Highland April Tournament Prep part 1 – Imperial Guard

Last year, I took on an anything-goes style 40K tournament with one goal: show that 40K is still fun by standing up to beardy broken lists with a balanced fun Highlander-style Combined Arms Detachment.  I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams, because I not only won the tournament, I made quite the impression on Ian, the event coordinator.

So, this year, the points value is reduced to 1500, and players are limited to one Combined Arms Detachment plus one other formation of any kind, subject to the Highlander rules of composition.  For those unfamiliar, you can only take one of any given unit.  The exception is Troops choices, but you can only duplicate Troops choices after taking one of every type of Troops in your Codex.

The Tournament is in July.  Never too early to prep.  With the help of the wonderful people of the Highland Library 40K Club, I played two great games to see how my initial list performs.  My first game was against Michael, who I played against last month.

The mission that we played was the 4th mission from last year’s tournament.  We didn’t get to play it properly, so it will be the first mission in this year’s tournament.

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Bozeman – Azure Flames Space Marines (Salamanders)

• Combined Arms Detachment
  • Leonidas, Captain of the 1st Company (counts as Vulkan He’stan)
  • Ironclad Dreadnought, Chainfist, replace Storm Bolter with Heavy Flamer, Ironclad Launchers
    • Drop Pod
  • Terminator Assault Squad x5, 5x Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield
    • Land Raider Redeemer, Extra Armour, Multi-Melta
  • Tactical Squad x10, Veteran Sergeant, Power Fist, Bolter-Melta, Meltagun, Multi-Melta
    • Drop Pod
  • Scout Squad x5
    • Land Speeder Storm, Multi-Melta
  • Land Speeder Squadron x3, 3x Multi-Melta
  • Stormtalon Gunship, Skyhammer Missile Launcher

Michael – Imperial Guard (I’m not calling them Astra Militarum)

• Combined Arms Detachment
  • Land Raider Executioner Command Tank, Camo Netting
    • Commander Pask
  • Commisar, Plasma Pistol, Power Sword, Refractor Field
  • Commisar, Plasma Pistol, Power Sword, Refractor Field
  • Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, Forward Sentries, Demolitions
  • Infantry Platoon
    • Platoon Command Squad, Medic, Commander, Power Sword, Plasma Gun
    • Infantry Squad, Plasma Gun
    • Infantry Squad, Plasma Gun
  • Primaris Psyker, Lv2
  • Techpriest Enginseer
    • 5 Servitors, Servo Arms
  • Stormlord Superheavy Tank, 2x Lascannon, Camo Netting
    • NOTE: Due to Michael not owning a Stormlord, he used a box top as a proxy.  Fire arcs were approximated and judged with a 4+.

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Mission – Right Place at the Wrong Time

Players alternate setting up 6 numbered objectives.  When an objective is first claimed, roll a D6.  On a 1, the objective explodes, causing D6 S5 AP4 hits to the squad that claimed it, and then the objective is removed from the game permanently!  On a 2-3, the objective is removed.  On a 4+, the objective is “real” and is rolled for as a Mysterious Objective, re-rolling all results of 1.

If 3 objectives are removed, the remaining 3 are “real” and if 3 are identified as “real” all others are removed (assume they are deactivated).  Objectives are worth 3 points at the end of the game.  First Blood, Linebreaker, and Slay the Warlord for one point each.

Setup zones are Random.  For this game with Michael, we played Hammer and Anvil (short table edges, 24″ deployment)

Setup

In the grand tradition of Tournament scenarios, I did not go first.

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Imperial Guard – Turn 1

The Stormlord fires a Lascannon at the Land Raider Redeemer, glancing it, and fires its Vulcan Megabolter at the Land Speeders.  Luckily one of them is out of its fire arc.

The Land Speeders take a huge amount of fire!

Land Raider is glanced.

Azure Flames – Turn 1

Land Raider advances and pops smoke.  Ironclad Dreadnought arrives and damages the platoon squad in the bunker.  Last Land Speeder flies towards the enemy.

Let’s move out.

Surprise!

Imperial Guard – Turn 2

Plasma fire from several sources puts two glances on the Ironclad.  An Infantry Squad charges the last Land Speeder and kills it.

Guardsmen rush!

Not enough to bring down the Ironclad!

Azure Flames – Turn 2

Ironclad charges the Stormlord, doing 8 hull points of damage, just one away from doing it in!  Land Raider moves up and uses its Multi-Melta to destroy Pask’s Leman Russ.  Land Speeder Storm arrives and takes cover behind some ruins.  Turn not pictured.

Imperial Guard – Turn 3

Veteran squad disembarks from the Stormlord and charges the Ironclad, killing it with Melta bombs!  Vulcan Megabolter whiffs against the Land Speeder Storm, but Heavy Bolter sponsons shred the speeder, and other guns kill two of the Scouts, forcing them to go to ground.

Expensive Veterans are worth it, as they save the Stormlord from the Ironclad.

Scouts are stymied in the ruins by heavy fire.

Azure Flames – Turn 3

Stormtalon arrives and kills many of the Infantry squad that killed the last Land Speeder, breaking them.  Leonidas and the Terminators disembark the Land Raider, and split up.  The Terminators go after the Veterans, killing everyone but the Commissar who breaks and flees!  Leonidas kills the remaining troops in the bunker with his Heavy Flamer.  Tactical Squad arrives via drop pod, combat squads, and blows up the Stormlord with Melta power!  The only survivor is a lone Servitor who is killed by a Drop Pod Storm Bolter.

Air power gets revenge!

This Commissar doesn’t have anyone to shoot, so he flees!

Leonidas clears the bunker, as the Tactical Squad finishes off the Stormlord.

Imperial Guard – Turn 4

Platoon commander orders the Commissar to Get Back in the Fight!  Commissar fires his plasma, but a Terminator makes his save.

The Commissar is back, but out of luck.

Azure Flames – Turn 4

Bolter fire and fire from the Stormtalon kill all remaining models.  Tabled.

Shot him before the Terminators could finish him.

The Stormtalon hovers to take care of business.

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I knew holding objectives would be hard with a Superheavy designed to wipe Space Marines off the table, so I poured everything I had into killing it.  That ended up working well, as Michael put all his eggs in one basket.  A superheavy basket.  However, without the Stormlord to dish out punishment, the rest of the army was a bit lacking.

Next: I go up against a Dark Angels/White Scars list with new tricks from the latest Space Marine Supplement: Angels of Death!  Stay tuned!