Fowlerville Battle Report: Azure Flames vs. Ultramarines 1500
This past Thursday I visited the fine folks at Game Links in Fowlerville MI. They have a pretty quality store with some pretty friendly players, including one gentleman who I used to play Warmachine with back in the day. They have a vibrant community of Magic the Gathering and Pathfinder. They had a fledgling 40K community, but they got off the ground several months before 6th ed hit, and many of the younger players did not want to drop $70 on a new book.
Further complicating things, 40K is supposed to be every OTHER Thursday, and I came on an off day. Luckily, one of the regular 40K players by the name of James had his Ultramarines ready to go, so we threw down a 1500pt game. Here’s the details:
Bozeman – Azure Flames
-Chapter Master Liam Perseus, Terminator Armour, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield, Aux Grenade Launcher
-Terminator Assault Squad X 5, THSS
-Land Raider Redeemer, Extra Armour, Multi-Melta
-Tactical Squad X 10, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Drop Pod
-Tactical Squad X 10, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Rhino, Extra Armour
-Ironclad Dreadnought, Chainfist in a Drop Pod
-Land Speeders X 3, Multi-Meltas
——————-
James, Ultramarines
-Chaplain, Terminator Armour
-Librarian, Storm Bolter (Psychic powers: Haemorhage, Flame Breath)
-Tactical Squad X 10, Power Axe, Plasma Pistol, Flamer, Heavy Bolter in a Rhino
-Scout X 10, Sergeant Telion, Heavy Bolter, Sniper Rifles X 8
-Terminator Assault Squad X 5, THSS X 2, LC X 3
-Land Raider Crusader, Storm Bolter, Multi-Melta, Extra Armour
-Sternguard X 10, Pair of LC, Combi-Melta X5, in a Drop Pod
————–
Deploy: Hammer and Anvil (short board edges) Mission: Crusade (5 objectives). We forgot to use Mysterious Objectives. Oh well.
I won setup and chose to go first. Seize Initiative failed. Here’s the setup before turn 1:
Turn 1 Azure Flames
Land Speeders fly up 12″, do 1 glance to the Land Raider. Tactical Squad deploys into the hill. Land Raider and Rhino move up and pop smoke. Drop pod drops behind the Land Raider, is very menacing yet ineffectual.
Turn 1 Ultramarines
Land Raider moves up, shoots 1 Land Speeder to death. Rhino moves, pops smoke. Sternguard drop in, do 3 casualties to the Tatsquad which breaks. Snipers fire at Land Speeders who make INCREDIBLE jink saves. and ignore all 3 glancing results. I forgot to photgraph this turn until I dropped in my drop pod at the beginning of Turn 2, so pretend that tatsquad is not there.
Turn 2 Azure Flames
Tatsquad runs off the table, gaining First Blood to the Ultramarines! Tatsquad in Drop Pod comes in behind the Scouts and shoots all but three to death, including an amazing run of Look Out Sir rolls by Telion. Land Raider move up, disgorges Terminators, who WASTE the Sternguard in close combat, including the Librarian who was killed by Chapter Master Perseus in a Challenge. Sternguard sergeant is only survivor, breaks. Land Speeders put one more glance on the Land Raider. Ironclad fails to charge.
Turn 2 Ultramarines
Terminators with Chaplain jump out and charge the Ironclad, knocking off its Chainfist but losing 2 LC Termies. Tatsquad jumps out of Rhino, moves 6, and gets a great Charge roll to charge the Azure Flames Tatsquad. Incredibly poor rolling makes this fight a tie. Land Raider moves, limiting its firepower and only puts one more glance on the Land Speeders.
Turn 3 Azure Flames
Chapter Master and Termies embark into Land Raider, speed away. Dreadnought fight continues, one LC Terminator dies. Land Speeders melta the Land Raider to death. Tatsquad fight continues, Ultramarines lose but are caught and do not run away due to ATSKNF.
Turn 3 Ultramarines
Tatsquad fight continues, Azure Flames lose but hold. Dreadnought is destroyed but kills one THSS Terminator, leaving only one and the Chaplain. Scouts kill 2nd Land Speeder with a glance. No picture of this turn.
Turn 4 Azure Flames
Land Raider moves 6, disgorges Termies who get a HUGE 7″ charge against the Scouts in the building (considering charging into terrain). They eat the scouts, overrun one whole inch. Tatsquad fight a draw again.
Turn 4 Ultramarines
Chaplain and last Terminator run toward the Tatsquad fight. Rhino TANK SHOCKS Terminators who move out of the way. Azure Flames are killed down to the Sergeant who breaks, is caught, and stays due to ATSKNF.
Turn 5 Azure Flames
Terminators charge the Tatsquad fight, kill all Ultramarines including Power Axe Sergeant by Chapter Mater in a Challenge. Massed fire kills the Ultramarine THSS Terminator and then a lucky Melta shot from the Land Speeder kills the Chaplain outright. Split Multi-Melta from the Land Raider kills the Rhino. End of game.
Closing thoughts:
-Librarians need an Invulnerable Save. This is why I run a Librarian with a Storm Shield.
-James had some pretty bad rolls in key times. I heard that in baseball you lose 1/3 of your games, you win 1/3, but it’s what you do with the other 1/3 that count. This was a game won and lost on a few bad dice rolls. James should have been able to kill the Land Speeders and the Tactical Squad. Their improbable survival kept me in the game.
-I’m still getting used to 6th ed Disembark rules. I think it’s a little weird but it works better than the old 3rd ed where you had to get all models out and THEN move. It saves a bit of time, especially if you “fudge” the guys in the back.
-Challenges are neat, but can be treacherous. I think James made the right move not challenging my Tatsquad sergeant in the Tatsquad fight. We would have probably killed each other, and then the fight would have taken longer. But, challenges SAVED some of my Terminators in the Sternguard and Tatsquad fights by removing pesky power weapons at Initiative 5.
-James drove away from my Ironclad. Though I love the tactic of dropping this guy on the enemy, I need to drop in FRONT of them so they either have to deal with me or go around me. Going behind is an invitation to get ignored.
-I still need to get Aircraft.
——————–
Next: a battle report from Highland!
Interesting blog I found: Afterimagedan
As you can see to the right, there’s a new blog in the blogroll: a BFG centered blog by Afterimagedan. He’s a fantastic painter, a great tactician, and an entertaining blogger with good pictures. Check his blog out here:
http://afterimagedan.blogspot.com/
Battle Report Azure Flames vs. Eldar Combo 1750pts
Time for another battle report at Highland Library! This game was against Ian, a veteran Dark Eldar player. This game took place within the context of the ongoing campaign I mentioned earlier, so they use the old GW “Immortals” rules for experience.
Scenario
Each army gets a mysterious objective in their deployment zone worth 2 victory points. There is a SUPER mysterious objective with a weird chart to roll on in the center worth 3 victory points. Dawn of War deployment. (12″ from long table edge). All units can hold objectives, unless it is a non-walker vehicle that is trying to contest a point held by enemy infantry or walkers. Basically a Rhino can hold an objective if no one else is there.
Azure Flames – Bozeman
-Antonius, Captain of the 4th Company. Power Axe, Plasma Pistol, Artificer Armour, Melta Bombs. (campaign items: Camo Cloak, Combi-melta shot, 18″ plasma pistol)
-6 Assault Terminators with Storm Shields in a dedicated Land Raider Crusader
-Tactical Squad, Combi Flamer, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Rhino with Extra Armor
-Tactical Squad, Combi Flamer, Powerfist, Meltagun, Missile Launcher in a Drop Pod
-Ironclad Dreadnought with heavy flamer in a Drop Pod
-5 man Scout Squad with a Powerfist in a Land Speeder Storm
-3 Land Speeders with Multi Meltas and Heavy Flamers
————-
Dark Eldar with Eldar Allies – Ian (Note: I do not know the specifics of this list)
-Lord with a lot of wargear (Immortal)
-Wych squad in a Raider
-Warrior squad in a raider
-Ravager
-Succubus character with whips that re-roll to hit and to wound.
-5 Incubi in a Venom
-Razorwing Jetfighter
-Farseer
-5 Wraithblades
-Wave Serpent
-5 Rangers
-5 Rangers
Initial Setup
Turn 1 Combined Eldar
Dark Lance takes out the Land Raider because there was almost no terrain on the board, it being used elsewhere. Venom with Incubi and Wych character zooms ahead. Wave serpent closes in on mysterious objective. Other skimmer move up and kill a few Terminators. Oddly the Ravager fails to kill the Rhino.
Turn 1 Azure Flames
Rhino moves up pops smoke. Tatsquad in crater makes a huge tactical error firing at the Ravager. Terminators and Antonius consolidate around objective. 2nd tatsquad drops in and annihilates Rangers on enemy objective in forest. Land speeders bake the Venom to death with glancing hits.
Turn 2 Combined Eldar
Wych character and Incubi eat most of the Tactical squad in the crater. Combined fire kills all the terminators. Farseer and Wraithblades disembark Wave Serpent and take the central Objective. A weird effect causes one Wraithblade to die. Ravager kills the drop pod.
Turn 2 Azure Flames
Ironclad Dreadnought drops in and puts a glance on one of the Raiders. Rhino Tank Shocks Wraithblades, and one of them dies in a Death or Glory! Land Speeders move flat out. NOTE: in the picture below, I took it before resolving the combat, so the two Tactical Marines near the bottom died in combat.
Turn 3 Combined Eldar
Wych character and Incubi assault the back of the Rhino, glancing it. Wave Serpent and Raider knock down 2 Land Speeders. Jetfighter kills 8 Tactical Marines. Antonius takes 1 wound from fire.
Turn 3 Azure Flames
Tactical Marines try to kill Wave Serpent, but fail. Land Speeder kills one Incubus. Antonius shoots down the Raider with his Melta shot. Ironclad Dread assaults the Farseer and Wraithblades, kills two. No effect from the central objective (it became a kitten?)
Turn 4 Combined Eldar
Due to movement constraints, the Jetfighter is ineffectual. Melta shot kills Antonius outright. Ravager kills Drop Pod, and Wave Serpent kills Land Speeder. Dreadnought kills Farseer and last Wraithblade. Wych and Incubi put the last glance on the Rhino.
Turn 4 Azure Flames
Land Speeder Storm comes in, Scouts take enemy objective. Ironclad walks over, kills Wych character and Incubi, and overruns back to the objective which oddly heals him? I don’t know.
Turn 5 Combined Eldar
Wave Serpent kills 4/5 Scouts, Sergeant flees 4″ and is still on the objecive, regroups. Immortal Lord and Wyches advance on the central objective. Ravager and Raider put one Pen on the Dread, but it’s Crew Shaken. Jetfighter kills the Land Speeder Storm.
Turn 5 Azure Flames
Dreadnought snap-fires at Raider ineffectually. Game ends.
Final Victory Points
Azure Flames 5, Combined Eldar 0.
Final Analysis: HOLY CRAP. I got the shit kicked out of me, had 2 models left, and STILL WON? Odd. First, flyers are a problem for a dude who stopped in 5th. I need air support. Second, vehicles are not all that anymore, as glancing results can just tear apart anything. Third: I AM A BIT RUSTY AT THIS. The tatsquad in the crater should have shot the Venom, and then the Land Speeders could have mopped up the Wych and Incubi. I need more practice. Sadly, I am not likely to get it due to 21st Century Comics and Games in Lansing closing.
All in all, a good game. My opponent Ian was more than fair and played well. However I was severely hindered by lack of terrain, and lack of anti-air. I am moving to Lansing, so I might not be able to play with these guys in the future. I hope I do, as they are great. THEY NEED MORE TERRAIN THOUGH. I donated a box of my old stuff to them, but perhaps they can do a Terrain Building event in the near future. That would help a lot.
Free-for-all battle at Highland Library!
WOW! Huge battle at Highland Library 40K club! Each player got 1200pts and a secret mission. There was one objective in the middle of the board in an AV12 building.
Everyone converged on it during turn 2…
…and then the Ork player Shawn decided to blow the building up for no reason. It was a radioactive bomb building. Everything within 5D6″ took a STR8 AP1 Hit (we rolled 16″)
After that it devolved into a mixed scuffle.
Shawn (ruiner of buildings) plays Orks but also Necrons. He had his Necrons painted by his friend John, and let me take some pics!
Next month I might have a Battlefleet Gothic report that’s not a generic training report! More soon!
Battlefleet Gothic Compendium 2010 Update: Aspergers Edition
So as John from previous BFG battle reports and Lexington of (the sadly dead) Aurorachapter.com will tell you, I’ve been busy. This requires some explanation. Long ago I worked in a print shop that did little business and so during downtime I typed up the rules for Battlefleet Gothic into a super-condensed version for ease of use.
In 2010 the Battlefleet Gothic community released the 2010 update which had a bunch of rule fixes, and some new ships and lists. I updated the RULES but did not add the new ships etc. because it had not appeared on the GW main site yet. It’s still not up there. Recently I read all of the extra stuff and decided it was good, so I undertook a huge task: update the old files with the new data. In addition, I added stuff for Scenarios, Campaigns, and everything else left out by my previous compendium.
I just finished, and had the compendium printed. Check out the pictures below.
The first is the first page. Notice that the pages are laminated for durability. The second picture is the old compendium underneath the new one. The new one is much bigger.
If you want to print your own copy of the compendium, know that all copyrights for these files are for Games Workshop. All of this data is available free online at the Games Workshop Website (click on Specialist Games and then Battlefleet Gothic) except for the compendium files which can be found here. (note: requires Google account) DO NOT SELL COPIES OF THESE FILES OR IN ANY WAY USE THEM TO MAKE MONEY. To find the files, click on BFG 2010 Compendium under Features on the right side of the page. I made these for hardcore Battlefleet Gothic players, not to make any money off of them. Open the last file to see how to print your own copy of the compendium.
Have fun!
Highland Library Gamers
Recently, I hung out with the gamers at the Highland Library. They play 40K and are currently involved in a campaign which is similar to a Games Workshop campaign. In this campaign you have an “Immortal” who starts with (crappy) randomly generated stats. Your Immortal levels up as you play until his stats are less pathetic and more godlike.
They meet monthly, and last month I visited them and played a game with Andrew, who plays Guard. This month I had something a little more… esoteric in mind.
Behold: a Battlefleet Gothic Addendum to to the Campaign! These rules allow people to paritcipate in Gothic games without feeling like “missing out” on the main campaign.
Above, in the image gallery, the first 3 pics are of Stephen’s Plague Marines. He has a really good texture scheme for plague pustules, etc.
Next, the two gentlemen in the battle picture are Ian (left, Dark Eldar and Eldar) and Jory (right, Space Marines)
The closeup of the Kroot Shaper with wings is the Immortal of Sean’s Kroot Army. He’s using an internet Kroot list OKd by Andrew, the campaign co-ordinator. Andrew made this model back when Kroot Armies were actually GW legal out of a Kroot Shaper, Lizardmen Terradon wings, and an Ork Slugga.
Andrew’s army is up next, the Guard on the right defending against Justin’s encroaching Eldar on the left.
The Battlefleet Gothic game is the first one played using my rules. I showed Michael (left, Imperials) and Dominik (right, Chaos) how to play. They loved it and are going to consider getting fleets.
Next, Stephen’s Nurgle forces engage Trevor’s Ultramarines.
For the last battle picture, Robert’s Farsight Enclave Tau go up against Jacobs Dark Angels.
The final two pictures are closeups of Dominik’s Space Marine Honour Guard. I like his scheme, it’s very dirty, like these Marines have been in the thick of it.
Next month, expect more pics and possibly a detailed battle report!
Warhammer Fantasy Island of Blood Unboxing
Last Christmas I received the Warhammer Fantasy Battles box set: Island of Blood. Part of my master scheme to be able to demo as many games as possible. I hadn’t even looked at the box twice until I got to my new place, but now I have some time, space and privacy. Here’s my takeaway:
-First I assembled the High Elves. Fantastic models. However the join points on some of the models are on a crossguard that is less than 1 mm thick. I ruined three getting them off the damn sprue. Two were salvageable, one will have to be rebuilt with putty. Models went together with ease, but there was a little confusion on the Lothern Sea Guard Musician. I got it eventually, but an assembly guide would have been nice.
-Next I got the Skaven together. Also fantastic minis. At first I thought that I was missing something with the Clan Rats, but some of the long knives look like short spears. Once I took stock, it made sense. With some creative allocation I made all the hand weapon Clan Rats have round shields and the spear rats have triangle shields except for the champion. Some of the clan rats and characters did not want to fit into the slotted base, and required some filing.
-Then I read the Island of Blood intro book thoroughly. I had ASSUMED that, like the 5th ed 40K box, Assault on Black Reach, actual RULES would be contained therein. No rules. This is not a deal breaker. I have the rulebook and I’m not afraid to read.
Here’s the deal breaker. No stats. No army list. No Special Rules. No nothing. You need to buy BOTH the Skaven and High Elf books to play with the Army of Blood box set. That’s not cool. It’s advertised as being able to play right out of the box. Truthfully you get 95% of the way there. But this isn’t chemistry class. A 95% isn’t a pass. If you only get 95% of the way to the moon, you’re stranded in space. That’s kind of how I feel about this box set.
EDIT: I got the last 5% of the way there! Check this link. This has all the missing stats. The link is NOWHERE in the box, and Google doesn’t put it on the first page, but my friend Andy read the above and remembered this existed. So, Thank You Andy. You got us to the moon.
6th ed rules lawyering part 2
Looks like that headache was the first symptom of a minor flu. I’m over it now (hopefully) so, back to the salt mines!
-p 49: Flying monstrous creatures get their own special rules which are quite complicated. They can “Glide” which makes them Jump Monstrous Creatures, or “Swoop” which makes them behave like Flyers. There’s not a lot of these. One tyranid character and some forge world guys, unless they errata it later that Hive Tyrants with wings can do this, which seems a bit out of character for them. “Swooping” comes with a price. Every unit that causes a successful “hit” causes a Grounding test. 3+ and you’re fine, or else you take a S9 hit, no armor saves! Note that it says “hit” not “wound” so even a lasgun could force this test. A ten man guard squad with one special weapon is almost guaranteed to get at least one “hit” and with a platoon of 3 units, that MC is going DOWN.
-p 52: There’s a new gun type: Salvo. Salvo weapons fire max range with max shots if they don’t move. If they move, they fire 1/2 range with a reduced number of shots (specified in the profile). Something called a Shellstorm cannon. I don’t know what has this.
-p 57: Missile Launchers now have a third type of missile: Flakk. S7 AP4 Heavy 1 Skyfire. Four of these will definitely put the hurt on most flyers. For maximum annoyance, one ML in each squad will cause multiple “grounding” checks in the hope of knocking the thing out of the air at a distance.
-p 61: OK, they have significantly changed how Power Weapons of all types work. Now any close combat weapon has an AP value, just like a gun. Power Swords, Axes, Mauls, and Lances are all different things. I really don’t like this idea, as it makes it hard to be creative with power weapons. Now the various Axes Swords, Etc. are actually different things with different effects. Swords are AP3, Axes are AP2 with +1 Str, but makes you I 1. Mauls are AP4, but are Concussive so they make multi-wound models I 1 until the end of the next turn like a Thunder Hammer. Lances are better on the charge than at all other times.
-p 61-62: GRENADES! You can THROW almost any grenade now! Oddly only one model per unit can throw a grenade each shooting phase. Perhaps this is what your Heavy Weapon guy can do before charging? Also, most grenades have a seperate profile for close combat against vehicles AND MONSTROUS CREATURES. The thing that I have wanted since 3rd edition! I always wondered why you could clamp a melta bomb onto a vehicle, but couldn’t shove it up a Carnifex’s ass. In the end, only Melta Bombs are useful against most MCs as they usually have a 3+ or better.
-p 63: Characters. They get Precision Shots like snipers, and even get precision strikes in close combat? I guess characters are really good at hitting. Now at least my Veteran Sergeants are worth the extra 15pts.
-p 64-65: Characters can issue and receive challenges. Like Fantasy, they fight without anyone helping them. However, if fighting a single enemy, every 5 models in your unit that are not fighting give you one re-roll for hits, wounds, or saves. This is small consolation for a Guard sergeant faced with a Daemon Prince, but fantastic for an Ork Nob smashing a Chapter Master! Multiple characters in a combat can “tag out” between turn with an Initiative test.
-p 66-69: Psykers. Psykers have Mastery Levels, just like in the Grey Knights. Each Mastery Level lets you cast one Psychic Power or use a Force Weapon, just like before but now they call it a “warp charge.” *COUGH* focus *COUGH* Bad news: Now EVERYONE resists ANY psychic power on a 6+, or a 5+ if you’re a psyker, or a 4+ if you’re a BETTER psyker. Luckily Psychic Hoods have been nerfed as a result. Now Psychic Hoods do nothing for the model or unit with them, but let you take these “deny the witch” tests for any unit within 6″. Yes, a paltry 6″.
-p 70-71: Vehicles have wounds called “hull points” now. Vehicle weapons that previously couldn’t fire can now take “snap shots” as long as that weapon type is allowed to do that. All vehicles can only move up to 12″ in the movement phase.
-p 72-73: Now all vehicles can move an extra 6″ in the shooting phase to move “flat out,” but cannot make snap shots. Blast weapons now do full damage no matter what, regardless of the hole in the template.
-p 74-75: Glances now do one Hull Point of damage with no other effect, slowing you to “glance vehicles to death” again. Pens do one HP but also roll on the damage chart. It’s a bit different but not by much. Now an Immobilized vehicle that gets another Immobilized result loses a hull point rather than suffering a Weapon Destroyed result.
-p 76: Vehicles can’t overwatch. All regular vehicles are WS 1 if they moved, or WS 0 if they didn’t move. This is much more realistic than hitting on a 4+.
-p 77: Whoa. If you’re the bomb at assaults, you can hit one tank in a squadron and blow up another tank entirely. I would have treated each vehicle as a separate unit in assault. Luckily abandoned squadron members no longer die immediately. You can’t abandon someone with a Crew Shaken result though, so this can bog down squadrons if you’re unlucky.
-p 78: Units can move normally after disembarking from a vehicle that moved 6″ or less, but can’t disembark if it moved farther. However, they must end their movement wholly within 6″ of an access point. This means you don’t get the extra 2″ anymore. Models that disembark can’t charge. Ah, to have the Rhino Rush again… Units can also make an Emergency Disembarkation if access points are covered, but then can’t do anything else that turn. They must be too busy climbing out windows or shoving enemies.
-p 80: Embarked units can take Overwatch shots at people assaulting their transport. Shaken and Stunned affect the unit’s ability to shoot in the next shooting phase. Wrecked vehicles cause the unit to disembark within 3″ and then take a pinning test. Exploded vehicles cause one Str 4 hit per model and a pinning test. You can still charge the unit that came out of a vehicle that you wrecked in the shooting phase.
-p 80-81: FLYERS! Measure to the hull of the flyer, which means ranges to flyers are going to be longer than they look. Damn Pythagoras. You can move underneath a flyer if you fit, but you still must stay 1″ away from the base. All flyers can Zoom and some can Hover. Zooming flyers move 18″ or 36″. If it moves less than 18″ for some reason it dies. It can turn 90 degrees and then must move in a straight line, like Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures. Zooming flyers can shoot 4 weapons. Zooming flyers can only be shot at by Snap Shots unless the gun has Skyfire. Zooming Flyers can also make a Flat Out move of 12-24″. Flyers can take evasive action to get a Jink save, but then can only fire Snap Shots. Immobilized Zooming Flyers suffer from Locked Velocity. This means they MUST move the distance they used last turn for the rest of the game, can’t Evade, and can’t go Flat Out. It can still turn though. If the Flyer is destroyed mid-zoom it drops a S 6 AP – large blast on the board, and anyone aboard the flyer takes a S 10 AP 2 hit. Flyers can choose at the beginning of their turn to have ALL their guns have Skyfire. Flyers can shoot Missiles anytime, but can only use Bombs while zooming. Flyers with the Hover type can choose to Hover instead of Zoom, which makes them Fast Skimmers.
-p 82: Chariots! I’m guessing this is for Necrons and Daemons. They can Sweep Attack during the Movement Phase, and the Character aboard can fight from the chariot. Open Topped vehicles are the same.
-p 83: Heavy Vehicles Can never move more than 6″, but always count as stationary. Fast vehicles can shoot more guns and go faster for Flat Out. Skimmers look the same.
-p 84: Walkers are the same, except that they can no longer perform Death or Glory! attacks. BOOOOO. I liked punching Ork Trukks that rammed my Dreadnoughts. However, rammed walkers CAN fight back during the Assault Phase if they survive!
-p 85-86: Oddly, tanks that Tank Shock can’t move Flat Out. You’d think they’d want to go as fast as possible. Artillery can Death or Glory with either Guns or Crew, so Grots can Death or Glory with their Shokk Attack Gun! Ramming is the same.
-p 91: There’s Lethal terrain now, which is Impassable Terrain which ou can choose to go on but you die automatically, duhoy. Mysterious Terrain has a Random Effect table based on what kind of terrain it is (forest, river, etc.)
-p 92-94: Buildings can now be entered like vehicles and destroyed like vehicles. Damaging a building reduces its Armor Value, and can hurt people inside. You can throw a grenade inside if you are within 2″ of a fire point, so a building with a lot of windows can be a death trap. Template Weapons now do D6 hits instead of hitting everyone.
-p 95-96: There are rules for being in “battlements” which is a fancy way of saying “on the roof.” Models can jump down and possibly be hurt doing so! You can throw grenades on the roof too.
-p 98-107: Ruins look the same. All other types of terrain get “mysterious” rules. Battlefield Debris is diverse and has in-game effects to models, such as ammo dumps giving re-rolls of rolls of 1 to hit. There’s also Archaeotech, which is a 2D6 chart of madness.
That’s all for now. I’ll wrap it up in Part 3 later.
6th Ed stream of rules-lawyering blog!
So, 6th ed is currently being picked apart by pretty much every gaming site, forum, or hive-mind. Who am I to buck a trend?
However, this post will be a page-by-page thoughts blog concentrating on the rules section. Basically if something is worth commenting on, I’m going to. If I skip a section (like if I don’t explain what a template is) assume it’s the same as 5th ed.
-Cover and introduction: Beautiful book. GW is really making books that look fantastic. Even better than Fantasy 8th ed.
-p. xiv: The book doesn’t say you “need” the new buying them unless I need them.
-p. xvi: AWESOME. At the end of the intro battle, the players get together for a pint!
-p. 4: Yes, you can pre-measure.
-p. 7: Multiple characteristics are now a thing of the past. So, your Space Marine Captain on a Bike is T5 for purposes of insta-kill. Codex trumps rulebook, advanced rulebook trumps basic rules, as usual. However, it’s good that they spelled it out. Back in 3rd ed you had to wait for a FAQ, which were notoriously nonsensical.
-p. 13: Snap fire allows heavy weapons to fire on the move @BS1. Because Codex trumps Rulebook, I wonder if a Devastator Sergeant with a Signum would allow a moving heavy weapon to still be BS5 on the move. Probably not though.
-p. 14: 6 does NOT auto-wound, as some rumors said! Wraithguard can come out from behind the tanks and shrug off flashlights again.
-p 15: NEW ALLOCATION RULES for shooting. Shooting player determines which STR or AP shots are resolved in which order, so you can blow away high-armor individuals first, or save the high STR for last to try to insta-kill a character. Wounds are allocated closest to farthest, even with mixed saves.
-p 16: You can’t kill what you can’t see, so no more killing a whole unit because you can see one dude. Look Out Sir! also shows up on a 4+!
-P 18: Forests are now a 5+ cover save, as are intervening units. Focus Fire allows you to only kill models with a certain cover save, so if you say “Focus Fire 5+” models with a 4+ or better cover save are not allocated to. This could lead to situations where you can “snipe” a character, sergeant, or heavy weapon. I just realized you don’t have to remove according to coherency anymore, you remove based on closest, so you can cut units in 1/2 and MAKE them regain coherency, which can make heavy weapons less useful.
-p 20: You can’t assault if you ran, so the Ghazghkull 18″ assault is gone. However, Charging is now 2D6″ so it’s still possible, just not guaranteed.
-p 21: Overwatch is not the Overwatch of 2nd ed, it’s “snap fire if you get charged.” Overwatch never causes pinning or morale, and is only once per turn, so if you fend off chargers with overwatch fire, another unit is free to charge you unrestricted.
-p. 22: Charge through difficult terrain is 3D6 pick the two lowest, and fight at initiative 1 regardless of terrain.
-p. 23: All models “pile in” at their initiative step, even if they charged that turn! So, if one of your dudes just barely didn’t make it into the 2″ combat zone they get another 3″!
-p. 26: Look Out Sir! applies to close combat too. OH DANG you can choose to fail your morale check if you cannot possibly hurt the enemy (such as Guardsmen vs. Wraithlord).
-p. 27: You get ANOTHER pile-in at the end of the combat if you’re still fighting. Disordered Charge means you don’t get +1A if you charge multiple units.
-p. 28: Further complicating multiple charges, you cannot charge a model in the secondary target unit if you CAN charge a model in the primary unit. This means clip-charging two units to tie them up is nearly impossible. Models can now split attacks between units.
-p. 30: Models can now regroup until 75% of the unit is eliminated, instead of 50%. Units UNDER 25% can still regroup on a leadership roll of snake eyes!
-p. 33: Acute Senses now lets you re-roll Outflank. ATSKNF is slightly clarified, and does not happen immediately, but there is no downside. Also makes unit immune to “fear.” Blast weapons can’t snap shot. Looks like you can only shoot Krak missiles if you run!
-p. 34: New USR: Blind. Unit takes Initiative Test, fail = WS and BS 1 until the end of their next turn. Brotherhood of Psykers works for Grey Knight psychic units, etc.
-p. 35: Bulky = 2 models on a transport, very = 3, extremely = 5. Crusader makes a unit better at running and sweeping advances. There is no tiered Instant Death or Eternal Warrior. Fear causes a Ld test @ the start of combat, a failure = WS1 for the rest of the phase. Generic FNP is now 5+. Fleet re-rolls the dice for running. Fleshbane wounds on a 2+.
-p. 36: Deep Strike Mishap Table is less bad.
-p. 37: Furious Charge is now just +1 Str, not +1 I as well. Gets Hot! now affects vehicles, so sucks to be Killa Kans with Kustom Mega Blastas! Hammer of Wrath lets a character get one auto-hit at I 10. Hatred only works for the first turn of combat.
-p. 38: Infiltrators cannot charge on turn 1 no matter what. ICs without Infiltrate can’t Infiltrate with an attached unit. It Will Not Die is 5+ regen for models, or vehicles!
-p. 39: ICs pass Look Out Sir! on a 2+ instead of a 4+, and allow units under 25% to regroup normally. Missile Lock lets you scatter D6 instead of 2D6. Monster Hunter re-rolls wounds against MCs.
-p. 40: Night Vision ignores Night Fighting. Preferred Enemy now only re-rolls 1s instead of all misses.
-p. 41: Rampage gets +D3 attacks if their unit is outnumbered. Keep each model seperate, so this required bookkeeping for Rampage units with lots of different weapons. Scout is VERY different as it allows a re-deploy, not a “move.” Shred re-rolls all wounds. Shrouded gives 2 point bonus to cover saves. Skilled Rider auto-passes dangerous terrain and gets +1 to “jink” saves.
-p. 42: Skyfire shoots normally vs. Flyers. Smash allows you to attack at AP2, and then you can choose to halve your attacks, double strength, and re-roll armor pen rolls. Snipers choose their targets on a roll of “6” to hit. Soul Blaze sets the unit of fire, and can cause extra hits later. Split fire allows a Ld test for ONE model to split fire. Strafing Run grants +1BS against most units and pinning.
-p. 43: Strikedown knocks down the enemy, halving I and making it movas if in Difficult Terrain until next turn. Swarms are no longer slowed by difficult terrain. Tank Hunters gives a re-roll for Armor pen. Vector Dancer allows a vehicle to turn more. Vector Strike causes Swoopers to do hits to the enemy in the movement phase.
-p. 45: Eldar Jetbikes are insanely fast now.
-p. 46: Artillery works different now. They have wounds instead of AV 10.
-p. 47: Jump Packs get Hammer of Wrath (impact attacks). Jet Packs do not get this.
ARGHLEBARGLE MY BRAIN IS ON FIRE. That’s all for now, part 2 later.
Battlefleet Gothic Teaching Game with Lexington
Lexington of Dice Abide was in town, and wanted to learn about Battlefleet Gothic. I thought of it as a perfect time to show off my Battlefleet Gothic teaching so I headed on up to Lansing.
Bozeman – Imperial Navy
-Admiral (Ld8) with one re-roll.
-Lunar Class Cruiser True Heart
-Lunar Class Cruiser Blind Faith
-Gothic Class Crusier Verisimilitude
-Tyrant Class Cruiser Belligerent
Lexington – Chaos
-Chaos Warmaster (+2 Ld) with one re-roll
-Slaughter Class Cruiser Swiftboat of Truth
-Slaughter Class Cruiser Traitor’s Blade
-Murder Class Cruiser Domination
-Carnage Class Cruiser Overkill
Setup
Scenario: Cruiser Clash. Zone: Outer Reaches. Upper left had one gas/dust cloud. Lower left had a large planet with two rings of asteroids and one ring of gas/dust. Lower middle had two asteroid belts. Lower right had three asteroid belts. Asteroids were moved more towards the center of the board at both players’ agreement. Sunward edge was at the top.
I set up at the bottom, with the two Lunars between the planet and asteroids, and the Gothic and Tyrant between two asteroid belts. Lexington set up at the top, with one Slaughter to the extreme left, Murder center, Carnage slightly to the right, and the other Slaughter to the extreme right.
Turn 1 – Imperial Navy.
I moved forward and turned with the Lunars. This was a tactical error, I sould have turned the other way.
Turn 1 – Chaos
Lextington went on All Ahead Full with the Traitor’s Blade. Other ships moved up. Long range shooting brought down one shield on the Gothic class.
Turn 2 – Imperial Navy
The Gothic and Tyrant went on Lock On, while the Lunars wheeled to rejoin the battle. Some minor damage to the Chaos Slaughter, forcing a Brace For Impact. I miscalculated the distance to move the Tyrant, and so fired its torpedoes ineffectively.
Turn 2 – Chaos
The Slaughter moved around behind the Gothic and Tyrant, while the rest of the fleet closed in. The Tyrant was crippled. The other Slaughter fails a leadership check when clipping the edge of an asteroid field, but a re-roll saves it.
Turn 3 – Imperial Navy
I disengaged the Tyrant. Gothic moved up into base contact with the Carnage. Lunars moved closer, and one went on Lock On. The Lunars tore up the Slaughter Class Swiftboat of Truth, while the Gothic turned its guns on both the Slaughter and the Carnage, firing torpedoes as well. The torpedoes did nothing, thanks to a poor roll, and the lances brought down the Carnage’s shields but did little else. The Slaughter went on Brace for Impact.
Turn 3 – Chaos
Ships re-positioned to regroup. Fire at the Gothic class forces a Brace For Impact.
Turn 4 – Imperial Navy
Ships regrouped. Fire lowers a shield on the Swiftboat.
Turn 4 – Chaos
Murder goes All Ahead Full to get around the asteroids. Slaughter goes right through the asteroids, hides inside. Carnage and other Slaughter put enough damage on the Gothic to cripple it.
Turn 5 – Imperial Navy
Disengaged the Gothic class. Lunars bash the Slaughter, causing a BFI and crippling it.
Turn 5 – Chaos
The crippled Slaughter disengages. The other Slaughter pops out of the asteroids and makes one of my Lunars Brace For Impact. Does little damage. Murder near the bottom fails to Come To A New Heading.
Turn 6 – Imperial Navy
Lunars open up on the Slaughter, crippling it.
Turn 6 – Chaos
Carnage moves to just outside the asteroids, fails to do damage to a Lunar. Murder successfully goes on Come To A New Heading. I forgot to take a picture for this turn end.
Turn 7 – Imperial Navy
Lunars close on the Carnage, causing it to Brace For Impact. A Critical Hit smashes the brige, causing a permanent -3 Ld. The Lunar that fired torpedoes Reloads Ordnance.
Turn 7 – Chaos
The Carnage fails the check to go through the asteroids, but luckily Brace For Impact saves against damage. Fire is ineffectual. Murder moves up to join.
Turn 8 – Imperial Navy
One Lunar goes on Lock On, other goes minimum distance, turns. Damage to Carnage is minimal, but causes a Brace For Impact.
Turn 8 – Chaos
Fleet disengages.
Final Victory Points: Imperials: 128 – Chaos: 91.
Final Thoughts: The teaching game worked well. I made an early mistake by splitting my forces. I should remember Imperial doctrine: focus on one target until it is obliterated, and then move on. Got a bit lucky near the end. Next time, hopefully we won’t be so restricted and Lexington will have his Ork fleet done.
As an epilogue, me and a bunch of the guys chipped in for an xmas present for Lexington! Behold stompy goodness!
He tried to eat it.