Battle Report - 1500 vs Chaos Demons

[bulley]

First off, thanks to who gave me advice in the other thread, I didnt get a chance to read it b4 the game, but luckily the tactic I chose seemed to be one of the ones advised.

 

Was playing the resident Chaos God, old old vet and thoroughly nice bloke to boot.

 

Again, I am terrible at battle reports ordering, so I'll stick with the beginning/middle/end - as I do get the turns very very blurred (especially after a few hours).

 

The Lists

 

Mine:

 

Libby - Unleash Rage

 

Sang Priest

Sang Priest

Assault Terms - x2TH x3LC's

Land Raider Crusader

 

x5 RAS TH/MG

Razor - AC

x5 RAS PF/MG

Razor - LasPlas

x5 RAS PW/Flamer

Razor - HB

x5 RAS

Razor TLLC

 

Baal - AC/HB

 

His List (To the best of my memory):

 

Lord of Change with lots of shooty attacks

 

x3 Flamers

x3 Flamers

x3 Flamers

 

x5 Manta Ray looking things (flying melta bombs?)

x6 Manta Ray looking things

 

x10 Pink Horrors w/ Upgrades + Bolt + icon

x10 Pink Horrors w/ Upgrades + bolt + icon

x10 Pink Horrors w/ Upgrades + bolt + changling. + icon

 

Think thats it. I am pretty sure those are the numbers, his pink horrors had a bit of a mix of upgrades, but not so much I could tell em apart.

 

The Setup

 

The table was basically w/ the big ruin in the middle, then sort of house's on each side of it to provide some cover, was a pretty open board though in the deployments.

 

Game: Killpoints and Pitched Battle

 

I win to go first - he doesnt try to seize.

 

I setup in basically a fashion to which I intend to "circle the wagons" just to the left of the main center ruin. I scout the Baal forward onto the edge of the ruin to give one side of the circle AV13.

 

His "spilt reserves" was the one he didnt want, with x2 squads of flamers and x1 of the meltas and x1 of the pink horrors.

 

Beginning - first couple of turns

 

I form a circle in the center of the board (just off to the right of the center ruin) to get as much cover as I can as I dont know where he'll deepstrike in and I do not want to be pinned in at all. LRC takes far side, Baal just to its right, then the x4 razors fan out. I pop smoke on the "outside" ones, the rest giving each other cover.

 

He deepstrikes in his horrors to my far right, they scatter back onto impassable and lose 1. They are quite far away right in LOS of my baal. His metla ray things scatter right back to the far right corner in "his deployment". 1 flamers lands perfect behind the ruins, and 1 quite far in the open in his deployment to my left. He cant shoot anything so he tries to run as far forward, gets a bit closer.

 

2nd turn I fan out a bit, position baal and LC's/Lasplas - and manage to drop them down to about 4 or 5. My AC tries to fire at his flamers (squad 2), , but to far away, but the HB and hurracaine take down a couple. My land raider moves around the ruins to face up to his first squad of flamers and deploys the terms, the LR itself shoots at his other squad of flamers taking out 1 I believe. In the charge I absolutely pound him, but consolidate only 1" so I cant fan out vs the flamers.

 

He takes his flamers and tries to pop the terms - taking 1 wound off the libby, taking out the SP and takes down x1 LC. With his icon he brings in the 2 squads of pink horrors and x1 flamers I think on queue, but nothing else. Shooting really doesnt get anywhere, I think he does imob my baal this turn though. He hid one of the flamers behind a building near my LRC.

 

The Middle

 

I continue to back up with my razor backs, and pop shots, my lascannons continue their run of being completely useless (almost certainly will swap to AC's next game) and only the plasma, HB and AC's do anything, whittling off a couple of pink horrors in the "main" group down to about 2 now.

I do a multi charge with my terms onto his flamers and flying melta guys, taking both squads down, the LR did take out 1 melta flyer thing, which almost cost me the multi charge. I drop both squads scoring my 2nd KP's (vs his 1 of my SP). I consolidate 1" AGAIN !, really cant do much except try and fan out. But this leaves them right next to his final squad of flamers.

 

He gets his lord of change in, front and center in what is turning into a daunting line of horrors coming my way towards my razor back. His flamers on what is now his right flank come out to flame my terms after their assault, and put on plenty of wounds, however invuln's manage to save me quite well, I think I lost another LC here. His Lord and horrors continue to bolt everything they can, and manage to stun my baal for turn 4 so it cant shoot. Still havent done anything to my razors luckily.

 

Into turn 4, I move again to create a position where I can fire into his last flamer, on my left, or pile into the lord of change. I opt to fire into the Lord, and HB and AC fire manage to drop him to 2 wounds. My las's manage to do jack all again. I have moved my LRC into the fray with my 'backs now, since my terms are on his side of the flank now really. I assault the terms in (x2 TH, x1 LC x1 libby) into the remaining flamers and obviously drop them very quick, knowing I'd be getting a facefull of tzeench loving next turn, I was happy with their haul (x3 KP's, but would be a trade off of x3, but significantly weakend his force).

 

In his turn he manages to kill off the terms and libby, and tries to fire off bolts again. His flamer pops out at this stage I believe to try and flame my AC Raz and LRC at the same time, I believe he weapon destroys the AC. Its 3-3 at this stage. He also gets his final melta things in which now join up with his main bulk of his force marching towards my razorback gun line.

 

 

The End

 

This is where it all gets a bit blurry lol. My razors now try to finish off what squads they can and that lord of change. The weaponless AC moves to try and provide what cover it can, the HB / las plas / las can's try and move into cover of each other, the LRC tilts so it can bring its hurracaines to full bear as well. I literally fire everything at the lord, except 1 HB. The las plas and LC both hit but he makes his invul, AC takes off 1 wound, and sheer rate of fire of the bolters takes the final wound off the lord! The HB fires at his flamer and takes it down, scoring me 2 KP's in turn 5, leading now 5-3.

 

In his turn 5 he moves as far as he can. His horrors finally destroy my baal (5-4 now). I believe he didnt quite get into charge range with his flying melta's quite yet.

 

Turn 6 - the game continued and I start to bring the guns to bear - I whittle down the final pink horror squad, 6-4 and take out a couple of the melta guys on the wings.

He manages to charge me with his melta guys, wrecking my HB - my guys pop out the back (with PW's) - its now 6-5.

 

Game goes to turn 7 - I move my pistols around, bring guns onto his horrors - knowing I cant finish them off, but confident that x5 RAS would finish off his melta guy (with furious charge from the SP nice and close in his tank). I actually dropped the melta guy with a bolt pistol lol. - Now 7-5

In his turn 7 he manages to wreck my AC-less razor that I basically sacrificed to try and block all the razors that could shoot - 7-6 and the game ends.

 

 

 

I win - 7-6 after 7 turns.

 

 

 

 

The Run Down

 

I played the battle 2 ways - incredibly defensive with my razors, incredibly offensive with my terms. I could have hit a better balance with at least 1 or 2 squads supporting the terms and sheer weight of numbers could have taken down a flank quite handily. Definatly I need to get my squads out of the razors quicker though, and not be so aprehensive about losing them. I could have quite easily moved the razors up on top of his units, and let them deploy charge the next turn at the very least

 

I was playing blind a lot of the game, he was kind enough to break down his forces for me before the game, which helped alot but it took a couple of turns before I really knew the threat of each unit.

 

I made one error with shooting the LRC at the melta guys before I multi assaulted - that nearly cost me the mutli assault - but luckily could keep 2" coherancy.

 

I am starting to think of a way to make that SP with the terms a bit more survivable - he always eats it straight off the bat - I've even considered adding corbs and removing the other SP (who never leaves the tank these days lol) as he has the 2nd wound and the slightly better FNP for himself (he'd have survived through to the 2nd assault or 3rd assault, rather than just the 1). I am thinking of the term armor upgrade, 35 points gets him the 5+ invul which could save him 33% of the time.

 

I was pleased over all, since I've never had a chance to play demons, in 2nd/3rd ed or since I came back, and by all accounts, despite his weaker list the guy is a very strong player.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Looks like his list was totally tweaked to drop mech. I like your overall strategy a lot. :) Good job.

 

0b ;)

[bulley]

Cheers 0b

 

I felt it was the safest way to play. However, I am still thinking about dropping the LC's in favour of AC's - x3 AC's w/ x1 HB or x2 AC's and x1 TLPG/LC x1 HB x2 AC's - The twin linked last cannon has just failed to impress me, and the plasma gun does more than either of the other lascannons.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Remember you were playing a daemon list, so the value of a lascannon versus an assault cannon is just not there. My favorite turret has always been the coaxial lascannon/twin linked plasmagun. Once your razors get into rapid fire range it just gets plan nasty. That said the assault cannon on a fast vehicle is a great combination. I like the lascannon due to it's range and it can penetrate armor 14... I remember playing a game versus Necrons with two Monoliths and all I had was meltas to pop the living metal, it was a major disadvantage and one that I'll always remember.

 

Anyways I really am liking the squad of assault terminators on the landraider. I was working on a similar list if I should decide to start playing a mechanized army again. I also like the idea of using a choppy Honor Guard with stormshields. I think it could be a lot of fun. I think Tycho and Corbulo could work well in these types of armies that have some serious muscle. :huh:

 

0b :cuss

[bulley]

Yeah I was really contemplating making a "cheaper hammer unit" but on the most part the terms have done the buisness. They absorb ALOT of fire and really distract people from the body of my force which chip away at people nicely.

 

The "cheaper" hammer unit would be another razor back w/ honor guard in it w/ the libby - meaning I can drop x1 SP from my list.

 

Thus the removal of x5 terms - 210 + lrc - 250 + sp - 50 = 510 freed up.

 

The honor guard would come in, thinking storm shields + x2 pw xlc's (or maybe a more expensive mix) and at least x3 shields, plus another razor at 85 points - be about the 320 mark all in - 190 left over which is another PF/MG/Razor squad!

 

That'd be x6 razors w/ 5 scoring unit and x1 baal.

 

I am certainly going to make the unit just to have, but right now I am really liking my terms and the raider (I love raiders) - and the hurracane bolters is like a mini-tactical squad in itself (in rapid fire range thats x12 twin linked shots!).

 

----

 

As for the turrets - I've just had sore luck with the las-cannons - I constantly roll 1's for them. I had 750 game where the twin linked failed to do anything in 5 turns, today I landed 1 hit with x2 lascannons - 1 being twin linked. Yet in my last 750 the AC's took out in 1 round a furioso with rending - yes your putting faith in rending, but with so many shots I find it happens quite a lot. I may still play around, and do love the idea of LasPlas - I may drop the TLLC in favour of a lasplas.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

The thing about bad dice is it will eventually even out so dont let that discourage you. I always try to run with the highest odds when possible - ACs are good in that department due to their high rate of shots plus rending. I'm curious - do you kit your razors with extra armor? It's really expensive now but with the discount points for assault squads you can still come out ahead. I think Dozer blades are a must have plus they are really cheap too!

 

About running an Honor Guard versus terminators... Here is how I would run a squad:

 

Novitiate

1st Vet: thunderhammer & stormshield + chapter banner

2nd Vet: lightning claw & stormshield

3rd Vet: lightning claw & stormshield

4th Vet: pair of lightning claws

 

I'd stick them in a razor with twin linked heavy bolter. I'd attach an Epistolary with Unleash Rage and Sanguine Sword. Not sure how much this all comes to pointwise but it's vicious.

 

0b :cuss