'Ard Boys : Chambers games 1

by: Chambers

Hard Boys 2011 Game One

 In the Grimdark future, Yellow is the new Black (or Red)....                                                                                                   

My Blood Angels List:

HQ: Librarian (1#, 145 pts)

            Terminator Armour; Storm Shield

            Shield of Sanguinius (the care-bear stare); Unleash Rage(the hey kids I got candy spell)

Elite: Terminator Assault Squad (6#, 491 pts)

            2 with Lightning Claws: 3 with Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield

            Land Raider Crusader ; Extra Armor; Multi-Melta; Searchlight

Elite: Sanguinary Priest (2#, 115 pts)

            Power Sword x1

Troops: Assault Squad (11#, 256 pts)

            10Assault Squad ; Meltagun x2; Power Fist

            Rhino; Dozer Blade; Searchlight

Troops: Assault Squad (11#, 256 pts)

            10Assault Squad ; Meltagun x2; Thunder Hammer

            Rhino; Dozer Blade; Searchlight

Troops: Tactical Squad (11#, 291 pts)

            10 Tactical Squad Meltagun; Lascannon; Power Weapon

            Razorback ; Searchlight; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)

Troops: Tactical Squad (11#, 291 pts)

            10 Tactical Squad Meltagun; Lascannon; Power Weapon

            Razorback ; Searchlight; Lascannon and TL Plasmagun)

Fast Attack: Vanguard Veteran Squad (6#, 340 pts)

            6 Big Damn Heroes with Jump Packs; Thunder Hammerx1; Power Fist x2; Storm Shield x4

Heavy Support: Vindicator (1#, 155 pts)

            Siege Shield

Heavy Support: Vindicator (1#, 155 pts)

            Siege Shield

Total Roster Cost: 2500

Not much to say about the list, I took the army that I had unpacked and built up the Vanguard vets to make 2500 points.  Sure I could have taken a different army or more optimized list but I wasn't going to win.  Rather I was looking for three good games and a day spent doing something I enjoy.  In fact I had thought that if I made it to the middle of the pack I could escape any potential jerks looking to crush baby seals to make them forget their sad lives even just for a couple of hours.

Round 1


His deployment, notice the gray rhino in the back left, that’s where dirty traitor hides while the rest of his forces push forward and to the right. 



I deploy totally on my right side to maximize night fighting and to isolate his stung out line.

OP4 Black Templar
His list:
(not)HQ: Emperor's Champion (1#, 140 pts)

            Accept Any Challenge

HQ: Commander (6#, 425 pts)

            1 Marshal w/Crusader Seals; Terminator Armor; Power Weapon x1; Combi-Meltagun

            Adamantine Mantle

            4 Terminator Command Squad w/Assault Cannon, Cyclone Missile Launcher;Tank Hunters;

            Drop Pod

Elite: Sword Brethren Terminator Assault Squad (6#, 468 pts)

            5 Terminator with Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield          

            Land Raider Crusader: Smoke Launchers

Elite: Dreadnought (1#, 105 pts)

Elite: Venerable Dreadnought (1#, 166 pts)

            Searchlight; Venerable;Tank Hunter; Twin Linked Lascannon; Missile Launcher

Troops: Crusader Squad (11#, 238 pts)

            10  Initiate with Meltagun; Power Fist

            Rhino w/ Smoke Launchers

Troops: Crusader Squad (11#, 238 pts)

            10  Initiate with Meltagun; Power Fist

            Rhino w/ Smoke Launchers

Troops: Crusader Squad (7#, 170 pts)

            6 Initiate with Bolt Pistol and CCW, Plasmagun, Lascannon

            Rhino Smoke Launchers

Troops: Crusader Squad (6#, 133 pts)

            5 Initiate with Bolt Pistol and CCW

            Rhino  1; Smoke Launchers

Fast Attack: Land Speeder Squadron (1#, 70 pts)

            Heavy Bolter x1; Typhoon Multiple Missile Launcher x1;

Heavy Support: Predator Destructor (1#, 100 pts) 

Heavy Support: Predator Destructor (1#, 100 pts)

Heavy Support: Vindicator (1#, 155 pts)

            Power of the Machine Spirit

Total Roster Cost: 2508

I left his point total up in case it comes up later, yes Army Builder has it over by 8 points, no I don't think that it impacted our game if the points are in fact over.  The player is a good guy who I have played many times before and the store we were at checked army lists during rounds.  If there was any errors in his list it would have been dealt with in a professional manner by the store which means that I, as a player, would not hear about it.  Why start unnecessary drama there would be enough of that in the third round with a certain cheating get.  Given what evidence I have I chose to assume that army builder is off, or it was dealt with behind the scenes.

Deployment and Early Game.
He gets the roll for first turn and sets up along his table edge with a middle to slight favor to what is the left side in the pictures.  In response I completely set up on the far right side of my deployment zone and slightly off of the line so as to maximize night fighting first round.  My traitor was placed in a rhino on the far left edge of the board, I realize that it would be a gamble to reach him in time but I didn't want to set up opposite of his strong side and take the first hit.  I stuck his patriot in with my Librarian, a priest, and the terminators in the LRC.   I hoped to use my greater mobility to pick on his weaker elements before they could be reinforced by his hammers.

First turn sees him missing or being too far out to spot me thanks to night fighting.  He starts to move his army to catch me midfield.  On my turn I take advantage of his spotlights to avoid night fighting rolls and I immobilize his tank hunting dread and stun lock it along with a rhino or two.  Round two is pretty much a repeat of one for him, he inflicts so minor damage to me and I keep the stun lock up on the majority of his shooting.  I kill his vindi and one pread and manage to set the fight up in his front yard.  My LRC is forced to hang back a bit more than I liked in order to not block LOS to his firing base.

Mid to Late Game
Neither of us got our reserves in until later, fourth round for me and fifth for him, Vanguard and terminator command squad respectively.  This hurt him more than me as it allowed me to run off a large crusader squad and the EC from shooting wounds.  The Vanguard came in and were only able to blow up one rhino before spending the next three rounds being escorted off of the board by different units of his.  The command squad dropped in and blew up my Landraider thereby removing any chance I had to get to my traitor, so even if they didn't make all of their points back they did preserve 5 kp.

With 30 minutes to the end of the round I manage to assault move the traitor into his deployment zone and destroy the tank hunting dread which gave me the final KP for a major win.

End Result:
Major Victory for me

In the end there was no way I could get the traitor and still deal with the rest of his army.  It was a hard fought game and that was enjoyable to play.

The MVP:
the traitor not only gained me an extra 3 BP but also walked his former boss off the table taunting him all the way.

The Goat:
The Vanguard Vets a 340 pt unit killing a 53. pt rhino before running off the board does not impress me much