Jolemai's Blog of WIPs, Battle Reports and Musings

[Tyriks]

I didn't even realize they ever made thunder warrior models.  Very nice!

[Jolemai]

Feeling a bit lost.

 

My April painting plans were for ten miscellaneous Marines from the BaC box to fill up the holes in my Apocalypse force. However, the venue we were to use for our game has closed and we have so far been unable to find another suitable venue. We also won't know if the new owners will let us use the venue until very late in the day.

 

So we've decided to promote plan B which is a trip to Warhammer World and we have some tables booked. Of course, I don't need to do these models for Warhammer World...

 

Do I paint them up anyway on the remote off chance? Or just do something else/take a break?

[Tyriks]

What would the "something else" be? If there's not something else lined up I would probably just work on them anyway, unless you're really feeling burnt out.

[LutherMax]

Are you saving other stuff for the ETL?

[Jolemai]

No priorities but I do have other BA stuff to finish. I also have terrain to do and a backlog of non-B&C approved stuff. Oh, and some ETL preparation...

Are you saving other stuff for the ETL?

I have around 1750 points worth that is ready for the ETL. Mainly bikes, GBBO stuff and Tanks.

[LutherMax]

If there's nothing you 'need' to paint, I'd go for some terrain. I'd love to do the same, but there are too many things I 'need' for the Angels :D

[Jolemai]

Haha, I "need" to clear my backlog of Blood Angels!

 

I guess I just don't know what I'm doing with this BaC box now.

[LutherMax]

I mean 'need' as in 'need unit / units for a forthcoming game', not 'need to finish unit / units to alleviate pile of shame' :D

 

I have the B@C problem too. I'll definitely make a 10-man tactical squad for the Angels, but I'm thinking of using some of the other power armour guys as a painting exercise to try a bunch of different chapters (one Salamander, one Ultramarine etc). Not sure about the Termies or Dread.

[Charlo]

Feeling a bit lost.

 

My April painting plans were for ten miscellaneous Marines from the BaC box to fill up the holes in my Apocalypse force. However, the venue we were to use for our game has closed and we have so far been unable to find another suitable venue. We also won't know if the new owners will let us use the venue until very late in the day.

 

So we've decided to promote plan B which is a trip to Warhammer World and we have some tables booked. Of course, I don't need to do these models for Warhammer World...

 

Do I paint them up anyway on the remote off chance? Or just do something else/take a break?

 

Pop the B@C box away for a rainy day and work on your other stuff: Knights, Inquisitor, terrain etc

 

Got any other half-started projects stored away? Revive 'em! Start something new!

 

Maybe plan for some 30k BA stuff specifically?

[marine7312000]

^^^ What he said.

[Xenith]

Why is the army changing?

 

If you need those models to complete some formations, then do them - you'll only end up in the same position when you find a new venue anyway

[Jolemai]

The ten miscellaneous models would have meant I had enough to put down an Angel's Blade strike force (Battle Demi version) in addition to everything I used last year.

 

So basically, I can already do this is a normal game and with our Apocalypse cancelled until next year, there's no rush for me to use up my BaC stuff.

 

Now I can try and plan on how to use the PA stuff for both 30k and 40k and therefore, there's no need to paint them yet.

 

My Inquisitor is almost done and after that I might as well have a slow month just doing ETL prep.

[Tyriks]

Man, cancelling that apocalypse game is such a bummer! Is there no way to simply postpone it, have it later in the year when a new venue is found?

[Jolemai]

Should probably float that idea to be honest...

[Charlo]

To be fair, I heard that could be the case...!

[Jolemai]

Blood Angels (and Ultramarines) Vs Imperial Knights - 1850 points

Army Lists

Blood Angels

Combined Arms Detachment

• Chaplain - Warlord
• Two Scout Squads
• Tactical with lascannon & twin-linked plasma gun Razorback
• Tactical with assault cannon Razorback
• Stormraven Gunship
• Relic Sicaran Battle Tank
• Relic Whirlwind Scorpius

Skyhammer Annihilation Force – Ultramarines Chapter Tactics

• Two Devastator Squads, one containing the Imperial Space Marine
• Two Assault Squads

Imperial Knights

Household Detachment

• Imperial Knight Crusader – Warlord
• Two Imperial Knight Paladins
• Imperial Knight Errant

Deployment

Mission: Game 2 from the BB11 mission pack - Eternal War: Crusade (four objectives worth three VPs each) and Maelstrom of War: Cleanse and Control

Setup: Vanguard Strike

The board is a Realm of Battle board with six tiles of the order:

ABC

DEF

There are hills on the external corners of tiles A and D. All structures are ruins and follow the BRB rules for them, but the ground floor of a ruin offers no cover save or imposes no movement penalties. Ascending a floor is done via an access point or climbing the edges/through a window, descending is done via an access point of by jumping. Tiles A has a ruin in its bottom right corner near the board to Tile B, D, and E. There is a barricade running down from the hill in the opposite corner. Tile B has a ruin in its centre but near Tile E and one on the boarder between itself and Tile C – which itself has a ruin towards the rightmost side. Tile D has a ruin slightly off-centre, Tile E has w central ruin and wall, whilst Tile F has a fairly central ruin too.

The four Eternal War objectives are placed as follows: by the leftmost wall in Tile A, at the base of Tile B's central ruin, by Tile C's shared ruin and by the wall in Tile E. The six Maelstrom objectives are placed accordingly: #1 by Tile D's ruin, #2 on the boarder of tile C and F by C's ruin, #3 on the hill in tile D, #4 in the centre of Tile A, #5 in the centre of Tile F and #6 is in the centre of Tile B. Mysterious Objectives are not in play.

The Chaplain’s Warlord Traits were Conqueror of Cites (Move Through Cover: Ruins and Stealth: Ruins) and Divide and Conquer (-1 opponent Reserve Rolls), while the Baron’s trait was Master of the Joust (re-roll failed To Hit rolls when charging). Death from the Skies content was not in use.

Deploying first, the Blood Angels set up the Plaserback and Assback in Tile E, and the Sicaran and Scorpius in Tile F. All are in cover. The Stormraven, with the Chaplain and a Scout Squad (S2) start in Reserve .

The Imperial Knights deploy in a line along their table edge in tiles A and B in the order Paladin 2 → Errant → Crusader (Baron) → Paladin 1

The other Scour Squad (S1) infiltrates into the middle of Tile D behind the ruin. The Cullexus infiltrates on the opposite side, just encroaching into Tile F from C. The Scouts then redeploy out of line of sight. There is no night fight and the Blood Angels get the first turn.

Turn One

Blood Angels

~ Tactical Objectives (TO) BA15, 26 (Secure Objective 6) and 56 are drawn

~ The Skyhammer arrives. The five man RAS with the flamers (RASf) drops onto Obj2 whilst the other two five man RAS squads land in exactly the same spot on Obj6 resulting in the first being telefragged... The black Drop Pod carrying the five man Devastator squad with three grav cannons (D1) arrives in the corner and they squad move up behind the wall. The red Drop Pod lands on Obj4 and disgorges its contents of one five man Devastator squad with multi-meltas (D2) and one with grav cannons (D3) towards the nearest Knight. Tanks remain in cover and the Knight's Interceptor fire does nothing

~ D3 takes 3HP off the nearest Paladin, only for D2 to subsequently explode it catastrophically. The Paladin falls on the Errant inflicting greater than the 6HPs required. The Errant explodes and falls off the board. D1 and the Scorpius take 2HP off the Baron

~ TO BA15 is claimed for 1VP and 56 is discarded

Imperial Knights

~ TOs 53,52 and 65 are drawn

~ The Cullexis moves towards RASf and the remaining Paladin sidesteps to get a better firing position on the RAS on Obj6

~ The Cullexus shoots three from RASf which includes the flamers...

~ The Paladin only kills D3 through shooting having also targeted the RAS. The Baron wipes D1 and removes the heavy weapons from D2 leaving two Marines alive

~ The Paladin assaults the RAS only to whiff its attacks and kill one from Stomp (who elect to flee). The Cullexus only manages to down one Marine inits combat

~ TO 53 is claimed for 1VP and 62 is discarded

BA: 1-1 :IK

Turn Two

Blood Angels

~ TOs 22 (Secure Objective 2) and 52 (Blood and Guts) are drawn

~ The Sicaran and Assback move into better firing postions whilst the remaining Devastator squad move into cover. The RAS move back towards their objective

~ Shooting is ineffectual...

~ The Cullexus wipes the RASf

~ TO 52 is disacarded

Imperial Knights

~ TOs 31 (Secure Objective 1) and 34 (Secure Objective 4) are drawn

~ The Baron moves onto Obj4 and the Paladin advances on the remaining RAS

~ The Baron knocks 1 HP off the Plaserback, 1 HP off the Scorpius and kills one member of the RAS. The Paladin also knocks 1 HP off the Plaserback and guns down 1 RAS

~ The Paladin assaults the RAS and again whiffs his attacks. However, the Stomp takes care of one member and they are held in combat. The Cullexus charges the Assback but to no avail

~ TO 34 was claimed for 1 VP whilst 65 was discarded

BA: 1-2 :IK

Turn Three

Blood Angels

~ TO 64 (Assassinate) is drawn

~ The Stormraven arrives and moves towards the Baron, jinking away from the Paladin's Interceptor fire. The Assback moves away from the Cullexus whilst the Scorpius and Sicaran again move for better postions whilst remaining in cover

~ The Stormraven knocks 1 HP off the Baron

~ The RAS are swatted aside by the Paladin in combat

~ TO 22 is claimed for 1 VP whilst 64 is discarded

Imperial Knights

~ TOs 21 (Secure Objective 1) and 66 (Big Game Hunter) are drawn

~ The Paladin and Cullexus advance on the Assback and Scorpius whilst the Baron simply moves to find a better overall postion for shooting and charging...

~ The Baron nukes the Plaserback, but also takes 1 HP off the Paladin with a wayward shot. The Paladin takes 1 HP off the Stormraven and guns down the now revealed Tactical Squad (T1)

~ The Baron charges the Devastators killing two of them and its Stomp attacks wrecking the adjacent Drop Pod. Both the Paladin and Cullexus charge the Assback which takes it out

~ TO 66 is claimed for 1 VP

BA: 2-3 :IK

Turn Four

Blood Angels

~ TOs 41 (Recon) and 42 (Behind Enemy Lines) are drawn

~ Everything that can moves towards an objective does so

~ S1 Runs towards its objective. The Sicaran, Scorpius and Stormraven combine to obliterate the Paladin

~ The Baron finishes off the Devastators

~TOs 26 and 42 are claimed for 1 VP apiece. 41 is discarded

Imperial Knights

~ TO 54 (Hungry for Glory) is drawn. The Baron also regenerates 1 HP

~ The Cullexus advances on the Assback's Tactical Squad (T2)

~ The Cullexus shoots one from T2 whilst the Baron mops up the rest and takes 1 HP off the Stormraven

~ The Baron decimates the Scouts in combat and consolidates 6” onto Obj1

BA: 4-3 :IK

With the time limit now up the Blood Angels are awarded Linebreaker and win on Maelstrom 5-3. On the Eternal War mission it's a tie.

[Jolemai]

Review time:

 

On the whole I'm still making mistakes and I feel like I'm reacting to rather than dictating the play. Still, it was interesting to try something different.
 
Combined Arms Detachment - The main bonus didn't come into play on this game but I did make use of the Warlord Trait re-rolls. The Knights were also ObjSec but I didn't really want to be within 3" of them!

• Chaplain - Warlord - Necessary for the second FW Relic, sat in his Stormraven all game to deny Slay the Warlord...
• Two Scout Squads - One objective camped and one jumped out the Stormraven late on to grab an objective. Cheap, cheerful, but I do miss not tooling them up.
• Tactical with lascannon & twin-linked plasma gun Razorback - Sniped all game, ablative wounds for the Tacticals (which did nothing of note) Still can't hit anything with a lascannon.
• Tactical with assault cannon Razorback - Decent debut for the turret and I will persist with it when the points allow. Tacticals didn't do anything of note as per usual but are necessary for this type of list so...
• Stormraven Gunship - I need to learn when to risk not jinking. If I hadn't jinked on arrival it wouldn't have died but would have dished out so much more damage. In the end I think it still took a HP all the same Need to take stock a bit better
• Relic Sicaran Battle Tank - This tank always under-performs for me. Guess it needs lascannons or a target that's not well shielded (so no Wave Serpents either!)
• Relic Whirlwind Scorpius - Solid debut, plinking off HPs and was awarded the Man of the Match. I was expecting more but, you know, AV 13 Knights...

Skyhammer Annihilation Force – Ultramarines Chapter Tactics - Certainly the right option even if it was somewhat neutered by being slightly tailored to something else... A little tricky to keep track off as they were "Red Marines"

• Two Devastator Squads, one containing the Imperial Space Marine - Don't think I get on with grav tbh but Relentless melta Still, against a different list they may have murdered lots of stuff. Oh, and BA ones are better  
• Two Assault Squads - Lost one half to a Deep Strike Mishap didn't help and neither did removing any anti-armour during my list design. Pretty sure I'd have landed a melta-bomb hit and/or maybe an eviscerator lunge. Oh, and BA ones are better

[Jolemai]

As mentioned earlier, my group's Apocalypse game has been cancelled this year  and we're off to WHW. We've decided to take 1850 points and I'm considering taking my stock 1850 DC list for the two or so games I'll be having there. I could be up against 30k IW/Chaos, Marines (IH), Tyranids, Eldar, or whatever Charlo brings.

 

The question is, do I go with the above or try to tailor something hard for the occasion?

[Charlo]

Hopefully I can speed paint in the next two weeks and bring what I want!

 

....Otherwise it's probably just going to be BA

[BloodTzar]

Very nice battle report, I think you are in the point; when its time to get quad mortars

 

PS. Sicarans do work for me in pairs...sadly lonely Sicaran is always sort of miss :/

Edited April 13, 2017 by BloodTzar

[Jolemai]

Very nice battle report, I think you are in the point; when its time to get quad mortars

 

PS. Sicarans do work for me in pairs...sadly lonely Sicaran is always sort of miss :/

 

Perhaps I should move them up the purchase pecking order. As for the Sicaran, I want to see what it's like with 1) lascannons (I'm always too cheap to buy them) and 2) against a decent target. Not giving up on the Sicaran + Schism of Mars combo yet (maybe I should try it with War of Murder instead?)

[Charlo]

Eh Monster Hunter seems pretty lame unless you're always going up against WK and stuff. With those 6 Twin-linked Tank-hunting shots you're just pumping up numbers.

 

I'd certainly give it Lascannons without a doubt, otherwise you squander it's power.

[Jolemai]

I tend to give that upgrade to my Stormraven seeing as it synergises well with Concussive on the missiles and I do end up against more than my fair share of Biel Tan wraith constructs...

[Xenith]

Agree on the lascannons. Sure, you waste the hull heavy bolter, but the autocannon is an anti tank weapon, so firing that wastes sponson bolters.

[Jolemai]

All being well, I get to try out a BS 5 Sicaran with lascannon sponsons in two weeks - will report back, naturally.

 

Meanwhile, my Techmarines are hard at work getting things ready for WHW; I've basically got repairs to run, some magnetisation, some minor painting, and I need to build and paint two more foot DC apparently.

 

Priority is for WHW so I've got a combi-grav to make, some back packs and shoulder pads to paint, a Knight to magnetise, and those DC to do.

 

Gonna be close!