Warfare 2018: Battle Overview- Dark Angels/Deathwatch vs Deathwatch/Astra Militarum/Dark Angels

Today I have a battle overview of one of the tournament games I played at Reading Warfare last year. I actually meant to write these up ages ago, but lost the notes on the games, so only had the photos to go by. 

It's hard to think this game was only played a year ago, as so much of the game has changed since them. 

Here are some photos of the first game, where my Dark Angels and Deathwatch took on Daniel's force of Deathwatch and Astra Militarum. This was a custom mission for Warfare. In the first two turns, you scored kill points for killing units in your opponent's army. Then in turn 3, the player with the lowest current score gets to place two objectives, and these are worth 5 points each (if I recall correctly). This meant you could be at a disadvantage for scoring big in the initial turns. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Dark Angels)

Azrael- Combi-Plasma, Sword of Secrets, WARLORD (Brilliant strategist Warlord trait)

Primaris Lieutenant- Master-crafted Auto Bolt Rifle, Bolt Pistol, Eye of the Unseen Relic

Primaris Ancient- Bolt Rifle, Bolt Pistol.

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles. Bolt Pistols.

5 Scouts- Bolters, Sergeant with Chainsword

5 Scouts- Heavy Bolter, Bolters, Sergeant with Chainsword

Devastators- Heavy Bolter, Armorium Cherub, Bolters

10 Hellblasters- Plasma Incinerators, Bolt Pistols.

Darkshroud- Heavy Bolter

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher

10 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords

6 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, 4 Stalker Bolters

Auxiliary Detachment (Officio Assassinorum)

Culexus Assassin

Tournament Battle Report: Warfare 2019- Game 4- White Scars vs Astra Militarum

The fourth game of Warfare 2019 would see my White Scars take on Mike's Astra Militarum Tallarn army in the Narrow the Search eternal war mission. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Captain on Bike- Twin Bolter, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Chogorian Storm, Master of Snares, Wrath of the Heavens

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Stave, Mantle of the Stormseer, Ride the Winds, Storm-wreathed

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Scouts Bikers- Twin Bolters, Shotguns, Combat Knives

Battalion Detachment

Captain- Jump Pack, Master-crafted Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield

Lieutenant- Jump Pack, Power Axe, MC Bolter

5 Scouts- Bolters

5 Scouts- Bolters

5 Scouts- Bolt Pistol, Combat Knives

Spearhead Detachment
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Crozius Arcanum, Bolt Pistol, Litan of Hate

10 Vanguard Veterans- 5 with 2 Chainswords, 5 with two Lightning Claws

5 Vanguard Veterans- Chainswords and Plasma Pistols
5 Devastators- Bolters, 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter
5 Devastators- Bolters, 2 Missile Launchers

Thunderfire Cannon- Techmarine Gunner with Flamer, Plasma Cutter, 2 Servo-arms

Tournament Battle Report: Warfare 2019: Game 3- White Scars vs Imperium

The third game of the tournament saw my White Scars take on Aidan's Imperium force, consisting of Astra Militarum, Space Marines and Blood Angels. The mission for game 3 was Visions of Victory, using Search and Deploy deployment zone.

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Captain on Bike- Twin Bolter, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Chogorian Storm, Master of Snares, Wrath of the Heavens

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Stave, Mantle of the Stormseer, Ride the Winds, Storm-wreathed

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Scouts Bikers- Twin Bolters, Shotguns, Combat Knives

Battalion Detachment

Captain- Jump Pack, Master-crafted Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield

Lieutenant- Jump Pack, Power Axe, MC Bolter

5 Scouts- Bolters

5 Scouts- Bolters

5 Scouts- Bolt Pistol, Combat Knives

Spearhead Detachment
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Crozius Arcanum, Bolt Pistol, Litan of Hate

10 Vanguard Veterans- 5 with 2 Chainswords, 5 with two Lightning Claws

5 Vanguard Veterans- Chainswords and Plasma Pistols
5 Devastators- Bolters, 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter
5 Devastators- Bolters, 2 Missile Launchers

Thunderfire Cannon- Techmarine Gunner with Flamer, Plasma Cutter, 2 Servo-arms

Dark Artisan Open ITC Tournament: Game 2- Deathwatch vs Astra Militarum

Game 2 of the Dark Artisan Open ITC tournament would see my Deathwatch take on Sebastian's Astra Militarum army, featuring three Baneblade variants. This would be a tough match up for my Deathwatch!

The second mission was Beachhead. In this game, there is a central objective and one objective in each player deployment zone. At the start of your turn (starting on round 2), you score points for each objective held; one for the one in your deployment zone, two for the central objective and three for your opponent's objective. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Captain- Castellan of the Black Vault (warlord trait), Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

Watch Master- Guardian Spear, the Tome of Ectoclades

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

Kill Team 1- 7 Veterans- Storm Bolters, Chainswords, 2 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

Kill Team 2- 7 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, Meltagun, Chainswords, 3 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Storm Shield, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter, 2 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Outrider Detachment

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Sword, Bolt Pistol, Null Zone, Might of Heroes

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Teleport Homer

A fairly standard force for my Deathwatch. I decided to take two full Kill Teams, with a Terminator, Vanguard Veteran and Biker in each one to give me lots of options for falling back from combat and still staying active. I also added a couple of Veteran squads with Missile Launchers and Stalker Bolters for long range firepower, as well as a single Heavy Bolter to use the Hellfire Shells stratagem, and a Razorback for some anti-tank firepower. 

I took the Outrider for the extra CP. I decided to try the Librarian, as his powers would be of use to the Watch Captain. I took three units of Bikers. These should be useful for going after objectives and adding some strong firepower to the army. 

Rapid Strike Tournament: Game 1- Deathwatch vs Astra Militarum

The first 40k battle report from Rapid Strike 3.1 saw my Deathwatch take on James' Astra Militarum army in the Cleanse and Capture maelstrom of war mission. This was the standard 3 cards per turn maelstrom mission. 

My army consisted of:

Patrol Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol, Castellan of the Black Vault, The Beacon Angelis

Kill Team- 7 Veterans with Storm Bolters, Chainswords and 2 Storm Shields, Terminator with Storm Bolter and Power Fist, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Biker with Twin Boltgun. 

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

6 Bikers- Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Twin Bolters, Chainswords

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

James' army consisted of:
Patrol Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)
Vigilus Defiant Emperor's First Tank Company
Tank Commander- Battle Cannon, 3 Heavy Bolters, Heavy Stubber, Old Grudges (warlord trait), Hammer of Sunderance (Relic)
Tempestor Prime- Chainsword, Command Rod
Infantry Squad- Mortar, Lasguns
Tempestus Scions- 4 Plasma Guns, Hotshot Lasguns
Tempestus Command Squad- 4 Plasma Guns
Hellhound- Heavy Flamer
Leman Russ- Battle Cannon, 3 Heavy Bolters, Heavy Stubber
Wyvern- Stormshard Missile Launcher, Heavy Bolter
Taurox Prime- Taurox Gatling Cannon, 2 Autocannons

A vehicle-heavy army for my first game, not what I was looking for! This could be a tough contest, as I didn't have a lot of firepower to take on the Leman russ tanks. Hopefully, I could hide from their firepower for a while and take on the weaker infantry elements. The Tempestus units could also be a problem, with a lot of Plasma firepower to take out my Marines.

Rapid Strike Tournament- Army Overview and Tournament Format

Welcome to my army overview from the Rapid Strike 3.1 tournament that I recently attended. This was a one-day, 5 games, 1000 pts tournament held in Reading. Each mission would be maelstrom of war, and had some tight restrictions for army selection. 

At Rapid Strike, armies can consists of a single Patrol Detachment, with up to one auxiliary support detachment. The armies were "highlander" format, so each unit selection can only be used once in the army. Unit entries that were allowed multiple units per force organisation slot, such as Leman Russ battle tank squadrons, were only allowed to take a single unit in each case. Marine units were still allowed to combat squad. 

Each army also started with 6 CP instead of 3 to make up for the limited detachment selections. However, players could not use a command re-roll stratagem with their CP. Instead, players received 5 free command point re-rolls that could be used over the course of the 5 games. That was it, only 5 CP re-rolls for the entire day! 

This sounded like a fun format to try. I'm a big fan of maelstrom of war missions, and liked the army choice restrictions. I figured the Deathwatch would be a nice force to take to the event. The additional wargear choices for units and the special issue ammunition should allow me to deal with a wide range of threats I could deal with. That and the fact there would be no Imperial Knights meant I was looking forward to this one. 

My army consisted of:

Patrol Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol, Castellan of the Black Vault, The Beacon Angelis

Kill Team- 7 Veterans with Storm Bolters, Chainswords and 2 Storm Shields, Terminator with Storm Bolter and Power Fist, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Biker with Twin Boltgun. 

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

6 Bikers- Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Twin Bolters, Chainswords

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Battle Report 178- Genestealer Cults vs Sisters of Battle

This week's battle report sees my Genestealer Cults take to the field once more to take on Angus' Sisters of Battle and Astra Militarum force. This was a 1750 pts battle, as Angus wanted to practice for Vanquish, a tournament held in Bristol last weekend. 

We randomly rolled for each mission. For the Eternal War mission, we got Vital Intelligence. In this mission, there are 5 objectives. At the start of each battle round, roll a D6. The corresponding number is the active objective (on a 6, all objectives are active). At the end of each battle round, players scored a point for each objective held, getting 2 points for the active objective. In this game, I think we forgot about only having 5 objectives, so scored for objective 6 as well. We also varied the objective placement, different from the places specified in the scenario. 

The maelstrom mission was Disruptive Signals. In this mission, you draw up to four cards per turn. This mission features the Signal Intercept stratagem. For 1CP, you can select a card in your opponent's hand and they cannot score it for that turn. We were also using Dawn of War deployment. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion (Rusted Claw)

Patriarch- Monstrous Rending Claws, Warlord, The Crouchling, Shadow Stalker, Might From Beyond, Mental Onslaught, Mass Hypnosis

Primus- Alien Majesty

Magus- Familiar, Mass Hypnosis, Psionic Blast, Biomorph Adaptation

20 Acolyte Hybrids- 4 Heavy Rock Drills

10 Acolyte Hybrids- 2 Heavy Rock Cutters, 2 Heavy Rock Saws

10 Acolyte Hybrids- 4 Demolition Charges

Clamavus

Nexos

Battalion (Rusted Claw)

Primus

Magus- Mental Onslaught, Might From Beyond

10 Neophyte Hybrids- 2 Mining Lasers, Autoguns

10 Neophyte Hybrids- Heavy Stubber, Grenade Launcher

10 Neophyte Hybrids- Shotguns, 2 Flamers

Goliath Truck- Twin Autocannon, Heavy Stubber

Heavy Weapons Team- Mortars

Vanguard Detachment (Rusted Claw)

Jackal Alphus- Sniper Rifle

8 Genestealers

5 Aberrants- Power Hammers

Clamavus

Nexos

Sanctus- Sniper Rifle, A Gift From Beyond

For my Cult Creed, I tried Rusted Claw for the first time. This gives my infantry +1 save against AP0 and AP-1 weapons. This gives me a 4+ armour save against Bolters and against most infantry in combat. 

I decided to mix up the army now that I have the new characters to add to the army. I went with double Battalion and Vanguard detachment to give me 14 CP to start with. I took the Broodcoven stratagem to give my three characters warlord traits. The Patriarch took -1 to hit, the Primus took the +3" to aura abilities and the Magus took +1 strength and attacks. I also took an extra Relic, taking the sniper rifle relic on the Sanctus and the Crouchling on the Patriarch. 

The new characters were the two Clamavus, the Nexos, Jackal Alphus and Sanctus. These should hopefully provide some nice buffs and abilities to the army. I decided to take a big unit of Aberrants to take on any vehicle threats in the enemy army, along with trying out a big unit of Acolyte Hybrids. 

North East Open Tournament Battle Report: Game 3- Deathwatch vs Imperial Knights/Astra Militarum

Welcome to my third battle report from the recent North East Open tournament. In this game, my Deathwatch army would be facing off against Connor and his Imperial Knights and Astra Militarum force. 

Ugh, another three Knights at the same tournament! I really hate Imperial Knights. They are no fun for the game and make most mono-Codex armies completely useless. They invalidate so many army builds in the game and are pretty boring to play with or against, in my opinion. With the Castellan in the game, there is little point in taking other vehicles, Knights or monsters in an army. If you don't get the first turn, they are dead. 

The mission was modified Frontline Warfare, but scoring at the end of each turn rather than at the end of the game, and using Hammer and Anvil deployment. The mission would also use kill points. There were one objective in your deployment zone (worth 1 pt), two in the centre of the battlefield (worth 2 pts each) and one in your opponent's deployment zone (worth 3 pts). 

Battalion Detachment

Deathwatch Watch Master- Guardian Spear (D)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Bolt Pistol, Storm Shield (WC1)

9 Deathwatch Veterans- 9 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, Chainswords, Vanguard Veteran- Bolt Pistol, Storm Shield (KT1)

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols (KT2)

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords, Terminator- Power Fist, Storm Bolter, Cyclone Missile Launcher (KT3)

5 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, 3 Shotguns, Storm Shield  (KT4)

5 Veterans- Missile Launcher, 2 Heavy Bolters, Bolters, Terminator, Power Fist, Assault Cannon (KT5)

10 Veterans- 6 Bolters, Meltagun, 3 Combi-Meltas, chainswords (KT6)

Rhino- Two Storm Bolters (R1)

Rhino- Two Storm Bolters  (R2)

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter (Rz)

Outrider Detachment

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Relic Blade, Bolt Pistol, Lord of Hidden Knowledge (warlord trait), The Tome of Ectoclades (Relic) (WC2)

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Chainswords (B1)

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Chainswords (B2)

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Chainswords (B3)

North East Open Tournament Battle Report: Game 2- Deathwatch vs Imperial Knights/Adeptus Mechanicus

Welcome to my second battle report from the recent North East Open tournament. In this game, my Deathwatch army would be taking on Adam with his combined force of Imperial Knights. Adeptus Mechanicus and Astra Militarum. 

Mission 2 was Big Guns Never Tire with Vanguard Strike deployment. This gives you points for holding objectives at the end of the game, with extra points for destroying Heavy Support units. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Deathwatch Watch Master- Guardian Spear (D)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Bolt Pistol, Storm Shield (WC1)

9 Deathwatch Veterans- 9 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, Chainswords, Vanguard Veteran- Bolt Pistol, Storm Shield (KT1)

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols (KT2)

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords, Terminator- Power Fist, Storm Bolter, Cyclone Missile Launcher (KT3)

5 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, 3 Shotguns, Storm Shield  (KT4)

5 Veterans- Missile Launcher, 2 Heavy Bolters, Bolters, Terminator, Power Fist, Assault Cannon (KT5)

10 Veterans- 6 Bolters, Meltagun, 3 Combi-Meltas, chainswords (KT6)

Rhino- Two Storm Bolters (R1)

Rhino- Two Storm Bolters  (R2)

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter (Rz)

Outrider Detachment

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Relic Blade, Bolt Pistol, Lord of Hidden Knowledge (warlord trait), The Tome of Ectoclades (Relic) (WC2)

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Chainswords (B1)

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Chainswords (B2)

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Chainswords (B3)

40k Grand Slam Tournament Game 3- Dark Angels/Deathwatch vs Imperial Knights/Astra Militarum

My third game of the Element Games Grand Slam 40k tournament saw my Dark Angels and Deathwatch force take on Matt and his army of Imperial Knights and Astra Militarum. 

The ETC mission was Dominate and Destroy for the Eternal War mission and Contact Lost for the maelstrom of war mission. This would be tough, as this game gave double kill points for the Eternal War mission on top of the ETC mission. We would be using Dawn of War deployment. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Dark Angels)

Azrael (Az)

Primaris Lieutenant- Master-crafted Auto Bolt Rifle, Eye of the Unseen (Relic) (L)

Primaris Ancient- Bolt Rifle (An)

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles (I)

5 Scouts- Bolters (S1)

5 Scouts- Heavy Bolter, Bolters (S2)

5 Devastators- Heavy Bolter, Armorium Cherub (D)

10 Hellblasters- Plasma Incinerators (H)

Darkshroud- Heavy Bolter (DS)

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol (WC)

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols (DI)

10 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords (DV1)

6 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, 4 Stalker Bolters (DV2)

Auxiliary Detachment

Culexus Assassin (CA)

40k Grand Slam Tournament Battle Report 1- Dark Angels/Deathwatch vs Adeptus Mechanicus/Blood Angels/Astra Militarum

Here is my first 40k tournament battle report form the recent Grand Slam event held at Element Games. 

The first game was against Wayne and his mixed Imperial force, featuring a lot of firepower and some hard-hitting combat units. The first mission was a mixture of The Scouring Eternal War and Tactical Gambit for the maelstrom of war, using Spearhead Assault deployment. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Dark Angels)

Azrael (Az)

Primaris Lieutenant- Master-crafted Auto Bolt Rifle, Eye of the Unseen (Relic) (L)

Primaris Ancient- Bolt Rifle (An)

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles (I)

5 Scouts- Bolters (S1)

5 Scouts- Heavy Bolter, Bolters (S2)

5 Devastators- Heavy Bolter, Armorium Cherub (D)

10 Hellblasters- Plasma Incinerators (H)

Darkshroud- Heavy Bolter (DS)

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear (W)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol (WC)

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols (DI)

10 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords (DV1)

6 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, 4 Stalker Bolters (DV2)

Auxiliary Detachment

Culexus Assassin (CA)

Video Battle Report- Dark Angels/Deathwatch vs Astra Militarum

Today, I have another video battle report for you. In this game, my Dark Angels and Deathwatch tournament army take on Mike's Tallarn Astra Militarum in a Warfare tournament practice game. 

This game features an unusual maelstrom mission, where you get to look at the next cards in advance and can use a stratagem to swap them with your current hand. This gives you good opportunity to plan ahead and maybe score more points in your turn with the right use of the stratagem. 

Check out the video and be sure to subscribe to the Youtube channel if you like the reports. 

Army Showcase- Steven's Astra Militarum

Today I have an army showcase for you, featuring Steven's Astra Militarum force. 

Steven got in contact with me on the St Andrews Wargaming Facebook page a while back with some great pics of his force when I was looking for hobby updates from readers. He was prepping them for a doubles tournament he was attending. 

The army is a great Astra Militarum armoured company, with a beautiful paint job on the tanks. I got in touch with Steven to get more info on the force and how he put it together. 

1. What drew you to the army? 

One of my friends has a Tanith army and we decided to go to the 40k doubles tournament at Warhammer World back in October. Because we wanted the army to be themed we started looking at other regiments that the Tanith fought with in Sabbat Worlds Crusade, because his army was 1000 points of pure infantry we opted for one of the tank regiments as we wanted to get past turn 1. 

I choose to go with the Narmenians 1st Armoured Regiment out of the novel Necropolis for three reasons. Firstly, the first time I read this novel it made me want to collect an armoured company but back then my painting skills were not up to scratch to do them justice. Secondly, the mustard drab colour scheme sounded like it would be fun to paint and yellow colours are always a challenge to get to look right. Thirdly, Coron Grizmund is my favourite character from the Gaunt’s Ghosts series so I would be able to convert a model for him and use him as a Tank Commander 

Warhammer 40k Video Battle Report- Space Marines vs Astra Militarum

Today, I have another video battle report for you. My White Scars Space Marines take on Angus' Astra Militarum in a maelstrom of war mission. 

Battle Report 165- Deathwatch/Astra Militarum vs Aeldari

This week's battle report sees my Deathwatch and Astra Militarum force take on Doug's Aeldari in an Eternal War mission. 

This game was actually fought a couple of months ago when I was preparing for the Warhammer World GT. It sort of got lost in the shuffle between writing up the tournament battle reports and finishing the army for the event. 

We were playing the Retrieval Eternal War mission. This is the standard game with 4 objectives that are scored at the end of the game. 

My army consisted of: 

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Tome of Ectoclades, Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

10 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, Chainswords

10 Intercessors Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, 3 Bolters, 3 Chainswords

Rhino- 2 Storm Bolters

5 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, 3 Bolters, 3 Chainswords

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

4 Bikers and Vanguard Veteran- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Storm Shield

Battalion Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword, Kurov's Aquila, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword

Primaris Psyker- Force Stave, Psychic Barrier, Nightshroud

Infantry Squad- Lasguns, Lascannon

Infantry Squad- Lasguns, Lascannon

Infantry Squad- Lasguns, Lascannon

20 Conscripts

Wyvern- Quad Mortar Launcher, Heavy Bolter

This was a work in progress army before I changed it up for the tournament. As you can see, the core of the army was pretty much the same. The Deathwatch provide the mobile force and hard hitters, while the Guard provide a good firebase. I added the Wyvern to target units that were out of line of sight of most of my forces. 

I went for a couple of units with Frag Cannons in transports. These were to get close to the enemy army and cause some devastation with their firepower. 

Warhammer World GT- Deathwatch Army Review

With another tournament out of the way, it is now time to review my army and how it performed over the course of the weekend. 

As a reminder, my army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield

Kill Team 1: Watch Sergeant and 9 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords 

Kill Team 2: Intercessor Sergeant and 9 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher 

Kill Team 3: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield, 3 Shotguns, 2 Chainswords. 5 Vanguard Veterans- 4 Bolt Pistols, 3 Chainswords, Storm Shield, Pair of Lightning Claws

Rhino- 2 Storm Bolters

Kill Team 4: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, 2 Bolters, Storm Shield, 4 Chainswords

Razorback- Twin Lascannons, Storm Bolter

Battalion Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)

Company Commander- Plasma Pistol, Chainsword, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait, Kurov's Aquila

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword 

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher 

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher

Infantry Squad- Lascannon 

30 Conscripts- Lasguns

Auxiliary Detachment (Assassins)

Culexus Assassin 

Let's take a look at the individual units and how they performed in my games. 

Watch Master

The main role of the Watch Master in this army was to accompany the Storm Bolter Kill Team and Intercessor Squad from deep strike reserves. With the Watch Master's full re-rolls to hit, he was there to maximise the firepower output of the two squads, ensuring that they could perform a valuable beta-strike on the enemy army. 

In this role, he was quite successful, allowing my squads to perform powerful attacks on my opponent's forces when they arrive.

His combat ability was a bit wasted, as he only got into combat in a couple of the games I played at the tournament. In combat, he did quite well, taking out a Necron Overlord and a Bullgryn. However, this was not his main role in the army, simply a nice bonus. 

In one game, I gave the Watch Master the Tome of Ectoclades. I probably should have done this in all of my games, as it was very useful when the main Deathwatch army was using different Mission Tactics to the units arriving from reserve. 

I would take the Watch Master in the army again. 

Warhammer World GT: Game 5- Deathwatch/Astra Militarum vs Astra Militarum

The final game of the tournament would see my Deathwatch/Astra Militarum force take on Paul's Astra Militarum army in the Frontline Warfare Eternal War Mission. 

At this stage, I was sitting on one win, one loss and two draws. I was hoping to get a win from this game to end the weekend ahead in my performance. The one benefit was that the objectives in the centre and opponent's deployment zone were worth more points, so it would pay to be aggressive. Against a Guard army that was more comfortable sitting back and shooting, I may be able to control the board a bit better. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear (WM)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield (WC)

Kill Team 1: Watch Sergeant and 9 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords (KT1)

Kill Team 2: Intercessor Sergeant and 9 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher (KT2)

Kill Team 3: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield, 3 Shotguns, 2 Chainswords (KT3). 5 Vanguard Veterans- 4 Bolt Pistols, 3 Chainswords, Storm Shield, Pair of Lightning Claws (VV)

Rhino- 2 Storm Bolters (R)

Kill Team 4: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, 2 Bolters, Storm Shield, 4 Chainswords (KT4)

Razorback- Twin Lascannons, Storm Bolter (Rz)

Battalion Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)

Company Commander- Plasma Pistol, Chainsword, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait, Kurov's Aquila (CC1)

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword (CC2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS1)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon (IS3)

30 Conscripts- Lasguns (C)

Auxiliary Detachment (Assassins)

Culexus Assassin (A)

Warhammer World GT: Game 4- Deathwatch/Astra Militarum vs Necrons

Game 4 was at the start of day 2 of the Warhammer World Grand Tournament (Heat 1). In this game, my Deathwatch and Astra Militarum would be facing off against Jon's Necrons in the Resupply Drop Eternal War mission.

In this mission, at the start of the third turn, a player nominates three objectives and randomly selects one to stay on the table. The other player randomly selects which of the other three stays, so you end up fighting over 2 objectives.

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear (WM)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield (WC)

Kill Team 1: Watch Sergeant and 9 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords (KT1)

Kill Team 2: Intercessor Sergeant and 9 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher (KT2)

Kill Team 3: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield, 3 Shotguns, 2 Chainswords (KT3). 5 Vanguard Veterans- 4 Bolt Pistols, 3 Chainswords, Storm Shield, Pair of Lightning Claws (VV)

Rhino- 2 Storm Bolters (R)

Kill Team 4: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, 2 Bolters, Storm Shield, 4 Chainswords (KT4)

Razorback- Twin Lascannons, Storm Bolter (Rz)

Battalion Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)

Company Commander- Plasma Pistol, Chainsword, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait, Kurov's Aquila (CC1)

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword (CC2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS1)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon (IS3)

30 Conscripts- Lasguns (C)

Auxiliary Detachment (Assassins)

Culexus Assassin (A)

Warhammer World GT: Game 3- Deathwatch/Astra Militarum vs Deathwatch

The third game of the Warhammer World Grand Tournament would see my Deathwatch and Astra Militarum army take on Sean's Deathwatch in the Scorched Earth Eternal War mission.

In this mission, there are 6 objectives on the table. You get one point for each objective you hold at the end of your turn. In addition, you can choose to destroy an objective in your opponent's deployment zone. This gets you D3 victory points, but the objective is removed.

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear (WM)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield (WC)

Kill Team 1: Watch Sergeant and 9 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords (KT1)

Kill Team 2: Intercessor Sergeant and 9 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher (KT2)

Kill Team 3: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield, 3 Shotguns, 2 Chainswords (KT3). 5 Vanguard Veterans- 4 Bolt Pistols, 3 Chainswords, Storm Shield, Pair of Lightning Claws (VV)

Rhino- 2 Storm Bolters (R)

Kill Team 4: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, 2 Bolters, Storm Shield, 4 Chainswords (KT4)

Razorback- Twin Lascannons, Storm Bolter (Rz)

Battalion Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)

Company Commander- Plasma Pistol, Chainsword, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait, Kurov's Aquila (CC1)

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword (CC2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS1)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon (IS3)

30 Conscripts- Lasguns (C)

Auxiliary Detachment (Assassins)

Culexus Assassin (A)

Warhammer World GT: Game 2- Deathwatch/Astra Militarum vs Imperial Knights

My second game of the Warhammer World Grand Tournament (Heat 1) saw my Deathwatch take on Steve's Imperial Knights army. 

With the release of the strong new codex for Imperial Knights, there were quite a few present at the tournament. In game 2, I would be facing a whole army of them. The randomly determined mission for game 2 was Ascension. In this mission, three objectives are placed centrally on the battlefield. You get a point for each objective you hold at the end of your turn. In addition, Characters get a a super "objective secured", able to hold an objective on their own and getting additional points for holding it for subsequent turns. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear (WM)

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield (WC)

Kill Team 1: Watch Sergeant and 9 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords (KT1)

Kill Team 2: Intercessor Sergeant and 9 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher (KT2)

Kill Team 3: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 2 Frag Cannons, Storm Shield, 3 Shotguns, 2 Chainswords (KT3). 5 Vanguard Veterans- 4 Bolt Pistols, 3 Chainswords, Storm Shield, Pair of Lightning Claws (VV)

Rhino- 2 Storm Bolters (R)

Kill Team 4: Watch Sergeant and 4 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, 2 Bolters, Storm Shield, 4 Chainswords (KT4)

Razorback- Twin Lascannons, Storm Bolter (Rz)

Battalion Detachment (Astra Militarum, Cadian)

Company Commander- Plasma Pistol, Chainsword, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait, Kurov's Aquila (CC1)

Company Commander- Laspistol, Chainsword (CC2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS1)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon, Grenade Launcher (IS2)

Infantry Squad- Lascannon (IS3)

30 Conscripts- Lasguns (C)

Auxiliary Detachment (Assassins)

Culexus Assassin (A)