Amra (aka Lysander)
10 Tactical Marines w/ plasma gun, lascannon
10 Tactical Marines w/ plasma gun, lascannon
5 Scouts w/ Telion, 3 sniper rifles, missile launcher, camo cloaks
10 Sternguard w/ 2 combi-meltas
8 Sternguard w/ 2 combi-meltas, 2 plasma guns
Thunderfire Cannon
5 Assault Terminators, all with thunder hammer/storm shield
Stormraven w/ multi-melta, assault cannons
Stormtalon w/ skyhammer missiles
The first game was the Emperor's Will with Vanguard Strike Deployment. My opponent took roughly the following list:
Company Command squad w/ banner and vox
Infantry Platoon
Platoon Command Squad w/ 4 flamers
3 infantry squads with grenade launcher and missile launcher
2 lascannon heavy weaponsquads
Infantry Platoon
Platoon Command Squad w/ 2 meltaguns, Chimera
3 infantry squads with grenade launcher and missile launcher, Chimera
2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks
2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks
2 Hydra Flak Tanks
Aegis Defense Line
The Imperial Guard deployed their infantry in the center, with the armored platoon and two Leman Russes on the left, and two Leman Russes and two Hydras on the right. I deployed with my combat squads with lascannons and Thunderfire in the cover surrounding my objective, while the plasma gun combat squads and Sternguard deployed forward to meet the enemy armored advance. My Scouts infiltrated on the far right, ready to advance on the Leman Russes on that side.
The Imperial Guard started the game with a barrage of fire. Six Sternguard from Amra's squad and four marines from one of the plasma gun squads were blasted apart by the Leman Russes. In a stroke of luck (for them...), the snap firing Hydras managed to kill my Techmarine, destroying the Thunderfire. Losing it's anti-infantry firepower before it got to shoot all those guardsmen was a serious blow.
My first turn was very uneventful. I advanced on the left toward the Chimeras, while the Scouts ran toward the Leman Russes in front of them.
The Imperial Guard continued with their barrage, killing 6 veterans from the Sternguard squad not led by Amra, and killing the last survivor of one of my combat squads. The Scouts attracted a lot of the enemy firepower, but only two died thanks to their cover save.
My Turn 2 began with my flyers arriving on the right, targeting the Hydras. They killed the forward one, by the second survived intact due to some impressive cover saves. My dwindling forces on the left kept advancing, but Amra failed to charge a Chimera. On the right, my Scouts managed to charge the Leman Russ, doing two hull points worth of damage and destroying its heavy flamer.
My squads were closing in, so the Imperial Guard 3rd turn was a counter attack. One of the infantry squads on the right dismounted and opened fire along with the squads in Chimeras, killing 2 of the Sternguard from Amra's squad. The infantry on the right repositioned to open fire on the Scouts, wiping them out. The Hydra destroyed my Stormtalon, while combined Guard fire took a hull point off the Stormraven. Meanwhile, the Leman Russes blasted my squads on my objective, whittling them down.
Amra charged into a Chimera and easily destroyed it, while his 2 Sternguard charge the empty Chimera next to it but failed to destroy it. The last 2 Sternguard from the other squad charged the dismounted guard squad, killing two but losing one. My Stormraven dropped into hover mode and the Assault Terminators charged out of it, slaughtering their way through a heavy weapons team and infantry squad, which both fell back. My last plasma gun combat squad retreated toward my objective.
The Imperial Guard was embattled on both flanks, and did their best to break through. Everything on the right except the Leman Russes shot at the Terminators, but only managed to kill one. The Hydra shot down the Stormraven. On the left, the remaining squads dismounted but failed to kill Amra, who proved impervious in his armor. Meanwhile, the Leman Russes continued their bombardment of my objective, leaving a single marine claiming it. A Chimera broke off from the pack and chased my plasma gun combat squad, hitting them with a heavy flamer.
My turn 4 had limited options. Amra charged in to the squad in front of him, killing 4 and driving them back. The three remaining Terminators charged a platoon command squad and infantry squad, killing a few, but they stayed in combat. My combat squad moved back toward the objective, but not close enough to claim it.
Turn 5 was short, as we were running out of time. It came down to whether the IG could kill the marine on my objective and my Terminators contesting their objective. The Leman Russes killed the marine on the objective, and I foolishly sent the last two marines from the plasma gun combat squad to ground when they were hit by a battle cannon. Two survived but could not move to claim my objective. Meanwhile, the Terminators were killed by an avalanche of attacks from Guardsmen.
The game was a victory for the Imperial Guard.
Lessons Learned:
1) This game was close! If I had made a cover save in the last turn, or hadn't sent that combat squad to ground, or failed the last armor save of the game on my last Terminator, the game would have been a draw. If two of those had happened, I would have won it. Even so, I made some huge mistakes.
2) What was I thinking with those Scouts? Sure they were a mild threat to the Leman Russes, but they would have been much better used sitting on my objective. With their cover saves, they would have likely survived the battle cannon shelling and held my objective.
3) My list has some major flaws against this type of match up. Battle cannons simply chew through marines on foot, with only cover able to save them. Even worse, my army was too slow to get in range of the shooty Guard. My Sternguard never got a round of shooting off as they rushed toward the enemy. Only Amra was tough enough to survive the slog to the enemy and kill anything. My army works well if the enemy wants to come to me, but those armies are few and far between now.