A while back, I travelled down to Bournemouth for the Beachhead Brawl, a six-game ITC tourmanent. This was using the old ITC missions, it's just taken me that long to get them written up!
Game 1 would see my White Scars take on James' Raven Guard in ITC Mission 1.
Game 1 would see my White Scars take on James' Raven Guard in ITC Mission 1.
My army consisted of:
Battalion Detachment
Captain on Bike- Twin Bolter, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, 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 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
Impulsor- 2 Storm Bolters, Ironhail Heavy Stubber, Shield Dome
3 Eliminators- Bolt Sniper Rifles, Camo Cloaks
3 Eliminators- Bolt Sniper Rifles, Camo Cloaks
3 Eliminators- Bolt Sniper Rifles, Camo Cloaks
3 Eliminators- Bolt Sniper Rifles, Camo Cloaks
Battalion Detachment
Captain- Jump Pack, Master Crafted Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Chapter Master, Imperium's Sword
Lieutenant- Jump Pack, Power Axe, MC Bolter
5 Scouts- Bolters
5 Scouts- Bolters
5 Scouts- Bolt Pistol, Combat Knives
3 Inceptors- Assault Bolters
3 Inceptors- Assault Bolters
Battalion Detachment
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Crozius Arcanum, Bolt Pistol, Litany of Hate, Warlord
Phobos Librarian- Force Sword, Camo Cloak, Shrouding, Mind Raid
3 Inceptors- Assault Bolters
3 Inceptors- Assault Bolters
Battalion Detachment
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Crozius Arcanum, Bolt Pistol, Litany of Hate, Warlord
Phobos Librarian- Force Sword, Camo Cloak, Shrouding, Mind Raid
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbines, Smoke Grenades
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbines, Smoke Grenades
5 Tactical Marines- Bolters, Lascannon
5 Infiltrators- Marksman Bolt Carbines, Smoke Grenades
5 Tactical Marines- Bolters, Lascannon
Thunderfire Cannon- Techmarine Gunner with Flamer, Plasma Cutter, 2 Servo-arms
James' army consisted of:
Vanguard Detachment (Raven Guard Successors)
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Litany of Hate
6 Assault Centurions- Hurricane Bolters, 2 Meltaguns each, Siege Drills
6 Assault Centurions- Hurricane Bolters, 2 Meltaguns each, Siege Drills
6 Assault Centurions- Hurricane Bolters, 2 Flamers each, Siege Drills
Battalion Detachment (Raven Guard Successors)
Chapter Master- Master-crafted Boltgun, Chainsword, Bolt Pistol
Librarian- Force Stave, Shadowstep, Veil of Time
5 Scouts- Astartes Shotguns
5 Scouts- Astartes Shotguns
5 Scouts- Bolt Pistols, Combat Knives
Spearhead Detachment (Raven Guard Successors)
Captain- Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Master-Crafted Boltgun, Thunder Hammer
Thunderfire Cannon
Thundefire Cannon
Thunderfire Cannon
Whirlwind- Vengeance Launcher
Whirlwind- Castellan Launcher
Chapter Tactics- Long-ranged Marksman, Master Artisans
Oh dear. A very tough Raven Guard netlist in my first game of the tournament. The three units of infiltrating Assault Centurions would be pretty nasty once they got up close. Plus, four units of indirect fire artillery meant my units could be targeted without line of site, making it hard to hide my forces from his fire.
We were playing ITC mission 1 with Hammer and Anvil deployment. The objectives were set as shown below:
For secondaries, I chose Recon, Kingslayer (Chaplain) and Gangbusters. James chose Old School, Butcher's Bill and Ground Control.
We then alternated deployment. I put the Thunderfire Cannon and Tactical Squad in the ruins to the right, with a squad of Infiltrators beside them. I put a unit of Scouts in the central ruins in my deployment zone, with the White Scars characters to the right of the ruins. The rest of the army deployed aggressively, putting a unit of Scouts in the centre, along with two units of Eliminators. The Infiltrators and Phobos Librarian went behind the central ruins, with the third unit of Scouts on the right flank. I put both Inceptor units in reserve, and spent 3CP to put the two Intercessor squads and Impulsor in reserve.
James put the two Whirlwinds on his right flank, with the Chapter Master and Librarian. The three Thunderfire Cannons spread out across the back line of the deployment zone. The Scout squads went in the central ruins, on the right flank and a unit on the objective to the rear. The three units of Assault Centurions went in reserve, while the Captain and Chaplain went in the centre.
My plan was to go in aggressively, as I didn't really have a choice. My fast moving units could advance and shut down some of the artillery, with a decent charge roll. I hoped that I could get into position to hold the objectives and shut out the infiltrating units from doing too much damage on the turn that they arrive.
I won the roll off for first turn and elected to go first. James then managed to seize the initiative! This was not going to go well.
TURN 1- RAVEN GUARD
I passed the Litany roll off for the Canticle of Hate, while James' Chaplain failed the roll.
The Captain moved up on the Eliminators, while the Chaplain moved up to behind the ruins. The Scouts stayed in position.
James spent 2CP on the Thunderfire Cannon to fire twice, targeting the Eliminators on the ground floor. The shots caused five wounds, but only one got through their saves. The Whirlwind added its firepower, causing four wounds, but failed to get through their armour.
The Thunderfire Cannon fired at the Scouts on the left, killing four of the squad. The last Cannon fired at the central Scouts, killing four of them. The Scouts added their shots, killing the last one.
The Captain charged the Eliminators on the first floor of the ruins, doing four wounds and killing the unit. He consolidated into the second squad of Eliminators, who failed to damage the Captain.
At the end of his turn, James scored kill one, hold one, Old School (first blood) and Butcher's Bill for 4 points in total.
TURN 1- WHITE SCARS
The Biker Captain advanced towards the Scouts in the centre. The Chaplain, Librarian, Lieutenant and Chapter Master moved up towards the central ruins. The Eliminators fell back up to the first floor of the ruins.
In the psychic phase, the Phobos Librarian cast Smite, doing 3 mortal wounds on the enemy Captain. He then failed to cast Mind Raid. The Librarian cast Smite, killing the Captain with a CP re-roll.
The Thunderfire Cannon fired at the Scouts on the left, using the stratagem to fire twice and wiping out the unit. The rest of the army fired at the Scouts in the centre, only managing to kill two of the squad.
In the charge phase, the Captain charged the Chaplain and Scouts. The Chaplain and Librarian charged the Scouts as well.
The Biker Captain struck at the enemy Chaplain, causing five wounds. The Chaplain failed one invulnerable save to be left on one wound remaining. The Librarian killed 2 Scouts, while the Chaplain killed the last of the Scouts.
The Raven Guard Chaplain struck at the Biker Captain, hitting and wounding him three times. I failed all three 3+ invulnerable saves, rolling two 1's and a two! I used a CP re-roll and rolled another 2, slaying the Biker Captain.
I spent 2 CP to fight in death with the Captain and was able to slay the enemy Warlord with his final blows.
At the end of the turn, I scored kill 1, hold 1, Recon, Kingslayer for 3 points and hold more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 4
White Scars- 7
A good start for the White Scars, but some bad luck with the combat against the Chaplain. Failing four 3+ invulnerable saves to lose the Captain was not in the plan!
TURN 2- RAVEN GUARD
At the start of turn 2, we both moved to the Tactical Doctrine. I used the Canticle of Hate on the Chaplain.
The forces on the battlefield stayed in place to target the enemy army. At the end of the phase, the Assault Centurions arrived. Two squads landed near the characters in the central ruins.
The Librarian attempted to cast Shadowstep on the Chapter Master, but perilled and took 3 mortal wounds!
The Whirlwind opened fire on the Eliminators, doing 5 wounds, but their cover saves kept them safe. The second Whirlwind fired at the Infiltrators, wounding them 7 times. I failed 3 of my 2+ saves and one perished.
Two of the Thunderfire Cannons fired at the Scouts in the backfield, killing the unit. The third fired at the central Infiltrator squad, killing one more.
The first Assault Centurion squad opened fire on my characters. The Meltaguns targeted the Lieutenant and Phobos Librarian, while the Hurricane Bolters targeted the Chapter Master. All three were obliterated in a hail of fire.
The second squad targeted the Chaplain and Librarian. The Chaplain fell to the flamers, while the Librarian took 12 wounds and failed eight 3+ saves from the Flamers. The Bolters targeted the Eliminators and Infiltrators, killing two Eliminators and one Infiltrator.
At the end of his turn, James scored kill one, hold one, Butcher's Bill and Old School (slay the warlord).
That was a brutal second turn for the Raven Guard. The Assault Centurions had taken out all my characters with their firepower alone, and had put a big dent in my army. I think we both knew the game was pretty much over at this point, as there was little I had left to take out the Centurions in combat.
TURN 2- WHITE SCARS
The Infiltrators moved towards the objective behind them. I used the Wind-Swift stratagem to allow them to move twice to advance onto the objective. The lone Eliminator moved up on the central objective. At the end of the phase, a unit of Inceptors arrived in the centre, while a unit of Intercessors moved on the bottom of the battlefield to go after the enemy artillery. I was hoping they could make a charge and move up onto the objective to score me the bonus for this turn.
In the shooting phase, the Eliminator fired at the wounded Librarian, but failed to hit on a 2+! The Thunderfire fired at the Scout squad, killing four of them. The Intercessors fired at the lone Scout, managing to kill him.
The Inceptors fired at the Assault Centurions, doing 7 wounds, two of which got past the armour. The Infiltrators were able to do one more wound to them.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors targeted the Thunderfire Cannon. I used the Fierce Rivalries stratagem to allow me to roll 3D6 and pick the two highest for my charge distance. I then promptly rolled two 1's and a 2, failing the charge.
At the end of my turn, I scored kill one, hold 1, Recon and Hold more. James scored kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 9
White Scars- 11
Technically, I was winning the game at this point. However, that was sure to turn around very soon. I was hoping just to play on to score as many points as possible with what was left of my army.
TURN 3- RAVEN GUARD
In turn 3, I moved to the Assault Doctrine, while James stayed in the Tactical Doctrine.
One squad of Centurions moved up on the Inceptors, while the other squad moved up on the Eliminator. At the end of the phase, the last squad of Assault Centurions arrived in the enemy deployment zone.
The Thunderfire Cannon fired at the two Infiltrators, killing one of them. The Centurions targeted the Intercessors and Inceptors with their firepower, killing two Inceptors and three Intercessors and the Infiltrator.
The other Centurions targeted the Eliminators and Infiltrators, killing both squads. The two Whirlwinds fired at the Intercessors, doing a single wound on the squad. The Thunderfire Cannon was able to kill one of the Primaris Marines.
The last Thunderfire targeted the Tactical Squad, doing 7 wounds, but all were saved. The last squad of Centurions targeted the Thunderfire Cannon with their Hurricane Bolters, wounding it 7 times, but only two got through the armour.
At the end of his turn, James scored hold 1, kill 1 and Butcher's Bill.
TURN 3- WHITE SCARS
The Intercessors moved up on the Thunderfire Cannon, while the lone Inceptor moved up on the objective. At the end of the phase, the reserves arrived. The Impulsor went to the north to go after the artillery, while the second squad of Intercessors went to the south. The Inceptors landed in the White Scars deployment zone.
The Intercessors fired on the Techmarine, wounding him once. The other squad fired at the Centurions, wounding them once. The Inceptors added their firepower, doing one more wound.
The Impulsor fired at the squad, doing one more wound. The Thunderfire targeted the Centurions, putting three wounds on them.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors assaulted the Techmarine. The second squad failed their charge, even with the last CP re-roll. The Impulsor charged the Whirlwind.
Their attacks did one wound on the Techmarine, while he was able to kill one Primaris Marine in reply. The vehicles failed to damage one another.
At the end of my turn, I scored Recon, Hold 1, hold more and Gangbusters. James scored kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 13
White Scars- 15
The White Scars were still holding off with the lead in the game, but their numbers were dwindling quickly.
TURN 4- RAVEN GUARD
One unit of Centurions moved up on the Impulsor, the other moving up on the lone Inceptor, while the third squad moved towards the Thunderfire Cannon. The Whirlwind fell back, the other having to move back to allow it to fall back.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing one wound on the Impulsor.
The Thunderfire targeted the Impulsor, but failed to do any damage. The second Cannon fired at the Intercessors, wounding them once. The Whirlwind targeted the squad, but failed to do any damage.
The Assault Centurions fired at the Impulsor. The Flamers did 11 wounds, five of which got past the armour. The Bolter shots did 17 wounds. I failed 6, enough to destroy the vehicle. One Intercessor died in the destruction.
The other Centurion squad fired at the Inceptor and Eliminator, killing both. The Meltaguns of the squad were able to kill two more Intercessors as well.
The last Centurion squad fired at the Inceptors, Thunderfire Cannon and Tactical Squad. One Inceptor died, as did the Cannon. The Tactical Squad took 5 wounds and I failed four 4+ saves!
In the fight phase, the Techmarine killed the Intercessor.
At the end of his turn, James scored hold 1, kill 1 and Butcher's Bill.
TURN 4- WHITE SCARS
The Inceptors moved into the cover of the ruins.
The Intercessors fired on the Whirlwind, taking two wounds from it. The Inceptors fired at the Centurions, getting 6 hits but only a single wound on a 4+, which was saved.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors charged the Whirlwind, taking 6 damage from it. They consolidated into the second Whirlwind. The vehicles struck back, doing four wounds on the White Scars! I failed three of my saves and one more Intercessor fell.
At the end of my turn, I scored Hold 1 and hold more. James scored kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 17
White Scars- 17
At the end of turn 4, the game was a draw. I suggested to James that we call the game there and keep the draw, but oddly enough he was not a fan of that idea!
TURN 5- RAVEN GUARD
The Centurions moved up on the remaining White Scars forces. In the psychic phase, the Librarian cast Shadowstep on the Chapter Master to move him to an objective. He then cast Smite, doing 3 mortal wounds and killing 2 Intercessors.
The Thunderfire targeted the lone Inceptor, killing him. The second Thunderfire managed to kill the last of the Intercessors.
The squad then attempted to charge the Techmarine, but failed to make the distance, even with his last CP on a re-roll.
At the end of his turn, James scored Hold 1 and kill one.
TURN 5- WHITE SCARS
The Tactical Squad moved up to block the path of the Centurions, while the Techmarine moved to grab the objective. The squad of Inceptors moved into the ruins. The White Scars fired on the Centurions, but failed to do any damage.
At the end of my turn, I scored hold one. James scored hold more and kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 21
White Scars- 18
TURN 6- RAVEN GUARD
The Centurions moved up on the Tactical Squad and the other objectives. The Librarian cast Shadowstep on himself, moving onto an objective.
The Thundefire Cannons and Whirlwinds targeted the Inceptors, killing them. The Centurions killed the Tactical Squad with their Meltaguns.
At the end of his turn, James scored Hold 1, kill 1 and last strike.
TURN 6- WHITE SCARS
The lone Techmarine continued to hold the objective against the enemy forces.
At the end of my turn, I scored hold 1. James scored hold more, kill more, linebreaker and 4 points for ground control.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 31
White Scars- 19
A decisive win for the Raven Guard.
AFTER-BATTLE THOUGHTS
Oh dear, that was quite a pasting the White Scars took!
Getting seized on was a tough blow for my army. Even though the damage done to my forces was not great, I did lose a couple of Scout squads and it meant that James could bring his reserves before I got my second turn and do a lot of damage to my forces as I was not in a good position.
Losing the Biker Captain on my first turn was pretty brutal as well. James' Librarian was able to make almost all his invulnerable saves, while I couldn't roll a single 3+ on four dice to keep my own Captain safe from harm.
In hindsight, I should have done a much better job of screening my characters on my first turn. I simply forgot how hard the Raven Guard could hit characters in the Tactical Doctrine. The Infiltrators and Eliminators would have been very useful for keeping my characters alive. The Eliminators would have gotten a 2+ cover save against the Bolters and Flamers of the Centurions, helping them to shield them from the massed firepower. With a bit of luck, my Librarians, Chapter Master and Lieutenant would have survived James' second turn.
This would have allowed them to go after and possibly eliminate one of the Centurion units, evening things up a little in the game.
Going second was also a big blow and I think the game would have been quite different. Getting two turns before the Centurions came in may have allowed me to get further up the board to threaten the enemy artillery units with my own characters and infantry. This may have allowed me to screen out the Centurions better to lessen their impact on the game.
As it was, the game was pretty much over after the second turn. We did play on to the end, as I wanted to get as many points as possible. However, there was little I could do to take out the artillery and rampaging Centurions at that point, as I simply didn't have the firepower or combat ability to do enough damage.
This game was actually played ages ago, so a lot was changed since then. The Centurions can no longer infiltrate in the fashion they did, and the way Doctrines works has also changed. It would be interesting to replay the game with the new rules in mind.
Overall, not a great start to the tournament. James was a great opponent, but I think the game was pretty much over as soon as I was seized upon. I hope this mechanic is removed in the coming 9th edition.
James' army consisted of:
Vanguard Detachment (Raven Guard Successors)
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Litany of Hate
6 Assault Centurions- Hurricane Bolters, 2 Meltaguns each, Siege Drills
6 Assault Centurions- Hurricane Bolters, 2 Meltaguns each, Siege Drills
6 Assault Centurions- Hurricane Bolters, 2 Flamers each, Siege Drills
Battalion Detachment (Raven Guard Successors)
Chapter Master- Master-crafted Boltgun, Chainsword, Bolt Pistol
Librarian- Force Stave, Shadowstep, Veil of Time
5 Scouts- Astartes Shotguns
5 Scouts- Astartes Shotguns
5 Scouts- Bolt Pistols, Combat Knives
Spearhead Detachment (Raven Guard Successors)
Captain- Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Master-Crafted Boltgun, Thunder Hammer
Thunderfire Cannon
Thundefire Cannon
Thunderfire Cannon
Whirlwind- Vengeance Launcher
Whirlwind- Castellan Launcher
Chapter Tactics- Long-ranged Marksman, Master Artisans
Oh dear. A very tough Raven Guard netlist in my first game of the tournament. The three units of infiltrating Assault Centurions would be pretty nasty once they got up close. Plus, four units of indirect fire artillery meant my units could be targeted without line of site, making it hard to hide my forces from his fire.
We were playing ITC mission 1 with Hammer and Anvil deployment. The objectives were set as shown below:
For secondaries, I chose Recon, Kingslayer (Chaplain) and Gangbusters. James chose Old School, Butcher's Bill and Ground Control.
We then alternated deployment. I put the Thunderfire Cannon and Tactical Squad in the ruins to the right, with a squad of Infiltrators beside them. I put a unit of Scouts in the central ruins in my deployment zone, with the White Scars characters to the right of the ruins. The rest of the army deployed aggressively, putting a unit of Scouts in the centre, along with two units of Eliminators. The Infiltrators and Phobos Librarian went behind the central ruins, with the third unit of Scouts on the right flank. I put both Inceptor units in reserve, and spent 3CP to put the two Intercessor squads and Impulsor in reserve.
James put the two Whirlwinds on his right flank, with the Chapter Master and Librarian. The three Thunderfire Cannons spread out across the back line of the deployment zone. The Scout squads went in the central ruins, on the right flank and a unit on the objective to the rear. The three units of Assault Centurions went in reserve, while the Captain and Chaplain went in the centre.
My plan was to go in aggressively, as I didn't really have a choice. My fast moving units could advance and shut down some of the artillery, with a decent charge roll. I hoped that I could get into position to hold the objectives and shut out the infiltrating units from doing too much damage on the turn that they arrive.
I won the roll off for first turn and elected to go first. James then managed to seize the initiative! This was not going to go well.
TURN 1- RAVEN GUARD
I passed the Litany roll off for the Canticle of Hate, while James' Chaplain failed the roll.
The Captain moved up on the Eliminators, while the Chaplain moved up to behind the ruins. The Scouts stayed in position.
James spent 2CP on the Thunderfire Cannon to fire twice, targeting the Eliminators on the ground floor. The shots caused five wounds, but only one got through their saves. The Whirlwind added its firepower, causing four wounds, but failed to get through their armour.
The Thunderfire Cannon fired at the Scouts on the left, killing four of the squad. The last Cannon fired at the central Scouts, killing four of them. The Scouts added their shots, killing the last one.
The Captain charged the Eliminators on the first floor of the ruins, doing four wounds and killing the unit. He consolidated into the second squad of Eliminators, who failed to damage the Captain.
At the end of his turn, James scored kill one, hold one, Old School (first blood) and Butcher's Bill for 4 points in total.
TURN 1- WHITE SCARS
The Biker Captain advanced towards the Scouts in the centre. The Chaplain, Librarian, Lieutenant and Chapter Master moved up towards the central ruins. The Eliminators fell back up to the first floor of the ruins.
In the psychic phase, the Phobos Librarian cast Smite, doing 3 mortal wounds on the enemy Captain. He then failed to cast Mind Raid. The Librarian cast Smite, killing the Captain with a CP re-roll.
The Thunderfire Cannon fired at the Scouts on the left, using the stratagem to fire twice and wiping out the unit. The rest of the army fired at the Scouts in the centre, only managing to kill two of the squad.
In the charge phase, the Captain charged the Chaplain and Scouts. The Chaplain and Librarian charged the Scouts as well.
The Biker Captain struck at the enemy Chaplain, causing five wounds. The Chaplain failed one invulnerable save to be left on one wound remaining. The Librarian killed 2 Scouts, while the Chaplain killed the last of the Scouts.
The Raven Guard Chaplain struck at the Biker Captain, hitting and wounding him three times. I failed all three 3+ invulnerable saves, rolling two 1's and a two! I used a CP re-roll and rolled another 2, slaying the Biker Captain.
I spent 2 CP to fight in death with the Captain and was able to slay the enemy Warlord with his final blows.
At the end of the turn, I scored kill 1, hold 1, Recon, Kingslayer for 3 points and hold more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 4
White Scars- 7
A good start for the White Scars, but some bad luck with the combat against the Chaplain. Failing four 3+ invulnerable saves to lose the Captain was not in the plan!
TURN 2- RAVEN GUARD
At the start of turn 2, we both moved to the Tactical Doctrine. I used the Canticle of Hate on the Chaplain.
The forces on the battlefield stayed in place to target the enemy army. At the end of the phase, the Assault Centurions arrived. Two squads landed near the characters in the central ruins.
The Librarian attempted to cast Shadowstep on the Chapter Master, but perilled and took 3 mortal wounds!
The Whirlwind opened fire on the Eliminators, doing 5 wounds, but their cover saves kept them safe. The second Whirlwind fired at the Infiltrators, wounding them 7 times. I failed 3 of my 2+ saves and one perished.
Two of the Thunderfire Cannons fired at the Scouts in the backfield, killing the unit. The third fired at the central Infiltrator squad, killing one more.
The first Assault Centurion squad opened fire on my characters. The Meltaguns targeted the Lieutenant and Phobos Librarian, while the Hurricane Bolters targeted the Chapter Master. All three were obliterated in a hail of fire.
The second squad targeted the Chaplain and Librarian. The Chaplain fell to the flamers, while the Librarian took 12 wounds and failed eight 3+ saves from the Flamers. The Bolters targeted the Eliminators and Infiltrators, killing two Eliminators and one Infiltrator.
At the end of his turn, James scored kill one, hold one, Butcher's Bill and Old School (slay the warlord).
That was a brutal second turn for the Raven Guard. The Assault Centurions had taken out all my characters with their firepower alone, and had put a big dent in my army. I think we both knew the game was pretty much over at this point, as there was little I had left to take out the Centurions in combat.
TURN 2- WHITE SCARS
The Infiltrators moved towards the objective behind them. I used the Wind-Swift stratagem to allow them to move twice to advance onto the objective. The lone Eliminator moved up on the central objective. At the end of the phase, a unit of Inceptors arrived in the centre, while a unit of Intercessors moved on the bottom of the battlefield to go after the enemy artillery. I was hoping they could make a charge and move up onto the objective to score me the bonus for this turn.
In the shooting phase, the Eliminator fired at the wounded Librarian, but failed to hit on a 2+! The Thunderfire fired at the Scout squad, killing four of them. The Intercessors fired at the lone Scout, managing to kill him.
The Inceptors fired at the Assault Centurions, doing 7 wounds, two of which got past the armour. The Infiltrators were able to do one more wound to them.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors targeted the Thunderfire Cannon. I used the Fierce Rivalries stratagem to allow me to roll 3D6 and pick the two highest for my charge distance. I then promptly rolled two 1's and a 2, failing the charge.
At the end of my turn, I scored kill one, hold 1, Recon and Hold more. James scored kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 9
White Scars- 11
Technically, I was winning the game at this point. However, that was sure to turn around very soon. I was hoping just to play on to score as many points as possible with what was left of my army.
TURN 3- RAVEN GUARD
In turn 3, I moved to the Assault Doctrine, while James stayed in the Tactical Doctrine.
One squad of Centurions moved up on the Inceptors, while the other squad moved up on the Eliminator. At the end of the phase, the last squad of Assault Centurions arrived in the enemy deployment zone.
The Thunderfire Cannon fired at the two Infiltrators, killing one of them. The Centurions targeted the Intercessors and Inceptors with their firepower, killing two Inceptors and three Intercessors and the Infiltrator.
The other Centurions targeted the Eliminators and Infiltrators, killing both squads. The two Whirlwinds fired at the Intercessors, doing a single wound on the squad. The Thunderfire Cannon was able to kill one of the Primaris Marines.
The last Thunderfire targeted the Tactical Squad, doing 7 wounds, but all were saved. The last squad of Centurions targeted the Thunderfire Cannon with their Hurricane Bolters, wounding it 7 times, but only two got through the armour.
At the end of his turn, James scored hold 1, kill 1 and Butcher's Bill.
TURN 3- WHITE SCARS
The Intercessors moved up on the Thunderfire Cannon, while the lone Inceptor moved up on the objective. At the end of the phase, the reserves arrived. The Impulsor went to the north to go after the artillery, while the second squad of Intercessors went to the south. The Inceptors landed in the White Scars deployment zone.
The Intercessors fired on the Techmarine, wounding him once. The other squad fired at the Centurions, wounding them once. The Inceptors added their firepower, doing one more wound.
The Impulsor fired at the squad, doing one more wound. The Thunderfire targeted the Centurions, putting three wounds on them.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors assaulted the Techmarine. The second squad failed their charge, even with the last CP re-roll. The Impulsor charged the Whirlwind.
Their attacks did one wound on the Techmarine, while he was able to kill one Primaris Marine in reply. The vehicles failed to damage one another.
At the end of my turn, I scored Recon, Hold 1, hold more and Gangbusters. James scored kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 13
White Scars- 15
The White Scars were still holding off with the lead in the game, but their numbers were dwindling quickly.
TURN 4- RAVEN GUARD
One unit of Centurions moved up on the Impulsor, the other moving up on the lone Inceptor, while the third squad moved towards the Thunderfire Cannon. The Whirlwind fell back, the other having to move back to allow it to fall back.
The Librarian cast Smite, doing one wound on the Impulsor.
The Thunderfire targeted the Impulsor, but failed to do any damage. The second Cannon fired at the Intercessors, wounding them once. The Whirlwind targeted the squad, but failed to do any damage.
The Assault Centurions fired at the Impulsor. The Flamers did 11 wounds, five of which got past the armour. The Bolter shots did 17 wounds. I failed 6, enough to destroy the vehicle. One Intercessor died in the destruction.
The other Centurion squad fired at the Inceptor and Eliminator, killing both. The Meltaguns of the squad were able to kill two more Intercessors as well.
The last Centurion squad fired at the Inceptors, Thunderfire Cannon and Tactical Squad. One Inceptor died, as did the Cannon. The Tactical Squad took 5 wounds and I failed four 4+ saves!
In the fight phase, the Techmarine killed the Intercessor.
At the end of his turn, James scored hold 1, kill 1 and Butcher's Bill.
TURN 4- WHITE SCARS
The Inceptors moved into the cover of the ruins.
The Intercessors fired on the Whirlwind, taking two wounds from it. The Inceptors fired at the Centurions, getting 6 hits but only a single wound on a 4+, which was saved.
In the charge phase, the Intercessors charged the Whirlwind, taking 6 damage from it. They consolidated into the second Whirlwind. The vehicles struck back, doing four wounds on the White Scars! I failed three of my saves and one more Intercessor fell.
At the end of my turn, I scored Hold 1 and hold more. James scored kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 17
White Scars- 17
At the end of turn 4, the game was a draw. I suggested to James that we call the game there and keep the draw, but oddly enough he was not a fan of that idea!
TURN 5- RAVEN GUARD
The Centurions moved up on the remaining White Scars forces. In the psychic phase, the Librarian cast Shadowstep on the Chapter Master to move him to an objective. He then cast Smite, doing 3 mortal wounds and killing 2 Intercessors.
The Thunderfire targeted the lone Inceptor, killing him. The second Thunderfire managed to kill the last of the Intercessors.
The squad then attempted to charge the Techmarine, but failed to make the distance, even with his last CP on a re-roll.
At the end of his turn, James scored Hold 1 and kill one.
TURN 5- WHITE SCARS
The Tactical Squad moved up to block the path of the Centurions, while the Techmarine moved to grab the objective. The squad of Inceptors moved into the ruins. The White Scars fired on the Centurions, but failed to do any damage.
At the end of my turn, I scored hold one. James scored hold more and kill more.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 21
White Scars- 18
TURN 6- RAVEN GUARD
The Centurions moved up on the Tactical Squad and the other objectives. The Librarian cast Shadowstep on himself, moving onto an objective.
The Thundefire Cannons and Whirlwinds targeted the Inceptors, killing them. The Centurions killed the Tactical Squad with their Meltaguns.
At the end of his turn, James scored Hold 1, kill 1 and last strike.
TURN 6- WHITE SCARS
The lone Techmarine continued to hold the objective against the enemy forces.
At the end of my turn, I scored hold 1. James scored hold more, kill more, linebreaker and 4 points for ground control.
VICTORY POINTS:
Raven Guard- 31
White Scars- 19
A decisive win for the Raven Guard.
AFTER-BATTLE THOUGHTS
Oh dear, that was quite a pasting the White Scars took!
Getting seized on was a tough blow for my army. Even though the damage done to my forces was not great, I did lose a couple of Scout squads and it meant that James could bring his reserves before I got my second turn and do a lot of damage to my forces as I was not in a good position.
Losing the Biker Captain on my first turn was pretty brutal as well. James' Librarian was able to make almost all his invulnerable saves, while I couldn't roll a single 3+ on four dice to keep my own Captain safe from harm.
In hindsight, I should have done a much better job of screening my characters on my first turn. I simply forgot how hard the Raven Guard could hit characters in the Tactical Doctrine. The Infiltrators and Eliminators would have been very useful for keeping my characters alive. The Eliminators would have gotten a 2+ cover save against the Bolters and Flamers of the Centurions, helping them to shield them from the massed firepower. With a bit of luck, my Librarians, Chapter Master and Lieutenant would have survived James' second turn.
This would have allowed them to go after and possibly eliminate one of the Centurion units, evening things up a little in the game.
Going second was also a big blow and I think the game would have been quite different. Getting two turns before the Centurions came in may have allowed me to get further up the board to threaten the enemy artillery units with my own characters and infantry. This may have allowed me to screen out the Centurions better to lessen their impact on the game.
As it was, the game was pretty much over after the second turn. We did play on to the end, as I wanted to get as many points as possible. However, there was little I could do to take out the artillery and rampaging Centurions at that point, as I simply didn't have the firepower or combat ability to do enough damage.
This game was actually played ages ago, so a lot was changed since then. The Centurions can no longer infiltrate in the fashion they did, and the way Doctrines works has also changed. It would be interesting to replay the game with the new rules in mind.
Overall, not a great start to the tournament. James was a great opponent, but I think the game was pretty much over as soon as I was seized upon. I hope this mechanic is removed in the coming 9th edition.
Mike, we (Titan Owners Club) were at Bournemouth Beachhead 2020, just outside the hall battling full size 28mm Titans for a demo game and won best in show! Ah, I wish I got to say hello.
ReplyDeleteWas that the tournament back in February? It's just taken me so long to get this one written up.
DeleteYes mate. https://weemen.blogspot.com/2020/02/beachhead-2020-bournemouth-bic-titan.html
DeleteGreat report as always Michael. You did well to score that many points in a tough match up.
ReplyDeleteAs you say if you had gone first you could have screened out the centurion much more which would have given you more time to score objectives.
Looking forward to your next report.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I always end up re-playing games that I lost in my head to see how I could have won the game. I think being a bit more cautious in my first turn would have helped a lot in this game.
DeleteScreening my characters from the Centurions would have been the way to go. If he hadn't brought them in on turn 2 due to the screening, I would have been able to jump on the artillery on turn 2.