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...

So, next week's Army... 1850 again...

Well, looking like nothing too bad on the rules questions I had...  So looking like this will be what I am bringing:

Azrael
Command Squad (Banner of Devastation, Power Weapon maybe?)
Land Raider Crusader (MM)
Techmarine (Servo Harness, Power Field)
Deathwing Squad (10, 2 CML, 4 TH/SS?)
Tac Squad (10, ML w/ Flak, Flamer)
Tac Squad (10, ML w/Flak, Flamer)
Ravenwing Squadron (6 bikes, Attack Bike w/MM, Melta Gun)

Leaves me a few more points, and it is going to be a very "unsubtle" force...  Techmarine gives me a 3+ cover save to park some of the lads in...  Probably a Flak team, though maybe the Terminators against some forces...  Terminators can DW Assault in on one of the many Teleport Homers I have out there, or just hole up and hold an objective.  Everyone is a "Troop" selection, so I could potentially have 7 of them...  A lot of them a bit weak, but...  Plan is to park the Land Raider with Techmarine, Command Squad and probably Azrael in it at the front of my DZ...  The Tactical Squads deploy around it, preventing Deep Strikers, and giving more Salvo Bolters...  The Bikes Scout to the front to provide coverage there, and gaining the 4++ and making their Bolters Salvo as well...

Essentially, I have a metric crapton of Bolter fire, so it will be pretty deadly against Hordes...  Most Marines will have a fairly hard time dealing with the sheer number of shots they can throw out...  Fliers are going to be an issue, but can't be helped I think.  Just kill off everything else...

couple of rules questions...

Sitting at doctor office and have a few minutes....

So, here goes...

For the purposes of the Banner of devestation what all counts as a Bolter?  Hurricane Bilters list as "3 twin linked bolters fired as a single weapon", so I would say yes...  Likewise bikes have the tl Bolter, assuming that too...  Combi weapons? Yes?

Do "bubble" effects work from within a Vehicle?  The Sanguinary Priest's does, so I am going with the assumption that it is "yes"...  So the Banner and Power Field inside the Land Raider would have a fairly big "footprint" on the field...

Thinking that I might have to run a Heavy Bolter in one of the Squadrons of Ravenwing that I keep near the LR/Banner...  Just to be able to cause casualties at ranges greater than 24" via the new FAQ...  Potentially 28 TL Bolter shots should do a few wounds on whatever, but I am more concerned about hitting IG Blob/Chaos Cultist squads and only being able to do a few casualties if we end up dancing on the edge of 24" range...

Guessing the biggest thing I am really concerned about is the verdamnten Heldrake...  I just don't have a good answer to that.  Though giving all of my lads huddled around the LR a 4++ might help...  2 ML with the Flak missiles are not I think the answer to deal with AV 12 fliers, and while the Salvo of Bolter fire might work should one present a Rear arc shot...  Unlikely I would say...

1850 DA, This time formatted better...

Yeah, kind of doing a free range ramble on the last post there...  On one hand, really unfocused on the surface...  But thanks GraveMind!  That Power Field suggestion is looking like a really good one...  And amusing with the Techmarine riding in and hopefully repairing the LR...

So:
Azrael
Command Squad w/ Banner of Devastation, Company Champion
Techmarine w/ Servo and Power Field
Deathwing Squad (10, 2 CML, 4 TH/SS)
2 Tactical Squads (10 man each, Flamer, ML w/ Flak)
Ravenwing Squadron (6 Bikes, Attack Bike w/MM, 1-2 Melta guns?)

Getting pretty close to the end there...  I'd LIKE to fit in a Hyperion ML turret or three at 35 points each, but I should have a fair amount of resilient scoring presence on the field with this...  Al LD 10 or Fearless, loads of 4++ saves, some upgraded cover saves hopefully...  Not the same hyper aggressive force I normally play with my Fleshtearers, Wolves or even my Crimson Fists, but I DO think it will work well, assuming the Banner and Power Field both project their bubble around the Land Raider hull...

DA back to 1850...

Back to "normal" games...  Not sure if the weather will permit the motorcycle next week or not, but in any case I tend to have a "set" army list or two that can be easily transported via bike or truck...

So here goes:
Azrael or Belial...  Still deciding here.  Azrael gives me Ld 10 and that's pretty nice...  Deathwing/Ravenwing Troops...  Belial makes the DW Troops...  If I bring them, really feel I need to Deepstrike to get the full advantage.  Belial would not scatter and has the Homer for follow on forces.  Been playing DW Assault wrong, it is only one, they ALL come in at once, no choosing for each unit...  Still, turn one, good odds on the lads coming in on turn 2 to support...  Azrael if I can find some points for a Ravenwing squad I guess for the extra Homers...

2 Squads of PA Troops...  8 Bolters each, Flamer and Missile Launcher w/ Flak rounds.  Probably should mention that I am bringing a Command Squad as well...  They'll have the Banner of Detestation and ride in my Land Raider Crusader.  Now, as I am reading it, the Hurricane Bolters are listed in the Codex as 3 twin linked Bolters that fire as a single weapon...  And the Banner makes the Bolters Salvo 2/4...  Being Vehicle Mounted, they should always fire as if stationary.  So 24 shots/turn, twin linked, and the 2 squads (4 if Combat Squad) of lads on the outside to be a buffer...  LD 10, Stubborn, with the potential for 32 more Bolter shots each...  Yes, I COULD bring more, but I am honestly more concerned with things not easily brought down by Bolters ..

Deathwing Squad, maybe 2...  Or one and one Ravenwing Squadron to give me Homers and a fast moving platform...  Maybe they park in front of the LRC to take advantage of the Banner for the start of the game... :-)  Does sound like a bit of fun...  Bonus they're ALL Troops, can throw down a metric crapton (Yes, the Metric one IS bigger) of fire...

Yeah, posted quicker than I should have...  In the LRC and attached to the Command Squad will be a Techmarine...  Thought it was a bit light...  So, depends a bit on whether the Hurricane Bolters are counted as "Bolters", else I can just bring a standard "Godhammer" class Land Raider for the TL Las Cannons...  Am feeling a bit light on the AAA/AT firepower...  But I may just be paranoid...

Ah, Campaign games...

Yeah, remembering again why I do not like GW's campaign games.  There is almost never any thought given to "balance" or anything of that sort.  The game last night illustrated it very painfully.  And I am most certainly NOT faulting the players for running armies that exploited the poorly written rules for the scenario...  Just that Fliers, which are already "somewhat overpowered" got a bunch of bonuses and Reserves being able to come in anywhere on the Station meant that people bringing in late reserves were able to simply walk on and take Objectives...  Things like "Send in the Next Wave" for the IG were REALLY powerful as the 30 man unit could just keep walking in wherever they wanted, fire their now with Rending las guns, kill a bunch of things and then die to reappear next turn somewhere else...  Yeah, Rending for all attacks EXCEPT against Necrons and Demons...

Just poorly written and unbalanced rules.  Not a major problem if you are doing this as a "beer and pretzels" thing with a group of buddies, and since that appears to be the GW philosophy for most of their stuff, unsurprising.  Problem if you are wanting to inject this into a competitive league where there is money on the table.  Mind, I am not stressing/stressed about this, if I happen to win, great, else as long as I have fun playing then I consider the league fees to be money well spent.  This was not a fun game.  One of the reasons I stopped playing a lot of Privateer Press league stuff, the scenarios were, to put it nicely "poorly written".  Just led to games that were no fun whatever for one or both players.  Kind of easy to burn out on a system when you pay to play, must play with their models (no proxies/3rd party stuff allowed) and then feel like you get thrown into a game you cannot win, no matter what.  NOT the situation in the 40K league, we're all about proxies, 3rd party stuff is fine, etc...  Just that some of these special ones like this just kill off a lot of the "good feelings" we get from playing most of the games.

Anyway, back to 1850 games next week, so I can actually field a regular army...  Looking forward to that.  I might even get to play :-)

750 DA for the "Crusade of Fire" space station game

Well, we're playing the "Space Station" game in the Crusade of Fire campaign tomorrow...

Playing DA, I do not have much choice...  I more or less need Belial to keep my Deathwing Troops (Yes, I could bring Azrael, but...), so that eats up 190 of it right off the top.  Filling out one DW squad, 440 points and I need the 2 heavy weapons and a number of the Storm Shields...  So that's about it.  I COULD skimp on the squad, bring 2 5 man Squads, or maybe even bring a small Assault Squad.  The special rules for the game include things like movement being like Jump for normal Infantry, if they are Jump, double move...  Minus side, Difficult Terrain test, but potential 24" move for Jump Troops?  Thinking the BA will be WAY too fast for most people to react to in this one.  Jump Terminators might be amusing...  But one of the other rules being a 6 on the "to wound" makes it AP 2...  Just thinking this will suck for me.  And considering that Chaos gets free Demos squads every turn to appear and assault...  Has the makings of a REALLY short game for my lads.  Looking at maybe 11 bodies on the table, and the potential for everything Rending...

Most of the other rules for me are less relevant for me with most of my lads coming in via Deep Strike/Teleport in any case...  Belial does not miss his, and has a Homer in the event I bring 2 Squads and want to keep them together.  Guess we'll see, but my list is more or less fixed...  Have to say these small games are the most difficult for me since I can only being a little...  Just concerned that there will be NO balance in the game as no one can bring effective AAA if fliers are allowed...  And hordes are just going to be silly...