Holiday Battle Reports!

[Reskin]

So now that the holidays are officially here, a few of my mates and I got together this week to play a few 1000pt games in the lead up to our yearly apocalypse game that includes our extended group of mates.

 

This week I played 3 games, a 2 round match against Custodes and a game against Astra Militarium.

 

The first evening was against my best mate and arch rival in all things gaming. He left Admech on the shelf (thankfully) and it became a showdown, Gold Vs Silver.

 

My list was as follows: An ever evolving list that I call my all comers list at 1000 pts.

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Grey Knights) [57 PL, 6CP, 1,000pts] ++

 

+ HQ +

Grand Master Voldus [8 PL, 160pts]: 6: Lore Master, Astral Aim, Gate of Infinity, Sanctuary, Vortex of Doom, Warlord

Librarian [6 PL, 115pts]: Armoured Resilience, Artisan Nullifier Matrix, Combi-melta, Warp Shaping
. Nemesis Warding Stave

 

+ Troops +

Strike Squad [7 PL, 100pts]
. 4x Grey Knight (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter
. Grey Knight Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd

Terminator Squad [11 PL, 190pts]: Hammer Hand
. Grey Knight Terminator Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd
. 4x Terminator (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

Terminator Squad [11 PL, 190pts]: Gate of Infinity
. Grey Knight Terminator Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd
. 4x Terminator (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

 

+ Elites +

Venerable Dreadnought [8 PL, 135pts]: Astral Aim, Heavy plasma cannon, Missile launcher

 

+ Dedicated Transport +

Razorback [6 PL, 110pts]
. Twin Heavy Bolter: Twin heavy bolter

 

The Adeptus Custodes:

++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Adeptus Custodes) [53 PL, 5CP, 1,000pts] ++

 

+ HQ +

Shield-Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike [9 PL, -1CP, 178pts]: Auric Aquilas, Captain-Commander, Indomitable Constitution, Misericordia, Salvo Launcher, Superior Creation, Warlord

 

+ Troops +

Custodian Guard Squad [13 PL, 212pts]
. Custodian: Sentinel Blade, Storm Shield
. Custodian: Guardian Spear, Misericordia
. Custodian: Guardian Spear, Misericordia
. Custodian: Guardian Spear, Misericordia

Sagittarum Custodians [7 PL, 156pts]: Sagittarum Custodian
. Sagittarum Custodian: Misericordia
. Sagittarum Custodian: Misericordia

 

+ Elites +

Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought [9 PL, 160pts]: 2x Lastrum Storm Bolter

 

+ Fast Attack +

Vertus Praetors [15 PL, 294pts]
. Vertus Praetor: Misericordia, Salvo Launcher
. Vertus Praetor: Misericordia, Salvo Launcher
. Vertus Praetor: Misericordia, Salvo Launcher

 

The Grey Knights battle had truly begun when we were rolling for first turn, and I successfully increased my chances of winning up from 27% to a whopping 49% chance if I played well, after claiming first turn! Hazzah!

 

with 4 objectives up for grabs and a deployment of short edge to short edge, the board was long and narrow, with a fantastic set up of cover for both armies, I knew how tough the boys in gold truly were with their stat lines and I braced myself with my movement, I secured my home objective and moved half my army towards the 2nd objective. A poorly positioned Voldus nice and close to his body guard unit left him exposed and the following turn 1 from the custodes seen his warlord successfully charge him turn one. I was setting up screens and making calculating distances from his bikes, around terrain, not remembering his bikes could fly...  Anyway, I managed to kill a bike with my dreadnoughts plasma cannon, and did 2 wounds to another bike with my razorback. Not bad for it's second outing.

 

So a turn 1 custodes charge from his warlord into Voldus made me clench my cheeks and hold my breath. He zipped onto a second objective with his bikes, the one I was going for and held is back one with the 3 sagittarum guard. He really did well at pinning into my sort of half of the board, and I had to devote a lot of resources into his warlord. He had taken cut off the head secondary, that awarded more points the quicker he killed my warlord.

 

5 wounds later and Voldus was barely hanging on. I breathed a sigh of relief that he had weathered the ferocious fury of the shield captain and managed to survive another day.

 

My second turn seen me gate Voldus out of combat and hid him away, limping on 1 wound, 5 termies the librarian and the 5 strike marines charged his captain, and I needed to kill him. My other 5 termies charges his bikes holding my second objective and the battle of minds begun.

 

His captain tanked 5 of 6 mortal wound put onto him in a brilliant show of mental strength, much to my dismay. However I channeled my remaining psychic fury into my force halberds and swiftly cut of the brutes head. 

 

A cheeky interrupt of combat saw his bikes kill 4 of 5 termies in the ensuing combat,   I couldn't believe it. I was left stunned and lost for words.

A turn 2 deep strike with his dreadnought and a nasty stratagem of 3D6 rerolling charge, pick the highest seen his dreadnought set his eyes on my own dreadnought, but alas fate decided to laugh and he failed both attempts, statistical rarity. As that should of been in like flynn. 9" charge 3D6 pick the highest rerollable. Nasty!

 

After having survived another turn, it was to know avail. My turn 3 was dismal and lackluster, I couldn't catch back up on primaries and my secondary's were measly. His turn 3 was a wrap up and a good game. But was fun none the less, as we both just wanted melee combat. A big relief from his oppressive bots.

 

I quickly threw my glove down and asked for a rematch, already late into the night, he agreed and we began a second game.

 

A big roll of a 6 gave me first turn and my chances again increased already. However, I didn't move at all, Just with the razorback I think, in my opening salvo of shooting, I killed two bikes with the dreadnoughts guns.. And its at this point, I'll give a shoutout to overcharging heavy plasma cannons, I absolutely LOVE them. They are half the price of the lascannon and gosh do they take the stress out of shooting. I've come away from every phase of shooting not wanting to smash my damn minis after failing with a 40pt lascannon. Anyway, back to business, I killed 2 bikes and called it a turn.

 

He moved his bikes aggressively to me and footslogged his way down the other flank with his dreadnought and melee guard. Not much shooting happened and that was that.

 

My turn 2, knowing I needed to do something drastic otherwise it would be a repeat of game 1 where I just get pinned to my deployment, and out scored, I decided to gate a unit of terminators into his backfield, 9" away from his sagittarum guard with the bolters, camping his home objective.

 

A successful charge later and a handy fury of the first stratagem seeing me hitting on 2's I made quick work of the custodes and claimed that objective.

This in turn, caused a rather unexpected move on the custodes second turn, he turned his bikes around and went back and charged the termies holding his home objective. Essentially splitting his forces across the whole table.

 

He denied my warp shaping and I couldn't change from Tide of shadows to escalation, so here I was stuck. Much to both our surprises later in the fight phase.

 

I mentally assaulted his dreadnought with the librarian, Voldus, 5 termies and not needing to cast atral aim, the dreadnought chipped in too.

Now wounded, the dreadnought and his mighty heavy plasma and missile launcher rained down death upon him and destroyed the contemptor dreadnought. That was a surprise, but gosh, flat 3 damage is just great to see. No more stress. Even if I hit once, no more do I have to spend CP to reroll a 1 for my damage roll on a 40pt lascannon.

 

My heroes charged his foot custodes with their body guard and a great clash of halberds followed. I think I killed 2 or 3 of the 4 models.

 

His following turn 2, he charged my 5 termies holding his backfield with his captain and other biker. Knowing they were going to die, my brave terminators fought bravely, and with heavy cover, a defensible position and still being in the tide of shadows, they gained hope and nice +1 to their saves in melee combat, so as deadly as the charge was and even after the misrecordia's were swung, I had 1 brave justicar still standing. Defying death till the last. This in turn, left him stuck in combat and he couldn't consolidate back towards the centre.

 

My turn 3 seen me wrap up the fight with Voldus and with him only having a captain and a bike remaining, we played it out, but the boys in gold were all dead by the end of round 3.

 

Gold vs Silver is tied 1 = 1.

 

What a great battle, and I walked away thinking man, tide of shadows actually saved my bacon. Although 2 wound smites really did push through in most of the rounds, against the toughness 5, 4++ invul saves of the custodes. They are so resilient and so strong. They just lack board presence and bodies. I imagine that both games could of looked drastically worse for me had he gone first both times and pinned me in.

 

Both my mate and I have really put hard work into creating a ton epic looking terrain, for our games. With 2 fully painted armies, fully painted detailed terrain from GW looks epic. Alas I didn't take pics, but moving forward I should. My mate's army is superb. And the battlefields we create are fantastic!

It's a joy to play and really is the icing on top of the cake. As much as the game itself.

 

 

The second night I played another mate who brought Astra Militarium. Which in 9th edition, I haven't yet played. So a mechanised list with some heavy artillery was going to be a challenge for me.

 

My list for this game was a bit different, as I needed something stronger to open up his tank hulls.

++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Grey Knights) [53 PL, 6CP, 1,000pts] ++

 

+ HQ +

Grand Master Voldus [8 PL, 160pts]: 6: Lore Master, Gate of Infinity, Astral Aim, Sanctuary, Vortex of Doom, Warlord

Librarian [6 PL, 130pts]: Armoured Resilience, Artisan Nullifier Matrix, Combi-melta, Warp Shaping
. Nemesis Daemon Hammer: Nemesis Daemon Hammer

 

+ Troops +

Terminator Squad [11 PL, 190pts]: Hammerhand
. Grey Knight Terminator Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd
. 4x Terminator (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

Terminator Squad [11 PL, 190pts]: Hammerhand
. Grey Knight Terminator Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd
. 4x Terminator (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

 

+ Elites +

Venerable Dreadnought [8 PL, 135pts]: Astral Aim, Heavy plasma cannon, Missile launcher

 

+ Heavy Support +

Nemesis Dreadknight [9 PL, 195pts]: Dreadfist, Dreadknight teleporter, Gatling Psilencer, Heavy Psycannon, Nemesis Greatsword, Sanctuary

 

I took another hammer on my Librarian and an NDK, with 2 guns and a sword to chop through tanks. (I already thought of a tweak here while discussing the lists after the game) And after play testing a lot of things, I can really see where points vs efficiency is for GK.

 

I'll write up the next report tomorrow. Watch this space! Cheers for reading!

Edited December 24, 2020 by Reskin

[Gnomeo]

Nice right up and sounds like good fun. I really like the use of the plasma cannon haven't tried it myself as haven't got one modelled.

 

Ouch that deny of warp shaping hurts.

 

Not sure how you got the 2+ save in combat tide of shadows only works against ranged attacks and provides light cover.

 

Though the use of heavy cover and defensible is nice.

 

Looking forward to hearing how the next bat rep go's.

[Reskin]

Nice right up and sounds like good fun. I really like the use of the plasma cannon haven't tried it myself as haven't got one modelled.

 

Ouch that deny of warp shaping hurts.

 

Not sure how you got the 2+ save in combat tide of shadows only works against ranged attacks and provides light cover.

 

Though the use of heavy cover and defensible is nice.

 

Looking forward to hearing how the next bat rep go's.

You are in fact correct, tide of shadows is only for shooting, I played it wrong. My apologies. 

 

The guard game was loads of fun, and I'll finish that off once I get the list from him as I cant remember the names of what the things he took were.

 

Thanks for the kind words though, I appreciate you taking the time to read my adventures.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Reskin

[Reskin]

So the guard game was quite fun, and I changed my list to get some more guns that could mow down infantry and crack open tank hulls.

The Astra Militarium list is as follows:

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) [55 PL, 6CP, 1,000pts] ++

 

Regimental Doctrine: Gunnery Experts

 

+ HQ +

Company Commander [2 PL, 40pts]: Chainsword, Plasma pistol, Warlord

Company Commander [2 PL, 40pts]: Chainsword, Plasma pistol

 

+ Troops +

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 50pts]
. 9x Guardsman: 9x Lasgun
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 50pts]
. 9x Guardsman: 9x Lasgun
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 50pts]
. 9x Guardsman: 9x Lasgun
. Sergeant: Laspistol

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 60pts]
. 7x Guardsman: 7x Lasgun
. Heavy Weapon Team: Heavy bolter
. Sergeant: Laspistol

 

+ Elites +

Officer of the Fleet [2 PL, 25pts]

 

+ Heavy Support +

Cyclops Demolition Vehicle [6 PL, 120pts]: Cyclops, Cyclops

Manticore [8 PL, 145pts]: Heavy Bolter

Wyverns [8 PL, 135pts]
. Wyvern: Heavy Bolter, Shatterer of Will

 

+ Dedicated Transport +

Chimera [5 PL, 95pts]: Heavy Flamer, Heavy Flamer

Chimera [5 PL, 95pts]: Heavy Flamer, Heavy Flamer

Chimera [5 PL, 95pts]: Heavy Flamer, Heavy Flamer

 

I won the roll, (that's 3 games and 3 times going first! Christmas was coming early for me). So I elected to go first, it was diagonal table quarter deployment with 4 objectives, so I played safe and a little cagy, not knowing exactly the plan of the guardsman.

 

I gated my NDK to a second objective, with terminators advancing over in that direction while trying to stay hidden and with some cover, Tide of shadows was in effect!

9 wounds later from what was beginning to become my MVP the ven dreadnought, onto his wyvern which left it limping with 2 wounds. And I braced myself for the barrage to come.

 

The chimera sped towards my NDK and holding one of the neutral zone objectives and the other towards the remaining objective that I wasn't going to contest just yet. The nasty cyclops also approached with deadly intent, one exploding and doing mortal wounds to a unit of termies and my NDK, 3 termies die in the surprise explosion from a cheeky little drone

The dreadknight barely a scratch. He charged my NDK with the other one, to get it into table quaters but his mighty greatsword made quick work of it. Luckily he had advanced with another chimera to also secure table quarters.

 

His badly hurt wyvern failed to do anything to my bodyguard unit of termies protecting my characters and home objective. And his manticore fluffed his rolls to wound, turning up with 5 1's. It was tragic, although I was unsympathetic to his cause. The guard had seen the Knights slay some daemons earlier and now they needed to be mind scrubbed. Although, with their pathetic stamina, most would succumb to the pain and die 

 

My turn 2, seen me reposition the characters and dreadnought for protection while the bodyguard unit of termies moved towards the centre of the board to see what they could do.

My dreadknight took some shots at the manticore with his heavy psycannon and shot his psilencer into the heavy bolter squad camping his home objective. Then proceeded to open up a chimera and consolidate into the squad. Not many psychic powers being flung about, just defensive buffs, and I stayed in tide of shadows because it was really helping soften the blow from his artillery.

 

At this points, the guard are wildly firing off lasguns in my general direction and running about screaming, while their commanders throw out orders to move move move and steal my second objective from me, for having more bodies. They didn't care that those lives would be snuffed out the following turn, but they had done their jobs!

 

My turn 3 seen my only holding 1 objective, ouch! Thanks to weight of numbers the guard had robbed me. Vengeance and righteous fury was to follow. These were looking more and more like heretics the longer this battle went on. A loyal guardsman would follow orders and lay down arms against the Angels of his holy Emperor.

 

My warlord and his retinue decided action was to be had and waves of psychic energy snuffed out the lives of guardsman in an instant. Voldus and Codicier Jakaton both making short work of a company commander. Followed by some storm bolter fire, the two remaining terminators cut down the traitorous squad of guardsman who had thrown their bodies at me stealing my objective. My dreadknight moving towards the centre and positioning himself to help the other squad of terminators. My ever reliable vendreadnought and his guns again pounded on the hull of the manticore into the backfield. It barely surviving.

 

A turn 3 from the guardsman a frantic attempt to save themselves but alas they had realised that death awaited them, with silver clad hulking forms of adeptus astartes march with full purpose towards their position. The crew of the manticore, rushing to put out internal fires in the hull rather then focusing on shooting meant their volley fire again caused little to no impact. The guardsman had done 1 thing right, good positioning with terrain, and their remaining units meant that I couldn't gate anything remotely close to the manticore and charge that turn. Dynamic insertion just didn't feel right.

 

My turn 4, holding two objectives and having destroyed all the chimera, I charged his squad holding his 1st objective, with some psychic and shooting, the manticore lived on 1 wound, with my terminators now consolidating onto a third objective, it was looking grim.

 

A turn 4 final barrage from the manticore in spite of its terrible wounds, seen it finally destroy my noble Nemesis Dreadknight, and cackles and laughter erupted from the heretics.

That was the only victory that the guard would feel that day.

 

Turn 5 seen me just consolidate, and blow up his remaining tank, with only 1 squad remaining hidden behind cover, they turned tail and slunk back into the shadows of the hive cities underworld.

 

The greyknights, limping from the wounds they suffered in battle, hunting down the traitor guardsman returned to their battlebarge and waited.

Inquistorial agents would scour the hive city and find the remaining few who had witnessed the Grey Knights perform their Emperor's holy mandate.

 

Grey Knights 80 - Astra Militarium (heretic traitors) 55.

 

Was a really fun game, throwing bodies at me to slow me down with chimera as well was effective. Some good screening, and some fun surprises. Interesting list, he really needed a counterpunch unit like some bullgryn to throw into my terminators once they were in melee.

 

The NDK did ok against this list, it was a distraction which soaked some wounds, however I think I would replace him for a another vendreadnought, cheaper. With a plasma cannon for tanks and a CCW with a flamer for infantry like this instead of the psycannon/psilencer combo, its just much more efficient. In fact, better stat lines, T7, flat 3 wounds on both the plasma and his CCW. And the flamer would of been better against guard. Not sure. That's what I feel like though.

 

Then with points to spare.

[Reskin]

Here is my new list that I already optimised from that game.

 

The librarian with a hammer, an extra terminator in the bodyguard unit and the dreadnought, with arguably a way better gun then the heavy psycannon/psilencer. And arguably a better ccw. str12 as opposed to str 10 from the greatsword and flat 3damage.

 

++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Grey Knights) [63 PL, 6CP, 1,000pts] ++

 

+ HQ +

Grand Master Voldus [8 PL, 160pts]: 6: Lore Master, Gate of Infinity, Astral Aim, Sanctuary, Vortex of Doom, Warlord

 

Librarian [6 PL, 130pts]: Armoured Resilience, Artisan Nullifier Matrix, Combi-melta, Warp Shaping
. Nemesis Daemon Hammer: Nemesis Daemon Hammer

 

+ Troops +

Terminator Squad [22 PL, 228pts]: Hammerhand
. Grey Knight Terminator Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd
. 5x Terminator (Halberd): 5x Nemesis Force Halberd, 5x Storm Bolter

 

Terminator Squad [11 PL, 197pts]: Hammerhand
. Grey Knight Terminator Justicar: Storm Bolter
. . Nemesis Force Halberd
. 3x Terminator (Halberd): 3x Nemesis Force Halberd, 3x Storm Bolter
. Terminator (Psycannon): Psycannon (Terminator)
. . Nemesis Force Halberd

 

+ Elites +

Venerable Dreadnought [8 PL, 135pts]: Astral Aim, Heavy plasma cannon, Missile launcher

 

Venerable Dreadnought [8 PL, 150pts]: Gate of Infinity, Heavy plasma cannon
. Dreadnought Combat Weapon: Heavy Flamer

Edited December 24, 2020 by Reskin

[The Woodsman]

Nice batreps man! Happy to read you managed to get back at the Custodes in game 2. I've yet to play against them, but man do they seem tough as nails. I think you had the right idea in capitalizing on their low model count and board control by forcing him to split his forces, that's they way to beat them in my opinion. 

 

As for the Astra Militarum game, it seems like your friend played pretty well, despite having some less than optimal luck, but you made the right choices in target priority and unit placement. I think the Guard can really struggle against us, especially at lower points levels (I have an army myself and have had a really hard time motivating myself to put them on the board... maybe when a new Codex comes out). Storm Bolters are absolute murder to their Infantry, and their shooting can be so lackluster - they really need to lay it down in spades for it to be effective. Curious as to why he only had the single Regimental Doctrine? I don't think it would have tipped the scales in this scenario, but if he's unaware, let him know he can pick two doctrines if building a Custom Regiment, one if he's picking a Codex Regiment. 

 

Looking forward to your next outings, hopefully some pics next time

 

**Edit: I also really like your lists for 1000 points, agreed that the latest one is perhaps the most optimal. Double Ven Dreads at 1000 points is pretty nifty, and double Terminator Squads can be tricky to deal with for some opponents. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by The Woodsman

[Cryminysakes]

Nice lists and battle reports! And I couldnt agree more on the Plasma.  Each time I list up a Dreadnought I look at the stat lines and ask why would I ever choose lascannons.

 

And on a strange but minor note...  the pharse is "In Like Flynt"  based on a 60's TV show by the same name.  Super cheesy James Bond -like character. Its rather cringe but worth 5-10 mins of laughs if you look it up on YT.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Cryminysakes

[Reskin]

Nice lists and battle reports! And I couldnt agree more on the Plasma.  Each time I list up a Dreadnought I look at the stat lines and ask why would I ever choose lascannons.

 

And on a strange but minor note...  the pharse is "In Like Flynt"  based on a 60's TV show by the same name.  Super cheesy James Bond -like character. Its rather cringe but worth 5-10 mins of laughs if you look it up on YT.

hahaha cheers, I'm aussie and definitely not born in the 60's so I wouldn't know, usually around here it's commonly used when someone scores a girl or performs something successful.