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!