OverviewLocation: Armageddon Club
Date played: 02 November 2009
For this practice game for the Grand Tournament 2009, we rolled up Seize Ground with 3 Objectives; I rolled highest for placing them and went for the first one on the right flank just on the edge of the ruins. James then placed the 2nd 12" inwards and towards the center of the table. This left me with the 3rd objective to place, I decided to put it on the other flank 12" from the edges.
This would give me options on how to use Captain Alrahem and Platoon with their outflank move, while the Veteran Squads can go after the other objectives.
Imperial FistsGeneral: James
•T1 Tactical Squad (10) + Sergeant, Flamer, Missile Launcher
•T2 Tactical Squad (10) + Sergeant, Flamer, Missile Launcher
•T3 Tactical Squad (10) + Sergeant, Flamer, Missile Launcher
•T4 Terminator Squad (5) + Sergeant, Hvy Flamer
•C Captain Darnath Lysander
•R Rhino
•P Predator
•L Land Raider Redeemer
•TF Thunderfire Cannon with Techmarine
Imperial GuardGeneral: Phil
•LRV1 Leman Russ Vanquisher
•LRV2 Leman Russ Vanquisher
•CT1 Chimera Transport
•CT2 Chimera Transport
•V1 Veteran Squad (10)
•V2 Veteran Squad (10)
•CCS Company Command Squad (6)+ Captain, Flamer, Hvy Flamer, Standard, Vox, Astropath
•PC 5 Platoon Command Squad
•CS Combined Infantry Squad (40)
•C Commissar
•S1 Special Weapons Squad (6)
•S2 Special Weapons Squad (6)
Deployment We then rolled for Deployment zone and got Pitched Battle, rolling off - James won the roll and deployed first on the side with 2 objectives.
James deployed his two units of Tactical Squads to go and take the 2 objectives with Rhino supporting.
Lysander and his Terminators in the Land Raider Redeemer deployed centrally, while the Thunderfire Cannon deployed over on the far side in the Bunker.
James felt that this would give him good line of sight to drop shells on the final objective or support the other squads.
Finally James makes the Ruins on the right bolstered by the Techmarine.
In response, I decided on denying James any 1st turn targets and placed my whole army in reserve.
Turn 1 - Imperial FistsWith 2 turns with no enemy to engage, James redeployed his forces.
Tactical Squad T2 running into position on the Hill Objective, Tactical Squad T1 rushing to hold the objective in the ruins.
Rhino and Tactical Squad T3 moved to support.
Land Raider Redeemer moved further to the center.
Turn 1 - Imperial Guard Nothing to report - In the distance the Imperial Guard formations move to counter the Imperial Fists defensive deployment.
Turn 2 - Imperial Fists Still with no enemy to engage, James moves the Land Raider Redeemer closer to the Imperial Guard table edge within striking distance of my reserve troops.
Turn 2 - Imperial Guard Finally time to spring my trap - reserve rolls bring on everything but Captain Alrahem (he must have a cunning plan) and a Leman Russ Vanquisher.
Veteran Squad CT1 slowly on and fires on the Rhino - no damage caused.
Veteran Squad CT2 moves its full 12", meanwhile the Vanquisher keeps outside 20" of the Land Raider and fires on it but fails to damage it as I roll 5 on the 2d6
Final the Company Command Squad moves on and spreads out to minimize Thunderfire attack.
Turn 3 - Imperial Fists Seeing the Guard deployment, James moves the Land Raider on an intercept towards the Vanquisher, otherwise the Rhino reverses to uncover the Chimera on the right flank.
The Thunderfire launches on the CCS landing three shells and killing 4 of the unit (leaving the Captain and the Astropath - lucky as I need that +1 and reroll). I pass my pin and breaktest.
The Land Raider fires on the Vanquisher but does not rend.
Finally both T1 & T2 and the Predator fire all there weapons (2 Krak Missiles and twin Lascannon), but they fail to hit or penetrate.
Turn 3 - Imperial Guard Captain Alrahem makes his grand entrance and appears on the right flank. Meanwhile Veteran Squad CT2 moves forward while the Vanquisher pulls back. The second Vanquisher enters to line up a shot on the Predator.
Captain Alrahem orders a FRFSRF on the Infantry Platoon - with 4 hits from the Flamers and 89 lasgun/laspistol shots down go 8 of the marines from Tactical Squad T1.
Chimera shoots at the Rhino but again fails to damage it. Likewise the Vanquisher fires on the Predator but I get a bad run of dice rolls - both Vanquisher shell and Lascannon miss.
The other Vanquisher fires at the Land Raider but again failed to hit again.
Turn 4 - Imperial Fists James responded to my outflank by moving the Rhino over to the flank dropping off Tactical Squad T3. The Land Raider also moves over to the right flank.
James has a dilemma, my Vanquishers have failed to damage anything so far but he is worried that Ill blow the Redeemer and strand Lysander in the wreck, so he dis-embarks and runs Lysander to the right.
Meanwhile Tactical Squad T3 flames and bolters the Combined Guard Squad killing 11 troopers with 1 additional kill from the remainder of Tactical Squad T1.
Then Thunderfire launches its shells on the flank of the Combined Guard Squad causing another 5 kills. This is starting to deplete the Guard unit, but I still manage to roll its Leadership of 8.
Land Raider Redeemer fires its Assault Cannon on Vanquisher to no effect. Predator has more luck and penetrates the Veteran Squad Chimera CT1 wrecking it.
Finally Tactical Squad T2 fires on the Specialist Weapon Squad S1 causing 2 causalties.
Turn 4 - Imperial Guard The remainder of the Combined Guard Squad continues to move forward towards the objective and Tactical Squad T3 lining up all four flamers.
Otherwhise Veteran Squad CT2 moves back towards the left flank objective.
The Combined Guard Squad kills 8 of the marines with FRFSRF. Then Specialist Weapon Squad S1 throws its Demo charge 6" but unfortunately it deviates back towards the Guardsmen killing 2 of the Specialist Weapon Squad S1 and 2 from the Combined Guard Squad.
Captain Alrahem and his Squad then fire and kill the rest of the Marine Squad.
Specialist Weapon Squad looks to be out of range of the Rhino, so fires on the remainder of Tactical Squad T1 killing another marine, leaving the Squad at 1 man and still holding the objective.
The first Vanquisher on the left flank fires on the Land Raider Redeemer and finally scores a penetrating hit and rolls up an Immobilise result. James fear had come true luck he had got out the turn before.
With the Redeemer stopped the other Vanquisher tries to fire at the Rhino but manages to only stun it.
Finally the Chimera CT2 fires on the Thunderfire but it makes its cover save.
Turn 5 - Imperial Fists James knows that the game is in the balance, he has the middle objective held by a full Tactical squad and knows that I have the left flank with the Veteran Squad CT2.
The decider will be the right flank objective, he has a single marine holding it against the remains of an Infantry Platoon.
So he decides to do something bold and detaches Lysander from his Terminator bodyguard and runs him to support the lone trooper.
The Predator tries to force the Veteran Squad CT2 out of their Chimera but I pass my cover save.
Meanwhile the Thunderfire and the Terminators whittle down the Combined Guard Squad with another 8 dead troopers, again the Infantry pass their leadership test.
Turn 5 - Imperial Guard In response to Lysanders move Captain Alrahem orders his troops forward and they launch everything they have at Lysander and the single Marine.
The Tactical Marine dies, but Lysander is safe in his Terminator Armour 2+ and Storm Shield 3+ save.
At this point we roll for 6th turn and James rolls a 2. Game is over.
Result: 1 Objective held each and 1 Contested - a Draw.
In the after game chat, we agreed that the Guard would not be able to remove the Terminators or Lysander from the right objective. Likewise James had no Troop choice that could claim it.
So a Draw was the likely outcome.
As to my army selection and the way it performed; we agreed that the Company Command Squad was a weak link with no real offensive weapons and lacking transport to move them into position.
But where could I get 55pts to mount them up.
Then I realised that the Demolitions on the Veteran Squads was never really used, and by moving the Heavy Flamers from the Command Squads to the Veterans and the Melta Guns from these to the Company Command Squad.
I could now have dedicated Veteran Squads with 1 x Heavy Flamer and 2 x Flamers for shooting horde units, while the Company Command Squad with 3 x Meltaguns in a Chimera can be used much more offensively, also give the Astropath some very welcome protection from shooting till his ability has been used to get Captain Alrahem onboard.