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| Space marine command squad |
Finally I got around to playing another game of 40k, probably my last
for 5th edition, so in a rather odd decision; I decided to carry on
using my friend’s imperial guard instead of giving my elder one last hurrah. We
will see; maybe I can get one more game for 5th edition, But I highly
doubt it. Anyway this was a 1500 game, imperial guard vs. Bike marines in a
spear head annihilation game.
So 1500 point guard army, in keeping with how I tested them last time
i kept the idea of power blobs (for those not familiar with guard lingo,
combined infantry squads filled with power weapons) but i have a different
special character in this army than last time. Without any further delay, here
is my army list.
Imperial guard 1500
Company Command - 100
Lascannon, astropath
Chimera – 70
Extra armour, multi laser, heavy bolter
Platoon Command – 120
Al’Rahem, 2 x melta gun
Infantry squad 1 – 115 (combined with infantry 2)
Power weapon, melta gun, commissar, power weapon
Infantry squad 2 – 70
Power weapon, melta gun
Infantry squad 3 – 115 (combined with infantry 4)
Power weapon, melta gun, commissar, power weapon
Infantry squad 4 - 70
Power weapon, melta gun
Platoon command – 50
Lascannon
Chimera – 70
Extra armour, multi laser, heavy bolter
Infantry squad 5 – 115 (combined with infantry 6)
Power weapon, melta gun, commissar, power weapon
Infantry squad 6 – 70
Power weapon, melta gun
Heavy weapon 1 – 75
3x Auto cannons
Heavy weapon 2 – 90
3x Missile launcher
Rough rider squad – 55
Leman russ exterminator – 150
Leman russ demolisher – 165
And that was my army, two out flanking blob squads thanks to Al while
on the table I will have a single blob squad backed up by two tanks and 2 heavy
weapon squads. The plan was that the blob squad will hold up anything that gets
close to my line thanks to stubborn (from the commissar) and will hopefully get
helped out by either the out flankers or the rough riders. Now I know you think
that the exterminator is a stupid tank, but I say, it’s cheap and I hope it
will blow open any light tanks (e.g. land speeders or rhinos) with its twin
autocannons. Possibly a bad idea but I want to try it out. And while the heavy
weapon squads might not be the most accurate guys in the game, the company
command (cc) should hopefully be able to help them out with orders. So that’s
the game plan , a lot of luck will be required for this.
Space marines 1495
Space marine captain – 180
Bike, storm shield, relic blade
Command squad – 345
Bikes, apothacery, 4 storm shields, 2 melta guns, 2 lightning claws, 2
power fists
5 space marine bikes – 245
Power first, 2 plasma guns, attack bike w/ multimelta
5 space marine bikes – 245
Power first, 2 plasma guns, attack bike w/ multimelta
5 space marine bikes – 245
Power first, 2 plasma guns, attack bike w/ multimelta
5 space marine bikes – 235
Power fist, 2 x melta, attack bike w/ multimelta
A very small, but potent force of space marines. I am thinking that
the small number of models will help me but the high toughness and the command
squad with all its power weapons could be a real pain in my side. My only hope
is to hold up the command squad with blobs while weight of numbers hopefully
dwindles my opponent’s forces. That was the plan i came up with in my head when
I first saw my opponent’s army list any way.
We rolled for set up and i won first turn, as my opponent could be
quite fast, I elected to go first. I selected a table quarter with a ruin in
for a good fire base and line of sight for my heavy weapons. So i deployed my
force accordingly, my missile lauchers on the ruin accompanied by the CC. The blob
squad was deployed at the base of the ruin. Autocannons where then deployed
with the platoon command (pc) on the edge of the deployment zone next to a
wall. The chimeras and russ’s where deployed in the middle of my deployment
zone to hopefully have a good line of sight to the enemy. I left the rough
riders in reserve for later in the game and the out flankers obviously had to
be held back as well. I pass it over to my opponent for his deployment as he
reserves everything. That surprised me, and i was a little stumped.
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| Guard deployment |
He doesn’t try to steal the initiative so I take my first turn.
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| The table layout |
Guard turn 1
With no targets on the table I was unsure what to do, thinking about
it now I should have just held my ground and waited but I didn’t, I advanced my
blob towards his table edge as well as moving around my tanks to get a better
line of fire. Nothing else I can do.
Marines turn 1
Yer... my opponent opens a can of tango and passes the turn back to
me.
Guard turn 2
I roll for my reserves and I’m regretting taking an astropath as I
pray that nothing comes in. Thank fully only the rough riders come in, leaving
Al to come in later. I again carried on moving my tanks and blob around to get
a good view of the enemy where ever they appeared. Now it was my opponents
turn, i hope they only come in bit by bit.
Marines turn 2
He rolls for his reserves and everything but 1 plasma squad comes
in... EVERYTHING. That’s not what i wanted now, I needed one, maybe two squads
so I can blow them off the table one at a time. Anyway I’m going off topic. He
placed the command squad on my left and moved 12 onto the table, while the
melta squad turbo boosted up the centre towards the chimera. One plasma squad
turbo boosted up the centre and the other moved up the left.
Shooting starts with the command squad targeting the chimera with
their melta guns but are out of range but an inch. The plasma squad on the left
shoot at the blob squad and manage to take 5 men down. I took a lot less damage
than I expected, not a bad turn.
Guard turn 3
I roll for reserves again this time hoping for Al to come on but roll
a 1, not a big deal, but it would have been useful. Movement started with the
rough riders moving towards the bikes in front of them, hoping that with a
decent run roll I can charge them (and wipe them out). In order to get the best
out of the rough riders the platoon command moves within order range of them so
later i can get them to move!move!move!. The chimera in the way of the autocannons
moves so they can fire unobstructed. The blob squad moves towards the command
squad, if they are going to get in combat with me i might as well make the
charge, reduce their number of attacks and let me hold them up for longer.
Shooting begins with orders, as
i have to start with the CC i order the missiles to fire on my target but roll
a 12... no more orders for me, so no move!move!move! later on. Damn. The
autocannons on the melta squad, but all the shots only manage to deal a single
wound to the attack bike. The demolisher shoots at the bikes on my far left but
i place the template about half an inch to far... so it misses. The chimeras
shoot at the melta bikes and manage to kill a melta wielding marine. The horses
run and roll 4, it might be enough, I’m not sure. The exterminator targets the
melta squad but fails to get though the marines 3+ armour save. And to finish
the shooting phase the blob fire their melta guns at the command squad killing
a power fist marine.
Combat and the rough riders attempt to charge the bikes in front of
them but are out by ¼ of an inch. The blob then charges the command squad,
losing 7 of their number for their trouble, and unsurprisingly deal no damage
to the bikes, 6’s to wound is a ball ache.
Marines turn 3
The final plasma squad appear from reserve and turbo boost towards the
rough riders. The plasma bikes on the left move towards the tanks while the
bikes in the middle move up to target the chimeras and rough riders.
Commencing shooting with the multmelta the plasma bikes shoot at the
demolisher but they are just out of the 12 inch range so require a 6 to glance
it. But that doesn’t happen. The melta squad in the middle pick up the slack
and fire at the demolisher but manage to penetrate it, causing it to explode.
On the right the bikes target the rough riders and kill them all off.
Combat and the command squad kills another 7 men and take no losses. I
hold.
Guard turn 4
Finally the man of the hour
arrives bringing with him 40 men ready for action. Al’rahem arrives and i roll
the right side, using the astropath i decide to re-roll it and get the left. So
Al and his two blob squads appear on the left swarming the bike squad on that
side of the table. With nothing else to move bar rotating some chimeras i move
onto the shooting phase.
The CC shouts to the closest blob squad ‘First rank fire! Second rank
fire’ but falls on deaf ears as the order fails. Not to be discouraged the CC’s
second order succeeds, telling the missile weapons team to ‘fire on my target’
at the centre bikes. This manages to down a single biker. With no more orders
the chimeras target the centre bikes as well but fail to deal any damage,
followed by the autocannon team who kills 2 marines. The exterminator continues
the bombardment on the same bike squad but fails to penetrate the final bikes
armour. But the luck of the final bike doesn’t hold out as the CC sees the
final bike and snipes it with its lascannon team. Yay, a kill point. On the
left side of the board Al attempts to melt the bikes on the left but fails to
do anything. The blob squad then rapid fire into them, 35 shots in total, but
again not a single dead marine.
Combat phase, the blob squad that didn’t rapid fire into the bikes
charge them instead, aided by Al. I somehow manage to kill 3 bikes thanks to
the power weapons and deal a single wound to the attack bike with the regular
attacks, only taking 3 wounds for my trouble. Now my opponent decides to use
combat tactics to retreat and manages to escape and stay on the table. I consolidate
a little. The command squad finally finished off my original blob squad and
moves 6 towards my men.
Marines turn 4
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| The bikes fall back, but not for long |
Opening all they have at Al and his squad, the bikes on the left kill
every one but Al himself who is wounded. On the right one of the bikes squads
fires at the side armour of a chimera, with one of the plasma guns over heating
killing its owner. Combined with the multimelta the squad manages to shake the
chimera 3 times... not bad for me i guess.
The command squad decide not to shot but instead to just charge a blob
squad killing 9 of my men, but in return a power weapons manages to put a wound
of the captain. I hold once again thanks to my commissars.
Guard turn 5
As I'm starting to get desperate, the command squad cutting though me
while I have nothing to really answer them, the blob squad not in combat moves
to charge them (or at least hold them up for the rest of the game). And that’s
my movement phase.
The cc orders his squad to fire on the regrouped bikes, killing one of
the bikes. Al then orders himself to move ‘like the wind’ killing another bike
with his plasma pistol then running 4 inches away (just in case the last guy
lives). The missile heavy weapon team, seeing the last bike fire, managing to
get one shot though, gaining me another kill point. The autocannons in the
middle of the table target bikes on the right managing to down a marine,
followed by the executioner who adds a further two marines to its kill tally.
Straight to combat and the blob squad charges the command squad
killing a marine but 5 guard die. I still hold though.
Marines turn 5
As the marines are winning then try to minimise any future losses by
hugging the cover of the walls in front of them. One bike squad fires at the
platoon command managing to only kill one guardsman thanks to the cover save
from the wall but the other bike squad opens on the autocannon team, killing
them all. Combat continues with me dealing no damage and loosing 4 guard.
We roll to see if the game continues.... it does
Guard turn 6
As I only have heavy weapons left I don’t have much to move, going to
shooting the missiles miss the bikes as does the cc and the platoon command.
The executioner manages to hit a target but bounces off their armour, same
story for the chimeras. Now that’s not what I need so late in the game when I'm
behind on kill points. I think it was defiantly this point in the game that
prevents me from pulling out a draw ( I was never going to get a win).
Combat and I loose 3 and deal 0. I still hold.
Marines turn 6
The bikes in the middle move to threaten the side armour of the
chimera. The bike squad closest to the platoon command stays where it is.
Shooting from the bikes on the platoon command deals 5 wounds, but
thanks to cover the heavy weapon takes no damage, but the junior officer dies.
He holds his ground thank god, no kill point given away. The bikes by the
chimera shoot and manage to immobilised and stun it.
Combat phase and the same old think happens, I loose 4 guys and deal
no damage but hold.
We roll to see if the game continues... it doesn’t.
The game ends 4 – 2, a marine victory.
Well that was an interesting
game, and it was a fun way to say good bye to 5th edition. I won’t
bother with learning points for this game as next time I play the rules may
have changed as well as what’s needed to win. But thank you 5th
edition, you have been fun.
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