This week's battle report sees my Dark Angels army take on Angus' Sisters of Battle in an ETC practice mission.
The Eternal War mission was Resupply Drop. This was a slight modification of the normal mission, where four objectives are left at the end of the game. The maelstrom of war mission was Race to Victory. In this game, the first player to score 10 maelstrom cards stops the maelstrom mission. We were also using Search and Destroy deployment.
My Dark Angels army consisted of:
Battalion Detachment
Azrael (Az)
Primaris Lieutenant- Master-crafted Auto Bolt Rifle (L)
Primaris Ancient- Bolt Rifle (An)
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifle (I1)
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifle (I2)
5 Tactical Squad- Heavy Bolter, Bolters (TS1)
5 Scouts- Bolters, Heavy Bolter (S1)
5 Scouts- Bolters, Heavy Bolter (S2)
5 Scouts- Bolt Pistols, Combat Knives (S3)
10 Hellbalsters- Plasma Incinerators (H)
Outrider Detachment
Sammael (S)
5 Black Knights- Plasma Talons, Corvus Hammers (BK)
3 Ravenwing Bikers- Flamer, Twin Bolters (RB1)
3 Ravenwing Bikers- Meltagun, Twin Bolters (RB2)
Ravenwing Darkshroud- Assault Cannon (D)
Dark Talon- Rift Cannon, two Hurricane Bolters (DT)
8 Command Points (this was pre-FAQ).
Angus' army consisted of:
Battalion Detachment
Celestine- Tenacious Survivor, 2 Geminae Superior, Heavy Flamer (C1)
Inquisitor- Ordo Hereticus, Power Maul, Terrify (In)
5 Battle Sisters- Bolters, Flamer, Heavy Flamer, Sister Superior with Storm Bolter (BS1)
5 Battle Sisters- Bolters, Flamer, Heavy Bolter, Sister Superior with Storm Bolter (BS2)
5 Battle Sisters- Bolters, Flamer, Heavy Bolter, Sister Superior with Storm Bolter (BS3)
Callidus Assassin (Cul)
Culexus Assassin (Cal)
Dialogus (D)
Immolator- Twin Multi-melta (I1)
Immolator- Immolation Flamer (I2)
Immolator- Immolation Flamer (I3)
Outrider Detachment
Canoness- Bolt Pistol, Combi-Plasma, Chainsword (C2)
5 Dominion Squad- 4 Meltaguns, Combi-Melta (D1)
5 Dominion Squad- 4 Meltaguns, Combi-Melta (D2)
5 Dominion Squad- 4 Meltaguns, Combi-Melta (D3)
5 Dominion Squad- 4 Meltaguns, Combi-Melta (D3)
10 Seraphim- Superior with Plasma Pistol and Power Sword, two pairs of Inferno Pistols (SS)
Sororitas Repressor- Heavy Flamer, Storm Bolter (R1)
Sororitas Repressor- Heavy Flamer, Storm Bolter (R2)
Sororitas Repressor- Heavy Flamer, Storm Bolter (R3)
Angus didn't have a chance to modify has army from the last game, but I wanted to see how the Dark Angels would fare against them.
We set up the objectives as shown below:
We then deployed our forces:
I deployed the Hellblasters at the front of my deployment zone, supported by Azrael, the Lieutenant, Ancient and Darkshroud. I put the Dark Talon at the back of my deployment zone, with the Tactical Squad at the back to block enemy deep strikers. I also put one unit of Bikers and Intercessors on each flank, while the Black Knights and Sammael also went in the centre. The Scouts deployed out of my deployment zone, one unit going in the centre, while one unit went for the objective on each flank.
Angus deployed his units deep in his deployment zone. He put Celestine in the centre, to expand her invulnerable save bubble, with the vehicles clustered around them. The Seraphim went in reserve.
We rolled off for the first turn and I won the roll off. Angus failed to seize the initiative. Before the game started, I used the Secret Agenda stratagem (not getting the command point back). This allows me to keep all my maelstrom cards secret until I score them.
TURN 1- DARK ANGELS
In my first turn, I drew Mission Critical Objective (Objective 1), Secure Objective 1 and Defend Objective 3.
The Black Knights sped ahead of the main force, using Speed of the Raven to advance on the nearest enemy tank. This cost me two command points thanks to the Assassin. The rest of the Ravenwing Bikers also advanced on the objectives, while the Dark Talon moved up the centre of the battlefield.
The Hellblaster Squad marched forward, supported by the Dark Angels characters.
The Hellblaster Squad used Weapons of the Dark Age (getting the command point back thanks to Azrael), overcharging and fired on the closest Immolator, destroying it. One of the Battle Sisters perished in the wreck.
The Black Knights fired on another Immolator. They overcharged their Plasma Talons, losing two of the squad (I rolled two sets of double 1's) and hitting 8 times. The shots wounded 6 times, Angus making two of his invulnerable saves, so the vehicle took 6 damage.
The Dark Talon fired at the Battle Sisters squad, killing one with its Hurricane Bolters. The Rift Cannon fired at the damaged Immolator, getting two hits (with one command point re-roll that I also got back). Both shots wounded, but Angus made both his invulnerable saves! Sammael fired on the Vehicle, taking two wounds from it.
The Black Knights charged the Immolator. The overwatch fire scored 11 hits with the Flamers, killing two more of the squad. The Huntsmaster struck at the vehicle, but only managed to take a single wound, leaving the Immolator on one wound. The Black Knight passed his morale test.
At the end of my turn, I scored Mission Critical Objective, First Blood and Secure Objective 1.
TURN 1- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In his first turn, Angus drew Secure Objective 5, Secure Objective 6 and Master the Warp.
Celestine used her acts of faith to move up on the Hellblasters, while the wounded Sisters Squad used theirs to regain their casualty.
In the movement phase, Celestine moved up on the Hellblaster Squad, moving over the Scouts. One Repressor moved to the right flank, while the other two moved up on the enemy army. The Squad inside the Immolator disembarked, while their transport fell back from combat with the Black Knights.
At the end of the phase, the Callidus Assassin arrived, having to deploy 8" away. Angus used a command point re-roll to get a 4" deployment, allowing him to grab Objective 6. The Culexus Assassin deployed on the right flank in front of the Bikers and Scouts.
In the psychic phase, the Inquisitor cast Smite, killing the Black Knight.
In the shooting phase, the Callidus Assassin fired at the Tactical Squad, but missed with her shot. The Immolator opened fire on the Dark Talon, but both shots missed. The Squad inside fired at the Bikers, wounding them once.
Another Dominion Squad fired at the Bikers with their Meltaguns, wounding them four times. Thanks to the Jink saves, only one Biker perished.
In the centre of the Battlefield, the Repressor fired its smoke launchers. The Squad inside fired at the Scouts, killing one with their Bolters. The other squad members fired their Meltaguns at the Dark Talon, only wounding once and taking four damage from the flyer.
The second Repressor squad did the same. The Scouts were unharmed, but the Dark Talon took two wounds from the Meltaguns. The combined fire did 5 damage, but Angus used a command point re-roll to get 6 damage in total, just enough to destroy the flyer.
The Battle Sisters in the ruins fired at the Scouts, killing two of the squad. Celestine fired on the Hellblasters, but failed to do any damage with her Heavy Flamer.
In the charge phase, Celestine assaulted the Hellblasters. The overwatch fire of the squad managed a great 9 hits and 9 wounds, killing the two Geminae Superior and wounding Celestine twice.
The Culexus attempted to charge the Bikers, but failed to make the distance. One of the Repressors tried to charge the Scouts, but also failed to make the charge.
Celestine struck at the Hellblasters, wounding them four times, but only one got past their invulnerable save. The Primaris Marines struck back, wounding her two times.
At the end of the turn, I passed my morale tests. Angus scored all three of his objectives. I also scored Defend Objective 3.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 5
Sisters of Battle- 3
A good first turn had seen me take the lead in the maelstrom mission, as well as killing a few enemy units.
TURN 2- DARK ANGELS
This turn, I drew Secure Objective 6, Area Denial and No Prisoners.
The Hellblasters fell back from combat, moving towards the enemy lines. I used the Intractable stratagem to allow them to fire this turn.
The Dark Angels characters moved up to support them and target Celestine. The Scouts and Bikers on the right flank moved up on the enemy vehicles, while on the left flank, the Bikers and Scouts moved up on the Repressor. Sammael moved up to engage the Battle Sisters in the ruins.
The Meltagun Bikers fired on the damaged Immolator, destroying it by using a command point re-roll. Sammael fired at a Repressor, hitting and wounding with the Plasma Cannon, but he made his 6+ invulnerable save! His Storm Bolters killed one of the Battle Sisters in front of him.
On the right flank, the Scouts threw a grenade at the Repressor, taking two wounds from it. In the backfield, the Intercessors fired at Celestine, wounding her once. The Darkshroud fired at Celestine and was able to slay her with its Assault Cannon. The Saint was resurrected, however, landing deep in her deployment zone.
The Hellblasters overcharged their Plasma Incinerators at the Repressor, also using Weapons of the Dark Age. Despite being -1 to hit, only one Primaris Marine died to overcharging. The squad scored 11 wounds, utterly destroying the enemy vehicle in a volley of plasma fire.
The other unit of Intercessors fired at the Callidus Assassin, wounding 5 times and killing her. The Bikers on the right flank fired at the Battle Sisters in the ruins, but failed to do any damage.
In the charge phase, the Bikers and Scouts on the left flank assaulted the Repressor, losing one Biker to the Heavy Flamer of the vehicle. I had little chance of harming it, but by surrounding the Repressor, I could stop it from falling back and firing for a turn. The Assassin performed a heroic intervention.
Sammael charged the Battle Sisters, taking two wounds from their Heavy Flamer in overwatch. The Inquisitor also performed a heroic intervention.
Finally, the Scouts and Bikers charged the Repressor in the centre, moving far enough that I could hopefully consolidate into the two Sisters Squads and stop them from firing.
Sammael struck at the Battle Sisters, wounding them four times. Angus made another two 6+ invulnerable saves and only two fell. The Dark Angels attacked the two Repressors, taking one wound from each vehicle. The squads on the right were then able to enact their plan, consolidating into the nearby Battle Sisters and Dominion squad.
The Sisters of Battle struck back, the Assassin and Repressor killing two Scouts on the left flank. The Dark Angels on the right were unharmed. The Battle Sisters and Inquisitor attacked Sammael, but only managed to do a single wound to the Ravenwing Master.
At the end of my turn, I scored Area Denial for 2 points, No Prisoners for 2 points and Secure Objective 6, giving me 10 points in total, as well as 6 of the 10 maelstrom cards I needed.
TURN 2- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In his second turn, Angus drew Big Game Hunter, Secure Objective 2 and Hold the Line.
The Dominions used their Act of Faith to fire their pistols at the Scouts, killing only one. Angus was hoping to kill both Scouts to allow the squad to fire. Celestine used her Act of Faith to bring back one of the Geminae Superior.
The Battle Sisters, Dominion and Repressor fell back from combat in the centre of the field. Celestine moved up on Sammael. At the end of the phase, the Seraphim arrived, landing in the ruins to the south of the battlefield.
In the psychic phase, the Inquisitor cast Smite, taking two mortal wounds from Sammael.
In the shooting phase, the Inquisitor overcharged his Plasma Pistol, firing at Sammael and killing him.
Celestine fired at the lone Scout in the centre of the battlefield, killing him. The Cannoness overcharged her Combi-Plasma and fired at the Bikers on the left flank, killing one. The Immolator fired at the lone Biker, killing him and wiping out the squad.
In the charge phase, the Seraphim attempted to charge the Scouts, but failed to make the distance. Celestine chanced a charge on the Bikers in combat with the Repressor and made a 10" charge.
In the fight phase, Celestine struck at the Biker, killing him. The Cullexus Assassin attacked the Scouts, killing off the squad.
At the end of his turn, Angus scored Hold the Line and discarded Big Game Hunter.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 10
Sisters of Battle- 4
A great second turn had seen me take a big lead in the game.
TURN 3- DARK ANGELS
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 4, Defend Objective 5 and Behind Enemy Lines. I rolled for the Eternal War objective and objective 2 was removed for end of game scoring.
The Hellblaster Squad, Dark Angels characters and Darkshroud moved up on the Battle Sisters lines. The Intercessors moved up towards the enemy lines.
The Intercessors fired on the Seraphim, killing two of the squad. The Darkshroud fired at the Dominion Squad, killing one, while the Lieutenant killed two more of the squad. The Ancient fired at the last Battle Sister, killing her and wiping out the squad.
The Hellblaster Squad overcharged their Plasma Inceptors and fired at the Repressor, destroying it for the loss of one Primaris Marine. One of the Dominion perished in the destruction.
At the end of my turn, I scored Behind Enemy Lines and discarded Defend Objective 5.
TURN 3- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In his third turn, Angus drew Secure Objective 4 and Secure Objective 5, to go with Secure Objective 2. He also rolled for the Eternal War mission and objective 5 was removed for end of game objectives.
The Acts of Faith were used to move the Seraphim and Celestine up on the Hellblaster Squad. The Cullexus moved up on the Objective held by the Intercessors. The last surviving Repressor advanced on the Hellblaster Squad, using a command point re-roll to get in range of the squad.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, putting one mortal wound on a Hellblaster.
The backfield Sisters of Battle Squad fired on the Hellblasters, wounding them once and killing one. The Ancient allowed the slain Primaris Marine to fire and he killed two of the Dominion in the ruins.
The Seraphim fired on the Hellblaster Squad, killing one of the Primaris Marines. The Dominions in the ruins fired at the Hellblasters, wounding them twice, but I made both invulnerable saves.
On the left flank, the Heavy Flamer fired on the Darkshroud, wounding it once. The rest of the squad fired at the Hellblasters, killing one more. The Immolator fired at the squad, killing another one for four slain this turn, so far.
Celestine charged the Hellblaster squad. One of the Geminae Superior was slain by the overwatch fire. The Seraphim charged the Hellblasters and three Dark Angels characters. Azrael was able to slay one in overwatch and the Sisters made the charge (after the use of a command point re-roll).
In combat, Celestine struck at the Ancient, wounding him four times, but I made all my invulnerable saves. The Geminae Superior managed to do one wound.
The Seraphim attacked the Primaris Marines, wounding a Hellblaster once and the Ancient once.
The Hellblasters struck back, killing one of the Serpahim, while the Ancient and Lieutenant were able to kill one each.
Azrael struck at Celestine, wounding her 5 times. Angus failed four saves, even with a command point re-roll. He was able to slay the Geminae Superior and put 5 wounds on Celestine.
At the end of the turn, all units passed their morale tests. Angus scored Secure Objective 4 and Secure Objective 5.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 11
Sisters of Battle- 6
TURN 4- DARK ANGELS
In this turn, I drew Secure Objective 3 and Defend Objective 2 to go with Secure Objective 4.
The Intercessor squad moved up on the objective, to join their brethren already holding it. The Darkshroud moved back from the enemy lines.
The Hellblasters fired their Pistols at the Seraphim, but failed to do any damage. The Darkshroud fired at the Dominion, wounding twice, but was unable to get past their armour.
The Intercessors fired on the Assassin, but failed to hit the slippery target.
In the combat phase, Azrael struck at Celestine, finally killing her. The Seraphim struck at the Hellblasters, killing one of the squad. The Primaris Marines struck back, killing one of the squad.
At the end of the phase, Angus used the Martyrdom stratagem to fire in combat with the Seraphim. Their Melta Pistols exacted a heavy toll, killing the Lieutenant and one Hellblaster.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 3 and Slay the Warlord. I discarded Secure Objective 4.
TURN 4- SISTER OF BATTLE
In his turn, Angus drew Advance, Secure Objective 2 and Defend Objective 2.
At the start of the turn, the Seraphim used their Acts of Faith to fire their pistols in combat, wounding three times, but I passed all three invulnerable saves. They then fell back from combat, landing behind Azrael to target him.
The Culexus Assassin advanced on the objective, while the Battle Sisters moved up on the Dark Angels and to secure the objectives. One squad embarked in the Repressor, and the transport vehicle moved up.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, killing the last Hellblaster. The Seraphim fired on Azrael at point blank range, wounding him three times. I failed one invulerable save and one Melta Pistol wounded. Angus rolled a 1 and a 2 for the damage. He used a command point to re-roll the two and got another 1! A lucky escape for Azrael.
The Immolator fired at the Ancient, but both Multi-melta shots missed. The Cannoness overcharged her Combi-Plasma at the Ancient, hitting and wounding twice, but I made both of his invlunerable saves (from Azrael). The Dominions fired their Meltaguns at the Ancient and were finally able to slay him.
The Battle Sisters in the north fired at Azrael with their Bolters and the Darkshroud with their Heavy Flamer. The vehicle was unharmed, but Azrael took another wound, leaving him on only one left.
In the charge phase, the Seraphim assaulted Azrael, the Grand Master slaying one in overwatch fire. I think we allowed this in error. The Seraphim had fallen back, so shouldn't have been able to charge. The Battle Sisters struck at Azrael, but failed to take his final wound. In reply, the Dark Angels warlord cut down the last two members of the squad.
At the end of his turn, Angus scored no points and discarded Defend Objective 2. I scored Defend Objective 2.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 15
Sisters of Battle- 6
At the end of the fourth turn, I had built up a good lead and had already scored 9 maelstrom cards. Just one more to finish the maelstrom game.
TURN 5- DARK ANGELS
In my turn, I drew Advance, Secure Objective 5 and Psychological Warfare. Annoyingly, it would be unlikely I would score any of these and end the maelstrom game.
The Darkshroud and Azrael moved up on the Battle Sisters squad, while the two Intercessor squads moved back to secure the objectives for the end game.
Azrael opened fire on the Dominion squad, killing two of the them. The Darkshroud fired at the last Dominion, killing her. The Intercessors fired at the Battle Sisters beside Azrael, killing one.
In the charge phase, the Darkshroud assaulted the Battle Sisters (to soak up the overwatch), followed by Azrael. The Grand Master easily slew the rest of the squad.
At the end of my turn, I scored no points and discarded Advance.
TURN 5- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In this turn, Angus drew Defend Objective 5 to go with Advance and Secure Objective 2.
The Battle Sisters moved up on objective 5, while the Cannoness, Immolator and Repressor moved up on the Darkshroud. The Culexus Assassin moved up on the objective, advancing to get into range, while the Inquisitor advanced on the Darkshroud.
The Inquistor cast Smite, getting an 11, but only doing 2 mortal wounds on the Darkshroud.
The Cannoness fired at the Darkshroud, taking two wounds with her Combi-Plasma. The Immolator fired at the Darkshroud, taking another three wounds from it. The Battle Sisters holding the objective fired on the Darkshroud and were able to destroy it.
The squad in the Repressor fired at Azrael, killing him.
At the end of the turn, Angus scored Secure Objective 2 and Slay the Warlord. He discarded Advance.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 15
Sisters of Battle- 8
We rolled to see if the game would continue and it did.
TURN 6- DARK ANGELS
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 2 to go with Secure Objective 5 and Psychological Warfare.
One Intercessor squad moved up on the objective held by the Assassin, while the other retreated towards the Tactical Squad.
Both Intercessor squads fired on the Assassin, taking one wound from him. The Tactical Squad fired at the Cullexus and was able to slay him after some great rolling.
The Scouts fired on the Repressor, taking one wound from it with their Heavy Bolter.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 2. As this was my tenth card, the maelstrom mission ended there. Angus was able to score Defend Objective 5. I also got three bonus points for getting 10 maelstrom cards.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 19
Sisters of Battle- 10
TURN 6- SISTERS OF BATTLE
The backfield Battle Sisters squad used the Acts of Faith to advance out of their deployment zone. Objective 5 was not in use for the Eternal War mission, so there was little point holding it.
The squad then moved up again, the Cannoness moved to secure the objective, while the Repressor went after the nearby Intercessors and the Immolator moved up on the Scouts.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, doing one wound on the Intercessors.
The Cannoness fired at the Scouts, killing one. The Repressor and the squad inside fired at the Intercessors, killing the squad.
At the end of the turn, there were no more maelstrom points to score.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 19
Sisters of Battle- 10
I was ahead at the moment, but Angus could still get the win if he could secure enough Eternal war objectives. I was also running low on units, so was worried about being tabled.
Angus rolled to see if the game would continue and it did!
TURN 7- DARK ANGELS
The Intercessors moved up on the Repressor, while the Scouts moved behind the cover, but still in range of the objective. My plan was to block the path of the Repressor to stop it from easily targeting the Tactical Squad holding the objective.
The Intercessors and Tactical Squad fired at the Repressor, but failed to do any damage.
The Intercessors charged the Repressor, failing to do any damage, but blocking its path to the objective.
TURN 7- SISTERS OF BATTLE
The Battle Sisters moved up on the objective, while the Immolator moved up on the Scouts holding another objective. The Repressor fell back from combat with the Intercessors, while the Inquisitor moved up on the squad.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, wounding the Primaris Marines once.
In the shooting phase, the Sisters squad fired at the Scouts, killing one. The Repressor squad fired at the Scouts and Intercessors, killing one Scout and one Intercessor.
The Cannoness fired her Combi-Plasma at the Scouts, killing one and leaving one left. The Immolator fired on the last Scout, but missed with both shots!
At the end of the turn, the lone Scout passed his morale test. With that, the game ended. We each scored two Eternal War objectives, while Angus scored Linebreaker.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 25
Sisters of Battle- 17
A win for the Dark Angels.
AFTER-BATTLE THOUGHTS
Thanks to Angus for a really fun game once more. The game could have been a lot closer than it was. Had the Immolator killed the last Scout, it would have ended 22 to 20 for the Dark Angels.
Once again, the Hellblaster squad and Dark Angels characters proved to be a formidable threat and great gunline to move up on the enemy army. I think this is a solid core and takes a lot of the enemy firepower.
The Black Knights were wasted a bit in this game. Losing two to overheating Plasma was a blow, as well as losing another two to overwatch fire in the first turn! I think I need to be a bit more conservative with this unit in future games, so that they last more than a single turn.
We played this game before the recent FAQ. After the FAQ, it turned out both our armies were now invalid for taking to the London GT. Mine due to the points increase of the Dark Talon, and Angus because the soup detachment is no longer valid.
It's not such a blow for me. I was thinking of dropping the Dark Talon anyway. It has some useful firepower, but never seems to last more than a turn in most games. I think I will drop it and add some more Bikers. Once my Ravenwing units were dead, I noticed a severe lack of mobility in my list. Hopefully, another Bike squad would help with my mobility issues.
With another win for the Dark Angels, I was feeling good about this list. I just need to get more practice games in with the list before the GT towards the end of the month.
The Hellblaster Squad marched forward, supported by the Dark Angels characters.
The Hellblaster Squad used Weapons of the Dark Age (getting the command point back thanks to Azrael), overcharging and fired on the closest Immolator, destroying it. One of the Battle Sisters perished in the wreck.
The Black Knights fired on another Immolator. They overcharged their Plasma Talons, losing two of the squad (I rolled two sets of double 1's) and hitting 8 times. The shots wounded 6 times, Angus making two of his invulnerable saves, so the vehicle took 6 damage.
The Dark Talon fired at the Battle Sisters squad, killing one with its Hurricane Bolters. The Rift Cannon fired at the damaged Immolator, getting two hits (with one command point re-roll that I also got back). Both shots wounded, but Angus made both his invulnerable saves! Sammael fired on the Vehicle, taking two wounds from it.
The Black Knights charged the Immolator. The overwatch fire scored 11 hits with the Flamers, killing two more of the squad. The Huntsmaster struck at the vehicle, but only managed to take a single wound, leaving the Immolator on one wound. The Black Knight passed his morale test.
At the end of my turn, I scored Mission Critical Objective, First Blood and Secure Objective 1.
TURN 1- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In his first turn, Angus drew Secure Objective 5, Secure Objective 6 and Master the Warp.
Celestine used her acts of faith to move up on the Hellblasters, while the wounded Sisters Squad used theirs to regain their casualty.
In the movement phase, Celestine moved up on the Hellblaster Squad, moving over the Scouts. One Repressor moved to the right flank, while the other two moved up on the enemy army. The Squad inside the Immolator disembarked, while their transport fell back from combat with the Black Knights.
At the end of the phase, the Callidus Assassin arrived, having to deploy 8" away. Angus used a command point re-roll to get a 4" deployment, allowing him to grab Objective 6. The Culexus Assassin deployed on the right flank in front of the Bikers and Scouts.
In the psychic phase, the Inquisitor cast Smite, killing the Black Knight.
In the shooting phase, the Callidus Assassin fired at the Tactical Squad, but missed with her shot. The Immolator opened fire on the Dark Talon, but both shots missed. The Squad inside fired at the Bikers, wounding them once.
Another Dominion Squad fired at the Bikers with their Meltaguns, wounding them four times. Thanks to the Jink saves, only one Biker perished.
In the centre of the Battlefield, the Repressor fired its smoke launchers. The Squad inside fired at the Scouts, killing one with their Bolters. The other squad members fired their Meltaguns at the Dark Talon, only wounding once and taking four damage from the flyer.
The second Repressor squad did the same. The Scouts were unharmed, but the Dark Talon took two wounds from the Meltaguns. The combined fire did 5 damage, but Angus used a command point re-roll to get 6 damage in total, just enough to destroy the flyer.
The Battle Sisters in the ruins fired at the Scouts, killing two of the squad. Celestine fired on the Hellblasters, but failed to do any damage with her Heavy Flamer.
In the charge phase, Celestine assaulted the Hellblasters. The overwatch fire of the squad managed a great 9 hits and 9 wounds, killing the two Geminae Superior and wounding Celestine twice.
The Culexus attempted to charge the Bikers, but failed to make the distance. One of the Repressors tried to charge the Scouts, but also failed to make the charge.
Celestine struck at the Hellblasters, wounding them four times, but only one got past their invulnerable save. The Primaris Marines struck back, wounding her two times.
At the end of the turn, I passed my morale tests. Angus scored all three of his objectives. I also scored Defend Objective 3.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 5
Sisters of Battle- 3
A good first turn had seen me take the lead in the maelstrom mission, as well as killing a few enemy units.
TURN 2- DARK ANGELS
This turn, I drew Secure Objective 6, Area Denial and No Prisoners.
The Hellblasters fell back from combat, moving towards the enemy lines. I used the Intractable stratagem to allow them to fire this turn.
The Dark Angels characters moved up to support them and target Celestine. The Scouts and Bikers on the right flank moved up on the enemy vehicles, while on the left flank, the Bikers and Scouts moved up on the Repressor. Sammael moved up to engage the Battle Sisters in the ruins.
The Meltagun Bikers fired on the damaged Immolator, destroying it by using a command point re-roll. Sammael fired at a Repressor, hitting and wounding with the Plasma Cannon, but he made his 6+ invulnerable save! His Storm Bolters killed one of the Battle Sisters in front of him.
On the right flank, the Scouts threw a grenade at the Repressor, taking two wounds from it. In the backfield, the Intercessors fired at Celestine, wounding her once. The Darkshroud fired at Celestine and was able to slay her with its Assault Cannon. The Saint was resurrected, however, landing deep in her deployment zone.
The Hellblasters overcharged their Plasma Incinerators at the Repressor, also using Weapons of the Dark Age. Despite being -1 to hit, only one Primaris Marine died to overcharging. The squad scored 11 wounds, utterly destroying the enemy vehicle in a volley of plasma fire.
The other unit of Intercessors fired at the Callidus Assassin, wounding 5 times and killing her. The Bikers on the right flank fired at the Battle Sisters in the ruins, but failed to do any damage.
In the charge phase, the Bikers and Scouts on the left flank assaulted the Repressor, losing one Biker to the Heavy Flamer of the vehicle. I had little chance of harming it, but by surrounding the Repressor, I could stop it from falling back and firing for a turn. The Assassin performed a heroic intervention.
Sammael charged the Battle Sisters, taking two wounds from their Heavy Flamer in overwatch. The Inquisitor also performed a heroic intervention.
Finally, the Scouts and Bikers charged the Repressor in the centre, moving far enough that I could hopefully consolidate into the two Sisters Squads and stop them from firing.
Sammael struck at the Battle Sisters, wounding them four times. Angus made another two 6+ invulnerable saves and only two fell. The Dark Angels attacked the two Repressors, taking one wound from each vehicle. The squads on the right were then able to enact their plan, consolidating into the nearby Battle Sisters and Dominion squad.
The Sisters of Battle struck back, the Assassin and Repressor killing two Scouts on the left flank. The Dark Angels on the right were unharmed. The Battle Sisters and Inquisitor attacked Sammael, but only managed to do a single wound to the Ravenwing Master.
At the end of my turn, I scored Area Denial for 2 points, No Prisoners for 2 points and Secure Objective 6, giving me 10 points in total, as well as 6 of the 10 maelstrom cards I needed.
TURN 2- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In his second turn, Angus drew Big Game Hunter, Secure Objective 2 and Hold the Line.
The Dominions used their Act of Faith to fire their pistols at the Scouts, killing only one. Angus was hoping to kill both Scouts to allow the squad to fire. Celestine used her Act of Faith to bring back one of the Geminae Superior.
The Battle Sisters, Dominion and Repressor fell back from combat in the centre of the field. Celestine moved up on Sammael. At the end of the phase, the Seraphim arrived, landing in the ruins to the south of the battlefield.
In the psychic phase, the Inquisitor cast Smite, taking two mortal wounds from Sammael.
In the shooting phase, the Inquisitor overcharged his Plasma Pistol, firing at Sammael and killing him.
Celestine fired at the lone Scout in the centre of the battlefield, killing him. The Cannoness overcharged her Combi-Plasma and fired at the Bikers on the left flank, killing one. The Immolator fired at the lone Biker, killing him and wiping out the squad.
In the charge phase, the Seraphim attempted to charge the Scouts, but failed to make the distance. Celestine chanced a charge on the Bikers in combat with the Repressor and made a 10" charge.
In the fight phase, Celestine struck at the Biker, killing him. The Cullexus Assassin attacked the Scouts, killing off the squad.
At the end of his turn, Angus scored Hold the Line and discarded Big Game Hunter.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 10
Sisters of Battle- 4
A great second turn had seen me take a big lead in the game.
TURN 3- DARK ANGELS
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 4, Defend Objective 5 and Behind Enemy Lines. I rolled for the Eternal War objective and objective 2 was removed for end of game scoring.
The Hellblaster Squad, Dark Angels characters and Darkshroud moved up on the Battle Sisters lines. The Intercessors moved up towards the enemy lines.
The Intercessors fired on the Seraphim, killing two of the squad. The Darkshroud fired at the Dominion Squad, killing one, while the Lieutenant killed two more of the squad. The Ancient fired at the last Battle Sister, killing her and wiping out the squad.
The Hellblaster Squad overcharged their Plasma Inceptors and fired at the Repressor, destroying it for the loss of one Primaris Marine. One of the Dominion perished in the destruction.
At the end of my turn, I scored Behind Enemy Lines and discarded Defend Objective 5.
TURN 3- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In his third turn, Angus drew Secure Objective 4 and Secure Objective 5, to go with Secure Objective 2. He also rolled for the Eternal War mission and objective 5 was removed for end of game objectives.
The Acts of Faith were used to move the Seraphim and Celestine up on the Hellblaster Squad. The Cullexus moved up on the Objective held by the Intercessors. The last surviving Repressor advanced on the Hellblaster Squad, using a command point re-roll to get in range of the squad.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, putting one mortal wound on a Hellblaster.
The backfield Sisters of Battle Squad fired on the Hellblasters, wounding them once and killing one. The Ancient allowed the slain Primaris Marine to fire and he killed two of the Dominion in the ruins.
The Seraphim fired on the Hellblaster Squad, killing one of the Primaris Marines. The Dominions in the ruins fired at the Hellblasters, wounding them twice, but I made both invulnerable saves.
On the left flank, the Heavy Flamer fired on the Darkshroud, wounding it once. The rest of the squad fired at the Hellblasters, killing one more. The Immolator fired at the squad, killing another one for four slain this turn, so far.
Celestine charged the Hellblaster squad. One of the Geminae Superior was slain by the overwatch fire. The Seraphim charged the Hellblasters and three Dark Angels characters. Azrael was able to slay one in overwatch and the Sisters made the charge (after the use of a command point re-roll).
In combat, Celestine struck at the Ancient, wounding him four times, but I made all my invulnerable saves. The Geminae Superior managed to do one wound.
The Seraphim attacked the Primaris Marines, wounding a Hellblaster once and the Ancient once.
The Hellblasters struck back, killing one of the Serpahim, while the Ancient and Lieutenant were able to kill one each.
Azrael struck at Celestine, wounding her 5 times. Angus failed four saves, even with a command point re-roll. He was able to slay the Geminae Superior and put 5 wounds on Celestine.
At the end of the turn, all units passed their morale tests. Angus scored Secure Objective 4 and Secure Objective 5.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 11
Sisters of Battle- 6
TURN 4- DARK ANGELS
In this turn, I drew Secure Objective 3 and Defend Objective 2 to go with Secure Objective 4.
The Intercessor squad moved up on the objective, to join their brethren already holding it. The Darkshroud moved back from the enemy lines.
The Hellblasters fired their Pistols at the Seraphim, but failed to do any damage. The Darkshroud fired at the Dominion, wounding twice, but was unable to get past their armour.
The Intercessors fired on the Assassin, but failed to hit the slippery target.
In the combat phase, Azrael struck at Celestine, finally killing her. The Seraphim struck at the Hellblasters, killing one of the squad. The Primaris Marines struck back, killing one of the squad.
At the end of the phase, Angus used the Martyrdom stratagem to fire in combat with the Seraphim. Their Melta Pistols exacted a heavy toll, killing the Lieutenant and one Hellblaster.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 3 and Slay the Warlord. I discarded Secure Objective 4.
TURN 4- SISTER OF BATTLE
In his turn, Angus drew Advance, Secure Objective 2 and Defend Objective 2.
At the start of the turn, the Seraphim used their Acts of Faith to fire their pistols in combat, wounding three times, but I passed all three invulnerable saves. They then fell back from combat, landing behind Azrael to target him.
The Culexus Assassin advanced on the objective, while the Battle Sisters moved up on the Dark Angels and to secure the objectives. One squad embarked in the Repressor, and the transport vehicle moved up.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, killing the last Hellblaster. The Seraphim fired on Azrael at point blank range, wounding him three times. I failed one invulerable save and one Melta Pistol wounded. Angus rolled a 1 and a 2 for the damage. He used a command point to re-roll the two and got another 1! A lucky escape for Azrael.
The Immolator fired at the Ancient, but both Multi-melta shots missed. The Cannoness overcharged her Combi-Plasma at the Ancient, hitting and wounding twice, but I made both of his invlunerable saves (from Azrael). The Dominions fired their Meltaguns at the Ancient and were finally able to slay him.
The Battle Sisters in the north fired at Azrael with their Bolters and the Darkshroud with their Heavy Flamer. The vehicle was unharmed, but Azrael took another wound, leaving him on only one left.
In the charge phase, the Seraphim assaulted Azrael, the Grand Master slaying one in overwatch fire. I think we allowed this in error. The Seraphim had fallen back, so shouldn't have been able to charge. The Battle Sisters struck at Azrael, but failed to take his final wound. In reply, the Dark Angels warlord cut down the last two members of the squad.
At the end of his turn, Angus scored no points and discarded Defend Objective 2. I scored Defend Objective 2.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 15
Sisters of Battle- 6
At the end of the fourth turn, I had built up a good lead and had already scored 9 maelstrom cards. Just one more to finish the maelstrom game.
TURN 5- DARK ANGELS
In my turn, I drew Advance, Secure Objective 5 and Psychological Warfare. Annoyingly, it would be unlikely I would score any of these and end the maelstrom game.
The Darkshroud and Azrael moved up on the Battle Sisters squad, while the two Intercessor squads moved back to secure the objectives for the end game.
Azrael opened fire on the Dominion squad, killing two of the them. The Darkshroud fired at the last Dominion, killing her. The Intercessors fired at the Battle Sisters beside Azrael, killing one.
In the charge phase, the Darkshroud assaulted the Battle Sisters (to soak up the overwatch), followed by Azrael. The Grand Master easily slew the rest of the squad.
At the end of my turn, I scored no points and discarded Advance.
TURN 5- SISTERS OF BATTLE
In this turn, Angus drew Defend Objective 5 to go with Advance and Secure Objective 2.
The Battle Sisters moved up on objective 5, while the Cannoness, Immolator and Repressor moved up on the Darkshroud. The Culexus Assassin moved up on the objective, advancing to get into range, while the Inquisitor advanced on the Darkshroud.
The Inquistor cast Smite, getting an 11, but only doing 2 mortal wounds on the Darkshroud.
The Cannoness fired at the Darkshroud, taking two wounds with her Combi-Plasma. The Immolator fired at the Darkshroud, taking another three wounds from it. The Battle Sisters holding the objective fired on the Darkshroud and were able to destroy it.
The squad in the Repressor fired at Azrael, killing him.
At the end of the turn, Angus scored Secure Objective 2 and Slay the Warlord. He discarded Advance.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 15
Sisters of Battle- 8
We rolled to see if the game would continue and it did.
TURN 6- DARK ANGELS
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 2 to go with Secure Objective 5 and Psychological Warfare.
One Intercessor squad moved up on the objective held by the Assassin, while the other retreated towards the Tactical Squad.
Both Intercessor squads fired on the Assassin, taking one wound from him. The Tactical Squad fired at the Cullexus and was able to slay him after some great rolling.
The Scouts fired on the Repressor, taking one wound from it with their Heavy Bolter.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 2. As this was my tenth card, the maelstrom mission ended there. Angus was able to score Defend Objective 5. I also got three bonus points for getting 10 maelstrom cards.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 19
Sisters of Battle- 10
TURN 6- SISTERS OF BATTLE
The backfield Battle Sisters squad used the Acts of Faith to advance out of their deployment zone. Objective 5 was not in use for the Eternal War mission, so there was little point holding it.
The squad then moved up again, the Cannoness moved to secure the objective, while the Repressor went after the nearby Intercessors and the Immolator moved up on the Scouts.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, doing one wound on the Intercessors.
The Cannoness fired at the Scouts, killing one. The Repressor and the squad inside fired at the Intercessors, killing the squad.
At the end of the turn, there were no more maelstrom points to score.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 19
Sisters of Battle- 10
I was ahead at the moment, but Angus could still get the win if he could secure enough Eternal war objectives. I was also running low on units, so was worried about being tabled.
Angus rolled to see if the game would continue and it did!
TURN 7- DARK ANGELS
The Intercessors moved up on the Repressor, while the Scouts moved behind the cover, but still in range of the objective. My plan was to block the path of the Repressor to stop it from easily targeting the Tactical Squad holding the objective.
The Intercessors and Tactical Squad fired at the Repressor, but failed to do any damage.
The Intercessors charged the Repressor, failing to do any damage, but blocking its path to the objective.
TURN 7- SISTERS OF BATTLE
The Battle Sisters moved up on the objective, while the Immolator moved up on the Scouts holding another objective. The Repressor fell back from combat with the Intercessors, while the Inquisitor moved up on the squad.
The Inquisitor cast Smite, wounding the Primaris Marines once.
In the shooting phase, the Sisters squad fired at the Scouts, killing one. The Repressor squad fired at the Scouts and Intercessors, killing one Scout and one Intercessor.
The Cannoness fired her Combi-Plasma at the Scouts, killing one and leaving one left. The Immolator fired on the last Scout, but missed with both shots!
At the end of the turn, the lone Scout passed his morale test. With that, the game ended. We each scored two Eternal War objectives, while Angus scored Linebreaker.
VICTORY POINTS:
Dark Angels- 25
Sisters of Battle- 17
 |
| End of the game. |
A win for the Dark Angels.
AFTER-BATTLE THOUGHTS
Thanks to Angus for a really fun game once more. The game could have been a lot closer than it was. Had the Immolator killed the last Scout, it would have ended 22 to 20 for the Dark Angels.
Once again, the Hellblaster squad and Dark Angels characters proved to be a formidable threat and great gunline to move up on the enemy army. I think this is a solid core and takes a lot of the enemy firepower.
The Black Knights were wasted a bit in this game. Losing two to overheating Plasma was a blow, as well as losing another two to overwatch fire in the first turn! I think I need to be a bit more conservative with this unit in future games, so that they last more than a single turn.
We played this game before the recent FAQ. After the FAQ, it turned out both our armies were now invalid for taking to the London GT. Mine due to the points increase of the Dark Talon, and Angus because the soup detachment is no longer valid.
It's not such a blow for me. I was thinking of dropping the Dark Talon anyway. It has some useful firepower, but never seems to last more than a turn in most games. I think I will drop it and add some more Bikers. Once my Ravenwing units were dead, I noticed a severe lack of mobility in my list. Hopefully, another Bike squad would help with my mobility issues.
With another win for the Dark Angels, I was feeling good about this list. I just need to get more practice games in with the list before the GT towards the end of the month.