Batrep, Witchhunters vs Blood Angels

[Kunanaki]

So, as previously posted, I ended up facing the Sisters tonight.

 

My Army

 

HQ

Mephiston

Librarian with Shield + Sword

 

Elite

Furioso Dread w/ Talons + HF and a drop pod

Sanq Priest

 

Troops

10 man Jump w/ 2 Meltaguns + PF

4 x 5 man Assault w/ Lightning Claw + Razorback w/ Assault C.

 

Fast Attack

3 x LS w/ MM + HF, used separately

 

Heavy Support

Vindicator w/ Siege Shield

 

His Army (Roughly)

 

HQ

Cannoness w/ Celestines + Immolator Tank

Inquisitor w/ 2 Mystics + Chimera w/ ML + HB +

 

Troops

 

3 x 10 Women Squads w/ Executioners (Chain Fists) w/ Rhino

 

Fast Attack

 

Seraphim Squad w/ Melta Pistols

 

Heavy

 

2 x Exorcist Tanks

1 x Pentient Engine

 

Things I can't place

 

A big 10 squad of Sisters with Chain Fists

5 sister squad with meltaguns

 

 

A dusty town set up, wind tossing a few fragments of debris. The slightest crack of light was appearing on the horizon, revealing three Rhinos, engines idling. The Cannoness, flanked by her two squads of trusty sisters, was having a meeting of utmost importance. Auspexs ran wild, danger....but from where? A shriek echoed in the air, shaking the earth directly behind the three Rhinos. In the dim light, one could barely make out the sharp talons of a dreadnought, looming behind, cutting off escape. Bewildered, before reconizing what was beyond the horizon, a Land Speeder jut and blocked forward momentum, surrounding the Cannoness's escape.

 

Like Lightning, two more speeders arrived and spat molten projecticles, eating away the armour of her Rhino, exploding it into so much debris. With nowhere to go, she was forced to watch a couple of her sisters burn away. Then, a large Shell Slammed into the earth, vaporizing another sister, as a Devastor was fired. The Rhino next to her broke down. Sounds of bullets flying, blood bubbled from her lips, the light dying as the cannoness was vaporized by Razorback Assault cannons.

 

Fury Unbound, the sisters retaliated, arriving upon the scene of horror. A chimera and Rhino moved up and covered the advance with smoke launchers, Exorcist tanks delivering revenge by exploding the armored behemoth of a Vindicator with a flurry of holy missiles. A couple popped in the air before reaching their target, but not nearly enough. The second's volley spread fragmentation that ripped off a Speeder's Meltagun.

 

Inquisitor surveyed the sisters, sticking close behind cover and near the tanks, keeping an eye to the sky, and issuing a holy Decree. To destroy the enemies of mankind! A Pentient engine, seeking a target, found one in the presence of a massive armoured beast. Swinging a fist down, a taloned grasp ripped the arm off, and proceeded to puncture out the heart of the engine, leaving it a smoldering wreck.

 

Light cracked, a dawn arriving upon the scene of destruction. Hinted shapes were revealed, what appeared to be a splinter force of Space Marines was before them. Light still blinding them, a torrent of fire punctured the presence of the Chimera tank, as well as ruining another Rhino, which had pulled back into cover to regroup. The Sisters settled in, firing upon a landspeeder. A great being erupted firey wings, leaping up and landing amongst confused sisters of the first destroyed rhino, tearing into them before they could get account of themselves. They fought back, but six of them had already crumpled, meagerly wounding the beast amongst them, sliding like a whirl wind.

 

Armoured Behemoth Rushed towards the Ladies with large weapons, capable of carving armor and flesh like butter. A flurry of blades, and several sisters fell, though an arm was carved from the beast.

 

Retaliating again, the Tanks destroyed two Razorbacks, popping them, untouched Rhino pulling up and unleashing a squad of sisters to fire unrelenting into the exposed troops. Another squad, smaller with meltaguns, assisted, gooping and exploding the armored vehicles before they could recover or dodge. Seraphim assisted, there was no chance, as the enemies razorbacks were cut in half, leaving two out of the four, and rather severely wounding those that were inside of them.

 

Charging angrily forward from the destroyed wrecks, the survivors lashed out, Sisters dying horribly, an arm tore off of the Behemoth so that only it's mighty feet were lashing out, still causing grievous injuries. The Inquisitor rushed to support, carving apart two mighty seven foot tall giants, slicing through the ceremite like butter. A swift melee caused another group of sisters to fall before the image of a Man, tall and resplendent with mighty wings, his fury knowing no bound.

 

Jet Packs screamed as figures fired upon the second squad of sisters, leaping over to harrase those who had just lashed out, bodies crunching and whirring blades cutting through the necks and shoulders of the armored femme's, slicing them asunder. No quarter was given to those, none was asked for.

 

Bodies fell to the ground, tanks sizzling and popping, the broken bodies of the sisters gazing unfocused up at the growing light of the sky.....a curiously crimson sky, with hints of gold.....before they were gone, darkness wrapping amongst them.

 

 

Summary.

 

Blood Angels Stole Initiative.

 

Mission Annihilation, Scenario Dawn of War.

 

Sisters Forfeited 4th Turn on Space Marine Movement phase. Would have been tabled by 5th turn Worst case.

 

Sisters had 3 Chainfist group members, 6 Sisters, 1 Inquisitor, 2 Exorcists, and 1 Rhino Remaining.

 

Lost 2 Razorbacks, 13 Marines, and 1 Vindicator, Total KP 5.

[WarpWalker]

Sounded like a fun match and glad you won too. :D

 

Nice touch with the story telling.

 

J

[Leonaides]

That chainfist group you mention would Be Sisters Repentia - half armoured (only a 4+ save) and running round with Eviscerators (making them I1, S6 and 2d6 armour penetration). sound about right?

 

Congrats on the win by the way...

[GlauG]

I was totally expecting you to come in and say "You guys suck, your advice was terrible!" as a result of some insane genuis play on your opponent's part. :D But sounds like a good game, congrats on the win!

[Kunanaki]

Sounded like a fun match and glad you won too. ;)

 

Nice touch with the story telling.

 

J

 

Ahh, looking at the rules for the Sisters, he was using them wrong. He said they were strength 8, and he never did the holy rage rolls or the like. While it doesn't really matter.... my Fury Dread wouldn't have taken half the damage it did.

 

Thanks! I had a blast otherwise, though I really found I hate those Exorcist tanks. Firing from the weapon, which is a giant organ, and he used the very tip, the LOS it drew, and he kept saying because of it I never really got any cover saves. And when I fired back, he said because I couldn't see the body, I couldn't fire back at them.

 

My lack of experience with them, I couldn't argue these points, though he even tried to state that Unleash Rage was canceled with the sisters 5+ psychic nullify, which since they aren't targeted by it, it was argued, and then outside observers agreed with me.

[Joasht]

I'm not saying your writing is bad and chances are its just me (and the fact that I'm super sleepy and cranky as a result), but when I read a battle report I kind of like it to be, well, concise, saying what went where and did what, rather than reading extra fluffy bits. I like my fluffy bits at the start and/or end, not fluffy throughout ;)

 

Still, its good to see a win, but I'm slightly curious; did you know you were facing Sisters pre-game? Just curious because the overabundance of Lightning Claws would be good against Sisters, but the lack of fists is a risky choice. And how would you rate the dual-purpose Land Speeders? The report seems to make it sound like they only ever used their Melta's.

 

Thanks

[Kunanaki]

I'm not saying your writing is bad and chances are its just me (and the fact that I'm super sleepy and cranky as a result), but when I read a battle report I kind of like it to be, well, concise, saying what went where and did what, rather than reading extra fluffy bits. I like my fluffy bits at the start and/or end, not fluffy throughout ;)

 

Still, its good to see a win, but I'm slightly curious; did you know you were facing Sisters pre-game? Just curious because the overabundance of Lightning Claws would be good against Sisters, but the lack of fists is a risky choice. And how would you rate the dual-purpose Land Speeders? The report seems to make it sound like they only ever used their Melta's.

 

Thanks

 

They used the flamers, burning out a good few sisters, but I typically have them for either or situations. Most of the time they are ignored by other players, which lets me either crack a tank or burn some infantry. The 4+ Save on the Sisters Repentia, I should have fired on them, but I forgot. In the end it's a small thing. Personally, the Lack of Fists are only on my 4 squads, which is risky, but with Mephiston, a Librarian, and a PF in my Assault Squad with JP I find it's not really that big of a problem. Mind you, I like PF's, but str 5 LCs on the charge have served me well, even against MCs like the Tyrgon, and with the mobility of the rest of my army and the High Str of my Psykers, I take the risk of it.

 

I went fluffy throughout because I honestly couldn't think of the non romantic way of saying....moved this 12 inches, at an angle 45 degrees from my table edge, skirting around terrain to set up a flank, and make it interesting for the reader.

 

 

I knew what I was going in to, but I don't tailor my lists for different opponents. From a Tournament standpoint, what you stand with is what you'll play, and instead of trying to make a list specifically to bring him down, I brought my All-Takers and did my best.

 

“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” - Sun Tzu

[Arkaniss]

Congratulations on the win! I'm pleased our advice was of help. Told you those Exorcists would be a pain. :)

 

As for the whole 'where they shoot from' thing i can't give you an answer. You could argue that the missiles are fired from the organ, but if you inspect the area behind the servitor on the model there are rockets housed there so perhaps they are fired from there? So the rockets in theory would arc towards their targets... but then how do you work out Line of Sight and cover saves?

 

Either way it's not specified so TLoS with an Exorcist is always an issue. That said claiming to be able to shoot you while you could not shoot the Exorcist back is quite unsporting.

 

Perhaps you didn't catch all the models as you are unfamiliar with a Witch Hunters army, but i saw no Priest in the unit roster? I assume he was with the Cannoness and Celestian retinue - that's where i would have put the Priest. Might want to clarify that and if needed point out for next time to the SoB player that they need a Priest in order to field Penitent Engines just in case.

[melvinmcsnatch]

It sounds like he was still quite green himself, maybe with a slight hint of jerk?

 

I never know how to argue with opponents after the fact. I played a first time Blood Angel this weekend who was using a 2+ Fell No Pain roll with Dante and Death Company, but I'm not that experienced with my own, let alone his army, so I trusted him. Unless I missed something, he was wrong.

 

I always count the fire from the Exorcist Launcher (organ, benefitting me), but I also count it as part of the machine (benefitting my opponent), so shame on him.

 

Repentia are not S 8, and they can't use AoF to gain S +2.

[Hiro_Protagonist]

It sounds like he was still quite green himself, maybe with a slight hint of jerk?

 

Got to agree with you there.

 

As for the "I can see you but you can't see me" thing I guess it would depend on what was firing at the exorcist. In the case of vehicles it is possible, because line of sight must be drawn from each weapon. In the case of a squad firing then it would depend on the line of sight of the individual troopers. But from the way you described it, he was wrong.

 

It would be like an eldar player saying you can't assault their vehicles because you can't reach the base without coming within 1" of the hull.