Space Wolves vs D99 and Militarum Tempestus 2000: Barking at the Sky

In this game I bring out the Space wolves for a change and take on a force of Elysian D99 and Tempestus militarum in a game using the new tactical supremacy cards to try them out. To keep it simple we do a 2000 point game of cleanse and control to give the cards a fair chance.

The Armies

Space wolves: Combined arms detachment

Wolf Priest – 135 (warlord: Sage of the Hunter) w/ blood claws

Runic armour, melta bombs

Rune Priest – 90 w/ small grey hunters

melta bomb, Runic staff, level 2 (living lightning, thunder clap, murderous hurricane)

14 Blood claws – 193

power first

10 Grey hunters – 228

2x melta guns, power fist, wolf standard, close combat weapons

Rhino – 35

6 Grey hunters – 129

melta gun, power fist, close combat weapons

Rhino – 35

5 Wolf guard terminators – 230

2x power fist + storm bolter, 3x thunderhammer + stormshield

Land Raider – 250

6 Long fangs – 170

4x missile launcher, lascannon

Razorback – 55

twin-linked heavy bolter

Crusader – 260

multi-melta

Whirlwind - 65

Total: 2000

Forces of the Guard: Unbound

Militarum Tempestus

Scion Command Squad (warlord: Nothing Important)

vox, standard, hot-shot volley gun, power fist

Taurox

taurox battle cannon, twin-linked autocannon

Lord commissar

power sword

Scion squad

2 x hot-shot volley gun

Valkyrie

lascannon, hell strike missiles

Scion Squad

2 x melta gun, power fist

Taurox

Gatling cannon, storm bolter, twin-linked hot shot volley gun

D-99 Elysians

D99 Command squad

4x plasma gun, power fist

Veteran squad

10 men, missile launcher

7 executioners

6x melta gun

Valkyrie

lascannon, hell strike missiles

3 Drop sentinels

twin-linked lascannons

Drop sentinel

multi melta

2 Drop Sentinels

multi melta

Sky Talon

heavy bolter, missile pods

Taros Venator

twin-linked lascannon, 2x hunter killer missiles

Vulture

twin-linked punisher canons

The Mission

For this game we decided that we would try out the new Supremacy Objectives, so just used the standard cleanse and control mission with dawn of war deployment. We roll off and I pick deployment zones, but the guard win the roll for deploying first. The Guards deployment is rather simple, the veterans deploy on the left in a ruin, with the Taros behind it. Both tauroxs are on the left ready to push up. The rest stays in reserve, entering either via deep strike (mostly).

My deployment has the long fangs deploy in the ruin on the left, with the razorback on the far left. Behind them the whirlwind hides in the shadow of the ruin. To the right of the ruin the land raider crusader deploys with the blood claws inside it. In the middle the land raider with terminators deploys with the bikes flanking it. On the right both rhinos deploy ready to push up the field.

Night Fighting: No

Steal the initiative: Failed

Deployment

The Battle

Guard turn 1

Starting off the drop units come in, the drop turrets come in and take objective 1 while being able to shoot the land raiders. The single drop sentinel tries to come in behind the land raider but scatters onto it and mishaps, going back into ongoing reserve. Swooping in the Valkyrie holding the executioners comes in but scatters back. The rest of the movement phase is just the Taros moving to face the land raider while the Tauroxs move up.

Shooting starts with the lascannon turrets targeting the crusader and they manage to glance it once. The taros then shoots the crusader as well, and some how only glance as well. Shooting from the Valkyrie fails to do anything, and the veterans missile launcher fails on the razorback. Both Tauroxs shoot at the long fangs and manage to kill all of them in a single turn, gaining first blood.

Score: First blood, Careful timing, no mercy (3 – 0)

Space wolves turn 1

The land raiders move at combat speed towards the enemy lines, and the blood claws jump out of the land raider crusader ready to attack the turrets. Both rhinos go full speed up the right flank and the bikes move forward as well.

Pistol fire from the blood claws try to weaken the turrets, but they fail to do anything. The bikes and rhinos both move some more pushing up. The land raider fires one lascannon at the Valkyrie hitting it and blowing off its lascannon, using power of the machine spirit the other lascannon targets the Taurox with galting cannon and it explodes it in a single shot, and 5 of the scions inside die before they can get out. With the 5 scions now in the open, the crusader fires at them and kills off 3 more, even though they go to ground. The razorback attempts to finish the squad off but it fails to do any damage. Shooting from cover, the whirlwind tries to take out the veterans in cover but the shot scatters off doing nothing.

Assault and the blood claws charge into the drop turrets. With no weapon skill the blood claws automatically hit, and do a single wound... 52 attacks and I get 1 wound. The wolf priest attacks next and does nothing, bouncing off their armour, but the power first manages to deal 2 wounds, killing a turret.

Score: Secure the field (3) (3 – 3)

Guard turn 2

Coming in from reserve the Vulture gets ready to shoot down the blood claws. The talon deep strikes behind the rhinos but scatter towards the land raiders, and its in hover mode so the sentinels jump out. Returning to the battlefield, the delayed sentinel tries to deep strike next to the crusader but scatters onto the land raider and gets delayed, again. Aiming to make sure I lose a lot this turn, the executioners valkyrie hovers and the executioners get out, ready to shoot at something that needs to die. The lone taurox moves forwards while the taros gets the crusader in line of sight.

Lascannon fire strafes the battlefield, the turrets target the crusader and stuns it, leaving it on one hull point, until the Taros shoots at it as well wrecking it. Able to see the side of the whirlwind, the taurox shoots everything it has, but fails to do any damage. Strafing the ground, 3 blood claws die to the Vulture under the sheer number of shots from the flier. Trying to do more damage, the veterans shoot at them as well killing 1 more. Melta fire starts now, with the drop sentinels shooting into the land raider and explode it, but the terminators are fine, the executioners target the bikes (who jink) and 1 dies to their 6 melta guns. Fire from the Talon targets the bikes and bring 1 more down.

Assault phase and the blood claws finish off the turrets.

Score: Nothing (3 – 3)

Space wolves turn 2

The smaller rhino moves off and takes objective 2 while the blood claws move towards veterans in the ruin, while the other rhino moves to the left. Trying to avoid the taurox, the whirlwind moves away while the terminators go after the drop sentinels. Coming back around, the bikers face the executioners aiming to kill them before they can do more damage.

Shooting out of the back hatch of the larger rhino, the melta guns target the Talon, it jinks but I didn't hit anyway. The whirlwind locks on to the veterans in the ruin, but I use the wrong ammo, wounding them on 2+... instead of 3+ and ignoring cover. No one dies (I'm an idiot).

Assault and the terminators charge into the drop sentinels, and explode them both, but some how two terminators die in the explosions. Ramming into the executioners the bikes kill 2 of the guard and lose 1 of their own number, the executioners hold though. The two remaining scions in the open get charged by the blood claws and they get ripped to pieces.

Score: Nothing (3 – 3)

Guard turn 3

The second valkyrie comes in towards the rhino on objective 2 and its supported by the deep striking drop sentinel who finally lands on his feet. Flying past the rhino, the Talon moves over it ready to leave the table, while the vulture swoops over to help pick over the rhino. Going for it, the taurox manages to get behind the whirlwind. The gunless valkyrie stays on the table at the bottom left.

The lone sentinel shoots at the rhino and explodes I with its shot. The explosion is a big one as the sentinel takes a glancing hit as well as taking out 2 of the grey hunters. With its prey in the open, the vulture shoots at the newly disembarked grey hunters and kills them all, leaving just the rune priest, who still suffers a wound. A long shot from the Taros kills off a last none thunderhammer terminator. Last but not least the taurox manages to blow off the whirlwinds missile launcher leaving it as movable cover.

Bikes vs executions does nothing, a dull slap fest.

Score: Nothing (3 – 3)

Space wolves turn 3

I need to kill a HQ to score some real points and get into the game, so the terminators move towards the taurox with his scion command in and the blood claws come back to box them in. However the wolf priest leaves them and goes after the veterans in the ruin.

Psychic phase, and the wolf priest is desperate so tries to living lightning the drop sentinel but fails to cast.

The blood claws and terminators run to close the gap between them and the HQ unit. Again some melta shots out the back of the rhino targets the vulture but misses.

Assault phase and the Priest charges into the veterans but only kills 1, and they hold. Bikes vs executions is just as boring as ever with nothing happening.

Score: Nothing (3 – 3)

Guard turn 4

Finally his last reserve comes in, his plasma squad deep strikes in behind the remaining rhino but scatters into the woods (they all survive). We talk about this for a while but in the end the rules don't stop it, so, the scion command gets out of the Taurox and into the Valkyrie next to them. The valkyrie with scions in drops in hover mode and its cargo gets out, on a kill mission to take out the Rune priest. Swinging round the vulture gets behind the other rhino, determined to make all my marines walk. The sentinel goes and gets picked up by the Talon and it moves around the table.

Before the blood claws can get close to it, the Taurox shoots them and brings down 2 more. The vulture wrecks the rhino under it volume of fire. Plasma fire rakes over the now on foot grey hunters and kills 5 of them, but they hold their ground (but they are pinned). On the right the scions gun down the Rune priest with ease, mission accomplished.

Combat and the blood claws on bikes really are disappointing, doing no damage. But the wolf priest this time takes down 2 more veterans but they still hold.

Score: Nothing (3 – 3)

Space wolves turn 4

As the valkyrie is hovering with the scion command in it, the whirlwind Rams it! Unfortunately the valkyrie is unharmed and the whrilwind gets wrecked for its troubles. Again the blood claws and terminators try to get to that damn Valkyrie but they are too far away.

No shooting so straight to assaults, the blood claws try to charge the Taurox but fail the 9 inch charge. Again the bikes and executioners do nothing and finally the priest kills off 3 veterans this turn but again they hold (at least he's slowly killing more).

Score: Nothing (3 – 3)

Guard turn 5

Not wanting to let its prey get away the vulture goes into hover mode so keep pummelling the grey hunters. With the scion command the valkyrie flies off taking them to safety while the plasma command squad jump into the other valkyrie to get away from danger.

Doing what it does best, the vulture kills off the remaining grey hunters, and the Taurox kills a blood claw. A stray shot from a valkyrie kills off a terminator despite its storm shield, taken by surprise the remaining terminator runs for it.

In combat the priest kills off the remaining veterans but the other fight carries on with no casualties.

Score: Storm objective 1 (3 points) (6 – 3)

Space wolves turn 5

With the change to take on the vulture, the blood claws abandon their target and move back towards the flyer. The terminator moves towards the Taurox.

Blood claws charge the vulture and manage to wreck it with krack grenades and power fist. The terminators attempt to charge the Taurox but fail to make the long charge.

Score: Primary Target (1) (6 – 4)

We roll to see if the game continues...

Guard turn 6

The guard move around and take as many objectives as they can, while the scions move to aid the executioners. The scion command jump out of their transport and take objective 5 (in the woods).

Shooting from the talon bombards the blood claws and 3 die, and a further dies to the Taurox, leaving the squad to a single man.

Swarming the bikers, the scions charge in but fail to do anything, the bikers do nothing as well, but the sergeant with power first kills the bikers.

Score: Cleanse them (3), Cripple the foe, objective 1 (11 – 4)

Space wolves turn 6

With the scion command on the table again, the lone terminator makes it his duty to take out the head of the snake. I move my razorback to objective 3 to hold it while the lone blood claw moves to wards the executioners.

Razorback fire targets the closest valkyrie and manages to stun it (it was hovering).

The blood claw charges the executioners and manages to dodge the overwatch and kill them all on his own, unlike the bloody bikers. I need a 12 inch charge for the terminator to make it and fails.

Score: Objective 3 (11 – 5)

Again does the game continue?

Guard turn 7

Last turn so he goes for the kill, the valkyrie with the D99 command goes to the razorback while the scions go after the terminator.

A lone shot from the sentinel kills the lone blood claw, allowing the scions to look toward the terminator. Firing its lascannon the Taros shoots at the wolf priest in the ruins, hits and wounds, but he goes to ground and lives. Shooting from the Valkyries lascannon shakes the rhino then the Taurox finishes the job wrecking it.

Combat and the scions charge into the terminator, he kills 2 scions but they hold, thankfully the power fist does nothing.

Score: Drive them back (12 – 5)

Space wolves turn 7

I can do nothing but go straight to combat, and the power first takes out the terminator.

Score: Nothing.

End of Game, Both have Line breaker

Guard: 13 – Space wolves: 6

Post-Battle

This game really didn't go very well for me, and it was mainly down to how I played it, I was just chasing my tail all game. He had superior manoeuvrability and fire power, my only advantage was in combat, and I never made it. I should have just stayed together and attacked one place at a time instead of spreading out and getting taken apart. But it was still a fun game, and I do like getting the space wolves out from time to time.

If I was to play it again I would change my list, having two land raiders was a massive point sink, so I would probably drop the land raider and buy a drop pod (if I had one) for the terminators. With the extra points I would get a second long fang squad, as the extra heavy weapons could have got rid of the tauroxs (in theory). I would also drop the bikers down to 3 men instead of 5, and use the extra points else where, or drop the bikes all together for land speeders or something else. I would keep the theme of having every one with a transport, as that's the theme idea I like. With the new release of Warzone: Fenris taking an Iron wolf formation would no doubt be better, but I don't have the models at the moment, and I won't for the foreseeable future.

The Supremacy cards definitely added something to the game, but just using them as they are was hard. Some objectives just weren't possible, such as Take objective X from your opponent, if your opponent doesn't hold objective X you can't claim it... and they are just going to stay away from it to deny you the points. Other cards were interesting, such as keep units away from objective X which was a nice addition. Over all I think the cards are good but they need some slight changes, giving you options, such as just taking an objective but if you take it away from the opponent gain extra points. Unfortunately they still have D3 and D6 points, which I think should be abolished and changed to 2 and 3 points respectively, as it standardises it and stops you getting a lucky high number and jumping far into lead. But still give them a go, I don't get how you are meant to mix them with the old cards as they are greatly different sizes but such is life.

Anyway that's all for now, another loss for me, its becoming a bit of a run.