The Last Stand of the Vichiers Crusade

[Acebaur]

Some of you may remember that my crusade used to be called the Vichiers Crusade.  However, I became unhappy with the direction of my fluff(what little there was) and the name as well. So I decided it was time to let it go and start over. Ultimately this was the best decision and I do not regret it.  

 

Onto the present day, my friend who plays DA and I thought it would be fun to do a mega battle to christen his new gaming table. So we decided on doing a mega battle against two of our friends orks.  I remembered a mission from the back of the 6th edition rule book called Blood of Matyrs which represented a heroic last stand. We thought this was a fun mission and combined it with the Wave Assault special rule listed a few pages later. So it will be 2v2 with 6,000 points of orks on one side and 4,0000 points of Templars and Angels on the other(as per the mission rules)

 

So it is that I come to my brothers with questions. Both tactical and fluff. I decided a battle of this epicness needed some fluff and it occurred to me that it would a fitting way to close the chapter of my BT that was the Vichiers Crusade. So what might some reasons you think that a crusade would make a last stand alongside some brothers of the 1st Legion?  I was thinking something like they arrive in system and decide to purge the planet of orks and find the DA embattled already. Then upon making planetfall the orks spring a trap and multiple ork cruisers come into orbit and launch further assaults and their strength is sufficient enough that the Templars in space have to either withdraw or be destroyed. The Marhsal tells them to go and tell their story to the chapter and that they died with honor killing the greenskins.  Thoughts?

 

 

Then onto the tactics. We are defending a Fortress of Redemption(which is not included in our points limit) and this is mostly designed to be a really fun game of epicness rather than something super competitive. This is because the mission is designed around one side being totally out numbered and victory conditions hinge on how many turns it takes to destroy the defenders :lol:

 

So with that in mind I've been trying to figure out what to take. My DA friend is taking lots bolters that become salvo 2/4(with a relic banner) I thinking of taking some Sternguard to compliment that along with other classics like vindicators and LS Tornados.  I was going to use my Storm Eagle, cause yeah, big blast templates!  Also I thought some Jump troops as a counter assault unit to keep the bolter marines shooting.  I'm torn about the LRC. On the one hand it's classic but on the other it's not super useful in a game like this and is likely to get bogged down with orks. Thoughts? What units would you take?

 

Thanks and sorry for the wall of text! ;)

[Marshal Mattias]

You HAVE to take a Marshal in an LRC, surrounded by his personal Household Guard, and sally-forth from the fortress in a glorious show of defiance! That's pure fluffy trope-loving goodness right there.

Consider a couple of drop pods with some angry Templars in them, the kind who would rather drop to certain death than leave their brothers to fight alone. Use them tactically to prolong your resistance and target those pesky units picking-off your boys in black.

Otherwise I think you have the right idea, plenty of Bolters and maybe a few Las/Plas squads and a decent counter-assault. Your Vindicators will probably be able to scatter anywhere on the board and still hit something green!

Also, if you have any whirlwinds knocking around, or Thunderfires, they are begging to see the table in a match like this. Try and find some space for orbital bombardments from your retreating space forces too!

Wow, I wish I had a group for gaming like this - big, fun, fluffy games rather than just small skirmishes every now and then :/

[Marshal Rohr]

Sad to see the Vichiers Crusade pass into the Roll of Honored Martyrs, but I can't wait for the Battle report :D

 

For the game set up, you may want to include an objective where the Imperials have to evacuate a relic from the fortress to give the battle a 'against the clock' tempo. If you've got a sky shield or appropriate stand in that could give your Eagle a use besides murdering the green skins.

[Honda]

So what might some reasons you think that a crusade would make a last stand alongside some brothers of the 1st Legion?

 

 

Some place really hot finally froze over.

[Acebaur]

Yeah it's going to be hard to miss with templates. I'm basically imagining a 40K version of this http://shapstikonscreen.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/arachnid_rush.png

:lol:

 

Trouble with a LRC and the Marshal's Household is what to drop? I was going to take an Ironclad in drop pod, Sternguard, Vanguard with Chaplain, two crusader squads with bolters, twin speeders, a twin flamer assault squad, the Eagle and a Vindy. I could drop the eagle, but I may need it's firepower as one of the ork players is bringing a looted Knight and I know one of them likes Meganobz.  

 

BTW the Marshal is a TH&SE TDA Chapter Master. 

 

@M2C That is a cool idea about the relic, I'll talk it over with my friends and see what they think.

[Andhil]

I'd go all out melee. I've done something similar in a 2v2, my buddy brought IG, and my BT vs. Nids and Orks, he went full shooty, I brought almost exclusively melee units. I hammered the Orks like you wouldn't believe!

Show the 1st what true Crusaders do in the face of such overwhelming force! Get in close and show them the fury and Zeal of the Emperor's Black Templars!

[Marshal Reinhard]

I expect a glorious last stand image where the core of your crusade stand atop a mountain of broken ork corpses. It goes with the territory.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

This does sound epic.

 

I say get a skyshield landing pad for cover, to fir from for DA and Agis for underside with BT to guardfortify and fire in all directions.

Sheer weight of fire should help here and a Twin Squad of Storm Ravens or a Storm Wing formation should allow you to sweep the skys clear and come in behind the knight.

That said you can have an assault squad of some build/ crusader squad/ Marshal or Chaplin with Terminators in there ready to assault straight into the heart of the foe to delay them so that your fire can thin their ranks.

Even if the DA and the BT win their will be so few that the crusade will be over but it will be a victory for the ages. :)

[ThatOneMarshal]

Take the ironclad it's amazing tried it against necrons an he managed to kill like 12 of the 15 warriors he fired on with his heavy flamer. He then got them to run off the board. Also if your ork player is running flyers try to bring a storm talon or two. They funny enough are less paper mâché then the ork aircraft and we also have access to better anti air than dark angels. After the aircraft is felt with you can rage this vehicles which aren't to hard to get there backside. Also run grimaldus and his command squad and relive the glory of helsreach! Happy crusading!

[Marshal Mattias]

Oh my- if you have the requisite models, you could consider running the 'Sons of Grimaldus' formations (I think that was the name). It's entirely crusaders/veterans/termies and grim, but they gain special rules versus orks I believe. You could probably MSU the crusaders and max out the elite squads?

 

Ingredients:

To create Ork Purée, you will need;

 

Chaplain Grimaldus

1 Black Templars Command Squad

1 Squad of Sword Brethren Terminators

1 Squad of Sword Brethren Assault Terminators

2 Squads of Sword Brethren (these could be substituted for Stern/Vanguard to flavour)

5 Squads of Black Templars Crusaders (Squad composition varies)

 

Recipe

Heat crusaders together in a frying pan over a fire until all get feel no pain. Season sword brethren before adding so they also gain fearless and hatred(orks). Charge any unit from codex Orks before serving so they gain furious charge.

 

Voila, enjoy. Recommended side dishes include: Storm Talons, LRCs, Thunderfires, Ironclads, Marshal Scary McOrk-beater and Honourguard.

[Acebaur]

Ok so here is my list so far.

 

CM with TH&SE and TDA

Vanguard Vets with about 4 PW's of various types and about 8 of them

Ironclad with dual HF in a DP

Giant Crusader squad in a LRC(CM rides here)

Small crusader squad for helping hold the Fortress

Assault squad (5 man, twin flamers)

Vindicator

Storm Eagle with TLLC 

 

160ish points left

[FortesMastery]

Vanguard have means of getting into the fight? Drop pod I assume? And then the assault squad for the free pod....I'd say either a TFC and then small upgrades or drop the assault squad and take a second Ironclad + small upgrades.

[Acebaur]

Vanguard have means of getting into the fight? Drop pod I assume? And then the assault squad for the free pod....I'd say either a TFC and then small upgrades or drop the assault squad and take a second Ironclad + small upgrades.

 

They have Jump Packs as do the Assault Squad. The idea is that the Vets will be counter assault/mop up with the assault squad as support assault/flame the crap out of everything in sight :lol:

 

Sadly I don't have a TFC or that would be an excellent choice. My DA friend is running a command squad with the Banner of Devastation which makes bolters salvo 2/4 so he'll have 3 squad benefiting for that for a total of nearly 100 bolter rounds a turn. Plus they'll re-roll 1's to hit because of the ammo dumps on the Fortress :D

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Chaplin on jump pack and a few upgrades I say for the vets, not a crusade without a chaplin... Also a Emperors champion could not keep up, no jump pack unless in the raider with the chapter master to bring some huge death, would loo great the heros piling the enemies dead high charging into the never ending tide. :P

[Acebaur]

Oops, forgot to mention the chaplain. I got one in the list with a JP to run with the Vets. 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Well still if your running such high points you have an Addition FOC so take the Emperors Champion, A Black Sword Must be with the crusade. :D

[Sete]

Arhh jump packs... I cringe at them... We need a rhino with assault ramps or an assault pod.

[Marshal_Roujakis]

What's wrong with Jump Packs??? They are great for moving around and kiting units into traps, they are good for traversing over tanks and hitting their soft rears with Plasma Fire, one of the best advantages of Chaplains over ministorum priests is that they could equip Jump Packs, and Jump Packs make the Vanguards a truly dangerous foe capable of hitting you out of nowhere...

 

An Assault Drop Pod needs a downside too... like not being able to shoot after you disembark, since being able to drop into melee right after Deep Striking is too OP... Rhinos with Assault Ramps I do agree on, since majority of Assault based armies gets Open-topped or Assault Ramps on their vehicles. (although we have the LRC for that...)

[Sete]

Its personnal taste. I dislike jump packs.

well the price of a LRC you can field 5 or 6 rhinos.

They are less awesome true but give your enemy more targets.

[Acebaur]

What's wrong with Jump Packs??? They are great for moving around and kiting units into traps, they are good for traversing over tanks and hitting their soft rears with Plasma Fire, one of the best advantages of Chaplains over ministorum priests is that they could equip Jump Packs, and Jump Packs make the Vanguards a truly dangerous foe capable of hitting you out of nowhere...

 

An Assault Drop Pod needs a downside too... like not being able to shoot after you disembark, since being able to drop into melee right after Deep Striking is too OP... Rhinos with Assault Ramps I do agree on, since majority of Assault based armies gets Open-topped or Assault Ramps on their vehicles. (although we have the LRC for that...)

 

Vets used to be able to assault after DS, it's what Heroic Intervention used to be.