Action Report: Tyranids vs. Chaos 10-15-07

Me and the missus played an extremely fun 1500 point game the other night pitting bugs against new chaos. Incidentally, I think it will be fun to call it new chaos forever. The mission was cleanse. C2’s list included a bike lasher, 10 terminators, 10 berzerkers with a rhino, 10 thousand sons with a rhino, and 10 havocs with a lascannon, missile launcher, and 2 heavy bolters. I played bugs and used a psychic scream dakkarant, three squads of 12 genestealers, 3 squads of 12 gaunts with fleshborers, a sniperfex with a venom cannon and barbed strangler, and 3 zoanthropes with 2 psychic screamers and 1 synapse creature. I think the lists meshed well to create an interesting game but they probably both need a little tweaking (I’ll get to that).

The dakkarant is awesome, like a mobile heavy bolter squad re-rolling hits and wounds. At least three times I inflicted 10 armor saves on various chaos units with the big guy. The fex was hit or miss (hur hur) but when he landed those barbed strangler shots into massed troops it always did some pretty good damage. The infernal thousand sons can and did decimate genestealers at short range; I’ll have to remember to watch out for that. Probably the most interesting elements of the game were the bike lasher and the psychic scream choir. The sorcerer kept a large genestealer squad at bay for the entire game just by himself and it really weakened my whole approach on that particular side. On the last turn, after confirming that lash can indeed move monstrous creatures, she almost kept me out of one of the adjacent quarters by pushing the hive tyrant 8 inches back (a squad of genestealers was barely able to sneak in right at the end and keep it). The multiple approaching psychic screamers made powers and other important leadership tests (target priority, pinning) increasingly difficult, and that coupled with the fact that C2 was rolling pretty poorly for the entire game ensured the Tyranid win. I was able to wipe out the havocs and thousand sons entirely, plus half of the berzerkers, losing two gaunt and two genestealer squads in the process. If I remember correctly, I believe controlling the two adjacent quarters gave me a crushing victory rather than a solid or a draw.

While I was impressed with how new chaos held up to the bug advance, I don’t know how good of an all-comer list it really is. I might drop some squad sizes down a tad (havocs, berzerkers) and change the havocs gun loadout to try and fit in an obliterator or two just for more high strength, low AP weaponry. I’m changing up the tyranid list also, mainly to excise the pointless gaunts, but also take the 3 genestealer squads down to 10 (or maybe 5 squads of 6?), add a broodlord and retinue, and a second carnifex with talons, tusks, and carapace. Without the gaunts I really don’t see a reason to have a second synapse creature in the zoanthropes, since everyone’s Ld 10 and all but the genestealers will likely stay in range of his bubble, as he’ll be hiding behind carnifexes until he gets into shooting range anyway. Just one more scream to add to the choir!

Action Report: Imperial Guard vs. Chaos 9-03-07

Toggog's newly reorganized band of marauders conducted a surprise raid today, fighting the Tiefwalder Red Rifles for control of a power substation in the forested wilds of Tiefwald itself. The newest arrivals served their master well and their abilities complemented the force nicely. Toggog himself was downed early by heavy ordnance and ambushing veterans, but Sorcerer Aziz survived nearly the entire battle, seducing several units out of cover and wiping out two infantry squads by himself, normally by overrunning them after they broke and ran from close combat. The havocs killed some infantry but were unable to damage any vehicles; they were destroyed in the end. Two berzerkers survived an initial devastating earthshaker hit to help the obliterators teleport right next to the leman russ. Immediately they opened up with their multimeltas and destroyed it. The berzerkers were finally wiped out after that but the obliterators would survive to destroy a hellhound and contest their sector. On the other side of the battle, the Thousand Sons burst forward early and, for a short time, kept cover behind their rhino, opening up on one squad dragged into range by the dread Sorcerer Aziz. However, the emperor smiled on Tiefwald, and the biggest guns of the Big Green aimed straight and true, quickly reducing the Thousand Sons to ashes. Behind their smoldering remains, a huge Terminator squad hurried over to contest the adjacent sector. At the very climax of the battle, they fell under a mass of fire from infantry and armor and not enough survived fight off the nearby Imperial forces. The buildings and landscape were scorched and pockmarked by ordnance and small arms but the substation and the sector was back under control, at least for the time being. Imperial Guard wins, solid victory!

Overall I liked how the rumored Chaos played out, even if they didn't win their first game. I got first turn and was able to put a couple of early wounds on the demon prince, facilitating his early demise. He was on his way to surely wreak major havoc when I scored hits with both my deep-striking veteran squads, right next to him, mucho BS4 melta and plasma, adios. The big prince is cheaper now, true, but his old demon armor and feel no pain will be sorely missed under heavy fire like that. Gone before their time, the thousand sons were basically knocked out in one turn by the demolisher and basilisk's combined pieplates - I had some great luck with scattering this game. The Terminators were thick and it took my Guard-quantity guns to make a dent in them. They might have been better off deep-striking, maybe not, I can't really decide. It's a big risk to keep their expensive unit in limbo, but their early turns were mostly spent moving up - although to be fair, I did manage to pin them first turn on a freak leadership roll with the ratlings after only killing one! Cheesy. I'm seriously considering dropping their icon of tzeentch for a cheaper chaos glory version. I think the points will be better spent elsewhere, like getting two more havocs or a icon of khorne on the bikes (who honestly deserve it for their berzerker paint scheme and iconography). I really liked how the deep-striking obliterators turned out, coming in relatively late in the game and into a place where I couldn't put much fire into them. That accurate teleport is gold for them. And last but not least: lash! Well, what can I say? It worked just like it was supposed to, rolling 8's for the movement almost every time, really screwing up one end of my gun line by yanking fools out of cover and into shooting and assault range of the thousand sons and terminators. C2 kept him separate from the other assault units, and he definitely dealt his fair share of damage, but I think he might have been more effective working with them in concert. Still, it was the first game with the new configuration and next game I expect the list to be that much more deadly.

Waldering

Me and c2 got in a game today, 2000 pts, loot, chaos vs. imperial guard, using the two armies I posted recently. We didn't calculate the margin of victory but it was a sure thing that I had won. The collapsible infantry line worked well, with my anchors of armor surviving to do pretty good damage to the chaos units. There were several close calls, however, and c2's terminators were poised to smash my army's core to pieces, but my command HQ junior officer survived just long enough to leave them stranded out of assault in my turn for heavy and special weapons to wipe them out. I might have inflicted a few assault kills myself if I had a hidden-pf commissar embedded in my line. I'm considering switching him in for sharpshooters. Bah, I'm so fickle about that damn doctrine! Both the basilisk and leman russ had to beat a hasty retreat in the face of the demon prince but he himself fell back to chase a hellhound threatening to take an objective. As regards the elements I had changed up in my guard list recently, the sentinel autocannons weren't particularly effective but I did like them in the fire support squad. The veterans performed brilliantly, with some good plasma rolls. I came close to discarding one of their shooting hits - almost forgot the BS4! They wiped out the 5 remaining possessed to a man, who was then finished off by indirect fire from the basilisk. Unfortunately they were soon charged by two berzerkers and they got mopped up pretty handily. A power weapon in this case wouldn't have made a difference but I'm thinking about giving the vet sergeant one with a bolt pistol instead of his bolter - only 5 points after all, and a bolt pistol might get one fewer shot but 4 buried power weapon attacks might help them earn even more points back. I might even work in hardened fighters for them somehow as well. All in all, a good, fun game.

I did look over a summary of chaos codex "rumors," and I'm not as enthusiastic as I was before about my army making the transition to the new edition. To make an effective conversion, it will probably involve more buying and painting, and that pisses me off.

Wolftimes

After this loss and another just like it, I was finally able to defeat c2’s witch hunters last night with my space wolves drop pod force (the 1500 point version). I was going to switch the terminators out for a venerable dreadnought and 5 long fangs, and that still might be the best way to go, but I wanted to give the 3-pod list one more chance. For the first two games, I think I was concentrating the surprise attackers too much in one place. The terminators, grey hunters, and wolf scouts can do good damage on their first turn, but often the surviving elements of the witch hunters would swarm me with flamers and divine guidance, reducing my best units to dust in less than 2 turns. One-on-one, the wolves are easily superior, but if the more numerous witch hunters gang up on isolated or crowded elements, they can combo almost anyone to death very quickly. For the last game, an annihilation scenario, I was a little more careful with my deep-striking. I tried to land them just far enough away from the sisters swarms, my major goal being to split up the major threats and refrain from needlessly sacrificing anyone to the mass flameage. In the end the wolf guard terminators were destroyed, but the rune priest hobbled away wounded and the blood claws and vindicator cleaned up the offending seraphim and cannoness to make it a crushing victory for the sons of Russ.

If I did switch out the terminators for a ven dred and long fangs, I would still have two drop pods of grey hunters, but it would amount to a much different kind of force. In that case I think the main strategy would be to hold back and snipe, make the enemy come to me, and then use the deep-striking grey hunters to capture objectives or join the wolf scouts for rear-echelon disruption attacks.

I changed out the 5 ratlings in my 2000 point imperial guard force (the 14th Tiefwalder) for a third sentinel, to be attached to the command HQ squad. That gives me three lascannon sentinels that operate independently, sniping at vehicles and heavy infantry and grabbing objectives at the last minute (if they survive). I eschewed any vehicle upgrades for them, so they’re still pretty vulnerable, but if folks are shooting at them and not the tanks, it’s all gravy anyway. That gives me 9 armored units and 73 infiltrating or deep-striking infantry, 3 ordinance weapons, 7 lascannons, 7 missile launchers, 9 heavy bolters, 5 meltaguns, 4 plasma guns, a couple of multilasers and flamers, and finally, a demolition charge in a pear tree. Mmm, that's good squishy.

Battle Report: Chaos vs. Necrons 4-27-07

C. vs. Mack - 1500 points - Secure and Control

Same lists from the last game: C. was playing with the demon prince, two obliterators, 6 terminators, 6 possessed, 5 berzerkers in a rhino, 6 bloodletters, and 6 havocs. Mack had a destroyer lord, a VoD lord on foot, two squads of 10 warriors, one squad of 12 warriors, 5 destroyers, and a monolith. This time there was a little less terrain on the board. The four objective markers were the two necron obelisks and the two missiles.

Turn 1

Necrons: The army moves up as a whole, the destroyers shoot at the obliterators but are out of range.

Chaos: The berzerkers roll blood rage and tear out 10", the rhino pulling ahead of them for cover, firing its smoke launchers. Terminators and obliterators drop five warriors with shooting.

Turn 2

Necrons: Four warriors recover, and the monolith arrives, deep striking in the center of the chaos deployment zone. The destroyers kill two terminators, and the monolith's particle whip misses the berzerkers but hits their rhino, shaking it.

Chaos: The obliterators fire lascannons at the monolith, hitting it but failing to penetrate. Havocs kill a warrior. The demon prince charges into a warrior squad and 6 of their number fall before his mighty axe of khorne.

Turn 3

Necrons: Three warriors recover from the demon prince's assault, thanks to the nearby lord's resurrection orb. Then they are teleported through the monolith's portal, bringing one more additional warrior back with the WBB reroll. The destroyers and warriors put mass fire into the demon prince, nearly wounding him, but he shrugs it off and stands firm. The destroyer lord and warriors by the monolith shoot at the obliterators but do no damage.

Chaos: The terminators move deeper into their building, and together with the havocs drop 5 warriors. Obliterators score 1 glance and 1 penetrate on the monolith but only get a weapon destroyed, which is nearly nothing on the monolith. The demon prince chases down the destroyers, catching them in assault. He kills three and sends them fleeing off the board, afterwards consolidating into the foot lord. Berzerkers charge into a warrior squad and kill five of them.

Turn 4

Necrons: The lord uses veil of darkness to escape the demon prince, landing by the bloodletters behind the ruined church. He kills one with his staff of light.

Chaos: The demon prince and the berzerkers finish off another squad of warriors. The bloodletters charge the necron lord, and each side inflicts two wounds.

Turn 5

Necrons: The surviving necrons pour fire into the obliterators, doing no damage. Five warriors and the destroyer lord charge the obliterators in combat, inflicting one wound, but the lord takes a wound himself.

Chaos: The terminator champion downs the foot lord with his kai gun. The demon prince and berzerkers charge into the last large squad of warriors, killing seven and taking the necrons below their phase out number.

Win for chaos.

Battle Report: Chaos vs. Necrons 4-20-07

C. vs. Mack - 1500 points - Annihilation

A little practice for the tournament. C. was playing with the demon prince, two obliterators, 6 terminators, 6 possessed, 5 berzerkers in a rhino, 6 bloodletters, and 6 havocs. Mack had a destroyer lord, a VoD lord on foot, two squads of 10 warriors, one squad of 12 warriors, 5 destroyers, and a monolith.

Turn 1

(Missed the picture)

Necrons: The destroyers shoot up the havocs, killing one. The monolith moves up.

Chaos: The berzerkers roll blood rage and charge forward; the rhino pulls ahead of them to provide cover, firing off its smoke launchers. The havocs drop two destroyers. Obliterators fire across the board and pick off a couple of warriors.

Turn 2

Necrons: One destroyer recovers and they fire on the havocs, killing another. The monolith moves forward and teleports a squad of 10 warriors through the portal, who open fire and destroy the rhino.

Chaos: The berzerkers charge around the rhino into the necron warriors, killing several. The obliterators pick on the far squad of warriors again. The terminators and havocs wipe out the destroyers.

Turn 3

Necrons: The monolith retreats and pulls the warriors in assault back through the portal again, picking up another WBB roll as they go. They take down the berzerkers in a hail of gauss fire. The foot lord uses veil of darkness to teleport himself and 12 warriors across the table into the chaos deployment zone. They fire but inflict no damage on the obliterators.

Chaos: The obliterators and terminators take down five warriors. The bloodletters deep strike in near the possessed before moving forward en masse towards the rear warriors squad with the demon prince.

Turn 4

Necrons: One warrior recovers from the VoD squad and they move forward, shooting at the obliterators to no avail. The monolith moves forward again, bringing the warriors with it.

Chaos: The obliterators and terminators drop more warriors from the VoD squad. The demon prince and possessed jump forward and wipe out the far squad of warriors.

Turn 5

Necrons: The destroyer lord boosts away from the demon prince. The VoD squad kills a terminator. The monolith and warrior squad move closer to the chaos deployment zone.

Chaos: More shooting from the terminators and obliterators break the squad of warriors and they flee, taking the necrons below phase out number and bringing the match to an end.

Win for chaos.

Battle Report: Imperial Guard vs. Necrons 4-20-07

Bullymike vs Mack - 2000 points - Rules of Engagement

We began in the "L"-type deployment zones, Mack drew unconventional warfare (control 2 randomly selected objectives) and I drew hold the line (control both of my objectives). One of Mack's needed objectives turned out to be my fuel tanks just south of the cathedral.

Turn 1

Necrons: The monolith and heavy destroyer take apart the anti-tank team, sending them fleeing off the board.

Guard: Sentinels destroy the monolith with their lascannons. It explodes and one warrior is knocked down. Everyone else fires at the tomb spyder but does no damage.

Turn 2

Necrons: Scarabs deep strike behind the chimeras and hellhound. The lord on foot VoDs with a squad of warriors in front of the Leman Russ and destroy it with massed gauss fire. Wraiths turbo around the monolith's crater to join the tomb spyder in the middle of the table.

Guard: The special weapon squad flames a couple of warriors from atop the Leman Russ wreckage. The destroyers are pinned by a basilisk barrage. The wraiths and the tomb spyder are destroyed by infantry squads. One command squad, its chimera, and the hellhound destroy the scarabs.

Turn 3

Necrons: The lord on foot and warriors assault and kill the special weapon squad, and move on to the nearby command squad.

Guard: Missile launchers, sentinels, ratlings, and heavy bolter teams wipe out the destroyers. One of the infantry squads moves out to intercept the foot lord and warriors.

Turn 4

Necrons: The lord and warriors kill the command squad and follow up into an infantry squad. The destroyer lord and more warriors move up.

Guard: Various warriors are picked off in shooting, and the infantry squad is broken in assault by the foot lord and warriors, but as they flee to their southern edge, they are caught by the necrons' consolidation move.

Turn 5

Necrons: The destroyer lord jumps forward and joins the combat with the infantry squad, and together with the other lord and warriors they wipe the guardsmen out.

Guard: Massed shooting from the chimeras and hellhound wipes out the foot lord and his squad of warriors.

Turn 6

Necrons: The foot lord rises up with one wound and moves forward with the destroyer lord. Their shooting breaks an infantry squad and they flee out of charge range.

Guard: The hellhound and chimera with command squad move to grab the fuel tanks objective, and the command HQ grabs the bunker doors objective.

Win for Imperial Guard!