Renegades and Heretics vs Blood Angels 1500: Black Rage

My first game trying out the evolving Renegades and Heretic list and I face off against Blood Angels, well Death company more specifically. I have faced blood angels numerous times in the past so its nothing new or surprising, allowing me to test the list properly instead of being taken by surprise by a new rule or unit.

The Armies

Renegades and Heretics V1: Combined arms Detachment

Renegade Command Squad – 120 (warlord: Fanatical convert)

heretek, covenant of khorne, melta bomb, krack grenades, melta gun, +2 guys

Chimera – 70

Autocannon, heavy flamer, militia training

20 Mutants – 80

champion, covenant of khorne, hand weapon and pistol (cause fear)

Infantry Platoon

Command – 85

20 men, Demagogue, melta bomb, chaos sigil, krack grenades

Infantry – 70

20 men, chaos sigil, krack grenades

Infantry – 50

10 men, 2x flamer, krack grenades

Chimera – 60

autocannon, heavy flamer

Infantry – 50

10 men, 2x flamer, krack grenades

Chimera – 60

autocannon, heavy flamer

Blood Slaughterer – 130

2x dreadnought close combat weapon

Devil Dog – 125

Sentinel squadron – 60

Heavy flamer

Heavy Ordinance – 160

2x medusa cannons

Demolisher – 160

Defiler – 220

power scourge

Total: 1500

Blood Angels: Baal Strike Force

Asterath (Warlord) w/ Death Company

Librarian w/ Death Company

lvl 2 (quickening, blood lance, wings), Jump pack, Gallian's Staff, melta bomb

Cassor the Damned

Raphens Death Company

Whole host of random weapons

15 Death Company

3x power fist, power sword, power axe, thunder hammer, jump packs

Furioso Dreadnought

blood talons, magna grapple

Land speeder

2x multi-melta

Baal Predator

Twin-linked assault cannon, heavy bolter sponsons

Well this is simple, kill the Death company deathstar or die trying. The two dreadnoughts will cause an issue, especially the Av 13 one, but hopefully I can take them out before they do much damage. Using my Ap 2 Blasts will be key here, so lets hope they don't scatter. Over all though I like this list, its themed around death company with out being silly, and the Deathstorm units really help out here. Lets see how it goes.

The Mission

Rolling on the Mealstrom missions we get Contact lost, a mission that I quite like as you need to hold objectives in order to draw new cards. We set up the terrain and place down the 6 objectives all over the table, placing them more in places that look cool rather than thinking about tactical placement. Blood angels win the roll to choose deployment zone and select the one with a building to hide behind. I then win the roll to set up first and pass it over to him, I think I know where he is going but want to make sure.

As expected the Death company deathstar sets up behind the rather intact ruin so I can't see them with my limited range blasts, and the speeder sets up just on their right, still out of sight. On my right Cassor starts in ruins next to an objective. The baal predator and Furioso take cover behind some rocks in the centre while Raphen's Death company deploy on the left behind woods.

Instead of going for objectives I though I would be able to counter his objective and possibly just blow him off the table. So with that in mind I placed the mutants and two chimeras with guard on the far left ready to move up and take out the 5 man death company unit. In the centre I placed the medusas with infantry unit body guard (who are holding objective 1) as well as the defiler. To the right of defiler I placed another infantry squad and the sentinels. Behind them the demolisher and command chimera. On my far right I placed the Devil Dog so it can hunt down Cassor (I hoped). I kept the blood slaughterer in reserve ready to deep strike in later.

Night Fight: No

Steal the initiative: No

The Battle

Blood Angels turn 1

Rather unsurprisingly the blood angels come straight for me. The death company jump into the ruins for cover while the land speeder supports them. Cassor moves down the right flank while raphen moves down the left. In the middle the Furioso and Baal predator stay in the rocks for cover while inching forwards.

Psychic phase fizzles out as he fails to do anything.

Multi-melta fire from the speeder targets the sentinels and manages to explode one of them, which catches 8 guys from the infantry squad killing them, thankfully they hold (ld 10). Bullets fly from the Baal predator targeting the other infantry and takes down 6 of them, and the furiosos storm bolter takes 1 down as well (Again they hold with LD 10). The death company, Raphen and Cassor run forward to get into a better position.

Score: Objective 5

Blood Angels: 1 – Renegades: 0

Renegades turn 1

On the left the mutants and chimera move forwards, as does the devil dog and sentinels on the right. In the centre I mostly hold position ready for the Death company, except for the Defiler who moves up.

Laspistol fire from the mutants does nothing to Raphens death company nor does the snap shots from the chimeras. The medusas are just out of range of a good shot on the death company so target the Baal predator instead (as they can clip the furioso as well) but the shot scatters a little and I only get 1 hit on the predator, which I roll a 1 and 2 for penetration, not even a glance. Demolisher cannon fire from the leman russ scatters off the death company and onto the land speeder which jinks and makes its save (rules as written probably shouldn't have been able to jink, but its a friendly game so we said it can). Battle cannon shot from the defiler scatters 5 inches and misses its mark and autogun fire does nothing. On the right the sentinels run towards objective 3 for next turn (he needs to claim it, so it will slow him down. Levelling its cannon at Cassor, the devil dog locks on and penetrates the dreadnoughts armour, or at least it would have, had the shot not blown up on the ruin instead (he passed his cover save).

Assault phase and the mutants charge into Raphens death company though the cover, not that cover makes much difference as they are slower anyway. The mutants must have taken the marines by surprise as the power sword, and chain sword guys only manage to take down 3 mutants! I attack next and praise khorne I stab two of the marines in the eyes, killing them! The power fist and thunder hammer however avenge their fallen brothers and kill another 4 mutants. I roll to see the mutants leadership (9, not bad) and they hold despite losing combat by 5!

Score: Hold the lines

Blood angels: 1 – Renegades: 1

Blood angels turn 2

Now the blood angels are close enough to get to grips, this turn is going to hurt. Cassor moves as fast as possible towards the Devil dog, not wanting it to get another shot off. The death company jump forwards towards both the defiler and the infantry squad near it. With the heretics chimeras so close the Furioso moves towards them while the Baal predator holds its ground ready to mow down more infantry.

Psychic phase and again its not great, as he fails to cast blood lance and then I deny quickening.

In a moment of sanity, Cassor raises his melta gun at the devil dog, but misses. On the other side of the table the furioso does the same to the closes chimera and immobilises it, the baal tries to finish it off but the assault cannon just can't get past the transports front armour. Multi-melta fire from the speeder again targets the sentinels and despite needing 6's to hit, manages to get one. It penetrates the armour and explodes the walker, catching the other in the explosion glancing it.

Assault and Cassor slips back into insanity and charges into the immobilised devil dog, but only manages to immobilise and shake it. Once more the Furioso shows Cassor hows its done by charging the chimera and wrecking it, but the passengers are fine. In the centre the Death company multi-charge both the defiler and infantry squad in front of them. They don't get rage, or the bonus from Asterath but as they are marines they don't need them, ripping 11 of the infantry apart, leaving 1 guy left (who runs for it). Before the power fists can swing, Claws from the defiler rip apart 2 death company. Despite its power scourge reducing the death company ws by 3, the power firsts still get enough hits though and wreck it in a single turn. Raphens company do just as well, killing 4 mutants with no losses and run the rest down.

Score: First blood, Objective 2

Blood Angels: 3 – Renegades: 1

Renegades turn 2

With so much blood shed the Blood Slaughterer comes in from the warp, not quite where I wanted it but close to the Furioso. Getting out both infantry units from the chimeras move towards the little death company unit attempting to flame them.

Flames engulf Raphens unit, from 4 flamers I get 12 hits but not a single marine goes down, auto gun fire from the rest of the squads help out but again the power armour is too resilient. On the right the chimeras heavy flamer some how kills 3 of the large death company unit, the medusas target them but scatter wildly only killing 1 marine but the Demolisher is the star of the turn, locking on and killing 6 (yes 6!) of the marines with ease.

In combat however Cassor finally explodes the Devil Dog.

Score: Objective 3

Blood Angels: 3 – Renegades: 2

Blood Angels turn 3

Not impressed with their display of fire power, Raphen leads his squad towards one of the infantry squads, ready to show them true power. Not allowing the Daemon to do any damage, the Furioso and Baal predator turn to face it, while the Death company carry on their bloody rampage and go after the infantry holding objective 1. While the demolisher is distracted the land speeder gets into melta range.

Again the librarian fails to do anything in the psychic phase.

2 multi-meltas in half range shoot at the Demolisher but thankfully it only gets stunned. Seeing the weakened sentinel Cassor explodes it, finally hitting something with his meltagun. Pistol fire from the death company kill off 4 heretics, but htye hold. In the centre of the table the Furioso tries to weaken the Blood slaughterer before it charges and manages to hit its power source with its melta gun, exploding it and sending it back to the warp.

Assault from the death company annihilates the infantry, they kill them all with out a single loss. Raphens unit charges a small infantry unit and kill 2 with their hammer of wrath attack and kill all the rest bar 1, who gets cut down trying to flee.

Score: Objective 3

Blood Angels: 4 – Renegades: 2

Renegades turn 3

I don't have too much left so the infantry on the left once more try to dispatch Raphens squad. The demolisher back away to hide its rear armour and the chimera moves to flame the speeder.

Two flamers at the small death company and finally 1 more dies! But its not going to be enough. Heavy flamer on the land speeder, it can't jink but it doesn't do anything. Medusa cannons attempt to clip both the Baal Predator and Furioso but it scatters off and hits nothing.

Assault and on the left the infantry try to charge Raphens but roll a 3, failing the charge though cover.

Score: Nothing

Blood Angels 4 – Renegades: 2

Blood Angels turn 4

Raphens unit continues the clean up while the other death company go after the artillery. Cassor goes after the command chimera. The furioso goes after the remaining chimera on the left.

Finally casting a power, the Librarian casts Quicken on Astarath.

Some how the land speeder misses both of its melta shots at the demolisher. Assault cannon and heavy bolter shots from the predator hits the medusas taking 2 wounds off a gun. Cassor runs towards the command chimera.

Assault and the Death company charge the artillery killing off all the crew with ease. Raphen charges the infantry on the left and cut down 6, the rest run and once more get cut down. Furioso charges the chimera and wrecks it with its blood talons.

Score: Objective 3, objective 6, Psychological warfare

Blood angels: 7 – Renegades: 2

Renegades turn 4

Again the command chimera tries to take out the land speeder while the demolisher turns its turret to see the Death company.

Flamers and autocannon fire fails to do any damage on the land speeder, the melta gun fires out the back hatch but it only gets a glancing hit. Demolisher cannon on the death company and 2 die as well as the Librarian, leaving 1 left and Asterath.

Score: 0

Blood Angels: 7 – Renegades: 2

Blood Angels turn 5

The blood angels force converge on my two units left, the chimera and demolisher.

Heavy bolter and assault cannon fire hits the side armour of the chimera causing it to be shaken and take a glancing hit. Again the speeder tries to take out the demolisher but just can't manage to do any damage.

Cassor attempts to charge the chimera, and the melta gun takes a hull point off him thanks to over watch, then he fails his charge. The death company also fail the charge on the Demolisher as well.

Score: 0

Blood Angels: 7 – Renegades: 2

Renegades turn 5

I move the chimera back a little.

Shooting its autocannon, the chimera manages to glance Cassor. Trying to finish off the Death company, the Demolisher fires but scatters 5 inches missing everything.

Score: 0

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

Blood Angels turn 6

The noose tightens as the blood angels encircle the renegades.

Melta gun fire from cassor immobilises the chimera then the baal predator wrecks it. Multi-melta fire from the speeder Immobilises the Demolisher and reduces it to 1 hull point.

Assault phase is interesting as the Death company charge into the now disembarked command squad. Asterath issues a challenge and I accept for the hell of it. I do no damage and lose the whole squad.

Score: King slayer, slay the warlord, objective 6, overwhelming fire power, big game hunter, hunger for glory.

Blood Angels: 13 – Renegades: 2

Renegades turn 6

Only one model left, the Demolisher.

He targets the death company and it scatters again.

One last turn

Blood Angels turn 7

The speeder finally kills the demolisher.

Score: 0

Final Score

Blood Angels: 14 (line breaker) – Renegades: 2

Post-Battle

That was a massacre, the blood angels just ran though my units with gay abandon and I just couldn't stop them. If my templates had hit, that might have make a slight difference, but as they didn't we will never know. It was a fun game though, and what always happens in the background when ever marines smash in the face of renegades, so no real problem there then.

Anyway what did I do wrong? Loads

• Underestimating Death Company: On the left flank I assumed that I could just kill 5 marines with ease using flamers and autoguns, this was a mistake. I just let the infantry try to take them out what I had two chimera which while not great, had some superior weapons that I should have used on the Raphens unit. Also I might have benefited from the defiler joining that flank instead of a chimera to take the flank, as the centre was likely to fall anyway. Next time take the flank, take the objectives then deal with the rest of his units.
• Devil Dog: I sent it on it's own, which was a risk. As it was, it didn't work as it failed its job and got destroyed for it. Maybe I should have had a Chimera with it for support and act as a buffer from Cassor, so I could have had a second shot?
• Ignored objectives: I went for the kill, I should have gone for the objectives as I had the numbers to start with and just wasted it. So I didn't get many points and the marines took me apart.

The Blood slaughterer however I don't know if it was a mistake or not. As it HAS to move towards the closest unit it had to deep strike in where I want it to attack. I could have put it next to Raphens squad to kill them, but it would have been a waste of time as its slow and couldn't get back in the fight later on. I will need to experiment with it, but I think deep striking it is the right decision.

Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed the battle report, and enjoying the Holidays. See you all soon.