TCC’s Guard Army - Cadian

[WarriorFish]

Model rescues are the Emperor's work, all the more so when you'd never know - nice work :)

[TCC]

Battle Report 

Imperial guard vs Tyranids 

Tempest of war deck cards

Deployment: search and destroy 

Primary Mission: burn and raze

Mission rules: delayed reserves

 

Deployment 

Gaurd deployed as far back as possible along board edges to keep the TC and manticores away from changes, the chimera’s took one side of the board each with troops embarked. The whiteshields took the right flank and the troops spread out over the mid field. The veterans and the hades drill went into reserves.

The nids deployment was the opposite - the bugs pushed up to the edge of the deployment lines ready for the charge, the bigger shooters hung back, most of them out of line of sight hidden behind the terrain. The mawloc went into reserves.

 

 

 

Guard T1

With only a few targets in line of sight, the shorter range TC with BC stayed back in cover, the TC with gatekeeper half moved to get line of sight. The troops pushed up with the chimeras. The TC with gatekeeper used a strat to fire full amount of shots taking many wounds of the tyrannofex and the two manticores continued the shots on the same target, the last role took the last wound and the first kill and secondary points. 

 

15 secondary points scored

 

 

Tyranids T1

There was a bit a shuffling up and repositioning to take objectives in the back field, but generally little movement towards the guard (odd as Tyranids are often like to fight, this list turned out to be quite shooty). The winged hive tyrant made a big move towards the newly painted chimera and charged it, destroying it, the troops pooled out and the sgt lashed out with his power sword to do 1 wound as the beast flew back into reserves. The other hive tyrant had a relic gun shooting 3 times, -5AP and flat 5D, luckily only one wound hit my TC with gatekeeper. The other chimera was obliterated from one shot from the exocrine.

 

5 secondary points scored

 

Guard T2

The TC with gatekeeper moved backwards to better position out of the hive tyrants weapon range - drawing them out into the open if they want to shoot. The conscripts move move moved on the objective. The Gatling TC moved into range to hit the carnifex, the 40 shots bounced off the inv save doing only 1 or 2 damage. The TC with gatekeeper and the TC with BC and one manticore also fired everything at the carnifex, after its reduce 1D rule and inv save it survived on a few wounds - the dice were bad! The other manticore took out 1 of the 3 zoanthropes.

 

5 primary points scored

5 secondary points scored

 

 

Tyranids T2

The carnifex and hive tyrant moved out of cover to be in range of the TC with gatekeeper, the relic weapon of the hive tyrant destroy the tank. The two screamer killers charged the conscripts and took out 20+ of them, but they still held the objective. The zoanthropes took out a handful of shock troops, the winged hive tyrant appeared, charge the LR with Gatling cannon and killed it (after it was weakened by the carnifex), the beast then went back into reserves (found out this was an illegal move - it should not leave the board if it started the turn of the board, it may no real difference to the out come).

 

10 primary points scored

5 secondary points scored

 

 

 

Guard T3

The remaining tanks held positioned out of the range and sight of the hive tyrant and carnifex, the infantry all took pop shots with the heavy weapons and las guns taking the monster down to 2 wounds. The TC with DC put the HB and HK into the screamer killer, the other TC with BC put its weapons in it also killing it. The manticores took out one more zoanthropes and heavily damaged the other screamer killer. The hades breaching drill and veterans appeared in the deployment zone (annoyingly badly positioned with a bit of the drill and a vet out of the opponents DZ meaning I did not score 5 points this turn, I could have positioned them fully within if I had realised that). The next error I made with them was to shoot the 3 Tyranid warriors killing one and making the charge go from 9 to 11 inch’s. Both the vets and the drill failed their charges (with CP re roll) meaning I failed to gain another 5 points and failed to deny my opponent 5 points). 

 

5 secondary points scored

 

Tyranids T3

The mowloc burrowed into my back lines, look out only a few guardsmen failing to wipe them of the objective and failed to do any mortals to the manticores. The hive tyrant and carnifex took out some shock troops leaving 1 plasma trooper. The zoanthropes took out a chunk of another squad leaving a melta. The screamer killer killed the conscripts. The winged hive tyrant appeared, failed its charge twice, then flew off the board again.

 

10 primary points scored

10 secondary points scored

 

 

Guard T4

The hades drill advanced the objective, and left one Tyranid warrior on 1 wound. The TC with BC fired the BC for the first time and damaged the mawloc, one manticore finished it off. The other manticore took out the remaining  zoanthrope. The TC with BC finished of the screamer killer. 

 

5 primary points scored

10 secondary points scored

 

 

Tyranids T4

There was very little movement and firing as they held their objectives.

 

10 primary points scored

10 secondary points scored

 

Game ended due to kicking out time at the club.

Final score

Guard 45

Tyranids 60

 

Thoughts:

The Tyranids were very strong, their -1 to hit over 18inchs really hampered my shooting, the inv saves on the monsters also meant they were very resilient and one carnifex soaked up way to much of my firepower and still lived at the end. The troops shooting was helpless (the -1 to hit did not help) only a few HB made damage. The LR Gatling gun was ineffective against these monsters and the short range put the tank in range of return fire killing it. The TC with DC short range meant it only shot the DC once (but the DC was effective) so keeping that tank berried in my lines worked to protect from the mawloc. My next list will have LR DC no sponsons to sit in back lines and TC with plasma executioner and sponsons to be the attacker the Gatling cannon was not. I messed up on my vets and hades drill and I could have taken that objective scoring a number of additional points which could have made the scoring much closer. It felt like a really tough game at the beginning, but I think the guard did well and had enough troops and tanks throughout the board at the end. I have great fun playing which is the most important bit.

Edited April 26, 2022 by TCC

[WarriorFish]

You weren't that behind on points, I think that's a good result against a good list and codex. I also think it's weird to see nids without any little gribblies, but then I almost always start a list with a Battalion regardless of army :P

[TCC]

Finally I have started to make great progress painting my whiteshields. They have been undercoated and based for months but now 10 are finished with the remaining 20 not far behind. 
 

It will make tonight’s game look more colourfull and complete.
 

[The Pounder]

Good work!

 

Really helps with the spectacle when both armies are painted.

[TCC]

Battle Report

Imperial Guard vs Blood Angels 

 

Report incomplete - communications lost

 

Incomplete events recorded as follows.

 

The deployment was completed and the guard went first, the terrain blocked most of the enemy forces leaving only a small amount left to fire onto, this meant two of the LR could not fire. The guard pushed up, the Chimeras both destroyed on the first turn, the centre objectives lost.. Turn 2, Even with the limited lines of fire, the enemy units were wilted down, but so was the Guard infantry limiting our ability to take the middle ground, the jump pack troops advances now started to become meaningful as the charged infantry and tanks. T3 the hades drill deep strike and charge cleared the back objective (the hades drill killed the Chaplin on bike!!!) but the dreadnought pushed us back off. The angels of death dropped in meltas from deep strike danger close to my tanks, they started heavily reducing wounds on the LR and the sanguinary guard finished them off then T5 they took the manticores out and tabled the guard.

 

Conclusions

it was close at one stage, the guard did take out a serious chunk of the blood angels and with a few less unlucky shots (one turn both battle canons bounced all shots!) against the sanguinary guard, and more control and restraint at the start we may have flipped the result.

 

Lessons Learnt

Armour of content is powerful - nearly all the heavy bolter shots bounced - Over the entire game only a few wounded. Same with the lasguns, only a few wounded. The manticores were able to take 2-3 marines out per turn, the battle cannons were up and down, sometimes making wounds, sometimes not, the armour save of the marines doing its job. The troops with plasma guns did more damage than all the heavy bolters.

 

Actions for the Imperial Guard

Heavy bolters are to be retired, troops are to be equipped with lascanons for heavy and plasma for special.

Leman Russ tanks are to carry lascanons and plasma only, battle cannons are to be reinforced with tank ace weapons expert to improve armour penetration.

Chimeras are to be retired.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by TCC

[duz_]

Sad day the mighty Chimera is retired :(

Great looking game :tu:

[TCC]

Unfortunately I have to pay for those plasma and lascanons through the points of something, the weakest performing units were the chimeras, with no wounds dealt in two games and both destroyed on T1 in two games.

 

compared to the hades breaching drill that dropped in troops, took an objective and killed a chaplain on bike and the other game it could have won me the back objective scoring crucial points that would have made the game very tight/a victory (these points where not scored only through commander incompetence). 

Edited May 3, 2022 by TCC

[duz_]

Pay for troop upgrades? They're free now!

 

Unless they're the ones for the Leman Russes? They add up quick <_<

[TCC]

Points are for the LR. 

[TCC]

Played deathwatch the other night, they swooped in on my right flank with bikes T1 taking of a LR TC then tagged my infantry. The terrain and some of their movement (move shoot move) meant only small numbers were visible to shoot. So I took out a ring and razorback. T2 they continued to push my right flank with the bikes and tied up a manticore and LR TC and destroyed a manticore and the conscripts. I pushed back and hit back, by T4 I still had a decent amount of tanks hanging on but two of them where tagged in combat and locked by the terrain. The remaining forces were not enough to make any meaningful advances and score points so we called T4 at 20pts to 40pts. 
the chap I played sounded like he was a very experienced tournament  player (I’m new to this), he was a great opponent, offered some advice, complement some of my plays and made it a fun game.

 

lessons learnt:

Bikes are fast and can travel through ruins. 
tight terrain makes the TC difficult to be able shoot, therefore take more indirect fire units and basilisks are looking better atm than manticores 

vindicator assassin’s are not worth 100pts
 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by TCC

[TCC]

Built painted and played this last week (I made some barrel extensions so I can run it as battle cannons or vanquisher cannons).

 

 

 

 

[Emperor Ming]

Is the macharius any good?

 

I chucked assassins, chimeras and heavy bolters out the window as soon as 9th came around    

Edited May 21, 2022 by Emperor Ming

[TCC]

The assassin did no work (only a few wounds - it could not kill the one character it was assigned to deal with) and cost 100 points.

 

I have played Macharius Vanquisher twice now, once against Nids with the new codex and once against Drukhari.

 

The vanquisher cannon is very powerful, against monsters and vehicles it has a +1 to hit, so hits on 3’s. I will also CP re-roll one of those if it fails and I need the wounds to kill something, + the re-role 1’s for Cadia. Therefore you are often hitting with both shots, wounding on 2’s (due to strength 16). If it gets past the save it’s flat 9 damage. So against Nids it was taking out one big monster per turn, against the Drukhari it got unlucky and their invulnerable save kicked it a few times.
In close combat it is quite effective and can still shoot out, so I use it as a lure as it soaks up damage quite well too in an attempt at keeping my TC free. To help it I take an astropath and cast psychic barrier to give it a 2+ save when it goes off.

 

Overall, I find it to be more useful than replacing it with two tank commanders as the TC’s become to difficult to position to fire without getting tangled in close combat. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by TCC

[WarriorFish]

That's a great action shot, another fine addition especially with the larger canvas for weathering :tu:

[TCC]

That's a great action shot, another fine addition especially with the larger canvas for weathering

thanks, I will write up a short battle report in due course with some more images. I still have some details to finish of including the commander who sits in the turret. I went heavy on weathering (maybe too heavy?) to show that it’s a well used relic. 

[TCC]

I thought I would share as I found a quick way to make rock stacks. I started to make some simple cheap terrain this weekend, yesterday I cut the expanded polystyrene with a serrated steak knife (roughly cut the better for speed). I then glued together with PVA wood glue and weighed them down overnight to set.

This is the important bit, I blasted them with a heat gun, this melted any loose ‘balls’, shrunk and shaped them to be more realistic and allowed the layers to be blended better. BUT at the same time, the heat sealed the cut faces making them tougher and more durable - meaning then will not drop ‘balls’ easily/at all now. This melted surface was also able to withstand being spray painted with gray primer and some army green I had lying around. This took about 20mins this afternoon - it probably only took 50mins yesterday. Next I will use a wash, then highlight to bring out the colours followed by some scatter materials to finish of the grassy areas. 
 

Glued, note the loose balls

 

Sealed with heat

 

Very quick base colour spray paint 

 

 

I will post pics of the finished pieces when I get time for the next steps.

[The Pounder]

The Macharius Vanquisher is my favourite tank model in the whole Forgeworld range!

 

Yours looks great. I like that you changed the muzzles on the cannon to match with your Cadians!

 

I don’t think the weathering is over done it looks like it’s on campaign.

[TCC]

Finished of the terrain with a wash, dry brush and scatter. 

 

 

 

[Plague _Lord]

A fine army you have there!!

You mentioned plasma doing most of the damage for your infantry... I have a different view - in the age of AoC and -1D dreanaughts everywhere the plasma gun just doesn't cut it. I preferr meltaguns on my infantry. Sure only 1 shot makes it unreliable but at least your trooper doesn't kill himself...

[TCC]

A fine army you have there!!

You mentioned plasma doing most of the damage for your infantry... I have a different view - in the age of AoC and -1D dreanaughts everywhere the plasma gun just doesn't cut it. I preferr meltaguns on my infantry. Sure only 1 shot makes it unreliable but at least your trooper doesn't kill himself...

thank you for the comment, agree melta is good (and as you say better than anything in the right situation). I have been running one or two melter chaps to see the effectiveness for some time, the limited range makes a big difference vs plasma (plus I’m Cadia so get to re-role ones). Melta is great on my veterans who pop up with the hades breaching drill 9 inches away. I’m also planning to start trialing gifted commander for a TC and also putting a couple of squads into strategic reserves with a CP - melta would be the choice for those squads then (and any tanks too). So expect to see more melta in this army.

 

please enjoy my latest WIP images (this was probably one of the last sky shield landing pads in the country when I bought it - I also ordered bastions and walls but they never turned up and the order was cancelled). 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2022 by TCC

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the Skyshield.

[TCC]

Some recent games and pictures In the posts below 

Edited June 24, 2022 by TCC

[TCC]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TCC]