Okay, finally catching up on some battle reports. This one is very important – we have a Dark Angels mech list which uses two main Aura sources, Azrael for his 4++ and re-rolls and Stormshrouds for their -1 to hit up against an Imperial Guard list with lots of Conscripts and a lot of Heavy Flamers on Chimeras. On paper, the firepower weighs heavily for the Dark Angels so theoretically this should be a relatively straight forward game. Let’s see what happens. Learning below.

We played what was the fourth ITC mission – my hate for Maelstrom became strong. Essentially there are six objectives, two in your deployment zone, two in the middle of the board and two in your enemy’s deployment zone using Hammer and Anvil. Maelstrom was about holding Objectives 1, 2 or 3 (your backfield, midfield and farfield) or killing units (4, 5 and 6) with the option to replace two of the same to go for all three. I really wish they varied up the deployment zones for their missions as well. You could have easily 36 options rather than the six they put out… Digressing.

My list (Battalion and Vanguard Imperial Soup) –

Azrael

Libby w/Jump Pack

5x Space Marines w/Plasma Gun

5x Scouts w/Sniper Rifles

2x Dreadnought w/2x Twin Autocannon

2x Darkshroud, 1 w/Assault cannon, 1 w/Heavy Bolter (proxied by Land Speeders)

Predator w/4 Lascannons

2x Razorbacks w/Twin Assault Cannon, Stormbolter

Razorback w/Twin Lascannon, Stormbolter

Stormraven w/Hurricane Bolters, Twin Plasma Cannon, Twin Heavy Bolter

Company Commander

Commissar

30x Conscripts

20x Conscripts

David’s Astra Militarum List –

Straken

Harker

Commissar

40x Conscripts

2x Stormtroopers w/3x Plasma

3x Infantry Platoons

Platoon Command

2x LRBT

2x Sentinels

Hellhound

10x Rough Riders

Manticore

4x double HF Chimeras

Deployment

There was not a lot of deployment chicken here – I deployed centrally and so did the Chimeras, Russes tried to deploy off to the right side to avoid some firepower. Red circles are objectives. To be fair for this report, I cannot recall the exact Maelstrom objectives other than the AM army always got theirs in their deployment zone and mine were generally in midfield or their deployment zone, AM were ahead on this handily throughout the game.

Conscripts were placed in a big loop around my army to discourage the Rough Riders outflanking with me forgetting they can come on from the back table edge anyway. The Am ensured there was room between his Chimeras and Hellhound for his Conscripts to move forward quickly.

Dark Angels won the roll off and elected to go first with the AM failing to seize.

Dark Angels Turn 1 –

Conscripts moved forward but not too far forward to ensure they could not get blasted by all the Heavy Flamers. The Stormraven started its move up the right flank – it was my biggest mobility asset but in this, had not put anything inside. Everything else stayed still as their were in prime firing position and we let loose. The Assbacks and Stormshrouds tried to drop the Sentinels but left one alive on a handful of wounds so a Dreadnought was required to finish them off. The Lascannons from the Predator and Razorback knocked out one Russ and took another one down a tier – the Stormraven was able to take the Manticore a tier but the Dreadnought unfortunately could not finish it off while the Conscripts put some shots into their buddies across the way for very little damage.

This is a classic mechanised alpha strike and was executed fine – the Conscripts were providing a buffer to the castle so the castle could get a second volley off next turn. Deploying in the centre allowed me greater access to Objectives and shooting lanes but also opened me up to more angles of attack from units in tactical reserves.

Astra Militarum Turn 1 –

The Conscripts move first and Advance with the Move, Move, Move! order ensuring they get far up the field – 16″ if I recall correctly. This is a great example of a normally slow army suddenly getting out and doing things. The Chimeras all followed behind with the Hellhound going around to the left to try and limit some firepower from my right flank. The Stormtroopers dropped in on my right flank near the Lasback and the Rough Riders came in from behind my lines.

Shooting saw nearly all of my conscripts wiped out – with one unit left on three guys after Morale and another at 13 or so models. The Stormraven went down a tier to 3 wounds remaining but thanks to the remaining LRBT and Manticore (both hitting on 6s…) with support from Harker. The Stormtroopers failed to do any sort of significant damage, putting a single wound on the Lasback.

Assault saw the Rough Riders fail, despite a re-roll, and one of the Stormtrooper units getting into combat with the Lasback. No damage was inflicted on either side and they consolidated into the nearby Darkshroud. Getting out my Marines the turn before to have them block off that side and push back any assaults would have been a good idea here, same with my Scout location, I did not need the Conscripts wrapped around that far on that side. This left more options open to the AM player for drops and subsequent charges. If that Rough Rider charge had gone off, falling back would have been a lot harder and I would like have five units tied up. I also did not leave room for Heroic intervention from Azzy or the Libby which could have easily dispatched the Stormtroopers in combat. These are very important things to remember for a castle list.

Dark Angels Turn 2 –

Okay, my defenses did their job – 4++ and -1 to hit saved my tanks from shooting but silly mistakes on using bubble-wrap cost me some firepower and it could have been a lot worse. This turn means I need to do some moving as the Conscripts got up the field quite quickly and I have backfield threats with which to deal. I did not move enough as we shall see but let’s start with what did happen. Libby fired up his pretty wings and jumped over to the Rough Riders while the Lasback shoved itself into reverse and “fell back” from the Stormtroopers along with the Darkshroud to hem the Rough Riders in. The marines jumped out of their pretty boat to deal with the Stormtroopers with their Assback ride moving backwards as well. The Conscripts moved forward to block the other Conscripts from moving but given their diminished numbers, could only block one side. In light of this, I should have moved one Assback up on that side to block movement as well.

Stormraven flies over the Russ to get get close enough to Harker to shoot him with the Hurricane Bolters but put himself too close to the Russ / Manticore in case they exploded.

With that, shooting began. The Stormraven opened fire and dropped the Manticore to a couple of remaining wounds, Harker the same and destroyed the Russ. The Russ promptly exploded dealing three Mortal Wounds to the Stormraven which promptly exploded and did three Mortal Wounds to Harker and the Manticore, killing both. Talk about a giant explosion… While it was great to drop both Harker and the Manticore, having the Stormraven alive would have been nice even though it likely would have died next turn. Regardless, making sure you do not needlessly put your units in explosion ranges are really important. Stupid Mortal Wounds…

More dedicated shooting saw a Chimera taken down by the Predator but I unfortunately tired to use the Assbacks and Dreads to drop another when the Assbacks woulc have been much better off going into the Conscripts. Conscripts shot themselves felling a handful but not enough to make any difference while the Space marines on the right cleaned up the Stormtroopers with a combination of shooting and assault. The Libby Smited and combated the Rough Riders down to one pony remaining.

Astra Militarum Turn 2 –

Conscripts moved up as far as they could, particularly on my right flank with the right most Chimera and left flanking Hellhound pressing forward as well. Shooting saw the Concripts cleared out with the Platoon Command squad disembarking to make sure of it while no significant damage was again done to my vehicles thanks to the -1 to hit and 4++.

Combat was a different story with the Conscripts getting a 12″ charge off with Straken joining them. Careful positioning here ensured the Conscript line trailed back to the Commissar as well as not allowing any heroic interventions. Not declaring charges on anything but the Assback also limited Overwatch and still allowed them to consolidate into my bunched up units which included both Dreadnoughts and the Predator. Here is where my movement really hurt me – if the front Assback was instead on the right flank (just in front of the PCS in the picture), that 12″ charge would not have gone off (Dreadnought was 14″ away) and I would have another turn of shooting. The Assback would likely be surrounded but, one Assback compared to not shooting for four important targets. Big, big difference.

Combat saw five wounds done to the Assback and a handful of Conscripts were plucked off the backlines. Important use of the new combat mechanics can really dictate what happens here and expect a post on this soon.

Dark Angels Turn 3 –

I’ve put myself in a pretty bad spot here – I am stuck in combat on my side of the board and while I will eventually kill them, I do not have a sweeper unit to take them out. The Assback i salso locked in combat since it is surrounded and therefore I cannot fall back and shoot the Conscripts to death. Movement is important and this was a big booboo. Forgetting about the mission, I do not attempt any Fall Backs (not sure why I did not reverse the Predator…). The Space Marines, Libby and Azrael come over to help conscript butt while the Assback on the right goes backwards when it really should have started moving towards the far field objectives.

Shooting (what little there was) sees the right most Chimera taken down a tier and the Scout Snipers whiffing on the Commissar. The Platoon Command Squad takes a single death and then I get everything I can into combat taking about 2/3 of the remaining Conscripts who deal another three wounds to the Assback.

Astra Militarum Turn 3 –

With the lock em in strategy working perfectly, the Hellhound and damaged Chimera continue working their way into my lines and with the Concript wrap out of the way, the final Chimera decides to join the party, dropping off his payload of Guardsmen on the Objective while the rest of the Guardsmen in the middle of the field cluster around that objective.

Shooting is again, nearly useless though the Hellhound manages to flame out the Scouts in cover who were sitting on an objective.

Assault sees most of the conscripts dead with Straken still alive and the two Chimeras pinning both Assbacks in combat and the Hellhound doing the same to the left Dreadnought.

Turns 4 and 5 –

We quickly mathed it out and while I could hold the bottom right and left objectives, I was not going to get any of the farfield objectives while also clearing the midfield one on my side. Given that I was so far behind on Maelstrom we checked to see if the game would go to Turn 6 and it did not, further ensuring my demise. We therefore called the game due to time where I at best would have tied on Primary 3-3 objectives and lost on Maelstrom, giving the game to David’s AM (I would have also gotten Slay the Warlord and had First Strike but not enough to make up the difference for losing on Maelstrom).

Conclusion –

Lot of interesting takes and lessons from this game. This was my first game in 8th edition with a mech castle and it obviously did not go well. I played right into David’s hands and allowed him to dictate the battle from around Turn 2 and did not remember some of the most important aspects of the game. Partly this was being used to Tau and fly and partly due to new edition so good learning experiences going into a tournament (despite not using this list). The AM list barely did any damage to me – it cleared my bubblewrap of Conscripts, nearly got rid of an Assback and downed a Stormraven. Oh and killed my Scouts. Dark Angels on the other hand cleared out all of the Conscripts, half the vehicles, all the important backfield vehicles (Russes, Manticore), characters (Harker and Straken), Rough Riders and the Sentinels yet the AM list won handily. This shows you do not need to have the most firepower to win and while the Dark Angels list had invested points which were largely useless against this list (Azzy’s 4++ was barely needed, as was the -1 to hit from two Darkshrouds, it helped but not a lot say compared to a Girlyman list) while a Girlyman mech list could have shredded the Conscripts in a single turn.

While the Dark Angels list definitely had the tools to deal with the AM army, they weren’t always applied correctly and poor overall strategy choices dictated the game.

Good game to David and lots of good lessons learned, more mech battles will not show the same mistakes ^^. Next series of battle reports will be the Tau Wintercon Tournament reports.