The Deathstar has landed

"Although The Planetary Defense forces have fought bravely, with faith and fury to purge the Daemons from without. Now we must purge the Daemons that might lie within... "
-Inquisitor Lord Dominic Trakuyev


The Sandwyrm/Farmpunk battle series continues, as we both evaluate the new IG 'dex, by pitting it against a few of the OLDEST codexes out there.

This week, I wanted to try the big nasty. no, not that big nasty.... The Land Raider Crusader
It was time to try DH against the IG.
Farmpunk's 1500pt DH list

I know Sadwyrm's list was pretty similar to his list last week, but I believe he dropped the sponsons on all of his tanks this week, to get a little more umph! out of troops.

We rolled up Dawn of War Deployment, and an Annihilation mission. We were actually on a 6x4 table for once, but of course, I didn't use most of my side. Sandwyrm won the roll to go first, and elected to take advantage of bringing all of his men to bear first.

With setup, Sandwyrm had a Company Command with lascannon and plasma behind a Vet Squad hunkered with it's las plas in a ruined building corner. then to my right on the back edge of his side, he had a Vet squad snaking around a hill with it's las plas sticking out to get shots, and keep cover.

I had started with the GK mini-purgation squad at mid-field, on the left side, foolishly just in front of a ruined building. They REALLY should have been at least IN the rubble, but I was so hoping night fight would be kind, and I could possibly get forward enough to get shots on the Co. Command, with no cover save. I also put the Inq. Lord's squad in the center of the board in a building, to take up a good firing point.

I thought MAYBE, just for once, I might seize init. I really needed to. nope. This would end badly I thought.

First turn, all the tanks and Sentinels roll on the board. The GK mini-purgation squad doesn't survive, and not thinking, I assign a Multilaser wound to the Inq. Lord to save with his 3+.... which he promptly took to the face, and was insta-killed. oh this was gonna be bad. More of the Inq. Squad went down, and they ran, but were at 50%, so they regrouped on my turn. If you're keeping track, Those two Squads make up 432 points of my force. And I hadn't even come on the board yet.

since my long range shooting was gimped for this turn, I didn't do anything, but roll all my forces on the board 12", and pop smoke on one of the two rhinos. I was hoping to do a smoke shuffle, and have the rhinos give cover saves to each other as the rolled up the board, with the Land Raider Crusader on the left of them. so I rolled them on on the left side of the board, across from the Exterminator, and Demolisher, and a melta vet squad in a chimera.
I was hoping to get maybe one of the IST's over there.

Turn two:
Turn two's shooting saw more burning shells of rhinos on my side of the board. The smoked rhino got immobilized, and lost it's StormBolter. The unsmoked rhino now was a smoking, wreck.
The big Crusader could care less. The Sentinels WAY over on my right hand side couldn't get shots off from being stuck in too much cover for them to manage to walk through, and Marbo's Demo Charge only immobed the smoked rhino. The IGST's DeepStruck into the edge of the building the Inq. Lord Had been in, but they didn't shoot up too much. The Servitors looked blankly at them, as the hotshot lasguns pinged off their cover.
I was almost sick over having lost the squads, and my transports. I figured Game was over. I thought perhaps Sandwyrm would hunker back and pound away, and I'd have to hope Shelia could make 2-3 KP's all by herself. I told Sandwyrm I thought I should concede at this point...but I had 2 aces in my hole. Shelia, and the Crusader.

The Crusader Stormed 12" forward again, and took a potshot Power of Machine Spiriting it's Multimelta at the Demolisher, getting a can't move or shoot result. I was fine with that. short of destroyed, I needed it to not shoot. anything. Shelia was still watching TV in the Secret cave somewhere in reserves land.
the IST's in the right hand rhino got out and moved forward to fire at the IST's, and the left hand IST's got moved out to shoot Marbo down. The plasma cannon Servitor powered up to hit the tightly clustered IGST's, and never stopped powering up. The 'Gets Hot' roll fried his poor brain, as the second Sage hadn't survived to tell him to shut down and try again. The Hbolter rattled the IGST's, and cleaned them out.

Turn three:
Turn 3 saw the right side Melta vet chimera roll forward 6" to get melta shots off on the Crusader. I thought it was toast... but it miraculously lived, and took a few lascannons as well.
One of the IST squads got shot up, leaving the Meltas, as a lot of fire went to the big deathstar rolling across the board. A Multi-melta fell off the Crudaser, Which was a relief for me. I needed 12" more movement. The sentinels still trudged through rubble, and had no clear shots. The center Vet squad finished off the Inq. Squad.

On my side of the board, Shelia came out of cover on turn 3, and was going to make a difference. She set her sights on the Co. Com. fried 3 of 5, and poked 2 more in the eye. I was glad to see she was in a pretty good mood today.
The forward IST's failed to pop the left side Chimera, and hoped not to get shot up by the center Russ and Melta Chimera again.
The Crusader once again rolled forward to spit out the giant hammer it was hiding inside it's anvil-like exterior. The 10 GK's and Grandmaster had scores to settle, as they hit the stunned demolisher, and melta-chimera. Destroying both, and losing a GK from blasts during assault. The Poor Vets inside the Chimera were shocked by the fury of the GK's they were pinned down in the rubble of their exploded tank.
I was glad I hadn't given up the game last turn now...

Turn 4
saw the Exterminator take down a couple GK's, and the LRBT scatter wide on the GK's... Thank goodness!
The forward IST's got chewed up, and died. The back IST's took a few shots like pros, and kept movin.
Shelia finished with the Commander, and set her sights elsewhere.

Shelia opened up on the Vets in cover in the center, cleverly attacking the HWT, not in cover, and pulling the rest of the squad to her. She finished off a few too many however, as the boys freaked out and ran off the board.
The GM charged into the wrecked Chimera, killing off the vets as they tried to run away.
The GK's moved towards the Exterminator, and Blew it up. The LRC moved into Sandwyrm's backfield, and chewed up the squad that had been behind the hill, as it advanced to the center of the table, away from the rampaging knights. The back IST's got a no move or shoot result on the LRBT. good enough for me.

Turn 5:
turn five saw the last Meltavet Chimera turn it's attention to the Crusader. Only to have all shots ping off the hull. Shelia took a few more shots like a pro, ducking behind cover. The Lascannon sentinel shots went wide, and the chimera moved too far to fire this turn.

Shelia ran over to the new Vet squad, flamed, then charged, chasing them off the board, and stunning the Chimera. The back IST's blew up the LRBT, taking a few of them with it. the GK's and GM shot up the side armor of the Chimera for a few more stuns and shakens.

Turn 6:
Shelia's luck runs out, as she falls to plasma shots from the las las/plas vets. The Sentinels miss, and fail to pen the crusader, and all other IG forces have been defeated, or silenced.

The IST's move up and take down the last vets, and the GM and GK's thrash against the Chimera, taking it apart with enough immobilized results to take off all weapons, and finally destroy it.

We call the game here, with 12KP's for the Inquisition, to 6 for the IG.


Thoughts:

having an Anvil roll across the board, and unload a nasty Hammer unit is pretty viscious. I underestimate what those 681pts (10GK's, Grandmaster, and LRC) can do. They were frighteningly effective at taking out tanks, as well. Maybe that's how it feels to run Nobs in a Trukk at the opponent.

Shelia also was gold. She's meant for taking on Leader squads, and lower Ld troops. again, Shaking and stunning tanks with her Mind flayer was a valuable asset. I was surprised at how much havoc she wreaked this game. Then again, she needed to.

The game would have been different had she not shown up Turn3. Then again, if any of the Melta shots had destroyed or Immobilized the Crusader before my phase of Turn 3, it would have been very different as well.


I think Maybe having the Sentinels in reserve, or even outflanking might have helped.

I also wish I'd left the GK Mini-Purgation squad further back, and not assigned any wounds EXCEPT lasgun shots to the Inq. Lord.

Overall, I think this GK force is a nasty, hard-hitting party. I don't think it's quite time to count out either of the Inquisition armies quite yet. Both have some nasty tricks up their sleeves.

I think I'm going to work on Inducted and Allied IG/Inq. lists for a few weeks.