BA Battle Rep 2 and Painting Progress

So, progress is being made! Ive completed about 25 foot slogging marines so far, and have about 6 or 7 more to go. Ive also got to wrap up the second rhino, and begin painting my first land raider. Ive got 2 more razorbacks sitting in boxes still, after I went on a buying spree when the RAZ squads were all the internet rage (and I found out I dont like using them)... You can also see the jump marines and drop pod with dread I completed earlier this year (anyone want them, make an offer, looking for orks (lootas, battlewagons)

As far as the battle rep goes, im going to have to keep it short since I dont remember much of it. I was up against an mech eldar list (2x dire a squads in wave serpents, a squad of fire dragons in a wave serpent, and a full squad of banshees in a wave serpent with a farseer, and 2 squads of warp spiders. I have 2x squads of assault marines in rhinos with priest (melta, m. pistol, power first, power weapon), a pred with las sponsons, 2x baal preds (dakka style), 10x assault marines with jump pack (melta, p. fist) all led by a Lib.

We had a pitched battle deployment with 4 objectives. A mobile assault force vs a mobile shooty army (aside from the banshees).

The game went fairly well, as it began well for me (I took down a waves serpent with the dragons and widdled the squad down to 2), while shaking another serpent. The eldar struck back by shooting the crap out of the jump marines, leaving 3 left (I loath dire avengers with bladestorm, doom and fortune). The marines then took down a second serpent and a squad of the warp spiders. The las cannon predator with autocannon is the perfect tank hunter for those of you looking for some anti tank options...

Then came the Banshees... I read all over the internet that banshees are a bad selection for eldar. HA, I disagree after loosing a 9 man squad and priest to a squad of charging, fleet o foot banshees. With doom and fortune, my marines stood no chance ( I lost the Lib stupidly earlier, should have saved him, forgot how important that p. hood was).

The game ended in a tie, with each of us contesting 1 objective, and holding none others (thank you tank shock - got those damn avengers off the objective end of turn five). With a roll of a 2, game over.

Now, do I continue with the BAs or switch over to painting the Ork Boyz for a little while.

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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.

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Nid Killerz! (Battle with New Nids)

Long time no post! Well, I did actually post 4 or 5 days ago, however I posted an illegal army list, so I had to quickly delete that post before I made myself sound even more noobish... Either way, it was around a new army I may run with K.Khan as the HQ (grating a group or assault marines furious charge in a rhino, and having a few other assault marines outflank).

Well, I had my first run in with the new Nid codex today. Actually had a great 1000 point battle, in which I think I found every weakness in the nid codex by mopping them up... To be fair, it was against a relatively new player who got back into 5th ed with the release of his army's new codex. I wont get into the details of the game, however what I will say is the following about my limited experience with Nids:

-Remember to bring a lot of rocket launchers (as I did today) - insta killing warriors and zoanthropes is KEY to saving the bolter fire for the guants, genestealers and gargoyles (combat squad you tactical squads). Also great to drop a small templates on a swarm of gaunts as opposed to a single lascannon shot.
- I did a little post not to long ago praising the predator tank armed with heavy bolters, autocannon and storm bolter (for 95 pts). Yeh, this will eat up those non MC nids just fine... I was taking down warriors left and right with this thing. 8 AP 4 shots (and 2 AP 5 shots)
-Carnifexs are overpriced now! If you see them, be thankful the points are tied up in this
-Assault Terminators with TH/SS will EAT any Nid MC (monstrous creature) alive... A hive tyrant MAY last a turn, more likely two... Use Assault Marines as Counter-Assault MC destroyers, dont loose them by getting forced to make 18 saves from a swarm of gaunts. Thats what your cheaper marines are for! (I think this is my best advice)
- Be worried about a swarm of h.gaunts - be sure to be in cover, youll get to strike first!
- Take a combat squad of plasma/combi plasma as opposed to a melta gun... youll knock out a few wounds off a MC without much issue. Have this be your MC hunter squad...
- Attack Bikes with H.Bolters are great - a squad of 3 for 120 points. 9 S5 AP4 shots and some bolter fire

What do you think of the new nids? How have your experiences with them been?

Well, back to painting my Blood Angels. I really hope their new codex gets attack bikes, though im sure it will...

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Battle Report - Raven Guard vs. Witch Hunters

Raven Guard vs Sister of Battle

Raven Guard:

Commander (relic blade) & Command Squad (C. Champ, Melta Gun) in Razorback

Predator (HB & Autocannon)

2x Tactical Squad (Missile Launcher, Melta Guns) Combat Squad

6x Assault Marines (Powerfist)

Dreadnought (MM, Heavy Flamer) in Drop Pod

5x Assault Terminators (TH/SS)

Sisters of Battle:

3x 10 man Storm troopers in Rhinos (plasma pistol)

2x 10 woman Sister of Battle Squads in Rhinos (flamer, h.flamer, plasma pistols)

Sister HQ Canoness (Jump Pack, Power Weapon, Spell Book (?))

Witch Hunter Inquisitor

Mission: Annihilation
Deployment: Dawn of War

I won and took first turn. Placed Melta Gun sergeants squads in middle of board behind a building, rocket squads on opposite sides near rear.

Opponent deployed single Rhino Squad in rear (18” away) with Canoness as close as possible.

First Turn – I simply moved in the 2x Sergeant led melta squads to each side of the building, preparing to shoot the rhinos as they move towards my deployment zone. Neither Rocket squad was in range (night fight) on my far ends of the board. However, the Dreadnought in the drop pod came down in a storm of fury in front of the single rhino on the board.

Otherwise the predator, assault squad and command razorback rolled onto the middle of my deployment zone.

The Dreadnought opened up fire with the M.Melta, and watch as the rhino exploded upon impact as the ball lightning shot struck. The storm troopers inside proceeded to then get cooked as a heavy flamer was unleashed on them. The survivors would be picked off in the next turn.

My opponent only could watch as the canoness flew forward, with the remaining storm troopers left with no recourse but to change the dreadnought, in hopes of trying to tie it up in combat… Otherwise it would simply go for the next rhino. Unfortunately, this dreadnought made due of the remaining storm troopers as they ran off the board edge after failing to do anything to the dreadnought. The 4 remaining rhinos came up 12 inches near the middle of the board.

Killpoints – Me: 1 Opponent: 0

Turn 2 – I then flew forward with the assault marines, and ran with the meltagun squads around the center building. The razorback went full speed toward the enemy rhinos, and the rocket squads shot at the rhinos, scoring a single shaken result. The dreadnought proceeded to strike another rhino with the fury of his melta gun, and Boom, another exploding rhino. The Stormtrooper squad inside suffered the same fate as their brother squad.

My opponents Canoness continued to charge forward, almost getting within assault range of one of the melta gun squads. The remaining 3 rhinos lunged forward, with one of the rhinos attempting to tank shock my Dreadnought after failing to harm if with 2 plasma pisolts. Attempt failed, as the dreadnought lunged to the side. My opponent knew he had to do anything he could to get rid of the dreadnought in the middle of the board, as he had nothing to harm it other than plasma pistols.

KP: Me: 3 Opponent: 0

The dreadnought was still hungry for some rhino steel, and assaulted the third rhino filled with storm troopers. The result of this combat was no different then the other two. One more destroyed result with the dreadnought on the assault. The Assault Marines charged at the canoness, only to fail to wound her as she beat down 2 assault marines, forcing them to flee from the combat (as she had a 2+ invul. with her faith points). The combat squad and one of the melta squads tried to take out a rhino, failing to hit it or assault it…

The canoness proceeded to charge the combat squad, taking down 2 marines but was tied up in combat. A sister squad then proceed to jump out of the unharmed rhino I failed to shot or assault with the command squad; laying down two flame templates and a volley if bolter fire, nearly taking down the command squad. Leaving it down to 1 veteran and leaving 1 wound on my commander.

KP: 5 Opponent: 0

I would follow up the sister volley of fire with my own assault, charging in with commander, veteran and combat squad with sergeant/melta. The sister squad took down my commander and remaining veteran, only to fall to the combat squad. My assault squad then charge and blew up rhino number 4. The remaining sisters wouldn’t sit by and watch… The dreadnought shot down some of the remaining storm troopers, 2 left…

The last sister squad unloaded on the assault squad, getting it down to the sergeant, while the canoness took out the combat squad. The sister inquisitor came on and began to unleash the metla torpedoes from the hovering flagship as orbital bombardments’. Their aim would be way off the remainder of the game, never harming a single marine.

KP: 6 Opponent:2

My predator unleashed its 10 shots on the canoness, finally putting 2 wounds on her. She passed 10+ saves prior with her 2+ invul. My assault terminators finally came in, and the sole assault marine sergeant with power fist took down the last storm trooper. The Dreadnought fired at the sole remaining enemy troop squad on the board, taking down 2 more. At this point in the game my opponent only had a witch inquisitor, a single wound canoness, 7 sister and a rhino on the board. I’ve only lost a command squad and commander, a combat squad and some assault marines.

The remaining 2 turns were simply clean up, as the assault marine sergeant, assault terminators and dreadnought destroyed the remaining enemies.

Final Count- KP (Me): 11 Opponent: 2

A massacre victory for the marines, thought my opponent knew he wasn’t bringing much to the table. He knew this was one of my first games back and went easy on me… Plus, my dreadnought scored 5 or 6 killpoints on its own with nothing my opponent could do to take it down.

MVP: Dreadnought

Least Valuable Units: Rocket Launcher Combat Squads.

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