Descent on X Legion

[iamnothere]

Hi All,

 

I'm going to be attending a tournament in Febuary next year and thought I'd post my preparations on line.

 

The tourny itself is 1750pts with no Forgeworld. I intend to take either pure GK or GK with a slight smattering of DH, playtesting permitting.

 

I've been playing GK since 3rd ed with a break for some Emperors Children when 5th ed came out so I'm no stranger to the Inquisition. I've taken GK to tournies before and tend to break even at 2w2d2l at 2 day events.

 

I'd like to do better than this and take away either 3 wins or drop a loss for a draw at this next one.

 

Over the next few weeks I'll be posting lists and battle reports of my progress, my highs and my lows, hopefully you'll feel free to comment and help me raise my game and prove once again that the Inquisition isn't to be messed with!

 

Tomorrow I'm fighting Necrons, my opponent is getting back into 40k after a 3 year break and all I know is that he likes Ctan and Monoliths. Either way I'm going to take a balanced list that I'd be comfortable taking against most opponents rather than tailor it specifically.

 

Here's the list, 1741pts total.

 

Grand Master with Psy Cannon and Holy Relic - 205pts

 

Brother Captain with Psy Cannon and 6 GKT with 1 Psy Cannon and a TH/SS combo - 392pts

 

10 PAGK, Justicar has frags and a targeter - 277pts

 

10 PAGK, Justicar has frags and a targeter - 277pts

 

Godhammer LR with Extra armour and dozerblade - 260pts

 

LR Crusader with dozerblade - 260pts

 

Lance Strike - 70pts

 

Any comments would be welcomed.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Here's the list, 1741pts total.

 

Grand Master with Psy Cannon and Holy Relic - 205pts

 

Brother Captain with Psy Cannon and 6 GKT with 1 Psy Cannon and a TH/SS combo - 392pts

 

10 PAGK, Justicar has frags and a targeter - 277pts

 

10 PAGK, Justicar has frags and a targeter - 277pts

 

Godhammer LR with Extra armour and dozerblade - 260pts

 

LR Crusader with dozerblade - 260pts

 

Lance Strike - 70pts

 

You've got entirely the wrong list for tackling Necrons. Here is what I recommend instead;

 

HQ:

 

Brother-Captain, NFW, storm bolter, 4 x GKT's w/NFW+storm bolter

(245 points)

 

Elite:

 

Inquisitor

(20 points)

 

Eversor Assassin

(95 points)

 

Brother-Captain, NFW, storm bolter, 4 x GKT's w/NFW+storm bolter

(245 points)

 

Troops:

 

(2) Justicar, 9 x PAGK

(275 points each)

 

(2) 9 x IST's, 2 x plasma guns

(110 points each)

 

Heavy Support:

 

(3) GK Dreadnought, plasma cannon, DCCW, extra armour

(125 points each)

 

Total: 1,750 points

 

Scoring units: 4

Kill-points: 12

Infantry: 20 x PA, 10 x TDA, 18 x carapace

Vehicles: 3 x AV12 walkers

IC's: 2

 

On the move, you lay down plenty of stormbolter dakka, and 3 x plasma cannon blasts. At closer-range, the Running Stormtroopers can slow down and rapid-fire his Warrior squads, adding to the wound pile (and the plasma guns will probably kill a few Warriors outright). Then, assault with GKT's, Eversor and PAGK squads. Once his Warriors (his only Troop type, ignore everything else) are dead, he can't win. Then just assault anything else dangerous (like the Lord), and consolidate onto the objectives.

 

You will never win an attirtion battle of shooting with Necrons: they're too tough and their gauss fire will rip you apart. You have to enter combat (Dreadnoughts especially) and beat them with your superior assault abilities. His lack of AP3/2 means he can't kill your PAGK and GKT's easily, he has to wear them down with massed gauss fire. Expect to lose the Stormtroopers (and probably the Dreadnoughts too), but you should have PAGK on at least one objective, and have killed all his Warriors. Just focus on his Warriors, once they are all dead he's only a squad or so away from Phase Out anyway, and he can't win.

[Random Guy]

Why add the Eversor and the weaponless Inq? That's 115 points taken away for a CC unit that's in an army that has 5 WS and assault weapons.

 

Make those ISTs 10 man squads(even is better than odd).

 

Also his army needs to be good against everything not just Necrons.

 

On the army list, you can't take Orbital strikes without an Inquisitor and really orbital strikes are blah. I'd add two more GKTs to the Brother-Captain's squad (assuming that you want the Grand Master to join up with the squad and want them to ride in the LRC).

[iamnothere]

Thanks for the input gents, I don't play Necrons very often so all advice is appreciated.

 

I'm trying to take a list that can take all comers and would prefer not to use IST - too fragile and don't hit hard enough.

 

The assassin is somthing I'm going to look at including in the future, as long as I can sort out a decent Inq build. What you suggested Reclusiarch Darius gets me 20 wasted points that wil give out a free KP.

 

My iintention is to get the GKT into assault as soon as possible to maximise the power weapons. Normally I'd hang these guys back as a decent fire base. Taking 8 with the GM means I can try and lock 2 squads in combat and prevent Monolith shenanigans.

 

Random Guy, WH can't take the Orbital Bombardment without an Inquisitor, DH can.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Why add the Eversor and the weaponless Inq? That's 115 points taken away for a CC unit that's in an army that has 5 WS and assault weapons.

 

Inquisitor to get the Assassin, Eversor because he is awesome. Believe me, for 95 points he gets the job done ;) .

 

Make those ISTs 10 man squads(even is better than odd).

 

Need 20 points for the Inquisitor, hence why I stripped out two IST's. Could add them back in if you don't want the Eversor.

 

Also his army needs to be good against everything not just Necrons.

 

It's really hard. I gave my best help to construct an anti-Necron army. Making 'take all comers' will mean you have to gimp your effectiveness somewhat.

 

On the army list, you can't take Orbital strikes without an Inquisitor and really orbital strikes are blah.

 

Yes you can. DH's are awesome, aren't they? Read the codex dude, we aren't like WH :P

 

I'd add two more GKTs to the Brother-Captain's squad (assuming that you want the Grand Master to join up with the squad and want them to ride in the LRC).

 

Why? Don't make your squads too expensive, you want the points elswhere. 5-man is as large as you want for Deepstriking (my preferred method of delivery). As for Grandmaster, he's unnecessary against Necrons, regular GKT's clean them up just fine.

Any transports are going to get destroyed very quickly. Gauss is a real pain. With the Dreadnoughts, it's a calculated risk; they're easier to hide, can claim 'hull down' from friendly infantry (ie screening it) while still firing over the top of them with plasma cannon. They're also able to 'hide out' in combat; charge a Warrior squad and slowly batter them down, while remaining safe from gauss fire.

 

I'm trying to take a list that can take all comers and would prefer not to use IST - too fragile and don't hit hard enough.

 

True, but they are easier to spam than PAGK squads. You can't get another squad of PAGK for the same cost as 2 x IST squads. My tactic would be to hang back with the IST's, using the PAGK to screen them from AP4. Anyway, it's up to you, but they do add plasma/melta to your army and are reasonably good at engaging T3 targets. Expect them to draw fire and die, letting your Fearless PAGK live to take the objective.

 

The assassin is somthing I'm going to look at including in the future, as long as I can sort out a decent Inq build. What you suggested Reclusiarch Darius gets me 20 wasted points that wil give out a free KP.

 

The reason I gave you 20 points of nothing was because that's all I could afford. Two GKT squads is a lot of points.

 

If you drop a GKT squad, here's what I suggest you ALWAYS field as your secondary HQ;

 

Inquisitor Lord, psycannon

2 x heavy bolter servitors, plasma cannon servitor

2 x Sages, 2 x Mystics

(202 points)

 

Thats the best you can get. Close-combat DH Inquisitors suck, and they're not tough enough to duke it out at close-range (unlike the PAGK, who can, and the IST's, who can absorb fire otherwise directed at the PAGK). For added survivability:

 

2-3 Artificer Acolytes

(46-69 points)

 

They let you soak up wounds that would otherwise remove a Mystic/Sage or gun. That takes the unit to about 250-270 points total.

 

The reason I suggest you take a useless lone Inquisitor is because you need the 2nd GKT squad, as I explain below.

 

My iintention is to get the GKT into assault as soon as possible to maximise the power weapons. Normally I'd hang these guys back as a decent fire base. Taking 8 with the GM means I can try and lock 2 squads in combat and prevent Monolith shenanigans.

 

Your putting too many eggs in one basket. Frankly, it's overkill; the new rules for close-combat resolution means you'll always win by a giant margin, he'll fail his Morale check and you'll Sweeping Advance him. A 5-man squad can easily destroy a 15-strong Warrior squad, without an expensive GM to back them up.

Monolith doesn't teleport them out of combat, you're thinking of the Lord. If you mean the 're-roll WBB, if they pass can come through Monolith portal', then yes engaging the nearby Warrior squad in combat is a good idea (prevents him 'teleporting casualties' over to the otherwise unengaged 2nd Warrior squad). Thats why I suggested 2 x 5-man GKT squads. After you've wiped out the first two Warrior squads, he'll generally only have 1-2 left, which should be easily dispatched by two GKT squads.

[iamnothere]

I'd never of thought of Artificer Acolytes, I didn't think they had the option to take it.

 

The 2 GKT squads would be reasonable in any list and at 300pts each, well worth it. What I'm trying to achieve though with the GM is that I5. He's the Only GK to get it and will prove invaluble against other builds. With the current ammount of points spent on GKT I have the same number of wounds as you.

 

Unfortunately GKT can never sweeping advance Necron Squads, just like normal Termies.

[Gaz1858]

What about taking the relic away? I dont feel its worth the points just for one extra attack once per game. Those points could be better spent elsewhere, psychic hood, sacred incense etc would be better to start

[iamnothere]

The relic's an experiment. I've never used one before but have recently seen the effect of a standard granting extra attacks in the right place, at the right time.

 

If I run the GM with the GKT, it's not just 1 extra attack, it's 8, S6 power weapon attacks. Plus is any of my PAGK are involved I'll get even more bang for my buck.

 

I'm interested in the psychic hood as well and will try and shoe horn it into the list somewhere as it evolves.

[number6]

Grand Master with Psy Cannon and Holy Relic - 205pts

 

Brother Captain with Psy Cannon and 6 GKT with 1 Psy Cannon and a TH/SS combo - 392pts

 

10 PAGK, Justicar has frags and a targeter - 277pts

 

10 PAGK, Justicar has frags and a targeter - 277pts

 

Godhammer LR with Extra armour and dozerblade - 260pts

 

LR Crusader with dozerblade - 260pts

 

Lance Strike - 70pts

If it were me, I'd want to have a 3rd Troops squad. This is a big game. I'm skeptical that 20 MEQs -- only 6 units in total (one of them the single-model GM) -- is going to be enough to seriously contest opposing tournament armies. Dual raider, low Troops count lists can work well in small points games (e.g., 1000 pts), but, essentially, to not include any more vehicles or Troops units for a game nearly double the size is extremely risky. I won't say impossible -- few things are -- but it is mighty risky. You will obviously be facing considerably more anti-armour and anti-infantry power, so your list should adjust in some fashion to account for it. 1000 pt IG, Eldar, and Tau armies (for example) will look entirely different at 1750 pts with respect to their ability to maneuver, claim objectives, and pour anti-armour fire into your land raiders.

 

If you can get at least 3 x 8 PAGK units (3 x 10 PAGK being the goal), then you are on your way toward getting somewhere. A 3rd vehicle would be very welcome, too (either another raider or a dreadnought), obviously. I always figure I need at least 3 anti-armour units myself in order to seriously compete. Raiders with Machine Spirits are very nice, but that's still only two units. This is why I often field a unit of inferno-pistol Seraphim as well. They give me both more assault and more anti-infantry capability for as much (large squad, fully kitted out) or considerably less (minimal unit, just the pistols) as a raider. Build to your budget....

 

In my analysis, the points spent on the orbital strike are not helping your list out. Nor is the massive investment into GKTs, including the GM. The GM can be justified, but then I think you can't afford much more than aobut 4 other GKTs in the list. Otherwise, it just sucks up too many points. If you drop some GKTs, the Orbital Strike, and some upgrades (a holy relic is very expensive, hardly that useful, and a drag on a list that should prize its mobility above all else), you could at least get yourself that 3rd Troops unit. Perhaps something like the following....

 

HQ

[165 pts] GM, psychic hood

[184 pts] retinue: 4 GKTs

(deep strikes or in a land raider)

 

Troops

[285 pts] 10 GKs, incinerator (in a land raider)

[275 pts] 10 GKs (footslogs or in a land raider)

[325 pts] 10 GKs, 2x psycannon (holds objectives in deployment zone)

 

Heavy Support

[258 pts] Land Raider, extra armour, smoke

[258 pts] Land Raider Crusader, extra armour, smoke

 

Total: 1750 pts

 

You could exchange the GM for a BC and trim just a GK or two from your Troops and get yourself a Dreadnought if you liked.

[iamnothere]

Thanks for the input number6.

 

The list I'm taking tonight is experimental and eventuall I intend to include a 3rd raider chassis.

 

I'm a bit unsure about the lack of troops as well and may switch to 30 PAGK in 3 Raiders.

 

What I'm looking for in my game tonight is to identify possible star performers and weak links. I'm already dubious about the lance strike as it is.

[iamnothere]

Well I was hoping to get a game tonight but it didn't happen. Needless to say I'm a bit dissapointed. :lol:

 

So I'll have to wait until Thursday and see if I can get a game in the shop. ;)

[Random Guy]

Damn, I need to look at my DH codex again.

[iamnothere]

Well I managed to get a game in the store tonight. It wasn't ideal as we playeed on a 4'*4' table and at 1000pts.

 

I decided to stick to the above list as close as possible and try out the more unusual choices.

 

Instead of a GM I took a BC with psycannon and the Relic. 121pts

2 Squads of 10 PAGK. 550pts

Crusader. 255pts

Lance Strike. 70pts

 

All in all it came to just shy of 1000pts and included my staples (PAGK & Crusader) and the stuff I wanted to try out.

 

The game we rolled for was Capture and Control and the set up was pitched battle.

 

I'm not sure of the points but it was a friendly game and he had somthing like this:

Mega Armoured Warboss

7 Nobs

Big Mek with KFF

 

3 Nobs (troops)

24 Boys with sluggas/choppas.

24 Ard Boys sluggas/choppas.

2 Def Copters

1 Def Copters

Boomwagon

 

The battlefield was 4' by 4' Realm of babble game board, this placed hills in each corner. We had a row of 3 8" forests accross the centre of the board. They had enough space between them to drive the crusader.

 

I won the roll for table edge and as there wasn't much in it I stayed where I was.

 

I placed my objective in the centre of my deployment zone between the 2 hills and he placed his on the far left hill as I looked at it.

 

I set up the Crusader as far forward as I could in the centre of my deployment zone so it had cover from the centre forest (Still over 6" away). I placed the BC and a PAGK squad 1 inside. I placed PAGK Squad 2 On my objective as there was no where else with any cover. I also keyed the lance strike to the centre forest.

 

He placed the 3 Nobs on his objective and put his boom wagon in front. Across the centre of his deployment zone he placed the Ard Boys and the Slugga boys. Between them he put the Warboss, Nobs and Bigmek as one big unit. He also placed the single Deff Copter here and the other 2 on my right flank. He scouted these 2 12" but kept to the table edge.

 

Then he Siezed the initiative and went first :P

[iamnothere]

On to the game and the Orks after stealing the initiative were in an ideal position to scalp me. :huh:

 

The 2 Deff Copters on my right swooped in and rocketed the Crusader. AV14 ftw as they bounced off. Any one who plays Land raiders will tell you the first shots of the game are the worst, that cheeky shot is sods law to pop your tank.

 

The hoard in the centre ran forward around the central forest with the Nobs squad taking cover out of sight behind it. The single Deff Copter took a shot at the crusader but missed.

 

It was going my way and then the Boom wagon opened up... It targeted my exposed squad in the open and rolled 39” for shrouding. Due to spacing he could only get 4 but scattered onto 6! When the dust settled 5 were down, ready to be taken back to Titan. :(

 

I responded with some radical sideways movement for the reduced squad to get out of sight of the Boom wagon and opened up on the Ard boys coming round the left flank of the central forest, downing 2.

 

My BC debussed from the Crusader and made a beeline for the 2 Copters on my right. His psycannon downed one of the birds and the second fell back a massive 5”, job done!

 

I moved the Crusader 12” around to the right of the central forest, making sure the boom wagon wouldn’t get a clear shot and then debussed the PAGK inside. I lined them up to take on the Nobs squad and unleashed 20 SB shots. A grand total of 2 failed saves later and 1 Nob were dead. Oh the rejoicing.

 

Meanwhile the Crusader had faired better gunning down 8 boyz with the Hurricanes and Machine spiriting the single DeffCopter with the twin assault cannons. Huzzah!

 

Now the PAGK went for the throat and assaulted the Nobz. Incredibly because of the closeness of the boys squad and the forest to the left, neither the Warboss or the BigMek could get into the combat! 3 Nobs went down to 3 of my PAGK! This followed with a moral check at -3; the bosspole and another failed save followed up with a sweeping advance of my 9 to the orks 5. :P

 

Incredibly the Nobs, Warboss and BikMek had all been run down! Result!

[iamnothere]

Turn 2 started with me wondering how I was going to keep my troops alive long enough to claim objectives.

 

The single surviving DeffCopter on my right flank failed to rally and fell back 15”. The boys mobs unloaded their sluggas into my PAGK in the centre taking another 1 down. Then they charged, luckily I still had 6 PAGK left and after the dust had settled I’d killed 7 and lost 4. So a bit of a moral check - he substituted his leadership, failed, bashed an ork with the boss pole, still failed and was sweeping advanced. Wow, combat resolution against orks rocks! :woot:

 

The Ard boys ran forward through the gap between the forests to my left and centre. This left the Boom wagon... luckily the shot scattered and I only lost a single PAGK from the 5 near my objective.

 

I decided to roll for the Lance strike to see how it would perform but it didn’t arrive. :) Somthing I'll have to plan for in future.

 

In return I manoeuvred the BC and psycannoned the last DeffCopter out of the sky – go relentless psycannon! My 2 PAGK left from the assault jumped back into the crusader and drove back around to my side of the central forest. This then opened up with the Hurricanes and Assault cannon on the Ard boys. 5 more orks exploded in a cloud of fungus spores.

 

I moved the 4 PAGK holding my objective further back to avoid a charge next turn and took another Ard boy out.

 

End of turn 2 and things were looking edgy due to my low troop count. :lol:

[iamnothere]

With both of our armies much reduced the rest of the game went pretty quickly.

 

The boom wagon manoeuvred for a better shot at the 4 PAGK but missed completely. His Ard boys came forward and loosed off with their sluggas taking down 2 PAGK, one of them being the Justicar – really glad their fearless because I’m about 4” from the table edge.

 

Now the Lance Strike shows up; as I need to get past the terrain it’s keyed to, this is worrying.

 

Knowing that I needed to take out the boom wagon but reluctant to lose the Hurricanes fire, I moved the Crusader past the Ard boys between the trees and turned it so its rear armour faced the boom wagon and the Hurricanes towards the squad.

 

The Hurricanes upped their tally by 4 - these things are awesome. The Machine spirit had a shot at the boom wagon with the Multimelta, it hit, 11” range, penetrates – a 6 is rolled! Good bye boom wagon!

 

My 2 PAGK did a sideways shuffle towards the BC who likewise did a sideways shuffle towards the PAGK – still 8” apart though ;) Both fired at the boys taking 2 more down.

 

I with trepidation, place the Lance strike as far away as possible from the Crusader and happily it scatters miles away. Relief.

 

End of turn 3 and it’s still 1 objective each but he’s no chance of touching the Crusader now.

 

With nothing else to do he again fire at the 2 PAGK with the Ard boys but their armour comes through. The Ard boys charge forward into combat and a flurry of blows later see only 1 ork down. I was tempted to use the Rellic here to try and get a better result but as the BC holding it was still 8” away there was no guarantee it would reach. The Orks moral held :(

 

I turned the Crusader around and floored it for his objective. Stopping just short and debussing the 2 PAGK inside. It then opened up and cleansed the Nobs holding it from the face of existence – I think I scored 8 wounds. So I’d gotten the second objective! All I had to do now was hold onto my own...

 

The BC moved into the combat showing the relic, 3 Orks died to him alone, another 2 fell to the PAGK. Things were going my way until 3 boys hit the BC, caused 3 wounds and I failed 1 save. Goodbye BC an ignoble end. My opponent seemed really surprised at a 1 wound HQ. I also lost another PAGK. This left the Nob and 2 Ard boys left facing off against the might of the Ordo Malleous.

 

The lance strike did nothing btw.

 

Turn 5 was very quick with only the combat in the Ork turn, I killed boy for no losses causing another moral check. He failed and bosspoled another boy. This time they passed and the combat continued.

 

In my turn I realised that the combat was incredibly close so barrelled the Crusader back to my home objective, even if the lone PAGK died I’d still have a whole Crusaders worth of fire power if we got a turn 6.

Well my lone PAKG took a wound off the Nob, who promptly destroyed him with a silly number of attacks.

 

I positioned the Lance Strike as far away again as I could, happily it missed.

 

We rolled for continuation and the dice came up a 1. Draw, 1 objective each and a very fun game.

[iamnothere]

I think the bigest factor in this game was the loss of the warboss early on. If it had made combat I think things would have gone differently.

 

The relic could have done better if it had been employed in the combat against the Nobs in turn 1, but that would have left the Deffcopters unengaged by the BC.

 

The lance strike was more of a hinderance to me than to him as I needed to be close to where it was keyed to. I;ll keep at it though and try it in a 1750pt game next week.

[iamnothere]

The preparation for X Legion continued on Tuesday with a battle against the old enemy, Chaos Daemons!

 

Now I didn't know what he was playing, just that it would be 1500pts. So unable to put my full 1750 out I trimmed it down to:

 

HQ Brother Captain with psycannon.

 

Elites 6 GKT with 2 psycannons

 

Troops

 

Squad 1 10 PAGK

Squad 2 10 PAGK

 

Heavy Support

 

Land Raider with extra armour

Land Raider Crusader

 

My opponent is an experienced player who's no pushover, his list is Tzeentch Daemons with lots of shooty goodness. I believe it had:

 

2 Heralds on Chariots.

3 Units of 3 flamers.

3 Big units of horrors, 1 had the changling.

2 Princes with all the bells and whistles but no wings.

 

We rolled for mission and got sieze ground with 4 objectives. We placed these roughly in the centre of each quarter and rolled spearhead for deployment. He got the choice and unsurprisingly for a Daemons player let have the choice of quarter and the first turn.

 

The battle field was a 6*4 board with 3 small buildings along his long table edge, a 3 story building in the middle ground on my left, a large low hill in the centre and another 3 storey building in the middle ground to my right. My table edge had a long low hill on my left and a smaller hill just off centre to my right.

 

I chose the quater with the long low hill to give me some cover from his shooting and when I eventually got my troops on it, an elevated LOS. It also allowed me to claim an objective and be close enough to a second without too much manouvering. I also chose it because the other quaters had more terrain that he would have to DS around, more on this later.

 

So after he'ed given me the choice of quater I promptly told him that I was placing everything in reserve and attaching the HQ to the GKT. This caused some grumbling and the cry of cheese but hey, I hadn't brought along any specific anti daemon stuff and the last thing I wanted was to have him ds next to my troops with those flamers.

 

So first turn came and went with him getting his preferred half down and because he didn't want me just walking ont the table and straight into close combat he had to DS them around the buildings. So 1 Herald went close to the building in the middle left, Horrors 1(changling) dropped behind the big hill in the centre, horrors 2 far back in his quater and a DP came on behind the building on my center right. He also got a squad of flamers in but they scatterd behind the building with the DP. With nothing to shoot at he got out of blast template formation and it was onto turn 2. He was slightly unluck with some of the scatter rolls as he wanted to dominate the centre more.

 

Reserve rolls were good for me and I got the GKT and both troops onto the board but no raiders. This was a reasonable result but it did mean that I'd have to play a refused flank rather than a more aggrassive style the raiders would allow. In hindsight I should have placed the squads in the Raiders.

 

I brought squad 1 on my extreem left and ran them 10" in a big spaced out formation. Squad 2 came out and ran onto the hill also in a spaced out formation, (most of the area to these squads front was a large building so I wasn't worried about DSing daemons. The GKT came on to the right of the large hill and let the Herald who had an Icon eat 9 psycannon shots. The herald turned into a multicoloured mist and my turn 2 was over. Now we could really start the game.

[iamnothere]

His turn 2 began with the arrival of the second DP, a unit of flamers and the final unit of horrors. The DP scatterd back towards his table edge behind the building on my centre left. The flamers came down just in front of this building with one landing in terrain - test passed. His second herald also pitched up close to where the first one had been by the building on my left. The final unit of horrors appeared to the right of the hill in the centre - out of range.

 

Few of his units were in range of the GKT but only the horrors passed their shrouding roll taking down 3 of the honoured brothers ;) . The newly arrived flamer put themselves out of sight behind the building to my left whilst the new DP(2) ran closer in as well. Horrors 2&3 moved onto the hill in the centre whilst DP 1 advanced from behind the building to my right. The first unit of flamers ( flamers 1) moved behind the building to my right out of sight of the lethal GKT. His Herald had used a shooting power to take 2 GK from Squad 2 on the hill.

 

I started my 3rd turn with both my Raiders coming on! B) As Raiders are bigger than 6" I had to arrive at cruising speed so brought the Crusader on targetting flamers 1 behind the building on my right and put the Hurricanes and the assault cannon into them wiping them from existance. I brought the Godhammer on in my centre-right just behind the small hill and took a wound off DP 1.

 

The GKT remained where they were and opened up on Horrors 2, reducing them to 2 models. I decided to assault the Herald rather than shoot it with Squad 2. My reasoning for this was that I thought I would remain locked in combat with it so the flamers couldn't get me. ;) One assault phase later the weakness of a Tzeentch herald in a chariot had been brought home and I was stranded in the open. Luckily I'd got a 5" consolidate to spread out with. :)

 

Squad 1 were moved up my left flank towards an objective to try and get LOS to flamers 2, no luck though so they took a wound off DP2 instead. He had 1 save to make so of course it failed.

[iamnothere]

At the start of his third turn the final unit of flamers came down, unfortunatly the deviated into my Squad 1 advancing up the left flank. I got to place them, so put them about as far away from me as possible - between the 2 buildings deep in his quater. :wacko:

 

Well flamers 2 near the building on my left came forward and took 7 GK out of squad 2, leaving only the justicar. DP 2 promptly put him down and split fired at the Godhammer to no effect. The 2 horrors also hit the Godhammer with a Bolt which likewise bounced off. :lol::

 

Horrors 3 moved forward and took down 2 more GKT including the HQ :( reducing it to 3 GKT. Horrors 1 and DP 1 had a pop at the Godhammer getting weapon destroyed (HB) and stunned (extra armour :lol: )

 

At the start of turn 4 and no one has any objectives in the bag!

 

So I move Squad 1 onto the objectiveon my left, behind the building and they take another 2 wounds off DP 2. The GKT withdraw slightly and gundown flamers 2 with righteous psycannon fire. I move the Godhammer 10" to the right (positioning to contest an objective), closer to the building and take another wound off DP1(this was a close call as the Changling reared its ugly head)! The Crusader came into its own as I advanced it around to the right of the same building and take out most of horrors 1. :wacko:

 

Now it's time for some pay back as he targets the Godhamer with horrors 1 and DP1, even charging the DP in to no benefit (6s' to hit). The rest of the horrors move towards my GKT and the objective they are close to in my quater. Between them they take out both psycannon GKT leaving a single GKT to hold them back.

 

Turn 5 and it's one objective to nil but he still has 3 troops choices and some fast movers that can contest so it's anyones game.

[iamnothere]

I started with a sideways shuffle by Squad 1 to get LOS to the 2 horrors left by themselves. I managed to get 8 shots off and the were gone. Next I psycannoned and assaulted horrors 3 (changeling squad), this served 2 purposes; because of my positioning I drew the squad away from the objective and tied them up in a prolonged combat.

 

I move the Godhammer out of combat with the DP1 and target DP2 - a big threat because if he moves back towards Squad 1 then he could contest! Both Lascannons hit but he save both wounds. I moved the crusader back towards the centre of the table, targeting DP2 again. This time he had 7 saves to make and went down hard.

 

This time he really did get some payback and DP1 took out the Godhammer in close combat. Horrors 1 were either just in or just out of range of the objective in my deployment zone so ran rather than shot. Horrors 3 continued the combat with my lone GKT losing a further 2, putting them on 4 left.

 

So it's the end of turn 5 with 1 objective each, the dice for the next turn comes up a 6!

 

I start by targeting Horrors 1 with Squad 1 but get no wounds. I also move the crusader in close but 1 daemon is left, sitting their grinning at me :woot: The GKT takes fails to cause any damage but keep fighting.

 

The single Horror bolts the crusader but it bounces off, DP1 moves towards it as well but fails to damage it. my single GKT takes another 2 horrors from the changlings squad.

 

End of turn 6, 1 objective each, do we get another turn? No, the dice rolled 2. So a draw.

[iamnothere]

So what went wrong and what went right?

 

Sieze Ground is the hardest mission for a GK army to win due to a shortage of scoring units. I tend to play this mission by claiming only 1 objective and contesting the others. In this case I had the Crusader go deep into their deployment zone destroying units and ready to contest objectives. The Godhammer did a similar job on my centre right.

 

Although he did cry cheese in the deployment phase when I held everything off table, it is the best tactic to use when you're not playing a gunline list. Every single one of my units is valuble so the last thing I want is to have them flamered to death.

 

I convincingly destroyed his army, leaving it with a 4 models left to my GKT, full 10 PAGK in Squad 1 and an undamaged crusader. This was without taking any specific anti daemon kit so I'm quite happy with the overall performance.

 

Star performers were the GKT with 3 psycannons. They really did take a lot of fire and I'd like to get some more psycannons into the rest of the list. At this points though it means sacrificing troops which I'm reluctant to do.

 

Is dropping a single GKT worth 2 psycannons in a PAGK squad?

[iamnothere]

Ok I've thought about my lsit quite a bit after the past few games and decided to specialise my squads a bit more. This should hopefully increase my number of troop choices and my mobility.

 

In 2 of the missions 2 big squads of troops are fine, Capture and control and Annialation really play to this size imo. In sieze ground this isn't the case and mobility and numbers matter more so this is what I'm thinking of trying out in my next game:

 

HQ:

 

Brother Captain (psycannon), 4 GKT, psycannon. 300pts

 

Troops:

 

PA1 - Justicar (targeter), 9 GK, 2 Psycannons. 326 pts

PA2 - Justicar (frags), 4 GK, Incinerator. 161pts

PA3 - Justicar (frags), 4 GK, Incinerator. 161pts

 

Heavy:

 

Land Raider, extra armour. 255pts

Crusader. 255pts

 

Tactics wise PA1 sit on an objective or in cover and put out loads of fire whilst PA2&3 scoot around in the Raiders looking for "targets of opportunity". The GKT squad provides somthing for my opponent to focus on whilst it reaches out with that pair of psycannons.

 

This leaves me with 42 pts to spend at 1500pts. At 1750 I'm adding another Crusader but what to try out at 1500?

[Reclusiarch Darius]

I'd drop the extra armour on the Raider and add another GKT to the BC's retinue.

 

I'd also drop the frags off the Justicar, targeter is more worthwhile.

 

Other than that, it's a pretty solid list

[iamnothere]

Hmm, the extra armour on the Raider will probably not be used much I admit in 5th ed and I was going to drop it for the 1750 list anyway.

 

An extra GKT never hurt and dropping the frags wouldn't bee too bad(one of the squads will be in the Crusader so already has them). PA2&3 will tend to be close to the enemy before they get out so I'm not too concerned about targeters on these but they do provide options.

 

I'm seriously considering trying Holocaust on the BC (not the squad) to help against hoards. I've had limited success with it in the past but yet to use it in 5th.

 

Appreciate the advice Reclusiarch Darius.