The big game was played while I was home for vacation earlier this month with Kenny Boucher at Atomic Empire in Durham, NC.
Chapter Master Thorr has convinced a small contingent of Ravenwing to join his biker company leading them to the outer edge of the Eye of Terror where an ancient Chaos relic resides upon a hidden planet. The relic must be captured and brought back to the Imperium so that it can be used against the forces of disorder in an impending Black Crusade predicted by Seer Kharbis of the Storm Giants' Conclave. They are either surely fearless or quite foolish as many have ventured there before them only to meet their sudden demise...
Here's the mission:
As you can see the mission is a twist on maelstrom that most often requires you to score two objectives each turn to earn victory points. Note that you can score more victory points after the second turn.
Army Lists
Here's the army lists...
Ravenscar BikeStar
White Scars Allied Detachment
Chapter Master - Artificier Armor - Heaven's Wrath - Hunter's Eye - Shield Eternal - Power Fist - Auspex
Command Squad - Bikes
Eagle Banner
4x Storm Shield - 4x Grav Gun - 3x Melta Bomb - Thunderhammer
Apothecary
Biker Squad
Sergeant - Combi-Grav - Melta Bomb
4x Biker - 2x Grav Gun
Attack Bike - Multi-Melta
Librarius Conclave - Iron Hands
3x Level 2 Librarian - Bikes - 3x Melta Bomb - 3x Force Axe
Telepathy - Shriek/Invisibility/Terrify
Santic - Banishment/Hammerhand/Purge Soul
Divination - Prescience/Misfortune/Scryer's Gaze
Ravenwing Strike Force
Interrogator Chaplain - Bike - Power Fist - Unseen Eye /Warlord
5x Black Knight
Hunt Master
5x Black Knight
Hunt Master
Chaos Coalition
Chaos Daemons
Belakor
11x Horror
15x Flesh Hound
Soul Grinder (Slaneesh)
Chaos Space Marines
Level 3 Sorceror - Bike - Force Axe /Warlord
Biomancy - Smite/Enfeeble/Endurance/Warp Speed
Level 3 Sorceror - Bike - Force Stave
Biomancy - Smite/Enfeeble/Endurance/Iron Arm
Maulerfiend - Magnacutters
Maulerfiend - Magnacutters
10x Cultist
10x Cultist
5x Chaos Spawn - Nurgle
5x Chaos Spawn - Nurgle
Here's some pictures of Kenny's amazing Chaos army...
Belakor
Cultists and Maulerfiend
Soulgrinder and Maulerfiends
Daemonettes and Nurgle Spawn
Warlord Traits
Sorry but I forgot our Warlord traits.
Deployment
Kenny won the roll to deploy first and did so holding the Soulgrinder in reserve which would deep strike...
I deployed second holding my Storm Giant biker squad in reserve...
My Storm Giants biker squad is actually one of the most valuable units in my army since it's my only objective secured squad.
Kenny elected to scout his large squad of Flesh Hounds straight towards my battle line.
I failed to seize after Kenny's scout move and there was no night fight.
Pre Game Analysis
First I'd like to point Kenny relies upon his army being an uncommon list that causes confusion for the opponent which can quickly lead to bad decisions. I have played against an earlier pre existing version of the army and was able to watch two video batreps featuring the new Chaos army... So I went into this game well prepared and had plenty of time to review the mission.
Second I brought my own army this time which is pure biker - something I'm intimately familiar with now. I don't like using tactical Marines and consider them to be not really worth their points. I am actually more mobile than Kenny which is a big deal.
My game plan is to play defensively the first two turns, not make any big mistakes then crank it up to the next level when each turn the objective is worth 3 victory points. First I need to eliminate the big squad of Flesh Hounds which we know will be invisible. Yes I'll have an invisible deathstar but that spell is guaranteed for Chaos since Kenny has Belakor. My army has some great buffs for re rolling hits (Prescience, Preferred Enemy, twin linked plasma Talons and bolters), Hammer of Wrath in spades plus Hit and Run - all of which can be huge versus Invisibility... It's all about chipping away at the stone. If I can quickly eliminate the Flesh Hounds I'll have the upper hand in board control. Kenny will probably score more points the first two turns but I should be able to make up the difference the final four turns.
So I think my chances are a lot better this time but every game versus Kenny is like a super heavy weight fist fight plus he always has some tricks up his sleeve. I have never beat Kenny and most of our games end in a draw.
1st Turn - Chaos
Kenny moves up his Flesh Hounds to cut off and surround my battle line but cannot assault this turn since they scouted. One of the Maulerfiends moves up behind them to lend support. Both Sorcerers are attached to one unit of Spawn and Belakor (gliding) is close by to shroud them.
During Kenny's psychic phase he is able to successfully cast Invisibility on the Flesh Hounds but I deny his first attempt to cast Endurance on them and he fails the second attempt.
The Flesh Hounds then fleet forward even closer as does the Maulerfiend as well.
Kenny is unable to score the objective this turn since he didn't destroy any of my units.
1st Turn - Ravenscar BikeStar
I need to start chipping away at the stone. I move all of my units so they can shoot and charge the Flesh Hounds. My Interrogator Chaplain is attached to the command squad along with Chapter Master and the Librarians.
I am able to successfully cast both Invisibility and Prescience on the BikeStar.
Shooting and assault takes down a total of around six to seven Flesh Hounds which is a good start. I don't lose a single model either. All my squads remain locked in combat except for BikeStar which could not consolidate back into combat due to positioning which then backs into my corner.
I also do not score the turn one objective.
2nd Turn - Chaos
Kenny's Soulgrinder fails to arrive from reserve. One of unit of Spawn moves towards the scrum along with the one Maulerfiend but will be out of charge range this turn. The other unit of Spawn along with the Sorcerers and Belakor move into range to control the central objective.
Kenny first attempts to cast Invisibility on the Flesh Hounds again but fails. He then successfully casts Endurance on them.
Combat then recommences and I'm able to drag down two more Flesh Hounds without losing any models in return. Both squads of Black Knights then successfully Hit and Run out of combat. One squad of Black Knights scoots across the table towards Kenny's Horrors and one squad of cultists... They should be able to shoot and assault during my turn.
The Flesh Hounds are just under one half their original number and no longer a big threat. Kenny scores two victory points this turn since he controls the central objective.
2nd Turn - Ravenscar BikeStar
My Storm Giants biker squad fails to arrive my reserve. The one squad of Black Knights move into position to multi-assault the Horrors and cultists while BikeStar and the other Black Knight squad move into position to shoot and assault the remaining Flesh Hounds.
I successfully cast Invisibility and Force on BikeStar.
The one squad of Black Knights shoot the Horrors dropping them down to less than half their original number. BikeStar and the other Black Knight squad shoot the Flesh Hounds drooping a couple more.
The first Black Knight squad multi assaults wiping out the cultists for First Blood but aren't quite able to finish off the Horrors with only a couple left after their Daemonic Instability test... The Black Knights then fail to Hit and Run out of combat. BikeStar and the other Black Knight squad charge the Flesh Hounds... Only one hound is left after the dust settles and both units successfully Hit and Run to gain more distance from the approaching Maulerfiend.
Chaos - 2 VP
BikeStar - 1 VP
To be continued...
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