Holy goodness!

I think that my game on Friday will go down as one of the best of the year. I played another marine player. He was fairly new but had a pretty awesome 4th company ultramarine army. Three tactical squads with two scout sniper squads made up his troops. Two vindicators as heavies, two storm talons and an attack bike squad rolled as fast attacks. Tigerious was the Warlord choice. I rolled up my drop pod list with an additional las/ plas devastator squad vindicator and terminator to bring my numbers up to 1850.

We played kill points on long table edge and man! This game was bloody! My initial drop pod strike managed to kill both vindicators and a put the hurt on Tigerious causing a wound and knocking his squad down to 3 Marines but my damned vengence rounds killed two of my own Sternguard! His attack bike squad duelled with my las/plas devs and snipers and his mounted tac squads disembarked and really put the hurt on my Sterguard. He wiped out one Combat Squad, killed a man or two in every other combat squad. Tigerious Iron armed himself and charged into my 3 man sternguard squad. St9 blows rained down on my squad but their armour held. barely. At this point I was Sweating bullets. I failed all my reserve rolls (with a re-roll) so I had less than 10 Marines to deal with 23 tactical marines, Rhinos and Tigerious himself! I have to admit I was going to call the game at this point; but the sportsman in me said
"Stick it out, this guy is pretty cool and deserves a hard fought game!"

So I pulled up my socks and committed to finishing. Pedro unleashed Dorns arrow and killed two marines, his Sternguard fired their bolt pistols and got another one. Then Pedro waded into combat and killed 4 more Marines! Tigerous continued to be thwarted by the blessed power armour of the sternguard in combat but my vindicator and one more combat squad were wiped out. My terminators refused to come on the board but my multimetla Devs drop poded in and a storm talon arrived! I had a fighting chance now!

Pedro finished off the tac squad and went after Tigerious. The Challenge was short and Tigerious put up a good fight but ultimately Kantors Power fist won out. With Tigerious down the and his remaining tactical sqauds pinned between Two Devs teams and a very angry Pedro Kantor I think my oppenant put over a valiant last stand. He shot down my storm talon and killed Pedro but I simply had to much fire power left for him to deal with.

It was a great game non-the-less. I think the big lesson i took away is that my Sternguard are going to take disgusting casualties. I really need to make sure they have cover, are spread out and have a proper fire support as soon as they land.

Bat-rep #1 - Blood river

the Board

Pedro Kantor peered for the open hatch of his Land Raider Redeemer Rynns Retribution. The river had burst its banks and the air was thick with Warp pollution. Brother Baltasar’s voice crackled over the vox

“A warp disturbance is emanating from the river my lord. The locals say it is driving men mad! Xeno raiders have also been spotted. Scout Sergeant Diego reports Eldar in the area.”

Pedro surveys the field. His gene - enhanced mind plotting assault routes and firing lanes; his troops racked the slides of their bolters and the engines of rhino transports roared to life.

Knock Knock

“Brothers, find me the Xenos and bring me their heads!” Pedro slammed on his battle helm and punched his power fist into the sky “There is only the Emperor!”

 His brothers raise their weapons in return of the salute “He is our shield and protector”

Across the river a elegant figure eyed the Space marines as they mustered. He turned to his cohorts. “kill the mon-keigh” the Eldar took positions and opened fire.

a little game of pokey chest

Battle Report: Mission 1 Blood River

On the attack

I played a 2000 game of Blood River tonight. There were some slight differences but it was a very interesting experience. The terrain was heavy on barricades and buildings. We had a river ( a cut up recycle bag) that ran down board center and bridge that traversed it. We didn’t use the returning units because it we felt it would make the turns far too long as both of us had shooting heavy armies.

The river itself was a major feature just as I hoped it would. While both of us had shooty armies our assault elements were able to maneuver and engage each other in the river. My assault terminators got the jump on the striking scorpians and the farseer made a Hail Mary assault and destroyed the Redeemers flame cannon. 

Probably the most interesting thing to happen was the last terminator lost his mind, raged and assaulted an AV 12 building housing Pathfinders. At the start of the movement phase he was only 11 inchs from the Farseer and the last Dire Avenger. But the building was 10 inchs away and the terminator had to go to the nearest enemy unit.  It was fun to slap a building into rumble 

The Jist of the game is like this. Eldar had first turn and skimmed up to the left flank. The intent was to force the Marines to commit to the flank and then retreat to center. The plan fell apart when one wave serpant was destoryed and the farseer was forced to disembark. The Space marines spilt up. The Scouts attacked the fire base of pathfinders and Fire Prisims. The Landspeeders were shot out from under them but they managed to wipe out one squad before the Prisms fell back to the corner. A group of striking scorpians waded into the river. A group of Warpspiders and a autarch attemped to deepstrike but scattered into a rhino.

Base of fire

Good Driving bro!

A group of fire dragons lost their ride and were wiped out somewhat ironicly by a flamer shot from the Redeemer.a second group of fire dragons was demeched and shot up so only 2 remain alive. To finish them off they were assaulted by a dreadnaught. They ninja’d it down with someamazing melta bomb action and proceeded to shoot up another dread. Their rampage only ended when some Sternguard bolter them down.

The game ended fittingly in the river. Pedro Kantor and The Farseer met in single combat.

Kantor sprinted down the assualt ramp into the River. The Eldar psyker rushed to meet him. Kantor unleased a torrent of fire from Dorns arrow. Each round stopped meter short and their mass reactive charges detonate prematurely. The Seer closes the distance and unleashes a flurry of attacks Kantor was hard pressed to parry them all. The Farseer saw an opening and summoned all of his psykic might. He thrust his spear and unleashed a bolt of lighting. At such close range there was no where for the Mon Kiegh to go. But what seemed like certain victroy was stolen from the seer. Kantors Iron Halo burned bright and stoped the lightning before it could sunder the Chapter masters armour

“The Emperor protects you xenos filth!”

Kantor barreled forward and shoulder charged the farseer. He fired Dorns arrow into the Seers knee caps at point blank range,turning them into bloody stumps. The seer fell into the river and was being dragged away by the swift current but Kantor grabbed him and hauled him up. And tore off his helm.Their eyes locked.

“Our Dark cousins will be here soon. Then Mon-keigh you will know terror” blood splattered from his lips.

“Let them come their fate will be the same as yours witch.” Kantor drew back his power fit and punched the Farseer in the chest. The Eldar’s light armour buckles and his interal organs exploded out of his back. Kantor dropped the carcass into the river.  His vox crackled to life

“My lord, the Xeno! are retreating should we presue?” Scout Sergeant Diego reported.

“Do not follow them. We will dig in here. We will have more xeno blood to spill soon enough”