My third game of the Dark Artisan ITC tournament saw my Deathwatch take on Chris' Blood Angels army in the Strategic Gamble maelstrom mission.
In this mission, you draw three cards per turn. You can choose to discard two of your cards and draw one more. If you can score this in your turn, it is worth double the number of points.
Chris' army consisted of:
Battalion Detachment
Captain- The Angel's Wing, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Gift of Foresight (warlord trait)
Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Stave, Bolt Pistol, Unleash Rage, Shield of Sanguinius, Veritas Vitae
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbine, Bolt Pistol
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbine, Bolt Pistol
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
Redemptor Dreadnought- Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Onslaught Gatling Cannon, 2 Storm Bolters
Repulsor- Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Las-talon, 2 Krakstorm Grenade Launchers, Twin Lascannons, 2 Storm Bolters
Supreme Command Detachment
Astorath
Librarian Dreadnought- Furioso Fist, Storm Bolter, Quickening, Wings of Sanguinius
Librarian Dreadnought- Furioso Fist, Storm Bolter, Quickening, Wings of Sanguinius
6 Death Company- Jump Packs, Chainswords, Bolt Pistol
7 Death Company- Jump Packs, Chainswords, Bolt Pistol, Thunder Hammer
A Blood Angels force with a few Dreadnoughts and a bunch of Primaris infantry. The Infiltrators could be a problem for my reserves coming in and would need to be dealt with quickly. The Repulsor would also be a tough prospect to take out. Chris spent a CP to give the Captain Death Visions of Sanguinius.
We set up the objectives as shown below:
I won the roll off for table side and Chris deployed his forces. He deployed the bulk of his army on the left flank, with the Dreadnoughts, Captain, Librarian and a unit of Infiltrators behind the Bunker. The second unit of Infiltrators went beside the crater in front of the Bastion. The Repulsor deployed behind the second building on the right, with the two units of Intercessors inside. The Death Company and Astorath went into reserve.
On my left flank, I deployed a unit of Missile Launcher Veterans in the Bastion, with a Razorback and unit of Bikers behind it. One unit of Intercessors went in the nearby ruins, while the second unit went in the centre. I put the second unit of Veterans on the ruins on the right, with the two units of Bikers, Captain and Librarian beside them. The rest of my forces went in reserve. I had hidden most of my units out of line of sight, as had Chris.
For refined strategy, I discarded Witch Hunter, Big Game Hunter, Psychological Warfare, Advance, Kingslayer and Domination. Chris discarded Witch Hunter, Domination, Advance, Scour the Skies, Psychological Warfare and Priority Orders Received.
Chris chose to give me the first turn, I assume as there were not targets for his firepower or psychic powers thanks to my deployment.
TURN 1- DEATHWATCH
In my first turn, I drew Area Denial, Secure Objective 4 and Defend Objective 4. For my mission tactics, I chose Troops.
On the left flank, the Biker squad moved up to secure the objective. I kept the Veterans and Razorback in cover, as they could not see any vehicle targets this turn.
On the right flank, the two squads of Bikers and Librarian moved round the side of the building.
The Librarian cast Smite, causing 3 mortal wounds on the Infiltrators. He then cast Might of Heroes on the Watch Captain.
In the shooting phase, the Bikers opened fire on the Infiltrators with their Vengeance Bolts, killing them.
At the end of my turn, I scored First Strike, Secure Objective 4 and got 3 points for Area Denial, a great start! I discarded Defend Objective 4, as my Bikers were unlikely to survive the enemy firepower to hold on to it.
TURN 1- BLOOD ANGELS
In his first turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 2, Secure Objective 5 and Hold the Line. He decided to gamble, ditching Secure 5 and Hold the Line, drawing Secure Objective 3 for double points.
The Repulsor moved up on top of the Bastion. The troops on the left flank stayed in position, awaiting their reserves before committing in force, only the Redemptor Dreadnought moving round to get a firing arc on the enemy army.
In the psychic phase, the Librarian Dreadnought cast Quickening on itself, followed by Wings of Sanguinius. The Librarian then cast Unleash Rage on the Dreadnought.
In the shooting phase, the Redemptor Dreadnought fired on the Bikers in front of him, killing two of the squad. On the other flank, the Repulsor fired on the Bikers, killing all three of the squad with the help of a CP re-roll.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored First Strike and Secure Objective 2. He discarded Secure Objective 3.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 5
Blood Angels- 2
A good start for the Deathwatch. I had not suffered too many casualties, and had gotten a great score in my first turn.
TURN 2- DEATHWATCH
In my second turn, I drew Defend Objective 3, Defend Objective 6 and Hold the Line. I ditched the two Defend objectives and gambled, drawing Secure Objective 5 for double points.
On the left flank, the Intercessors advanced away from the ruins, while the Razorback moved around the side of the Bunker. If the Death Company came in, they could only charge the Rhino, as the Intercessors were too far away for them.
The Veterans moved up to the top floor to get line of sight. In the centre, the other unit of Intercessors moved back to secure my lines against the enemy reserves.
I brought in my Vanguard Veterans in front of the Bunker on the left. My plan was to push back the deployment options for the Death Company, trying to stop them from getting to my lines.
On the right flank, one squad of Bikers moved up to secure the objective. The other unit of Bikers moved back around the building, along with the Librarian and Captain. The Veterans moved out of cover to target the enemy.
In the shooting phase, the Veterans fired at the Repulsor, hitting but failing to wound. The Stalker Bolters failed to do any damage. The Razorback fired at the Repulsor, hitting and wounding and taking 6 damage from it.
On the right flank, the Veterans fired at the Redemptor, hitting and wounding once, but it made its save. The Stalkers managed to do a single wound with their Vengeance Bolts, but it was saved on a 6+.
At the end of my turn, I scored Hold the Line and Secure Objective 5 for 2 points.
TURN 2- BLOOD ANGELS
In his second turn, Chris drew Defend Objective 3, Secure Objective 1 and Big Game Hunter. He gambled Defend 3 and Secure 1, drawing Behind Enemy Lines.
The Captain used the Upon Wings of Fire stratagem to jump to the Deathwatch lines. My Intercessors had screened out places for the Death Company to deploy, but a single model was able to slip through the net.
The Redemptor and Librarian Dreadnought moved up on the Deathwatch, while the second Librarian Dreadnought advanced towards the right flank. The Repulsor moved down to target the Veterans. At the end of the phase, one squad of Death Company landed on the right flank, in the ruins next to the Razorback.
In the psychic phase, the Librarian failed to cast Unleash Rage. He then cast Smite, doing one mortal wound on the Bikers. The Librarian Dreadnought then cast Quickening and Wings of Sanguinius on itself, moving up into the building to threaten the Veterans. The other Dreadnought cast Smite, killing two of the Vanguard Veterans.
The Repulsor opened fire on the Deathwatch lines. The Lascannons pummelled the Razorback, wounding it 8 times in total. The rest of the firepower managed to wipe out the Vanguard Veterans. The Redemptor Dreadnought fired at the Bikers, wiping them out.
In the charge phase, the Captain failed a charge on the Intercessors with a CP re-roll. Chris spent 2CP on the Death Company to give them a 3D6 charge and they made it into the Razorback. Finally, the Librarian Dreadnought charged the Veterans on the building.
The Librarian Dreadnought attacked the Veterans, easily wiping them out. The Death Company attacked the Razorback, doing 6 wounds. I failed 3 saves and the vehicle was destroyed, the Death Company consolidating into the Intercessors. The Deathwatch struck back, doing one wound, which was saved.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored 2 points for Behind Enemy Lines and Big Game Hunter.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 8
Blood Angels- 5
At the end of turn 2, the Deathwatch had maintained their lead, but had suffered some punishing damage from the Blood Angels forces.
TURN 3- DEATHWATCH
In my turn, I drew Master the Warp, Blood and Guts and Assassinate. For the Tome of Ectoclades, I chose HQ units.
On the left flank, the Veterans moved down to aid the Intercessors against the Death Company, who had locked the Deathwatch in combat. On the right flank, the Librarian moved up to target the enemy counterpart, while the Intercessors, Bikers and Watch Captain moved to target the enemy Captain.
At the end of the phase, I brought in my reserves. The Storm Bolter Kill Team and Watch Master teleported to the enemy deployment zone, while the Meltagun Kill Team arrived in the Deathwatch deployment zone.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing 2 mortal wounds on the Librarian Dreadnought. He then failed to manifest Might of Heroes.
In the shooting phase, the Storm Bolter Kill Team used the Doctrine to get +1 to wound. They fired on the nearby Librarian Dreadnought, doing 20 wounds with their Kraken Bolts and slaying the enemy psyker.
The Meltagun Kill Team then fired on the other Librarian Dreadnought, hitting and wounding twice and killing him as well. Their Bolters targeted the Blood Angels Captain, doing 14 wounds on him. He failed 3 saves, then made two of his FNP saves, to take one wound. The Bikers added their firepower, taking one more wound, while the Intercessors took two more from him to leave him on one remaining.
The Intercessors fired their Bolt Pistols at the Death Company, killing two of the squad thanks to their Vengeance Bolts.
In the charge phase, the Watch Captain, Intercessors and Bikers charged the Blood Angels Captain, while the Veterans charged the Death Company.
The Watch Captain swung at his enemy counterpart, wounding him three times, but the Blood Angels' Storm Shield blocked all damage (thanks to a CP re-roll). The Intercessors then struck, doing 11 wounds. The Blood Angels Captain failed one save and his FNP roll and was finally slain.
The Veterans and Intercessors did 7 wounds on the Death Company, but only one got through their saves. The Death Company struck back, but failed to do any damage.
At the end of my turn, I scored Master the Warp, Blood and Guts, Slay the Warlord and got 1 point for Assassinate (on the D3 roll).
TURN 3- BLOOD ANGELS
In his turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 6, Defend Objective 6 and Assassinate. He got rid of Defend and Assassinate to gamble, drawing Blood and Guts for double points.
The Intercessors disembarked from the Repulsor, moving to target the Kill Team near them. The Redemptor Dreadnought moved up towards the enemy lines, while the Librarian moved towards the right flank.
At the end of the phase, the Death Company and Astorath arrived from reserve, landing near the enemy forces that had just slain the Captain. I spent 2CP on Auspex Scan with the Meltagun Kill Team, firing on the Death Company, but only managing to kill one despite doing 5 wounds.
In the psychic phase, the Librarian failed to cast Smite with a CP re-roll.
In the shooting phase, the Death Company fired their Pistols at the Intercessors, wounding them five times, and I failed three saves. The Repulsor opened fire at the Intercessors, killing two of the squad. The Lascannons of the vehicle fired at the Bikers, hitting four times, but failing to roll a single successful wound!
The Redemptor Dreadnought fired at the Meltagun Kill Team, killing the Biker, three of the Veterans and wounding the Terminator after a terrible round of saving throws. The Blood Angels Intercessors fired at the Storm Bolter Kill Team, killing three of the squad.
In the charge phase, the Death Company assaulted the Intercessors and Bikers. Astorath failed the charge on a 4, using his last CP re-roll, but failing to make it in. The Blood Angels Intercessors also charged the Kill Team in their deployment zone. The Watch Captain performed a heroic intervention on the Death Company.
The Death Company struck, killing the Bikers and one of the Intercessors. The Blood Angels Intercessors struck at the Kill Team, killing four and wounding the Biker. The other Death Company squad struck at the Missile Launcher Veterans, but failed to do any damage.
The Deathwatch then struck back. The Watch Captain killed three of the Death Company, while the Intercessor took out one more. The Kill Team struck at the Blood Angels Intercessors, killing two of them. The Intercessors and Veterans were able to wipe out the Death Company in combat with them.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Blood and Guts for 2 points and Secure Objective 6.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 12
Blood Angels- 8
TURN 4- DEATHWATCH
In my fourth turn, I drew Secure Objective 2, Secure Objective 5 and Overwhelming Firepower. I gambled the two Secure Objective cards and drew Secure Objective 3.
The Watch Captain and lone Intercessor fell back from combat, as did the Storm Bolter Kill Team. The Meltagun Kill Team moved up on the objective, while the Veterans moved up on the ruins. The Librarian moved up on the Death Company.
The Librarian cast Smite, killing the last of the Death Company. He then cast Might of Heroes on himself.
The Storm Bolter Kill Team fired at the Intercessors, wiping them out. On the other side of the field, the Intercessors fired at Astorath, doing one wound on him. The Meltagun Kill Team added their firepower, doing two more wounds.
The Veterans fired their Missiles at the Redemptor, doing 5 wounds on the enemy vehicle.
In the charge phase, the Librarian and Intercessors charged Astorath. The Librarian struck at Astorath, killing him with the last CP re-roll.
At the end of my turn, I scored Overwhelming Firepower and double Secure Objective 3.
TURN 4- BLOOD ANGELS
In his turn, Chris drew Defend Objective 1, Master the Warp and Overwhelming Firepower. He gambled with Defend and Firepower, drawing Supremacy for double points.
The Librarian and Intercessors converged on the Kill Team, while the Redemptor continued to move towards the enemy lines, advancing to move further. The Repulsor moved up on the objective.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing 2 mortal wounds on the Kill Team. He then cast Shield of Sanguinius on himself.
In the shooting phase, the Infiltrators fired on the Storm Bolter Kill Team, doing three wounds, but the Terminator armour blocked them. The Intercessors added their firepower, killing the Terminator. The Repulsor fired at the full Deathwatch Intercessor squad and Meltagun Kill Team, slaying three from the Kill Team and one Intercessor.
In the charge phase, the Librarian charged the Watch Master, taking two damage from overwatch.
The Librarian struck at the Watch Master, doing one wound, but failing to get past his Iron Halo. The Watch Master cut down the enemy psyker in reply.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Master the Warp and Supremacy for 2 points.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 15
Blood Angels- 11
TURN 5- DEATHWATCH
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 1, Scour the Skies and Priority Orders Received (Secure Objective 6). I discarded Scour the Skies and Priority Orders, drawing Defend Objective 1, which I would be unable to get double points for.
The Watch Master and remnants of the Kill Team moved up on the surviving Blood Angels Intercessors. The Librarian and Intercessors moved up on the Repulsor. The Veterans moved up to the top of the building, while the Watch Captain moved over to secure the objective. The lone Intercessor moved into the cover of the building, while the Meltagun Kill Team moved up on the Redemptor Dreadnought.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing two mortal wounds on the Repulsor. He then cast Might of Heroes on himself.
The Veterans fired their Stalker Bolters at the Intercessors, killing one of the squad. Their Missiles failed to make a dent on the Repulsor. The Storm Bolter Kill Team fired at the Intercessors, killing two, while the Watch Master killed one more.
The Deathwatch Intercessors fired on the Repulsor, doing two wounds on the enemy tank. The Meltagun Kill Team fired at the Redemptor, but failed to do any damage.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors failed a charge on the Repulsor, taking one wound on overwatch. The Librarian made the charge. The Watch Master and Kill Team assaulted the last Blood Angels Intercessor.
In the fight phase, the Watch Master killed the Intercessor, while the Librarian put one wound on the Repulsor.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 1.
TURN 5- BLOOD ANGELS
In his fifth turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 2, Secure Objective 6 and No Prisoners. He discarded Secure 6 and No Prisoners, drawing Secure Objective 3 for his strategic gamble.
The Repulsor fell back from combat, while the Redemptor moved into the enemy lines.
The Repulsor fired at the Intercessors and Librarain, killing one of the squad.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Secure Objective 2 and discarded Secure Objective 3. I also scored Defend Objective 1.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 18
Blood Angels- 12
We rolled to see if the game continued and it did.
TURN 6- DEATHWATCH
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 1, Secure Objective 3 and Secure Objective 4.
The Deathwatch moved to secure the objectives, while the Watch Captain and Librarian moved up on the Repulsor.
The Librarian cast Smite, rolling an 11, but only doing one mortal wound. He then cast Might of Heroes on himself.
The Deathwatch fired on the Repulsor, taking two wounds from it. The Meltagun Kill Team fired at the Redemptor Dreadnought, hitting twice but rolling a double 1 to wound.
In the charge phase, the Watch Captain and Librarian charged the Repulsor, along with the Intercessors.
The Watch Captain struck at the enemy vehicle, doing three wounds on it. The Repulsor exploded, putting 3 wounds on the Captain, one on the Intercessors and one on the Librarian.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 3 and Secure Objective 4.
TURN 6- BLOOD ANGELS
In his turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 4, Mission Critical Objective 4 and Defend Objective 5. He discarded the two objective four cards and gambled, getting Secure Objective 5.
The Redemptor Dreadnought moved up on the objective in the crater, while the Infiltrators moved around the cover of the Bastion.
The Redemptor fired at the Veterans in the crater, killing one. The Infiltrators added their firepower, doing two wounds but failing to get past the armour.
The Redemptor Dreadnought charged the Meltagun Kill Team, killing the last two members of the squad to secure the objective.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Secure Objective 5 for two points.
We rolled to see if the game would go on and it did not. I scored Linebreaker for an extra point.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 19
Blood Angels- 14
A win for the Deathwatch.
AFTER-BATTLE THOUGHTS
Thanks to Chris for a fun game.
I actually played the reserves quite differently from normal in this game, bringing in the Vanguard Veterans on turn 2 and keeping the rest of my reserves until turn 3. Most of the reason for this is that Chris was pretty guarded with his units until around turn 2 or 3.
I think this game could have gone either way, it just came down to going for objectives and what each player could score in their turns.
Chris gave me the first turn, after I had hidden much of my army from his firepower and psychic attacks, so I don't think he wanted to waste a turn of firepower on units that were hidden. This is why I was surprised that he deployed a unit of Infiltrators out in the open, as this was a pretty easy target for First Strike for my army. I also got a good set of cards to give me 5 points in the first turn.
After Chris' first turn, I decided to be more reserved with my Bikers, pulling them back as I didn't need them to go after any objectives or enemy kills in my second turn. This allowed me to use them to go after Blood Angels Captain in the following turn, rather than throwing them into the enemy army.
I think Chris may have been better spending the 2CP on getting a 3D6" charge with his warlord over the Death Company. Where the Death Company were, they were well hidden from my firepower, so I would have needed to move my units up to try and deal with them, or they could have moved up in the following turn to threaten my lines. I think he wanted to get the charge off to destroy the Razorback and score Big Game Hunter. The Captain would most likely have killed off the Intercessors to claim the objective. He could also have put down some more reserves to get Behind Enemy Lines for D3 points (doubled thanks to it being his gamble card).
Overall, a fun and strategic game. It was difficult to make choices each turn over which objectives to go for and which units to take out. I guess that is the mark of a good game.
So, at the end of day one I was on two wins and a draw. I was sitting in fourth position in the rankings, as only three players had managed to get three wins. My fourth game would see the Deathwatch face off against the Custodes. When was I going to get more Xenos to face?!?
In this mission, you draw three cards per turn. You can choose to discard two of your cards and draw one more. If you can score this in your turn, it is worth double the number of points.
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.
Chris' army consisted of:
Battalion Detachment
Captain- The Angel's Wing, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Gift of Foresight (warlord trait)
Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Stave, Bolt Pistol, Unleash Rage, Shield of Sanguinius, Veritas Vitae
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbine, Bolt Pistol
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbine, Bolt Pistol
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
Redemptor Dreadnought- Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Onslaught Gatling Cannon, 2 Storm Bolters
Repulsor- Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Las-talon, 2 Krakstorm Grenade Launchers, Twin Lascannons, 2 Storm Bolters
Supreme Command Detachment
Astorath
Librarian Dreadnought- Furioso Fist, Storm Bolter, Quickening, Wings of Sanguinius
Librarian Dreadnought- Furioso Fist, Storm Bolter, Quickening, Wings of Sanguinius
6 Death Company- Jump Packs, Chainswords, Bolt Pistol
7 Death Company- Jump Packs, Chainswords, Bolt Pistol, Thunder Hammer
A Blood Angels force with a few Dreadnoughts and a bunch of Primaris infantry. The Infiltrators could be a problem for my reserves coming in and would need to be dealt with quickly. The Repulsor would also be a tough prospect to take out. Chris spent a CP to give the Captain Death Visions of Sanguinius.
We set up the objectives as shown below:
I won the roll off for table side and Chris deployed his forces. He deployed the bulk of his army on the left flank, with the Dreadnoughts, Captain, Librarian and a unit of Infiltrators behind the Bunker. The second unit of Infiltrators went beside the crater in front of the Bastion. The Repulsor deployed behind the second building on the right, with the two units of Intercessors inside. The Death Company and Astorath went into reserve.
On my left flank, I deployed a unit of Missile Launcher Veterans in the Bastion, with a Razorback and unit of Bikers behind it. One unit of Intercessors went in the nearby ruins, while the second unit went in the centre. I put the second unit of Veterans on the ruins on the right, with the two units of Bikers, Captain and Librarian beside them. The rest of my forces went in reserve. I had hidden most of my units out of line of sight, as had Chris.
For refined strategy, I discarded Witch Hunter, Big Game Hunter, Psychological Warfare, Advance, Kingslayer and Domination. Chris discarded Witch Hunter, Domination, Advance, Scour the Skies, Psychological Warfare and Priority Orders Received.
Chris chose to give me the first turn, I assume as there were not targets for his firepower or psychic powers thanks to my deployment.
TURN 1- DEATHWATCH
In my first turn, I drew Area Denial, Secure Objective 4 and Defend Objective 4. For my mission tactics, I chose Troops.
On the left flank, the Biker squad moved up to secure the objective. I kept the Veterans and Razorback in cover, as they could not see any vehicle targets this turn.
On the right flank, the two squads of Bikers and Librarian moved round the side of the building.
The Librarian cast Smite, causing 3 mortal wounds on the Infiltrators. He then cast Might of Heroes on the Watch Captain.
In the shooting phase, the Bikers opened fire on the Infiltrators with their Vengeance Bolts, killing them.
At the end of my turn, I scored First Strike, Secure Objective 4 and got 3 points for Area Denial, a great start! I discarded Defend Objective 4, as my Bikers were unlikely to survive the enemy firepower to hold on to it.
TURN 1- BLOOD ANGELS
In his first turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 2, Secure Objective 5 and Hold the Line. He decided to gamble, ditching Secure 5 and Hold the Line, drawing Secure Objective 3 for double points.
The Repulsor moved up on top of the Bastion. The troops on the left flank stayed in position, awaiting their reserves before committing in force, only the Redemptor Dreadnought moving round to get a firing arc on the enemy army.
In the psychic phase, the Librarian Dreadnought cast Quickening on itself, followed by Wings of Sanguinius. The Librarian then cast Unleash Rage on the Dreadnought.
In the shooting phase, the Redemptor Dreadnought fired on the Bikers in front of him, killing two of the squad. On the other flank, the Repulsor fired on the Bikers, killing all three of the squad with the help of a CP re-roll.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored First Strike and Secure Objective 2. He discarded Secure Objective 3.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 5
Blood Angels- 2
A good start for the Deathwatch. I had not suffered too many casualties, and had gotten a great score in my first turn.
TURN 2- DEATHWATCH
In my second turn, I drew Defend Objective 3, Defend Objective 6 and Hold the Line. I ditched the two Defend objectives and gambled, drawing Secure Objective 5 for double points.
On the left flank, the Intercessors advanced away from the ruins, while the Razorback moved around the side of the Bunker. If the Death Company came in, they could only charge the Rhino, as the Intercessors were too far away for them.
The Veterans moved up to the top floor to get line of sight. In the centre, the other unit of Intercessors moved back to secure my lines against the enemy reserves.
I brought in my Vanguard Veterans in front of the Bunker on the left. My plan was to push back the deployment options for the Death Company, trying to stop them from getting to my lines.
On the right flank, one squad of Bikers moved up to secure the objective. The other unit of Bikers moved back around the building, along with the Librarian and Captain. The Veterans moved out of cover to target the enemy.
In the shooting phase, the Veterans fired at the Repulsor, hitting but failing to wound. The Stalker Bolters failed to do any damage. The Razorback fired at the Repulsor, hitting and wounding and taking 6 damage from it.
On the right flank, the Veterans fired at the Redemptor, hitting and wounding once, but it made its save. The Stalkers managed to do a single wound with their Vengeance Bolts, but it was saved on a 6+.
At the end of my turn, I scored Hold the Line and Secure Objective 5 for 2 points.
TURN 2- BLOOD ANGELS
In his second turn, Chris drew Defend Objective 3, Secure Objective 1 and Big Game Hunter. He gambled Defend 3 and Secure 1, drawing Behind Enemy Lines.
The Captain used the Upon Wings of Fire stratagem to jump to the Deathwatch lines. My Intercessors had screened out places for the Death Company to deploy, but a single model was able to slip through the net.
The Redemptor and Librarian Dreadnought moved up on the Deathwatch, while the second Librarian Dreadnought advanced towards the right flank. The Repulsor moved down to target the Veterans. At the end of the phase, one squad of Death Company landed on the right flank, in the ruins next to the Razorback.
In the psychic phase, the Librarian failed to cast Unleash Rage. He then cast Smite, doing one mortal wound on the Bikers. The Librarian Dreadnought then cast Quickening and Wings of Sanguinius on itself, moving up into the building to threaten the Veterans. The other Dreadnought cast Smite, killing two of the Vanguard Veterans.
The Repulsor opened fire on the Deathwatch lines. The Lascannons pummelled the Razorback, wounding it 8 times in total. The rest of the firepower managed to wipe out the Vanguard Veterans. The Redemptor Dreadnought fired at the Bikers, wiping them out.
In the charge phase, the Captain failed a charge on the Intercessors with a CP re-roll. Chris spent 2CP on the Death Company to give them a 3D6 charge and they made it into the Razorback. Finally, the Librarian Dreadnought charged the Veterans on the building.
The Librarian Dreadnought attacked the Veterans, easily wiping them out. The Death Company attacked the Razorback, doing 6 wounds. I failed 3 saves and the vehicle was destroyed, the Death Company consolidating into the Intercessors. The Deathwatch struck back, doing one wound, which was saved.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored 2 points for Behind Enemy Lines and Big Game Hunter.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 8
Blood Angels- 5
At the end of turn 2, the Deathwatch had maintained their lead, but had suffered some punishing damage from the Blood Angels forces.
TURN 3- DEATHWATCH
In my turn, I drew Master the Warp, Blood and Guts and Assassinate. For the Tome of Ectoclades, I chose HQ units.
On the left flank, the Veterans moved down to aid the Intercessors against the Death Company, who had locked the Deathwatch in combat. On the right flank, the Librarian moved up to target the enemy counterpart, while the Intercessors, Bikers and Watch Captain moved to target the enemy Captain.
At the end of the phase, I brought in my reserves. The Storm Bolter Kill Team and Watch Master teleported to the enemy deployment zone, while the Meltagun Kill Team arrived in the Deathwatch deployment zone.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing 2 mortal wounds on the Librarian Dreadnought. He then failed to manifest Might of Heroes.
In the shooting phase, the Storm Bolter Kill Team used the Doctrine to get +1 to wound. They fired on the nearby Librarian Dreadnought, doing 20 wounds with their Kraken Bolts and slaying the enemy psyker.
The Meltagun Kill Team then fired on the other Librarian Dreadnought, hitting and wounding twice and killing him as well. Their Bolters targeted the Blood Angels Captain, doing 14 wounds on him. He failed 3 saves, then made two of his FNP saves, to take one wound. The Bikers added their firepower, taking one more wound, while the Intercessors took two more from him to leave him on one remaining.
The Intercessors fired their Bolt Pistols at the Death Company, killing two of the squad thanks to their Vengeance Bolts.
In the charge phase, the Watch Captain, Intercessors and Bikers charged the Blood Angels Captain, while the Veterans charged the Death Company.
The Watch Captain swung at his enemy counterpart, wounding him three times, but the Blood Angels' Storm Shield blocked all damage (thanks to a CP re-roll). The Intercessors then struck, doing 11 wounds. The Blood Angels Captain failed one save and his FNP roll and was finally slain.
The Veterans and Intercessors did 7 wounds on the Death Company, but only one got through their saves. The Death Company struck back, but failed to do any damage.
At the end of my turn, I scored Master the Warp, Blood and Guts, Slay the Warlord and got 1 point for Assassinate (on the D3 roll).
TURN 3- BLOOD ANGELS
In his turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 6, Defend Objective 6 and Assassinate. He got rid of Defend and Assassinate to gamble, drawing Blood and Guts for double points.
The Intercessors disembarked from the Repulsor, moving to target the Kill Team near them. The Redemptor Dreadnought moved up towards the enemy lines, while the Librarian moved towards the right flank.
At the end of the phase, the Death Company and Astorath arrived from reserve, landing near the enemy forces that had just slain the Captain. I spent 2CP on Auspex Scan with the Meltagun Kill Team, firing on the Death Company, but only managing to kill one despite doing 5 wounds.
In the psychic phase, the Librarian failed to cast Smite with a CP re-roll.
In the shooting phase, the Death Company fired their Pistols at the Intercessors, wounding them five times, and I failed three saves. The Repulsor opened fire at the Intercessors, killing two of the squad. The Lascannons of the vehicle fired at the Bikers, hitting four times, but failing to roll a single successful wound!
The Redemptor Dreadnought fired at the Meltagun Kill Team, killing the Biker, three of the Veterans and wounding the Terminator after a terrible round of saving throws. The Blood Angels Intercessors fired at the Storm Bolter Kill Team, killing three of the squad.
In the charge phase, the Death Company assaulted the Intercessors and Bikers. Astorath failed the charge on a 4, using his last CP re-roll, but failing to make it in. The Blood Angels Intercessors also charged the Kill Team in their deployment zone. The Watch Captain performed a heroic intervention on the Death Company.
The Death Company struck, killing the Bikers and one of the Intercessors. The Blood Angels Intercessors struck at the Kill Team, killing four and wounding the Biker. The other Death Company squad struck at the Missile Launcher Veterans, but failed to do any damage.
The Deathwatch then struck back. The Watch Captain killed three of the Death Company, while the Intercessor took out one more. The Kill Team struck at the Blood Angels Intercessors, killing two of them. The Intercessors and Veterans were able to wipe out the Death Company in combat with them.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Blood and Guts for 2 points and Secure Objective 6.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 12
Blood Angels- 8
TURN 4- DEATHWATCH
In my fourth turn, I drew Secure Objective 2, Secure Objective 5 and Overwhelming Firepower. I gambled the two Secure Objective cards and drew Secure Objective 3.
The Watch Captain and lone Intercessor fell back from combat, as did the Storm Bolter Kill Team. The Meltagun Kill Team moved up on the objective, while the Veterans moved up on the ruins. The Librarian moved up on the Death Company.
The Librarian cast Smite, killing the last of the Death Company. He then cast Might of Heroes on himself.
The Storm Bolter Kill Team fired at the Intercessors, wiping them out. On the other side of the field, the Intercessors fired at Astorath, doing one wound on him. The Meltagun Kill Team added their firepower, doing two more wounds.
The Veterans fired their Missiles at the Redemptor, doing 5 wounds on the enemy vehicle.
In the charge phase, the Librarian and Intercessors charged Astorath. The Librarian struck at Astorath, killing him with the last CP re-roll.
At the end of my turn, I scored Overwhelming Firepower and double Secure Objective 3.
TURN 4- BLOOD ANGELS
In his turn, Chris drew Defend Objective 1, Master the Warp and Overwhelming Firepower. He gambled with Defend and Firepower, drawing Supremacy for double points.
The Librarian and Intercessors converged on the Kill Team, while the Redemptor continued to move towards the enemy lines, advancing to move further. The Repulsor moved up on the objective.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing 2 mortal wounds on the Kill Team. He then cast Shield of Sanguinius on himself.
In the shooting phase, the Infiltrators fired on the Storm Bolter Kill Team, doing three wounds, but the Terminator armour blocked them. The Intercessors added their firepower, killing the Terminator. The Repulsor fired at the full Deathwatch Intercessor squad and Meltagun Kill Team, slaying three from the Kill Team and one Intercessor.
In the charge phase, the Librarian charged the Watch Master, taking two damage from overwatch.
The Librarian struck at the Watch Master, doing one wound, but failing to get past his Iron Halo. The Watch Master cut down the enemy psyker in reply.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Master the Warp and Supremacy for 2 points.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 15
Blood Angels- 11
TURN 5- DEATHWATCH
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 1, Scour the Skies and Priority Orders Received (Secure Objective 6). I discarded Scour the Skies and Priority Orders, drawing Defend Objective 1, which I would be unable to get double points for.
The Watch Master and remnants of the Kill Team moved up on the surviving Blood Angels Intercessors. The Librarian and Intercessors moved up on the Repulsor. The Veterans moved up to the top of the building, while the Watch Captain moved over to secure the objective. The lone Intercessor moved into the cover of the building, while the Meltagun Kill Team moved up on the Redemptor Dreadnought.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing two mortal wounds on the Repulsor. He then cast Might of Heroes on himself.
The Veterans fired their Stalker Bolters at the Intercessors, killing one of the squad. Their Missiles failed to make a dent on the Repulsor. The Storm Bolter Kill Team fired at the Intercessors, killing two, while the Watch Master killed one more.
The Deathwatch Intercessors fired on the Repulsor, doing two wounds on the enemy tank. The Meltagun Kill Team fired at the Redemptor, but failed to do any damage.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors failed a charge on the Repulsor, taking one wound on overwatch. The Librarian made the charge. The Watch Master and Kill Team assaulted the last Blood Angels Intercessor.
In the fight phase, the Watch Master killed the Intercessor, while the Librarian put one wound on the Repulsor.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 1.
TURN 5- BLOOD ANGELS
In his fifth turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 2, Secure Objective 6 and No Prisoners. He discarded Secure 6 and No Prisoners, drawing Secure Objective 3 for his strategic gamble.
The Repulsor fell back from combat, while the Redemptor moved into the enemy lines.
The Repulsor fired at the Intercessors and Librarain, killing one of the squad.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Secure Objective 2 and discarded Secure Objective 3. I also scored Defend Objective 1.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 18
Blood Angels- 12
We rolled to see if the game continued and it did.
TURN 6- DEATHWATCH
In my turn, I drew Secure Objective 1, Secure Objective 3 and Secure Objective 4.
The Deathwatch moved to secure the objectives, while the Watch Captain and Librarian moved up on the Repulsor.
The Librarian cast Smite, rolling an 11, but only doing one mortal wound. He then cast Might of Heroes on himself.
The Deathwatch fired on the Repulsor, taking two wounds from it. The Meltagun Kill Team fired at the Redemptor Dreadnought, hitting twice but rolling a double 1 to wound.
In the charge phase, the Watch Captain and Librarian charged the Repulsor, along with the Intercessors.
The Watch Captain struck at the enemy vehicle, doing three wounds on it. The Repulsor exploded, putting 3 wounds on the Captain, one on the Intercessors and one on the Librarian.
At the end of my turn, I scored Secure Objective 3 and Secure Objective 4.
TURN 6- BLOOD ANGELS
In his turn, Chris drew Secure Objective 4, Mission Critical Objective 4 and Defend Objective 5. He discarded the two objective four cards and gambled, getting Secure Objective 5.
The Redemptor Dreadnought moved up on the objective in the crater, while the Infiltrators moved around the cover of the Bastion.
The Redemptor fired at the Veterans in the crater, killing one. The Infiltrators added their firepower, doing two wounds but failing to get past the armour.
The Redemptor Dreadnought charged the Meltagun Kill Team, killing the last two members of the squad to secure the objective.
At the end of his turn, Chris scored Secure Objective 5 for two points.
We rolled to see if the game would go on and it did not. I scored Linebreaker for an extra point.
VICTORY POINTS:
Deathwatch- 19
Blood Angels- 14
A win for the Deathwatch.
AFTER-BATTLE THOUGHTS
Thanks to Chris for a fun game.
I actually played the reserves quite differently from normal in this game, bringing in the Vanguard Veterans on turn 2 and keeping the rest of my reserves until turn 3. Most of the reason for this is that Chris was pretty guarded with his units until around turn 2 or 3.
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| Chris and Me. |
I think this game could have gone either way, it just came down to going for objectives and what each player could score in their turns.
Chris gave me the first turn, after I had hidden much of my army from his firepower and psychic attacks, so I don't think he wanted to waste a turn of firepower on units that were hidden. This is why I was surprised that he deployed a unit of Infiltrators out in the open, as this was a pretty easy target for First Strike for my army. I also got a good set of cards to give me 5 points in the first turn.
After Chris' first turn, I decided to be more reserved with my Bikers, pulling them back as I didn't need them to go after any objectives or enemy kills in my second turn. This allowed me to use them to go after Blood Angels Captain in the following turn, rather than throwing them into the enemy army.
I think Chris may have been better spending the 2CP on getting a 3D6" charge with his warlord over the Death Company. Where the Death Company were, they were well hidden from my firepower, so I would have needed to move my units up to try and deal with them, or they could have moved up in the following turn to threaten my lines. I think he wanted to get the charge off to destroy the Razorback and score Big Game Hunter. The Captain would most likely have killed off the Intercessors to claim the objective. He could also have put down some more reserves to get Behind Enemy Lines for D3 points (doubled thanks to it being his gamble card).
Overall, a fun and strategic game. It was difficult to make choices each turn over which objectives to go for and which units to take out. I guess that is the mark of a good game.
So, at the end of day one I was on two wins and a draw. I was sitting in fourth position in the rankings, as only three players had managed to get three wins. My fourth game would see the Deathwatch face off against the Custodes. When was I going to get more Xenos to face?!?
Another great batrep mate, thanks for the read.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Siph!
DeleteTwo squads of death company in the supreme command detachment? I thought it was only 1 elite spot?
ReplyDeleteOne of them was probably in the Battalion.
DeleteCongrats on another positive result! Quite a slug fest it appeared from the read! Thanks for writing these up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, happy you are liking them.
Delete