Battle Summary: vs SW 1500

[bulley]

Havent played in a couple of weeks and really felt it tonight, still getting back into the game so I really need to play at least 2 or 3 games a week to get myself smashing out this list proper.

 

 

This is my first game vs Space Wolves since 3rd Ed (when I played them myself)

 

My list is my normal 1500;

 

Libby - UR/Shield

 

SP x2

Assault Terms - x2 TH

LRC

 

x5 RAS - TH/MG

Raz AC

 

x5 RAS - PF/MG

Raz LCTWPG

 

x5 RAS - PW/Flamer/MB

Raz HB

 

x5 RAS - MB

Raz LC - (SL)

 

x1 Baal - AC/HB

 

His list was something like:

 

Ulrik

Wolf Lord on Bike

Rune priest

 

x10 GH - Rhino

x9 BC - Rhino

x9 BC - Rhino

x5 Wolf Scouts

x5 BC on bikes

 

x1 vindy

x1 ww

x2 speeders

 

The Game:

 

I am terrible at relaying turns as right now they merge into one, but I'll draw a general pattern of the game, without out lying my mistakes, which I'll cover later.

 

Pitched Battle

x4 OBJECTIVES - 1 on either side of my deployment, 1 in the middle of the table "on his side" and one on my left flank sort of in the open. I felt these favoured me massivily.

 

I win to go first, deploy first, pushing my raider x2 Raz (HB/AC) towards the sort of 2 "middle" of the table ones. LC Raz deploys on top of far right objective, and Las plas wide right to sort of "flank". My baal scouts towards the center objective.

 

HE STEALS.

 

He had deployed his x2 rhinos w/ gh/bc central with a vindy, the bikes on my left flank with one speeder. Right flank he had 1 rhino and x1 speeder

 

Beginning of battle:

 

He pushes forward with everything, vindy fires at my LRC and manages to imbob it. His speeders and bikes go full out on my flanks. My retaliation is taking down the speeder on my right flank with the lascannon, so I feel comfortable that I control that objective now, with nothing else near for at least 2 turns. I manage to take out a couple of troops in the early going when he deploys, but not much else. I try to push forward, and move my Lasplas to far foward, which on his second turn allows him to move his bikes to block all my enterances, he proceeds to for 2 turns stun lock it with perpetual 1's and 2's. Early in the game I do take out his GH rhino and inflict some damage on the squad, and charge with the TH unit from the AC raz (which had been stun locked by turn 2), and all but wiped them out, however rolled a 1 when I needed anything but a 1 to take them out on the flee after combat!.

 

After a couple of turns I'd pretty much secured my far right objective, and the rear left objective had 1 squad sat on it. Terms had not left the raider yet as he had moved a rhino up to block the front enterance.

 

Mid Game:

 

This is where things didnt go great. Most of my tanks spent their time stun locked. The lasplas squad eventually died in turn 4 after combat, but not before, in vain, the power weapon squad tried to shift the wolf guard and bikes off the back door. The baal lost his AC, and the AC raz stayed stun locked. I lost my TH squad to a big charge from the BC's in the final rhino (the other squad was assaulting my las plas). I attempted to use the deathstar unit to take out the rhino, which it failed to do anything but imob, which left it blocking their way (str 9 th's failed to do anything!). Luckily he did move his commander into charge range which in turn 4 the terms walked through them.

 

At this stage I felt a draw was certain, but I could well sneak out a win with some good play. He controled 1 objective, but in a hottly contested area, I only had 1 scoring unit, but with 4 tanks (baal, x3 raz's) and 1 scoring unit I was thinking I could contest his 1 or 2, block the 3rd and hold the 4th ...

 

Late Game:

 

The game went to turn 6, which turned out to be extremely close.

 

In terms of "1v1" he had me beat, he still had x2 BC squads that were pretty full, ulrik, 1 wolf priest, his vindy, to my weaponless AC, HB baal, las cannon raz and hb raz, terms and x1 non-upgraded assault troops. But the objectives could play out well ...

 

Until his wolf scouts came in on any board edge, right next to my secure objective, of which I had just jeted off the LC raz to help contest the middle board with some 18" shennaingans. He manged to shoot them down to 2 with some bad saves from me, he imobed the baal finally. I made a daring move at the end of turn 5 for a draw, his scouts contested my objective, and I 18" the HB and AC raz's into his controled objectives, and had terms blocking another (they couldnt reach anyone even in 2 turns). Unfortunatly it was a 4 and it went to turn 6.

 

As much as we though the game was over, there was a way I could still win, the combat with the wolf scouts. And he needed x3 6's in a row to blow up my AC raz to get it off his objective, and the same again on the HB raz. What he ended up doing was getting the 6's for the HB raz, but imob'd to death the AC raz (wrecked it). In the final combat that could see me draw .... I failed so many saves and failed to inflict any wounds on him with the scouts.

 

Game over.

 

In the end it was, after 6 turns, 1-0. He pretty much tabled me, but the game was extremely close, and could have been one of those "I have 3 models but win".

 

Conclusion and round up

 

Losing out on first turn really injured me in the early game, the LR getting imob'd was bad, but not the end of the world, my stalling to get them out and start pelting forward was a massive mistake. With x2 3++ saves, the 2+ w/ FNP, and the fact he'd have really shot at them rather than my less durable tanks - maybe even assaulting them, was a big error.

 

The moving of the lasplas out on its own, and not positioning it well to let him get his bikes around all enterances was bad, once it was stun locked in turn 2 I knew I had lost 190 points straight away. But this lead to a bigger mistake, the charging of the PW squad into the commander and BC's - with no furious charge I stood no chance.

 

The last critical error, which cost me a draw, was taking the RAS out of the LC raz, if I I had left them there I could have still done the same shooting, probably popped a wolf scout or 2, then used it to tank shock them away from the objective and run the squad at the end of turn 5 back on, rather than leave them there at turn 4.

 

I had some bad luck, he had some great rolls, even when he was annoyed at stun locking, it took out a big element of my mobility.

 

Changes and thoughts

 

I am still quite happy with the list, and the guy I played was great, we both had a bit to learn with the rules (just due to me still being in 2nd/3rd ed mode), but it was a blast, even in a loss, which I normally fume at.

 

I was disappointed in the Baal, its had a couple of bad games, and 3 great ones now, but I feel its really alone, and there is no way I can get another one without getting rid of my deathstar unit, which I really like (even though I've never really used them well, except for when they killed 3 vindys).

 

I am tempted to drop the LRC, maybe even for a stormraven - giving me 50 more points. Or drop the entire squad, bring in mephiston and another RAS squad and fill all mine up to x6 where I can, or throw in a couple of speeders.

[matchbox]

I regularly play against SW with my BA. This is a pretty good outcome in my opinion. I usually get pitted against Njal and Ragnar and get punted back to the stone age.

 

I would advise for getting a Stormraven. Easily worth their points.

 

Either way though it's all a big learning curve.

[bulley]

I am thinking the stormraven is a nice 1 for 1 swap for the LRC and free's up 50 points straight off the bat which can be x2 RAS and an upgrade from the flamer to a MG, or I can add some more guns to the stormraven.

 

My only problem is modeling, I dont have time to do a scratch built really, or patience, is there a good/easy way to get one without people getting pissed going "thats clearly a vendetta".

[matchbox]

Personally the best one i've seen is the Crusader/Valkyrie Mash that's been done. Although your paying in excess of £70 for the components it looks the best by far of any of the versions i've seen.

 

http://www.tcpaintingstudios.com/WH40K/wh4...en_Gunship.html

 

Just my opinion though.

 

It's the one i Built. i made a slight Variation on a few parts to make it look slightly more Plausible as a vehicle but it's pretty much the same.

[bulley]

The LRC attracts alot of fire, my concern is though dropping from av14 to av12 may make that stormraven easier to drop. Whats your survivability been like with it?

[matchbox]

pretty good actually. Since Meltas have no bonus against it the only easy damage to it is with Las cannons, and seeing as not a huge amount of players take them it's not really an issue. Plus the firepower of the vehicle itself can keep most Infantry at bay it doesn't have huge problems.

[bulley]

Looks like a fairly simple kit bash that, cut both in half and make some holes in the bottom. Could be fun.

[bulley]

I am tempted to get a valk, "count as", or try and borrow someones for the next couple of games.

 

How come melta doesnt get a bonus vs it, am I missing something?

 

Actually that said, how does the big flying things work these days, like assault wise etc ..

[matchbox]

It's in the rules, Ceramic Plating or somesuch, makes it immune to the Melta extra D6. It's just a fast Skimmer, same rules for a grav tank. Just faster :)

[matchbox]

Here's a picture of mine. Not brilliant quality, i need to get a decent camera instead of just using my phone.

 

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6739/raveny.jpg

[bulley]

Is there a how to on it? I'd like to see each stage by stage if at all possible. I am really liking the idea of a storm raven now. Don't even need to upgrade weapons, AC's / Blood strike combo seems unbelievable, try and drop in turn 2 (or 1 if possible) then move 6" and unleash hell for 3 turns.

[matchbox]

Not that i've found, i just made it up as i went along. Keep using the various pictures on that page and you can work out how it goes together. It's pretty straightforward. Or failing that Games workshop did a workshop on building one of these. Maybe go to them for instructions?

 

You also get Machine Spirit, so blast AC and HB at infantry and a blood strike at a menacing looking vehicle across the table.

[bulley]

What really did me in in this battle as well was the ability of the SW's to counter attack. I did not think this would be as brutal as it was. Since they were rhino squads they pretty much doubled my numbers, and while I hit at I5 with a couple of squads, my normal squads can't combat with a BC or GH counter attacking squad well.

 

This was another fault where my only 2 squads that charged did it miles apart from each other. I need to attack with 2 squads at the same time, either (or preferably) the PW and TH squad, giving FNP/FC to both squads, and x1 PW at I5 (my sang priest is in the TH squad), and then x8 RAS, with the TH at I2.

 

I must keep these squads closer together, and protect the tanks that little bit better.

 

If I do go with a storm raven, I am going to use that 50 points extra to get a PW on the SP for the normal squads (I have them with the glaives atm to count as normal cc weap, so no remodling needed)

[CainTheHunter]

Actually his list was not the best in terms of efficiency. As a rule of thumb, BC should not drive in Rhinos and in numbers under 14. Ulric also is weird to see, since he is by far the least useful SC in the Codex. But he did well, the same is about You :D