The Iron Crusade : 7th Batrep 2 and completed Chapter Master

[Acebaur]

Taste Zeal was awesome, I lol'd really hard at that one :lol:

[Valhaal]

Almost finished with my first vow. I expect it to be done tonight and pictures to happen tomorrow at the latest. I've been working on planning my second vow and it's looking like a pretty big one. Completing my first one is about a week has told me to kind of just go all out since 2 months will be plenty. Here's my Chapter Master in Terminator armor preview:

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUTREJgP4Eg/U4Hg_RjQQ1I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/Txyop6-Fka8/s1600/cm+tda.JPG

[greggles]

I really like that combination of bits.  Looking forward to seeing him painted up! Keep up the great work!

[Valhaal]

Finished up. Here are completed pictures for Vow 1:

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tY-EFzodnAw/U4Ppp8I4FTI/AAAAAAAAAds/4wKMUVYR894/s1600/ETL+Vow+1+3+Complete.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VRkNeFSoRcU/U4Pq2ydpK5I/AAAAAAAAAd8/rzXOcB7nYMc/s1600/ETL+Vow+1+complete.jpg

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1UpJnoCR7Iw/U4Pq22rjOwI/AAAAAAAAAeE/8xiwPBKMbLA/s1600/ETL+Vow+1+1+complete.jpg

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6I_3d7qyeA/U4Pq2wSQwTI/AAAAAAAAAeA/LpiKEWYOzt4/s1600/ETL+Vow+1+2+Complete.jpg

[Andhil]

Awesome! Congratulations on completing your first vow! Well done, Brother Valhaal!

And such awesome models......

[Valhaal]

Vow 2 has begun! Halfway through with the Predator already, but figured I'd post my second vow here just to be complete.

A converted Cypher is in the bottom-center, with Sternguard and Drop Pod to the right, another 5-man Las+Plas unit behind Cypher, and...

Terminator Chapter Master to the left and a 5-man Thunderhammer unit to the right. They are heavily kit-bashed with Grey Knight terminator heads, forgeworld BT terminator bits, and Deathwing Terminator Knight bodies. I like the outcome. They have an always fun Redeemer behind them.

[Honda]

Congratulations on completing your first vow. Those guys look ace.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing those termies done up.

 

ONWARDS!

[Marshal Mattias]

Congratulations on completing your first vow. Those guys look ace.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing those termies done up.

 

ONWARDS!

Ditto? What a great first vow, then followed with an inspiring second! Looking forward to seeing the finished army!

[Valhaal]

1850-points

 

Black Templars;

 

HQ - Chaplain

 

Troop - Crusader Squad x10, x9 Initiates with x1 Melta gun and x1 Power Axe, x1 Sword Brother /w Power Sword and Melta Bombs, x5 Neophytes, /w Land Raider Crusader, Multi-Melta

Troop - Crusader Squad x10, x9 Initiates with x1 Melta gun and x1 Power Axe, x1 Sword Brother /w Power Sword and Melta Bombs, /w Land Raider Crusader, Multi-Melta

Troop - Crusader Squad x5, x1 Lascannon, x1 Plasma Gun, /w Rhino

 

Heavy - Thunderfire Cannon

Heavy - Predator, TL Lascannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Storm Bolter, Extra Armor

 

Imperial Knight - Paladin

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T39Qj6hGXSg/U4fxN7Z062I/AAAAAAAAAes/9We2u5reaBs/s1600/1+My+Army.JPG

 

 

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Adeptus Sororitas;

 

HQ - Cannoness

 

Troop - Battle Sisters x5, x2 Flamers, Rhino

Troop - Battle Sisters x5, x2 Flamers, Rhino

Troop - Battle Sisters x5, x2 Flamers, Rhino

Troop - Battle Sisters x5, x2 Flamers, Rhino

Troop - Battle Sisters x5, x2 Melta Guns, Rhino

 

Fast Attack - Dominion Squad, x4 Melta Guns, Immolator /w TL Multi-Melta

Fast Attack - Dominion Squad, x4 Melta Guns, Immolator /w TL Multi-Melta

Fast Attack - Dominion Squad, x4 Melta Guns, Immolator /w TL Multi-Melta

 

Heavy Support - Exorcist

Heavy Support - Exorcist

Heavy Support - Exorcist

 

/w Inquisition Allies - 

HQ - Coteaz

HQ - Inquisitor, ML 1

 

Elite - Pyskers x3

Elite - Servitors x3, x3 Plasma Cannon

 

Fortification - Void Shield Generator, /w x2 extra shields

 

*As you can see with all that melta that I have my work cut out for me

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yTLQgEFlfv0/U4fx1U_PshI/AAAAAAAAAe0/sbekrewsixQ/s1600/2+His+Army.JPG

 

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MISSION

 

We played the first new mission with the tactical objective cards. We draw three and can discard one at the end of our respective turns. This isn't a mission type that favors my army, but I my intent was to play heavy and to play fierce. 

 

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Deployment

 

I won the roll-off to choose who got to deploy first, and I opted to. I grouped up together and was a few inches from my deployment line. I knew the Dominion squads would scout close to me, so I tried to make myself capable of weathering a first turn melta rush.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PXzijdcxiC0/U4fyCHUcXAI/AAAAAAAAAe8/67nScJoMMD4/s1600/Turn+1+Deploy+Mine.JPG

 

 

He deployed spread out to cover more ground and to be capable of grabbing objectives if the cards came up for them. I should have thought that out a bit more and did the same. Coteaz is on top of the VSG with his Servitors, and the wall of vehicles was cumbersome to look at. As expected, he scouted his Dominions to try to win the game early by blowing up my LRCs. I opted to go first, and even with Coteaz he failed to Steal the Initiative.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qsmEb3QEIuM/U4fyFhju4BI/AAAAAAAAAfE/NDo0wjdbOok/s1600/Turn+1+Deploy+His.JPG

 

 

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TURN 1

 

*Note: I'll sum up the objectives, but I wasn't taking notes and can't remember who drew what when. I'll note things where I do remember, however.

 

I moved away from his 2 Dominion Squads and pushed my Rhino towards Objective 5 and got the point for it (Objective Secured for the win!). I had to make it go flat-out, but in the end it payed off. He made the mistake of moving two of his Dominion squads side by side, so when I put my Rhino in front of them they had to lose a good amount of ground to get anyway. Thwarting those meltas every chance I can. I immobilized one Immolator, and put a few hull points here and there, but I didn't manage to take out a unit. I took down the VSGs shields, however, and rained down death upon Coteaz's unit - taking out two Servitors and getting 2 wounds on Coteaz himself!

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vRZBpmLpzhI/U4fyPWLbt9I/AAAAAAAAAfM/Vld1WKfUdko/s1600/Turn+1+End+mine.JPG

 

 

He re-positioned his army and approached my line. He managed to get off some Pysker powers, but he mainly only had Prescience to toss out on some Exorcists. He destroyed my Rhino pretty easily, but that was expected. It got my a tactical objective turn 1 and blocked his Dominion squad/Immolators from getting to me another turn. Mission accomplished for that one. His shooting didn't do much, but I tried to not give him good targets. I should note that his Warlord trait was worthless and I got the one for army-wide Stealth (Ruins) and Move through cover (Ruins), so my Land Raider to the left had a really nice cover save (and my Las+Plas unit, which you can't see, was sitting at a 2+ from the TFC improving that piece of terrain by another one).

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLknypgcbRU/U4fyTWklxuI/AAAAAAAAAfU/4HrRyGZTa_8/s1600/Turn+1+End+his.JPG

 

 

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TURN 2

 

I approach his Immolators and start firing at his melta capable units. I cause a shaken to the Immolator on the right, and take out the other two completely, but it took more than expected and I didn't have a lot of shooting left to start dealing with the melta guns. Luckily, though, one Dominion squad failed their Morale after taking the Imperial Knights cannon, and started to run off the board. The Imperial Knight turned to fire his Stubbers at the other Immolator so he could charge, but he failed the charge (take note, I roll horrible charge ranges this game).

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R6Ij0hzcgXs/U4fyYf1AMHI/AAAAAAAAAfc/y86RHtMv4aQ/s1600/Turn+2+End+mine.JPG

 

 

He took advantage of my exposed Imperial Knight and blew it up with great melta shooting. I failed all of my invulnerable saves, so bad die rolls are bad die rolls. While this didn't cost me the game, statistically he should have survived, and that would have been pivotal since he loses all of his melta by the end of my next turn. The rhino sitting on top of the white/black LRC fired 2 meltas and got 1 penetrate, but it was only a Shaken effect. With a 3+ cover on my LRC, he decided to shoot into my Predator. Four meltas causes 2 penetrates, but it only suffered shaken. An Exorcist shooting later, however, and the Predator went down. 2+ cover Las+Plas Crusaders tank every shot their way.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xzLdIz1y45M/U4fyblRqAeI/AAAAAAAAAfk/40MSmlt_8-Y/s1600/Turn+2+End+his.JPG

 

 

*The Imperial Knight exploded directly over his Immolator and Dominion squad, the one that took it out, but failed to wound pretty much everything. What it did wound, the 6+ invulnerable made them walk away unscathed. Nuts.

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TURN 3

 

I spread my squad out enough to fire at the Dominion squad that took out my Knight, and then charge it, the Immolator, and the Rhino with the melta Battle Sisters. I barely make the charge distance, but I get in everywhere. The Chaplain made sure I hit everything, and a power sword, some krak grenades, and a melta bomb later and everything is destroyed. The smaller Crusader squad tried to charge an immobilized rhino (the one on the edge of the forest) and the last Dominion squad, but only got to it's primary target - the Dominion squad. They go down easily. The TFC continues to pound away, but the increase durability to vehicles makes it hard with few targets on the field. It scatters off the Psyker squad with an Inquisitor and hits nothing. 

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j5pr7ChbcAc/U4fyejpsTpI/AAAAAAAAAfs/LdFZ2i6Ljb0/s1600/Turn+3+End+mine.JPG

 

 

He failed his Morale after my crusader squad took out the rhino holding the melta gun Battle Sisters, so they fire snap shots at my black/white LRC and miss. The game, if it was a normal mission type, is pretty much in my hands at this point. Unfortunately, it's down to random tactical objectives, so it's still anyways game. He does a lot of shooting, but there isn't much for him to do at this point. Some flamer templates his my Crusaders, but only a few die here and there.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HXDwHzCB_II/U4fyjZD7nAI/AAAAAAAAAf0/Oend3dQ7bkU/s1600/Turn+3+end+his.JPG

 

 

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TURN 4

 

I set myself up to charge, since I got a d3 Victory Points for killing three characters in a turn. I shoot down 2 and charge into the other, wiping the squad. I only roll 1 for my Victor Points, though. My LRCs just position for safety and taking down key threats to my Tactical Objectives. I should have pushed them further down the field at this point, but still learning these new missions.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7AyUguo649s/U4fymrPjCtI/AAAAAAAAAf8/9F3Uu51don4/s1600/Turn+4+end+mine.JPG

 

 

He retaliates with his Exorcists, but that's all he really has left. Coteaz has been dead since Turn 3, by the way, because he killed himself from Perils. It doesn't pay to be a heretic! He focuses his Exorcists at taking down my Crusaders since they are easier to grind through than the LRCs. Not a bad choice, but they are resilient. My norther Crusader squad are reduced to one and he runs - but he has a melta gun, so he doesn't mind it so much.

 

***This is the point where I forgot to continue taking pictures.***

 

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TURN 5

 

I re-position, but I have a bad card draw. Currently the game was 8-7 with me moving my black LRC 12" and flat-out to get Linebreaker, with myself in the lead.. I didn't get a single Victory point from bad card draws. Grr. His Cannoness was exposed and hiding behind a wall, but I should have used my TFC to try to hit her a few times. Str 6 against T3 means I could have gotten Slay the Warlord. It would have been a longshot, and hindsight is 20/20.

 

He fires off into my units, but he draws the tactical objectives for markers 5 and 6, two he is close enough to grab easily. He jumps up to 9 points and wins the game after a die roll of 2 ends it. If the game had continued I probably could have won. But, meh...

 

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I'm not a fan of random Tactical Objectives, let alone Random victor points. I got two d3 Tactical Objective cards over the course of the game, and rolled a 1 each time. He got one d3 and rolled a 2. That won him the game. I'm not sure how I feel about random objectives, but I'll try some more games to see how it works. 

 

Overall I enjoyed my list, but I knew I would. Played well, it's rough to go up against. I was facing 14 melta guns and 3 TL Multi-Meltas, most of which had Scout. Most armies don't have that, no matter what they want to say, so only losing my Knight means I played fine. This is the second time I've had a similar list that went up against the same Sister's list and I didn't lose a LRC (or my Knight) that time either. Melta hurts heavy army, but you have to get pretty close - and LRCs and Knights are really good at stopping things from getting really close.

 

The Las-Plas Crusaders, TFC, and Predator were just filler points. I have 450 points of my list floating around, and I filled them with those (adding the Neophytes to my Crusader squad as well). TFC is always a wonder, and against most armies have two just seems like the best bet, especially in a game where killing troops is paramount. I also was trying to use points of stuff I had painted. That Predator is the one in my Vow, but I still need to apply some transfers and add some more paint before it's completely finished up. My normal 450 points to add would be x2 TFCs and x2 Stormtalons, but I'm glad I didn't take those as the Stormtalons would have come in later than needed to get those melta off the board. I'm anxious to play other lists that aren't melta spam, though, as that'll allow the list to breath and get places without quite as much bunkering. 

[Marshal Mattias]

Well played and well written! I think it's always hard to play a 'flawless' game and to be honest it looks like you played your list exceptionally. That multi-charge by the crusaders was a highlight! Your experience shows the fickleness of adding such a high degree of randomness to the mission... My only experience of that so far was a fairly lucky one (gaining four victory points from the act of moving a landraider 6 inches...)

Like you say, it will take a few more games for me to decide if I like the new objectives or not. They definitely keep the game exciting right up until the final turn. How often have you played a game where turn 3 feels like the end is already decided? I see many players start to just 'go through the motions' at that point, but that is very different now.

[Valhaal]

Well played and well written! I think it's always hard to play a 'flawless' game and to be honest it looks like you played your list exceptionally. That multi-charge by the crusaders was a highlight! Your experience shows the fickleness of adding such a high degree of randomness to the mission... My only experience of that so far was a fairly lucky one (gaining four victory points from the act of moving a landraider 6 inches...)

Like you say, it will take a few more games for me to decide if I like the new objectives or not. They definitely keep the game exciting right up until the final turn. How often have you played a game where turn 3 feels like the end is already decided? I see many players start to just 'go through the motions' at that point, but that is very different now.

 

I've been playing at least one LRC pretty heavily for a few months now. I put the Imperial Knight into the list to try to help my LRC survive, and it's been doing it's job marvelously. The fact that the Imperial Knight is a solid shooting platform with a 12" speed and does some good things in close combat is just icing on the cake (and now the Imperial Knight becomes one of the few reliable vehicle killers - which is important). But one thing I did notice was that either people can deal with my army or they can't. The Sister's army I played, for example, definitely could - but once all of the viable threats to the majority of my points is dealt with, being able to determine how the game is going to go is easy. In a standard mission format (or Purge the Alien, or Relic), that game was easily in my hands because of such heavy army in my list, the fact I was already mid-board and could get anywhere in two turns (especially with the Crusader USR), and the only thing that could stop me was Str 8. It's always hard to foresee what's going to occur on the battlefield, but knowing your tactical options and what your opponent is capable of is vital to seeing how the game will unfold. Even if you're wrong, trying to see how the next few turns will play out is what's going to win more games (and has for me once I stopped just doing things to do things). You can see from the last picture I took that I had a LOT of crusaders pretty close to multiple Exorcists. If I wanted/needed to kill them, I could have probably went North and took them out with Krak/Melta Bombs.

 

I played a 3k point game with 5 Land Raiders and an Imperial Knight a few weeks back. Before that game, a newer player wanted to learn a bit, and he brought Deathwing. I had to trim my army down to 1,500 points, but all I had were Land Raiders. I didn't bring the Imperial Knight, but it ended up being 3 Land Raiders, and one had a Chapter Master with Terminator Armor  leading three Assault Centurions with TL-Melta guns. He brought one Land raider (with the multi-melta) and some Lascannons (Note: he had a lot more than this, but those were what I cared about dealing with first). I approached turn 1 and fired down on the Lascannons, wiping the entire unit. On his turn, he moved forward and shot his LRs MM at one of my LRCs and missed. Him failing to take out my LRC with that shot pretty much called the game. I stormed his LR with everything I had and there was nothing left to deal with my LRCs. I ended up getting out and assaulting early so we could have some fun, but the game was pretty much decided when he would have to endure 4 more rounds of shooting from my LRCs without being able to do anything back, basically. Having such heavy armor really dictates a fight if your opponent can't deal with it (more-so now that they score and our LRCs can be Objective Secured).

 

The biggest issue with Tactical Objectives is that it favors spamming and tons of fast units. Drop pods, skimmers, cheap units in rhinos - whatever. Fielding those will get you close to objectives to start scoring points. The core of my list is built to have LRCs with OS on mid-field objectives and an Imperial Knight ready to close on any part of the board that I need to be in. And a block of crusaders charging almost any non-rearAV14 vehicle will take it down.

[Kontakt]

Excellent battle report! I am a huge fan of adding the imperial knight to armies, so difficult to aquire large amounts of firepower.

[Valhaal]

Loving what the Knight adds. I'm pretty sold on trimming 20 points from the core list, and just adding the Imperial Knight Errant and the TFC. I think that list would be amazing and extremely tough. The only downside is that 20 points would either be the Melta guns from the Crusader Squads or the Power Fist from the Chaplain (so I'd need to get a new Chaplain model). I'd probably rather drop the Power Fist, and toss him melta bombs instead. That'd result in a great list that can take on most armies extremely well, as well as being able to contend with an all Knight army. Flier lists would hurt, but most flier heavy armies can't deal with that much heavy armor..so..not too worried there.

[Valhaal]

Black Templars;

 

HQ - Chaplain, Power Fist

 

Troop - Crusader Squad x10, x9 Initiates with x1 Melta gun and x1 Power Axe, x1 Sword Brother /w Power Sword and Melta Bombs, x5 Neophytes, /w Land Raider Crusader, Multi-Melta

Troop - Crusader Squad x5, x1 Lascannon, x1 Plasma Gun, /w Rhino

Troop - Crusader Squad x6, Flamer, x1 Neophyte, /w Drop Pod

 

Fast Attack - Stormtalon, Skyhammer Missile Launcher

 

Heavy - Thunderfire Cannon

Heavy - Predator, TL Lascannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Storm Bolter, Extra Armor

 

Imperial Knight - Paladin

 

*Note that the picture is a bit off. For some reason I added a Plasma gun marine to the drop pod unit with a flamer to fill points, but realized my error when I started telling my opponent my army. It was fixed before deployment.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5_zouVdl4uc/U4qH6TKmlbI/AAAAAAAAAgM/mrvQfQyS9kI/s1600/1+templar+army.JPG

 

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Astra Militarum;

 

HQ - Tank Commander

HQ - Psyker, ML 2

 

Troop - Sergent, x2 Plasma, lascannon heavy weapon, Chimera

Troop - Sergent, x2 Melta, lascannon heavy weapon, Chimera

 

Heavy Support - Vanquisher Squad x2

Heavy Support - Hydra x2

 

Fortification - Aegis Defence Line /w Quad Gun

 

Lord of War - Storm...Lord? Whatever gets the Heavy 15, Str 6, AP 3 gun.

 

*Hopefully this is correct. This is actually my first game against guard, so I'm not too familiar with their tanks and stuff.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UlOFWjWahlQ/U4qH9nWrtMI/AAAAAAAAAgU/twcyB3fJuaI/s1600/2+guard+army.JPG

 

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MISSION

 

We played the Maelstrom of War mission number 4. It's draw (up to)three tactical objectives on your turn, but you don't reveal the cards to your opponent.

 

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Deployment

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NlznNAFSBt0/U4qIBWm9t1I/AAAAAAAAAgc/Y5HDY5r7bTM/s1600/my+deployment.JPG

 

 

I won the roll-off to choose who got to deploy first. And I did. I deployed aggressively, because I knew my best chance at taking out his tank line was going to be assault, but that's how I like getting things done anyways.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PnekSNVF7Vw/U4qIEZQa44I/AAAAAAAAAgk/R447nmZV9cI/s1600/his+deployment.JPG

 

 

He deployed pretty much in a gun-line fashion. This ending up being his downfall since it stripped him of maneuverability and versatility on the battlefield. But he rolls pretty crap for most of the game, and that never helps.

 

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TURN 1

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFQGvgdeKRM/U4qII-Um6hI/AAAAAAAAAgs/clF7ljSnpr8/s1600/1+my+turn.JPG

 

 

I gun for his deployment line and get myself set up to receive a cover save with my Knight from the green statue near the center of the table. My plan was to fire the Battle Cannon at the Chimera and take it out, and then toss a stubber at a unit to turn my Knight to directly face his army. We couldn't find the rule where walkers turn to face their target in 7th, though, so that might not exist anymore. Bummer. My drop pod scatters a bit, but generally hits exactly where I wanted it to. While he uses the quad gun to intercept them, it pretty much proves useless and I flamer almost his entire squad that he kept out of it's Chimera. 1 lascannon down. I fire all guns that can reach into the Chimera at the bottom that held the melta guns, and took it down (also getting First Blood). I kept my Land Raider close to an objective and was just within 3" to score it since I drew that particular one.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nWpFiZdrV9Y/U4qIMoZMk0I/AAAAAAAAAg0/osaVfzf9688/s1600/1+his+turn.JPG

 

 

He fired into my Knight with multiple shots, but his dice blow. He does, however, strip it of three hull points from 1 Lascannon shot (which just disembarked, so not sure if it could fire or if he made it snap fire for moving - didn't think to ask/if it was relevant). He fires his Heavy 15 Lord of War cannon at my Las+plas crusader squad up top of my deployment zone in ruins. Since he didn't move he got to fire that gun twice, so I lost all but 1 Crusader, who was still on the objective in case it mattered.

 

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TURN 2

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2gyaIK9Kwo/U4qIPuLCiMI/AAAAAAAAAg8/ldh7GXnyri8/s1600/2+my+turn.JPG

 

 

I get closer with my Knight and spread out with my Land Raider - trying to get it the same cover save my Knight receive from the statue the previous turn. My stormtalon comes on and lays waste to the chimera, but doesn't finish it off. My LRC, however, does. My TFC and Knight pound into his melta unit, and I do minor re-positioning to prepare for a next turn assault. My flamer Crusader squad that came in the drop pod finish off his plasma unit and take Objective 2 for another Victory Point.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D4XLF1U7EOo/U4qISJSZRDI/AAAAAAAAAhE/DczOuqDO6Xc/s1600/2+his+turn.JPG

 

 

1 more Lascannon shot, and another three hull points removed from the Imperial Knight. 2 Lascannon shots = dead knight? If you do the math, that's highly unlikely, but still possible. Oh well, hardly a game over, since I still have the fighting nature of a true Templar. This changes my gameplan a bit, since I was hoping the Knight would take out the Storm____ before it was taken off the board. He destroys my Stormtalon as well, but it took more shooting than he was hoping it would.

 

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TURN 3

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9MMGilQ5jc/U4qIVE7xX-I/AAAAAAAAAhM/Pwj9QdkyKZE/s1600/3+my+turn.JPG

 

 

Unfortunately I misread my tactical objectives/forgot about Objective marker 6 (the one in the bottom middle of the table), so I pretty much flat-out acrossed the board to gain the Domination tactical objective. The TFC finished off the bottom melta unit to clear it off that objective. I still score some points here, however, since my tactical objectives was getting two specific objectives (which I had) and then all of them (which I didn't get). So, I pretty much "wasted" a turn getting closer to him. No biggie. The last Crusader with the plasma gun (which you can't see ATM) took further cover behind the ruins to stop Line of Sight so he couldn't be fired upon. With the loss of my Knight so early, I knew that I had to survive for quite a few more rounds before the game would end. He still had plenty of stuff capable of clearing me off of the board, so even with causing severe casualties to him, he was still in it.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PTcxR5cEq-g/U4qIXx20IFI/AAAAAAAAAhU/k-hXOIaOkfA/s1600/3+his+turn.JPG

 

 

He positions his vanquishers to start pounding on my rhino and predator. They both end up surviving, but it's only a matter of time before things go poorly for them. The Hydras fire into my Crusader squad, but 3+ armor is great when it's not ignored.

 

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TURN 4

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdozEM_70j8/U4qIa5c6TnI/AAAAAAAAAhc/kgHMySlQnV0/s1600/4+my+turn.JPG

 

 

I draw the super linebreaker  tactical objective (3+ units in 12" of opponent's table edge +d3 Victory Points), so I risk my Land Raider in the difficult terrain. It gets by fine. I fire on the Baneblade, and it has about 7 HP left at this point. TFC pounds on the Hydras and I charge my Crusaders into the Hydra squad as well. They finish it off and consolidate towards his Vanquishers and Tank Commander.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0EknREPfLo/U4qIfW8r00I/AAAAAAAAAhk/T6OWi7sJeik/s1600/4+his+turn.JPG

 

 

He drives away from the Crusaders and issues an order to split fire with his Vanquishers, taking out my Predator and Rhino. By now the Lord of War's Heavy 15 gun is firing it's second turn of shooting at the TFC (it can see him through a window). With his bad dice rolls and needing 5+ to wound, and my 2+ armor, the TFC survives again. He fires on my LRC with a Lascannon sponson on his Storm____, but only a glance.

 

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TURN 5

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qo-L3lIc_xs/U4qIjjja9AI/AAAAAAAAAhs/C-nfmkahn5I/s1600/5+my+turn.JPG

 

 

I get to the rear armor of the Storm____ and fire all out, getting it down to 3 hull points. My crusaders charge into the Vanquisher squandron, but only do minor damage to them. I run my Plasma gun crusader out (you can see him now!) of the ruins and make it pretty impossible for any line of sight. The TFC has nothing it can really damage at this point, so I finally make the move to get it fully out of line of sight of the Storm____, just in case things stopped going my way.

 

I forgot to take a picture at this point, but that was just due to the game ending and he started putting his stuff away before I remembered about the final shot. He failed to kill my Land Raider Crusader, and since the game ended it was pretty much over. I won by a lot, but we didn't bother counting up since that wasn't really the point of the game (still double-checking rules and getting 7th down).

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Tactical Objectives worked in my favor, and the drop pod made a huge difference. I went to my local game store today with a 1,250 list to get everyone up to speed with 7th and to make sure my area started with a strong 7th foundation. My opponent wanted more points, so I just quickly added 400 points.

 

The game went well, especially since I was effectively 360 points down since my Chaplain and huge Crusader block never left the LRC (and why would I? Heavy 15, Str 6, Ap 3? yeah, I don't think so). The list's core is working out well, and even with the Knight going down pretty early, I've been able to do serious damage (or take out altogether) the threats to the other heavy armor in the list. It's obvious that a gunline army cannot function in the new Tactical Objective missions, and I may have to work some drop pods into the filler points portion of my list since they are just so unbelievable for how Tactical Objectives work. I'm fine with this, though, because I love me some drop pods.

 

The Crusade continues...

 

 

***Edit: I wanted to note that his Psyker attempted to cast the 4+ invulnerable power on the Hydras the turn before I charged into them and finished them off. He got it off, but I managed to Deny the Witch - so....that's pretty nice***

[Golf33]

White text doesn't show up on mobile devices as the mobile theme background is also white.

[Valhaal]

White text doesn't show up on mobile devices as the mobile theme background is also white.

 

Sorry about that. I just did a copy-paste from my blog, so it transferred the text color with it. It should be fixed now.

[Marshal Mattias]

Nice, a solid gameplan that was able to change as required, even after the loss of the knight. Yes, you really do need to retain manoeuvrability if you want to score anything now, which is nice in its way. I'd rather see players forced to spend some points in scoring units rather than just rely on lining up all the biggest guns in their army. :)

[Valhaal]

I finished the Chapter Master for my vow just now. Woot! Still have a lot to get done to move on to the next vow, though.

 

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[SCOTT_FRANCIS]

Oh yeah, he rocks.

[Andhil]

Love what you did with the cape. Absolutely awesome.