Hello again my fellow plaguelings. Now I was due to start my terrain series this week. But I noticed yesterday, while doing the first post that one of our fellow bloggers at
Miniature Tim has done a very good post on essential hobbyist tools and I didn't want to seem like I was jumping on the band wagon. So instead I thought I would have a crack at a battle report of a game me and O'Shashar had on Tuesday.
O'Shashar dusted off his Black Templars recently and I basically used my list from
Blog Wars. I will at some point start to make changes to this list and start playing about with some combinations, but I've been so busy making terrain, work, gym, girlfriend...it has been difficult. Now unfortunately there are no pictures of this battle report, but I wanted to get the actual report right first. In the future we want to aim to have some close of pictures of the action and have a turn by turn outcome using the Vassal program.I will apologise now if it comes out long and boring!
The mission is Annihilation with the Spear head deployment. I managed to win the roll and I chose to deploy and go first. We set up in opposite corners, each having a large ruin within our deployment zone. I set up my two squads of Obliterators in my Ruin and then set my Rhino's in a wedge formation. I deployed my Daemon Prince and Defiler just behind the rhino Wedge. O'Shashar set up his twin predators in the opposite end of the board next to his Ruin. His Land Raider was set up at the front of his three Rhino's in tow in a block formation. The Land Speeders where deployed out of sight behind the Ruin.
Turn 1
Chaos
I started by moving my Rhino containing Kharne and his Bezerker Squad and my Plague marine Rhino towards left centre of the the table. The Daemon Prince followed. I then moved my other Bezerker Rhino to the Right to try and draw some fire as I popped the smoke on this Rhino. The Obliterators 'Jazz hands' in the ruin slightly for line of sight and the Defiler advanced towards the opposite ruin.
In the shooting phase my Obliterators attempted to fire on the Predators on the opposite end of the board and they where just out of range. The other squad penetrate one of the Rhino's but it is saved from the cover of the Land Raider. The Defiler shot at the same Rhino with a direct hit and easily manage to penetrate, but on manage the shake up the crew within.
Black Templars
O'Shashar started by advancing his Land Raider at combat speed. The shaken Rhino moved at cruising speed as it was unable to shoot, which the others moved up behind the Land Raider at combat speed. The Rhino's then popped their smoke. The Land Speeders fly over the ruin at combat speed towards the Chaos controlled corner.
In the shooting phase one of Predators shoot at the Defiler and it manages to penetrate once, but its Daemonic possession saves its bacon. The other Predator penetrate the Rhino that was moved out as bait twice and got 2 explosion results. The Bezerkers managed to disembark with only one falling in the explosion.
The Land Raider opens fire with its Multimelta using the machine spirit to shoot the Rhino, but it misses. This leaves the rest of the guns to open fire on the Daemon Prince wounding him twice, hos armour saving him from majority of the wounds. The Land Speeders fired dual Krak missiles at the Defiler, managing to penetrate, but the mighty war machine manages to shrug off the blows due to its demonic possession again.
Turn 2
Chaos
The Terminators arrived from reserve using deep strike and the personal icons so they where in front of the previously shaken Rhino and Land Raider. The defilers moved slightly towards the middle of the board and the Bezerkers now having to abandon their destroyed Rhino foot slogged out into the open. Again the Obliterators 'Jazz hands' around the ruins making sure they had a clean shot on their targets. The Plague Marine Rhino advanced 5inch around the blocking obstacle in the centre of the board at combat speed. Kharne's Rhino moved itself at combat speed and then popped its smoke.
In the shooting phase the Defiler shoots at the front Rhino and getting a direct hit with the battle cannon. With it being ordinance you get to roll 2d6 and choose the highest for penetrating and I managed to roll snakes eyes. Damn you dice gods! The plague marines pop out of the hatch with their plasma guns and let rip on the nearest Rhino, managing to penetrate twice. The smoke managed to save the Rhino from harm.
One pair of Obliterators fire on the same Rhino as the Plague marines. The Rhino shot at one of the Land Speeders and managed to get a glancing hit that ended up stunning it. They manage to penetrate and immobilise the Rhino using Lascannon blasts. The other pair shoot at the Land Raider with Lascannons, but fail to penetrate. In the assault phase the Daemon Prince charged the Land Raider and only managed to hit it three times and penetrate with only one of the hits. This only managed to shake up the crew within.
Black Templars
In O'Shashar's movement phase. The Rhino's behind the Land Raider moved aside to allow it to back up 6 inches to allow the assault terminators within to disembark. The other Land Speeder head towards my table edge at combat speed. The Crusader squad disembarked and moved towards the Bezerkers stuck in the open.
In the shooting phase the Land Speeder opened fire on the vulnerable Bezerkers killing two of them. The Crusaders added their fire killing another two leaving only the Champion and two of his squad. The two Predators open fire on the Defiler again and again despite hitting and getting a penetration they are unable to harm the Daemonic War engine.
The two Rhino's either side of the Land Raider and the Land Raider itself open a torrent of fire on the Daemon Prince. A combined fire power of two Storm Bolters, 2 Bolt Pistols, 2 Melta Guns, Multimelta and twin linked Assault Cannon was unleashed on the Daemon Prince but was only wounded once!
In the assault phase the assault phase the Assault Terminators charged forward with righteous fury with their furious charge into the Chaos Terminators and Daemon Prince. The Prince went first thanks to his mark of Slaanesh managing two wounds on the Terminators. Both being given to the the ones equipped with the Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield combo, but one is slain. The 4 Lightning Claw Terminators then unleash fury on the Chaos Terminators destroying the units causing 12 wounds, none of which where saved! The remaining Thunder Hammer Terminator tried to finish off the Daemon Prince. Managing to cause two wounds, but the Chaos gods must have been smiling on the Prince as their powers prevented him from falling as he saved one with his 5+ invulnerable save leaving him with 1 wound.
The Crusaders charged the remaining Bezerkers and managed to annihilate all three thanks to preferred enemy that they get through the Emperors Champion.
(Writing the report I realised we forgot to make 4 fearless rolls for the Daemon Prince and so this may have completely changed the game).
Turn 3
Chaos
In the Chaos turn the Defiler relentlessly advances forward towards the regrouped Crusaders. Kharne and his Bezerkers disembark and their Rhino cruises around back towards the Defiler. The Plague marine Rhino moves forward 5 inches at combat speed past the combat.
In the shooting phase the Plague Marines shoot their Plasma guns out of the top hat at the Land Speeder that was a sitting duck after being stunned in the previous round easily destroying it. The Rhino then shot at the Crusaders missing the mark despite the Bolter being twin linked! The Defiler also shot at the Crusaders the huge Template scattering off the mark this time.
One pair of Obliterators despite hitting and easily penetrating the Land Speeder they only managed to immobilise and stun it. The other pair Shoot at the Templar's Rhino containing one of its Crusader squads and only managed to its Storm Bolter.
In the assault phase the Defiler Charged the Crusaders and went first as the Crusaders where only equipped with Frag grenades, which are not strong enough to penetrate the thick front armour. The Defiler hit three times from 5 attacks thanks to its extra close combat arm and managed to make all three count by killing 3 of the Crusaders. The Power fist champion did not manage to do anything to the defiler and O'Shashar failed his 3 fearless rolls as well!
Kharne and his Bezerkers charged the assault terminators to try and save the beloved Prince from being banished to the warp. Kharne and the Prince managed to slay 5 of the emperors finest, but this came at a cost of two of the bezerkers as Kharne in his blood lust slayed 2 of his own as well. This did not deter the others who leapt at the last remaining Terminator and cut him down.
Black Templars
In O'Shashar's movement phase he advances the Land Raider forward at combat speed. The Predators at the end of the board move out for a better view on the action hugging the table edge.
In the shooting phase the Crusaders in the Rhino near the Daemon Prince shoot a Meltagun, bolt pistol managing to finally bring down the daemonic menace. The Land Raider opened up on Kharne and his Bezerkers managing to kill them all except for Kharne himself. The predators shoot at the Plague Marine Rhino, managing to wreck it. The Emperors Champion's Rhino and the marines inside manage to kill one of the Plague Marines. The immobilised Rhino manages to repair itself.
In the assault phase the Defiler hits the Crusaders twice, but a I rolled a snakes eyes when needing only a 2+ to slay the Templars. The Power fist champion hit and penetrates, but the damage is not enough to slow down the Daemonic behemoth.
Turn 4
Chaos
Kharne after previously trying to consolidate into cover to try and avoid the awesome fire power of the Land Raider Crusader advances forward towards the mighty battle tank. The empty Rhino now returns and the Plague Marines move to embark onto it. The Rhino pops its smoke.
In the shooting phase one pair of Obliterators manage to destroy the twin rocket launcher on the immobilised Land Speeder, much to my despair as I desperately needed it dead for a kill point and to get shooting at other targets. The other pair shoot at the Rhino that killed the Daemon Prince and manage to wreck it.
With all the shooting done Kharne charges the Land Raider and fails to penetrate despite hitting 3 times and rolling 2D6 plus his strength of 6! The defiler kills another Crusader, the Power fist crusader in return doing nothing to rampaging machine. O'Shashar fails his fearless roll meaning the crusader is the only man left.
Black Templars
The Land Raider move back at combat speed again and the Crusaders then move over and embark inside. The repaired, empty Rhino then moves back at cruising speed and is now behind the Land Raider and wrecked Rhino as it tactically retreats to prevent me picking up an easy kill point. The Rhino containing the Emperors Champion moved back towards O'Shashar's corner stopping next to one of the walls.
In O'Shashar's shooting phase the predators open fire on the Rhino containing the Plague Marines, managing to penetrate its hull 3 times and causing a glancing hit. The smoke saved two of the penetrating hits. The resulting damage is that the crew was stunned and is also immobilised. The Land Raider shoots everything at Kharne resulting in him disappearing in a cloud of blood.
In the assault phase the Defiler finally manages to over come the last of the Crusader Squad and advances towards the Emperors Champion's Rhino.
Turn 5
Chaos
In my movement I had little to move. I advanced the Defiler toward the Emperors Champion's Rhino and moved the Obliterators slightly in my Basillica Administratum.
In the Shooting phase the Rhino fails to fix itself. The Plague marines within open fire with their Plasma guns at the retreating empty Rhino before it disappears, but only manage to stun it. One pair of Obliterators shoot Lascannons at the Land Raider and i managed to roll my second lot of snake eye to hit it! The other pair get better luck managing to immobilise the Emperors Champion's Rhino, not quite what I wanted, but it meant the Defiler would automatically hit in the coming assault phase.
The Defiler easily manages to penetrate the Rhino 5 times and causes it to explodes, but only 1 Neophyte dies in the explosion.
Black Templars
The Emperors Champion and his Crusader squad tactically retreats into O'Shashar's newly built Shrine of Aquila (see our
previous article) in his movement phase. They are able to do this as the predators give covering fire finally managing to wreck the rampaging Defiler as it chases the Templar. The Land Raider opens fire on the immobilised Plague Marine Rhino wrecking it and causing the Plague Marines to disembark again. The Land Speeder with only its Heaver Bolter left had could not see anything to shoot at!
I rolled the dice and got a 6 meaning the game would go on.
Turn 6
Chaos
Being about 4 kill points behind and with nothing much left other then 4 Obliterators and 6 Plague Marines I humbly know victory is from my grasp. I moved my Plague Marines into cover as their Plasma guns would have done nothing to the Land Raider and it was too far away to charge it with my Power Fist Champion. Once done I went straight to shooting running the plague marines into a better position.
One pair of my Obliterators finally manage to finish of the Land Speeder and the other pair manage a glancing hit on the Land Raider, but this only resulted in a stun which thanks to the extra armour means it had little effect as it was reduced to shaken and because of the machine spirit it could still shoot one of its guns if it needed to. This seemed to be the general theme of the game the extra armour on all O'Shashar's vehicles really making up for their points cost as I failed to roll high enough to do anything other then stun.
Black Templars
O'Shashar now 3 kill points in the lead decided to go down the safe route and did a tactical retreat to his corner of the table. The Emperors Champion squad embarks on the Rhino that fixed itself earlier in the game. The Landraider popped its smoke. He then rolled to see if the game would continue and it did go on for one final turn.
Turn 7
Chaos
With O'Shashar tactically retreating, I decided to follow suit with my Plague marines in an orderly 2 by 3 formation headed back to my corner. In the shooting phase they marched further to my corner. All four of my Obliterators shot Lascannons at the Land Raider scoring two hits and guess what...another roll of snake eyes from me means it didn't even need its smoke!
Black Templars
O'Shashar manages to move all his tanks in a nice block formation hugging his corner of the board. He had nothing to shoot at so that ended the game.
Victory goes to Black Templars 9 kill points to 6
"No pity! No Remorse! No fear!"
Conclusion
I was pleased I didn't get annihilated as the last game I had. Admittedly I should have made changes to my list, but I never got round to it. I still need to sort out my tactics during the game as I am still making a couple of mistakes costing me dearly and my dice rolling certainly did not help! Good battle overall, took a while to type this up, but I think our future battle reports will have some nice shiny pictures and diagrams.
If you have made it this far then you have my greatest thanks. Until next time folks where I will kick start our terrain series.
