BA Today

[Jolemai]

New Unit of the Week entry:

• Primaris Lieutenants

[Indefragable]

Haven't played in a bit due to that pesky real life.

 

Had a 2500pt match vs Khorne Berzerkers + Daemons yesterday.

 

TL;DR:  Pulled out a 8-1 win that turned out far less dire than it appeared for much of the game

 

Notes:

-Khorne Lord of Skulls are disgusting. Absolutely pick-up-your-ball-and-go-home powerful. Holy crap. Even after a friend warned me that just a few weeks before it basically single handled tabled him, I should have expected power, but hot :cuss those things are nasty. I was thinking they were Baneblade powerful, but they're really Knight+ power levels.

 

-Practice. Practice. Practice the finer footwork elements of the Charge/Pile-In/Fight phase. Little slip-ups almost cost me the game. As a "finesse" melee army, we simply cannot afford to be sloppy with things like this.

 

-lascannons are like dollars in the bank. You simply can not have too much.

 

The Game:

Hidden Content

 

Mission:

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My local club (Grimdark Gaming) likes to due the "Grimdark special" which is 1x Eternal War + 1x Maelstrom at the same time to keep things interesting. From Chapter Approved, we did:

 

Eternal War: Front-Line Warfare. Basically, dictates where objectives must go, starting with the 1st which has to go 12" from the center of the board, then 1 in each deployment zone.

Maelstrom: Targets of Opportunity: where you have 3 Objective Cards at all time, but you must discard any you don't score each Turn unless you burn 2CP to keep one.

 

Deployment Zones:

#3 in the BRB, the 4 quadrants with a 9" bubble zone in the middle.

 

 

My list:

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Blood Angels 2499pts

 

Detachment One: BA Battalion +5CP

HQ:

Captain

-jump pack

-thunder hammer

-storm shield

 

-The Sanguinor

 

TROOPS

Scouts x 5

-combat knife + bolt pistol x 4

-Sgt chainsword + bolter

 

Scouts x 5

-bolters x 4

-Sgt chainsword + bolter

 

Scouts x 5

-bolters x 3

-heavy bolter x 1

-Sgt chainsword + bolter

 

ELITES:

Death Company x 15

-jump packs

-power sword + bolter x 3

-power axe + bolter x 1

-chainsword + bolter x 11

 

Sanguinary Guard x 8

-power fist + angelus boltgun x 8

 

Sanguinary Ancient

-plasma pistol

-encarmine sword

-death mask

(he's modeled that way)

 

 

Detachment Two: BA Battalion +5CP

 

HQ:

Captain

-jump pack

-lightning claw x 2

 

Lieutenant

-jump pack

-thunder hammer

-inferno pistol

 

TROOPS

Scouts x 5

-combat knife + bolt pistol x 4

-Sgt chainsword + bolter

 

Scouts x 5

-combat knife + bolt pistol x 4

-Sgt chainsword + bolter

 

Scouts x 5

-combat knife + bolt pistol x 4

-Sgt chainsword + bolter

 

DEDICATED TRANSPORT:

Rhino

-storm bolter x 2

 

Rhino

-storm bolter x 2

 

BA Air Wing Detachment + 1 CP

Stormraven

-twin heavy bolters

-twin assault cannons

-hurricane bolters x 2

 

Xiphon Interceptor

 

Xiphon Interceptor

 

 

Comand Points:

14 total

-3 extra Relics

--Free one: started with Veritas Vitae on Lieutenant

--second: The Angel's Wing on Captain Smash

--third: Standard of Sacrifice on Sanguinary Ancient

-2 for 2x Death Vision of Sanguinius

 

Drops:

9 total

By deploying the CQC scouts in the Rhinos and all the characters in the SR, I managed to cut things down to 9.

 

 

Opponent's army (from memory):

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Khorne buddies ~2500pts

 

Detachment One: World Eaters Battalion + 5CP

 

HQ:

Khârn the Betrayer

 

Exalted Champion

-Power Axe

-Combi-melta

 

Dark Apostle

-power maul

 

TROOPS:

Khorne Berzerkers x 9

-couple plasma pistols

-mix of chain-axes and chainswords

-banner

 

Khorne Berzerkers x 9

-couple plasma pistols

-mix of chain-axes and chainswords

-banner

 

Khorne Berzerkers x 9

-couple plasma pistols

-mix of chain-axes and chainswords

-banner

 

LORD OF WAR:

Khorne Lord of Skulls

 

DEDICATED TRANSPORT:

Rhino

-combi-bolter

 

Rhino

-combi-bolter

 

Rhino

-combi-bolter

 

 

 

Detachment Two: Khorne Daemons Battalion + 3CP

 

HQ:

Skarbrand

 

Blood Throne

(I think...he was proxying it with my permission and it never really did anything, so I don't recall if this was exactly what it was supposed to be)

 

TROOPS:

Bloodletters x 20

-banner

 

Bloodletters x 10

 

Bloodletters x 10

 

Command Points:

13 total

-used 3 to Deep Strike Skarbrand + Bloodletters

-used 1 for a banner upgrade to the 20x Bloodletter blob

 

Relics:

-Free one: Dark Mace on the Dark Apostle

 

Drops:

9 total

We both had 9 total drops, but since he started deploying first, he got the +1...and proceeded to roll a 1 to my 6. Then he got a 6 on the Seize. The highs and lows of dice...

 

 

Scoring:

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T1:

Khorne: 0

BA: 5

-1: 1st Blood (Rhino)

-D3 =3: Blood + Guts (3x Rhinos)

-D3 = 1: Psychological Warfare (3x Berzerker Squads, 2x Bloodletter squads)

 

 

T2:

Khorne: 1

-Slay the Warlord (The Sanguinor)

BA: 3

-1 Supremacy

-1 Slay the Warlord (Khârn)

-1 Advance

 

End of Game:

Khorne: 1

BA: 8

 

Left standing:

Khorne had a wounded Skarbrand and a 5man Bloodletter squad left

BA had:

• Captain Smash
• 8x DC
• 1x SG
• 1x Sang Ancient
• 1x full bolter Scout squad
• a 2-man heavy bolter+ Sgt Scout squad
• 2x full CQC Scout squad
• a 2-man CQC Scout squad
• 1x Xiphon
• 1x Xiphon with 4 wounds left
• 2x Rhinos with a wound or two plinked off

 

 

Synopsis:

 

With two stabby armies in weird Deployment Zones, we both deployed in a cautiously-aggressive setup, with his Zerker+ Character Rhinos closish to the center, the Lord of Skulls just out of 48" dakka range in the middle of his deployment and completely surrounded by the 2x10 Bloodletters. He was very worried of me Deep Striking in. Reputation proceeds me, I suppose, both at the army and personal level.

 

I put the Heavy Bolter scouts up high in cover right near the center of the map, the bolter scouts up high off on a flank, and the CQC scouts packed into the Rhinos which I held back just tantalizingly out of his T1 possible Charge range. I used the Rhinos to screen the Sanguinary Guard while putting the Death Company way off on a flank in a nitpicking formation to make sure they were out of LoS. All Characters went in the Stormraven that due to terrain, was further forward then I would have planned. The Xiphons were as far back as possible.

 

T1:

He goes first and proceeds to leave my Stormraven with 1 wound. That Lord of Skulls....damn! The Rhino with Khârn + 9 zerkers goes off on a flank towards an objective and also a Turn or two out from charging my DC. Another zerker squad hops out and goes for the charge on the near HB Scouts. The remaining Rhinos (1 w/ Champion + Zerkers, the other with just the Dark Apostle) gun for my lines. One bloodletter squad goes for a back objective (no card, but there's not much else they were going to do) and the other works its way towards my lines). Due to the height of the Mechanicus terrain they are perched on, only 1 Zerk manages to get in fighting range of the HB Scouts and proceeds to lop off a head. Scouts kills 4! in return.

 

My 1st Turn:

All CQC Scouts dump out of my Rhinos and get as close as they can to his two Rhinos. DC jump their way up towards his two main Rhinos as well. All Characters launch out of the SR, getting that sweet sweet 15" movement (jump packs + 3" disembark) to get within range to support, if not charge alongside, the main advance. Captain Smash hangs back in such a way that he can buff the bolter scouts on a flank, + the Rhinos, + 1x Xiphon and Stormraven that have flown up for a gun run (see: "Buzzing the Tower" tactica). Other Xiphon flies up the other flank to be in range of both Captain Blender and LT. Sanguinary Guard On Wings of Fire themselves over to Khârn's rhino.

 

My dakka turn knocks the Lord of Skulls down to 8 wounds (not bad, from 28!), kills 9 Bloodletters from one squad and 5 from the other (love me some Hurricane bolters, degraded BS skill be :cuss -ed!), wipes the remaining Zerkers on foot, and plinks off wounds from all 3 Rhinos (never underestimate the ability to knock off wounds from vehicles with light weaponry...you may just get lucky). Crucially, I forgot to use the LT's inferno pistol despite being in range (newb!). I pop Descent of Angels to get the Sanguinary Guard completely surrounding Khârn's Rhino. The Scout Swarm, LT, Captain Blender, Sanguinor, and DC manage to charge the other two Rhinos, completely surrounding both, but the Sanguinor with the best charge move is now closest to the Lord of Skulls. Yea, that will not end well.

 

My stabby time = 3 dead Rhinos, and between the explosions (all 3 blew up ) and their inability to safely disembark not-within-1" of my dudes, both Zerker squads are left with a single body. Khârn, the Champion, and the Dark Apostle all survive, however, as there is just-barely-precisely the room for them to be in the exact middle of where the Rhino was while still being 1" from all surrounding models. Guess I measured/planned that wrong. And those exploding Rhinos? manage to knock half the HP off almost all of my characters, kill 3 DC and a bunch of scouts, damage my Rhinos. <face palm>

 

But then again the dark gods really inspire their followers, so the 2 single-man Berzerker squads and the 1-man beast creature Bloodletter squad have their heads pop in fright, netting me D3 VP for the Psychological Warfare card....though I only roll a 1. Also get 1 VP for 1st Blood and D3 = 3 for Blood + Guts.

 

5-0 top of T2.

 

His second Turn:

Skarbrand + 20 man Bloodletters DS in.

Skarbrand goes to support the Lord of Skulls + Champion + Dark Apostle while the Bloodletter Blood goes after the Sanguinary Guard surrounding Khârn.

Shooting: Bye bye Stormraven and 7 wounds from a Xiphon.

Fightin': despite losing 5 bloodletters in Overwatch when multi-charging both the Sang Guard + Death Company, his Bloodletters successfully pile in with their 3D6" + 1" charge. Khârn + Bloodletters kill 7x SG and 3 DC. Lord of Skulls nukes the Sanguinor who I blew 2 of my last 3 CP interrupting to try to shave off those last 8 wounds. 6x attacks, hitting on 2's re-rolling 1's, wounding on 4's re-rolling 1's, doing D3 damage each....and Mr. Goldenboy manages to land a single successful wound doing 3 damage. Way to play clutch, :cuss . Champion chops up the LT. and the Dark Apostle wrecks Captain Blender (since he had 2 HP left from the splodey Rhino). In swinging back, I do 2 wounds to Khârn with the lone SG....and the DC swing back to kill like 7-8 Bloodletters. Essentially the DC punched back hard enough that when he rolled for Morale, he took enough additional casualties to have a lone Bloodletter left.

 

He gets 1 VP for killing the Sanguinor.

 

My second turn:

Lone SG falls back to a near objective, but still within shooting of Khârn.

Captain Smash uses my last WoF to jump within charge range of Khârn. DC Fall Back from Bloodletters so they are in Rapid Fire bolter range of Khârn and get buffs from Captain Smash. Xiphons manuever to get Smash's buffs as well. A back Scout squad Advances to grab a rear objective and the Rhinos spread out to hold Obj and get their Storm bolters guns-on-target. Remaining Scouts shuffle to get maximum bolterage on Champion, Dark Apostle, and the (yet again) lone Bloodletter with a banner left standing.

 

An Angelus boltgun + 16 bolter shots manage to only take off 1 wound from Khârn (good save rolls). One Xiphon nukes the Lord of Skulls and the other does 4ish damage to Skarbrand while his missiles bring Khârn down to a single (annoying) wound left. Combined weight of fire from Scouts and Rhino kill the Dark Apostle. Scouts dogpile the Champion to take him down and Captain Smash charges Khârn to take his last wound off (barely, Khârn made 4x 4++ saves...good thing Smashy was a-Black-Ragin').

 

He calls it at that point considering he had just a wounded Skarbrand and 5x Bloodletters left.

 

End of Game:

Khorne: 1

BA: 8

 

 

Lessons learned:

-I say this in 2/3 of the Battle Reports I present, but footwork is just as important in 40k melee as it is in boxing: knowing how, when, and where to position your dudes to charge when you want is perhaps the single most important skill we Sons of Baal can excel at.

 

-know your rules. Duh. But I thought I could surround the Rhinos, kill them in melee, and then Pile-In + Honor the Chapter any survivors. However, the BRB explicitly states that you can only ever Fight targets that you declared against in the Charge phase. Therefore, it is impossible to melee-kill units hopping out of a Transport if you also killed the Transport in melee for this reason. Take Note.

 

-BA are one of the best melee armies in the game...but we are not necessarily The Best. Our ability to combine great melee with dakka is one edge we have against other melee armies. Always take advantage of Angelus Boltguns, bolters on DC/Vets if you can take them, etc... This is why Intercessors are pretty darn good for us in general: the ability to due decent dakka + decent punching is a prime combo. If only they could fit in Rhinos...

 

-Lascannons. Anti-tank shooting is soooooo important. It can't be emphasized enough. Yes, it's obvious, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored.Not only do you want to be able to take on the big scary things (Knights, Baneblade/equivs) from across the board, but you want the ability to open up transports as much as possible, early and often. Especially re-learning the finer points of Transports in melee, you want to be able to nuke them quickly so that your charges are even more effective (duh). 

I think 12 lascannons is the unscientific magic number (3x Predator Annihilators, 3x 4x lascannon Dev squads or some combination thereof)

 

 

 

Hope this helps anyone who may be interested.

[BluejayJunior]

Nice write up. Sounds like a good game. 

 

For this part:

 

 

My stabby time = 3 dead Rhinos, and between the explosions (all 3 blew up ) and their inability to safely disembark not-within-1" of my dudes, both Zerker squads are left with a single body. Khârn, the Champion, and the Dark Apostle all survive, however, as there is just-barely-precisely the room for them to be in the exact middle of where the Rhino was while still being 1" from all surrounding models. Guess I measured/planned that wrong. 

If I'm understanding this correctly, it sounds like he removed the rhino then was able to place the characters right in the middle of where the rhino was in order to keep them 1" away.

The rule says that models in a destroyed transport must disembark before the transport is removed. I've seen a lot of people not realize that. Usually it's not a big deal, but can be when you're specifically trying to surround the transport. Just an FYI. I doubt he was trying another shady, just didn't know he was doing it wrong.

[Panzer]

^that's right

You place the models first and then remove the transport.

[Indefragable]

But say you locked up a Rhino that way....could your opponent disembark “over” your models and be on the other side?

 

I know tri-locking is preventing an enemy from escaping because they can’t move through the enemy unit or within 1” of an another enemy unit...but dies disembarking let you hop over so to speak?

[BluejayJunior]

I believe so. It's weird and not really intuitive, but I don't think there is anything that disallows it. The models just have to be within 3" and further than 1" from the enemy. 

[Panzer]

If you manage to do so physically then there's nothing stopping you from doing so in the rules. It just won't happen. :P

[Majkhel]

Great report Indy, thanks!   

[Jolemai]

New entry for the Unit of the Week series:

• Primaris Librarians

Edited September 19, 2018 by Jolemai

[Dont-Be-Haten]

Armies on Parade just went up. I really want to participate this year. But I'm unsure I'm going to have time. Does anyone else participate?

[Jolemai]

Anyone painting anything at the moment? If you are, why not enter it into From Rage to Salvation? It's a no pressure, casual event (i.e. not a competition) to help you along the way with your work!

[Charlo]

Anyone painting anything at the moment? If you are, why not enter it into From Rage to Salvation? It's a no pressure, casual event (i.e. not a competition) to help you along the way with your work!

And even if you fail you get a cool badge!!!

[Indefragable]

 

Anyone painting anything at the moment? If you are, why not enter it into From Rage to Salvation? It's a no pressure, casual event (i.e. not a competition) to help you along the way with your work!

And even if you fail you get a cool badge!!!

 

 

Real inspirational, there Chaplain Charlo. 

[Jolemai]

New entry for the Unit of the Week series:

• Redemptor Dreadnought

[Damon Nightman]

I missed you all! Jol, how were you posting stuff when the site was down?

[durdle-durdle]

Brothers! I’d like to report a crushing victory against the traitorous tallarn scum!

 

Brought a double batallion list with 6 tactical squads mounted in rhinos...though it was really the 2 smash captains, mephiston, dread librarian, and predators that did all the work.

[Riot Earp]

Praise the omnissiah. Thanks the the Admin. Good to have this Plattform back.

[Jolemai]

I missed you all! Jol, how were you posting stuff when the site was down?

Was it? ;)

[Mostwanted]

Does anyone have a rough time when the next forgeworld book, Malevolence is due out? Can't wait to get that and the new BA dreads and Praetors!

[Charlo]

 

 

 

Anyone painting anything at the moment? If you are, why not enter it into From Rage to Salvation? It's a no pressure, casual event (i.e. not a competition) to help you along the way with your work!

And even if you fail you get a cool badge!!!

Real inspirational, there Chaplain Charlo.

I specialise in the litanies of "eh if it happens it happens".

 

Also you hear that Jol... LOOK AT ME. I AM THE CHAPLAIN NOW.

[sockwithaticket]

 

 

 

Anyone painting anything at the moment? If you are, why not enter it into From Rage to Salvation? It's a no pressure, casual event (i.e. not a competition) to help you along the way with your work!

And even if you fail you get a cool badge!!!

Real inspirational, there Chaplain Charlo.

I specialise in the litanies of "eh if it happens it happens".

 

Also you hear that Jol... LOOK AT ME. I AM THE CHAPLAIN NOW.

 

Yeah, but he's the Reclusiarch

[Charlo]

Damnit sock, he's supposed to say that ;)

[Jolemai]

Tbf every master needs a padawan. I anticipate a padawan braid at our next Apocalypse!

[Charlo]

Tbf every master needs a padawan. I anticipate a padawan braid at our next Apocalypse!

 

All I can picture now is Gav telling me I am on this council, but I have not been granted the rank of Master 

[BluejayJunior]

Played a Maelstrom mission using Blood Angels and some Knights (Valiant + 2 Helverins) against a Nurgle/Death Guard/Thousand Sons list this weekend. Close fought bloody game, but BA/Knights pulled out a win. Going to try to write up a battle report soon.