Renegades (imperial guard) vs Mechanicum (inquistion and Knights) 1000 points: Pay back

This is my second game vs the mechanicum in our escalating series of games, unfortunatly we haven't been able to keep up with the paining. This game represents the mechanicum striking out against the chaos forces on the planet, after suffering losses after their first conflict. Its a 1000 point game of the relic, mechanicum (inquisition and knights) vs the renegades (imperial guard).

The Armies

As this game was before the release of Imperial armour 13, I used the good ol' Imperial guard codex to represent my renegades.

Astra Militarum

Company Command – 105 (warlord: Night attacker)

Regimental standard, plasma gun, vox caster, carapace armour, melta bomb

Primaris psyker – 75

level 2, Telekenisis ( telekine dome, the primaris power, and can't remember)

Primaris psyker – 50

level 1, divination (prescience, perfect timing)

Infantry platoon

Platoon Command – 45

flamer, vox, melta bomb

Infantry squad – 80

vox, plasma gun, auto cannon

Infantry squad – 80

vox, plasma gun, auto cannon

Heavy Weapon team – 105

3x lascannon

10 Veterans – 95

2x melta gun, vox

Chimera – 65

heavy bolter, multi-laser

Leman Russ Battle Tank – 150

Leman Russ Battle Tank – 150

Total : 1000 points

Mechanicum

Inquisition detachemnt (representing a tech priest and body guard)

Inquisitor (warlord: unqestionable wisdom)

conversion beamer, power armour, power axe level 1 psyker (divination: prescience, perfect timing)

Retinue

3x servitors (power fist), 3x acolytes (power axe, storm shield)

Knights

Knight Paladin

Knight Errant

Total 1000

The Mission

Rolling for mission we get the Relic, a game type I haven't played in quite some time. As we are just playing on a 4x4 table we just do dawn of war deployment. We roll for deployment the mechanicum win and selects his deployment zone. Rolling for first turn the renegades win and selec to set up first.

My deployment was quite simple, as I don't know where he will place his knights I need to have line of sight to as much as possible. I place the lascannon team in the middle at the back of my deploymetn so they can see every where. On each flank of them I place a battle tank. I hide the chimera full of veteras behind the building to my left. At the front ready to push forwards I palce an infantry squad, and behind them the company command. On the right the other infantry squad is joined by the telepathy psyker. On the far left I place the infantry command joined by the divination psyker.

To counter this he places the knight errant in the middle ready to push forwards while the paladin deploys in cover on the left. The inquisitor and his warband deploy on the left ready to push forwards.

Night fight: Night attacker selects it.

Steal the initiative: No

The Battle

Renegades turn 1

On the right the infantry move forwards into the ruins taking cover as the command on the left move forwards as well. In the centre the infantry push forwards, attempting to grab the relic as fast as possible. Moving forwards the chimera attempts to push though terrain but gets immobilised on it, taking a hull point of damage.

Psycic phase and I attempt to cast prescience on the heavy weapons team but fail to cast it, damn warp charge 2.

The heavy weapon team aim to take down the knight errant, as ordered by the commander. Two shots hit and manage to roll a penetrating hit but the ion shield stops all of the damage. Both of the battle tanks shoot at the same knight and both manage to hit, despite a slight scatter. Unfortunately neither of them roll high enough to do any damage. The infantry runs forward hoping to get into a better position for next turn.

Mechanicum turn 1

Everything pushes forwards.

The inquisitor casts prescience on the knight errant, making it rather more dangerous.

Firing its cannon at the chimera, the knight errant manages to penetrate its armour but only stuns the tank (and those transported inside). It then fires its heavy stubber at the infantry squad in front of it but fails to kill any. The knight paladin fires its cannon at the closest battle tank and gets a single glancing hit. It fires both stubbers at the platoon command but again fails to do anything. The inquisitor runs.

Assault phase and the paladin attempts to charge the platoon command but they roll double 1 and fails. The errant however is successful at charging into the infantry squad, it cuts down 2 with its massive weapon then stomps the rest into paste, leaving it in the open alone.

Renegades turn 2

With the errant just outside the chimera, the veterans get out and get into melta range, hopefully able to do some damage. On the right the infantry and company command move towards the inquisitor.

The psyker on the right casts telekine dome and the other fails prescience.

Even though they can only snap fire, the veterans get 2 hits on the knight errant and get a penetrating hit and a glance. The penetrating hit bounces off the ion shield while the glance does some damage! The lascannons target the errant but once more do no damage. Hoping to reduce a few more hull points the battle tanks target the errant but one shot scatters off wide while the other gets a glance which is saved by the ion shield. Firing everything they have, the infantry squad left targets the mechanicum detachment and manages to bring down two servators. Chimera snapshots target the mechanicum as well, and gets 2 6's! And a servitor and acolyte die. The plasma gun from the company command targets the errant but it fails to do any damage.

Mechanicum turn 2

They are only renegades, what can they do? The inquisitor pushes right into assault range, ready to dispatch them personally. Statistical analysis shows the knight errant the veterans present the most immediate threat, and on the left the paladin stumbles though the woods.

Again attempting to cast prescience but this time they fail.

Stubbing the veterans, the errant kills one, then targets the chimera with its cannon and clips a few veterans. The shot wrecks the tank and kill 4 more veterans. Heavy stubber fire from the paladin targets the heavy weapons team and deals a single wound, then its battle cannon glances the closest battle tank. After all the smoke settles the veterans are tempted to run, but the company banner keeps them in place.

Assault and both of the knights fail their assaults! The inquisitor charges into the infantry on the right. The inquisitor issues a challenge to which the sergeant steps up and actually wounds the inquisitor and lives! The infantry kill off the rest of the squad and actually pass a wound onto the inquisitor leaving him on a single wound. He chooses to pass the moral test.

Renegades turn 3

with no melta guns left the veterans have little left to do but screen the company command from the errant by circling it.

Psychic phase and I cast telekine dome.

Ordering his own unit, the commander gives his unit tank hunters, and as they are in the side armour fire both the plasma gun and throw a krack grenade. The plasma does nothing but the grenade glances the super heavy. The heavy weapons team take aim at the knight errant and one penetrates its armour, gets past its ion shield and gets an explodes result for 2 hull points. Hoping to finish off the knight, both of the battle tanks shoot but one shot misses and the other fails to do anything.

Assault phase and in the challenge the inquisitor kills off the unit champion, but his underlings don't take it well and in their woe attack and kill off the inquisitor, gaining slay the warlord.

Mechanicum turn 3

The Paladin walks towards the lascannon team while the errant turns to face the company command.

Paladin first, and it fires its cannon at the damaged russ and takes off its last hull point wrecking it. It fires both of its heavy stubbers at the lascannon team and gets 3 wounds, but they are all saved by their flak armour. The errant uses its stubber on the veterans and kills off 2, opening a gap for it to charge the company command. It fires its melta cannon at the command, it locks on and they go to ground in the ruins, 2 still die though.

Rolling double 1, the paladin fails its charge on the heavy weapons team. The errant charges into the command squad, and cuts down all but the commander. He tries to use him single melta bomb on the knight, determined to kill it, but misses... the is then stomped to death.

Renegades turn 4

Trying to get away from the knights, the remaining infantry squad runs though the ruin and aim to get line breaker. The few remaining veterans push past the errant knight and towards the relic.

Again the psyker casts telekine dome to help protect his squad.

Rather desperate to take down at least 1 knight, the lascannons target the damaged errant knight, and gets 3 hits, 2 penetrating hits but both are saved by the ion shield. The remaining battle tank fires as well, which is also saved by the ion shield.

Mechanicum turn 4

Not bothering with moving, we go straight into shooting, the errant targets the russ with its melta cannon and explodes it with a single shot, and uses its stubber to kill 2 veterans. Paladin knight fires its cannon at the lascannon team and kills them all.

Again the knights don't do very well with their charges as the errant gets a 3 on its charge into the lone vet and fails to make it.

Renegades turn 5

Running further, the infantry squad move into woods to try and protect them selves from any backlash from the knights. The lone veteran manages to pick up the relic, but I doubt he will have it for long.

Again I cast dome to protect my units and the autocannon snap fires at the knight errant but fails to do anything.

Mechanicum turn 5

Both of the metal behemoths turn to face the lone veteran, a little bit of over kill there.

Stubber fire from the paladin kills the lone veteran with the relic. It then fires its cannon at the infantry squad but both shots scatter off and do no damage. Its a similar tale for the errant, its stubbers bounce off the telekine dome while its cannon scatters off as well.

Its a long charge, but the errant attempts is, but again he fails the charge.

We roll to see if the game carries on...

Renegades turn 6

I brake off the psyker from the unit, hoping to get line breaker while the infantry squad turns to face the knight errant.

The psyker runs and just rolls under what he needed to actually get into the mechanicum deployment zone. Autocannon fire bounces off the knight errant unfortunately, as it fails to find a chink in its armour.

Mechanicum turn 6

The knights fire on the renegades, they go to ground and only 2 infantry men die but the psyker gets killed by the errants melta cannon.

We roll and the game ends.

Mechanicum: 3 (first blood, line breaker, slay the warlord) – Renegades: 1 (slay the warlord).

Post-Battle

Well that could have gone better but it was a really fun game. Knowing what you are going to be facing before hand helps, especially when its against a list like with knights. While I didn't go and make a list designed to take out knights, I did add in a few melta bombs though, and while it didn't manage to help it did allow me to stand a chance at least.

I would go into what I could do to improve the list, but I will be moving onto using the heretics and renegades list, which will fit the feel of my force a lot better as well as fitting in to the story. I hope you enjoyed my last imperial guard battle report.