1850 DA AAR

So, played the "We Shoot Things" list last night against a pretty good Chaos force...  Just going from memory, but this is approximately what he had:

Chaos Lord (Daemon weapon, Juggernaut, 4++ save of some sort, Mark of Khorne)
Chaos Lord (Daemon weapon/Black Mace?, Juggernaut, 4++ save of some sort, Mark of Khorne)
15 Cultists
15 Cultists
2 Predators (AC, 2x LC)
Vindicator
2 Heldrakes (bale flamers)

IG allies
CCS in Chimera (plasma/meltas)
Vet Squad in Chimera (plasma/2 Melta)
Manticore
Vendetta


So, lots of Fliers...

He had first turn and set up for an alpha strike...  I seized.  My bikes that had Scout moved up were in position and ended up winning me the game.  The Attack bike caught the Manticore in the 12" "sweet spot" for the easy kill netting me "First Blood".  The other bikes I had ran as Combat Squadrons so 2 groups of 3. Made my first big mistake when I did not just shoot the first Lord out of existence...  I shot each at one Cultist Squad with the LRC pitching in to wipe the closest one off the table.  I should have pushed the 48 TL Bolter shots all onto the one squad along with the TLAC/MM/etc...  So, killed off all of one and almost all of the other Cultist squads, but I REALLY should have just focused in on the one to kill the Lord.

That brings me to me second big mistake...  I rolled the LRC forward, leaving the Tactical Squads in their cover...  They did move out some trying to keep up, but...  In any case they got strung out and left behind by the uber-tank...

Brings me to the Drakes.  So, they fly "near" something, a wing clipping it maybe, and it's d3+1 Str 7 AP3 hits.  Movement phase, so absolutely NOTHING I as the defending player can do about it.  Not a HtH attack, no opposed rolling, just automatic hits, take the damage and move on.  Then of course there's the 360 degree Torrent Flamer hitting at Str 6 AP 3...  Kind of makes Power Armor completely worthless.  I was planning on running my Wolves at some point, but to be honest I think they'd just die.  FAQ killed the Wolf Scouts completely as the Interceptor Quad Guns are not really as big an issue these days...  Not bringing the Wolf Guard with them means just the 4+ Armor on the Scouts can strike behind the lines, and no Assault out of Reserve so "less useful" to "why bother"...  Seeing a lot of folks getting more and more frustrated with the game, and the "slightly overpowered" flier armies in general...  The now insane prices for the models is not helping, but the rules are really just lagging.  Maybe in a few months it will even out, but it is NOT there right now...

With the DA, I am left feeling that it is Terminator Armor or nothing.  Bikes are expensive and 3+ Armor, so they are looking like a "bring a Squadron" for the Bolters and Teleport Homers...  But do not count on them living with all the things that ignore cover AND the 3+ save...  OTOH, they do bring speed and a really good first strike ability to my force...

Far and away the "Death Star" I brought in the form of the LRC with the Command Squad/Banner of silly shooting/TechMarine w/ Power Field was the MVP for me...  It DID take 2 hull points of damage over the course of the game, but I made a LOT of 4++ saves, and the TM has the 4+ to repair the vehicle instead of shooting and since he cannot shoot inside the vehicle...  Not so sure it will be something I keep running, but to be honest I am pretty happy with it all things considered.  24" range only, so a bit limiting there...  Any light Infantry caught by this should really just die though...  So many shots hitting that even Heavy Infantry have to be careful...  Thinking that next week I run this, maybe back to Belial and Terminators for the most part...  Could be a really brutal "rush forward and hope for the best" army...  2 DW Squads, Belial, the LRC of silliness and a bike Squadron...  NOT a lot of models, but might work...