Watchfort Auric Angelis: Listbuilding, theorycraft and game reporting

[Dr. Clock]

Frater,

 

Just took a pretty wicked loss with my updated 'Space Marines including Deathwatch' army, but much of it was down to really terrible luck which combined with my relatively brittle list to see me essentially sunk in turn 4.

 

List was a Vanguard Spearhead (@2100 for narrative reasons):

 

Jump Captain + 5 Vanguard

Jump Chaplain + 5 Vanguard

Librarian (Blade Driven Deep) + 10 Sternguard (landing place for all my old combi-weapon and heavy bolter boys)

Deredeo Dreadnought

2x5 Terminators

Inquisitor Draxus + 10 Deathwatch

Corvus Blackstar

Knight Errant

 

This boiled down to almost a null drop list, but I foolishly started with Knight and Corvus on the board... and when I lost first turn the enemy snuck a Chaos Pactbound vindicator on to an angle of the Knight which then got 10 hits from 8 shots, made 7 wounds, and I promptly passed... 1 save. Then Corvus was tagged by a Defiler lascannon and almost died. 

 

Turn 1 my Librarian and friends walk on to left flank (which enemy has avoided early because with Hidden Supplies and Purge the Foe they could sit pretty on 4 objectives to my 2 unless I could push through centre. I throw caution entirely to the wind and try to push back right with Deathwatch jumping out of Corvus... they kill the Rhino there, but are immediately shattered by combined shooting of Defiler and Vindicator and then finished off by some possessed and MoP.

 

In my turn 2 I try to push back across the centre, but then fail 5 of 5 9" charges from terminators and Vanguard. The Terminators stand up admirably, and the Librarian and friends make short work of a Rhino and 5 Legionaries that came left. I don't get slapped back too hard after I fail those charges, but by this point a Jump Lord has merked my techmarine back home, so my Captain and vanguard drop back to try and deal with that, but get interrupted after the Chaplain and his pair of Inferno buddies almost kill a Maulerfiend chilling centre right.

 

After I score objectives in turn 4 I'm still down like 20 points and going to make maybe 3 points on secondary that turn and I just concede there.

 

I took a couple pictures, but none of them are that interesting tbh

 

Anyway - the biggest learning here is that a Knight is essentially a liability in this list when I'm already sinking ~20% on the Corvus package and like 15% each on the Sternguard and Deredeo + tech and just don't have enough stuff deploying to let me reserve the Knight.

 

So next steps are just to go much wider, using 2x5 scouts (gonna paint as Red Hunters) and 1-2 Inquisitorial chimeras just to spread things out a bit in the early game and unlock some cheap flexy scoring so that the hitters can definitely just do their thing.

 

Anyway - this list overall is definitely feeling subpar, though still fun to play. I'm going to try out a Dark Angels Inner Circle detachment next because it actually aligns pretty well with all these veteran units (and just better than the First Company strikeforce in main 'dex, annoyingly).

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

 

[Dr. Clock]

Well - second game (sans Knight) was honestly a resounding success! I got good cards, first turn, and overall had better dice than opponent

 

Terraform, Stalwarts, quarters deployment.

 

List was (again - 2100pts for narrative reasons):

 

Kayvaan Shrike + 5 vanguard

Chaplain + 5 vanguard

Libby + 10 Sternguard

Techmarine + Deredeo

1x5 Scouts

2x5 Terminators

Corvus

1x10 Kill Team

2x Inquisitor

2x Chimera

1x12 Inquisitorial Agents

1x10 Subductors

 

Opponent was informed of the illegality of the list (technically I could have taken 6 Agents in place of Subductors, but I just painted them and wanted to use the unit... plus I expect this will be... more legal come December. Still super annoying that nobody except inquisitors and their direct coteries can use them, but my opponent also disagrees with that tack, so I'm allowed. 2 Inq rhinos are on the menu next year maybe, but mostly just as caddy for sternguard, or 2 kill teams when I run actual agents detachment lol).

 

I deployed Kayvaan deep in my corner, Deredeo hidden and ready to pop on to home objective. Melta chimera took left flank to sally ou in support of Scouts in the left corner. Chaplain and Librarian hid far right to advance there. Subductor Chimera was also pushed to right of centre. Corvus and terminators Reserved.

 

Turn 1 I dropped the Deredeo directly on top of the lascannon Havocs, and it was glorious. Exposed the sternguard earlier than required, but their stealth and 4++ saved all but one of them from my blunder vs the heavy bolters and forgefiend that came their way. On right, Chaplain and co. lept forward out of sight staging right objective. Inq Chimera moved toward left objective but I also didn't tap it because Scouts were doing Recover assets while Shrike did same in my DZ. Subductor Chimera tapped centre, and weathered a modicum of fire.

 

End of my turn 2 on left flank looked like this:

 

 

The MM Chimera peeled 7 wounds off the maulerfiend that came around that flank and then charged the bikes tapped there at the same time as Terminartors connected.

Scouts were Containing the back edge just out of sight. Sternguard walked on to right objective but aimed at Possessed tapped on centre along with the chimera and Inq. inside to and kill them down to just the MoP. On right (out of sight here), Vanguard walked all over 3 bikes who had tapped there. Corvus arrives to stage assault on centre in turn 3.

 

Turn 2 Haarken and 5 Raptors dropped in and killed 3 vanguard and then made a charge into them, but allowed a Heroic Intervention from Sternguard who then killed all the raptors, though Haarken merked the Chaplain for a couple points.

 

On left the mauler made it in but didn't really connect and then got flipped by the Terminators. Scouts found themselves facing 5 legionaries (half of Rhino occupants to left of Mauler out of sight in image above), but somehow didn't die. Corvus unmolested. On centre, 5 other legionaries disembark to take the objective, but the chimera is fine, and still full of 4++ bodies.

 

Turn 3 the Kill team jumps forward as Subductors start a terraform:

 

 

Terminators on left flank go into building to push legionaries back while scouts go and start a terraform there under melta chimera guard, while 5 terminators show up just forward of it  (and outside left of image) to try and bomb on to centre Rhino. They fail their charge, but kill team makes theirs to mop the floor with them and push back.

 

Right flank looks like this, after the vanguard pistol Haarken in the face, (freeing sternguard to polish off Havocs):

 

Enemy turn 3 he kills 2 terminators and uses last 2x5 legionaries to rush those objectives, but the centre ones die to a sound thunder hammering. Daemon Prince arrives and makes a charge into Kayvaan (who was just wandering around as a screen and action monkey most of the game), but flubs wound rolls and I make some great saves to only lose one. Meanwhile warp talons arrive deep right field but fail charge. Opponent concedes as I'm 25 pts ahead, and decidedly in control of board.

 

Lessons:

 

Deredeo is wicked fun backfield blaster if you pick good targets and position. Essentially forgefiend with better defence, and can't really punch up... but can definitely punch down pretty viciously at any infantry or light vehicle. Techmarine probably not warranted... but certainly good narrative!

 

Vanguard can do stuff, but they need support, and to start on the table.

 

Sterngard can also do stuff, but they need skirmishing, so they kinda go with the chaplain van unit now in my mind. Vanguard detachment 'stealth' and librarian 4++ make them pretty dang survivable and get great returns from Oath.

 

'Kill team bum rush centre turn 3' will probably be standard operating procedure. It's a bit late, but will hopefully be just in time that they can push back there and keep the train rolling or at least stem the tide.

 

Corvus will never do anything in shooting phase. It needs a points drop, or more shots and/or access to Oath of Moment to contribute anything other than a stage for infantry.

 

Inq. Chimeras just feel solid and reliable. 500 points on 2 with the inqusitors might be too much, but not by much. 190 without the characters is probably good too... but can't take those until and unless deathwatch and corvus go back (hopefully) to being takeable in a marines detachment.

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.