Here is the third and final batrep. The game was versus mech IG. Please forgive me for not remembering every detail about the IG army - I'll try to be as concise as possible...
Command squad: astropath, 3x plasma - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Command squad: 3x plasma - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Manticore
Manticore
Leman Russ Demolisher x2 (squadron)
PSB - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
PSB - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Veteran squad: 3x meltagun - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Veteran squad: 3x meltagun - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Veteran squad: 2x flamer - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Veteran squad: 2x flamer - Chimera: multi laser & heavy flamer
Platoon: HWS, Commissar/power sword
The mission was objectives with a total of six (each numbered 1 through 6); on the start of the third turn you rolled 1d6 - then remove the objective with that number. The objectives were placed all equidistance from each other, both in a line about 12" apart on each side. I won the roll and opted to go second. Deployment was Pitched Battle again and I held my entire army in reserve. One of the assault squad sergeants received the Blessing. The Chaplain and second Priest joined that unit (here after referred to as the super squad).
My opponent had an excellent deployment:
1) One squad with plasma and one squad with flamers on each end of his long castle,
2) Manticores on either side,
3) Leman Russes in the middle,
4) PSB behind the Leman Russes,
5) Vet squads interspersed amongst his castle,
6) Platoon stretched out to bubble wrap his armor.
Not much terrain on the table to block LOS, pretty much a wet dream for any IG player. ;)
My strategy was simple but would be a challenge to pull off:
1) Kill the Manticores and Leman Russes first since they negate FNP,
2) Next focus on killing his troops,
3) Use one assault squad to sit back and hold an objective while the rest of my army engaged him.
The IG player is very good so I knew I'd have to bring my A game. He was a lot of fun to play, not one problem with the rules so a big kudos to him ! :)
Top of the first turn and top of the second turn the IG player pretty much sat still waiting for the inevitable sky of blood. It's always fun to play against IG because your Marines just seem so darn bad arsed. :evil: Oh and by the way unfortunately none of my units succumbed to the Red Thirst. :cuss
Bottom of the second turn my only unit to arrive was the VV. To me that was the best possible outcome:
VV charge the platoon on one end of his line pulling the bubble wrap off to the side so the following turn the rest of my army could shoot his armor. I placed the VV on the end of the table so that they would have the opportunity to multi charge the platoon and one of the two Manticores. I rolled a HIT on the scatter dice and they charged right, destroying the Manticore and killing a good number of guardsmen. They passed their morale check (Stubborn) and started the long slog to the left to pile in.
Top of the third turn the parking lot shifted a bit but not much else; VV chomp on some more guardsmen. Also we rolled to see which objective disappeared and it was his middle objective. So far a great start up to this point for the Blood Saints.
Bottom of the third turn in came the rest of my army. I decided to use the super squad as a shock troop - plenty of meltas and bodies to absorb some IG shooting... I was counting on them to wreck/destroy one tank and then if the Chaplain, second Priest and the super sarge could survive the next round of heavy shooting I figured they could do some real damage to the rest of the huge parking lot. There was a small piece of terrain blocking LOS in the middle of the table so I placed the Sanguinor there since I knew he would be safe for a turn. Dante and his posse landed behind the other piece of terrain blocking LOS over on the left and in the middle - they would also be safe for a turn since I planned to use the super squad to wax the other Manticore. Note that there was an objective there as well. The second assault squad landed behind a clump of trees beside an objective in my DZ. The super squad then blasted the second Manticore a mile high and to wrap up the turn my VV chomped on some more guardsmen. So far everything was going according to the plan. :)
Top of the fourth turn we rolled to see which objective would next disappear and unfortunately it was the one beside Dante and his posse - I was planning to charge them into the platoon to weaken them then use Hit and Run to break away dropping back to hold that objective. The entire IG army that could draw a bead on my super squad focused fire and when all the smoke cleared all that was left was the Chaplain, the second Priest and super sarge. Then again the VV chomped on some more guardsmen - note that I had lost two the vets in the process up to this point... Never underestimate the danger of a pointy stick poked in your eye. :p
Bottom of the fourth turn it's time to turn on the heat DoA style! Losing the objective beside Dante I decided to go balls to the wall and wreck as many tanks as possible while throwing a few more Marines into the mix with the platoon to finish them off. The Chaplain split off to attack one of the PSB chimeras and wrecked it with his melter pistol - the puny psykers spilled out aflame waiting for the charge. Super sarge and the second Priest remained attached shooting a vet squad's Chimera and stunned it. Dante and his posse flew in to assault two more of the vets' chimeras. The Sanguinor made a pop out attack charging the pair of Leman Russes - here I made a mistake rules wise which I'll explain - the Sanguinor charged the tanks destroying one and immobilizing another - I forgot that since it was a squadron the immobilized tank should have counted as destroyed - oh well that would come back to haunt me a bit. I finished off the last of the platoon in assault, the Chaplain charged the PSB destroying them and consolidated behind their wrecked Chimera... That Chaplain is one mean old cuss if ever there was one! :evil: Dante and his posse destroyed one Chimera and stunned the other. Not a bad turn but still lots of guardsmen left with their flashlights and other assortment of toys (i.e., flamers, plasma and meltas). I consolidated all my Marines into cover to help ward off the next round of IG shooting.
Top of the fifth turn again we roll to see which objective would disappear - it just happened to be the one beside my intact assault squad - I wasn't planning on that and it caught me a bit flat footed - oh well, what can ya do? :( The IG commenced back to what they do best, shooting up all my Marines caught out amongst their parking lot. The last ofvthe VV went down as well as most of my Sanguinary Guard. Dante took a wound as well as that son of a gun the Chaplain from multi lasers. Super sarge also took a wound as well... wadda ya gonna do when all those guns are pointed your way?? The Sanguinor died to a heavy blaze of IG shooting from inside their Chimeras... Not good at all. It was a painful round but I felt I still had enough left to manage a victory or pull a draw.
Bottom of the fifth turn Dante and his surviving crew, the old Chaplain and super sarge really have their work cut out for them. I need to pop some more Chimeras in the shooting phase then assault more of the guardsmen as they continue to spill out. My dice went a little cold - I was able to stun some of the Chimeras and that old cuss the Chaplain took out the remaining Leman Russ with melter pistol. IG are holding one objective with vets in a Chimera and my intact assault squad is racing to hold another flying out from behind the woods.
We roll for the sixth turn - it's on like Donkey Kong and yet the one objective beside my remaining assault squad also disappears. Oh well, take that Lady Luck. The remainder of the IG army focus fire on Dante, his remaining Sanguinary Guard, the Chaplain and super sarge - they all die to one wound each - that was pretty bad news for the Blood Saints.
Bottom of the sixth turn all I have left is the assault squad - it's going to be a push to grab the closest objective for a draw and they just fall short an inch or so on their run move to snatch a draw. It was really just that close, these types of things can happen unfortunately so I ended up my third game with a loss.
It was a great game and this was the type of match I needed to prepare well for Ghengis Con and Adepticon. The dice were kind of funky throughout all three games so hopefully my luck will peak a bit this weekend.
Blut und Ehre!
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