbling professor at time. Here are a few things that stood out in the game as my errors or mistakes:
1. Flakk Missiles are S7AP4, NOT S8AP3. Really difficult to take a Vendetta down with them.
2. A Venerable is NOT a Heavy. It cannot take objectives in Big Guns (or contest them).
3. RAW a Officer in a Chimera CAN issue orders as a Chimera Special Rule (in normal transports you cannot). Somehow in the past I was having to get the Officer outside the vehicle in order to get orders to units outside/his own unit and I cannot recall why.
4. My original intent was for the Stalker as a heavy in this list to take an objective; Somehow I got confused between that and the Venerable in the heat of the game, and actually wasted time in the game running the venerable after the Libby combat back toward the objective rather than forward towards the drop pod.
5. I used my rapid fire weapons on the Chimera which precluded me from assaulting it instead.
6. I dropped the Sternguard into the middle of the enemy deployment zone; the other option was to drop it between the Russ and the Basilisk; since it was DARK, that might have been a good option to consider. At that location, much of the Sternguard might have survived to assault veterans on an objective on Turn 2, or likely finish of the manticore later. That said, getting both Artillery Units on turn 1 was important.
Overall, at the end, my unit losses were 2 Rhinos, 2 Sternguard combat squads, the Stalker, and a Squad 2 Combat Squad. Not bad and acceptable.
Overall, it was an awesome time and the game was going in any direction through turn 4. I hope to see this opponent again sometime and share more experiences with using IG and marine allies!
OPFOR
127th Regiment (Traitor Guard), Company XXX
Company Command Squad - Officer, Officer of the Fleet, 3 Plasma Guns, Chimera
Veteran Squad 127-XXX-1-A - 10 veterans, 3 MGs, Chimera
Veteran Squad 127-XXX-1-B - 10 veterans, Autocannon
Veteran Squad 127-XXX-1-C - 10 Veterans, Autocannon
Veteran squad 127-XXX-1-E - 5 veterans, 3 flamers
Heavy support squad 127-XXX - 6 guardsmen, 3 lascannons
Devil Dog
Lehman Russ Exterminator, Plasma Destructor Cannon, Lascannon, MM Sponsons
Basilisk
Manticore
Vendetta
Aegis Defense Line w/ Quad Gun
Allies - Imperial Fists (E-Book Expansion Version)
Librarian (level 2, w/ Upgrade to 3 force points), Terrify, Dominate
5 Space marines, MG, CMG, Drop Pod
Third Company
Librarian Tigurius (Prescience, 4++ save, Misfortune)
1st Squad - 10 tactical marines, plasma gun, combiplasma, Missile launcher, Rhino
2nd Squad - 10 tactical marines, plasma gun, combiplasma, missile launcher, rhino
3rd Squad - 5 tactical marines, flamer, las-plas razorback
9th Squad - 5 devastators, 5 missile launchers, flakk missiles
Venerable Dreadnaught, heavy flamer, plasma cannon, DCCW
Landspeeder Squad 7 (2 landspeeder typhoons)
Stalker AA Tank
Stormtalon with Skyhammer missiles, TLAC
1st Company Support:
4th Squad - 10 Sternguard, 2 meltaguns, 4 combimeltas, Lclaw, drop pod
TERRAIN ASSESSMENT AND PRE-GAME PREPARATIONS
I was able to select the terrain, and based on some internet comments, selected enough city-themed terrain ro fill a 2x3 area, of which there were several LOS blocking buildings, ruins, and such, to which my opponent added a few craters. While I unpacked my army from their Battlefoam bag, my opponent placed the terrain. He used sort of a regular pattern to the terrain, ultimately the LOS blocking buildings were placed near table corners, and it was more ruins and open space or craters towards the table center.
We rolled for deployment and mission. Hammer and anvil (long ways), and then big guns bever tire...OK....look above...My opponent has artillery that can punch my units anywhere on the board. Just awesome.
We rolled for night fighting and it would be night on the first turn. Good for me!
We rolled to determine deployment zones - I won and selected for him the deployment zone with the slightly weaker cover.
We rolled for objectives (5). I placed one in the center and 2 in my deployment zone (one adjacent to a LOS blocking building, one in a ruin). My opponent did similar - one in a ruin, and one adjacent to a building. He placed his Aegis across the front of his deployment zone.
We then rolled for psychic powers (see above), and his warlord trait (reroll reserves). We then rolled for deployment (he was to deploy first).
My opponent, as all traitors should, deployed in a arch with the open end of the arch at his back edge. The Quad gun was deployed in the apex of the arch facing my lines, and the two heavy artillery pieces were placed to anchor the arch, about 20 inches apart at his board edge. He placed his Devil Dog, Lehman Russ, and Mechanized veteran squad on the upper right of the arch, intending that this would be the flank he advances from, while using the remaining core of his force to hold his two objectives (even his artillery could claim objectives in the big guns scenario). His command squad remained in their Chimera near the apex of the arch, where it could give orders to the surrounding veteran squads. His allies remained in the drop pod for a turn 1 assault, as did the smaller vet squad in the Vendetta. I'm glad it was dark because I could be slaughtered here.
I had the Stormtalon in reserves and the drop pod / sternguard squad to remain off-board for their first turn drop. I deployed the Devastators plus Tigurius in the ruins, which were located more than 48 inches from his artillery. Then I placed the Stalker behind them, at the table edge. The razorback squad was placed in the upper left at a location more than 36 inches from the quad gun, Squad 1 was placed in the lower left, forward in their rhino at a location where I could get a cover save. Squad 2 was placed in their rhino at a location near an objective, but more than a large blast templat distance from the devastators. The Venerable was placed behind the Squad 2 Rhino. All of my squads (including sternguard) of 10 were declared to be combat squadding. In the front, the only things in range (36 inches due to darkness) of my missile launchers or lascannon is the Devil Dog, a Chimera, Command Chimera, and some of the veteran dismounts behind the Aegis defense line.
Overall, it was dark, the dawn before the battle, and I felt pretty OK with the deployment. I would not see a Turn 1 bombardment, and felt I could get away from the turn with little damage.
TURN 1
I SIEZED THE INITIATIVE.
Well, that was unexpected. My opponent is not pleased. I decided not to use any Ultramarine Traits this turn. Tigurius casts up his 4++ save and Prescience on the Devastator Squad. The drop pod is called down and it drops right in the open space of the deployment arch, deviating just 3 inches back towards his table edge. Out jumps the two 5-man combat squads. Like a bowling ball placed perfectly to deal with a nasty split, I go after his two (lynch)pins - the Manticore and basilisk. My other movement is restricted to moving Squads 1 and 2 forward a bit, and the venerable stays behind the Squad 2 Rhino for Cover. The lansdpeeders zoom forward 12 inches, to a location shadowed between them and the quad gun by a small building.
In shooting, the Sternguard Combat Squads explode the Manticore and Explode the Basilisk - the bowling ball works! In addition, the Devil Dog is exploded by the Typhoons. The IG Heavy Support Squad is forced to go-to-ground by other missile fire (losing only a wound). Well, what goes around, comes around.
My opponent has a bowling ball of his own. The yellow painted drop pod screams down through the atmosphere, landing in the triangle formed by my dreadnaught, stalker, and devastator squad. The yellow marines and librarian get out of the pod, at a location with side shots on mt Stalker, but giving the marines cover from my Devastators. The mech vet squad zooms forward in their Chimera towards my lines. His Lehman Russ turns around and heads back towards my Sternguard, and other units look to improve their fire lanes on them as well.
The enemy marines light up my stalker with a glancing hit and a pen (stunning it). The Company commander then gives out orders to his nearby veteran squads to get back in the fight (heavy squad), and fire on my target (both vet squads). The heavy squad lascannons line up on my Squad 2 Rhino and explode it; no marines are injured or pinned. The sternguard then become the object of everything else, and when done, the sternguard are vanquished, but the drop pod remains.
Points: Marines = +/-7; OPFOR = +/-6
TURN 2
I roll and reroll for reserves and the Stormtalon remains off board (probably a good thing actually). I mover forward with Squad 1's rhino to get in position to fire on the advanced Chimera. The venerable moves to line up its plasma cannon on the nearby yellow marines.
In shooting, I get some of the enemy units to go to ground again behind the Aegis line, and the plasma cannon nets me 4 yellow marines. In the center, I shoot at the Chimera and get nothing for the effort. Shooting a the Lehman Russ also gets me nowhere.
My opponent gets his reserves in the form of his Vendetta, which zooms forward the full distance, and the vets deploy accurately by grav-chute. He also begins to move forward with the Lehman Russ.
In shooting, the Russ tries to take down my landspeeders, but misses and jinx saves keep my speeders intact. The yellow librarian and the last of the yellow tac marines moves forward to shoot at Tigurius and the devs, but there is no damage. The advancing Chimera shoots at Squad 2's combat units, causing a few casualties. The Vendetta explodes the Stalker.
Points: Marines = +/-6; Opfor = +/-7
TURN 3
I roll for reserves and the Stormtalon remains off-board. Tigurius casts all three spells, but the misfortune on the yellow marines is dispelled (denied). I decide to use the tactical trait for the turn. On the upper left, Squad 3 moves forward but stays in the transport. Squad 1 moves forward to get side shots on the forward Chimera. The Landspeeders move backward to stay in a building shadow and be able to launch more rockets at the Lehman Russ. The Venerable moves toward the Yellow Librarian.
In shooting, the razorback kills 2 grav chute vets, and they break, run ning towards the Lehman Russ. The Venerable flames the yellow marines, and prepares to assault the surviving yellow Librarian. The Chimera is exploded, causing a few caulaties, but the vets are unpinned and not broken (because it took plama guns to do it, Squad 2 cannot assault). The Dev squad shoots at the Vendetta, gets 4 hits, but S7 flakk Missiles just remove a hull point. Then the Squad 2 ML fires, rolls a 6 to hit, 6 to pen, 6 to explode...flaming wreckage misses the fleeing vet squad beneath. In assault, the yellow libraian is crushed by the Venerable dread.
The OPFOR is on the ropes, and clearly wants to get more damage in. The Lehman Russ moves forward a bit and tries to take out the Devs, and I lose 2 to plasma. Squad 1's Rhino is then exploded, and the two combat squads are in the crater; one half is pinned. The half closest to his vets now comes under fire, and is taken down to a single marine. He moves to assault the single marine (sergeant), and gets the charge in, the marine rallies from being pinned and kills one guardsmen, then sweeps the other survivors.
Points: Marines = +/-6; Opfor = +/-7
TURN 4
The Stormtalon arrives! I'm using the devastator trait. Tigurius casts his spells. Squad 3 moves forward, dismounts to flame the grav-chute squad and fire on the Russ with the Razorback. The Vets are eliminated, but the Russ remained unscratched. The Stiormtalon moves forward to take on the Command Chimera, and survives intercept but is Stunned and down to a single hull point. The Squad 2's halves begin to move across open ground to get on the objective on the center. The heroic sergeant of squad 1 begins running back through cover towards the open objective in my deployment zone. Other shooting causes the heavy weapon squad to break at the Aegis line and they begin running for home.
My opponent knows he can still pull this off if he can take the center objective with his Russ. His Russ moves forward. His Company commander tries to rally the fleeing heavy weapon squad but fails; in shooting, he eliminates 3 marines from Squad 3, who break and run behind their razorback. He also polishes off the plasma-half of Squad 2.
Points: Marines = +/-6; Opfor = +/-7
TURN 5
I'm planning for the game to end this turn. My Squad 1 Sergeant arrives at his objective. Squad 3 rallies and gets back in their razorback, which zooms forward to block the Russ from tank shocking onto the center. The Razorback fails to damage the Russ. The Stormtalon moved forward to shoot at one of the vet squads (at the quad gun), killing the Sergeant, but every other member survives. Other shooting fails to destroy the Russ. The Venerable assaults and destroys the Yellow drop pod.
My opponent keeps to his plan. The heavy squad continues to flee, and is now near the table edge. It fires on the drop pod and fails to destroy it. The Russ moved forward to fire plasma on Squad 2 at the center (shooting over the hood of my Razorback) and I lose 4 marines, but the ML survivor does not break.
Points: Marines: +/-12; Opfor: = +/-7
TURN 6
Squad 3 dismonts and also gets on the center objective. My Stormtalon, landspeeder, and razorback line up for side shots on the Russ and Explode it. My opponent concedes.
Final Score: Marines 9 points for objectives plus 3 points for destroying heavies, and one point for first blood (13 Points); Opfor: 6 points for 2 objectives and one point for the Stalker (7 Points).
END GAME ASSESSMENT
I have not played in a month, and you'd think I was a bumbling professor at time. Here are a few things that stood out in the game as my errors or mistakes:
1. Flakk Missiles are S7AP4, NOT S8AP3. Really difficult to take a Vendetta down with them.
2. A Venerable is NOT a Heavy. It cannot take objectives in Big Guns (or contest them).
3. RAW a Officer in a Chimera CAN issue orders as a Chimera Special Rule (in normal transports you cannot). Somehow in the past I was having to get the Officer outside the vehicle in order to get orders to units outside/his own unit and I cannot recall why.
4. My original intent was for the Stalker as a heavy in this list to take an objective; Somehow I got confused between that and the Venerable in the heat of the game, and actually wasted time in the game running the venerable after the Libby combat back toward the objective rather than forward towards the drop pod.
5. I used my rapid fire weapons on the Chimera which precluded me from assaulting it instead.
6. I dropped the Sternguard into the middle of the enemy deployment zone; the other option was to drop it between the Russ and the Basilisk; since it was DARK, that might have been a good option to consider. At that location, much of the Sternguard might have survived to assault veterans on an objective on Turn 2, or likely finish of the manticore later. That said, getting both Artillery Units on turn 1 was important.
Overall, at the end, my unit losses were 2 Rhinos, 2 Sternguard combat squads, the Stalker, and a Squad 2 Combat Squad. Not bad and acceptable.
Overall, it was an awesome time and the game was going in any direction through turn 4. I hope to see this opponent again sometime and share more experiences with using IG and marine allies!
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