This was a very tough game for the Plaguewing !!! I was up against the new Sisters of Battle with allied Imperial Guard. Before the game started I jokingly told my opponent nowadays you have to design an army that is tough enough to stand out in the open and take it right to the face each and every turn, to which he readily agreed... This turned out to a prophetic statement as you'll soon see.
As you'll see this game was a mosh pit of gory death on both sides. I was counting on my superior toughness to outlast and outclass the enemy's great number.
NOTE - I forgot to have my opponent take toughness tests due to the Black Mace's Curse after the first round of the initial melee... Oh well. That could have made a huge difference in the final result. I guess that's the best way to really learn.
Here is my army list...
Chaos Space Marines - The Black Blow Flies (Primary Detachment)
# Chaos Lord - Mark of Nurgle, Bike, Black Mace, Sigil of Corruption
Warlord (Trait - Crusader)
Boon of Mutation:
—+1S (combi bolter)
# Chaos Sorcerer - Bike, Force Axe, Sigil of Corruption, Spell Familiar
Level 3 Psyker (Biomancy):
—Iron Arm
—Endurance
—Warp Speed
Boon of Mutation - Life Taker (just what I needed seeing he has a force axe)
# 3x Chaos Space Biker - Mark of Nurgle, 2x Plasmagun
Chaos Champion - Power Fist
# 6x Plague Marine - 2x Meltagun
Plague Champion - Meltabombs
Rhino - Dozer Blade, Extra Armor
# 6x Plague Marine - 2x Meltagun
Plague Champion - Meltabombs
Rhino - Dozer Blade, Extra Armor
# Heldrake - Baleflamer
# Heldrake - Baleflamer
Chaos Daemons - The Black Plague Lords (Allied Detachment)
# Daemon Prince - Daemon of Nurgle, Wings, Hell Forged Armor
2x Greater Reward:
—S8 AP1 18" Ranged Weapon, Lance
—+1S
Level 3 Psyker (Biomancy):
—Iron Arm
—Endurance
—Warp Speed
# 10x Plaguebearer
# 4x Plague Drone - Rot Proboscis, Death Heads
Plaguebringer - Greater Reward (Greater Ether Blade)
Here is my opponent's army list:
Sisters of Battle (Primary Detachment)
# Uriah Jacobus
Warlord - Trait : ?
# 5x Ministorium Priest
Litanies of Faith — automatically re roll failed saves and to wound (in melee)
# 5x Battle Sister
# 5x Battle Sister
# Exorcist
# Exorcist
# Exorcist
Fortification
# Aegis Defense Line, Quad Gun
Imperial Guard (Allied Detachment)
# Command Squad + Heavy Weapon Team - lascannons
# Sly Marbo (The Dirty Old Bastard)
# Infantry Platoon:
—Command Squad
—5x Infantry Squad - 5x Power Axe, 5x Meltabombs, 5x Flamer
—Special Weapons Team (x3) - Saber Defense Platform - Twin Linked Lascannon
—Special Weapons Team (x3) - Saber Defense Platform - Twin Linked Lascannon
—Special Weapons Team (x3) - Saber Defense Platform - Twin Linked Lascannon
—Heavy Weapons Team (x3) - Autocannon
# Basilisk
Mission - The Relic
Deployment - Dawn of War
My opponent won the roll to choose his deployment zone. He also won the roll to go first... I tried to Seize but failed.
Imperials
My opponent deploys his entire army except for Marbo. He spreads out his forces with his super blob including Uriah and his Priests ready to make a dash for the Relic. Due to our army builds it will be a big fist fight in the center of the table.
Chaos
I deploy all my units except for the Heldrakes and Plaguebearers. It was very important to establish an area of dominance around the Relic. Sometimes it's better to hold more units in reserve but this was not one of those games.
I was hoping my Heldrakes would both come in the same turn, otherwise they'll be picked off by the intercepting Sabre Platforms... There is no way around that with all those twin linked lascannons. Regardless though the Heldrakes could still have a significant impact on the game.
I planned to deep strike my Plaguebearers on top of the area terrain on the Relic if possible, so they are a suicide squad if they mishap or scatter completely out of cover. The rest of my army lined up behind the big piece of area terrain in the middle of the table ready to counter assault the mighty blob using as much cover as possible.
I planned to hold back my a Daemon Prince so he could react to enemy movement and play the role as the second wave... He got both Iron Arm and Endurance for psychic powers so he was blessed by Lord Nurghal - I had to get the most out of him possible.
Night Fight - 1st Turn
Night Fight was a huge blessing for my army seeing I had to go second. It was one of the very few good things to happen for me in the beginning.
1st Turn - Imperium
The big blob moved and ran straight towards the relic. Note that the blob was fearless due to the attached Priests.
The Basilisk dropped a bomb on the lead rhino and popped it for First Blood... The Plague Marines split out crouching in the smoking crater left behind in the wake of the explosion. The rest of their shooting was inconsequential.
1st Turn - Chaos
All my psychic powers go successfully. My BikerStar and Plague Drones moved straight towards the blob for a first turn assault. The remaining rhino pulls up behind the central area terrain and it's cargo remained embarked. The other squad of Plague Marines moved up behind the area terrain hugging as much cover as possible. I then shot the blob as much as possible dropping a few guardsmen.
Charge! Both the BikerStar and Plague Drones slammed into the blob, taking no wounds from enemy Overwatch. I rolled snake eyes for the BikerStar charge range, they were one inch away though — due to placement and spacing only the Chaos Lord and Sorcerer could make base to base contact. All of the Plague Drones made it into base contact. The Chaos Lord issued a challenge and popped a priest. The Drones lost a couple wounds in return then they and the Sorcerer dropped a few more guardsmen. The Curse then killed a couple more. Everybody piled in.
Neither army was holding the Relic at the end of the first turn and my Chaos Lord earned a worthless boon... That would be a running theme throughout the epic scrum.
2nd Turn - Imperium
Marbo arrived from reserve and tossed his demo charge on the disembarked Plague Marines vaporizing them all — that hurt. The Basilisk then popped the second rhino — two for two... Ouch !
Melee them recommenced with the Sorcerer (T8 due to Iron Arm) issuing a challenge this turn versus a sergeant. Again my BikerStar and Drones drop some more guardsmen slowly thinning their rank, taking a couple more wounds on the Drones again. The Sorcerer pops the sergeant and gets nothing worthwhile from the Dark Gods (i.e., boon table) for his trouble.
2nd Turn - Chaos
All psychic powers were successfully cast. In from reserve comes only one Heldrake... It vector strikes the Marbo putting a quick end to the miserable Catachan then was immediately wasted by the intercepting Sabre Platforms. The Daemon Prince took flight landing in the central piece of area terrain firing his daemonic lance at an Exorcist and popped it. The last squad of Plague Marines legged it into the central piece of area terrain but couldn't assault this turn.
My Sorcerer issued a challenge accepted by Uriah and struck him down with his Force Axe for Slay the Warlord. He is then blessed by the boon for Fleshbane which was worthless since he was always S5+ due to his axe and Iron Arm. Still lots of guardsmen and a few Priests left in the blob. One biker is snuffed and the Drones are down to just three remaining.
The game was now tied at one victory point apiece. Neither army held the Relic.
3rd Turn - Imperium
The Platoon command squad and a unit of Battle Sisters moved out from cover both making a beeline towards the Relic... They have a lot of ground to cover. My opponent dropped a pie plate from his Basilisk on my Plague Marines but it scattered on top of the blob killing a couple more.
Melee then recommenced... The biker sergeant issued a challenge and popped another sergeant — he is rewarded with yet another worthless boon. Due to placement and spacing the BikerStar could not pile back into combat and were free to consolidate. Oh joy! The blob is below half strength and starting to run low on able bodies but still fearless.
3rd Turn - Chaos
All psychic powers were successfully cast again. This was a key turn for Chaos and I needed to assert positional dominance. Both the Plaguebearers and last Heldrake come in from reserve. The Heldrake vector strike the platoon command squad, killing two... They break and fall back. The intercepting enemy Sabre platforms then drop it from the sky... The ensuing explosion wiped out the rest of the platoon common squad... Heh !! The Plaguebearers deep struck on top of the Relic but scattered 8" towards my right away from the objective marker... Most of them could still land within the edge of the central piece of area terrain for some solid cover.
My Biker Lord and Sorcerer detach from the remainder of the biker squad and join the second squad of Plague Marines ready to launch a second assault — this was a key move, the bikers have served their purpose and I needed to preserve the integrity of my command — the Chaos Lord and Sorcerer could tank wounds to keep two of my scoring units in control of the Relic. The rest of the Plague Drones and bikers continue to trade blows back and forth with the dwindling blob.
The Daemon Prince assaulted the Sisters of Battle and obliterate them while the Plague Marines grab the Relic... It was starting to look grim now for the Imperium but I was running low on body count too.
Plague Marines hold the Relic and we both have one bonus point apiece — First Blood to the Imperium and Slay the Warlord to Chaos.
4th Turn - Imperium
This was another key turn. I had established positional dominance the previous turn and needed to continue to apply the pressure looking to score the killing blow versus the blob.
My opponent focused all his fire power versus the Death Guard and Chaos command. When the smoke cleared all that was left was one Death Guard, both the Chaos Lord and Sorcerer were down to one wound each. My Chaos Lord failed at least six Look Out Sirs in a row but made every invulnerable save of FNP to squeek it out to the bitter end... It was incredible.
The last of the blob was finally snuffed in melee. I had only the Drone Champion left from his unit along with only the biker Champion from his unit. The Daemon Prince was still at full wounds.
4th Turn - Chaos
The last Death Guard along with my HQ moved back out of line of sight from the Imperial guns and the Plaguebearers moved up beside to snatch the Relic if necessary. The Daemon Prince took out the Basilisk with his ranged attack to eliminate the threat of indirect enemy fire. My opponent then conceded the game with no chance to take the Relic or score Slay the Warlord|Line Breaker.
Victory to the Plaguewing in a very hard fought match. At times I thought my dice would betray me but then they would roll smoking red hot like boss when I really needed those key rolls down the line. I stuck to my original game plan and it paid off in the end.
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