Fowlerville Battle Report: Azure Flames vs. Ultramarines 1500

This past Thursday I visited the fine folks at Game Links in Fowlerville MI.  They have a pretty quality store with some pretty friendly players, including one gentleman who I used to play Warmachine with back in the day.  They have a vibrant community of Magic the Gathering and Pathfinder.  They had a fledgling 40K community, but they got off the ground several months before 6th ed hit, and many of the younger players did not want to drop $70 on a new book.

Further complicating things, 40K is supposed to be every OTHER Thursday, and I came on an off day.  Luckily, one of the regular 40K players by the name of James had his Ultramarines ready to go, so we threw down a 1500pt game.  Here’s the details:

Bozeman – Azure Flames

-Chapter Master Liam Perseus, Terminator Armour, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield, Aux Grenade Launcher

-Terminator Assault Squad X 5, THSS

-Land Raider Redeemer, Extra Armour, Multi-Melta

-Tactical Squad X 10, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Drop Pod

-Tactical Squad X 10, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Rhino, Extra Armour

-Ironclad Dreadnought, Chainfist in a Drop Pod

-Land Speeders X 3, Multi-Meltas

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James, Ultramarines

-Chaplain, Terminator Armour

-Librarian, Storm Bolter (Psychic powers: Haemorhage, Flame Breath)

-Tactical Squad X 10, Power Axe, Plasma Pistol, Flamer, Heavy Bolter in a Rhino

-Scout X 10, Sergeant Telion, Heavy Bolter, Sniper Rifles X 8

-Terminator Assault Squad X 5, THSS X 2, LC X 3

-Land Raider Crusader, Storm Bolter, Multi-Melta, Extra Armour

-Sternguard X 10, Pair of LC, Combi-Melta X5, in a Drop Pod

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Deploy: Hammer and Anvil (short board edges) Mission: Crusade (5 objectives).  We forgot to use Mysterious Objectives.  Oh well.

I won setup and chose to go first.  Seize Initiative failed.  Here’s the setup before turn 1:

Turn 1 Azure Flames

Land Speeders fly up 12″, do 1 glance to the Land Raider.  Tactical Squad deploys into the hill.  Land Raider and Rhino move up and pop smoke.  Drop pod drops behind the Land Raider, is very menacing yet ineffectual.

Turn 1 Ultramarines

Land Raider moves up, shoots 1 Land Speeder to death.  Rhino moves, pops smoke.  Sternguard drop in, do 3 casualties to the Tatsquad which breaks.  Snipers fire at Land Speeders who make INCREDIBLE jink saves. and ignore all 3 glancing results.  I forgot to photgraph this turn until I dropped in my drop pod at the beginning of Turn 2, so pretend that tatsquad is not there.

Turn 2 Azure Flames

Tatsquad runs off the table, gaining First Blood to the Ultramarines!  Tatsquad in Drop Pod comes in behind the Scouts and shoots all but three to death, including an amazing run of Look Out Sir rolls by Telion.  Land Raider move up, disgorges Terminators, who WASTE the Sternguard in close combat, including the Librarian who was killed by Chapter Master Perseus in a Challenge.  Sternguard sergeant is only survivor, breaks.  Land Speeders put one more glance on the Land Raider.  Ironclad fails to charge.

Turn 2 Ultramarines

Terminators with Chaplain jump out and charge the Ironclad, knocking off its Chainfist but losing 2 LC Termies.  Tatsquad jumps out of Rhino, moves 6, and gets a great Charge roll to charge the Azure Flames Tatsquad.  Incredibly poor rolling makes this fight a tie.  Land Raider moves, limiting its firepower and only puts one more glance on the Land Speeders.

Turn 3 Azure Flames

Chapter Master and Termies embark into Land Raider, speed away.  Dreadnought fight continues, one LC Terminator dies.  Land Speeders melta the Land Raider to death.  Tatsquad fight continues, Ultramarines lose but are caught and do not run away due to ATSKNF.

Turn 3 Ultramarines

Tatsquad fight continues, Azure Flames lose but hold.  Dreadnought is destroyed but kills one THSS Terminator, leaving only one and the Chaplain.  Scouts kill 2nd Land Speeder with a glance.  No picture of this turn.

Turn 4 Azure Flames

Land Raider moves 6, disgorges Termies who get a HUGE 7″ charge against the Scouts in the building (considering charging into terrain).  They eat the scouts, overrun one whole inch.  Tatsquad fight a draw again.

Turn 4 Ultramarines

Chaplain and last Terminator run toward the Tatsquad fight.  Rhino TANK SHOCKS Terminators who move out of the way.  Azure Flames are killed down to the Sergeant who breaks, is caught, and stays due to ATSKNF.

Turn 5 Azure Flames

Terminators charge the Tatsquad fight, kill all Ultramarines including Power Axe Sergeant by Chapter Mater in a Challenge.  Massed fire kills the Ultramarine THSS Terminator and then a lucky Melta shot from the Land Speeder kills the Chaplain outright.  Split Multi-Melta from the Land Raider kills the Rhino.  End of game.

Closing thoughts:

-Librarians need an Invulnerable Save.  This is why I run a Librarian with a Storm Shield.

-James had some pretty bad rolls in key times.  I heard that in baseball you lose 1/3 of your games, you win 1/3, but it’s what you do with the other 1/3 that count.  This was a game won and lost on a few bad dice rolls.  James should have been able to kill the Land Speeders and the Tactical Squad.  Their improbable survival kept me in the game.

-I’m still getting used to 6th ed Disembark rules.  I think it’s a little weird but it works better than the old 3rd ed where you had to get all models out and THEN move.  It saves a bit of time, especially if you “fudge” the guys in the back.

-Challenges are neat, but can be treacherous.  I think James made the right move not challenging my Tatsquad sergeant in the Tatsquad fight.  We would have probably killed each other, and then the fight would have taken longer.  But, challenges SAVED some of my Terminators in the Sternguard and Tatsquad fights by removing pesky power weapons at Initiative 5.

-James drove away from my Ironclad.  Though I love the tactic of dropping this guy on the enemy, I need to drop in FRONT of them so they either have to deal with me or go around me.  Going behind is an invitation to get ignored.

-I still need to get Aircraft.

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Next: a battle report from Highland!

Interesting blog I found: Afterimagedan

As you can see to the right, there’s a new blog in the blogroll: a BFG centered blog by Afterimagedan.  He’s a fantastic painter, a great tactician, and an entertaining blogger with good pictures.  Check his blog out here:

http://afterimagedan.blogspot.com/