Battle report Bolter Spam

[Master Avoghai]

Hi all

I had a nice game this week end and learned lots of thing.

The goal was to test my triple crusader/dakka pole army list. This was a 2000pts list but please note that I can play it at 1850 too by removing a tactical squad.

 

My list :

 

Sammael

 

Librarian (lvl2) on bike with PFG

 

Command squad BoD , 4 flamers.

 

Tactical squad : PG, combi plasma

 

Tactical squad : PG, combi plasma

 

RAS : 5 bikes, 2 meltas, AB with MM

 

RAS : 5 bikes, 2 meltas, AB with MM

 

Nephilim TLLC (it was here to compensate the presence of Cypher on the other side)

 

LR Crusader : MM (tactical squad 1)

LR Crusader : MM (tactical squad 2)

LR Crusader (command squad)

 

TOTAL : 2180pts (2000 + 180 for the nephilim )

 

My opponent's army list :

 

Command squad with LC and master of the fleet with cameolin cloak.

 

Commissar

 

Cypher

 

5 ratlings

 

5 ratlings

 

Platoon command : LC cameolin cloak

4 squads with AC grouped together

 

Platoon command : LC cameolin cloak

4 squads with AC grouped together

 

Hellhound with the AP3 flamer

 

2x2 sentinels with LC

 

2x2 sentinels with LC

 

Imperial Avenger with ML, 2 LC and avenger mega bolter

 

2x Griffons

 

3 Leman Russ (one with Gatling cannon heavy 20 and 3 BL)

 

TOTAL : 2190pts

 

 

Mission : dichotomy of purpose

We played big guns (:blink:) with an additional secret objective for cypher (killing Sammael in challenge).

Deployment : vanguard... Gasp! We have to play in the longest side...

 

No night fighting... Ok so you give me all the worst conditions, right? :blink:

 

My opponent chose to deploy first to get the first shooting phase... I then placed my 3 Cruz and my librarian in the center. That was my 1st mistake.

The rest of the force (Sammael + bikes) were kept in reserve for outflanking.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/Masteravoghai/Rapports%20de%20bataille/50CBB4AE-B6B8-4640-921F-2945E7FF72CA.jpg

 

As you notice, he deployed his 2 big guards blob on both side to prevent any outflank too close from his tanks.

 

First turn:

 

My opponent put all he had on my 3 tanks. Lascannons, ordnance, orbital strike...

Once finished, all I lost was 2HP on the left LR... Unfortunately with all the scattering ordnance, I lost my Libby (2nd learning), losing the PFG and giving first blood.

 

I moved my LR ahead trying to avoid difficult terrain. I poped smoke and wait for 2nd turn.

 

Turn 2

 

The Avenger Strike Fighter entered the game. He added its fire power to the party but without much success. I lost only one HP on the command crusader.

 

I advanced forward again, slowered by all the ruins. Sammael and his squad entered the game and I spared them to divide my shoots. An AB entered to on the same side (right).

I killed the guards on my right flanks with the combined shots of the bikes and one of the crusader. Sammael shot on the hellhound and removed one HP.

 

Turn 3

 

This was the critical one. I'll make thing simple : that's when my opponent won the game.

Out of all his shots he managed to make 2 penetrating hits : one destroyed a bolters turret of the central LR, the 2nd one resulted in a explosion of the command squadron. He also killed 2 bikes and the banner of devastation along with 2 other command squad members.

 

This was a hard blow. I tried to concentrate on the mission objective we had 5 objectives on the table. He controlled only one. Whereas I still had 2 crusaders, 2 tacticals 2 AB and 2 bike squadrons. With luck, my opponent chose to place 2 objectives very far inside my deployment zone in order to limitate my possibilities of holding them, as he knew I would rush to him.

This could turn into an advantage with bikes at disposal.

My nephilim did not enter (gah) but the other bikes squad and the AB did. They also entered on my right side as I wanted to avoid dividing my forces.

I killed several IG. I tried to remain far from the hellhound but forgot it was a rapid vehicle.

The central crusader used the machine spirit to shoot at the avenger on top of it : 6!

Alas I obtained a 2 on the damage table resulting in a locked speed. :(

 

Turn 4:

 

My opponent continued his saturation work and again obtained a penetrating hit on the central LR and again an explosion result...

Things started to become REALLY difficult.

The hellound moved and burned 2 bikes (luckily he made a double 1 to wound), Sammael lost a second W on indirect fire of the griffons. And I lost 2 bikes of the second squad as well as one AB.

His avenger flyed out of the table.

 

The Nephilim entered at last and managed to immobilize the Gatling Leman Russ.

I zoomed my bikes back to get the objectives in my deployment zone. And put the remaining LR close to the central ruins in front of his deployment zone. There was a 2nd objective here.

The 2 members of the command squad rushed out from behind the bunker to engage the hellhound.

Sammael shot on the sentinels and immobilized one.

The command squad succeeded its charge and managed to destroy the AP3 flamer (Uzza!)

 

Turn 5

 

The turn was simple. My opponent noticed my movements in order to get the objectives and started to prevent me grabbing them.

He started by killing the 1st tactical squad using the order to add 1 shots to the lasguns.

He then managed to remove the 2 remaining HP of the last Cruz... The squad inside disembarked to get the objective beside.

The ratlings that were kinda ineffective until then, managed to remove the last W of Sammael whereas the griffons killed an AB.

The hellhound shots on the command squad that was in contact and managed to kill them both!

The Gatling LR (spared from the rest of the squadron after the immobilization) shot on the Nephilim and removed one HP.

The avenger fighter re-entered but did nothing noticeable.

 

My Nephilim turned to engage the avenger and shot it down with the lascannon.

The 2 remaining bikes of the 2 squads (one of each squadron) moved toward the objectives behind. The tactical squad tried to kill several guards of the left blob.

 

At this time my opponent had

One objective 3pts

Kill the warlord 1pts

First blood 1pts

3 LR 3pts

+ surviving Cypher +1d3 (note that at this time I didn't know he had roll for killing Sammael in challenge so I could expect him to have made 6 on his secret objective roll and therefore get 3 more VP for staying in the deployment zone)

Hence a total of 8 + 1d3

 

For me it was :

3 objectives under control : 9pts

Linebreaker with the tactical squad : 1pts

One HS destroyed (avenger) : 1pts

Hence 11pts!

 

At this time of the game, if the battle ended, I won or at the very least, I got the draw.

 

We roll for a 6th turn and... We got one :(

 

Turn 6

 

Without any surprise, my opponent concentrated his fire on the tactical squad of the center, and managed to remove it.

The Gatling LR shot at the Nephilim and removed one other HP

The ratlings were able to target the bike on my deployment zone objective.

I only had one objective... I chose to stop here.

 

What did I learn?

 

- Even hidden behind a wall of LR, the Libby is particularly sensible to scattering weapon. To prevent that, I will push one of the squadron to 6 members in order to be able to split them if I face such opposition.

I should have deployed on the left side : the way was more direct. When you play in the length of the table, it's compulsory. You have to reach the opponent's lines fast.

If so I could have destroyed a pair of lascannons and maybe an infantry blob at turn 2.

Instead of that, I gave him a third round of shooting... And this turn was the crucial one.

- 4 flamers to the command squad is too much. If this squad has to get out of the Cruz, it means something got wrong. At least one on the banner and that's enough.

- the plasmas on the tactical are useless. Those should receive either a melta/combi melta or a flamer/combi flamer.

 

With the points saved I will be able to get the 6th bike and anothe MM on the third Cruz. Ideally, I would have given DW vehicle to the command Cruz but I don't know where to get the points.

 

Anyway I'm very happy with this list because it turned into a tight game whereas every conditions were against me so it's really encouraging for a list I played for the 1st time.

 

Comments advices criticisms are welcome, hope you enjoyed reading!

[Isiah]

Nice report on a hard fought battle. Always interesting to read the 'lessons learned' comments.

 

Shame the banner was lost so early - one reason I favour a DW command squad carrying it rather than a power- armoured one. Not that they always help much when hit by volumes of AP2 ^_^. It's always going to be a fire magnet.

 

Cheers

I

[Larhendiel]

Ok in the future give your tanks dozer blades, you worry way too much about terrain, remember that no matter how far LR will move the machine spirit always works, also supply each LR with a multi-melta. when it comes to libby give him bike and shroud of heroes, and instead of shooting run. You will have 2+ cover save and 5+FNP.

 

Save points by skipping entire ravenwing, instead add more LR with knights inside, one LR should have lascannons for heavy stuff, this is where you place your command squad.

Your opponent will hate you for this but you will win.

 

Also, priorities: first of all, the most important stuff: your first target should be the only units that can actually hurt your tanks in this list, once you kill all the hard hitters your opponent, if he is sane, will concede defeat

[Master Avoghai]

Well, actually, I feel a little dubious about removing RW.

 

They can bring 4 more (5 if I push one to 6 members) scoring squad as well as lots of melta stuff (which I prefer over lascannons, particulary when I see how my opponent was in trouble to even glance a single LR turn 1 & 2. They can also profit from the banner.

 

As for the dozer blades I agree... But I need to find the points... And also a way to modelize them