Space Wolves v Unnamed Chapter - Grudge Match

[Mammon]

Greetings Brothers,

My best friend and I recently held a rematch between his Loyalist Astartes (Unnamed as of yet) and my Wolves. Our previous encounter led to the Wolves tabling him in his first defeat with his Marines. Our rematch would settle the debate of who is the better Power Armored player. Even though he is just starting out with Marines he has chalked up three wins and a single loss...to me. He is determined to prove it is just a fluke. I intend to educate him on the superiority of Russ's Sons!

Neither of us possess a great many options in fielding our armies so we set the points value at 1250. We chose to play in 5th Edition as neither one of us had the 6th Ed rules handy (My friend also dislikes 6th Ed for some reason). Much of this Battle Report is from memory so if something doesn't quite add up it is because of fatigue and alcohol. (Russ blesses those who imbibe. Honest!)

The Lists

His Marines are bringing three tactical squads, one ten man and two five man teams. Each squad has a special weapon, since this is from memory I believe each team possessed a melta or plasmagun. Their veteran sergeants used plasma pistols and power weapons plus meltabombs. The two combat squads were mounted in las/plas Razorbacks. A rhino was the dedicated transport for the ten man unit. Each tank came with a Hunter Seeker. A venerable Dreadnought with twin linked autocannons and lascannons served as his heavy support. His HQ was a Chapter Master embedded in one of his combat squads with artificer armor, stormshield and a lightning claw. Topping off his list is a squad of assault terminators sporting three sets of lightning claws and a duo with stormshields and thunderhammers.

The Rowdy Sons of Fenris showed up with four Razorbacks (las/plas combo) as dedicated transports for four Grey Hunter Packs. Each pack numbered seven hunters with either a plasmagun or meltagun, Wolf Standard and MotW upgrades. A single pack of Long Fangs with four MLs took up my Heavy slot. HQs were a pair of Rune Priests, one featured LL and TW the other LL and Jaws. A Lone Wolf in Terminator Armor with Stormshield and Frost Blade rounded out my list.

Set Up

The Board we use is slightly smaller than regulation, sacrificing a few inches both lengthwise and widthwise. After two hills placed diagonally on the board we were done with terrain. Since both of our forces are rather shooty this means the first turn will clinch the game. Deployment zones were in the corners behind each hill. My friend won the roll for first turn and deployment. Seeing how much firepower we both had, he opted to deploy first and go first. My heart sank a little bit as his dreadnought can put a hurt on anything it shoots at (especially when each of my tanks is armor 11!).

He deploys behind the hill to give his vehicles a cover save. The hills are not tall enough to block LOS from the vehicles but do the trick for infantry. In my deployment I put paired Razorbacks to each side of the hill covering my deployment zone. This gives one tank a cover save from the hill and the second tank a cover save from its partner. My Rune Priests are placed one to each flank, shielded from enemy fire by the tanks. The Long Fangs are out of sight behind the base of the hill along with the Lone Wolf. That wraps up my Deployment as I opt to hold my GH packs in reserve to counter the Terminators he has kept off the board to Deep Strike later.

I roll to steal the initiative and up pops the Boxcar! Space Wolves Turn One!

Turn One

+Space Wolves+

The Razorbacks and Rune Priests advance from the cover of the hill to gain LOS on the Unnamed Chapter's vehicles. Rune Priest Borri along with the two Razorbacks on the left flank choose the Venerable Dreadnought as their primary target. Askil and the Razorbacks to the right opt to focus their shots on the Rhino and Razorback visible to them. My squad of Long Fangs hustle up the hill to gain a commanding view of the battlefield for the rest of the game. Unfortunately the Lone Wolf has trouble traversing the steep grade and only moves two inches with his difficult terrain test.

Shooting turns out to be decisive. Askil and the Razorbacks shake the Rhino but fail to cause any lasting damage. On the left flank, Borri and the Two razorbacks inflict two penetrating hits on the Venerable. Rolling for damage yields a Wrecked and Explodes! result. After using the Venerable trait to force a reroll I get a 1 and a 5. He failes his cover save from the hill and the Venerable perishes on the first turn without firing a shot. I just destroyed half of his ranged firepower, for a first turn I will take it!

+Unnamed Chapter+

The loss of his dreadnought sparks a scramble. Each of his tanks surges forwards. The Razorbacks inch only six so they get their shots and the rhino moves its max. It started from further back in the deployment zone so its advance is minor. Fearing the Wolves weight of fire, he empties the 'Backs of their Combat Squads after movement so they won't risk being pinned. Judicious use of available cover prevents me from shooting at them to boot!

Only two units in his army have range on my forces and those are his razorbacks. Both aim at the Long Fangs, intending to melt them down for their temerity in picking such prime real estate! With a sizzling sound each lascannon hits the LFs but only one wounds the Old Duffers and the Pack Leader, Bill (still working on names), takes one for the team. This wraps up turn one.

Turn Two

+Space Wolves+

Rolling for reserves sees one of my Grey Hunter Teams arriving. With little to do, they move up to screen the Long Fangs from and Deep Striking shenanigans in the rear area. The Wolf Guard moves three inches further up the slope before giving up and opening an Ale. Razorbacks don't move and the Rune Priests shift to get cover from the Razorbacks.

At this junction the match seems eerily familiar to our previous encounter. My Long Fangs explode the Razorback on the right. The Lascannons and Living Lightning from my right flank first immobilize then obliterate the rhino. This closes out the threat of the Marines rushing down that edge of the board. On the left, the last razorback is wrecked by the combined fire of Rune Priest Borri and the Razorbacks.

The Unnamed are now on foot. None of my friend's vehicles survived beyond six inches of his deployment zone.

+Unnamed Chaper+

Glumly, he rolls for his terminators but fails to summon their aid this turn. With little else to do, he begins the advance. He uses the wrecks of his transports as cover for his Marines. Running gives him a couple extra inches but his boys are painfully exposed.

For his sole attack he calls in an orbital bombardment. Choosing to drop the S10 AP1 right on my newly arrived squad of Grey Hunters, he proceeds to flatten five of the seven with a direct hit. I pass my Moral Check and so we close turn two.

Turn Three

+Space Wolves+

Reserves yields no new arrivals for the Space Wolves.

Movement consists of spreading out my tanks to give them wider angles of fire on the Marine's advance. Rune Priests, Grey Hunters, Lone Wolf and Long Fangs all pop a squat.

Shooting sees the ten man Marine Squad whittled down to four. The only thing saving them is the Long Fangs rolling four 2's to hit. Askil kills one Marine and the Razorbacks kill five with their volley of las and plas. Borri opts to raise Tempest of Wrath in case the Terminators arrive.

+Unnamed Chapter+

The Terminators fail to arrive again. Cue imaginative chain of expletives from my friend.

Marines advance on foot. Now they are just outside of gun range with the Long Fangs. I choose this moment to point out he could be shooting me already if he played in sixth edition. He does not respond well to the information.

With no shooting to be had, it is now turn four.

Turn Four

+Space Wolves+

Two more Grey Hunter teams arrive from reserves.

I promptly forget to move them as I start shooting at the Marines. I do remember to move my Lone Wolf forward to cover the Fangs from assault.

One of the Five man teams is reduced to two models. The last survivors of the ten man squad are eradicated with extreme prejudice. A single marine is killed in the last squad of Marines, which also contains the Chapter Master. Borri casts Tempest again.

+Unnamed Chapter+

Finally the terminators arrive from reserves but scatter into the Packs of Grey Hunters newly arrived on the board edge! Fortune favors the inebriated and forgetful (Told you Russ likes the imbibers)! Rolling on the Mishaps chart sees the Terminators placed back into reserves. Crestfallen, the marines advance again and are now within ranged of the Long Fangs.

Shooting at the Long Fangs is a bit underwhelming. The sole Plasmagun fails to wound and the three boltgun wounds are all saved by the Old Duffers.

Turn Five

+Space Wolves+

My last pack of Grey Hunters arrive from Reserve. The Hunters park themselves in place to await the Terminator's arrival. Nothing else moves. There is just no point to do so anymore.

Shooting empties the board of everything save the Chapter master and three Marines. Borri Casts Tempest gain, mumbling about being reduced to a glorified weatherman.

Finally bored with the turn of events, the Lone Wolf charges the Chapter Master. In a riveting display of martial prowess, neither BAMF deal any wounds.

+Unnamed Chapter+

The Terminator's arrive! However, they are assault terminators and cannot assault the turn they arrive. Thanks to Borri's vigilance, one of the Terminators is killed before he hits the board due to Tempest! Now with only four Terminator's, the members of the Unnamed Chapter's 1st Company realize they are facing down the entirety of the Space Wolves brought to the field.

The Lone Wolf and the Chapter Master trade blows. The Wolf deals a single wound but is felled in the end by the Chapter Master's ability to Reroll Wounds and my inability to save them. That is one kill point to the Marines...oh wait.

Turn Six

+Space Wolves+

Movement is comprised entirely of surrounding the Terminators with every available gun I have, save the Long Fangs and Borri. Twenty Four Grey Hunters, Four Razorbacks and A Rune Priest target the four Termies. The sound of Boltgun slides being charged fills the Terminators with a sense of doom. In an anticlimactic display of Overkill, the Terminators are totally annihilated. Askil claims one Terminator with Lightning, the Las/Plas Razorbacks drop two more thanks to rapid firing twin linked plasmaguns. The last dies in a hail of bolt rounds before I finish my rolls.

My Long Fangs render the Chapter Master's victory in close combat a Pyrrhic one. Four Krak missiles plus four bolts of lightning from Borri and the last man standing, the Chapter Master, is no more.

The Game wraps up with a Kill Point score of 8 to 0. A very close score to our last game 8 - 1.

Conclusion

Well, that sums up the match. This marks the second time I have tabled his Marines. No telling how long the good times will last since he is already picking up on the holes in his army (the sole dreadnought, lack of bodies or Heavy Weapons, risks of Deep Striking). Luck played a huge part in the game too. Stealing the first turn almost guaranteed a win since his army's weight of fire was halved after one round of shooting.

It is always fun playing him and I have no doubts next time we meet I will be facing his Goff Boys Warband armed to the teeth and hungry for revenge. So far he rolls worse with his Marines compared to his orks and that has saved a number of casualties.

For now, it is time to drain a stein of mead and celebrate! Thanks for reading!