Thanks to the Grand Tournament Pack which has everything you need from the main rulebook and more, I was able to play one of the polished and balanced new missions with Tyler at AFK! Let’s Batrep!

Azure Flames (Bozeman)

• Battalion
  • Captain Edgard of the 3rd Company, Warlord, Power Fist, Combi-Melta, The Salamander Mantle, Forge Master, Miraculous Constitution (Exemplar of the Promethean Creed, -1CP)
  • Lieutenant, Combi-Melta, Power Fist
  • Apothecary
  • Chapter Ancient, Relic Banner (-1CP)
  • Tactical Squad x5, Power Fist, Combi-Flamer, Flamer
  • Tactical Squad x5, Power Fist, Combi-Flamer, Flamer
  • Tactical Squad x5, Chainsword, Storm Bolter, Heavy Bolter
  • Sternguard x10, Power Fist, 10x Combi-Melta
  • Sternguard x10, Power Fist, 10x Combi-Grav
  • Devastator Squad x5, Chainsword, 4x Grav-Cannon, Armourium Cherub
  • Bikes x3, Power Fist, 2x Flamer
  • Attack Bike, Multi-Melta
  • Thunderfire Cannon
  • Whirlwind, Vengeance Launcher
  • Rhino
  • Drop Pod
  • Drop Pod
  • Drop Pod

White Scars (Tyler)

• Battalion
  • Indominus Captain, Warlord, The Burning Blade
  • Indominus Lieutenant
  • Primaris Lieutenant, Power Sword, Bolt Pistol
  • Bladeguard Ancient
  • Bladeguard x3
  • Repulsor
  • Redemptor Dreadnought, Macro-Plasma Incinerator, Storm Bolters
  • Eradicators x3, Melta Rifles
  • Assault Intercessors x5
  • Assault Intercessors x5
  • Intercessors x5, Auto Bolt Rifles
  • Hellblasters x5, Plasma Incinerators
  • Hellblasters x5, Plasma Incinerators
  • Inceptor x3, Assault Bolters
  • Inceptor x3, Assault Bolters

Mission: Surround and Destroy (6 objectives, 2 in each deployment zone and 2 near the middle, long board edges)

Primary Objective: Take and Hold – Score 5 VP for, 1 objective, 2 objectives, and holding more than your opponent (max 15/turn)

Setup (not pictured): I put Bikes, Attack Bike, and Whirlwind to my left, while the Thunderfire, Heavy Bolter squad, and Rhino with 2x Flamer squads were on my right. Tyler put a Repulsor with characters and Bladeguard in the center, as well as the Dreadnought and Eradicators. Hellblasters went in a building to my left, and Intercessors and Assault Intercessors were in another to my right.

All of the rest of my army was packed into three Drop Pods. Tyler held Inceptors and one Assault Intercessor in reserve.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Bikes move up and hide behind the crates. Attack Bike wipes two Eradicators in the far building. Drop Pods come down, and wipe out the Repulsor and the Dreadnought, and 2/3 of the Bladeguard. Rhino moves up and spends 1CP to pop smoke. Whirlwind and Thunderfire bust up the Intercessors high in the right hand building.

Turn 1 – White Scars

Captain, Lieutenants, Ancient, and Bladeguard charge.  Assault Intercessors fail to charge.  Overwatch kills the Bladeguard, and Born Protector Overwatch puts 4 wounds on the Lieutenant with the bolt pistol.  The Grav Sternguard wrap around as they heroically intervene, and Edgard also intervenes!  Huge fight in the middle kills the wounded Lieutenant, the Melta Sternguard, and puts a few other wounds here and there.  Eradicators move up and waste two bikes (bad roll).  Inceptors arrive and charge the Techmarine.  He weathers their assualt and kills two of them!  One consolidates into the Tactical Squad.  Two Hellblasters move up.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Bike Sergeant charges and kills the two remaining Hellblasters. AMAZING bolt pistol shots and decent Melee kill all White Scars characters in the central scrum. The Techmarine kills two more Inceptors, but he’s down to one wound! Flamer units pile out, fire on the Intercessors, and then assault the Assault Intercessors with their Rhino!

Turn 2 – White Scars

Eradicators kill the Bike Sergeant and take an objective.  Fight with the Assault Intercessors continues, leaving one alive.  The reserved Assault Intercessors arrive and charge the Techmarine, killing him!  I spend 2 CP for Rise from the Ashes trying to revive him but to no avail!

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Various shooting removes some units, game ceded.

Results:

Azure Flames: 28

White Scars: 4

Discussion

I rolled EXCEEDINGLY WELL for this game. I made saves when I needed to and shot very well on turn 1, especially with pistols in close combat. I also had a very nasty Alpha Strike list. However, I may need to modify it, as the Grav Drop no longer has the stratagem that allows Grav Cannons to wipe entire units of Terminators in one go!

Combine that with the Thunderfire Techmarine getting a TWO WOUND BUMP so that he’s a real boy now! That saved me on the right flank!

Inceptors are not fantastic against Marines with the Assault Bolters. Plasma would have been more effective, or possibly some more Assault Intercessors to pour on damage. Tyler should also have hidden behind buildings or put out screening units such as Infiltrators to stop Drop Pod shenanigans.

Next: The last of the Tactical Sergeants and some wicked conversions!