This weekend I played a good buddy of mine, Marshall, in a 1500 point “Test our Astronomi-CON lists” game. I played my Chaos Space Wolves while he played his Desert Storm IG. Sorry, still no pictures because I’m a dolt. The table was fairly sparse on terrain, each quadrant having a small building and a couple forest scattered around the table. Ultimately, this table favoured whoever went first with alpha strike capability… Which we both had.
Marshall’s 1500 “Desert Storm” Imperial Guard List (From memory):
Company Command Squad – 3 Plasmaguns, 1 plasma Pistol/Powerfist, Medic, Chimera (HK Missile, Dozer blades, heavy stubber)
2x Vendetta
1x Hydra
1x Manticore
1x Marbo
1x Veterans – 3 Meltaguns, Demo Experts (In vendetta)
Infantry Platoon #1
JCS – 4x Flamer (In vendetta)
Infantry Squad – Plasmagun
Infantry Squad – Plasmagun
Infantry Squad – Flamer, Chimera
Infantry Squad – Flamer, Chimera
Infantry Platoon #2
JCS – 4x Grenade Launchers
Infantry Squad – Autocannon, Grenade Launcher
Infantry Squad – Autocannon, Grenade Launcher
Ryan’s 1500 “The Dreaded 13th” Space Wolves List:
Rune Priest – Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf
Rune Priest – Living Lightning, Murderous Hurricane
4x Thunderwolves – Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Meltabomb
5x Long Fangs – 4 Missile Launchers, Razorback [Las/Plas]
5x Long Fangs – 4 Missile Launchers, Razorback [Las/Plas]
5 Grey Hunters (Meltagun, Razorback [Las/Plas]) + Wolf Guard (Power Fist, Combi-Melta)
8 Grey Hunters (Meltagun, Wolf Standard, Mark of the Wulfen, Rhino) + Wolf Guard (Power Fist, Combi-Melta)
8 Grey Hunters (Meltagun, Wolf Standard, Mark of the Wulfen, Rhino) + Wolf Guard (Power Fist, Combi-Melta)
The game was Seize Ground (4 Objectives – All placed centrally, perhaps a bit more into 1 deployment zone corner) with Spearhead. Marshall wins the roll-off for first turn (Doh!) and opts for the corner with a better handle on the objectives. He deploys everything about 18” back from the centre of the table around a building and forest while I try to make myself cover with the TWC and overlapping rhinos (due to sparse terrain on my side). I promise to take pictures from now on rather than crappy descriptions of deployment. A little insight on my decision to deploy; Normally I would reserve everything vs. and army like this. I wanted to see what kind of punishment I could expect and how the game would proceed. Granted Marshall rolled exceptionally well the first turn, but you’ll see that ahead, I think its wise to still reserve all and just drive in… At least that way you can smoke and get first turn shooting.
I roll to seize the initiative… And Fail!
Turn 1 (IG)
- Vendettas both scout 24” towards my lines. One with the veterans moves towards my rhino screened by TWC while the other screams behind my lines, towards the long fangs.
- Two infantry chimeras swing outwards towards objectives. JCS (grenade) moves into the forest ahead. Veterans disembark from vendetta which shuffles back 6”.
- Marshall has an amazing around of shooting with nearly every weapon hitting, penning and blowing me up. I lose both rhinos, both long fang razorbacks, 4 grey hunters (from rune priest squad), 2 TWC, and he immobilizes my remaining razorback. There goes any mobility I had. I pass any and all moral tests.
Turn 1 (SW)
- I move/run/fleet my TWC and grey hunters towards his lines. The full strength squad of grey hunters runs behind a building holding an objective. The squad of grey hunters in the razorback disembarks and moves towards the vendetta at my rear. Both of my rune priests leave their squads and find cover.
- Shooting blows up both of his vendettas. Rune Priest 1 murderous hurricanes veterans and kills 2 in the process. I stun the Hydra.
- Rune Priest charges the squad he murderous hurricanes and kills 2 in combat while taking no return wounds. He breaks them and sweeps them. TWC roll 6 for fleet and thus charge the JCS, killing all but 1. The remaining guy holds (awesome!) and fails to wound in return.
Turn 2 (IG)
- The two plasmagun infantry squads sweep towards my reduced Grey hunter pack as well as a flamer infantry squad chimera. The other flamer chimera drives 6” towards my grey hunters behind the building. No Marbo!
- Shooting sees 5 of my Grey hunters die (hiding behind the building) from the damn Manticore. They fail their pinning test! My razorback is stunned and I lose 1 grey hunter (6 man squad) from the 4x flamer JCS. My rune priest and the remains of the grey hunter squad on my other flank are wiped out to the man.
- The TWC win combat and consolidate towards the IG line.
Turn 2 (SW)
- My TWC move/fleet towards the 2 plasmagun infantry squads. It’s close and I’ll need to roll well on my charge distance to make it to them as they are in a forest.
- My grey hunter pack (razorback squad) move towards the JCS and ready themselves to charge
- My long fangs take aim at the chimeras/hydra and manage to stun both the flamer squad chimera, the CCS chimera, and the hydra.
- The TWC roll well on their charge distance and multi-assault both of the infantry squads. Both squads are murdered and break, swept aside by the TWC might. I consolidate to the edge of the forest and ready myself for the onslaught.
Turn 3 (IG)
- Marbo pops up next to my long fangs in the open (Oh dear!)
- Everything in a stunned chimera disembarks and essentially his whole line gets ready to nuke my TWC.
- After its all said and done, my Storm Shield thunderwolf is left standing with a wound… He promptly fails his LD check and runs off the board haha!
- Marbo throws his satchel charge… and scatters wide.
Turn 3 (SW)
- Long Fangs ready themselves to charge Marbo
- Razorback grey hunters re-embark their immobile razorback for a bit of protection.
- My remaining pack moves towards the flamer chimera in their face and readies their meltagun.
- The remaining squad of long fangs frag all the guardsmen bunched up around the building and even though the IG go to ground, the casualties are decent. Everything holds however.
- The meltagun fries the chimera full of guardsmen who are subsequently pinned in the wreckage, giving my wolves a cover save.
- The other squad of long fangs charges marbo and after losing 1 to his quick blades, they club him like a baby seal using their missile launchers.
Turn 4 (IG)
- The infantry squad and CCS re-embark their chimeras and move towards objectives. The infantry squad now holds the newly freed objective in the forest. Marshall orders his pinned guardsmen to get up and all but the infantry squad in front of my wolves respond.
- Shooting sees very few casualties overall on my end. My last rune priest finally bites it from nearly all the guards firepower.
- My lonely razorback is stunned multiple times.
Turn 4 (SW)
- My wolves ready themselves to charge the tasty infantry squad in front of them.
- My long fangs split fire attempting to both frag infantry out in the open and krak the chimera sitting on the objective in the forest. I fail to explode the chimera and all infantry squads hold.
- My wolves charge the infantry squad and wipe them out, they consolidate towards an objective in Marshall’s clutches.
Turn 5 (IG)
- Marshall’s CCS turns my remaining wolves into goo with plasmagun fire. Makes sure he has coverage on objectives.
Turn 5 (SW)
- I disembark my last pack and move them behind a building to hold 1 objective.
- My last attempt to clear guardsmen off the objectives fails as they pass their LD checks.
Game Ends! Oh no! A few more turns and my long fangs might have been able to clear them out! Turn 5 sees Marshall holding 3 objectives to my 1. Victory Guard!
Tune in tomorrow to get my thoughts on the game and on my Wolf List! Remember, the emperor saves a kitten every time you subscribe to my blog!
ALL OUTTA BUBBLEGUM 