This was a recent battle versus two friends. I was finally playing my Plaguewing versus Tau and White Scars.
Primary Objective - The Scouring
One objective marker in each table quarter.
Secondary Objective - Kill the Alien
Kill Points.
Tertiary - First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Line Breaker
The primary was worth five points, secondary worth three points and each tertiary was worth one point each.
Deployment - Vanguard Strike
No Night Fight
My opponents (team) won the roll to choose their deployment zone and I won the roll to choose going first but opted to go second. Going second allowed me to react to their deployment and have the last turn to take or contest objectives.
Here are the army lists:
Plaguewing
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Lord - Mark of Nurgle, Bike, The Black Mace, Sigil of Corruption (Warlord)
Sorcerer - Bike, Force Axe, Level 3 Psyker (Biomancy)
Spells: Endurance, Iron Arm, Warp Speed
3x Chaos Biker - Mark of Nurgle, 2x Plasma Gun, Power Fist
Heldrake - Bale Flamer
Heldrake - Bale Flamer
7x Plague Marine - 2x Meltagun, Combi-Plasma
Rhino - Dozer Blade, Extra Armor
7x Plague Marine - Meltagun & Flamer
Rhino - Dozer Blade, Extra Armor
Chaos Daemons
Daemon Prince - Nurgle, Wings, 2x Greater Reward (Bale Sword, Re-roll Invulnerable Saves), Level 3 Psyker (Biomancy)
Spells: Iron Arm, Life Leech, Warp Speed
5x Plague Drone - Rot Proboscis, Death Heads, Greater Ether Sword
10x Plaguebearer
White Scars
Khan - Moondrakken (Warlord)
Command Squad - Bikes, 4x Storm Shield, 4x Grav Gun, Apothecary
5x Space Marine Biker - 2x Grav Gun, Combi-Grav, Meltabombs
5x Space Marine Biker - 2x Grav Gun, Combi-Grav, Meltabombs
5x Scout - Shotguns, Meltabombs
Land Speeder Storm - Heavy Flamer
Storm Talon - Twin Linked Lascannon
Tau
Ethereal
20x Kroot - Sniper Rifles, Kroot Hound
10x Kroot - Sniper Rifles, Kroot Hound
Riptide - Ion Accelerator, Early Warning Override
Riptide - Heavy Burst Cannon, Velocity Tracker, Early Warning Override
5x Pathfinder
3x Broadside - Heavy Yield Missiles, Railguns, Velocity Trackers
Note - I don't have a copy of my opponents' lists so what you see above is to the best of my memory.
The table had three good size pieces of line of sight (LoS) blocking terrain - one in the middle of the table, one over in my near corner and the other over in my far corner.
Here is how my opponents deployed.
The Pathfinders were in an excellent elevated position using infiltrate and would be a thorn in my side the entire game. Of course all the bikes are probably going to scout move prior to the first turn.
I deployed in a castle with both rhinos behind the building in my near corner along with by bikerstar. I opted to hold the Plaguebearers and Plague Drones in reserve along with both of my Heldrakes. Both the Plaguebearers and Plague Drones would come in from my long table edge.
Here are the points for each objective marker:
4 points - objective by the building holding my castle
3 points - objective in the diagonal table quarter
2 points - objective in my far corner
1 point - objective adjacent to my castle
So I had the advantage on points for objective markers plus some good LoS blocking terrain so I don't get alpha struck too hard.
First Turn - Tau & White Scars
As predicted all of the bikes scouted up prior to the first turn and then they moved forward again during their first turn to surround the building holding my forces. Shooting saw one rhino immobilized and the Daemon Prince lost a wound.
First Turn - Plaguewing
I successfully cast all my psychic powers. The Plague Marines in the mobile transport dismount behind the wall while the rhino crashes through, popped smoke and turned sideways. The Plague Marines in the immobilized rhino disembark out of the rear maintaining good cover. The Daemon Prince flew out of the building landing beside the rhino for cover from Overwatch prior to the charge. My bikerstar held its ground moving just a bit for the jink save. Shooting sees the Prince regenerate his lost wound with Life Leech. The Daemon Prince then charged a bike squad and destroyed them then consolidated 6" back behind the smoked rhino for cover.
I have First Blood and one kill point.
Second Turn - Tau & White Scars
The White Scars are mad and want revenge! The huge blob of Kroot with Ethereal attached outflank coming in on the far side of the table. The biker units repositioned for better line of sight to the Prince but he would still draw some cover from interposing enemy units and the rhino. Both the Daemon Prince and rhino were destroyed in the shooting phase but it required all of their shooting.
My opponents have two kill points.
Second Turn - Plaguewing
The Daemon Prince had played the classic role of baiting the enemy into the position I wanted. Both Heldrakes arrive from reserve using the middle piece of LoS blocking terrain as a shield along with the Plague Drones. The Heldrake focused on flaming the bikes while the Plague Drones entered cover and would have to wait for the next turn to assault the big blob of Kroot. I passed all my psychic tests I rolled for the Sorcerer. My bikerstar held its ground moving just a bit for the jink save. The Heldrakes take out most of the bikes then the Plague Marines behind the immobilized rhino charge a remnant squad of bikes and destroy them. Khan is left along with two Honor Guard... They break and fall back 12". Plague Marines consolidate back towards the building.
I now have First Blood and three kill points.
Third Turn - Tau & White Scars
The Storm Talon and scouts both came in from reserve. The Storm Talon lined up to target one of the Heldrakes while the scouts hung back over on the far side of the table. The Plague Marines caught out in the open took some losses from shooting with only three left and the one Heldrake lost two hull points. The other Heldrake lost its bale flamer. The big blob of Kroot target the Plague Drones and managed to kill one. Khan and his two remaining Honor Guard then assaulted the three Plague Marines... Both Honor Guard died, Khan lost a wound in the challenge then broke again. The three Plague Marines consolidated towards Khan.
I now have First Blood and four kill points.
Third Turn - Plaguewing
The Plaguebearers arrived coming in behind the two point objective marker located in cover over in my far corner. The Sorcerer successfully cast his psychic powers. The Heldrake with its bale flamer flew off the table. The other Heldrake vector struck the Pathfinders, killing four but the last one held. Plague Drones moved forward to assault the Kroot blob. The three Plague Marines scooted up towards Khan while the other squad dropped back to control the four point objective marker. My bikerstar moved over to get the plasma guns in range to the Storm Talon. Shooting from bikerstar and the full squad of Plague Marines dropped the Storm Talon. Plague Drones charged the blob killing over one half their number - due to spacing the combat ends since neither side can move back into base contact with an enemy model. The Plague Marines charged Khan - he lost another wound and broke yet again... The three Plague Marines then consolidated back to the outer edge of the building.
I have First Blood and five kill points plus I'm holding the four point objective while my opponents still only have two kill points. At this point we were not keeping track of additional bonus points for destroying enemy fast attack units (i.e., that would be three more for me though).
Fourth Turn - Tau & White Scars
Things were starting to look really tough for my opponents at this point. They could still make a game of it but really had their work cut for them. They couldn't really challenge me for the four point objective marker but the two and three point markers were possible.
The last squad of Kroot automatically arrived and came in on the far side lining up to shoot my Plague Drones along with the remainder from the other squad. The scouts hung back. Khan decided to play it safe and dropped back hiding behind terrain. Shooting finishes off the three Plague Marines and another Plague Drone snuffed it. The Heldrake still on the table was destroyed as well.
My opponents now had four kill points plus two bonus points for the Heldrakes.
Fourth Turn - Plaguewing
The last Heldrake entered play again going after the last Pathfinder and Khan with its bale flamer but was brought down by the intercepting heavy burst cannon. The Plague Drones moved into position to assault the remaining Kroot with the Ethereal. The Plaguebearers moved into range of the two point objective marker. My rhino re-mobilized itself. Bikerstar and the full squad of Plague Marines both camped out on the four point objective marker. The Plague Drones then shot and assaulted Kroot wiping the squad along with the Ethereal... They consolidated onto the three point objective marker.
At this point we decide to call the game as it didn't seem possible my opponents could get back into the game. I had some really hot dice when I needed them such as hitting the Storm Talon with two snap shots (plasma and melta). This was a great return to the field of battle for the Plaguewing. It looks like there's a good chance there'll be a rematch soon too and I'm sure my opponents won't make the same mistakes again such as going after a bait unit.
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