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Blood Angel Battle Test
Well, as I mentioned in my last post, ive been away from 40k gaming for about a month or so, but have jumped back in full steam ahead.
The past 2 weeks Ive gotten in a few games with the BAs, and I wanted to share my experiences and observations:
Game 1: 1500 point, 2x objectives
I played against a Nurgle Daemon army, which was composed of approx. the following:
2x Daemon princes, nurgle marked, better armor save
Papa Nurgle, the 300 point greater daemon
3 mid sized squads of nurglins, one with a herald and one with Epidemius
a squad of nurgle beast (or whatever they are called)
I ran with:
a Lib and 5x assault marines, fist, melta gun
2x 9x man assault squads in rhinos with fist, melta guns each with a Sang Priest
5x marines in a razorback w./ TL Lascannon
2x Baal Predators with H.Bolters
Predator with Lascannons
Toughness 6 Daemon Princes are a PAIN to deal with... I took one out by turn two with concentrated tank fire, but that second one caused me some pain. Unless you get off the charge against one with a full squad led by a priest and a power fist, dont expect to wipe it out. Youll get locked in combat an eventually loose. Try to take it down a wound or two with shooting before engaging it.
Papa Nurlge was also slain in this battle of good against evil. Sent back to the warp he was, and that was before he was able to do anything noticeable on the battlefield. Rather than spending 3 or more rounds of shooting at it with my companys full tank squad, I should have ignored the sluggishly slow blob... That fire power should have concentrated on the rest of the nurgle diseased on the table.
Not taking out Epidemius was a big NO NO. If you ever face a chaos demon army, he IS PRIORITY number 1. He basically counts the enemy losses his nurgle comrades have committed, and grants army wide bonuses based on the count. They got to a point where all weapons are poised and feel no pain goes off on a 3+.
BA Jump Troops are very easy to take out in shooting, I lost my lib and squad by turn two, after they failed a leadership test and ran off the board... Be sure to support them.
Fast Vehicles are amazing... The ability to go all Eldar and jump onto an objective last turn will win you more games than your games combat resolution. DOnt forget about tank shocking!!!
So, the game ended up being an even match, even though I think a more veteran BA player and a slightly more tuned list would have taken down the Chaos army. My shooting in the first two turns was big, taking out a D. Prince and hurting papa nurgle ended up saving my the game. I do love assault cannon Baal preds... However, during the same first two turns, my lib and his assault marine jump squad fled off the table.
By about mid game, I was actually sitting pretty. Despite loosing that BA jump unit early, I made it back with some assaults over nurglings to bring the tide back to the BAs. I also took down the first DP with shooting by the end of round 2. I however got locked up in combat, and the second deamon prince came in from behind my lines and tore through the assault marines who were up till then slashing through nurglings.
By the end of the game, we both sat on his objective, and mine was empty. A better player would have contended his objective, and claimed mine (as we took out papa nurgle on turn 5, as he was basically sitting on my objective). I was able to zoom up with the razor squad to contest his objective.
I ended up killing Papa Nugle, 1 Nurlge DP, A Herald of Nurgle, and about 16 nurglings
I lost 18x assault marines (who were in the rhinos), a priest, a rhino, and the lib with his jump marine squad.
From a Victory points perspective, we both list around a little over half our armies exactly (I think within 30 of each other). A very very even game. Till next time, when I talk about my game against eldar, and my new 1750 list.
