So in the past week or so I have played 2 games at the gaming club both at 1750pts, I have played 1 game against Dave who took Imperial Guard and Ben who took Dark Angels with Grey Knight allies. I learnt quite a bit in these games.
The first game against Dave I was using my Imperial Guard and Blood Angels list (found here), Dave used his tweaked Imperial Guard list, which contained lots of heavy armour, with 4 AV14 hulls and lots of infantry, with some interesting choices like Harker and his infiltrating Veteran squad with Stealth.
Company Command - master of ordinance
7 Ratlings
9 Psyker Battle squad
Veteran Squad - Heavy Bolter, 3 Plasma, Harker
Platoon Command
4x Infantry Squad - 3 Autocannons
2x Heavy Weapon Team - 3 Missiles and 3 Lascannons
Leman Russ Demolisher
2x Leman Russ Battle Tanks
1x Leman Russ Executioner
We were playing the Purge the Alien with Hammer and Anvil deploymen, normally in the mission it's pretty easy to hide the easy KPs due to the extreme range this game is usually played out at.
Dave won the roll to go first and split his armour to either side with the blob in the middle, with Platoon and Company command support, while Harker and the Ratlings infiltrated. I deployed so I could avoid the Demolisher turn1 and turn2 before the Lascannons from the Vendetta could bring the pain!
Dave threw pretty much everything into the Marines and Blob squad in the early turns, he did pretty well at the thinning the blob with 4 large blasts per turn, while the marines behind the Aegis taking plenty of saves. The Veterans deployed in the ruin and the blob killed both heavy weapon teams for 2 KP's and Firstblood.
I get lucky and all 3 Vendettas move on from reserve, I keep the movement to a minimum of 18" then these fire into the Demolisher and get a Immobilised between the 9 Lascannons. The Blob shuffles round the ruin on the right and fire into the Ratlings who lose a couple and fail moral falling back about 8".
Just as I start to feel like I have the game in the bag, then some extreme luck changes the game in an instant... the ratling pass moral, move forwards and open up into the Vendetta with the Warlord in, with 5 shots three 6's are rolled to hit, then 2 6's to rend are rolled, followed by 1 5 or 6 to pen, then a 6 is rolled on the damage charge and bang goes the Vendetta, the Company Command falls out the sky in the open infront of Harker and the Vets who then gun them down with ease for a 3 VP swing.. a Battlecannon or 2 then finishes off the Marine behind the Aegis for another KP, the master of ordinance scatters off the blob onto the Platoon Command, killing 2, who then fail moral and fall back.
Over the next turn or 2 I manage to finish off the armour with all 4 tank now in smoke the blob is free to move up and they finish off the Psyker Battle Squad for another KP. Dave takes another 2 hull points off a single Vendetta, but doesn't have enough left to take it out or any more KPs and the game ends turn5. Dave took out the Marine squad, Company Command (Warlord) and a Vendetta for 4VPs
I have taken out the 3 Heavy Support tanks, 2 Heavy Weapon Teams and Firstblood for 6VPs.
The second game I would be facing off against Ben and his Dark Angels and Grey Knights, I would be using my MKII Space Wolves and Imperial Guard list (found here)
Bens list:
Belial
5 Terminators - 2 Lightning Claws, 3 Hammers, Apoth, Banner
2x5 Terminators - 4 Power Fists, 1 Hammer
Contemptor Dread - 2 Assault Cannons, 1 Cyclone
Coteaz
3 Plasmaguns - 3 Plasma Servitors, 2 Jerakos, 1 Storm Bolter, 1 Boltgun
5 Terminators - Psycannon
6 Interceptors - Psycannon
I deployed the smaller Blob in the Aegis defence, they where then supported by one of the Grey Hunter squads, the larger Blob then deployed fairly centrally with a bias towards the right flank where I thought Ben had placed his objective, both Lone Wolfs deployed on the right as did the second squad of Grey Hunters, the Platoon Command deployed in the ruin, while the second went in the Vendetta in reserve.
Ben then deployed with Belials squad top right,
Grey Knight Terminators just infront with both DA Terminator squads and Contemptor centrally, with the Henchman squad (joined by Coteaz) and the Interceptors on the left flank, I then noticed Ben has moved the objective towards the left flank. Which meant most of my force was out of position now, but we where rushing as I had arrived late so must of missed interpreted when Ben placed the objective on the table, so no question of anything untoward here, it just meant my force was never really going to get anywhere near his objective now, so I was playing for Firstblood, Linebreaker and/or Slay the Warlord.
My turn1 had me moving the blob up and unloading into the Terminators ahead, but did nothing as every shot bounced harmlessly off Terminator Armour, the Grey Hunters and Lone Wolves moved and ran towards the ruin towards the right of table, the Grey Hunters acting as a deterrent to deep strikers now moved round the Aegis and towards the left flank to tackle the interceptors when they made there 30" dash towards my objective.
These casualty figures couldn't continue, so they moved and ran into the ruin on the right, the 1 Lone wolf got way out in front as the other stumbled about moving 3" moving then running... oh and before I forget, the Blob at the back fired into the Contemptor twice and everything bounced off twice. While the Vendetta stayed in reserve until turn4.
Going into the last couple of turns I had pretty much nothing offensive left, the Vendetta arrived turn4 and shot into the Contemptor, taking a hull point off and stunning it. The Grey Hunters on the left reduced the Interceptors to a single Psycannon. The Lone Wolfs FINALLY got me firstblood and Belials squad bounced off with the Lone Wolf passed 2 FNP saves agaisnt the Lightning claws! The other was now free to do as it pleases turn5.
Bens turn4 sees the Grey Knight Termis fire into the blob in cover killing the only 1 it could see, the Interceptor hides from the Grey Hunters on the left flank, then in combat the Lone Wolf issues a challenge (hoping Belial would accept) but in the end the Banner barer accepts (I assumed he became a character because of he was carrying it??), both bounce off each other, but the fight continues.
Turn5 (I don't have a pic for this turn) and the Vendetta makes a LONG move and drops off the Platoon command who scatter within 12" of Coteaz and meet there maker, the Lone Wolf moves out the ruin and towards the Contemptor, the Interceptors who is sticking out the ruin takes 5 autocannon shots to bring down. The Lone Wolf takes out the Contemptor and consolidates to get Linebreaker.
Ben then brings down the lonewolf and we call it quits as it's closing time at the club, with both of us holding onto objective and I had Firstblood for a very narrow win.
Both of these games I learnt a lot from, the first, that Vendettas aren't all they're cracked up to be, the second that Vendettas are great for getting squads into linebreaker positions and will be great for taking out pesky things like Manticores or Vindicators. I believe the MKII SW/IG list has more legs than the BA/IG list, so will most likely stick with this until Caledonian, which is 1850pts, so with a 100pts more to spend, what do I get??
More to come!