Space Marines vs. Imperial Guard/Marines 1500 Big Guns Never Tire

Went back to Highland, got a 1500 pt. game with Michael, who was trying out a new Imperial Guard list.  Let’s go!

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Bozeman – Azure Flames Space Marines (Salamanders)

• -Demi-Company
  • Leonidas, captain of the 1st company (counts as Vulkan He’Stan)
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Power Fist, Combi-Melta, Meltagun, Multi-Melta
    • Drop Pod
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Power Fist, Combi-Melta, Meltagun, Multi-Melta
    • Drop Pod
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Power Fist, Combi-Flamer, Flamer, Multi-Melta
    • Rhino, Extra Armour
  • Assault Squad x5, 2x Flamers
  • Devastator Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, 4x Missile Launcher, 4x Flakk Missile upgrade
• Whirlwind Suppression Force
  • Whirlwind x2
  • Land Speeders x3, Multi-Melta x3
• Librarius Conclave
  • Librarian, Lv2, Terminator Armour, The Shield Eternal, Dominate, Terrify, Psychic Shriek
  • Librarian, Lv2, Invisibility, Terrify, Psychic Shriek
  • Librarian, Lv2, Fiery Form, Fire Breath, Flame Breath

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Michael – Imperial Guard with Space Marine Allies (unbound)

• Imperial Guard
  • Leman Russ Exterminator x3, Plasma Cannon Sponsons, Lascannon, Heavy Stubber, Camo Netting, Fire Barrels
    • Commander Pask (Warlord)
  • Wyvern x3, Camo Netting, Fire Barrels
  • Guardsman Squad x10, Medic, Banner, Krak Grenades
  • Guardsman Squad x10, Medic, Banner, Krak Grenades
  • Guardsman Squad x10, Medic, Banner, Krak Grenades
  • Tempestus Scion x10, Tempestus Prime
  • Lord Commisar
  • Lord Commisar
  • Vendetta Gunship, 2x Heavy Bolter Sponson
  • Techpriest Enginseer
• Space Marine Allies
  • Tactical Squad x9, Plasma Cannon
  • Tactical Squad x9, Plasma Cannon
• Fortification
  • Aegis Defense Line

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Mission – Big Guns Never Tire (D3+2 objectives, we rolled 3.  Heavy Support choices killed give 1VP)

Deployment – Vanguard Strike

Setup:

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Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Leonidas and the three Librarians join the Assault Squad and they deep strike behind enemy lines, as does one of the melta Tactical Squads.  Despite primo back armour melta shots, camo netting saves the Leman Russes with minimal damage.  The Librarians cast Invisibility, Terrify, and fire breath.  Flamers and heavy flamer then eat into the 30 man guard squad, but a ridiculous amount of Feel No Pain saves reduces the casualties significantly.  Land Speeders move flat out as Whirlwinds blast the 10 man guardsman squad doing a few casualties.  Devastators lay into the Leman Russes, but cover saves negate their shots.

Drop Pod Blitz behind enemy lines!  Waves of fire and melta shots!  …less effective than I’d have liked.

Move out!

Turn 1 – Imperial Guard

The entire Imperial Guard army fires on the non-invisible portion of the army, and the Invisible portion takes a walloping.  All but one of the Assault Squad and the entire tactical squad go away.  Despite jinking, one Land Speeder explodes and one is immobilized.

Eerily accurate plasma makes a big dent in the blitz!

Land Speeders take a beating.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Leonidas, all alone, charges the large Guard squad and challenges the Commisar, killing him outright and taking two guardsmen with him.  The Guard hold despite Terrify. The Librarians all split off and charge separate targets, two of the Wyverns and the Tempestus Scions.  One of the Wyverns is immobilized, and the Scions lose a few members, but not much else happens.  Rhino advances on objective 3.  Sadly, the last Assault Marine charges one of the Wyverns and Fire Barrels kill him!

Leonidas goes after the guardsmen alone!

Tempestus Scions get charged. Overwatch does a wound to the Librarian, and several are cut down in return.

Objective 3 obtained!

Turn 2 – Imperial Guard

Combat with the Tempestus Scions and the Librarian continues.  The lower Wyvern backs up, and with good rolls kills one of the Librarians, but the immobilized Wyvern was still in combat with the Terminator Librarian so the Terminator Librarian finishes the Wyvern which explodes!  Leonidas kills some Guardsmen, they break, and are cut down as they flee!  Small guard squad leaps over their Aegis defense line and assault the immobilized Land Speeder, wrecking it.  Rhino is destroyed, and all 10 men inside take wounds, losing 3.  Other shots take two more, leaving the squad at half strength.

The Scions gang up on the Librarian!

The fight goes well for Leonidas!

With nothing left to lose, the Guardsmen charge the helpless Land Speeder!

What’s left of the Tactical Squad clings to the objective.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Second melta squad arrives and explodes one of the Leman Russes, killing two Tempestus Scions in the explosion!  Cover saves manage to protect Pask’s Leman Russ from the other combat squad and other shots.  Leonidas charges into the Tempestus Scions and clears them with the Librarian’s help.  Terminator Librarian charges the other Wyvern but does no damage.  Whirlwinds kill half of the squad that took out the Land Speeder.

Objective 2 is cleared by a huge explosion!

Whirlwinds don’t forgive the Guardsmen.  Half of them are taken out.

Turn 3 – Imperial Guard

Vendetta arrives, and drops off one of the Tactical Squads, who put the hurt on the Melta squads.  The other Tactical Squad walks on from the board edge, and combined fire with the Wyverns put one wound on the Terminator Librarian.  Note to self: USE INVISIBILITY EVERY TURN.  Small guard squad order Go! Go! Go! to run toward enemy lines.

Vendetta gives the Tactical Squad a lift, and they unload on the melta squad. (Vendetta is alive despite it’s appearance, it was purchased secondhand)

The Librarian has some new company…

Fantastic effort from the guardsmen.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Remains of the melta squad charge Pask’s Leman Russ, knocking off a Plasma Cannon.  Leonidas can’t charge the Tactical Squad.  On an unrelated note, have I mentioned that I hate random charge ranges?  The Terminator Librarian charges the newly arrived Tactical Squad.  Flakk missiles that I purchased for the Devastators work for the first time since they were introduced in 5th edition and shoot down the Vendetta.  Seriously, first time Flakk missiles were not a complete waste of points.

Good news: Flakk takes out the Vendetta.  Bad news: Leonidas fails to charge the Tactical Squad.

The Terminator Librarian fights for his life.

Turn 4 – Imperial Guard

The fight with the Terminator Librarian goes well, as he kills two Marines and they break and flee off the board!  The Tactical Squad charges Leonidas which was, really, the only thing they could do.

Librarian chases the Tactical Squad off the board.

These are very sad Tactical Marines.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Leonidas finishes the Tactical Squad and consolidates onto objective 2.  Librarian chareges a Wyvern and knocks off… the Heavy Stubber.  Great.

Objective 2 is held by Leonidas, all alone.

Charge does very little.

Turn 5 – Imperial Guard

The whole remaining army fires on Leonidas, taking one wound.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Devatators cause one final glance on Pask’s Leman Russ, wrecking it.  The Terminator Librarian perils and dies!

Pask finally takes one missile too many!

Turn 6 – Imperial Guard

Fire against Leonidas does not kill him.

Turn 7 – Azure Flames

Missile fire from the Devastators does nothing to the last Leman Russ.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 7 – Imperial Guard

Leonidas loses one more wound, but lives to fight another day.

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Final Score

Azure Flames – 3 objectives plus Slay the Warlord = 10

Imperial Guard – First Blood = 1

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Michael rolled like a god this game.  He rolled more Hits than Scatter results.  He wounded 10 Marines on a 4+ when their Rhino exploded.  He saved at least 10 out of 17 FNP5+ rolls.  Why then did Michael not do better?

He got nowhere near the objectives.  He held objective 2 for a while, but the all-tank strategy didn’t help much.  He also went for a Razorback with a squad when he could have fought the Devastators or Whirlwinds to try to take objective 1.  The 30 man Blob squad was a big (admittedly tough) target, but it couldn’t get any objectives.

Keep your eyes on the prize, kids.

Next: hopefully some painting if I can get 5 minutes.