GreyCrow Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Hey guys, Just saw that there was a dedicated forum for Battle Reports, and I thought I should share my 1000 pts RG vs Necron Batrep. The game was the Relic, played on a 4x4 board. I wrote it a little narratively, for fun, but it took so much time that I'll probably stick to regular turn by turn reports :p Enjoy ! The armies : Space Marines - Ghost Phalanx Chapter Master - Armour Indomitus, Primarch's Wrath, Power Fist, Jump Pack Captain - Artificer Armour, Teeth of Terra, Power Fist, Melta Bombs, Jump Pack Scout Squad - 4 Sniper rifles, Heavy Bolter with Hellfire shells Tactical Squad - 3 Bolter, 1 Lascannon, 1 Combi-Plasma Tactical Squad - 3 Bolter, 1 Lascannon, 1 Combi-Plasma Sternguard Squad - 2 Combi-Melta, 2 Combi-Plasma, 1 Combi-Flamer, 1 Multi-Melta, Razorback Dedicated Transport with Twin-Linked Assault Cannon Necron Defenders (not exactly sure about the loadout) Overlord - War scythe, Resurrection orb, mindshackle scarabs, Sempiternal Weave, Phase shifter Cryptek - Harbinger of Eternity with the chronometron Lychguard - 5 War scythes Warrior Squad - 20 Gauss flayers Immortal Squad - 5 Tesla carbines Deathmark Squad - 6 Synaptic disintegrators Triach Stalker The deployment Can you spot the Ghost Phalanx ? Only a small detachment of 2 Tactical squads and 1 Scout squad led by the Chapter Master took part of the vanguard strike. Although the terrain was not advantageous, they applied their training to the best and kept a low profile, hidden behind runed buildings. The Chapter Master heard about the Necrons, but never personnally faced them before. Decided to protect the Razorback transport, he tasked the Captain to lead the tactical reserve, composed of a Sternguard squad. The Necron forces were prepared and sure footed to erase the incoming force. Their battle line strongly indicated that they had faced imperial formations and probably Space Marines before. However, mastering the art of stealth and sudden assault, the Ghost Phalanx bold battle strategies allowed them to slip past the Necron sentinel protocols and let them Seize the Initiative! The Chapter Master jumped in the air, and quickly assessing the situation, ordered an Orbital Strike on the large squad of Necron Warriors. Unfortunately, the blast only managed to take down two warriors, one of which got up to the surprise of the Chapter Master ! He took cover in the forward ruined building to ponder a new battle strategy against an enemy able to recover even from such a mighty bombardment. The Tactical squad on the West front aimed its Lascannon at the Stalker, and with a clean shot managed to sever a leg and quickly the platform went to the ground. Painfully able to get back up on its remaining 3 legs, the Stalker would be unable to move further and was immobilised. The Tactical squad on the East decided to support the West flank with its Lascannon and fired at the Immortals, but failed to hit them. The Scout squad also provided fire support to the West, and the Heavy Bolter managed to down two Immortals, which didn't get back up. The Necron responded by moving forward their defense force. Unable to see the location of the Chapter Master, the Lychguard and the Overlord ran forward and were surprised to see him still in the ruins. They directed the fire from the Warrior squad, but the Chapter Master's fine armour shielded him from all incoming shots. On the West flank, the Stalker retaliated by firing its heat ray at the Tactical squad, focusing on the Lascannon wielder who was too eager to shoot his weapon and did not properly take cover. Marked by the Stalker, the squad was the prey of Tesla fire from the Immortals, but their Power Armour protected them from all incoming shots. The planned time for the flanking attack did not go as expected. The Sternguard were nowhere to be found, and the Captain landed alone behind enemy lines, wanting to cause havoc. The ashes on the ground did not support his deep strike landing and he stumbled while trying to move into cover, just as a Deathmark squad appeared in front of him, intent on destroying him. Tactical squad West went on the offensive and boldly moved forward to finish off the remaining Immortals, which they did. Tactical squad East descended from their position while the Lascannon targeted the Lychguard and Overlord. Although the beam whizzed a few inches awway from the head of the Overlord, it provided enough distraction for the Chapter Master to seize the opportunity and blast off. His concern was the Warrior squad, which could severely damage the fragile relic, or worse seize it. While the Lychguard were distracted, the scout snipers and the hellfire shells shot, and downed 2 more metallic skeletons. They were shocked to see them get back up after such a mean volley ! With his superior ballistic skill and master-crafted weapon, he downed 5 additional Warriors. 3 of them, however, immediately stood back up as if the shredding bolts loaded into his stormbolter were nothing but beanbags ! Enraged, the Chapter Master charged the Warrior, and in his frenzy forgot his charge battle stance which would allow him to strike an additional Power Fist attack. His armour absorbed all the punishement from overwatch fire and he killed three additional warriors, one of which got back up. While the Captain was still recovering from his rapid landing, he bravely stared down the barrel of the Deathmarks, intent on remaining defiant until the end. Mercilessly, they unloaded their full clip aat short range, and while the Captain's artificer armour withstood most of the shooting, 2 piercing rounds managed to get through him. Holding its ground, the Stalker shot its heat ray again, this time killing two Tactical Marines. The situation seemed dire for them, and because the bulk of the strike force was on the other side of the battlefield, without support, they would surely die. Once finished reanimating their losses, the Lychguard and Overlord doubled back and joined the battle, intent on killing the Chapter Master. Expecting this, he activated his improved armour'☼ power field and taunted the Overlord. The Chapter Master did not expect the Overlord to accept his challenge and thought that perhaps this machine was sentient and... felt ? His pondering was quickly interrupted by a volley a mindshackle scarabs, but his indomitable will resisted the intrusion and his powerfield easily blocked the massive Warscythe attacks. When the time to strike back was right, he furiously attacked with his Power Fist. But each time he stroke at the enemy, it would feel like hitting air. He could not hit his opponent with his phase shifter, and at that moment knew he was done for. All he wanted to do was to buy time for his Marines, so that they could complete the mission. Seeing his Master in trouble, the wounded Captain decided to give his life in order to buy more time to the Chapter Master. He would bleed out anyway before he exited the planet atmosphere, should the mission be succesful, and he wanted to take as many of these soul less machines with him. As the Stalker's Heat Ray was powering up, the remaining Tactical Sergeant and his Marines were staring down certain death. At that very moment, the Sternguard squad finally arrived and switfly exploded the Stalker with their combi-melta. The Razorback barely stopped to let them disembark and rushed flat out to the Relic to cover the extraction. At that moment, the 2 Tactical Squads and the Scout squad ran toward the array. They would not reach it soon, but they had better reach it before the Warriors. In a moment of weakness after seeing the phase shifter in action, the Chapter Master let his mental guard down. It was enough for the scarabs to take over and to force him to hit himself with his Power Fist, while trying to dodge blows from the Overlord's Warscythe. Every Necron was concentrated on the duel, and the Captain took advantage of that to rampage through the Lychguard, downing 3 with his custom chainsword and defending from all their Warscythe attacks. Bleeding internally, he failed to notice and evade a cowardly strike from a Necron Warrior behind him. While the Warrior removed his axe-bayonet from the bleeding helmet, the Captain's vital signs were flat. A disheartening sight, as one of the Lychguard he slained to protect his Master got back up. Observing the duel between their Overlord and the Chapter Master, the Warriors stayed to make sure that stubbornly resistant human would not make it out should he decapitate the chain of command. The Deathmarks, interested in the easy prey the Scout squad represented moved over to intercept there. And in this grim battle, this is where starts the epics of Scout Squad Matheu, whose heroic deeds will remain written in the Chapter's history and honoured for the millenia to come ! Furious at the loss of the Captain and stimulated by the Scouts prowess, the Chapter Master snapped out of the scarabs' influence, but failed to damage the Overlord thanks to his phase shifter. The Overlord, unfatigued, managed to inflict two hits that penetrated the Chapter Master's armour. Each hit would have killed a lesser being, but the Master's will kept him alive. The Ghost Phalanx are known for their agility in motion and their swift footing, only second to their determination of getting the job done. While sprinting towards the circuitry of the Relic Array, they walked into the firing arc of the Deathmarks, the same firing power that crippled their Captain. When the Deathmarks unloaded, the Scouts gracefully evaded the shots, and not a single wound was recorded ! Puzzled by what they witnessed, the Deathmarks did not have time to fire a second volley before the Scouts reached the array. Arriving as fast as they could, the Sternguard squad and the Assault Cannon shot at the Deathmarks, to prevent them from getting another volley in while the Scouts recovered the crucial memory bank, downing 3. Tactical squad West reached the area at a similar time, and rather than firing, decided to engage the ongoing assault. They it was a one way trip for sure, but if they could slow down the enemy, they would allow the Scouts to bring the Relic home. Surprisingly, they managed to dodge all the incoming Warscythe attacks. Surely, the same agility that fuled the Scouts survival was encoded in the Chapter's gene-seed ! As the duel was continuing, the Chapter Master, exhausted, fell prey to the mindshackle scarabs. He detonated his Power Fist too close to his vital organs and died heroically. Finally freed of the Chapter Master, the Necron Warriors turned their attention to the scouts, unleashing a merciless volley of shots. Once again, the swift footing of the Scouts and their amazing ability to dodge bullets was witnessed and will be remember for the millenia to come. It took the combined firepower of the remaining Warriors and Deathmarks to down 4 Scouts. But it was not enough, the remaining Scout ran away with the prized and priceless artifact, as the rest of the sternguard squad approached and the Razorback positionned himself to block the incoming units. Tactical Squad East positionned to intercept the Necro Warriors, the Deathmarks and cover the Scouts' exit. Fitting for the situation, the Sternguard Squad loaded Kraken Bolts, but failed to damage the Necron Warriors. Finally, the remaining members of Tactical squad West were dispatched by the Lychguard. The Lychguard immediately targeted the Razorback, easily cracking it open with their Warscythes. Seeing an opportunity, the Sternguard Sergeant pushed aside the Lychguard and threw a Krak grenade at the ammuniton belts of the now-useless Assault Cannon. This throw was spontaneous from the Sergeant, thinking he could take advantage of the clustered Necrons to be blasted apart by the vehicle's explosion. A few Warriors and Lychguards were destroyed in the explosion, but the Lychguard squad reanimated their losses and the Sergeant died from the explosion. The Necron Warriors and the Deathmarks wanted to get it over with that last remaining Scout. Now far away, he could go away with the Relic, which was reprioritized in the Necrons' agenda. Seeing all their enemies sacrificing themselves to get back a piece of useless junk only meant that this array was of some importance, and that they could perhaps use its data to better defend their tomb world. It took the entire firepower of the Warriors and the Deathmarks to down the last Scout. And it is only the last fired shot that managed to find a weak spot in his armour. His agility and natural stealth allowed him to be harder to hit while his battle brothers from Tactical Squad East provided a modest screen from the shooting of the Deathmarks. With the Relic bearer dead, only 10 marines standing against more than twice their numbers, the situation was dire. One aspect of the creed of the Ghost Phalanx is putting the more novice lives before the more experienced. At that moment, the training drills of both squads kicked in and what needed to be done was obvious. Intent on completing the mission, Tactical Squad East moved and quickly picked up the memory bank. And without time to breathe, sprinted toward the extraction zone. At the same time, and to prevent them being followed, the Sternguard performed a selfless act of bravery. Applying an advanced maneuver, they split in two and charged both the Warriors and the Lychguard. One Veteran was shot down by overwatch fire from the Warrior Squad. However, the 4 Veterans managed to hold the two squads long enough for the Tactical Squad to escape with the Relic, losing only their Sergeant, who stayed behind to buy up time from the incoming Deathmarks. Game ended on Turn 6 after 2 rounds of CQC, with 1 sternguard remaining, and 4 Tacticals 6" near my board edge. Final Victory point count : Necrons : Slay the Warlord -1 Ghost Phalanx : Relic, First Blood -4 SPACE MARINE VICTORY ! Oh boy it was a tough game ! First time I played against Necrons, and they are tough to crack ! Of course, I made the typical mistake for a first timer versus Necrons which was to NOT focus on a squad at a time. He made so many Reanimation Protocols it is ridiculous, probably even more than my survivor Scout Squad (I have to admit, I was sad to see the last one die !). This Scout Squad was so epic, they probably made at least 4 times the amount of armour saves that they were scouts in the last 3 turns ! Overall, I am convinced that even low model count will work nicely. I risked the wipeout mainly because I made a few mistakes : - I was scared of the gauss for the Razorback that I Outflanked it with the Sternguard. Big mistake, and it was the first time I did it. They arrived from the wrong table edge on Turn 3, which means that I could have gotten 2 more rounds of shooting with them. - Deep Striking the Captain was a big mistake. It meant no charge before Turn 3, while I could have gotten one on Turn 2. Besides, it allowed him to place the Deathmarks that marked him (always wounding him on 2+). The fun part is that neither of us was aware of this rule until we double checked to make sure they couldn't shoot at the Captain in my turn when they were placed, haha ! - For some reason, I decided to charge the Chapter Master. Very stupid of me, because I built him for shooting and mobility, and I only had 1 round of shooting with the Primarch's Wrath. In that round, I did more unsaved wounds than over the 4 rounds he survived in CQC. Primarch's Wrath with Armour Indomitus is an awesome combo ! - Multi-Meltas in reserve are extremely dumb. They won't shoot full BS before Turn 3 at best, Turn 4 in my case. I didn't even shoot it at full BS because I had to catch up. - Lascannons don't work well with Tacticals. The fun part is, as in ALL my other games, ONLY one Lascannon does something in the game, and it is ONLY for Turn 1 shooting. Even when my Troops are less mobile. I will probably replace them with something else, with a higher volume of shots. - Outflanking is not interesting at all if you need to shoot on the turn they arrive. This greatly limits the mobility to 6" and an additional 6" from the exit points for the squad there. It's not a bad tool, but you must be prepared to wait an extra turn for your reserves to be effective. - I would really recomend going with the Scout move everytime, unless the Outflanking is ABSOLUTELY mandatory for you. I'll discuss more of this tomorrow with you, but overall it was an awesome game. Very close, and happy to have Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291295-raven-guard-vs-necrons-1000-pts-picsnarrative/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger9gamer Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 interesting report, congrats on your victory! I too see the use for Primarch's wrath, but seeing this report i would be weary of using two high point HQ's in an army. I would have gone with more troops myself, but that is just me. I concur with the outflank rule, especially with such a high cost unit. Better to get in the face rather than just sit back. Have you ever considered Centurions? although big and bulky, they are tough and can take down hard units with relative ease when armed with grav cannons. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291295-raven-guard-vs-necrons-1000-pts-picsnarrative/#findComment-3693851 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasper_Hawser Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Congratulations. But I never thought one could combine Armour of Indominatus with a Jump Pack. That's a lot of points, though in your case, made a decent tarpit out of the necron overlord. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/291295-raven-guard-vs-necrons-1000-pts-picsnarrative/#findComment-3694929 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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