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Blood Vow

Happiness is success... (Buddha)

Monday, May 30, 2011

2k Grey Knight batrep


























You can find my full list in another article below. Here is the abbreviated list:

Lord Kaldor Draigo
Librarian - Warp Rift, Sanctuary, Shrouding, Quicksilver, Might of Titans; Warding Stave

10x Paladin - 2x daemonhammer & 4x psycannon, psybolt ammo
(Note I split them into combat squads - both w. daemonhammer & 2x psycannon)

10x GKT incl. Thawn - 2x psycannon & 4x daemonhammer, psybolt ammo
(Note I had to proxy some of the Paladins using TH/SS terminators, hence the large number of daemonhammers)

Landraider Crusader - psybolt ammo & extra armor

The game was versus Sisters of Battle. Mission was Annihilation (we rolled for it) and deployment was Pitched Battle. Lots of terrain pieces on the table!

The SoB army included the following units:

Inq. Karamazov
Cannonness (Blessed weapon, cloak) with command squad (meltagun, flamer, Imagifer, Book of St. Lucius, eviscerator) in rhino*
3x squad of Battle Sisters in rhino* (meltagun, flamer, Imagifer, eviscerator)

* All rhinos had smoke launchers, extra armor and dozer blades

2x Imperial Storm Troopers (IST) - 2x plasmagun

2x Exorcist - smoke launchers, extra armor and dozer blades



Pre Game Analysis
I'm thinking this should be fairly easy - I've only got a maximum of seven kill points in my army while my opponent has over twice as many. Pop some rhinos at range with psycannons and assault anything that comes too close. I will opt to hold my entire army in reserve since I'm going second - deny my opponent the alpha strike and in general limit his shooting the first two turn - a textbook approach for going second in my opinion. I'm wary of the pair of Exorcists since they can insta gib my Paladins.


My opponent won the roll for deployment and chose to go first. I opted to reserve everything -

Draigo and Librarian attach to one Paladin combat squad riding in LRC. Other Paladin combat squad and GKT would deep strike.

My opponent deploys his army spread out across his DZ with the pair of Exorcists in the backfield. The Inquisitor was guarding his weak side.

First and second turns my opponent spreads out a bit. None of my reserves arrive on turn 2.

SoB - 0 kps, GK - 0 kps

Third turn my opponent spreads out just a bit more. I roll for reserves again. First I place my GKT in the right corner of my opponent's DZ attempting to keep them safe from the table edges - they scatter 10" hitting the short board edge and mishap but I roll a 6 on the mishap table so they go right back into reserve - very fortunate there as that units is roughly half my army. I then place the five man teleporting Paladin unit... They scatter 9" and just stop less than 1" from the short board edge but I'm able to place them all on the table. I start to realize my dice are having one of their notorious bad mood days. Oh well what can ya do? The LRC rolls onto the table 12" and fires it assault cannon at the Canonness' rhino scoring three pens and one glance - my opponent then passes all his cover saves. The five man Paladin squad then also targets the same enemy rhino and manages to immobilize it.

SoB - 0 kps, GK - 0 kps

Fourth turn my opponent moves up his mobile rhinos over towards my flank popping smoke. The Inquisitor starts to amble over towards my LRC (will be out of range to shoot). One squad of IST move and run up to support the rhinos. Exorcists both move up 6" to target the five squad of Paladins. Note that this squad of Paladins were in cover but out of range from the Librarian's Shrouding. The Exorcists then split fire with one unit targeting my LRC and the other taking aim at the Paladins. Shrouding is cast - no damage to the LRC. Paladins lose two and then break.

My turn in come the GKT from reserve again. I spot them beside the LRC and this time it's a small scatter... They teleport in safely. The squad of three Paladins auto rally and move into some cover within range of the Librarian's Shrouding. Draigo and his posse disembark using the LRC to block enemy LOS from the Exorcists. So I've got eight psycannons on the table plus the twin linked assault cannon (LRC). Again I target rhinos and only manage to rip off one Imperial stormbolter. Between some really horrid rolls and my opponent passing the majority of his cover saves that's the only damage I can inflict.

SoB - 0 kps, GK - 0 kps

Fifth Turn my opponent unloads the bulk of his rhinos and the IST along with the Inquisitor move up into position for some fire support. I know this going to hurt as my GKT are in the one spot in my corner where cover is the most sparse. Combined shooting sees two dead Paladins from the three man squad (survivor takes a wound as well) and five dead GKT. Shrouding stops any possible damage to the LRC. Lots of Divine Guidance this turn. I should also note that one of the Exorcists immobilized itself (even with dozer blades) while attempting to trample over a fence... Nice ! Heh.

My turn I try to move the GKT into cover but up pops a 1 and 3 for their difficult terrain move so they'll be stuck out in the open again. A 4 would have gotten the majority into cover... Oh well what can ya do when your dice decide to be such a rude bitch? Thats right my dice - I'm looking at you ! LRC moves 6" for cover from the Inquisitor while Draigo and his posse continue to use their pimp ride as a shield wall. The lone Paladin (psycannon) moves up beside the GKT to lend his firepower - he is able to get in cover within range of the Librarian's Shrouding). I now start to pour my firepower into a squad of Battle Sisters - they cast a faith point for the invulnerable save - I manage to whittle them down to four and they pass their break check. I also manage to immobilize another rhino. That's all she wrote this turn.

SoB - 0 kps, GK - 0 kps

I roll for a sixth turn and sure enough it's still on. Thawn and one GKT survive along with the wounded Paladin. Shrouding again negates any potential damage to the LRC. So up to this point it's been a total girly fight with lots and lots of face slaps but nothing substantial enough to score a single kill point... Crazy that.

My turn Draigo and his posse move up to flambé the Cannoness and her retinue with Warp Rift but my opponent passes his 5+ roll to negate enemy psychic attacks. So I blast them with some psycannon|stormbolter love whittling them down to three including the Cannonness. Thawn and his battle brother along with the lone wounded Paladin shoot and assault the remnant Battle Sister squad... They throw down the 3++ invulnerable save and one manages to survive and actually breaks so I'm up by one kill point after six full turns... By the bloody Emperor this is dark humor in the very making. * sigh *

SoB - 0 kps, GK - 1 kps

We roll for the seventh and final turn - sure enough it's still on. Thawn and his GKT battle brother go down along with the lone wounded Paladin (failing one 2+ armor save - :cuss) so I'm down by one killpoint now. I've got to make something happen quick.

My last turn Thawn returns from the dead... Heh! He is looking quite pissed as well. Shooting pops the immobilized Exorcist - dead even again. And that's how it ends...

SoB - 0 kps, GK - 0 kps


Post Game Analysis
I think my biggest mistake was not being more aggressive with Draigo and his posse. I was quite wary of the Exorcists and didn't really have anything to drop them at range. I kept units close together for mutual support expecting the cannons to drop some rhinos early but the dice weren't with me. I was hoping to get ahead early on the killpoints and put the pressure on my opponent forcing him to commit but I couldn't make it happen. The Librarian with his Shrouding was definitely the man of the match for the Grey Knights. I probably should have cast Sanctuary as well - hey this is only my second game - I'm still very much in the learning phase. I'm happy to have got the draw but I think the dice made this kind of strange game - they were really biting me in the arse a lot. I know what SoB can do with their outrageous faith which is why I didn't charge in headlong. So I like I said kind of a weird game but a fun one indeed! My opponent Justin was great. : )

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