Last battle using the old codex vs DA

[DGC]

Well, I finally managed to get a game in against a friend of mine before the new codex comes out. We agreed on 2000pts and went up to the GW store in Kingston to borrow one of their tables. Now as it was going to be my last fight using our aged but beloved tome, I wanted my sons of Russ to look their best so the only limitations on what could be brought was me only selecting painted minis with wysiwyg. This makes for a great game as if the vehicle has a dozer blade the points have to be accounted for ect - no "counts as" or "it's not really there" for me.

 

As my friend plays DA I knew that there would be a couple of Landraiders, usually one or two squads of termies and Belial - always Belial. Sometimes a few Landspeeders and/or Veterans get included as well so I had to make the best anti-marine squad I could with what I had

 

This is what I took

 

HQs

 

Wolf Lord Gardrulf - L/Cs + Runic Armour (to escort my Bloodclaws)

WGBL - F/B + B/P + Bike (to ride with my Attack Bikes)

Ven Dread Jager - A/C + H/F + E/A (to support some Grey Hunters)

 

Troops

 

Pack A: 6 GHs - P/W + P/P + Melta, Bolters & CCWs - Razorback with H/Bs

Pack B: 6 GHs - P/W + P/F + Melta, Bolters & CCWs - Razorback with TL L/Cs

Pack C: 8 GHs - P/W + P/F + Plasma gun, Bolters & CCWs

9 Bloodclaws - P/W + P/F + P/P + Melta, B/Ps & CCWs - Rhino

 

Elites

 

4 Scouts - 2 P/Ps + Melta, B/Ps & CCws

Dreadnought Sorren - L/Cs and M/L

 

Fast

 

2 Tornados - H/Bs + A/Cs

2 Attack bikes - one H/B and one Melta

 

Heavy

 

Predator Annihalator

Vindicator

 

He brought 2 Landraiders, a Predator Anihalator, two squads of Termies - one with A/C and Thunder Hammers + various fists - the other with A/C, T/H, various fists, L/Cs and S/Bs, Belial with L/Cs + TDA, Interogator Chaplain with P/W and bits and two squads of Veterans - various weapons including P/Ws, Heavy Weapon, Bolters & CCWs

 

We used the table that had some open space to allow for our tanks but it was still fairly messy. We rolled for the game and got Annihalation with Pitched battle for the set up. In my zone was a ruin about 7" in from the corner, a hill in the centre with it's back against my table edge. Roughly center were two areas of woods, one to the left and one to the right with just enough room to get a Landraider inbetween. In his zone was a ruin diagonally opposite mine and a pool 3" in from his right hand edge and about 9" in front of his table edge.

 

He set up first with his Veteran squads behind the pool and close to the table side. His Predator was between the pool and the woods. His Landraiders both set up in the cover behind the woods whilst his Termies and Belial set up as close to the woods as he could get them.

 

I set up my Predator on the blind side of the ruins facing his Veterans. On the other side of the ruins I placed GH Pack B with Jager in support. Sorren was placed on the hill to provide long range cover fire for anything that needed it with the Tornados in front at the base of the hill. The WGBL and Assault Bikes were central getting cover fron the Landraiders courtesy of the woods. The Vindicator was in my lower right hand corner with GH Pack A facing forward along the table edge towards the ruins in his zone. The BC Rhino squad with W/L Gardrulf was just to their left and GH Pack C was on foot to head towards the woods

 

Turn 1 saw the DA Veteran sqauds with the Chaplain move forward between the table edge and the pool using it's foliage as cover. The Termie sqauds and Belial moved forwards into the woods concealing them from all but the most prying eyes. The Landraiders managed to bottle-neck themselves between the woods as there wasn't enough room to get them both through the gap at once. The Predator remained stationary. His shooting amounted to the Predator hitting and 'wrecking' the Razorback of GH Pack B ( the GHs inside all managed to get out from the wreckage taking only one wound which was saved - thanks be to Russ) and one of the Landraiders 'immobilising' the BCs Rhino

 

In responce GH Pack B moved along the ruins with Jager who targeted the DA Predator on the way to through to the Veterans scoring an 'immobilised'. The Tornados moved 6" to get a better shot on the Predator scoring another 'immobilesd' and 'crew stunned' whilst the Attack Bikes moved towards the visible Landraider. The Vidicator moved 6" and tried to hit the other Landraider but the shot went wild. The BCs with Gardrulf headed towards the woods and the Termies as did GH Pack C. GH Pack B moved forward 12" to stay on the blind side of the Landraiders and high on the hill Dreadnought Sorren targetted the visible Landraider but failed to cause any damage. My Predator fired at the Veterans but failed to do any damage because of the surrounding cover

 

Turn 2 saw the Veterans advance but still out of range for a charge, they let off a few shots at the GH Pack B but failed to score any wounds. The visible Landraider backed up as if he was going to swap positions with the other but didn't (???) and the second Landraider moved 6" towards his ruins. The termie squads advanced through the woods and opened fire on the Attack Bikes causing one wound, the others opened fire on the GH Pack C taking down two but they held their ground. Belial eyed up Gardrulf and it was apparent that in my next phase they would be facing off against each other - just what I wanted for a final showdown. With his Predator imobile that was it.

 

My Predator opened fire again on the Veteran squads but again managed to do squat while the GH Pack B opened fire and caused two DA to fall. Jager and the Tornadoes combined their fire on the Predator and 'wrecked' it. On the hill Sorren targeted one of the Landraiders but couldn't see enough of it to get a clear shot and the misiles and Lascannon blasts went wide. Gh Pack A disembarked by his ruins ready to take the fight to them next turn with their Razorback giving covering fire. The Attack Bikes fired at one Termie squad and dropped one with a blast of melta, they followed straight in with the assault and dropped two more thanks to the efforts of the WGBL and his trusty Frost Blade - sadly the wounded Attack Bike perished but their efforts will be retold many times. GH Pack C fired then charged the other Termie squad dropping another two but losing three in return. The BCs along with Gardrulf let off some shots at Belial and charged. The two leaders clashed in a rain of blows that saw three Blood Claws shredded with the Lightning Claws whislt the combine efforts of the BC sqaud manged to take a wound from Belial. Gh Pack A started to advance towards the mellee trying to hug cover to hide them from the approaching Landraider. The Vindicator didn't fire because my own squad was too close to risk a bad scatter and the scouts were still absent

 

Turn 3 saw the Landraiders moving along the back of the woods (I assume to get round and join in) but with limited space seemed to be having some real problems getting where they wanted. The Veteran Squads open fire on Pack B then charged dropping three bothers. The ferocity of the attack forcing them back as far as Jager but they lost another brother on the way. They managed tp pass their LD and regrouped behind the massive bulk of the Dreadnought. The Termie squad in combat with the Attack bike and WGBL saw the Wolves make all their saves and dispatch two more in return. The second Termie squad continued their assault on GH Pack C but must have been distracted by the melee nearby as the wounds they caused were a little more than flesh wounds and the pack lost a brother to the onslaught of Thunder Hammers in return for one of them. Belial and the BCs continued with Gardrulf now better situated to take on this so called leader. The BCs faired well, only losing one more of their number but causing only causing one more wound. It was Gardrulf - in a frenzy of blows and parries he tore the DA leader into ribbonds of ceramite and flesh - the whole pack awash in his blood - what finer way for the headstrong BCs to show their skills, in front of their Lord. The Tornados opened fire on the rear most Veteran squad but only managed to take down one of the. The nearest squad of Veterans for finished off by the combined fire power of the Predator and the AC of Jager. The scouts had still not arrived and again the Vindicator moved to get a better shot. GH Pack A moved back towards the ruins aware that taking on the approaching Landraider would be suicide at the moment.

 

Turn 4 saw the Interogator Chaplain have no choice but to attack the bulk of Jager, but to no avail as he failed to damage the reinforced structure given to this exalted Space Wolf he died to the crushing blows of the mighty power fist. The Veterans passed their LD but were to far back to make it into combat. The final moments for the Termie squad in combat with the Attack Bike and the WGBL ended as the DA were unable to get their fist blows in quick enough and were taken down in a fury of attacks that found the weak points in the TDA, rolling four 'ones' for armour saves. The other squad - down to three Thunder Hammers took another GH out but failed to land the blows in the right places. The Scouts finally showed up behind the rear most Landraider and in a volley of plasma and super heated melta stuff blew a hole in the armour and imobilised the tank. The Tornados fired on the remaining Veterans and with the support of Jager took them down in a hail od AC shells, including the Chaplain. On the hill Sorren surveyed the battle, taking in every smell, every noise and noting how the DA had deployed and fought - the information would be invaluble in the future (no targets visible <_<). GH Pack A headed towards the woods once more having not fired a single bolter round and in a finale worthy of legend, the Vindicator fired it's canon high, the shell falling only inches from where the targeteer had wanted. Instead of blowing the top out of the moving Landraider, it fell directly on the sloping front and exploded in a plume of armour plates, marines and ammo. As the dust settled there was nothing but a smoking hole in the ground

 

So, after 4 turns there was but two Da in TDA remaining - what stories of tactical impotance have they to share with the Wolves.

 

The final tally. I lost less than a dozen men and no squads were entirely wipped out. Lost the Predator on turn one and never got the Rhino started. The DA had two termies left. Admittedly, he had so few troops on the table due to the high cost of the units he did bring he was well out numered from the word go but I also think he could have made better use of his Landraiders.

 

But this is not about looking back and anylising the battle too much. This was meant to be an all out war to end my days using our old codex and I hope Russ and the Allfather are proud of how they fought

 

For Russ and the Wolftime

 

DGC

[wolf2.3]

Nice victory brother have an ale on me :confused: I too had my last old dex fight against black templars last week. I wiped him out and lost 2 wg termies and my ven dread was imobilized ;) . To my opponents credit he had scrounged a list out of his salamanders and didn't have much in the way of tanks.

[Nadir]

Gratz!

I've never used a Vindicator. I was always affraid of using his short range cannon. Now maybe I will change my mind.