Azure Flames vs. Bloodletter Bomb 2000 GT Practice

There’s a Grand Tournament coming up, and everyone has the hottest, meanest netlists.

Except me.  Tournaments are not usually my scene.  However I don’t have a problem with helping others test their lists…

…until I saw Jesse’s Bloodletter Bomb.  Yeesh.  Well, I’m not one to back away from a fight, so here we go…

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Bozeman – Azure Flames (Salamanders)

Brigade Detachment

• Librarian, Force Axe, Jump Pack, Tome of Malcador, Psychic Powers: Veil of Time, Might of Heroes, Null Zone
• Librarian, Force Sword, Psychic Powers: Fury of the Ancients, Null Zone
• Librarian, Force Staff, Psychic Powers: Psychic Scourge, Null Zone
• Scouts x5, Missile Launcher
• Scouts x5, Missile Launcher
• Tactical Squad x5, Storm Bolter, Chainsword, Missile Launcher
• Tactical Squad x5, Storm Bolter, Chainsword, Missile Launcher
• Tactical Squad x5, Power Fist, Bolter-Flamer, Flamer
• Tactical Squad x5, Power Fist, Bolter-Flamer, Flamer
• Dreadnought, 2x Twin Autocannons
• Dreadnought, Heavy Flamer, Assault Cannon
• Ironclad Dreadnought, Seismic Hammer, Heavy Flamer, Hurricane Bolter, Ironclad Launchers, 2x Hunter Killer Missile
• Attack Bike, Heavy Bolter
• Attack Bike, Heavy Bolter
• Attack Bike, Heavy Bolter
• Devastators x10, 4x Missile Launcher, Armourium Cherub
• Devastators x5, 4x Grav Cannon with Grav Amp, Armourium Cherub
• Thunderfire Cannon

Jesse – Khorne, Slaanesh, and Renegade CSM Triad

Battalion Detachment – Chaos Demons

• Demon Prince, Mark of Khorne, Super Khorne Axe, Wings
• Skulltaker
• Herald of Khorne
• Bloodletters x20
• Bloodletters x20
• Bloodletters x10
• Bloodhounds x5

Battalion Detachment – Chaos Demons

• Demon Prince, Mark of Slaanesh, Soul Reaver, Wings, Psychic Power: Vain
• Herald of Slaanesh
• Herald of Slaanesh on Steed
• Seekers of Slaanesh x10
• Daemonettes x28
• Daemonettes x10
• Daemonettes x10

Patrol Detachment – Chaos Space Marines

• Demon Prince, Mark of Slaanesh, Wings
• Cultists x10

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Mission: Grand Tournament Mission #1

Objectives placed 12″ in both directions from each corner, plus two more 24″ from each corner.

Players generate up to 3 Tactical Objectives per turn.

At the end of the game, each objective is worth 2 VP.

Secondary Objectives: Slay the Warlord, First Strike (kill a unit on your first turn), Linebreaker

Game Length: 6 Turns

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Setup

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Turn 1 – Chaos

Demon Princes and Daemonettes charge the sacrifical Scouts, eliminating them.  Seekers run around them and charge the Ironclad  Tactical Squad, and Rifle Dreadnought.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Flamer squad counterpunches and burns the Daemonettes, forcing the survivors to break and flee.  Seekers are eliminated by a Smite and Dreadnought punches.  Lucky missile shot does 6 wounds to the CSM Daemon Prince!

Turn 2 – Chaos

Daemonette squad breaks cover and charges the FLamer squad, and all but 2 die thanks to overwatch!  Herald also charges.  They all die, leaving the squad holding objective 2.  Bloodletters arrive, charge Dreadnoughts and one of the Attack Bikes.  Attack Bike goes down and Bloodletters consolidate into Devastators.  Other Bloodletters take some damage from Dreadnoughts and dish it out in return.  Khorne Demon Prince smashes the Rifle Dread and consolidates out of combat.  Slaanesh Prince charges the other Dev Combat Squad, and takes 5 damage from overwatch, but gains 3 back thanks to his Soul Reaver.  He also kills 4/5 of another squad with a SUPER SMITE!  The surviving Sergeant spends 2CP to interrupt and kill the CSM Demon Prince that charged him!

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Squad and Librarian charge the Bloodletters, which was a stupid idea as they do little damage and get chewed up.  Other Librarian charges Slaanesh Prince, he dies.  Bloodletters on the right side eliminate the Devs. Thunderfire harasses the Cultists in the building.  Khorne Demon Prince is completely annihilated by Grav Cannons!

Turn 3 – Chaos

Regular Dread is removed, Ironclad reduced to 1 wound.  Bloodletters and Skulltaker kill the Attack Bike.  Slaanesh Prince kills the other Devs.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Sangamon the Librarian (my Warlord) gets off NULL ZONE.  The Ironclad falls back and the Bloodletters all get killed form shooting.  Thunderfire blasts the other Bloodletters across the board with a Tremor Shell, slowing them.  Other shots reduce the Slaanesh prince to 2 wounds.

Turn 4 – Chaos

Slaanesh Prince charges the Tactical Squad, doing a bit of damage and consolidating into the Thunderfire.  Skulltaker, Bloodletters, and some Demonettes advance.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Bloodletters are blown apart by Grav Cannons, Thunderfire, and all other shooting.

Turn 5 – Chaos

Skulltaker moves up but fails a charge and takes a wound from Overwatch from a Bolter Marine.  Oh, the indignity!

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Skulltaker, Daemonettes, and all other visible targets eliminated.  Cultists in the building are wracked by the Thunderfire.

Turn 6 – Chaos

Cultists Hide.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Cultists are reduced to 3, but make their morale check!  Sangamon can’t get another objective.  Game ends.

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Final Score

Azure Flames: 6 plus Slay the Warlord, First Strike, and 2 VP from an objective = 10

Chaos: 7 plus First Strike and 2VP from an objective = 10

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I SURVIVED THE BLOODLETTER BOMB!  Almost tabled it too!  This list was designed with inevitable charges being eaten by small units, then counterpunch units reacting.  It was awesome.

Star of the list: GRAV CANNONS.  Holy crap they are Demon Prince Erasers and Horde Stompers, especially with NULL ZONE.

Honestly, I could have won had I advanced the Attack Bike on the right, and the Grav Devs to hold the objective he left behind, but I didn’t think of it.  I forgot that objectives were 2VP.  KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE.

Next: more games and hopefully painting!

Azure Flames 1st Company All Terminators vs. Tallarn GT list, 2000 pts

I’m sick of the Salamanders.

Well, not REALLY. I’m sick of bog standard 5-man squad MSU gunlines.  Yes, it’s very powerful and competitive, especially if you throw in a Rhino or two for some mobility, but it’s so BORING.

So, what else do I have in my magic box of Space Marines?  Hmmmmm…

OH YES FOUR FULL SQUADS OF TERMINATORS.

Thanks to the magic of the Vanguard formation, taking 42 models in Terminator Armor is a Battle Forged list!

Fourstrands veteran Nathan wanted to test a list against a mission from an upcoming Grand Tournament, and so I brought this somewhat unorthodox list to challenge him.  Let’s Batrep!

Wait, that sounded idiotic.  Forget I typed that.

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Bozeman – Azure Flames (Salamanders)

Vanguard Detachment

• Captain Perseus in Terminator Armour, The Shield Eternal, Thunder Hammer, Warlord Trait: Iron Resolve
• Librarian in Terminator Armour, Force Axe, Storm Shield, Psychic Powers: Smite, Veil of Time, Might of Heroes
• Terminator Squad x10, 2x Heavy Flamer, Teleport Homer
• Terminator Squad x10, 2x Assault Cannon, Chainfist, Teleport Homer
• Terminator Assault Squad x10, 10x Thunder Hammer Storm Shield, Teleport Homer
• Terminator Assault Squad x10, 10x Lightning Claw, Teleport Homer

Nathan – Tallarn Desert Raiders Imperial Guard

Brigade Detachment

• Commander
• Tank Commander, Leman Russ Vanquisher
• Primaris Psyker
• Infantry Squad
• Infantry Squad
• Infantry Squad
• Infantry Squad
• Veteran Squad
• Veteran Squad
• Company Commander
• Command Squad
• Special Weapons Squad
• Hellhound x2
• Sentinel
• Sentinel x2
• Leman Russ Punisher x2
• Heavy Weapon Squad
• Heavy Weapon Squad
• Wyvern x2

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Mission: Grand Tournament Mission #5

Setup: Vanguard Strike

Objectives: One objective (stationary) is placed 24″ from the corner of each players deployment zone, in line with the board center.  The other 4 objectives are placed along the center line.  These 4 objectives may be picked up and carried per the rules in The Relic.  At the end of the game, stationary objectives are worth 1 VP and Relic objectives are worth 3VP.

Tactical Objectives: At the beginning of each player’s turn, they draw Tactical Objectives until they have a number equal to the current turn number.  No Tactical Objectives are generated after turn 5.

Secondary Objectives: First Strike (kill a unit on turn 1), King of the Hill (have the closest unit to the center of the board when the game ends), Priority Target (destroy the most expensive enemy unit)

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Setup:

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Pregame: Nathan uses a preliminary bombardment.  Several models including the Librarian take a mortal wound!

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Units without guns advance.  Shooting takes out 9/10 models in an Infantry Squad, but Nathan spends 2CP to pass the morale test to deny me First Strike.

Turn 1 – Tallarn Desert Raiders

Hellhounds, Sentinels, and Leman Russ Punishers arrive via Outflank.  Several Teleport Homers are removed thanks to the Sentinels.  4/5 of one of the Lightning Claw squads is killed, the last one fails morale to score First Strike for Nathan!

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

What remains of the Assault Cannon squad charges at the Hellhounds, damaging both.  Other squads try to charge the Leman Russes, but they’re too far away.  Librarian casts Might of Heroes on the Lightning Claw squad.  Smite and bolter fire take out a few guardsmen in the building.

Turn 2 – Tallarn Desert Raiders

Hellhound retreats.  Leman Russ Punishers do some damage to the Thunder Hammer squad.  The rest of the army eliminates the Lightning Claw squad.  One of the Sentinels overheats a Plasma Cannon and dies!

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Flame weapons and bolters wipe out the Special Weapons squad, and then the Heavy Flamer Terminators roll boxcars and charge an Infantry squad!  This wipes out the guardsmen and scores a VP.  Librarian casts Might of Heroes on the squad that charged.  Two remaining Terminators chase the Sentinel.  Assault Cannon squad holds objective 6 and other squads gain objctives to score D3 VP (because this is a GT scenario, any D3 VP objectives automatically score 2.)

Turn 3 – Tallarn Desert Raiders

Primaris Psyker uses Psychic Maelstrom to remove two Terminators, and other fire removes two more and wounds the Sergeant.  Guard squad charges the Sergeant, but he survives and cuts several of them down.  Leman Russes reduce the Thunder Hammer squad to one wounded model, and then a Leman Russ uses the Crush Them strategem and charges alongside a Guard squad, but the lone Terminator survives, denying the enemy control of objective 3.  Sentinel legs it to escape the Terminators chasing it.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Assault Cannon squad charges, severely damaging the last Helhound.  Terminator Sergeant continues to chop up the Guardsmen, who lose two of their number to a failed Morale check.  Captain Perseus charges the squad harassing the Thunder Hammer Terminator, taking a few out.  Terminator Squad shoots up and charges a squad and the survivors flee.  I score a few points thanks to objectives.

Turn 4 – Tallarn Desert Raiders

Lascannon sentinel charges the Terminators, to mixed failed results.  All of the rest of the army focus on the Librarian, but he shrugs it off.  Leman Russ and squad fall back from the Captain and THSS Termie.  Get Back in the Fight allows them to shoot the Captain with some meltaguns, but they bounce off thanks to the Shield Eternal.  Other Leman Russ puts 8 wounds on the last wounded THSS guy, but he makes all 8 saves!  Game ceded.

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At the end of the game, I had Captain Perseus, unharmed, The Librarian who had take one wound from the Preliminary Bombardment, two one-man squads of THSS Terminators, two Assault Cannon Terminators two regular Terminators, and a squad of 3 with a Chainfist.  9 out of 40 regular models, plus the Characters.  That’s about 74% of the entire army, gone in four turns.

The final score for Tactical Objectives was Azure Flames 9, Imperial Guard 2.  Nathan didn’t have the mobility to really go out and accomplish objectives.  We didn’t count the main objectives, but I had at least 2, possibly 3 of the 3VP ones, and Nathan’s tanks could have easily taken one, plus his starting 1VP objective.  This mission rewards initiative, mobility, and flexibility.

There was also the possibility that Nathan could have tabled me had the game gone to turn 7, but with the Assault Cannon guys hiding and Perseus being a nigh-unkillable beast, that would have been unlikely.

So, that was my fun time with an unconventional list!  Coming up next, I’m almost done with a paint project!

Azure Flames vs. Blood Angels – 1200 pts Secure and Control

Here’s another Batrep with the incomparable AFK Games staffer Chris and his Blood Angels.  This time, the stoic Azure Flames go toe-to-toe with none other than Dante, Lord of the Blood Angels.  A thousand year old pseudo-vampire Chapter Master with the agility of an Angel and the wrath to match.  Let’s dive right in!

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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, Combi-Grav, 4x Missile Launcher, Armourium Cherub
• Thunderfire Cannon

Chris – Blood Angels

Battalion Detachment

• Dante, Lord of the Blood Angels
• 4x Sanguinary Guard, 2x Power Fist, 2x Blood Angel themed Power Axe
• Captain, Power Sword, Plasma Pistol
• Scout Squad x5, 4x Sniper Rifle, Missile Launcher, Camo Cloaks
• Tactical Squad x5, Storm Bolter, Heavy Bolter
• Tactical Squad x5, Storm Bolter, Heavy Bolter
• Razorback, Lascannon and Twin Plasma Gun
• Baal Predator, Twin Assault Cannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
• Predator, Predator Autocannon, 2x Lascannon
• Assault Squad x 10, Power Sword, Plasma Gun, Flamer

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Mission: Secure and Control – Each player places an objective in their Deployment Zone worth 3VPs

Deployment: Search and Destroy – Players have opposing board quarters, except for a 9″ radius from the board center.

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Turn 1 – Blood Angels

5 man tactical squad moves up behind cover of the central rock formation.  Baal Predator moves up.  The Azure Flames squad holding the crater is removed down to the Sergeant, and the Devastators lose 3 missile launchers.  However, return fire from the dead Devastators thanks to the Standard of the Emperor Ascendant does 6 damage to the regular Predator before it can fire!  One lascannon does 3 damage to the Dreadnought.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Apothecary revives a Devastator.  Las and Missile fire bust open the wounded Predator.  Librarian casts Might of Heroes on Captain Khalil, who charges the Scouts in the ruins.  Blood Angels Captain makes a Heroic Intervention, but can’t stop Khalil from killing all 5 Scouts.  He consolidates into the side of the Baal Predator.  Other shots damage the 5 man squad hiding by the rocks.

Turn 2 – Blood Angels

The legendary Blood Angels earn their name, as the Assault Squad, Sanguinary Guard, and Dante swoop in from the sky!  Baal Predator falls back from combat to allow charge lanes.  I spent 2CP for Auspex Scan to shoot the Assault Squad, killing four.  The Assault Squad charges a Tactical Squad in the yellow ruins, and consolidates into the Company Ancient and the Techmarine Gunner.  They are reduced to 4 men and kill 2 Tactical marines in turn.  Both Dante and the Sanguinary Guard fail a charge, leaving Khalil alone against the Captain and a second Tactical Squad that charged from the Razorback.  Khalil kills four of the Tactical Squad, taking two wounds in return.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Continuing Combat in the Yellow Ruins kills all but the Assault Sergeant.  Khalil turns his bitter attentions to the Captain, killing him.  Missiles and Lascannons smite the Baal Predator and two Sanguinary Guard.  Although the Techmarine Gunner is in combat, the Thunderfire Cannon is not, and so it kills the last two Tactical marines behind the rock.

Turn 3 – Blood Angels

Dante and the Sanguinary Guard charge Khalil, as does the Assault Sergeant who uses 2CP to re-deep strike!  All of their attacks do one wound to Khalil, who strikes down Dante in return!  Game Ceded.

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The Salamanders Standard-Apothecary castle is quite a brutal thing to go up against, especially if you have to go get them.  Khalil is also a beast.  He needs to get painted SOON.

I made a tactical error occupying the crater.  I was INCREDIBLY lucky not to give Chris First Blood.  I picked board setup and honestly I should have picked Chris’ side.  It was much better suited to my castle theme.

Part of me thinks Chris should have had Dante, his posse, and the Assault Marines on the board turn 1, and tried to get turn 1 charges, plus advance the Razorback and move up the Predators.  Overwhelm me with options.  Unsupported, the Assault Marines weren’t great against 2/3 of my entire army.

I also think Dante might be a bit much.  Khalil was only as beastly as he was with Might of Heroes on him all game.  With a Librarian Dreadnought for Deny the Witch rolls and some serious threat range thanks to Wings of Sanguinius, it would have made a formidable target for me to ignore at my own peril.

It took me a while to write this because I’m painting again!  Hope to show pics soon!