MEGA UPDATE!
Hey all, I had a local gamesday yesterday, and I took my BFG along to scout who had it there. I managed to snag a game against the local BFG main player/guru/god, Lee, so it worked out well. He played his Space Wolves Fleet, rather than his Chaos fleet, and I played my Line Cruiser Imperial Navy Fleet.
So we both set up for a cruiser clash, over the planet of Alderaan, as a "Training Excersize" for our two fleets to find out the weaknesses and strengths of the fleets in sector.
My Imperial Fleet:
Battlegroup Sapphira
Dictator Class Cruiser "Indiana Jones". Fleet Admiral Bundaberg's Flagship. (Carrier Cruiser)
Dominator Class Cruiser "Enter Sandman". (Big Gun Cruiser)
Gothic Class Cruisers "Winter Tide", "InuYasha" and "Midnight Wandering". (Lance Cruisers)
Lee's Space Wolves Fleet:
Battle Barge (BB)
Strike Cruiser (SC)
3x Gladius Frigates
2x Nova Frigates (Squadroned with the Battle Barge)
3x Hunter Frigates
I had the advantage in HP, outright firepower and Torpedoes and Lee had the advantage in manovourablity and experience. This was my second actual Fleet action, and the experience difference would prove deadly.
Fleet Setup.
BG Sapphira:
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... NFleet.jpg
SW Fleet:
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... WFleet.jpg
I won the dice off and elected to go first. I forgot to take a photo turn 1, but both fleets moved towards each other, using the planet as cover.
Turn 2 was a bit different. I split my fleet, sending Winter Tide and Midnight Wandering towards the planet's small moon, and sending the rest of the fleet around the far side, hoping to box the Space Wolves inbetween the 2 Gothics and catch Lee's unguarded rear. Indiana Jones launched a wave of 4 Bomber Squadrons, out to hit the Battle Barge and distract some of his Thunderhawks from the 2 Gothics. Lee moved his entire fleet towards the moon, sending his Gladius Squadron out as a screen, his Hunters out wide for some reason and keeping his Nova's in base to base with his Battle Barge and sharing turrets. The 2 Gothic Cruisers of mine were now quite heavily outnumbered, but not outfought. Yet. His shooting was terrible, only taking down a shield on each Gothic, with the rest being out of range or firing arc.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... GTurn2.jpg
My Turn 3 brought about retribution from Admiral Bundaberg and his half of the fleet, with Enter Sandman opening up with her Nova Cannon and taking down the shields on the BB and her Nova escorts, and inflicting a point of damage on the BB herself. The other 4 cruisers all fired their Torpedoes, with a salvo from Indiana Jones passing through the BB and then taking out both Nova Escorts and a salvo from Midnight Wandering inflicting a hit on the Strike Cruiser. All other Torpedoes proved ineffective against the 6+ armour of the BB and SC. Midnight Wandering opened up with her lances on the Gladius Squadron, able to hit two of the three frigates and inflicting 3 lance hits, dropping the shields on one and blowing the other up. Winter Tide couldn't see anything in her firing arcs and her captain raged as he had to stay on course to target the outflanking Hunter Squadron next turn.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... GTurn3.jpg
Lee brought his ships around in his turn 3 and absoloutely battered Winter Tide and Midnight Wandering, dropping them to 2 and 3 HP respectively. Then he launched and hit with his thunderhawks, crippling both ships prow torpedoes and thruster assemblies. I did brace both Gothics, but they still took damage due to my poor rolling.
My turn 4 came around and the pincer trap was sprung, albiet too late to really be effective. Half of the pincer was crippled, Admiral Bundaberg's half of the fleet was out of firing arcs and shooting was poor.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... GTurn4.jpg
Then we ran out of time, and both agreed it was still either's win, though I had destroyed a single enemy ship and Lee none, however he had severely crippled 2 Gothic Class Cruisers at 180pts each. Lee said his strategy would have been to cover his BB and SC as they withdrew towards my deployment zone with his Escorts, aiming to disengage his big stuff before my remaining Gothic, Dictator and Dominator could catch him in gun range and deal serious damage. My plan was to continue straight on and blast his BB with everything and move towards the short table edge directly ahead to withdraw the fleet.
Another battle is planned for before Christmas, and that should be fun!
Things I learned:
1) Lances are really nice against 6+ enemies.
2) Torpedoes aren't so good against 6+ enemies.
3) Nova Cannon using the FAQ2010 rules are pretty damned good.
4) Don't split the fleet, as it presents two weaker elements the enemy can focus on one at a time.
5) Thunderhawks and Hit and Run attacks are REALLY FREAKING ANNOYING!
6) An all Cruiser list is fun to play, but slow to get where they're going and rather vulnerable in a moving fight rather than a gunline close in brawl. Some Sword Class Frigates have been duly ordered.
7) Battle Barges are hard to kill, and hit hard themselves. Fancy putting a battleship in a 1000pt match!
8) The IN is quite sorely lacking in Attack Craft, but I magnetized a few of my cruisers just in case I figured that I needed more AC. One of the spare Lunar's I had is now a 2nd Dictator, and both Dictators will be taken in my 1000pt fleet and up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then I got in a game of Warhammer 40k with my Imperial Guard, and much fun was had there as well. I had a single game of 40k with my 1500pt Rencorus 14th Combined Arms Imperial Guardsmen up against a mate's Generic Marines of genericalness. To be fair, he is trying to convert to Blood Angels, not quite Sphees Mehreen flavour of the month but not far off it. Marine bashing aside, it was a good game! Oh and before you call his list/our playing unfair/illegal/whatever, we're a bit lazy at my local gamesdays, we play for fun and dice off stuff to see who is right etc. And looser buys lunch, sometimes. But not today cause I took a packed lunch, cheap old me!
LISTS:
Rencorus 14th, Charlie Company, Traitor Guard.
HQ: Company Command Squad with 4 Grenade Launchers
Troops:
1st Platoon
-PCS with 4 flamers, officer with plasma pistol, mounted in a chimera
-3 Infantry Squads, each with Autocannon and Grenade Launcher, blobbed.
2nd Platoon
-PCS with 4 flamers, officer with meltabombs
-2 Infantry Squads, each with Autocannon and Grenade Launcher, blobbed.
-Heavy Weapons Squad with Lascannon
Veteran Squad with 3 Meltaguns, mounted in a chimera
Fast Attack: Sentinel Squadron with 3 Scout sentinels, all with Autocannon
Rough Rider Squad of 10 models, sergeant with power weapon
Heavy Support: 3 individual Leman Russ Battle Tanks
Generic Space Marines
HQ: Marneus Calgar and honour guard of 5 marines
Elites: Terminators, 9 with storm bolters.
Lost and Damned Squad of 5 men, 4 bolters and a heavy bolter.
Troops: Scout squad with mix of bolters and snipers, 1 heavy bolter, 10 men.
Scout Squad with snipers and bolters, 1 Missile Launcher, 10 men.
Fast Attack: 1 Landspeeder
Heavy Support: 1 Landraider with twin linked lascannon sponsons.
I don't remember his individual upgrades, sorry.
We decided against playing a scenario and called the objective as a Breakout from a city, with my army trying to get as much as possible into his deployment zone. We rolled off and I won, electing to be the breaking out force of Heretical Guardsmen fighting to escape the doomed city and open a way for the remaining Heretic forces to flee. The terrain was a crossroads with a water filled ditch to my right (Amphibious Chimera's anyone? LOL), razor wire emplacements (difficult terrain) to my right and 2 ruined buildings and a crater in front of me in his deployment zone. I set up with my tanks in a column advancing on the road with the Sentinels on the far left flank, 1st Platoon and the command squad on the left flank, 2nd platoon on the right flank, Rough riders behind them, and the two chimeras on the far left flank. He deployed his Landraider with Calgar and Honour guard riding shotgun directly infront of my Leman Russes on his side of the board, his 1st scout squad with missile launcher in the ruined building to my forward left and his other scout squad infiltrated right infront of 2nd Platoon behind some cover on the crossroad, just meeting 12" away from my men. He held his Terminators and Lost and Damned in reserve.
This ruined him as he had nowhere near enough models for me to split my shooting, and left my right flank (His left flank) COMPLETELY OPEN! Remember the objective was for me to escape, and this meant I could just put up a screen of tanks and escape to the right with everything else! His only Anti-tank were the Landraider and the lone missile launcher in cover.
He still had a chance IF he could get his Termies and LaD down turn two into my men for assault.
His reserves:
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1398.jpg
My mate won the roll, and went first. His first turn entirely was to move his landraider flatout to the cross of the crossroads, blocking my tanks main route of escape and forcing me to move everything else around and through the terrain. DAMN IT! His rear scout squad wiped 2nd Platoon's command squad off the board, and his forward scout squad killed a few men from 2nd platoon's blob squad, forcing them to take a morale check, which they promptly passed with snake eyes. Aaaaand that was it.
My first turn, after shooting:
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1397.jpg
My first turn went brilliantly. The sentinels moved forward on the far left flankThe tanks moved forward and left, forming a staggered column to shield 1st Platoon and the CCS who also moved further up behind the tanks for a shot at the landraider's soon to be disgorged cargo. The rough riders moved out from behind 2nd Platoon, using Fleet of foot to make it inbetween the rear two tanks, guarunteeing them a charge if the Landraider dropped its troops. 2nd platoon stood their ground, Autocannon, GLs and Lasguns primed and ready to shoot the forward scout squad. The HWS stood fast too, a Landraider in their sights. The two chimera moved forward just in front of the ditch to fire to full effect on the rear scout squad.
In my shooting phase the HWS missed all three shots on the LR. The first Russ opened up with its battlecannon and scattered the full 12" to the rear of the LR. The second Russ opened up as well, scoring a direct hit and Penetrating, but only shaking the bloody thing. The third Russ commander turned on his Vox and said to the other two "Watch this boys!", fired his battlecannon, scattering for snake eyes (making it a direct hit anyways), penetrating on double sixes and then wrecking the Landraider! Calgar and his Honour guard dropped out the front, slightly pissed their shiny ride was now a smoking wreck. A loud cheer went up from all who saw, and the Sentinel pilots turned their Autocannon at near maximum range and rolled 2 shaking glances and a penetration that completely exploded the Landspeeder sending a ball of flames out D6" to hit nothing at all but a small crater. 2nd Platoon kicked into gear next, firing everything they had at teh scout squad hiding behind the 4+ wall, inflicting a measly 4 wounds. All of those were lasguns, of which 3 saves were failed! The CCS fired their GLs with Krak grenades at Calgar's honour squad, who shrugged off the 2 hits with ease. The two chimera's opened up with mulitlasers and heavy bolters on the far scout squad, causing two casualties.
As nothing else could shoot, the Rough Rider sergeant saw an opening and called the charge, well within range.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1400.jpg
CHAAAAAAAAARGE!
It was rather interesting to see my mate laugh at the 10 brave cavalry charging at Calgar, till I revealed what exactly the hunting lances they had would do. Str5 I5 power weapons are nothing to laugh at. At all. And cause he was a few points over I had asked him for, and got, a power sword on the sergeant. 22 dice were thrown, 12 hit and 8 wounded. 3 Honour guard were removed, and Calgar lost 2 wounds, saving 3. The remaining honour guard fluffed their to hit rolls and Calgar pulped 5 riders by himself. However, we had caused more wounds and won the combat, forcing them to fail the morale check and be run down with nowhere to run to or take the wounds for staying. He choose to stay, and the last honour guards fell, failing their saves!
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1401.jpg
Still an even fight next assault round......
Me mate rolled for reserves in turn 2, getting his LaD, but failing miserably with their scatter, getting sixes(!) both times with his reroll. They were now out of range to assault the chimera's AND 2nd platoon without running hard. He moved nothing else, shooting up 2nd Platoon with his forward scout squad, breaking them. They only fell back 3" though, which was great! His rear scout squad fired their krak missile at the Veteran's chimera, getting lucky and wrecking it, forcing the Vets out and now looking directly at the LaD squad to their rear. He then proceeded to try and use that rear scout squads sniper rifles on the lascannon HWS, to which I reminded him squads have to shoot at the same target, so no dice. So he shot up the Veterans instead with his LaD, killing half of them. Bolters still make mincemeat out of guardsmen, even vets. They held their ground though. He declined to assault with them as he fired, which was good, cause on the charge he would have probably wiped them out.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1404.jpg
Scattered LaD's
Then came the assault phase. Cause calgar has powerfists, he strikes at I1. YEAH! So the 5 remaining Rough Riders proceed to hit and wound with 8 dice, wound with 6 and the sergeant's 2 power sword attacks. He saves the 6 normal wounds and then fails the 2 power sword attacks! Calgar falls to my Rough Rider sergeant, and the squad consolidates the full 6", ending up on the left of the wrecked LR to avoid being shot up by the scout squads.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1405.jpg
Start of my turn 2
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1406.jpg
My turn 2 was brutal to say the least. Everything wheeled left, except Russ no3 who killed the LR which moved to the right to support 2nd platoon and the chimera, and the Rough Riders who moved behind the LR and aimed to charge those pesky front scouts and offer a target to the rear scouts so save the rest of my men. 2nd Platoon rallied as well, moving forward to shoot back at the forward scout squad. Big guns shoot first I thought to myself, and Russ no3 fired at the rear scouts. DIRECT HIT! Large blast template covers all scouts. They ALL fail their 4+ cover save. Thats right, 10 saves, all under 4's. This tank is freaking magic! Russ no2 fires at the LaD squad, scattering wide by miles. The chimera with 1st Platoon's PCS moves up into the water filled ditch (Heh Amphibous bitch!) and flames the scouts, hitting three and failing to wound. AT ALL!. So 2nd Platoon and the Lascannon HWS open up at the front scout squad, the HWS missing once more and 2nd Platoon causing 8 odd wounds. He fails 4 of the saves, causing the squad to take a morale check, which they promptly fail on double sixes! They fall back 4", out in the open and right in front of my Rough Riders! The meltavets fire upon the Lost and Damned lads, insta-killing only one.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1407.jpg
Start of turn 2 shooting
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1409.jpg
The meltavets seek revenge!
Still on a high after killing Calgar, the rough riders follow their sergeant on another charge.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1408.jpg
After the combat, 1 Rough Rider had fallen, but 4 marines lay dead. With the combat won once again, the 2 remaining Scouts fled 3" and the Rough Riders rolled a 6 for their sweeping advance, butchering the fleeing scouts. We both forgot about the Lost and Damned and the Vets, funnily enough.
For his turn he rolled to see if his termies would come on, and promptly rolled a one! With only 4 men left, he conceeded the game. It would have been an interesting assault with the 4 veterans against the 4 Lost and Damned, but it was over. The 2 squads muttered curses and insults at each other as the Lost and Damned disappeared before the veteran's eyes to fight another day and the vets called for evac from the remaining chimera.
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1409.jpg
It was a great game, we both had a blast playing and I fell in true love with my rough riders! The two heroes of this game were Leman Russ number 3, which is soon to be fully painted, named and given it's first kill mark in honour of it's achievements in battle, and the rough riders, who will get a second squad to boost their numbers and a paint job also in honour of their kills!
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l48 ... G_1412.jpg
Men of the Rencorus 14th! I present the HEROES of the Crossroads!
Thoughts on the battle:
1) I could focus my firepower, which was nice. Leman Russ are great for Anti-tank and Anti-MEQ. Lascannon HWS suck balls. They didn't hit nothing!
2) it would have been nasty if his termies had of shown up turn 2, but they didn't, allowing me to use my Rough Riders against Calgar and his boys rather than holding them back to oppose/tie up the deepstriking Terminators.
3) blobbing infantry squads is nice to soak up wounds and give effective orders, when you don't put said order giving officers right in front of the enemy in rapid fire range. However, said officer and PCS are armed with flamers and I don't have enough chimeras to go around.
So thoughts and comments? Whilst the server is still down ATM I might make up a few more Ork ships for the Fleet.
Tabi no tochū.
Proud Queenslander, reminding the New South Welshmen exactly WHY they keep losing the State of Origin.
