Sons of Medusa vs Grey Knights | 750 pts

[Rogue]

Sons of Medusa vs Grey Knights  |  750  |  Big Guns Never Tire

 

The inquisitor was at bay. Codicer Amos and his small force had been close a few days earlier, tracking the deviant radical to a rendezvous point in the wilderness, but surrounded by the bodies and smoking wreckage of his erstwhile bodyguards, the inquisitor had been plucked from the battlefield at the last moment – further, unnecessary  proof that his experiments had taken him onto a perilous road.

 

Now, he had committed a greater sin. Somehow, he had convinced a detachment of Grey Knights that it was Amos’ marines who were the heretics, and had joined with the Knights in this isolated valley. Loathe as he was to fight brother marines, Amos could not allow the inquisitor to escape again. Come the dawn, there would be a reckoning.

 

This is a 750 point ‘Big Guns Never Tire’ engagement with three objectives, played along the length of the table.

My marines (Sons of Medusa, using Imperial Fist chapter tactics) against Grey Knights.

 

 

The battlefield had a small hill in the centre of the western (short) edge, with large storage containers to the north and south. In the middle of the table, there was a small ruined power complex, with three hab-blocks to the south, and an area of woodland stretching away from the ruins towards the eastern edge. Small hills marked the north-east and south-east corners. The three objectives were placed at the foot of the western hill, on the east side of the power complex, and on the north-eastern hill.

 

Sons of Medusa

Codicer Amos:                           force staff and bolt pistol, terrify

Tactical squad Judah:                5 marines, flamer

Tactical squad Naphtali:             5 marines, flamer

Devastator squad Issachar:        5 marines, 4 heavy bolters

Devastator squad Zebulun:        5 marines, 4 lascannon

Dreadnought Cain:                     2 pairs of twin-linked autocannon

2 Razorbacks:                            twin-linked assault cannon

 

The marines deployed first, at the western edge of the table. Zebulun’s lascannon deployed on top of the northern container, giving them an uninterrupted field of fire along the northern half of the valley toward the third objective far in the distance. Issachar’s heavy bolters located themselves at the foot of the hill, covering the empty ground leading to the power complex and hab-blocks, and overlooking the nearest objective. They were joined by the dreadnought. Both tactical squads deployed in their razorbacks, concealing themselves behind the two containers. Amos joined the squad to the south, nearer to the heavy bolters.

 

Grey Knights

Inquisitor Cyrus:                         psycannon, thunder hammer, terminator armour

5 terminators:                             various assault weapons, psycannon

6 marines:                                  lots of swords, a couple of psycannons

Dreadknight:                              really big sword, incinerator

Razorback:                                 twin-linked assault cannon

 

The knights deployed in a tight group. The dreadknight took up position on the southern edge of the board, using the power complex to shield himself from the waiting lascannon. Behind him stood the marines. Both these units had a clear line of advance to the south of the hab-blocks. To their right, near the centre of the board, were the inquisitor and his terminator retinue, supported by the razorback. They could advance between the hab-blocks and the power complex, directly towards the heavy bolters, but avoiding the lascannon (which now had no immediate targets).

 

With the inquisitor’s warlord trait allowing him to claim objectives, only the three razorbacks, my dreadnought and Codicer Amos would be unable to gain points in this way.

 

TURN 1

The Grey Knights seized the initiative and advanced around the hab-blocks in two groups – the dreadknight and the marines to the south, the inquisitor and terminators to the north. Throwing caution to the wind, the razorback moved forward a full 12”, and snap-fired at the dreadnought. To everyone’s surprise, the assault cannon scored four hits, penetrating twice and exploding the dreadnought! First blood to the Grey Knights.

[impressively, the razorback rolled one 6 to hit, then three more due to twin-linking. Two of those penetrated on 6s, and the damage rolls scored 5 and 6. Including the roll to seize initiative, of the first 14 dice rolls of the game, eight came up as 6. Ouch.]

GREY KNIGHTS LEAD 1-0

 

In return, the razorbacks moved out of cover to flank the heavy bolters of squad Issachar. Both tanks and the marines fired at the opposing razorback, glancing it twice. The lascannon squad on the northern flank couldn’t see the razorback, but were able to draw a line of sight to the advancing dreadknight, inflicting just one wound.

[With the dreadknight out of incinerator range for now, the razorback seemed the most pressing threat (and easier to damage than the terminators). The lascannon squad, which I had thought would have to redeploy, found that they were in an ideal position to fire across the open ground between the power complex and the hill around which the marines were positioned. This gave them a clear shot to the dreadknight, who towered over the hab-blocks.]

GREY KNIGHTS LEAD 1-0

 

TURN 2

The Grey Knights advanced again. In the centre, the terminators reached the western edge of the power complex. The razorback moved up in support. Further south, the dreadknight and marines continued their advance, but remained out of range (just). Poor shooting meant that the only marine casualties were Sergeant Issachar and one of his heavy bolters.

GREY KNIGHTS LEAD 1-0

 

Both marine razorbacks moved forward, and deployed their tactical squads into rapid fire range (with the right-hand squad Judah taking control of the objective at the foot of the hill). Codicer Amos separated himself from Judah’s marines to gain cover from one of the transports. With the dreadknight now in everyone’s line of sight, it was brought down by fire from the razorbacks and lascannon squad. The massed bolters of the tactical squads and the remaining heavy bolters killed two terminators.

[The dreadknight was looking much scarier now, and with the tactical marines out of their transports, it would be in position to incinerate them in turn 3. Although the Knights’ own razorback was nearer to death, I really didn’t want the dreadknight to reach my lines intact.]

SONS OF MEDUSA LEAD 3-1

 

TURN 3

The terminators continued their inexorable advance into the open ground, led by the inquisitor. On the other side of the hab-block, their marine brothers moved forward over the wreckage of the fallen dreadknight and around the corner of the block. The terminators fired at the heavy bolter squad, killing all three. The razorback’s assault cannon took out one of tactical squad Naphtali, and the marine squad killed two of tactical squad Judah – a full third of the remaining Sons of Medusa had fallen in this turn.

SONS OF MEDUSA LEAD 3-1

 

By way of response, the marines steadied themselves and returned fire. The lascannon were now able to see the first of the terminators advancing around the edge of the power complex, and killed one. One of the razorbacks took the final hull point from its opposite number, and the other inflicted a wound on the nearest member of the terminator squad, who was now the inquisitor. This caused instant death, and the Grey Knights’ warlord was slain. To complete the turn, the remaining tactical marines killed two of the Knights’ marines with bolter fire.

[A lot died in this turn: 6 of my marines, including all three remaining heavy bolters, leaving me with just 12 infantry from my initial 20; for the Knights, a terminator, 2 marines and the inquisitor were taken out, leaving just 6 men – 2 terminators and 4 marines – from an opening 12. With two razorbacks still on my side, and with his gone, I had taken back control of the battle.]

SONS OF MEDUSA LEAD 4-1

 

TURN 4

The two surviving terminators charged the four marines of squad Naphtali (the left hand squad, not on the objective). One fell to overwatch. On the other side, the marines tried to charge squad Judah, but failed. Naphtali’s marines failed to wound the terminator, and in return, his thunder hammer missed everything too. For now, stalemate, but the terminator had made it into the Sons of Medusa deployment zone, scoring linebreaker.

SONS OF MEDUSA LEAD 4-2

 

The razorbacks and squad Judah killed another three of the Grey Knight marines, leaving just one of the squad alive. Zebulun’s lascannon were left without targets. In the close combat, the terminator killed two of the tactical marines, and the other two fled (or withdrew).

SONS OF MEDUSA LEAD 4-2

 

TURN 5

With only two warriors left, the Grey Knights were in trouble. The last marine moved to threaten squad Judah, who held the one occupied objective. The terminator charged into Codicer Amos, simultaneously placing himself next to Judah’s objective, contesting it. Neither Amos nor the terminator could land a telling blow, and they remained locked in combat.

[With the objective contested, the Grey Knights’ secondary objective points (for first blood and linebreaker) now put them in the lead – and they were threatening the Sons of Medusa’s warlord too. Suddenly, the game had swung towards the Knights.]

GREY KNIGHTS LEAD 2-1

 

The two survivors of squad Naphtali embarked in their razorback and headed for the objective behind the power complex. The other razorback parked itself directly over the objective, placing it between the close combat and the rest of squad Judah. Both razorbacks, squad Judah and the lascannons of squad Zebulun fired at the last Grey Knight marine, who died (having survived both twin-linked assault cannons and three bolters, he was then hit by only one of the four lascannon – the to wound roll was tense). Making use of his superior initiative, Amos dealt the terminator a fatal blow. The objective, and the battlefield, was secured.

SONS OF MEDUSA WIN 4-2

 

Amos swung his staff against the side of the Knight’s helm, stunning him into submission. There was no need for a killing blow – enough blood had been shed here already.

 

He found the body of the inquisitor in the shadow of the power complex. A stray assault cannon round had torn his head apart. How quickly the dark gods abandoned their playthings. But the damage had been done. The Grey Knights had been destroyed, and the Sons had lost ten marines, half of Amos’ command. Worse, brother Cain had been ripped apart as his power-plant exploded. Whilst the sarcophagus might be recovered, the wisdom and battle-prowess of the veteran had been lost forever. 

 

They would mourn. And then they would continue to fight, for they were marines, and that was their only purpose. With a curt order, Amos summoned the landing craft.

 

 

So, that swung around a bit. To lose the dreadnought so dramatically was an early blow, and certainly handed the initiative to the Knights. But it may also have forced me into what turned out to be an effective tactic. The Knights were bottled up by the terrain (the building provided no cover from the head-on shooting from the units on the hill), and had half their force cut off by the hab-blocks. By pulling everything into the middle of the line (rather than dispatching the razorback squads down the flanks, as I had planned), the Knights were left walking into a storm of fire that proved enough to bring down even terminators (only one of the six went down to AP2 weaponry).

 

The end also proved tense. The last terminator’s slowness in winning his combat with the tactical squad meant that I was unable to get a shot at him, and by the start of turn 5, he was threatening to bludgeon my warlord to death whilst contesting the only objective I held. With the other objective out of reach until turn 6, the Knights could have stolen the game. Fortunately, the force staff came good at the last moment, and Amos heroically saved the day.

 

What did I learn? The lascannon squad, although off to one side for the duration of the battle, were able to use their AP2 to good effect, putting wounds on the dreadknight, and making the terminators wary of crossing the open ground in front of my main force. I suspect that the fear of this dangerous crossfire delayed the Knights' advance a little, and gained me more shooting time with the bolters.

 

The flamers were virtually useless. In my defence, my opponent switched from elder to knights at the last moment. I remembered to switch out launchers for lascannon, but forgot the flamers. I't be good to run plasma guns, but points are tight...

 

Rate of fire is a really good thing. Aside from the lascannon, all my guns were AP4 or less, meaning that the Knights were always making saves. Despite that, I was putting enough hits on them to continually cause casualties (two, four and three across the middle turns of the game). Likewise, the razorback never exposed itself to the lascannon squad, but was battered to death by assault cannon and heavy bolters.

 

The razorbacks felt pretty effective – the assault cannons did well, contributing to the destruction of the knights’ razorback, the dreadknight, several marines and the inquisitor. In return, they took no incoming fire as the knights concentrated on the heavy bolters, and then on getting into combat with the tacticals. I suspect that the ability to re-roll ones with the majority of my infantry (especially the heavy bolters) contributed to their attraction as a target – the heavy bolters were all gone by the end of turn 3 – but at least this spared the razorbacks to roam with impunity.

 

 

Always interested to hear anyone's thoughts, tactical advice, better ideas, that sort of thing, so feel free.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Well done. I especially enjoyed your narrative. Though I find it very hard to believe Grey Knights capable of being deceived. Say what you like about the Matt Wardian version of Grey Knights, there's a reason they haven't been corrupted even once in the past 10K years.

 

Anyway, glad you managed to win using a balanced list.

[Rogue]

Thanks. Yeah, the Knights thing was a bit of a fudge. Either my marines or the Knights had to go a bit rogue, and I like my side more.

 

Still, next time round, the Knights now have an entirely valid reason to come after my marines!

[Kasper_Hawser]

Not really, prove that the inquisitor was bad to the rest of the Inquisition and the Grey Knights might let it slide. 

[brother_contagion]

Nice batrep!

 

Not really, prove that the inquisitor was bad to the rest of the Inquisition and the Grey Knights might let it slide.

Yeah, maybe it doesn't really follow canon, but it's his story, and if GW was concerned with canon they probably wouldn't allow those kind of engagements on the table top. I'm sure he was looking for an excuse for why the battle could have happened, and remember: history is written by the winners ;)

[Rogue]

Thanks.

 

In this case, it was more a case of loyalist status goes to whoever bothers to write a battle report...

 

You're right - there's not really a canon way of having loyalist marines slug it out with Grey Knights. A misunderstanding seemed a possibility. And yes, it could probably be patched up with some fast talking, but then I'd have to come up with another scenario for the next battle.

 

As it stands, the Knights assume that the Sons are traitors (having apparently dispatched an Inquisitor and a dozen Knights for no real reason), and the Sons get to defend themselves against misguided Knight attempts to crush their seeming insurrection. Everyone wins (or loses, because grimdark), and I get a hook for the next few skirmishes. Hurrah.