Iron Saints Vs. White Scars Batrep

[Saint_Michael]

Forward:

 

This was a battle I had over the weekend at a FLGS.  Proxying in my cousins smurfs color scheme for my own Iron Hands Succesor Chapter (the wife okay'd me to start buying my own, woot!), we played an 1850 point game of Eternal War: Crusade with a Dawn of War Deployment.  The objectives were placed dead center in each 2x2 square.  The terrain (excluding little odds and ends) was essentially five pillars set equal distance from all sides and each other (think of the 5 dots on a d6). 

 

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+++ Iron Saints (1850pts) +++

 

++ Space Marines: Codex (2015) (SM IH Fist of Medusa Strike Force) (1850pts) ++

 

+ Core (925pts) +

 

'Stormlance Battle Demi-Company * (925pts)

 

········Captain

············Cataphractii Terminator Armour [storm Bolter, The Gorgon's Chain]

····Devastator Squad [4x Lascannon, 9x Space Marines]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

 

····Land Speeders

········Land Speeder [Heavy Bolter, Typhoon Missile Launcher]

 

····Tactical Squad [Meltagun, 4x Space Marines]

········Razorback [Lascannon and Twin-linked Plasma Gun]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

 

····Tactical Squad [Meltagun, 4x Space Marines]

········Razorback [Lascannon and Twin-linked Plasma Gun]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

 

····Tactical Squad [Meltagun, 4x Space Marines]

········Razorback [Lascannon and Twin-linked Plasma Gun]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

 

+ Command (195pts) +

 

'Librarius Conclave * (195pts)

····Librarian [Mastery Level 1]

········Power Armour [bolt Pistol, Force Axe]

 

····Librarian [Mastery Level 1]

········Power Armour [bolt Pistol, Force Axe]

 

····Librarian [Mastery Level 1]

········Power Armour [bolt Pistol, Force Axe]

 

+ Auxiliary (730pts) +

 

'Honoured Ancients (135pts)

····Dreadnoughts

········Dreadnought [Multi-melta]

············Drop Pod [storm Bolter]

············Power Fist [storm Bolter]

 

'Honoured Ancients (135pts)

····Dreadnoughts

········Dreadnought [Multi-melta]

············Drop Pod [storm Bolter]

············Power Fist [storm Bolter]

 

'Skyhammer Orbital Strike Force *  (460pts)

····Land Speeders

········Land Speeder [Heavy Bolter, Typhoon Missile Launcher]

 

····Tactical Squad [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, 4x Space Marines]

········Drop Pod [storm Bolter]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

 

····Tactical Squad [Flamer, 4x Space Marines]

········Drop Pod [storm Bolter]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun, Melta Bomb]

 

····Tactical Squad [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, 4x Space Marines]

········Drop Pod [storm Bolter]

········Space Marine Sergeant [bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

 

Created with BattleScribe

 

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Her Army

 

+++ white scars (1850pts) +++

 

++ Space Marines: Codex (2015) (SM WS Scarblade Strike Force) (1850pts) ++

 

+ (No Category) +

 

Chapter Tactics [White Scars]

 

+ Core (1345pts) +

 

'Hunting Force * (1345pts)

····Attack Bike Squad

········Attack Bike [Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Attack Bike [Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Attack Bike [Multi-melta, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

 

····Attack Bike Squad

········Attack Bike [Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Attack Bike [Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Attack Bike [Multi-melta, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

 

····Attack Bike Squad

········Attack Bike [Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Attack Bike [Heavy Bolter, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Attack Bike [Multi-melta, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

 

····Bike Squad

········Biker Sergeant [Lightning Claw, Melta Bombs]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker with Special Weapon [Grav-gun, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Space Marine Biker with Special Weapon [Grav-gun, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

 

····Bike Squad

········Biker Sergeant [Lightning Claw, Melta Bombs]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker [Chainsword]

········Space Marine Biker with Special Weapon [Grav-gun, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Space Marine Biker with Special Weapon [Grav-gun, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

 

····Bike Squad

········Attack Bike [bolt Pistol, Heavy Bolter]

········Biker Sergeant [bolt Pistol]

········Space Marine Biker with Special Weapon [Grav-gun, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

········Space Marine Biker with Special Weapon [Grav-gun, Twin-Linked Boltgun]

 

····Chaplain

········Power Armour [Crozius Arcanum, Space Marine Bike, The Glaive of Vengeance]

 

····Kor'sarro Khan [Moondrakkan]

 

····Scout Bike Squad [Cluster Mines, Scout Biker, Scout Biker, Scout Biker, Scout Biker with Astartes Grenade Launcher, Scout Biker with Astartes Grenade Launcher]

········Scout Biker Sergeant [bolt Pistol]

 

+ Auxiliary (505pts) +

 

'Armoured Task Force (505pts)

····Predators

········Predator [Dozer Blade, Heavy Bolters, Twin-linked Lascannon]

 

····Predators

········Predator [Dozer Blade, Heavy Bolters, Twin-linked Lascannon]

 

····Techmarine [bolt Pistol, Conversion Beamer, Power Axe, Space Marine Bike, The Hunter's Eye]

 

····Vindicators

········Vindicator [siege Shield]

 

Created with BattleScribe

[Cont'd]

 

[Saint_Michael]

Deployment:

 

The Lady-

 

    We each deploy our armies, and her list frankly caught my attention when i saw not only the sheer amount of bikes (in my head i'm figuring out the dollar cost of her army, because i'm still shopping around), but also how it was organized.  She had her 2 large bike squads joined by Khan and her Chaplain respectively, and the smaller one was joined by her Techmarine.  The three attack bike squads I had already figured were her hunter killer unit, probably already aiming right for my razorbacks.  Her armored Task Force would have to be reckoned with quickly, but first I had to cut off the head of the snake.  I hadn't faced an army like this yet, so I was thoroughly entertained by the new challenge, and to say even on the turns i got my ass handed to me, I had a grin on my face.  The Lady had everything set up in a basic firing line with 3 main lanes.  Attack Bikes up front, ready to scout out the furthest they could.  1 Large bike squad on each outer lane, Khan on my left, Chaplain on my right.  The smaller bike squad with the techmarine was dead center, 1 predator behind each outer lane, and the vindicator in the middle.  A simple, predictable set up, but it was no less lethal.

The Saint-
 

    My updated list centered around bringing down drop pod hell, maximizing kill zones,  having my razorbacks reach the middle and play all sorts of annoying by capturing objectives.

My Landspeeders, CataFather/ las devastators, and razorbacks all take the field, with the SkyHammer Orbital Strike Force and my Dreadnoughts all hanging out ready to prove that flesh is inferior to the steel rain.  I had a my razorbacks and landspeeders take the front center of my deployment zone, set up as [RB] [LS] [RB] [LS] [RB],  Each razorback had it's tactical squad and 1 librarian, and I had my Cata and his buddies all take the stage on my left corner on a bit of a hill, baiting Khan to come get me.  So, last thing to do was roll for psyker spells.  Two of my librarians roll on the fulmination discipline.  1 (left razorback) getting electrodisplacement (easily starting to be my favorite), and lightning arc, with the electrosurge primaris. The second (right razorback) also rolls on the same table getting magnetokinesis, fists of lightning, and the electrosurge primaris.  My last librarian (middle razorback) rolls on telepathy getting Psychic shriek, invisbility, and hallucinate.

With all that done, the last thing before game time was scouting and for The Lady to try to steal the initiative, which she does.  Oh well, the band is set, the choir is warmed up, turn 1.
 

[Saint_Michael]

The Lady Turn 1-

As i expected she scouted her attack bikes straight ahead, using the pillars to block my initial line of sight.  What i didn't expect was her to do the same with her bike squads, figuring she'd not want to miss the chance to get a charge in.  The Chaplain and Khan squads each take a hard turn to my right as she hides her khan unit between the center and the pillars on her side, she runs her chaplain up my right side.  Coming straight at me at full speed on that side, intending on rolling up that flank.  Her techmarine scouted and kept in the back and got an eyeful of my CataCaptain and his family, keeping the conversion beam at it's furthest range so she could drop her pie plate of awesomeness on my warlord.

She gets nearly all of the objectives, all but the 1 nearest to my warlord.  Her sides right and left are nothing of note,  center is a grav wave generator,  my right 1 sabotaged, and center is also a grav wave generator.

Shooting phase brought the prophecy to real life, as the pie plate landed true on my warlord.  luckily for me, drifting dice gods and a decent roll there after, she only got 2 wounds and pinged off 2 of my non las devastators.  The Ladies multi-melta misses entirely and her heavy bolters fair okay, glancing 1 HP off of my right razorback, and my right land speeder.  she takes her melee phase to continue moving her predators, vindicator and bikes into placement awaiting my alpha strike.  I didn't disappoint.

The Saint Turn 1-

I pick my flamer pod and 1 of my grav pods to drop in from the Skyhammer along with 1 of my dreadnoughts.  I pick the center of the 12" killzone to be right on her Khan unit, covering all of them (she had circled around Khan), 1 attack bike, and (something she did accidentally) 1 of her predators.  I offered to let her move her predator back an inch, but she refused and we shared a respectful smile.  My dreadnought dropped right behind her predators rear arc with 2 inches of drift, The grav and flamer pods would take up positions 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock from the Khan and landed right on target with 1 and 3 inches of drift each respectfully.  My wounded razorback sought revenge for the glancing slight, and disembarked his payload.  The rest of my Razorbacks formed up into a staggered 2x2 with the land speeders in front, seeing a small amount of the chaplains bike squad, as a good a target as any.

Psychic phase: I role 2, getting 5 dice, the Lady getting 2.  I have a librarian with Electro Surge within 18" of her Chaplain's unit.  I risk 3 dice, and make it.  She rolls her two and fails to deny.  A 5, 4, and a 6 slams into her chaplain, and arcs into an attack bike.  The chaplains squad takes 1 wound unsaved, and her first attack bike squad eats all 6 of the arcs before poofing into smoke giving me first blood.  I decide to try to Magnetokinesis one of my landspeeders forward, only making 1 roll.

Shooting phase:  I unleash the cold fury on The Lady.  The combined might of my dreadnought, and 2 Drop Tac squads takes out 4 bikes (including 2 Grav), Her predator, another attack bike squad, and thanks to the many rerolls and overlapping fields of fire, Khan bites the dust and I get a warlord kill.  The rest of my shooting goes belly up as my las cannon devs take out only 1 of her techmarine bikes squad, and everyone else misses, or doesn't wound, or the wound gets saved, except for me pinging off 1 more chaplain squad biker.

Melee phase:  Everyone uses the stormlance for what it does best and either retreats or spreads out, my tac/libbies all going back inside of their boxes which scatter with the land speeders.

Praise be to the dice gods

[Saint_Michael]

The Lady turn 2 -

She doesn't disappoint either.  While I proved that flesh can only scratch steel, she proves that rage can bring doom to logic.

She wheels back around her lone remaining attack bike squad and her chaplains squad to take aim at my dreadnought and drop team.  Her Techmarine squad does the same, moving her conversion beams closest middle range, and bringing the combined might of the rest of her army down on my first assault.  I'll spare you the details, but needless to say I didn't want the tickle, but i got the tickle.  No one survived, not one single drop pod, tactical or the dreadnought.  Their sacrifice was not for nothing, because she had done what i had hoped and brought her entire army into one spot.  What i forgot was that she had brought her entire army into one spot, ready to receive anything i threw at her and spit it back at me.

The Saint turn 2-

 

Feeling no small amount of regret, trepidation, and loss for my alpha strikes sacrifice, I intend on making sure they were lives spent, and not wasted.

I roll for reserves, and they are not coming this turn, which is regretful because of the broad target she had given me, but not anticipated.  I shift my entire army to the right (essentially my 2 o'clock for direction purposes), and resume the firing line that I had initially started with, just moved forward.  I disembark my crews, and decide to move my warlord and retinue up the board.  SnP for the win.

Psychic phase: I roll 1, for 4 dice to her 1.  I cast electro surge again, as nearly all of her bike army is within it's arcing distance.  Alas, I bork every roll.  The dice gods giveth and they taketh away.

Shooting Phase:   I see her Scout Squad is peeking out, looking like it's going to make a break for my back line.  Unfortunately for the little guys,  I use POTMS and 2 TW plasma guns and 1 LasCannon at the poor buggers.  They went squish.  My CataFather and retinue take aim at her Techmarine squad, and sadly they met the cold fury of the Iron Saints as well, with a single wound left on the techmarine and the bikes and attack bike being nuked.  My tacticals and librarians all fire into her remaining army, netting a grand total of 5 wounds.  Which would have gone the other direction had her chaplain squad not taken the objective, granting my Stormlance rerolls. against them.

 

I move the landspeeder backwards as far as i can, intending on keeping him out of the awaiting charge, and since i didn't shoot with his brother from another unit, I drop him back as well.  Lastly, my remaining units get back in their box, and prepare to weather the oncoming hurricane.

 

[Saint_Michael]

Recap, at the end of turn 2

The Lady-  Techmarine squad down to 1 wound left on the techmarine.  1 predator demolished, 2 attack bike squads squished, 1 scout bike squad gone, and her warlords squad vaporized.

The Saint- My SkyHammer Orbital Squad (save for 1 of the grav drop pods kept in reserve) gone, 1 dreadnought gone; the other still in reserve, 1 HP scraped off of 1 razorback and 1 land speeder.

Battle lines are drawn, my razorbacks awaiting the oncoming onslaught of her remaining bike squad, her chaplain, the attack bike squad, and her predator and vindicator; now all within striking distance.

[Saint_Michael]

The Lady turn 3 -

She keeps her predator and vindicator in place, but the remainder of her army moves to within 2 inches of charging distance, opting out of the scarblades wound rerolls for a sure fire charge.  She moves her Techmarine to it's most extreme distance, prepping a pie for my CataFather to eat, separating from the attack bike who joins his brethren in staring into the eyes of the Ferrum Sanctorum.

Shooting phase.  While my warlord survives, all but three of his retinue (all lascannons thankfully) get slices of that strength 10 pie plate.  She unloads her predator into 1 my middle razorback, taking a hull point off and immobilizing it.  She drops another pie plate from vindi onto my CataFather, but he decides to SAVE room for future pie when it drifts his way.  Then comes in the :cuss storm.  With 2-Grav guns, a multi-melta attack bike, and a lot of twin linked bolter fire, she nukes my land speeders, and obliterates the center razorback with the crew evacuating, and immobilizing the right.  Leaving my usually very mobile army, very immobile.

 

Melee Phase:  That was A LOT of hammer of wraths and associated attacks that charged in and obliterated my middle tactical squad and librarian, owie.

The Saint turn 3 - 

The dice gods wish that if there is to be a tabling this day, that my remaining reserves join the fray.

 

Movement phase:  I bring in the drop pods and drop them back by the predator and vindicator, they drift a little bit, but the key important factor is that her vindicator is within 12" of the initial skyhammer drop point, my tacticals line up on the predator, and the dreadnought preps for striking against the predator.  My remaining units disembark from the razorbacks,  surrounding her chaplain and attack bike on 2 sides.

Psychic phase: I roll up 4, granting me 6 against her 4 dice.

I decide to try something i've never actually seen work before.  Psychic shriek.  I take aim at her chaplain, roll 3 (of 6 dice) 5's, and she gets 2 6's.  My spell goes off, and then i roll the requiste 3d6.  The first dice settles on a 5, the second rolls a 6, i'm for sure getting 1 free wound on The Ladies unit, and lastly the dice spins and spins and settles on a beautiful 6.  7 wounds strike down all but her chaplain.  My other libby fires off electrosurge getting 1 hit, she can't deny, I hit with 4, and 3 of them wound with all but 1 wound saved.

Shooting phase:  All of 6 grav shots hit, and i roll up 1 six.  My krak grenades do the rest against rear armor.  Her vindicator totaled, My dreadnought melta's and then charges her predator, taking him out to.  My tacticals pack up in their boxes, although immobilized, they do give a small amount of protection.

At this point, The Lady concedes with her techmarine with really no where to go but continue to fire off pie plates.

[WarriorFish]

Sounds like a hard fought victory in the end, well done :tu: A shame you didn't have any pictures as it would have been a good battle to see. Are there any particulars you may change for next time, effective units against those you may replace?

[Saint_Michael]

Final Recap:

The stars of the show for me were my librarians nuking several units. 2nd place, offered post humously, the SkyHammer Orbital Strike and 1 dreadnought. 3rd place goes to my CataFather, the entire stormlance, and the last dreadnought for the last kill. When I saw her army, I knew i had to take out Kahn or i'd be facing an even bigger threat, We both understood i'd be dropping right on top of him. I don't think she expected the rerolls to be as lethal as they were, or my drop pods to be as accurate. I figured points wise, it'd be an even push

While i did very much appreciate the rerolls against objective holding armies, I have to love being able to pack up my army and move them with the razorbacks, especially with libby's in the unit giving POTMS, the many buffs, and psychic spells.

When it came to the end of turn 2, i knew how things would go when i saw her turn around and attack my SkyHammer, because at that moment I knew that although they would be sacrificed, i'd essentially be getting free shots at her army. They would turn around, and probably lay into me more, and she would charge and annhilate at least 1 of my razorbacks, and probably the squad inside of it, which would once again leave her open to attack.

Logic (and no small amount of luck) prevailed this day.

Sounds like a hard fought victory in the end, well done A shame you didn't have any pictures as it would have been a good battle to see. Are there any particulars you may change for next time, effective units against those you may replace?

I didn't like the sacrifice play I had to do with the SkyHammer. But as is fluffy for the Iron Hands, we may spend lives, but we will never waste them.

[Saint_Michael]

Sounds like a hard fought victory in the end, well done A shame you didn't have any pictures as it would have been a good battle to see. Are there any particulars you may change for next time, effective units against those you may replace?

I didn't like the Sacrifice play i had to do with the skyhammer and my tacticals, but as is fluffy for the Iron Hands, we may spend lives, but they will never be wasted.

I was pleased with my CataFather, and while I wouldn't mind finding a way to make him more mobile, i thought overall that he did good pinning down that corner.