Azure Flames vs. Cadians – 1200pts Retrieval Mission

Another great game with Nathan!  Let’s skip the formalities and get right into it.

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Bozeman – Azure Flames

Battalion Detachment

• Captain Khalil on Bike, The Shield Eternal, Thunder Hammer, Warlord Trait: Iron Resolve
• Librarian, Force Staff
• Tactical Squad x5, Combi-Plasma, Lascannon
• Tactical Squad x5, Combi-Plasma, Lascannon
• Tactical Squad x5, Storm Bolter, Heavy Bolter
• Tactical Squad x5, Storm Bolter, Heavy Bolter
• Dreadnought, Heavy Flamer, Twin Lascannon
• Company Ancient, Standard of the Emperor Ascendant, Bolter
• Apothecary
• Devastators x5, Storm Bolter, 4x Lascannon, Armourium Cherub
• Thunderfire Cannon

Nathan – Cadians

Battalion Detachment

• Tank Commander Leman Russ
• Company Commander
• Primaris Psyker
• Infantry Squad, Lascannon
• Infantry Squad, Autocannon
• Infantry Squad, Autocannon
• Infantry Squad, Autocannon
• Leman Russ Punisher x2
• Wyvern x2
• Basilisk

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Retrieval Mission – 4 objectives, 3VP each

Setup:

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Before turn 1, the Cadians unleash a preliminary bombardment!  A tactical marine bites the dust, and the Dreadnought takes a wound.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Captain Khalil advances right at the enemy, daring them to shoot him!  Librarian casts Might of Heroes to keep him a bit more protected.  Abysmal rolls from the lascannons do some serious damage to only one of the Leman Russes.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 1 – Cadians

A hail of fire smashes Khalil, and poor armor save rolls make him lose 4 of his 7 wounds!  Other shooting does some damage to the squads on the right side of the board.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Slightly better shooting ends one of the Russes and damages another.  Khalil charges one of the Wyverns, and only hits twice, even after several re-rolls!  He’s down to one wound thanks to overwatch!

Turn 2 – Cadians

Shots from several sources eliminate 3 of the 4 lascannon Devastators, but thanks to the Standard of the Emperor Ascendant, they take parting shots and eliminate the wounded Russ!  Khalil finishes the Wyvern in close combat.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Khalil charges the other Wyvern, and once again rolls poorly for only 6 damage.  Lascannons remove the Tank Commander.

Turn 3 – Cadians

Wyvern drives away from Khalil and a Cadian squad charges, managing to do one final wound!  Basilisk finishes the Thunderfire cannon, leaving the gunner.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Heavy Bolter squad rushes from teh building to grab the objective in the crater.  Librarian joins the Techmarine Gunner to hold the objective.

Turn 4 – Cadians

Squad on the right side breaks cover along with the Primaris Psyker.  Other fire is ineffective.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

A few lascannons harm the Basilisk.  Other fire kills a few Guardsmen.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 5 – Cadians

The Wyverns and some overcharged plasma kill the two squads holding the objective on the right.  Other squads move into shooting position.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Techmarine advances to try to take back the objective.  He gets Might of Heroes.  More Cadians bite the dust from Heavy Bolter fire.  Basilisk is removed by lascannons.

Turn 6 – Cadians

Primaris Psyker advances to claim the objective!  He tries to Smite the Techmarine, but the Librarian Denies the Witch!  Squad falls back to claim the abandoned objective by the dead Basilisk.  Game ends.

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Azure Flames: 6 plus Slay the Warlord and First Blood = 8

Cadians: 6 plus Slay the Warlord = 7

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Close!  Had Nathan’s Primaris Psyker advanced on turn 5 more than 2″ and then moved to within 3″ of the objectve but within 12″ of the board edge, he would have scored Linebreaker for a tie.

Khalil on a bike is fun, but he can die easily to massed fire.  He’d REALLY be broken in a smaller points game.  As it is, he needs a bit of a shield to protect him from at least one turn of shooting to get into charge range.

Next: more games and painting!

Azure Flames vs. Sisters of Battle – Secure and Control 52 PL

Once again, a battle report thanks to AFK Games in Holt.  This game was against Andrew’s Sisters of Battle.  Due to my old-man constitution and day-shift sleep schedule, plus a late dinner, Andrew and I decided on a smaller game (nominally 50 PL but we both went 2 over).  We played Secure and Control.  Here’s how it went!

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Bozeman – Azure Flames (Salamanders)

Battalion Detachment

• Captain Khalil of the 7th Company on Bike, The Shield Eternal, Thunder Hammer, Warlord Trait: Iron Resolve
• Librarian on Bike, Force Axe, Bolter, The Salamander Mantle, Smite, Might of Heroes, Null Zone
• Tactical Squad x5, Bolter-Melta, Missile Launcher
• Tactical Squad x5, Bolter-Melta, Missile Launcher
• Tactical Squad x5, Bolter-Flamer, Missile Launcher
• Tactical Squad x5, Bolter-Flamer, Missile Launcher
• Bike Squad x5 + Attack Bike, Power Fist, 2x Meltagun, Multi-Melta
• Thunderfire Cannon

Andrew – Sisters of Battle

Patrol Detachment

• Canoness
• Ministorum Priest
• Battle Sister Squad, Meltagun, Power Mace
• Repentia Squad x10
• Mistress of Repentance
• Penitent Engines x2
• Immolator, Heavy Flamer
• Immolator, Heavy Flamer
• Death Cult Assassins x2

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Mission: Secure and Control: Each player gets one Objective, worth 3VP in their own deployment zone.  First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker.

Deployment: Search and Destroy (Players deploy in opposite board quarters, but cannot deploy within 9″ of the center of the board)  To make the smaller game work, we played on a 4×4′ surface.

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Setup

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Turn 1 – Sisters of Battle

Immolators back off, hiding so that the Space Marines have to come get them!

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

A few missiles get lucky shots at a tiny piece of one of the Immolators, doing 7 total wounds.  The Bikes and Characters advance along the right side of the board.  Librarian casts Might of Heroes on the bikes.

Turn 2 – Sisters of Battle

Immolators back up again to deny line of sight.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Bikes move into position.  Multi-Melta does 6 wounds to a Penitent Engine, and Captain Khalil’s Bike-mounted Boltguns do onefinal unsaved wound! Tremor Shells slow the other Penitent Engine.

Turn 3 – Sisters of Battle

Battle Sisters, Canonness, and Priest pile out of the Immolator to hold the objective.  Immolator moves to be a wall between the bikes and the army, and it pops smoke.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

All fire on the smoked Immolator proves completely ineffective!  Thunderfire Cannon assassinates the Death Cult Assassins.  Bikes and Captain Khalil charge the Immolator, destroying it.  Thunderfire Cannon kills a few Battle Sisters.

Turn 4 – Sisters of Battle

Penitent Engine charges the bikes, but whiffs, killing one bike and damaging the Attack Bike.  Sisters Repentia try to charge but fail.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Bikes fall back.  Missiles finish the Penitent Engine.  Librarian casts Might of Heroes on Khalil.  Captain Khalil charges the Ministorum Priest, killing him.  Canonness performs Heroic Intervention but does no damage.

Turn 5 – Sisters of Battle

Battle Sisters charge Khalil, but he kills them.  Canonness puts one wound on Khalil.  Sisters Repentia charge the Bike remnants and kill them, then consolidate into the Librarian who kills three.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Frag Missile fire finishes off the Sisters Repentia.  Khalil does 3 wounds to the Canonness.

Turn 6 – Sisters of Battle

Mistress of Repentance charges the Librarian, doing 1 wound and then dying.  Khalil kills the Canonness.  Game ceded.

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Andrew wanted to try a list with Repentia and Penitent Engines.  Sadly the mission did not favor him, as it forced him to try to counter-charge an intransigent Salamanders MSU Gunline with Bike Support.  I think Andrew should have charged forward and popped smoke on turn 1, shielding the Penitent Engines with Immolators.  I would have probably killed one Immolator, and set him up for a possible turn 2 charge.

Star of the battle goes to my super-Captain Khalil, who was designed to stare down Knight Titans.

Next: more painting, gaming, and building!