Highland October 2000 pts Azure Flames vs. Star Phantoms Space Marines

Kyle and I were the only ones to show up at first, so we got out the big guns.  2000 points, Maelstrom 4, The Spoils of War.

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Bozeman – Azure Flames (Salamanders Space Marines)

• Demi-Legion Formation
  • Chaplain, Jump Pack (Warlord Trait: Storm of Fire, one friendly unit within 12″ gets Rending on all shots)
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Bolter-Melta, Power Fist, Meltagun, Multi-Melta
    • Drop Pod
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Bolter-Flamer, Power Fist, Flamer, Multi-Melta
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Bolter-Flamer, Power Fist, Flamer, Multi-Melta
  • Assault Squad x10, Jump Packs, Power Fist, 2x Flamer
  • Devastator Squad x5, 4x Heavy Bolter
  • Ironclad Dreadnought, Ironclad Launchers, Heavy Flamer, Chainfist
    • Drop Pod
• Land Raider Spearhead
  • Land Raider (Phobos Pattern)
  • Land Raider Crusader, Multi-Melta
  • Land Raider Redeemer, Multi-Melta

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Kyle – Star Phantoms Space Marines

• Demi-Legion Formation
  • Chapter Master, Power Sword, Bolter-Melta, The Armour Indominus
  • Tactical Squad x6, Combi-Grav, Power Sword
  • Tactical Squad x6, Combi-Plasma, Plasma Gun
    • Razorback, Twin Linked Lascannon
  • Tactical Squad x6, Combi-Melta, Meltagun
    • Drop Pod
  • Assault Squad x5, Jump Packs, 2x Lightning Claws, Melta Bombs
  • Devastator Squad x5, 4x Heavy Bolter
  • Ironclad Dreadnought, Seismic Hammer, Ironclad Launchers, 2x Hunter-Killer Missiles

• Inquisitorial Detatchment
  • Hereticus Inquisitor, Power Armour, Force Sword, Condemnor Boltgun, Psychic Lv2
  • Henchman Band (various henchmen, 2 Plasma Guns, Arco-Flagellant, 3 Servitors, etc.)
  • Chimera, Psybolt Ammunition

• Militarum Tempestus Detatchment
  • Commissar, Plasma Pistol, Power Sword
  • Militarum Tempestus Scions, 2x Hot Shot Volley Guns, Med Pack
  • Valkyrie

• Officio Assassinorum Detatchment
  • Vindicare Assassin

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Mission: The Spoils of War (Maelstrom, 3 objectives, can’t discard numerical objectives, can steal opponent’s numerical objectives)

Setup

Two of my Tactical Squads with Flamers got into the Crusader and Redeemer.

Turn 1 – Star Phantoms

Melta squad drops in, and puts one penetrating hit on the Redeemer (the Weapon Destroyed result is ignored thanks to the formation special rules).  Razorback advances, and the other Tactical Squad snake-eyes a Difficult Terrain test and have to run to move through a small building.  Inquisitor and squad move up in the Chimera.  Heavy Bolters put the hurt on the Chaplain and his squad. Due to Mission rules, I score one point from Kyle’s Tactical Objective for Objective 1.

Melta doesn’t pop a Land Raider.

Squads getting into position.

The Chaplain takes a wound, and two Assault Marines bite the dust.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Chaplain Advances.  Land Raider Redeemer kills the Melta squad that drop podded in.  Land Raider Phobos kills the Inquisitor’s Chimera, and the Heavy Bolters kill some of his squad.  Assault combat squad with Sergeant pops the Razorback.  Melta Tactical Squad drops in, combat squads, and shoots some of the Tactical Squad in the small building and the Inquisitor’s squad.  The Chaplain fails to charge.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 2 – Star Phantoms

Ironclad drops in and Melta shot does one hull point to the Crusader.  Heavy Bolters hit the Azure Flames Heavy Bolters, killing the sergeant and one Heavy.  Assault Squad deep strikes just outside of the Devastator’s line of sight.  Inquisitor’s Squad makes for Objective 4 in the small ruin to gain a point.  Plasma Squad kills 3 Assault Marines, then charges.  They lose one to zero, break, are caught, and stay.  Valkyrie comes in, fires on the Melta squad leaving only the Meltagun alive.

Ironclad drops are contagious for a reason!  They are scary!

You can’t see us, nyah nyah!

The Inquisitor gets Objective 4.

Shooting was much more effective than charging.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

The combat with the Assault and Tactical squad continues, with one Star Phantom going down.  Tactical Squad in the Crusader shoots the small Tactical Squad, reducing them to 2 and breaking them.  Land Raider Redeemer kills 3 of the Assault Squad with a Flamestorm Cannon.  Devastators fire on the Inquisitor, killing all of his squad and wounding him once.  I gain 2 more points.  Land Raider Phobos puts two pens on the Ironclad, but it survives minus one Hunter Killer missile!

The fight drags on.

Objective 2 is claimed for a point.

The Assault Squad threat is still there, but less so.

Turn 3 – Star Phantoms

Assault Squad jumps into the building, fires a bolt pistol, kills a Devastator, and they break and flee, out of assault range!  One more tactiacl marine goes down in the small fight by the wrecked Razorback.  Space Marine Chapter Master, attached to the Militarum Scion squad with Commisar, grav-chutes in!  Combined fire from that and several other sources reduces the Flamer squad to the sergeant and one bolter!  Surviving Inquisitor assaults the five bolter marines, whiffs, killing only one.  I score that point because the five bolter marines have Objective Secured.  Ironclad charges the Land Raider Phobos, does one hull point.

This fight is taking a while…

A Chapter Master in good company.  How is HE taking orders from a COMMISSAR? Don’t know, but it works.

The Inquisitor assaults with a fist full of ones.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Land Raider Redeemer finishes off the last of the Assault Squad as the Devastators move back up to Objective 1.  Land Raider finishes the Ironclad.  My Ironclad drops in and kills one of the remaining squad that regrouped earlier.  The Inquisitor kills all but one of the bolter Marines.  The lone Meltagun Tactical Marine puts a hull point on the Valkyrie in hover mode, and then charges but misses.

The Assault Squad couldn’t stand up to two turns of fire.

 

 

Ironclad is finally dealt with.

The fight is finally over!

The Inquisitor steps up his game as the lone Melta tries to blast the Valkyrie.

Turn 4 – Star Phantoms

Inquisitor uses Gate of Infinity to try to score a point by being in my deployment zone.  Stormtroopers charge the remaining tactical squad, kill the Sergeant in a challenge, and then whiff leaving one bolter marine.  The Chapter Master breaks off and shoots his Combi-Melta at the Crusader, but misses.  Two different one-man bolter squads charge the Assault Marines.  One dies to Overwatch, the other dies in combat.  The Valkyrie tries to hurt the Land Raider Phobos but fails.

*sound of Star Trek transporter*

The last bolter is in a pickle as the Chapter Master’s meltagun whiffs.

That went well.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Ironclad Dreadnought charges the Imperial Guard, killing them all.  Assault Squad moves and runs to get objective 2 for a point.  The Land Raider Crusader does one wound to the Chapter Master with a bolter.  Then, it does three wounds with the Assault Cannon and Kyle rolls 3 1’s, taking him out!  Squad in the Redeemer pops out and kills the Inquisitor.  Every other thing around them fires at the Valkyrie and misses.

The center is cleared by a lot of firepower and one really bad Armour Save roll.  The Chapter Master goes down in a flurry of 1’s!

The Inquisitor is taken down by flamers as the Valkyrie dodges several shots.

Turn 5 – Star Phantoms

Vindicare Turbo Penetrator round kills the Ironclad in ONE SHOT.  Heavy Bolters kill one surviving bolter marine.

One shot, one kill.  Vindicator takes down a Dreadnought.

The Heavy Bolter squad has been the star of the game.  They have been laying down a withering hail of fire all game.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Lone Meltagun hides behind the Crusader as it advances, killing 2 Devastators.  Tactical squad charges the Drop Pod, killing it.  Redeemer kills the other Pod.  Assault Marines move up and despite Assault Doctrine can’t get the range to assault the Vindicare.

Eep.

Two pods down.

Just can’t charge, even with a re-roll!

Turn 6 – Star Phantoms

Valkyrie tries yet again to hurt a Land Raider and fails.  To gain a point, the Vindicare pops an Assault Marine and assaults the Sergeant, but both of them whiff.

Make yourself useful, Valkyrie!

Both players have an objective to kill a unit in close combat, so the winner will earn a point.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Vindicare kills the Sergeant for a point.  Land Raider goes Flat out and other units move or run to give me all 6 objectives for FOUR POINTS!  Game ends.

Vindicare earns a point by beating up the Assault Sergeant.

Mad dash…

…for FOUR POINTS!

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Final Score

Azure Flames: 15 + Linebreaker, Slay the Warlord and First Blood for 18

Star Phantoms: 5 + Slay the Warlord for 6.

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The above explanations don’t show how Kyle rolled abysmally in critical situations.  He’d have had another couple points if the Inquisitor had killed the bolters on objective 2.  He also had some bad penetration rolls and shots that he needed.  The Land Raider should have died from the Ironclad, but got off light with one hull point.  This was a game lost on dice rolls.

Next: I’m going to try to get some time off to paint.  Back to the grindstone.

September Highland Game Club belated report.

Due to my new job, I totally forgot to write up the batrep from last month’s Highland Game Club!  As such, I’ve forgotten the context of the battle, and only remember the highlights.

First, I squared off with a new player who didn’t even have his own models!  He borrowed the Orks owned by the club from the Black Reach box set.  I tried to match the Space Marine contingent of the Black Reach set as faithfully as I could.

In the end, one half of a tactical squad and the Captain were all that was left on the board!  Close game and taught the basic funamentals!

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Later, Andrew and I squared off with 1750 points.  We both took Space Marines with a Demi-Legion.  Andrew also took a Knight Titan…

Here are some pics:

Andrew refused the flank!  I should have seen that coming.  I’m getting old.

Andrew’s Titan accounted for half the army and was able to kill multiple units per turn.  It was not very fun, as I had nothing to deal with it.

I dropped into Andrew’s backfield to cause havoc.  It did a lot but I couldn’t stop his whole army.

I took a Whirlwind/Land Speeder formation that did quite a lot!  The second whirlwind even stood up to two rounds of shooting from a Knight after it’s sibling was destroyed early on.

In the end, Andrew won 14 to 8.  Ugh.  Knights are the worst.  I need to make a Sternguard squad that has 10 combi-meltas.

Next, the battle report from this month!