Battle on Red Planet 9

This was a very exciting game using a mission from the new Chapter Approved 2018. Here’s the armies:

++ Blood Angels Battalion ++

Captain - Jump Pack (Angel’s Wings) - Thunderhammer - Stormshield
/Warlord: Artisan of War

Mephiston - Wings & Quickening

3x 5x Scout - Bolt Pistols & Combat Blades


++ Deathwatch Battalion ++

Watch Master - Tomes of Ectoclades

Watch Captain - Jump Pack - Storm Bolter - Thunderhammer - Angelis Beacon

Veteran Squad:
Watch Sergeant - Power Axe - Storm Bolter
Black Shield - Stormshield - Power Axe
2x Veteran - Stormshields & Storm Bolters
Gunner - Frag Cannon
Gunner - Infernus Heavy Bolter
Terminator - Power Fist & Storm Bolter

Veteran Squad:
Watch Sergeant - Power Axe - Storm Bolter
Black Shield - Stormshield - Storm Bolter
2x Veteran - Stormshields & Storm Bolters
Gunner - Frag Cannon
Gunner - Infernus Heavy Bolter
Terminator - Power Fist & Storm Bolter

Fortis Kill Team:
Intercessor Sergeant - Auto Bolt Rifle - Power Fist
4x Intercessor - Auto Bolt Rifles & Auxiliary Grenade Launcher
2x Inceptor - Assault Bolters
Aggressor - Bolt Gauntlets & Missile Rack


++ Adeptus Custodes Vanguard ++

Shield Captain on Dawneagle - Auric Aquilas

Vexilla Praetor - Castellan Axe

3x Warden - Castellan Axes

3x Allarus - Castellan Axes


Here’s my opponent’s army list to the best of my memory:

Overlord
/Warlord

Cryptek

Lord

15x Warrior

10x Immortal - Tesla

Ghost Ark

Annihilation Barge

Annihilation Barge

6x Destroyer

6x Destroyer

5x Wraith

Mission:
4 Pillars (from CA2018)

There are four objective markers on the table placed symmetrically around the center of the table each 15" out and only TROOP choices can score them. At the end of each battle round whoever controls the most objectives scores a point. Also whoever kills the most enemy units per battle round scores a point, both are very similar to the ITC Championship Mission format. There is also First Strike, Slay the Warlord (StWL) and Line Breaker (LB) up for grabs.

Deployment:
#1 from Rulebook

I deployed all my army first placing several units in deep strike reserve and my opponent deployed his entire army after me. Terrain favored my opponent as there wasn’t much good line of sight blocking terrain. I deployed most of my units in a ruin to hide them from the brutal xenos fire power and would focus on scoring objectives in the latter part of the game. I wanted to focus on first killing the Immortals and Warriors to prevent my opponent from scoring on objectives as the game progressed.

Here’s the running score with in-game notes per battle round:

T1: 0 [Imperium] - 3 [Necrons]
Necrons - 1 (First Strike), 1 (Objectives held), 1 (Units killed - Scouts)

Fairly lack luster turn for me - I had infiltrated one scout squad on an objective in my deployment zone to bait out his barges and Destroyers... sure enough the Barges came out to play.

T2: 0 [Imperium] - 4 [Necrons]
Imperium - 0 (Units killed - both Barges)
Necrons - 0 (Units killed - Mephiston & Veterans), 1 (Objectives held)

Mephiston and the Smash Captain came out to deal with the two barges. I deep struck my Fortis Kill Team and Watch Captain in range of the Warriors and used the beacon to bring in one of my Veteran Kill Teams. I just managed to kill both barges. The Warriors took some damage but not nearly enough. The Vets got nuked and only the Aggressor managed to survive enemy return fire power for the Fortis Kill Team... the Aggressor went onto to be one of my MVPs shooting down lots of Immortals and Warriors as the game progressed. Mephiston also got nuked by a squad of Destroyers. Again I wasn’t able to score any points this turn while the Necrons are running up their score.

T3: 0 [Imperium] - 6 [Necrons]
Imperium - 0 (Units killed - Immortals)
Necrons - 1 (Units killed - Watch Captain & Allarus), 1 (Objectives held)

My Praetor advanced forward and used the teleport homer stratagem to bring the Allarus into range to charge the Immortals which were decimated. I lost both the Allarus and the Watch Captain in return. The Wardens deep struck beside the Aggressor and were able to make an 11" charge into the Warriors... didn’t quite finish them off but they took heavy losses this turn. My other squad of Veterans, Watch Master and Shield-Captain began marching up the battlefield to lend some fire support.

T4: 0 [Imperium] - 8 [Necrons]
Imperium - 0 (Units killed - Warriors)
Necrons - 0 (Units killed - Smash Captain), 1 (Objectives held), 1 (StWL)

I lost my Warlord this turn... while he didn’t inflict a lot of damage he did manage to stick around for quite awhile and was quite the annoying pest. Combined shooting and a charge by the Shield-Captain removed the remaining Warriors.

T5: 2 [Imperium] - 8 [Necrons]
Imperium - 1 (Units killed - Cryptek & Wraiths), 1 (Objectives held)
Necrons - 0 (Units killed - Wardens)

Both scout squads pop out of the ruin this turn to hold the objective in my deployment zone while the rest of my forces start their killing spree. I really need two more turns to get back into the fight.

T6: 4 [Imperium] - 8 [Necrons]
Imperium - 1 (Objectives held), 1 (Units killed - Destroyer Squad)

Up pops a 3 on the dice - Turn 6 is on and my remaining forces are dominating now but there’s only so many points left on the table... Sure enough there’s a seventh final turn.

T7: 8 [Imperium] - 8 [Necrons]
Imperium - 1 (Objectives held), 1 (Units killed - bunches) StWL, LB



So the game ended in a draw with close to tabling for my opponent... all he had left was a Ghost Ark and a single Destroyer with one wound. I still had my Shield-Captain, Praetor, one Veteran squad, the Watch Master, two Scout squads and the lone Aggressor.

The surviving Veteran squad tanked a lot of high AP rending shots over the latter course of the game... wow those stormshields are solid gold for sure ! I’m liking the power fists for the terminators as they help to quickly clear out multi wound enemy units. This game was tough for me due to lack of enough line of sight blocking terrain. I played it cagey with some of my units like the scouts and they were able to score in the latter game. I really needed the two last turns to even have a chance to scrap a draw. I’d like to have squad of jetbikes but would have to get rid of both the Allarus and Wardens whom got the job done helping to eliminate several key enemy units.