First game with new codex

[MalachiOfRuss]

So, had my first game with the new codex on Saturday, including my just assembled Storm Wolf.  Played a 2000 point game against my friend's Black Templars Space Marines.

 

My List (Wolves Unleashed detatchement):

Wolf Lord - Thunderwolf, Armor of Russ, Fangsword, Wolves x2

Wolf Priest - Runic Armor, PP

Rune Priest - Level 2, Staff, Divination

Rune Priest - Level 2, Axe, Tempestas

 

Blood Claws x15 - Flamer x2, in Stormwolf with MM

Grey Hunters x9 - Plasma Gun, WG with combi-plas, Wolf Banner

Grey Hunters x9 - Melta gun, WG with combi-melta

 

TWC x 3 - All SS, sgt had a TH

 

Long Fangs x6 - LC x2, ML x3

Predator, LC and TLLC

 

Aegis Line with Quad Gun

 

His list:

Captain - SS and Relic Blade

Master of the Forge - Conversion Beamer

 

Crusader Squad x10 - 4 Neophytes (I think) with bolters, Sword Brother with PF, Power Axe in Rhino

Crusader Squad x15 - (don't remember exactly, bunch of Neophytes with bolters), Sword Brother with PF

 

Assault Terminators - TH/SS x3, LCx2 in Storm Raven with Cyclone and TLAC

 

Storm Talon with Skyhammer

 

Vindicator with Siege Shield

Centurions x3 - Grav cannons and ML all

 

 

My list was a "try the new stuff" kind of thing, hence the Wolves Unleashed detatchement and the Tempestas Rune Priest.  I'm glad my opponent took a CAD, since I was interested to see how much (if at all) my not have Objective Secured would play into things.

 

My Warlord was the Wolf Lord and (after a reroll) I got Saga of the Bear.  For psychic powers I rolled Storm Caller and Thunderclap for Tempestas (spoiler alert: never used them) with Living Lightning, and for Divination I got all the good ones: Perfect Timing (Ignore Cover), and Forewarning (4+ Invul), with Prescience.  Wolf Lord went with the TWC, Wolf Priest with the Bc in the Stormwolf, and Rune Priests with the Grey Hunters.  Rolling for Outflankers I only got the GH with melta (and the Div priest), which is not a bad unit to have Outlfank.

 

We were playing (after some debate) Maelstrom mission #6, "Deadlock" where the number of objectives reduces turn by turn.  It was the diagonal deployment.  I won the roll and chose to make him Deploy First, because of Outlfankers and because I wanted to win the air war.

 

We were on a ruins heavy board, with the objectives spread out pretty evenly across the board.  He set up with his MoF on a tall ruin in the corner and the Crusader Rhino in that corner, Land Raider just in front of that ruin, then Vindicator in the back middle, with Centurions on the ruin "above" the Vindicator.  I set up kind of opposite, with my Aegis covering my back corner, Predator behind the Aegis, TWC on my far right flank (but forward), LF in a tall ruin the middle (directly opposite Centurions), and a Rhino with Grey Hunters hiding behind the ruin "below" them.  Other Grey Hunters were outflanking.

 

Highlights from the game.

Long Fangs got wiped out Turn 1 by Centurion shooting.  Oh well.

 

Turn 2 saw me get complete air dominance.  The Quad gun shot down the Storm Talon when it came from reserves, then the Storm Wolf came on bottom Turn 2 and shot down the newly arrived Storm Raven, but just barely!  I only ended up getting a Pen from the Lascannon (missed with both TLMM, ugh), which got an Immobilized, then rolled a 1 for Crash and Burn!

 

GH also got to Outflank on Turn 2.  Crusader squad in Rhino had just moved onto an objective that had the +1 Cover Save aspect to it.  Rhino popped smoke so it had a 4+ cover save.  I came in with the Rhino and disembarked, then the RP cast the Ignore Cover power as well as the 4+ Invul power (he had some special weapons in there too).  They blew up that rhino nicely.

 

Turn 2 also saw the TWC get lit up by Vindicator and Centurions.  However, Storm Shields and (surprisingly) the 6+ FNP saw more than expected survive (Lord plus 2 guys)!  They were in great position to assault the Centurions in bottom of 2, but rolled box cars on the Morale test!  They fell back 7", then failed the 10" charge on that turn.

 

Turn 3 saw the Stormwolf hover and all the Blood Claws and Wolf Priest get out to assault the Centurions.  They are super tough with their T5 and 2+ save.  Disappointingly, they failed their charge with a snake eyes roll. :(

 

Storm Wolf opened up on the Land Raider, but only managed 1 Pen which blew off the TLAC.  However, it did fire the Helfrost Cannon in Blast mode at the small Crusader squad that was blown out of its Rhino.  That S6 AP3 can shred Marines!  In desparation he went to ground for the 6+ cover and actually made 2!

 

I ended up having to jink the Stormwolf to avoid fire from the Centurions, who also (since they have Split Fire) raked the Blood Claws with Grav Cannons and Frag Missiles to the tune of 7 or 8 Wounds.

 

In the end, the BC got stuck in with the Centurions for like 2 or 3 Game Turns.  The Wolf Lord finally (on his own) made contact with the Terminators, but because of his AP3 sword I couldn't do much damage (and wasn't making any Rends).

 

Late in the game I lost the Stormwolf because his squad won a combat in my turn so he consolidated towards me, moved, then assaulted.  It was my mistake, though, because I should have just flown it off the board.

 

In the end I won by 1 point.  I had jumped out to a big early lead by completing a bunch of objectives, then I got bogged down in assaults and just ended up hanging on.

 

Take-Aways

That Stormwolf with MM is an A+ unit, no doubt about it.

BC need Power Weapons, weight of attacks alone is not enough.

Wolves Unleashed detatchment is alright.  If you want to take extra HQ's and get Outflank it's pretty solid.

Don't discount FNP 6+ - you make it more than you think you would!

TWC are great, but they need some AP2 weapons.

Tempestas is (so far) a disappointment.  Living Lightning is underwhelming.

[Squark]

You probably should have given Stormcaller a try- Shrouded is a pretty solid USR. Living Lightning needs the Helm of Durfast, in my opinion (twin-linked allows it to mimic a tesla destructor). Tempest's Wrath is also decent. The other powers are a let down- Jaws and Murderous hurricane should both be WC 1 powers, while Fury of the Wolf Spirit is about halfway to where it should be. Thunderclap, well... I get what it's trying to do, I just don't see that thing being very useful.

[MalachiOfRuss]

You probably should have given Stormcaller a try- Shrouded is a pretty solid USR. Living Lightning needs the Helm of Durfast, in my opinion (twin-linked allows it to mimic a tesla destructor). Tempest's Wrath is also decent. The other powers are a let down- Jaws and Murderous hurricane should both be WC 1 powers, while Fury of the Wolf Spirit is about halfway to where it should be. Thunderclap, well... I get what it's trying to do, I just don't see that thing being very useful.

 

The Tempestas Priest was in his Rhino most of the game so Blessings weren't an option.  Shrouding is okay, but it's by far best used when the squad is already in cover.  Maybe next time if I roll it I'll stick him with my Long Fangs in a ruin or behind an Aegis.  It wouldn't have made a difference this game because he had first turn, but it is something to think about.