Michael and I got down to it to prepare for the Highland tournament next month.  We played Time is of the Essence, the first mission which is… a bit brutal.

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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

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Michael – Imperial Guard

• Combined Arms Detachment
  • Leman Russ Vanquisher, Pask, Hull Lascannon, Sponson Plasma Cannons, Fire Barrels
  • Wyvern x2, Fire Barrels
  • Stormlord
  • Imperial Guard Platoon
    • Command Squad, Lascannon
    • Infantry Squad
    • Infantry Squad
    • Infantry Squad
    • Heavy Weapons Squad, 3x Lascannon
  • Techpriest Enginseer, 5x Servitors w/Servo Arms

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Mission – Time is of the Essence

As per all tournament games, terrain is set up by players rolling off and then alternating placement.  All boards will have one large impassable line of sight blocking terrain, 2 ruins, 2 forests, 1 crater, 1 lake or other water feature, and 1 medium building that has the special rule: At Any Cost Necessary – This building may be targeted by shooting or assault regardless of who holds it.

Deployment: Dawn of War

After setting up terrain, but before deployment, players take turns placing 6 total objective markers.  Starting on turn 2, at the end of your player turn, you score a number of victory points equal to the current turn (i.e. on turn 2 each objective you hold is worth 2 victory points).  At the end of the game, you lose victory points equal to the number of your units that were destroyed, broken at the end of the game, or still in ongoing reserves.

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Setup

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Michael seized the initiative!

Turn 1 – Imperial Guard

Fire from the Stormlord and Wyverns kill 2/3 of the Land Speeders and Pask shoots the Multi-melta off of the Land Raider Redeemer.

Can’t hide from the Wyvern fire!

Pask fires a shot, and the Land Raider is down one Multi-melta.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Ironclad Dreadnought drops in and puts a hull point on the Stormlord.  Last Land Speeder goes for an objective in the forest.  Land Raider goes up and pops smoke.

The Ironclad Dreadnought threatens the Stormlord.

Smoke is our only hope!

Turn 2 – Imperial Guard

Lascannon squad aboard the Stormlord takes out the Ironclad Dreadnought.  Wyverns destroy the last Land Speeder.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Leonidas and the Terminators disembark, and destroy the Wyverns.  Tactical squad arrives via drop pod, combat squads, and takes two objectives.  Scouts arrive via outflank and take another objective.

The Wvyverns are toast!

Objectives secured.

The Land Speeder Storm takes another objective.

Turn 3 – Imperial Guard

Fire from the Stormlord kills one Terminator.  Sponson plasma cannon on Pask’s Leman Russ suffers an overheat!

30 shots kill only one Terminator.  Meanwhile, Pask has trouble with his Plasma.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Leonidas and the Terminators blow up Pask’s Leman Russ, but one Terminator is killed in the explosion!  Land Raider backs up to protect the Tactical Combat Squad holding the objective in the open.

Pask is toast.  The Land Raider acts as a wall to protect some bolter marines.

Turn 4 – Imperial Guard

Three Infantry Squads and the Command Squad disembark and bubble-wrap the Stormlord.  Precision shots do a wound to Leonidas and the Stormlord kills one more Terminator.

The Guardsmen form a wall to prevent a Terminator charge on the Stormlord.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Leonidas splits from the Terminators, and his heavy flamer kills the entire command squad, as well as most of the red squad.  Leonidas charges the red squad, breaks them and wipes them out.  The Terminators charge the yellow squad, break them, and consolidate onto the objective.  Fire from the Stormtalon is ineffective.

Leonidas accounts for two units in one turn, and consolidates to the side of the Stormlord.

Terminators claim the objective.  Beneath them, two guardsmen flee a pitiful two inches.

Turn 5 – Imperial Guard

Green squad and Stormlord wipe out the Terminators.  Techpriest and Servitors charge Leonidas, but with a heavy flamer on Overwatch, and good attack rolls, Leonidas kills them all before they even get a chance to attack!  Lascannons do a glance to the Land Raider.

Leonidas prepares the avenge the Terminators.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Leonidas burns the Green squad, but can’t make it to the objective.  Lucky Assault Cannon shot does three hull points to the Stormlord!  Stormtalon risks a hover to claim the forest objective.

Objective just out of reach!

Turn 6 – Imperial Guard

Stormlord does one wound to Leonidas.  Lascannons destroy the Stormtalon.

Leonidas stands up to 30 shots.

The Stormtalon is toast!

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Leonidas charges the green squad, kills them, and takes the objective.  Land Raider Assault Cannon does one more glance to the Stormlord.  Game ends.

Leonidas grabs the objective.

Last lucky shot.

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Final score

Azure Flames: 57 points + Slay the Warlord + Linebreaker – 3 lost units = 56

Imperial Guard: 7 points + First Blood – 8 lost units = 0

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When event organizer Ian heard about our score, he was shocked.  Playtest with this mission had both sides routinely scoring 40-50 points.  Why, then, did Michael do so poorly?  In his own words, he created his list to be a tabler.  He wanted to win by killing everything in the opposing army.  This is hard at 1500 points.  Had even one of my models survived, I would have kept all of my victory points.  Michael only scored 7 points, and only by my urging that his squads hold an objective on turns 3 and 4.

Next: another battle report!  Stay tuned!