White Scar Battle Reports, an ongoing log

[mertbl]

I thought we could all share our battle reports and experiences here in one place. Didnt seem to really fit anywhere else.

 

I played a 2k game for tournament prep last night.

 

He brought double avenger knight, big flamer knight, helvirin, 2x30 plague bearers and 3 nurglings, support characters and the tree.

 

I brought a battalion with power fist chapter master, chaplain, 2x librarian(null zone and might of heroes, ride the winds, storm shroud) 3x5 scouts, 3x5 tacs with plasma/combi plasma, 3 dev squads (4 heavy bolter, 4 missile launchers, 4 plasma cannons) 3 drop pods, 2x10 vanguard(5 THSS 5 Double chainsword)

 

I gave him first turn. I deployed and hid 3x5 scouts, 4 characters. Everything else was in pods or deep strike. He managed to get an angle to one of the scout units and killed all 5. That was his turn. Pods came in turn 1. Tacs took up objectives and devs took up firing positions behind the pods, pretty well concealed so that they could only be seen by 1 knight each. Shot at a bunch of plague bearers, did a few wounds to the valiant. Made a bunch of charges and tied up PBS in melee to save myself.

 

Turn 2 he killed some devs and blew up a pod. My turn, vanguard drop in. Powers go off, vanguard charge into valiant with no overwatch and kill it. Pile into pbs and keep safe. Other vanguard fail charge and get killed turn 3 by double gatling.

 

Turn 3 sees my continue to plug away at his pbs, scouts touch the helvirin to shut it down.

 

Continues on for 3 more turns, I kill everything except the double gatling knight(14 wounds left?). I have 2 pods(on objectives, doors up), 5 heavy bolter devs, 1 tac squad. I win 30-20.

 

Marines swinging their fists at ap 1 and 2 damage is nasty. Thunder hammers at ap3 and 4 damage is even worse.

[Rocket]

Despite winning, do you think it was a mistake deep striking both VV at the same time? Was the chaplain using the charge chant, or was he a beat stick or fire support? Did you feel the devs+pods were worth it for what they did? I like VV, but would be inclined to use something else instead of devs.

[mertbl]

Chaplain was using the charge buff, one of the librarians was using the +2 charge power. The 6" pile in and consolidate was huge. It really allowed the units around him to get moving and trap the pbs. He had master of snares but it never came up.

 

I could probably go either way on dropping vanguard in together or separate turns. I dont think it would have changed too much.

 

The devs/tacs in pods were worth it for what I was trying to do with the list, which was target denial for his first turn. I was able to hop my chapter master back and support the missile and plasma cannon devs for the 1st shooting phase before he dropped back into the fight.

 

I've really struggled since new book on what to put in pods. I've tried sternguard with support characters, melee with jump chaplain and librarian, it all seems pretty meh. Shooting just seems lackluster and melee just seems to hit a screen turn 1.

[Rocket]

I asked about using the two VV units at the same time due to Scars really only having one stratagem to kind of act as a re-roll for a charge. To get a re-roll for a second charge, there is just the command re-roll (assuming it wasn’t already used). Was the dice just against you, or did you make a risky second 7” charge without any re-roll?

 

I’ve never used drop pods, but I understand their value. Just didn’t think dev in a drop pod suit Scars as well, since it’s not really an alpha strike army. Sounds like you aren’t entirely satisfied. Do you rely on 3 pod for disruption, or could less still be effective for that purpose?

[mertbl]

Using 3 pods was purely denial against my opponent. I knew I couldnt hide the dev squads on the table and with the 2 knights and helvirins I'd lose almost all of them.

 

I totally forgot about the 3d6 charge strat. That would make sense to delay a unit for that though.

[WickedJester1013]

I see the value of Dev squads in pods as Fire support when and where you need it. You protect them from your opponents first round of shooting then can deploy them right where you need them take aim at the right target.

[mertbl]

Played more or less the same list against a triple knight list with some filler.

 

Vanguard deployment. I again got the choice of first turn and gave it to my opponent. He was able to stomp out a unit of scouts turn 1 but that's it. I killed a unit of nurglings after only dropping in 1 pod. I was much more conservative with the drop pods and vanguard vets this time. Piece meal arrival but I was able to position in such a way that he wasnt able to really kill anything. I think he played the valiant too conservatively. Trying to gain a cover save allowed me to charge through ruins sight unseen. I ended up winning 28-14.

 

Anyone know the chegorian words for "patient hunter?"

[mertbl]

Played a non optimized iron hands list tonight. Storm raven, storm talon, 3 speeders, 6xscouts, 2 tech marines and 1 librarian, mortis dread, predator, thunderfire cannon. I kept running the above list except I swapped 3 pods for 3 rhinos.

 

His firepower was superior to mine and it showed. He was super aggressive with his scouts during deployment. I made the mistake of being aggressive against them, killing most and leaving myself strung out. Dropped both planes turn 2 with vanguard from deepstrike. The 3d6 charge strat and the 6" pile and consolidate was great.

[Rocket]

What is you opinion of the Rhinos vs the Drop Pods? Also, what was the game result? Dropping the planes sounds like a good call against that list. If an IH army has only one dread, I expect it’s always going to be the worst target (if even targetable).

[mertbl]

Dread was made a character so non targetable. He won, it was mission 2 from 2017CA(meh).

 

Rhino vs pod I'm a little up in the air about. Rhino was nice because I double moved and lightning disembarked 2 tac squads with plasma/combiplasma, then murdered a librarian on a bike. Wouldn't have been able to do that with pods as I drove around some scouts that would have pushed the pod back. I think I'll try a mix next time. 1 pod, 2 rhino.

[Aothaine]

Thank you for the updates btw! Really appreciate the info here.

[mertbl]

Thank you for the updates btw! Really appreciate the info here.

I was hoping others would contribute. So I could get some info too. Seems like point of the thread was lost or I'm the only white scars player.

[Prot]

Just as a side note. I love the White Scars, and their new codex. I think there's a lot of fun wrapped in that codex, and some slick options.

 

The problem is it isn't the shiny kid.... competitive players are waiting on Iron Hands and the 'cool' kids are probably Raven Guard where everyone wants to be jumping out of the shadows.

 

Personally I have a large Ultramarines force or this would be the army I'm playing. I thought briefly about swapping to White Scars but the repaints (on what can be repainted) is just a staggering task. That being said I think a few months from now a few people will get bored of the monochromatic appeal of some of the other supplements and White Scars players will still be getting a lot of mileage out of their rules. That's just my two cents. 

 

Thanks for doing reports. I still don't understand all the nuances of the White Scars so I appreciate picking up little things here and there. 

[MeltaRange]

Just as a side note. I love the White Scars, and their new codex. I think there's a lot of fun wrapped in that codex, and some slick options.

 

The problem is it isn't the shiny kid.... competitive players are waiting on Iron Hands and the 'cool' kids are probably Raven Guard where everyone wants to be jumping out of the shadows.

 

Personally I have a large Ultramarines force or this would be the army I'm playing. I thought briefly about swapping to White Scars but the repaints (on what can be repainted) is just a staggering task. That being said I think a few months from now a few people will get bored of the monochromatic appeal of some of the other supplements and White Scars players will still be getting a lot of mileage out of their rules. That's just my two cents. 

 

Thanks for doing reports. I still don't understand all the nuances of the White Scars so I appreciate picking up little things here and there. 

 

I 100% agree.  I am ecstatic about the codex and supplement, and glad we're flying under the radar compared to Iron Hands.  

 

On that note, I personally think that White Scars are actually a fairly nice counter the Iron Hands, particularly builds built for huddling around the Ironstone.  Even Executioners can be held up in combat with Master of Snares, Stormwreathed is going to annoy them big time, Encirclement will help immensely, and you might able to use our speed and consolidation shenanigans to kill their Ironstone guy/repair bots in melee.

[mertbl]

I have 2 practice games tomorrow. Both against very different iron hands lists. Then I have a 3 round rtt on sunday against a field of 8 marines and 1 demon list. 2 ultras, 1 raven guard, 3 iron hands, 1 black legion, 1 mixed guard/BA/White scars.

[MeltaRange]

After a bunch of GTs this past weekend, White Scars are one of the only armies out there with a favorable win rate against Iron Hands.

[mertbl]

Just got home. Both games were rough. Ended up with 2 games against the same guy due to a busy schedule. Game 1 went sideways really quickly and was pretty much a total rout by turn 3. Game 2 I played differently. And I'll go into it a bit.

 

I put 2 drop pods on the table. I deployed drop pods on the table pregame! It played really well, lots of shots right out of the gate, downing a storm raven. In combat with 3 scout squads from the word go. Things went sideways when a unit I trapped went straight up through the floor of a building to get out of combat. 10 vanguard then ate 4 volleys from 3 whirlwinds shooting. The list handled surprisingly well without 3 pods and a 2 units of vanguard coming in from deepstrike.

 

His list was 3 captains, LT, 2x5 cataphractii termis, 3x5 boltgun scouts, 2x5 lascannon devs, storm raven, sternguard in a pod, 3 whirlwinds.

[mertbl]

3 round RTT tomorrow. I'll try to provide mini bat reps each round. Taking my list in the list review section.

[Jacques Corbin]

Hey, thanks for the batreps! Nice to see activity from White Scars players. Any thoughts on Impulsors? I am kind of shocked they were not released with the White Scar supplement.

[mertbl]

They seem like a really good screening unit but outside of that, meh, it's a flying metal box.

 

Game 1 ended in a 21-21 tie. Not much to say.

 

Game 2 ended 33-15 his favor. It was a calgar gunline with 2 redemptors, leviathan, 2 contemptors. I was doing ok until the dedemptor blew up. I lost my chaplain, 10 vanguard between 2 different units. It was gross. After that it was really just trying to pick up points.

 

 

List is very fragile. Once I lose the vanguard it's pretty much over.

[mertbl]

Game 3 was better for me. Played ravenguard/white scars. I won 33-19. He held back his centurions In The corner for most of the game, trying to deny me gangbusters. I killed everything else. He skipped an entire movement phase one turn. It didnt change the outcome much. I think not getting the centurions into the game earlier was a bad mistake. It was turn 4 or 5 before they came out of hiding. White scar thunder hammers are no joke at ap 4 and damage 4. Killing a centurion with every hit. He played transhuman physiology when the vanguard hit his lines and it probably saved him.

[MeltaRange]

Nice work mertbl!

 

How did you use the drop pods? All on turn 1? Spread out or more huddled around characters?

[mertbl]

It depended on what I needed. Usually I'd double up the missiles and lascannons together and drop them wherever my chapter master was at. I'd often hold either the pod with 2x plasma tac squads until turn 3. Heavy bolter plasma tac was a toss up, could have come on whenever. It was definitely a little unnerving for my opponents to look across and just see nothing, scouts were in hiding, characters couldnt be targetted.

 

Overcharged plasma is definitely a great primaris remover. Damage 4 ap 4 thunder hammers can really do some work too. I took the relic crozius on my chaplain, he looked right at another chaplain and smote him down with fire and brimstone. I hit and wounded with all 4 of the chaplains attacks, told my opponent, you fail 1 and hes dead.